Chapter 127: The Meeting of the Five Great Abyssals

“When the Gates of Heaven open, the entire world will be overturned.”

Lu Qinghai explained, “To prevent that from happening, we must find someone. Cheng Feng... that person is you. Only you are qualified to become the Savior.”

The Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts...

The Gates of Heaven...

Cheng Feng pinched his chin and pondered for a moment before asking curiously, “President, what exactly will happen after the Gates of Heaven open that could cause Winterfall City to be destroyed?”

“That, I do not know.”

“Since that is the case, let us set aside for now whether I am truly the Savior.”

After hearing such astonishing news, Cheng Feng suddenly felt an inexplicable pressure. Frowning, he said, “But you said the destruction of the world is something that will inevitably happen in the future. How did you learn of it in advance?”

Lu Qinghai was silent for a moment before answering, “A man with prophetic abilities told me. And you have already met him.”

“I have?”

Cheng Feng was bewildered. Suddenly, an impossible name surfaced in his mind, and his heart shook.

“Could it be...”

“That is right. It is Liu Shiyu’s biological elder brother, Liu Mocheng.”

At the mention of that name, Cheng Feng’s eyes widened. He had never expected it to be him.

“Liu Mocheng is the only human in the world today who knows the future history of the world.”

Lu Qinghai sighed. “Ten years ago, he told me that the destruction of the world was a fixed part of history.

“If, ten years later, we could find a man named Cheng Feng, there would be a glimmer of hope for changing that history.”

Cheng Feng was astonished. He had somehow become the future Savior simply because of a prophecy made by Liu Mocheng.

His doubts remained, but this time he chose not to speak. He merely listened in silence as the president continued.

“Liu Mocheng once told me that if I found you, I was to have Liu Shiyu recruit you into the Association.”

“She was also to guide you and hand you the spirit blade, Thunder Severance, because it is the weapon that belongs to you.”

At this point, Lu Qinghai paused before continuing, “He also said that if you ever wished to go to Crimson Moon City, I must not stop you.”

By now, Cheng Feng was utterly overwhelmed. He could not help admiring Liu Mocheng’s prophetic ability. The man had foreseen events to such an astonishing degree.

No wonder the president had approved his leave without hesitation when the minister was present earlier.

Liu Mocheng’s prophetic power was so formidable that he seemed to have calculated everything. It was truly chilling.

Unable to restrain himself, Cheng Feng asked, “But didn’t Liu Mocheng fall into corruption ten years ago, become a monster, join the Abyssals, and betray humanity?”

“Yes. He told me all these prophecies before his betrayal.”

Lu Qinghai lowered his eyes slightly. Whenever he thought of Liu Mocheng, once hailed as the genius of his generation, descending into evil and becoming a demon, he felt profound regret.

If Liu Mocheng had remained on humanity’s side, how much information about the monsters could his prophetic ability have obtained for mankind?

Unfortunately, an ability so overwhelmingly powerful had become extremely dangerous once Liu Mocheng turned against humanity and joined the monsters. In the end, it had become a weapon against mankind.

Lu Qinghai continued, “But Liu Mocheng’s prophecies from before his fall have never been false. So, the moment I learned of you, I had Liu Shiyu recruit you into the Association and accompany you on your missions, allowing you to grow stronger as quickly as possible.”

“I see.” Cheng Feng finally understood.

Since Liu Mocheng had cared so deeply about the world’s future, why had he chosen the monsters’ side ten years ago? That question remained an unsolved mystery.

“Therefore, I hope to temper you into a sharp sword, while Liu Shiyu will be the scabbard capable of containing you.”

Lu Qinghai gave a faint smile. “Liu Shiyu can cultivate your strength, while you can change her aloof and isolated nature, born of her ignorance of the world. Just as I expected, you complement each other very well and get along naturally.”

What a strange metaphor.

A sudden thought occurred to Cheng Feng. He had met Liu Shiyu because of the instructions Liu Mocheng had left with the president.

He wondered whether Liu Mocheng had ever imagined that, in the future, he might end up giving his little sister away as well.

Only afterward did Cheng Feng realize that he actually harbored deep feelings for Liu Shiyu.

When he had first heard about her tragic childhood, his initial reaction had not been pity, but heartache.

Collecting his thoughts, Cheng Feng raised the important matter. “President, I am about to leave for Crimson Moon City, that kingdom of monsters. Aren’t you going to ask why?”

Since the president seemed to know everything about the matters discussed earlier, Cheng Feng wanted to know whether he also understood the real reason he wished to go to Crimson Moon City: to resolve the matter of the power of the bloodline within his body.

If the president knew, it would mean that he had long since accepted Cheng Feng’s half-human, half-monster identity and tacitly permitted this heretic to remain in the Association.

If the president did not know, Cheng Feng would naturally continue concealing the truth.

“There is no need. You must have your own reasons.”

Lu Qinghai shook his head. “The ship waiting for you at the harbor should be ready. Take extra care on your journey to Crimson Moon City.”

“Understood.”

It seemed the president knew nothing about the power of the bloodline.

...

Far to the west, in Israel.

Jerusalem.

Whoosh!

Over the vast ocean in the distance, a mass of black-violet flame skimmed through the low sky at five times the speed of sound, resembling a streak of blazing light racing through the air.

The tremendous speed of the black-violet radiance caused the sea below to split into two surging walls beneath the pressure of the wind.

Liu Mocheng had received a summons to the meeting of the First Abyssal, and that was why he had come to Jerusalem.

The five Abyssals were the strongest calamity-level monsters in existence. Their personalities differed, and they were mutually incompatible. When it came to fighting over territory and power, they had always maintained a relationship in which each kept out of the other’s affairs.

The only exception was the First Abyssal, Urchia.

Urchia stood at the pinnacle of strength among the five Abyssals and possessed absolute authority. There was probably no monster in the world today stronger than it.

Whenever Urchia issued an order for all the Abyssals to gather in Jerusalem, the others were willing to honor its request.

Liu Mocheng soon entered Jerusalem’s territory. The black-violet streak of flame continued forward, weaving among the city’s rows of European-style buildings.

Every human living in Jerusalem worshiped the Goddess of Revelation. Their allegiance lay neither with humanity nor with the monsters.

Liu Mocheng flew all the way to the Temple Mount.

Countless pilgrims had gathered there, forming a long, winding procession that stretched from the foot of the mountain to its summit, where they stopped before the First Temple.

Upon arriving at the temple, Liu Mocheng walked inside.

From the outside, it appeared to be a magnificent golden sanctuary. Only after entering did one discover that its interior was entirely different: a gloomy, dimly lit Hall of Heroes.

Three demonic figures were already seated within the hall.

The First Abyssal, Urchia.

The Second Abyssal, Mastema.

And the Fifth Abyssal, Dracula, who had been waiting there for quite some time.

“Brother Shen!”

“Mm!”

As Shen Changqing walked along the road, he encountered familiar faces, and they exchanged greetings or nodded to one another.

But no matter who they were, none of them wore any unnecessary expression. They seemed indifferent to everything.

Shen Changqing had long since grown accustomed to it.

This was because the place was the Demon Suppression Bureau, an institution responsible for maintaining the stability of the Great Qin Empire. Its primary duty was to exterminate demons, monsters, and supernatural entities, though it also handled several other auxiliary affairs.

It could be said that every person in the Demon Suppression Bureau had shed a great deal of blood.

Once someone had witnessed life and death often enough, many things naturally became matters of indifference.

When Shen Changqing had first arrived in this world, he had found it difficult to adapt. Over time, however, he had grown used to it.

The Demon Suppression Bureau was enormous.

Everyone who remained there was either a powerful expert or someone with the potential to become one.

Shen Changqing belonged to the latter group.

The Demon Suppression Bureau was divided into two career paths: Wardens and Demon Exorcists.

Anyone who entered the Demon Suppression Bureau had to begin at the lowest level, as a Demon Exorcist.

From there, they advanced step by step, eventually gaining the possibility of becoming a Warden.

Shen Changqing’s predecessor had been a probationary Demon Exorcist in the Demon Suppression Bureau, the lowest rank among the Demon Exorcists.

Having inherited his predecessor’s memories, Shen Changqing was thoroughly familiar with the environment of the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Before long, he stopped in front of a pavilion.

Unlike the other places in the Demon Suppression Bureau, which were filled with an aura of slaughter, this pavilion seemed to stand apart from the rest. Within the blood-soaked grounds of the Bureau, it offered an unusual sense of tranquility.

The pavilion’s doors stood open, and people occasionally entered and left.

After only a moment’s hesitation, Shen Changqing stepped inside.

The instant he entered the pavilion, the atmosphere changed completely.

A scent of ink mingled with a faint trace of blood rushed toward him. His brow instinctively furrowed, but soon relaxed again.

The bloody odor clinging to everyone in the Demon Suppression Bureau was nearly impossible to wash away.