Chapter 121

Chapter 121: Endless Consumption

Despite all precautions, news of the dream eventually leaked out.

Voices from across the nation, even from around the world, emerged simultaneously. The relevant authorities, despite their urgency, were powerless and could only watch helplessly as the topic's popularity spiraled out of control.

Not every citizen had experienced the related dreams, but with so many similar accounts surfacing in real life and on the internet, panic spread like wildfire, consuming the rationality of most people in an instant.

It was nearing the New Year, but this time, no joy could be seen on people's faces. Chaos erupted in cities, towns, and villages, wherever there was access to the internet. Speculations about the possible arrival of doomsday abounded. Many became obsessed with this belief, losing their sanity in fear, leading to overcrowded supermarkets, overwhelmed delivery services, and a frenzy that surpassed the 2012 salt-hoarding craze. Essential items such as rice, flour, cooking oil, coal, and other staples were in short supply. Those who could afford it stockpiled them at home as if they were free.

City leaders were nearly driven mad, going as far as dispatching mobile vehicles to broadcast audio messages on the streets, urging citizens not to follow the crowd blindly.

Compared to them, some leaders who were privy to the truth held a much more composed attitude. In their offices, hearing the anxious reports from their subordinates, they could only respond with a sorrowful smile.

If Heaven's Way collapsed and the world truly came to an end, what use would hoarding supplies be?

Human beings had dominated this world for far too long, so long that they had deluded themselves into believing they were the masters of this land, capable of doing as they pleased. It was only now, at the brink of survival, that they realized how weak and insignificant humans were in comparison to the true world.

******

The sky was as dark as if it had been mixed with an indelible black ink.

On the road, Wei Xi asked his second disciple doubtfully, "Que'er, where is the Heavenly Dao?"

"Divine principles are everywhere," Shuo Zong replied calmly. "We're not searching for it; we're looking for its cracks."

Even he hadn't expected the nearest Heavenly Dao fissure to appear in Majuhua Mountain recently.

That was the same Majuhua Mountain where Qiu Guokai had invited many Taoist priests to perform exorcisms for a film crew, leading Wei Xi to accidentally gain a group of monster employees.

Shuo Zong stood at the top of the hotel on Majuhua Mountain. The mountain wind was wild, and he narrowed his eyes at the sky above him. "No wonder this ordinary mountain could nurture so many monsters. There was a crack in the Heavenly Dao back then."

It seemed that the fissure in the Heavenly Dao wasn't significant at that time, so no chaos ensued. It only leaked some spiritual energy, allowing some talented animals in the mountains to become monsters.

"Hey! Where did you come from?! Why did you suddenly appear on the roof of our hotel?!" The sudden appearance of the auspicious beasts caused quite a commotion, which was captured by the hotel's surveillance cameras. The owner thought they were being robbed and hastily rushed up with a group of security guards to stop them.

The owner felt he was unlucky. Recently, someone had inexplicably reported that his hotel was unclean, resulting in an inspection and a hefty fine. The owner couldn't understand; usually, he hired relatives, who should have been discreetly messy. However, the complainant somehow seemed to have lived in their hotel for years, even knowing that they used the same cloth to wipe both teacups and toothbrushes. Frustrated by this unfair blow, the owner was furious and wanted to find out who the complainant was. But despite searching the entire hotel with his staff, they didn't find a single clue.

That was already strange enough, but today, something even stranger happened. There had been no activity in the lobby, so how did these people get to the rooftop?

Shuo Zong glanced at the unscrupulous owner of "Chapter 60," whose establishment he had reported, and his impression was terrible. He didn't bother to talk to the man and instead let an accompanying department leader present their work credentials. They called in personnel from the Maohua Mountain Tourism Management Bureau to evacuate the hotel staff.

"We've detected a group of poaching gangs operating in the vicinity of Maohua Mountain. For safety reasons, we request that you suspend operations and seek shelter outside the mountain for a few days."

The owner was startled. Seeing a familiar employee from the management office summoned by the stranger, he didn't suspect anything. "So you're plainclothes officers!"

Winter on Maohua Mountain already had few tourists, and their hotel hadn't seen much business lately. Naturally, preserving their lives was more important than making money. Thus, they hastily packed up and fled with their employees. As they left, they witnessed numerous animals in the forest racing down the mountain alongside their car, which prompted them to post online,

"Don't believe in this nonsense about doomsday. Poachers are striving to meet their year-end targets, the police are still catching criminals, and the sanitation department is still issuing fines. If it were really doomsday, would there be such order in the world?"

*********

All visitors remaining in Maohua Mountain were evacuated, and sensing danger, the sharp-witted animals also fled. Wei Xi crouched on the rooftop's edge, watching the terrified creatures rush blindly. Gazing at the now empty container that had once held resentment, he sighed deeply.

"These are all wild, you can't just catch them..."

He was still quite leisurely, preoccupied with thoughts of food and drink.

In contrast, the other blessed beasts were gripped by unprecedented tension. The air trembled, and unfamiliar figures appeared on the rooftop, each radiating a faint divine glow.

Wei Xi immediately became alert and looked at them warily.

The other divine beasts on the scene seemed to recognize them. Master Wind and Master Rain even greeted them, "You're here too?"

This group of newcomers was quite arrogant and didn't bother acknowledging Master Wind and Master Rain. Only a fierce-looking deity in a daoist robe replied, "Of course, with the collapse of Heavenly Dao, how could we deities and buddhas remain indifferent?"

Master Wind and Master Rain now sort of counted as his employees, and Wei Xi felt somewhat displeased. "Who are these people?"

His disciple answered calmly, "They are the remaining deities and buddhas from the Eastern and Western Heavenly Realms. Over a hundred years ago, when Heavenly Dao collapsed, it led to the destruction of the Heavenly Realms, causing all the stars to fall. Only they, with their large followings, managed to survive the catastrophe."

Wei Xi nodded, pretending to understand. "So they're top performers. No wonder they're showing off in front of Master Wind and Master Rain, looking down on those with worse performance."

The stars: "...."

The fierce-looking deity in the daoist robe twitched his face. When Wei Xi saw him, he felt a sense of familiarity. "Ah, you're that...the one enshrined in Fellow Daoist Kuang's Liandu Temple..."

This deity clearly recognized him too and snorted heavily. A companion asked him, "Who's this...?"

"He stole believers from my temple!"

At that moment, he was so furious that his anger disrupted the scent of ten fragrances in one breath!

The questioning deity: "???"

Wei Xi had already risen to his feet and began recruiting, "I am Wei Xi, the sect leader of Taicang Sect. Esteemed Immortals, do any of you have an interest in developing with our Taicang Sect?"

Regardless of species, as long as their performance was good, Taicang Sect welcomed them!

The deities: "…"

The auspicious beasts: "…"

Shuo Zong silently turned away, while Xia Shouren complained, "Wei... Wei Xi, let's not even talk about the timing right now... Recruiting demons and monsters is one thing, but isn't it going too far to recruit gods as well...?"

Wei Xi found his reasoning flawed, "Their organization has already collapsed, so why can't I help laid-off employees find new jobs?"

After a moment's thought, he added, "Besides, this isn't the first time. Aren't Master Wind and Master Rain doing just fine in our company?"

Xia Shouren: "…"

Xia Shouren once again realized the meaning of being unable to refute sound reasoning.

**********

The fierce-looking deity's brows shot up. "Laid-off worker?!"

Wei Dedao slowly stepped in front of him, blocking his view. "Esteemed Star Lord, my disciple is young and speaks his mind. Please don't take offense."

His appearance, adorned with the resplendent golden light of virtue, immediately startled the deities!

Several gods looked at him in surprise. "Who are you?"

Wei Dedao smiled warmly. "I am an unknown figure, unworthy of mention. Fortunately, I have good fortune, having taken on a fine disciple who now supports me in the Taicang Sect as a venerated deity."

"A venerated deity?!" The fierce deity, still resentful over Wei Xi's excavation of believers from his temple, scoffed. "Without divine approval, you're nothing but a pretender to the divine throne!"

Wei Dedao remained unperturbed, speaking calmly. "Indeed, all of you Star Lords surpass me. I merely benefit from the esteem of my believers."

His amiable demeanor made it hard for anyone to be angry, and the rare golden light of virtue that enveloped him drew more attention than his status as a false god. The gods, intrigued despite their colleague's lackluster performance, turned to the more familiar Wind Master and Rain Master. "You...have really joined their sect? What do you do within it?"

The Fierce Immortal snorted. "Can't you tell by their demonic appearance that they're up to no good?"

Master Wind flew into a rage. "Don't spout nonsense!"

Master Rain also frowned. "Although we were once misguided, we came to our senses in time and didn't commit any great wrongs. What we do now is for the greater good of mankind; your words are rather harsh."

The Fierce Immortal's brows furrowed even deeper. "Greater good? For the world?"

Master Wind raised his eyebrows proudly and harrumphed. "Indeed! It's the most revered task by the Heavenly Dao itself."

The immortals were taken aback, and upon considering the duo's identities, they were astonished. "Are you referring to creating winds and rain?"

Though wind and rain were crucial to the world, it was a stretch to call them the most revered tasks by the Heavenly Dao.

Master Wind replied, "How could it be that? It's far more promising than just causing winds and rain. Nowadays, I only work with Master Rain on precipitation occasionally."

The immortals became even more perplexed. What kind of new occupation could have made Master Wind and Master Rain abandon their millennia-old rain-making abilities, and yet boast about its brighter prospects with such confidence?

Master Rain smiled and replied, "Nothing much, really. We've just learned to help our believers treat their athlete's foot, hemorrhoids, and constipation."

Immortals: "?????"

Master Wind's eyes held a hidden sense of triumph. "Not only that, but recently, Master Rain and I have been taking online classes together, learning about fungal principles. We even plan to tackle athlete's foot, acne, and hemorrhoids next!"

Immortals: "?????"

The fierce immortal was incredulous. "The grand, heavenly-endorsed mission to bless humanity is... treating foot odor, hemorrhoids, and constipation? Do you really think that's possible?"

Master Wind had long grown tired of their ignorance and sneered. "Why not? Look at the virtuous glow on his body. I'm only telling you because we once shared the Heavenly Court, but if it were someone else, I wouldn't even bother."

Immortals: "...."

The immortals felt like they had heard something unimaginable. They turned to Wei Dedao. "You, your golden glow of virtue... could it be..."

Wei Dedao: "...."

Silently adjusting Wei Xi's position, Wei Dedao smiled and nodded. "Indeed."

"!!!!!!!!!"

The Fierce Immortal's expression flickered, finding it implausible on one hand, yet the virtuous golden light on Wei Dedao was too convincing on the other. This was a level of virtue that celestial beings had dared not even dream of for thousands of years, and yet it had been attained by Wei Dedao, a mere pseudo-god.

However, what Master Wind and Master Rain said was too inconceivable.

He looked at them doubtfully, "This... If this is true, why is the virtue on the two of you so meager?"

Master Wind and Master Rain were taken aback by the question.

To be honest, they had pondered over this recently as well.

The Taicang Sect currently had a limited number of believers, so there weren't many with hidden troubles. Apart from Old Lady Wang, there were a few others with eye problems or digestive issues. Following the online class, they had also attempted to treat these conditions, and Heavenly Dao did bestow some virtuous golden light, but certainly not as much as Wei Dedao's.

At first, they wondered if they had been deceived by the Taicang Sect, if perhaps Wei Dedao had some other secret means to accumulate virtue.

But they spent a lot of time with Wei Dedao and hadn't witnessed him doing anything extraordinary. He would idly take them to visit the limited number of believers' homes, eat offerings, look at incense candles, and diagnose minor ailments just like they did. Yet, despite performing the same tasks, virtuous golden light would frequently shower upon Wei Dedao as if it were free, with at least seven or eight instances in the past half-month, each time more abundant than the last.

Master Wind and Master Rain were also perplexed. What was going on?

Wei Dedao listened silently. Lately, during the honeymoon period of cooperation between the Asura World and the human world, a few new oil fields had been discovered outside the capital city, and Unity Righteousness had organized Mo Luo and other demons from the Demon World for a literacy and law-awareness campaign...

Should he tell them about this or not...

However, before he could make up his mind, Master Wind had already found the answer on his own – first, Wei Dedao would never secretly accumulate virtue under their noses; second, Heavenly Dao was always impartial, seeing all creatures in the world as equal, so there wouldn't be any special favoritism – the only explanation for the different amounts of virtue must be...

"It must be because we're not as competent as he is!"

Wei Dedao's eyes were lifeless as he replied, "Indeed!"

The Fierce God furrowed his brows, his true thoughts unknown. He reluctantly agreed, "I think you've truly gone mad."

The other gods shared similar sentiments.

After all, gods held themselves in high esteem and valued dignity above all else. Though the golden glow of virtue was like a badge of honor among deities, sought after by all, it didn't serve any practical purpose for them. It was too much to ask for these uncorrupted gods, who once held some status in the celestial realm, to fawn over a false god just for that golden glow.

*****

The gods' indifference to Wei Xi's offer left him feeling the frustration of a small business owner struggling to recruit. Fortunately, at that moment, Heavenly Dao finally stirred, temporarily relieving him of such worries.

The sky seemed to darken even more than before.

In the distance, there was a faint rumble of thunder.

Everyone present could easily distinguish that this was the sound of heavenly thunder, distinct from ordinary thunder.

However, the rumble was already very weak, as if the Heavenly Dao was exhausted from attempting to strike something down.

Wei Xi looked up at the sky in confusion. Upon hearing the thunder, he felt a vague stirring in his heart, but couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

It was as if it was fear, or perhaps something else struggling to break free from within him.

He pricked up his ears, trying to listen carefully to what he had forgotten, until his second disciple approached and covered his ears with a warm palm.

Wei Xi: "Que'er, what are you doing?"

Wei Dedao slowly walked towards them. "Xiao Xi, listening to that sound too much will make our brains dull. Let's not listen."

Wei Xi: "!!!"

"More cracks are appearing in the Heavenly Dao, it's disintegrating!" Xia Shouren called out. "Old—uh, who was it! Come here and set up a formation!"

Shuo Zong exchanged a swift "glance" with Wei Dedao.

Now, in his human form and unawakened, Wei Xi should be safe.

But in this human shell, without awakening, neither Wei Xi nor Wei Dedao possessed any strength.

Wei Dedao nodded, softly uttering, "Wait for me," before releasing his grip and leaping into the midst of the auspicious beasts.

Without his master's hand muffling his ears, Wei Xi found the previously dim thunder much clearer. However, every time he attempted to concentrate on it, Wei Dedao would warn, "Listening too much will make you stupid."

Wei Xi replied coldly, "Wei Dedao, don't try to scare me."

Still, considering the brilliance of his own intellect, it wouldn't be good if it were affected. Eventually, he refrained from deliberately focusing on the frequency of the thunder.

With the collapse of Heavenly Paradise, what was once an abundance of gods, buddhas, and divine beasts now numbered only the few gathered on the terrace, insignificant compared to the vast expanse of heaven and earth. Yet, Shuo Zong was completely unconcerned. Despite his voice still carrying a youthful quality reminiscent of "Lu Que," it didn't diminish its authoritative tone: "Activate the Spirit Array."

At a glance from Ning Tian, all the auspicious beasts approached as one.

The other deities exchanged glances, tacitly acknowledging his command.

Moments later, an immense array, imbued with divine power, rose from the ground in their hands and surged directly towards the crumbling Heavenly Dao!

The originally weakened Heavenly Dao seemed to have been injected with a powerful stimulant. However, it was then followed by an even more furious roar erupting from its cracks! A portion of it surrounded the Heavenly Dao, while another part angrily surged towards them!

**********

This swathe of blackness blotted out the sky, carrying a terrifying cold wave.

In the city, despite it being the afternoon, the sky had already darkened as if it were midnight, and what made it even more terrifying than before was that rain had started to fall.

Fierce gales intertwined with torrential rain battered against the glass façade of the skyscraper, as if they were relentlessly determined to topple the building.

People who had been at work could no longer focus on their tasks, fear driving them away from their desks to huddle in corners. The calls from their supervisors fell on deaf ears as they pondered the rampant speculation online. Some, overwhelmed by desperation, turned and left amidst their bosses' shouts.

Damn the job, damn the boss! The apocalypse is almost upon us! Why bother being a corporate drone? Of course, the priority is to stock up on supplies!!!

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Huamao Mountain.

"Calamity!" Xia Shouren exclaimed in shock at the sight of the darkness. "Why is there so much resentment gathered here? It's even more than what I encountered on my way to the capital!"

Shuo Zong drew the God-Slaying Whip with a cold expression, meeting the seemingly endless resentment head-on. He lashed out, dispelling it all. "If I don't know the reason, then I'll just fight."

Indeed, there was some truth to that. Xia Shouren gritted his teeth and charged forward with his companions. However, the resentment this time had learned its lesson and did not condense into its original form. Instead, it adopted a scattered and cunning strategy, appearing everywhere and sticking close like a shadow. It was incredibly agile, as if controlled by someone.

Wei Xi, atop the rooftop, was somewhat restless. Watching his second disciple fight outnumbered, he naturally wished to lend a hand. However, lacking any means of assistance, he found himself unable to leap to such great heights.

Wei Xi attempted several times to fly but failed, so he called out to the one accompanying him, "Wei Dedao!"

Wei Dedao sighed, seemingly wanting to say something, but eventually, he softly addressed him, "Xiao Xi..."

Fixing his gaze on the sky, Wei Xi watched as his second disciple was finally struck by the resentment.

Countless resentful spirits, unable to penetrate the Godslayer Whip, condensed themselves into sharp blades that swarmed the opponents, slicing and detonating along the way. The destructive power was far beyond any mortal weapon. Those with weaker defenses, like Xia Shouren, were severely injured by the explosions, while even Shuo Zong sustained a deep wound on his face, an uncommon sight for him.

Golden-red blood trickled down his cheek, and Shuo Zong's expression darkened in an unusual manner.

"No," he declared resolutely, staring at the rift in the Heavenly Dao. "Something is controlling them."

Grudges were selfish and indifferent, overthrowing the Heavenly Dao only to restore chaos and free themselves from constraints. They had no notion of self-sacrifice for their beliefs. Clearly, they were being manipulated by an existence of a higher order.

Seeing the wound on his disciple's face, Wei Xi's eyes reddened, and his mind exploded with noise. A terrifying rage, unfamiliar even to himself, erupted uncontrollably from the depths of his being.

"Courting death!!!"

Without realizing how, he found himself standing protectively in front of his disciple, clutching shredded grudge energy in his hand as he began to fall.

Shuo Zong was startled and immediately reached out to catch his waist. "Wei Xi!"

By the time Wei Xi regained his senses, the fleeting burst of fury had vanished. Swiftly, he stuffed the mass of grudge energy into his mouth and turned to examine the wound on his disciple's face. "Que'er, are you alright?"

Not far away, Xia Shouren felt resentful. "I'm sliced up like this, yet that old beast's wounds are probably less than two centimeters deep. Why isn't anyone asking if I'm okay..."

However, at that moment, the multitude of auspicious beasts also abruptly realized something from Wei Xi's actions.

Back in the capital, when Wei Xi had consumed the formed grudge energy, they hadn't sensed anything amiss. But now, the grudges were formless and invisible, able to be dispersed by spiritual energy but not completely eradicated. Yet Wei Xi effortlessly ingested them, and the swallowed grudge energy didn't exhibit any further anomalies.

It seemed as if everything in the world lost its resistance when faced with Wei Xi's lips.

The mystical beasts exchanged startled glances, while the lingering resentment ahead finally ceased its haunting actions.

The atmosphere was tense, like the calm surface of an ocean hiding turbulent undercurrents.

A soft laughter echoed through the sky.

A vague figure stepped out from the rift in the Heavenly Dao: "I see now, why the dispatched resentment never returned. It was you."

Xia Shouren instantly recognized the figure: "Chaos!!!"

The fierce-looking deity beside him jumped in surprise: "Chaos?! Didn't Chaos get struck down by lightning? And besides, Chaos is said to resemble a dog, with long fur and four legs. That doesn't look like him!"

"That's not the Chaos you're thinking of."

Xia Shouren's usually carefree expression gradually turned serious: "This is the Chaos that existed before the cosmos was created. You became a deity too late, so it's understandable that you don't know about it."

Before Pan Gu split the heavens and earth, the universe was shrouded in darkness – perhaps that darkness itself was Chaos. It devoured all existence, leaving no room for humans or any other life forms apart from itself. Eventually, Chaos was cleaved apart, giving birth to the heavens and earth, and the diverse world we know today.

Chaos spoke leisurely, "Indeed, I was born alongside this universe, older than the sun, moon, stars, and Heavenly Dao itself. I am entitled to be your senior."

Wei Xi stared intently at this unexpected figure.

Xia Shouren commented, "A senior who wishes to revert everything back into chaos?"

Unfazed, Chaos replied, "This universe originally belonged to me. Isn't it right for me to return it to its chaotic state?"

Shuo Zong sneered, "You devoured all living beings in the world, so you claim it as yours?"

Wei Xi might eat anything, but he still acknowledged that stealing and eating without reason was wrong, and he'd receive punishment afterward. Compared to Wei Xi, this senior Chaos was truly shameless.

Chaos' laughter echoed everywhere, tinged with deep resentment. "Why wouldn't it be mine? It was stolen from me! Heavenly Dao has suppressed me for so long! It's time to reclaim what's rightfully mine!"

Xia Shouren twitched his lips, realizing there was no point in arguing. "I thought you had dissipated. I never expected you were merely suppressed by Heavenly Dao."

Chaos laughed heartily. "How could Chaos dissipate? Chaos is Chaos! I can survive anywhere in the universe, even in ashes. Heavenly Dao can do nothing against me!"

The multitude of gods, buddhas, and divine beasts listened with tense expressions.

Indeed, the Primordial Chaos was like that – it existed as an intangible "vapor," unlike ghosts that could be reincarnated or physical bodies that would perish. Its concept of life and death was ambiguous, for it had no tangible form, was immune to water and fire, and impervious to any attacks. No matter how it was divided or severed, it would always remain in this world.

At this moment, Wei Xi suddenly turned to Shuo Zong, swallowing his saliva. "Que'er."

Upon hearing his voice, Shuo Zong's tense expression eased slightly. He looked down at him and asked, "What's up?"

Wei Xi's reaction differed from everyone else's; he even seemed a little delighted. "He means... he can be eaten continuously without ever being depleted?"

A creature that could never be consumed despite endless eating – what kind of divine treasure was this?

Shuo Zong: "..."

The auspicious beasts: "..."

Primordial Chaos: "???"

Everyone suddenly began pondering this question with great seriousness.