Zhao Ziyan and Tang Zitong's expressions changed the moment they heard it.
Although they had said they believed Yi Tianxing before, a dream was still just a dream—illusory, unreal, and with an incredibly small chance of ever coming true.The idea of an apocalyptic cataclysm was just too terrifying.No one would believe it so easily.
But now, this earth-shaking thunderclap made them instinctively begin to believe.
Their feelings were complicated.
They both stepped onto the balcony.
From there, they could see the outside world in chaos. It was early morning, and while it wasn't yet bustling, there were still plenty of early risers out stretching and exercising.But now, they were all completely stunned. That clap of thunder had come too suddenly, too loudly. Many people's eardrums had ruptured from the shock, blood leaking from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Their minds were filled with nothing but the terrifying roar.
"Help! Call 911! I can't hear anything!"A man, blood gushing from all seven orifices, screamed in agony.
"What the hell is going on?! Is someone transcending the tribulation or something?!"A reclusive homebody yelled in confusion.
In this peaceful modern era, no one had ever seen anything like this. When it happened, the panic it caused was unimaginable. People ran around like headless chickens, disoriented and terrified.
But this… was only the beginning.
"This is just the beginning. The true cataclysm is about to begin."Yi Tianxing stood on the balcony, looking at the chaos below. He merely shook his head. He had seen this scene before—this was nothing new to him. Compared to the coming cataclysm, this was child's play—merely an appetizer.
He kept his gaze fixed on the sky.
CRACK!!
Another terrifying ripping sound echoed out.
Anyone who looked up would instantly see it:The sky was being torn apart by an invisible force. Gaping cracks—some small, some massive—ripped through the heavens like a shattered porcelain plate. The entire sky fractured before their eyes, filling with terrifying, jagged rifts.
Looking into the cracks, they did not reveal nothingness, but a darkness so deep it felt bottomless. It was as though they led to an endless abyss—so deep, so dark, so horrifying that it made your skin crawl.
"Brother… what is that?"Zhao Ziyan clung to Yi Tianxing's arm, suppressing her fear as she trembled and asked.
"I don't know. But based on what I learned in the dream, there's nothing good at the end of those cracks. Terrifying monsters will descend from them—so many we won't even be able to count them."Yi Tianxing inhaled deeply, his expression grim.
And sure enough, just as his voice fell…
The whole world was still in shock, minds blank from the apocalyptic sight in the sky—when suddenly—
A tide of monsters began pouring out of the rifts.
Like countless monstrous rivers, they gushed from the sky. Just one glance could make your scalp go numb. Anyone with a weak heart might faint on the spot.
"Green-skinned monsters!!"
"Goblins!!"
"Skeleton soldiers!!"
"Wolves! Wild beasts!!"
Zhao Ziyan and Tang Zitong couldn't help but cry out as they watched the swarms of monsters flood out of the rifts. Some were recognizable—creatures from people's imaginations, video games, or myths—except now, they were real. Alive. And they were falling rapidly toward the earth in all directions.
The number was unimaginable—like dumplings being thrown into boiling water. They fell over cities, suburbs, wilderness… there was nowhere untouched. The entire world was being covered.
These creatures were the stuff of fantasy and nightmares—zombies, monsters, mythical beasts—and yet here they were, raining down from the sky.
Many landed right in the cities.
The early morning streets, which had only just begun to stir with life, were suddenly overrun. Zombies wandered aimlessly, their movements slow—but the moment they smelled fresh flesh, they lunged at nearby civilians, who were frozen in terror.
Once they tackled someone, they bit down hard.Screams rang out as people were torn apart.
A goblin, barely over a meter tall, wielded a wooden club and smashed a man's head like a watermelon.
A skeleton soldier dashed forward at lightning speed and cleaved an elderly woman in half with a bone blade.
A hopping Chinese vampire, clad in Qing Dynasty robes, chased down a woman and sank its teeth into her neck, gulping down her blood with savage glee—its face twisted and monstrous.
Wild beasts howled and tore through the streets.Wolves the size of humans lunged at adults, biting through their necks in an instant, spraying blood like fountains.
The city descended into pure blood-soaked chaos.The monsters showed no signs of satisfaction.They surged toward skyscrapers, bloodlust awakened by the scent of flesh.
Screams, gunshots, cries of terror, and sobbing children blended into a nightmarish symphony of death.
In an era of peace, no one could have imagined this.One moment the world was calm; the next—it was the end of everything.Unprepared, without any warning, people were slaughtered mercilessly.Across the globe, countless lives were extinguished.
Like wolves tearing into a herd of sheep—there was no resisting it.
"It's too horrible… Brother… is this really the end of the world?"Zhao Ziyan's face was pale, her lips trembling.
"This is the end. There's no more doubt about it."Yi Tianxing's voice was calm but firm."This is a disaster—one that threatens all of humanity and its civilization. Countless people will die. No one can save them now. The only one who can save you… is yourself. That applies to us too."
He took a deep breath. A resolute light shone in his eyes.
"The way of heaven is ever-vigorous; a gentleman should strive for self-improvement. Self-reliance and strength are the true path forward. In the apocalypse, placing your hope in others… is a death sentence."
"What do we do now?"Tang Zitong, still shaken, tried to remain calm and looked to Yi Tianxing.
"We go out—kill monsters."Yi Tianxing's voice was firm.
He looked back up at the sky.From the rifts, not only were monsters pouring out—there were also countless streaks of divine light falling like meteors in all directions.
But with his innate Yin-Yang Eyes, Yi Tianxing could see more clearly.Some of these lights had already fallen into the city and the nearby outskirts.
Each one of them contained a treasure. He was certain.In his dream, he had been struck by one of these meteors. It killed him—then sent him back three days in time. That very impact had given him the "Dragon Dominion Scripture", a cultivation technique.
So he could guess: these falling lights were all treasures.Top-tier relics.Getting them meant the chance to rewrite your fate—to seize a miracle.
"I need to collect as many of them as I can. The more I get, the better my chances of survival."
His Yin-Yang Eyes surged with power.The True Dragon Qi within his newly-formed divine sea surged into his eyes, activating the Yin-Yang Diagram to its fullest potential.He etched the locations of the falling lights into his memory, determined to find as many as possible.
"Brother, I'm going with you."Though still afraid, Zhao Ziyan clenched her fists and stood firm. She didn't want Yi Tianxing to face danger alone. One more person meant one more helping hand.
"Right. We're not helpless. I've trained in martial arts. With weapons like these, I can protect myself."Tang Zitong nodded. She was eager to join too.
Yi Tianxing had a point: in the apocalypse, only your own strength could be trusted. Everything else was an illusion. Tang Zitong understood this deeply.
"You two should stay here for now. This place is stocked with a huge amount of supplies. If someone finds out, it could bring danger. In the apocalypse, people change. No one knows what they'll do. I'll go down first, scout the monsters' strength. Don't open the door for anyone unless it's me. These supplies are the foundation of survival."
He didn't agree to let them come along—not yet. Someone had to stay behind to guard the supplies. They were too valuable.
"Alright. Be careful, Brother Yi. If it gets too dangerous, come back quickly."Tang Zitong didn't argue. She knew how crucial the supplies were—and she was confident she could guard them if it came to it. Besides, no one else knew they were there.
Without hesitation, Yi Tianxing armed himself.
A collapsible compound bow on his back, a quiver of arrows slung over one shoulder, a Tang Dao sheathed across his back, and a steel war spear in hand.
He didn't take too many weapons, but the ones he did were heavy.For a regular adult, they'd be exhausting.For him, they were just right.Ever since he began cultivating, the weight didn't hinder him at all.
Fully armed, he stepped out the door.
Tang Zitong and Zhao Ziyan locked the door behind him as instructed.
"Great calamity brings great opportunity."A spark lit up in Yi Tianxing's eyes as he made his way downstairs.
The stench of blood hit him like a wave—thick and acrid, strong enough to make most people vomit.