The Emperor City battlefield.
Rumble, rumble — clouds of dust rolled across the land.
The earth split open. A massive fissure surged forward, devouring everything in its path, bearing down on Emperor City.
The destruction of Emperor City was imminent!
At this critical moment, despite several Central Continent Gu Immortals still guarding the city, there was simply no way to save the lives of so many people in such a short time. These Gu Immortals were utterly powerless.
The fissure was a natural phenomenon — no one could predict where it would appear. Only Fang Yuan had foreseen this.
Because this very same fissure had appeared in his previous life, destroying Emperor City.
But neither the Central Continent nor the Western Desert had any idea. The fissure's appearance caught both sides completely off guard!
For the Western Desert side, it was a mix of surprise and joy. For the Central Continent, it was sheer terror.
At the critical moment when lives in Emperor City were being devastated, an Immortal Gu House suddenly stepped forth, transforming into a streak of emerald light and shooting into the sky with lightning speed.
It was the Bean God Palace!
"Stop him!" The Central Continent Gu Immortals roared in unison, instinctively.
"What is Fang Di Chang doing?" Ancestor Thousand Changes and the others were bewildered. The Bean God Palace's actions were not part of the battle plan.
Fang Di Chang's face was frozen in shock. At this moment, he not only could not contact the outside world, but his entire body was immobilized.
The Bean God Palace hummed and trembled as an invisible, powerful force bound him tightly.
From the murals surrounding the main hall, a will slowly emerged.
The will quickly coalesced into form, taking the shape of a young man dressed in blue robes with a white headband, black hair cascading over his shoulders, projecting an air of gentle refinement.
Upon seeing this will, Fang Di Chang's face turned ashen. He cried out involuntarily: "Immortal Venerable Yuan Lian!"
Yuan Lian Immortal Venerable... among all the Venerables throughout history, his immortal essence reserves were the most abundant. He was the third Immortal King of Heavenly Court, the founder of the Heavenly Lotus Sect, who had swept away demonic influences, scouring heaven and earth to restore order.
Yes — this will was none other than Yuan Lian's Will!
"How despicable! It was hidden within the murals, which is why it eluded my detection!" Fang Di Chang understood in an instant. He had never truly comprehended the Dao of Painting.
"But why, the moment Yuan Lian's Will appeared, did I lose control of the Bean God Palace, get bound tightly, and lose my freedom?" In an instant, Fang Di Chang's mind raced to Qing Chou.
His heart turned to ice. He had once believed he had completely refined the Bean God Palace, but the cruel reality before him proved that the palace still held secrets — and that the ultimate authority rested in Yuan Lian's Will.
This layer of measures, whether in the hands of the true Fang Di Chang or Fang Yuan's clone, had been impossible to see through. They had been kept completely in the dark all along.
How could a Venerable's Immortal Gu House be so easily seized?
With a resounding thud, the Bean God Palace landed steadily in the very center of Emperor City, assuming command of the situation.
Boundless emerald light spread outward from the Bean God Palace, gentle as water, its radiance soft and unblinding, illuminating half the sky.
Every corner of Emperor City — from the city bricks to the wall bases — was saturated with the green glow. Within the light, murals gradually materialized throughout every part of the city.
These were scenes of common life, each depicting a particular moment in time in Emperor City.
There was a bustling marketplace, with streams of people, vendors hawking their wares, and a dazzling array of goods on display.
There was a cluster of homes and courtyards in silhouette. On the tall trees within the courtyards, several bird nests held young chicks waiting to take flight. Beneath the trees, a group of children chased and played with one another, full of hopes for the future.
There was a wedding procession, slowly rounding the corner from the south. The groom rode a tall horse, and behind him came a mortal Gu House — an ornate bridal palanquin. Such mortal Gu Houses were typically brought out only for weddings in the Central Continent. The palanquin's surface was adorned with flowers of every color in full bloom. Behind it followed a group of porters carrying the bride's lavish dowry.
There was a teahouse. The street before its entrance teemed with pedestrians, while the upper floor was filled with guests eating their morning snacks and watching the street through the windows. The teahouse's banner, used to attract customers, fluttered gently in the morning breeze.
And there was a painting depicting dusk. On a street corner near the city gate, at a small stall, a blind old Gu Master — perhaps possessing a wisdom path Gu Insect — served as a fortune teller, divining the future for a young woman.
...
Whether it was dawn or night, whether by the city gates or in the bustling market district, every scene of the people of Emperor City living in peace and contentment formed a vivid picture.
Without question, this was the power of the Dao of Painting, suffused with the profound mysteries of the Dao of Humanity.
Immortal Killer Move — Living in Peace and Contentment!
"Emperor City actually contained Immortal Venerable Yuan Lian's measures?"
"Immortal Venerable Yuan Lian once lived in Emperor City as a mortal for a period of time... Could it be that this legend was not merely a story, but the truth?"
"The Dao of Painting is truly unfathomable!"
The Central Continent Gu Immortals were naturally ecstatic.