Chapter 65: The Multifaceted Lives Amidst the Spiritual Tide

“The peak of the first spiritual tide is almost upon us.” Inside the vehicle, Duan Wenxuan observed the dismal weather outside, his expression filled with concern.

Several days earlier, temperatures in An City had already plummeted sharply. Despite the Jindar Empire generally having warmer climates, these past few days witnessed a severe drop as well. The roadside vegetation, unable to adapt to such abrupt seasonal changes, nearly all withered and died.

As the world’s financial hub, Margate Castle’s former prosperity was now matched by its current chaos.

With qualified individuals from both the Southeast and Western Alliances being transferred to safe bases, most ordinary people also sensed something unusual in the atmosphere. This gradually spreading panic led some to violently vent their emotions, resulting in frequent acts of destruction towards shops and buildings on Margate Castle’s streets.

At times, as vehicles passed by, individuals would suddenly rush out and hurl objects at them. Occasionally, cars lost control, flipping over to the side and catching fire, while firefighters arrived belatedly.

This scenario was not unique to Margate Castle; even before Duan Wenxuan left, signs of it were emerging in An City as well. The only advantage was that Hanming Country had strict gun control, resulting in less destructive potential compared to Margate Castle.

“Based on our Hermit Union’s predictions, after the peak of the first spiritual tide wave, Xuanlan Star will enter the true phase of mystical escalation. At that time, mysteries will proliferate worldwide, significantly increasing the level of danger.”

Duan Wenxuan acknowledged this, gently caressing the door symbol on the back of his right hand with his left.

Currently, he held a significant advantage. Even after the peak of the spiritual tide, Duan Wenxuan remained confident in staying at the forefront of this great transformation. However, his greatest concern lay with the owners of the other door symbols.

Each door symbol possessed unique abilities; if not for Jing Rui’s misfortune, he likely would have become a formidable adversary by now. The best approach, Duan Wenxuan surmised, was to establish an overwhelming lead early on, distancing himself from the others, and then swiftly locate and forcibly absorb the remaining gate symbol holders.

However, amidst the vast sea of people and considering the unpredictable abilities conferred by door symbols, finding individuals was no easy task. The young man encountered at the Gate of Sin and Virtue had now completely disappeared without a trace.

Duan Wenxuan had even considered making wishes with the Greedy Pot, ranging from directly obtaining the door symbols to simply seeking relevant clues. Yet, each time, the Greedy Pot responded with its inability to help, likely due to the high level of the door symbols or their interference-resistant nature for the owners. Nonetheless, there was a possibility for the Greedy Pot to advance further, though it remained uncertain if that would change anything.

Duan Wenxuan fell silent, and Qiao Si, accustomed to quietude, naturally did not speak either.

Soon, the vehicle arrived at the airport.

Without using a dedicated channel, Duan Wenxuan could see that the entrance to the main terminal hall was nearly overwhelmed with crowds. People of all backgrounds wore expressions of worry and despair on their faces.

The abrupt weather changes prompted some to seek refuge elsewhere while others wished to return to their home countries. However, flight tickets had become exorbitantly expensive and still extremely difficult to obtain. Even when managed, flights were prone to last-minute delays.

Duan Wenxuan’s situation was different; he wore a hooded cloak, accompanied by Qiao Si dressed in black for close protection, along with seven or eight soldiers in military uniforms carrying standard-issue firearms. Naturally, this entourage reflected the influence of wealthy patrons. Duan Wenxuan’s return to Hanming also relied on connections provided by these affluent individuals.

People who had been waiting futilely for two to three days without departure stood up instinctively, their eyes fixed on Duan Wenxuan’s group. Some even pleaded silently, hoping their gazes would inadvertently meet his, allowing them to immediately beg for help.

Due to Duan Wenxuan’s Southeast Asian complexion, individuals from Li Kingdom, Northshore, Southbank, and others sharing similar ethnic backgrounds called out to him in their native languages throughout his journey. Their cries were likely pleas for assistance, but Duan Wenxuan did not respond, leaving them disappointed and tearful.

“Sir, sir! Please help us, get our child back to Hanming, sir, sir!”

As Duan Wenxuan approached the corner about to disappear from view, a couple suddenly climbed onto airport chairs, shouting at the top of their lungs. The man raised both hands defensively, fearing that their abrupt action might provoke unwanted attention.

Considering Qiao Si’s presence, Duan Wenxuan paused momentarily, appearing hesitant. After all, he needed to maintain the facade of being just an ordinary individual.

The man standing on the chair swiftly pulled his wife close. In their arms was a roughly five or six-year-old girl wrapped in a blanket. They desperately lifted the child up, shouting, “Sir, sir, please take her back with you. Bring her to my parents, I beg you. We have money, we have money, and we own a house at home—all yours.”

The woman had already taken out her wallet, displaying their bank cards and identification documents from within.

The little girl’s face was intensely flushed, likely indicating a fever.

“Who are you people?”

Hearing Duan Wenxuan speak in Hanming language, the man paused momentarily before excitedly yelling, “We’re Luo Su, my spouse and I work in ecological research and conservation. We were dispatched here for long-term duties two years ago. Look, look, these are our Hanming identity cards and work permits; this is my daughter’s documentation… Sir, we’re not lying, truly, truly.”

Duan Wenxuan glanced at Qiao Si.

Qiao Si shrugged indifferently, “If we were to evacuate all Hanming nationals from the airport, there wouldn’t be enough space. But adding just three more people doesn’t matter.”

Luo Su and his family nervously watched Duan Wenxuan, noticing one of the individuals quietly speaking to him. Time had never felt so agonizingly slow.

”…Come along then.”

For Luo Su and his wife, it felt like a moment of judgment. In their extreme anxiety, they didn’t even notice when several airport security guards approached to help carry their luggage, saying, “Go ahead, that gentleman is willing to take you along.”

“Us? We two as well?” Luo Su’s wife abruptly pointed at herself.

After receiving confirmation, tears of excitement welled up instantly in their eyes. They hastily gathered their remaining belongings, closely followed the security guards without looking back once.

At this point, they couldn’t worry about others anymore. Despite being civilized individuals, after enduring so much, they truly had no spare sympathy left. Each day grew colder than the last, and as researchers of nature, they had observed significant changes in the environment. It was simply untenable for them to remain abroad. Additionally, Margate Castle had widespread circulation of firearms, increasing the dangers. Having spent four or five days at the airport, they shivered uncontrollably from the cold nights, yet the departure remained delayed indefinitely.

The couple, holding their child and dragging their belongings, swiftly ran towards Duan Wenxuan, feeling utterly at a loss for how to express their gratitude. Witnessing Luo Su and his wife successfully rescued, numerous other Hanming nationals at the airport also rushed forward, pleading to be saved.

“Fellow countrymen, save us too, please help us! We have money, we can afford the tickets.”

“Please, I’m old and just want to go home.”

“We also have children here, look, she’s only two years old. If we stay any longer, she won’t survive.”

Luo Su’s family felt somewhat uneasy.

They knew they had inadvertently caused this situation, but dared not suggest Duan Wenxuan take more people with him. It was already difficult enough, fearing that if they upset him, he might refuse to bring them along as well.

Duan Wenxuan, feeling a twinge of guilt, could only grit his teeth and turn away.

As soon as it became clear he wouldn’t rescue more, the pleas turned into curses. Some even threatened to expose Duan Wenxuan, accusing him as an official from Hanming Country for abandoning civilians. With regular soldiers accompanying him for protection, the crowd now perceived Duan Wenxuan as an authoritative figure, hinting at their intent to confront and attack. However, when the soldiers raised their guns, the agitated passengers quickly calmed down.

Escorting Luo Su’s family onto the plane, Duan Wenxuan noticed that many people were already aboard. Most wore military uniforms accompanied by bodyguards, or displayed an air of prominence with personal security personnel nearby.

Clearly, at this point, those still able to board flights were no ordinary individuals. Even money alone wouldn’t suffice; it required a combination of wealth and influence.

Luo Su’s family huddled together, not daring to utter a single word.

After half an hour, the plane took off. Attractive flight attendants served fresh meals to each passenger, but Duan Wenxuan had no appetite. In fact, apart from Luo Su’s family who ate ravenously, most others on the plane also seemed uninterested in eating.

Despite being amidst these turbulent spiritual tides, Duan Wenxuan had just enjoyed a delicious meal before arriving here. The airplane-style boxed meals held little appeal for his already full stomach.

However, it was different for Luo Su’s family; they had finished all their snacks earlier. Afraid to venture outside, the prices within the airport had tripled during this period. It had been over two days since they last had warm, cooked meals.

“I’m going to sleep now.” Quickly, Duan Wenxuan put on an eye mask, gradually closing his eyes.

If Qiao Si weren’t present, with his precise coordinates known, Duan Wenxuan could instantly return to Hanming Country. Unlike most passengers on the plane, worried about potential accidents due to the spiritual tide, Duan Wenxuan remained remarkably calm. On the entire Xuanlan Star, even if he wasn’t currently the strongest, when it came to simply escaping, there truly was no one who could catch him.

At 2 A.M., the plane experienced severe turbulence.

As soon as Duan Wenxuan opened his eyes, he noticed Qiao Si gripping his arm. “We’ve reached Hanming Country, but this isn’t An City. The spiritual tide has caused adverse weather conditions, making it impossible to follow the original flight plan and land.”

“That’s alright, let’s proceed as is.”

The plane made an emergency landing, with Duan Wenxuan outwardly appearing anxious while internally remaining composed. Upon hearing that they had returned to Hanming Country, Luo Su, despite some nervousness due to the forced landing, felt more excitement and relief.

Following the safety exit path, Luo Su even abandoned most of his work documents, considering them less important than the insulated blanket he carried close by.

Upon stepping off the plane, Duan Wenxuan immediately sensed a bone-chilling cold. Strangely though, apart from a thin layer of rainwater beneath his feet, there was not a trace of snow on the ground.

“Minus twenty-seven degrees Celsius.” Qiao Si glanced at his wristwatch, which seemed to have temperature-measuring capabilities. “We need to find somewhere to stay first.”

Most of the other passengers onboard also began contacting people individually, one after another.

Duan Wenxuan patted Luo Su on the shoulder. “Now that we’re here, let’s part ways. You guys should have your own means now.” He promptly returned their wallets to Luo Su and his colleagues.

With a look at Qiao Si, the two slowly moved in the same direction, gradually departing amidst the night.