Chapter 1372 An Old Acquaintance Blocks the Path

Zhang Chen heard the words and showed a look of surprise. He had no friends in the south, so why would anyone want to see him?

However, since the other party specifically named him, Zhang Chen thought it wouldn’t hurt to meet them.

Time rewinds to one day after Zhang Chen left the capital, at the Ji family residence, where Ji Feihua was sitting in the courtyard practicing. The Big Black Dog sat beneath the loquat tree, enviously eyeing the green fruit, pondering when the fruit would fall to the ground.

At that moment, the sound of footsteps echoed, and Elder Grandmaster Ji Zun strode forward, his face heavy, arriving beneath the loquat tree where Ji Feihua was.

"Grandfather, why have you come?" Ji Feihua stopped her incantations, looking up at Elder Grandmaster with a gaze full of amazement.

Ji Zun’s expression was solemn as he said, "You must stop your cultivation. News has just come from the palace that the End of Dharma Tribulation has already descended. Twelfth-tier experts are no longer tolerated by heaven and earth. In the coming years, all ten thousand techniques will vanish, and all extraordinary power will disappear. No matter how much you cultivate, one day you will suddenly be reduced to an ordinary person."

At this moment, Ji Zun’s expression was very serious, his voice full of fear for the future. This Elder Grandmaster, who had served three kings of the Great Victory, was filled with bewilderment and dread for the future. His eyes held a fear Ji Feihua had never seen before, gone was the omniscient and omnipotent aura he once had.

"Really?" Upon hearing this, Ji Feihua was taken aback. With her exceptional talents, she had the potential to become a celestial being and ancestor in the future. To live a life like an ordinary person seemed cruel.

Upon hearing Ji Feihua’s words, the Elder Grandmaster’s voice was hoarse, as if metal was scraping: "Just now, news from the royal family confirmed the End of Dharma Tribulation. The royal family has begun organizing a nationwide layout to handle the impending disaster, assassinating various dukes to incite chaos and maintain royal authority."

Ji Feihua fell silent, her eyes full of disbelief, stunned on the spot.

"I came to you today to discuss something..." The Elder Grandmaster looked at Ji Feihua, a hint of hesitation in his eyes: "Should the End of Dharma Tribulation one day affect you, I wish to arrange your marriage with the Crown Prince of the Great Victory royal family. What do you think?"

Ji Feihua was stunned at the words, Zhang Chen’s face flashing through her mind. She instinctively wanted to refuse, but thinking of how Zhang Chen was already married, she knew she couldn’t be a concubine, so she remained silent, looking down at her toes, speechless.

She never imagined she would one day become a sacrificial pawn for a family alliance. Once she had shown her exceptional talent, marriage was something thought to be far away. Now she found herself caught in the web of marriage once again.

"The arrival of the End of Dharma Tribulation is a major change unseen since ancient times. Extraordinary power is vanishing, and chaos will inevitably follow. Various dukes will rise, and the world will be reshuffled. Our Ji family lacks military power, and to survive, we must rely on dukes with troops. Almost all dukes have been cleansed by the Great Victory royal family. The Great Victory, with its elite army, will remain the most powerful dukedom, even during the End of Dharma Tribulation. We have no option but to ally with them." The Elder Grandmaster looked at Ji Feihua, "Consider it well."

After speaking, the Elder Grandmaster turned and left, leaving Ji Feihua time to digest the news. He knew that such matters were difficult to accept for anyone, let alone Ji Feihua, once revered as a celestial prodigy.

If such a thing fell upon him, it would be hard to accept—truly shocking.

The Elder Grandmaster walked away, leaving Ji Feihua sitting lifelessly under the loquat tree, the light in her eyes dimmed, lost in thought.

She couldn’t believe that one day extraordinary power would vanish, and everyone would become ordinary mortals. It felt like twentieth-century people being told that one day all their intelligence would disappear, and they would revert to monkeys.

"Is there really such a thing as the End of Dharma Tribulation?" Ji Feihua turned to look at the Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch. She knew his origins were extraordinary, so she asked.

Upon hearing Ji Feihua’s question, the Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch nodded, "Certainly there is the End of Dharma Tribulation, but your grandfather got it wrong."

"How is it wrong? Is there a chance for change?" Ji Feihua’s eyes lit up with hope.

The Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch said, "The End of Dharma Tribulation your grandfather spoke of does exist, but the timing isn’t accurate. It started hundreds of thousands of years ago. In the era when Divine Demons overturned mountains and seas, the End of Dharma Tribulation occurred, and those ancient divine demons disappeared because of it. But it only affected gods and demons then. Now it affects life below that level. It’s a process over hundreds of thousands of years and has reached its end now, affecting even you divine-level experts."

Ji Feihua was stunned by the Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch’s words, not expecting the End of Dharma Tribulation to have such origins, nor that those legendary experts all perished because of it.

"With such origins, even divine-level experts couldn’t escape. How can we lowly ones escape unscathed?" Ji Feihua’s eyes completely dimmed.

"Not necessarily." The Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch shook his head.

"Is there truly a chance for change?" Hope rose in Ji Feihua’s eyes.

The Big Black Dog stroked its chin, "Some old folks speculate that if the End of Dharma Tribulation reaches its conclusion, a reversal might occur. This is the so-called heaven and earth upheaval, and as things reach their limits, they reverse. A splendid Golden Era may follow the End of Dharma Tribulation."

"A splendid Golden Era?" Ji Feihua’s eyes exploded with astonishing light, filled with shock.

"Unfortunately, no one knows when the Golden Era after the End of Dharma Era will arrive. It could be in millennia or tens of thousands, even millions of years. Perhaps after all the Spiritual Qi disappears from heaven and earth, it will reverse in a few years. Or it could be epochs; who knows? Time has no meaning to heaven and earth. Eons pass, and you probably won’t live to see such changes in heaven and earth." The Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch’s voice was full of lament.

Upon hearing the Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch’s words, Ji Feihua’s eyes dimmed: "Will I die?"

"Of course!" said the Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch.

"And will you die, Ancestor?" Ji Feihua asked.

The Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch hesitated slightly before saying: "Probably not?"

"What? In the demise of the Ten Thousand Techniques, can the Ancestor alone survive? Ancestor, could you lend me a helping hand? I am willing to serve the Ancestor in the future, to be the maid under your command, without a word of protest," Ji Feihua looked at the Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch full of hope.

The Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch shook his head: "I have no way to achieve Changsheng, in the End of Dharma Tribulation, even I, the Ancestor, will fall."

"Then what did the Ancestor just say..." Ji Feihua asked, puzzled by his words.

"Though I cannot survive the tribulation, I know of someone who might very well survive it. Long before the End of Dharma Tribulation descended, he was already secretly preparing. If anyone in this world can survive the tribulation, it must be him, without a doubt. So, I intend to seek refuge with him," the Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch said while raising his head to look at the unripe loquats on the loquat tree, a trace of helplessness in his eyes. Perhaps, this year, the loquats won’t be enjoyed.

"Who has such capability?" Ji Feihua was shocked to the core, seemingly unable to believe that someone could survive the colossal calamity of Heaven and Earth.

Thinking of the Peach of Immortality in Zhang Chen’s hands and his ghostly, unpredictable methods, the Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch licked his lips: "Who else could it be, of course, it’s that Zhang Chen! Don’t you adore Zhang Chen? Marry him as a concubine, perhaps you have a chance to survive the tribulation."

"He actually possesses such ability, it truly is incredible. I should persuade Grandpa, why should the Ji family pledge allegiance to the royal family when we can directly pledge allegiance to Zhang Chen," Ji Feihua’s eyes sparkled mischievously.

The Big Black Dog shook its body slowly: "I will wait for you for one day, after which I will go to find that young Zhang Chen. You need to quickly persuade your grandfather."

The Big Black Dog sensed something amiss, the changing Qi Mechanism of the world made him shiver with apprehension.

Upon hearing this, Ji Feihua nodded, and then her figure flashed as she chased after her grandfather.

At this time, the Elder Grandmaster Ji Zun had not gone far. In just over thirty breaths, Ji Feihua had caught up with him: "Grandpa, I have something to say."

Ji Zun stopped in his tracks, turned to look at Ji Feihua, his eyes full of expectation: "Have you finally understood?"

Hearing this, Ji Feihua shook her head: "The End of Dharma Tribulation is upon us, perhaps Zhang Chen has a way to avoid the tribulation, should we not consider seeking refuge with Zhang Chen?"

The Elder Grandmaster Ji Zun was taken aback: "Does Zhang Chen have a way to avoid the tribulation? What qualifies him to avoid the tribulation?"

Upon hearing the Elder Grandmaster’s words, Ji Feihua said: "The Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch said so."

Upon hearing the words ’Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch’, the Elder Grandmaster’s expression became serious. He knew the Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch had a grand origin, and it was highly probable that he was an old fellow who had lived since the Ancient Times. Upon hearing it was the Heavenly Roaring Divine Monarch’s words, the Elder Grandmaster’s expression became serious: "How certain are we?"

"Regardless of certainty, do we have any other choice? We must take a gamble, right?" Ji Feihua said softly.

Upon hearing this, the Elder Grandmaster remained silent for a while before saying: "We have been building our foundations in the Great Victory for generations, this is our foundation. Without at least a fifty percent certainty, how can we abandon it? But we cannot miss the opportunity either. Lead part of the clan secretly to the Northern Land to seek refuge with Zhang Chen."

The Elder Grandmaster, having served three dynasties, knew that eggs should not be placed in one basket. As long as there was a glimmer of chance, he must strive for the family.

"Seek refuge with Zhang Chen in the Northern Land?" On hearing this, Ji Feihua was stunned.

The Elder Grandmaster said: "Zhang Chen has already led the entire Zhang Family northward."

Upon hearing this, Ji Feihua was stunned, then said: "I shall go first, Grandpa should send people to follow later."

Ji Feihua turned to pack her things, leaving the Elder Grandmaster standing silently under the veranda, pondering over the potential flaws to identify what might be lacking.

In the face of the End of Dharma Tribulation, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, it must be seized. There are no absolutes in this world; what if Zhang Chen truly has a chance?

As long as there is a glimmer of hope, it must not be forsaken.