Chapter Fourteen: Upheaval

“Welcome, honored guest. Is there anything you need?”
This time, as soon as he appeared, a young attendant ran up to him with enthusiasm, a stark contrast to his previous visit.
Recalling what happened last time, Tu Lu felt a surge of irritation. He wasted no words and spoke directly, “I need some information. Do you have any here?”
“Yes, of course! What kind of information are you looking for?”
“Is there a difference?”
Hearing this, the attendant’s spirits lifted. “There is indeed a difference. You seem new here—probably your first time. If you wish to know about the distribution of powers near Divine Wind City, or the preferences and temperaments of some strong individuals, you can purchase that on the first floor. These are common knowledge, so they aren’t very expensive.
But if you want to inquire about hidden news, ancient secrets, or the private affairs of powerful figures, you’ll need to go to the third floor. Intelligence up there is priceless—anything placed on the third floor is of great value. Regardless of satisfaction, entry alone costs one hundred Thunder Stones.”
“The third floor, then.” Tu Lu considered for a moment and replied.
...
A short while later, he descended from the third floor, his expression grim.
Although there was no news of the Mystic Spirit Island, he learned that the island did exist and could only be found at the far western edge of the continent, in the Sea of Passage!
To reach the Sea of Passage, one must use the Passage Boat, and their cultivation must be above the Purple Mansion realm; otherwise, the violent laws of the sea would crush them. Mere breathing would be enough to shatter their cultivation!
Even the Purple Mansion realm was only the threshold.
Either requirement was nearly impossible for him at present.
Just as he was lost in frustration, a commotion erupted in the distance.
“What’s going on?!” he demanded with a frown.
An attendant hurried over and exclaimed, “Something big—something truly major! Black Obsidian Mountain is in turmoil. Senior Yaogu, Qianyuan, and Taicang Dao have all been seriously injured. The formation barrier collapsed instantly, and the defensive line… can no longer hold!”
A cry of alarm echoed from afar. Hearing this, Tu Lu’s expression changed. No matter how much he cared about Mystic Spirit Island, he had to set it aside now.
Black Obsidian Mountain in turmoil?
Impossible!
Black Obsidian Mountain neighbored Thunder Mountain, nearly the gateway to the Thunder Demon Range. If turmoil broke out there, it would mean upheaval in the Thunder Demon Range itself, with consequences too dire to imagine!

He had to leave Divine Wind City at once!
He made the decision instantly.
This was the east side of the city—the fastest place to receive news. Like those crying out in alarm, he was among the first to know, and as a cultivator, he should be able to escape in time via teleportation.
As for the ordinary martial artists who could not leave...
A struggle flickered across his face, but he quickly steeled himself. Call it selfish if you will, but facing beasts from the Thunder Demon Range—creatures that even the Azure Profound Mansion feared—Divine Wind City stood no chance.
To stay when death was certain was not conscience, but reckless bravado!
Yet just as he resolved this, chaos broke out in the Heavenly Dragon Pavilion.
“When will the teleportation array be activated?!”
“What? It was just used? I don’t care about your excuses! Whether it’s a hundred or a thousand Thunder Stones, open it now!”
“Damn it! Hurry up!!”
“Silence!”
At that moment, the pressure of a Sea-Filling realm cultivator surged, amplified by the Pavilion, and enveloped the whole hall.
The scene was instantly suppressed.
Tu Lu was about to speak when he suddenly felt the weight of that pressure and looked up in shock. It was Wang Daozong, emerging from the second floor.
Just like before, his eyes looked fatigued, but now his demeanor was calm and unhurried, not at all tense.
He bowed deeply to the crowd. “Fellow friends, do not panic. Given the large number of people needing teleportation, our small array cannot handle the demand. We plan to activate the large teleportation array. The price remains one hundred Thunder Stones per person. We won’t disappoint you.”
“Hmph! I don’t care for pleasantries. Just tell us how long it will take! I don’t want to perish with Divine Wind City!”
A wild middle-aged man shouted.
“So it’s Brother Jian Can.”
Wang Daozong glanced at him, frowning. “No need to panic, Brother Jian Can.”
“Perhaps you don’t know, but I can assure you: this Black Obsidian Mountain turmoil is unrelated to the Thunder Demon Range!”

To be precise, this unrest was caused by three great demons of Black Obsidian Mountain. The reason was that the demon Thunder Tiger had broken through to the Primal Beast realm and required cultivator blood to consolidate its new level, hence the beast tide. In essence, it was only a minor upheaval of Black Obsidian Mountain, not as horrifying as you imagine, so there’s no need to worry!”
At these words, the crowd’s panic eased noticeably.
Tu Lu listened closely and finally pieced together the situation from their murmurs.
The beast uprising at Black Obsidian Mountain was not insurmountable in numbers; the only truly troubling, even terrifying, aspect was that Primal Beast.
Primal Beast—the third stage of demon evolution after Ancient Beast.
Previously, counting even the Stone Beast of Thunder Mountain, there were only four Ancient Beasts near Divine Wind City—three in Black Obsidian Mountain, one in the rear of Thunder Mountain—all at the level of Purple Mansion. Terrifying, yes, but the beasts were dull-witted, and one could survive with caution.
But a Primal Beast was king: not only far more intelligent, but its realm vastly exceeded Purple Mansion. Even combined, the cultivators here could not bridge that gap!
“Rest assured, fellow friends. Though Yaogu, Qianyuan, and Taicang Dao were heavily injured by Thunder Tiger’s claw, they have gauged its condition. It broke through to Primal Beast, but suffered serious wounds in the process. For now, it will not act. Divine Wind City is safe for the moment. As for teleportation, the large array will take some time to activate—please wait half a day.”
Finally, Manager Wang looked around at everyone and spoke solemnly with cupped fists.
Tu Lu breathed a sigh of relief, ready to return to the inn with the little girl to pack. But suddenly, he paused—his hand was empty. At some point, the little girl had disappeared!
“What happened? I was just holding her hand…”
“So be it. It’s time to leave Divine Wind City. I’ll let her go and later find a place to cultivate and continue searching for news about Mystic Spirit Island.”
Though he thought this, he felt a pang of guilt. If Divine Wind City fell, the little girl would not survive.
But he forced the thought down.
After all, he could not afford to worry about others now.
Tu Lu was about to leave when, just then, Wang Daozong received a message upstairs. His expression changed slightly.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he turned to address the crowd below.