The surface of Mars underwent an astonishing transformation in just two short weeks. The entire planet was remodeled into a precise energy device, its surface covered in blue veins that flickered like a giant circuit board. A spire reaching into the clouds stood at its north pole, continuously firing energy pulses into deep space.
The images sent back by space telescopes left scientists thoroughly shaken. That complex energy network far exceeded the level of human technology, and its purpose remained completely incomprehensible.
"According to calculations, the energy stored within that device is enough to blow up the entire Solar System," an elderly scientist said, his voice trembling.
The discussion lasted for three full days, ultimately yielding no definitive conclusion. However, a consensus was reached—humanity was facing total annihilation.
The nations set aside their differences and urgently assembled the Mars Strike Fleet. This fleet carried the largest payload of nuclear weapons in human history.
"Even with the most advanced ion propulsion technology, it will take the fleet four months to reach Mars," the head of the United States international space agency said, his brows locked in a deep frown.
Although the governments announced to the public that this was merely a 'preventative measure,' everyone knew that things were not that simple.
The Erlang Shen temples across the globe were packed to capacity. Believers knelt in prayer, day and night without end.
"Oh deity, please intervene once more to save us!" a mother cried, holding her young child as she knelt before the statue, her tears wetting the ground at its feet.
However, this time, no anomalies appeared in the sky. Erlang Shen seemed to have evaporated from the mortal realm, turning a deaf ear to the prayers of the world.
As days passed, despair continued to spread.
More than a month later, a shocking piece of news suddenly arrived from the monitoring stations—the engineering on Mars had stopped. All monsters and mechanical devices sat motionless, and the blue energy veins grew dim.
"Maybe the equipment malfunctioned!" some cheered joyfully.
"Or perhaps the deity acted in secret!" the believers said, their spirits bolstered.
But most scientists grew even more vigilant, because such a sudden halt most likely meant the project was completed. They dared not slacken, only praying for the success of their plan.
Finally, months later, the Mars Strike Fleet arrived in Martian orbit. A massive number of nuclear warheads were launched, and the shocking footage was transmitted back to Earth in real time. The facilities on the Martian surface were pulverized in the nuclear blasts, and the blue energy network vanished completely.
Inexplicably, the Precursor civilization offered no defense whatsoever, as if they had already abandoned these facilities.
Humanity cheered for this 'victory.' World leaders gave speeches, celebrating the power of human unity. However, this atmosphere of joy and peace was quickly shattered.
A week later, monitoring stations worldwide sounded alarms simultaneously. A faint distortion appeared in the space between Earth and Mars, but no equipment could detect what was hidden behind it.
The fear of the unknown blanketed the globe once again. Scientists could not explain the phenomenon and could only issue warnings that an 'invisible threat' might be approaching.
In the following days, minor orbital anomalies appeared in multiple planets within the Solar System. Mercury, Venus, and even distant Saturn deviated from their normal orbits, as if an object of immense mass was influencing the gravitational field of the entire Solar System.
Astronomers tried every means of detection but found nothing. This 'invisible' threat only intensified the sense of dread.
Late at night, a duty technician in the radar center was nodding off when, suddenly, a sharp, piercing alarm rang out. The screen displayed an unimaginably massive object rapidly approaching the edge of the Solar System.
"My god, what on earth is this?" The technician pressed the emergency contact button in terror.
Soon, through emergency observations, scientists were shocked to discover that this was a giant creature resembling a deep-sea fish. However, its size was freakishly large, nearly equal to that of a star.
Once the news was released, it immediately triggered global panic. On the streets, people lost their sanity, fighting over the last of the supplies. Supermarkets were looted clean, long lines formed at entrances, and the currency systems of some countries collapsed outright. Some cities fell into chaos as columns of fleeing vehicles clogged the roads.
Government statements of reassurance were completely ineffective.
Meanwhile, various doomsday cults rose to power. In streets and alleys, believers dressed in red robes shouted, "The Final Judgment has arrived!" Some claimed this was divine punishment, while others believed only sacrifice could appease the disaster.
Most despairingly, a world-renowned senior astronomer broke into tears during a live broadcast: "Against a monster of such magnitude, even a god would be powerless. We can only wait for our end."
The speed of the Cosmic Red Fish exceeded all logic. It did not follow normal physical laws, reaching Martian orbit in just one day. From Earth, a giant shadow could be seen with the naked eye swallowing the entirety of Mars. Then, this behemoth began to move slowly toward Earth.
Global communication systems were suddenly hijacked by a piercing voice. The Precursor civilization began broadcasting to Earth: "Ants of a low-level civilization, your end has arrived! Give up your resistance and become our nourishment!"
After a short pause, the voice became even more mocking: "Where is that so-called deity of yours? Let him come out; I shall allow him to become our slave!"
Earth fell into unprecedented despair. There were no weapons and no technology that could rival such a celestial-level creature. The remaining nuclear weapons were set to an automatic launch mode as humanity's final resistance—a resistance they knew was futile but were unwilling to give up.
Scientists shook hands and said their goodbyes; soldiers decided to fight their last battle.
Slowly, the massive mouthparts of the Cosmic Red Fish approached Earth's orbit. People in the Western Hemisphere could only see a bloody maw large enough to swallow the entire Earth opening toward them. Countless rows of dense, sharp teeth glittered with a cold light under the starlight. Each tooth was taller than the highest mountain on Earth.
Countless people knelt in prayer, hoping for a miracle, but the sky remained silent. Erlang Shen did not appear. It seemed humanity had truly been abandoned.
At the final moment, just as humanity was about to fall into total despair, the Eastern Hemisphere suddenly erupted with a dazzling golden light. This light was exceptionally soft, illuminating the entire night sky as if it were day.
Following this, solemn celestial music echoed through the sky. This sound actually traveled through the vacuum, reaching directly into everyone's soul. Then, four giant silhouettes stepped out from the golden light, each one comparable in size to the Cosmic Red Fish.
The Eastern Heavenly King of Nation-Upholding held an incredibly massive pipa, its strings entwined with lightning ten thousand miles in diameter. His white jade armor reflected the starlight, each plate the size of a moon.
The Southern Heavenly King of Growth stood holding a sword, the flame patterns on his blue armor burning brightly like a star, the blade emitting a cold light that seemed ready to cleave the void.
The Western Heavenly King of Wide-Gaze had an unimaginably large divine dragon coiled around him. His crimson armor reflected the dragon's scales, and a jewel far exceeding the size of a normal planet rotated slowly in his palm.
The Northern Heavenly King of Much-Hearing held a treasure umbrella in his right hand that blotted out the sun and moon, with countless celestial scripts flowing between the folds of the umbrella.
And behind them, the cosmic void burst open as an even more massive deity stepped out from the chaos—it was the Giant Spirit God! His incredibly massive body carried a pressure that looked down upon heaven and earth, his axe blade seemingly gathering power enough to destroy everything.
The appearance of these five great deities plunged the entire world into a dead silence.
Behind them, a giant gate frame carved with dragons and phoenixes manifested in space, the three characters for Southern Heaven Gate shining with golden light.