154: There is still a disaster after death

From the System's map, currently only these areas are visible because they are all on the Gian Continent, while everything beyond the Gian Continent is a blank space.

Given the System’s usual behavior, Lin Chuping had a feeling that a blank space wasn't a good thing.

Perhaps a “big surprise” awaited him then.

However, this was Lin Chuping's first time gaining an overall understanding of this continent.

What he learned in history and geography classes in his previous life could not be said to be different, but rather, completely irrelevant.

Empiricism kills!

Lin Chuping sighed, it seemed his past experience was useless.

In this world, strength was the Dao.

With a general idea in mind, Lin Chuping stopped focusing on these matters.

Recently, Lin Chuping could clearly feel the System's goodwill. Although he didn't know the System's purpose in pulling him from modern times and meticulously cultivating him into a god, he vaguely felt that the System held no ill will towards him.

It could even be said to be very friendly.

Why?

What was the true nature of the System?

A spirit artifact? A divine Legacy? A high-dimensional life form?

It couldn't possibly be the Heavenly Dao, could it?

It wasn't impossible.

The System cared so much about the living beings in this world; could it really be the Heavenly Dao of this world?

Just as Lin Chuping was speculating wildly, he suddenly heard a System prompt.

【Warning! Detected believers leaving the safe zone.】

The System's prompt suddenly sounded, interrupting Lin Chuping's wild thoughts.

More than a dozen green light spots lit up on the light screen, moving from the border of Qing Province towards Yan Province.

Lin Chuping swept his Divine Sense and recognized it as Granny Chen's night patrol team—these reckless people were actually heading into Yan Province where the black fog had not yet dispersed!

“System, can you display the current black fog concentration in Yan Province?”

The Yan Province area on the map immediately showed gray ripples of varying shades, with the color deepening closer to the center of Yan Province.

Along the route taken by Granny Chen and her group, the black fog concentration was displayed as 【7%】.

【According to energy analysis, the current black fog still contains corpse poison components. For Cultivators, it is not fatal.】

“Not fatal? Then it's fine.”

As long as it wasn't fatal, it was fine.

As for injuries, excruciating pain, and the like, those were all necessary experiences on the path to increasing one's strength.

Just a little hardship, that's all.

* * *

The border between Qing Province and Yan Province.

“Granny Chen, are we really going in?”

“This misty expanse looks evil…”

“Everyone, pay attention to your surroundings, don't get separated!”

Granny Chen stopped, her withered fingers tightly gripping her staff.

Although the area before them was misty, it was much better than when they had fled.

There was a slight dampness in the air, no longer as dry as sandpaper.

Looking closely, there were even some newly sprouted blades of grass along the roadside.

“Good! This is good!”

“Now, Yan Province also has hope.”

Although their village had all escaped at the time, there were many in Yan Province who clung to their homeland and did not flee.

This homeland they cherished ultimately became their resting place.

No, that's not right!

It couldn't even be considered resting; after death, they faced another tribulation, infected by corpse Qi, and then reduced to ashes by Lord Chuping.

“After we go back, if any of you know people who died in Yan Province, try to set up cenotaphs for them!”

Upon hearing this, many in the patrol team's eyes reddened.

Who didn't have relatives, uncles, and aunts from the same village? When they couldn't make ends meet in Yan Province before, they relied on these relatives and friends to support each other. Now… it was all fate!

Of course, Chen Dashan felt none of the above.

He only felt a tingling itch all over his body, which was very uncomfortable.

He wished he could take an iron brush and scrub all his skin raw.

“Mother,”

Chen Dashan stared at his trembling hands, “This fog is very evil, something’s wrong. Do any of you feel uncomfortable all over?”

“Now that Dashan mentions it, I feel a bit uncomfortable too.”

“My chest feels heavy, like it's being pressed by a stone!”

Wang Xiu, a young girl in the team, clutched her chest, her face pale.

“My knees hurt terribly, like countless ants are gnawing at my bones!”

Another man knelt on one knee, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Granny Chen frowned, circulating her Cultivation Technique to examine her body, and found that the spiritual energy within her circulated much slower than usual.

“Don't panic! Sit down and circulate your Qi to regulate yourselves first!”

Everyone sat cross-legged as instructed, and a moment later, they successively opened their eyes, their faces filled with panic.

“Granny, my… my spiritual energy isn't circulating smoothly!”

A young boy who had just entered the first rank said with a trembling voice, “It feels like something isEntangled with meMeridians!”

Granny Chen looked at Chen Dashan, seeing his face purplish-blue and his breathing heavy, clearly more uncomfortable than the others, and immediately understood.

“The weaker one's Cultivation, the greater the impact of this black fog. Dashan, you blockhead, you knew your Cultivation wasn't refined yet you insisted on showing off!”

“When I told you to Cultivate, you insisted on going hunting.”

“As if you were missing a piece of meat…”

Before she finished speaking, her staff “patted” Chen Dashan's shoulder.

“Get up! We're returning empty-handed this time. When the fog disperses, we'll look for another opportunity!”

“But Mother… we've come so far. If we go back now, it'll be for nothing.”

Chen Dashan still wanted to argue.

“No buts!”

Granny Chen stood up, leaning on her staff, her eyes firm, “While our homeland is good, we must be alive to return to it. Lord Chuping has protected us until now; we absolutely cannot let everyone die in vain!”

Everyone looked at each other, and though there was reluctance in their eyes, they also understood that Granny was right.

“Let's go! Back to Qing Province! Next time, we must restore Yan Province to its former vitality!”

At Granny Chen's command, everyone turned and left, leaving only footprints that were gradually covered by the re-enveloping fog.

* * *

Lin Chuping, who had been silently observing everything, breathed a sigh of relief.

He was afraid that the black fog would gradually thicken, and these people, unaware, would be like frogs in warm water, realizing the problem only when it was too late to save themselves.

Chen Dashan, though a bit foolish, had pretty good luck.