Just as the two great masters were about to make their moves, at that moment crackling sounds were heard—they were firecracker sounds coming from distant towns. Yang Suguan’s heart suddenly jumped as he thought: “It’s now the end of the Wuchen year. The abbot said there would be great changes in heaven and earth at this time—is this really true?” Ling Ding, Lu Guzhan, Zhuo Lingzhao and others nearby, hearing the firecracker sounds, also showed slight changes in expression and each slowed their movements.

After a long while, seeing no activity, Zhuo Lingzhao laughed heartily: “They say people are most likely to speak nonsense when dying. Your Dragon Head big brother must have had his day of wild talk too.”

Lu Guzhan was furious and about to retort when suddenly the ground beneath his feet shook, followed by the earth swaying and mountains moving. In an instant, rumbling sounds continued without end, like divine wrath. Everyone was shocked and pale, crying out: “The earth dragon is turning over! The earth dragon is turning over!” Thousands of horses immediately neighed loudly and scattered in panic.

Suddenly the sky thundered with a lightning strike. At this time heavy snow was falling—how could there be lightning and thunder? Could spirits and ghosts be descending? The masters, seeing this heavenly might, couldn’t help but change color.

The pavilion couldn’t withstand the shaking and suddenly collapsed. Yang Suguan cried out in alarm: “Terrible! Dingyuan is still inside!”

Yan Ting rushed urgently toward the pavilion, crying out: “Lord Wu! Lord Wu!”

Suddenly a white shadow appeared reflected in mid-air. That shadow was blue-white in color, shaped like a sphere. Everyone was greatly terrified and cried: “Ghost! There’s a ghost!” Yang Suguan had never believed in spirits and ghosts, but now remembering what the constable had said during the day about this “Ghost God Pavilion” being haunted, cold sweat involuntarily streamed down. Ling Ding and other masters quickly circulated their qi to protect themselves, all shaken by the strange phenomena before them.

Among everyone, only Zhuo Lingzhao maintained a calm expression with a cold smile, but his hands holding the sheepskin trembled slightly.

Lu Guzhan looked at the strange phenomena before him and said in a daze: “‘Wuchen year’s end, Dragon Emperor moves the world, Heavenly secrets still true, Spirits and ghosts at ease’—Heavens! Are there truly dragons in this world?”

At this moment, Mount Song, which had always been peaceful, suddenly erupted. Amid the earth shaking and mountains moving, loud wailing came from the back mountain—like ghosts, like demons, each cry piercing and mournful. All the high monks in the temple were shaken, and monks gathered in the Great Buddha Hall with continuous chanting.

Abbot Lingzhi stood outside Damo Courtyard, pressing his palms together: “Master Uncle, with such strange phenomena from heaven, could demons truly be rising again?”

A low voice came from within Damo Courtyard: “I have guarded here for twenty years precisely for this matter. As long as the Hidden Dragon doesn’t rise, even if demons gather in clouds, it’s useless.”

Lingzhi gazed toward the horizon and saw red light spreading in the distant west. His brows furrowed tightly as he murmured: “May it be as Master Uncle says, otherwise the world will be in great chaos again… Poor common people will be displaced again…”

At this same time, far away at White Dragon Mountain in Xiliang, there was also great trembling. Monk Zhi Guan rushed out of the temple gates and saw that “Nine Provinces Sword King” Fang Zijing was already standing on the mountain peak, gazing into the distance at the red light on the horizon. Zhi Guan said in shock: “Master Fang, these strange heavenly phenomena—what fortune or misfortune do they portend?” Fang Zijing sighed: “The righteous path is declining—it’s time for demons to dance wildly. From now on, the next three years will see tremendous changes in the world.”

Zhi Guan asked in shock: “Could there be a dynastic change?” Fang Zijing didn’t answer, only saying lightly: “I will descend the mountain in a few days. This old man wants to see who, after Huashan’s Yu Qing Ning Bufan, should be the true dragon of this age!”

Zhi Guan’s heart trembled as he thought: “This ‘Nine Provinces Sword King’ reentering the martial world—I fear there will be much trouble…”

Outside Jade Gate Pass, one hundred thousand garrison troops ignored the earth shaking and mountains moving, all kneeling together and crying: “We pay respects to Minister Jiang!”

In the cloudy night sky, a man with a sinister face stood alone on the Great Wall, proudly gazing toward the horizon. He was heard asking: “Where is Zhuo Lingzhao?”

A deputy beside him said anxiously: “Master Zhuo has now rushed to Ghost God Pavilion. He should have seized the item and will come to see you soon, sir.”

That man with the sinister face suddenly showed a trace of smile: “As long as the sheepskin falls into my hands, there’s nothing more to fear in the world. This is all heaven’s mandate! All heaven’s mandate! Haha! Haha!”

The hundred thousand garrison troops didn’t know why he was laughing and could only prostrate on the ground, not daring to breathe loudly.

Wu Dingyuan had been unconscious, but at this time the thunder and lightning in the sky woke him up. He struggled to sit up and saw red light everywhere around him, with white phantoms above his head. He murmured: “What place is this? Could this be hell? I’ve lived righteously my whole life—how did I end up in hell…”

Suddenly hearing a tremendous crash, the stone table beneath him shattered and Wu Dingyuan fell heavily to the ground, causing him great pain. Just as he was about to get up, he suddenly saw characters carved on the stone slabs below. He looked with effort and saw a circular stone carving on the slab—it was a strange creature with human head and snake body. Wu Dingyuan’s face showed amazement: “What is this thing?”

Looking more carefully, he saw beside the stone carving were two more lines of characters surrounding it. On the left was written “Divine Embryo Precious Blood符 Heavenly Record,” on the right “One Generation True Dragon Born from Sea”—the meaning was difficult to understand, with not a single comprehensible sentence.

Just as he was about to look more closely, suddenly there was a strange grinding sound. The stone slab actually slowly split apart to left and right. In moments it had split into two halves by itself. Wu Dingyuan was startled and quickly looked down to see beneath the stone slab was revealed a deep well-like hole, not knowing where it led.

Wu Dingyuan was amazed when suddenly there was a strange “wu wa” cry. A red shadow flashed before his eyes as something emerged from the hole, lunging directly at Wu Dingyuan’s face!

Wu Dingyuan saw the thing was covered in scales with glowing eyes—he didn’t know what kind of monster it was. In his great terror, he quickly reached out to block it, but being poisoned, his movements were slow. His right hand was still bitten by the monster, causing immediate severe pain. Wu Dingyuan let out an “Ah!” of agony and could no longer stand steady, falling to the ground.

At this time with all sufferings coming together and feeling pain pierce his heart and lungs, suddenly rocks collapsed from above, all pressing down on his body.

Outside the pavilion, a young girl seeing this urgently ran over, reaching out and calling: “Lord Wu, give me your hand! I’ll pull you out!” It was Yan Ting coming to rescue. Wu Dingyuan, seeing Yan Ting caring for him, felt joy in his heart and struggled to sit up.

Suddenly there was another thunderous boom. Yan Ting cried out: “Lord Wu! Lord Wu! Hold on…”