Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

The next morning, a spacious carriage drove out of the Xuefeng Mountain camp.

The carriage was specially prepared by Li Yuan. The carriage was covered with thick mattresses. Zhang Daojing leaned against the soft pillows, covered with a thin blanket. Although his face was pale, his spirits were not bad.

Li Yuan personally drove the carriage for him, with Han Kuo and Wu Yu riding horses to guard him on both sides, and Ji Fanghua taking care of him inside the carriage. The group, dressed in plain clothes, traveled north along the official road.

The journey from Xuefeng Mountain to Longhu Mountain is not short, especially since Zhang Tianshi is now just an ordinary person and cannot use his magic to travel.

They first traveled east to Ganzhou, then turned north, heading northeast along the Gan River.

Because they had to take care of Zhang Zhenren's health, they walked very slowly, only covering thirty or forty li each day before stopping to rest.

Although Zhang Daojing had lost all his cultivation, his mind was exceptionally peaceful. Along the way, he often chatted with several young people and guided their cultivation. The experience of a master who had entered the Dao realm benefited them greatly.

On this day, when they reached the territory of Guangchang, the sky suddenly darkened, dark clouds gathered, and it looked like a torrential rain was about to pour down.

"There's a town up ahead, let's rest there tonight."

Li Yuan whipped his horse, increasing its speed.

The group arrived in town before the heavy rain began and found an inn to stay in.

"Boom!"

Before we could even settle in, a torrential downpour began, and the yard was quickly flooded.

After dinner, Li Yuan carried a pot of hot tea and knocked on Zhang Daojing's door.

The old Celestial Master was resting with his eyes closed, leaning against the headboard, when he heard a knock on the door. He opened his eyes, saw Li Yuan, and gave a gentle smile: "Still not resting?"

"I can't sleep, and I'd like to play a game of chess with a real person." Li Yuan waved the chessboard in his hand. "I wonder if you would do me the honor?"

Zhang Daojing laughed: "I was just feeling that the night was long and there was nothing better than having someone to play chess and chat with."

The two sat down at the table. Li Yuan set up the chessboard and brewed hot tea. Outside the window, the rain pattered, and inside, the aroma of tea wafted through the air. The chess pieces landed on the board, making a crisp sound.

Having spent so much time together, the two had become quite familiar with each other, chatting idly as they played chess.

Somehow, the conversation drifted to the ancient war between gods and demons: "Young man, how much do you know about the ancient war between gods and demons?"

Li Yuan thought for a moment and said, "My knowledge is limited. I have only heard that in ancient times, there was an earth-shattering war between the gods and the demons, which ultimately resulted in both sides suffering heavy losses."

Zhang Daojing placed a piece on the board and slowly said, "There are very few records of this matter, not because it is unimportant, but because some things are not suitable for too many people to know."

He raised his head and looked at Li Yuan with a deep gaze: "I once saw some records of great wars in ancient books. Those wars were not only a struggle over morality, but also involved the fate of heaven and earth."

Li Yuan listened quietly. In Lock Dragon City, he saw the aftermath of that great battle: cultivators dying one after another, inheritances being severed, and spiritual energy becoming scarce.

"For thousands of years, a prophecy has been passed down." Zhang Daojing glanced at him thoughtfully. "The prophecy says that one day in the future, the fortunes of heaven and earth will be thrown into chaos again, and at that time, a person will be born to meet this calamity and establish a completely new order."

Li Yuan's heart skipped a beat. He remembered what the Demon Emperor Chen Su had said. The demon prophecy was almost identical to what Zhang Tianshi had said.

"I have always thought this prophecy was nonsense," Zhang Daojing continued. "In recent years, I have observed the stars and found that the celestial phenomena have been frequently unusual. The Purple Star has dimmed, the Big Dipper has shifted, and a dark star that I have never seen before has appeared in the sky."

"Dark Star?"

Li Yuan felt a chill run down his spine, and involuntarily recalled the dark star he had borrowed when he advanced to the Condensation Realm last time.

"Yes, but I believe that the one who was born to face this calamity is not just one person, but a group of people."

Li Yuan was slightly taken aback: "A group of people?"

"That's right." Zhang Daojing nodded. "The changes in the fortunes of heaven and earth will not favor just one person. Countless people need to be born to meet the needs of the times and take on different missions."

This was the first time Li Yuan had heard this viewpoint, and he unconsciously pricked up his ears.

"When the world undergoes dramatic changes, some are destined to become leaders, some are destined to be pioneers, and many more are destined to become victims... Only when the power of countless people comes together can the course of the world be truly changed."

He gently placed a piece on the board: "So, if I ever meet the person destined for this calamity, I only want to tell him one thing."

"What is it?"

Li Yuan's heart skipped a beat. He had a vague feeling that the old Celestial Master had already seen through his identity.

"You don't have to carry all the burdens on your own shoulders."

Li Yuan's heart skipped a beat. He raised his head and stared blankly at Zhang Daojing. The old man's gaze was calm, with a hint of pity in it.

A sudden pang of sorrow gripped his heart. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Does the Master think this turn of events is auspicious or inauspicious?"

Zhang Daojing did not answer directly. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked out at the endless rain: "Good or bad fortune does not lie in celestial phenomena, but in people's hearts."

"Will we restore the world order and usher in a new era, or will we head towards destruction and eternal damnation...?"

He looked down at Li Yuan and said, "It all depends on the choices your generation makes."

Li Yuan didn't ask any more questions. He lowered his head, looked at the unfinished game on the chessboard, and fell into deep thought.

The rain pattered on all night.

In the early morning, seeing that the rain had not stopped, Li Yuan decided to continue resting. He stood under the eaves, gazing at the rainwater, lost in thought, the words Zhang Daojing had spoken echoing in his mind.

Footsteps sounded behind me.

"You heard it too?" Li Yuan asked softly without turning around. "Didn't you?"

Ji Fanghua walked to his side and stood with him on the veranda. She did not answer, but her silence itself was an answer.

After a long silence, she finally spoke: "I've made up my mind. After I go back this time, I'll apply to be transferred to the Northwest front."

Li Yuan turned his head, not surprised: "Have you thought it through?"

"Yes." Ji Fanghua's voice was calm. "I need to gain experience, I need to grow rapidly in the face of life and death."

Mentioning the Northwest battlefield reminded Li Yuan of something else: "Do you have any news about Yu Ling'er?"

"When I first graduated, she wrote me a few letters," Ji Fanghua said. "She said she was doing well in the Northwest, but then we lost contact, and I haven't heard from her for several months."

She hasn't replied to a single letter I've written.

Li Yuan looked worried. Yu Ling'er was the most cheerful among them, and he had always had a good relationship with her, so he felt that something must have happened.

He turned to Ji Fanghua and said, "If you find her, please give her my regards."

"And you?" Ji Fanghua asked, "What are your plans?"

Li Yuan gave a wry smile: "I don't know either. Lord Ye clearly stated that His Majesty does not allow me to go to the Northwest. I can only follow the arrangements of the Demon Suppression Division. I will probably... stay in the capital."

Ji Fanghua nodded and said nothing more. The two stood side by side under the eaves, gazing at the boundless rain, each lost in their own thoughts.

Meanwhile, at Taixu Academy, a thousand miles away.

Deep within the forbidden area.

Leng Ningshuang sat cross-legged on the futon, her eyes closed, her hands forming a complex hand seal, surrounded by spiritual energy.

But her face looked very pale.

His brows were furrowed, and the spiritual energy within his body was like a runaway horse, rampaging through his meridians and bringing waves of tearing pain.