It was especially so when the dark clouds were about to reach Tiantang City. The dark clouds in the sky were like thousands of mountains descending at the same time, stacking densely in the air, forming an indescribably oppressive atmosphere.
"It's over there!" High up in the sky, the man in black could already see Tiantang City and where the Providence Flag was pointing to.
The man in black sucked in a deep breath and forced himself to summon the Providence Flag again. With a loud boom, the dark clouds in the sky surged towards the sky above Tiantang City like they had encountered a hurricane. It was as if the dark clouds were pressing down on the land. For a moment, the sky and the earth were dyed black.
It was already morning.
It was supposed to be the time when the purple Qi from the east filled the sky and the sun was slowly descending; it was about to emit thousands of beams of light to illuminate the world.
However, everyone in Tiantang City felt that something was amiss at this very moment.
This was because while the sun was shining brightly on this side, like it was covered in gold, no different from normal days, the other side was suddenly shrouded in a boundless haze. Everything was dark and gloomy.
Even an ordinary person could feel that something was amiss with such a phenomenon that was half light and half shadow, half bright and half obscured. They lifted their heads to look at the sky, squinting at the direction where the sunlight was coming from. What they saw was the massive, rolling dark clouds on the other side of the sun. It was like a prehistoric demon had suddenly appeared, pouncing over with its claws and fangs bared, intent on devouring the world and annihilating all life.
Even half of the rays of dawn that shone from the sky were obscured.
An unprecedented sense of foreboding lingered in everyone's hearts. Be it ordinary people, cultivators, or martial artists, they were all intimidated by the phenomenon. They could only watch as the rolling dark clouds grew thicker and thicker, blotting out the light of dawn bit by bit until it was completely gone.
The sky had darkened completely. A chill that rose from the bones enveloped everyone in Tiantang City.
The martial artists thought that it was the strange phenomenon of the sun being eaten by a heavenly dog, so they quickly found gongs and drums and started beating them loudly, hoping that the dark clouds would dissipate and the sun would shine again.
It was a pity that the dark clouds were still closing in, gradually moving to the sky above Tiantang City, threatening to drown the entire city.
Yun Yang and Ji Lingxi had just made their move when the sun rose. Knowing that the situation was not right, they exchanged glances and rushed back to the Residence of Yun in unison.
"There must be a demon behind all this!" Yun Yang's expression was solemn and serious, a tsunami of emotions surging within him.
He recalled the information on Shui Wuyin.
And the black cloud had already arrived.
He also knew that, according to intelligence, a similar situation had occurred in the sky above the capital city of the Empire of Dongxuan a few months ago.
Yun Yang's expression changed as he thought of something.
According to the timeline, it was after that strange phenomenon that the Empire of Dongxuan decided to wage war on Yutang!
That was how Yutang and Dongxuan's battle of the Fortress of Resilience came to be. Both countries' military forces were used and more than three million men were killed on the battlefield!
Now, this dark cloud had appeared in Tiantang City. What did it represent? What did it mean? What did it signify?
If Dongxuan's expedition to the west was really related to this black cloud, then its arrival in Tiantang City could not be anything good!
What was the target of this black cloud? Could it be … coming for me?
Yun Yang had come to a conclusion in his heart, but he did not say it out loud. It was impossible for him to say it out loud.
It was as if a mountain had suddenly pressed down on his heart. It was so heavy that he felt like he was about to suffocate.
Ji Lingxi, who was standing beside him, did not miss the extreme heaviness on Yun Yang's face. Although she did not say a word, she had made up her mind to support all of Yun Yang's decisions unconditionally. She followed Yun Yang closely and walked quickly to the Residence of Yun.
As long as she could be his companion and walk this world with him, it did not matter even if she had to go against the heavens. She would not regret it even if she had to die!
In Tiantang City, everyone who had wanted to make a move had made a surprising unanimous decision in the face of the impending doomsday – those who stayed at home would not go out.
Those who had just stepped out of their houses would rush home immediately.
As for those who were out, they would stay in the inn since they were a distance away from home.
Even the assassins and Jianghu heroes who had come from afar were all well-behaved in the face of such a strange phenomenon. They all hid in their hiding places and did not move.
Everyone had come to the same conclusion – the black cloud that had appeared out of nowhere was definitely unusual.
Even when the storm was at its most violent, the dark cloud was only a dark cloud before it arrived. It could never wreak havoc in the sky and cover the sun and sky to this extent!
This was a sign that was even darker than the night itself!
The entire sky was now as dark as ink!
Moreover, there were no traces of dancing lightning at all!
The people who had been playing the gongs and drums in an attempt to chase away the sun-devouring celestial hound and restore light to the world were no longer futile. Silence reigned everywhere, leaving only a wordless sense of oppression.
The uncontrollable fear that was slowly growing in one's heart had exceeded the limits that could be resisted by reason. Only their hearts were beating wildly and their hearts were filled with terror.
In the palace.
Yun Xiaoyao, who had just arrived, stood shoulder to shoulder with His Majesty in the pavilion of the royal garden. They lifted their heads to look at the strange dark cloud in the sky, their expressions grim.
"Xiaoyao, what do you think of these dark clouds?" His Majesty asked with a dark expression.
"This official brother dare not speak carelessly. The only thing I know is that the same dark cloud had appeared in Dongxuan four months ago. Other than that, there has never been a similar situation in Tianxuan Continent for the past ten thousand years," Yun Xiaoyao answered with a frown.
"Not necessarily!" His Majesty said faintly, "In fact, five months and twenty days ago, there were scattered dark clouds that appeared in Dongxuan's territory."
"It was also more than a month after that time that there was a large-scale dark cloud that covered the city, and the world was covered in ink."
Yun Xiaoyao glanced at the Emperor of Yutang in surprise, obviously not expecting the emperor to be aware of such a small trace in Dongxuan's territory. His intelligence work was impressive indeed!
Noticing the confusion in Yun Xiaoyao's eyes, His Majesty glared at him and explained, "The reason why I noticed the appearance of a small number of dark clouds was only a hindsight. That time was not long after we signed the letter of credence for peace. It was also after that day that Dongxuan began to mobilize its troops."
"Another month later, the incident of dark clouds looming over the fort appeared. Not even seven days after that, Dongxuan suddenly tore up the letter of credence of peace and sent their troops to invade the Fortress of Resilience, provoking the first battle of the four-nation siege!"
His Majesty the Emperor of Yutang's lean face was dangerously solemn.
"That day, I had always found it difficult to understand why Dongxuan would brazenly tear the credence of peace. I had been thinking about what was in their mind and what was the reason for Dongxuan to make such a decision. It was a pity that no matter how much I pondered, I still couldn't come up with a reasonable conclusion. Until today, when this dark cloud has appeared in Tiantang City, it has given me a feeling akin to enlightenment. "
He turned to look at Yun Xiaoyao with glistening eyes. "Dongxuan sending their troops and tearing the credence of peace could very well be related to this dark cloud!"
Yun Xiaoyao frowned and thought hard. "Huh? This … doesn't make sense … it doesn't make sense at all! "
How could a mass of dark clouds affect national policy?
His Majesty said slowly, "The mysteries of the world are difficult to explain with common sense. I believe that there must be some logic to it. As for being baffled, it's only because we haven't thought of it yet. Some things can be explained from an absurd angle, but we will find an answer instead."
He raised his brows. "However, it's no longer important to force an answer now. After all, the dark clouds are already before our eyes. We can just face them directly."
"If the dark clouds are really related to Dongxuan sending their troops, then … the dark clouds will definitely come for me! On the other hand, the dark clouds won't last long, they'll disperse eventually! "
Yu Peize turned to look at Yun Xiaoyao solemnly. "Xiaoyao, you must remember what I've entrusted to you."
Yun Xiaoyao trembled and said, "Go on."
It was rare for His Majesty to call Yun Xiaoyao by his name so solemnly; it was usually "you, bastard, you rascal" and so on. However, at this moment, he had directly called Yun Xiaoyao by his nickname.
His tone was especially solemn.
Yun Xiaoyao immediately felt that something was amiss.
His Majesty spoke word by word, "If this mass of dark clouds is really the key to affecting Dongxuan's national policy, then it must have some ability to bewitch people … If the dark clouds come and my … my mind is affected and I do something that I shouldn't and it will affect the Empire of Yutang's welfare …"
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