After the Winter Festival, the weather in the capital area did not become better. Dark clouds crowded there all the time, and the days seemed like evenings. Sometimes snow would fall heavily, making the roads hard to pass.
Many guardian deities in the imperial court and the national guard temple were wind deities and wind masters. The many powerful aces quickly used their abilities to forcefully change the weather in the capital, but they could only sustain for half a day. Before long, the weather returned to its natural state, droplets of water became ice, and currents of cold wind surged around.
In the South Star Hall, Xu Jingxu took up the lot casting bamboo cylinder. He channeled the spirits and focused himself on shaking it. Suddenly, with a plak, one of the bamboo lots flew out and dropped on the floor.
Looking over there, Xu Jingxu stood up suddenly, his eyes filled with fear.
The worst fortune, the sign of the end of days!
...
Within a mountain near the capital area of the Blessed Nation, the winds howled brutally, and the clouds gathered like dragons all around, creating a dark and bizarre sky, as if there was a terrifying place behind it.
In the heart of the storm stood a brand new altar. Its shape was simple, barbaric even. It seemed like something from ancient times. On its highest point hung a deity position chart. On it, the Three Pristines were blotted out, while the forbidden name of the Eastern Emperor was written on it, free for all to witness.
The Great Taoist Sage Zhang Buzhou took off his yellow blindfold. His white, glasslike eyes were like two mirrors, absorbing everything including the altar, the restriction spells, the Taoist instruments and the sacrifices.
Zhang Buzhou walked a strange ritualistic step while he sounded the gong in his hand, like a primordial sorcerer performing a mysterious and contagious ritual. After a long while, the altar was covered in white snow, and he was finally done. In the echo of the gong, his head was bowed low while he took a step after another to the sacrificial altar.
The first step, the entire capital area became dark, the evening came early.
The second step, the blizzard turned into a hail, falling down with loud slapping noises.
The third step, the wind was blowing violently, almost breaking the trees.
...
When he stood before the position chart, a blizzard not seen in a thousand years landed upon the entire capital area. In the darkness, some lamps in the village made a good contrast in the apocalyptic scenery. Xu Jingxu and the elders inferred a reason: the Great Taoist Sage wants to pray for the arrival of the Eastern Emperor, to wash away the filth of mankind, causing this white blizzard.
"Is he mad?" Xu Jingxu was shocked.
This was a method that nailed one's own toe. For someone as great as the Eastern Emperor, even a sliver of his power was enough to crush the earth and destroy all things. As Yellow Turbanism continue to grow, Zhang Buzhou will be able to penetrate the mountain pass soon. Why do something as self-destructive and crazy as this?
He could not understand, nor did he want to understand. Now, his only mission was to stop the Great Taoist Sage.
"Let's go and search in the area of imbalance between heaven and earth," Xu Jingxu could not care about others. He messaged the royal family while searching around the places with the strongest storms with the elders.
Gu Yun, the leader of Emperor Heavenism also sensed something wrong in the capital. With a leap beckoning the winds, he flew deep into the mountain.
At this moment, Zhang Buzhou took down the yellow turban that covered his head, held it with both his hands, and prostrated on the ground, offering it before the Easter Emperor's portrait.
Rumble!
Thunder echoed in the winter, shaking the sky. The dark clouds danced in the sky, showing a thin and dark crack which looked like a long and narrow eye!
Rumble!
In the blizzard, purple lighting shot down constantly. Gan Ruoxu felt something was off, so he walked to the gates of the Three Pristines Temple, and witnessed the apocalyptic sky.
Then, there was a reaction in his mind. He quickly opened his eyes, and saw the relationship of karma, predicting the future.
In the Jade Palace, Meng Qi was sitting at the edge of his bed with a serious face. In his eyes, there were shock and doubt, "Does Zhang Buzhou really want to destroy the world? And he really communicated with the Easter Emperor. A mysterious primordial aura is appearing all around."
He did not expect Eastern Emperor Taiyi to allow Zhang Buzhou to choose world destruction, the cruelest of methods. It seemed like he wanted to stop the restoration of his own Seven-Kill Tablet.
Could the Eastern Emperor Taiyi be avoiding the change and retreat of the Endless Sea?
Who is he exactly?
The Eastern Emperor Taiyi should've fell in the hands of God Hao Tian, but his blood did not perish over the aeons, and gave birth to the ancient Fusang tree!
While deep in his thoughts, Meng Qi did not delay his own decision. The altar has been set, the ritual was over. At this stage, it was too late for Gan Ruoxu to stop it. Even sending Little Foodie would not help.
One unexpected step behind caused him to be in this passive situation. It did not matter if it was the true Eastern Emperor or not, a strand of his power could collapse the fragile universe.
"Seems like we have no choice..." Meng Qi sighed. His mind connected with the brand inside of Gan Ruoxu. He wanted to observe for a while longer.
The Premier Priest suddenly formed a seal with both hands, and faint karmic lines surrounded them. They did not belong to his body, but were projected by Heavenly Lord Yuanshi onto this universe!
Rumble!
The thunder became louder. In the eighteen states of Blessed Nation, twenty four precincts of Wudou, the thirty six sides of Taiping, and the seventy two islands, in every temple that worshipped him the statues shook, as it they were given life. Their appearance changed instantly, becoming a handsome man with white sideburns and deep eyes!
All of them became Heavenly Lord Yuanshi!
It was a new beginning!
Meng Qi used his own brand through karma, and received the primordial projection that did not have its own intelligence.
At this very moment, he was the true primordial god of this universe.
The Premier Priest in Gan Ruoxu's mind was still seated, but his figure was turning more and more realistic, like the intersection point between time and void.
Meng Qi raised his hand, and so did the Premier Priest and Gan Ruoxu. The countless Heavenly Lord statues teleported through the void using the blessings and offerings collected through several tens of thousands of years, and gathered in the Three Pristines Temple.
Gold, black, white, and purple aura filled the place, and it smelled like holy incense. Following Meng Qi, the Premier Priest and Gan Ruoxu clenched their right fists simultaneously, and they gathered together!
...
Deep within the mountains around the capital, the yellow scarf Zhang Buzhou offered before the Eastern Emperor ignited by itself, and blood dripped out of it.
Clang!
A virtual bell rang, and Xu Jingxu along with the others who had just arrived were frozen in the air. The color in their sight vanishing away. They looked on as Zhang Buzhou kowtowed nine times, completing the final step of the ritual, and shouted out loud,
"Hail the Eastern Emperor!"
The eye in the sky opened slowly. An ancient and holy aura appeared faintly. Yun Gu resisted the ring of the bell. A purple skirt flowed and descended, and the light from a blade spilled out like running water, gushing toward the front without mercy.
Zhang Buzhou coughed and spat out some terrifying blood. Looking at the blade light from Yun Gu, he smiled, as if saying you're late.
An ancient and primordial aura filled the air. The blade light split forth silently. Yun Gu flew slower and slower, as if he entered a swamp. Even though he was impatient, he had no other choice.
Creak, a hideous rift appeared in the void around them. It seemed like something terrifying would come out from the long eyes, bringing about Armageddon, and an indescribable despair.
Then, a golden shine appeared in the eyes of Xu Jingxi, Yun Gu, and others. A holy and majestic Three Treasures flew down from the sky. Surrounding it were lights of different color, and it counterattacked the long eye with an unstoppable stance.
The surrounding quieted, and a song was heard, "Heavenly Lord Yuanshi!"
Three treasures?
Is the Heavenly Lord Yuanshi appearing here personally?
Zhang Buzhou's eyes were filled with fear. Yun Gu, Xu Jingxu, and the rest returned to normal. Then, purple and golden smoke and light surrounded the eye.
Bang!
The eye was destroyed, its ancient and holy aura was blocked away. A bright gold and purple chased away the dark clouds and stopped the blizzard.
When all had regained their sight, the signs of Armageddon had all disappeared. No one knew where the Three Treasures went.
The Great Taoist Sage Zhang Buzhou took ahold of his own fear. He knocked the bronze bell, activated his spell, kept the scroll, and escaped quickly before Xu Jingxu and the rest could catch him.
After a long time, only when he felt like he has escaped the capital region, did he dare to stop conveying light and adjust his breathing. The ritual spent a great deal of his strength.
Then, a beautiful harp was played. Two ladies, one older and one younger, appeared before Zhang Buzhou, as if Chang'e herself had descended to earth.
Clang!
The bell pacified the three worlds, and the harp continued to sound. Zhang Buzhou finally tasted the pain of being a medium. He could only watch as he was captured helplessly, as they searched the special position chart out of him.
...
Within the Jade Palace in Kunlun Mountain, Meng Qi stretched his hand into the magic circle, and picked up the drawing.