Chapter 572 - 52: The Reason
"There must be more to it!"
The moment Wang Ping spoke, his Primordial Spirit Consciousness projected onto an Entry-level Disciple in Qianmu Temple’s Water Institute. In the world of spiritual perception, the disciple’s inner spirituality was collapsing, throwing his thoughts into disarray. The Spirit Vein Consciousness within his body reawakened and began to surge uncontrollably.
His mind was instantly filled with the urge to destroy everything. A torrential flood materialized from the rampaging Water Spirit Qi, blotting out the sky. Many disciples didn’t even have time to react, staring blankly at the scene. The cultivators who understood what was happening could only grab their nearest sect-mates and flee.
Just in the nick of time, a dense Fire Spirit Aura flared to life. The massive flood was instantly neutralized, and a gigantic cauldron descended, smashing the mutated disciple into a bloody pulp.
"How bizarre!"
Yuan Zheng’s gaze fell grimly on the Earth Institute. Even more disciples were mutating there, and the frenzied aura of the Earth Vein sent tremors through more than half of Qianmu Temple. He shot into the sky, joining Ruan Chunzi and Yu Cheng who were providing cover from above, and together they looked down at the Earth Institute.
Just then, a current of Wood Spirit Qi materialized above the Earth Institute. Streaks of green light, visible to the naked eye, pierced the bodies of the mutated disciples. In the next moment, they disintegrated, scattering on the wind like mannequins made of sand.
"Impressive. I can’t even sense where Changqing’s aura is coming from."
As Yuan Zheng expressed his admiration, Wang Ping’s voice reached the ears of the three of them. "Stabilize the spiritual environment around Qianmu Temple! Ignore everything else for now."
Upon hearing the command, Yu Cheng spoke. "I’ll have to trouble you to handle this, Fellow Daoist Yuan Zheng. Fellow Daoist Ruan Chunzi and I will provide cover for you."
"Alright!"
After their brief discussion, the three shot rapidly into the air, appearing beneath the clouds in the blink of an eye. Their first glance was toward Zhonghui County Town, which relied on Qianmu Temple for its survival.
The city was already in chaos. In every district, people had lost control and were on a killing spree. Fortunately, most of them had low cultivation levels. The most severe situation was near the Wang Family Manor, outside the West Suburb, where an Entry-level Wood Cultivator had descended into madness.
In other areas, Inner Sect Disciples from Qianmu Temple stationed in the city were already intervening. Meanwhile, the berserk Entry-level Wood Cultivator was besieged by cultivators from the Wang Family Manor and was already on their last legs.
Today’s Zhonghui County Town and Qianmu Temple were a far cry from the minor sect they once were. An attack of this magnitude could hardly scratch them.
RUMBLE!
A deafening boom erupted from the direction of Yongshan County Town, followed by a violent Fire Spirit Aura that soared into the sky.
Yuan Zheng immediately transformed into a streak of light and flew toward Yongshan County Town. Even from a great distance, he could see an abundance of fire essence swirling above the town. The flames burned like magma from a volcano, engulfing more than half of the town. Before his eyes, countless buildings melted with incredible speed. The intense heat caused the very earth to crystallize, only to shatter moments later.
At the heart of the inferno was a blurry figure. His face was unrecognizable; the flesh had burned from his head, leaving only a skull that seemed fused to a Fire Spirit Vein. His body was being devoured by clusters of seemingly sentient flames. His charred hands were frozen, forming a spell, as if in his last moment of lucidity he had tried to use some Secret Technique to regain his sanity.
’Poor soul.’
Yuan Zheng paused in mid-air and summoned his cauldron. He formed a spell with his hands, and the cauldron immediately generated an immense suction. In the blink of an eye, it had absorbed all the fire essence from the air, revealing the half-destroyed town below. Only a few of its inhabitants had managed to survive. Most of the rest, even if they had not been touched by the flames, had perished from the intense heat.
Just then, a current of Wood Spirit Qi surged from a dense forest outside the town. Lush vegetation instantly sprouted throughout the ruins, completely suppressing the residual heat.
Yuan Zheng Taoist looked over and saw a Kun Cultivator in a pale yellow Daoist Robe hovering above the dense forest. Her skin had a sickly pallor, her hair was streaked with white, and her features were aged, making her look like a mortal woman in her fifties.
"I am Liu Ling. Greetings, Senior. Please forgive me, but I cannot remain outside for long." With that, Liu Ling gave a cupped-fist salute before turning into a streak of light and descending into the forest below.
Yu Cheng Taoist arrived just then. He glanced toward the forest and explained to Yuan Zheng Taoist, "She is Changqing’s first grand-disciple, and also Liu Shuang’s eldest disciple."
"Oh?"
Yuan Zheng immediately retracted his extended Primordial Spirit Consciousness and turned his attention to the various strange phenomena that the rampaging Spiritual Qi had created in the surrounding sky.
Yu Cheng then said, "Someone else will come to clean up this mess. For now, let’s stick to Changqing’s instructions: stabilize the surrounding region, and then we’ll figure out our next move."
"Right."
Yuan Zheng put away his cauldron, took one last look at the ravaged town below, and returned to Qianmu Temple with Yu Cheng. By then, the chaos within the temple had been brought under control, and the various institutes were busy assessing their losses. The Government Army in Zhonghui County Town had immediately announced a curfew and set up soup kitchens in the North and West Suburbs to aid refugees from other areas.
「Mountain Peak Dojo.」
Wang Ping’s consciousness withdrew from the Pocket World Mirror.
Yu Lian immediately asked, "What in the world just happened?"
Wang Ping frowned. "If I’m not mistaken, some Taiyan Cultivators had their minds affected by a certain True Monarch’s Heaven-Reaching Talisman, triggering this chain of events."
"Then why weren’t you affected? Master is fine, too!"
"I observed through the Pocket World Mirror that there are other conscious entities within their divine souls. The problem must lie with the Locust Tree Divine Souls they fused with!"
"Someone tampered with the Locust Tree Divine Souls they fused with?"
"Most likely."
"Where did you get your locust tree from?"
"The old locust tree outside Master’s courtyard. It’s ancient, but it still blooms every few years. My tree was grown from one of its saplings. Xiaozhu’s and Wen Yi’s were, too."
A look of partial understanding crossed Yu Lian’s face before she asked, "Then why did so many non-Taiyan Cultivators go mad?"
His eyes fixed on Liu Shuang, Wang Ping explained, "Because they are puppets. They went mad because they were influenced by their master’s Heaven-Reaching Talisman."
"Who is it?"
A trace of fear entered Yu Lian’s expression, and her grip on Wang Ping’s arm tightened unconsciously.
After a long silence, Wang Ping spoke softly. "You already know the answer, don’t you?"
"Is it really Huishan True Monarch?"
"Something must have happened to him while he was resisting the consciousness of the Xiao Shan Lord. Or, perhaps these puppets belong to the Xiao Shan Lord, and something happened to *him* while resisting Huishan True Monarch. It’s also possible they are puppets belonging to both of them."
"Then..."
For a moment, Yu Lian didn’t know how to respond.
Wang Ping struggled to calm his emotions. After a long moment, he said, "I’m afraid Nanlin Road is about to descend into chaos, especially Jinhuai City. I’ve already lost contact with all the puppets I had stationed there!"
"Should I use my Primordial Spirit to investigate?" Yu Lian suggested.
Wang Ping shot down the idea. "It’s not our place to worry about this yet. Don’t forget, the Six Heart Sect is right next to Jinhuai City, and Wan Zhi Daoist is with them."