Chapter 66: Only Lord Mountain God Can Save Us

After bidding farewell to Luo Su’s family and walking away some distance, Duan Wenxuan involuntarily shivered. Despite his currently robust physique still feeling the bone-chilling cold, it was evident how severe the weather outside had become.

“For you?” Qiao Si handed his wrapped-up down jacket to Duan Wenxuan.

For a moment, the corner of Duan Wenxuan’s mouth twitched slightly. “I just feel it’s quite strange for a guy to give me his coat.”

“Then return it.”

“I’ll wear it after all.” At present, Duan Wenxuan’s physical condition made it difficult for him to fall ill, but what if not? After all, this current ‘cold’ was caused by the spiritual tide, not merely a climatic issue.

Qiao Si gave Duan Wenxuan a speechless look.

Rarely engaging in such banter, Duan Wenxuan also felt unusually relaxed. He initially had few friends, and ever since obtaining the door symbol, he mostly kept to himself. Even when interacting with others, he often maintained a facade with false demeanor and personality, constantly pretending. It had been a long time since he experienced this genuine sense of ease.

As Duan Wenxuan slowly made his way back to An City, the point of eruption for this spiritual tide quietly arrived during that night.

Nightfall in An City.

The entire city plunged into darkness, with virtually no light remaining. This was almost unimaginable for a developed city like An City, especially after humans invented electricity and society advanced significantly.

Four days ago, the An City government declared a state of emergency, implementing intermittent water and power supply during daytime hours. After 7 PM, there was a complete blackout with both power and water shut off.

Now, nearly all factories and companies in An City have ceased operations. Apart from the lack of electricity, the widespread panic meant nobody would go to work. For such a vast city, the losses due to this comprehensive shutdown were terrifying, but it was beyond anyone’s control.

The intermittent water and power supply continued until yesterday noon. Originally, electricity was supposed to be restored between 12 PM and 2 PM, but it failed to return as expected.

People huddled at home, trembling with fear, yet their anxiety proved futile. The internet and television services were completely unavailable. Only occasionally, with dwindling phone battery life, could they call close family members, but the signals were severely disrupted by the spiritual tide, resulting in constant static interference.

In Maple Grove Community, Geng Yang’s family experienced the same situation.

From yesterday until now, power had not been restored. With the air conditioning no longer running, their home felt icy-cold like a frozen cave. Despite being indoors somewhat sheltered from the wind, even with blankets wrapped around them, the pervasive chill still left the two children shivering and crying incessantly.

Unable to bear it any longer, Geng Yang found an iron basin, dismantled a few wooden chairs, and finally started a fire inside for warmth. In the dimly lit room, burning chair legs in the iron basin brought some additional heat to the space.

“This can’t go on. We must venture out and find someone to rescue us,” Geng Yang said, his expression filled with concern as he held his four-year-old daughter.

Beside him were his closely huddled wife, holding their seven-year-old son, along with his parents and Zhong Siyuan’s father. They had purchased this house just a few years ago, relying entirely on themselves as young villagers trying to settle in An City.

To alleviate financial burdens, Geng Yang’s mother took care of the children at home while Geng Yang’s father and Zhong Siyuan’s father both worked odd jobs in An City, contributing earnings to ease the strain. Now, apart from worrying about the situation outside, they also fretted over Zhong Siyuan’s mother, who remained in their rural hometown.

“Who could come to save us now?”

Zhong Siyuan’s tone was somber. Since yesterday, the most frequent calls they made were to report emergencies, but the lines were always busy. Later, to prevent draining their phone batteries completely, they finally called Zhong Siyuan’s mother and learned that she was extremely frightened being alone at home. However, thankfully, she was still safe, providing some relief. They then instructed her to keep all windows and doors tightly shut and not to step outside even once. To conserve battery power, they turned off their phones afterward.

“The past couple of days, there haven’t been any armed police patrols outside,” Geng Yang’s father suddenly spoke up.

This revelation caused everyone gathered together to feel uneasy. The elderly man’s observation struck a deeper concern for Geng Yang. Initially, An City had been under strict surveillance with armed police continuously patrolling, aiming to prevent opportunistic chaos by those who thrived amidst disorder.

However, over these two days, the number of patrol teams dwindled until none were seen today. This either indicated that the An City government had lost control over the situation or suggested that ordinary citizens like them were being abandoned.

Today, through slightly opened curtains, they observed someone bundled in thick down jackets. After ensuring no armed police patrols were around, this person carried a fire axe—obtained from somewhere—and walked along the streets.

Geng Yang’s residential balcony overlooked the street, which usually made it somewhat noisy but also resulted in a lower housing price. Later, they noticed that the person carrying the fire axe walked across the street to Maplewood Supermarket, forcefully broke open the supermarket’s lock with the axe, and finally gathered a large assortment of items before running back to their neighborhood.

At that moment, Geng Yang felt tempted too, wanting to secretly venture out and gather some supplies for his home.

Their household was now running low on provisions, with only about ten pounds of rice, two bundles of noodles, some cornmeal and flour brought from their hometown, half a sack of potatoes and cabbage, along with some milk and infant formula previously consumed by their child remaining.

They were just ordinary people, diligently focused on hard work to repay their loans as soon as possible. They truly had little time or energy to spare for any unexpected issues. By the time they realized what was happening, many supermarkets had already closed or imposed purchase limits, with prices skyrocketing each day to absurd levels. Eventually, apart from the affordable supermarkets operated by the An City government, no other places had food available amidst frenzied buying.

Without any connections and unable to outcompete others during the panic buying, their household supplies had long been stretched thin. Now, the adults dared not even touch the remaining food.

While Geng Yang felt tempted yet hesitated, someone else stealthily slipped out of the residential area and rushed towards the looted supermarket. However, as two more individuals were leaving with large hauls, a scrawny wild cat suddenly emerged from nowhere - its fur patchy due to hair loss - and attacked one of them.

The wild cat’s speed was incredibly swift, with exceptional jumping capabilities. Before anyone could react, Geng Yang helplessly watched as the cat viciously clawed at the eyes of the targeted person, causing him to roll on the ground in agony. Taking advantage of his screams, the cat swiftly struck at the man’s neck, ripping out a substantial chunk of flesh along with underlying veins. The other individual abandoned their loot and fled in a frantic scramble.

This was no ordinary cat; a typical cat wouldn’t possess such intelligence to target human vulnerabilities. It seemed almost intentional in its hunting approach.

Later, the screaming gradually subsided as the cat waited for the person to struggle and wail until they ran out of strength. Finally, it approached and ate the person’s eyes before swiftly leaping away from that street.

Afterwards, no one dared to venture onto the streets again.

Recalling what happened during the day, Geng Yang could feel his own fear, but he couldn’t show it. He was the father of two children and the head of the family; he had to do everything possible to ensure the survival of his wife, children, father, and mother.

“Then we must go even more,” Geng Yang said firmly. “Even if it’s just to gather burnable materials, I doubt the power will be restored. The nighttime temperatures get colder each day, and no matter what we do, the blankets can’t retain warmth. We need to keep a fire going.”

“Don’t go. Siyuan and the kids still depend on you, I’ll go.” Zhong Siyuan’s father patted his thigh, his tone resolute.

Zhong Siyuan didn’t have any specific ideas, his eyes merely turning red.

“No, I’ll go instead. Being younger, my movements are quicker, making it easier to evade danger. Plus, I won’t stray far. That street is dangerous; the cat might still be there. I’ll just go to the neighboring building nearby.”

“Why go to the neighboring building?” Zhong Siyuan felt somewhat puzzled.

“I saw Duan Wenxuan leaving a couple of days ago; it was coincidental at the neighborhood entrance where we even exchanged greetings. He seemed quite hurried and hasn’t returned since then. And given this situation… I doubt he’ll be back.”

Long ago, they had rented an apartment from Duan Wenxuan. Later, after becoming accustomed to living in this neighborhood, they decided to purchase their home here.

Geng Yang moved closer to the brazier. “Duan Wenxuan used to run a general store, so I expect he would have stocked plenty of items like rice and flour at his place. I’m familiar with his house too, making it relatively easy to access.”

“You’re crazy! Trespassing into someone else’s home can land you in jail.”

“Who cares about jail now? Just outside, there were some dogs behaving abnormally, scavenging on those corpses. With no one around to enforce laws, I doubt concerns about jail still matter.”

Having made his decision, Geng Yang handed his daughter to her mother and then got up, stretching briefly. Afterward, he removed his down jacket, shivering multiple times, and found a notebook to wrap around his neck. Securing it tightly with a transparent bag, he also bound similar protection around his calves and wrists.

Although these actions made movement less convenient, they effectively guarded against bites from wild cats or dogs. Additionally, he retrieved swim goggles purchased for beach trips in the past and put them on over his eyes.

The family dismantled the clothesline from their balcony, firmly attaching one end to a kitchen knife. Geng Yang stuffed a small folding fruit knife and screwdriver into his pocket, along with grabbing a household cleaver.

On this outing, Geng Yang also intended to search for firefighting equipment. The fire axe carried by that man during the day clearly had impressive offensive capabilities.

As they were about to leave, Zhong Siyuan held back Geng Yang, “Is it really necessary? Can’t you go during the daytime instead?”

“We can’t delay any longer; people have already started raiding supermarkets today. I’m afraid if we arrive late, others will take what Duan Wenxuan had stored. Food and firewood will become increasingly valuable from now on, so it’s best to accumulate as much as possible. We were already behind without realizing it earlier. If we continue waiting like before, saying ‘wait just a bit more,’ sooner or later, we’ll starve to death.”

The events of that day deeply shook Geng Yang.

In truth, he had been eyeing the supermarket for several days, but with the patrol teams around, nobody dared to act. Later, when the patrols disappeared, Geng Yang couldn’t make up his mind, only to be beaten by others who seized the opportunity first.

Indeed, those who strike first, like catching the juiciest crab, always reap the greatest rewards.

“I’m heading out now. Afterward, block the door with the sofa. Unless it’s me, no matter who knocks or what they say, do not open the door, understood?” Before leaving, Geng Yang once again cautioned his wife and the elderly man inside the room.

The elevator was no longer operational, but fortunately, emergency lights were installed in the hallway corridors. In the absence of electricity, these lights emitted a faint blue glow from the corners, providing some minimal illumination.

Taking a deep breath, Geng Yang turned and ventured into the night.

In the Li Kingdom, driven by the spiritual tide, a massive tsunami was triggered. Within days, nearly half of its coastal territory had sunk beneath the ocean.

Adhering to the principle of global mutual assistance during major catastrophes, Hanming Country officially announced that Yilan City, located near the Li Kingdom, would fully open its channels. In case of dire necessity, Yilan City is willing to temporarily provide refuge for all citizens from the Li Kingdom.

However, as a nation, unless truly forced to abandon their homeland, who would completely leave and seek refuge in another country? Moreover, Yilan City’s own situation was not particularly favorable.

The spiritual tide-induced tsunami and torrential rains were one thing, but within these two days since the outbreak, the Li Kingdom witnessed a surge in sea spirits.

These sea spirits possessed enormous heads and frail bodies, with exceptionally long and slender arms featuring razor-sharp nails. They closely resembled the sea spirits depicted in Li Kingdom’s mythological legends.

As the Li Kingdom largely bordered the sea, it had numerous myths specifically related to marine creatures, including those about sea spirits. According to legend, sea spirits were transformed souls of deceased humans, existing between the realms of illusion and semi-illusion. They could never truly die or be destroyed; only by consuming someone to replace themselves could they enter the cycle of reincarnation.

Existing between the realms of illusion and semi-illusion, these sea spirits were virtually immune to physical harm from conventional weapons; guns and explosives had no effect.

As if accumulating for millennia, they emerged from the depths of the ocean and effortlessly traversed through clusters of buildings, attacking only when encountering living beings. After killing someone, the sea spirits would vanish.

However, there were simply too many sea spirits. Several villages have already been wiped out unexpectedly. Despite the full-scale evacuation efforts, the sea spirits could sense the presence of life and moved towards areas densely populated with living beings.

At that moment, within the Li Kingdom’s tower, an elderly man with silvery hair but strikingly sharp features couldn’t help but show signs of exhaustion. “Has the Shan member from the spirit-controlling clan arrived?”

The poised middle-aged man opposite him promptly nodded. “Shanye has rushed over with Liyu to halt the advance of the sea spirits. We’re currently evacuating large numbers of civilians to Geshan City.”

“Does Shanye feel confident about this?”

A troubled and sorrowful expression crossed the middle-aged man’s face. “Shanye said he will do everything in his power to stop the sea spirits’ progress, until his dying breath.”

“What about members from the Qianhe and Shion clans? Don’t Qianhe Embroidery and Shion Ben also possess mystical powers?!” The old man’s voice remained calm, but the suppressed anger was palpable to all present.

The Shan, Qianhe, and Yinye families were renowned exorcist clans of the Li Kingdom with long-standing traditions. Initially, they were merely lineages passing down their heritage, but after the resurgence of mysteries, mystical phenomena began occurring around the exorcism artifacts they revered: Liyu, the Crane Fan, and the Six Profound Zither. Correspondingly, individuals capable of wielding these items were discovered.

Apart from them, extensive searches throughout the entire Li Kingdom revealed five more people possessing mysterious powers. However, their abilities were significantly weaker, far inferior to those of Qianhe and others.

“Qianhe Xiu has already reached Geshan City, and Shion Ben is hurrying to meet up with Shanye.”

“Why, at this critical moment, are they still focused on their own self-interest?” The Qianhe family clearly prioritized safeguarding Qianhe Xiu as their sole mystic descendant, while Shion Ben’s deliberate tardiness likely aimed to delay matters further.

“In truth, even with all three of them combined, we don’t have much hope. Currently, within the Li Kingdom, our best chance to repel the sea spirits lies with Lord Mountain God of Geshan City,” the middle-aged man said, lowering his head. “However, whenever we sought His assistance before, He always declined, only permitting entry for personnel into Geshan City.”

The old man’s eyes were bloodshot; he hadn’t slept for two days. “I must go see the Mountain God. Regardless of the transportation means, I need to reach Geshan City tonight!”

“Yes, sir.” Nodding, the middle-aged man swiftly turned and headed towards the door engulfed by darkness and raging storm outside.