"Brother, isn't this a bit over the top? You really ordered this much stuff? There's no way we could eat all this in just a few months. And… what's this?"
Zhao Ziyan walked over to the coffee table in the center of the living room. Several sealed crates sat atop it, each secured with a combination lock. Without the correct code, they couldn't be opened.
The packaging was discreet—completely unremarkable. Unless you opened them, no one could guess what was inside. Even when moving them, they were incredibly heavy.
"It never hurts to be prepared. It's not like I'm strapped for cash. Better to overprepare than be caught off guard," Yi Tianxing replied with a calm smile. He stepped forward and began entering the codes. The passwords had been sent to his phone after the purchase by a third party.
Click!
One by one, the crates opened.
As the lids lifted, the contents inside dazzled Zhao Ziyan and Tang Zitong. Both girls were left wide-eyed and speechless, their jaws hanging in disbelief.
"You actually bought this many cold weapons?" Zhao Ziyan exclaimed.
Inside the crates were all sorts of melee weapons—Longquan swords, Tang swords, Eight-sided Han swords, compound folding bows, Arsenox crossbows, spears, and halberds. There were even stab-resistant vests, multi-functional entrenching tools, military-grade anti-terror crossbows, Tiger Fang knives, and more. Each item was a real, sharpened weapon—lethal in the wrong hands.
One crate was filled entirely with war arrows, their sharp steel tips gleaming ominously. These weren't replicas. They were fully sharpened weapons, crafted with top-tier alloy materials—more lethal than many ancient legendary weapons.
"If the apocalypse really does come, these will be the foundation for our survival," Yi Tianxing said calmly. "Ziyan, pick a weapon for yourself now."
"In that case—Zitong-jie, you should choose one too," Ziyan responded without hesitation.
Although Ziyan was gentle by nature, she'd been practicing martial arts since she was young and had followed Yi Tianxing on many excursions. Her courage far surpassed that of most girls her age. Even standing among these lethal weapons, she wasn't scared.
She began inspecting the options.
"I'll take this Longquan sword. It feels just right for a girl—not too heavy," she said after a moment's consideration. She picked it up, drew it from its scabbard, and the cold glint of the blade made the hair on her arms stand up.
"Good choice. The Longquan sword suits you—it's light and extremely sharp. It was hand-forged by a master swordsmith. Without the right connections, it'd be impossible to get. It can literally cut a strand of hair midair. Try it out later so you're not unfamiliar with it when a real fight comes," Yi Tianxing nodded approvingly.
He wasn't exaggerating. Every item here was top-quality—crafted by hand from elite materials. Ordinary people would never be able to acquire such weapons without insider connections. It was only thanks to the network Yi Tianxing had built over the years that he'd been able to collect them on such short notice.
"I'll take this Tang sword," said Tang Zitong.
She reached out and unsheathed a Tang sword. The blade shimmered with a cold, autumnal light. Its sharpened edge practically exuded killing intent. The weapon was heavier than standard Tang swords—about five catties (~2.5 kg) and 1.3 meters long—made from a special material.
But Zitong didn't seem to struggle with its weight. On the contrary, it looked perfectly balanced in her hands. She spun it into a quick flourish with practiced ease. Clearly, she wasn't just some delicate girl.
"Zitong-jie is the vice president of our university's martial arts society. Grew up training, you know!" Ziyan grinned and winked playfully at Yi Tianxing. That cheeky side only showed around people she was close with—strangers would see her as the perfect, refined lady.
Yi Tianxing found her playfulness endearing.
"Looks like Miss Tang comes from a martial family," he nodded, not making a big deal of it.
Being strong wasn't a disadvantage. If the apocalypse truly arrived, frailty would mean an early death. Only the strong would survive.
"Yes, martial arts run in the family. Doesn't matter if you're male or female—we all train from childhood. Even if you don't become an expert, you still learn the basics. Growing up in that environment, you naturally pick things up," Zitong replied with a smile.
"Brother, what weapon are you going to carry?" Ziyan asked curiously.
There was no shortage of options—swords, spears, staffs, and more.
"This compound folding bow was specially ordered for me. I used to go hunting on the grasslands with some friends, so I'm decent with a bow—not an expert, but I won't miss the target. That's why I bought this. Plus, the crate includes a large batch of special steel arrows—reusable. Much more practical than firearms."
Yi Tianxing patted the bow in front of him.
He was being modest. Thanks to his innate Yin-Yang eyes, his vision far surpassed that of normal people. He could see clearly up to one or two miles away. Combined with his years of Tai Chi martial arts training, he had extraordinary physical strength—even though he didn't look muscular, his tendons and bones contained terrifying power. Even before cultivating the Heavenly Dragon Scripture, he had a base strength of at least 500 catties (~250 kg). In a burst, even more.
The folding bow itself was crafted from premium materials—its body sturdy and flexible, with high-tensile bowstrings. Without 300–400 catties of arm strength, you couldn't even draw it. In ancient terms, it was a three-to-four-stone bow—massive power.
For Yi Tianxing, it was the perfect fit. And now, having started cultivating the Heavenly Dragon Scripture, his qi flow had improved even more. His recovery and resilience were on another level. Drawing the bow was no problem at all.
"Also, this fine steel spear. The spear is the ancestor of both halberds and lances. Their usage overlaps. I would've gone for a halberd, but it's harder to make. The longer the weapon, the more advantage it has—especially when we don't know what enemies we'll face."
He picked up a bronze war spear forged from a special alloy. It looked ancient, with mysterious avian seal script engraved along its shaft. No one could decipher their meaning, but they gave the weapon an enigmatic aura.
The spear was extremely heavy—over a dozen kilograms. Most people couldn't even lift it, let alone use it in battle. But for Yi Tianxing, a martial arts master already on the path of cultivation, it was the perfect weight. He could wield it easily, and in a real fight, it could shatter walls or pierce through a grown man in an instant.
A true weapon of war.
Once everyone had picked their weapons, they had dinner together. Afterwards, Zhao Ziyan and Tang Zitong went into Ziyan's bedroom—they didn't bother choosing separate rooms. They planned to sleep together so they could chat and keep each other company.
Yi Tianxing returned to his own room.
He didn't waste time. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he began silently visualizing the Ancestral Dragon Diagram from the Heavenly Dragon Scripture. The image of the primordial dragon coiled in his mind, breathing in and out the qi of heaven and earth, condensing it into threads of dragon energy and channeling them into his spiritual sea.
Even in the early stages, visualizing the Ancestral Dragon allowed the newly-formed sea of consciousness to begin connecting with the outside world in mysterious ways—like an invisible channel. Bit by bit, spiritual energy trickled into the sea.
Unfortunately, the ambient energy in the outside world was pitifully thin—so thin it was nearly imperceptible.
Still, he persisted. Even a trickle could become a river with time. Drip by drip, even stone can be worn away.
Time passed slowly.
Unnoticed, the date turned to September 23, 2019.
BOOM!!!
While many were still asleep, a deafening thunderclap suddenly ripped through the skies.
It was as if countless bombs had detonated all at once.
Alarms blared from cars parked in every street and alley, some vehicles even bouncing from the shock. People clutched their ears as a piercing, overwhelming sound assaulted them.
This was no ordinary thunder. It didn't just cover one city or province—it blanketed the entire nation, even the entire world. No matter where or when, everyone heard it.
It was as though the heavens themselves had roared.
People woke up screaming, shouting curses as they scrambled from bed.
"What the hell was that? Thunder?! Is it going to pour?"
"Shit! My laundry!"
"I've never heard thunder this loud in my life! I thought it was an earthquake—I nearly pissed myself!"
Grumbling and swearing erupted from every corner.
"Brother, what's going on?" Zhao Ziyan emerged with Tang Zitong.
Yi Tianxing was already in the living room, moving toward the balcony.
"If my dream was right… this is the first sign. The cataclysm has begun. Watch closely—you may only witness something like this once in a lifetime."
He took a deep breath, his gaze heavy.
He had heard this thunder once before. It had jolted him awake in confusion and fear. And not long after… came the true apocalypse—a world so bleak it would drive anyone to despair.