The mountain was engulfed by a raging flood, colliding fiercely with the peaks and cliffs. Zhang Chen pushed open the window, watching the flood erupt in the mountains with a serious look in his eyes.
He sensed an unusual aura in the flood, as if traces of the Innate Water God’s Law were flowing within.
"The Innate Water God really hasn’t left Jinling City; he intends to take revenge on the entire city. Moreover, he’s targeting the direct descendants of the Shen Family in Chongzheng Academy!" Zhang Chen stood by the window, observing the raging flood in the night, spreading through the mountains like a breached dam, while his Primordial Spirit sensed the flood’s trajectory within the mountains.
However, Chongzheng Academy is built on a mountain, making it incredibly difficult to flood. Unless the flood first submerges Jinling City, then there might be a chance for Chongzheng Academy to be submerged.
The thunderous roar of the mountain flood alarmed the academy’s scholars, and countless houses lit up with lanterns. People pushed open their windows to gaze at the giant beast flowing in the darkness; their eyes filled with horror.
In such a colossal flood, Bloodline Practitioners below the Ninth Tier caught in it, if without the ability of flight or Earth Escape, would surely perish on the spot.
Of course, Divine Spirits don’t count, as they are naturally endowed with the means of flight and Earth Escape.
The flood surged through the mountains, sweeping toward the distant Jinling City, where divine light rose within. Gu Mingyue’s roar echoed through the skies, "Innate Water God, you disgrace your role as an Innate Divine Spirit, attempting to flood Jinling City. Do you live up to your divine duties?"
"Heh heh! Divine duties? Jinling City was built by me, it exists because of me. Now that I’ve left, Jinling City should disappear as well."
"Innate Water God, I advise you to retreat swiftly, lest the Great Virtuous Master takes action and slays you." Amidst the void, starlight flickered, the light of the Po Jun Star pierced through the dark clouds from beyond the sky, illuminating a young man.
The young man transformed into the sole light in the night, standing atop Jinling City’s ramparts, his expression grim as he watched the flood outside, overwhelming with intensity.
The next moment, Zhao Lie took action, and the ground outside Jinling City was torn apart, creating a deep abyss encircling the city, into which all the floodwaters poured, unable to touch Jinling City.
Witnessing this scene, Zhang Chen’s pupils contracted: "Jinling City spans a hundred miles in radius, and to tear such an abyss around that vast area, yet not affect the city within, what a terrifying technique! Can a Tenth-Tier expert truly accomplish this?"
Seemingly sensing Zhang Chen’s thoughts, the Great Freedom Celestial Demon appeared on his shoulder, saying, "Zhao Lie resonates with the Po Jun Star, gaining its power. The Tenth Tier is merely his own Divine Dao Cultivation, but his combat strength... with the Po Jun Star’s blessing, might rival the Eleventh Tier! And he can summon the Po Jun Star to suppress his foes, even manifest its powers as Divine Techniques. Though separated by endless miles from the continent, its power projection, while dispersed, is still immensely impactful on an individual."
"I underestimated the Yellow Heaven Dao’s Star God. With the Southern Dipper’s Six Stars and the Beidou Seven Stars, Yellow Heaven Dao has so many experts, no wonder they dare to act openly within the Great Victory territory now." Zhang Chen’s eyes revealed a hint of astonishment.
The flood was barred outside Jinling City, yet it severed the city’s access routes.
After watching for a moment, Zhang Chen closed the window and resumed sitting cross-legged on the bed, refining the Immortal Slaying Sword through sacrificial means. At dawn, he pushed open the door and stepped out, drawing a sharp breath.
Chongzheng Academy was perched atop a high mountain, revealing in daylight that Jinling City outside had become a vast expanse of water. The gathered flood surrounded the city.
From a glance, the area outside Jinling City was a boundless sea, resembling an Infinite Sea, with Jinling City like a little boat amid the ocean, seemingly on the verge of being swallowed at any moment.
As soon as the floodwaters approached Jinling City, they were directed into the depths of the abyss, emitting a thunderous roar echoing through Heaven and Earth, akin to the sound of waterfalls.
The chasm spanning a hundred meters wide, ten thousand meters deep, welcomed the coming flood without resistance.
Just watching the vast ocean outside, it was far more powerful than the flood Zhang Shicheng created during his Walking Flood Dragon and Dragon Transformation in the past; this current flood dwarfed his attempt by countless times. Even with Zhao Lie’s fissure, it would eventually reach its limit, at which point the amassed waterpower might submerge the entire Jinling City.
Fortunately, none of this concerned Zhang Chen, as he didn’t cause the calamity. On the contrary, he dismembered the Innate Water God, suppressing its strength. If the Innate Water God gained a corporeal form, it wouldn’t just attempt to flood Jinling City but might instead drown everyone inside with a single slap.
Within Chongzheng Academy, disciples debated intensely, gazing at the expansive flood with a heavy look in their eyes, full of awe.
Zhang Chen, uninterested in external affairs, opened an oiled paper umbrella and entered the Exquisite Tower, intending to continue comprehending the mysteries within it. The morning passed quickly, and Zhang Chen stretched leisurely. Beside him, Tushan Qing called to him, "Zhang, are you going out for a meal?"
Zhang Chen nodded upon hearing and followed Tushan Qing out the door, but saw a familiar figure in red.
Shen Ling’s face was very pale, devoid of any blood, and her fiery red dress stood like a blaze. She stood in the wind and rain with an oiled paper umbrella, holding a food box, indifferent to the discussions around her.
Jiang Nan stood beside Shen Ling, softly saying something to her, while Shen Ling remained like a wooden figure, standing silently in the wind and rain.
"We’ve got a good show to watch." Tushan Qing pulled Zhang Chen, with a look wanting to enjoy the drama.
Zhang Chen was at a loss, surprised that the Fox Spirit also gossiped like humans, but he too stayed to watch the show.
It didn’t take long for Zhang Gaoqiu and Little Princess Chai Wenji to walk out hand in hand from the Exquisite Tower, immediately spotting the fiery red Shen Ling.
The Little Princess’s face darkened at this sight, glaring angrily at Zhang Gaoqiu, before shaking off his hand and saying in a low voice, "Handle your own affairs! Don’t test the limits of my tolerance."
Having said that, she disappeared into the wind and rain with her oiled paper umbrella.
Shen Ling, seemingly oblivious to the Little Princess Chai Wenji, stepped forward with her food box, standing before Zhang Gaoqiu, her voice weak: "Zhang, I made chicken soup for you..."
"Didn’t I tell you not to block the door here?" Zhang Gaoqiu interrupted with a cold face before Shen Ling could finish.
"Zhang Gaoqiu, what’s your attitude? Shen Ling just miscarried, fearing you’d miss meals while pondering the mysterious, she made this chicken soup for you even while sick. Even if you don’t like it, what’s with this attitude? Don’t forget, your spot in the Exquisite Tower was lent to you by Shen Qiu, thanks to Shen Ling’s persuasion! If not for Shen Ling, would you have even entered the tower?" Jiang Nan scolded Zhang Gaoqiu with a darkened face.
These words brought a buzz of discussion among the crowd, pointing and looking at the three with a lively interest, making Zhang Gaoqiu’s face even uglier. He squeezed out an awkward smile, saying to Shen Ling, "It’s my fault, I reached a bottleneck pondering the mysterious today, leaving me impatient, and I took it out on you."
He then approached gently, taking Shen Ling’s hand, his voice as gentle as can be: "There are too many eyes here, let’s find a secluded place to talk."
His words were extremely tender, softly pulling Shen Ling, disappearing into the storm.
"I want to go and watch, this dog-eat-dog drama is too interesting." Tushan Qing said.
"What a morbid interest." Zhang Chen replied irritably, then turned to walk into the storm.
In the familiar pavilion, Zhang Gaoqiu and Shen Ling put away their oiled umbrellas, as tears welled from Shen Ling’s eyes, falling like a string of pearls, and she threw herself into Zhang Gaoqiu’s arms, her voice full of sobs and grievances: "Zhang, our child is gone!"
Zhang Gaoqiu’s face froze upon hearing, his body stiffening, then slowly pushed the crying Shen Ling away, his eyes filled with complex emotions, looking at Shen Ling before finally saying: "Perhaps it’s destiny, the heavens have destined us not to be together."
"Zhang, what do you mean by that?" Shen Ling’s face turned paler, her hands began to tremble, her body shivering in the mountain wind.
"Some things are better left clear: we are not destined to be, I can’t keep going with you." Zhang Gaoqiu’s voice was painful yet gentle:
"You are a good girl, I can’t keep hurting you. Your identity is too special; you’re Zhang Chen’s fiancée, and your marriage to Zhang Chen was set by family elders. You and I are entangled, taking my brother’s wife, once word spreads, the Zhang Family’s laws won’t forgive it. Such unethical actions will lead to my ruin, and I will be spurned by the entire Zhang Family."
"Zhang, what are you saying?" Shen Ling was stunned, feeling a buzzing in her head.
"You should go find Zhang Chen in the future, don’t entangle with me anymore. All our grievances, entanglements, end today. From today on, we have no relations, you’re a stranger to me, and I’m a stranger to you! Remember not to entangle me anymore, have a girl’s modesty and shame. You are someone else’s fiancée, and I’m your elder cousin, how improper is it for word to spread?" Zhang Gaoqiu looked at Shen Ling with a touch of ruthlessness, his voice devoid of warmth: "Sister-in-law, please self-respect in the future."
Hearing Zhang Gaoqiu, Shen Ling felt struck by lightning, disbelievingly looking at Zhang Gaoqiu, her face pale, body swaying as if doubting her ears: "Zhang, what are you saying?"