316: Chapter 315 Slow Kill

"Elder Wu and Elder Wei... are dead?" This thought popped into everyone's minds simultaneously, and they asked aloud, staring at Yan Guofa without blinking.

"Although I didn't see the bodies, it's more or less certain."

Yan Guofa nodded slightly and let out a long, weary sigh.

"We don't belong to this era anymore; we are old and barely hanging on. The Dark Place we were drawn into recently was very peculiar. Under the influence of its rules, we didn't even see the source Specter."

"I only managed to come out alive purely by luck. Of my Transcendent powers, there isn't much left I can use now."

As everyone's mood grew heavier, Yan Guofa's eyes showed an indescribable regret.

"As for Yang Yu, he had a talk with me before leaving. Although he didn't say it explicitly, his unusual behavior indicated that this second trip to suppress the Dark Place in the Central Region would likely be a one-way trip, and he might die there."

Elder Wang and the others turned pale and asked repeatedly, "Will even Yang Yu die there? What exactly is there? What did Yang Yu tell you before he left?"

Yan Guofa answered in a low voice, "That giant Dark Place hides a great terror. It has completely turned into a Forbidden Land. We must not let it expand; otherwise, the world will worsen day by day until it is eventually completely swallowed."

"To curb its expansion, besides having enough strength to enter the interior to suppress it, dealing with Specter incidents in the outside world to the maximum extent is also crucial."

"Especially the Domains of S-rank Specters; they must be resolved as early as possible, or their power will continue to grow. The mere existence of their Domains will affect the world's rules."

"The same applies to the Forbidden Lands formed by some special Dark Rifts. The more they expand, the more they will encroach upon our living space."

Hearing these words, everyone's expressions changed drastically.

Yan Guofa continued, "Yang Yu particularly emphasized one point: in the global game, the rules are changing at any time. The restrictions our world has on Specters are becoming weaker and weaker."

"For example, according to reports from captains across various regions, some D-rank Specters have already appeared that can cross over directly in their true forms without relying on a parasitic vessel. They can kill people directly, devour memories, and take their place."

"This is just the beginning. I'm afraid it won't be long before C-rank Ghosts can also appear directly in their true forms, and even S-rank Specters..."

Everyone was stunned into silence.

After a long time, Elder Wang exhaled deeply. "So, this is a survival race where one must either advance or perish. The future will completely be an era of Transcendents, and every Transcendent is a vital force in the fight against Specters."

"An era of Transcendents? It might not be that optimistic."

Yan Guofa coughed slightly, looking exhausted. "Humanity's top combat power must keep up with the strength of the Specters at all times. Otherwise, once the gap becomes too large, giant Dark Forbidden Lands like the one in our country's Central Region will only increase, and the speed at which this world is encroached upon will accelerate accordingly."

At this time, someone asked, "What's the deal with Chu Xuan? Yang Yu shouldn't have met Chu Xuan, right? Why would he trust Chu Xuan so much, even to the point of rejecting the identity of the Revelation without an investigation?"

Yan Guofa replied, "Regarding this matter, Yang Yu's explanation was quite vague. He only mentioned that Chu Xuan must be human and can be used for monitoring purposes, serving as a sharp blade against the forces of The Gloom. However..."

Yan Guofa paused slightly. When everyone perked up and listened intently, he continued:

"However, Chu Xuan is a double-edged sword. He can be of great use, but he is an extremely unstable factor. He must be balanced and restrained, not given too much freedom. If necessary, the big picture should be prioritized, and we must not be soft-hearted toward him."

Having said this, Yan Guofa looked at the four guards from the Cangyun World led by Junior Brother Shen Guyun and said softly, "If that day really comes, I'm afraid we will need Mr. Shen and the rest of you..."

Junior Brother Shen Guyun waved his hand and said bluntly, "Unless there is a message from our sect or Yang Yu personally requests it, we will never do anything outside of our mission."

"Moreover, Chu Xuan's strength is not to be underestimated. If we intervene too deeply, it will only increase our Karma and might invite Lightning Punishment. So... regarding your request, Elder Yan, we really cannot comply."

"It seems I was asking for the impossible."

Yan Guofa sighed softly, looking even older. Just then, he suddenly stood up, his face turning cold. "Those few reckless fools are actually seeking death again!"

"What happened?"

Everyone was shocked, but Yan Guofa had already disappeared.

Meanwhile, Chu Xuan took Lin Jie to an old residential building.

The once bustling alleys now lacked much of their usual atmosphere. Lin Jie looked slightly nervous, and his previously hurried steps suddenly stopped.

In his heart, he both longed for verification and felt hesitant, lost, and uneasy.

Various contradictory emotions were intertwined on his face, making his youthful and immature features look somewhat distorted.

He looked up at Chu Xuan with a complex expression. "Brother Chu Xuan, what if everything that Huo Gui said is true? What should I do?"

"In life, not everything must be faced head-on. Escaping is also a choice."

Chu Xuan said calmly, "Not everything necessarily needs an answer. Whatever you think it is, that's what it is."

Lin Jie asked, "Are you telling me to run away?"

Chu Xuan shook his head. "I'm just giving you another choice. Which path to take is still up to you."

Lin Jie lowered his head in silence.

Chu Xuan didn't rush him. He played with the paper effigy in his hand but didn't immediately use blood to write his name on it.

Although the System didn't mark the effigy as having problems, this world had been corrupted. One must always be on guard; there was no guarantee the other party wouldn't have some special trick.

Just like Han Feng, who could heal injuries with flesh and blood. However, Chu Xuan had seen in a dream that there were actually hidden traps within that flesh. Eating it would be equivalent to a hidden danger.

For items that required his own blood as a medium, Chu Xuan planned to wait until after today and ask Future Tang Zheng about them in a dream.

"Hmm?"

Chu Xuan's eyes suddenly narrowed.

He saw the red string wrapped around the effigy's head glowing slightly. In an instant, the red string seemed to be burned by high heat, revealing a ring with blood-colored patterns inside.

[Name: Don't Move]

Function: By wearing this ring, you can consume Mental Energy and spirituality value to freeze any target, including but not limited to living beings.

Note: Each use consumes at least 1 health point. The more targets, the larger the size, and the higher the life level, the corresponding consumption will increase.

Tip: This item's skill originates from Yan Guofa. Its maximum power is equivalent to 60% of Yan Guofa's own strength. After you use it ten times, the power limit will gradually decrease until it completely loses its corresponding function.]

"Yan Guofa's sealing ability?"

Chu Xuan's heart stirred. As he took off the ring, it vibrated slightly, and a voice sounded in his mind.

"Slow Kill..."