Lu Yan had a very long dream.
In the dream, he was a giant figure shrouded in darkness, lying limbless in a pool of golden viscous liquid, surrounded by endless verdant grasslands.
Some of this liquid had seeped into his body, causing a burning sensation. But mostly, it evaporated into vapor under the scorching sun.
Numerous tiny white figures scurried over him, resembling chicks around a mother hen.
The closest white figure to him whispered in his ear, "Lu Yan, heard you've become the director of a top-tier hospital? Congratulations! Much faster than me back in the day."
Lu Yan couldn't utter a word, unable even to move his neck.
"I see, your tongue has some lesions, but with the crucifix inserted, it's nearly healed. Your heart is a bit small for your size. Vocal cords in your throat are strained, ears missing. Only your eyes seem intact. How did you end up in such a state at such a young age?"
His words left Lu Yan somewhat bewildered.
"...System?"
This time, the system remained silent.
The white figure continued, "Though emergency physicians are generally generalists, your case is quite challenging, but fortunately, none of the injuries are fatal. I've stitched up the wound on your brain; you won't suffer headaches anymore."
Lu Yan: "...?"
Headaches had been a childhood ailment for Lu Yan. Since his mother's death, he hadn't experienced them again, to the point where he often forgot about them.
"We're leaving, Xiao Lu," the white figure said. "Take care. The director can only help you this far."
With that, the specks of light jumped off him like bubbles, floating into the sky and disappearing into the clouds.
When Lu Yan woke up, he was on the furry back of a tiger.
His face was still covered with a black cloth, probably to shield his eyes from the light.
Lu Yan removed the cloth and sat up. The sticky liquid from yesterday had dried on him, making him very uncomfortable.
He asked the system, "How long have I been asleep?"
[24 hours.]
The surroundings were evidently not the Divine Realm anymore.
Rubbing his still somewhat gritty eyes, Lu Yan asked, "If the Sea God is dead, where is Director Hu?"
[They were already dead. With the Sea God gone and the Sacred Pool lost, the white souls naturally disappeared. Why do you ask?]
Turning his head, Lu Yan saw a makeshift cart with Ning Huai lying on it, covered in a white cloth. Next to it were the corpses of a white wolf and a bluebird.
The tiger carried one and pulled three others, moving briskly like a free laborer.
Lu Yan furrowed his brow. "...Where's the car?"
Ning Huai replied, "The brawl caused too much damage in the vicinity. The ones parked at the entrance are all wrecked."
It was October now, and the latitude of Changjia was low. The temperature today was at least approaching thirty degrees Celsius.
"At this temperature, with yesterday's rain increasing the humidity, the bodies will start to decay within 24 hours. Due to the difference in internal and external pressure, they will spew blood. Green spots and necrotic blisters will appear on the skin surface, along with postmortem vomiting and defecation," Lu Yan said. "Speaking of which..."
As he spoke, the cart seemed to hit something, jolting violently.
The white wolf vomited a pool of putrid blood, some of which splattered onto Ning Huai.
With a professional attitude, Lu Yan advised, "Forgive me for being blunt, but you've just given birth. Without needle and thread here, I don't want to see maggots in your wound."
Ning Huai interrupted, "What do you take me for? Only ordinary people get maggots in their wounds, okay?"
Having been injured many times before, Ning Huai had endured extremely primitive medical conditions, with virtually no medical treatment, yet he had always managed to heal himself. Not a single bone had grown crooked.
The tiger said, "Can you guys stop? I'm pulling this heavy cart under the scorching sun. I'm already feeling a bit sunstroke, and now I feel like puking even more."
Although the three of them hadn't reached a consensus on how to handle the bodies, Lu Yan called for a stop when they passed by an abandoned supermarket. He dug out some usable shampoo, shower gel, and disposable underwear from the rubble.
After bathing in a nearby river, Lu Yan felt much better.
Heading back to the base, they didn't encounter any suitable vehicles along the way, relying entirely on the tiger's hauling. With the addition of the white wolf, bluebird, and Ning Huai, they weighed at least a ton altogether, leaving the tiger exhausted.
Most cars parked by the roadside had been idle for over forty years, with engines too seized up to start.
Lu Yan glanced at the bodies behind them and said, "A giant sighting will likely occur soon, and it'll probably be explosive. Let's cremate them."
This time, Ning Huai didn't object.
They found some slightly damp hay, burying the bluebird and white wolf in two separate piles. Due to the white wolf's deformity, it was as big as a small hill, requiring a considerable amount of grass.
The tiger lit a lighter, his nose stinging. "I'm going to set fire to them."
Ning Huai remained silent, not responding for a long time.
In the end, the fire was lit.
In the pitch-black night, the flames soared, resembling dancing spirits, illuminating the way home.
In this primitive burning method, the ashes of bones and vegetation mingled together, yielding a few scattered bones.
Lu Yan found two small boxes covered in scales, and after the fire died down, he reached into the hay pile and retrieved the bones.
The temperature inside the haystack was still quite high. After Lu Yan finished, his whole hand was tinged with redness.
Ning Huai said a quiet thank you, holding the urn of ashes and staring at the hazy sky for the rest of the night. Eventually, he hoarsely asked, "Isn't the bluebird a type of phoenix? Why doesn't it undergo rebirth?"
"And the white wolf, if it hadn't committed suicide, could it have been saved?"
Unfortunately, there were never any 'ifs' in the world.
....
On the fourth afternoon, Lu Yan and his companions successfully returned to Cangqiong Base.
It must be noted that if it weren't for the system's navigation capabilities, their return would likely have been delayed for another half month.
Lu Yan's explanation for this was his good memory, recalling the route they took.
They returned in the evening, and Li Dongcheng was furrow-browed, tilling the soil. Spotting someone at the village entrance, he excitedly tossed aside his hoe and shouted to the heavens, "The team's back!!"
To maintain secrecy, most of the buildings here were semi-subterranean.
As Li Dongcheng's words fell, countless figures emerged from the small mounds of earth. Some were even moved to tears.
Having lived here for decades, Ning Huai represented hope and future to these people, almost akin to a belief.
Ning Huai waved his hand, signaling, "I'm fine, I'm fine. Good news, the Divine Realm operation was successful."
Upon hearing this, the surrounding people were stunned.
Li Dongcheng asked, "Really?"
Before waiting for an answer, tears began to flow uncontrollably.
When Changjia was sealed off, Li Dongcheng was still young. Under the direction of the True God, the divine beings slaughtered the city. Only those humans willing to defect were spared, assisting them with mundane matters and maintaining order.
At that time, Changjia was divided into two factions: one resisting and one surrendering. The surrendering faction believed that the True God was their eternal deity, and submission to him was not a bad thing. Furthermore, the power of the divine beings was insurmountable. The resistance faction briefly awakened from the dream of faith, with the assistance of external apocalyptic prophets, propagating the horrors of pollutants, hoping that the masses could break free from indoctrination.
Both of his parents were staunch members of the resistance faction, and they both perished.
Li Dongcheng was dug out by Ning Huai from the ruins, still limping at the time, and only recovered after awakening.
After the first phase of division in the Divine Realm was completed, those who didn't kneel properly in the surrendering faction became heretics.
Later on, some members of the surrendering faction received the favor of the True God and became "divine beings."
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