Volume One: The Dragon Rises from the Wild Chapter Eighty-Three: The Shifting of Heaven’s Mechanism

As the two Tianbao brothers grumbled in anger, flashes of sword light streaked across the night sky. In the blink of an eye, screams erupted from all around; one figure after another fell beneath the dazzling blades, their bodies tumbling down the steep slopes. The survivors were panic-stricken: some raised their swords in futile resistance, others darted into the forests, some crouched among the scattered rocks, while others cried out loudly, begging to be admitted into the immortal sect and swearing eternal loyalty.

On a mountainside by the sea of clouds, more than two hundred martial artists who had already pledged themselves to the immortal sect stood silently. Witnessing the miserable fate of their fellows, they were gripped by fear, relief, or anger, yet none dared to intervene.

Yu Ye called out, then turned to hide behind a boulder.

The Tianbao brothers, quick to sense danger, hastily followed and crouched down beside him.

The boulder behind which they hid faced away from the cultivators on the ridge, offering temporary shelter, but it also faced the valley and the sea of clouds—and above that, four Foundation Establishment cultivators.

“Brother, what should we do…”

“Fight, damn it…”

“We can’t win, it’s just suicide…”

“We brothers ask not to live together, but to die together, as our oath says. What regrets could we have? Besides, we have Brother Yu—on the road to reincarnation, we’ll have good company…”

Knowing that death was inevitable, the Tianbao brothers sought to pull their newfound friend Yu Ye along for a bold, glorious struggle, one without regret.

But Yu Ye was frantic. With Nanshan openly recruiting disciples, he already sensed trouble and wanted to leave amidst the chaos, only to be entangled by the brothers. Now that Nanshan had begun the slaughter, they wanted to drag him to die with them.

Clearly, loyalty among martial artists could be a curse.

He had no intention of dying in vain, but any move would expose his identity, and then he would be beset by four Foundation Establishment masters and a dozen Qi Refining experts. With flying swords darting about and death looming, even abandoning the brothers and forcing his way out would be too late.

Yu Ye was torn, hesitating as he quickly turned his head down.

A sudden chill swept through him, surging instantly through his whole body!

Damn! This was the spiritual sense of a Foundation Establishment master!

Earlier, the chaos and the brothers’ cover had concealed his presence. Now, under the gaze of four powerful figures, what he feared most had come to pass.

As Yu Ye ducked his head, he prepared to pull out his armor-breaking talisman.

The powerful spiritual sense swept past, seemingly without recognizing his identity. Perhaps it was from Nanshan, who did not know his face?

A thunderous rumbling erupted—stone and trees began to tremble, then the whole valley started to quake.

At that moment, the sea of clouds surged, and a pillar of fire shot skyward, reaching hundreds, thousands of feet. Fiery scarlet flames illuminated all directions, while billowing smoke shrouded the heavens.

The four Foundation Establishment masters, caught off guard, hurriedly rode their sword lights out of the valley; the two hundred martial artists by the sea of clouds scattered in panic. The dozen cultivators from Qizhou abandoned their killing spree, quickly sheathing their swords and fleeing.

Tianbao and Renliang collapsed on the slope, staring in amazement—

“The rebirth of the flood dragon—what a commotion…”

“And the treasure?”

“With earthfire unleashed, all things perish. Go—”

Thanks to their consultation with the dragon’s shadow, they understood the cause of the anomaly. No doubt, the earthfire beneath Chenling Mountain had erupted. And since Kun fire was active, what change would the Qian mechanism bring?

Yu Ye urged them onward, leaping up the slope, then glancing back and returning. The mountain’s tremors were so fierce that the brothers could barely stand, let alone flee—they could hardly walk. He was forced to sheathe his sword, grab each brother in one hand, and, with a kick, propelled them upward.

In an instant, they reached the ridge.

All around, people were fleeing, shoving and cursing, drawing blades against each other, chaos reigning everywhere. The roaring earthfire and blazing flames lent the tumultuous scene a strange splendor.

Yu Ye, gripping both brothers, charged ahead. The brothers were awed by his strength, yet did not forget to swing their swords wildly, slashing at all in their path.

---

Thus, they barreled through, crossing the ridge, breaking through the crowd, and racing along the mountain road.

In the darkness, the three seemed to ride side by side, nothing unusual, yet they leapt and bounded as if airborne, two blades clearing the way, cutting down any who blocked them.

Moments later, there were no more figures on the mountain path ahead.

Yu Ye finally released the brothers.

The night sky was filled with billowing smoke and constant rumbling. Amidst the rising haze, a fiery red blaze raged unchecked. Scorching dust and debris rained down, igniting the dry forests in an instant.

“Heavens—”

The brothers were terrified, covering their heads and fleeing, stumbling and scrambling to their feet again.

Yu Ye followed close behind.

Empty-handed, he traveled more lightly, but remained alert, watching the sky and his surroundings.

After three or five miles, the brothers stopped abruptly.

By the cliff, the mountain stream was the only way out, but a middle-aged man stood there, sword in hand, shouting fiercely, “How dare you leave without permission—stop!”

Tianbao and Renliang’s faces turned pale.

A cultivator! With earthfire erupting and the mountain ablaze, he still barred their escape—was there any hope?

Before they could react, Yu Ye rushed from behind, waving in greeting—

“Fellow Daoist, where is Ganxing?”

“And you are?”

“I am…”

As they exchanged words, Yu Ye drew near, his face half-hidden beneath his bamboo hat, smiling suddenly as he flicked two sword energies with his fingers.

At such close range, his move was abrupt; even if the man sensed danger, it was too late. With a crash, his protective magic shattered, followed by a burst of blood from his abdomen. He staggered back, disbelief on his face, then fell flat.

Yu Ye swiftly seized the man’s short sword and storage ring, then cast a fire talisman. Before the man hit the ground, he was reduced to ashes in the flames. Yu Ye darted into the stream, calling without a backward glance—

“Brothers, let’s go—”

Tianbao’s mouth was dry, and he glanced silently at Renliang. Renliang wiped the sweat from his brow, equally speechless.

After a moment, the three passed through a gorge.

Beyond it, the lights of Treasure Town were visible.

The brothers’ spirits rose.

“Second brother… we’ve cheated death…”

“Indeed, brother…”

But before they could celebrate, their faces changed again.

Suddenly, more than a dozen figures sprang out, blocking their path menacingly.

Yu Ye, though in the lead, did not abandon the brothers and run alone. Predictably, as they were about to escape Chenling Mountain, trouble struck again.

“That’s right, these three fools—how dare they cause trouble in Chenling Town? None of them will leave alive tonight!”

The dozen men blocking the road all wielded sharp blades, their faces fierce. The leader was the skinny gambler from the inn, his shoulder wrapped in a blood-stained bandage—clearly here for revenge.

“Brother Yu, what’s…”

Tianbao, panting, understood immediately, grinning ferociously, “Ha, these ruffians…” He nodded to Renliang, who had just arrived, and snarled, “Damn it, we’ve had enough humiliation tonight. If we don’t take some heads, how can we face the world?”

---

Renliang raised his sword, both brothers flanking Yu Ye, ready to fight to the death.

The dozen men had been waiting, shouting as they charged.

“Kill—”

Tianbao roared in response, not to be outdone. But before their blades met, a gust of wind swept through, followed by the clang of steel, swords and blood flying, bodies crashing to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, all the men lay in pools of blood.

Even the fierce brothers shuddered.

The skinny gambler, lucky enough to survive, was pale with terror, backing away and turning to flee.

“Damn it, stand right there—”

Tianbao gave chase, Renliang hurled his sword.

The gambler had barely run a few steps before the spinning blade struck his leg; he staggered, then another sword pierced his chest.

Tianbao caught up and kicked him over, Renliang arrived and hacked away. As they reveled in the slaughter, the familiar figure in a bamboo hat drifted past, prompting them to abandon the broken corpse and hurry after him.

Out of the gorge, the town of Chenling lay ahead.

Though the town was brightly lit, chaos reigned—cries of people and animals, children weeping. They reached the door of the Treasure Inn.

Outside, carriages collided, people rushed about. Even the innkeeper and staff were fleeing with their families, escaping the town.

Meanwhile, black dust and earth rained from above, like black snow and gray mud, enveloping the mountain town. The swirling smoke suffocated and filled all with despair.

Looking back, the towering peaks and bright moon were gone. Only raging black clouds filled the sky, and within them, a fiery dragon roared at heaven and earth.

Yu Ye and the brothers paused, then darted into the inn’s courtyard.

The horses were still there, restless and frightened, tied in the stable, tossing their heads and neighing wildly.

Each man found his mount.

Yu Ye cut all the reins with his sword, then left the inn.

The brothers had already rushed out to the street, riding their horses in circles, faces anxious yet expectant.

With the black snow and mud rain, darkness enveloped everything. From Chenling Mountain, figures seemed to be heading toward the town.

Yu Ye turned his horse, urging them, “Go—”

“Haha!”

Tianbao laughed, waving, “Good brother, we advance and retreat together. Let’s ride!”

The three mounted their steeds, weaving through the fleeing crowds and chaotic streets, reaching the gorge they had entered before. Once through, the road opened ahead.

As Tianbao spurred his horse, he called out—

“Brother Yu, how about staying at my estate for a few days? Let’s be clear: we’re not afraid of those fellows, just lying low for a while!”

“Just what I hoped for!”

“Haha—”