Duan Chen’s eyes flickered with a peculiar light as he approached the church.
It had only been a short while since he had left, yet so much had transpired.
He had to return, but at least he now knew the nature of the anomaly within the church, alleviating much of his worry.
This anomaly here was something that needed to be eradicated.
A resolute glint appeared in Duan Chen’s eyes. He curved his lips upwards and walked to the church’s grand entrance.
Unlike before, the church doors were now tightly shut, as if to repel him, an uninvited guest.
Repel?
But Duan Chen wouldn't leave. A flicker of amusement crossed his eyes. Without even entering, he stood outside the church.
He assumed a stance.
Death Sight, activate!
The color in his eyes shifted instantaneously. Duan Chen took a slight breath, and Thousand Illusions Pandora materialized in his hand, transforming into its blade form.
Lines crisscrossed his vision, seemingly capable of being severed with the slightest movement.
This time, Duan Chen followed his intuition. Gazing at the dense lines covering the church, he swung his blade.
A piercing explosion echoed in his eardrums, akin to a detonation.
The sound carried fear and rage, an unparalleled resistance that fought against Duan Chen's every move.
Yet, Duan Chen remained unfazed by the cacophony. If anything, the persistent interference only strengthened the resolve in his eyes.
He took a step forward.
This step divided yin and yang, life and death.
With this step, the Thousand Illusions Pandora he held firmly in his grasp landed on the church doors.
One strike.
Had there been a third party observing, they would have seen the intricately designed, vintage church doors before the handsome, young man instantly turn to ash, as if consumed by flames.
Flakes of gray snow drifted into the air, vanishing without a trace.
Sunlight streamed into the fractured church. At that moment, the scarecrows and angel statues gathered at the entrance rapidly retreated.
They withdrew into the shadows, beyond the reach of the sunlight, before casting glares filled with a mix of dread and fury at Duan Chen.
A dismissive smile played on Duan Chen's lips.
Why would he care about the emotions of these anomalies?
Anomalies were incapable of genuine emotions.
Any anomaly brought forth negative feelings. While some might be utilized for positive outcomes, one could never expect an anomaly to reciprocate with positive emotions.
It was simply impossible.
He stepped forward, and as he did, his yang energy surged, evoking the feeling of the sun ascending into the sky.
Anomalies were inherently cold and yin, and their attributes also carried the essence of the deep sea.
Even the angel statues seemed to flinch.
But Duan Chen would not give them a chance to retreat.
Their fate was sealed the moment he arrived.
"If they cannot be contained, then they must all be eliminated… You brought this upon yourselves," Duan Chen's eyes held a hint of regret.
If possible, he would have preferred to contain these anomalies.
However, it was not feasible.
Both the scarecrows and the angel statues were classified as murderous anomalies.
They possessed their own sentience, and a failed containment could lead to severe repercussions and immense danger.
But for now, the Spirit Hunter Guild did not have the concept of "containment."
"Containment" was a term Duan Chen had recently adopted.
According to the Spirit Hunter Guild in Suzhou, the proper terminology was "wise utilization of anomalies" or "sealing anomalies."
Most anomalies could, in fact, yield unexpected benefits for humans.
For instance, the anomaly that allowed the discernment of emotions, which Duan Chen had acquired early on, and later, the spatial ring he had confiscated.
If utilized correctly, they were all valuable assets.
Duan Chen's pupils reflected the angel statues and scarecrows. Seemingly realizing they had nowhere left to run, they lunged at him in unison as he stepped into the church.
They even discarded the characteristic that prevented them from moving when observed.
Duan Chen surmised that the breaking of the church doors might have nullified some of their properties.
The inability to move when observed was likely one of them.
However, he felt no fear, nor did he believe this compromised characteristic would affect him.
He transformed into a streak of light, like the brightest star in the night sky. Thousand Illusions Pandora, at some point, had shifted into a sword.
It continuously switched between melee and ranged forms.
This was the terrifying power of an S-class weapon.
It could transform at the whim of its wielder. As he weaved through the anomalies, each swing and each lift of Thousand Illusions Pandora claimed the life of a scarecrow.
Duan Chen’s spiritual energy was also rapidly depleting.
The Death Sight remained active, allowing him to clearly perceive the weaknesses of the scarecrows and angel statues.
This enabled him to dispatch them swiftly.
Lingering in this anomalous town for an extended period, Duan Chen could sense his spiritual energy waning, unable to sustain his exertion.
If this continued, even through attrition, he would eventually be worn down and defeated.
Not only him, but Bai Ye and Wang Zihao, their spiritual energy was likely even lower than his.
Therefore, he needed to resolve this battle as quickly as possible.
Despite his efforts, the scarecrows and angel statues, imbued with a frenzied nature, fought back with a "mutual destruction" mentality.
Duan Chen's face, arms, and legs were soon streaked with blood. These minor wounds did not impair his combat effectiveness, but his blood refused to coagulate, continuously trickling out.