Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 366 - 341 The Age of Gods still exists

Chapter 366: 341 The Age of Gods still exists

Walking out of the underground station, under the blue sky and white clouds, a small city bustling with people presented itself before us.

Everywhere within sight were modern buildings, and aside from the lack of skyscrapers, the first impression was that of a modern city.

There were pedestrian streets everywhere, and occasionally, vehicles that looked like tour cars would pass by, but there was no major road specifically for vehicle traffic. The majority of pedestrians on the streets were demon hunters, which I could perceive directly, and there were also ordinary people dressed like agents. Although it wasn’t particularly lively, there were a considerable number of people, and some shops along the streets selling food, clothing, and miscellaneous goods.

Outside the small city, in every direction I sensed, there were boundless primordial forests.

At the same time, I could also sense the barrier of Luoshan Headquarters. Like an invisible bubble, the vast barrier encased the entire city. Its function was approximately to prevent outside unrelated individuals from snooping and entering, yet it did not prevent the internal personnel from observing and moving to the outside world.

"I thought the Luoshan Headquarters would be a much more solemn place," I said.

"This is just the outer area of the headquarters; the real core where organizational matters are handled is closer to the city center."

Mr. Zhu explained while observing the surroundings, "I used to visit here occasionally in the past, and my impression was that this was a desolate small town with definitely not as many pedestrians as now. It’s probably because Impermanence have rarely gathered like this, drawing demon hunters from various places who felt the call and gathered here spontaneously."

For demon hunters, Impermanence exists as a real God. Many demon hunters are even followers of Impermanence, such as Xuanming believers. Even those who do not worship Impermanence, cannot deny the fact that Impermanence is a god. Thus, even without any special events, merely the fact that the Impermanence are gathered here is enough to bring many demon hunters here with a pilgrim-like mentality.

The moment I arrived, I had already physically felt the fact that the Impermanence were gathered here.

To say "physically" might be somewhat ambiguous. More precisely, I felt "crowded," like nearly ten people squeezing into a narrow elevator. Each Impermanence possesses a nature as vast as colossal beasts, which I had felt from Xuanming and Divine Light when I was in the Void Realm; and a small-scale town like this is something Impermanence could annihilate in a turn of hand. It’s astonishing that so many Impermanence could gather here, making it feel like even stretching one’s limbs is difficult.

The others seemed not to have similar sensations. Mazao was observantly scouting the surroundings like a cat sneaking into unfamiliar terrain, and Zhu Shi seemed also to be visiting Luoshan Headquarters for the first time, curiously looking around.

I tried to sense the location of Ming Zhuo but did not manage to pinpoint it. Because I had a brief skirmish with Ming Zhuo before, I had somewhat remembered his Mana’s... color, or perhaps scent? Either way, I could confirm that he was around Luoshan Headquarters. The reason I couldn’t pinpoint him probably wasn’t because the gathering of too many Impermanence hindered my perception, but rather due to his temperament.

As long as I consciously maintain a concealed attitude, other Impermanence should also not be able to locate my position, and they may not even notice the fact that an Impermanence like me is visiting this place. And if it’s other Impermanence with a strong sense of privacy, even without a mindset like mine, they would still display related traits—at least that’s what I deduced from my own experience.

"Impermanence might have already arrived, but there doesn’t seem to be any abnormal weather here at Luoshan Headquarters... Is it because Impermanence are suppressing their Fatian Xiangdi?" Zhu Shi looked up at the sky.

"That might be the reason, but it’s also possible that Gua Tianshi is suppressing other Impermanence’s Fatian Xiangdi," Mr. Zhu said, "Although I’m not quite sure what Gua Tianshi’s Fatian Xiangdi is, according to notes passed down in the family, one of the manifestations of Gua Tianshi’s Fatian Xiangdi is that it can suppress other Impermanence’s Fatian Xiangdi.

"However, this suppression is only for the obvious parts, some subtle influences are difficult to affect."

I curiously asked, "The subtle influences?"

"If you have studied Feng Shui, you should know that many special Feng Shui items have the effect of stabilizing a house. The presence of Impermanence itself can influence the Feng Shui of an area, causing some incredible changes," Mr. Zhu again demonstrated his broad knowledge, "It’s often said: a mountain is not famous for its height but its immortals; water is not deep but its dragons are spiritual... In places like Luoshan Headquarters where Impermanence often reside, the number of newborns with powerful Mana talents would significantly increase.

"If Xuanwu became an Impermanence, the places he often visits would see many demon hunter seeds with the Water Element talent, as well as many potential swimming champions and experts in managing rivers; and if a demon hunter skilled in studying the laws of the universe became an Impermanence, the places where he resides might give birth to many newborns with scientific research talents in astronomy, physics, chemistry, and other fields."

Zhu Shi thoughtfully looked around: "I see, so the residential areas on the periphery of Luoshan Headquarters are..."

"That’s right, many demon hunter families reside in the outskirts of Luoshan Headquarters, so that their families have more chances to give birth to newborns with powerful Mana talents. And these residential areas exist for this reason," Mr. Zhu nodded.

"Then, will Saltwater City in the future also see many demon hunter seeds with Fire Element talents?" Zhu Shi looked at me.

"As long as Zhuang Cheng continues to live in Saltwater City, it will become like that. There will be some other changes, one of which is... uh..." Mr. Zhu suddenly hesitated.

Seeing his reaction, I really wanted to know the continuation: "One of which is what?"

Mr. Zhu looked at me for a while, then said, "Well... Saltwater City, and the surrounding cities’ carbon emissions, might significantly increase in the future."

"Ah? Why?" Zhu Shi was surprised.

"Because even when Zhuang Cheng suppresses his Fatian Xiangdi, he still subtly affects the natural environment. The temperature in Saltwater City and its surrounding cities will continue to rise bit by bit," Mr. Zhu said. "But fundamentally, this phenomenon defies everyday reasoning, so to make it align with reason again, the world will find a logical explanation on its own.

"The result is that the people living in Saltwater City and its neighboring areas will unconsciously increase their carbon emissions. And this influence will continue to spread progressively, incrementally affecting the collective unconscious behavior of humans worldwide and the natural climate... This is what I meant previously when I said that if Zhuang Cheng became Impermanence, it might exacerbate global warming."

So, am I truly an environmentally unfriendly existence?

Since Impermanence is revered by demon hunters as a God, then what kind of god am I? A god of carbon emissions and greenhouse effects perhaps? If I were in a children’s cartoon, I would definitely be the ultimate villain, right?

"It’s okay, Xuanming also shares a similar stance to yours."

Seeing the strange look on my face, Mr. Zhu added, "After all, the natural system of the world we live in has been shaped by the repeated influences of Impermanence. Even the Ming and Qing Little Ice Age recorded in our history was caused by Impermanence being absent at the time.

"The significant pollution caused to the natural system by our modern civilization along with the industrialization process itself, might very well have been subtly influenced by some Impermanence.

"For our civilization, the existence of Gods is not only a natural disaster but also a part of the accustomed planetary order."

The abnormal world and the common-sense world are two sides of the same coin, even during the times they are split, the relationship between them is intricate. It could even be said that the Impermanence has always been forcefully intervening in the process of the common-sense world, but with silent sounds and invisible shapes.

This world appears to be in the age of mortals, but actually, the age of myths might never have left.

However...

To be honest, there’s a peculiar feeling I can’t quite articulate about Mr. Zhu’s words.

Attributing all the macroscopic changes of human civilization and the natural system to the occurrences and activities of Impermanence — although this explanation is not impossible to justify, how should I describe it? It’s not that it is incorrect; on the contrary, I believe it’s correct. But I feel there’s a lack of aesthetic sense in it.

Can it really be explained like this? I can’t dismiss this doubt.

Is it because I pursue grand adventures, and thus attributing everything in the world to beings like me makes me feel that the world is narrowing and flattening? Or is there really something problematic about this angle of explaining the world?

Just then, a familiar aura appeared nearby. Turning my head, I saw a young man dressed in a white ancient-style robe, sprinting towards us with white hair.

By his side, there was another person, a man in his thirties, appearing reserved and reticent.

As soon as Mazao saw the young man, he cautiously stepped closer to my side.

"Zhuang Cheng Senior!" he called out to me.

It was Dong Che.

He stopped in front of us.

I briefly introduced him to Zhu Shi and Mr. Zhu, then asked him, "You’ve also come to the headquarters? Are you feeling alright now?"

Dong Che showed a somewhat embarrassed expression and said, "Yes, I’m fine now. My master has explained everything to me, so... thank you, Zhuang Cheng Senior. Without the word spirit you gave me at Fufeng Base, I wouldn’t have had any chance of survival from the start."

"I did it inadvertently; it was just a coincidence; you don’t need to thank me so much. Besides that, did you come just to say hello, or is there something else you need to do?" I asked, "Is there another matter?"

"Ah, right..."

Dong Che, seemingly forgetting his main purpose out of excitement, was reminded by me and then took something from his pocket.

"My master hopes to invite you to visit him," he said.