Da Xuan Martial Saint

Yu City.

Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion.

Within the layered rooms of the towers, pairs of eyes suddenly snapped open.

"They've finally come."

In the hall at the top level, the steward of the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion, Liu Su, draped in a mysterious robe, slowly began to speak, his gaze fixed on the world outside the window.

The Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion's predictions about fate are often somewhat elusive, but their forecasts for disasters symbolizing changes in heaven and earth are usually quite accurate, rarely deviating by more than a month.

Tidal Disaster.

This is one of the more peculiar disasters among several, because its range is often only near rivers, with demons only appearing from the water, often accompanied by rampaging floods.

However, what the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion is concerned about is not these, but the fact that compared to droughts and cold disasters, the impact on the earth's veins will be greater!

How deep is the earth?

No one knows the answer.

Because the deeper you go underground, the more accumulated the power of heaven and earth becomes. Once you reach a certain depth, let alone martial artists in the Five Organ and Viscera Realm, even existences in the Blood Exchange Realm would be unable to continue downward.

All sorts of natural disasters in the world are related to the earth's veins. For example, during a drought, river and well water can disappear within a single day, consumed by the shifting earth's veins. The floods arising from the Tidal Disaster also surge up from underground.

Inward, there is nothing. Outward, it's completely different!

Because even the Blood Exchange Martial Saints cannot delve into the earth's veins, most of the heavenly materials and earthly treasures in this world are buried deep underground, unattainable even if their location is known.

But during the Tidal Disaster, as the heavens and earth overturn and floods erupt from the raging earth's veins, some weak points in the earth's veins change, creating gaps that allow people to venture deep within for exploration!

Tidal Disaster.

To ordinary people, it's a natural calamity, but for martial artists, it's an opportunity!

The reason the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion has three true disciples and numerous stewards come to Yu County this time is for this Tidal Disaster. To prevent other clans and sects from detecting anything, most moved under the cover of the Purple Mist Mountains.

Including the plan that was recently hatched in the Inner City, to mobilize the He Family to assassinate Chen Mu, it was meant to make Yan Jingqing mistakenly believe that they wanted to seize the opportunity to create chaos in the city, to vie for power and wealth.

But in reality, they just wanted Yan Jingqing to think so!

Upon realizing that Chen Mu was being assassinated, Yan Jingqing would undoubtedly suppress the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion at every turn. As the pavilion endured pressure from Yan Jingqing, it would be reasonable in everyone's eyes for them to send more people to Yu County.

They had no true intention to assassinate Chen Mu, a mere Inspectorate's Metropolitan Commander. It didn't matter much to them whether the He Family or the Yu Family perished, whether Chen Mu lived or died. Even if they could test Yan Jingqing's hidden strength, it was good, but it was no big deal if they couldn't.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

As for dominating Yu County, that wasn't something to be done in a short time.

The real, most direct purpose was this Tidal Disaster!

The Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion has ten stewards and two protectors who have all arrived in Yu County, along with three true disciples, and a large number of people who have quietly entered Yu County. They have secured an absolute advantage over any other group!

The Tidal Disaster lasts at most ten to fifteen days. By the time sects like Seven Profound and Heavenly Sword send more people to Yu County, everything will have already ended. They will have achieved their goals and withdrawn, waiting for the next opportune moment.

Swish! Swish!!

In silence, figures in mysterious robes appeared one after the other within the tower.

"It has begun."

"For the two rivers and six streams in this Yu County, you should all be clear about their locations. Needless to say, hurry to your designated spots in the next two days. When the Tidal Disaster truly begins, inspect the earth's veins along the rivers. This Yu County, being remote and usually overlooked by the Seven Profound Sect, surely has plenty of resources accumulated underground.

We must seize as much as possible this time—the more, the better."

"I'll take care of Black Water River."

"I'm heading to Yellow Sand River."

"…"

Figures in mysterious robes each spoke up. In fact, locations had already been allocated days in advance, and their gathering was just to confirm again, to avoid any mistakes.

And just as everyone was delegating tasks, a person in the corner, also draped in a mysterious robe but wearing a mask, revealed a profound chill in their eyes, and suddenly said:

"Before I head to Dragon Gate River, I want to kill someone first."

As these words were spoken.

Some figures in mysterious robes turned their gazes over.

One person frowned and said, "I know who you want to kill, but don't let it interfere with the important matters. That Chen Mu is just a junior; there's no rush to kill him. If we don't seize more treasures this time, who knows how many years it will be until the next Tidal Disaster?

You may be advanced in age, but if you obtain many treasures this time, our Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion has secret techniques that could allow you to sire offspring again, so in the future you could rise anew in Xuan State."

Even though he was the only one wearing a mask and his face was unclear, all the stewards and true disciples present knew exactly who he was—the He Family ancestor who had gone missing, the former steward of the Seven Profound Sect, He Wuyou!

He Wuyou, upon hearing these words, remained silent, his eyes cold.

What did siring offspring and starting a new clan matter? Regardless of whether the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion could achieve this, and even if they could, what then? He was already in his eighties, had suffered serious injuries before, and treating those injuries had depleted much of his vital energy. It wouldn't be long before he could no longer maintain his strength in the Five Viscera Realm.

Starting a new clan was nothing more than an impossible dream, and even if he could father additional children, it was unlikely they would ever grow to match the scale of the Yu Family.

Now, he had no other desires except revenge. Only by killing Chen Mu, killing Yu Jiujiang, and annihilating the Yu Family could he quench the hatred in his heart!

Chen Mu!

That man was cunning and exceptionally talented. If not for the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion's interference, He Wuyou would have sought an opportunity to act much sooner. He could not let Chen Mu continue to roam free any longer.

He Wuyou kept silent, and the other stewards either frowned, snickered, or shook their heads.

"I think so too. For now, we should not make a move against that Chen Mu. Didn't Steward Liu previously divinate his fate, saying that he's someone 'with a long lifeline, whose life should not be cut short'? To forcefully attack him would likely backfire."

"Indeed, there's no need to stoop to the level of such a person. We just need to go with the flow of nature. In the future, we can eliminate him with ease. Why the hurry, He Wuyou? Are you still worried that our Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion won't avenge you?"

Several people started to speak.

But at that moment, Liu Su suddenly said, "Actually, it's not that we can't give it a try. With the flood disaster imminent and the disturbances of heaven and earth, it's also a time when the fate dictated by the heavens is thrown into chaos... Chen Mu does have the potential of a true disciple, and if he becomes a troublesome person in the future, that'll be a problem.

Taking action to eliminate him during the disaster might not be unwarranted."

With these words, the crowd showed thoughtful expressions.

And Liu Su paused, glanced at He Wuyou, and continued, "Most importantly, according to intelligence, Chen Mu is not in Yu City at the moment. Not long ago, he went to An Yu County and is not under Yan Jingqing's protection. Right now, he should be on his way back to Yu City. Maybe... this is the opportune moment dictated by heaven?"

These words finally made some of the stewards look contemplative.

He Wuyou, however, remained silent, his gaze cold and indifferent.

A moment passed.

The person standing at the head of the group, dressed in a deep-colored mystical robe, slowly began to speak.

"Steward Liu's words are reasonable. With the flood disaster upon us, the fates thrown into chaos, and at this time, with him not in Yu City, perhaps it's indeed an opportunity presented by heaven. Trying it wouldn't be a problem."

"The protector is wise."

Liu Su bowed to the figure in the deep-colored mystical robe.

In the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion, the position of protector was superior to that of steward, being truly a figure at the Six Viscera Realm. His visit to Yu County was also to compete for the critical resources of the two rivers' region.

Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion's protector Duanmu Chun gave He Wuyou a brief glance, then retracted his gaze, and said, "Then let it be. Discuss amongst yourselves the specifics of the plan. I will take my leave first."

He didn't have the time to bother with such trivial matters.

If it were to intercept a true disciple of the Seven Profound Sect, he might give it some thought, but not for someone not yet truly initiated into the Seven Profound Sect, born in a remote place in Yu County - he had little interest in paying attention.

As his words ended,

Duanmu Chun's figure flickered, and he vanished from the pavilion.

"Thank you, Steward Liu."

At this moment, He Wuyou, whose eyes had been filled with a cold gleam, bowed his thanks to Liu Su.

Liu Su smiled, his wrinkled face creasing further as he said, "You're too polite, Steward He. I also felt something unusual when I previously divined Chen Mu's fate. Now that the time is right, it is naturally best to deal with it as soon as possible."

"Indeed..."

He Wuyou nodded slightly, his eyes once again revealing a coldness.

The image of Chen Mu flashed through his mind, followed quickly by Yu Jiujiang and then members of the Yu Family one after another. Chen Mu was just the beginning; he would make every member of the Yu Family wait in fear for the arrival of death!

...

On the imperial road.

The once smooth road was now muddied.

Above, the sky was densely covered with clouds, and the relentless rain continued to fall. The carriage's progress slowed considerably, with the wheels frequently sinking into the mud, then being hauled out again by the horses' strength.

What was most eerie was that, despite the rain, the air was still filled with a white mist - thick humidity that obscured visibility, reducing it to almost less than ten feet.

"Flood disaster..."

At the front of the carriage, Chen Mu stood, his gaze surveying his surroundings.

Raindrops fell upon him, but he did not use his Vital Energy to expel them, allowing them to soak through his clothes.

Compared to the cold and drought disasters, the chaos caused by the flood disaster was actually the smallest, but the destruction it brought was no less severe. Mainly because almost inevitably during a flood disaster, there would arise tremendous floods!

If one were a Body Refinement Martial Man, one could certainly survive the flood. However, true practitioners were few in this world, and the vast majority were ordinary civilians who had nearly no chance of escape in a flood, with farmland, land, and villages all facing ruin.

Of course.

As far as he knew, aside from the disaster, the flood disaster also brought many opportunities.

The earth's veins of the two rivers and six streams in Yu County would all be affected, leading to some gaps. Some things might be flushed out from underground, or one could actively venture into the underground through the gaps, though it was often quite dangerous.

"Yu City is almost in sight. After you all return this time, stay within the city and do not venture out."

Chen Mu turned to Xu Hongyu and the others.

Xu Hongyu was actually quite strong now, with her Bone Tempering Realm and Kan Water Artistic Conception, which could be more effectively utilized during the flood disaster. However, after traversing the Purple Mist Mountains and then pursuing the remnants of the Heavenly Corpse Sect, she was too fatigued to continue moving.

Besides, during the disaster, Yu City would not be peaceful, as the city's moats would overflow. Even though the waterways would be blocked in advance by various means, there would still be monsters that would take advantage of the heavy fog to enter the city and prey on people.

With Xu Hongyu's strength, acting as the Deputy Governor of the Demon-Slaying Office, staying to defend Yu City was reasonable, and Yan Jingqing would have no objection. As for Xiao He, without enough strength, no movement would matter much, and Chen Yue was not serving in the Yamen.

As for himself,

A map of Yu County flashed through Chen Mu's mind.

He couldn't stop a disaster like the great flood; as the Metropolitan Commander of the Inspectorate, he could only do what he could. If it weren't for having to escort Chen Yue, Xiao He, and others back to Yu City in the past two days, he would most likely be by the riverside by now.