All Realms and Worlds: The Lost Home

After they were ready, they looked at each other and saw determination and resolve in each other's eyes. Without saying another word, they turned and walked out of the earthen house.

Pushing open the door of the earthen house, a strong smell of blood and decay immediately hits you, making your stomach churn.

The village was in complete disarray, with bloodstains and mutilated corpses everywhere. Some bodies were entangled in branches and covered in wounds, while others had been drained of blood and turned shriveled and yellow. Still others were reduced to half their original size, a truly gruesome sight.

Occasionally, you can see a few surviving villagers huddled in a corner, trembling, with empty and numb eyes, their faces full of fear and despair, muttering strange words as if they have been mentally corrupted.

In the sky, the gray sun grew even darker, devoid of any warmth. The entire village was shrouded in a chilling, despairing atmosphere, eerie and terrifying.

Yao Guang and Wen Xuyan kept their bodies low and carefully moved through the village.

Their eyes scanned their surroundings warily, constantly watching for any movement, fearing they might be attacked by suddenly appearing dead trees—no one knew if those frenzied dead trees had already stormed into the village.

"Hurry up, let's leave the village as soon as possible, enter the dead forest, collect the ashes, and come back immediately."

Yao Guang lowered her voice and spoke to Wen Xuyan.

The two proceeded cautiously, avoiding all dangers, and finally arrived at the village gate.

Pushing open the dilapidated gate, the scene outside the village instantly tensed the two men, and an extreme fear swept over them.

Chaos reigned in the withered forest. The piercing screams, the cracking of bones, and the scraping of dry branches mingled together, echoing eerily and terrifyingly, sending chills down one's spine.

Those twisted, withered trees went completely mad at this moment, their branches twisting and stretching wildly, like countless arms of living people waving in all directions. The bark cracked open, revealing dark red "flesh and blood" inside, and black sap seeped out continuously along the cracks, emitting a strong smell of decay.

Some withered trees coiled around the villagers' bodies, tightening their grip and crushing their bones. The black sap slowly sucked away at the villagers' blood, causing them to gradually lose their breath in endless pain.

The ground was covered with bloodstains, mangled corpses, and broken, withered branches. Black sap mixed with dark red blood, forming an eerie black-red color that emitted a nauseating stench.

A chilling wind swept through the withered trees, whispering like countless eyes staring intently at them from the shadows, or like the desperate wails of countless dead villagers.

Wen Xuyan's body trembled uncontrollably, her face turned ashen, her lips trembled slightly, and her eyes were filled with fear. She subconsciously moved closer to Yao Guang—the scene before her was too terrifying and too bizarre, almost causing her to collapse.

"Don't be afraid, follow me, and try to avoid those dead trees. We'll only collect a small amount of ash and leave immediately."

Yao Guang lowered his voice and spoke to Wen Xuyan with a firm tone, trying to give Wen Xuyan some confidence. However, he himself could also feel the fear in his heart spreading little by little.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, suppressing the mental pollution within him and the whispers in his mind, and took the lead in walking towards the depths of the dead forest, his steps light and careful, trying to avoid those crazy dead trees.

Wen Xuyan followed closely behind Yao Guang, her hands gripping the withered wooden stick tightly. Her head was slightly lowered, and she dared not look at the horrific scene. However, the shrill screams in her ears and the thick smell of blood in the air lingered, making her feel cold all over and her heart chilled.

The two carefully moved through the dead trees, keeping their bodies low and hiding behind thick, withered trees, slowly approaching the area where the ash was densest.

Along the way, they witnessed too much death and too much despair. Every step felt like walking on a knife's edge, and every breath carried the heavy scent of death. A single misstep could turn them into food for the dead trees.

"It's just ahead, there are a few dead trees with ashes hanging from them."

Yao Guang lowered his voice, pointed to a few dead trees not far away, and said to Wen Xuyan, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes—those dead trees were currently focused on attacking a few villagers not far away and had not yet noticed their presence.

Wen Xuyan looked in the direction Yao Guang pointed and indeed saw that on the branches of those dead trees, there were some gray-black sticky ashes hanging, like black rags, swaying gently in the cold wind, exuding an eerie aura.

"Let's hurry, before they spot us, we need to collect the ashes and leave immediately."

After Yao Guang finished speaking, she no longer hesitated. She lowered her body and quickly ran towards the few dead trees, her steps light and careful not to make any unnecessary noise.

Wen Xuyan followed immediately, his heart pounding wildly, his palms sweating so much that the withered wooden stick in his hand was soaked.

Soon, the two arrived at the foot of the dead trees. Yao Guang quickly reached out to collect the ash from the branches. The ash was sticky and cold. The moment he touched it, a chilling power spread from his fingertips, making him shiver.

But just then, a sharp whooshing sound suddenly came from behind!

"Be careful!"

Yao Guang's expression changed drastically. Almost instinctively, she pushed Wen Xuyan aside and quickly dodged to the side.

"Sizzle—!"

A sharp, dead branch grazed his shoulder in an instant, leaving a deep wound. Black sap seeped out from the wound, mixed with dark red blood, and emitted a strong stench of decay.

Intense pain instantly swept over Yao Guang's entire body, causing him to groan involuntarily.

"Run! We've been spotted!"

Yao Guang gave a low shout, his tone decisive. While covering the wound on his shoulder, he quickly reached out to collect the ash from the branches, his fingertips flying as fast as he could to gather as much as possible.

Wen Xuyan immediately realized what had happened. Although he had been pushed away by Yao Guang and fallen to the ground, scraping his knees and causing them to bleed, he was still in pain.

"roar--!"

The branches that were originally attacking the villagers suddenly changed direction and were wildly swung towards Yao Guang and Wen Xuyan!

The surrounding withered trees were also startled by the roar, and they all stopped attacking the villagers and focused their attention on Yao Guang and Wen Xuyan. Their twisted branches stretched out wildly and lashed out at the two of them!

"Oh no! Run!"

Yao Guang's expression changed drastically. He could feel an extreme sense of crisis instantly sweep over his entire body. The attacks from the withered trees became increasingly frantic and dense, making them impossible to resist.

He quickly stuffed the collected spirit ash into his pocket, grabbed Wen Xuyan who was still collecting spirit ash, turned around and ran wildly towards the village.

"Snap—Snap—!"

The dead tree branches lashed wildly behind them, striking the ground with a piercing cracking sound. The ground was cratered and black sap splattered everywhere, creating an eerie and terrifying scene.

Wen Xuyan followed closely behind Yao Guang, running desperately. The pain in her knee wound intensified with the intense running, and blood dripped down her knee, staining the soil beneath her feet. But she dared not slow down, or even look back.

Yao Guang's shoulder was also bleeding profusely, the black fluid mixed with dark red blood, dripping down his arm. The intense pain blurred his vision, and the mental pollution within him intensified, the whispers in his mind almost completely devouring his sanity.

But he dared not stop, nor could he stop. He knew that if he stopped, both of them would be swallowed up by those frenzied, withered trees, and Wenyan would also lose all life.

He gritted his teeth, used all his strength, pulled Wen Xuyan along, and ran desperately, his eyes fixed on the village ahead, with only one thought in his mind—to survive, he must survive!

The withered tree behind them continued its relentless pursuit, its branches flailing and emitting eerie howls. It drew ever closer, as if it would ensnare and devour them in the next second.

Wen Xuyan gradually lost her strength. The wound on her knee was already a bloody mess. Every step she took felt like stepping on a knife's edge. The intense pain made her body tremble uncontrollably, her breathing became more and more rapid, and her vision began to go black.

"Yaoguang...I...I can't run anymore..."

Wen Xuyan's voice was hoarse and weak, carrying a hint of despair. Her steps gradually slowed down, and her eyes were full of exhaustion and helplessness.

"Don't give up! Hang in there a little longer!"

After running for an unknown amount of time, the village gate finally appeared before them. The village chief was standing at the gate, anxiously waiting for them. When he saw them, a hint of joy and worry appeared on his face.

"Quick! Come in quickly!"

The village chief shouted at them urgently, running quickly towards them as he did so, trying to help them.

Upon seeing the village chief, Yao Guang and Wen Xuyan felt a surge of hope. With their last bit of strength, they rushed toward the gate.

"Quick! Close the gate!"

Yao Guang gave a low shout, her tone decisive. The village chief immediately reacted and, together with Yao Guang, pushed hard against the dilapidated gate, temporarily shutting out the withered tree behind them and the eerie aura.

The moment the door closed, Yao Guang and Wen Xuyan could no longer hold on. Their legs buckled, and they fell heavily to the ground, panting heavily, covered in injuries and in a sorry state.

Yao Guang's shoulder was covered in a bloody, mangled wound, with black fluid still seeping out. His clothes were soaked with blood and black fluid. He was breathing weakly, his vision was blurred, and the mental pollution within him had become incredibly intense. The whispers in his mind were so jarring that he was on the verge of collapse.

Wen Xuyan's knees were also a bloody mess, and there were several deep cuts on her arms. Blood kept seeping out of the wounds. She lay on the ground, panting heavily, her whole body trembling, her eyes full of exhaustion and helplessness. Tears streamed down her cheeks again, mixing with the dirt and blood, making her look particularly disheveled.

Yao Guang slowly raised his head and laboriously took out the collected Nian Ash from his pocket—only a small handful, grayish-black and sticky, exuding an eerie aura. This was all the Nian Ash they had collected with all their might and at great personal risk.

"There's only... only this much left..."

Yao Guang's voice was hoarse and weak, with a hint of helplessness in his tone. He knew that this little bit of ash might not be enough to purify it, might not be enough to save Wen Yan, and might not be enough to suppress the mental pollution in his body, but this was all they could collect.

When Wen Xuyan saw the small handful of ashes, a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination—even if it was only this little bit, she had to try; even if there was only a sliver of hope, she had to do everything in her power to save her brother.

"It's okay, Yao Guang, as long as there's light, we'll give it a try. We'll definitely be able to save my brother."

Wen Xuyan's voice was hoarse but firm. She slowly got up, walked to Yaoguang's side, and reached out her hand, wanting to help Yaoguang up.

But at that moment, Yao Guang suddenly felt an extremely strong sense of dizziness sweep over her entire body. Her whole body was burning hot, as if she were being scorched by a raging fire, and her consciousness began to blur.

He has a fever.

Like Wen Yan, he started to have a high fever, his whole body was burning hot, and his consciousness was blurred. Clearly, he was also infected by the strange energy of the withered tree and the mental pollution around him.

"Yaoguang! What's wrong?"

Wen Xuyan noticed Yao Guang's unusual condition, her expression changed drastically, and she quickly supported him, reaching out to touch his forehead. The burning temperature instantly alarmed her. "You have a fever! Just like my brother, you have a fever too!"

Yao Guang's eyes became increasingly blurry, his body trembled uncontrollably, the whispers in his mind grew more and more piercing, and the mental pollution and anger within his body surged wildly, almost completely devouring his sanity.

"Help me...help me back to the mud house...I need...I need to purify my ash..."

Yao Guang's voice was hoarse and weak, with a hint of determination in it. He gritted his teeth and tried with all his might to stand up, but all his strength had been drained away. He could only stand up with difficulty with the help of Wen Xuyan.

Wen Xuyan's body began to burn with fever, and she felt dizzy and her consciousness began to blur. But she still gritted her teeth and used all her strength to support Yaoguang and walk step by step toward the earthen house. Her steps were unsteady, and every step she took seemed to be enduring great pain.

Along the way, Yao Guang and Wen Xuyan supported each other, their steps faltering, their bodies burning with fever, their consciousness blurred. Every step was extremely difficult. Strange whispers echoed in their ears, and bizarre hallucinations kept appearing before their eyes—they saw countless dead villagers, a crazed withered tree, a strange immortal, and a strange figure that looked exactly like Yao Guang.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, they finally returned to the mud house. As soon as they pushed open the door, a strong smell of medicine and stench hit them.

Wen Yan remained unconscious on the bed, her body burning hot, her breathing weak, and blood still seeping from the wound on her chest. Her condition was getting worse and worse.

Yao Guang could no longer hold on and was helped by Wen Xuyan to sit at the table. He picked up the laser knife on the table and placed the collected Nian Ash on the table. His eyes were blurry and his hands trembled uncontrollably.

The high fever made his vision increasingly blurry, and the mental pollution made his mind increasingly confused. The whispers in his mind became more and more jarring, but he still gritted his teeth, forced himself to calm down, forced himself to steady his actions, and began to purify his mental ash.

He pressed the switch on the laser knife, and with a soft "hum," the blue light on the blade instantly became dazzling. He carefully used the laser knife to cut the ashes on the table little by little, removing the impurities from the ashes and extracting the pure energy of the ashes.

This process was incredibly difficult. His hands trembled constantly, and the laser knife swayed with them. Several times, he almost cut his fingers, but he didn't give up. He carefully purified the laser bit by bit, and every movement was extremely slow and difficult.

Wen Xuyan stayed by his side, her body burning hot, her head spinning, and her consciousness becoming increasingly blurred. She wanted to help, but she could barely stand and could only hold onto the table, staring intently at Yao Guang's movements, her eyes filled with worry and expectation.

The village chief sat in the corner, his breath weak, watching the two struggling to stay afloat.

Time passed slowly. Inside the earthen house, only the buzzing of the laser knife and the heavy breathing of the three people could be heard. The candlelight flickered, casting their shadows in and out of sight, creating an eerie and desolate scene.

Beads of cold sweat trickled down Yao Guang's forehead, dripping onto the ashes on the table and mixing with them. His face grew paler and paler, his breath grew weaker and weaker, all his strength was exhausted, and his vision became increasingly blurry, to the point that he could barely see the ashes on the table.

After an unknown amount of time, with the last trace of impurity removed, a small pinch of pure ash was finally purified.

The pure ash was no longer grayish-black, but had a faint silvery-white hue and emitted a weak white light. Unlike the eerie aura before, the pure ash emitted a faint coolness, which could slightly alleviate the high temperature in the body and the erosion of mental pollution.

Yao Guang looked at the pure Nian Ash on the table, a faint smile appearing on his face. Then, he could no longer hold on, his hands went limp, and the laser knife fell to the table with a crisp sound.

He struggled to pick up the pure ash from the table, divided it into three portions, and carefully offered one portion to Wen Xuyan. Then he picked up another portion, brought it to his own lips, and finally, with difficulty, stood up, walked to the bedside, and carefully fed it to Wen Xuyan. (Yaoguang, why don't you look at the village chief?)

Wen Yan was unconscious and unable to swallow on his own. Yao Guang could only smear the pure ash on Wen Yan's lips little by little, letting the ash melt and flow into his body along the corner of his mouth.

After doing all this, Yao Guang could no longer hold on. His legs gave way and he fell heavily to the ground. He picked up the ash in front of him and swallowed it without hesitation.

Wen Xuyan also picked up the ash in front of her. Despite her burning body, blurred consciousness, and fear, she swallowed it without hesitation—it was their only hope, their only lifeline.

The ashes melted instantly upon entering the mouth, and a faint, cool sensation flowed down the throat and into the body, slightly relieving the high temperature and pain within, and also slightly suppressing the whispers in the mind and the erosion of mental pollution.

But this coolness only lasted for a moment before disappearing instantly.

The next second, an even stronger sense of dizziness swept over the three of them. The high temperature in their bodies became even more intense, as if they were being scorched by fire. Their consciousness became increasingly blurred, and the whispers in their minds became increasingly shrill and dense.

Yao Guang lay on the ground, his vision blurred, his body trembling uncontrollably. He could feel his mind being devoured little by little, his body being eroded bit by bit. He wanted to struggle, to stand up, but he had no strength at all; even moving a finger became incredibly difficult.

Wen Xuyan also fell heavily to the ground, trembling all over, her eyes vacant, tears streaming down her cheeks. She wanted to call out, to call Yaoguang, to call her brother, but she couldn't make a sound. She could only let her consciousness blur little by little, and let herself slowly fall into a coma.

Wen Yan on the bed convulsed even more violently, her whole body was burning hot, her breathing was so weak that it was almost invisible, a trace of black liquid seeped from the corner of her mouth, her eyes were empty, and her consciousness had completely fallen into a blur.

Inside the earthen house, the candlelight flickered on and off, and finally, with a "poof," it went out completely, plunging the entire earthen house into darkness and silence.

Only the heavy, faint breathing of the three people, and the eerie, piercing whispers in their minds, echoed slowly in the deathly silent earthen house.

The village chief looked at the group and revealed a strange smile.