The Monster is Coming

Chapter 408 The Weight of Upper-Level Narrative

Ascending to the sea.

Before the aftershocks of the Ascended Clan's defeat had subsided, an even more ferocious war was sweeping in like a tidal wave.

The Mist Clan did not stop. The sea of ​​mist, like a resurrected behemoth, carrying the murderous aura of death, pressed closer and closer to the domain where Shuyan was located.

Where the fog swept across, giant waves rose on the sea, and the next chapter of the war had begun.

At this moment, in the deeper space of the Book of Words.

A rule mark radiating brilliant light floated in front of Shuyan: Spiritual Root.

Shuyan was no stranger to this rule.

In fact, it knows far more about the Ascended than the Ascended know about it.

The existence of the Ascended Clan was first learned because the readers in the small world of cultivation who could generate abundant reading power mysteriously disappeared, completely cutting off the supply of rules-derived energy to it.

It then launched an investigation and learned about the Ascended's layout in many small worlds.

This includes the latent spiritual root seeds within the bodies of beings in the small world of cultivation.

After gaining a detailed understanding of the Ascended Race's warfare tactics and life structure, it ultimately decided to target the Ascended Race as its next challenger.

In the war with the Ascended, it went from being unilaterally crushed to gradually gaining the upper hand.

If the Mist Clan had not arrived, it should have been the one to devour the Ascended Clan.

During this period, it pre-constructed a narrative army framework specifically designed to fit the "Spiritual Root Rules".

Having obtained the rules of the spiritual root, one can use them directly without testing or analysis.

The will of the book sweeps through the deep space at this moment, controlling the pen, the writing, and the operation of the book.

The rulebook turned pages silently, each page revealing a completely different world system.

Mechanical warfare, the era of sorcery, the phantom of a divine kingdom... these stories constitute the war system that Shuyan can switch between at will.

When the page freezes, it reveals a page that radiates a brilliant golden light.

The characters above combine to form flowing celestial script and a meridian-like spiritual vein diagram.

The will of Heaven (as stated in the Book of Documents) unfolds a grand narrative.

A line of text appeared: Foundation Building for All Spirits, Seed of the Dao Ascends to Godhood.

The power of the book was activated, and the "spiritual root rules" that were floating in front of the book suddenly exploded.

Transforming into countless tiny, dust-like specks of colored light, yet containing the complete power of the spiritual root's rules, they flew onto the pages of the book, like seeds sown into fertile soil, and merged with the pre-set story framework.

Meanwhile, in the outer space.

The Heroic Spirit Legion and the Howling Legion, who were on high alert and ready to face the Mist Army, collapsed under the influence of Shuyan's will.

It transforms into a rich, diffused ink force, like a torrent of ink splashed across the entire realm of calligraphy.

They began to restructure everything in the field based on the information recorded in the book.

The earth roared and rose up, transforming into a continuous range of sacred mountains, with spiritual veins emerging from the earth's depths.

After the dried-up riverbed appeared, it was instantly filled with spring water that appeared out of nowhere, flowing meanderingly and nourishing the land.

Towering ancient trees burst forth from the earth, their branches and leaves swirling with spiritual energy... A complete background of a cultivation world is rapidly being reshaped.

At the center of this new world, countless colorful light spots converge to form a colossal pillar reaching to the heavens: the Spirit Root Divine Pillar.

It is also the core of this story.

After its birth, the Spirit Root Divine Pillar showered this world with a seven-colored radiance containing the elements of rules.

The powerful narrative energy of ink flows like a celestial river, colliding, intertwining, and merging with the seven-colored radiance.

The torrent of stories unfolding on the pages begins to accelerate:
In the beginning was the Word, and all was creation.

Proverbs appeared on the pages, and spiritual elements settled and separated from the ink's power, giving birth to spiritual matter. The barren world began to have the potential for development.

A sudden inspiration struck, and all things began to sprout.

The spiritual root pillar trembled slightly, and the colorful light it emitted merged into the earth. The most primitive single-celled algae were born in the spiritual spring, followed by more complex plants, insects, and beasts... In reality, they were not natural evolutions, but creatures designed by the rules.

It can also be seen as the prelude to the beginning of the story.

The tide of spiritual energy swept across the eight wastelands.

When the number of living beings reaches a critical point, the light of the spiritual root pillar reaches its peak, and the first round of world-class "spiritual energy revival" erupts.

A powerful spiritual pressure swept across the heavens and earth, washing over every newborn life and activating the spiritual potential that had already been written into their bodies.

[Breathing and refining Qi, the path to enlightenment begins to unfold.]

Some of the creatures (apes, cranes, ancient trees, and even stones) that were baptized by the spiritual tide instinctively began to imitate the energy rhythm of the spiritual root divine pillar, trying to breathe in and out spiritual energy, and crude methods of refining qi sprouted on their own.

The process of enlightenment, which takes hundreds or thousands of years, is compressed into an instant, and the first batch of "practitioners" embark on the path of cultivation in a daze.

[Establishing a sect's banner, passing down its lineage.]

The wise began to gather around the spiritual root pillar or rely on the spiritual veins to establish the first sanctuary and preaching place.

Runes were inscribed, simple formations were set up, and the prototypes of weapon crafting and alchemy began to emerge.

Scattered cultivation forces began to coalesce into small groups, and the rudiments of sects and families began to emerge.

[A battle of the elite, a struggle for supremacy.]

The world setting is now complete, and nourished by abundant spiritual energy, this world is teeming with geniuses and filled with extraordinary encounters.

They carried ritual implements on their backs, made hand seals, and their acupoints opened up on their own.

During their cultivation journey, the spiritual roots implanted within their bodies frantically absorbed the spiritual energy of the world, completing the stages of Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, and Nascent Soul Transformation...

One by one, promising characters begin to shine, fighting, cooperating, exploring ruins... The glorious and cruel world of cultivation unfolds like a fast-forwarded epic scroll on the pages of the book.

[The Abyss is splitting apart, and Mist Demons are spawning.]

Just as the cultivation civilization was advancing triumphantly, the narrative of the book took a sudden turn.

The boundless energy of ink permeates the heavens and earth, sinking deep into the earth within the framework of the world.

Deep, bottomless fissures suddenly opened up, spewing out pitch-black mist.

These are the pre-existing adversaries that Shuyan created when constructing the world, based on his understanding of the Mingwu Clan; they can also be seen as conceptual creations.

Within the misty haze, countless figures resembling warriors of the Netherworld appeared.

They greedily devour spiritual energy, pollute the spiritual veins, and cause vegetation to wither wherever they go.

[Catastrophe descends, good and evil clash in a fierce battle.]

The glorious world of cultivation has ushered in its "calamity".

The cultivators were forced to put aside their disputes and unite to fight against the fog and ink.

Sword light clashed with demonic claws, talismans intertwined with deathly whispers, and exorcising flames blazed beside the alchemy furnace. The mountain-protecting array flickered uncertainly under the impact of the misty tide.

In their life-or-death battles with these mist demons, the contemporary prodigies are rapidly adapting to the mist demons' fighting style.

Their Taoist skills were honed in actual combat, and supernatural techniques targeting the characteristics of the Mist Demon were constantly being created.

This epic battle between good and evil, which has lasted for "thousands of years," is a pre-battle rehearsal that Shuyan sets up in the narrative.

This can also be seen as a stress test before the War Legion officially goes live.

This allowed the newly formed cultivation army to become familiar with the fighting styles of their future opponents throughout the long story.

As the story progresses to its decisive moment.

The will of the book descends.

The heroes, ancestors, holy sons, and holy daughters born in all the stories... these powerful individuals who proved their worth in the war against the demons stepped out of the epic chapters on the pages of the book and became real.

The cold fighting spirit from their battle with the Mist Demon still lingered in their eyes.

A cultivation army, tempered by an internal "mist tribulation" and born entirely to fight against the mist, was now fully formed.

The pages closed.

The gazes of the cultivators all turned toward the surging tide of mist coming from outside the domain.

The rehearsal is over.

The real war has officially begun.

The magnificent legion, composed of countless cultivators and imbued with the awe-inspiring power honed over countless years, resolutely faced the overwhelming army of mist.

In their understanding and memories, which were written into the book, the pitch-black fog that swallowed the light before them was the fog demon they had fought against for so long.

"Form ranks, protect all living beings, and fight alongside me!"

An old immortal with white hair and a youthful face, holding a whisk, roared with a voice as loud as a bell, filled with grief and anger.

Instantly, the giant Bagua diagram, the Zhou Tian Star Array, the Ten Thousand Swords Demon-Slaying Array... one after another, powerful arrays that had proven effective in the war against demons lit up.

The dazzling celestial light connected into one, forming a solid barrier, and crashed headlong into the surging tide of mist.

boom!
The laws of the heavens and the energy of the mist collided violently, unleashing a deafening roar.

The celestial light continuously melted away the mist, while the giant claw that condensed in the sea of ​​mist was tearing at the array's light barrier, stirring up violent ripples.

The battle instantly intensified, with the "protagonists of the era" possessing rule-based spiritual roots all making their moves.

The sword immortal rose on his sword, and a ten-thousand-foot-long sword light cleaved through the mist beast.

The talisman master casts talismans, summoning heavenly thunder and earthly fire to purify the filth.

The alchemist activated the treasure furnace, and the raging flames burned away the encroaching evil mist... Each technique was designed to target the characteristics of the "Mist Demon".

They have been fighting this war for over a thousand years.

But the real army of fog is far more powerful than the "fog demons" presupposed in the narrative.

Faced with the increasingly fierce offensive, Shuyan decisively modified the narrative, causing the domain to retreat and lengthening the Mingwu Clan's advance line.

The main force of the Mist Clan decisively followed, leaving behind their own warriors to handle the aftermath.

Before long, the two legions that had clashed fiercely disappeared into the sea.

At this moment, on the sea where the Ascended Race resided, the once magnificent scene of the Ascended Civilization, shrouded in celestial light and dotted with numerous islands, had vanished, replaced by a sea surface filled with endless wreckage.

Broken palaces and pavilions, crumbling mountain foundations, fragments of the spirits of fallen Ascended warriors... like pieces of trash, they float and sink in the dim seawater and energy dust.

The departure of the Mist Army and Shuyan silenced the roar in the area, replaced by the low growls of the "giant beast" as it swallowed.

The Mist Clan warriors, responsible for the cleanup, swiftly traversed the vast sea graveyard.

Chains of mist continuously emerged from the mist boat, entangling and salvaging any valuable architectural remains.

These are all spiritual resources that can be recycled and reused.

During this time, the colossal fog-like beast, resembling a dark cloud and responsible for transportation, continuously devoured the salvaged spoils.

The internal resource conversion workshop conducts preliminary sorting and refining, melting the building debris into basic spiritual materials, purifying the spiritual fragments into pure energy crystals for preservation, and expelling the worthless residue back to the sea.

The victors began to enjoy this lavish feast.

They decomposed and absorbed everything of the defeated, transforming it into nourishment for their own people to continue moving forward.

This is also why the Mist Clan left behind some of their war forces.

Resources at sea must be harvested as soon as possible, otherwise they will sink to the bottom of the sea or be devoured by marine creatures.

This is undoubtedly a loss for the Mist Clan.

Just as the Mist Clan was busy "eating," countless figures peered out, like hyenas that had smelled blood.

They emerged from all directions in the Ascension Sea, and their numbers grew ever larger.

They don't participate in fights, but when it comes to eating, the players are obviously the most enthusiastic.

A group of cunning figures, driving all sorts of vehicles, stealthily crept into this "self-service restaurant" filled with wreckage.

The regional channels were flooded with excited shouts about finding bargains, snags, and other food deals.

"We're rich! We're rich! Grab as much as you can! Don't worry about whether it's useful or garbage. We can't digest it, but Brother Di Zhao has a big appetite. He can eat anything, so take everything you see!"

"Hey buddy, move aside! Your beat-up vehicle is blocking my path to riches. Watch out or I'll sink it."

"Hiss, we pulled out an arm from an Ascended Clan member. How much should this sell for at the trading house? It shouldn't constitute human organ trafficking, right?"

"My thigh is broken, and the Fa system can use telekinesis to retrieve the wreckage. I can only go swimming. The difference is too big. Leave me some!"

……

Stealing food is a traditional skill among the player faction.

They not only steal, but they also accept all comers.

Any resource with even a tiny bit of spirituality can be exchanged for sacrificial power.

Players' behavior gradually became more unrestrained in the process, quickly evolving from cautiously picking up trash to almost frantic zero-yuan purchases.

The number of players arriving was constantly increasing, with all sorts of oddly shaped vehicles carrying players into the arena at high speed.

From all directions, they joined the resource feast that the Mist Clan should have enjoyed alone.

This blatant snatching of food from the tiger's mouth crossed the bottom line of the Mist Clan's tolerance.

The Mist Clan warriors responsible for cleaning up the mess dispersed, urging their Mist Beasts to wield their condensed Mist Blades and begin shooing away the annoying "flies" in their eyes.

But players who are quick to hurl insults at the slightest provocation, or even recklessly fight to the bitter end.

However, they displayed remarkable composure and did not mount the fierce resistance that the Mist Warriors had anticipated.

On the contrary, the regional channels were filled with all sorts of last words:

"Holy crap, stop hitting me, stop hitting me, just let me have two more bites, just two more bites."

"It's so frustrating. They're chasing me and beating me. Why is it so hard to eat a meal in peace? Is it really necessary to be so brutal to me when I'm picking up some resources? We agreed that everyone who finds them gets a share."

"I was thrown back to the dark room before I was even full. Seeing you guys still making money makes me really sad. Stop picking up the food."

"Brother, please have mercy, pick up this wreckage and leave, I swear... Damn it, you still hit me, do you really think I'm a pushover?"

"Damn, that bastard really went all out. Luckily, I made a huge profit in that last wave, so it's not a loss even if I die."

……

The art style in the Ascended Sea becomes abstract after the player enters the area.

Faced with the pursuit of the Mist Clan, the player does not engage in combat throughout the entire process, focusing instead on escaping and dodging.

At the same time, their hands moved quickly, trying to grab as much as possible.

Even when pierced through the chest by a mist spear or bitten in the leg by a mist beast, many players' last action was not to fight back, but to desperately collect the last bit of materials they had just managed to gather into their spatial inventory. Before dying, they had a relieved smile on their faces, and then they turned into mist and dissipated.

The Mist Clan had long been familiar with the abstract nature of the Player Race.

Unlike the "regular player group" of the Gold Coin Merchant Guild.

Players encountered in the wild exhibit no logical behavior.

The most direct impression given to the Mist Clan warriors was that they were a strange species whose brains were not fully developed and who were purely driven by instinct.

They seemed to lack all the fear, even the sense of honor and basic self-preservation logic that should be present in a highly intelligent race.

The behavior is illogical and chaotic.

Sometimes they are so greedy that it's outrageous; they'll pounce and bite indiscriminately for the smallest amount of resources.

At other times, they are so cowardly that it's incomprehensible; they scatter at the slightest disturbance.

Unable to communicate, unable to deter, unable to understand.

Their behavioral logic seems to follow only a set of most primitive impulses, in the following order: see, want, rush up, get it, even if it means death.

The scene became chaotic and comical because of the players' presence.

On one side, the Mist Clan was efficiently purging the area; on the other side, players were howling and cursing as they plundered resources.

During this time, deaths continued to occur, but more players poured in from all directions.

For the players, this trip wasn't for fighting.

At this moment, the Ascension Sea is like a zero-dollar shopping mall.

If you can manage to shovel a few more mouthfuls before you die, that's pure profit.

The furious Mist Clan warriors were forced to play a cat-and-mouse game with the player.

However, during the salvage process, players couldn't help but feel sentimental, as a veteran faction that had "accompanied" the player's camp for more than two years had come to an end.

The Ascended race's rise to power in the monster world.

With the main island shattered and its leader, Crimson Flame, perishing, the story came to a complete end.

However, the impact of the end of the upper-level narrative has not stopped.

The invisible ripples spread layer by layer, and will eventually crash into those small worlds of cultivation that were once controlled and nurtured by the ascended race.

The Ascended race of yesteryear were deeply rooted in the fertile resources of the monster world.

The nutrients absorbed are continuously transported to the small world of cultivation, supporting one prosperous and thriving era of cultivation after another.

Now, the root system is severed, and the supply of nutrients has abruptly stopped.

For the small worlds of cultivation that rely on the nourishment provided by the ascended race to grow stronger, this signifies the end of their golden age.

The long period of decline had begun.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth will gradually thin out, the rules of the Great Dao will become obscure, and rare and precious materials will become increasingly difficult to find... The once smooth path to ascension will gradually become blocked, and the world's energy level will irreversibly enter a downward channel.

What we will face is the reality of gradually depleting resources and an increasingly bleak future.

The chapter leading to the end times begins after the fall of the Ascended race.

Future cultivators will inevitably become worse with each generation.

They can only struggle to survive in an increasingly barren world.

They might read about the miracles caused by the Ascended in ancient records, such as the legends of spiritual tides and ascension in broad daylight.

This gives us a glimpse into a golden age of inexhaustible resources.

But those records, in the eyes of later generations, seem more like a distant, ethereal, and even unbelievable myth.

They couldn't understand why their ancestors could squander spiritual energy so "luxuriously," and they couldn't imagine what a world full of spiritual herbs and opportunities must be like.

Their path of cultivation will gradually degenerate from pursuing the Great Dao to fighting for increasingly scarce scraps.

The transmission of Taoist practices will also decline due to insufficient spiritual energy.

From the era of cultivating immortality to the era of weak magic, and even the era of martial arts... it slowly marches towards its end over a long period of time.

This is the weight of the upper-level narrative.

For the billions of beings in the small world of cultivation, they may not even know of the existence of the "Ascension Clan".

They had no way of knowing about the earth-shattering battle that took place in the monster world.

In their eyes, the world remains the same, and the sun and moon continue to revolve.

I know nothing and I did nothing.

However, the ripples from the collapse of the upper-level narrative have silently penetrated the barriers of the world and quietly rewritten the underlying logic of world development.

The decline of spiritual energy and the disappearance of the Great Dao are not something that beings in the mortal world can stop or understand.

This change can even be interpreted as destiny.

The heavens and earth changed their appearance in their ignorance.

The once-glorious era of cultivating immortality will eventually fade into legends in ancient books that no one will believe anymore.

They, and their descendants, will be forever trapped on this timeline that is constantly sliding into silence, until they completely forget how vast the sky once was.

This is the helplessness of being a lower-class narrative.

The bells of destruction toll for others, but the aftershocks are borne by them for a lifetime.

　Here are 5400 words~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)