Within the jade butterfly, there was a world of its own.
A continuous, undulating mountain range seemed to float amidst a sea of sunset clouds, like mountains resting upon the clouds under the evening sun—a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
The mountain range rose layer upon layer, peaks overlapping in verdant splendor, with green hills and clear waters, as if it were a fairyland on earth.
This place was precisely Canyang Mountain.
Yet, such beauty seemed somewhat ethereal.
No!
To be precise, it was somewhat blurred.
It also seemed to waver, as if it might collapse and scatter at any moment. Even Canyang Mountain itself was like this.
"Such a beautiful scene is truly a pity."
Upon arriving at Canyang Mountain, the woman named Xuanyuan Wan gently shook her head, as if sighing over something.
Beside her, Wolan did not know what Xuanyuan Wan found pitiful, nor what she was sighing about. She had no mood to ponder this, completely bewildered by the blurred, trembling state of Canyang Mountain.
"How could this be? It was perfectly fine when I left. How could Canyang Mountain become..." What exactly Canyang Mountain was, Wolan did not know. She only knew that Canyang Mountain was opened by the Canyang Sage and had never been affected by the outside world. Why would it be like this now...
"Life Vein mutation! It must be a Life Vein mutation!"
Granny Lin was shocked and pale, for she remembered clearly that five hundred years ago, when the Life Vein mutated, Canyang Mountain had also become similarly blurred.
Just as Wolan was filled with shock and doubt, over a dozen figures suddenly appeared from Canyang Mountain like meteors streaking across the sky. Leading them was an elderly man with white hair and beard, kind eyebrows and benevolent eyes—none other than Wolan's grandfather, also the Ancestral Patriarch of Canyang Mountain and the clan leader of the Canyang Clan, Canyang Hengshan. Behind him were other Canyang clansmen, including Wolan's parents.
"Grandfather, Senior Xuanyuan..." Wolan was about to speak and report to her grandfather when the Canyang Ancestral Patriarch suddenly knelt on the ground, cupping his hands in salute. "This junior, Canyang Hengshan, pays respects to Lady Xuanyuan."
As he knelt, the other Canyang clansmen also knelt one after another. Though Wolan's heart was filled with questions, she dared not ask and followed suit, kneeling on the ground.
"There is no need for such formality with me. Rise."
Xuanyuan Wan gave a faint smile. Without any visible movement from her, Wolan and the others felt a gentle, warm breeze brush over them, slowly lifting them to their feet.
"The Life Vein has suddenly mutated, and it's growing increasingly severe. We cannot approach it at all. We beseech Lady Xuanyuan to lend your aid."
"It is precisely for this matter that I have come."
Xuanyuan Wan glanced at the Vault of Heaven, then asked, "How many people are on the mountain in total?"
"Aside from our Canyang Clan, there are over a thousand other cultivators."
"Have them leave this place as soon as possible."
Hearing Xuanyuan Wan's words, the Canyang Ancestral Patriarch was stunned. He asked in a heavy voice, "Lady... does this mean... Canyang Mountain truly cannot be preserved?"
Seeing Xuanyuan Wan nod slightly, the Canyang Ancestral Patriarch felt as if his heart were bleeding. Suppressing his reluctance, he asked, "But is it because of the Life Vein mutation?"
"Not only that."
Xuanyuan Wan looked at the ethereal, blurred Vault of Heaven and said, "You will know the answer later."
"But... what about the Lady? She is still at the Life Vein..."
"Do not worry. I am here."
Xuanyuan Wan continued, "You should leave as well."
"Lady Xuanyuan, our Canyang Clan vows to protect the Life Vein unto death. We will not leave."
Gazing at the resolute, unwavering eyes of the Canyang Ancestral Patriarch and the others, Xuanyuan Wan said nothing more in response. "Since that is the case, then your Canyang Clan may stay. After sending the others away from Canyang Mountain, enter the secret realm as quickly as possible."
Boom! Crash!
A thunderclap exploded.
Canyang Mountain shook violently, becoming even more blurred.
"Time is running out..." With that, Xuanyuan Wan's figure vanished.
The Canyang Ancestral Patriarch dared not delay. He immediately summoned all members of the Canyang Clan and began dispersing the cultivators on Canyang Mountain.
...
Outside.
Thunder rumbled, lightning crackled.
Fierce winds swept up dark clouds, devouring the Vault of Heaven!
Boom!
—The heavens were changing, the earth was trembling.
The dark clouds pressed down like raging waves of a river and sea, as if the wrath of heaven had descended, inspiring awe in all living beings. Even more bizarre was the myriad of strange colors filling the sky, evolving and transforming.
Crack!
The Vault of Heaven split open with a fissure, like a centipede's crack, which then rapidly healed.
Whoosh!
Torrential rain, freezing blizzards.
Chaos!
Disorder!
The great void was.
The great nature was.
The great world even more so.
Northwest Borderlands, Little Fold Manor.
Su Hua gazed at the chaotic Vault of Heaven and murmured, "The sun and moon vanish, nature falls into chaos, strange phenomena appear in the heavens, fate becomes unpredictable..." After speaking, she turned to Qianshan beside her and said, "Qianshan, stay and look after Yeye and Jin'er."
"Miss, what about you?"
Su Hua's expression was grave. "I have divined my own karma. A change is destined to occur in the Great Northwest. For this, I have traversed every inch of land in the northwest region, but there is one place I have never been to."
"Where?"
"Canyang Mountain."
Hearing Canyang Mountain, Qianshan immediately felt a sense of foreboding. Although she didn't know exactly what kind of existence Canyang Mountain was, she had heard Su Hua say it was related to the Daoless Age. And she knew all too well that anything connected to the Daoless Age was troublesome, especially since this involved Su Hua's own karma.
"Elder Sister Hua, can't you not go to Canyang Mountain?"
At that moment, Xiao Jinr ran over, looking at Su Hua with immense worry.
"Be good, Jin'er. Elder Sister will be fine..."
"No! Elder Sister Dream said that if Elder Sister Hua goes to Canyang Mountain, she will inevitably set foot on a path of no return. Jin'er is worried..."
Su Hua knew that within Xiao Jinr's dreams lived a powerful Elder Sister Dream, but she had never met her and didn't know who this Elder Sister Dream really was.
"Even if it is a path of no return, Elder Sister must go."
"But... but..." Xiao Jinr bit her lip and said, "If Elder Sister Hua insists on going, you must take Jin'er with you..."
"Jin'er, be obedient..." As she spoke, Su Hua noticed Xiao Jinr's eyes turning red. Tears streamed down as she threw herself into Su Hua's arms, crying out, "Wah... Elder Sister Hua, please take me, okay? Wah... Elder Sister Dream said... wah... Elder Sister Dream said Big Brother is in mortal danger... wah... I'm very worried about Big Brother... wah wah wah..."
"Gu Qingfeng is in mortal danger?"
Su Hua's brows furrowed. She didn't know whether to believe the words of this Elder Sister Dream. At the same time, she realized another issue and asked, "Is Gu Qingfeng also going to Canyang Mountain? What is he going to Canyang Mountain for?"
"Jin'er doesn't know... wah... Elder Sister Dream didn't say... Elder Sister Hua, please take Jin'er with you... okay!"
"Jin'er, it's not that I won't take you. It's just that the situation at Canyang Mountain is unknown. What will happen there, even I do not know..." As she spoke, a faint, ethereal voice suddenly reached Su Hua's ears: "Take little Jin'er with you. With me here, she will be fine."
Hmm?
Su Hua was startled, for she realized the voice came from Xiao Jinr, yet it wasn't Xiao Jinr speaking. Could it be...
"Are you the Elder Sister Dream from Jin'er's dreams?"
"It is I."