The sudden solar eclipse caused widespread panic among the people, and discussions about Emperor Wu Xiyu among the populace grew increasingly heated.
If the emperor had not been corrupt, why would Heaven have sent down this punishment?
Today, the discussions in the imperial court mainly revolve around the promulgation of the "Edict of Self-Reproach" and the agenda for the sacrificial ceremony.
There were many different opinions below, and Wu Xiyu's face was also gloomy. His face was slightly pale from long hours of hard work.
Just as the Ministry of Rites was still debating the scale and cost of the sacrifice according to the rites, an urgent report arrived.
The newcomer disregarded the rule that running was forbidden inside the hall, rushed in, and immediately knelt down on the ground.
"Your Majesty, an urgent report from the south!"
"Read it!" Wu Xiyu stared at the people below the hall.
"A sudden flood has occurred in Jingnan and the surrounding area, covering a very wide area, with countless deaths and injuries... The Governor of Jingnan requests assistance from Jiangtian..."
His words silenced the hall.
Wu Xiyu rubbed his temples. "Minister of Revenue, what are your thoughts?"
The Minister of Revenue, an elderly man in his sixties, stepped forward with a bow. "Your Majesty," he said, "this matter is extremely urgent. The Jingnan area has always been an important grain-producing region for our Great Ye. Now that a flood has occurred, this is a matter of great importance. I believe..."
Before he could finish speaking, the deputy director of the Imperial Observatory scrambled in.
When the head of the Imperial Observatory saw who it was, he was so frightened he almost jumped out of his skin.
Can't you feel the atmosphere in the hall? Can't you see His Majesty is furious?! And of all times, the Deputy Supervisor has to come in at this moment! Are those guards at the door just for show? Why didn't they stop him?!
The deputy supervisor didn't even glance at his superior before kneeling down with a thud.
"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! The seismograph has activated! A strong earthquake may be occurring in the northwest!"
Just as the supervisor was about to reprimand him, he stumbled after hearing what he said and almost fell backward. If it weren't for the officials beside him supporting him, he probably would have broken the back of his head.
Wu Xiyu couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up from the dragon throne and took two quick steps. "Could it be that the seismograph is malfunctioning?"
The deputy supervisor practically wanted to bury his head in the ground, pleading, "I guarantee with my life that the seismograph is absolutely fine!"
For a moment, the hall was silent.
"Go down!" Wu Xiyu waved his hand wearily.
The deputy supervisor walked out quickly with his head down.
Within a few days, letters from all over the country arrived at Wu Xiyu's desk like snowflakes, all about various natural and man-made disasters.
"Your Majesty..." Xiao Fuzi looked at the Emperor who was still handling affairs in the middle of the night and advised, "Your Majesty, your health is of utmost importance."
Wu Xiyu put down one letter and took out another from a very tall stack of letters. “Now all kinds of disasters are happening all over the country. If I stay up a little later, my people may live a little longer.”
Xiao Fuzi felt sorry for him, but she didn't say anything more. She went up and ground new ink for Wu Xiyu.
As the morning bell rang, Wu Xiyu finally looked up. It was already getting light outside. He twisted his neck, which was stiff and creaked. Xiao Fuzi immediately stepped forward to massage his shoulders and back.
Not only Da Ye, but also the realms of immortals and demons were affected.
Recently, some people have discovered that no matter how much they practice, they do not improve at all.
At first, they thought there was something wrong with their own techniques, but gradually, more and more people did not improve.
They finally realized that something terrible had happened.
"My lord!" Gu Piao reported to Luan Hua, "The people in the Demon Cave have been unable to advance recently, and they beg me to ask you what has happened."
Luan Hua was aware of the matter, but he didn't know the specific reasons.
"I'm looking into the cause. Please be patient. Distribute the sacred artifacts and treasures from the Demon Cave Treasury to them."
Luan Hua's cultivation level had reached its peak, so he was not affected. However, he could not ignore the demonic cultivators under his rule.
"Yes, my lord." Gu Piao accepted the order and left.
The threshold of the sect leader in the immortal sects was almost worn down by the crowds, with people coming from all over the mountains to inquire.
The sect leader led the various immortals to appease everyone and promised to resolve the matter.
At first, everyone was quiet and trusted the sect leader, thinking that the problem would be solved soon. However, they did not receive any feedback for a long time, and the higher-ups kept telling them to wait for news.
Gradually, some people began to get anxious.
Those who went to the Immortal Sect to cultivate were mostly scions of families with a long tradition of cultivating immortality, and there were also many nobles from the Great Ye Kingdom. In the end, their complaints grew louder and louder, and their dissatisfaction accumulated more and more.
"It must be that those cultivators who came first seized all the natural spiritual energy that we younger generations need!"
"Their cultivation is too high, so they don't care about people like us!"
"The higher-ups must have found a solution, but they didn't tell us!"
Suddenly, all sorts of rumors started to emerge.
"Jinyun, what should we do now!"
The sect leader glared at Immortal Venerable Jinyun, puffing out his beard, "If I had a way, would my beard fall out in one gulp?!"
Immortal Venerable Jinyun didn't even raise his eyes. "There's nothing I can do about it."
The sect leader looked at Immortal Venerable Jinyun with a wry face and said, "Of course you're unaffected, but the problem is that my sect's disciples are about to lose their temper!"
He was genuinely afraid that these people below would cause trouble.
Jinyun Immortal Venerable picked up his teacup. "If you can't improve your own cultivation, then go and steal from others. Aren't there many ways to do that?"
The sect leader was so frightened that he quickly covered his mouth, "Oh my god! My ancestors, you can't say such things! Stealing others' cultivation is a forbidden technique!"
Jinyun Immortal Venerable took a sip of tea. "Then there's nothing I can do."
Somehow, their conversation got out.
For several days in a row, people from the immortal sect died inexplicably, causing widespread panic.
The immortal sect conducted a secret investigation and finally discovered the culprit.
When the murderer was pinned before the sect leader, he shouted indignantly, "If the higher-ups of the immortal sect hadn't been so incompetent, how could I have resorted to such a desperate measure!"
The sect leader pointed at him angrily and said, "We're already looking for a solution, can't we wait a few more days?! How is this any different from that of a demonic cultivator!"
What was said unintentionally may have been taken to heart by the listener.
Although the perpetrator was imprisoned in the dungeon, no similar incidents occurred in the Immortal Sect. However, demon cultivators began to die mysteriously in the Demon Cave. They were all out on missions and never returned, and then news of their deaths would come back.
The immortals have all become enlightened.
I can't touch my fellow disciples, but surely I can't touch demonic cultivators? The immortal and demonic realms are inherently opposed, and I've even done a good deed!
As a result, hunting demonic cultivators became a major daily activity for the immortal sects in a short period of time.
The people in the Demon Cave were no pushovers either. At the same time, they also discovered that they could improve their cultivation by plundering others!
The upper levels of the immortal and demon realms were largely unaffected, but the middle and lower levels, where people were desperately eager for cultivation, were in complete chaos.
Both sides are hunters and prey; large-scale group operations are becoming increasingly common, and those who are left behind rarely have a good ending.
Finally, the chaos alarmed the higher-ups of both the immortal and demon realms.
The negotiations between immortals and demons have resumed after many years.
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