Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 326 - The Legend from a Thousand Years Ago (1)

Hong Su’s understanding of spiritual energy was always vague. She only knew it was a good thing. With spiritual energy, spiritual plants and beasts could grow, and for cultivators, their training would yield twice the result with half the effort. Now that the spiritual energy of the Taiyan Sect was weakening, it was naturally not good news. However, Hong Su didn’t concern herself with such matters. She had heard that Zanxing was not dead and had even become the Demon King’s daughter. Although she couldn’t quite grasp how this had happened, as long as Zanxing was alive, Hong Su was very happy.

She sighed while resting her chin in her hands, sitting in the courtyard, wondering when she would be able to see her young miss again.

Hong Su had not gone down the mountain, so she was unaware of the dire state the world was in. Her small worries were trivial in the eyes of others in the sect.

At this moment, many people were seated in the Jinhua Hall of the Taiyan Sect.

All the key figures of the major sects had gathered here to discuss the recent flood disaster that had ravaged Douzhou.

“Everyone, we are gathered here today to address the issue of the floods affecting various regions.” The one speaking was Fu Ronghua, the Sect Leader of the Yinfeng Sect. Known for his diplomacy and maintaining cordial relations with all major sects, it was best for him to start this discussion. He continued, “The rains have been relentless lately, causing severe flooding, and I believe all sects have been affected by the water calamity. Only by working together can we come up with a comprehensive plan to overcome this crisis.”

The floods affected not only ordinary people but also sect cultivators. Having enjoyed prestige among the people, the sects were naturally obligated to send disciples down the mountain to assist during such natural disasters. However, the floods were unending—just as one area improved, another dam would break. The common people were forced to flee to the mountains, and areas outside the sects were gradually turning into vast expanses of water. If this continued, even the sect cultivators would not be able to escape this catastrophe.

“It’s not just the floods, is it?” Lady Rong Shuang of the Xiangling Sect spoke coldly. “Hasn’t your sect’s spiritual vein also encountered issues?”

Fu Ronghua stiffened. This was true. Their sect had a spiritual stone mine, and it was thanks to this mine that the Yinfeng Sect had rapidly risen in the world of immortal cultivation. However, in recent years, especially the past two years, the spiritual vein had been severely depleted, and they could no longer extract many spiritual stones from the mine. From top to bottom, the sect had started advocating for frugality, and even Fu Ronghua, as the sect leader, had to wear last year’s old clothes.

Rong Shuang continued calmly, “There’s no need for everyone to hide anything. I believe the depletion of spiritual veins isn’t unique to the Yinfeng Sect. In recent years, the difficulty for sect disciples to break through in their cultivation—is it truly a coincidence? Everyone here knows the answer in their hearts. While things are still barely manageable now, once the spiritual veins are fully exhausted, the downfall of our sects is only a matter of time.”

Daoist Lingxin let out a cold snort. “Sect Leader Rong Shuang, if you have something to say, just say it directly.”

“The floods in Douzhou are unprecedented in hundreds of years. Who knows when they will end, but the depletion of the spiritual veins is accelerating. If the rain continues, in another six months, Douzhou may no longer be the Douzhou we know today.”

She wasn’t exaggerating; everyone present understood the gravity of the situation.

Zhao Mayi stroked his beard and smiled, “So what exactly is Sect Leader Rong Shuang suggesting?”

“Do you all remember the legend from a thousand years ago?”

Shaoyang Zhenren, who had been sitting silently on the high seat, slightly raised his eyes, his expression showing a hint of movement for the first time.

Fu Ronghua looked at the woman in yellow with confusion. “Are you referring to the legend of the flood in Douzhou from a thousand years ago?”

The Douzhou Continent had existed for an unknown length of time. Everyone said that Sage Yushan, who ascended three hundred years ago, was the first cultivator from Douzhou to ascend to immortality. But that wasn’t entirely true.

Long before the Sage Yushan, there had been cultivators who ascended to immortality, but there were no records or books to be found regarding them. This was because a thousand years ago, Douzhou suffered a catastrophic flood, unprecedented in history.

The flood lasted for several years without any signs of receding. It was said that at its worst, an entire mountain range could be submerged overnight. The whole of Douzhou became an ocean, with no land in sight. Neither humans nor demons were spared.

Legend said it that a cultivator eventually appeared. Using all his resources, he found the entrance connecting the mortal realm to the celestial realm. As a mere mortal, he challenged an immortal to a game of chess.

And he won that game of chess.

As a reward, the immortal bestowed upon the cultivator the method to control the floods. The cultivator used the celestial technique to dispel the floodwaters.

The waters of Douzhou gradually receded, and the cultivator, having fulfilled his great merit, ascended to immortality. However, after that flood, nearly all the cultivation sects were destroyed, and the few historical records that remained were lost beneath the waves. Only the legend was passed down through word of mouth, its truth uncertain.

“Are you suggesting that the current floods are similar to those of a thousand years ago? That we should, like that ancient cultivator, seek out celestial techniques to resolve our plight?” Fu Ronghua shook his head. “Sect Leader Rong Shuang, don’t be ridiculous—that’s just a legend!”

“That is not just a legend,” Rong Shuang said in a calm voice. “The place where the mortal and celestial realms connect, as mentioned in the legend, is the Ruins of the Golden Gate.” She turned her gaze to Shaoyang Zhenren. “Surely, Zhenren, you know this?”

Shaoyang Zhenren remained silent.

The people seated were equally astonished. The legend was indeed absurd, and the cultivators had always treated it as no more than a myth. They had never heard of this particular claim before. All eyes turned toward Shaoyang Zhenren.

“The Golden Gate Ruins?” Daoist Lingxin furrowed his brows. “Isn’t that the place where Fairy Qinghua defeated the Demon King? Shaoyang,” his tone suddenly sharpened, “do you know about this?”

“I wasn’t at the Golden Gate Ruins during the battle,” Shaoyang Zhenren lowered his eyes.

“But you know how to open the Golden Gate Ruins, don’t you?” Rong Shuang pressed on, relentless.

Back then, Fairy Qinghua slain the Demon King at the Golden Gate Ruins and then sealed it. From beginning to end, no one had ever seen what the Golden Gate Ruins truly looked like. It was only after the Demon King’s death, when his demonic power dissipated and Immortal Qinghua emerged with his corpse, that everyone believed the Demon King was truly dead.

However, how Immortal Qinghua had managed to slay the Demon King remained a mystery to others. The truth was only known to Shaoyang Zhenren, her senior brother from the same sect.

“Now, the floods are ravaging the land, turning the mortal world into an ocean, and the spiritual veins of the major sects are drying up. The sects can hardly sustain themselves,” Rong Shuang’s cold gaze fixed on Shaoyang Zhenren, her tone icy as frost. “The Imperial Chessboard is inside the Golden Gate Ruins. If we find the chessboard and seek celestial techniques, Douzhou may still have a glimmer of hope. At this point, all the sects are bound together—prosperity for one means prosperity for all, and a downfall for one means downfall for all. Zhenren, even now, will you not tell us how to enter the Golden Gate Ruins?”

All eyes in the hall fell on Shaoyang Zhenren.

The white-haired man sat quietly, his eyes downcast, lost in thought.

After a long while, he finally spoke in a calm voice, “It’s not that I won’t tell you. Even I cannot enter the Golden Gate Ruins.”

Daoist Lingxin frowned. “Why not?”

“Only the Demon Clan holds the key to unlock the Golden Gate Ruins,” he said.