Chapter 146: Heaven's Transformation

Wen Ying had no time to entertain Muershi's antics; his eyebrows were almost knitted into a deep frown.

"The hole seems to be growing larger," Muershi observed from the balcony, his gaze fixed on the apocalyptic sky. "The barrier of that portal is feeble. If it expands any further, lower-ranking demons might be able to pass through."

"Wen Ying, do you think it was the Extremists or someone from the Church?" As he spoke from the balcony's railing, he pulled Muershi along and locked the door behind them before swiftly descending towards the darkness below.

Considering there were no exorcists present in the neighborhood today, whether or not it was the Church's doing, they must be aware of the situation and have prepared accordingly beforehand.

Citizens looked up in awe at the unprecedented phenomenon, many capturing the scene and sharing it online. Numerous comments flooded the internet, with some joking about the apocalypse, others speculating on divine tribulations or even alien invasions.

This time, the government found it impossible to wipe out all the posts, as there were simply too many people sharing images and information – it was beyond their control.

Supermarkets, convenience stores, vegetable markets, jewelry shops – places deemed essential in such circumstances – were inundated with people rushing to stock up on supplies.

Employees at the jewelry shops had never witnessed such a frenzied gold-buying spree; it seemed as if their gold was being treated like common vegetables in a market.

Among the panic buyers were those who had left work halfway through, fearing that some terrifying event might disrupt societal order. They hastily gathered provisions, while others hurried to drive to safer locations. Suddenly, the streets swelled with traffic, filled with honking cars and chattering voices, creating a chaotic buzz.

Wen Ying flew on, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

The hole in the sky continued to expand, surrounded by lightning-laced clouds that rumbled ominously. The animals within the city cried out restlessly, unsettling the hearts of those who heard them.

Wen Ying and Muershi approached beneath the massive hole. Several streets had already been enveloped by it, and one could see official personnel evacuating the area.

As Wen Ying caught sight of a particular structure - the headquarters of the Devil Corporation - he couldn't help but curse inwardly. There was no doubt now; the group of exorcists from the Church must be involved.

In this region, many ordinary people were being guided away. Quite a number of them took out their phones to take pictures, and the leaked videos sparked a huge uproar online.

Those who seemed to be officials had already stepped in to evacuate the area, and no expert would dare attribute this to any ordinary meteorological phenomenon now.

Speculations about the impending apocalypse were rampant online. The government, at present, was focusing solely on suppressing doomsday propaganda and any rhetoric that incited social unrest. They were promptly banning user IDs, and in more severe cases, individuals would face detention after the fact.

In the Yang family, both Yang Zhenxing and Cai Yiyi had returned from outside, and even Yang Shiming, who was attending school, was called back. The house was guarded, and with everyone gathered together, they managed to find some sense of security.

Yang Zhenxing and Cai Yiyi instructed their servants to venture out and procure a substantial amount of food and water. Huo Jue was also present, and they had anticipated that he would propose returning home. However, Huo Jue did not do so. Instead, he stated that the outside world was currently in a state of disarray, and suggested remaining here for a while longer to assess the situation before making any decisions.

Yang Rixi pretended to go to the restroom and whispered to Wen Ying's puppet avatar, "What is that black hole in the sky? Why does it contain such an immense amount of demonic energy?"

Yang Shiming knocked on the outer door. "Big bro, I need something."

Yang Rixi opened the door and let him in, with Beros entering alongside them.

Beros immediately asked Wen Ying, "Did you go see it?"

"We were beneath the black hole – that's the headquarters of the mobile game company. Quite a few exorcists and police officers were evacuating the citizens there," Wen Ying replied. "The barrier of the black hole is weakening. In about a minute, lower demons will be able to pass through."

Upon hearing 'lower demons', Yang Shiming heaved a sigh of relief. "Lower demons are manageable. I should be able to handle low-level demons."

Beros' voice was cold. "Lower demons are the most common type among high-ranking demons, not low-level ones."

Yang Shiming's face instantly turned fearful. "Are you demons planning a massive invasion of the human world? Would being with you make me a traitor to humanity?"

Traitor to humanity? Wen Ying chuckled. "If there were really traitors, those official exorcists you've seen would be the biggest group of them."

Yang Rixi: "???"

Yang Shiming: "What the hell?!"

Boros had no intention of entertaining this useless, easily startled fellow and flew over to Wen Ying's side, asking, "Did you see any magic arrays or the caster that's maintaining the portal over there?"

Wen Ying and Muershi circled the area but failed to detect any magical disturbances related to the skyward passage. All they could sense was that the barrier here was weaker.

Perhaps the exorcists from the Church who were collaborating with the extremist faction had used some unknown method to weaken the barrier in this area beforehand, preparing for the magical portal from the Demon Realm.

Since the location of the casting wasn't here, they had no way of stopping the spell.

That didn't mean they couldn't do anything at all. Wen Ying's puppet avatar attached itself to Yang Rixi and sneaked out to find Lin Wenpu. Lin Wenpu happened to be at home. With a mix of threats and incentives, he made Lin Wenpu talk.

Although Lin Wenpu knew about the existence of demons, he was just an ordinary person. He could only see the low-level demons without physical bodies because he possessed enchanted items. His greatest use was to act as a conduit for their anger.

Being an ordinary person, it would be difficult for the Church's exorcists who were investigating the traitors to find anything on him. Even if they did, they wouldn't have any evidence.

The only evidence lay in the locked room within the Demon Corporation building. Within the room, only a demon could detect the problematic products mixed among the others.

When Lin Wenpu was visited by a demon, he initially thought of using his enchanted items against it. However, he found that his enchanted items were like toys in front of the demon and immediately knelt down.

"Great Demon, sir, what do you wish to know from me? I promise to spill everything I know! But I'm just a messenger, I don't know much. Please don't get angry!"

Initially aloof and indifferent, Wen Ying was utterly taken aback when the being knelt down just seconds later.

Lin Wenpu was sharp-witted. He surmised that the demon's visit couldn't have been with the intent to kill him, for he hadn't done anything significant besides serving as a mere transfer point during the transportation process – akin to a logistic hub. It was implausible for him to have offended such a powerful demon.

Since it was unlikely that he had offended the demon, Lin Wenpu deduced that the creature must have sought him out for information.

With this realization, Lin Wenpu promptly knelt and divulged everything he knew.

Wen Ying fell silent for a few seconds before asking, "Was that magical passage constructed by the Church?"

Lin Wenpu shook his head. "I don't know. I'm only responsible for conveying the anger. It's been a long time since my line of work was active, so I haven't had any contact with exorcists or demons for quite some time."

"Worthless!" Wen Ying's tone conveyed his disappointment.

Shivering, Lin Wenpu strained his memory for any useful information to save his life. Finally, something came to mind, and he quickly said, "One of the demons who came to me for anger mentioned that their staged plan is nearing success."

"Anything else?"

"No, n-nothing more. They were just casually chatting, saying that once this phase of their plan succeeds, they'll be able to command more low-level demons as subordinates."

More low-level demons? Wen Ying's first thought was the demonic realm portal in the sky, but he quickly dismissed it. The demonic realm didn't have many low-level demons.

As a demon who had attended classes, he possessed this basic knowledge. Low-level demons typically emerged from the seven emotions and six desires of humans, not from those of high-level demons.

On the contrary, when some incredibly powerful high-level demons died, they might give birth to intermediate or even high-level demons. These newly born beings originated from their dissipating magical power, distinct from their original selves, yet still new lives.

The magical portal had delivered demonic energy from the demonic realm, turning the human world, at least Mu City, into a breeding ground for low-level demons.

Wen Ying seemed to understand the purpose behind the black hole's opening.

Leaving his essence at the scene, Wen Ying flew back to the Yang residence to inform Huo Jue through Muershi.

With the current situation, Wen Ying temporarily spared Lin Wenpu's life. Possessing Yang Rixi, he first went to find his parents, ensuring their safety before returning to the Yang family.

To avoid arousing suspicion from Yang Zhenxing and the others, Wen Ying left Yang Rixi's body and asked Perseus and Muershi to follow him upstairs to discuss their next move.

Sitting down at the desk, Wen Ying shared the information he had gathered and his speculations with them, then asked his companions, "This situation has surpassed the scope of the final exam. What are your plans now?"

Perseus sat cross-legged and replied, "The stability of the human world doesn't concern us. If demons emerge from the portal, we'll deal with them. If not, we'll seize an opportunity to deal with Xiao Long. There's no need to overthink; our current strength is only a fraction of our true forms."

It was the answer Berlos would give. Wen Ying looked at Muershi, who smiled and said, "My thoughts align with Berlos."

As they were pure demons, they didn't care about how the human world would fare. Wen Ying's heart sank slightly; they didn't share the same perspective.

Berlos asked curiously, "Don't you think the same?" His guard instantly rose. What scheme was Wen Ying cooking up now?

"I believe that if we disrupt the extremist party's plot this time, we'll definitely come out on top," Wen Ying replied.

Berlos clicked his tongue. "If the magic array for the spell was in the Human Realm, I'd think the same way too."

The black hole in the sky suddenly stopped expanding, and its energy had stabilized.

All three demons looked out the window as several dark shadows flew out of the hole.

Wen Ying took a few steps forward, surprised. Had he been wrong?

Berlos stood up. "Seems like you were mistaken. Their goal isn't just to fill Mu City with demonic energy to nourish low-level demons."

As Berlos spoke, his aura was like a sword unsheathed, irresistible and sharp. A faint black demonic energy swirled around him, resembling black flames eager to devour their enemies.

Feeling the aura of battle beneath the black hole, exorcists were engaged in combat with the first wave of low-ranking demons who had descended into the human realm.

As the second batch of low-ranking demons arrived, the three demons keenly sensed that the rules governing the human world had shifted, the suppression against their kind weakening.

Muershi narrowed his eyes slightly. "Their aims extend beyond what we just speculated."

They sought to influence the very rules themselves.

Wen Ying was unfamiliar with the "operating mechanism" of the human world's rules, but he understood the outcome: the more demons that descended, the weaker the suppression on them became. If that was the case, then continuously transporting demons to the human world would effectively nullify their weakened state.

Suddenly, Muershi declared, "I see now. The increase of demonic aura in the human realm strengthens the exorcists, naturally weakening the rules."

Wen Ying was physically present beneath the black hole, at the heart of the battlefield where exorcists and demons clashed. Though most exorcists were not as powerful as the demons, their numbers made up for it. The demons were still in a weakened state, not yet at their peak.

As they conversed, the internet had already exploded with news. Not extraterrestrial beings, but something even more fantastical. Some dared to take photos, and from the blurry, enlarged images, people could discern creatures emerging from the black hole with wings on their backs and horns on their heads. These humanoid figures resembled the legendary depiction of demons.

"Damn, is doomsday turning into the descent of mythology?"

"Where are the angels? What happened to them?"

"The Dragon Squad does indeed exist, right? I heard from my friend that it's a battlefield over there, with people from the country fighting those demons – not with scientific firearms!"

"But I heard gunshots?"

"Probably supernatural beings and soldiers working together."

"This is in the city; they can't use heavy artillery or else they would have just bombed the area outright."

"Will the world change after this?"

With all the commotion here, the relevant departments of the demonic realm took notice.

Upon hearing that it was happening in his territory, Lennach, Perseus' father, flew into a rage and led his subordinates straight to the scene.

Since they were no longer hiding, he could take the opportunity to eliminate them all at once, sparing himself the trouble of searching for them day after day.

Alruda, upon receiving the news, continued watering her flowers without pause, only furrowing her brow slightly as she said to Feng Luo beside her, "It's impossible for this forest to be the only weak spot in the barrier. The Extremists must have found a new vulnerability."

"With Wen Ying and the others there, things aren't too terrible," Feng Luo reassured her.

Aludama stared fixedly at the flowers he was watering, "The demonic aura from the Realm of Devils has passed. It will affect the entire plane's barrier. If they find a few more weak spots and send more demons through, the barrier will gradually fade away."

Feng Luo looked at the flowers Aludama was tending to with a detached tone, "Actually, the barrier breaking isn't much of an issue for us. What we should worry about is humanity."

"No," Aludama suddenly spoke with certainty, "Have you heard of human tales of heroes? Heroes who slay the Devil King."

A flood of question marks filled Feng Luo's mind. Humans? Slaying the Devil King? Who would slay the Devil King? Humans? It sounded like a fairy tale.

Wen Ying, in his original form, observed the scene for a while. The humans were not at a disadvantage. The exorcists and soldiers were cooperating seamlessly, and just like fire magic, firearms also posed a threat to the demons.

If not for the fact that this was an urban area, they could have easily eradicated several lesser demons with aerial bombardment or tank fire.

Wen Ying couldn't help but feel his blood boil with excitement, his demonic heritage urging him to join the battle.

He took a deep breath to suppress this impulse. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a shadow nearby. His gaze sharpened, assuming it to be reinforcements from the exorcists, only to discover that it was another demon cloaked in a shroud of black demonic aura.

The other party had also noticed him. Both sides sized each other up warily.

Wen Ying pondered for a moment before raising his hand, conjuring a small Mirror of True Form in his palm. The other demon's wariness dissipated as it gradually approached.

As the black demon drew closer, Wen Ying realized that its physique suggested it was underage, with slender bones and a figure that appeared feminine.

"Wen Ying?" The voice came with a hint of uncertainty.

"It's me," Wen Ying paused, "Which classmate of mine are you?"

The other relaxed and chuckled, "I'm Koroy."

Wen Ying replied, "What a small world."

Koroy, the demonic fairy, sensed a clue: "There are other demons in Mu City?"

Wen Ying nodded and gestured with three fingers.

Koroy fell silent for a moment before asking, "Are you here to steal points?"

Wen Ying replied calmly, "No, I'm just here to see what's going on. With so many exorcists around, there wouldn't be any points left to snatch, right?"

Koroy didn't respond immediately but pondered for a while before saying, "I've uncovered some information. Quite a few of those exorcists have ties with extremist factions. I planned on taking advantage of the chaos, disguising myself among the demons to eliminate them, then slipping away."

"A commendable strategy." Wen Ying glanced at Xiao Long, who held a magic staff in his hand. Radiant divine light enveloped him, extending out to empower his comrades nearby.

Many of the lesser demons from the Realm of Devils sought to breach the layers of defense to lay siege on Xiao Long.

"Have you also found someone?"

Wen Ying nodded.

On the other side, Wen Ying's avatar doll suddenly heard Muershi say, "In fact, we can infiltrate those demons and launch our attack on our target, with so many of our 'kinsfolk' providing cover for us."

Boros's spirits lifted. "You can still come up with a workable plan."

Upon hearing a similar response from Koroy, Wen Ying's gaze darkened slightly. Actually, he didn't agree with Koroy's plan. Even if some exorcists were colluding with the extremist faction, causing this disaster, on the surface, they were currently protecting ordinary people and this city.

If the demonic forces were to intervene and assault them at this moment, the pressure on the human side would significantly increase.

He hadn't intended to reveal Koroy's thoughts to Beros and Muershi, yet Muershi had surmised them on his own.

Indeed, the race of the Vilefowl is truly detestable, yet Wen Ying had no reason to disagree with Muershi's plan. Thus, Wen Ying patted Muershi's shoulder and said, "You stay here; Boros can come assist me."

Muershi protested, "If I stay, my score will definitely drop."

Wen Ying's smile remained unchanged as he whispered into Muershi's ear, "The bathroom."

Muershi: "… I'll stay." He gritted his teeth and spoke through clenched jaws, casting an aggrieved glance at Wen Ying.

Perseus felt a surge of satisfaction seeing Muershi stay behind. His gaze on Muershi was filled with triumph and arrogance.

Muershi wished he could say that the devil who had trapped Perseus in the toilet for a week was none other than him.

Perseus felt that Wen Ying had treated him fairly by not making him stay while leaving Muershi behind. This unexpected turn of events brought him inexplicable joy.

Wen Ying thought to himself that there needed to be at least one devil to guard the neighborhood since his parents had returned home. They needed protection, and Perseus would never agree to stay, so it had to be Muershi.

As Muershi watched the two devils depart, he grumbled about how cunning Wen Ying was, clearly having one body there already, and now sending his puppet doppelganger over too.

Wen Ying's main body had infiltrated the group of devils, targeting Xiao Long with a purpose. His puppet doppelganger didn't join the battle, instead separating from Perseus halfway through and rushing to find Lan Jiaying, who, as expected, was no longer in the house.

"Wanting to earn points without fully recovering… you're truly stubborn…" Wen Ying murmured to himself.

Wen Ying turned to fly towards the balcony, gazing pensively at the distant black hole.

The current scene was utterly disastrous. The overcast sky seemed torn apart, with malevolent and eerie black fog spewing out lower demons. slender lightning bolts appeared intermittently, accompanied by sporadic jets of flame or water tornadoes. Amidst the clash, the once tranquil Mu City had transformed into a bloody battlefield.

Exorcists had temporarily confined those lower demons to a specific area, preventing them from harming ordinary people. However, if their numbers continued to increase, the exorcists would struggle, and some would inevitably slip through the net.

A single lower demon against a group of humans – the outcome was predictable.

Wen Ying's gaze darkened. Berlos and Koroy didn't need to consider human casualties, allowing them to attack problematic exorcists without restraint. But he couldn't afford to do the same.

Before Wen Ying could come up with a solution here, his main body, in the midst of the battle, noticed another tiny black figure, identical to them.

His puppet avatar blurted out a string of curses. The world was damn small indeed. That little black person must be yet another classmate. Were they all being transported to Mu City in clusters?

Wen Ying wore a frustrated expression.

Yang Rixi, who was now inhabited by the puppet avatar, left Yang Shiming's hidden love nest and flew towards the nearby battlefield.

There must be something in the Human Realm that facilitated the opening of a passage from the Demon Realm.

Wen Ying had been observing for quite some time before an idea struck him, prompting him to infiltrate the now-deserted Demon Corporation building.

He returned to the previously locked room, which was now unlocked. Pushing the door open, he found the interior remained unchanged.

Wen Ying did something that could only be described as foolish – he touched every single product in the room one by one.

The demon-themed mobile game had been popular for years, so there were an astonishing several hundred new items in this room, each with numerous variations. By the time Wen Ying finished touching them all, two more waves of lesser demons had arrived outside.

Those lesser demons were radicals.

After an unknown period, just as Wen Ying was starting to doubt his own intelligence and on the verge of giving up, he stumbled upon a peculiar item.

It was an acrylic coaster printed with a magic array. With a forceful twist, Wen Ying broke it in half. Suddenly, the black hole outside began shrinking. The discovery filled those present with both delight and astonishment, while the radicals were shocked and enraged.

Xiao Long was uncertain, but his status forbade any out-of-place expressions. He forcefully suppressed his surprise and anger.

The anchor point was gone?

Watching the black hole outside gradually shrink, Wen Ying's lips curled into a knowing smile.

With only a limited number of demons in their class, and the world being so vast, it was highly irregular for several demon classmates to be randomly teleported to the small Mu City. This defied logic.

The demonic teacher who taught the art of magic arrays previously mentioned that teleportation arrays often require anchor points, and many of these points share commonalities. This is why Wen Ying speculated that Mu City might possess such an anchor.

This towering edifice stands precisely beneath the black hole. If there were an anchor point to be found, chances are high that it would be located here.

To my surprise, they disguised it as a peripheral, and Wen Ying clicked his tongue in disbelief. It was truly an insult to them, the fans of the two-dimensional world who cherish such peripherals.

No longer were there an unceasing stream of demons emerging to threaten the city's safety; Wen Ying's true form was now unencumbered by worry. Intertwined with their fury over the insult to their surrounding creations, they unleashed their full might, swiftly shattering the protective barrier of exorcists before Xiao Long and then piercing through their opponent's defensive aura. A single punch landed squarely on their adversary's face.

A pungent mix of bitterness and rust exploded, leaving Xiao Long's face twisted in disbelief as he spun through the air.

Boros: "?" He sensed Wen Ying's anger but couldn't fathom what had provoked it.

Soon, his focus shifted to his frustration with his current state of weakness. This body was too fragile, easily injured by the slightest impact, and he couldn't exert his strength. Boros's aura grew increasingly volatile, instilling fear in the exorcists who faced him.

Some among the exorcists began to realize something was amiss. Those few dark figures were distinct from other demons, their aggression far more intense, and they seemed to have specific targets in mind. They paid little attention to those who weren't on their list.

Xiao Le recognized the demon that had killed Wang Run that day; now its target was Xiao Long.

A thought flashed through Xiao Le's mind, causing his pupils to constrict.

He was aware that there were numerous traitors within the Church. During previous investigations, some peculiar incidents had pointed towards Xiao Long's retinue of knight servants, but higher-ups intervened, claiming they were framed. Thus, those matters were dealt with as such.

Recently, many intermediate and low-level demons had been killed in Mu City, cutting off the leads that he and his colleagues were pursuing. Both he and his peers had complained about how the murderer was making their investigation more challenging.

If the culprits were these demons cloaked in dark magic, and if the intermediate and low-level demons they killed were connected to the extremist faction, then the exorcists they intended to kill now...

Xiao Le suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. They aimed to kill the Saint, Xiao Long, as well as the head of the Knights' Order and other high-ranking officials in Mu City's branch of the Church...

If they were all traitors, this would merely be the tip of the iceberg. In terms of numbers, were the "traitors" themselves, or were they the ones colluding with the extremist faction?

Xiao Le dared not dwell on it too much. The more he pondered, the more terrified he became. How deeply had the Church's middle and upper echelons been corrupted? Was the Church still the righteous institution it claimed to be?

His hand holding the weapon trembled slightly, causing the demonic opponent to believe he was afraid. It cackled as it pounced, but despite his quivering body, Xiao Le mustered all his strength to pin the underestimating demon to the ground.

"Xiao Le!" Xiao Long's panicked voice echoed from behind. Turning around, Xiao Le saw tendrils from the black demon binding Xiao Long, several of them piercing his body.

Blood stained the green vines, a stark contrast against their color.

Wen Ying's grip tightened, and the vines followed his will, entwining Xiao Long, constricting him from all sides, effectively dealing with this Church's Saint Son.

Shivering, Xiao Le met the demon's gaze.