Chapter 147: The Terror of the Purple Moon World (Part Two)

Spreading consciousness allows for the transmission of ideas.

This method was already thoroughly familiar to Jiyu.

Transmitting consciousness is much like sending a message, conveying clear thoughts from one's own mind directly to another.

It is not spoken language, yet it allows the recipient to clearly understand the meaning, and their brain's nervous system processes the input as if a sudden voice had materialized out of nowhere.

This form of communication is strictly one-sided.

If the other party responds and Jiyu is able to understand them, then such an exchange naturally flows without hindrance.

However, the living being Jiyu wished to communicate with at this moment was an unknown creature whose language he did not comprehend. Therefore, the very first time Jiyu transmitted his thoughts to ask if it possessed intelligence and could understand his intent, he saw the humanoid creature before him instantly begin to gesticulate and babble excitedly in a flurry of incomprehensible speech.

From this, Jiyu could practically confirm that the entity genuinely possessed clear logical thinking and intelligence.

This discovery came as quite a surprise to Jiyu.

"Who would have thought that these ugly little fellows are actually capable of communication?"

"Still, a language barrier is a bit of a nuisance."

Jiyu frowned, feeling somewhat helpless.

It was hardly feasible for him to drill a hole in the creature's head and crawl inside himself, was it?

Spiritual consciousness, or the soul itself, is an immensely mysterious existence, and Jiyu could not freely manipulate this kind of power.

At least, not yet. Jiyu had considered expanding his spiritual presence according to his own will to envelop the head of the creature before him, thereby sensing its thoughts.

Regrettably, this approach did not work. While wave-like spiritual energy can leave the body, its utility is restricted to observation, perception, and the active transmission of information.

Attempting to draw it inward to actively make physical contact yielded no effect whatsoever.

It was not entirely impossible, but Jiyu judged that his spiritual power had not yet reached such a level, at least not at this stage.

Perhaps once his avatars broke through to the third rank, or when he himself broke through to the third rank, it might become feasible, but for now, it was out of the question.

Even so, though Jiyu could not understand what this creature was saying, managing to pose a question and receive confirmation was already a significant gain.

Therefore, taking the current situation into account, Jiyu proactively asked the humanoid creature before him:

"What is your name? Can you write?"

The moment this question materialized, the humanoid creature beneath the gaze of the giant salamander eagerly scrambled to its feet. Overcoming all its fear, it used its withered fingers to scratch and draw upon the ground, after which Jiyu saw two peculiar symbols that resembled written characters.

They looked somewhat like pictographs, yet bore a resemblance to chaotic ghost-runes.

In any case, Jiyu could not decipher them.

Yet from this single detail, Jiyu could deduce a great deal of information.

Namely, these humanoid creatures possessed a civilization of their own, and contrary to first appearances, they did not seem to be living in a primitive tribal society.

Jiyu held numerous doubts and hypotheses regarding the Purple Moon world.

Just like the highly developed modern urban ruins where the little fawn had previously appeared, Jiyu suspected that these seemingly grotesque creatures before him might belong to a similarly fallen civilization.

With a new set of questions arising, Jiyu pondered for a moment before posing another inquiry:

"Little fellow, are you the indigenous inhabitants of this world? Nod if you are, shake your head if you are not."

As soon as Jiyu's message settled, he watched the humanoid creature immediately shake its head vigorously.

——————

Doro was currently beyond excited, practically reaching a state of euphoria.

Because the colossal behemoth before him had actually communicated with him, using an intensely mystical method to transmit a voice directly into his mind.

This voice felt immensely profound and affectionate, much like the memory of the village's long-passed elder.

The voice carried a steady, aged resonance, conveying a deeply benevolent sensation.

Alongside his excitement, Doro also felt a trace of regret.

The colossal beast seemed entirely incapable of understanding his spoken words. Yet, despite this regret, Doro perceived a glimmer of hope.

Therefore, in an effort to please the creature before him, Doro resolved to hold nothing back.

"Are you the native lifeforms of this world?"

Upon hearing Jiyu's question, Doro shook his head frantically and stammered:

"Respected sir, we are not lifeforms of this world. We are entirely different from the wicked entities of this realm, and I earnestly hope you will not misunderstand us."

Doro calmed his surging excitement and spoke with an expression of utmost reverence.

Though he knew the creature might not comprehend the literal meaning of his words, ingrained habit compelled him to make the declaration nonetheless.

Doro's bizarre behavior naturally filled the other three individuals beside him with utter astonishment and confusion.

Paralyzed by fear, the three could only stare blankly at Doro, periodically glancing up at the terrifying entity looming overhead and watching him.

Meanwhile, back on the lakeshore behind Doro, within the cluster of humble wooden shacks stretching into the distance, countless pairs of fearful eyes hidden in the darkness continued to peer outward.

Those gazes had witnessed Doro's initial terror as he collapsed limply to the ground, followed by his sudden excitement and incoherent shouting.

And now, they were even witnessing Doro talking to the terrifying creature as if engaged in a conversation with himself.

Throughout it all, the terrifying entity stood motionless, fixing its unblinking gaze entirely upon Doro.

From the perspective of the onlookers, Doro currently resembled a clown performing a ludicrous play to appease the terrifying creature.

After all, the giant salamander was profoundly frightening.

Merely the portion of its body exposed above the lake surface exceeded a hundred meters in length.

Its thick claws, resting upon the icy ground, were immense and terrifying, and the height of its raised head surpassed that of the surrounding black forest trees.

At the same time, while observing Doro, the creature had slowly pulled the rear half of its body completely out of the lake.

Its serpentine body arched and coiled as the entire posterior section cleared the water, hanging high in the air before slowly descending to the ground.

With a total length exceeding two hundred meters, its entire body radiated a brilliant, gentle azure light—a rare sight beneath the Purple Moon.

This gentle radiance illuminated the nocturnal landscape surrounding the lake under the Purple Moon.

Such a colossal entity was utterly terrifying to behold from the perspective of these people.

Fear was an inevitability.

"What on earth is Uncle Doro doing? Is he going to be eaten?"

Inside a wooden cabin, a female humanoid peer peered through a gap in the walls, her voice trembling slightly.

"Surely not? At least Doro hasn't been eaten yet, has he?"

"Still, why is this happening? The lake in the Black Forest is so small—when did this monster arrive here? Why didn't any of us notice?"

"Besides, the fish in the lake wouldn't even be enough to feed it! Its entire body is longer than the lake itself. What on earth is it here for?"

"And what about our Holy Stone? Why isn't it working anymore? Why is this monster unaffected by the aura of the Holy Stone?"

"..."

The wooden hut was packed to capacity with these large-headed humanoid beings, and a chorus of anxious discussions soon broke out.

Jiyu's acute perceptual sensitivity naturally allowed him to overhear the chatter within the cabins. However, failing to grasp their specific meanings, he did not pay them excessive attention.

After all, Jiyu still had numerous questions that required answers from the humanoid before him.

Through their brief exchange, Jiyu had already gleaned a general understanding of the situation in this place.

These humanoid creatures did not belong to this world, and their diet primarily consisted of the fish inhabiting this modest lake.

Additionally, they consumed certain fungus-like organisms resembling mushrooms.

Jiyu had also inquired about how they managed to maintain their sanity.

The result, however, was Doro gesturing toward a stone on the ground, before turning—under Jiyu's inquisitive gaze—to communicate with the three other humanoid beings beside him.

His gestures seemed to instruct them to retrieve something.

The three humanoids, whose fear had slowly receded, initially exchanged puzzled glances and argued briefly with Doro. But the moment Jiyu cast his gaze in their direction, the fellows instantly turned docile.

Driven by residual fear, they nodded submissively to Doro and rapidly sprinted toward the dense cluster of slum-like wooden dwellings lining the front of the lakeshore.

Realizing what was happening, Jiyu quietly waited in place.

Doro maintained a smiling expression toward Jiyu, though Jiyu noticed that while smiling, the fellow kept casting furtive glances at the colossal body of the giant salamander.

Meanwhile, the three individuals who had fled toward the wooden shacks had already burst into a slightly larger cabin.

"Chief, hurry! Doro says that monster wants to see our Holy Stone! If we don't show it, it might anger the creature, and our village will be completely finished!"

One of the three panted heavily and shouted in panic the moment he rushed into the room.

"The Holy Stone?"

Amidst the crowd, an elderly figure with a deeply weathered face frowned and asked in return.

"Yes, the Holy Stone! Doro says that monster isn't from our world; it comes from another realm. It possesses intelligence and isn't going to eat us."

"It's just like—well, just like the stories Doro used to tell us when he was young, about how another normal world is being swallowed by the Purple Moon."

The young large-headed humanoid explained.

"It seems to want to know why we can maintain our sanity under the illumination of the Purple Moon, which is why it wants to see the Holy Stone to verify if Doro is lying to it."

Another chimed in, wearing a nervous expression as he looked around at the crowded room and the current chief.

"Another world?"

The old man furrowed his brows, recalling the stories his father had told him in the past, as well as the discoveries Doro had made when he returned from the ruins in his youth.

Recalling those recollections, the elder finally let out a long sigh.

"It seems what my father and Doro said back then was true."

"Yet, even if it is true, what does it matter? It is merely another pitiful world about to be devoured by evil and the abyss."

"No one, and no world, can resist the monsters beneath the Purple Moon."

Amidst a sigh, the old man shook his head and commanded, "Very well, take ten men and carry the Holy Stone out to show that monster. Whether or not it truly hails from another realm, we have no choice."

"Go."