Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 301: Chapter 262: No More Dragons in the World_1

”The Hachiman Bow?”

Shan Lao cried out in amazement, quickly followed by ecstasy.

She hadn’t expected that the Crow Tengu Tianshi’ao would actually carry this sacred artifact, which had been worshipped at the Hachiman Shrine for hundreds of years.

Having been worshipped and venerated for such a long period, this Border Relic transformed from the Stigma of ancient dragon deities had been undoubtedly endowed with Divine Nature, and its destructive power against Stigmas was terrifying.

”It’s a pity there are no dragons left in the world.”

The Crow Tengu raised the Hachiman Bow in his hands and couldn’t help but mutter softly, his voice carrying a deep sense of helplessness and anger.

Yes, there were no dragons left in the world...

More than a hundred years ago, the Dongxia Genealogy completed the astonishing feat of the Ultimate Celestial Throughway. As a result, all Divine Nature related to the dragonkind of Dongxia was completely severed from the world.

But besides Dongxia, how many dragonkind across the Current Circumstances, the Border, and the various Hells would possess Divine Nature?

The Feathered Serpent God, supported by the American Genealogy and having no connection to Dongxia, lost not a single feather. Aside from this exception, however, what transpired was a catastrophe for nearly all others. The Divine Nature of all dragon deities—including Yinglong, Yellow Dragon, Azure Dragon, White Dragon, and even those worshipped by the Four Seas—vanished overnight.

This included many dragon deities of Yingzhou, which were demoted from their divine ranks overnight, reduced to the rank of Giant Snakes... Numerous river lords dissipated in a single night; those who survived either quickly changed their allegiance or struggled on their last breath. As a result, the Hachiman Bow also transformed from an authentic Divine Artifact to a Border Relic with a trace of Divine Nature...

How many dragon deities had their cultivated Divine Nature wiped out without a trace? After such a sudden calamity, where could the Yingzhou Genealogy even go to seek justice?

The Dongxia Genealogy’s attitude was so determined, its actions so decisive, and its audacity so terrifying that nobody could stand in its way.

Do not stand in the way, for whoever does shall perish, or let all be consumed together in flames.

Seventy years of preparation culminated in one day, sweeping like a fierce firestorm, and was completed in an instant.

Even the Astronomical Society had no means to interfere with the Dongxia Genealogy’s own ’domestic affair’ afterward.

If you ask why, weren’t all the dragon deities worshipped by Yingzhou, Myanmar, and all surrounding areas of Asia emanated from Dongxia’s original Source?

When there was an advantage to be had from the opening of the Source, you did not refuse. Now that it’s no longer open, you want to jump and vent your frustration? What kind of reasoning is that?

All those years of worship and cultivation, the gold strands pressed each year, had now merely become wedding dresses for others. The entire nation labored for a century, aiding Dongxia in achieving a groundbreaking feat: the Ultimate Celestial Throughway!

Apart from the Divine Nature of dragon deities harvested from all directions, the blood price paid by Dongxia itself was also staggeringly high. Not only did they forsake several paths of sublimation that could create a Natural Enemy, but even the previous Candle Dragon had to abandon its divine aspect, transforming into ’Zhujuyin’.

In the end, the immense Divine Nature, Stigmas, and Power that could have forged an extant deity fell into no one’s hands. Instead, they became a genuine Dragon Vein, coursing below the nation’s soil and radiating across the entire Border of Dongxia.

From that moment forth, ’there were no True Dragons left in the world.’ That Power was generously bestowed upon every inch of Dongxia’s territory and its members...

It was from that year that the Dongxia Genealogy witnessed the rise of what is now known as the Gold Generation.

It was not only the successive ascension of fourteen Fifth Stage individuals but also the expansion of numerous Hells and the emergence of sixteen large Borders. Even while the last Natural Enemy had not yet passed away, a new generation’s Natural Enemy, Chu Hai, was already born.

In just those short ten years, the Dongxia Genealogy unexpectedly gained an unprecedented Dual Natural Enemy, completely suppressing the Russian Federation Genealogy and contending with the Rome Genealogy for the world’s number one position, truly becoming the undisputed hegemon of the Current Circumstances.

When the talent explosion temporarily ceased, everyone thought that an expanded Dongxia Genealogy would take a breather to recover, but what followed was the coronation of the twelve-year-old White Emperor’s Son... coupled with the bottomless foundation and various emerging talents that had been steadily rising over the years.

Prosperity followed by decline?

Decline, my ass!

In this world, it’s only the principle where the strong grow stronger and the weak grow weaker!

If it were not so, the Hachiman Bow, which once decided Yingzhou’s future for a millennium by breaking the fan of the six armies from a hundred miles away and severing the lifeline of the Ping clan, would not have been weakened to such an extent.

Just the thought of this, the deep-seated hatred within Tianshi’ao flared up from within his chest, and soon afterward, he realized the source of this intense hatred—the longbow in his hands.

Having detected the presence of the Dongxia Genealogy’s Stigma, the longbow had become so enraged it could no longer hold back.

”Good, very good. With your help as my arm, this battle is sure to be won!”

Tianshi’ao heartily embraced that hatred, and then, a small, heavy metal hammer emerged within his chest.

With a mere shake, the hammer spat countless thunderous sparks that stung people’s eyes.

This was the Miracle forged after combining his Soul, the Stigma of the Crow Tengu.

”Namu, Great Hachiman Bodhisattva, please assist me in achieving this martial fortune!”

He laughed loudly, spreading his arms.

And with that, thunderous roars filled the air.

At that moment, as the Crow Tengu’s Stigma linked with the Hachiman Bow through Source Substance, two distinctly different Miracles seemed to originate from the same source. In his hands, they merged until only a dazzling glow remained, impossible for the naked eye to look upon directly.

It seemed to be a Longsword.

The design was ancient, but the form constantly morphed within the light of flames and thunder, until in the end, it made a sound like the tearing of both heaven and earth.

By combining the Hachiman Bow and the Crow Tengu’s Stigma through a supreme secret technique of the Genealogy, he unleashed the most intense liberation of this Divine Nature, forging a true Miracle.

——Miracle Imprint·Building Guardian Thunder!

Or it could also be called, ’Ten Grip Sword’!

In that instant, as the Ten Grip Sword was raised and brought down, a gale surged, roaring mightily. Soon after, from afar, a thunderous whip lashed down, and a terrifying pillar of fire erupted from the earth, consuming everything.

Without needing Tianshi’ao to activate or infuse it with power, the Miracle Imprint independently drew upon the free Source Substance within Xiematai, continuously unleashing this power of annihilation.

As the flames rose in an instant, every pair of astonished eyes was illuminated by that brutal glow.

War had begun in that moment.

”All of you, support my assault!”

The Crow Tengu unfolded his wings, holding the ’Ten Grip Sword,’ and soared into the sky, heading straight toward the location of Ginza. In an instant, he traversed the vast distance and arrived right above the Mitsukoshi Great Building.

Perched above the sky dome, he looked down from on high.

The Ten Grip Sword, coming down with a slash!

Another pillar of fire rose, followed by a third, then a fourth.

The moment the four pillars of fire had formed, the entire Ginza was sealed off by the terrifying high temperature—this power was no longer comparable to that of the Sublimators, but an unmistakable Miracle.

The power of the gods from the past engraved in history, now appearing in this place.

The power of the Miracle Imprint brought about utter destruction, tearing through the outer defenses effortlessly, then slashing down towards the Mitsukoshi Great Building engulfed in layers of mist!

”A Miracle Imprint, huh? Tricky...”

In that moment, Ye Xueya’s eyes sparked with interest.

From the horrific fire that had risen from the earth, she raised a finger and swept it across. Countless mists suddenly enveloped Ginza, then quickly dispersed.

The entire Mitsukoshi Great Building had vanished without a trace.

Then, with the flick of Ye Xueya’s fingers, countless traces too fine to distinguish crisscrossed through the air, shrouding the Ginza District.

Supported by the Qingqiu Legion, she had access to an almost endless supply of Source Substance for her to squander, instantly turning the entirety of Ginza into an illusion. Subsequently, her Soul Ability was activated.

——Severance!

The Soul Ability, which was on the verge of Metamorphosis after a long gestation and Transformation, now displayed terrifying power here. As her fingers traced shapes in the air, countless spider silk-like white lines crisscrossed above Ginza, so thin they were nearly imperceptible, yet so straight that there wasn’t even a millimeter of error.

Subsequently, Ginza was severed.

Ye Xueya’s Soul Ability was very simple—it was merely about separating two things, as if they had never been together in the first place.

However, when this purely simple effect was applied on such a grand scale, it resulted in a Transformation that could be described as terrifying.

The entirety of Ginza was sliced into pieces under the intersecting white lines and then haphazardly reassembled by the Heart Moon Fox’s illusion. Orientation in every direction—front, back, left, right, up, down—lost all meaning, and there was no longer any distinction between inside and outside, far and near.

The savage pillar of fire from the Ten Grip Sword descended from the heavens, but as the Crow Tengu sliced down, it erupted from the right side of the entirety of Ginza, sweeping across and burning down distant high-rises into Ashes.

”Futile!”

The Crow Tengu sneered, ”That doesn’t sound like you, Ye Xueya. How long do you plan to hide? How long can Qingqiu’s Illusion Technique last? And how long can your Ability sustain?”

”Who knows? Perhaps they’ll last longer than your Ability to maintain the Miracle Imprint,” Ye Xueya responded from within countless shattered reflections, a dazzling smile on her side profile. ”This is called standing firm awaiting reinforcements. As a good woman like myself, capable of both offense and defense, when the reinforcements from the Astronomical Society arrive, I’ll come out and kill you in an instant.”

”Ridiculous!”

Tianshi’ao scoffed. The Astronomical Society getting involved in the conflict between the Dongxia Genealogy and Yingzhou Genealogy would be very unlikely.

Yet for some reason, after her words, Tianshi’ao felt an inexplicable unease—perhaps shadows of the past, or perhaps just a plain premonition.

Amidst his fierce assault, he suddenly gave an order to his subordinates from the Deer’s Sing Hall.

”I will hold off that woman. Get yourselves in there. All you need to do is find that thing hidden at the very bottom; disregard everything else.”

Shan Lao nodded.

The desperate moment had arrived.

Sublimators hastily recruited from the forces of Sodom and Ren Xiaotang, together with all members of the Deer’s Sing Hall, totaling over forty Sublimators, gathered in one place at a moment’s notice.

Then, Shan Lao took an old staff with peeling paint from behind her back, channeled Source Infusion into it, and immediately a chilling and solemn aura arose. Soon, a line of black characters emerged on the staff’s body.

Unfortunately, due to the passage of time, only the words ’Naval Soul’ could be read; the rest was indecipherable.

This was the most precious Border Relic obtained by the Deer’s Sing Hall in this operation. Its Ability was not to kill the enemy, but to bestow enhancements upon their own.

As the staff swung down, the person at the front removed their outer coat. Shan Lao took a deep breath and shouted, ”Grit!”

The staff came crashing down.

The Sublimators’ faces turned green instantly, and then their bodies swelled as if truly infused with grit and courage. Their Source Fluctuations surged, as the power of the Stigma became more active than ever before.

After the first, came the second.

After injecting more than ten people with grit, Shan Lao collapsed in exhaustion on the ground. Naturally, someone else came to continue her work. In just a few short minutes, all the Sublimators had received the infusion of grit. Shamed into bravery, they looked rejuvenated as if they had taken invigorating potions and could hardly wait to throw themselves into battle.

Preparations were complete.

Tianshi’ao nodded, and all the light from the Ten Grip Sword in his hand suddenly retracted. He slashed forward.

The exquisite swordsmanship passed down within the Tengu Stigma.

——Tengu Triumph!

Then, the illusion unfurled!