Divine Realm Countdown, The Cataclysmic Era

Gu Yan gazed at the divine core taking shape in his hand and slowly placed it into his divine sea.

The next second—

Boom!

A surge of immense power erupted from Gu Yan’s body in an instant.

Not only was there a pink halo, but also the dark luster of the Power of Night.

The pink radiance and the black glow intertwined, forming a perfect equilibrium within Gu Yan’s divine sea in the blink of an eye.

The Heretic Scripture watched this scene, its emotions surging uncontrollably.

Had Gu Yan... truly mastered both the Power of Night and the Power of Love simultaneously?!

With these two forces combined... had Gu Yan... gained a trace of the power of the Heavenly Dao?!

It had to be understood—the Heretic Scripture and Little Love were originally one, a twin force of the Heavenly Dao, born alongside the current Heavenly Dao. They had only been split apart by an even greater Heavenly Dao in the past.

The overwhelming aura gradually faded as time passed.

Gu Yan extended his hand, and a swirling vortex of pink and black light pulsed in his palm.

Divine-rank realm... broken through!

And what he now held was indeed a sliver of... the Heavenly Dao’s power, fused from the Heretic Scripture and Little Love.

Even if it was just a trace, it was enough to stand against the gods!

With this power, he would no longer fear those so-called deities.

"Gu Yan, you’ve truly done it."

The Heretic Scripture’s voice trembled with excitement. Unbelievable... absolutely unbelievable!

This guy had actually reached the divine rank on his own?!

Gu Yan’s expression remained unchanged as he clenched his fist around the divine core of the God of Death floating in the air.

The power of the Heavenly Dao activated—Boom!

In an instant, the divine core was refined, replaced by a black scythe that materialized in his grasp.

Swish!

He swung the scythe, and waves of deathly intent radiated outward.

The Power of Death... now fully mastered!

"It’s time."

Gu Yan spoke softly as he descended gently to the ground.

"Young Master."

Old Gao smiled and said, "Congratulations on your ascension to godhood."

"......"

Gu Yan shook his head in response. "Just a slightly stronger existence, nothing more."

He could sense it now—those who called themselves gods beyond the divine rank were not truly divine.

They were merely beings whose power was an overwhelming force against ordinary humans, hence the title of "god."

With a calm tone, he continued, "One month from now... we begin the [Cataclysm] plan."

Old Gao nodded. "Understood, Young Master."

Then, hesitating slightly, he asked, "Now that you’ve become a god... are you still not a match for the hidden enemy?"

Old Gao knew the purpose of the Cataclysm plan—to plunge the world into crisis, forcing humanity to grow stronger in the face of adversity.

As the masses advanced, Gu Yan’s own cultivation would be nourished in return.

But... with Gu Yan now a god, who could possibly stand against him?

"Not enough."

Gu Yan’s reply was icy and detached.

Far from enough.

Because everything he had experienced so far... was still within the prophecies of the Heretic Scripture’s first life.

Though this lifetime held a glimmer of hope... his current strength was still insufficient.

"I understand, Young Master."

Old Gao pressed no further, simply nodding in acknowledgment.

Then, Gu Yan’s figure vanished. When he reappeared, he stood before a vast black celestial pool within the Forbidden Zone of Monsters.

The churning waters of the pool were composed entirely of the Power of Night.

Within those waters... were countless giant cocoons, on the verge of hatching.

That’s right.

What Gu Yan intended to do was... to initiate the invasion of monsters himself!

To drag the entire world into the era of Cataclysm.

Everyone would become warriors. Everyone... would grow amidst the crisis.

And in the end, he would reap the fruits of their struggles... and face the servants of the Heavenly Dao.

Once everything was settled... all who perished would be revived.

But before that, he would first give the world’s inhabitants... a chance to catch their breath.

With this thought, an idea struck him—a rather fitting method.

......

......

That very night.

Every human across the world jolted awake from their slumber.

Compelled by some divine force, they turned their gaze toward the sky.

Some stumbled out in their pajamas, stepping onto balconies to look up.

And then... everyone froze.

For in the sky... a colossal panel had materialized out of nowhere.

Displayed upon it was a countdown—one month.

[719:59:59]

"Huh? What’s going on?"

"What is this?"

The Alliance urgently mobilized all forces, heightening their defenses.

Leng Qingqiu stood atop the highest floor, her expression grave as she stared at the sky.

There, she sensed an overwhelming aura—one that had forged this massive panel.

Time?

A countdown?

Just as the world drowned in confusion—

A voice, cold and detached, echoed in the minds of every single person.

[I am... the Night King.]

[This world is plagued by endless war. Nature lies in ruins. Homes are shattered. The planet is scarred beyond recognition.]

[I have come to realize... the fault does not lie with you. The fault... lies with this world itself.]

[Thus... this world of despair has no right to exist.]

[Only by creating a new world—one of peace and harmony—can order be restored.]

[One month from now, when night falls... this world shall be reset.]

[We of the Night... shall cleanse this land.]

Swish!

The voice faded, leaving only the hovering countdown as proof—

This... was no illusion.

"The Night King...?"

"One month..."

"Oh god... how could this happen?"

"The Night King... just declared war on the entire world?"

"Can we win?"

"Of course! We still have the Martial Alliance! We still have Chief Leng!"

......

......

At the Alliance headquarters, Leng Qingqiu stood in silence.

So this... was the Cataclysm Gu Yan had spoken of?

If she wasn’t mistaken, the monsters that had vanished from the cities would likely return in full force a month later—reborn and more terrifying than ever.

Now, she understood. Gu Yan was dead serious.

"It’s begun."

"The most critical phase of the plan."

At that moment, another figure emerged from the shadows—one bearing a striking resemblance to Leng Qingqiu.

It was Leng Bingning.

She had already revealed her identity to Leng Qingqiu, who had sensed the familiar aura—proof that this was indeed the sister who had vanished years ago.

Who would have thought that the name she had once casually used to conceal her own identity... actually belonged to a real person? No wonder it had come so naturally.

Even more surprising was that Leng Bingning also knew of Gu Yan’s plans—though not as thoroughly as Xiao Leng.

The two women looked up at the sky together.

Leng Qingqiu clenched her fists, resolve burning in her eyes.

"I will defeat him... and bring him back."

"If I become stronger than him, I can stop him... and demand the truth!"

That’s right, Gu Yan.

I swear... I will drag you back and make you explain everything!

And then... I’ll stand by your side against those formidable enemies you refuse to name!