Total Madness

The alarms wailed shrilly. Crimson light flickered and swirled. Within a pale space devoid of size or distance, entangled beneath invisible locks, the immense projection of the mortal world turned silently. Yet all at once, a crimson marker rose from the surging azure waves, swiftly seizing the primary observation window. Amid the sharp, piercing sirens, projections of souls resembling pencil figures materialized one after another, hurriedly coming online and converging. "The Vortex's stability index has begun to show anomalies." "This signal... is it a convergence of Great Sin?" "The Flame Tide Seed—what does the Observation Department even do all day? It reignited for so long without anyone noticing!" "It was just a thermal anomaly in the deep sea, plus the outer blockade! Do you have any idea how many active undersea volcanoes erupt every single day? If we had to inspect every single heat source, the Eye wouldn't be able to do anything else!" "Then it might as well stop working right now! It's no different from being blind anyway!" "Enough, stop bickering." An aged voice rang out, cutting off the finger-pointing between the two departments. "All the lines in the surrounding area have been cast out. Can you confirm the situation?" "The situation is mostly clear. Although there are discrepancies in minor details, the specific ritual manifestations and core structure are identical to what happened in Quancheng... It's the Evil Transmutation Cult, without a doubt!" The Evil Transmutation Cult? The damn Evil Transmutation Cult had fought its way back again?! Beneath the flashing crimson alarms, complete silence fell. Even though the soul avatars showed no facial expressions, every one of their moods was undoubtedly grim. Who could have imagined that even in death, some people could leave behind such boundless catastrophe? It was entirely possible he had planned this from the very beginning! The chaos in Quancheng back then had merely been the start. While secretly laying groundwork in Quancheng, no one had realized that guy's hand had already reached far beyond everyone's sight, planting such an astounding trap. Now, erupting so abruptly, it struck all the observers with unspeakable horror. Before one wave could subside, another arose. After the first attempt failed, a second attempt followed immediately on its heels. Even though Lu Changsheng was dead and the Evil Transmutation Cult had seemingly collapsed and splintered into pieces on the surface, they had covertly broken into small cells and regrouped, orchestrating something this colossal! No, what was even more bone-chilling was precisely this: Who knew what else was waiting in the shadows? Besides... Was Lu Changsheng truly dead? Though the same question and doubt coiled in everyone's minds, no one was willing to voice it aloud. Drenched in cold sweat, they remained locked in suffocating silence. They simply could not believe the reality before their eyes! Snap! Beneath the projection of the mortal world, the colossal vortex formed of coalescing darkness was expanding once more. From the storm's eye, where dark clouds churned, tentacles stretched out one after another, latching onto the mortal world along resonant linkages. At last, they made contact— The Fulcrum! Boom! The pale space shook violently, and the alarms grew increasingly shrill and frantic. In the mortal realm within the projection, above that stretch of sea where fierce light burst forth and storms raged, not a single ray of sky remained. Only a layer of seemingly tangible darkness abruptly unfurled from the vault of heaven. It resembled a grotesque, giant eye. Darkness spread like ink dripped into clear water, dispersing rapidly without the slightest sign of dilution or fading. Deep within that eye of darkness, wisps of dreamy, seductive prismatic light slowly rose—bizarre yet magnificent, like eternal aurorae beneath a polar night of myth. A tainted brilliance was born from pure darkness, eroding the mortal realm. As the alarms grew harsher, various figures surged and shifted. On the charts, a curve surged into a peak at an unbelievable speed, soaring far past the critical threshold! Fast—far too fast! It was so fast that everyone was caught completely off guard, and the worst possible outcome was already slammed in their faces: "Anchoring is complete! "The phase alignment between the Vortex and the mortal world has begun to overlap!" The shadow of the Vortex seeped into the mortal world, overlapping and tainting that stretch of ocean. If this continued, having that sea along with the entire Border Realm plunge into the depths of the Vortex would be the best-case scenario! If things went wrong, another Void Abyss might even be gouged open... What was more, around the projection currently blanketed in darkness, black dots appeared one after another, drawing near, gathering, and fanning the flames— The moment they sensed the fall taking place, Sin-Bearers from all across the world swarmed in like flies catching a scent! Not to mention notorious syndicates like Decaying Wind, Blood Eye, and Wolf Den, which had long made preparations in the surrounding waters, as well as countless opportunists throughout the Thousand Islands who rejoiced in chaos and kicked others while they were down. Every fall was a geyser of the essence of Great Sin, a pollution of the mortal realm. To Sin-Bearers, however, it was an unvarnished blessing and windfall. It was like sweet rain falling from the heavens. It was New Year's come early! Yet what truly left everyone stunned was the spectacle projected upon the heavens as the seals over the Border Realm fractured step by step, carried by massive currents of spiritus! A solemn, grand sacrificial temple, a city and ruins cloaked beneath the shadows of the tower and the Palace-Burning Fire, and numerous life-or-death struggles. Amid this rolling upheaval, at the very heart of the Border Realm, the crisp chime of jade grew louder and clearer! Drawn by the external shifts, a radiant, dreamlike flash of light suddenly blazed deep within the sacrificial temple! Before everyone's dazed gazes, a wisp of faint light rose into the sky, unfurling slowly. In the end, it stamped a silhouette of past glory against that absolute darkness. It looked like the lingering impression of an ancient seal. Fleeting though it was, it was clear enough for everyone to make out the inscribed words— "Ever-Firm Heaven's Mandate, Boundless for Ten Thousand Generations"! In that instant of sudden suffocation, all the observers froze in place. Immediately after, in the open and in the shadows, from the Empire to the Federation, from the Thousand Islands to the Mid-Continent— Everyone who understood the significance leaped to their feet, completely unable to contain themselves. And then— Total madness! "The Imperial Seal of the Realm! The Imperial Seal of the Realm!" Amid the ruins outside the sacrificial temple, Duke Wuyou, still dazed, had yet to recover from his shock, his gaze glued to that streak of light. His eyes turned entirely crimson, burning like fire. He was not the only one. The moment that faint radiance was perceived, Duke Changle, Duke Anguo, the many Sin-Bearers who had charged into the Border Realm, and even the lurkers watching from outside could no longer contain their cries of shock. The absolute authority left behind by the Eternal Empire of old, the control and nexus of the Tower of Tianyuan, the core connecting the Upper Goodness of today with the Great Sins! "Changle!" Among the many warships in the sky, Duke Anguo's avatar manifested once more, his voice raspy. "The imperial authority and supreme laws of state must not be lost! You and I are both scions of the Empire. Regardless of who wins or loses, the victor will at least have hope of restoring the Empire. But if you and I keep fighting now, are we going to let these rats reap the spoils?!" The crimson eyes of Changle's puppet turned toward Anguo. Without hesitation, the two reached out and struck their palms together. The distorted Law of Tianyuan instantly intertwined between them, establishing a binding restraint. An alliance! More and more mad dogs would come from outside, not to mention treacherous figures like the Sower lurking in the dark. If they kept tearing at each other like dogs, they would only end up as a laughingstock for others to enjoy over dinner. The only solution for now, regardless of whose hands the prize ultimately fell into, was to unite first and present a united front against the outside! And the first one that had to be eliminated was the rabble-rouser dispatched by the Sower— Both pairs of eyes snapped toward Shehri. Killing intent erupted. The black sails across the sky billowed, linking together into a single whole. Out of thin air, a colossal figure formed of darkness emerged. A giant hand wrapped in boundless wind and thunder slammed down with savage force! In the distance, Shehri, who was sprinting at full tilt, felt his soul nearly take flight in terror. Dodging in sheer desperation, he bellowed, "Duke Changle, Duke Anguo, why believe the instigation of others?! I, Shehri, follow the Holy Lord's command solely to assist the two of you in achieving your grand cause...!" "Save it." Changle glanced at him, completely unmoved. "I truly cannot afford Lord Sower's goodwill. Even an idiot like Wuyou knew enough to guard against you lot. If you truly wish to make a sacrifice for the grand cause, you might as well perish here. When the Empire is rebuilt in the days to come, I might even consider conferring some posthumous honors upon you." The wooden puppet remained indifferent, but the hand behind its back suddenly clenched. The hidden trap he had left behind while freeing Shehri from Duke Wuyou's restraints detonated instantly. Shehri's movements froze. Blades burst out from within his flesh, instantly subjecting him to a thousand cuts. From the heavens above, Duke Anguo's all-out strike, powered by his fleet, slammed down without the slightest hesitation! Boom! Behind the breach in the dead wall, a deep fissure ripped across the colossal plaza. Subterranean fire erupted, accompanied by crashing celestial thunder. Amid shrill shrieks of agony, Shehri was reduced to ash. Yet immediately following, the countless ashes contracted inward again, gathering and taking shape around a grotesque seed of flesh and blood! "I... I'm still alive! Hahaha! Hahahaha!" Shehri danced with wild abandon, practically weeping tears of joy. It was not merely relief at his survival, but the sensation of endless power welling up within his body: "This is the Holy Lord's divine power! The Holy Lord... the Holy Lord has not abandoned me!" Torn bandages unraveled like chains, revealing the grotesque, decaying body underneath—half-man, half-wolf. Bloodstained fur grew outward, unfurling with ripples of emerald luster. That beast-man face lifted once more, grinning, and exhaled a strange, pestilential breath. He opened his maw and roared. The power of the plague seed erupted violently, whipping up a sky-blotting, sickly green tempest. Wherever it passed, all creations seemed to weather centuries in an instant, reduced to ash beneath the relentless ravages of time. Along with his movements, deep rumbles erupted continuously throughout the temple's city. The hidden traps he had laid along his path were completely detonated. Boundless wolf blood sprouted, rising in pillars and spreading deadly poison. The lethal toxin drifted, sweeping across the entire Border Realm. Warships warily climbed in altitude to evade it, but the men on their decks dissolved in silence one by one, their flesh and blood turning into pus, even their dry bones becoming new vectors of contagion. Without having made a single move, merely watching from afar, Duke Changle's face developed patches of sickly green and black. Scabs sprouted, giving off a putrid stench. The shadow of the tower shook violently, dispelling most of the wolf blood's erosion. The Law of Tianyuan within the sacrificial temple coiled toward Shehri like maggots clinging to bone, but a hazy layer of light surfaced over his body. Under the blessing bestowed by the Holy Lord, it repelled all suppression from Tianyuan, leaving him completely unfettered. Cracking sounds rang out incessantly. A crimson storm charged into the Border Realm from outside like a deluge, spreading rampantly. Countless locusts scattered blindly through the realm, penetrating every crevice. Hysterical laughter echoed. "Fear not, Rotscale! I'm here to back you up!" Amid the mad laughter, the locusts filling the sky converged into a bizarre armored figure over three meters tall. Six eyes sat upon his head, and his entire body looked as though it had been drenched in blood. A Sin-Bearer of the Exaltation tier, of the Frenzied Slaughter! Capitalizing on his proximity, he had been the first to breach the Border Realm. After observing for a long time, he had suddenly struck. He drew a pale bone spear and hurled it toward Changle, forcing back the numerous Sin-Bearers under the duke's command. Boom! The silhouette of the warships reappeared in the sky, glaring down in fury as thunder and fire rained down continuously: "Sukarno, you filthy dog, you dare covet the imperial seal?!" "To hell with your imperial seal! A broken chunk of rock—if I want it, it should be honored!" Sukarno spat, a mocking grin on his face. "Only you surviving remnants would treat it like a treasure. Don't worry, once it's in my hands, I'll take good care of it. When that time comes, old dog, why don't you stick your ass up and let me have my fun? Maybe then I'll let you have a lick of it!" "Die!" The avatar formed of warships went instantly berserk. Beams of fierce light, brilliant as colossal stars, surged upward and poured down below under Anguo's command. Changle's expression darkened. After switching to a brand-new vessel, he led his subordinates in a ferocious charge toward Shehri. Outside the Border Realm, figure after figure leaped in without regard for their lives. Gazing upon the countless relics left behind by the Eternal Empire, they were swept up in unbridled ecstasy, abandoning all restraint. "It really is the Eternal Empire!" "The Imperial Seal of the Realm!" "Such a massive natural crystal—they actually carved an entire stele out of it!" The strong watched the changes within the sacrificial temple, while the weak refused to leave empty-handed, bending down to frantically plunder whatever lay within arm's reach, even butchering fellow intruders over their spoils. It was like a soaring, feverish feast. A savage, surging carnival! Amid the violent devastation and upheaval, the shadow of the tower flickered violently, looking as if it might disperse at any moment. Everything was gradually engulfed by the spreading flames, hurtling toward collapse. Yet for some reason, the previous struggle and cruelty had vanished, and no one noticed this anomaly. Even the lingering phantoms seemed frozen, standing blankly where they were. Wailing in vain, worshiping devoutly, wandering in confusion... Only thick, viscous blood fell continuously, splashing across the ground and meandering in streams. Broken bones tumbled into the flames, burning to ash. Death, death, death, death— Death unfolded and spread every second. No one could escape it, yet even more people desperately sought to leap in. Those souls wailed, falling into the darkness alongside the blood and bones. The ritual was still ongoing. Beneath Ji Jue's cold, downcast gaze... The sacrifice had begun long ago! Across the ocean outside the Border Realm, darkness ran rampant. Bizarre shadows whistled in from all directions, merging into the spreading taint of Great Sin, swirling, gathering, and scrambling to plunge into the Border Realm. Yet some were too powerful to squeeze inside at all. Others hesitated, unwilling to take the risk, lingering around the perimeter to watch in secret. Under the gathering of immense corruption, the pitch-black eye in the sky had expanded to its limit. The bizarre illusory light brewing within grew increasingly violent and tempestuous. The Vortex was drawing near! The torrential downpour intensified, waves surging to the heavens amid howling winds, thunder, and lightning, making the entire sea look as though it had fallen into doomsday. In truth, it was no different from doomsday. The anchoring was complete! The territory within over a thousand li radiated by the Border Realm could tear away from the mortal world at any moment, plummeting into that chaotic abyss— Far away, within a dim space, the projections of five seats swiftly lit up, emerging and reuniting. "What bloody mess is it this time? I'm in the middle of surgery!" the doctor from Hope Hospital asked irritably, bloodstains still visible on his mask. "Day in, day out, are those bastards ever going to stop?!" "The Sealing Committee's Eye has confirmed the situation, and the Locksmith has made the judgment: a world-level threat and crisis," the elder from Everlasting Bank reported concisely. "This could potentially threaten the status of the Pillars. The T5 must respond." "Day in and day out, when we're useful we're the T5, and when we're not we're treated like five dogs—oh, President, I don't mean you." The middle-aged man from Boundless Telecom sneered. "Now you remember us tools? Too late!" "Woof?" Coated in dust from head to toe, President squatted on his seat, tilting his head in partial comprehension. He remained fluffy as ever. However, as if he spent his days rooting through garbage heaps, much of his fur was stained with machine oil and dust, covered in scorched marks from smoke and fire. Only the brand-new bell on his chest gleamed brightly, spotless and carefully protected. He proudly puffed out his chest. As if showing off, he gave it two quick shakes. Sadly, the chime did nothing to ease the solemn atmosphere in the hall. Nor did it earn him any headpats. No one looked at President. President was very sad. His ears drooped. "The situation is grave. Those dogs from the Evil Transmutation Cult—ahem, those fellows—have extended their reach toward a mortal Fulcrum." "What about the Lock's rejection?" The middle-aged man from Boundless Telecom frowned. "Is there no way to interrupt it and forcibly separate the mortal world from the Vortex?" "That is the most troublesome part," the representative of Huanyu Heavy Industries and Grand Creation sighed. "In the Lock's hierarchy, a Fulcrum's importance is second only to a Pillar, outranking both Chains and Wedges. How could Chains possibly be used to shake a Fulcrum? "What's more, this involves an Eternal Empire sacrificial temple, a Fulcrum buried so deep. God only knows what a mess the interior has become." It was like late-stage cancer. By the time an anomaly in a specific area could be clearly detected by instruments, the illness had usually reached the marrow. At this point, what they should consider was cutting their losses to excise the diseased part and keep it from dragging the whole body down. The T5's duty lay in maintaining the stability of the mortal Pillars—Replica, Corridor, Vital Stream, Spirit River, Celestial Rail... None of the five could be lost under any circumstances. Losing a single city or territory was not enough to cripple the whole, but the shaking of any one of the five Pillars was enough to inflict irreversible trauma and harm upon the mortal world, potentially leading to total collapse! A Calamity of the Shadow Sun was enough once; the mortal world could not withstand another impact of that scale. For a time, everyone's expressions turned grim. "I have a question—" The doctor from Hope Hospital raised a hand. "Vital Stream isn't of much use in this kind of situation, is it? Neither is Spirit River, and Replica can only be used for rebuilding. Why don't you just activate Corridor?" "There are already too many doors inside Corridor," the elder from Everlasting Bank said, shaking his head. "Even if we were to toss it behind a door, we'd have to verify the situation first. Otherwise, if a door is forced open, it could trigger a chain reaction of collapses. We must guarantee Corridor's absolute stability." In the brief silence, everyone's expressions grew increasingly heavy. "As things stand, we can only rely on the Celestial Rail." The elder sighed, fully aware of how unreasonable his request was, but he had no choice but to say it. He looked toward President. "The Celestial Rail's condition... can it still hold?" "Woof?" President blinked, growing even more confused. He couldn't understand. Celestial Rail? Why ask about the Celestial Rail? The Celestial Rail was totally fine! Besides, the mortal world was very stable too, without the slightest risk of detachment. Why did everyone think something was about to go wrong with the Celestial Rail? President raised a paw, painstakingly swiping across a panel only he could see, thoroughly baffled. Although the overlap was very close and looked quite dangerous, that was only how it appeared on the surface. The target region wasn't detaching from the mortal world in the slightest. Why was everyone so worried? Could it be that humans were actually caring about President? And when he saw Ji Jue's coordinate signal inside the Border Realm, his eyes lit up instantly, and his tail began wagging with excitement. Understood! Though he didn't quite get the details, it had to be the credit of a good employee! Employee! Good! President likes! Likes! Likes! With that, facing everyone's worried gazes, he puffed out his chest with pride. "No problem. Leave it, to, President!" His paw tapped against the vocalization buttons as he happily stuck out his tongue. "President, will, protect, everyone! Celestial Rail, stable, guaranteed. "However, funds, none, not good—" He hesitated for a moment, suppressing the guilt inside him, before finally making up his mind: "—Me, Celestial Rail, send money!"