256: Fifth Incarnation: Heavenly Physician (48)

"But this technique requires borrowing the strength of everyone here, gathering the thoughts of the masses, and more importantly... facing the backlash of the Heavenly Might directly. For those who participate, it is a narrow escape from death. Even if you are lucky enough to survive, you may not live to see the peace of tomorrow."

Xu Yuan paused, his voice suddenly becoming impassioned, striking at the deepest part of their hearts: "Now, I only want volunteers! I do not ask about your future, nor do I care for life or death. I only ask one thing—"

"Are you willing to follow me and slay that old Heaven for the sake of the common people of this world?!"

There were no grand words, only the most fundamental questioning.

A brief, deathly silence ensued.

Then, one by one, rough hands covered in calluses or scars were raised silently and firmly.

There was no fanaticism in their eyes, only a sort of calm and determination akin to martyrdom.

They did not believe in an ethereal destiny, but in the 'Grand Teacher of Great Peace' before them, who had led them from Rat Alley to where they were today, carving out paths of survival countless times in desperate situations. They believed in the illusory yet beautiful vision he spoke of, where 'everyone can live like a human being.'

"We are willing to follow the Grand Teacher of Great Peace to slay the old Heaven and open a new world!"

The low and orderly oath echoed through the cold night.

Xu Yuan nodded and said no more.

He took out a special Map he had prepared long ago. It not only marked mountains and rivers but also used special symbols to mark several faint flows of 'Earth Vein Qi' and several suspected nodes of 'Earth Apertures' left over from ancient times—this was the result of his combination of Array Cultivation and years of observation and deduction in this world.

"The target is the northern suburbs of the capital, 'Kunlong Shoal'."

His finger pointed to an inconspicuous river bend. "This place is the 'lock' where the earth veins of northern Great Xuan converge. It is also one of the 'weakest' yet most 'critical' manifestation points where its Dragon Qi connects with the earth. Acting here will yield twice the result with half the effort."

"But," he changed the subject, "we are not going to attack by force. We are going to 'offer sacrifices', to 'petition', and to take the towering thoughts of 'survival', 'change', and 'justice' in the hearts of the displaced and suffering people of the world. With us as the guide and this yellow turban as the flag, we will turn it all into a torrent of humanity that slays destiny!"

The plan unfolded rapidly:

A portion of the people secretly carried Xu Yuan's handwritten letters to contact the secret nodes of the Way of Great Peace scattered everywhere, mobilizing all available forces through various means—word of mouth, anonymous posters, and refugee songs.

In the shortest time possible, the news that 'the yellow turbans will sacrifice to Heaven at a certain time and place for the sake of those begging for life, vowing to slay the Dragon Qi of the old dynasty' was spread as widely as possible.

They did not seek everyone's understanding; they only sought to plant a seed of 'resisting destiny' in countless desperate hearts, gathering a faint Power Of Will that 'hoped for a change'.

Xu Yuan himself led these hundreds of core death soldiers, traveling light and moving by night. Relying on their familiarity with the terrain and the support of the Way of Great Peace's secret network, they were like drops of water soaking into a sponge, quietly penetrating the heavy blockades of the allied forces and heading straight for the northern suburbs of the capital.

At the same time, various external forces, especially other 'participants', sensed the abnormal flow of 'Luck' in the world almost as soon as Xu Yuan began his move, as well as an indescribable restlessness and gathering of the people's hearts from the bottom level.

In Wang Yi's central army tent.

"Reporting! A small group of yellow turban elites has been found breaking away from their main force, heading in the direction of the capital!"

"Reporting! Strange rumors are suddenly spreading among the refugees everywhere, mentioning 'slaying the dragon' and 'changing the Heaven'!"

"The Luck in the north is turbulent, with signs of 'public grievances soaring to the skies'!"

"..."

Wang Yi stood up abruptly, his eyes flashing with sharp light, which then turned into unbelievable shock, followed by a sneer. However, there was a trace of vibration in his laughter that even he didn't notice: "Su Yuan... has he gone mad? In a Spirit-Severing Land, he's forcibly drawing on the thoughts of the people to strike at the National Fortune's dragon vein?"

"Doesn't he know how much backlash from the Small World's Law this will trigger? He is destroying his own future! Even if he luckily succeeds in severing a trace of Dragon Qi, he will definitely be unable to withstand the backlash and will surely be eliminated early!"

"When that time comes, this world and its Luck will be nothing more than a wedding dress made for us!"

"Stupid! How utterly stupid!"

In Jiangnan, at the Duke Jinghai's residence.

An aide hurried in: "Your Grace, a secret report has come from the north. Su Yuan of the yellow turbans seems to be making a move, and his target is the Great Xuan's dragon vein!"

Duke Jinghai's hand playing with a jade ruyi paused, his brow furrowing: "Slaying the dragon? What is he after? Even if he wins, it will be a Pyrrhic victory; if he loses, he'll be beyond redemption... Could it be that he's truly not doing this to 'win', but to... 'attain the Dao'?"

This thought made his heart feel an inexplicable chill, then he shook his head, "A madman, completely unreasonable."

In the Barbarian King's tent, the deep palaces of the imperial court, and the secret strongholds of other participants... similar shock and confusion were spreading.

Almost everyone believed that Xu Yuan had fallen into a final madness and was engaging in an irrational gamble that would harm others without benefiting himself.

Kunlong Shoal.

This was a desolate riverbank, filled with jagged rocks and withered reeds.

Legend had it that a true dragon from a previous dynasty had been trapped and perished here, leaving the earth Qi heavy and gloomy.

Xu Yuan stood in the center of the tidal flat, surrounded by hundreds of yellow turban death soldiers who had formed a simple array, their expressions solemn.

They didn't have many weapons in their hands; most were holding rough pottery jars or wooden bowls containing soil and river water from different places, or even a handful of yellow earth from the graves of their relatives.

Xu Yuan looked up at the sky; the dark clouds were even heavier, as if the firmament were about to collapse.

He could feel countless weak 'thought forces'—carrying pain, despair, resentment, and faint hope—slowly converging toward this place from all directions along the mysterious 'threads of Karma'.

This was the most basic 'Power Of Will' unconsciously contributed by the refugees, poor farmers, and even some low-level soldiers who leaned toward Great Peace after hearing the rumors and being moved in their hearts.

It was not enough.

Far from enough.

To sever the National Fortune's Dragon Qi that had lasted for hundreds of years, a more massive, more concentrated, and more resolute 'humanitarian force' was needed.

Xu Yuan closed his eyes and completely opened up his Divine Soul. He no longer merely 'observed' the network of Karma, but used himself as a bridge, an altar, and a bugle to actively resonate, guide, and shout!

He no longer used his mouth but his Soul—that unique Divine Soul essence that had experienced several cycles of Reincarnation, had once carried the hegemony of an Imperial Dynasty, and had integrated the concepts of Great Peace—to let out a Soul-shaking roar and call toward this land and that invisible network of Karma:

"Those of you under heaven who are cold and hungry—!"

"Those of you under heaven whose families are broken and lives are lost—!"

"Those of you under heaven with grievances that cannot be redressed—!"

"Those of you under heaven whose land has been stolen, whose blood and sweat have been squeezed, and who are treated like weeds—!"

"Are you truly willing to accept this?!"

"Have you truly accepted your fate?!"

"Where is that thought in your hearts to survive, to seek justice, and to live like a 'human being'?!"

This silent roar of the Soul was like a spark thrown into boiling oil!

In an instant, with Kunlong Shoal as the center, the torrent of 'public resentment and thought force' that was originally as thin as a gossamer suddenly became surging and turbulent!

Countless Souls sinking at the bottom of suffering seemed to be awakened from a slumber by a clap of thunder. Their long-suppressed resentment, anger, and vague desire for 'change' were completely ignited, stimulated, and gathered by this Soul-shout that crossed space!

In Xu Yuan's 'Karma network sense', the originally dim and chaotic bottom-level network suddenly lit up with countless tiny but piercing spots of light, like a prairie fire!

These spots of light vibrated wildly, releasing a massive, chaotic but unified 'intent'—Rebel! Rebel! Rebel! Break this man-eating world!

This gathered 'humanitarian resentment' and 'desire for change' were too massive and too violent, beginning to spontaneously impact the earth veins here and the Law structure that was faintly connected to the Great Xuan's Dragon Qi.

*Crack—*