My Lady Always Lacks Ambition

Chapter 1320 - 1239: Calm Before the Storm

Winter, the sky is filled with snow, blanketing the earth in silver white. Yet unlike the usual heavy snow, the continuous supernatural phenomena from the heavens have unsettled everyone in Da Feng, leaving them in anxiety and unease.

All the teahouses are abuzz with discussions about one particular day in December, questioning why it didn’t get dark until halfway through the hour of Xu. This is winter, yet it’s abnormal for the sky to darken so late, and although the sky seemed bright, it felt shrouded in a layer of gloomy black aura, causing discomfort.

Besides that, various creatures like rats, cockroaches, and snakes suddenly emerged from corners, cats and dogs spun in circles, and infants cried incessantly, all exuding an ominous atmosphere.

An invisible panic enveloped the entire Da Feng, making everyone feel uneasy, leading to an increase in people going to temples to pray to the gods and Buddha.

Yet they quickly discovered that many monks and Daoists in the temples had disappeared, leaving only laymen and believers tidying up incense offerings.

This discovery spread like wildfire.

The monks have disappeared; has something happened?

There’s a conspiratorial speculation that the new emperor has followed ancestral instructions to expel all Daoists and monks. People are demanding an explanation.

The common folk need places of faith for peace of mind. They may not wholly trust the monks and Daoists, but they provide comfort and the belief that gods and Buddha exist.

Now, with their absence, does it mean there are no gods in this world?

If this is true, where will the common people offer sacrifices and worship?

Where are their gods?

Just as they wanted the new emperor to provide answers, chaos ensued in the Imperial Palace because Emperor Kangping suddenly went missing.

This revelation nearly made everyone feel as if they’d lost their minds, sweating cold despite the winter, and despair grew as search efforts proved fruitless.

No one knew what happened; it was broad daylight when Emperor Kangping was reviewing memorials in Zhongqin Palace and suddenly just vanished.

It was truly sudden; the eunuch serving him was right by his side overseeing the inkstone, and there were two little eunuchs and palace maids in the hall. Yet Emperor Kangping disappeared right under their noses, and even the Shadow Guard couldn’t detect how he vanished.

The eunuch immediately notified Lin Xiang, and soon, the palace was under martial law. The Crown Prince, who had been studying in the Eastern Palace, was brought to stay temporarily in Empress Dowager’s residence, Cining Palace, which was heavily guarded.

Empress Dowager Mu decreed that Emperor Kangping was suddenly afflicted with a transmissible illness, temporarily allowing Lin Xiang, Duke Cheng’en, Grandmaster Yu, and Old Ming King to jointly oversee state affairs, suppressing doubts with a strong stance while secretly searching for Emperor Kangping.

However, from Yufu Temple came a sentence from Elder Jingci: "Fate cannot be avoided if it’s meant to be, let them rest assured for now and not make a big fuss searching, lest it causes unrest in politics and among the people."

Upon hearing these words, Lin Xiang and Yu Miao exchanged looks, their expressions changed.

It’s over.

Are they preparing for another emperor’s enthronement?

No, if the world perishes, then all is lost.

"I’ll offer incense to the temple master, want to join?" Lin Xiang looked at Yu Miao.

"Exactly what I intend to do." It must be done, they cannot rest until incense is offered.

The storm brews; the mountain rain is about to fall.

Qin Liuxi and Feng Xiu stood before the Boundless Barrier in the Black Desert, which had changed from its previous blood-red hue to a dark red, almost black. It bore a gloomy, ominous aura, as if countless resentful souls and evil ghosts were linked hand in hand, heads adjacent, baring fangs and claws in a vicious display.

That scene was formed by the dark aura.

The two exchanged glances, Feng Xiu said, "This barrier seems even stronger now. What should we do?"

"You cover it with the demon domain’s space, I’ll summon lightning to strike it." Qin Liuxi said coldly, "We are at the point where the map is exhausted and the dagger is seen, there is no need to fear its pain, let’s make a fierce strike."

When there are no more scruples, they can move forward fearlessly.

Feng Xiu nodded, leapt into the air, and released his divine sense. With a flip of both hands, golden-red demon energy with a wicked aura surged together in his clasped palms.

Mental waves emanated, spreading outward like ripples, encompassing the entire Black Desert surrounded by the barrier.

The Boundless Barrier was modeled after Abyss Hell; his domain enveloping the barrier was equivalent to a simulated infernal region growing within his demon domain, drawing all the sinister and gloomy resentful aura to attack him, stirring his inherent demonic wrath.

Feng Xiu frowned, his face calm, demon power turned into a flag to capture and suppress the resentful aura.

Qin Liuxi cast the Five Thunders Talisman, using the Divine Weapon Mieluo Sword as the lightning conduit, bypassing the Thunder Spell, his eyes focused intently.

Mieluo Sword ascended to mid-air, and thunder from the heavens struck down upon it, spinning rapidly. Purple thunder and golden light blanketed the sky like sword shadows, Five Thunders Talisman exploded simultaneously.

Boom.

A massive thunderous roar echoed, terrifying energy spread, causing creatures for a hundred miles around to shudder in fear.

Nine Heavens Profound Thunder combined with the divine weapon’s might was enough to cut down all sinister evil, adding Feng Xiu’s domain, accurately targeting, forcefully breaking open the Boundless Barrier.

Feng Xiu remained composed even as his divine soul trembled, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, he looked up at Qin Liuxi and said, "I really am a demon."

A divine weapon slays demons and dispels evil, being a demon himself, naturally he felt its intimidating power. Had he not achieved a human form, he might have been obliterated like the barrier.

Yet now, he is the Demon Emperor. Though he is affected, it’s not a grave concern.

Qin Liuxi tossed over an elixir and said, "Adjust yourself, next comes the real battle."

Feng Xiu swallowed the elixir, channeling demonic power to repair his divine soul.

With the barrier broken, Qin Liuxi released his divine sense, everything was calm, and the outside wasn’t affected by the barrier’s breach to cause disaster.

But the calm before the storm is always tranquillity.

Underneath this calmness lies an undercurrent unseen by the world, gathering strength and roaring, only waiting for an eruption.

Indeed, in places unreachable by Qin Liuxi’s divine sense, the sky was painted with an eerie red glow, like a blood mist veiling the sky, hinting at misfortune.

"Is this going to bring red rain and the end of days?" Someone muttered while gazing at the red light.

Countless cultivators quickened their pace upon seeing this red light, hurrying towards the Black Desert.

At Yufu Temple, Elder Jingci’s eyelids trembled as they momentarily opened, then closed again. His wooden fish was struck with increasing speed, prayer beads being rapidly counted, and mantras chanted transformed into golden light talismans entering the earth, forcefully suppressing the restless aura.

In Heavenly Mountain, Fan Kong opened his eyes in the White Tower, those eyes that penetrated mortal dust, gazed through the vast sky.

Instantaneously, everyone within the White Tower vanished.

In the Southern Border, the Miao Witch High Priest packed away the divination totem, eyes clouded white shed tears of blood, muttering: "The mortal world’s catastrophe has begun."

Meanwhile, the White Witch Clan, Si Lengyue entrusted her daughter to her father, announcing her as the next heir. Without turning back, she walked into the transmission Yin Road under the gaze of her clan.

Embarking to save the world, fearless.