Chapter 96: Declining Gods and Aging Dogs

Is this guy so reckless?

Duan Wenxuan wasn’t intimidated, but from the time he obtained his door symbol until now, most people he encountered had shown reasonable intelligence and a deep understanding of cautious survival strategies. This level of arrogance and recklessness was something he had never witnessed before.

In contrast to Duan Wenxuan’s momentary shock, the seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth seemed utterly ignited with fervor. It was unclear what he did, but as he charged forward, the dense fog behind him mixed with some ethereal force, causing the entire space to distort dramatically. Amidst the dizzying layers of distortion, it appeared as though a vast and peculiar realm was rapidly enveloping Duan Wenxuan.

“Enter my world,” the youth declared, his eyes glowing red—literally emitting light—with swirling petal-like patterns deep within his pupils.

“A similar ability?” Observing the youth’s actions, Duan Wenxuan instinctively glanced at the back of his own hand.

Simultaneously, Duan Wenxuan’s left eye turned pitch-black, its power of distortion carrying an eerie and ominous aura that momentarily halted the youth.

The overwhelming force of this sinister energy would have instantly killed an ordinary person, but instead, massive black wings sprouted from the youth’s back, enveloping him securely.

Duan Wenxuan could sense that his Twisted Eye ability was being impeded.

Although it seemed like a drawn-out moment, in reality, it took only one or two seconds. As soon as the Twisted Eye faced resistance, Duan Wenxuan realized that his opponent had no intention of gradually probing; he aimed to decide victory with a single, powerful move.

It was unclear whether this stemmed from overconfidence or sheer recklessness.

An immense force began pulling Duan Wenxuan, even affecting aspects at the ‘soul’ level, drawing him towards the world behind his adversary… With swift reflexes, Duan Wenxuan steadied himself and made an immediate decision.

Using the door symbol, he opened a vast gateway leading to another realm. The channel created by Duan Wenxuan collided forcefully with the world unfolded by his opponent.

Both their abilities stemmed from the door symbol; Duan Wenxuan had already acquired one-third of its fragments, while the young man hadn’t absorbed or plundered any from others yet. However, this individual was evidently more ruthless and reckless than Duan Wenxuan. Unlike Wenxuan’s lingering sense of kindness and morality, the youth pursued the power of the door symbol without any qualms, disregarding everyone else completely. This unbridled development of force currently placed his mastery over the door symbol ahead of Duan Wenxuan in terms of singular capabilities.

As their immense powers collided, the temporary realm constructed by Duan Wenxuan instantly became unstable. Fortunately, the three hundred people from Hanming Country had already been transported to Cuwei Mountain within “The Tramps”.

With a distinct cracking sound, everything froze momentarily - not just objects, but even light and time seemed to halt in place.

At the point of impact, two distorted spaces intertwined, appearing peaceful yet harboring immense destructive forces beneath the surface. Suddenly, at a precise moment, the frozen space shattered with a loud bang, plunging the area into utter darkness.

Within this decrepit temple, its walls and statues already worn and crumbling, a tall, slender young man entered carrying some wild fruits. His skin appeared slightly sickly with a yellowish tinge.

Dressed in simple scholar’s attire of green, he meticulously arranged the altar table first before placing the wild fruits neatly upon it.

“How pitiful, having to worship oneself,” the young man lamented, shaking his head dispiritedly. He then gazed wistfully at the somewhat gloomy sky above. Ordinary people wouldn’t notice anything amiss; they’d only feel that the weather was increasingly worsening, rarely witnessing clear blue skies anymore.

However, anyone possessing even a hint of divine power could discern that the ‘rules’ governing this world had completely shattered. It had turned into a sieve-like realm, through which tendrils of external ‘demonic energy’ were relentlessly seeping in unchecked.

This deterioration led to the gods becoming progressively weaker, while evil spirits grew stronger by the day. If things continued on this path, the world would inevitably meet its end sooner or later.

But what could a mere land god like him do?

He still remembered an incident from a month ago when a Heart-Devouring Demon wreaked havoc near his village, claiming over a dozen lives. As the demon neared the brink of annihilating the entire village, desperate and knowing no other recourse, he risked dispersal of his divine essence to seek help at night from the nearby city god’s temple. To his dismay, the city god refused to intervene, seemingly lost in a state of apathy. The powers of deities were rapidly declining, barely able to protect themselves, let alone concern for ordinary humans.

In the end, it was only through sheer determination that he managed to scare off the Heart-Devouring Demon, but his divine soul sustained severe cracks as a result. Now, with four or five fractures visible on the statue’s back, even after a month, they showed no signs of healing. It seemed his days were numbered.

“Wenxuan, I knew you’d be here.”

When assuming the form of this scholar, the young deity, for reasons unknown, spontaneously chose the name Duan Wenxuan.

As the despondent young deity stood contemplating, another youth entered the temple. Clad in hunter’s attire, he appeared quite young, though years of hard labor had weathered his face, making him seem several years older than his actual age.

Upon entering the temple, the newcomer gave the young deity a slight nod before placing two bloody game animals on the altar table. He then respectfully bowed several times.

“Lord Land God, please enjoy these offerings. May you continue to bless our Ban Village.”

During the previous Heart-Devouring Demon attack, it was the outsider scholar Wenxuan who suggested sacrificing at the dilapidated land god temple, believing the land god would intervene. With no other options, Ban Village tried it, and indeed, the land god proved truly responsive.

As demonic qi spread unchecked, nearly all divine beings fell from their lofty positions, a fate many found unbearable. Their unwillingness, coupled with the fear of continuously weakening powers, led several gods to willingly succumb to demonic corruption rather than face oblivion.

Almost half of this world’s divine beings indulged in hedonism, determined to revel until their final moments. The other half had directly transformed into demons.

These god-turned-demons were even more destructive and often exhibited greater cruelty. In recent years, numerous incidents of village and city massacres occurred due to them. With divine beings becoming inactive or corrupted, what was once a world rich with reverence for its deities now saw few worshippers. Some temples were deliberately torn down by the people themselves.

The decline of this Land Temple stemmed from similar reasons. Duan Wenxuan, disguised as a scholar, had no choice but to guide the villagers towards worship. His nocturnal vigil had depleted his divine power entirely, leaving him with this desperate measure. Fortunately, the Heart Devouring Demon, timid as a mouse, retreated hastily after a single stern rebuke from him.

Over time, the people of Ban Jia Village gradually placed their trust in the land god again. They occasionally brought offerings for sacrifices, and even Duan Wenxuan, the scholar from afar, was accepted into the village.

As Ban Meng presented his offering, Duan Wenxuan could feel a minuscule thread of blood energy, barely perceptible, absorbed by his divine body - so insignificant it seemed almost negligible. After completing his prayers, Ban Meng stood up and retrieved the wild chicken from the altar table.

Nowadays, sacrifices were handled differently than before. Instead of leaving them for the deity, villagers would take back the offerings to consume themselves, as food remained highly valued.

“Wenxuan, come over for lunch at my place today. We had good fortune; I managed to catch two partridge chickens.”

The young deity shook his head slightly. As a divine being, he found that grains and ordinary foods held no taste or significance for him, rendering eating purely symbolic.

“All right, then I’ll head home first. Oh, don’t forget to visit tomorrow and help name our child. With your knowledge, we can finally stop calling him ‘Ban San’ all the time.”

Ban Jia Village was impoverished, with its residents constantly struggling just to secure enough food. Naturally, naming children took a backseat amidst their daily survival concerns.

Most children were simply given their surname followed by a number indicating their birth order or named after common animals like dogs, cats, cows, or objects such as flowers, with little imagination beyond that. Alternatively, one could travel to the county town, spend some money, and consult a scholar who specialized in naming individuals while referring to relevant literature. However, visiting the county entailed expenses, including payment for the scholar’s services, which most villagers were unwilling to incur.

The young divine being had assumed the appearance of a scholarly man, instantly conveying his erudition.

Villagers were hospitable yet resourceful; they recognized him as potentially the best scholar around. Consequently, anyone needing a name for their child during this period almost invariably sought him out.

With Ban Meng happily departing after receiving confirmation, tranquility swiftly returned to the Mountain God Temple.

The land god leisurely moved towards the temple entrance, then sat on the threshold, gazing up at the landscape shrouded in dense ink-like hues. The pervasive mist seemed like a vast net, obscuring half the sky, while demonic qi roiled tumultuously above, akin to a sieve stirring chaos.

Somewhere along the way, He began frequently sitting quietly in this manner, motionless, observing these changes.

This world was nearing its end, He could sense it, but what could He truly do about it?

Divine beings come in two forms: those naturally born from heaven and earth, and those revered individuals who, upon their death, are specifically appointed to certain divine positions for worship. Reflecting on His past, He was likely one of the gods spontaneously conceived by nature itself.

Approximately four hundred years ago, Ban Jia Village held its first grand sacrifice. They worshipped the Grain God, the Mountain God, and the Land God alike. Born amidst these offerings, He evolved from initial confusion to witnessing the bleakness and solitude over time, becoming a testament to several generations of Ban Jia Village.

As midday gradually faded into evening, strands of light resembled actors bowing offstage, quietly withdrawing like heads bowed low.

Duan Wenxuan remained seated on the temple threshold. Unbeknownst to him, amidst the slightly cool air, a sorrowful wail began echoing…it was the sound of a dog’s howl.

After a moment, Duan Wenxuan slowly stood up and stepped into the darkness.

By the time dusk settled, lights had long been extinguished in Ban Jia Village. Doors were barred as villagers nestled under their blankets to sleep. This was partly due to frugality, conserving lamp oil, but also because everyone knew the dangers lurking at night. Even the bravest wouldn’t dare wander outside after dark.

The people of Ban Jia Village greatly admired Duan Wenxuan. Despite his impoverished state as a destitute scholar, he fearlessly chose to reside alone in the dilapidated Land Temple during this period.

After approximately ten minutes, Duan Wenxuan approached the Land Temple slowly, carrying a gaunt black dog.

In contrast to the dark and perilous night outside, the deity statue within the Land Temple seemed to emit a faint yellow glow, diminishing some of the eerie atmosphere.

The black dog appeared close to death; a large chunk of flesh was missing from its thigh, likely torn by some predator. Moreover, its body showed clear signs of extreme age.

Dogs typically have a lifespan of ten to fifteen years, with some living even longer. This particular dog seemed around thirteen or fourteen years old, equivalent to late elderly age in human terms. To suffer such severe injuries at this stage of life was unfortunate.

Although the old dog had stopped whimpering, Duan Wenxuan could see an unyielding spirit, almost defiant, in its weary eyes. Was this dog so aged that it verged on gaining supernatural qualities?

In a world nearing destruction, paired with a declining divine being and an aging dog near its end, they truly made a fitting combination.

With a bitter smile, Duan Wenxuan ultimately channeled the meager amount of divine power he had painstakingly gathered over recent days into the body of the old black dog. It was truly a last-ditch effort; whether it would succeed now depended solely on the willpower of the old black dog itself.