Quinn looked up at the dragon pillar and saw the thunderclouds expanding, swirling outward like a vast vortex. Countless bolts of lightning crashed down, yet they all spiraled around the vortex, never breaking its rotation.
The thunderclouds drifted toward the Everpeace Empire’s vanguard. Suddenly, a bolt struck the ground, sending fire and electricity snaking in all directions like golden serpents, followed by a deafening roar.
Then, as if the lightning had found its target, countless bolts rained down from the sky, plowing through the Everpeace army’s front ranks like giant celestial plows tilling the earth!
Boom—boom—boom—
Countless bolts of lightning struck the Everpeace Empire’s vanguard. In less than a breath, giant beasts were charred and split open, some cleaved as if by swords.
The giant beasts wailed and fled in panic, trampling countless soldiers beneath their feet as they stampeded.
Rolling thunder swept into the ranks, plunging the army into chaos. Countless soldiers were struck down by lightning, dying instantly.
A tower-ship was struck by several bolts at once, erupting in flames. Its core alchemical furnaces exploded, turning apothecaries and attendants inside into living firebrands.
The wild medicinal force burst from the pill chamber, flooding into the main furnace, which couldn’t contain the surge. With a thunderous blast, the giant warship shattered midair, breaking apart above the battlefield.
Other tower-ships, their main furnaces destroyed, lost power and plummeted, trailing thick smoke as they crushed scores of soldiers who couldn’t escape in time.
Just moments ago, the Everpeace Empire’s army exuded overwhelming force, but now all that remained was chaos.
“Route General, these thunderclouds are unnatural—they seem to be targeting our Everpeace troops!”
A scout rushed in, knelt before the central command, and reported, “The thunderclouds cover eighty li—beyond that, not a single cloud!”
The Route General, burly and commanding, flashed a sharp look and ordered gravely, “Deploy the Wind Marquis Corps—disperse the thunderclouds!”
“Yes, sir! Relay the order—Wind Marquis Corps, disperse the clouds!”
In the rear, soldiers in strange uniforms each carried a gourd as tall as a man. They opened the gourd mouths, releasing streams of black wind that shot skyward.
The soldiers channeled their yuanqi, pointed skyward, and the black wind roared, merging into a raging gale that swept toward the thunderclouds.
Meanwhile, in a bookshop within Dragoncrest City, Deaf finished his second painting—Tornado Downpour. With a flick of his brush, the painting soared into the sky and vanished.
Just as the Wind Marquis Corps unleashed their black wind, the thunderclouds suddenly changed. Giant tornadoes, like dragon tails, descended from the clouds and plunged into the army.
Not just one, but dozens of tornadoes swept up the black wind and merged it into their vortexes, amplifying their power. Countless soldiers were sucked into the air, flailing helplessly.
Even more terrifying, as the soldiers were swept into the air, countless bolts of lightning struck them mid-flight, turning them to charcoal before they hit the ground!
It didn’t matter if they were warriors or cultivators—against such force of heaven and earth, they were helpless.
Wind and thunder raged overhead as torrential rain poured down, soaking the Everpeace troops to the bone. Lightning struck the drenched soldiers and the flooded earth, amplifying its deadly power.
Bodies convulsed and twisted in the lightning, turning into blackened husks.
“Demons and monsters, how dare you run wild! Black Tortoise Corps, raise shields!”
The Route General, furious, slammed his palms down and shot into the air, charging into the thunderclouds. He tore through the sky, shattering tornadoes one after another.
Bolts of lightning crashed toward him, but before they could reach his body, the radiance from his armor deflected them.
Below, the Black Tortoise Corps shouted as one. Their yuanqi formed massive shields that floated ten zhang above the ranks, blocking the downpour.
The falling lightning was stopped by the Black Tortoise shields, and the troops’ morale steadied. Officers rushed to restore order, executing deserters and rallying the ranks.
In Dragoncrest City, another great painting soared into the sky—a Hundred Demons scroll.
The Hundred Demons painting gradually faded into the sky and vanished.
Then, from the thunderclouds, ferocious demon gods burst forth and surrounded the Route General. He fought desperately, scalp tingling, just as another great painting soared from Dragoncrest City—he glanced up and was struck with terror.
It was a Meteor Shower painting—countless meteors falling from the heavens!
“Retreat!”
Just as the Route General shouted, the sky shifted—massive meteors, trailing fire, tore through the heavens and crashed toward the Everpeace army.
“One person with a brush can stop a million troops. It reminds me of someone.”
At the Everpeace–Great Ruins border, on Frontier Pass Yan’s tower, stood a middle-aged man with phoenix eyes and willow brows—the Imperial Preceptor. Behind him, generals listened in silence as he recounted: “Back when the Heavenly Diagram Kingdom still existed, its Crown Prince was a peerless beauty and prodigy. He cared only for books and painting, claiming to hear nothing of worldly affairs. When Wolfmark Kingdom invaded, he remained lost in his art until the capital fell and his father, the king, was slain.”
The generals behind him listened in silence. One drew his sword, which soared away as a streak of light toward the storm of clouds, lightning, and demon gods.
“And then, the Crown Prince went mad.”
With deep, shadowed eyes, the Imperial Preceptor continued: “He heard nothing of the world, and so his kingdom was destroyed. He wept in the streets, cut off his own ears, pierced his eardrums, and painted hell with his people’s blood—eighteen layers of hell.”
After that, the Heavenly Diagram capital vanished, replaced by a bottomless abyss. Wolfmark’s million-strong army fell into the Black Domain Abyss and became part of hell, devoured by hell gods. Those who tried to escape were dragged back by demon gods.
After that battle, both Heavenly Diagram and Wolfmark were destroyed. The Crown Prince disappeared. I once visited the ruins, leapt into the Black Domain Abyss, and walked through eighteen hells, seeing his eighteen Hell Paintings. I felt his sorrow and despair, and pitied his genius. That’s why I petitioned the emperor to found the Painting Sage Pavilion—he was the perfect candidate to be its Painting Sage.
I thought I would never meet the Painting Sage, yet here on the border of the Great Ruins, I have found him. The tragedy is, he is now Everpeace’s enemy.
As he finished speaking, all the thunderclouds, lightning, demons, tornadoes, and rain above the Everpeace army vanished, replaced by a downpour of ink.
The sight chilled the soldiers below—the terrifying phenomena that had killed so many were nothing but ink.
“City Lord! There’s a demon causing chaos in the city!”
Inside Dragoncrest City, Quentin Shaw saw the sky’s transformation and rushed into the City Lord’s Manor, finding Granny Sue. “A demon is obstructing our Everpeace army with extraordinary power, hidden in the city’s bookshop. Please, City Lord, slay him!”
Granny Sue’s face darkened. “Such a demon dares cause trouble in my territory? The nerve! Don’t worry, General Qin, I’ll kill him myself!” She stormed out, heading straight for the bookshop.
Quentin followed close behind, but when they arrived, the bookshop was already empty.