Calamity of Tomorrow

"Over the past month, there have been many unusual movements by the Heavenly Demon, with border friction escalating, but I didn't expect their actions to be this extensive."

"One night, six outposts were uprooted, and more than a hundred cultivators went missing; you have to know that the number of cultivators graduating from all Dao Schools each year totals just a few thousand."

"As for the sudden outburst of the Heavenly Demon, no countermeasures have been issued—what is Jijian Pavilion doing? I demand the immediate replacement of the commander of the Northwest Military Region."

"The actions of the Heavenly Demon were too sudden; it was impossible for us to predict them in advance. Moreover, with their irregular movements every few months, we can't afford to dedicate time and effort to gathering high-level cultivators and troops every time. No one has the resources for that, as everyone needs to cultivate."

"Humanity is no longer able to handle this crisis. The outburst of the Heavenly Demon, the sacrifice of a hundred cultivators—it's a major oversight by Jijian Pavilion, and I will report this to the Heavenly Court."

In the conference room, the debate continued unabated, as dozens of human high officials, including those from the Four Great Daoist Schools, government, military, and Heavenly Court special envoy, argued fiercely over the current situation.

At this moment, Yun Chonghe and Ying Hui from the East Dao School were sitting to one side.

As the Principal of the East Dao School and the current Sect Leader of the Three Pure Dao Sect, Yun Chonghe carried a heavy burden and numerous important duties; thus, he was often absent from the Dao School's office.

This time, faced with the outbreak of the Northwestern conflict, he responded urgently to the call and came. He turned to Ying Hui beside him and asked through a transmission, "How are Zhou Bai and Old Zhao?"

Ying Hui replied, "Zhou Bai went to the battlefield for experience, and with his abilities, he should be in no danger. Besides, Old Zhao secretly followed him to protect him."

Yun Chonghe nodded and then sighed heavily, "Is Old Zhao not doing well?"

Ying Hui's expression darkened slightly, "Based on the latest assessment, he is on the brink. I'm afraid that after he returns from protecting Zhou Bai, he'll have to meet with the Great Elder."

Yun Chonghe thought of Zhao Shouyi and Meng Ruocun's decision to defect from the Four Great Daoist Schools to the Evil Sect, and the current outburst of the Heavenly Demon, feeling that the situation was dire and that humanity was treading on thin ice.

He then thought of Zhou Bai, who had recently become the strongest among the four schools, and remembered how Zhou Bai had refused the Immortal Ming Yue, his expression softened slightly, "Zhou Bai, this child... how is he?"

Ying Hui's previously dim face brightened with a smile, "Zhou Bai is quite remarkable; high talent, a sense of responsibility, thick-skinned, strong-willed, though sometimes a bit impulsive... and he has some unusual preferences."

Yun Chonghe replied, "That's good to hear."

Just then, the disputes in the meeting seemed to come to a conclusion, and a middle-aged man stood up and declared, "The Heavenly Court's Thunder Department has just sent a directive that the gods won't participate in this war for now. The battle will be commanded by the Thunder Department's special envoy, Qing Yangzi."

The man speaking was a special envoy from the Central City, tasked specifically with conveying the decrees of the Heavenly Court.

Beside him was a middle-aged Taoist priest, Qing Yangzi, who had been dispatched to oversee the conflict.

Upon hearing the words of the Heavenly Court special envoy, the expressions of everyone present changed drastically—some were shocked, some fearful, some uneasy, and some perplexed, a mixture of emotions.

"How can we fight the great offensive of the Heavenly Demon without the support of gods?"

"Could there be some mistake? Why isn't the Thunder Department coming to our aid? This isn't an ordinary disturbance by the Heavenly Demon!"

"Please contact the Thunder Department again; there must be some misunderstanding!"

The first to start shouting were almost all from the government's side, while the military and leaders of the Four Great Daoist Schools remained silent.

The composition of human power currently mainly consists of government, military, and the Four Great Daoist Schools.

The government represents the will of the Heavenly Court, with most officials directly appointed by the court, specifically responsible for managing human administration, public welfare, economy, agriculture, and other aspects.

The military is made up of high-level human cultivators, primarily tasked with battling the Heavenly Demon. The leaders of the Four Great Daoist Schools represent the four great sects, the heritage of human cultivation, and often there is a large overlap with the military's upper echelons.

Facing everyone's earnest pleas, Qing Yangzi, the Heavenly Department's special envoy, revealed a smile, yet he said nothing.

Looking at the government officials with a panicked expression, Wang Shouxuan of the Jijian Pavilion snorted coldly, "Without Immortals, do we really have no chance of fighting this war? The highest level Heavenly Demon that has appeared this time is only level 5 or 6. In my opinion, we should take the initiative to strike, sweep the battlefield, break them one by one, and not give them the chance to assemble."

The leading official glared at Wang Shouxuan, "Isn't it because you are too weak? You can't even defeat a level 10 Great Heavenly Demon, let alone those twelve Heavenly Demon Kings. If any one of them came over, without the Immortals, they would be enough to annihilate us.

If we could rely on you, would we be in this state?"

Another official spoke up, "Wang Shouxuan, you have to take responsibility for your words. The scale of the Heavenly Demon's unusual movement this time far exceeds previous years. Just because only level 5 or 6 Heavenly Demons have appeared now, doesn't mean it will be the same later. What if level 9 or even level 10 Heavenly Demons attack? Are you sure you can hold them off?"

"We must contact the Heavenly Court immediately and request support."

Just then, a cultivator burst into the meeting room, "The 12th, 13th, and 14th battle zones are gathering a large number of Heavenly Demons, estimated to exceed 300,000 in number."

Wang Shouxuan suddenly stood up straight, "Are there any Great Heavenly Demons?"

"No Heavenly Demons above level 6 have been found so far."

Wang Shouxuan stated, "Set up the Sword Array immediately, strike first and hard. While they still haven't fully assembled, catch them off guard…"

"Hold on," the special envoy Qing Yangzi from the Heavenly Department interjected, "If we rashly launch a total assault, and once the Heavenly Demons and the human race start an all-out war again, can you, Wang Shouxuan, bear this sin?"

"They're practically at our doorstep!" Wang Shouxuan exclaimed angrily, "Do you really want to just watch them assemble, form battle formations, and launch an attack?"

Qing Yangzi shook his head, "The Great Heavenly Demons are constrained by the many gods of the Heavenly Court. As long as the Heavenly Demons have their wits about them, they likely won't launch a total assault. In my opinion, they're trying to deliberately draw us away from West Mountain City's great formation to deplete our forces."

"Pass my order, all cultivators stay within West Mountain City, all reconnaissance troops must immediately retreat back into the city, and without my command, do not launch any offensive against the Heavenly Demons. Those who disobey will be dealt with by military law."

Wang Shouxuan protested angrily, "You are simply delaying our opportunity to fight!"

"Once the battle commences, the Heavenly Demons can come back to life if they die, but what about our cultivators?" Qing Yangzi replied coldly, "I cannot allow the lives of those below to be sacrificed in a pointless war of attrition. The war between humans and Heavenly Demons should be avoided if possible. The battlefield is not a place for you, Wang Shouxuan, to play the hero.

Wang Shouxuan, the Heavenly Court has given me full command of this battle. If you disobey orders again, I will report to the Heavenly Court and have your position revoked."

Qing Yangzi turned towards the others and said, "Everyone, rest assured, the Heavenly Court has always been keeping an eye on the war. Although they're not sending support now, please believe that if the Heavenly Demons truly launch a full-scale attack, I have the talisman orders to immediately summon the gods of the Thunder Department to descend to the battlefield."

"The Heavenly Court isn't truly disregarding everyone. It's just that they also have their own matters to attend to and can't leave just yet."

Hearing Qing Yangzi's words, those who originally wanted to object quietly closed their mouths.

...

Moments later, the sky above West Mountain City was filled with drifting sword lights, as countless cultivators converged within the city, standing off against the gathering Heavenly Demons hundreds of kilometers away.

However, a somber mood began to emerge within the entire group of cultivators, as this time the war lacked the support of the Immortals, shaking most people's confidence.

'Can humans alone overcome the Heavenly Demons this time?'

Similar thoughts continuously resonated in the minds of countless people.

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Recommendation: "Plague Doctor," a novel with a strong Cthulhu Mythos element. The protagonist is a doctor, and the atmosphere is very well depicted, painting the madness, fear, and struggle of humanity facing the unknown, twisted, and anomalous. The suspense builds layer upon layer, and the worldview is unraveled like peeling an onion, making it one of the few stellar Cthulhu Mythos novels.