Firelight enveloped the River Domain and seeped steadily inward.
In the blink of an eye, the vast waters had become a sea of fire!
Heat waves surged!
The scorching heat spread across the entire River Domain in an instant.
The peoples and creatures living there felt the water around them grow hotter by the moment. Discomfort set in, and then panic spread like Plague!
"So hot! So hot! Is this the legendary burning!?"
"How can flames spread through water? We're frogs being boiled alive!"
"We're going to die! Die! Die! Is this heavenly punishment!?"
"True God above, save us from suffering..."
As cries of anguish rang out, the entire River Domain descended into chaos.
Worse still, thanks to Chen Cuo's arrangements and guidance years ago, the Merfolk who held a divine image in their minds had long since become linked in spirit. They no longer needed words to communicate; thoughts passed directly between them.
Now panic had become thought in its purest form, spreading swiftly through the Merfolk!
Netherworld, the merfolk's minds seemed to rest within a vast web of consciousness, and fearful thoughts were rapidly staining that web!
Before long, nearly every Merfolk in the River Domain had fallen into disarray. Some swam aimlessly; others, driven by fear, began destroying things for no reason.
Amid the firelight, the end of days had arrived!
"Nine-Dragon Divine Fire truly lives up to its name. It burns not only all things, but thoughts as well! Wherever its light shines, the first glimpse of hell appears. This nascent Beyond-Mundane Heaven is in trouble. Still, it's strange—how could something on the verge of becoming a realm beyond the mundane suddenly start to decline?"
Red Essence and the others had arrived. Watching the flames rage, they could not help but marvel.
They also noticed