Successful Cataclysm Awakening

With just a single glance, Qiu Tu felt his gaze drawn completely to the two bottles of potion, their color as deep and blue as the open ocean. His mind seemed tugged by an invisible force, sinking deeply into that gem-like liquid, unable to pull itself free. The pungent, salty scent unique to the sea seemed to drift past his nose once more; the low murmur of waves crashing against the shore echoed in his ears, and before his eyes rose the vast, churning surface of the ocean... Fortunately, with his recent experience, he did not sink into the sea this time. Instead, a sharp jolt ran through him, snapping him out of the hallucination. Surprised that he had broken free of the illusion on only his second try, Shen Lingshuang gasped in admiration. "Qiu Tu, you might really have the talent to become a Cataclysm-user. "I remember having to go through similar illusions more than a dozen times, and every single time, my father had to snap me out of it." With that, she looked down at the two bottles of Cataclysm potion she had brewed and remarked with a touch of wonder, "Besides, even though I'm not sure what happened during the brewing this time... "...I really feel like this batch of Cataclysm potion is different from before." She tilted her head, a nostalgic light flickering in her eyes as she said in an adorably earnest tone, "I feel like the effects of this batch are exceptionally potent. Even I can't help sinking into hallucinations every time I look at them. "That has never happened to me before." Hearing this, a theory formed in Qiu Tu's mind: Perhaps through Heaven's Timing, Earth's Advantage, and Human Harmony, the awakening probability of these two potions had truly reached an extraordinary level, resulting in this unique phenomenon. With this thought, he took a bottle from Shen Lingshuang's hands and glanced toward the upper left corner of his vision. Two small treasure chests flickered there, with no new countdown for imminent danger appearing. 'It seems there's at least no threat to my life.' With that realization, Qiu Tu made up his mind. He gave the bottle a gentle swirl. "Qiu Tu!" As the liquid swirled, the illusion began to seep back in. But right then, Shen Lingshuang's clear voice rang in his ears. Qiu Tu paused his movements and looked at the girl before him. Shen Lingshuang gently pressed her hand over his, her beautiful eyes filled with worry. "Are you really sure you want to drink this?" Sensing her anxiety, Qiu Tu cracked an easy joke to lighten the mood. "What's the matter? Did you spit in it?" Hearing his ill-timed joke, Shen Lingshuang's face flushed, and she pouted crossly. "What nonsense are you talking about?" Qiu Tu smiled, patted her head, and said softly, "Don't worry. I'll be fine. "Besides, I've already made proper arrangements for all of you." At that, his smile turned warm and reassuring. "If I don't survive, Lao Ying will take you out of Xinjie City and send you home. "I've prepared two small gold bars and two hundred silver dollars for you. That should cover your travel expenses back to the Third Sanctuary." Hearing his words, Shen Lingshuang's face turned pale. Clasping his hand tightly, she explained, "I'm not worried about myself. I'm worried about you. "I just have this feeling..." Before she could finish, the hand Qiu Tu had rested on her head flattened into a blade and lightly struck the back of her neck. A moment later, her face frozen in disbelief, the girl slumped softly into his arms. Carefully taking the second bottle of Cataclysm potion, Qiu Tu set both bottles on the table for the moment, scooped her up around the waist, and carried her toward the door. Moments later, as he opened his front door, the door to the neighboring apartment opened from the inside as well. Lao Ying stepped out. He gave Qiu Tu a nod and stepped aside from the doorway. Qiu Tu carried Shen Lingshuang into the neighboring room, where a woman in her thirties was already waiting. Seeing Qiu Tu enter, she hastily stepped aside. Qiu Tu gently laid Shen Lingshuang down on the bed. Then he instructed the woman, "Sister Xin, I'll have to trouble you to look after this girl for a while." Sister Xin rubbed her hands nervously and replied without hesitation, "Ah Tu, don't you worry. You've taken such good care of us these past few years; we know how to repay a kindness. "Leave her with me, and I'll look after her properly. Even when she wakes up, I'll keep her calm." Qiu Tu nodded and walked out of the room. Coming to the doorway, he looked at Lao Ying standing outside and gave quiet instructions. "Keep watch outside my door. "The moment you sense anything wrong, don't hesitate—take Sister Xin and Shen Lingshuang and leave immediately." Lao Ying gave a calm grunt of acknowledgment. Qiu Tu then took out his communicator and handed it over, instructing, "If Fourth Master Qin calls before I come out, answer him just as I taught you this afternoon. "I don't care about anything else, but the key is that he must take Qin Shuman away from the Qin family. "People from the Military Department will meet them at the designated location." Lao Ying grunted in agreement once more. Qiu Tu added, "Over the past few days, I managed to get over a thousand silver dollars from the Investigation Bureau and the Qin family. It's all in the black sedan Qin Zhengguang sent over today. "If anything happens to me, take that money, drive the car, and head south to Dongcheng City. "The director of the Investigation Bureau there doesn't get along with Yan Chen, so he won't put you on a wanted list. You can settle down there or use it as a transit point." Perhaps unaccustomed to Qiu Tu giving what sounded like final arrangements, Lao Ying was silent for a moment before speaking up to dissuade him. "Do you really have to take this gamble?" Hearing this, Qiu Tu smiled and patted his shoulder, his voice carrying both resolve and broad-minded calm. "How can anyone rise in the world without taking risks? "Just having the chance to make this gamble is already a blessing. Who knows how many people would kill for the opportunity and never get it." With that, Qiu Tu turned, walked back into his own apartment, and shut the door. The reason he had arranged every detail so meticulously was that he could not be certain what would happen after drinking the Cataclysm potion. While there might be no immediate threat to his life, the true danger of a Cataclysm potion did not lie merely in death: mutation, corruption, and aberration were all possibilities. That was why he had settled everything around him before stepping onto this road of the unknown. Shen Lingshuang's journey home, Qin Shuman's freedom, and the future livelihood of A Tai and Lao Ying for the next few years... In the end, there was still a trace of kindness in his heart. Thinking this, Qiu Tu looked up, gazing deeply once more at the dark, silent sky outside the window. He then picked up a bottle of Cataclysm potion, popped the cork, and resolutely tilted his head back to drink it down! 'I've already lived a second life anyway, and I've even slept with a great beauty like Qin Shuman. I've got nothing to lose!' The moment the Cataclysm potion passed his lips, Qiu Tu felt a refreshing coolness plunge straight from his throat into his chest and abdomen, rapidly spreading into every corner of his body. In the next instant, he felt as if he were once again submerged in a clear, azure ocean. Only this time, unlike the previous two, he dove straight toward the sea floor—or rather, he became the ocean itself. His consciousness gradually scattered and drifted far away, like raindrops dispersing in the wind, only to converge into rivers, lakes, and seas. He seemed to transform into countless droplets of water, beads of morning dew, and sweeping storms across the cataclysm world. Harnessing the tempest, he drifted across every inch of land under the control of the sanctuaries! It was a wondrous sensation beyond description, one that drew him entirely into its embrace... Yet the bliss was short-lived. As he dove deeper, the mist around him grew increasingly thick, slimy, and foul, as though turning from pure, pristine water into stinking, viscous asphalt. His entire body felt ensnared, turning stiff and sluggish, until even breathing became arduous. Darkness thickened, and the scent of danger, the shadow of dread, and the burning flames of fury intertwined within his heart. Right on the brink of collapse, the coolness within Qiu Tu finally erupted. Like a final fortress guarding his last shred of lucidity, it broke him free from his restraints! Qiu Tu stirred the winds and rain once more, carrying the sweeping mist as he fled that thick, reeking abyss. After an unknown length of time, when Qiu Tu finally broke free from that suffocating domain, he looked back. His perception seemed to pierce through layers of space, beholding an entirely new world—the boundless, infinite sea was merely a tiny pond, while the vast majority of the world was enveloped in darkness like asphalt and sludge... In that instant, a boundless sorrow welled up within him, as if he were singing a lament for the entire world... The next second, he lost consciousness completely. He had no idea how much time had passed—it could have been ten minutes, or perhaps an hour. When Qiu Tu awoke from the darkness, he discovered that many changes seemed to have occurred in his body, and a wealth of new information had flooded his mind. It was a cipher engraved into the very foundation of the world, revealing the secrets of supernatural power in this universe. Every transcendent being received this mysterious gift upon their initial awakening. Closing his eyes, he quietly organized the knowledge in his mind. After a moment, Qiu Tu slowly opened his eyes. In the next second, his originally deep black pupils snapped into a clear, bright azure. Simultaneously, his vision blurred sharply, as though a pane of frosted glass had been placed before his eyes. The material world around him began to recede, replaced by a dark gray, dreamlike mist quietly rolling outward. He looked around. The things he saw were no longer solid or tangible objects, but lines of varying forms, so translucent they seemed on the verge of fading away. His vision pierced through the illusory walls, clearly revealing the next room: one vibrant cluster of flame lay quietly resting, while another dim cluster sat beside it. He looked toward his doorway. A cluster of flame paced restlessly outside. And beyond that flame, several kilometers away, a colossal dark silhouette dozens of meters tall stood quietly, imposing and solemn... 'The Cataclysm Era, the Boundless Mind Sea...' With that thought, Qiu Tu slowly withdrew from the state of spirit vision, his eyes full of complex emotions. The revelations gleaned from the world's origin had finally completed the puzzle of this world's deepest secrets.