Apocalypse Forecast

After dinner, Huai Shi finally received a call from Amber.

”Why did it take so long?”

”I have work to do too, you know? I just encountered a really tricky old man who almost got me killed...” Amber sighed tiredly on the other end of the phone, ”You know, our relatives just can’t give us a moment of peace, can they? One after another, they’re either causing trouble or, if they’re dead, leaving chaos behind.”

The sound of a lighter clicked amidst her words.

Amber took a deep breath and sighed, ”The person you caught has been sent over. It does seem like he’s part of the Earth Dragon leaders, and there’s evidence in his head of Li Jian Bu Jing’s involvement in the plot against Zhenxi. But you went too far, didn’t you? That guy’s head has at least a dozen stitches from being smashed. Even for a novice, that’s a bit much, isn’t it?”

”... Well, it’s a long story.”

Huai Shi instinctively glanced at Zhenxi, who immediately sat up straight, placed her hands on her knees, and blinked her eyes obediently.

”So, what do you plan to do next?” Amber asked.

Huai Shi thought for a moment and replied earnestly, ”Of course, I’ll do nothing.”

”... Huai Shi.”

Amber’s tone grew more exhausted: ”If someone told me you’re now carrying a knife, clearing a bloody path to my third uncle’s place and piling up heads to burn, I’d believe them. But I absolutely don’t believe you won’t do anything, you bastard.

We’re at least in an employment relationship. Can’t you be a bit honest?”

”You’re really annoying, Amber dear.”

Miss Huaizhi laughed, ”Shouldn’t girls be honest with each other by taking a bath together, wearing pajamas, having pillow fights, and finally lying in bed talking about intimate things like preferred types, past relationships, and recent skincare deals... and then hugging their sweet-smelling friend to sleep?”

”Huai Shi...” Amber flicked her cigarette ash and looked up at the dark sky.

”Yes?”

”My stomach can’t take it anymore, could you stop saying such disgusting things?” Amber sighed numbly, ”I beg you, please don’t ruin my lovely impression of pure friendship between girls.”

”You’re really annoying, Amber dear, even hearing you say that would make people angry...”

There was a click, the sound of the phone casing being crushed.

”Alright, alright, just joking, why take it so seriously.”

Huai Shi looked up and stared at the night gradually spreading outside the window, suddenly saying, ”If the Agleam Murder Demon suddenly appeared in your third uncle’s house...”

”As soon as you say it, you’d be the first suspect in line.” Amber rolled her eyes.

”My third uncle’s just a symbolic figure, paraded as the family representative to the Guanshan Group’s front, not even a Sublimator... He’s just a fool who thinks he can do it, wanting to rise up after his ambitions inflated, but the family head position never concerns him. With him doing this now, there’s probably other people’s influence behind the scenes.

If you act rashly, you’ll just offer evidence to others, and might even be really framed as the Agleam Murder Demon and suffer the fate of execution... reducing competitors by two, leaving others laughing their heads off.”

”What do you suggest then...”

Huai Shi suddenly had a bold idea and asked with anticipation, ”If he knew I had evidence of him violating the Order of Compassion for All Beings, harming lives in the Current Circumstances, even summoning Hell Creatures, and planned to hand it to the Astronomical Society... Would he not go crazy and spend money to have someone kill me tonight? Just hire a lot of people, I’d even cooperate by acting severely wounded to give him some confidence.”

¿¿¿

A hundred thousand question marks flew from the other end of the phone.

Once again, Amber strongly felt and confirmed just how serious the trouble in Huai Shi’s mind was.

What’s this?

Having found the mastermind, not thinking to quickly uproot them, but planning to raise them like leeks, letting them send people to assassinate oneself from time to time.

”What’s the point!”

”Can’t I just buy my own pleasure with a thousand gold?” Miss Huaizhi exclaimed, ”I like having people try to kill me, the more the better, especially those wicked criminals beyond redeeming. Just like this, Gomba sister loves it!”

”That’s enough.” Amber sighed, ”Spare my third uncle, that waste aside from investment brains, really has nothing. Receiving news of Earth Dragon leaders’ annihilation, he’d only shiver in a woman’s bed.”

”Sounds pathetic, that mud unable to hold up the wall kind of feeling...”

”Who wouldn’t think so.”

”Doesn’t your Li Jian family have any strong antagonist roles? You know, those indomitable ones determined to remove obstacles like me, that as long as I live, they’ll keep sending people to eliminate me. If there is, hurry and let me provoke them; I’ll share thirty percent of the reward for the heads we capture.”

”...”

”Is thirty percent too low? We can negotiate this, don’t we sisters have anything we can’t discuss?”

Crunch.

Another sound of phone destruction, noise buzzing.

It seems patience has truly reached its limit. So, Amber has spent so many years in Dongxia without learning any cultivation skills, instead focusing on snatching people’s heads.

What a disgrace.

Huai Shi sighed and said, ”Then help me prepare...”

He glanced at the teenage girl beside him, ”Tomorrow night, Zhenxi will challenge Li Jian Bu Jing and initiate the Chef Demon trial.”

”What’s the bet?”

”There isn’t any. Even if he wins, he won’t earn a single cent. But you can tell him what the consequences would be if he refuses.”

”Why don’t you go and talk about such troublesome matters yourself!”

”I figured since you all are relatives, it would be easier for you to bring it up...”

Bang!

It was unclear whether the other party hung up or broke another phone.

In any case, it seemed like the matter was decided.

”Let’s go.”

Huai Shi wiped his mouth, stood up, and said, ”We’re heading back.”

.

.

Deep in the night, within a quiet room, Huai Shi opened the cage of dreams.

Accompanied by the fleeting shimmer of bubbles bursting, nine massive iron spherical objects appeared on the floor, rolling about randomly... It was uncertain whether they had overeaten and were suffering from indigestion or if something else happened.

After feasting on the giant snake that had absorbed all the Source Substance and Stigma from the Earth Dragon Leaders, as well as the Divine Nature of the fallen river deity, the nine Candle-Holding Crows began to grow rapidly, eventually transforming into this state.

In their rapid growth, iron crystal-like bones proliferated from their shells, gradually enveloping them from the inside out, until they became these iron spheres, each roughly half the height of a person.

Though they appeared weighty, picking them up revealed they were entirely weightless.

Like holding a balloon.

After being forged by the Sun Caster, they were deeply infiltrated by the power of Huai Shi’s Hand of Confinement. Though in their steel state they had considerable mass, they also possessed the mist-like disposition of Source Substance.

From a certain perspective, they indeed possessed some power quite similar to Huai Shi’s soul, which served as proof of the covenant between them.

As an extension of the Soloist, everything they had was granted by Huai Shi.

But facing this situation, even Huai Shi was caught off guard.

However, according to the diagnostic procedures from the nurturing handbook by the Ivory Tower, this seemed to be a sign of deep metamorphosis. Eating too many experience packets has finally led to further growth.

For now, there don’t appear to be any major issues.

No need to panic at all.

Because Huai Shi’s Soloist’s Stigma was still running very stably, and after they entered this state, they even began to grow at more than ten times their previous speed.

And the speed is getting faster and faster...

The Sky’s Command of the Stigma is increasing.

Without using any Mystic Rituals or other precious materials, it could only indicate that a large correction value or distortion related to the Soloist is continually emerging in Huai Shi.

The world is being altered.

Regrettably, Huai Shi didn’t think hundreds or thousands of mature musicians would suddenly emerge in the Ivory Tower classrooms, nor did he believe one of his two students might suddenly become a genius and compose a piece that would move Heaven and Hell to tears...

This change is destined to have no link with correction value.

Then... it could only be the distortion brought about by the Hell Swarm.

After such a long period of planting, nurturing, and waiting, this sapling planted so long ago finally reached the point of branching out.

Huai Shi held the slightly vibrating iron sphere in his hand, anxiously awaiting.

Like the thrill of opening a blind box.

Uncertain about what prize he would ultimately get.

Especially as the iron sphere cracked open a seam, the excitement grew. These are all his personally raised babies, why shouldn’t a male mother feel excited?

As the iron sphere continued to shudder, the internal weight began to rapidly increase.

Clearly, the Source Materialized Hell Creatures were transforming back into material forms, incrementally growing in mass and shell, pecking away at the iron casing that confined them, ultimately breaking through the sharp sound of iron scraping.

From within, rising appeared steel flying birds bathed in flames.

Still jet black.

But burning with white flames, as if ignited, yet without any pain or discomfort, instead appearing extremely content.

The original candle stand had disappeared, seemingly integrated into their bodies.

Following that, massive iron wings unfolded, sharp beaks raised.

Over countless tiny steel structures on their small heads simulating the operation of muscles, they opened their mouths, cawing loudly and familiarly.

”——Holy!”