Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Mysterious Man from Western Hunan

"Is a single civilization system really so much more vulnerable than a multivariate one?" Luo Longyu asked, still unconvinced.

Long Shaoxian pondered for a moment before shaking her head. "No, if a single civilization develops to its utmost, it can be incredibly powerful. Take, for example, the Ashen Star Civilization deep in the cosmos. They are also built on technology, yet they are formidable. Or think of the Third and Fourth Eras—though they were forced to withdraw from the Solar System during the war with the Void Spirits, they remained a powerful force. There are certainly civilizations and cosmic societies in regions we have yet to reach, ones we know nothing about. The universe is vast, and what we know is but the tip of the iceberg. However, humanity is currently at a disadvantage in dealing with other civilization systems. Just look at how humans fear ghosts; that alone speaks volumes."

"Ghosts belong to the unknown. Fear of the unknown must be something common to all living beings," Luo Longyu said, scratching his head.

Long Shaoxian nodded. "That's not wrong, but what I mean is, given the current level of human technology, you could easily detect and communicate with ghosts. Even when faced with malicious spirits, humans have the tools to deal with them. The reason people can't handle ghosts is that they refuse to acknowledge their existence. Yet, deep down, they are terrified—afraid of something they don't even admit exists. I can't explain this type of emotion."

"So what I'm saying is, the invasion of the Void Spirits isn't entirely a bad thing for humankind. At the very least, the bizarre events their incursion brings will force people to accept things they've long refused to believe in." Long Shaoxian looked at Luo Longyu with deep significance.

She glanced at her watch and rose. "All right, I must be going. I came to tell you that, from now on, don't act only for yourself—think of the bigger picture. If you act recklessly again, you'll be helping the Void Spirits conquer Earth. We've been researching their motives, and can't spare more energy for other matters. Behave yourself, don't give the other races reason to deal with you. One more thing: about your mother's remains—you must have heard, there is foreign involvement. After a secret cabinet meeting, you are now the only external member of the Xuan Yi Pavilion. Take this. If anything new arises, we'll notify you immediately. Be wary of foreign entities." With that, Long Shaoxian tossed Luo Longyu a round device, palm-sized.

"Mengxuan, you—never mind. Captain Kong will see you himself soon. I'm off." Without giving Luo Longyu a chance to respond, she turned into a flash of crimson light and vanished.

"Did she come all this way just to tell us a story?" Luo Longyu turned to Luo Mengxuan.

Hugging Little Guai, Luo Mengxuan replied, "She came to reprimand you, obviously. The story—well, you asked for it."

"Fine. Let's go; there's nothing left to investigate here," Luo Longyu said, glancing around.

"Where to?" Luo Mengxuan asked, puzzled.

"Xiangxi. I want to learn about the art of corpse control. My mother's affair must be resolved." Luo Longyu looked at the round device in his hand—it was made of metal, bearing the Taiji symbol of the Xuan Yi Pavilion. He pressed the button; the device sprang open, projecting a holographic display. It seemed to be standard issue for Pavilion members. Clearly, his mother's disappearance was being taken very seriously. It also suggested the Pavilion had nothing to do with it—Jufeng must have acted behind their backs. Now, Luo Longyu needed evidence to expose Jufeng or, better yet, recover his mother's remains himself.

Location: Vatican City.

Time: Three a.m.

An elderly man with white hair, dressed in white papal robes, sat in a chair, staring gravely at a photograph in his hands. Three others stood before him—two cardinals in red and a man in a black suit. The atmosphere was so heavy, it seemed to stifle breath.

The Pope set down the photograph and, after long contemplation, spoke in Latin, "When did this happen?"

"Three days ago, on a farm in Florida, USA. Three priests lost their lives dealing with the incident," replied one of the cardinals.

The Pope glanced at the photograph again. Its contents were macabre and unsettling—the kind of horror that seeps through even a picture.

"This one was taken in England, in a basement," the cardinal continued as the Pope picked up another photo. "It feels like a direct provocation—a demon challenging God."

In the picture, beneath the great crucifix of a church lay three bodies; another, crucified upside-down, hung upon the cross itself.

The Pope put down the photo, a bitter smile on his lips. He shook his head. "It's a warning to us."

"A warning?" The others looked at him in confusion.

The Pope walked to the window. "Have you forgotten what is happening in China right now? This is a message. The Void Spirits—who knows how many have infiltrated our world? These devils and blood clans, they are all tied to the Void Spirits; they need power and are warning the Church not to interfere."

He paused, then continued, "What we face this time is more terrifying than anything we've seen before."

"Um… The American Church has requested authorization to perform an exorcism," one cardinal said.

The Pope shook his head. "It won't work. It would only invite greater disaster. What about the U.S. government? They must be aware of such a major incident."

"They are suppressing all information," the cardinal replied.

The Pope said nothing for a moment, then spoke. "Last night, a Chinese man spoke to me in a dream—he found traces of the blood clan in China and came to ask for our Church's guidance."

"Oh?" The three were taken aback. The man in black frowned. "The blood clan and demons rarely set foot in China. That land is too mysterious. Why risk entering it now?"

The Pope smiled faintly. "As I said, the Void Spirits are behind all this. These events may seem isolated, but they're all connected—likely tied to Hell itself. Raveka, mobilize the Holy Angel Guard tomorrow. Froyer, I need you to go to China; we must learn about the Void Spirits. Roger, deny the U.S. Church’s exorcism request. We will send our own people."

"Understood," all three nodded, preparing to leave.

"Froyer," the Pope called the blond man back. "Be careful—China is the main target of the Void Spirits now. Take this with you." He handed Froyer a cross and patted his shoulder.

Froyer nodded silently and swiftly left the room.

"Heavenly Father, we love and worship you. Please forgive mankind's sins. Help them…" The Pope prayed deeply.

Luo Longyu and Luo Mengxuan soon arrived in Xiangxi, located in southern China. Its culture of witchcraft and sorcery is famous throughout the land, lending an air of mystery to this ancient region. Towering emerald mountains dominated the landscape. Though Luo Longyu's hometown was also mountainous, Xiangxi felt entirely different—like a world apart.

Cities nestled in the valleys, but now they were deserted. With China's military forces concentrated elsewhere, vast areas had become overrun by the Void Spirits. On the surface, the invaders rarely appeared, but Luo Longyu knew many Void Slaves must be lurking, waiting for the day the main force arrived to launch a full assault.

Though numerous, these Void Slaves were not superior in combat. If humanity fought with all its might, they might not prevail. But the cost would be appalling. Should the main Void Spirit forces attack afterward, humanity would be left defenseless—a prospect that prompted China to adopt a strategy of calculated withdrawal.

Preserve the people and lose the land, and both can be recovered. Lose the people, and all is lost.

Currently, the Void Spirits' primary target was China. Other nations had experienced some supernatural events, but none had suffered direct attacks from the Void Slaves—China stood alone.

Yet intelligence networks had found the Void Spirits most active in China and, secondarily, the Middle East—a region long in turmoil, needing no further chaos. Only China, a land of peace, warranted such deliberate disruption.

Other nations were watching, their militaries on the highest alert.

To return to the story: Luo Longyu and Luo Mengxuan, not daring to walk openly through the deserted cities, followed Mengxuan's guidance straight into the mountains to find the corpse-herding clans—those who had not, and would not, flee.

Soon, a dense forest barred their way. The air was thick with poisonous miasma, visibility reduced to less than five meters. Luo Longyu frowned; he sensed a strange magnetic field growing stronger around them.

As the field intensified, the air pressed down oppressively, and the miasma thickened further.

Peering closely, Luo Longyu saw the haze twist into eerie, terrifying shapes—skulls, headless figures, flickering phantoms. Even the bright sunlight had vanished without a trace.

"Old man, stop with your tricks!" Luo Mengxuan shouted, sharp and unafraid, aware of the changes.

No one answered her. Only a heavy stone coffin responded—crashing through ancient trees toward them, its murderous aura surging in all directions.

A flash of silver gleamed in Luo Longyu's eyes. The coffin was aimed at him, so he leapt back two steps, planted himself firmly, and caught it with one hand. The coffin pressed down with the force of a mountain. Luo Longyu grimaced, then summoned all his strength, channeled it through his right arm, and pushed the coffin back into the fog, where it vanished.

"Stay here," Luo Longyu said in a low voice, then chased after the coffin into the miasma.

"Wait for me!" Luo Mengxuan called, hurrying after him into the dark woods.

The toxic mist had no effect on the undead. The stone coffin plowed a path through the forest. Luo Longyu sprang after it, finally leaping high to land squarely atop the retreating coffin, pinning it immobile to the earth.

Crouched upon the coffin, his eyes radiating a cold threat, Luo Longyu scanned the foggy woods, alert to every movement.

"Corpse-lock!" A voice thundered from the miasma. Luo Longyu felt the force field around him suddenly reverse, as if caught in a vortex—its immense pressure rapidly contracting, seeking to pin him in place.