Main Mission - The Great Calamity Approaches

Heavy snow fell outside, but the warmth of the hearth kept the chill at bay.

Chen Baiqing had gathered everyone she could summon, and now she brewed tea with gentle care.

Ning Qianqian, whose cultivation remained at the second layer of Qi Refining, was bundled up the thickest against the winter cold. She had also been tasked with grilling food to satisfy a certain gluttonous flood dragon.

Cui Hao, having reached Foundation Establishment, was naturally unaffected by the cold. Yet he still stretched his hands toward the fire, basking in its warmth with visible contentment.

Qinghe, gnawing on a chicken leg, shot Cui Hao a puzzled look.

"You’re already at Foundation Establishment—do you still feel cold? Or did you slack off in your training and end up with a useless foundation?"

Cui Hao narrowed his eyes slightly, watching as oil dribbled down Qinghe’s chin. He shook his head lightly before replying in a leisurely tone,

"This is called ambiance."

Qinghe scoffed. "This is called pretending."

"If you say so, then so be it."

Cui Hao rubbed his hands together by the fire before slowly picking up the tea Chen Baiqing had prepared. He took a small sip.

Truly, the master knows how to enjoy life…

In every aspect, I still fall far short of her.

Chu Xingchen paid no mind to the banter. Everyone present knew each other well, and there were no outsiders around.

At the moment, he was engrossed in an ancient tome Qinghe had brought, flipping through its contents.

The text was written in an extremely concise manner, almost like a bare-bones outline.

[Sixth Cycle, Year Jia: Strange beasts first appeared in the Western Oxhorn Continent, varying in form and ability—some could shake mountains, others ensnared minds. Their powers were diverse, their numbers incalculable.]

[Eighth Cycle, Year Yi: Western Oxhorn Continent. Strange beasts attacked humans. The immortal sects gathered and exterminated over 3,700 beasts.]

[Eighth Cycle, Year Ding: Western Oxhorn Continent. Strange beasts assaulted a city. The city fell; the immortal sects retreated a hundred miles.]

[Ninth Cycle, Year Jia: Western Oxhorn Continent. The strange beasts grew in power, sweeping across the land. The five great immortal sects united to suppress them.]

[Ninth Cycle, Year Bing: Central Continent, Western Oxhorn Continent. Humanity suffered a crushing defeat.]

[These strange beasts were unlike ordinary demonic creatures. Their aura was fierce, tinged with black and red. They were extreme by nature—some driven by rage, others by cunning.]

[First Year of the Great Calamity: The strange beasts were collectively named—Demons.]

[Third Year of the Great Calamity: The Western Oxhorn Continent was completely lost. The land was drowned in suffering.]

[Tenth Year of the Great Calamity: Half of the Eastern Victory Continent fell. The Divine Dragon emerged to face the calamity.]

[Twenty-Seventh Year of the Great Calamity: The Eastern Victory Continent was entirely overrun. The mortal realm became a living hell.]

[Thirty-Sixth Year of the Great Calamity: Nearly half of all cultivators perished. Villages were reduced to bones; for miles, not a single rooster crowed.]

[Forty-Third Year of the Great Calamity: The Divine Dragon, having seized the majority of the world’s fortune, pushed back and reclaimed half of the Eastern Victory Continent.]

[Fifty-Sixth Year of the Great Calamity: The Divine Dragon suffered a major defeat in the Western Oxhorn Continent.]

[Sixty-First Year of the Great Calamity: The Divine Dragon perished at the border between the Southern Gazing Continent and the Western Oxhorn Continent. Its fortune scattered.]

[Sixty-Second Year of the Great Calamity: Half of the Eastern Victory Continent was lost again.]

[Sixty-Fifth Year of the Great Calamity: The Eastern Victory Continent was fully overrun once more.]

[Seventieth Year of the Great Calamity: Humanity took the initiative to confront the calamity, seeking to reclaim the scattered fortune.]

[Seventy-Third Year of the Great Calamity: Humanity faced the calamity—their survival now rested solely in their own hands.]

[Seventy-Fourth Year of the Great Calamity: The counterattack on the Eastern Victory Continent failed.]

[Seventy-Seventh Year of the Great Calamity: The counterattack ended in a crushing defeat.]

[Eighty-Sixth Year of the Great Calamity: Half of the Eastern Victory Continent was retaken.]

[Ninety-Seventh Year of the Great Calamity: The entire Eastern Victory Continent was reclaimed.]

[One Hundred Thirty-Seventh Year of the Great Calamity: The counterattack on the Western Oxhorn Continent began.]

[One Hundred Sixtieth Year of the Great Calamity: Half of the Western Oxhorn Continent was retaken.]

[Two Hundred Thirtieth Year of the Great Calamity: The Western Oxhorn Continent was fully liberated.]

[Two Hundred Thirty-Third Year of the Great Calamity: The Great Calamity ended. Across the five continents, fewer than one in ten cultivators remained. All prodigies had fallen. The reclaimed fortune had nearly all dissipated.]

[First Year of the New Era: Humanity had overcome the calamity. A golden age was destined to rise.]

Chu Xingchen’s gaze swept over the text before he let out a soft sigh.

Sometimes, a single stroke of the brush concealed countless lives laid down in sacrifice.

Not a single name was recorded in this ancient tome—likely because it was humanity as a whole that faced the calamity, not individuals.

Still, this style of writing made it difficult to discern the true details of those times. Surely, it wasn’t enough to know only that countless people had died?

The Tianyan Sect might have more detailed records from that era, but Bai Xuanling probably felt it wasn’t yet the right time to share them.

The tome wasn’t particularly thin, but the latter half was filled with illustrations and descriptions of demons.

Compared to the extreme brevity of the preface, the demonic records were astonishingly detailed.

Not only were their appearances meticulously depicted, but even anatomical diagrams were included where possible. Their height, form, abilities, and temperament were all annotated.

Preferences and aversions were noted wherever known.

But the most thorough documentation was their weaknesses.

The book contained no speculation—what was known was recorded in exacting detail; what was unknown was simply marked as "unclear."

There was no room for ambiguity, a testament to just how dire the situation had been.

Chu Xingchen skimmed through these contents first, checking if there was anything unsuitable for his disciples to see.

If there were secrets that needed to be withheld, he would filter them out.

After all, burdening his disciples with undue anxiety too soon would do no good.

Amidst the laughter and conversation, everyone tactfully avoided disturbing Chu Xingchen, who remained silent, absorbed in his reading.

Even Cui Hao refrained from speaking further.

Their master was not one to read casually—if he was so focused now, it had to be something important.

Surely, he wouldn’t openly read something inappropriate in front of his disciples?

Unnoticed, the winter tea gathering neared its end.

Ning Qianqian, well aware of Qinghe’s appetite, had brought extra provisions stored in her spatial ring.

Yet after this meal, she came to a realization—she had still underestimated Qinghe’s capacity.

Qinghe reclined lazily on a lounge chair, patting her full stomach with satisfaction.

Chen Baiqing sipped her tea quietly, her gaze drifting toward the heavy snowfall outside.

Cui Hao lay back in a rocking chair, eyes closed as if asleep.

Lin Luoyu and Zhang Miaoyu chatted idly about nothing in particular.

After a while, Chu Xingchen finally stood.

"When your eldest senior sister and second senior brother emerge, tell them I’ve gone to the Tianyan Sect. If they need me, they can come find me there."

"If they wish to go out and gain experience, they don’t need to inform me—they’re free to leave as they please."

Cui Hao opened his eyes and propped himself up to look at Chu Xingchen.

As he spoke, Chu Xingchen placed a dozen or so talismans on the table from his spatial ring.

"Divide these among yourselves. If anything happens, I’ll use these to summon you."

"If you receive a message and there’s no urgent matter at hand, come to the Tianyan Sect at once."

Chen Baiqing instinctively reached out and grabbed Chu Xingchen’s sleeve. After a pause, she could only murmur softly,

"Master…"

Chu Xingchen ruffled the now-taller Chen Baiqing’s head.

"What’s this? Your master is just going to look up some records. If you miss me, can’t you come find me? Must I always be the one to seek you out?"

A sly smile crept onto Chen Baiqing’s face.

"Then why don’t I go with you to the Tianyan Sect?"

Chu Xingchen pinched her cheek lightly. "Your eldest senior sister and second senior brother are in seclusion. If you, a Golden Core cultivator and third senior sister, run off with me, who’s going to manage the sect? Your junior brothers and sisters at Foundation Establishment?"

Chen Baiqing understood the implication—if she left, who would keep Cui Hao in line?

Moreover, apart from the Eldest Senior Sister and the Second Senior Brother, Chen Baiqing was now the only Golden Core cultivator left in the sect.

As for Zhang Miaoyu, in Chen Baiqing’s eyes, she was somewhat of a half-baked Golden Core.

If it came down to actual combat prowess, she might not even be a match for Lin Luoyu.

After all, this Fourth Junior Sister truly knew divine abilities.

Chen Baiqing’s expression remained unchanged, her smile as gentle as ever:

"Very well, I’ll wait for the Eldest Senior Sister to emerge from seclusion before seeking out Master."

She knew that playing the victim might earn her more favor from Master, but Chen Baiqing didn’t want him to feel guilty toward her.

Besides, the sect genuinely needed her to hold the fort now, and relieving Master of his worries was simply her duty.

Chu Xingchen could sense Chen Baiqing’s suppressed grievances, but he wasn’t in the mood to console her further.

The gravity of the situation likely far exceeded Bai Xuanling’s expectations.

Because the system had actually classified this matter as part of the main quest.

After finishing that damned book, the system had issued a main quest unrelated to taking in disciples.

[Main Quest]

[The Great Calamity Approaches]