Calamity of Tomorrow

At that moment, as Qian Wangsun remained silent, the mechanical shadow murmured, "We're running out of time, I need to go in... Every second that passes... Xia Li and the Great Elder, they're all becoming more and more endangered..."

Qian Wangsun roared, "Xia Li is already dead? What time reverse is there?"

Zhou Bai sighed, "There's no time left... It will all reverse in time anyway... I'm sorry, Qian Wangsun..."

"Zhou Bai..."

"Zhou Bai... Zhou Bai..."

"Zhou Bai... Zhou Bai... Zhou Bai..."

Unbeknownst to when it started, murmurs echoed from the distant darkness, and from within the dark, twisted humanoid shadows slowly approached. Qian Wangsun and San Mei looked over and found they were all bizarre expressions of Zhou Bai.

With their murmurs, more and more odd humanoid shapes seemed to emerge from the ground, walls, ceilings, columns, and the air in the darkness.

Following the murmuring of the mechanical apparition, Madness Disaster activated, and the void responded to Zhou Bai's name, reacting to the Material World.

At the same time, along with the erosion of the void's power, all life within this range showed a tendency to mutate.

"This..." Feeling the restlessness in his heart, San Mei bellowed, "It's the power of mutation! Be careful! Transform now! Use the demonic bloodline to counter it!"

Qian Wangsun's expression turned ugly as he looked at Zhou Bai, "Zhou Bai? Have you truly mastered the power of mutation?"

...

"Zhou Bai has mastered the power of mutation." Qian Wangsun stood still, recalling the conversation he might have had with Zhou Bai after walking to the right moments ago.

Time Reverse...

Absorbing the hexagrams...

Murmurs, void, mutation...

Scene after scene vividly spun in his mind.

Sadly, his ability could only foresee once and couldn't delve deeper to see the further future.

San Mei looked at him and said, "Did you see our future if we go right? Will we encounter Zhou Bai?"

Stroking his eyes, Qian Wangsun slowly said, "We can't go right, we will encounter Zhou Bai. His current power is too eerie, it's the power of mutation, just the two of us can't beat him."

He looked up, his eyes seeming to flow with countless Guang Ying, as he proceeded with his next premonition.

He murmured, "We're surrounded, so many Zhou Bais... They've all transformed into Heavenly Demons... and they carry twisted powers..." As Qian Wangsun's ability activated, white hairs sprang from his face, and his whole being began to transform towards a demonic direction.

Looking at the somewhat tragic face of Qian Wangsun, San Mei merely sighed and offered no comfort. He had seen far too many similar situations, witnessed countless comrades turning to gods, seen many companions mutate.

The sadness of witnessing a comrade change, powerless to do anything, he could only hope that Qian Wangsun would overcome it on his own.

Qian Wangsun murmured, "We're surrounded, too many Zhou Bais, we can't hold them off, let's head straight to the Sect Hierarch."

The two rapidly retreated, weaving through the countless columns of the Array; and the further they went, the more they could feel the changes in the spiritual mechanism—the air increasingly murky and foul as if steeped in pollution.

Ordinary people, in such dense concentrations of polluted spiritual mechanism, would have likely mutated already.

Qian Wangsun and San Mei's figures transformed drastically, forced to use the power of the demonic bloodline to suppress the possibility of mutation.

San Mei had already transformed into a giant wolf that walked upright, and Qian Wangsun had become a creature with snow-white fur and sheep's horns, bearing the likeness of both lion and tiger.

The two of them, having taken on monstrous forms, moved even quicker and soon arrived in front of a pillar that was dozens of meters wide.

There, at the base of the pillar, a large hole had been torn open, through which thick, blood-like mists ceaselessly flowed and undulated into various strange and eerie shapes.

Li Xiuzhu stood at the mouth of the great hole at that moment, his Primordial Spirit power rigidly holding against the opening, directly encountering the heavily contaminated spiritual energy.

His appearance had greatly changed as well; his body was covered with pale green dragon scales, and massive dragon horns had grown from his forehead. His hands, spread out like dragon claws, were fending off the raging spiritual energy.

Under the onslaught of the surging corruptive spiritual energy, his body was pulsating and twisting, as if he were using the power of the monsters to suppress the distorted reactions.

Sensing the arrival of Qian Wangsun and San Mei without turning his head, Li Xiuzhu said, "Why have you come? Is someone approaching that you can't hold back?"

San Mei responded, "It's Zhou Bai, he has mastered the power of transformation."

Qian Wangsun continuously surveyed the area but did not find Annie and Qin Lin, the two Awakened, his heart sank, 'Did Zhou Bai kill them?'

Hearing this, Li Xiuzhu sighed softly, thought for a moment, and said, "I must hold back the contaminated spiritual energy and repair the core; I can't move right now."

Li Xiuzhu spoke, "Qian Wangsun, come withstand a part of my Fist Intent with your abilities and help me fend off Zhou Bai."

Qian Wangsun exclaimed in surprise, "Fist Intent can also be transferred to others?"

Li Xiuzhu smiled and said, "You can, because we are alike, you can inherit my will, so you can also inherit my Fist Intent."

San Mei, seemingly already clear on this, showed no doubt but only asked, "How much longer will it take to repair the Array?"

Li Xiuzhu replied, "It's difficult, and after the repair, I reckon I'll lose consciousness and might even transform. By then, it'll be up to you."

Qian Wangsun asked, "Transform? Will you die?"

Li Xiuzhu laughed heartily, "Qian Wangsun, remember this, every man must die, I am no exception, and neither are you. If a man lives for too long, it's not only of no benefit but it can also hinder the progress of civilization, just like those immortals and deities.

Only death ensures that civilization can be passed on and continue to advance forever, letting humans remain human.

I have already taught you my philosophy, my plans, and my Great Sky Flipping Fist Intent. If I die, then you will become the Sky Flipping Sect Leader. If you find my ways to be wrong, then overthrow my will and search for a new path."

"All right, there's no more time for talk, Qian Wangsun, calm your mind, let your heart follow the intent, and get ready to receive my Fist Intent."

Qian Wangsun felt a heaviness in his head, and in a dazed state, it seemed as though someone had thrown a punch that struck him squarely on his forehead.

A vast, boundless will, as if it were the Milky Way falling from the heavens, poured into his brain, leaving him at that moment seeing nothing but white, unable to see or think of anything.

As Qian Wangsun was receiving the Fist Intent from Li Xiuzhu, whispers echoed, and twisted, bizarre figures began to crawl out from the darkness.

"Zhou Bai... Zhou Bai..."

In the midst of the darkness, countless lives seemed to be chanting Zhou Bai's name.

San Mei stood in front of Qian Wangsun, looking towards the dark direction, eyes filled with vigilance and tension.

Two figures hand in hand slowly emerged floating from the darkness.

Zhou Bai was clad in the Apocalypse Heavenly Skeleton Armor, holding the pitch-black Human Emperor Sword wrapped in Guihai Black Evil. His other hand firmly clutched the Mysterious Female, and an eerie blood light radiated from his right eye as it focused on the monstrously transformed Qian Wangsun, San Mei, and Li Xiuzhu.

The Mysterious Female wore the Abyss Nether Dragon Armor, holding Zhou Bai's hand with one, and inversely gripping the End of Dharma Heaven Deformed Sword with the other. She looked intently at the tumultuous spiritual energy spewing forth yet blocked by Li Xiuzhu, her gaze filled with longing.