Chapter 95: Another Door Symbol Owner

In the Deathly Silent Yellow Springs.

Jia Yingxiong, tightly clutching a macaw to his chest, stumbled forward. The once vibrantly colored macaw now appeared nearly bald, with its wrinkled skin looking dirty and unkempt.

Despite their disheveled state, both the parrot and its owner Jia Yingxiong couldn’t hinder the bird from loudly cursing at the top of its lungs: “Stinking idiot, fuck your dad! Fuck your dad! Your dad died because of you, he died because of you!”

Jia Yingxiong panted heavily, yet surprisingly, he wasn’t particularly angry. In fact, there was even a hint of guilt in his eyes.

He had raised Xiao Gang, the parrot, from just an egg, developing a deep bond over time. To him, this macaw truly felt like family. Initially, he never wanted to involve himself in such dangerous affairs, but now it had only worsened things. Not only did his beloved Xiao Gang lose all its feathers, but most crucially, the parrot also started coughing up blood.

Jia Yingxiong said nothing, focusing solely on running while occasionally glancing sideways. Beside him was a SWAT officer, who normally would have been faster, but due to carrying someone over his shoulder, their speeds were now comparable.

A few days earlier, Li Dong had forcibly recruited Jia Yingxiong from his home with threats and inducements, assigning him to join the special forces unit for their first mission. They were tasked with entering the Deathly Silent Yellow Springs to find a man named Gongsun Wulong.

However, this journey proved highly treacherous. By now, Mao Qisheng had become separated from them, and Li Dong, to cover their escape, willingly stayed behind to buy time. Despite having run for quite some distance, they hadn’t seen Li Dong catch up, indicating that the situation might be dire.

”…Huff huff, just leave him behind; he’s not even Gongsun Wulong,” Jia Yingxiong couldn’t help but suggest as he looked at the SWAT officer struggling beside him.

There was no need for further self-sacrifice; this SWAT officer was merely a young man of 23 years old. Over the past couple of days, Jia Yingxiong had grown familiar with the team and knew that the officer’s name was Yang Xiao, who happened to be an only child in his family.

“No.” Yang Xiao’s breaths were labored, his voice hoarse from intense exertion. His throat felt like it was about to smoke due to the strenuous activity. The only thing keeping him going this far was sheer determination.

“He’s not Gongsun Wulong,” Jia Yingxiong felt a lump in his throat, close to tears. As just an ordinary middle-aged man, the despair and hardship of their situation began to overwhelm him emotionally.

Yang Xiao, unwilling to speak further, focused all his energy on running faster.

“Idiot, ignore him!” the parrot cursed.

Behind them, three or four eerie green orbs floated menacingly, closing in. These orbs resembled phosphorescent fireflies, but Jia Yingxiong had witnessed firsthand the devastating consequences when they collided with someone. Within ten seconds, a person would be reduced to mere bones.

Perhaps due to the erratic pace, the person Yang Xiao carried seemed to regain some consciousness. Struggling to open his eyes, they filled with anguish, reflecting both a desperate will to live and an equally strong desire to simply give up and die.

He could feel the roots of preserved mustard greens entangled across his back, some even burrowing deep into his flesh near his buttocks! This unbearable torment was Jing Rui’s primary source of distress.

In his folly, Jing Rui had trusted Page of Book’s words and ventured to the Gate of Sin and Virtue, stealing a sliver of the reaper’s power. Consequently, he indeed gained the strength of Dying and Living. However, this transformation aged him instantly to appear around fifty-six years old, leaving him utterly indifferent and unresponsive towards any romantic interests.

How could the once vibrant and youthful Jing Rui bear such a fate?!

Again, misled by Page of Book, he endured great hardships evading the police outside the Deathly Silent Yellow Springs before plunging headfirst inside. Initially, his plan was to steal—no, rather, to take one of the treasures here, intending to harmonize it with the Qi within him. But only upon arrival did Page of Book reveal that the treasure was the first otherworld flower born at this location.

Wait, bullshit! It wasn’t an otherworld flower; it clearly was preserved mustard greens—it had to be preserved mustard greens!

“You shouldn’t see it that way. With the resurgence of spiritual energy in heaven and earth, every being gets its chance. This patch of preserved mustard greens got lucky, growing here instead of the otherworld flower, making them essentially the same thing now. If you find it awkward, you can call it ‘Otherworld Greens’.” Sensing Jing Rui’s thoughts, Page of Book rustled from within a cloth pouch around his neck, its voice booming in Jing Rui’s ear.

“Moreover, you’ve already received it. Being born from the first spiritual tide, this otherworld vegetable will become immensely powerful in the future. Isn’t that an opportunity?”

Jing Rui’s face twisted dramatically. ”…I’d rather not have it at all!”

“It’s a symbiotic relationship, not mere parasitism. Besides, your body is merely a vessel. Once you become exceptional, you can freely transform or replace it as you wish; why be so concerned?”

As Page of Book continued speaking, Jing Rui felt increasingly humiliated, wanting to bash his head against a wall and end it all. He simply couldn’t bear this indignity.

Uncomprehending, Page of Book fell silent.

“Awake?” The intensity of Jing Rui’s distorted expression was unmistakable, alerting Yang Xiao to his regained consciousness.

“The ghost flames from those ghost lanterns are relentless; they’ll keep pursuing us unless we leave this Silence-ridden area. Put me down, and you run with Jia Yingxiong.”

Yang Xiao refused.

Initially, Jing Rui desperately wanted to escape, hoping to put an end to this humiliating experience. However, after enduring such turmoil, he now genuinely feared facing others outside.

The thought of escaping and having many people discover his condition was unbearable for Jing Rui. Moreover, if he stayed behind, encountering the ghost flames wouldn’t be fatal to him, but carrying him would certainly lead to Yang Xiao’s death. Overall, Jing Rui considered himself a good person, albeit not overly self-sacrificing. There was no need to burden both Yang Xiao and Jia Yingxiong.

“Let me down, I’ve been here for over a month already, surviving proves that it won’t harm me. If you keep running with me, once we encounter the ghost flames, you might die even if I don’t. It’s not worth it.”

Jing Rui spoke earnestly, while Jia Yingxiong continued shouting from the side. Finally, with determination, Yang Xiao gently placed Jing Rui on the ground, “I’m sorry!”

Relieved of Jing Rui’s weight, Yang Xiao swiftly darted forward, pulling Jia Yingxiong along by the arm.

Their luck held out; after what felt like an eternity sprinting relentlessly, they suddenly noticed a brightening ahead, indicating they might have reached the exit.

Regardless of how Yang Xiao fared, as soon as Jia Yingxiong felt slightly relieved, his entire body collapsed onto the ground, curling up in discomfort.

His eyes were open, but he could only see a hazy blue sky above him. His heart pounded violently, and his throat felt so uncomfortable that he desperately wished to cough hard.

Jia Yingxiong thought he was about to die.

Regardless, even if he hadn’t managed to escape earlier, Jia Yingxiong had no strength left in him now. Death seemed imminent; even if someone brutally beat him further, he couldn’t have moved another step.

In Hanming Country, at a designated area outside An City, Yang Kai’s expression was grim. It wasn’t due to the appearance of the Hermit Union or the mysterious gate slowly opening before them. Rather, it stemmed from events just minutes ago when individuals finally emerged from the Deathly Still Area.

The situation was dire, even worse than what he and Tan Yibai had anticipated.

Li Dong and Mao Qisheng were missing, while among the remaining special forces, only Yang Xiao managed to escape. Five others perished, and the fate of the last four remained unknown as they scattered.

This outcome not only marred Yang Kai’s face but also filled him with deep concern. After the spiritual tide erupted, various ‘peculiar points’ across the nation became increasingly dangerous, some even expanding rapidly.

This was merely the first wave of the spiritual tide; based on data analysis, at least two more waves were expected. Yang Kai couldn’t fathom how Xuanlan Star would transform after these subsequent surges.

However, their immediate priority now was dealing with the license holders.

Taking a deep breath, Yang Kai nodded slightly towards Tan Yibai, who led this team. Being entrusted with such a critical mission required her to surpass her male counterparts significantly. Tan Yibai, originally sporting short hair that reached her shoulders, had cropped it down to a boyish buzz cut, giving her an assertive and spirited demeanor.

Overall, Hanming Country’s personnel arrangement was similar to that of the Jindar Empire: various specialist teams working alongside specially selected soldiers, with some foreign participants as well.

The main difference was that Hanming Country allowed its ordinary citizens to enter alongside the soldiers, while participation for individuals from other countries was voluntary based on their own discretion.

Amidst the crowd, An Yueyu’s eyes betrayed her apprehension and unease. At times, she seemed almost dazed, but once those mysterious gates closed behind them, there would be no turning back.

Well, here goes nothing. An Yueyu mustered courage within herself. As she nervously glanced around, a nearby soldier, clad in specialized gear, offered her a reassuring smile—perhaps due to her young age and being female.

An Yueyu smiled back, feeling slightly more at ease.

As Director Yang had explained, as long as they didn’t cause trouble, the Hanming soldiers would do their utmost to protect the civilians. Upon leaving, they might be encouraged to hand over any items they obtained. However, An Yueyu believed that ensuring the safety of the public was indeed a genuine commitment.

Of course, each individual made their own choice to participate, including An Yueyu, after much deliberation. In case of unforeseen circumstances, she was determined not to regret her decision.

Meanwhile, at the far edge of the group, a young man around seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in a black windbreaker, had a completely different expression from everyone else. With his hands casually tucked in his pockets and no visible belongings, he even wore wireless earbuds.

“A typical edgy teenager,” Yang Kai had observed earlier outside, labeling him as such. Of course, it was possible that this youngster genuinely possessed exceptional skills, but anyone past their rebellious phase, regardless of their abilities, wouldn’t intentionally adopt such a self-consciously cool demeanor at this moment.

“Electronic devices won’t work here.”

As soon as the door closed, the young man realized that despite having downloaded songs, all he could hear through his headphones were static noises.

From a distance, Duan Wenxuan watched each member of Hanming Country’s team being deployed, maintaining a composed facade. Internally, however, he wished for them to finish quickly. Once this operation ended, he planned to rush into the monster-infested world, retrieve Flying Leap, and secure possession of the door symbols - keeping them under his control seemed more reliable.

As the number of people dwindled, only four or five remained.

Suddenly, Duan Wenxuan felt a prickling sensation on the back of his hand. He swiftly glanced down, displaying genuine astonishment for the first time during this ordeal.

He…once again sensed another gate symbol owner passing nearby?!

Is this…did I stumble upon a nest of door symbols today? Or has Lady Luck fallen for me? After finding one in the Jindar Empire, there’s another here in Hanming Country?

For a moment, Duan Wenxuan’s expression turned peculiar yet tinged with delight.

The black-clad young man intentionally lagging behind walked slowly, driven by curiosity about the Hermit Union. He even considered veering off course to follow the old man and the skeleton, wanting to observe them closely.

Suddenly, his right hand trembled as he felt a fleeting pain on its back. The sensation was brief; if not for his previous use of the door symbol intensifying its power, leading to the acquisition of gatekeeper creation abilities, he might have missed it entirely.

Despite his somewhat juvenile demeanor, this young man possessed exceptional perceptiveness and boldness! In an instant, he spun around, his pitch-black gaze filled with malice and unwavering confidence, directed at Duan Wenxuan.

“Someone like me!” With a lift of his hand, he boldly revealed the door symbol amidst the thick fog. Without hesitation, the young man propelled himself forward, sprinting aggressively towards Duan Wenxuan.

Duan Wenxuan’s brow twitched; despite setting up isolation measures, the young man had effortlessly breached them. Moreover, a dangerous aura began emanating from him.