Apocalypse Forecast

”Old man, that thing you just did... it’s a 4/4 beat, right?”

Hearing Huai Shi’s voice, Luo Lao’s expression grew even more peculiar. He wondered if he had damaged the kid’s head. But then, he saw Huai Shi excitedly scramble up, the knife and axe materializing in his hands as he gestured and explained.

”You see, it’s a 4/4 beat—”

The axe slammed down with an explosive sound.

”Strong!”

The Sacrificial Knife swung horizontally, ”Weak!”

Then, the Spear of Compassion thrust forward, ”Less strong!”

Finally, it ended with an ”Offensive” from the Sacrificial Knife.

”Weak!”

Strong, weak, less strong, weak, or slight variations thereof.

But no matter what, it was a perfect 4/4 beat.

”What the heck?” Luo Lao was utterly confused.

”In music, time can actually be broken down into basic units, each unit called ’a beat,’ and the value of the beat is represented by the duration of the note...”

Huai Shi excitedly spun in circles, dancing as he explained, ”The duration of a beat could be a quarter note, meaning one quarter note per beat. Or it can be a half note per beat, or even an eighth note...”

Luo Lao felt as if a herd of cows were mooing and flying past his face; he couldn’t understand a word. Frowning unhappily, he snapped, ”Stop your fancy talk!”

The Wolf Fang Club swung down, closing in on Huai Shi step by step.

In an instant, Huai Shi retreated again, his expression even more surprised. ”Strong, weak... this is a 2/4 beat! Wait, I get it! Let me think, let me think!”

He seemed to have grasped something, though Luo Lao couldn’t fathom what. Huai Shi’s excitement was palpable, as if a long-held confusion had finally been dispelled, leaving him so elated he felt he could almost fly.

Huai Shi muttered incomprehensible notes and terms to himself, pacing in circles around the inner courtyard. Eventually, he began snapping his fingers with fervent enthusiasm.

”Strong, weak, weak, strong... strong, weak, weak; less strong, weak, weak... strong, weak, weak... strong, strong...”

Finally, he whirled around, a confident smile gracing his lips.

”I understand now, transformation, right?”

In his hands, the knife and axe danced freely. His low voice constantly shifted, weaving entirely different melodies—now strong, now weak, now fast, now slow.

At this moment, he was so excited he could hardly contain himself.

The satisfaction of finally shedding his long-held misconceptions and returning to the correct path was simply indescribable.

The so-called transformation was not about passive reaction and active adaptation, but an embodiment of the rhythm of struggle.

It was about infinitely stretching a single moment in a duel, dividing it into countless durations, and filling them with varying rhythms at will, ultimately guiding the silent melody to its crescendo...

This was no different from performing music!

In his imagination, a steel pendulum was swinging rapidly, producing rhythmic phantom sounds that changed with his movements.

This is genius! A metronome could solve the problem, why did we drag this out for so many days?

Even someone who doesn’t understand music must have seen such a device: a vertical steel pendulum on a base, connected to a balancing weight, rhythmically swinging from side to side once activated.

Any beginner would appreciate such a tool, as it helps one quickly master changes in beat.

For Huai Shi, who had been utterly lost and without clues, the emergence of this concept was like a guiding light in a sea of confusion. It finally allowed him to find his direction and understand the theory Luo Lao had been violently instilling in him.

A revelation.

He had finally reached the legendary moment of enlightenment amidst his joy.

Huai Shi shook his head in wonder, ”You could have said so earlier! I’m the best at setting the rhythm!”

With that, he turned, looked at the old man not far away, and out of the blue, asked, ”By the way, old man, do you like rock ’n’ roll?”

”Hm?” Luo Lao was perplexed.

”Look, let me show you—da, da, da, da...”

Huai Shi murmured softly, his toes lightly tapping the ground as if drumming on a drumhead.

A crisp sound spread from beneath his feet, winding around everyone’s ears as ripples of Source Substance emerged.

As the young man spread his arms, knife and axe in hand, even the blades trembled slightly with his deep murmur: ”I am the shadow, and the smoke in your eyes...”

Then, in his mind, the roar of an electric guitar suddenly erupted.

Huai Shi slowly raised his head, whispering along with the silent chorus: ”I am the ghost that hides in the night!”

At that instant, the radiance of the Mountain Ghost flared in the young man’s eyes as he strode forward.

The knife and axe suddenly vibrated. Though all was silent, it was as if a thundering melody had erupted. A roaring echo burst from the Axe Blade, sweeping towards the old man, who was now within arm’s reach!

The hoarse, deep chant already resounded in their ears.

”Boom-Lay! Boom-Lay! BOOM!”

The Axe Blade slashed down but was blocked. This time, however, Huai Shi moved with blinding speed, initiating a 6/8 beat—strong, weak, weak; less strong, weak, weak!

As the Axe Blade abruptly vanished from his hand, the Sacrificial Knife materialized, streaking towards Luo Lao’s neck. When Luo Lao raised his Wolf Fang Club to parry, the knife’s blade incredibly dematerialized, reforming as an Axe Blade to block the club. Simultaneously, the Sacrificial Knife sprang forth anew from Huai Shi’s left hand, thrusting towards Luo Lao’s heart.

”Boom-Lay! Boom-Lay! BOOM!”