Oops It just slipped out.

Some places can only be truly understood when you set foot on them yourself.

The first impression the Western Oxhorn Continent gave Chu Xingchen was one of gloom and lifelessness.

With a single glance, he could see that the deep, crisscrossing canyons were likely blasted out by cultivators.

For some unknown reason, this place had very few trees or flowers, yet the soil wasn’t sandy.

It seemed there were some things even time couldn’t smooth over.

Chu Xingchen had already finished gathering information at the Tianyan Sect, warned Lv Xuan, and even left a letter with Bai Xuanling.

Lv Xuan hadn’t stopped him from accessing the Tianyan Sect’s records on the ancient calamity, readily pulling them out for him to review.

However, perhaps because the battles back then were too brutal, many records were fragmented or missing entirely.

Some entries even contradicted each other.

There were useful bits of information, but not much, and with so much time having passed, the specifics were hard to verify.

The Tianyan Sect’s archives were comprehensive, but now he needed to verify the details and seek out new leads.

As for where to look, the answer was obvious.

The calamity had begun in the Western Oxhorn Continent—and it was there that it had finally ended.

No matter what, traces and records related to the so-called [Demonic] would be most abundant here.

This time, Chu Xingchen came alone. He told Lv Xuan that if any of his disciples came looking for him, they should be told he was in seclusion, preparing to break through to the next realm.

He also left behind a spirit stone infused with his own spiritual energy—just to make the lie more convincing.

If anything urgent came up, they could contact him, and he’d return immediately.

For the system to classify this as a main quest, and with a title as grave as [The Calamity Approaches], the danger level was self-evident.

Back then, even dealing with the Mist Mystic Temple in the "Myriad Tasks" had been a struggle.

This time, it was a main quest—one that didn’t even list its rewards.

Chu Xingchen had no choice but to assume the worst: that the highest reward for completing this quest was simply survival.

If the Western Oxhorn Continent truly had ties to the [Demonic], the danger would skyrocket.

Chu Xingchen was now at the Unity Realm, wielding the Myriad with genuine combat prowess—and he was fast when he needed to run.

His disciples had potential, but they were still too green. At the Golden Core stage, they’d be in real danger.

He wasn’t reckless enough to drag them into this.

Still, he wasn’t entirely without support in the Western Oxhorn Continent. He didn’t have to investigate everything alone.

The ancient calamity had been a harsh lesson for humanity, and after the continent was reclaimed and peace restored, a large-scale patrol organization—the Sky Patrol Division—was established here.

In the beginning, the Sky Patrol Division had been a righteous organization, the memories of bloodshed still fresh.

But as time passed and the wounds faded, the division lost its purity, its original purpose diluted.

Now, it was jointly governed by the Eighteen Immortal Sects, with all other sects withdrawing entirely.

After the Eighteen Sects carved up the Western Oxhorn Continent, the Sky Patrol Division became an awkward entity.

Most of the land it could oversee had already been claimed by the sects.

And with the [Demonic] having vanished for over a thousand years, the division had little left to do.

Yet it endured for a reason.

Sects whose influence didn’t extend to the Western Oxhorn Continent could use this organization to legally gather intelligence here.

Even the Buddhist sects could do nothing but grudgingly accept it—after all, the majority of sects had no foothold here.

As one of the Eighteen Immortal Sects, the Tianyan Sect naturally had personnel in the Sky Patrol Division—and not a small number, either.

While he couldn’t rely on them for deep investigations, they could handle many tedious tasks.

Most importantly, Chu Xingchen now had a legitimate identity here, granting him the authority to act under the banner of justice.

Even the local sects understood the weight of the Eighteen Immortal Sects’ influence.

Chu Xingchen didn’t rush straight to the Sky Patrol Division. Instead, he first surveyed the surrounding terrain.

The vast land was mostly an endless stretch of desolation.

Only then did he proceed as planned to the nearest major city—Huangliang City.

The only thing that still qualified this place as a "major city" was its sheer size.

The only truly impressive structure was its grand city walls.

Wood was scarce in the buildings—most were built with bricks, leaving the city awash in shades of black and yellow.

The common folk wore simple, coarse clothing, mostly in off-white or dull yellow.

The streets weren’t crowded, but they were lively.

Chu Xingchen hadn’t dressed ostentatiously, opting for a plain martial outfit—one in a dull yellow he didn’t particularly like, just to blend in.

Yet even this attire drew countless stares.

The locals looked at him with expressions too complex to describe.

But whether it was the Western Oxhorn Continent’s culture or Huangliang City’s unique charm, Chu Xingchen only had to walk a short distance before hearing a torrent of curses from the streets.

First came the obligatory maternal insults, then the actual conversation, and finally a chicken-related expletive to cap it off.

It was like every sentence had a wind-up and a follow-through.

Chu Xingchen had initially planned to immerse himself in the local customs, but this level of raw, unfiltered culture was a bit much.

Forget it. As a refined and aspiring young man, he’d skip this particular cultural experience.

Quickening his pace, he arrived at the designated meeting spot—the most luxurious establishment in Huangliang City, a towering three-and-a-half-story tavern known as the Fortune Tavern.

The name made the owner’s priorities abundantly clear.

Though not particularly tall, the tavern made up for it in sheer size.

The decor was plain, but again—it was big.

With a surge of spiritual energy, Chu Xingchen stepped inside.

The tavern was indeed large, and bustling with patrons.

But he had no intention of drawing more attention. Casting a simple spell, he instantly appeared in the third-floor room where the meeting was set.

Without hesitation, he pushed open the door and scanned the room.

Inside sat a young woman with dark skin and delicate features, her expression tinged with impatience.

At the sound of the door, she looked up, her face finally showing a hint of relief.

She forced a flattering smile, clasped her hands, and bowed slightly.

"Damn it, you’re finally here! I’ve been waiting for—"

She cut herself off mid-sentence, realizing her mistake.

Oh no.

She’d cursed out of habit.