Chapter 27: An Ominous Sign

A streak of multicolored light sped through the sky, vanishing into the mountains in the blink of an eye.

In the current cultivation world, things had fallen into decline—anyone who reached the late Nascent Soul stage could command awe across the land, and one who attained Spirit Severing could be called a 'mighty one.' Yet this was merely a reflection of the current state of decline; it did not mean the world itself was lacking. After all, in ancient times, there were legends of true immortals, and even in the Middle Ages, ascension was attainable and Spirit Severing cultivators were not rare. It was only unchecked ambition that had led the world to its present state.

This time, Daoist Liuyun and his companions had discovered an ancient cultivator’s cave dwelling hidden within an unremarkable mountain range.

Originally, the cave was concealed beneath a mountain lake. A few years back, an earthquake shifted the mountains, causing two not-so-large Magnetic Spirit Peaks, each less than a hundred yards tall, to change position as well. This altered the five elements magnetic field in a radius of several dozen miles, revealing the cave’s presence by chance.

Together, Liuyun and his three companions—Liuyun himself at mid-Nascent Soul stage, the others at the early stage—ventured here. Among them was a married couple known as the 'Yin-Yang Saints,' and a burly, imposing man over eight feet tall called the 'Heaven-Bearing Saint.'

In truth, whether mid or early stage, to Chen Yang they were all much the same. He didn’t even care to remember their names, but since they insisted on introducing themselves, he could hardly object.

While Liuyun introduced the others, each name more grandiose than the last, Chen Yang thought to himself, “All these self-styled saints—somehow it seems to clash with my own title, Demon Lord. An ill omen, perhaps.”

Chen Yang mused in silence. The other three, unfamiliar with Sima Changfeng and Shangguan Yun of the Four Seas Trading Company, were exceedingly respectful and apprehensive before Chen Yang. Yet seeing that he was only a young Daoist with no overtly powerful aura, they began to harbor doubts—had their leader been deceived by a charlatan?

Liuyun, whose cultivation was the highest, surprisingly had no extravagant nickname. He led Chen Yang to the great array. Even dozens of miles away, the chaotic flow of spiritual energy was palpable. Within ten miles, all metal-element treasures lost their efficacy.

Magical treasures of the five elements would also be greatly weakened.

Within three miles, two streams of blue and red light intertwined like a colossal millstone, within which countless grains of spiritual sand and iron powder revolved, erupting in brilliant radiance.

“Fellow Daoist, behold—the array lies here, at the base of the lake, with the twin Magnetic Spirit Peaks beneath the water.”

Though the earthquake had decreased the volume of the lake and diverted it into dozens of streams, it still held a considerable amount of water. One could barely make out the shadows of the two spirit peaks reflected from below.

As they neared the array, the five-elemental spiritual energy was churned into chaos by the dual magnetic forces, severely affecting cultivators whose foundation was the five elements—not only weakening their treasures but also forcing them to constantly suppress their own elemental energy.

For this reason, none had been able to break the array by force. They could only seek a solution through the formation itself.

Chen Yang smiled and nodded. “Indeed, these are the twin Magnetic Spirit Peaks. Your judgment is correct. Because of the tectonic shift, the peaks have moved from their original positions, causing their power to clash unrestrainedly. The array is already broken.”

“What? Broken already?” Liuyun was shocked.

“If you cannot break the formation, just admit it. Why try to deceive us with such words?” The woman of the Yin-Yang Saints furrowed her brow in displeasure.

The other two said nothing but clearly shared her suspicion.

After all, the opposing magnetic forces not only threw the five elements into chaos but also made the spinning spirit sand and iron powder within the red-blue millstone seem utterly insurmountable. They had tested it—a high-grade magical treasure lost all power the moment it entered, ground to dust by the spirit sand and iron.

How could such a powerful formation be considered already broken?

Chen Yang gave a faint smile, glancing at the three. Already uneasy with their presence, he now saw dark omens swirling about them, especially the Yin-Yang Saints, who seemed to be courting disaster.

“Third Sister, that’s enough,” Liuyun rebuked, then bowed to Chen Yang. “My sister is ignorant of your abilities, Fellow Daoist. Please do not take offense.”

This old Daoist was not as polite as he appeared—his words were a veiled prod for Chen Yang to show his hand. He too did not believe the array was already rendered harmless.

Chen Yang chuckled, disinclined to argue further—should he say more, the four of them might meet a bloody end. He had accepted their payment, and to take their money yet bring them harm would be disgraceful indeed. Unless forced, he would not stain his own reputation so.

With a snap of his fingers, a black-and-white divine thunder appeared in his palm. Without another word, Chen Yang unleashed the 'Yin-Yang Divine Thunder.'

As the divine thunder, entwined with yin and yang energies, left his hand, it immediately began to divide—one became two, two became four, and in a moment, a sea of thunder several acres wide had formed.

The thunder sea crashed into the red-blue millstone enveloping the lake, thundering so loudly as to shake the heavens. The delicate balance of magnetic forces was instantly thrown into utter chaos.

Countless grains of spiritual sand and iron clashed and disintegrated, sending golden sparks everywhere.

Within the millstone, a black-and-white yin-yang diagram appeared, slowly rotating in the opposite direction.

The magnetic forces grew ever more unruly, their reach expanding rapidly.

Swept by the turbulence, the group struggled to stand, barely managing to steady themselves in mid-air with spells before they tumbled from their clouds.

As panic set in, Chen Yang uttered a soft command.

A divine general, golden-armored and four-faced with eight arms, rose slowly behind him.

This divine figure, a thousand feet tall, its head like a mountain, radiated an aura of boundless authority.

With a single step, the god leaned forward, seized one of the Magnetic Spirit Peaks, and wrenched it free.

A mighty wave surged from the lake as the twin peaks were torn from the depths.

With the support of the two spirit peaks gone, the already shattered array could not withstand the onslaught of the yin-yang diagram. The red-blue millstone was swept away in a breath.

The yin-yang diagram then wrapped itself around the spirit sand, refined for countless years by the magnetic forces, and condensed it into a black-and-white thunder pearl, which Chen Yang swept into his sleeve with a flick of his hand.

“This... this...”

Only now did the group truly grasp the extent of Chen Yang’s power, their mouths agape, cold sweat pouring from the Yin-Yang Saints.

“Fellow Daoist, such power, such divine arts, such...”

The magnetic array that had troubled them for years was so effortlessly dismantled by Chen Yang that even Liuyun was at a loss for words.

“Fellow Daoist, are you a grand cultivator?”