Apocalypse Forecast

This matter can't be taken lightly.

After all, protecting the Current Circumstances isn't the same as hosting a dinner party; one cannot always be courteous. Since it's a military operation, there's naturally a possibility of innocent bystanders being affected. This includes the potential for The Purified People to take civilians hostage or other unforeseen incidents.

Sometimes, situations can become very tricky.

Therefore, before any action, someone needs to vouch for the legitimacy of the operation.

Even if accidents occurred, resulting in mistakes, or causing destruction beyond the intended area and casualties among uninvolved parties, the two individuals could be excused from all criminal liability and other troublesome matters, provided the consequences weren't too excessive and no evidence of misconduct was captured by the inspectors.

To prevent accidents or irreparable losses, while also granting front-line Sublimators certain discretionary powers and avoiding meddling from tiresome commanders in the rear, this slightly bureaucratic procedure must be followed.

Everyone was already used to it.

However, some inspectors, eager to assert their authority or avoid responsibility, often deliberately created difficulties at this stage. More assertive ones might simply refuse to sign, or they might wait until after the operation, assess the situation, and then casually sign as a token gesture.

After Ai Qing signed the document, the two felt much more at ease. They handed the file to Director Fu for safekeeping and then sat down nearby to get an update on the situation.

The Dragon Horse Building stood over forty meters tall, with a footprint similar to that of a typical shopping mall.

The original construction plan was for ten stories: the bottom five floors were designated for a shopping mall, and the top five were to operate as the city's most luxurious hotel at the time.

Alas, only four of the lower five floors were completed before the financier ran out of money.

It had been an abandoned shell ever since.

Now, under the covert operations of the Savior Association, the place had become a den for The Purified People, with over forty members hidden inside. According to estimates, these likely included Border Variants they had been cultivating over the years.

It was a veritable tough nut to crack.

However, with support arriving from Jinling, the situation had eased slightly. At the very least, they wouldn't be helpless when the Fasting Circle was opened and the Current Circumstances contaminated.

Moreover, military-grade firepower was available.

Even though urban limitations prevented them from calling in a Longsword strike to obliterate the area as they had last time, the available lethality was still astonishing.

They had the place completely surrounded. The reason they hadn't acted yet was to minimize losses. Now that support from Jinling had arrived, the upcoming operation would be much more manageable.

After confirming that there was no possibility of escape, either above or below ground, the two newly arrived Sublimators, who hadn't even had a moment's rest, stated there was no need for further delay. The sooner the operation began, the better.

Jin Mu possessed an inherent military discipline, while Shen Yue was dedicated to efficiency and punctuality.

"The sooner, the better, to avoid unforeseen complications," Shen Yue commented after checking her watch. "If we're quick enough, we can still provide support elsewhere."

"That sounds good."

After reviewing the reports they submitted and understanding their Stigmata and Soul Abilities, Director Fu pondered for a moment, then picked up the radio. "Begin the operation."

Then, the roaring started.

.

.

Ten minutes earlier, in the deepest, darkest part of the Dragon Horse Building, now transformed into a gloomy Fasting Circle.

At its very center stood a massive Bronze Mirror. Despite its flawless, smooth surface, the mirror reflected not a sliver of the outside world, only a void of darkness.

Amidst swirling, shadowy mists, a twisted, enormous silhouette could be faintly discerned, seated in the utmost depths. Its vast wings seemed to cloak the sky, dominating all shadows.

Upon this creature's part-human, part-beast frame, there were no fewer than nine ferocious heads. Even though layers of darkness obscured their features, the blood-red pupils gleaming within were palpably menacing.

They overlooked all that was worldly.

Before the massive Bronze Mirror, seven individuals who had traveled from afar prostrated themselves respectfully on the ground.

"Answering the Lord's summons, the Joint Recreation Association has come for an audience."

"The Spirit Doctor Union has come for an audience."

"The Heaven Treasure Fixing Union has come for an audience."

"The Hongxi Benevolent Aid Union has come for an audience..."

At that moment, the leaders of all subsidiary organizations linked to The Purified People from the cities surrounding Xinhai had gathered there,

bringing all their reserves and treasures.

The imposing shadow in the Bronze Mirror let out a shrill laugh, the sound twisting the steel in front of the mirror into fragments.

"Then prepare, my friends. I shall bestow upon you a feast from the Abyss," the large shadow in the darkness declared solemnly. "It won't be long now. Following the Sacred Spirit's revelation, the lid of the Hell Cauldron will once again be lifted!"

In an instant, darkness consumed everything.

.

.

The first thunderous sound came from the mortars positioned in the surrounding area.

After all uninvolved individuals within a one-kilometer radius had been forcibly evacuated, the area had transformed into a bona fide battlefield. After all, when facing a threat from the Border, the outcome could be dire without the resolve and resources to wage modern warfare.

The Sublimator Suppression Troops of the Special Affairs Department were long accustomed to this. The moment Director Fu gave the order, the great War Machine slowly rumbled into action.

A grand urban siege was thus initiated.

Artillery roared.

In an instant, a massive barrage of firepower, enough to level dozens of Dragon Horse Buildings, descended from the sky. However, as the projectiles entered the airspace within tens of meters of the Dragon Horse Building, their speed suddenly decreased.

A faint, dome-like barrier could be seen enveloping the Dragon Horse Building from above.

The expanded Fasting Circle had progressively increased the depth of the Current Circumstances, pushing beyond the Border's safety threshold and twisting the entire building's space towards the Paradise of Bliss.

The relentless artillery fire struck the barrier, its momentum blunted. Some of the shockwaves from the explosions struggled to even breach that thin layer.

Yet, the Fasting Circle itself began to tremble.

It was difficult to withstand, but it remained stubbornly intact.

This was the most troublesome aspect of domains beyond the Border.

Of the Current Circumstances' three major blockades, if the primary function of one, the Rainbow Bridge, was the rapid, large-scale transfer of personnel for emergency response, achieving omnipresence, then the second blockade was the Current Circumstances' greatest bastion and the reliance of all ordinary people.

A colossal Mystic Ritual named 'Thus Spoke Chalatustra,' hailed as the Great Secret that superseded all other mystic rituals, had as its primary function the creation of a stable environment and consistent physical laws around the Current Circumstances. This allowed all sanctioned powers to operate effectively everywhere.

After hundreds of years, with countless contributions from Scholars and Creators, its rules had completely replaced the old world's unstable magic system, which relied on divine grace. In its stead was a new world jointly established by Newton, history's first Creator, and subsequent Scholars.

It encompassed all contemporary human domains, defined the fundamentals of mechanics, established thermal equilibrium, underpinned electromagnetism, and even delved into the profound realms of relativity and quantum mechanics.

This framework included all forms of conventional modern weaponry that people took for granted.

Whether powered by gunpowder or electromagnetism, these weapons were capable of inflicting devastating damage on the fragile human body.

Under the aegis of Chalatustra's Mystic Ritual, any Sublimators intending to cause trouble had to seriously consider how long they could withstand the indefinitely producible long guns and short cannons.

However, once one reached the Border, where the influence of the Current Circumstances was thin, the power of these modern weapons rapidly diminished. Only spiritualized weapons meticulously crafted by Alchemists, precious armaments and weapon prototypes nurtured within the Current Circumstances for decades or even half a century to develop their own Source Substance, and Border Relics could be used effectively in Hell.

But now, such artillery bombardment was undeniably effective.

Every explosion and impact represented the power of the Current Circumstances—the Great Secret: Chalatustra—exerting pressure on the Fasting Circle, much like a bubble being battered by undercurrents in the deep sea.

Within the Current Circumstances, it could not endure attacks indefinitely; there was inevitably a critical threshold.

And now, with Jin Mu's arrival, that threshold was gradually nearing its breaking point.

The burly man leaped from his vehicle and retrieved a Border Relic, sealed within a massive iron box, from his car.

It was difficult to tell if it was a long scepter or an oversized Iron Whip. Its length alone was an absurd three-plus meters, approaching four meters.

Resembling an ancient artifact, it was covered in rust and the marks of time's passage.

The surface of the bronze-colored, giant Iron Whip was octagonal, its edges worn smooth and shiny from friction. Its dead weight alone was hundreds of pounds.

It was hard to imagine what kind of giant would have forged such an exaggerated weapon.

If not for Jin Mu's unreasonably developed muscles, it was doubtful anyone else could even grip its handle, let alone lift it.

A genuine, nearly four-meter-long Iron Whip.

Bracing against the relentless shockwaves and fierce winds, Jin Mu casually shrugged off his somewhat cumbersome military uniform, revealing his sculpted upper body and a network of burn scars.

Shen Yue, who was assisting, seemed happy to provide details. She explained to Director Fu and Ai Qing, "That fellow Jin Mu was a firefighter before becoming a Sublimator. They say he was remarkably successful, and his strength is terrifying. He's the perfect person to wield this Border Relic. Someone like me, more of a precision strategist, couldn't even begin to swing it. Besides, I don't have the courage to shout that nonsensical activation phrase..."

As he advanced, Jin Mu let out a tremendous roar. His muscles bulged, and he seemed to grow another two chi taller.

The Stigma that lay dormant in his body was awakened.

It was Ely, the Third Stage Metal-attribute Stigma from the Dongxia Genealogy—a purely physical enhancement type. His entire frame seemed to turn to metal in an instant, his weight increasing tens of times, crushing deep footprints into the shattered asphalt with each step.

Finally, he reached the edge of the Fasting Circle. Gripping the nearly four-meter-long Iron Whip in both hands, he slowly swung it back behind him, took a deep breath, and roared at the top of his lungs:

"Did Xue'er update today!"

The nonsensical words echoed in the air. Before they faded, the Iron Whip began to glow with an intense, searing light, as if it had been heated red-hot. With a powerful horizontal swing from Jin Mu, it smashed into the Fasting Circle.

In an instant, a deafening boom erupted.

The Fasting Circle trembled violently, emitting a mournful cry.

The Iron Whip carried not only a Terrible Power capable of pulverizing a military fortress in a single strike but also the impact of the Current Circumstances' rules clashing against the powers of the Border.

Although using the strange Iron Whip required shouting bizarre phrases, it was indeed a potent weapon specifically designed for the Border domain.

Jin Mu took a step back, inhaled deeply again, and roared once more.

"Did Xue'er recommend the chapter today!"

BOOM!

The Fasting Circle shook violently again. Massive cracks appeared across its surface. As Jin Mu roared a third time, the Iron Whip crashed down. The Fasting Circle shattered with a thunderous crack, and countless artillery shells whistled in, engulfing the entire Dragon Horse Building.