When Patriarch Jinghong died, the cataclysm vanished. Yu Lingzi woke from his stupor and cried out in shock, realizing he was completely naked. He hurriedly covered himself and grabbed a random human skin, stripping off its clothes to put them on.

"Born into this world, we come with nothing. Now that you are bare, why feel shame?"

An aged voice came. Yu Lingzi followed the sound and saw one of the Four Elders of Tai Hua, Jing Tai Daoist.

This old Daoist stood completely naked on a high spot in the sunlight, showing no trace of shame at all.

He stared toward the place where Patriarch Jinghong had died. There, flesh covered the mountain, still writhing.

Yu Lingzi grabbed a Daoist robe from a nearby figure, stripped it off, and walked over to drape it over Jing Tai Daoist.

"I don't like wearing clothes."

Jing Tai Daoist huffed, puffing his beard and glaring. He shook his shoulders, sending the robe flying, then sneered, "I'm this old—what's wrong with being naked? I can't be bare? I was born with nothing, after all."

Yu Lingzi said, "What you say is true, Grand-Uncle. But clothes are meant for warmth and propriety. If you don't wear them, it's rather discourteous."

Before Jing Tai Daoist could respond, another hoarse voice came from behind: "When a man is first born, what propriety is there?"

Yu Lingzi turned back. He saw that another of the Four Elders of Tai Hua, Jing Yue Daoist, was also completely naked, sauntering over boldly to stand shoulder to shoulder with Jing Tai Daoist.

Yu Lingzi's head ached. He quickly said, "When a baby is born, no one teaches it to cry, but it knows how to wail. It instinctively knows how to nurse and rely on its mother. Isn't that propriety?"

"Nonsense! What the hell do you know!"

Another of the four elders, Jing Dong Daoist, also walked over, bare-assed, and stood alongside the two old Daoists, saying, "The old Patriarch is dead."

"Dead."

The last of the elders, Jing Shan Daoist, approached. Four old Daoists stood in a row, naked, as he said, "A pity. We'll never know if the old Patriarch's path could truly lead to ascension and immortality."

Jing Yue Daoist said mournfully, "I always felt that the old Patriarch's path might have been a viable one. But Despair Slope interfered, so we never got the chance to test it."

Each of the old Daoists muttered their regrets.

Yu Lingzi moved farther away from them, thinking to himself, "These four grand-uncles would risk their lives for ascension."

But then again, cultivators scorned worldly gains. Their primary goal was immortality. The Four Elders of Tai Hua were at the very end of their physical lifespans, with only a few years left to live, so they were willing to take the risk.

Yu Lingzi even suspected that the four elders hadn't actually fought back at all, simply letting themselves fall into the cataclysm's transformation. Maybe they'd actively given up resisting.

Chang Ying Daoist also came to his senses. Dressed neatly, he was busy rallying the awake disciples to tend to their sect siblings.

Yu Lingzi stepped up to help. Chang Ying Daoist glanced at him and said in a low voice, "Many young disciples died."

Yu Lingzi's heart sank. "How many junior brothers and sisters?"

Burdened with the responsibility of being the sect master, Chang Ying Daoist couldn't afford the same carefree attitude as the four elders. He was more concerned about the sect's losses and had already ordered a count of the dead. But the mountain was covered in shed human skins, each one lifelike, making a quick tally impossible.

"About thirty percent, I'd guess. And they can't even be called dead. They just... shed and then vanished entirely."

Chang Ying Daoist said, "No flesh, no bones, no soul or primordial spirit to be found. They just disappeared, as if they turned into void. Utterly nonexistent."

Yu Lingzi said nothing, silently going to help the other disciples clean up the shed skins, search for clothes, and treat the wounded.

In Youzhou City, hundreds of li away, Fu Xiu also woke up. Having just undergone a drastic upheaval, he was far more composed. He first calmed the talisman masters of the Red Mountain Hall's Youzhou branch, steadying their emotions, then led them to assist the people of Youzhou City.

The cataclysm hadn't lasted long—barely an hour from start to finish—but the damage it caused was immense. Many people and livestock, after shedding their skin a few times, simply vanished into thin air, as if they'd never existed in this world at all.

Others had gone through the transformation several times, but now stood shrunken and shriveled. Their bodies seemed to have aged decades overnight, frail and sickly.

Fu Xiu led the Red Mountain Hall talisman masters everywhere, drawing talismans to heal and save lives, replenishing the people's vitality.

They worked from dawn to dusk, without time to eat or rest. Many cultivators, inspired by their efforts, came to help, and the ranks of talisman masters grew steadily.

Fu Xiu dispatched several teams to nearby towns and villages to treat the rural folk. They worked until well past midnight before finally returning to the Youzhou Prefectural Yamen.

As he entered the yamen, intending to raise the Myriad Soul Banner and hang it in the sky to ward off evil spirits from the city, he saw Youzhou Prefect Xia Fenghua sitting in despair on the yamen's stone steps.

Xia Fenghua had his elbows on his knees, looking as if he had aged decades in a single day. His eyes were vacant. Fu Xiu called out to him several times before he snapped out of it, staring blankly at Fu Xiu.

"Oh, it's Secretary Fu. You're back?" The prefect lowered his head again.

"Prefect, didn't you flee with your entire family?"

Fu Xiu's voice carried a hint of barely restrained anger, tinged with sarcasm. "Now that the cataclysm is gone, you've come back to be the prefect again?"

The prefect slowly shook his head. "No more. I'm done. I've lost everything. I'm not doing anything anymore..."

Fu Xiu was stunned.

The prefect let out a bitter laugh. "I took my wife and children, trying to fly beyond the cataclysm's range. But as I flew, I fell to the corruption and crashed from the sky. Secretary Fu, I have nothing left! Wife, children, everything... gone!"

He broke down, sobbing, clutching his head in agony.

He was a cultivator at the Divine Descent realm. Falling from such a height did him no real harm. But his wife and children, still in the throes of their metamorphosis, had been smashed to pulp on impact.

He had staggered to his feet, dazed and dizzy, only to realize the cataclysm had vanished, and he himself had returned to normal. But all around him, for several li in every direction, lay the mangled remains of his entire family!

Xia Fenghua had nearly gone mad. He wailed and screamed in that place, tearing at his hair, cursing heaven and earth, clutching his loved ones' bodies and begging the heavens to save them. But everything was futile.

He didn't know how he had made it back to the yamen, or how long he had been sitting here. His mind was a complete blank.

Fu Xiu looked at the prefect and knew the man was broken. There was no point hoping he would take charge of Youzhou or treat the people.

Fu Xiu entered the yamen, raised the Myriad Soul Banner, offered incense to it, and bowed deeply. "Elders within the banner, in life you were bandits and murderers who robbed and killed. But in death, you entered the banner and protected the common folk—this is great merit. I beg you all, guard this City of Youzhou, keep external evils at bay, and protect the lives of the people! This banner shall gain great merit. One day, I will petition on your behalf, and change the name of the Myriad Soul Banner to the Myriad People Banner!"

The banner's surface rustled gently. The ghost gods within were evidently pleased with him.

Fu Xiu withdrew from the yamen and said to the prefect, "Prefect, where is the Land Register of Youzhou? We cannot save the people without it!"

The prefect said nothing. Fu Xiu, enraged, kicked him over, searched him roughly, and finally found the Land Register in a small storage pouch.

"Useless prefect. I'll act as the prefect myself from now on!"

Fu Xiu lifted the heavy Land Register and activated the registers of all sixty-two counties of Youzhou. The pages soared into the sky, turning into streaks of golden light that flew away.

These golden pages would guard every county seat and every village, channeling the power of the Myriad Soul Banner and the various village godmothers to suppress the evil spirits, preventing them from taking advantage of the chaos to cause trouble.

After handling all this, he suddenly felt dizzy. Only then did he remember that he hadn't eaten or rested at all.

At a street corner, Red Mountain Hall talisman masters had set up a porridge station to distribute relief. He went over and drank a bowl, which made him feel somewhat better.

"The cataclysm was hard to survive. But at least it's over now."

He thought to himself, "Things will slowly get better."

By the time Yan Xianzhi and Xia Canghai received word that the calamity had vanished, they had already reached the border of the Youzhou region. The two cabinet ministers exchanged a glance. Xia Canghai said, "It's a visitor from Despair Slope."

Yan Xianzhi nodded slightly. "I wonder who it is."

The power of Despair Slope sent a chill through them.

The speed at which Despair Slope had put down this cataclysm was terrifyingly fast—so fast that before they could even arrive, the disaster was already over!

"Normally, Despair Slope doesn't act easily."

Xia Canghai's mind stirred. "For the past several thousand years, demonic transformations have either been handled by our court or by the Celestial True God. The same went for cataclysms. Our Western Capital court would deal with them first. Only if we failed would the Celestial True God focus His gaze and annihilate them. Despair Slope rarely bothers with these things. Why are they so proactive this time?"

"Despair Slope becoming active in the mortal world is not a good sign."

Yan Xianzhi said, "Their eagerness is most likely due to the heavenly changes. The nights are growing longer, the days shorter. The Celestial True God is undergoing changes unknown to us, and that urgency has spread to Despair Slope as well."

When the two of them arrived at Youzhou, they found the city in perfect order. Even the countryside had stabilized, suffering no major disruptions from the cataclysm.

Not just Youzhou, but the other county towns of Lone Star Province were also peaceful.

Yan Xianzhi's eyes lit up. He laughed and said, "The Youzhou prefect is a man of great talent! Congratulations, Lord Xia—your clan has gained another capable official!"

Xia Canghai also felt honored. He smiled and said, "The prefect of Youzhou is Xia Fenghua. He was always a mediocrity before. I never expected that coming here would bring out his talent. With such a great achievement, I will certainly report it truthfully to the Sect Leader and see that he is promoted."

Yan Xianzhi smiled. "The court will also give him a good promotion. For a man of his caliber to remain in Youzhou is a waste."

When they arrived at the Youzhou Prefectural Yamen, however, they discovered that Xia Fenghua hadn't handled a single official matter. Instead, he looked like a man on his deathbed. The person who had so neatly managed Youzhou and all of Lone Star Province was a secretary named Fu Xiu.

Yan Xianzhi and Xia Canghai shook their heads in turn. They summoned Fu Xiu, offered him a few words of encouragement, and Yan Xianzhi said, "A secretary's post is beneath your abilities. We'll promote you to registrar, a two-rank advancement."

Xia Canghai prompted Fu Xiu with a smile. "The position of registrar is a rank-eight official post. Won't you thank the Chief Grand Secretary?"

Fu Xiu bowed in thanks. "Your Excellencies, I have many tasks to attend to. I beg your leave."

Yan Xianzhi waved his hand and let him go. When Fu Xiu had disappeared into the distance, Yan Xianzhi said, "Should we still promote Xia Fenghua?"

Xia Canghai smiled bitterly. "You jest, Chief Grand Secretary. Xia Fenghua is no longer fit to be prefect. I will report to the Sect Leader and have him send someone else to replace him. As for Fu Xiu... he is indeed a man of talent and virtue. The post of registrar is too small for him."

Yan Xianzhi said, "He is a disciple of the top scholar, Chen."

Xia Canghai's expression turned stern. He nodded slowly. "A disciple of Chen Shi... indeed, he should not be given too much authority. That top scholar, Chen Shi, harbors rebellious intentions."

Yan Xianzhi said, "Is Chen Shi still in Youzhou?"

Xia Canghai said, "He is a guest at Tai Hua Mountain. I heard he went there to return an immortal sword. But then the cataclysm erupted, and he got trapped here as well."

Yan Xianzhi's expression turned odd. "Was the cataclysm his doing?"

Xia Canghai shook his head. "No. I made inquiries. It was the old Patriarch of Tai Hua Qing Palace, Jinghong. He faked his death and was cultivating a forbidden art, which triggered the disaster."

"What a pity. If he had been responsible, we could have convicted the top scholar of treason."

Yan Xianzhi let out a regretful sigh, then perked up. "But Tai Hua Qing Palace needs to be disciplined. Have them hand over Jinghong's corpse and the forbidden art he was cultivating. Let's settle it like that."

Xia Canghai hesitated. "And the immortal sword of Tai Hua Qing Palace..."

"Let them keep it."

Yan Xianzhi laughed. "We can't push them too far. Tai Hua Qing Palace still has considerable foundations. None of their sect masters are easy to deal with. According to my Yan family's ancestors, the Three Saints of Tai Hua Qing Palace may still be alive, hidden in the shadows, waiting for their moment. Taking their immortal sword would be unwise."

Xia Canghai acknowledged this. "Then shall we still attend the Tai Hua Qing Palace immortal sword return ceremony?"

Yan Xianzhi raised an eyebrow in surprise. "They still have the face to hold a ceremony?"

"The Daoists on the mountain say the invitations have already been sent out. They're just going to proceed as planned." Xia Canghai said helplessly.

Yan Xianzih shook his head in exasperation. "Since they have no shame, we'll attend."

On Tai Hua Mountain, the Blue Goat had been bandaged up like a dumpling by the Daoists. The mountain's priests had ordered him to rest quietly and let his wounds heal. But the goat couldn't help pacing, his eyes constantly darting toward the beaming "Chen Shi."

"My stubborn temper... is it like my parents'?"

He couldn't help walking up to "Chen Shi." "Did you really see my parents?"

"Chen Shi" grinned. "I did. You were still small back then."

The Blue Goat shuddered, becoming even more curious about this cataclysm. "You're not a calamity. Who are you, really?"

Chang Ying Daoist led some disciples, carrying down the corpse of the old Daoist Jinghong from another peak and transporting it to the main peak of Tai Hua Mountain. Many Daoists crowded around to get a look. "Chen Shi" also squeezed in, examining the enormous corpse with keen interest.

Stone Ji Your Ladyship stood by the corpse, on high alert, terrified it might undergo another transformation.

But she was even more wary of "Chen Shi," refusing to return to his little temple.

Jinghong the old Daoist had fully transformed into a cataclysm. His body had become colossal, over ten zhang long. The writhing, fleshy tentacles stretched for hundreds or even thousands of zhang—utterly terrifying.

The Daoists showed great respect to "Chen Shi" and the Blue Goat. After all, the two of them had fought desperately to save them. They quickly cleared a path so the pair could observe up close.

"Chen Shi" examined Jinghong's body, chuckling as he did. "You conspired with others to dig up my grave, stole the Golden Cicada Shedding Immortal Diagram I left behind, and now you ask who I am... That brat Jinghong really didn't cultivate my technique very well."

He shook his head.

The Blue Goat's heart nearly stopped. He barely held back a cry of shock.

"You're the Seventy-Eighth Generation Sect Master... Danchengzi! You faked your death and escaped, and cultivated yourself into a Ghost Immortal!"