Chapter 72: The 'Mother River' Nurturing Life

Hanming Country had strict firearm regulations, prohibiting private individuals from possessing them. Consequently, Geng Yang was terrified and dared not move an inch.

“Geng Yang?”

It was Zong Cheng who recognized Geng Yang immediately under the light from Lao Hongfeng’s flashlight. Previously, Geng Yang had lived with his wife as long-term tenants at Duan Wenxuan’s place. Known for his straightforward nature, he always paid the rent promptly without any delays. During holidays, he would often bring cured meats from his hometown to gift Duan Wenxuan, and after learning that Zong Cheng was also a friend of Duan Wenxuan, sometimes he included him in these gestures too.

Upon hearing familiar voices, Geng Yang, filled with fear and unease, felt like grasping onto a lifeline. Upon closer inspection, it indeed confirmed his recognition of Zong Cheng, causing a mix of relief and dread within him.

The relief stemmed from Zong Cheng’s presence, suggesting they might be allies with the armed individual, potentially giving him some leverage. However, the dread arose from the guilt and restlessness one feels after committing wrongdoing.

Zong Cheng had been away for a long time; Geng Yang hadn’t encountered him in the neighborhood during this period. Additionally, with Duan Wenxuan not at home amidst such perilous times, Geng Yang finally gathered the courage to come.

Had he known Zong Cheng was present, at least for now, Geng Yang would never have dared to take food from Duan Wenxuan’s place. After all, any slight noise could easily be heard by Zong Cheng next door.

“Acquaintances?” Lao Hongfeng glanced at Zong Cheng, swiftly produced a pair of handcuffs, and moved forward to cuff Geng Yang.

Geng Yang didn’t dare resist, his mind filled with uncertainty. This armed man, clad in military attire and equipped with handcuffs, clearly wasn’t an ordinary individual. Had he foreseen this scenario, nothing would have compelled him to come here. But now, regretting it served no purpose.

“Yes, I know him.” Upon seeing Geng Yang’s gear, Zong Cheng deduced the situation partly, “Did you come here to steal?”

Feeling ashamed, Geng Yang lowered his head, ”…I’m truly sorry… There isn’t much edible food left at home, and I didn’t dare to go to others’ houses fearing people might be there. I knew Mr. Duan’s place wouldn’t hav…have anyone…” By the end, Geng Yang couldn’t bring himself to continue speaking, overcome with embarrassment.

Zong Cheng displayed a hint of disappointment; he had initially thought it was Duan Wenxuan returning.

“What do we do now?” Lao Hongfeng asked.

He didn’t particularly mind. In these circumstances, petty theft seemed quite minor compared to other places where incidents like robbery and vandalism were likely rampant. With limited armed personnel, they couldn’t effectively control everything.

“Forget it, let him…” Zong Cheng was about to say ‘let him go’, but before he could finish, he abruptly crouched down and yanked Geng Yang aside with force.

Already hindered by his handcuffed hands, combined with Zong Cheng’s considerable strength, Geng Yang unexpectedly stumbled, rolling once and slamming directly against the opposite wall. The impact made him gasp sharply from pain.

Zong Cheng couldn’t concern himself with Geng Yang at that moment. Instead, he swiftly wiped his hands on the floor. When he lifted them, they were covered in a viscous liquid carrying a faint scent of blood.

“What is this?!” Startled, Zong Cheng immediately grabbed clean tissues to wipe his hands.

Lao Hongfeng’s heart also skipped a beat as he forcefully pulled Zong Cheng backward, “It’s seeping out from under Duan Wenxuan’s door, look…”

Without needing Lao Hongfeng to point it out, Zong Cheng noticed that the viscous liquid was steadily flowing faster from under the door, increasing in volume. The red fluid resembled thick blood, clearly conveying an eerie and ominous aura.

“Quick, let’s go.” Lao Hongfeng and Zong Cheng made a swift decision, immediately running backward without hesitation. Strangely, as they fled, the initially slow-moving red liquid accelerated rapidly, its bloody odor becoming increasingly intense.

Half-dazed from pain, Geng Yang felt his heart pounding with fear. Summoning all his strength, he stumbled after Lao Hongfeng and Zong Cheng.

Zong Cheng and Lao Hongfeng sprinted down the stairs, shouting at each floor, “If anyone is inside, quickly come out and leave!” As for how many people would promptly react and follow them, Zong Cheng and Lao Hongfeng couldn’t afford to worry about that.

Just as they were about to reach the first floor, it seemed like a crimson sea erupted from the ninth floor. With a thunderous roar, the massive wave of blood surged downward, instantly engulfing Zong Cheng and the others.

After spending several days away, Duan Wenxuan and Qiao Si returned to Maple Grove Community feeling somewhat bewildered. The entire area was submerged in a sea of blood. However, this blood-like liquid had a jelly-like consistency, occasionally emitting unsettling sounds akin to something chewing from within.

The viscous fluid did not spread further; once it engulfed Maple Grove Community, it ceased advancing as if reaching its limit.

“I sense an ominous presence.” Qiao Si raised his hand, signaling Duan Wenxuan to stay back. “It appears something has happened here. With the spiritual tide fluctuating, all sorts of strange occurrences can occur. For safety’s sake, we should probably ignore this situation. By the way, there aren’t any important items you need from your home, right?”

“Not particularly.”

Duan Wenxuan looked curiously at his neighborhood. If it truly posed danger, he wouldn’t recklessly approach it. However, the key factor was that the vast red liquid felt somewhat familiar to him. He even sensed faint traces of an amicable aura emanating from it.

Seeing Duan Wenxuan still moving forward, Qiao Si instinctively tried to pull him back. “What are you doing?”

Duan Wenxuan turned and gave Qiao Si a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, if there’s real danger, my chances of survival are greater than yours. After all, I am one of the chosen license holders as Little Wang.”

Qiao Si realized the truth in this; indeed, it made sense that the king wouldn’t neglect Duan Wenxuan after selecting him, even being an ordinary human, to be his successor.

Leaving Qiao Si aside, Duan Wenxuan cautiously approached the vast blood-like sea and even extended his hand to touch it. The moment he did, he felt a consciousness rapidly approaching him.

—Gurgle gurgle—

Similar to bubbles bursting at boiling water, Duan Wenxuan heard a series of urgent gurgling sounds.

“You’ve grown so big?!”

After a brief moment, Duan Wenxuan stared incredulously as a glob of viscous liquid separated from the massive blood sea, rubbing against his palm. It was truly astonishing.

This expansive mass… was actually the Terror Slime.

When Duan Wenxuan had visited the Jindar Empire, he took the paper figurine with him while leaving the Terror Slime behind to guard their home. He never anticipated that during his absence, the Terror Slime would transform into its current state.

The gurgling sounds grew more urgent, seemingly chaotic and even slightly unsettling to others. However, Duan Wenxuan could distinctly understand them.

The Terror Slime was hastily expressing that it didn’t mean for this to happen; the resurgence of the spiritual tide affected it as well. Eventually, after encountering a stimulating event, it transformed into its current state.

“It’s not your fault,” Duan Wenxuan reassured the slime gently.

Due to the persistent bloody odor emanating from the Terror Slime, Duan Wenxuan had never been particularly fond of it. Strangely enough, despite this, the slime seemed more eager to please him than even the paper figurines—perhaps due to loneliness?

Duan Wenxuan wasn’t entirely sure if such unpredictable entities could truly experience feelings like solitude.

Now that the slime had changed so drastically, one downside was that it couldn’t revert back. Its current size represented the smallest form it could control. If it chose to expand, it could roughly double in volume.

Additionally, the mutated slime differed somewhat from its original state. Previously, anything consumed by the slime would transform into mutant-like creatures, much like how Vena’s doll was affected when swallowed by the slime.

The now vastly enlarged Terror Slime differed significantly from its original form. It resembled a thick, flowing liquid, but any creature within it could freely move and breathe as before, given the slime’s consent. However, over time, the slime continuously altered the physiology of those residing inside. Among them, individuals with exceptional innate talents, most suitable for the slime’s transformation, would receive a blood-red seed implanted within their bodies.

This blood-red seed would germinate, grow, and eventually bloom… Each stage of the seed’s development enhanced the host’s physical attributes accordingly, until reaching the pinnacle of their bodily potential.

However, spending prolonged periods within the Terror Slime, especially after receiving the blood-red seed, gradually led to these individuals being assimilated by the terrifying entity.

Duan Wenxuan couldn’t fully comprehend where this assimilation process ultimately led, but he sensed that amidst the spiritual tide fluctuations, the Terror Slime was not enhancing individual capabilities per se. Instead, it seemed to be evolving towards some nurturing purpose. From what he observed, the Terror Slime appeared more like a ‘mother river’ of life, beginning to cultivate its own distinct species.

Is this ultimately good or bad?

Duan Wenxuan couldn’t foresee the future; he was uncertain whether his current decision would have profound and far-reaching impacts.

“What’s on your mind?” Qiao Si noticed Duan Wenxuan appearing distracted and gently patted him on the shoulder, concern evident in his voice.

Startled, Duan Wenxuan quickly composed himself. “Nothing, let’s go inside. It’s alright.”

“Ah?”

Qiao Si remained uneasy but didn’t get a chance to stop Duan Wenxuan before seeing him step forward, as if sinking into a thick blood-red jelly.

With a determined grit of his teeth, Qiao Si swiftly followed suit.

Upon entering, Qiao Si discovered that breathing wasn’t difficult at all. In fact, it seemed completely isolated from the lingering chill brought by the spiritual tide, even feeling somewhat warm instead.

“This is truly fascinating. Do you know what causes it?” Qiao Si, closely trailing behind Duan Wenxuan, asked curiously.

This entity wasn’t without danger; it was just that Duan Wenxuan seemed to know how to control it. Nevertheless, Qiao Si remained vigilant.

“The king gave it to me, a little trinket. However, he likely didn’t anticipate that during the spiritual tide, this peculiar entity would also undergo changes. Nonetheless, the connection still exists, and for now, I maintain control over it.”

Qiao Si’s face showed intrigue at this revelation.

Within the entire neighborhood engulfed by the slime, apart from Duan Wenxuan and Qiao Si, everyone else floated motionless in the viscous liquid.

Duan Wenxuan ascended to the ninth floor and opened his apartment door. Everything appeared as usual, except for a notepad on the dining table with a message from Zong Cheng.

“He’s back? And even came out specifically from the air defense base to wait for me?”

Duan Wenxuan pocketed the note and stood in the living room, gazing outside at the slowly writhing red liquid, “You’ve done well. Now, awaken all the people in this neighborhood. Additionally, since this is Phase 1 of Maplewood Gardens, if you can expand your reach further, include Phase 2 entirely.”

In response, there were several cheerful gurgling sounds from the slime.

One day later…

The fully expanded Terror Slime had significantly thinned out the originally viscous blood-red liquid, causing its color to fade considerably. If someone could capture an aerial view, they would see both neighborhoods suffused with a faint red glow. This glow resembled slowly drifting clouds, appearing both eerie and mysteriously intriguing.

Duan Wenxuan sat in the living room, while Zong Cheng and Lao Hongfeng, who had just awakened yesterday, faced him across from their seats. Occasionally, Lao Hongfeng’s gaze would shift towards Qiao Si.

“The Hermit Union?” Zong Cheng asked curiously.

Duan Wenxuan had already provided them with a broad overview of the Hermit Union’s situation.

“Yes, my unpredictable movements were largely due to this. However, now that the Hermit Union has emerged publicly, relatively speaking, I no longer need to remain excessively hidden.”

Initially, the Hermit Union was formed to provide anyone with the opportunity to attain extraordinary abilities. Its establishment was extremely cautious at first, with a small organizational structure, remaining as a covert power.

Later, as mystical forces nearly vanished, the true major powers sought refuge within blessed lands. Conversely, this allowed the Hermit Union to flourish. Now, after nearly a thousand years, the Hermit Union aims to realize its true ideals amidst this great upheaval.”

Lao Hongfeng remained silent, his thoughts unknown.

In contrast to Lao Hongfeng’s possibly complex feelings, Zong Cheng’s perspective was straightforward. With his parents and girlfriend safe, he had primarily been concerned for his childhood friend. Now knowing that Duan Wenxuan was alive and well, Zong Cheng felt considerably relieved.

As for the ideal of enabling every ordinary person to pursue transcendence, becoming extraordinary like dragons, Zong Cheng held little hope. Based on his understanding, Duan Wenxuan likely just spoke those words casually; joining an organization and voicing its slogans was quite normal.

The Hermit Union’s goal essentially aimed at a form of global unity from a different perspective. However, given the complexities of human nature, achieving such a state could be considered nearly impossible.

“So… what do you plan to do now?” Zong Cheng took a sip of hot water. Thanks to Duan Wenxuan, the cold chill no longer invaded Maplewood Gardens, and even the incessant rain outside was filtered down to a gentle drizzle within the community.

Having experienced both extremes, Zong Cheng and others naturally appreciated their current situation. Although everything appeared tinted with a reddish hue, it was far better than enduring lethal freezing temperatures elsewhere.

Duan Wenxuan tapped the table with one hand. “I believe that since slimes possess this functionality, any neighborhood covered by slime will become my sanctuary.

From now on, the occupied rooms remain as they are, but the vacant spaces in both neighborhoods automatically fall under my ownership. Anyone wanting to reside there must purchase them.

The first wave of the spiritual tide is nearly subsiding, and at that time, I’ll hold an auction. Whoever bids the highest will acquire the remaining houses. I’m confident there will be astute individuals interested.”

Duan Wenxuan showed no concern about potential disputes; anyone who disagreed would simply be excluded from the slime’s protected area. Although slimes could assimilate, for now, it seemed preferable to assimilation than dying within the spiritual tide.

At present, everything here was subject to his authority.

Zong Cheng nodded, “During this period, it should indeed be feasible.”

Duan Wenxuan smiled, “Later, I’ll contact some relatives. If any are willing, they can move in as well. While I cannot guarantee there won’t be future issues within the slime-covered area, if even I can’t ensure the safety of those living here, residing elsewhere would be futile; troubles will arise sooner or later.”

Lao Hongfeng turned to glance at Duan Wenxuan, slightly surprised by his expression. Despite appearing modest, there was a notable pride in Duan Wenxuan’s words.

Zong Cheng considered for a moment and agreed, “Alright, once the spiritual tide subsides, I’ll bring my parents here to live.”

The underground air raid shelter wasn’t entirely safe either, with its subpar living conditions and limited space. In comparison, the environment of Maplewood Gardens would undoubtedly be more favorable.

Duan Wenxuan wasn’t one to boast, so Zong Cheng believed that if things truly progressed as Duan Wenxuan suggested, it would be better for his parents to reside somewhere more comfortable.

Lao Hongfeng frowned, realizing that the bond between Zong Cheng and Duan Wenxuan seemed unexpectedly strong. However, the initial peak of the spiritual tide had not yet passed, and with the base under lockdown, he couldn’t swiftly contact Yang Kai and others to report on Duan Wenxuan and the newly formed Hermit Union.

“Besides the housing auction following the spiritual tide, I will also select nine individuals from those residing in Maplewood Gardens to join the Hermit Union as license holders.”

“I might be quite busy in a couple of days, and Qiao Si needs to return to the Jindar Empire. Zong Cheng, could you assist me by notifying both Phase One and Phase Two residents? I believe, given the current circumstances, many would be willing to become license holders.”

“Isn’t this too hasty?” Qiao Si inadvertently questioned.

The selection process for Hermit Union’s license holders had always been stringent, which is why they never reached full capacity. Yet Duan Wenxuan planned to choose nine from just one neighborhood?

“Not at all, I have my reasons. In such times, moving slowly means missing out entirely.”

Qiao Si glanced at Duan Wenxuan and decided not to comment further. After all, he was chosen as the future king; there was no need to risk upsetting his potential boss.