Chapter 415 — The World Is Shocked
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
In the capital, at the Imperial Preceptor's residence of Jingping.
Old Fu hurried in to announce: "My lord, His Majesty has arrived!"
The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping rose to receive him. The two heroes of Jingping stood face to face, with Ling Yuxiu also at their side. Emperor Yanfeng cast the Imperial Preceptor a deep look; the Preceptor understood, and waved Old Fu away.
"Your Majesty has only just reached the capital and comes to me before even entering the palace. Something grave must have happened."
The Imperial Preceptor's expression was one of inquiry, and his gaze fell upon Ling Yuxiu. "There are only the three of us here. Your Majesty may speak."
"Did you feel it, Imperial Preceptor?"
Emperor Yanfeng said, "Five days ago, the tremor between Heaven and Earth."
The Imperial Preceptor nodded. "A most wondrous tremor. The Dharma transformed, the Dao altered, the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth underwent mutation. Someone is reforming the Dharma. It moved me deeply."
Emperor Yanfeng took out the male and female volumes of the Primordial Spirit Guide and placed them in his hands. "Take a look, Imperial Preceptor."
The Imperial Preceptor leafed through them carefully, his expression growing graver by the moment. After a long while, he closed the volumes and said, "The handwriting belongs to the Princess and Master Shen. The Six Harmonies Reformation has altered the Seven Stars, Heaven and Man, Life and Death, and the Divine Bridge. No wonder the commotion was so great. Princess Xiu is remarkable; her future achievements will not fall short of yours or mine."
He was exceptionally perceptive. Without Emperor Yanfeng needing to spell it out, he knew this was the work of Shen Mu and Ling Yuxiu, and he had already surmised what consequences the appearance of this Primordial Spirit Guide cultivation method would bring.
Emperor Yanfeng nodded. "The source of the reformation is these two volumes. I rode without rest to see you precisely because the situation is severe. For now the effects are still faint; only grandmasters who have passed from technique into Dharma can perceive them. But for those who have passed from Dharma into the Dao, the effects are far greater. You said just now that it moved you deeply. It seems you have entered the Dao before me."
The Imperial Preceptor said, "It has not been long since I entered the Dao, and I cannot yet see clearly. But that tremor came surging in from every direction like a tide, and standing amid that tide, I felt the subtle shifts in the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth."
Emperor Yanfeng savored the meaning of his words and praised, "The Dao realm is truly wondrous. If its effect on you is already so great, then what of its effect on the gods?"
"Only greater!"
A faint, inscrutable light gleamed in the Imperial Preceptor's eyes. "These past days Your Majesty has been absent from the capital, and memorials from every region have flown in like snowflakes. Please look, Your Majesty."
He brought out several dozen memorials, all from county magistrates and prefects across the land.
Emperor Yanfeng opened them and read. The magistrate of Qining County reported that an earthquake had struck the shrine of Old Mother Qiyue in Qining County. No other place had felt the slightest tremor; only the Old Mother's shrine had been shaken down, crushing more than ten worshippers to death.
When the magistrate of Qining and his yamen runners cleared the rubble, they saw that the mountain shrine had split open, revealing a great fissure. Within the fissure stood a colossal divine statue, half its body exposed, faintly showing the hue of flesh and blood, its whole form aglow with flowing runes.
Emperor Yanfeng frowned slightly. After a moment's thought, he handed this memorial to Ling Yuxiu and picked up another.