Chapter 24: The Perils of Venturing into Divine Studies

No… I don’t want to dismiss it just yet; actually, I’m waiting for an opportunity.

Duan Wenxuan muttered inwardly but turned his gaze towards Li Dong. For a brief moment, their eyes met, causing Li Dong to unconsciously break out in cold sweat. From the moment they met, Gongson Wulong had appeared kind and benevolent, with an even more gentle tone. Yet at this instant, Li Dong unexpectedly saw a chilling warning mixed with cruelty in the eyes of such an elderly man.

Li Dong, having experienced numerous high-stakes situations as a seasoned detective, typically maintained composure far beyond most people. Even he felt a surge of genuine fear deep within.

This old gentleman, Gongson, was not someone to be trifled with—a master of false kindness concealing extreme malevolence.

After Li Dong instinctively looked away, Duan Wenxuan turned and patted Liao Yangsu’s shoulder with a smile, “Since we’re here, considering Old Master Tang’s lifelong dedication to the Duan family, I should indeed go see him.”

Liao Yangsu was deeply moved. Ever since becoming an apprentice, he had only received benefits from his master without truly showing much respect or gratitude. Earlier, Zhao Mingcai’s words had somewhat swayed him, prompting him to manipulate his elder…

At this moment, Liao Yangsu genuinely felt a sense of shame.

With Duan Wenxuan’s agreement, Zhao Mingcai swiftly returned after departing briefly.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at Lan Tian Community Health Clinic.

This small community health clinic primarily served the local residents nearby, offering convenience for minor ailments without the need to queue up at larger hospitals.

However, now all the surrounding single-story shops had been evacuated, and within a radius of about 300-400 meters, caution tape and armed forces secured the area. Outside, Duan Wenxuan spotted several journalists lingering.

Upon arrival, Zhao Mingcai hurriedly led Duan Wenxuan and his group closer. Soon, the onlookers were forcibly dispersed, and the journalists were completely sent away.

These matters didn’t concern Duan Wenxuan; with Li Dong’s assistance, he confidently strode forward, slicing through the caution tape to approach the center of the scene. As he drew nearer, Duan Wenxuan detected a strong scent of smoke and fire, accompanied by waves of intense heat in the air. The entire Lan Tian Health Clinic bore clear signs of recent firefighting efforts.

It was evident that the explosion had indeed occurred.

“They’re still clearing the rubble, but we dare not venture too deep inside. There’s something there,” Zhao Mingcai whispered.

“I’ll go take a look.” Unfazed, Duan Wenxuan stepped forward.

After all, he had no intention of returning this Gongson Wulong’s body to Tongfu Inn intact. Therefore, regardless of any damage sustained, it was inconsequential to him.

As Duan Wenxuan moved, Liao Yangsu attempted to follow, but Duan Wenxuan held him back, saying, “It’s somewhat dangerous; you should stay here.”

Liao Yangsu felt his face flush with embarrassment before hastily responding, “The dust inside is heavy. We have simple oxygen masks that effectively filter out the debris, sir. You can use one.”

“Indeed, the gadgets of this era are quite intriguing.” Duan Wenxuan examined the mask briefly but then casually set it aside, stating, “I’m not accustomed to using such devices.” With that, he employed his qinggong, gracefully navigating over the rubble and swiftly reaching the very center of the community health clinic.

While Gongson Wulong’s qinggong might be slightly inferior to Bai Zhan Tang’s, his internal martial prowess was profound, giving him greater endurance - an aspect where Bai Zhan Tang couldn’t compete.

The front area of the health clinic was utterly devastated by the explosion, yet deeper within, some structures still appeared relatively intact. Amidst the wreckage, Duan Wenxuan spotted a mutant trapped under debris.

The figure appeared to be male, with ashen-white skin and completely devoid of any hair. His body was extremely emaciated, and his elongated neck had an eerie thinness. Still alive, upon noticing Duan Wenxuan, its already long neck twisted slightly.

Duan Wenxuan stepped on the creature’s neck, eliciting an aggressive hiss from it as it tried to bite him. In response, Duan Wenxuan grabbed a nearby rock and pressed it firmly onto the creature’s head.

As he ventured further inside, Duan Wenxuan observed numerous steel structures and various instruments that he had never seen before. After detecting something amiss at Lantian Health Center, this place must have been hastily repurposed.

Initially, Duan Wenxuan continued examining his surroundings when suddenly, he felt a brief stinging sensation on the back of his hand, quickly fading away. This feeling was familiar to him, indicating the likely presence of some substance nearby that could be absorbed by the Door.

• Thump, thump -

While searching around, Duan Wenxuan suddenly heard muffled knocking sounds beneath his feet.

”… Cough cough … Is someone there?” Faintly, Duan Wenxuan discerned a weak voice calling out.

Despite his advanced age, Gongsun Wulong remained sharp and alert. Duan Wenxuan confirmed he hadn’t misheard, “Who are you?”

“I am Wu Xingxian. Comrades outside… hurry, leave me behind. We were wrong; with our limited knowledge, we should not have carelessly ventured into theological realms…”

The voice of Wu Xingxian sounded aged and tinged with sorrow. Clearly, he had little strength left, managing only a few strained shouts before his voice became hoarse and unintelligible.

Duan Wenxuan determined the direction of the sound and finally cleared away the debris above with great effort using palm techniques.

After painstakingly removing the obstruction, Duan Wenxuan noticed traces of a hidden opening in the floor, indicating that beneath the Lantian Health Center lay some special constructions. As he continued clearing the area, he realized that descending further revealed an increasingly nauseating, peculiar odor.

“…raspy…leave…” A faint light seemed to illuminate below as Wu Xingxian desperately shouted again, filled with despair.

—Gurgle gurgle—

At that moment, Duan Wenxuan heard sounds resembling bubbling water.

“Where are you?” Duan Wenxuan shouted.

He didn’t dare to jump down directly, as although he wouldn’t die, it was still repulsive. Vaguely, he could make out various scattered objects below. The limited light shining downwards made it difficult to see clearly.

—Gurgle gurgle—

The bubbling noises continued intermittently, causing fear to rise within Duan Wenxuan. However, knowing they couldn’t kill him, he managed to control his fear somewhat.

Just as Duan Wenxuan planned to find a flashlight or something similar, he sensed something emerging from below. It was a peculiar feeling; if described, it would be akin to an entire basement being destroyed, shrouded in darkness with low visibility. But now, the entire basement floor seemed to be ‘rising’, and objects previously unseen slowly became visible at the surface.

“What the hell.” Duan Wenxuan took a few steps back.

After waiting for about five minutes, Duan Wenxuan witnessed the gradual emergence of copious amounts of blood from beneath the ground. However, this blood appeared dark red and unusually thick. In a more disgusting description, it resembled mucus.

Duan Wenxuan leaped onto a broken stool.

As the blood continued to accumulate, these mucus-like fluids piled up, feeling somewhat like… somewhat like…

A massive grotesque version of a slime!

Why grotesque? Because within the bulk of this red gooey slime, twisted and contorted, were around twenty to thirty human bodies!

These individuals wore either laboratory attire or police uniforms… Clearly, someone had entered here before, likely attempting to rescue Wu Xingxian, only for them all to meet their demise.

”…Go…”

In the chest area of the horrifying slime, Duan Wenxuan noticed an elderly man, seemingly in his sixties, with terror-stricken eyes wide open. His pupils were entirely filled with red blood, appearing as if two bloody voids, yet he was still able to speak.

“Still alive?”

Then, Duan Wenxuan realized that there seemed to be a few others who remained alive too. Occasionally, they would painfully wriggle within the slime’s body, but the problem was they couldn’t escape from it.

—Gurgle gurgle—

The terrifying slime emitted bubbling sounds, and unexpectedly, it spat out a person. One after another, followed by a third… It seemed as if the slime intended to expel them all.

If only it could speak, it might have exclaimed, “Not tasty at all! Ugh, yuck!” Within about five minutes, the slime had ejected everyone, including Wu Xingxian.

However, as the slime expelled all the humans, its size gradually decreased. Initially, it loomed large enough to reach the damaged ceiling, but now it stood barely shoulder-height to Duan Wenxuan.

—Gurgle gurgle gurgle—

“Hey, hey, you just made three ‘gurgle’ noises. Don’t think acting cute can overshadow your terrifying nature.”

Duan Wenxuan wasn’t sure if this slime possessed discernible facial features; it was simply a massive blob. However, near the top, there were slightly indented areas that勉强could be considered eyes. Whether his imagination or not, he felt that after speaking, the terrifying slime fully turned towards him.

“What do you mean?”

As Duan Wenxuan took a step back, with a sudden splash, the once viscous slime exploded like water, cascading directly towards him.

He should have prepared an umbrella beforehand.

Unfortunately, hindsight is priceless as it came too late. A strong, pungent odor spread from his body, making Duan Wenxuan feel slightly suffocated, as if he had been engulfed by the terrifying slime.

This was going too far—humans have evolved for millennia, not to end up on someone’s menu!

Furious, Duan Wenxuan vigorously struggled within the slime’s mass. Surprisingly, it felt akin to being submerged in water; somewhat weakened but still manageable.

With a sudden “pfft,” Duan Wenxuan exerted all his effort to move, finally managing to thrust one arm out from the terror slime’s belly. Using both hands, he forcefully pushed aside the slime and crawled free with great difficulty.

The process drained some of his energy, but thankfully, he emerged unscathed.

-Glub-glub-glug-

The slime emitted more frequent bubbling sounds while slowly inching towards Duan Wenxuan again, seemingly intent on enveloping him once more.

“This relentless behavior isn’t good.” Duan Wenxuan promptly opened the small door, deciding to lure the slime gradually towards it using himself as bait.

The consciousness-infused Body Door function wasn’t fully reliable, but fortunately, the small door remained usable. After discovering this capability during a brief experiment earlier, Duan Wenxuan couldn’t help wishing he could stroke that white deer again.

That little fellow truly was his lucky charm.

Inside the room…

Upon returning, Duan Wenxuan reverted to his original form just as the slime attempted to envelop his entire room. Quickly, he took initiative and embraced it.

Then, he was absorbed into the slime, but this time felt different.

Initially, Duan Wenxuan sensed being trapped in a muddy swamp, completely unable to move. Simultaneously, a burning, prickling pain radiated from his eyes and all over his skin, growing increasingly intense.

Holding his breath, Duan Wenxuan finally experienced that familiar searing sensation on the back of his hand, more intense than any mental focus could replicate. It felt like an instant blast from extremely hot steam. However, the pain lasted only briefly—after one or two seconds, similar information spontaneously emerged in his mind.

With a sudden “plop,” the slime ejected him out.

This experience left Duan Wenxuan somewhat drained; the sensation of needles piercing his entire body is not easily endured by most people. He admired Wu Xingxian’s resilience for enduring such agony while remaining conscious for so long.

After resting for a moment, Duan Wenxuan began studying the additional information in his mind.

He had essentially gained two abilities. The first was immunity, specifically against the terror slime’s toxins, preventing him from transforming into one of those peculiar mutant forms. The second was shape-shifting, allowing him to effortlessly mold his appearance and physique as easily as kneading rubber. However, being human and not a slime, there were limitations to his transformations. For example, he could alter himself to resemble a teenager around seventeen or eighteen years old, but couldn’t change to appear like a child of five or six.

The first ability ensured safety, while the second, combined with disguise techniques, made him virtually invincible.

As Duan Wenxuan reveled in his newfound capabilities, the terrifying slime once again emitted its nauseating stench and oozed towards him, accompanied by gurgling sounds… Strangely enough… Duan Wenxuan felt that this time, the terror slime seemed content, almost acting coyly through these gestures. What kind of damn coyness though? The overpowering smell of rotten fish mixed with blood repulsed Duan Wenxuan immensely.

“Go away.” Duan Wenxuan pushed the slime aside.

However, the slime was like a persistent adhesive plaster, insisting on sticking close to Duan Wenxuan. Even if it eventually hesitated and dared not approach too closely, it still cautiously peered inside from the doorway, its blood-red sunken eyes silently staring at Duan Wenxuan.

The sensation was incredibly eerie.

To those aware, it seemed as though the slime wanted to play with Duan Wenxuan; to others unaware, they might think they were filming a horror movie.

Duan Wenxuan ignored it but then worried about what would happen if someone saw him with this creature. So, he rummaged through his belongings and found a child’s duck raincoat, which he put over the slime. This small duck raincoat had been left behind long ago when Zong Cheng’s girlfriend brought her nephew over for a visit.

Thus, a terrifying bloody slime ended up encased in the duck raincoat, only revealing its fist-sized head with eye-like crimson holes.

“Do you understand? No taking it off, no running outside, and definitely no trailing after me everywhere.”

The horrifying slime could only continue quietly squatting by Duan Wenxuan’s door.

After being transferred into a larger flower pot, the vine waited until Duan Wenxuan went to take a shower. Its previously obediently contracted vines suddenly spread out and stealthily extended towards the slime.

The slime emanated a strong scent of blood—just the vine’s favorite.

Pffft—The vine’s tendrils abruptly pierced into the slime’s body, not only releasing spores for parasitic growth but also vigorously absorbing nutrients from the slime to strengthen itself.

The paper figurine gently floated up, emitting a peculiar infant-like giggle.

In essence, the vine, slime, and paper figurine were all chaotic evil entities. Without Duan Wenxuan’s control, any one of them could transform this neighborhood into a terrifying hell.

After finishing his shower and grabbing something to eat, Duan Wenxuan returned to find the paper figurine drifting towards him, excitedly pointing at the vine and slime.

He noticed that beside the slime, there were now several withered leaves. However, within the slime, it seemed as if tiny seeds were striving to sprout roots.

“Don’t engage in such mutual suppression!” Duan Wenxuan’s face darkened as he glared at the vine.

The vine remained quietly in its flower pot, its topmost leaves swaying side to side, futilely attempting denial.

Ah, nonsense!

At that moment, the slime spat out the seeds.

Simultaneously, the vine swiftly extended, snatched the seeds back, and stuffed them into its own mouth, even producing eerie crunching sounds as it chewed.

The corner of Duan Wenxuan’s mouth twitched, leaving him speechless.

One day later.

As the new world opened, Duan Wenxuan, accompanied by the vine and paper figurine, stepped confidently inside.

He was no longer defenseless; aside from his own martial skills, the vine served as the primary attacker while the paper figurine provided confusion and support. Duan Wenxuan felt that his chances of survival in this new world had significantly increased. As for not bringing the slime, its size was still too large and distinctive, easily attracting unwanted attention.

With a backpack slung over his shoulder, Duan Wenxuan observed the bustling crowd and Gothic-style architecture around him, feeling overwhelmed by the sights.

The weather here was somewhat chilly, but fortunately, Duan Wenxuan had dressed warmly. His attire seemed slightly out of place, but this culturally rich city appeared to be preparing for a lively festival, with many people dressed even more extravagantly than he was.

“First, find a place to stay.”

Duan Wenxuan moved away from the crowd, scanning his surroundings until he located a hotel. Yes, there were hotels here. If one had to compare, Duan Wenxuan felt that the cultural progression of this place resembled Europe’s medieval period.

However, Duan Wenxuan had miscalculated one thing: gold was not highly valued in this world. Conversely, silver held far greater value than gold. As a result, when he tried to pay for his room with gold, the innkeeper was rather reluctant. Eventually, Duan Wenxuan exchanged a精美怀表 exquisite pocket watch for a night’s accommodation fee.

Back in his room, Duan Wenxuan did not plan to immediately explore this new world. He decided to wait out the initial 24-hour survival period first. Nevertheless, considering the significant disparity between gold and silver values, Duan Wenxuan thought it might be profitable to trade them here in the future.

After quietly enjoying the delivered dinner, he noticed that both the paper figurine and vine were unusually agitated.

To them, the heavy human traffic indicated secrets and abundant nutrients. However, Duan Wenxuan felt comfortable releasing the paper figurine, as long as it promised not to tempt others into chaotic self-destruction. The vine, on the other hand, would have to remain obediently quiet like a regular plant.

As night fell, the lively festivities began to subside. In this unfamiliar world, Duan Wenxuan found it difficult to sleep.

Late at night, around two o’clock, the church bells rang out. A faint green haze slowly drifted across the distant sky, followed by a gentle rain starting to fall over the streets.

On the dimly lit street, everything became eerily quiet.

Suddenly, amidst the darkness, a single light flickered on. Then another, and yet another, steadily increasing until there were over ten lights visible…

Slowly, the lights began to move. Amidst the gloomy street emerged a girl, around fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in Gothic-style attire. She skillfully controlled a marionette with one hand.

“So many ‘Death Gods’ here. If I don’t take care of some, too many people might die tonight,” the girl lifted her face, her delicate features reflecting an unsettling gaze.

Duan Wenxuan woke up. Initially, he had trouble sleeping and didn’t intend to join the commotion, but then his paper figurine rushed back, followed by persistent knocking at his door.

Knock all you want; I’m not opening it anyway.

“If you really get me killed, I’ll tear you apart first,” Duan Wenxuan muttered as he placed a vine-filled flower pot near the door. He leaned towards the window, visibly agitated while shaking the paper figurine.

Where did this nuisance come from?

He initially considered escaping through the window, but upon looking outside, he spotted a young man dressed in a long white robe and wearing a white hat sitting on a rooftop just two or three hundred meters away. The young man continuously twirled something resembling a playing card in his hands. Below on the street, a headless knight slowly rode its horse towards them.

As Duan Wenxuan hesitated, the headless knight casually spurred its horse into a nearby house. It could effortlessly enter, and when it reemerged, it was holding a head which it tried to place onto its own neck. However, the head quickly slipped off, prompting the knight to appear ready to select another one.

This is outrageous; even more absurd than his world.

As Duan Wenxuan hesitated, fearing to flee yet unable to act, the young man in white clothes gracefully leaped up and landed with elegance, seemingly aiming to intercept the headless knight.

This spectacle was truly thrilling.

Suddenly, a paper figurine floated towards Duan Wenxuan, emitting ghostly wails.

Duan Wenxuan leaned forward and shouted at the young man in white, “Its head is inside the bag on its back! Find a way to retrieve it and toss it back; the knight will disappear!”

The young man glanced briefly in their direction but decided to give it a try nonetheless.

With evident skill, he managed to obtain the bag, pulled out a dried-up skull, and threw it towards the headless knight. The knight let out a painful roar before vanishing entirely.

Exhausted, the young man collapsed onto the ground momentarily, but swiftly regained his footing, leaping onto the roof and heading towards Duan Wenxuan’s location.

“Exchange - help me deal with the one at the entrance. She holds a large pair of scissors; you must stab her own head with them, significantly weakening her.”

A slight twitch seemed to cross the corner of the young man’s mouth, his gaze towards Duan Wenxuan somewhat peculiar. Despite his hesitation, he proceeded as instructed.

After about twenty minutes, the young man burst into Duan Wenxuan’s room, bearing a fist-sized hole in his shoulder and covered in blood.

Duan Wenxuan controlled the vines, having secretly prepared to subdue the newcomer.

The young man was severely wounded, unable to maintain his composed expression. Instead, there emerged a twisted sense of excitement on his face as he demanded, “Tell me, how can you accurately know each monster’s vulnerabilities?”

Daytime belonged to humans, while nighttime belonged to monsters.

Every type of monster seemed nearly impossible to defeat or kill. Only through continuous trial and error could their weaknesses be discovered. But how could this ordinary human, without inheriting any profession, instantly discern such vulnerabilities?! Moreover, they were the most fundamental weaknesses.

“Well, if I start explaining… it gets quite lengthy…”

Duan Wenxuan poured a glass of water for the young man, intending to slowly elaborate.