Apocalypse Forecast

All night long, Huangquan Slope was immersed in the collision produced by this battle of wills.

The world spun, sun and moon lost their light.

In a snowfield far beyond imagination, already, the heavens had collapsed and the earth had cracked.

Wild Samurai and Broken Monk.

They laughed heartily, immersed in blood and battle, full of sincere prayers, grateful for meeting each other and this exhilarating fight.

On the Sword Saint’s withered face, a clear fist imprint appeared.

And on Luo Lao’s shell, sword scars crisscrossed, like a net.

Once, again, once more...

Countless times.

They closed their eyes, dreaming of the beauty when they met each other.

Smile.

Until the dawn sunlight fell.

The burly old man turned back, looking at his opponent beside him: "Satisfied, Shangquan?"

The old man let out a sharp laugh, allowing himself to wipe saliva from the corner of his mouth, eyes shimmering with a terrifying fire, so dazzling.

"Once more, okay?" he said, "I still want to go again."

"Forget it, I’m afraid I might actually kill you..."

"Ha, as if you could do it."

The Sword Saint laughed: "I haven’t lost yet!"

I am not dead yet.

"You’re just playing dirty, not playing with you anymore." Luo Lao said disdainfully: "You can’t afford to play."

"But we can keep playing."

"But it’s pointless." Luo Lao said, "No matter how much growth and joy you gain, it will only add to the pain and sorrow of death. You should learn to stop."

"Then, one last time?"

"The last time."

Two old men smiled, gazing at the rising dawn in the distance.

This is the final frolic.

.

.

When the morning dew wet Huai Shi’s trouser cuffs, he saw Luo Lao walking out from the gap, as if returning from a night stroll, satisfied, walking with a light step, humming a vague song.

Seeing Huai Shi leaning against the corner of the wall.

"Are you leaving?" Huai Shi asked.

His footsteps paused for a moment and looked over.

Huai Shi also watched him.

Expression calm.

"Yes, time waits for no one." Luo Lao said: "Before death arrives, we all have things we must do, we can’t rest yet. Whether it’s you or me."

"Where are you going?" Huai Shi asked.

The old man said: "To complete unfinished business from years ago."

He looked deeply at Huai Shi, "If you feel guilty, if you want to repay me, there’s only one thing I’m handing to you."

"..."

Huai Shi did not reply.

Luo Lao didn’t say anything more, waiting for him, until he shook his head: "I don’t want these things."

The old man laughed, "Do you want money then? I still have money here."

"...This isn’t something that can be exchanged." Huai Shi said: "You gave me drummer, Yu Step, Overload State, teaching me these things now, Extreme Interpretation, helping me to stand firm in Yingzhou, helping me grow Great Priestess’s divine nature. I’m grateful to you, but I can’t do it."

"I haven’t even said anything yet."

Huai Shi laughed, unable to hold back the absurdity and anger rising in his heart, "But what else can you possibly ask me for?"

Luo Xian.

The only concern he had left in this world.

Aside from this, what else could possibly make him go to such lengths?

Under the newborn sunlight, the old man in the shadow gazed at the student before him, telling him each word deliberately: "One day, if everything becomes irrevocable... Huai Shi, please, kill her."

Huai Shi said indifferently, "Does it have to be me?"

"Because only you can kill her, right?" the old man said, "Only you personally created the child of the Abyss she is now, more uninhibited than ever."

He said, "You have the responsibility to kill her."

"Not everything is irrevocable." Huai Shi said: "Even until the end..."

"There’s no longer any talk of the end."

The old man said: "You’ve already seen the end, after the rookie contest ended, what remains is no longer a state you and I can understand..."

The so-called solidification, the so-called sublimation.

Was originally indistinguishable.

Both are rebellious acts against the Sea of Silver.

If the existence of the Sea of Silver is regarded as a whole of humanity, then Sublimators and Solidifiers are both unforgivable heretics.

No matter the benefit to Current Circumstances, both inherently violate the three major seals, both are latent threats to the existence of the Sea of Silver.

Even though they can increase Correction Value, thus beneficial to Current Circumstances, and can be allowed to exist, the Astronomical Society is always carding over a hundred sublimation quota each year, unwilling to mass produce Sublimators, all in order to maintain the stability of the Sea of Silver.

Actively extracting a soul from the Sea of Silver through technology and methods, no matter how cautious, still damages the Sea of Silver.

Even Sublimators like Huai Shi who accidentally escape from the main body, are not encouraged or advocated, despite lesser future hazards.

Meanwhile, in this process, the consciousness is sublimated to a soul, unavoidably bringing impact and transformation, maybe often positive, but transformation is transformation, it can’t be ignored for being good.

Solidification is also transformation.

Like water vapor sublimated from the Sea frozen into frost, such transformation is far more intense and thorough than sublimation, even completely altering a person’s consciousness and thoughts, unlimitedly aligning towards the Abyss under the influence of ’temperature.’

It’s nearly an upheaval of world-changing proportions.

The new self will kill the old self.

The monster killed the human.

No, rather, it should be said, using the old consciousness as a breeding ground and nourishment, the solidified soul created by the Abyss devours everything and is born anew.

By that time, the Solidifiers are no longer the original Sublimators they once were, but merely containers holding the Hell Essence.

Simply existing in the Current Circumstances will cause distortion; simply breathing will bring destruction to this world.

Like an irreversible cancer.

It’s not about morality or interest; this is a hostile relationship that existed in the world before humans developed consciousness, unable to be avoided or alleviated by any good reason.

Once Luo Xian becomes like that, then Huai Shi absolutely cannot be compatible with her.

"She was originally moving toward solidification..."

The old man said, "But she was changed by you."

Huai Shi, annoyed: "But I only played some trivial tricks, a little bit of meager kindness, nothing that could change it all. Why won’t you believe that she chose to stay herself!"

"I believe it."

The old man nodded, so solemn and serious: "That’s why I’m grateful to you, Huai Shi, because you gave her the reason to stay."

"But all of this cannot be altered by her will..."

He asked, "What do you think her current state is? Sublimation? Solidification? Or hovering at the melting point?"

The answer is, all at the same time.

The innate nature of the Abyss and a human soul contained in the same shell, even with the Stigma of the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy, cannot guarantee everything.

From the day she was born, part of her has already entered a solidified state.

Like treading the edge of a cliff, part in Hell, part in the human world.

Now, she has left the cliff’s edge but has not returned to the earth; instead, she stands over the Abyss, treading a thin line, moving forward alone... no one knows when this thin line will snap, nor what awaits at the other end.

This, she is clear in her heart.

So she chose to escape, exile herself, seeking answers.

But there will be no answer.

Exile will yield no results.

Someday, she will travel the world and by then she will discover that she cannot find an answer.

"Then everything will come to a result." The old man said, "If the result is the worst..."

Huai Shi interrupted, "You know I won’t do that."

"Of course, I know."

The old man nodded with a matter-of-fact expression, "That’s why I’m telling you."

"Otherwise, why wouldn’t I go find Xuan Niao? Find Fu Canlight? Find the White Emperor’s Son? Even Soldier Owner, I could find a connection... why did I come to you, Huai Shi?"

Huai Shi stood there, seeing Luo Lao’s mocking smile.

"What do you mean?"

"It’s simple, Huai Shi, as long as I tell you, you will definitely have an inexplicable sense of responsibility, you definitely won’t ignore it, and will continue to care... I don’t trust promises and pledges, but in your foolish nature, I have hope."

He raised his hand and patted the young man’s shoulder: "I believe in you."

Perhaps this world will turn upside down tomorrow, but you can always trust the tool man Huai Shi.

"...What kind of logic is this?"

Huai Shi couldn’t help but feel absurd.

"Think positively, maybe there will be a solution tomorrow, right?"

The old man inserted his hands into the pockets of his tight shorts, wandering away like any old man out for a morning stroll.

"Wait, where are you going?" Huai Shi turned back and asked.

The old man waved his hand without looking back.

Told him.

"To Hell."

.

.

India Kawanashi

In the distance, a hot wind blew, causing the traveling teenage girl to look up, gazing at the tragic scenery below the ridge, and sigh, "It’s just like Hell."

Beside him, a hunched Indian man supported a cane, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, "Beyond here is not within our guiding scope, Ms. Luo."

"Ah, it’s okay, you guys at Ancient Tours being able to bring me here is already very good." Luo Xian stretched her body, listening to the cracking sounds in her neck: "I’ll go further by myself."

"Please... be safe."

The guide swallowed, looking at the Hell on Earth below.

—Those who come here mostly won’t care about safety, right?

Once, the most flourishing Holy Land of destruction in the India Genealogy, Kawanashi Temple... now sunk into darkness behind the isolating light.

Through the faint light curtain, one can glimpse the hideous creatures crawling in the dark, and the blood flames burning on the dim light.

Fifty years ago, in one night, a third of the India Genealogy was pushed to the brink of extinction, even after so many years, it’s hard for them to recover.

And the culprit for all this, the Element of Destructive that caused Kawanashi Temple to fall into Hell - the Piper, has long vanished into the darkness.

"Honestly, I’m very curious."

The guide summoned courage to say, "Inside Kawanashi is actual Hell...

Though this might offend Shiva, it’s already the realm where evil resides. It’s not surprising if one day the Astronomical Society disregards maintaining the Genealogy’s opposition and descends it into Hell.

These years, there have been people trying to enter, but they were all desperate risk-takers or simply those at their wits’ end looking for a turnaround, very few have returned... but someone like you, why choose to come here?"

"Eh? Do I look different from those people?" Luo Xian laughed.

"Frankly, I’m more afraid of you." The guide replied bitterly, even though the teenage girl hadn’t shown any rude behavior or any bloodthirsty actions, instinctively, he could sense the chilling hideousness and darkness.

She never tried to hide it.

"Honestly, just passing by."

After thinking for a moment, Luo Xian replied seriously: "But since passing by, I thought I’d check out where my father studied, it counts as an alternative spiritual cleansing."

She paused, gazing at the Hell before her, softly murmuring: "Moreover, I’m very curious..."

—What does my mother’s homeland really look like?