"I have a suggestion."
Duan Chen suddenly spoke, drawing the attention of the others. Although, there were only the three of them present. It was precisely because there were only the three of them that Duan Chen's words could be considered absolute.
Both Bai Ye and Wang Zihao looked at Duan Chen as if to say, "Go on, we won't object." This feeling was quite agreeable to Duan Chen, as he wasn't accustomed to having companions. If he had to listen to others, he'd rather part ways.
He began, "Wang Zihao, you don't have much self-preservation ability. I suggest you choose one of us to follow."
"Preferably Bai Ye."
Bai Ye was taken aback, "Logically, shouldn't he follow you? Aren't you the strongest?" Even though he was arrogant, he knew there was a vast difference in strength between himself and Duan Chen.
Duan Chen shook his head, "Because I am the strongest, Wang Zihao doesn't need to follow me."
"If you two are together, and you encounter danger, you can react in time. Two people are safer than one."
This village was large, and if all three of them stayed together, they would definitely miss some things, perhaps even the optimal exploration time. Therefore, separation was necessary. Logically, it would be best if they each took a side, but Wang Zihao's abilities were truly concerning. Thus, he needed a bodyguard, or a partner. The choice for this partner was undoubtedly Bai Ye. Duan Chen wasn't very comfortable having others around him, and furthermore, if Wang Zihao stayed by his side, he would easily be distracted, which would be a loss. It was better to have Wang Zihao and Bai Ye together.
Evidently, Bai Ye and Wang Zihao had also considered the issues Duan Chen had raised. They hesitated for only a moment before agreeing.
"Then we'll listen to you first, instructor. We obey the instructor's command."
Duan Chen didn't have time for jokes. He was deeply concerned about what was happening here. So, he casually pointed to the left, "I'll explore over here, you two go over there."
"Explore directly along the edge of the village and meet at the church later."
The church. There was a church in this village. Of course, there was also a cathedral. This was quite normal. According to the information they had, the church here should belong to Catholicism, which was not unusual. Although it was Chinese land, religious diversity was very natural. Following their exploration path, if the entire village was considered an isosceles trapezoid, they would start from the middle of the longest side and reach the middle of the shortest side. The church was in the middle of the shortest side.
Duan Chen was quite satisfied with this arrangement, and Bai Ye and Wang Zihao had no objections. They all agreed.
Thus, they parted ways here. There were no further instructions, or rather, they didn't believe the other would die. Although this place was dangerous, Ming Yan had already led a team here once, and most of the dangers had been cleared. What remained were just minor threats. If they couldn't even handle this much danger, then Duan Chen might as well commit suicide.
Having regained his solitude, Duan Chen felt inexplicably happy. He wasn't very comfortable with others around him. The shape of the village was like an isosceles trapezoid, with houses scattered in the middle. Walking along the edge, one could only see the outer blue brick houses.
Duan Chen was not in a hurry. The reason he made this suggestion was to explore the village's actual physical area and to observe from the outside whether his companions should proceed further. Based on his judgment, this place might be similar to the Void Domain. Therefore, caution was still necessary. After all, there were Void Spirits in the Void Domain. Those were vengeful spirits and lingering souls. If one were dragged in, it would be difficult to escape without considerable effort.
However, perhaps Duan Chen was overthinking. He walked around the village for a full circuit. As he was about to reach the church, he still found no danger. Although the mist around him was getting thicker, the village was naturally situated by mountains and rivers. Such a situation could be explained by normal circumstances.
Just as Duan Chen was thinking this, he arrived in front of the church and his expression suddenly changed.
Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
He had been observing meticulously along the way, even entering a few houses for closer examination, which had made him move very slowly. Now, standing before the church, he was completely alone. Neither Bai Ye nor Wang Zihao were there.
"Bai Ye, Wang Zihao, respond if you hear me."
"Sizzling..."
Duan Chen couldn't help but frown. A sound like a short circuit in an electrical circuit came into his mind, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. This short-circuit sound replaced the expected reply.
At this moment, even if Duan Chen were foolish, he knew something had gone wrong. He looked up and around, suddenly noticing that the houses around him had all disappeared. All that remained before him was this church.
The sky quickly turned gloomy, a dark, oppressive veil covering the entire sky, as if the heavens were about to collapse. Lightning and thunder flashed continuously. Moreover, in Duan Chen's perception, the darkness around him was growing thicker and thicker. Only the direction of the church, through its colorful stained-glass windows, emitted a warm light. The church doors were also half-open. A warm light flowed from within the church doors. Everything presented a stark contrast. On one side was the reassuring church, and on the other, the collapsing sky and the encroaching darkness that threatened to engulf everything.
It seemed obvious where anyone would run. However, Duan Chen was not just anyone. He glanced at the light emanating from the church, resolutely turned his back, and strode into the darkness.
The surroundings were black, utterly devoid of sight. Not a sound could be heard. Duan Chen tentatively opened his mouth to call out, but no sound emerged. It was as if sound could not propagate in this world. Yet, he felt no panic, even though the light behind him was chasing after him. He strode forward.
Then, he saw a church appear before him.