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Chapter 102

Chapter 102: The Way Back

Silence . There were no traces of any beasts, no cawing of crows . Other than the sound of the footsteps sinking into the putrefied mud, there were no other sounds . Gu Jun looked around as they moved . The ‘banyan trees’ there were different from the ones on Earth . Their trunks were larger and their branches more twisted . Their bark was black in color with white spots that looked curiously like livor mortis . The twisting branches bridged the neighboring trees together, forming a complicated and grotesque net .

The trio made their way through the gaps, being as careful as they could not to come into contact with any part of the banyan trees . Sometimes, however, the gaps were too small, so some brushing was inevitable . Whenever that happened, Gu Jun felt like there was a chill wind rushing into his heart . Wailings of pain, horror, and pleading weaved intermittently around his ears .

“It’s you, the thing inside the banyan tree…”

“Let me go!”

“Ah, I beg you!”

“So painful…”

It felt like countless victims who had died from Malformed Banyan Disease were looking at him . Every leaf seemed to take on different faces . They came from different worlds, different civilizations .

The banyan trees grew lusciously, their leaves blotting out most of the sky .

“Hmm . ” Gu Jun trained his focus . Seeing that Xue Ba and Yang Henan had not said a word, he knew that this was only happening to him . He needed to suppress the dark energy in his heart while trying to sense a way forward . “This way . ”

Xue Ba and Yang Henan followed beside him . They were also looking around with alert . Other than the treacherous journey, there was no other blockage in their way . The three of them trekked carefully for around three hundred meters before they saw a very large banyan tree . It was about as large as three or four other normal banyan trees combined . Furthermore, there was a naturally hollowed out tree hole at the bottom of the main trunk . This was the only tree hole that they had encountered so far .

“This is it,” Gu Jun said darkly . As he glanced at the tree hole, that feeling of déjà vu hit him again . Was this the tree that he had been deposited in when he was worshipped at when he was young? Perhaps that tree was connected to this one .

Xue Ba and Yang Henan were studying it from afar . They were curious about why they did not see any glow from inside the tree hole .

“Captain Xue, what is your plan now?” Gu Jun asked .

“If this is really the exit, we will all retreat to regain immediate communication with the headquarters to ask for back up . ” Despite his appearance, Xue Ba was a meticulous planner . He could discern the real meaning behind Gu Jun’s enquiry .

“Ah Jun, I know you want to destroy this place and close all the channels between the two worlds . But now that we have found a new wormhole and a spell that can create channels between these banyan trees, we cannot waste the value this place presents to Phecda . Those dead bodies, the shrine, these trees,” Xue Ba said with as much sincerity as he could salvage, hoping to persuade Gu Jun . “This whole world requires more exploration . Only then we can solve more problems . Our mission has already been completed . The decision on how to deal with this place should be left to the superiors . ”

Yang Henan nodded in agreement . “That’s right . Recently, there have been too many abnormal energy activities . No one knows what will happen . Phecda needs as much information as they can get . ”

“Yes,” Xue Ba said . “If this new path has no volume capacity, then this place will turn into our new headquarters by tomorrow . More than ten thousand colleagues will set up camp here . ”

Gu Jun merely grunted a reply . He had no comment regarding Xue Ba’s proposition . Gu Jun knew that arguing with them was pointless because they were not privy to certain information that he had, and he could not reveal it to them either . This was already a desecrated world . Even with his limited knowledge, he understood that the Malformed Banyan Disease was not the worst thing that could happen . Hemoptysis, that was an illness that wiped out an entire civilization . If it was given a chance to spread to Earth, it would truly mark the end of the world .

Before they had enough power, it was better not to open the Pandora’s box . Like Sodom, despite all their glory, even a furtive glance could bring about self-destruction .

“In any case, we should gather everyone here for now . ” Gu Jun started to form a plan in his mind . “Currently, this tree hole is still closed . With my stamina and mental state, I can only open it once . I can’t predict what will happen after that, so all of us need to stick together . I believe that this tree is not contagious, but for the sake of security, perhaps everyone can put on the robes left behind by the members of Lai Sheng Company . Perhaps their clothing has some warding effect . ”

Gu Jun’s words were like the gospel . They removed their protective gear and had Gu Jun carry it back to the shrine . Even though the three hundred meters journey was not long, due to the complicated geography and the possibility of encountering illusions, only Gu Jun would recognize the way back . Gu Jun repeated this journey seven times . Each time, he led two people in protective gear . Gao Mingpeng was the last to leave the shrine . The whole Demon Hunter team was finally safely reunited before the giant tree . They had the stretcher, sixteen comparatively well-preserved robes, the tissue from the dead bodies, and the skull of the leader .

With regards to the other tools, weapons, and explosives, they listened to Gu Jun’s advice and left them behind .

“In my current state, I cannot guarantee that the path will be able to support so much weight . So, the less we carry, the more stable the path will be,” Gu Jun explained as he took out the five pages of ancient papers and the scalpel . “I need these to cast the spell . ”

Everyone believed that Gu Jun was not part of Lai Sheng Company . Furthermore, they had no choice but to believe Gu Jun .

“I will stay behind to stabilize the channel,” Gu Jun explained further . “The other side of the channel should be connected to a banyan tree around the Eastern State . After you enter the tree hole, do not turn back . Keep moving forward until you reach the exit . Wait for me . I’ll be joining you soon . ”

Xue Ba’s jaws tightened . He looked at Gu Jun deeply . “Ah Jun, I hope you know what you are doing . ”

Gu Jun’s heart skipped . ‘So, Captain Xue has managed to guess what I’m planning after all . Oh well…”

“I do . ” Gu Jun nodded heavily . “I am the only one who knows what to do . I will start the spell now . ”

With one hand holding the Carlot Scalpel to suppress the dark emotions and his other gloved hand pressing against the banyan tree, he tried to communicate with it . He uttered in the foreign language, “Open, existing channel . I demand that you open!”

This was not the spell recorded on the paper . That was probably used to summon the Malformed Banyan Disease, and that was not what Gu Jun was trying to do . His mental and physical energy rapidly drained . Thankfully, a blurry light soon appeared in the tree hole, and the channel was activated . Due to the presence of the Son of Misfortune, opening the channel was as simple as opening a door, but the darkness within his soul appeared to have deepened .

“Be careful, and don’t push yourself too hard,” Xue Ba told Gu Jun before he grabbed the gun and led the two other marksmen ahead . “Let’s go!”

Lou Xiaoning and Zhang Huohuo walked in the middle . Lin Mo was carried on the stretcher . Uncle Dan brought up the rear . In the long robes, they shot Gu Jun an appreciative look before they departed . Then, they turned to walk into the light inside the tree hole .

“Ah Jun, you have to come out of here alive . ” Uncle Dan’s round face wiggled with mirth . “If you do, I will take you to enjoy the more sensual pleasures of life . ”

“That’s a promise . ” Gu Jun nodded with a smile . “Uncle Dan, we’ve already found the exit . Don’t make it sound like this is our last farewell; you’ll jinx it . ”

“When you’re right, you’re right, kid . Okay then, see you on the other side . ”

Gu Jun watched as the last member, Uncle Dan, disappeared into the tree hole . Then, he sighed in relief . He turned to head toward the shrine, determination lining his face . If Phecda’s superiors were given the choice, they would definitely keep and preserve this place .

But ruination was this place’s only fate . It had to be destroyed .