Liangzhou Province, Pingcheng County.

"Quick, quick, quick, get those sandbags up."

Hui Neng, with his upper body stripped bare, was giving orders while driving a wooden stake into the riverbed with his palm, and piling up sandbags handed from behind after the stake.

The second disciple of the Awakened from Buddha Country now bore no semblance to a monk; his robe was half-doffed, loosely hanging around his waist, revealing bronzed muscles, and hair had started to grow on his head. He spoke not with his usual brevity and calm but was shouting loudly amidst the noise of the waves, looking every bit like a foreman.

Since that encounter with Jiang Li, who had slain a dragon, and after being influenced by Jiang's tactics, Hui Neng had stayed in Pingcheng County to help the locals with flood defense, slaying demons, and protecting the people.

At this moment, he was leading a group of Martial Cultivators from Jun City, fighting against the increasingly fierce floodwaters, stacking sandbags.

Meanwhile, another group of Magic Practitioners was digging on another side, opening up the earth to create a new river channel.

While everyone was busy, someone suddenly called from the bank: "Master! Master Hui Neng!"

Hui Neng turned his head to see the Prefectural Governor Li An, dressed in official robes, calling him from the riverbank.

Immediately, he made a leap, soared from the surface of the water, stepping on the shadows of lotuses, and in an instant, landed on the bank.

"Mr. Li, I am hardly worthy of being called a master," said the monk, greeting him with his palms pressed together. Although he appeared unruffled, a sense of tranquility naturally arose.

"If you don't qualify, then there's no master in this world at all."

Li An slapped Hui Neng's shoulder quite familiarly and said, "Considering what you've done these past days, you truly deserve the title of master."

He looked at the monk and no longer felt any of the previous aversion.

"News has come from Shu County; King Shu has fallen in battle, slain by Wuzhiqi. Jun City has been submerged by the flood, and with the water rushing down a thousand miles, the floods in the south have eased," Li An continued, "It may be somewhat inconsiderate, but at last, the people in the county have a glimmer of hope for survival. Master, you can leave now."

Hui Neng looked at Li An, his clear eyes reflecting the other's figure, his cultivation of the Great Mirror Wisdom Skill clearly sensing the other's good intentions.

His proposal to leave now wasn't a matter of taking advantage of the situation but of genuine concern...

After a brief contemplation, Hui Neng managed a bitter smile, "It seems my fellow cultivators have also begun to take action."

With the breach of the Golden Dam, its northern part became a marshland, the perfect time for the Cultivators from Buddha Country to show their prowess. However, this undoubtedly turned the people from Buddha Country into a thorn in the side of the court and the Taiping Sect.

Now that the floods in the south were easing, it was foreseeable that a large influx of refugees would come, and the court's people would also make their way here. Hui Neng feared he would encounter trouble if he stayed any longer.

"Thank you for the warning, Mr. Li. I will leave shortly," Hui Neng nodded.

Seeing that he didn't take offense, Li An also breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled, "I have been a poor host this time. Should we meet again, I will surely arrange a grand feast to thank the master for his kindness."

"Then I look forward to your generous hospitality next time."

Hui Neng, not one for false modesty, replied with a smile, his words devoid of the monk's reserve, instead bringing a grounded approachability that naturally generated goodwill.

After speaking, Hui Neng was about to turn back to finish installing the stakes and the sandbags before leaving. As a Martial Cultivator who also practiced Buddha Country's highest body-refining divine skill, he wouldn't be delayed by the workload from traveling.

But before he could re-enter the water, someone suddenly cried out in horror, "What is that?"

"Giant... demon!"

In the southwest direction, a colossal figure appeared. It was humanoid, clad in armor, with an indistinct face. It was as tall as the demon body of Wuzhiqi they had encountered before, but unlike a Devil Cultivator, it resembled a giant god.

They saw the giant god's arms slowly lifting, the earth roared, and then an earthquake shook the ground, causing those far away to lose their balance.

More than physical steadiness, it was the shake to their spirits that was the greater issue.

They watched the giant god lift an entire mountain, carry it on his shoulders, and began to move with footsteps that shook the earth, the thundering sound causing sheer terror, fearing that the mountain would shatter the land.

"This..." Hui Neng watched the giant god, "The Immortal of Colossal Spirit of the Taiping Sect? Is he moving a mountain?"

A chill passed through his heart, swift as a flash of lightning, causing an intense shock to his spirit.

"Not good!" Hui Neng's eyes widened.

"The floodwaters are changing course!" Li An yelled in shock.

As the River God, he could clearly sense the nearby floodwaters and was the first to realize the consequences of the mountain's movement.

Before his words had faded, the rush of a torrent could be heard from the left rear, as floodwaters surged between the mountains, uprooting trees and engulfing rocks, crashing into the walls of Jun City, and flooding into the river ahead.

Almost without a thought, Hui Neng erupted with all his True Qi in an attempt to block the flood, but compared to the width of the flood, it was too long and too vast, meaning Hui Neng could only be a stone in the current, not a dam.

"Bang!"

The icy water rushed through, sweeping away countless people.

Compared to Hui Neng, a Sixth Rank Martial Cultivator and disciple of the Awakened, they, albeit with some cultivation, were undoubtedly too weak to maintain their stability in the torrent, not to mention a group of physically frail Magic Practitioners.

Moreover, not far away, the opened city gates were breached by the flood, and in an instant, cries of panic, wails, and sobs followed one after another, the roaring torrent unable to drown out the sounds that reached Hui Neng's ears.

In an instant, Hui Neng felt a chill throughout his body.

The icy torrent couldn't cause his body to lose heat, but the wailing could.

And this was only a microcosm.

In Pingcheng County with the aid of Hui Neng, they had at least been able to make flood preparations; many other places were suddenly engulfed by the flood, countless people swept away.

As the floodwaters had just begun to subside, people emerged from shelters, only to face disaster yet again, being swept up and drowning or freezing to death.

That giant god carried mountains, walked dozens of miles, then set them down, blocking a river pathway and causing the floodwaters to rise once more, creating another disaster.

In this manner, he moved from halt to stop, shifting mountains, causing the earth to shake and water to flow backwards.

The southern floods, which had been on the verge of abating, were aggravated by these actions, adding an unpredictable element.

Moreover, transporting mountains destabilized the Earth Qi, causing earthquakes across large areas.

In a single day, Liangzhou Province was riddled with disasters.

...

...

Imperial City, Divine Capital.

An urgent secret missive was delivered to the Imperial City by the Divine Travel Grand Protector, presented directly to the Great Ming Hall.

The Princess, having just dealt with a batch of memorials, received the secret missive and immediately opened it—the news from Shu County flooded her vision, sparking fire in her eyes.

"What a Great Venerable, what a troublemaker."

Ji Lingguang looked toward the side with a fake smile, where an affiliated son-in-law was sitting with his eyes fixed on his nose and his nose fixed on his heart.

"Tell me, what's going on?" Ji Lingguang asked with thinly veiled murderous intent.

"I don't know."

Feng Manlou appeared utterly confused. "My lady, you know what I'm like. I have little power; how could I control the Great Venerable? He's the strongest in our clan, he controls me, not the other way around."

"Little power, huh? Then how did you manage to defeat me back then?"

Ji Lingguang flung the secret missive at Feng Manlou's face, cursing without minding her dignity: "I don't care what you're planning. Now, solve this for me, or you can kneel before the Fire Lotus for the rest of your life."

The secret missive struck his face with a slap, clearly endowed with True Qi, its hardness comparable to an iron plate.

Yet Feng Manlou, a seasoned affiliated son-in-law, caught the iron-hard missive with an unchanging expression, then gently laughed without even a glance: "My lady, aren't you making it difficult for me? With my meager strengths, how can I solve this? I think my capable brother Jiang Li is very up to the task, with him involved, success is certain."

Ji Lingguang laughed in spite of her anger, unable to help herself: "This palace tells her own husband to solve a problem, and you immediately push it onto Jiang Li. How about this then, I might as well push it onto your capable brother too, since he's very capable and you claim to be weak in comparison."

The affiliated son-in-law, who had kept a straight face, suddenly stiffened, feeling a bit weighed down.

Although he knew his wife's words were spoken in anger, the fact that she voiced such frustration showed she was truly vexed.

This was not the time to oppose her.

He quickly replied with a serious tone: "I feel that brother Jiang is still too young to bear such a heavy burden, it should be me, as his elder brother, who takes action. But, I have two small requests."

"Hmm?" Ji Lingguang's expression lightened, "Speak."

"I need a hundred thousand men from the Forbidden Army."

"Possible."

"My respected brother and niece Qing Yue have long been separated, it truly worries me, so please allow Qing Yue to accompany us."

"Letting Qing Yue go..."

Ji Lingguang thought for a moment, then nodded: "Possible."

At such a critical time, still making jokes, it seems he is quite confident.

Feng Manlou was very confident; Ji Lingguang was even more confident. Although the two had vastly different statuses within the family, Ji Lingguang's confidence in her husband was inversely proportional to his standing.

"Then I'll be off."

Feng Manlou nodded and turned to leave the hall.

At the hall's entrance, a faint voice suddenly came from behind: "Manlou, will you turn against our clan?"

Feng Manlou's step halted.

"I will never be your enemy."

After speaking, Feng Manlou hurried away, leaving Ji Lingguang alone in the Great Ming Hall.

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