Chapter 332: Eradication
Chapter 332: Eradication
As Chen Chuan descended to the underground floor, the signs of his body's virtualization became more pronounced, intensifying with every step he took. It wasn't just that; the sense of being watched was also pervasive.
At this moment, the hair of the Flying Head Monster on his wrist began to tremble, and the Lynx Stone Talisman hanging on his body vibrated slightly.
It seemed that he was indeed facing a haunting incident.
Haunting incident remnants were known to be sensitive to such occurrences, but the trembling of the Lynx Stone Talisman suggested a possible threat.
The temperature ahead dropped slightly, and after descending the stairs, he saw a metal door, locked shut. He reached out and pressed against the door frame, causing a creaking sound as the bricks and bolts gradually cracked and burst. With a powerful force, the entire door twisted and deformed, then crashed backward with a loud bang.
After the smoke and dust cleared, he stepped inside and saw a "tree."
To be precise, it was a field disturbance organism, but it felt several times larger, almost as if half of the entire underground floor was occupied by this entity.
The branches extended outward, covering the entire underground space, and seemingly intangible, they penetrated the floorboards and stretched upward.
If this was all, it wouldn't be much of a concern. What was truly chilling was that on these branches hung naked arms, dangling like vines.
Near the lower end of the trunk, there were human feet, neatly arranged and piled around, spreading outward in circles along the roots.
Chen Chuan glanced at the hands, some slender, others robust, presumably taken from different men and women, creating a chaotic mix on the branches.
Near the root of the trunk, countless hairs, unmistakably human, entangled the branches, while on the ground, layers of tattered clothing were scattered.
Chen Chuan finally understood the fate of the missing guests. This was undoubtedly a haunting incident, but it had likely undergone some form of metamorphosis.
Some haunting incidents, if not dealt with promptly and given an endless supply of vitality, could gradually detach from their origins and become increasingly powerful.
Earlier, he had felt watched, and now he realized that the branches had extended into the hotel's various corners, attempting to influence him.
An ordinary person in this situation would likely be drawn in or captured.
In just three years, such a transformation had occurred, and one could only imagine how it might evolve if allowed to continue.
At this moment, the haunting incident seemed to react to his immunity, emitting a high-pitched shriek like a human scream. The lights, which had been on in the underground floor, suddenly flickered.
After observing the situation, Chen Chuan sheathed the Xuejun Blade into the wall beside him, gripped the hilt with both hands, and with a clang, he drew it out, holding it with one hand. He spun around once and slowly approached the tree.
The branches above suddenly lashed out towards him.
Chen Chuan slashed upward, and although the Xuejun Blade had limited effect against the Flying Head Monster due to the difficulty of making contact, this time, the blade's back was stained with a few streaks of bright blood, and with a hiss, it severed the branches, causing the severed hands to fall with a clatter, and a red, blood-like liquid sprayed out.
After cutting through several branches that blocked his path, a sense of relief rose within him.
In the past, he could only rely on brute force, physical contact, or unique methods to deal with haunting incidents, but this direct and violent approach was the most efficient.
As he advanced, clearing obstacles, his speed didn't falter. In almost a single breath, he covered thirty to forty meters, and when he was about ten meters away from the trunk, he took a step forward and lunged, reaching the massive trunk in an instant.
The haunting incident emitted an even more shrill screech, and the legs and thick roots covered in human hair burst from the ground, attempting to hinder his approach.
However, this action exposed their most vulnerable areas.
Chen Chuan let out a low shout and lunged forward, a burst of sword light blossomed in front of his body, shattering all the entangled branches around him. Limbs rained down like a waterfall, and he leaped out from the heavy obstruction, reaching the trunk, suspended in mid-air. With both hands on the hilt, he slashed downward diagonally! A crescent-shaped sword light flashed past, leaving a long, slanted gash on the trunk.
The haunting incident let out a piercing shriek, and a tasteless, scarlet liquid shot out from the trunk. Chen Chuan landed behind, his forward momentum unbroken, and with a twist of his waist, he swung the blade horizontally, creating another clash of sword light against the trunk.
From the giant cross-shaped gash, the bright red liquid gushed out, and the entire haunting incident pulsated, emitting a vomiting-like sound.
With a clatter, countless broken limbs and torsos spewed out from the trunk, flooding the entire space with gore.
Chen Chuan stared at the haunting incident, and although it seemed heavily wounded by his two strikes, he noticed the wounds rapidly closing. These attacks had likely not reached its true weak points.
Chen Chuan's thoughts raced, and in a swift decision, he brandished his blade, crouched, and surged forward through the gaping wound in the tree, all in the blink of an eye.
Inside, he glanced up and saw numerous hanging strands of interconnected internal tissue, pulsating slowly like breathing. At the very center was an object resembling a skull.
This object, normally nourished by the surrounding shattered organs and fluids, now had them seeping out through the wound. Undoubtedly, this was what the bizarre tree had been desperately guarding.
Chen Chuan inhaled slightly, took a few steps forward, and with a swift spin, slashed diagonally at the object.
Just then, as he entered, the external wound began to close, sealing the breach. The severed limbs and appendages filled the gap, secreting a red, viscous liquid that rapidly repaired the fissure.
But halfway through these actions, everything abruptly halted. After a while, both the tree trunk and the limbs above began to wither and shrink rapidly. Eventually, they seemed to collapse under their own weight, breaking into segments that shattered upon hitting the ground, turning into scattered black ashes.
Strangely, the entire process was silent, as if these were intangible beings that didn't exist in reality.
In just over ten seconds, the entire tree trunk turned into a pile of thick, gray ash on the ground.
Chen Chuan removed his hat, patted his body a few times to brush off the ash, then put his hat back on. He scanned the area, confirming the tree was thoroughly eliminated.
Beneath the ash, something solid seemed to be hidden. He used the Xuejun Blade to nudge it, and a fist-sized object rolled out.
Chen Chuan bent down, picked it up, and blew away the ash. It was a heart-shaped object, resembling wood or jade.
This must have been a remnant of the bizarre tree.
He pocketed it and exited the basement. The entire hotel had felt lifeless, but after dealing with the haunting, the insects and other creatures seemed to have vanished instantly.
Chen Chuan took a moment to catch his breath. Simultaneously, his Boundary Token regained its power, so he immediately contacted the City Patrol Team, asking them to handle the situation. The primary purpose was to inform their superiors that everything was under control, eliminating the need for any special measures in the future.
Returning upstairs, he exited the hotel, took a deep breath, and headed for the parking lot.
But after just a few steps, he noticed a group of gang members surrounding his car. A parked SUV was in front, and they were attaching hooks to it.
Using his Boundary Token, Chen Chuan identified them as gang members with numerous records of torture and arrests. The leader, in particular, was wanted.
Calmly, he reached into his pocket, and with a gentle squeeze, a small stone shattered into several tiny particles. He casually pushed one onto his knuckle.
"Boss, someone's coming out!" one gang member shouted upon seeing Chen Chuan.
The gang leader was startled. He hadn't expected anyone to emerge alive. Squinting, he took a quick glance and immediately sensed that Chen Chuan might not be ordinary.
So, he decided to give Chen Chuan some face. He patted a subordinate on the back and said, "Go greet him. We're just following orders. We're not letting anyone in, and we're just looking after his car. Let him pay a storage fee, and this will all be over. We won't stop him from leaving."
"Got it, boss," the subordinate replied, tossing away his cigarette butt. He and a few others approached Chen Chuan. "Hey, you..." he began, but before he could finish, a loud bang rang out, and he collapsed to the ground.
The other gang members reacted swiftly, splitting up and drawing their weapons. But before they could assess the situation, they, too, fell one by one, sprawling across the street.
Chen Chuan strolled casually toward his car.
The gang leader sensed something amiss and sprinted away from the car. He realized his Boundary Token had regained its power and immediately sent out a warning: "Blockade! Hardcase! Grab weapons!"
Chen Chuan didn't look at him; he headed straight for his car. With a flick of his fingers, the crushed stone particles flew off, and the gang leader, who had run about twenty meters, stumbled forward a few steps and fell face-first, remaining motionless.
Reaching his car, Chen Chuan turned the handle, and the door opened.
He paused, glanced at the little boy watching him, nodded, got in, closed the door, started the engine, and drove toward the blocked-off intersection.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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