Chapter 82

Seeing Jiang Baimian and the others look over, Du Heng pointed to the shade of the trees in front of him and said in a gentle voice:

"Stay still for now, wait for this anomaly to pass."

At this moment, roars echoed throughout the city ruins, showing no signs of stopping.

Jiang Baimian stared at Du Heng for a few seconds and nodded to Long Yuehong and the others.

Before she could move over, Shang Jianyao had already darted to Du Heng's side and squatted down very naturally.

This scene felt strangely familiar to Long Yuehong, as if they were back at the "Pangu Bio" internal activity center, where people often squatted and chatted after dinner.

Jiang Baimian, who was a bit hesitant at first, didn't mind anymore and squatted down beside them. She looked around and said sincerely:

"Thank you for saving us just now."

"It's not really saving, just helping you recover earlier. As long as you aren't attacked before the anomaly subsides, you'll recover eventually," Du Heng responded with a smile.

"That definitely counts as saving," Jiang Baimian remarked casually, "You weren't affected by that fear at all."

At this moment, Bai Chen and Long Yuehong also squatted down in the shade, each holding their weapons and keeping watch in different directions.

Hearing Jiang Baimian's remark, Du Heng laughed:

"I'm an ancient artifact scholar and historian who mostly acts alone. Without some reliance, how could I have survived until now?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shang Jianyao abruptly asked:

"Are you actually an Awakened?"

Du Heng glanced at him and laughed, not too concerned:

"Strictly speaking, yes."

"Then what should we do after entering the 'Sea of Origin'?" Shang Jianyao asked very directly, without any consideration for the current situation.

Du Heng smiled:

"Under normal circumstances, unless there's a good relationship, no Awakened would share this knowledge. Isn't it like cultivating your own rivals?"

"But, hehe, I have a bad habit: I can't help but teach others.

"Alright, I'll give you a brief overview:

"When you enter the 'Sea of Origin,' you'll encounter various 'islands' where you can rest. On these islands, you'll face different monsters and adverse situations that you need to overcome.

"These often correspond to your inner fears or past memories."

At this point, Du Heng explained from the beginning:

"Based on my personal experience and speculation—just speculation, not necessarily correct:

"The power of the Awakened comes from the mind, from one's own consciousness. The 'Hall of Stars' and 'Sea of Origin' are merely concrete manifestations of the subconscious.

"As we move forward, we are essentially digging into our inner strength, which requires overcoming the shadows of the mind."

Shang Jianyao politely waited for Du Heng to finish before asking:

"Why do all Awakened see the same 'Hall of Stars'?"

Du Heng's face seemed to wrinkle, and he laughed bitterly:

"That's a tough one. I can't really explain it.

"But I've heard some speculations:

"One is that similar scenes are hidden in our subconscious, part of a shared human memory from a time even older than the old world, experiences of our common ancestors.

"Two is that Awakened are the apostles of the gods, blessed by divine favor. The thirteen Archons collectively created the 'Hall of Stars' and other places to help their followers grow and eventually enter a new world. This can be inferred from the fact that Awakened abilities are roughly divided into thirteen categories, corresponding to the domains of different Archons.

"So, in religions that worship the Archons, the proportion of Awakened is higher than in other groups, though not too high, still limited in number."

Jiang Baimian listened attentively and nodded lightly:

"Perhaps many Awakened believe their abilities are divine gifts and join different religions, leading to a higher proportion."

"Rather than the Archons favoring those who believe in them, making them more likely to awaken."

"Without investigation and experimentation, I can't give you a definitive answer," Du Heng sighed. "Unfortunately, the old world has been destroyed for nearly seventy years, followed by about twenty years of large-scale wars, making it impossible to trace many things. Otherwise, we could gradually find the origins of Archon worship, see if their domains and powers were intentionally added by some Awakened during the spread, leading to the current state, or if they have always been this way, even before the old world's destruction. This is the responsibility of us historians."

Jiang Baimian deeply agreed:

"Yes, this is also the driving force that motivates me."

Du Heng didn't elaborate further and continued the previous topic:

"From the 'Hall of Stars' to the 'Sea of Origin,' it requires a deep exploration and mastery of one's own abilities."

He paused, looked at Shang Jianyao, and smiled:

"You should be ready for this step, otherwise, you wouldn't have asked that question.

"Once you enter the 'Sea of Origin' and defeat all the shadows in your heart, you'll have the chance to find yourself, accept and embrace yourself, thus completing your mind.

"This will cause a qualitative change in your abilities, whether in the boundaries of their effects or the scope of their influence, they will improve.

"However, the price you pay in this process will also deepen, making your problems more severe.

"Still, as the old saying goes, there's no free lunch."

At this point, Du Heng kindly reminded:

"For each Awakened, the price they pay must be kept secret.

"On one hand, the price is a weakness, easily exploited and targeted. On the other hand, different prices can vaguely reflect different domains, allowing those familiar with you to make initial guesses about your abilities. In battles between Awakened, having your abilities known in advance is very dangerous."

Shang Jianyao listened quietly and nodded seriously:

"Thank you."

Jiang Baimian glanced at him and smiled:

"I thought you'd clap."

At this moment, their surroundings were very quiet, as if, as Du Heng said, as long as they didn't move much and didn't stand out, they wouldn't be targeted by the "anomaly."

"Thanking is a step further than clapping," Shang Jianyao explained sincerely.

Du Heng smiled silently:

"Once you find yourself, you can cross the 'Sea of Origin' and enter the 'Corridor of the Mind.'

"Alright, I've said so much. Shouldn't you give me some information in return?"

Shang Jianyao didn't answer directly and turned to Jiang Baimian.

"What do you want to know?" Jiang Baimian asked.

Du Heng looked around and took out a yellowed photo:

"Have you seen this child?

"His name is Xiao Chong."

In the photo, the little boy had chubby cheeks and was wearing a monster costume, looking very cute.

He was the Xiao Chong that Shang Jianyao and the others had just encountered!

Xiao Chong... Hearing this name, Long Yuehong felt a chill run down his spine.

He never expected Du Heng to enter the ruins to find someone.

And that someone was the eerie boy, Xiao Chong!

Jiang Baimian couldn't help but bite her lip and turned to point to the previous location:

"We encountered him near the underground machine room. He followed us out, saying he was looking for someone to play with.

"But after we came out, he disappeared, saying he needed to use the bathroom."

Du Heng nodded solemnly:

"I see..."

"Why are you looking for Xiao Chong?" Shang Jianyao turned his gaze from the previous location.

Du Heng laughed wryly:

"This involves a lot of important information, and you definitely can't pay the equivalent now.

"Maybe we can trade when we meet again and you have other key information or clues."

Seeing that Du Heng clearly didn't want to say more, Jiang Baimian asked Shang Jianyao:

"Is there anything else you want to ask?"

Before Shang Jianyao could speak, Du Heng said:

"About the 'Corridor of the Mind,' we'll talk about it when you really enter. It's hard to explain now."

Shang Jianyao thought for a moment and asked:

"Have you heard of the Eighth Institute?"

Du Heng was a bit surprised:

"Did you encounter one of their special agents?"

Seeing Jiang Baimian and the others nod, he pondered and said:

"The Eighth Institute is a very mysterious organization, rarely interacting with other forces. They seem self-sufficient, only occasionally obtaining special items through smugglers.

"But their special agents often appear in the Ashlands, executing unknown missions."

At this point, Du Heng paused:

"Everyone believes this organization is a remnant of the old world. Some think they are collecting various information to build a new world, while others suspect they are destroying clues to bury the true cause of the old world's destruction.

"That's all I know."

After listening, Shang Jianyao suddenly asked:

"Which Archon's domain includes the power of charm?"

"You have quite a leap in logic," Du Heng teased, then thought and answered, "It should be the 'Watcher' who governs May."

Before Shang Jianyao and the others could speak, Du Heng preempted:

"My turn to ask, right?"

Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao nodded obediently.

"Which major force do you belong to?" Du Heng asked confidently.

Jiang Baimian answered frankly:

"Pangu Bio."

"Pangu Bio... I encountered one of your project teams in the ice fields. They were conducting experiments on the effects of cold environments on human physique and spirit with a group of volunteers. Those people were freezing, tsk tsk, quite miserable."

Jiang Baimian felt a bit embarrassed:

"At least they were well-fed."

"True," Du Heng nodded.

Just as he was about to ask more, he suddenly saw the surrounding buildings light up layer by layer.

At least half of the buildings in the city ruins simultaneously emitted different states of light, illuminating window after window.

The darkness and silence that enveloped the area quickly retreated to the edges of the ruins.

The city's power supply had been restored.

Shang Jianyao, Long Yuehong, and the others were seeing this for the first time, as if witnessing a galaxy from a textbook brought to the surface.

For Jiang Baimian, the scene before her was as shocking as the first time she saw the real sky, the real sun, and the real stars.

Du Heng admired the scene for a few seconds, stood up, and said to Shang Jianyao and the others:

"The anomaly has subsided. You can leave by climbing over the wall from here."

PS: Please give me a recommendation vote~

PS2: I recommend a book, "Rebirth of the Extraordinary Dawn," a pseudo-scientific story where the Earth is overrun by mental powers, and things people "believe" in come to exist. Cultivate your mind, explore dungeons, and ultimately interfere with the real world, create objects from the void, make nuclear bombs by hand, fire plasma, and explore space. The protagonist is reborn in the early stages of the mental world's descent, just before his soul is shattered.