Calamity of Tomorrow
Chapter 663 663: 661 Departure (two chapters combined into one)

As Zhou Bai's smile faded away, a heart-palpitating fluctuation continuously emanated from within him, like the taste of the void ceaselessly infiltrating the perception of everyone present.

Contamination level: 153/110

At this moment, as Zhou Bai's contamination level relentlessly shattered its limits, his body began moving inexorably towards a grotesque transformation.

However, thanks to several constellations on the Fool's map that resisted contamination and distortion—especially the special effect of "Ignorance - Death Row"—he managed to maintain some semblance of rationality for a time even after his contamination level surpassed the threshold.

Thus, Zhou Bai had not yet descended into madness, into a complete and utter deformation, due to his contamination level transcending its bounds.

Yet the changes occurring to him still took Xuan Nu by surprise.

Xuan Nu herself was originally bewildered by a series of changes and could not understand the relationship between Zhou Bai and the Heavenly Demon.

But in this moment, as one of the exceptional distorted beings, she could strongly sense a violent, twisted, indescribable change raging within Zhou Bai, stirring a potent sense of kinship within her.

Looking at Zhou Bai, who seemed to be continuously metamorphosing, Xuan Nu saw him as if he were a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.

Her eyes slightly blurred, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "How beautiful..."

The immortals, too, were now aware of Zhou Bai's odd condition.

Ming Yue, the Immortal, said, "Zhou Bai seems to have lost his wits; he is affected by the twisting influence of Heavenly Dao."

Tu Guishen erupted with intense purple aura, like a fire cloud reddening half the sky, and coldly spat out two words, "Save him."

The onslaught from the immortals intensified, forcing the Heavenly Demon into retreat. The mechas controlled by the three great kings of the Heavenly Demon burst into explosive sounds, with massive amounts of Heavenly Demon's flesh pulverized under various assaults, yet forcibly repaired in parts.

A woman's voice, accompanied by electromagnetic pulses, kept flooding into Zhou Bai's ears, "Zhou Bai, come with us, leave this place, leave Central City, continue the legacy of humankind..."

Clearly, the Heavenly Demons understood that for a small detachment to enter Central City and attempt a forceful exit would be very difficult.

But with a large detachment and the twelve Heavenly Demon kings' true bodies stalling Hao Tian God Emperor and Supreme Heavenly Venerate in outer space, it also meant they could return at any moment.

However, the Heavenly Demon had long prepared for a retreat.

Under the gaze of countless onlookers, Em in front of Zhou Bai opened her mouth, drawing in and expelling the surrounding air, as bizarrely-shaped cracks gradually spread out. Zhou Bai suddenly felt a familiar presence; he looked towards those slim fissures—the power of the void.

Em had directly opened a connection between the Material World and the void.

Looking at Zhou Bai, even with her body damaged by him, Em still spoke warmly, "I am the freshly emerged thirteenth Heavenly Demon king, Em, and the first Heavenly Demon capable of traversing the void!"

"Unlike the other Heavenly Demon kings, this size is my true form. What you see is my actual body."

Her originally battered and twisted arms stretched out towards Zhou Bai, saying excitedly, "Zhou Bai! Let's go home together! Leave Central City through the void! Forget these people!"

Zhou Bai let Em reach for his face, staring silently at the void before him, his thoughts unknowable.

Christina said anxiously, "Zhou Bai! Don't listen to these Heavenly Demons! If you go with them, it's all over! Think about your teachers in Donghua City, think about the Great Elder, think about Jing Xiu, Qian Wangsun and the others! If you leave with them, what will they think of you?"

Elsa curled up in the sea of consciousness, looking at the silent Zhou Bai, she could not help but speak cautiously, "...Let's listen to what Zhou Bai has to say. He must have seen something just now, right? Let's first hear his thoughts…"

The Human Emperor Sword also vibrated non-stop, with golden Sword Qi slowly accumulating along the blade, "Zhou Bai... if you side with the Heavenly Demon, then you'll have no right to be the son of human destiny. The immortals will fight you, all of humanity will fight you, and I won't recognize you either..."

Zhou Bai paid no mind to their words, merely pulling Em's head close to his face, one hand covering her eyes while Primordial Spirit force vibrated in the air, whispering something softly into her ear.

As Zhou Bai whispered, Em's body suddenly stiffened, her girlish face breaking into an excited smile, with her cracked and damaged hands and feet, and the spikes, undulating and twisting. At the same time, an unusual sensation seemed to spread among the Heavenly Demon's masses nearby.

Meanwhile, wisps of grey Primordial Spirit force spreading from Zhou Bai's body slowly turned black, like black flames furiously burning.

Christina watched the scene unfold with a look of sheer terror on her face, "It's over... It's truly over... My worst fear has happened... The binding has been released... The true terror of the Heavenly Catastrophes is about to descend, and this planet may face an unprecedented crisis..."

Seeing Zhou Bai and the Heavenly Demon's intimate actions, the hearts of numerous cultivators and divine beings sank. The Ghost-Slaying Deity's attacks intensified, and with trails of purple Qi traversing space, a large area of matter evaporated from one of the Heavenly Demon King's mechas.

Elsewhere, Zi Yang True Monarch, who had been wandering around and was still in a delusional state, remained cautious of all parties. He saw the scene between Zhou Bai and the Heavenly Demon, and a murderous intent slowly condensed in his eyes.

Various speculations, malice, hostility, and doubts, combined with the mental distortions of his delusional state, continuously flooded his consciousness.

Zi Yang True Monarch thought, 'Zhou Bai has ties to the Heavenly Demon?'

'Then he must not be allowed to escape.'

'And my current state, it's his doing too...'

'I must capture him. This kid harbors too many secrets and oddities; I will interrogate them out of him one by one.'

Zi Yang True Monarch's hand signs changed, and in an instant, he turned into a lightning-like existence while, not too far away from Wanxian Island, a square seal rushed through the air; it was the Sky Flipping Seal.

Lightning storms and the Sky Flipping Seal swept forth, charging toward Zhou Bai's location.

The Sky Flipping Seal morphed into countless pale hands, proliferating in every direction, turning all matter it touched into the same pale hands.

The Heavenly Demon had almost no capability to resist this deformed weapon, relying only on continuous cannon fire to slow down the proliferation of the Sky Flipping Seal.

Ai remarked, "Another deformed weapon."

Bi insisted, "Just do our best to delay, as long as Zhou Bai and Em manage to leave, that's all that matters."

Seeing Zi Yang True Monarch's sudden move, both the Ghost-Slaying Deity and Ming Yue Immortal also abruptly intensified their attacks, attempting to alleviate some pressure off Zi Yang True Monarch. This created a slight gap in the defense of the already disadvantaged Heavenly Demon army.

In the meantime, the Ghost-Slaying Deity sent a telepathic message, "Zi Yang! You must save Zhou Bai for me, or the Supreme Heavenly Venerate will not let you off lightly..."

Zi Yang True Monarch snorted coldly in his heart, 'Of course I will capture Zhou Bai, but after I do, it won't be up for you all to decide...'

Harnessing the lightning and Sky Flipping Seal, and under the cover of many divine beings, Zi Yang pierced through the black clouds of the Heavenly Demon horde with his speed and broke through to where Zhou Bai was.

The Primordial Spirit power rolled and crashed down like thunder, roaring toward Zhou Bai.

Within the thunderous Primordial Spirit power was the will of Zi Yang True Monarch's anger, powerful enough to crush the consciousness of a normal person in an instant.

"Zhou Bai! Do you think the Heavenly Demon can save you?"

"Now, no one can save you!"

Confronted by Zi Yang True Monarch's headlong rush, Zhou Bai, who was whispering into Em's ear, patted Em's head and casually lifted his gaze, "Just follow my lead from now on."

Em nodded cheerfully, snuggling up against Zhou Bai as if merging into his shape.

Then Zhou Bai looked toward Zi Yang True Monarch, and two black vortexes seemed to appear in his eyes.

He simply raised a finger toward Zi Yang, who had transformed into lightning. Mixed in his Primordial Spirit power were his calm words, "Zi Yang... Who gave you permission to look at me?"

His plain words exploded like a thunderbolt in Zi Yang's mind, turning into thousands of twisted whispers echoing continuously.

Boom! Corruption flowed directly from Zhou Bai's body into Zi Yang's mind, surpassing the ultimate threshold of 190 points in an instant.

Delusion... Fear... Desperation... Madness...

Zi Yang, who crossed four states in a flash, reverted to human form once more, then held his head in anguish.

Zhou Bai said faintly, "Sanity is the most merciful thing in this world; it allows you, with your fragile wills, to glimpse the grandeur of the universe."

Zi Yang felt as if a demonic, illusory voice kept entering his ears, as though countless versions of himself were whispering beside him.

"And madness! That is true freedom... He will show you the essence of the universe, the indescribable chaos!"

In the shocked gazes of the crowd, Zi Yang True Monarch kept retreating with screams of agony.

Countless chaotic images flooded into Zi Yang's mind. His flesh started swelling at an incredible pace, expanding in value, as streaks of black muck, like skin oil, spurted out of his pores, emitting waves of a foul stench.

He began to transform into a twisted monster the likes of which had never been seen between heaven and earth. His mouth let out constant, mad screams, and his eyes held extreme evil. Merely caught by his gaze, one would feel their scalp tingle and their heart tighten.

Right in front of countless onlookers, a deity of the four departments started to mutate!

As Zi Yang retreated, Zhou Bai pointed his finger, and his flying sword slashed down, tearing off a chunk of flesh from Zi Yang True Monarch's body.

The face of Xuan Nu flashed a manic smile, "How beautiful! How spectacular! How magnificent! Zhou Bai, you are destined to be an enemy of mankind!"

Ming Yue Immortal looked on in shock, "What in the world is this? What on earth did Zhou Bai do?"

"Zi Yang True Monarch has mutated," said the Ghost Slaying God with chilling eyes, looking at Zhou Bai guarded by the Heavenly Demon, "Zhou Bai has mastered the power of mutation. Suppress Zi Yang first!"

"Zi Yang, if you can hear us, cooperate with us. Stop before you fully mutate!"

The Ghost Slaying God, Ming Yue, and Tian Yangzi rushed to Zi Yang True Monarch's side, each casting spells to suppress the mutation of Zi Yang True Monarch.

Over a hundred years ago, the human race had already discovered a way to suppress mutation, temporarily saving the powerhouses of the four major sects.

The immortals and gods were naturally even more proficient in such methods. Now, applying them, they temporarily stalled Zi Yang's mutation.

Temporarily halting Zi Yang's transformation, he barely opened his eyes, looked toward Zhou Bai, his eyes filled with deep hatred.

Mutation was irreversible, and the once revered deity had begun to mutate, which meant his life, like the elders of the Heavenly Sword, had entered a countdown.

Lifespans of tens of thousands of years were being cut short, and the so-called power of mutation was trifling compared to that loss, fueling his hatred for Zhou Bai to surge like mountains and seas.

The Ghost Slaying God and the others also turned their eyes toward Zhou Bai, filled with cold light.

"Capture Zhou Bai!"

"We cannot let Zhou Bai and the Heavenly Demon escape!"

"Even a deity of the Thunder Department has been induced to mutate by him; it's too dangerous, this power must be controlled."

The offensive of the immortals and gods became even more fierce, and finally, a Heavenly Demon King's mecha reached its limit and exploded into a massive fireball that swept across the sky, also temporarily stalling the offensive of the Ghost Slaying God and the others.

In Zhou Bai's hands, the Emperor Sword struggled violently, as if trying to break free from Zhou Bai's control, sending sword energies towards Zhou Bai.

But Zhou Bai pointed a finger, directly stripping away the sword's desire to slay him. Then, Zhou Bai opened his mouth and spat out layers of black mud that wrapped around the Emperor Sword, eroding its power, temporarily suppressing it.

Watching the tide of immortals and humans attacking from all directions, Zhou Bai slowly lifted his eye patch, his icy gaze sweeping over the crowd, "All this time, I have been diligently suppressing my own power, carefully controlling my abilities, fearing to harm this fragile planet, this delicate civilization..."

He spread his arms, and clumps of dark golden mucus spread from his sea of consciousness, adhering to his body and transforming into his Apocalypse Heavenly Skeleton Armor.

"But from today onward, I shall stand above the heavens..."

The limbs of the armor flickered with faint golden starlight, and the shoulder and leg armor grew sharp, menacing horns.

The dark golden mucus enveloped Zhou Bai's head, as if shrouded in dark golden flowing flames, the flames constantly moving and burning, emitting a faint aura of destruction.

If one got close enough, they might even hear an indistinct whispering sound.

Around the armor, from time to time, ferocious faces drifted past, as if the gates of hell had been flung open. This was the work of the distorted shadows.

"The entire heavens will burn in my shadow..."

Zhou Bai opened his mouth, and a pitch-black sword embryo slowly emerged. The blade and hilt of the sword embryo formed a reverse spiral twist, with various dents and holes covering its surface, and spiraling patterns wrapped around the hilt.

It was the End of Dharma Heaven Deformed Sword.

Xuan Nu watched this scene in shock. "Has Zhou Bai created this sword?" Then she saw Zhou Bai refining a piece of flesh torn from the body of Zi Yang True Monarch into the End of Dharma Heaven Deformed Sword, and she felt a blood connection.

Zhou Bai watched the End of Dharma Heaven Deformed Sword squirming and cheering as if it had come to life, and smiled faintly.

Em urgently said from the side, "We need to go, quickly! The Divine Emperor and the Supreme Heavenly Venerate are about to arrive!"

Zhou Bai looked at everyone and spoke indifferently, "Farewell, everyone."

"And remember..."

"Immortals, do not gaze upon me."

Boom! In front of everyone, Zhou Bai seemed to dissolve into chaos. Numerous cultivators shed tears of confusion, and even the vision of formidable enemies like Xiang Tiandi and slaughterers of ghosts became blurred. The sense of shock and silence rose in their hearts only when they turned their heads away.

The next moment, Zhou Bai's chaotic figure was slowly swallowed by the void, and Em cheered, picking up Xuan Nu and entering the void with her.

Ying Hui watched this scene in despair, tears streaming down his face as he screamed towards Zhou Bai, "Zhou Bai!!... What are you doing?!!"

But Zhou Bai's movements did not pause. As he disappeared, all the Heavenly Demons present began to self-destruct, and the deadly heat and radiation engulfed a thousand kilometers of space.

Moments later, a green and a purple light enveloped the area. The violent explosion seemed to be smoothed over by an invisible hand, and all traces related to the Heavenly Demons disappeared.

...

While Zhou Bai and the numerous immortals were in a standoff, inside a super-gigantic space in the Miluo Heavenly Palace.

Doctor Zhuang and Alice stood together.

Before them were huge, peculiar shadows that twisted their bodies and looked at the two with scrutinizing eyes.

"You should go, Zhuang Yan, we have been sealed by the Divine Emperor by our own volition."

"Even if you have now awakened your memories, it's already too late."

"Nothing can be salvaged now."

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