“Calamity strikes!”

Upon the city tower, the old immortal, with his gaze encompassing the county seat and his hand guiding its fate, cried out in alarm. Turning to General Ma, who stood beside him with a face etched in doubt, he explained, “A grave matter has befallen the City God Temple. It appears a great demon of terrifying ferocity has run amok, directly shattering the incorruptible golden body of the City God. I must personally investigate to ease my worries. The Golden City God is intertwined with the fortunes of Rouge County. Should City God Shen’s golden body completely crumble, even if we weather this storm, Rouge County will suffer a severe blow to its vitality!”

The old immortal gazed towards the City God Pavilion, his heart heavy with concern. With a sigh, he chuckled coldly, “So be it! Even if it’s a dragon’s den or a tiger’s lair, I must venture forth today! I may have to risk all my cultivation to see if I can rescue the heavily wounded City God. I never imagined the demon wreaking havoc would be so powerful. I initially thought it was merely using an array to restrain the City God, never suspecting such ruthless methods aimed at obliterating an entire city. General Ma, alas, the East Gate must temporarily be entrusted to your sole care.”

General Ma said in a deep voice: “Do you need to send ten elite soldiers to help you, Old Huang? The prefectural government also has dozens of special arrows that are best at killing demons.”

The old immortal waved his hand, saying, “There’s no time, and it wouldn’t make much of a difference.”

General Ma, after all, was a seasoned warrior from the battlefield. Without further delay, he clasped his fist and said, “I wish you success, Old Huang!”

“I appreciate General Ma’s kind words!” The old immortal returned the gesture, smiling slightly. His figure darted from the city wall like a flying bird, landing on a rooftop dozens of feet away. With a graceful leap, he soared forward again. After a dozen or so elegant ascents and descents, his figure shrunk to the size of a grain of rice, finally landing within the City God Pavilion, where dust was beginning to settle.

This Old Devil Mi, whom the couple mentioned as the Lapis Lazuli Immortal Elder, did not head straight to the City God Pavilion. Instead, he landed on the plaza outside the high walls of the main hall. He advanced slowly, with a wave of his sleeves, he unleashed a great number of yellow paper talismans, which burst into billowing smoke in the air. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen white-clad maidens wielding swords emerged from the smoke, each stepping with ethereal grace, their figures lithe as they charged toward the first hall, where the founding heroes of the Painted Robe Kingdom were enshrined.

As the old immortal passed the two broken statues of the Heavenly Officials, he noted that the venomous creatures had all dispersed. Entering the main hall, he observed that most of the clay statues within remained intact. The old man knew the reason, of course. Without deities to preside over them, these seemingly imposing statues were merely clay shells crafted by artisans. Old Devil Mi would not waste his specially made incense on them.

The sword-wielding maidens who had appeared on the high platform in the heart of the lake moved with light steps, swiftly entering the small plaza between the Hall of Wealth and the Hall of the Grand Duke. One of the maidens’ lips moved slightly, as if gently calling out to someone, but there was no response. The old immortal stepped over the back door, standing in place and surveying the surroundings, frowning. “There’s no need to call out. Your Sister Painted Robe has long been reduced to her original form. Even I cannot sense her remaining soul fragments. The one who struck has a very high level of cultivation.”

The old man raised his arm and with a sudden wave, the scarlet longsword hidden among the tall branches of the ancient cypress trees was instantly grasped in his hand. He lowered his head and sniffed the sword, feeling slightly relieved. There was no trace of demonic energy left behind. *That’s good. It’s not that Old Devil Mi discovered clues and preemptively seized that “fine iron official seal” that looked like a decoration.* He casually tossed the longsword to a white-clad maiden with a mole on her lips. The old man slowly advanced, although the current situation had not reached the worst-case scenario, it was far from good. The City God Hall was destroyed, and the Golden City God, Shen Wen, had turned into a pile of mud. The two statues of the civil and military officials suffered the same fate, and the fine iron official seal was missing.

The old man’s expression was gloomy as he pondered. Could it be that the great figure behind the scenes was also interested in this City God Manifestation Earl Seal? So, he hid it from himself and let someone get there first? The old man immediately dismissed the idea. It shouldn’t be, it shouldn’t be. In terms of the true old immortal’s status at the top of Treasure Bottle Continent, this type of magic weapon is certainly a valuable treasure for Qi Refiners in the Middle Five Realms, and they can fight to the death to grab it, but for that person, it is far from worth his betrayal and forcible seizure.

What that person is plotting is too big, too big. It is a great melee involving five countries, including Painted Robe Country and Ancient Elm Country, and the sound of drums and gunpowder smoke is everywhere in the central map of Treasure Bottle Continent.

This heretical old man walked into the ruins of the City God Hall with a gloomy expression, and finally came to a wall that had completely collapsed on the ground.

Although the wall was still intact and there were no major cracks, there were many minor damages. The old man carefully examined every detail, and of the ninety-nine-eighty-one flying beauties painted on the murals, only thirty or so women with better appearances were left. The old man stomped his feet and lamented: “What a waste!”

After confirming that there was no one around, the old man still asked those sword-wielding white-clothed maidens to stare at the walls everywhere, and then squatted down, took out a beautiful small cup of flowing clouds and bright colors with his left hand. The cup was carefully taken out of the sleeve by the old man, and the surrounding area was suddenly illuminated with a burst of color, which was very beautiful.

The old man quickly waved his right sleeve to slightly suppress the colorful colors flowing all over the ground, and muttered in his mouth. The various beauties on the murals began to flow slowly, and one by one floated away from the walls and poured into the glass cup. Thirty mural women with the best appearance and clothing were the first to enter the small cup, followed by a dozen women with complete faces but damaged limbs and clothes. Finally, only the women in the paintings with completely ruined faces and bodies were left on the wall, as if there was a slight sobbing sound, like a clear spring flowing over the stones.

The old man was still unwilling to give up, and even drew out the base of the entire colored mural and put it into the small cup. Those broken women, as if they had lost their courtyard residences, became more and more miserable and resentful, weeping on the empty walls.

The old man put away the small cup, got up and looked down at the scattered remaining women on the wall, shook his head again, feeling heartbroken, raised his big sleeves, and slapped down heavily, the wall instantly turned into dust.

The rice shop opened again, but not to do business again. The three shop assistants each went to a place in the county seat, especially the handsome boy, who ran out with a happy face. The old rice shopkeeper took the couple and walked in a quiet alley. The woman asked: “The Golden City God of the City God Pavilion has become your Old Devil Mi’s puppet. Even if his cultivation has declined, how could he suddenly explode? Could it be that a master of the Middle Five Realms is hidden in this small Rouge County?”
Old Devil Mi was in a foul mood. His greatest trump card and talisman had vanished inexplicably, a situation that would sour anyone’s disposition.

He pondered for a moment, then extended his palm, deciding to risk a try at the “Palm Gazing at Mountains and Rivers” divine ability. Such a superior art was treasured and kept secret by a select few righteous immortals. Old Devil Mi had only stumbled upon a damaged, heretical manual through sheer chance, learning only a smattering of it. Because the incomplete manual lacked half the incantation for channeling Qi, each use cost him a drop of his heart’s blood, a steep price. Moreover, remotely peering through this skill made him vulnerable; if a Qi Practitioner of comparable cultivation was present, they could easily detect his presence and potentially trace the clues back to him. Thus, a supremely powerful divine ability was rendered utterly useless due to its flaws.

The reason the immortal clans on the mountains were so deeply rooted lay largely in their possession of secret techniques passed down through generations, free from any adverse effects. Perfected by generations of grandmasters, they were flawless. Thus, their descendants and favored disciples did not need to fumble in the dark, encountering setbacks on their own. Legend has it that some of the most supreme sect techniques could even allow practitioners to ascend into the Upper Five Realms, while slightly lesser, unorthodox methods could help one reach the Middle Five Realms – a clear path to enlightenment.

In contrast, how many rogue cultivators in the world suffered Qi deviation and demonic corruption? Countless!

A drop of scarlet, concentrated blood seeped from Old Devil Mi’s palm, then abruptly exploded. Blood mist filled the air, and an image quickly materialized in the old man’s palm, depicting the City God Pavilion. The old man squinted, spotting the “Old Immortal” and his white-robed attendants. He slightly adjusted his palm, shrinking the image from encompassing the entire pavilion to focus solely on the ruins of the City God Hall, making the Old Immortal’s squatting figure even clearer.

Old Devil Mi chuckled, “Heaven is helping me! Old Chen couldn’t resist the urge and came here to investigate personally. He’s walking right into my trap!”

The woman’s eyes lit up as she stared intently at the glazed lamp in Immortal Glazed Light’s hand within the image. “Is that the Immortal Relic, the Glazed Lamp?”

Old Devil Mi suddenly clenched his fist, the blood mist in his palm returning to his body. He turned and coldly sneered, “What, you want to snatch it from me?”

The woman fluttered her eyelashes, coyly smiling, “How dare I?”

Ignoring the妖妇’s feigned innocence, Old Devil Mi quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

Old Chen’s initial goal had always been the mural beneath the Golden City God’s gaze. He claimed to covet the essence, energy, and spirit of the mural, which had been nurtured for centuries by incense, fostering a truly ethereal beauty. Moreover, after collecting the souls of women from the Burial Mounds, he could use the mural as their new abode, killing two birds with one stone, perhaps even nurturing several彩衣女子 ghosts.

Only now did Old Devil Mi realize, perhaps… the seal from the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master’s Mansion wasn’t in the Prefect’s residence or the Zhao Manor, but right in the City God Pavilion! And this old friend had planned to devour all the benefits himself from the start, never intending to leave them, his master and him, the seal they’d schemed for years to obtain.

Well played, Immortal Glazed Light, Old Chen!

Old friend, if you’re unkind, don’t blame me for being unrighteous!

The once clear sky above Rouge County gradually darkened, and dark clouds gathered from all directions, until they became a heavy black cloud pressing down on the city, causing a stifling sensation.

A carriage smoothly exited the city’s south gate. The old strategist, one hand holding the reins, picked up a pot of fine wine he had prepared earlier with the other. Just as he was about to take a drink, he saw a poor scholar waving vigorously by the roadside, shouting, “Old Song, Old Song, I’m a friend of your young mistress, is she on the carriage?”

The lean old man’s heart tightened. Could it be that demons had been targeting the Prefect’s residence all along, determined to eliminate them completely, not even sparing the young master and young mistress?

The young woman quickly leaned over and lifted the curtain, happily saying, “Uncle Song, he’s my friend, Liu Chicheng, a traveling scholar from the White Mountain Kingdom.”

Another head popped out, puzzled, “Liu Chicheng, didn’t you leave the city a long time ago? Why are you only here now? Did you flirt with some other young lady on the way again?”

The old man hesitated, but still stopped the carriage.

If it’s a blessing, it’s not a disaster; if it’s a disaster, it can’t be avoided.

He could only wait and see what happened.

Hearing Liu Gaohua, his future brother-in-law’s teasing, Liu Chicheng rolled his eyes and trotted forward. Although he didn’t know why the old demon had suddenly descended from the sky and temporarily returned his body to him, Liu Chicheng didn’t bother with it. Anyway, the old guy had assured him that as long as he persuaded this carriage to turn back to the city, he could solve all the problems with just one finger.

However, Liu Chicheng was still wearing that pink Daoist robe, but the old guy said that Qi Practitioners below the tenth realm, including the so-called Golden Core Immortals, couldn’t see through his exquisite illusion.

Liu Chicheng stood beside the carriage, panting, and asked, “What’s wrong, are you running away too? Liu Gaohua, you unfilial son, are you willing to leave your parents in deep trouble? There are so many demons causing trouble in the city, as the Prefect’s son, you should take the lead! At least you should raise your arms and shout, defend the Prefect’s residence gate, and vow to never retreat! I didn’t walk far out of the city, but I still feel that I can’t just leave like this. Think about it, even someone like me, a stranger, would feel that with righteousness at stake, we scholars should die generously…”

The old strategist was so angry that his teeth itched, wishing he could slap the poor scholar in the face.

Liu Gaohua looked at the poor scholar with an idiot’s gaze.

His sister’s eyes were already glazed over, teary-eyed, her hands clasped to her heart, feeling that her Liu Lang must have come to see her.

Liu Gaohua rolled his eyes and said, “If you want to go back, go back yourself. I’m going to take refuge with my sister.”

Liu Chicheng muttered to himself, “Old man, what should I do? This brother-in-law doesn’t have any heroic spirit; I’m playing the lute to a cow.”

Suddenly, Liu Chicheng found that he couldn’t control his legs anymore, and he “lightly” stepped on the official road.

A deafening roar erupted.

Dust billowed up along the entire official road. From the city walls, it looked like a yellow dragon stretching for several miles had appeared out of nowhere.

Liu Chicheng swallowed hard, cleared his throat, put his hands behind his back, and tried to make himself look like an expert, “To tell you the truth, I, Liu Chicheng, am a Golden Core Immortal in disguise!”

The old strategist paled in shock, speechless for a moment.
Perhaps only the most formidable Grandmasters of the martial world in Caiyi Kingdom, like that reclusive Old Sword God, could possess such power in a single kick, eh?

Could it be that this seemingly unreliable, penniless scholar before me is truly a celestial being descending to walk amongst mortals?

Liu Chicheng attempted a tiptoe jump, hoping to leap directly onto the carriage. Alas, his body remained motionless. He shamefacedly clambered onto the carriage, squeezed into the compartment, and sat cross-legged between the brother and sister, who were exchanging bewildered glances. Liu Chicheng turned to the intensely excited woman, smiling gently, “Miss Liu, sincerity moves mountains, does it not?”

Chen Ping’an and the silver-belled maiden arrived on a rooftop near the Prefect’s manor. Chen Ping’an halted, and as the maiden was about to speak, he pointed towards the walls and high buildings of the estate. Following his gaze, the maiden’s heart skipped a beat. Rows of Mo Clan’s specially crafted crossbows were aimed directly at them, each bow manned by powerful warriors clad in the official Caiyi Kingdom military armor. The maiden frowned, “They appear to be General Ma’s personal guards stationed at the manor. They may not recognize me. Otherwise, I could shout a few times. As long as I reveal myself and offer an explanation, it should be alright. I’m just afraid of the official inquiries that will take up a lot of time.”

Chen Ping’an looked up at the sky, hesitating for a moment. “We’ll split up. You don’t need to rush in immediately. If you’re stopped, try to explain things. But I need to find our friends at once.”

The maiden was also a decisive individual, nodding her head. “Alright! We’ll do as the Old Immortal says!”

Chen Ping’an took a deep breath and leaped into the air. An arrow shot towards him with fierce speed. Chen Ping’an’s figure suddenly rose higher, stepping onto the arrow’s shaft and lightly pushing off, he headed straight towards the Prefect’s manor.