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Chapter 398 The Countdown to the Truth, Get Ready!!
The wind and snow howled as they swept across the icy plains outside the Broken Ridge Gate.

It carried with it the lingering coolness of Luo Qinglian's final divine radiance.

The war is over.

Millions of elite demon warriors, along with the terrifying royal lava giant, vanished into thin air under the blue light.

All that remains is the frozen soil, ravaged and pitted, soaked with human blood.

The Arctic ice sheet is just as she declared on her deathbed.

There will be no more ghosts destined to die.

The million-strong allied army, having just experienced a victory, now sat slumped in twos and threes on the cold snow, or leaned against broken ice rocks and abandoned equipment.

The officers strained to stay alert and shouted hoarsely.

They organized people to begin cleaning up the horrific battlefield.

Stretchers moved among the corpses, carrying away the bodies of the victims and the seriously wounded.

The survivors helped each other as they collected the scattered weapons and plaques.

Construction vehicles roared as they attempted to carve out a transport path across the ravaged ice field.

The area where the Dawn Legion is located is relatively quiet.

The dark blue figures mostly leaned against each other or against the cold wreckage, closing their eyes to regulate their breathing and recover their almost completely drained energy and spirit.

Chu Kuanglan's massive body leaned against a broken, enormous bone pillar.

Hua Jing sat quietly beside him.

The two did not speak.

Chu Kuanglan's large, blood-stained hand tightly enveloped Hua Jing's slightly cool hand.

Fang Qingyu, Wei Banmeng, Lu Jiuyuan, and the others each found a relatively clean piece of ice rock.

They lay face down or on their backs and entered a light sleep or rest.

However, not everyone in the temporary military camp was resting.

Many people took out their phones that had survived the fierce battle or were in reserve.

My fingertips trembled with weariness as I tapped the screen.

Some people are letting their parents and friends, who are also extraordinary individuals, know that they are safe.

Or perhaps you're engrossed in surfing the internet on your phone.

"Dad, Mom, I'm fine, really fine. I'm just a little tired. The war is over, we won, okay?"

A young soldier's voice had a heavy nasal tone.

He choked up and couldn't speak further as he finished speaking.

"Honey, did you see the news? It's over here in the Arctic. We survived, but a lot of our brothers did too."

Another veteran leaned against the cold rock.

She whispered into her phone, her eyes red and swollen.

Many more people opened the Federation's various apps and forums dedicated to superhumans, scrolling through their screens.

I don't want my mood to become gloomy just yet.

at this time
Almost simultaneously, all the lit-up phone screens...

No matter which app you open, no matter which section of the forum you are in.

Anything like the Arctic app that's about the extraordinary.

At this moment, a very eye-catching number popped up.

【168:00:00】

A bright red background with white numbers began to move.

【167:59:59】

【167:59:58】

……

Time relentlessly slips away, second by second.

A murmur of surprise and uncertainty immediately rose in the military camp.

"what?"

"168 hours? Countdown?"

"Who played this prank? Was it a backend hack?"

"Which app is pushing this message? A victory commemoration on the Arctic front?"

"No, it's every app related to the extraordinary that's popping up!"

The exhausted soldiers were startled by the sudden and strange number. They sat up straight and asked each other in confusion.

"168 hours is exactly 7 days?"

"7 days, what day is it in 7 days?"

"A final assault? The Ghost of Fate has a final assault? Didn't they say it was over?"

The countdown had just started.

The atmosphere in the military camp had shifted from the exhaustion of victory to doubt.

An even bigger bombshell was ignited instantly on the Extraordinary Forum and spread at the speed of light.

"Holy crap! Brothers, check the forums! Any supernatural forum will do! Grandpa Hong posted a video!"

An excited shout, so loud it cracked, suddenly rang out from a tent.

This shout was like a fuse for a chain reaction, instantly igniting the entire rest camp.

"Old Hong?"

"Grandpa Hong posted a video?!"

"Quick! Does anyone have a cell phone? Check it out!"

The soldiers, who had just been disturbed by the countdown, began searching for anyone nearby who still had a mobile phone.

On the Dawn Legion's side.

Fang Qingyu, Wei Banmeng, Lu Jiuyuan and the others who were resting on their stomachs opened their eyes almost at the same time.

"Qingzi, Banmeng, hurry! Old Master Hong has announced something big on the forum!"

Meanwhile, Chu Kuanglan, who had been flirting in the distance, was now panting heavily as he came running from afar.

"Damn it, my phone is broken! Who has it? Quick, take it out and let me see!"

All eyes immediately focused on Fang Qingyu.

Fang Qingyu didn't say anything, but silently reached into the inner pocket of his tattered combat uniform and pulled out a cell phone.

Wei Banmeng and the others immediately gathered around.

Even Chu Kuanglan, who had just walked nearby, squeezed in and stared intently at the screen.

Fang Qingyu's fingers steadily tapped the phone and unlocked it.

Access the most commonly used Arctic app.

Sure enough, at the very top of the homepage, a pinned video post stood out prominently.

The poster's ID was clearly Hong Qitian.

The title is simple and direct: [A Message to All Compatriots]

Without any hesitation, Fang Qingyu clicked on the video.

The screen lights up.

The backdrop is not a solemn command center or conference room, but a vast, empty snowfield.

The cold wind whipped up fine snowflakes, which swirled in front of the camera.

In the distance are the grey mountain outlines typical of the Arctic, illuminated by faint starlight and aurora.

Hong Qitian sat cross-legged on the snow.

She was still wearing that old cotton-padded jacket, faded from washing and with worn cuffs.

He looked like an old country man who had just strolled over from the edge of a field.

He casually propped his phone up on a protruding frozen rock in front of him.

The camera angle was a bit low, which perfectly captured his face and the vast, desolate Arctic night sky behind him.

The video starts playing.

Hong Qitian did not speak immediately.

He first rubbed his rough palms together and exhaled a puff of white breath towards the camera.

Then he looked up at the deep night sky, as if organizing his thoughts.

A few seconds of silence.

Finally, Hong Qitian spoke.

"The origins of the spirits and deities are actually very difficult to trace."

"They appeared out of nowhere, as if they had suddenly descended upon this world."

Hong Qitian's gaze became distant. "But back then, gods weren't called gods, and spirits weren't called spirits either. It was later people who gave them those titles based on their behavior."

He paused, as if weighing his words.

"In the very earliest times, how different were our human ancestors from the gods?"

Hong Qitian extended his little finger and pinched the tip of his finger with his thumb to demonstrate.

"That's about it, ants and the bright moon. No, they might not even be considered ants."

"That kind of power, that gap in the level of life, inspires despair, but also awe to the core. That's why the word 'god' was invented."

"At that time, humanity was still in a daze, and began to explore how to master the first trace of extraordinary power. It might be a little fire control, a little water control, or a little method to strengthen the body. All of these originated from the imitation or prayer of the power of the gods."

But later...

Hong Qitian changed the subject, his tone becoming laced with sarcasm.

"Gradually, some smart people, or rather, some people with strong backbones, realized that something was wrong."

"They discovered that within the group of gods, many, or rather a significant portion, while not actively attacking like wild beasts, were influenced by the way they looked at us."

Hong Qitian narrowed his eyes slightly, “...It doesn’t look like they are looking at their devout believers, their subjects, or even beings they can communicate with.”

"What does that look like?"

Hong Qitian asked and answered himself, his voice lowering.

"It's like looking at crops. Looking at a field of crops that are growing well and can be harvested regularly."

"Thus, the first barrier between humans and gods was born."

Hong Qitian's tone was resolute: "Some tribes are gradually ceasing their devout worship and fervent offerings. They are beginning to think, to try to live, to fight, and to understand the world based on the concept of 'humanity'."

"And so, many names that we later came to know were born,"

A glimmer of light flashed in Hong Qitian's eyes, filled with reminiscence and reverence. "Xuanyuan, Zhuanxu, Di Ku, Yao, Shun, and Yu. These names did not come out of thin air. They were the first 'people' in that ignorant era who dared to raise their heads and try to take their destiny into their own hands!"

Fang Qingyu's eyes flickered slightly.

"But at this very moment."

Hong Qitian's tone suddenly turned serious, "The 'Destiny Ghost' has appeared."

Everyone's hearts tightened instantly.

We've finally gotten to the point!
"Here, I should say something in advance."

Hong Qitian suddenly raised his hand, gesturing for the camera to stop, a hint of embarrassment on his face. "Those descriptions of the origin of the Fate Ghosts that you used to see in the Federal official database and textbooks, like 'born from the mirage between Yin and Yang, lurking in dimensions unseen by the living,' those two sentences..."

"I was just making this up! Don't believe me."

"puff--"

"Cough, cough, cough!"

"What the hell?!"

The Dawn Clan members surrounding Fang Qingyu's phone instantly lost their composure.

Chu Kuanglan nearly choked on his saliva, and the mouse's eyes widened in disbelief.

Even the usually aloof Wei Banmeng couldn't help but twitch her lips.

Several invisible black lines seemed to hang down from his forehead.

They've believed in the theory of the origin of fate and ghosts for so long.
Official and authoritative information.

So all of this was made up by that old geezer?

Fang Qingyu's grip on his phone tightened slightly.

A hint of helplessness flashed deep in her starry eyes.

In the video, Hong Qitian seemed quite satisfied with the effect he had created, chuckled twice, then straightened his face again and continued:

"Alright, let's get back to the main topic. In fact, after so many years of war and the passage of time, no one can say for sure how the Fate Ghost came about or where it originated."

His tone returned to its somber tone: "But one thing is certain, after countless ancestors verified it with blood and fire, even with their lives: the Fate Ghost is something that has existed since the birth of human civilization, or rather, since the moment when the human race began to possess wisdom and begin to create civilization."

"And so, from that time on, we humans have had two enemies."

Hong Qitian held up two fingers. "One is that part, or rather, a considerable part, of the gods who have always regarded humanity as a source of power and a pasture of faith, and who constantly want to enslave and control us!"

“There’s one more.” He pointed forcefully with his second finger, “These are the demons who coexist with our civilization, yet whose ultimate goal is the extermination of our entire race!”

Hong Qitian lowered his hand and leaned forward slightly.

The wrinkled face appeared exceptionally clear under the phone's front-facing camera.

Those cloudy old eyes seemed to pierce through the screen, staring directly at every viewer:
"So, here's the question, everyone."

He paused deliberately.

"Give me your guess, between these two enemies, in the long course of history, on the scales that determine the life and death of humankind, who poses a greater threat to us?!"

This question instantly came to the mind of everyone watching the video.

Rest and recuperation camps throughout the Arctic battlefield.

It also fell silent.

Countless soldiers stopped what they were doing, forgetting their injuries and the cold countdown of 168.

They were all pondering.

Is the threat greater?

A deity? Or a nefarious spirit?
Almost without any hesitation, the vast majority of soldiers...

This includes Chu Kuanglan, Haozi, Lao Qin, Lin Kang, and others.

The answer popped into my mind instantly.

Ghostly Fate!

This is a belief that is almost ingrained in one's bones.

They spent their entire lives fighting against fate.

They witnessed firsthand the ferocity, the eeriness, and the greed for human flesh and blood of the Death Demon.

How many of their comrades and relatives died under the claws and fangs of the demon?

The Arctic front, the Fjords of the Bone, and beyond the Great Wall
Which inch of land has not been stained by the filth of the dead and the blood of humans?
A threat from the gods?
Although Elder Hong just said that the gods see humans as a source of power, after all, the gods don't attack and bite like the ghosts of fate, who come at every moment in a massive, overwhelming manner.

The ghost of fate is the one that can be seen and touched right in front of you.

A mortal enemy that is constantly taking lives.

Chu Kuanglan scratched his head, his big eyes filled with obvious confusion. He subconsciously looked at Fang Qingyu beside him and asked in a deep voice, "Qingzi, is there any need to guess? It's definitely the Fate Ghost! What do you think?"

Fang Qingyu's gaze remained fixed on the screen.

His lips moved slightly, and a single word was uttered almost simultaneously with Hong Qitian's in the video:

"God."

"That's right, it's a god!"

In the video, Hong Qitian's resolute voice overlapped with the two words uttered by Fang Qingyu.

This answer.

It can be said that this exceeded many people's expectations.

In the video.

Hong Qitian's expression became extremely solemn, even carrying an unprecedented gravity: "I know that this answer is probably difficult for many of you to understand, or even accept."

He looked around the camera, as if he could see countless confused faces on the other side of the screen.

"Because most of you spend your entire lives fighting against fate!"

"The ferocity, brutality, and eeriness of the demons are already etched deep into your minds. They constantly threaten your lives and devour your homes; they are tangible and visible enemies of life and death!" "And the gods..."

Hong Qitian shook his head slightly, his tone carrying an indescribable complexity, "...How much have you truly come into contact with? Or rather, are the gods you've encountered truly their true nature?"

This question caused everyone, including Wei Banmeng, to frown.

Yes, what gods did they come into contact with?
A reincarnated being?
Hong Qitian's voice continued:

"I don't intend to go into the specific reasons and details here, as that would take too much time, and our time..."

"That might not be enough."

"You only need to figure out one fundamental question."

He held up one finger, his eyes piercing:

"In all these countless years of struggle against fate, no matter how difficult the circumstances or how tragic the sacrifices, what has been the ultimate goal of humanity from beginning to end?!"

Hong Qitian asked and answered himself, his voice suddenly rising in pitch:

"It is annihilation! Utter annihilation, a complete eradication! Annihilate the entire race of the Fate Demons! Eradicate them from the land we live on, from this world! For the sake of humanity, for the sake of our descendants, we will fight for a truly lasting peace! This is the cornerstone of our struggle, the meaning of our sacrifice!"

In the camp, countless soldiers clenched their fists instinctively.

A sense of agreement ignited in his eyes.

Yes, destroy the demon of life!
That is the meaning of their fight.

"but!"

Hong Qitian abruptly changed the subject, "And what about the gods?"

His voice lowered, tinged with helplessness:

"If you search through all of humanity's historical records and trace the accounts left by all the wise and sage kings of the past, have you ever discovered that humanity's ultimate goal regarding the gods is to destroy them?"

silence.

Dead silence.

Hong Qitian provided the answer for everyone:
No! Not even once!

"Our goal regarding the gods, from ancient times to the present, can be summed up in one word: expulsion!"

"why?"

Hong Qitian's rhetorical question was resounding: "Because we cannot exterminate gods. At least, in the history we know, no one has ever thought of doing so; the only option is to expel them."

He raised his head and looked up at the deep night sky of the Arctic.

"For the first time, Emperor Zhuanxu severed the connection between heaven and earth! With his supreme power, he cut off the direct link between humans and gods, banishing most of the gods to a level that we cannot easily reach."

"The second time, Jiang Ziya severed the divine ladder! At the end of the Investiture of the Gods war, he severed the divine ladder, completely cutting off the way for the gods to descend to the human world on a large scale and easily!"

"It was these two, no, countless sacrifices and struggles of our predecessors that suppressed the threat of those gods who viewed humanity as pastures to a relatively low level, preventing them from directly and inflicting harm on our world like the demons of fate."

Hong Qitian's gaze refocused on the camera, with an unprecedented solemnity:
"Therefore, it's normal that you don't understand the true terror of the gods. You're also lucky that you haven't personally experienced being treated as a pasture by the gods and having your faith ruthlessly harvested!"

His voice suddenly rose, like a warning bell:
"But all of you, please remember this sentence I said tonight."

"The threat from the gods is no less than that from the ghosts of fate, and may even be more terrifying."

Upon seeing this, everyone's expression turned solemn.
Many people originally didn't have much of a concept of gods.

After watching tonight's video, it became clear.

But everyone was a little curious at that moment.

Why did Hung Chi-tien suddenly record a video to talk about these things?

And this happened right after the Arctic War.

The entire Arctic battlefield fell silent.

Only the howling of the cold wind sweeping across the icy plains and the silent ticking of the bright red countdown [166:42:18] on the phone screen.

Everyone's heart was heavy.

Just then, Hong Qitian in the video slowly stood up.

He patted the snow off his old cotton-padded coat, then bent down and picked up his phone, which was resting on the frozen stone.

The camera swayed with his movements, and the background was no longer snow.

Rather, it is his perspective as he walks slowly across the ice field.

"After saying all this, you should now understand the dangers of deities."

Hong Qitian's voice came through the phone's built-in microphone, carrying the noise of the wind and snow, yet it remained clear.

"Now, there's something I need to announce to everyone."

As he walked, he flipped his phone camera so that it was no longer pointed at his face, but at the front.

That icy battlefield, and further away, the deep and vast Arctic night sky.

The moment he pointed his camera at the night sky.
hum! ! !
It was as if they were responding to his words.

Without warning, the entire night sky over the Arctic battlefield was completely bathed and illuminated by a vast, boundless icy blue radiance.

It seems like this video by Old Man Hong...

I took this picture right when Luo Qinglian made her move.

And against this backdrop of exquisite, magnificent, and divinely inspired icy blue light.

Hong Qitian's profile, which appears somewhat blurry at the edge of the lens.

It slowly turned towards the main camera.

He didn't look at the stunning night sky, but instead grinned at the camera.

There was no heaviness or tragedy in that smile.

Instead, it carried a sense of ease.

Then, in a lighthearted tone, with a smile, he uttered the words that instantly sent chills down the spines of everyone on the Arctic battlefield and all the superhumans watching the video:
"Seven days later, after the countdown ends."

He smiled and pointed to the sky above, which was completely illuminated by the icy blue light.

It seems to be pointing to a fact that is all too obvious:
"The gods are about to descend with all the spirits of fate."

"Holy crap!?!"

Upon hearing this, one of the soldiers instinctively swore.

Such terrifying news.

He announced it with a smile.

Grandpa, are you even human?!
Everyone's expression turned serious.

But not bad.

No one was so scared that they wet their pants.

Hong Qitian seemed quite satisfied with the impact of those words.

In the last few seconds of the video, against that backdrop of extreme icy blue radiance.

He smiled and whispered, as if coaxing a child:
“Don’t panic.”

He waved his hand gently.

"Even if the sky falls, there's always someone tall enough to hold it up."

“We old bones,” he pointed to himself, “are not all dead yet.”

“Look, everyone,”

Hong Qitian smiled and tilted the camera up slightly again, allowing the vast, boundless, icy blue sky to be presented more completely in the frame.

"Tonight, didn't Luo Shen single-handedly annihilate millions of elite ghosts and even a royal offspring?"

He spoke as casually as if he were talking about his neighbor killing a few chickens.

"This is something that even old bones like ours can do."

"And I made a point of posting this video tonight, rambling on and on."

Hong Qitian's voice lowered, "I just wanted to tell you..."

His gaze pierced through the lens, staring intently at:

"We can hold on for a while longer."

"but"

He paused slightly:
"...that's all the time we have left."

"So you should get moving."

As soon as he finished speaking, the video screen went black.

[Video playback ended]

The entire Arctic battlefield fell into an indescribable silence.

Only the cold wind, swirling with snowflakes, made a mournful sound.

Countless soldiers stood motionless, like clay or wooden sculptures.

The phone screen in my hand had long since gone dark, but the bright red countdown [166:35:47] continued.

Hong Qitian's last words were, "It's time to get moving."

This also made them subtly restless.

Seven days.

The gods and the spirits of fate descended in full force.

The old folks can hold on for a while longer, but that's about it.
All the soldiers had complex expressions at that moment.

So tonight isn't a time for rest after a victory.

Rather, it is the calm before the storm.

Chu Kuanglan frowned, looked at Fang Qingyu, and said in a deep voice, "Qingzi, what do we need to do next? Gather manpower? Stockpile supplies?"

Haozi, Lao Qin, and the others also gathered around.

For a moment, they seemed unsure of what to do or what to do.

Wei Banmeng remained silent.

But his cool eyes were also fixed on Fang Qingyu.

Fang Qingyu silently put down his phone, whose screen had already been turned off.

He didn't answer Chu Kuanglan, nor did he even look at the crowd that had gathered around him.

He simply turned around slowly and walked back to the ice rock where he had been resting.

Then, under the astonished and puzzled gazes of everyone...

He lay down again.

This scene left everyone stunned.

I've heard such explosive news.

Do you even feel like resting?

Seeing that everyone was still standing, Fang Qingyu turned his head, rested his head on his arm, and looked helplessly at his gathered companions, saying:

"Nothing needs to be prepared."

"When it's time to cultivate, cultivate; when it's time to sleep, sleep."

"???"

Chu Kuanglan almost jumped up.

"Qingzi, we only have seven days left."

"I know."

Fang Qingyu interrupted him, her tone remaining calm.

"I ask you, even if Elder Hong hadn't revealed this truth, even without this countdown, wouldn't every city in the Federation be fighting against fate every single day?"

Everyone was taken aback, then nodded subconsciously.

That's right, the rear has never truly been peaceful.

The main task of the Bureau of Justice and the city guards is to eliminate these threats.

"What is the purpose of the gods?"

Fang Qingyu continued to ask, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"It's to enslave humanity, develop followers, and harvest faith and souls, right? Not like the Death Demons, whose sole purpose is to exterminate us."

Everyone nodded again.

Mr. Hong made it very clear in the video.

"That's it."

Fang Qingyu buried his face in his arms again, and a muffled sound came from within.

"Seven days later, at most the frequency and intensity of the ghostly attacks on the city will be a little higher."

He paused, as if gathering his strength:

"But in the short term, at least in the early stages after this countdown ends, there shouldn't be any large-scale, all-out wars like the one that happened tonight in the Arctic battlefield, where millions of troops, royal families, and even gods themselves directly intervened."

"What Old Man Hong means."

"What they really wanted to tell us was that there are very few older generations like Luo Shen who can stand at the forefront. They can't hold on for much longer."

"He's urging us."

Fang Qingyu's voice gradually faded away.

"We need to push forward as soon as possible."

"Then how can you cultivate if you don't get proper rest?"

After saying that, Fang Qingyu stopped talking and his breathing quickly became even and long.

Chu Kuanglan, Haozi, Lao Qin, and the others stared with their mouths agape.

For a moment, I really didn't know what to say.

Because what Aoko said makes sense.

The moment when the spirits and gods descended in full force.

It is highly unlikely that this will be a direct, all-out battle to the death.

It might even be a strangely peaceful situation.

And push it up.
What can we use to support it?

If we don't restore our strength and improve our power, are we just going to throw our lives away with a surge of passion?

Wei Banmeng took a deep look at Fang Qingyu, who was lying prone, and then looked at the bright red countdown on the screen. A hint of understanding flashed in her cold eyes.

He then silently turned around, walked to a clean ice rock not far away, and sat down cross-legged.

Lu Jiuyuan sighed and patted Chu Kuanglan on the shoulder.

He quietly found a place to sit down and regulate his breathing.

Haozi, Lao Qin, Lin Kang, and the others looked at each other, and finally saw the same helplessness in each other's eyes.

They said no more, dispersed, found places to sit or lie down, and forced themselves to calm their minds.

Make the most of every precious minute and second to rest and recuperate.

Chu Kuanglan scratched his head in frustration, looked at Fang Qingyu who was sleeping on his stomach and his companions who were quickly entering a state of cultivation/rest around him, and then looked up at the night sky.

Finally, he stomped his foot angrily, walked over to Hua Jing, plopped down, and grumbled, "Sleep! Damn it, even if the sky falls, I have to sleep first!"

Even so, he closed his eyes, but his brows remained furrowed, and his muscles tensed unconsciously.

The core area of ​​the Dawn Legion quickly returned to its previous quiet.

Elsewhere in the military camp, the commotion had not completely subsided.

Hong Qitian's video sparked even more intense discussion.

"General!" An officer ran up to a fourth-rank general who was directing the transfer of wounded soldiers, his face pale as he saluted and asked, "Do we still need to abide by the previous secrecy regulations? About the Ghosts of Fate, about the Gods... these truths?"

That fourth-rank general had clearly received some kind of instruction.

His gaze swept over everyone around him as he responded in a deep voice, his words carrying clearly:

"Three days! In three days, all relevant confidentiality agreements will automatically expire!"

Three days!

This means that three days later, Hong Qitian's revelations about gods and ghosts, as well as the seven-day countdown hanging over all of humanity, will no longer be a secret.

It will sweep across every corner of the globe like a hurricane.

The truth about the extraordinary.

It will completely ignite the entire human society.

(End of this chapter)