Apocalypse Forecast

Under the shroud of dense fog, within just a few hours, countless giant fish in the sea had been induced to transform into various kinds of monsters.

Although to everyone, the Ranch Owner was a god known for treating all things as food, it couldn't be denied that the name Ranch Owner also represented Their control over vast life-giving powers. After all, only with a substantial appetite could one feast with abandon. Even a little sweet dew sprinkled from the Paradise of Bliss in the distant Hell was enough to form a terrifying fog that enveloped the entire sea.

In the fog, countless massive creatures, comparable to Godzilla, constantly fought each other, competing to be the victor in this grand predation. The hunt occurred in every corner. Eventually, thousands of hunting grounds gave rise to hundreds of monsters as large as warships. These creatures gathered, their eyes alight with the most primal instinct and hunger. Relentlessly devouring everything in their path, they followed the Shepherd's pipe and advanced toward Dongxia.

Right above the Border at sea, a line of steel warships had slowly formed, with countless soldiers scrambling on deck for emergency military preparations. All kinds of fighter jets were systematically readied, preheated, and launched. Meanwhile, deep in the rear, ear-piercing sounds rang out from one desolate coastal military base after another, followed by the gradual opening of profound missile silos.

In the blink of an eye, countless monsters, representing the Predators, followed the currents and howled toward their destination.

The first sound was a thunderclap.

Out of the clear sky, a Thunderbolt suddenly struck down from the heavens. No one dared to gaze directly at this Thunder, for those who did were forever robbed of their sight by its savage and majestic burst of lightning. In an instant, the lightning bolt arose from nowhere, stretching like a dragon traveling through the sky for thousands of miles, incessantly pouring down branches of destruction onto the mortal realm.

Everywhere it passed, the dense fog of The Purified People was utterly penetrated. Compared to the lightning, the massive, cruel Sea Beasts were like paper origami. They were instantly torn to shreds, then burned to a crisp by the intense heat. Finally, they truly dissolved into the sea like paper, leaving a stinking, charred sludge. Like a plow turning over the earth, the tangible lightning swept from north to west for thousands of miles. It carved a trail tens of meters deep on the sea's surface, while the electrolight spreading from both sides of the fissure instantly reached dozens of miles away.

Thus, a boundary was drawn.

With one strike, casualties were severe.

And the Sublimator who unleashed the Thunder didn't even show their face.

Yet, for every Sea Beast that died, ten more swelled and grew anew under the fog's nurturing. After being lashed by the lightning, the monsters paused only for a moment. Then, they regrouped to the pipe's tune and lunged toward the national borderline.

The Thunder was like a bugle sounding the start of war.

In that instant, all warship firepower was unleashed—main guns, secondary guns, not to mention machine guns, torpedoes, and deep-sea bombs. From the carriers' decks, swarms of fighter jets took to the sky like birds, roaring as they dived into the fog. In mid-air, missiles with scorching tails flew out. Not just here, but at this very moment, along every coastal launch base, as if celebrating the Spring Festival, war's fireworks continuously ascended, rushing toward the battlefield.

This was an undisguised war—a war observed by the entire world, between the Dongxia Social Security Bureau and The Purified People!

No one doubted the outcome of this war. Dongxia held one-tenth of the Astronomical Society's power and was one of the Five Constants. With its years of war reserves and numerous Sublimators, how could it not defeat The Purified People, those madmen? There was no need for civilian Tycoons, Tai Qing Heavy Industries, the Giant Goose Group, or the various Border Hunters. Relying solely on the Social Security Bureau was enough to thoroughly quell this scourge.

The only uncertainty was how long The Purified People could withstand such fearsome firepower—would they last long enough to achieve their goal?

Rome, Egypt, the American Freedom Alliance, the Russian Federation, and even Yingzhou, closest to the battlefield, were watching intently, speculating on the war's subsequent developments.

Of course, there was also a Raven reveling in schadenfreude.

"Awesome, so cool!"

The Raven slurped his junk food drink, belched contentedly, dipped his chicken nuggets into sauce, and popped them into his mouth. It was a mystery how he managed to swallow such large nuggets without even chewing, as he continuously cheered, "Hit 'em! Burn their whole family, hit their mother!"

It was utterly unclear whose side this creature was on. Still, the war started so abruptly and yet so naturally.

Seen from a vast perspective, everything seemed remote. The carnage and ferocity were invisible. It was as if steel's light clashed against the Sea Beasts' colors, each strangling the other. One by one, bright lights fell from the sky, igniting grand bonfires on the sea. The Steel Flying Birds darting back and forth fought with the mutated flocks in the sky. Then, both sides repeatedly fell, plunging onto the sea surface, the scene of the fiercest slaughter and conflict. Huge warships continued to thunder, stirring waves upon waves in the sea. Then, Giant Beasts leaped from the deep, opened their vast maws, and bit whole warships in two.

At first glance, it seemed The Purified People had the upper hand. The fog, seemingly endless, enveloped the sea and ceaselessly bred new Sea Beasts. Yet, up until now, apart from the initial engagement, no Sublimators from Dongxia had appeared. Relying solely on the rules of the Current Circumstances, a massive torrent of steel forcefully held back these monsters from the Border at the national borderline.

Despite such carnage, not a single Sea Beast had crossed that sacred boundary. Any that attempted to bypass the battlefield's front lines, hoping for an easy kill, were pursued by frenzied warships. Their relentless, angled barrages of cannon fire did not cease until those creatures were reduced to mere debris.

Amid the relentless barrage of firepower, the fog finally could not sustain itself, revealing the shadow hidden behind countless Sea Beasts.

Indeed, it was a shadow floating upon the sea. No matter how one observed, no corresponding physical object could be found above or below the shadow. It was as if it appeared out of nowhere, existing only on the sea's surface, its silhouette revealed by the undulating waves. Like a fish so immense it seemed an island, a massive, whale-like void lay in the shadow's very center, continuously expelling the sweet dew from the Paradise of Bliss. From the head of the colossal fish's shadow, countless dense tentacles extended. Their dim tentacles danced, as if lashing at the boundaries of the Current Circumstances from afar, sending forth a series of sharp, whistling sounds.

One could hardly say what that thing was. The Current Circumstances had never seen such a peculiar substance. In fact, it was not a substance, but a border skimming and drifting close to the Current Circumstances. Like a bubble stuck to the Current Circumstances, that independent border used its tentacles to pull countless Sea Beasts. It commanded them to move forward, to harness themselves to its chariot, drawing it slowly closer to Dongxia's shores.

Yet, at the same time, it seemed... alive!

Profound and ominous Source Fluctuation emanated from the shadow, as vivid as the sun's presence once the fog had lifted.

A living border—no, a monster existing in the space between a border and a Sublimator.

This was one of the blessings showered by the Ranch Owner from the Paradise of Bliss onto the mortal realm.

——The Fifth Stage Saint Mark from the Genealogy of the Abyss Ranch Owner, the Philosopher's Stone, a miraculous incarnation: Daguan!

The moment the fog dispersed, the shadow twisted quickly, becoming thin as if desperately struggling to break free from the edge of the Current Circumstances, attempting to avoid all observation.

But at that very moment, a cold laugh echoed from miles away in the sky dome.

"Why bother?" the deep voice said. "You've come all this way."

The vast sky dome trembled as if a drum had suddenly vibrated. Like a shattered iron curtain, numerous fissures appeared in the clear sky—evidence of the atmosphere's frailty. It could barely contain the overwhelming force it held and was on the verge of collapse. The roar of the Heaven Drum resounded, echoing across the mortal plane, like an Iron Hammer plummeting towards the sea.

It was merely a sound.

Countless Sea Beasts shattered in response.

Where the soundwaves traveled, it was as if the tide had crushed sandcastles. The blood of Sea Beasts sprayed forth, staining the azure waters various sickening hues.

Then, a Thunderbolt materialized from nowhere. Descending from the sky like the legendary Jianmu, it unleashed a sky-obscuring web of lightning, engulfing everything beneath. It pierced the sea and sky, transformed into a hook, and was flung towards the fleeing Daguan!

The Thunderbolt plunged into the sea as if entering another world, without a single spark escaping. Then, the Thunderbolt vibrated madly, along with the fading shadow in the sea. The Thunderbolt was a hook, and the great fish was now its prey. As the Thunderbolt rose bit by bit, countless currents splitting from it ruthlessly spread in all directions, obliterating all approaching Sea Beasts. For a moment, plasma burst continuously from the sea's surface. And there, within the sea, the once-fading shadow of the giant fish solidified once again, its struggle clearly reluctant and furious.

"——RISE, FOR ME!"

A hoarse roar, like thunder, exploded from the sky dome. In that instant, the sea responded by shattering. A silhouette akin to a mountain range, pulled by the lightning hook, rose amidst the waves and crashed fully into the mortal world!

Waves soared to the heavens.

The Sublimator transformed into Daguan attempted to activate its Miracle Imprint upon emergence, intending to alter the entire marine domain. However, thunderbolts immediately fell from the sky like bars. They pierced deep into the ocean's depths, connecting with electric webs across the vast surface to form a cage, imprisoning the mountainous fish within.

Behind Daguan, a slim, gaunt silhouette slowly emerged. It lifted its lovely face to the sky, its once enticing and merciful maternal visage now brimming with chilling ferocity and malice.

She roared furiously, and the Seven Seas trembled.

In that instant, among the numerous bolts of lightning, a stately figure slowly emerged in the void. He wielded a whip congealed from thunder. As if seated upon a throne at the center of the world, the slightly aged, middle-aged man looked down, his eyes emitting a searing, divine radiance.

The bearer of the Fifth Stage Saint Mark, Kylin—The Crowned One, foremost guardian of Dongxia's Current Circumstances—finally revealed his presence on the battlefield.

[Ten Directions, Rivers, and Mountains·Brightness Everywhere]

——Fu Canlight!