"The water level is rising too fast!! Something’s not right!"
On the seawall built along the coast, the Sea Watcher responsible for patrolling lifted the brim of his raincoat’s conical hat, watching the rapidly rising sea level with a heart full of trepidation.
"In at most ten minutes, it might flood over the seawall, and this is much faster than in past years! We must report this immediately!"
"Ah Shuang, quickly write a letter and report to the Sea Watch Bureau!"
Several Sea Watchers quickly conferred and sent one person hurrying toward the back of the seawall.
Behind this seawall is a large city with a population in the hundreds of thousands.
If something happens, the entire city will suffer.
Soon, a letter is sent by a Super Grade Martial Artist galloping inland.
Then it is reported layer by layer, with several copies sent to the Spirit Court.
Emperor Lingyuan, wearing a thick robe, leaned over his desk in the imperial study, reviewing memorials.
Suddenly, his wrist paused as he picked up a memorial from the maritime minister, Wei Dongze.
He carefully read through it, noting the significantly accelerated rise in sea level and the emergence of abnormalities.
Recalling the caution left by Imperial Tutor Qiankun Daoist before he secluded himself.
Immediately, Emperor Lingyuan pondered for a moment, took out this memorial, and set it aside, placing it separately.
"Someone come."
"Here," replied a figure clad in a red official uniform from the corner, stepping forward.
"Dispatch a high-grade Martial Artist to send it to the Human Immortal Temple branches. Ensure the Red Sparrow delivers the letter to the Human Immortal Cave."
"Yes, sir!"
The memorial quickly left the imperial study, was encoded at multiple levels, and sent to the headquarters of the Human Immortal Temple far in Wish Girl Gorge.
Kachak.
Lightning streaked across the night sky, illuminating Wish Girl Gorge in a bloody hue.
The Blood River flowed silently and quietly.
Suddenly, a blood-colored bird shot from afar, diving into the gorge.
As the blood bird flew by, many pairs of red-glowing eyes in the gorge opened wide, staring up at it.
The bird continued its descent, swiftly diving into a cloud of blood-red mist suspended midair.
The blood mist quickly parted, revealing a wide cliff platform with a dark red Tai Chi diagram behind it.
Behind the platform was a tall, oval-shaped cave dwelling.
A couplet hung at the cave entrance.
The left side read Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, while the right side read Five Qi Facing the Origin.
The horizontal inscription read: Wuji.
The blood bird lightly landed on a protruding stone to the side of the cave dwelling, chirping a few times with its head held high.
Swoosh!
A blood shadow rapidly descended from afar, transforming into Chang Yuqing’s slender figure dressed in a blood-red dress.
Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, her demeanor was coldly elegant, and a jade-green hairband held her long hair in a waist-high bind.
Other than that, there were no other adornments on her.
Taking the blood bird, she carefully untied a bamboo tube tied to its leg, opened it, and checked the contents.
"The matter my master was worried about has finally happened." Her beautiful blood-red eyes slightly narrowed.
"By my calculations, it’s already been three years." Another figure leaped onto the platform, crouching down gently. It was Zhang Zhenhai.
She still wore tight black clothing, with a high ponytail, a masked face, and a short sword strapped at her waist.
"Yuqing, your Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown is now complete, and even Five Qi Facing the Origin has reached the fourth level, just missing the last layer of mourning. Truly a prodigy!" Zhang Zhenhai once did not understand Zhang Rongfang’s decision, why others had to undergo repeated tests before he would accept them as disciples.
But with Chang Yuqing, he was so lenient.
But now, she finally understood.
The three flowers condensed, and four types of five qi coalesced, with only the last remaining, it could be completely perfected.
At this moment, Chang Yuqing had ascended to the highest level of Cultivation of Literature within the entire Human Immortal Temple.
"No... I just have a bit better comprehension, but in terms of accumulation, I still lack compared to many predecessors." Chang Yuqing’s expression remained unchanged, slightly shaking her head.
In martial arts, both Three Flowers and Five Qi are essentially permanent secret techniques that greatly enhance one’s strength.
These secret cultivation techniques can forever augment the body’s strength, and when used, can also vastly increase one’s power.
But it does not mean one will immediately reach the peak after learning them.
At most, unlocking the Three Flowers would make her Super-grade Inner Skill strength suddenly surge to rival a Grandmaster.
And the four qi of Five Qi Facing the Origin allows her to instantly switch between four completely different styles of martial arts, each capable of exerting power far exceeding that of ordinary people.
And this is not yet at the fully perfected realm. According to the head of the temple, once Five Qi Facing the Origin is fully achieved, it will bring a second complete metamorphosis of the body.
The essence of Five Qi Facing the Origin is simulating the powering stance of deities and Buddhas.
However, after Zhang Rongfang learned about the external conditions from Taoyuan, he had long since revised it.
Instead of combining five qi into a force, it was changed to using the combination of five qi to enhance all aspects of oneself a second time.
This is precisely the version Chang Yuqing is cultivating now.
While the two were waiting.
Inside the cave dwelling, in the Blood Pool.
A hulking humanoid form, long submerged without any change, slowly opened dark red eyes.
’Three years.....’
Zhang Rongfang slowly floated upwards, ascending from the surface of the Blood Pool.
Countless blood droplets wove themselves into an exquisite dark red robe on his body.
"The sky..... is closer...."
He looked up, his gaze passing through the slanted aperture blasted open last time.
From here, he could see the murky darkness of the night sky outside.
In these three years, he hadn’t just been simply soaking in the Blood Pool but was truly cultivating the new Five Qi Facing the Origin technique he created.
Using five emotions as fuel to enhance himself, undergoing a second qualitative transformation.
In this aspect, he had only reached the third layer, while his disciple Chang Yuqing had already reached the fourth layer.
Moreover, the fifth layer was soon to be completed.
Her comprehension and talent were simply astounding.
’However, fortunately, on the other side, it is finally truly completed.’
He referred to the second type of bloodline heritage.
In a flash of blood shadow, he suddenly passed through the cave tunnel, appearing in the blood-red Tai Chi diagram at the center of the entrance in the blink of an eye.
"Master!"
"Temple Head!"
Chang Yuqing and Zhang Zhenhai quickly bowed in salute.
"No need for formalities, the letter?"
Zhang Rongfang looked towards Chang Yuqing.
"Here." Chang Yuqing respectfully presented the letter with both hands.
Receiving the letter, Zhang Rongfang unfolded it, glancing over it.
Based on the data compilation from Great Spirit’s various ports, the letter calculated the alarming fact of the rapidly rising sea level.
"It has indeed begun."
Closing the letter, he looked toward Zhang Zhenhai.
"Xiao Hai, how is the situation in other areas?"
"Based on the annual feedback from the recorders, indeed, the fifteen canyons and fissures we checked are visibly shrinking each year," Zhang Zhenhai replied.
"It seems, indeed, the sky is sinking.... we must hurry."
At this moment, Zhang Rongfang had no doubts in his heart.
What the Moon God said was true.
Now that the fact of the sky curtain’s contraction has been verified, it’s time to think of a solution to this problem.
In this world, there are many people connected to him, many people he ultimately cannot let go of.
He is a soft-hearted person. If he dashed out alone, with his current strength, perhaps he could do it now.
But what about the other people here?
Chang Yuqing, Zhang Zhenhai, Zhang Yunqi, sister Zhang Rongyu, brother-in-law Suda Heqi, and the Celestial Maiden.
What about them?
Stay here and wait for death?
He had pondered this question for a long time, and now, naturally, he already had an answer.
That is....
To stop the sky curtain from shrinking! If the intensification of the heavenly light is the fundamental reason for the sky curtain shrinking.
Then the solution is simple....
Either find a way to increase new supporting power to aid the sky curtain.
Or, weaken the heavenly light!