Late at night, everyone else had fallen asleep, but Chen Heng was still awake. He sat in his room, thinking to himself.
After going back to the Solid Rock Martial Arts Establishment, he had not done much.
Now, he was a part of the Demon Resistance Department and was one of the Protectors.
With this position, he was able to gain some information.
"50 years ago…"
Currently, he was reading through a book seriously.
This reality's technology was behind the reality that Chen Heng was from, but computers and mobile phones were still common here, and most ordinary information could be found on the internet.
It was just that some important information was preserved using pen and paper.
This was the case for the book that Chen Heng was currently reading.
This book recorded the changes in the past 50 years in this world.
"50 years ago, a mysterious historical remnant in the Donghai Province swallowed up an entire city, and hundreds of thousands of people disappeared…
"47 years ago, in the Luoya country, a demon disaster appeared, causing millions of people to be injured or die…"
Reading through these records, Chen Heng felt quite startled.
The figures recorded in this book were simply too shocking, and the things recorded here were the events that had had a big impact.
Behind those cold words and numbers were countless lives.
Even someone like Chen Heng, after all he had seen, could not help but frown and feel quite startled.
50 years ago, this world started to go through changes and became quite terrifying.
All of the strange things had started happening then.
Many of the Demon Resistance Department's seniors had made various guesses and predictions.
"From 50 years ago, the world's population had quickly decreased by more than half.
"What is truly terrifying is that apart from some Awakeners, most people did not notice this.
"All things related to abnormalities or demons were easily forgotten by ordinary people.
"Over the past 50 years, we have done some experiments.
"We purposefully reported the disappearance of a village and disseminated information about the abnormalities to see how the residents of that area would react."
"At first, everything was normal, and the residents all felt quite panicked and tried to leave that city to go somewhere safer.
"However, things changed very quickly.
"In just a few days, those people greatly changed, as if they had forgotten what had happened.
"It was as if nothing had happened, and they went back to their daily lives.
"Moreover, apart from very few people, they had all completely forgotten about this after some time.
"In this world, there seems to be a mysterious power that twists people's minds and makes them forget about all abnormalities."
Reading to there, Chen Heng could not help but frown.
"Twists people's minds…"
His expression was serious; even as a True Lord in the past, he felt quite shocked.
In the Azure Heaven Realm, as a True Lord, he could easily shatter mountains and destroy rivers.
However, even with such strength, he could not do such a thing.
Twisting the consciousness of an entire world and making people forget things on a large-scale; was this really possible?
Chen Heng felt a chill in his heart and continued to read.
"Our people continued to investigate and made a shocking discovery.
"This world seems to be continuously shrinking…
"We found that those who were affected by that mysterious power are not just those ordinary people but even us Awakeners.
"As Awakeners, we do not have immunity to that power and only have greater resistance.
"In this world, there are many things happening right before our eyes, but we either could not see them or forgot them.
"At the very least, this world is far bigger than we know and has far more people than we had thought.
"However, part of the world and those people have disappeared.
"Where did they go?"
Chen Heng continued to read, and at the end of the book, there was some information recorded about Awakeners.
"In this world, there are all kinds of places of abnormalities formed by that strange energy.
"Ordinary people cannot sense those abnormalities, and even if they can see them, they will quickly forget about them.
"Only Awakeners can see these abnormalities and clearly remember them.
"This is the clearest difference between Awakeners and ordinary people."
Reading this, Chen Heng nodded.
Before, Liu Qi and Bi Yi were sure that he was an Awakener; it seemed that this was most likely why.
Only Awakeners could see those abnormalities; this was something that was common knowledge to Awakeners.
Since he could see these things, he was naturally an Awakener too.
Thinking to there, Chen Heng continued to read.
"I have left behind much knowledge not known to ordinary people in this book, but even some Awakeners will forget much of this information in just a few days.
"If you do not show any signs of forgetting the contents of this book, that means you have great potential to become one of the strongest Awakeners."
"So that's why."
Before, he had felt quite surprised.
The Protectors had casually given him this book to read, as if they were not afraid of others reading it.
However, it did not seem that this was a big problem.
With the strange power that this world contained, even if ordinary people read these things, they would soon forget it.
This felt quite terrifying.
After reading this book, Chen Heng sighed and put the book aside.
Following this, he sat down on his bed and began to think.
Even though he had known that this world was not as simple as it seemed, he did not think it would be to such an extent.
After joining the Protectors and finding out about the secrets of this world, he was shocked to find that this world was much more dangerous than he had thought.
For ordinary people to live in such a dangerous world…
The feeling that this world gave him was not something even the Sorcerer World or Azure Heaven Realm could compare to.
At the very least, in those worlds, when ordinary people were killed, they at least knew how they died and others would remember it.
However, things were different in this world.
In this world, according to the information in this book, if ordinary people died to abnormalities, their very existence would be erased.
Apart from some Awakeners, no one would remember their existences.
Even someone's parents would have their memories messed with and forget that that person existed.
This was equivalent to a person's existence being completely wiped out.
This was both pitiful and terrifying.
Chen Heng could not help but frown, and he did not doubt any of the book's contents.
From what the book said, this world seemed a bit too terrifying.
Calm breezes blew in from outside, blowing onto Chen Heng's body.
Feeling the wind, Chen Heng calmly stood up and looked out.
It was late at night and the outside world was extremely peaceful. Apart from drunkards outside, there was not anyone else.
Looking at this scene, Chen Heng thought back to his previous life.
In his previous life, if he had still been alive, he would most likely still be working right now and doing his best to live.
Time gradually passed, and soon, it was the next day.
Chen Heng got up early and walked out.
The place he went to was that old alleyway.
Based on the Protectors' records, this old alleyway was a place of an abnormality.
If it was not removed soon, its strange power would continue to spread and cause even more incidents.
As such, most of the Protectors' tasks were to clear out abnormalities like this.
Walking to that street, there were many people walking about, creating a bustling scene.
However, to Chen Heng, that old alleyway was gone.
That day when Liu Qi had come, he had gotten rid of the abnormality and dissipated the demonic qi there.
From what he had read, even if this place became an abnormality again, it would take a long time.
As such, what he could see here was only an empty plot of land.
There was some scaffolding there now, and there seemed to be some people constructing something.
It seemed that without the abnormal power, the people in the surroundings finally realized the strangeness of this empty plot of land and prepared to put it to use.
This was good.
From the Protectors' records, the more prosperous and bustling the area, the less likely it was to become an abnormality.
After buildings were built here and many people came here, the chance of it becoming an abnormality again would become smaller.
After walking away from here, Chen Heng continued on to many places.
Occasionally, Chen Heng would see lovers holding hands and laughing, and further away, he saw some little girls looking towards him.
Looking at them, Chen Heng inwardly shook his head.
Within his body, his Fortune Mark activated, allowing him to see many things.
Deathly aura soon appeared over every person's head, including Chen Heng's own.
Compared to before, the deathly aura was not reduced in the slightest—it seemed that Liu Qi coming here had not changed anything.
"The deathly aura has not disappeared…"
Looking at the deathly aura above everyone's heads, Chen Heng thought to himself.
Thinking of the information that he had received from the Protectors, Chen Heng thought of many things.
Perhaps the reason for this deathly aura was because of the strange power covering this world.
It was because of that strange power that this world was bound to fall sooner or later.
This manifested as a deathly aura that covered the entire sky.
If they did not get rid of the strange power covering the world, the deathly aura would not disappear.
Following this, Chen Heng continued onwards and he looked around, committing everything to memory.
Soon, it was dusk.
For an ordinary person to walk for so long, they would be exhausted.
However, Chen Heng was still fine and looked just as lively, and he did not feel tired at all.
Chen Heng looked up at the sky before returning to his residence.
The next day, he went to find Liu Ruhai.
"You want to leave for a while?"
Within the hall and looking at Chen Heng, Liu Ruhai looked quite confused, "What are you going to do?"
This whole time, Chen Heng had seemed incredibly diligent and hardworking.
In terms of diligence, Chen Heng was most likely the most hardworking in the Solid Rock Martial Arts Establishment.
This was why Liu Ruhai appreciated him so much and felt that he could truly inherit the legacy of the Solid Rock Martial Arts Establishment.
Right now, this person was asking to take some time off, and for quite a long time too.
Of course, Chen Heng had a good response.
"I'm going to the Demon Resistance Department."
Looking at Liu Ruhai, Chen Heng had a respectful expression as he said, "The Demon Resistance Department said that newcomers still have some procedures that they need to do, so I need to go there for a while."
This was actually false. In actuality, just like Bi Yi had said, after Chen Heng joined the Demon Resistance Department, he was not given any tasks at all and could just enjoy the benefits.
However, Chen Heng had already made arrangements with Bi Yi and the others. Even if Liu Ruhai sent people to ask, that would be what they would hear.
Moreover, Liu Ruhai did not doubt Chen Heng at all.
"That's quite a pity."
Sitting in front of Chen Heng, Liu Ruhai sighed, "I knew you shouldn't have joined the Demon Resistance Department so early. They said that they wouldn't hinder your cultivation progress, but in the end they still brought out all this nonsense."
It seemed that he was still somewhat against Chen Heng joining the Demon Resistance Department so soon.
From how he saw it, with Chen Heng's talent and diligence, he just needed to work hard at cultivating; there was no need to join the Demon Resistance Department and waste his time.
Hearing Liu Ruhai's words, Chen Heng only smiled and did not say much.
After receiving permission from Liu Ruhai, Chen Heng directly left.
That day, many of the disciples who had a good relationship with Chen Heng came to send him off.
News in the martial arts establishment spread quite quickly; Chen Heng had only told Liu Ruhai in the morning, and in the afternoon, there were many people here to see him off.
From when Chen Heng had entered the martial arts establishment, he had maintained his policy of being friendly and sincere to all those he met, resulting in him having many friends.
