Chapter 153: Chapter 143: Self is Hell

The first thing Lin Shourong saw after stepping through the door was a dense crowd of countless people. They were all couples, young or middle-aged.

Some of them were newlyweds who had just been blessed with the most precious treasure of their lives, while others had striven for half a lifetime before finally having a child in their later years.

Yet all this happiness had ultimately been destroyed in that desert near B City.

Lin Shourong knew all too well that these were the mothers and fathers of the sacrificed children.

Over the years, to feed Fu Qi and ensure Sand Town had ample spiritual power to become a Hidden Paradise, he had sacrificed many children.

Most of these children were innocent little ones traveling through this desert with their parents.

Of course, a small portion were children from Sand Town itself.

The couples made no sudden movements or sharp remarks. They were simply silent, their haggard eyes staring unblinkingly at Lin Shourong.

The expressions on the couples’ faces were hard to describe. It was not grief or anguish, nor was it rage.

Instead, they were like pools of stagnant water. Their eyes were hollow, like wandering spirits in the mortal realm, devoid of any trace of life and radiating an aura of despair.

Lin Shourong slowly closed his eyes. He wasn’t some pervert who killed children for his own sick pleasure.

He was a normal man, capable of guilt and heartache.

The only thing he would never feel, however, was regret.

Even with his eyes closed, the stagnant, dead faces of those couples were seared onto his retinas.

It was as if they had bypassed his eyes to be imprinted directly onto his brain, a sight ten thousand times more terrifying than the scariest horror movie, instantly making his whole body go numb.

Since closing his eyes didn’t work, Lin Shourong simply opened them again, staring directly at the men and women.

They faced each other in silence.

After a long moment, Lin Shourong bowed deeply to them. Then, he slowly sank to his knees and performed three resounding kowtows to the couples.

From a young age, he had been Sand Town’s most promising youth, and as an adult, he became its respected mayor.

He had never bowed or scraped before anyone, nor had he ever needed to apologize, even when he was in the wrong.

This time, however, he knew he should kneel.

"I’m sorry."

This apology came from the bottom of Lin Shourong’s heart.

"But I don’t regret it."

This statement, too, came from the depths of his heart.

Sand Town was an ancient and mysterious tribe. To have survived for generations in this complex world while maintaining such a low profile, they naturally possessed some unique, secret capabilities.

When this calamity began, Lin Shourong had a bad feeling.

Furthermore, using special methods, he had divined that Sand Town would face a great crisis in the near future.

It was not an ordinary crisis, but one that threatened the very existence of his clan.

He knew the world would continue its descent into turmoil and that even more terrifying events were on the horizon.

But he was getting old. On his own, he could do nothing to protect his people.

Therefore, all he could do was seize every moment, every opportunity, to make Sand Town stronger, giving it a greater chance to survive the coming crisis and carry on its legacy.

When he took up the heavy burden from the previous mayor, he had sworn an oath to defend his homeland, his tribe, and all its people with his life.

And that was exactly what he was doing now.

Whether performing sacrifices or coming here to retrieve the Spirit Power Pearl, he was not acting for his own sake.

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The things he had done may have wronged countless people, but he had fulfilled his duty to his tribe and his mission as its leader.

’Even if I must descend into Hell after death and suffer endless torment, I have no complaints and no regrets.’

Lin Shourong’s gaze was clear and unwavering. If he could turn back time, he would make the same choices without a single change.

’Let me bear the bitter consequences of my actions alone.’

Suddenly, the couples’ faces twisted with ferocity. They all stretched out their hands, reaching to claw at Lin Shourong.

Lin Shourong did not flinch, standing perfectly still as he awaited the assault.

But the pain he anticipated never arrived. As the figures touched his body, they began to turn transparent, fading away into nothing.

The area before him was empty once more. But before Lin Shourong could even sigh in relief, a child’s voice rang out beside his ear.

"Grandpa, is that you?"

"Xiao Yi?"

Lin Shourong’s voice trembled.

It was his most beloved grandson, the most intelligent and sensible child he had ever known.

But just two months ago, when they could no longer find any travelers passing through the desert, he had been left with no choice. He had to send his most beloved child to that secret chamber...

Lin Shourong had agonized over it for a long time, but in the end, he decided it had to be done. ’I must do this.’

’Xiao Yi is still so young. No matter how clever he is, once Sand Town loses the protection of its spiritual power, it’s doomed to annihilation sooner or later.’

’Since he won’t survive to adulthood, it’s better for him to make this sacrifice for his tribe.’

Behind that terrifying rationale lay an immense internal struggle and countless tears shed in the dark of night.

"Grandpa, it hurts... Xiao Yi is in so much pain."

Lin Shourong tremblingly raised his eyes...

.........................................................

Ah Bin’s first trial featured Lisa. Covered in blood, she was trapped by a horde of beasts, screaming his name until her voice was hoarse.

Meanwhile, an object glowing with a silvery-white light lay quietly in the opposite direction, about 300 meters away from Ah Bin.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ah Bin glanced back at Lisa once before turning and walking resolutely toward the pearl.

"Ah Bin! Ah Bin, I love you so much! Don’t you love me anymore? I’ve done so much for you! You just have to turn around to save me!"

Lisa shrieked desperately in Ah Bin’s direction, her cries nearly drowned out by the deafening, terrifying roars of the mutant beasts.

’Of course I love you. But since you’ve already done so much for me, just consider this one last favor.’

This time, Ah Bin didn’t even turn his head.

Perhaps because Ah Bin showed no internal struggle or emotional fluctuation while passing the trial, the psychic wave that created the challenge deemed its probing of his deepest desires and fears a failure. Thus, Ah Bin was given a second test.

In his second trial, he easily obtained the Spirit Power Pearl. In fact, he not only got the Spirit Power Pearl but also managed to collect the other four pearls as well.

Ah Bin became the hero who saved the world, admired by all.

Fame, status, beautiful women...

All of mankind’s most primal desires were satisfied to the absolute fullest, and he began living the life he had always dreamed of.

The only catch was that none of it was real.

The beautiful dream was riddled with inconsistencies, making it perfectly clear to the one experiencing it that this was merely an Illusion Realm, not reality.

Yet, even knowing it was an Illusion Realm, Ah Bin continued to indulge himself, willfully ignoring the increasingly obvious flaws and immersing himself completely in the endless fantasy...

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