“Don’t worry, you two. Nothing will happen to the village.”

Li Fan spoke with a smile.

Second Elder and Uncle Zhang relaxed a bit upon hearing this. Many years ago, the Divine Jumper had foretold that once the Taboo Calendar was destroyed, the entire world would collapse. But now, not only has the Taboo Calendar not disappeared, even the Immortal, Saint, and Divine Calendars have reappeared…

The situation shouldn’t be too dire.

“Master, we’re back.”

Just then, Wu Dade’s voice echoed from outside the courtyard.

“Come in.”

Li Fan called out, and soon Wu Dade entered through the gate with the others. Alongside them were Zi Ling and Lin Jiu Zheng!

“You’re back.”

Li Fan gazed at the two, his expression filled with joy.

“Master!”

Zi Ling and Lin Jiu Zheng stepped forward with excitement, bowing respectfully. “Greetings, Master!”

“Master, we made you worry…”

Zi Ling’s voice carried a faint trace of emotion. Now, back in the small village, seeing their beloved teacher again, her pent-up longing spilled over.

“What are you crying for? Aren’t you back now? From now on, you’re not going anywhere.”

Li Fan comforted her softly.

Zi Ling nodded and said, “I will never leave you again… Master, you won’t leave us either, will you?”

Her eyes were tinged with a hint of worry.

The path of “A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire” was blocked, so how would Master confront the darkness?

“I won’t.”

Li Fan replied gently.

“By the way, Master,”

Lin Jiu Zheng interjected, “We found two Lamps of Origin, but they both have issues…”

He immediately took out the two Ancient Bronze Lamps.

Li Fan reacted quickly, trying to stop him, but it was too late…

Second Elder and Uncle Zhang were still present!

This was bad; the truth might be exposed…

Indeed, Second Elder and Uncle Zhang stared at the two bronze lamps in confusion.

“Young Lin, where did you get these lamps?”

“Hold on, didn’t the Divine Jumper say someone would deliver the lamp to our village? How did they end up in your hands?”

They asked questions while casting suspicious glances at Li Fan.

Li Fan composed himself, remaining extraordinarily calm, and said:

“Second Elder, Uncle Zhang, the Divine Jumper’s prophecy wasn’t accurate… These lamps are ancient relics my disciples retrieved from outside and have nothing to do with his prediction.”

“This proves that his prophecy back then was just nonsense. There’s no reason to take it seriously.”

Upon hearing this, Second Elder and Uncle Zhang nodded in agreement.

“That makes sense. Back when the Divine Jumper left, Little Li hadn’t even come to the village yet. And Little Li knows far more than the Divine Jumper ever did…”

Second Elder murmured thoughtfully.

Uncle Zhang simply stated, “If that’s the case, then it’s not worth worrying about. Besides, Zi Ling girl and young Lin are back. We should celebrate… Dade, come with me to slaughter the pig and set up a feast!”

He immediately stood up.

Li Fan’s disciples cheered excitedly upon hearing this.

“A pig feast!”

“Awesome!”

They erupted in joy.

“One pig won’t be enough. Wait, I’ll call everyone over. Let’s slaughter two sheep, and butcher some chickens. A feast needs to look like a feast!”

Second Elder chimed in with a laugh.

Li Fan asked, “Second Elder, isn’t this… a bit wasteful?”

It wasn’t even a holiday, yet they were making quite a grand affair out of it…

“Wasteful, how? If the Divine Jumper’s prophecy proves true, we’re all going to die eventually. Might as well eat our fill while we can. And if it turns out false, it’s even more reason to celebrate. Killing a few animals is just fitting!”

Uncle Zhang and Second Elder were pragmatic.

Hearing their reasoning, Li Fan simply smiled and said, “Alright, let’s feast. Tonight, no one leaves until they’re drunk!”

…

The village buzzed with excitement. Uncle Zhang brought out two pigs from their pen, Second Elder rounded up five or six chickens, and Auntie Wang made a pile of ducks and geese…

Though not the New Year, it felt even grander.

“Master, I want braised duck feet!”

“Master, I want beggar’s chicken!”

“This monk loves braised pork knuckles the most!”

Li Fan came along with his crowd of disciples, and everyone began shouting their favorites.

Li Fan tied on an apron, grinning, and started cooking.

Before long, an assortment of delicious dishes filled the table.

Braised duck feet, beggar’s chicken, braised pork knuckles, Buddha Jumping Over the Wall soup, roasted lamb, stewed lamb, roast suckling pig, steamed bass, old duck soup, dry pot goose wings, sizzling beef…

“Wow, this is so lavish!”

“Even New Year’s isn’t this good…”

“So many delicacies…”

Zi Ling and the others stared with shining eyes.

“Dig in!”

Everyone gathered around, and Li Fan spoke with a smile, placing plenty of meat on Zi Ling’s plate. He said:

“You’ve only been away a few days but you’ve lost weight… Eat more.”

Zi Ling nodded with great emotion and then began devouring her food!

Qing Chen devoured braised pork knuckles, completely at odds with her appearance as a monk. Wu Dade was eating pig trotters, only tossing the bones to the Big Black Dog after all the meat was gone, inciting a few dissatisfied growls from the dog. Su Baiqian sipped her old duck soup, Lin Jiu Zheng gnawed on a roasted lamb leg, while Long Zixuan sneakily pinched a large chunk of fish…

Li Fan felt a sense of fulfillment—things were still exactly like before, nothing seemed to have changed.

Yet Yun Xi, Nan Feng, Jiang Li, Xinning, and Jiang Xue… they were still absent…

…

After the feast, everyone gathered around a bonfire, singing, dancing, and laughing merrily.

The villagers seemed more spirited than usual.

“Go dig out the oldest wine we’ve got. Tonight, none of us leave sober!”

Li Fan called aloud.

Wu Dade and Lu Rang hurried off to fetch the wine. Soon, the aroma of fine liquor permeated the scene.

“Seven years already…”

Li Fan raised his cup. It had been seven years since his arrival in the village.

“Little Li, drink!”

Second Elder raised his cup, and everyone joined in the drinking.

The seven-year-old wine was exceptionally fragrant and potent. Zi Ling, Su Baiqian, Wu Dade, and the others soon became drunk…

Even the villagers, known for their tolerance, fell into an alcohol-induced slumber.

“Life is meant to be drowned in wine. Why wait for the Yellow Springs… Drink!”

“I dreamed of black mist engulfing the village last night. According to the Divine Jumper, it’s an omen… So drink away!”

“Everything the Divine Jumper says comes true… Little Li, come, let’s drink together!”

The villagers, half-drunk, reminisced aloud.

They began mentioning the Divine Jumper and last night’s dreams.

– It wasn’t just Second Elder and Uncle Zhang. Many villagers dreamt similar visions: black mist descending and the village’s destruction.

The Divine Jumper had always been highly respected in the village. Before Li Fan came, he was the most revered figure, leading the village through various calamities.

Thus, although Li Fan reassured Second Elder and Uncle Zhang, the villagers’ sense of unease persisted. They collectively believed that disaster might be approaching.

This might explain why tonight, everyone brought out their best, gathering to eat and drink.

Despite the looming uncertainty, their hearts remained open and courageous, free of ordinary fear or apprehension, poised to face whatever may come.

Li Fan noticed this. He merely smiled faintly, lifted his cup, and drank with them, saying nothing more.

…

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In the Kunlun Realm, the boundary between Taiyin Continent and Taiyang Continent…

“It’s accelerating…”

“The descent of the Dark World is speeding up…”

“What is that? Ribbons of black light shooting towards the Forbidden World!”

The world was in uproar.

Mu Qianning and Wu Xiaokun observed everything intently.

They saw the black light enveloping scriptures, bamboo slips, and black copper scrolls, trying to breach the barrier of time and space and reach the current era!

Reality resisted the arrival of these dark artifacts. The scriptures ignited, bamboo slips shattered, and the black copper scrolls twisted in agony…

The Dark World, trapped in bygone epochs, nestled within the coordinates of the Chaotic Civilization, struggled against the barriers of time!

But just then.

From a certain direction in the Nine Continents, an immense gray fog emerged, surging toward the time barriers. It seemed to act as a bridge.

Some scriptures, bamboo slips, and other dark items, aided by the present world’s connection, finally penetrated the time barriers and landed in the Forbidden World!

“This is bad… Someone in this world is coordinating!”

Wu Xiaokun exclaimed in shock.

“…The Continent of Grey Mists!”

Mu Qianning muttered, adding:

“The Continent of Grey Mists dares to defy the heavens and aid the darkness?!”

…

Goodnight.

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