Outside of the ruins—
"Hm?"
Droplets of blue liquid—with traces of golden colors, rain from the skies.
"Uh…!"
"…!"
*Thud! Thud! Thud!* one after the other, pedestrians collapse, while clutching their chests in pain.
"Ah…"
Seeing a barcode like tattoo appearing on the back of their hand, an individual widens their eyes in horror—at the realization that they have become a "Sinner."
"No, th-this can't be happening…!"
"I-Impossible!"
In a rapid manner, Sinner's Brandings manifest on those that have made contact with the rain of Spirit Extracts.
As for those who are inside of buildings—
"No, no, no… This isn't real…"
"What is this…?"
Not even they were spared from the rains' effects, as the substance permeates the air.
...…
"Ack!"
Shutting her eyes tightly, Nian Yao Yao clutches her head in pain, while a Sinner's Branding manifests around her right wrist.
...…
"Uh…"
Keeping one eye open, Nian Tao Tao sees a Sinner's Branding manifesting around her left wrist.
Other than the rapid manifestations of Sinner's Brandings throughout the Leng Bing Realm's populace, random parts of the world would experience a spatial abnormality.
And with it, the abundant spirit Qi that is concentrated in the inner domain—would flow into the outer domain.
...…
"So, it has started then?"
Looking at her employees, who are all experiencing pain in some way, shape, or form—as a result of their forceful awakening, Wu Xiao raises a frown.
Most of these individuals have already fainted from shock or the pain itself.
"Shall we head over then?"
Towards Yun You's question, Wu Xiao replies—
"I'll join you all once I've settled my employees in."
"Hm?"
Walking over, Nuo'er says—
"I don't mind helping out with that."
"Heh. I'll take you up on that then."
"Let's just make this quick."
"With the people who are already there, we should have all the time in the world."
Shrugging their shoulders, Yun You and Xiao Jun help with the task of getting the employees off the ground.
...…
"Tch!"
Bashing away a White Serpent King replica with his Relic, Ye Chen leaps back, and smashes himself onto a tubular structure—shattering the glass, to bask himself in Spirit Extracts.
Throughout Hope City, similar situations occurred repeatedly, as the weapon spirits drenched themselves in Spirit Extracts—causing their strengths to soar.
...…
"…"
Spitting out the ends of the cigars, and drawing Shui Yue, Long Hua manifests a bloodstained moon beneath his feet.
Stabbing the weapon down on the bloodstained moon—
*Klang! Klang! Klang! Boom!!!* a portion of the tower is sliced into pieces, as they fall upon the city streets!
Repeating this process, Long Hua rapidly breaks the building's remnants into pieces.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!* in various parts of the city, towering structures collapse, and similarly to dominoes, they take out the buildings beside them—causing the workers of New Moon Village to scramble in an effort to collect the uneven materials.
Amidst the collection efforts, these workers attempted to avoid fighting as much as possible, and for the most part, they were successful with that due to the weapon spirits being preoccupied; however—
"Dammit, these things are annoying!"
"Agreed…"
The White Serpent King replicas are the main annoyance that these workers have had to deal with, as these things attacked without discrimination.
*Grrrroooo!!!* just as a pack of White Serpent King replicas charged after a group of workers—
*Boom!!!!!* a pillar of steel falls from above—crushing them into paste.
"Bai-shao!"
"Keep at it."
"Understood!"
Turning around, the workers ran off.
Standing at the top of the pillar, Bai Wen can't help but frown, as he remarks—
"Ai, Lao Long needs to clean up this mess of his on his own, instead of making me do it for him…"
Rotating his cultivation base, Bai Wen's golden eye gives off a chilling glow, as the power of the earth and metal elements emanates from his body.
Selectively targeting the White Serpent King replicas, Bai Wen mutters—
"Celestial Steel Manifestation."
*…!!!!!* following a howling sound, all the White Serpent King replicas are forcefully pried off the ground, and drawn into the air.
"…"
Raising his opened right hand towards the air, Bai Wen clenches a fist, and following this—
*Boom!!!!!* at a speed that can only be described as neck breaking, all the White Serpent King replicas are pulled towards the same direction!
And as if there were an invisible pair of hands around the White Serpent King replicas, they were forcefully crushed together into an uneven sphere.
"Lao Long!"
"…"
Turning his head in Bai Wen's direction, Long Hua narrows his eyes, and without waiting for him to reply, Bai Wen shouts—
"Catch!"
Swinging his fist in Long Hua's direction, Bai Wen tosses the condensed mass of White Serpent King replicas towards the latter!
Heaving a sigh, Long Hua mutters—
"Devourer."
Summoning a colossal serpent's maw, which measures at a length of 120 meters from one end to the other, Long Hua has it lunge forth, and—
*Pah!* snapping its lips shut, the maw swallows the mass of White Serpent King replicas whole!
Sensing his mastery over the metal element being raised by only a tiny amount, Long Hua frowns with a hint of disappointment.
...…
In the same instance—
"…!"
The White Serpent King's main body—which has sensed the simultaneous deaths of numerous replicas, raises its eyeless serpentine head, seemingly astonished.