Ultimately, Stigmata are the remnants of miracles.
The miracles of the Abyss Genealogy, however, do not come from Current Circumstances, but stem from the Astronomical Society's observations and validations of the seven pillars at the heart of Current Circumstances, as well as their explorations and investigations of Hell over several eons.
They can be said to be the essence that remains from those dead worlds, once recognized as the most suitable Stigmata Genealogy for the exploration of Depth Hell.
Unfortunately, following the downfall of Utopia and the disappearance of the previous chairman, it has fallen apart and no longer shows any signs of coming together. It has been gradually forgotten. Now only a few prominent figures and lesser followers remain, and besides a few secret departments within the Astronomical Society and several scattered pioneering institutions across the world, it is rarely seen.
And these six major lineages are recognized as the six major ones because their potential is infinite. Not only are they more likely to give rise to The Crowned Ones among the Fifth Stage Sublimators—those who are destined by Heaven to be coronated as kings by Hell—but also because each of these six major lineages has a 'Natural Enemy' who transcends the ordinary world, beyond the Fifth Stage.
The Supreme Beings, who walk among men as gods, human-shaped Hells, are monsters that distort the world merely by existing in Current Circumstances.
Take for example, the father of the White Emperor's Son from Dongxia, universally recognized as the first among Hell Explorers, Traveler · Chu Hai, the first in history to return in one piece after entering the Abyss Bottom; the Green Neck from the India Genealogy who stirred the milk sea in a rage and forced Bagdad to overflow; the Twin Natural Enemy · Gatekeeper from Rome who once opened the Sky Gate and banished darkness from all worlds...
These are monsters capable of overturning Current Circumstances, and indeed, Current Circumstances is insufficient to support their existence. To maintain the stability of Current Circumstances, they can only operate within special Borders and Hell.
With such confidence, Dongxia naturally does not fear waging war against Paradise of Bliss. As long as it's in Current Circumstances, it's almost like whack-a-mole; one pops up, they smack one down.
It is for this reason that Ai Qing had the confidence to let Huai Shi lead Shen Yue to their doom.
With the Social Security Bureau backing them, it's nearly impossible for anything to go wrong.
No matter the situation, Shen Yue is still a Third Stage. If she can't win, she can always run. If she can earn some merit in the process to report back to the Social Security Bureau, that would be even better.
However, after hearing about Nine Phoenix's advancement from Liu DongLi, Ai Qing's expression also became grave.
Even if the overall situation is unharmed, no one wants to become the sacrificial pawn in a smaller scale game.
After sorting out the entire situation, Ai Qing pondered for a moment and then suddenly asked out of the blue, "Since you already plan to use explosives, why not choose a more efficient method?"
"You..."
Liu DongLi was stunned for a moment, then understood her meaning and instinctively shook his head. "That's impossible."
"No, it's possible."
Ai Qing raised her eyebrows, playing with the cell phone that still had one bar of battery in her hand, and said in a measured tone, "It's odd to say, but I actually have a friend working in the Current Circumstances coordination department, you know?"
"..."
Liu DongLi nodded, his feelings mixed. He understood, in all sorts of ways.
Whether the unfortunate friend Ai Qing mentioned is a "friend" in name but a "tool" in practice, or someone she can coerce because she has leverage over them, in any case, this plan seems to have a chance...
Therefore, Ai Qing slowly stood up, gazing at the box of explosives, enough to send an entire soccer stadium sky-high.
"So, let's show the bigwigs above what the minions can do."
.
.
Huai Shi now truly felt a sense of crisis.
An ally had inexplicably fallen from the sky to steal her kill!
She barely had time to consider Qi Wen as she tried to rush over, but found herself entangled by Qi Wen's many hands and feet and unable to break free.
So, Huai Shi could only watch as a long Naginata spiraled down from the sky, effortlessly tearing through the blood curtain around Qi Yuan, decapitating him.
The head landed in Qi Yuan's hands.
"So... it was hidden here?"
The face on the severed head slightly raised, looking at the stunned assailant in mid-air. Then, it reached out, the blood curtain converged, forming an Iron Fist, and violently smashed onto the body of the attacker, pinning her against the wall, impossible to pry loose.
And Qi Yuan still stood arrogantly upon the altar, slowly replacing his head back to where it belonged, leaving only a ferocious line of blood.
And within that line of blood, dark shadows continued to seep out, weaving behind him into a massive shadow, suppressing everyone's breath.
The strength that had differentiated from Nine Phoenix was clinging to his body, but that power did not come from the nine fierce heads. It came from that weeping blood, the headless neck.
From the severed neck, black blood slowly dripped down.
Bathed in this blood, he cast a cold gaze on the assailant, extended his hand, and the pitch-black blood curtain disintegrated into countless fine threads piercing towards her.
In an instant, the coat enveloping her was torn to shreds, and as countless pieces of fabric flew like butterflies, the ferocious ghost face within broke out with a blade's edge!
The massive Naginata instantly shrank, taking on the form of a Tachi, its blade inhaling and exhaling as it spiraled through the air, igniting all the entangled blood threads in its path.
Directed by the blade, Huai Shi, standing more than a dozen meters away, even felt an unprovoked heat, obviously not an ordinary occurrence.
What shocked Huai Shi even more was that, once the oversized coat was torn, it revealed a Teenage Girl's petite figure, with little leather shoes, black tights, and a sailor suit...
Was it really a JK?
If it weren't for the ferocious Prajna Mask on her face, she would have almost suspected that she had ended up at some absurd anime convention.
In the midst of the chaos, both glanced at each other, each seeing the astonishment in the other's eyes.
Huai Shi was first stunned, then furiously exclaimed, "What are you, a Second Stage, doing delivering fodder?"
Li Jian Amber was also furious, and what came out of her mouth was the perfectly pronounced Dongxia dialect, "Do you, a First Stage, have any shame in criticizing me!"
"We Dongxia have our own national conditions. It's none of your business!" Huai Shi shot back a retort, but before she could finish, she was interrupted by a series of shrill screams.
"Huai Shi! Huai Shi! Huai Shi!"
Qi Wen lunged at her again.