Apocalypse Forecast

Continuously using such a Border Relic clearly required a huge amount of energy and a massive amount of Source Substance. Even Stigmata Ely, considered a battle machine of the Third Stage, struggled to support such consumption. Probably only after advancing to the Fourth Stage, Star Antimony, and transforming Stigmata Ely into a Flying Bird could he master it with ease.

Jin Mu gasped exhaustedly for quite some time before finally recovering his strength.

Now, with the breaking of the Fasting Circle, the front-line Sublimators Suppression Troops had already engaged in combat with the Border Variants released by The Purified People.

Accompanied by a violent roar, the ground shook. A giant, ape-like Monster with a lizard's head broke through the gate of Dragon Horse Building and lunged at the army outside.

Bullets hit its body, only to be melted by the blazing flames covering its shell.

In an instant, with a powerful leap, it tore apart a tank and let out a sky-shattering howl, swinging the wreckage wildly and breaking the encirclement, giving the continuously emerging Border Variants more room to wreak havoc.

"Does Jin Mu still have strength?" Director Fu asked through the communication channel.

Jin Mu bared a grin and laughed, "This level of flame is just a piece of cake."

He slung the Iron Whip over his shoulder and leapt mightily; the Golden People soared into the air, smashing down from above towards the Dragon Head Fire Ape.

The Fire Ape suddenly turned, glared at him with wide eyes, opened its mouth, and exhaled a ghastly pale flame.

Around him, everything turned scorched yellow under the sudden, terrifying heat, and even breathing felt like it could burn the lungs. At the core of that flame, the temperature was enough to melt steel in an instant.

Yet Jin Mu remained unflappable, his smile even brighter, as he simply extended a palm towards the Fire Ape and pressed down through the void. In a blink, all flames dissipated, replaced by a terrifying cold.

As fearsome as the heat had been, the current cold was equally cruel.

Once a firefighter, Jin Mu had awakened his Soul Ability while facing flames. Reflecting his deepest longing, he was blessed by the Sea of Silver with the power to suppress all fire and heat. Unfortunately, after that miraculous rescue, he had no choice but to leave his beloved firefighter position and join the struggle against the Border.

However, this ice-iron resolve, capable of crushing everything, never melted an inch.

And this power, it was called:

—Exorcism of all worldly fire toxins!

"Xue'er, have you quit playing mobile games today!"

Moving through the residual heat of the flames, he roared, lifted the Iron Whip in his hand, and struck down mightily. Caught off guard, the Fire Ape's head was enveloped in frost, stiffening for a moment.

The next second, as they crossed paths, the Fire Ape's head shattered, leaving only half clinging to its neck. Even its shoulder crumbled under the whip; the arm flew off, freezing into ice before it hit the ground, and then shattered into a shower of ice crystals.

"Come at me, you beast!"

He turned and roared at the Fire Ape, which had not yet died, feeling a rare surge of exhilaration.

"I should join the fight now. Please enhance the command post's defenses to prevent the enemy from employing a Beheading strategy," Shen Yue finally said, his voice tinged with concern. Director Fu and Ai Qing took his advice seriously, as once both Sublimators joined the battle, the defenses here would be much thinner.

With Shen Yue's participation, the front-line pressure eased significantly.

Unlike Jin Mu, who purely enhanced his own combat capabilities, Shen Yue was more support-oriented. His sublimation stemmed from his experiences in the finance industry: suffering through torturously long overtime hours and several near-fatal cerebral infarctions. During his awakening, his greatest wish was simply to finish the pile of troublesome, burdensome work and go to sleep.

As a result, his Soul Ability had an amusing name: 'The Efficient Work Method Without Overtime.'

In short, it was a complete set of buffs providing clear thinking, increased speed, injury protection, and more. It offered ordinary people the utmost protection from the corruption of the Abyss.

While they would still be somewhat affected, it was much better than dying on the spot from a sudden toxic outbreak.

Furthermore, his Third Stage·Ether Level Stigma from the Dongxia Genealogy, Business Sheep, provided a greater scope for his Soul Ability. After all, Business Sheep was an Alien Species once renowned as a Rain Master, and its greatest effect was to sprinkle nourishing rain over the land.

With the protection provided by the two, the Sublimators Suppression Troops greatly accelerated their assault, quickly gaining the upper hand.

However, Ai Qing and Director Fu in the command post did not feel the relief that most others felt. Director Fu, from experience, worried that this was just the beginning. Ai Qing, on the other hand, wasn't focused on the situation outside but was instead pondering over the notes in her hand.

She frowned.

"A ritual, ten gluttonies, the bones of a hundred, the eyes of a thousand Flying Birds, and ten thousand Poison Snakes... Dying in a Spirit Coffin, thus weeping; transformed from a place in Hell, thus perishing.

The shadow of rebirth clings to twin wings, the dormant Flying Bird shall soar to the sky..."

She read the prophetic poem repeatedly, trying to infer the actual events it alluded to.

A ritual could clearly point to The Purified People. After all, those charlatans who played at being gods and spirits would hold a ritual for anything—sacrifices, praises, even eating. So, what kind of ritual were they planning?

The meaning of 'ten gluttonies' was clear: it referred to The Purified People's grand sacrificial hunting feasts. The Ranch Owner's favorite cruel trick was akin to a battle royale, where 'food' would fight to the death in a confined environment until only one remained.

The ultimate survivor of the sacrifice would be granted the title of 'Hunter' and the Ranch Owner's Blessing, becoming the most combative among The Purified People.

The whole process could be understood as: you treat the Ranch Owner to a good meal, and he generously gives you something nice in return.

And 'the bones of a hundred'... She had figured that out recently. It could refer to the frequent tomb robberies in Xinhai City. In other words, they had collected the skeletons of a hundred people?

What for?

What does it mean?

And then the meaning of the 'Flying Birds' and 'Poison Snakes' became unclear.

The meaning of the Spirit Coffin, on the other hand, was simple and straightforward. Any Sublimator would understand it's a precious artifact for resurrection. After all, a Sublimator's consciousness resides within their Soul, not their body. Ordinary humans might die if their bodies are destroyed, but Sublimators, unless their Soul deteriorates, can fully repair their bodies through various means or simply switch to a new one to achieve resurrection.

However, such artifacts are rare in the world today, prohibitively expensive, and effectively priceless—after all, no one would sell what amounts to a second life.

To die within the Spirit Coffin, to resurrect in Hell... Does that mean someone will perform a resurrection ritual? Then who would that be? Although it's likely The Purified People, one cannot rule out the existence of others.

As for 'the shadow of rebirth' and 'the dormant Flying Bird' mentioned later...

Is there a bird-type High Stage Stigmata among the enemy?

There's a high probability of this, and it cannot be ignored lightly...

So, the most likely possibility now is that The Purified People intend to gather power through sacrifices and rituals for a resurrection, to achieve some specific goal?

So, would this bring about any changes to Magic City?

Even if these guesses were gradually approaching the truth, they could only prepare minor defenses, as there were no details or exploitable weaknesses to be found.

Such is the annoying nature of so-called prophecy poems.

Regardless of whether the creators know what will happen in the future, they write with only one purpose—to make sure the readers can't guess what's next and to show off their cleverness and wisdom...

Ai Qing cursed under her breath. On the field, the situation was already changing.

Across the entirety of Xinhai City, in the suburban Stone Marrow Pavilion, a somewhat reluctant visitor had now arrived.

"Hello, your delivery."

Outside the iron gate, the delivery person knocked hard on its bars, anxiously staring at the gloomy, run-down house behind it and the courtyard, which had the atmosphere of a horror film.

After calling out several times with no response, just as he was about to give up and leave, he suddenly heard a hoarse, piercing voice from the courtyard.

"Leave it at the door."

The delivery person's hand shuddered, and he nearly dropped the pizza box. Then, as if awakening from a dream, he set down the delivery, mounted his scooter, and sped away like the wind.

Once he was far away and out of sight, the Raven leisurely flew down from the tree. It lifted the box with an invisible force and turned, flying towards the house.

"Ah, this narrow body really is inconvenient; can't even pick up a delivery properly."

As it muttered this, the house door opened on its own, untouched by wind, revealing the living room inside.

In the center of the living room, which Huai Shi had cleaned spotless, the dining table was already laden with food: three of the largest bottles of cola available, two family buckets from the Colonel, four boxes of chicken nuggets, and the two recently delivered pizzas.

After setting down the pizzas, the Raven whistled to itself and settled onto a miniature sofa, custom-made for its size. It began to enjoy its weekend couch-potato feast, relishing the grand war drama broadcast on the huge Water Mirror.

"Fight, fight!"

The drama-craving Raven cheered for both sides.

But the scene shown in the Water Mirror was not the battle at Dragon Horse Building; instead, it depicted a place thousands of miles away.

Like a celestial eye, it broke through the confines of the Current Circumstances, gazing down upon the many Borders that surrounded the Current Circumstances like intricate bubbles. It also peered into the nearly infinite Hells and Abysses beneath the Borders.

The camera swept across the blazing wars of dozens of Borders, finally focusing on the narrow strip between the Current Circumstances and the Borders—specifically, the coastal region of Dongxia. The East Sea, now boiling with activity!

Compared to the relatively minor skirmishes in Xinhai City, this was the main battleground between The Purified People and the Social Security Bureau.

Shrouded by layer upon layer of eerie white fog, the entire East Sea had transformed into a brutal hunting ground where countless gigantic Sea Beasts constantly fought.

Here, shrimp fed on seaweed, small fish on shrimp, and large fish on small fish. Monsters, in turn, devoured the large fish and then each other.

As a cold, merciless flute melody began to play, a cruel Food Chain descended upon this place.