Chapter 77: Heavenly Map Crown Prince

On the dragon pillars, Qin Mu looked up. He saw the thundercloud cover expanding, constantly spreading outward like a massive vortex. Countless bolts of lightning kept striking down but continued to revolve around this vortex.

The thundercloud moved towards the vanguard of the Eternal Peace Kingdom. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the ground. Where it hit, fiery electric currents scattered like golden snakes, accompanied by an earth-shattering roar.

Following this, countless lightning bolts descended furiously from the sky, as if they had found a target. The scene resembled enormous plows descending from above, tilling the ground and advancing from the front lines of the Eternal Peace army towards them!

Boom, boom! Countless thunderbolts impacted the Eternal Peace vanguard. In less than a breath, giant beasts were struck, scorched black on the outside and tender on the inside. With cracking sounds, the lightning hit the behemoths, some of which were disemboweled as if sliced by sharp swords.

The giant beasts wailed, scattering in all directions and even rushing backward, trampling countless soldiers to death along the way.

Rolling thunder followed closely, reaching the army. Instantly, the soldiers and horses fell into disarray, and countless warriors were struck by lightning, dying on the spot.

A warship was hit by several thunderbolts, instantly bursting into flames. The core alchemical furnaces within the ship exploded, turning the alchemists and apprentices in the alchemy chambers into flaming figures.

The volatile medicinal power from the exploding furnaces surged out of the alchemy chambers and into the main hearth. The hearth, unable to process this terrifying power in time, exploded with a roar. The massive warship instantly shattered into pieces and disintegrated in mid-air!

Other warships had their main hearths destroyed, losing power. They slid diagonally downward from above, trailing thick smoke, crushing countless soldiers who couldn't escape in time.

Originally, the Eternal Peace army's momentum had been overwhelming, but now, all their morale was gone, replaced only by chaos.

"General Lu, this thundercloud is behaving strangely! It seems to be targeting our Eternal Peace army!"

A scout rushed to report, kneeling on one knee before the central army and cupping his hands. "The thundercloud covers an eighty-mile radius! Beyond that, there isn't a single cloud!"

General Lu, a towering and robust figure, his eyes flashing sharply, said in a deep voice, "Send out the Wind Marquis Army to disperse the thundercloud!"

"Yes, sir! Convey the general's order: the Wind Marquis Army is to act and disperse the thundercloud!"

In the rear, soldiers of a particular army wore unusual attire, each carrying a large gourd over half their height on their backs. The soldiers opened their gourds, and streams of black wind immediately soared from them into the sky.

The soldiers of this army channeled their vital energy. With a pointed finger, the black winds roared and expanded, transforming into a raging gale that converged into a vast sheet, blowing towards the thundercloud in the sky.

At that very moment, in the city's study, the Deaf Mute had completed his second painting: a "Tornado and Sudden Rain" illustration. With a flick of his brush, the painting soared into the air, floated high, and then vanished from sight.

Just as the Wind Marquis Army began their ritual, and the black winds started to move the thundercloud, a sudden dramatic change occurred. Numerous colossal tornadoes, like divine dragons, descended from the thundercloud, plunging their tails into the mass of soldiers.

There wasn't just one tornado, but dozens. They swept up the black winds of the Wind Marquis Army, integrating them into their own power, which further amplified their destructive force. Countless soldiers were lifted into the air, flailing their limbs.

Even more terrifying, as soon as these soldiers were swept into mid-air, countless bolts of lightning struck them, incinerating them into charcoal in an instant!

Regardless of whether they were martial artists or divine ability practitioners, they were powerless against such overwhelming forces of nature!

Above, winds howled and thunder roared. Pouring rain began to fall, soaking the Eternal Peace army to the bone. Bolts of lightning struck the drenched soldiers and the waterlogged ground, further increasing the thunder's destructive power.

Countless individuals trembled, contorted, and turned into charcoal under the onslaught of lightning.

"Demons and monsters, how dare you be so presumptuous! Black Tortoise Army, deploy shields!"

General Lu erupted in fury, slamming his hands downward. His figure shot into the air, charging into the thundercloud above. He moved deftly, striking down one tornado after another.

Bolts of lightning struck towards him, but they were deflected by the light emanating from his armor before they could reach his body, unable to hit him.

Below, the soldiers of the Black Tortoise Army roared in unison. Their vital energy materialized into large shields that ascended into the air. These energy shields hovered dozens of feet above the heads of each unit, blocking the torrential rain.

The striking lightning bolts were also blocked by the Black Tortoise shields. Morale was instantly restored, and commanders from various units quickly reorganized, executed deserters, and regrouped.

In Dragon-Mounted City, another large painting pierced through the air, soaring high. This one was a "Hundred Demons" illustration.

The Hundred Demons painting gradually faded into the sky, disappearing from view.

Immediately after, grotesque and ferocious demon gods burst forth from the thundercloud, surrounding General Lu and engaging him in battle. General Lu felt his scalp prickle and struggled desperately to resist. Just then, another large painting flew out from Dragon-Mounted City. General Lu stole a glance and was utterly terrified.

It was a "Meteor Shower" illustration, depicting countless meteorites descending from the sky!

"Retreat!"

No sooner had General Lu roared this command than the celestial phenomena in the sky changed dramatically. Massive meteorites, trailing long fiery tails, plummeted from the heavens, tearing through the firmament and hurtling towards the Eternal Peace army below.

"A single person creating a painting can withstand a million strong soldiers. This reminds me of someone."

At Yanbian Pass, on the border between the Eternal Peace Kingdom and the Great Ruins, a middle-aged man with slender, phoenix-like eyebrows stood on the city tower. Behind him were several great generals. This man was the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace. He calmly watched the Eternal Peace army fall into peril, speaking unhurriedly, "When the Kingdom of Heavenly Map still existed, its Crown Prince was exceptionally talented and remarkably handsome, considered the most gifted individual in the realm. However, he was completely engrossed in calligraphy and painting, once claiming he paid no attention to worldly affairs, dedicating himself solely to scholarly pursuits. When the Wolf Barbarian Kingdom invaded, intent on destroying Heavenly Map, the kingdom could not resist. Yet, the Crown Prince remained lost in his art. By the time he awakened from his immersion in painting, the Wolf Barbarian Kingdom had already breached the capital and was slaughtering his people. His father, the Emperor of Heavenly Map, had also been killed, with soldiers parading his head around."

Behind him, the generals of Eternal Peace listened in silence, not uttering a word. One of the generals' swords, sheathed at his waist, shot into the air, transforming into a streak of light that sped away, heading directly towards the dense clouds, thunder, and demon gods.

"Then, the Crown Prince of Heavenly Map went mad."

The Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor, his phoenix-like eyes deep with thought, continued, "His indifference to worldly affairs led to the destruction of his kingdom. What use were those ears? He was an extreme individual; he wept openly in the street, cut off his own ears, and pierced his eardrums. He used the blood of the common people on the ground to paint, depicting hell itself. He painted all eighteen levels of hell."

"Subsequently, the capital of Heavenly Map vanished, replaced by a bottomless abyss. The Wolf Barbarian Kingdom's million-strong army fell into this dark abyss, becoming part of hell, devoured by its ghostly deities. Some powerful individuals attempted to escape but were captured by the demons of hell and dragged down into it."

"After that battle, both Heavenly Map and the Wolf Barbarian Kingdom were finished. Not long after, both nations were utterly destroyed, and the Crown Prince of Heavenly Map also disappeared. I visited the ruins of Heavenly Map's capital, jumped into the dark abyss there, and traversed the eighteen levels of hell. I saw his eighteen paintings of hell, and I deeply understood the Crown Prince's profound sorrow and despair, while also lamenting his talent. That is why I petitioned His Majesty to establish the Pavilion of Painting Saints; in truth, the Crown Prince of Heavenly Map would be the most suitable person to be its Painting Saint."

"I thought I might never see the Painting Saint, but unexpectedly, I've encountered him in the borderlands of the Great Ruins. It is only regrettable that he has become an enemy of my Eternal Peace."

As he spoke, the thunderclouds, lightning, demons, tornadoes, and torrential rain above the Eternal Peace army all vanished. Instead, a sheet of ink flowed down from the sky.

This sight sent a chill through the Eternal Peace soldiers below. The terrifying phenomena that had caused so many deaths had, in fact, merely been ink!

"City Lord, there's a sorcerer causing trouble in the city!"

In Dragon-Mounted City, Qin Feiyue saw the scene in mid-air and immediately rushed into the City Lord's manor, finding Grandma Si. "This sorcerer is using powerful magic to obstruct our Eternal Peace army," she said. "His strength is extraordinary, and he's hidden in the city's study. Please, City Lord, slay this sorcerer!"

Grandma Si's expression darkened. She said coldly, "There's such a sorcerer? How dare he cause trouble in my territory! He's incredibly bold! Don't worry, Little General Qin, I'll go and slay him right away!" With that, she strode purposefully towards the study, an aura of fierce determination about her.

Qin Feiyue followed closely. When they arrived at the study, it was already deserted.