Chapter 18: Why Not Sit Back And Watch Him Ascend In Broad Daylight?
The testing process is tedious, with different test papers appearing one after another. But the content of the tests is interesting and very valuable.
He not only gained experiences of more than a dozen different types of ‘mild pollution,’ but also recorded the specific attribute information of these high-purity pollutions.
Although he couldn’t directly ask what content each test paper corresponded to or what pollution root it represented.
But Yuan Zhu still incorporated this pollution information into the Great Desolation Immortal Scripture. In the future, if he encounters similar pollution again, he will get an immediate reminder feedback.
Being selected by the Security Bureau specifically for detecting suspects’ polluting energy, it must be highly representative. Either particularly dangerous or widely spread. Those small-time trash obviously don’t qualify for testing.
“Alright, your testing is done. Next is the final step.”
The old man withdrew the last bizarre image, filled with blood-red patterns, where just one glance made the brain smell a rich bloody scent, accompanied by intestine peristalsis rumbling sounds.
He lightly knocked the table again with his knuckles, waking Yuan Zhu from his daze.
“Ah? Is it over? So fast.” Like being woken from sleep, Yuan Zhu’s mental state was still a bit dazed, and he couldn’t stop swallowing saliva.
That experience of gradually immersing oneself in the test was extremely fantastical. As if under illusion, he quickly lost himself, immersing in a virtual experience where all five senses were completely distorted.
In his mind, the Immortal Scripture kept issuing alerts. But to better pass it off, he actively had the game sprite block these warnings and fully immersed himself.
Ultimately reaching a conclusion: Every trace amount of pollution source that instinctively made the soul firewall feel dangerously lethal issued a friendly call to him.
When immersed, clearly very negative images and sensations, but the brain or mind sluggishly failed to realize, instead giving very comfortable false signals.
He remembered for several test papers, his eyeballs were clearly pierced, tongue cut open. But while feeling the stinging pain, it also converted to equivalent happiness. That pain mixed with pleasure, unable to stop, constantly testing the edge of suffering—thinking back now, it was indeed very evil, and his mental state at the time was extremely dangerous.
And similar reactions happened many times, and he reported them all honestly. Thinking back now, Yuan Zhu felt a bit guilty.
He knew very well his body wasn’t polluted at all, but during the test, he felt he surrendered without resistance one after another, performing very poorly.
So he couldn’t help probing: “Sir, is my condition normal? Am I polluted?”
Other people facing pollution test papers probably all showed unyielding resistance even to death. Only I chose A then B, with very high compatibility?
The old man ignored Yuan Zhu, just based on his earlier answers and performance, kept checking or crossing on a form. The old man was fast, soon finishing the entire form with checks and crosses, signing his name in the corner.
“This is all privacy information, not to be disclosed.”
Yuan Zhu wasn’t discouraged: “I’m just curious. During the test, I felt rejection toward some papers, but others uncontrollably attracted me, hard to resist that instinct to embrace them. Is this good or bad?”
The old man gave him a half-smile and said, “Among these test papers, there are samples from notorious evil gods, mixed with powers from righteous gods, randomly ordered. You reject some, attracted to others—isn’t that normal?”
But he didn’t explain which attractions were good and which rejections bad. Yuan Zhu only remembered he seemed rejected by a Buddha full of eyeballs on its head.
So the question is, this Buddha full of masochistic flavor, is it good or evil? Damn riddle man! Get out of Running City!
“Come, the final step of the test: use your palm to apply this ink pad, then leave a handprint on this white paper. Finally, prick your fingertip with the needle, drip a drop of blood in the bottom right corner of the white paper.”
While speaking, the old man put the test papers back into the sealed metal box and into the drawer. Then he opened another, taking out something like an overturned pigment box. Inside, colorful oil paints were chaotically mixed, intertwining into twisted arc-shaped circles.
Not only that, when his palm approached the chaotic pigments, the Immortal Scripture alerted again.
Yuan Zhu was numb; this damn thing warned 24 hours nonstop. Had it ever seen anything not dangerous or polluting? So the ink provided by the Security Bureau wasn’t safe at all?
Enduring discomfort, the instant he placed his palm on the pigments, he felt the box of pigments suddenly come alive, extending countless thread-like tentacles brushing and drilling on his palm skin, trying to enter his flesh through the pores.
Yuan Zhu shuddered violently, lifting his hand with a face full of disgust, like touching something unclean, goosebumps rising all over his body.
Then he eagerly pressed the handprint on the white paper, immediately grabbed several tissues, and vigorously wiped the palm repeatedly, erasing those uneasily wriggling, frantically probing inks.
“Drip the blood, then you can leave.” The old man reminded him not to forget the blood.
Yuan Zhu asked back: “That’s it? I passed the test and can go home?”
The old man opened another drawer, took out a card, and tossed it on the desk in front of him: “Temporarily free. Next two months, come for retest every week. After eight weeks, completely free. Keep this medical card; when free, go to the City Second Hospital’s Holy Light Demon Extermination Department for two free Holy Light treatments.”
Yuan Zhu was sensitive about treatment and asked back: “I passed the test, confirmed no problem—why still get treatment?”
The old man patiently explained: “This test isn’t absolutely problem-free. I only check if you’re infected with several globally recognized harmful forbidden powers. Besides those, there are more pollutions the Security Bureau hasn’t had time or manpower to regulate. Going to the hospital for free Holy Light scan costs nothing. If sick, demon extermination; if not, health maintenance, soothing the mind, deep relaxation plus deep pollution scan—why resist? Are you afraid of the Holy Light’s illumination?”
“There’s such a good thing?” Yuan Zhu was of course fearless, pocketed the card. Determined to check it out when free. This was a zero-distance way to contact the righteous supernatural system.
While reviewing memories, he quickly recalled Holy Light was the Holy Church organization’s unique supernatural power.
This was a top-tier supernatural religious force on par with ‘Taoism and Buddhism,’ widely distributed globally. Many big cities had Holy Church churches.
The Holy Church was not only one of Du Ling’s most mainstream orthodox religions, but also closely linked to the seventh-ranked Twelve Year-Ruling Officials deity, the Great Moth.
In Yuan Zhu’s understanding, the Holy Church was like the ‘Church of Light’ in fantasy novels, or Earth’s Flash Clan Cross Church’s isomorphic variant. The Holy Church scriptures worshiped numerous ‘abstract angels,’ and the Great Moth among the Year-Ruling Officials deities was the most famous.
However, Du Ling’s Holy Church had no crosses or suffering elements.
And Holy Light power was said to have extremely strong rejection and filth expulsion abilities, often used for exorcism and demon extermination.
Understanding this, Yuan Zhu cheekily asked: “Sir, do you have similar medical cards for Buddhism or Taoism? For body checks, expelling hidden dangers—Holy Church alone isn’t enough?”
The old man was amused: “You’re really shameless. Forget Buddhism; a few years ago, Taixi upper echelons had a tiny displeasure with Buddhism, so a wave of anti-Buddhism swept the northern West Coast. Capable wandering great monks left local temples for the south. Remaining capable monks stay in private temples, not providing public services.”
“As for Taoism, there’s a local Daoist temple worshiping Yellow Heaven. Address in the suburbs’ deep mountain, hard to access, only receives the predestined, charges high—you can visit if interested, I’ll give the address. But you young people now all disdain antique faiths like Yellow Heaven, right? Always shouting ‘Yellow Heaven is dead.’ See how good Holy Church is—trendy, subsidized cooperation with city government.”
Half-understanding, Yuan Zhu nodded vaguely: “Is that so? Then never mind.”
He wasn’t familiar with this world’s Buddhism, but Yellow Heaven he really understood. Xi State back then worshiped Yellow Heaven Way as state religion. Precisely, on Geng Continent’s eastern Xi State land, for millennia upward, Taoism’s mainstream thought was solely dominated by Yellow Heaven.
Even more outrageous, the Dao Ancestor revered in Yellow Heaven Way’s cultural system was Earth’s Taiping Dao Great Teacher General of Heaven Zhang Jiao.
This ‘Dao Ancestor’ wasn’t the Three Pure Ones of Earth Taoism myths, but the human founder of Taoist thought, Laozi Li Er. And Zhang Jiao was equivalent to Du Ling planet’s founder of Taoist thought like Li Er—outrageous enough.
Yuan Zhu: Turns out I’m not alone; there are other Earth fellow villagers.
Back in school, uninterested in history and culture classes. Now reviewing memories, related content incomplete, but enough for deduction and analysis.
He knew in Xi State’s even more ancient times, that land didn’t directly have Taiping Dao. And through dynasties, many historians leaned toward ‘Zhang Jiao’ being a fictional mythical figure.
But through dynasties, native historical celebrities suspected of being transmigrators refuted traditional views. Stating the Great Teacher was real, an otherworldly immortal realm person, who passed down dharma in a dream, enlightening the founder of Heavenly Duke Mansion, establishing the original Yellow Heaven Way.
This Heavenly Duke Mansion was completely Earth’s Heavenly Master Mansion knockoff. The first-generation General of Heaven suspected Taiping Dao Yellow Turban rebel, transmigrated to ancient Du Ling, falsely claiming Dao Ancestor dream pass down dharma, replicating Taiping Dao doctrines, Dao De Jing, etc., falsely passing down as Dao Ancestor to create local Yellow Heaven faith.
So Xi State’s land, from ancient to now, simply believed ‘Yellow Heaven above.’ And Yellow Heaven Way was just ordinary feudal dynasty religion level, no supernatural powers, no real deities.
Everything started from the ‘magic plane invasion’ 400 years ago. Du Ling Star’s supernatural resurgence began from that time node; Yellow Heaven also revived then.
But soon, the millennia-spanning Yellow Heaven faith was toppled by the suddenly rising Red Heaven.
Thus the prophecy ‘Yellow Heaven is dead, Red Heaven shall rise. In the year Jia Zi, great fortune for the world’ spread widely on Geng Continent.
Led by Xi State remnants, old forces collapsed like mountains, speedran downfall. Red Dragon Empire worshiping Red Heaven and steam technology swept the six directions, engulfing the eight barrens.
Ultimately, Xi State survivors immigrating to New Continent brought the old era’s obsolete Yellow Heaven faith, struggling to today. New Continent West Coast is now one of few global places openly sacrificing to Yellow Heaven as orthodox.
However, New Federation’s young people nowadays don’t buy Yellow Heaven; only the older generation still devoutly worships. But generation after generation influenced, everyone knows these antique faiths well.
So young generation mocks ‘Yellow Heaven is dead,’ similarly distrusts innately evil (hostile stance) Great Red Heaven. Now’s Daoists cultivate Kunlun Immortal Method, overseas rogue immortal secret scriptures…
Strange knowledge increasing, Yuan Zhu got excited, mentally communicating with game sprite: “Quick, record it! This world has deities, immortals! And not fake magic race imposters—real sword immortals exist! Recruited by Federation, important military combat unit!”
Similarly reading related memory fragments, the game sprite was shocked: “Got it! Did Great Desolation Immortal Scripture hit the jackpot? By fluke, really arrived at unknown universe with immortal path system? Unbelievable, like deliberate coincidence!”
Yuan Zhu objected: “Not necessarily. Du Ling this planet is toxic, linking eight outer universes. Capturing Great Desolation Immortal Scripture fall locally across time-space, pulling Earth transmigrator fellow villagers in ancient times to create Dao Ancestor Zhang Jiao Yellow Heaven faith. So pulling genuine cultivators from unknown universe time-space isn’t surprising.”
Game sprite: “Still shocked! Know this planet 400+ years ago was ordinary, no supernatural powers, ancient feudal dynasty. How did style suddenly change? Consecutively binding multiple outer universes, birthing numerous evil gods? This planet must be possessed!”
High school dropout Yuan Zhu couldn’t answer such profound question: “I don’t understand, but I’m greatly shocked!”
Game sprite: “Me too!”
……
Pocketing the City Second Hospital Holy Light Demon Extermination Department medical card, Yuan Zhu left the interrogation room in a daze, regaining freedom.
His head was now a mess. Information overload; Immortal Scripture could handle, but he couldn’t bear the data overflow. He needed quiet.
In the interrogation room behind Yuan Zhu, the youth who handed over equipment pushed the door in, seeing the empty seat, very dissatisfied: “Captain Wang, really just let him go? He’s the only survivor of an evil sacrifice with over forty lives—absolutely not innocent, must hide big problems, obvious to anyone!”
The old man who collected the handprint spoke: “But test results show he’s clean to a scary degree, purer than big nobles’ heirs.”
The youth immediately said: “So what? You believe this is all natural?”
Old Wang nodded while trimming nails, said: “If unnatural, so what? He’s clean enough, mental state stable—that’s enough. We handle so many issues daily, no energy to watch a ‘clean enough, stable enough’ normal person? You won’t live normally, not accompany wife kids, not find girlfriend, not go bar fishing brothel listen music—must stare at him?”
Youth: “I…”
Old Wang sighed: “You’re too young, not steady at all. Another angle: a sacrifice of over forty lives. If he really had issue, how strong power would evil god infuse—thought about it? This Yuan Zhu guy had no prior supernatural contact, pure novice ignorant of cultivation taboos, no power control, no safety awareness.”
“A cultivation illiterate, no orthodox sect backing, caught in illegal sacrifice, infused full body polluting power. Stronger the power, more dangerous his state… Facing dangerous supernaturals with strong power, what does enforcement manual say?”
Youth: “Then let them get stronger, and…”
Old Wang continued: “Then Du Ling rejects them, exiles outside reality, i.e. divine disappearance. So we do nothing, just ensure retests. He acts normal, we’re happy. If loses control, arrest directly. If hides other plots, won’t you leak his info? Many interested in evil sacrifice survivors; if someone forces him to expose, use filth power, then wait for loss of control, ascension…”
Youth: “Irresponsible to public!”
“Tch, I’m off work. Your justice sense so strong, how about I apply for you to join this year’s Law System trial assessment?”
Youth nodded: “Good!”
Old Wang stunned: “Wait, you’re serious?”
“I’m serious!”
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