Dragon Tiger Mountain, at the foot of the mountain.

The area had already transformed into a sprawling city and a series of villages, covering a thousand-li radius.

The number of common people gathered here reached as high as a million.

As the great calamity of Heaven and Earth slowly approached,

the entire world began to undergo earth-shattering changes.

First, the Underworld severed its connection, and the living beings of this world could no longer be reincarnated.

The yin energy between Heaven and Earth grew increasingly dense.

Powerful Fierce Ghosts began to appear during the day, taking human lives.

Now, with less than a year until the great calamity,

it had reached the point where a hundred ghosts walked in daylight!

Not only that,

but the demons in various regions, as if provoked, began to cause turmoil, constantly attacking villages and even cities.

Demon-wrought disasters occurred one after another.

This world had clearly transformed into a scene of apocalypse.

The living space for the common people was being squeezed smaller and smaller!

The City Gods of various places, and even the Great Hao Divine Dynasty’s Haotian Guard, Celestial Patrol Army, and Observatory, would initially intervene from time to time.

But now, they seemed to have received an order from the Divine Emperor and had almost completely retreated to White Jade City, no longer caring about the lives or deaths of the people in the various regions.

If not for the Daoist Families of various regions, who still dispatched their disciples to slay demon fiends and guard the cities, 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

the common people would have long since become fodder for demon fiends and ghosts!

However, human strength has its limits.

This world was now not far from complete chaos.

And by this point,

the common people, who had originally known nothing of the great calamity, had naturally learned quite a bit of news.

One after another, they flocked toward the Sects that had Dao Realm experts, hoping to seek refuge.

Among them, Dragon Tiger Mountain was the most sought after!

Originally, only a hundred thousand people had gathered here.

Now, that number had grown to a million!

Fortunately, the Elder Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain was compassionate and had set up an Evil-Slaying Sword Array around the city and all the nearby villages!

Any demon fiends or ghosts that approached the city and villages would be slain by the Sword Array.

Afterward,

the Elder Celestial Master ordered the disciples of Dragon Tiger Mountain to lead the people out to clear land and farm, ensuring their daily needs were met.

This was what allowed the million-strong populace to survive in this apocalyptic world.

Grateful for the Celestial Master’s benevolence, the people also built statues of him nearby and began to worship them of their own accord.

Every household even had a Celestial Master’s Tablet for worship!

"This Wang Chongyang has managed Dragon Tiger Mountain quite well. To shelter so many people and have them spontaneously erect statues of him... heh, this is something many a City God could only dream of."

At this moment,

three figures slowly came to a halt at the foot of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

One of them, dressed in an exquisite satin robe embroidered with the sun and moon sharing the sky, was clearly from the Haotian Guard!

Another wore the white robes of a general; he was from the Celestial Patrol Army, as famous as the Haotian Guard in the Great Hao Divine Dynasty!

The Celestial Patrol Army fought overseas year-round, having subjugated countless Foreign Countries.

They had even earned the laudatory title, "An army of thousands avoids the white robes."

The last person, dressed in a scholar’s robe with a refined air, was from the Observatory, a power second only to the Haotian Guard and the Celestial Patrol Army!

They specifically handled the various internal affairs of the Great Hao Divine Dynasty, issued decrees, and managed the livelihood of the people.

The Observatory’s contributions were indispensable to the Great Hao Divine Dynasty’s ability to govern such a vast territory.

The Haotian Guard, the Celestial Patrol Army, and the Observatory were known as the Three Swords of the Divine Dynasty.

These three major powers, which normally had their own distinct duties, had now unexpectedly all gathered at Dragon Tiger Mountain!

The three men representing these powers all had auras as deep as the sea and as vast as a mountain—they were three Dao Realm experts!

"Hmph. Nothing but ridiculous compassion. The great calamity is coming, and he can hardly protect himself. When the time comes, these commoners will die all the same. Instead of wasting time on these ants, he should be focusing on improving his own strength."

Zhan Wushuang, the Marshal of the Celestial Patrol Army, exuded an air of bloodlust, his voice chilling.

Years of constant warfare had stripped him of the carefree air of other Dao Realm experts. Instead, he was like a Demon Lord who slaughtered without batting an eye.

"To worry before the world worries, to dare to be the first to act... this Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain is indeed worthy of his title."

Zhuge Yuntao, the Supervisor of the Observatory, said leisurely.

"Brother Yuntao, are you mocking us for not considering the common people? Or are you questioning the decision of His Majesty the Divine Emperor?"

Haotian Guard Commander Zhao Rulong said, his eyes narrowing.

Zhuge Yuntao shook his head. "I naturally wouldn’t dare question His Majesty the Divine Emperor. However, under the great calamity, we are all but ants. It’s not our place to criticize whether this Celestial Master is right or wrong."

Zhao Rulong snorted. "Is Wang Chongyang not in the wrong? According to my Haotian Guard’s investigation, he colluded with the Quanxing Demon People and even took that demon person Yan Chiyang’s daughter as his disciple. It’s highly likely he’s also the one who killed the three Tribulation Crossing Realm Haotian Guards under my command. According to the Great Hao Laws, this man should be executed!"

Zhuge Yuntao said flatly, "I came here today to read the imperial decree with you all. The grudge between your Haotian Guard and Dragon Tiger Mountain has nothing to do with me."

Zhao Rulong looked at Zhan Wushuang. "Brother Zhan, what do you say?"

Zhan Wushuang said coldly, "First, tell him to get down here and receive the decree. If he’s willing to bow his head, there’s no need to pursue this matter further. If not, then we’ll lead the army to flatten Dragon Tiger Mountain."

"Good."

Zhao Rulong took a step forward.

At that moment,

it was as if he only just materialized, becoming visible to the disciples of Dragon Tiger Mountain and the many common people at its base.

"Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, Wang Chongyang, come down and receive the imperial decree!"

The sound was like thunder, surging toward the heavens like a tidal wave. It kicked up a storm of qi like mountains and seas, spreading in all directions and echoing through every corner of Dragon Tiger Mountain.