INHA Chapter 111

Xu Dongyou, although he had never entered the teleportation array, had learned during this time that it was fraught with dangers. He knew that even passing the first level would be difficult for him.

For example, the black mud inside had the ability to devour animals. The animal that was thrown in was swallowed up in the blink of an eye, no matter how much it struggled, it was useless.

If a person went in, they would likely meet the same fate. Thinking of this, Xu Dongyou suddenly recalled something. The purpose of the black mud devouring the animals was to create monsters. So, if a person entered, wouldn’t they also be turned into a demonic creature?

But if that were the case, why would the mysterious person who was harmed by Zhulong’s power go to such lengths to find those who met certain conditions and take that pearl?

Although the exact requirements for the pearl were unknown, based on the only two examples so far, the people who turned into resentful spirits were mostly those who died unjustly or by accident, and who likely had some deep-seated obsession. The mysterious person might have done something to these people, giving them the opportunity to form the pearl. Perhaps the pearl inside him was also created by himself.

But all of this was just Xu Dongyou’s speculation. Moreover, since Elder Bai had predicted that his survival depended on entering the teleportation array, Xu Dongyou thought he might give it a try. Perhaps the black mud only devoured animals and wouldn’t affect humans.

“Alright.” Xu Dongyou snapped back to reality and nodded seriously at Elder Chen. “I’ll prepare for a few days and then enter the teleportation array. But, should we inform the Bureau about this?”

Elder Chen was both surprised and worried about Xu Dongyou’s decision. But when he recalled Elder Bai’s last words, he swallowed the advice that was about to leave his lips.

He still remembered how, at that time, Elder Bai seemed to have predicted this or perhaps knew Xu Dongyou’s personality too well, fearing he would try to dissuade him. Elder Bai had said, “The young demon cub carries a fate that even I cannot see through. This is not something bestowed by the human race nor by our demon clan. This time, if he goes in, there may be setbacks and dangers but he will not die. This will benefit him, the others, the demon clan, and even Lord Zhulong’s recovery.”

Therefore, Elder Chen refrained from further dissuasion and instead asked Xu Dongyou again, “Are you sure you want to go in? You may face danger.”

Xu Dongyou nodded solemnly and firmly. “I’m sure.”

Elder Chen sighed and said, “As for the Bureau, don’t worry. Elder Bai will speak with the central bureau about this. They’ll agree.”

After all, this concerned the safety of humanity worldwide. In fact, when the central bureau first learned of Elder Bai’s words, their immediate reaction was to refuse. Although they were eager to explore the world beyond the teleportation array, they couldn’t justify sending a handler to risk their life—especially when that handler was one of the most outstanding in the bureau.

The central bureau was even more perplexed because this handler wasn’t just exceptional at their job; they were also the demon clan’s only surviving cub, representing the future and hope of the demon race.

Given the demon clan’s historically protective nature, they would never allow their cub to risk danger in such a way. So, the general director asked Elder Bai for more details.

Elder Bai was pleased and satisfied with the general director’s concern, and only then did he share his foresight. Overall, this matter was beneficial to the human race, the demon clan, and even the cub and Zhulong.

However, it might require the cub to bear the risk of being injured. But the injury was the least of the demon clan’s concerns; their extraordinary ability to recover was practically miraculous compared to humans as if they had some sort of cheat ability.

In truth, as the demon clan’s only cub, they were more highly valued than ever before, but they had no other choice. After all, this was indeed something beneficial to Xu Dongyou.

The benefits far outweighed the risk of injury.

They had considered forgoing the benefits entirely, but doing so would mean abandoning the investigation and discovery of the truth behind the evil force. If they didn’t quickly weaken the power of the resentful spirits and restore Zhulong, the human world would suffer even more, and the demon clan would face extinction as well.

Thus, the demon clan had no choice.

Xu Dongyou also understood this, which was why he chose to enter the array to investigate and eliminate that tree. However, he wasn’t sure if his current strength was enough to destroy the mysterious tree, so he decided to consult the chief.

When the chief saw Xu Dongyou, he immediately set aside his work, greeted him with a smile, and invited him to sit down. “Is there something you need to talk to me about?”

Xu Dongyou nodded, feeling a bit nervous. “Yes, Chief. I wanted to ask about the world beyond the teleportation array.”

The chief solemnly said, “Your earlier speculation makes a lot of sense. After analysis, the Anomaly Handling Bureau believes there’s a 90% chance that your theory is correct. Indeed, if humans entering the portal would also be swallowed by the black mud like the animals, then the mysterious person wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of placing the pearl under the tree. More importantly, when we placed that corpse into the portal back then, it wasn’t devoured either, likely for the same reason.”

Of course, mere speculation isn’t enough for the bureau to draw conclusions. The Anomaly Handling Bureau requires evidence for their decisions, so they conducted an experiment by sending four test subjects into the portal: two alive and two dead.

To their surprise, all four—whether alive or dead—were immediately devoured by the black mud upon being transported, leaving not a trace behind, not even a feather.

Everyone present gasped in shock. The sight was horrifying beyond belief. What exactly was this black mud? Why did it possess such terrifying power? Was this mud truly alive? Did it have intelligence?

Their curiosity was piqued, so they tried to experiment with the black mud they had extracted from the array world. They even placed small insects into it, but unfortunately, the mud seemed to lose its “life” after being removed from the array, behaving no differently from ordinary mud.

However, the stench remained as repulsive as ever, nauseating enough to make one’s soul recoil in disgust.

After thorough preparation, the Anomaly Handling Bureau selected a few highly capable and quick-reacting handlers to accompany Xu Dongyou into the array. After all, they couldn’t send him in alone.

Among the selected was the chief himself, given the importance of the mission. They chose only the most powerful individuals, especially the director of Xu Dongyou’s branch, whose abilities were most suited to the array’s environment. Other branch directors wanted to join, but their abilities weren’t as suited as the Fengnian Branch director’s, so they wouldn’t have been of much help.

Additionally, Xu Dongyou’s team included Kuang Zhannu, a close-combat specialist. She was one of the strongest and was also selected to go.

Furthermore, a few researchers from the bureau’s research department were sent along. Their task was to conduct analyses within the array. To prevent the handlers from being distracted by protecting the researchers, only researchers with spiritual abilities and self-defense skills were chosen. Fortunately, there were quite a few qualified researchers, and they selected the ones with the best self-protection abilities to accompany them.

Three days later, they were all ready to enter the array.

And three days passed quickly.

Xu Dongyou naturally didn’t tell his parents the full details of his mission this time. He simply said that he had to go away for work and would be gone for three to five days, reassuring his parents to stay calm and stay within their neighborhood.

However, Xu Dongyou overlooked one thing: the neighborhood his parents lived in was home to many handlers and their families. While strolling downstairs, it was inevitable that his parents would overhear conversations about this mission. People in the neighborhood were discussing that the Anomaly Handling Bureau had a major operation underway, selecting several highly capable handlers and researchers for an important and dangerous mission.

At first, Xu Dongyou’s parents didn’t associate it with their son. But then, when they saw their neighbor, the wife of a researcher, wiping away her tears, they couldn’t help but offer some comfort. That’s when they learned that her husband was one of the researchers selected for the mission.

Xu Dongyou’s parents knew that words of comfort wouldn’t be much help and they sighed along with her. As parents, they naturally worried about their children, but how could they stop them from carrying out tasks meant to protect world peace?

The neighbor wiped her tears and said, “It’s tough for all of us. I understand how hard this is for you right now, but we can’t tell our loved ones to stop taking on these tasks. Someone has to protect this world.”

Hearing this, Xu Dongyou’s parents suddenly had a sinking feeling, a terrible suspicion forming in their minds. They quickly asked the neighbor what she meant by that.

The neighbor, slightly confused, responded, “You mean you don’t know? Your son is one of the main leaders of this mission.”

“What?!!” Mother Xu shot up from her seat, her face going pale. She rushed home to grab her phone and call Xu Dongyou. Father Xu was also deeply shocked and scared but he kept his composure. After quickly bidding the neighbor goodbye, he followed his wife back home.

The neighbor finally realized that Xu Dongyou’s parents seemed unaware that their son was involved in the mission. It was clear that Xu Dongyou had hidden this from them, not wanting them to worry. But she had accidentally let it slip.

She felt guilty, thinking she had made a huge mistake.

Panicked, the neighbor immediately called her husband to explain what had happened. The researcher remained silent for a few seconds before quickly reassuring his wife not to worry. He promised to talk to Xu Dongyou about the situation.

The neighbor hung up the phone, anxiety gnawing at her. She went to knock on Xu’s door. But no one answered, making her even more uneasy.

At that moment, Xu Dongyou was preparing his things when the researcher, having just finished his call, came over to apologize and explain what had happened. Xu Dongyou sighed, feeling a bit helpless, and said, “It’s okay. It’s my fault for not explaining this clearly to my parents. Just let Auntie know not to worry.”

The researcher apologized sincerely once again.

Just as Xu Dongyou was about to say something, his phone, which was in his pocket, suddenly rang. Seeing that it was his mother calling, he had no choice but to answer. As soon as he picked up, he heard his mother’s anxious voice: “Dongyou! Are you taking part in that mission? I heard people say it’s very dangerous.”

She wanted to ask if Xu Dongyou could decline the mission and maybe submit a report to the bureau to opt-out. But just as she was about to say it, she found herself unable to.

If Xu Dongyou didn’t go, it would mean someone else would have to take his place. But that person was also someone’s child. These children who undertook such dangerous missions were doing it to protect ordinary people like them.

How could she say those words?

But Xu Dongyou was the child she had raised with so much care and she couldn’t stop the overwhelming worry she felt for him.

Mother Xu’s eyes instantly reddened.

---