World-Ending Catastrophe

"Qin Muchu, or Ye Xin?"

The mysterious voice's words fell like a massive stone into water, stirring towering waves in Qin Muchu's heart.

Ye Xin was his name in his previous life. How did the owner of that voice know it?

This time, the voice was no longer as ethereal as before, and Qin Muchu soon saw its owner: a shadow whose form he could not make out. Light from the Laws swirled around the figure, and the voice of the Great Dao thundered. Even the order of heaven and earth seemed disturbed. Within the space he occupied, the five elements reversed, yin and yang fell into disarray, and the rules of heaven and earth descended into chaos.

Gulp. Qin Muchu swallowed instinctively. This was without question the strongest person he had ever seen. No—not just so far. Even in the future, he feared he would be hard-pressed to encounter anyone stronger.

"Since you know the name Ye Xin, Senior, you must know my origins perfectly well. Why ask me that?" Qin Muchu chose his words carefully. He truly had no idea how to deal with someone this powerful.

"Hahahahaha!"

The figure suddenly burst into laughter. His voice was clear and bright, without a trace of its earlier, soul-shaking force.

"What an interesting little fellow. Come, sit down."

As his laughter faded, the light of the Great Dao surrounding him slowly dispersed. The five elements returned to their places, yin and yang resumed their balance, and the rules of heaven and earth fell back into order.

Qin Muchu looked closely and finally saw the face that had been hidden beneath the light.

It was an extraordinarily youthful face, seemingly no older than twenty-something. His brows were sharp as swords, his eyes bright as stars, and his nose straight as though carved. A bold air of looking down on all under heaven rested between his brows. A smile played at his lips as he regarded Qin Muchu with an unreadable expression.

Qin Muchu did not dare keep him waiting. He hurried over and sat in the chair beside him. Up close, he realized just how handsome the man was. Judging by appearances alone, he would have taken him for the young master of some great family, not the terrifying being who had just thrown the rules of heaven and earth into disarray.

"You can ask me your questions now," the young man said.

Qin Muchu thought for a moment, then asked his first question. "Was my crossing into this world really an accident?"

When the young man shook his head, Qin Muchu clenched his fists. "So you took my life, Senior, and threw me into another world?"

To his surprise, the young man shook his head again. "No. Your allotted lifespan had ended. You should have been reincarnated in your own world. I drew out your soul just as it was about to enter the cycle of reincarnation and sent it into the Douluo World."

Qin Muchu stared at him. "What? Why would you do that, Senior?"

The young man's gaze grew unfathomably deep, as if it pierced countless worlds and came to rest on that continent. "The Douluo World is about to face a catastrophe. When I sensed the danger approaching it, I also discovered that you had countless ties to this world. So I took it upon myself to bring you here."

"A catastrophe?" Qin Muchu thought of the world-ending war Bibi Dong would launch. "But isn't Tang San, the protagonist, still here? Once he attains the Dual Godhood of the Asura God and the Sea God, Bibi Dong won't be able to carry out her plan to destroy the world."

"That is not the catastrophe I meant. I meant a calamity for the entire plane."

"The entire plane?" Qin Muchu exclaimed. He knew that Douluo Star was only one of the many planets governed by the Divine Realm. What sort of being could bring calamity upon an entire plane?

He suddenly remembered the Puppets he had encountered in the Star Dou Great Forest, and the Heaven-Gazing Hou Xiao Wu had mentioned. "Could it be the Heaven-Gazing Hou? But leaving aside whether Soul Beasts can even become gods, the Divine Realm has the Five Great God Kings, along with many First-Level Gods and Second-Level Gods. How big a wave could one Soul Beast possibly stir?"

"A bunch who haven't even mastered the rules and can only serve as puppets of the universe's rules. What could they accomplish?" The young man gave a derisive laugh. "Do you know that when this catastrophe sweeps across the entire plane, even the God Kings will be unable to protect themselves?"

"What? Even the God Kings can't protect themselves?" Qin Muchu went pale with shock. The Five Great God Kings of the Divine Realm were all level 150. Apart from the legendary Creation God and the Dragon God of old, they were the most powerful beings in existence. Being told that even they could not protect themselves sounded utterly absurd, even coming from the terrifyingly powerful young man before him.

And yet... given the young man's strength, he seemed to have no reason to lie. Could it be true? A chill crept over Qin Muchu.

"Senior, if you've already sensed this catastrophe, why not resolve it yourself? With your strength, I imagine it wouldn't be difficult."

The young man smiled. "Everyone has their own part to play. This is your karma, so you are better suited to it than I am. Of course, if you're afraid and want to withdraw, I can send you back to Blue Star right now. You can keep the cultivation you've gained as compensation for my bringing you to this world without telling you beforehand."

Back to Blue Star? Something stirred in Qin Muchu's eyes. To be honest, he had thought more than once about returning to the blue planet deep in his memories. But going back would mean abandoning Douluo Continent. At that moment, he thought of Xiao Chenyu, of his parents in this world, and of Xiao Wu, whom he had promised to protect for the rest of her life.

He had left no regrets on Blue Star. Here, too many people and things held him fast. Blue Star was the road he had traveled from in dreams; this was where his soul belonged.

He raised his head and said firmly, "Senior, I've decided to stay. I'm willing to face this darkness and protect this world—to protect the people I care about."

"Even if you die and your path comes to nothing?"

"Even if I die and my path comes to nothing."

The young man smiled with approval, his eyes full of admiration. "Good. I knew I hadn't misjudged you. I'm glad you've made this choice." He paused, then continued, "Remember, surviving this catastrophe will be extremely difficult for the entire plane. You must unite every force you can. Only then will you have a sliver of hope."

"Yes, Senior. I'll remember." Qin Muchu asked his second question. "I have a system. Was that your doing as well?"

The young man nodded. "It was. I made that little thing on a whim when I sent you here. It will grow alongside you. Make good use of it."

"Thank you, Senior. I have one more question. My last two Mystery Box Openings gave me a flower and a pearl. I've studied them for a long time but still can't figure out how to use them. I hope you can enlighten me."

With a thought, Qin Muchu took the two objects out of his Storage Soul Tool.