Chapter 726: Animal Realm

When my hoarse voice rang out in the utility room, the screen full of comments suddenly paused. It was as if time had frozen.

"Before starting today's broadcast, I need to apologize to everyone. I've been hiding because I left the city I used to live in and came to a completely unfamiliar place. On top of that, I'm currently carrying a murder charge and being targeted at every turn, which is why I kept things from you." Even though I was using a fake voice, the oldest livestream viewers in the channel would probably still recognize me, so I simply cast aside all my misgivings.

I looked down at my phone screen. About two or three seconds passed before the chat exploded. Ten times the previous number of comments poured in simultaneously, scrolling by so fast I couldn't even read them.

The viewer count was still surging—10,000, 20,000—before finally stabilizing at around 30,000.

Master Tieling Biao tipped the Super Thriller Live Broadcast Room 99 Underworld Coins: "You son of a bitch, you start the stream and don't even say a word. Without hearing your 'Welcome to the Super Thriller Live Broadcast Room,' I felt like I'd entered the wrong channel."

"Fuck, we waited three days for you to go live. Can you be a bit more diligent? Has the fame gone to your head?"

"Three days without streaming. Did your wife go get her hair done at some other guy's house?"

"Streamer! Damn it, I'm so pissed. While you were gone, a bunch of copycat channels popped up! Some are called Super Horror Live Broadcast, some are Midnight Scare Broadcast, and there's even one called Supernatural Broadcast XX Live Show. Their format is exactly the same as yours!"

"Yeah! Some don't even bother changing the description. Their opening lines are exactly what you say! It's total plagiarism! A complete ripoff!"

"Holy shit, Streamer, do you not even check on your peers' streams? If this keeps up, you're going to end up looking like the bootleg version!"

Jiangcheng Veteran Driver tipped the Super Thriller Live Broadcast Room 1 Underworld Coin: "There really are a lot of them. Do the streaming platforms just not care?"

King of Bad Movies: "The market dictates everything. You guys are too easily outraged. It's completely normal, and it just proves our channel is unique."

"Our stream is still the most comfortable to watch. It feels really authentic."

Created an Account Just to Flame the Streamer: "Oh my, you guys sure know how to speak up for him. Are you all bots hired by the Streamer? His garbage broadcast is only fit for hiring paid trolls to spout nonsense."

Teletubbies Died of Murder tipped the Super Thriller Live Broadcast Room 99 Underworld Coins: "Whose dog got off its leash?"

Created an Account Just to Flame the Streamer: "What? I can't say a few words? Watching his stream is already giving him face! It's not even clear who is copying who. The others work hard and stream almost every day. Now look at his attitude!"

"His attitude really is bad, but I heard the Streamer is just an amateur and actually has a proper job. Something like selling blow-up dolls? But apparently he lost his job after those self-serve condom vending machines came out..."

"This is the worst the Streamer has ever been roasted. Are you even friendly fire, upstairs?"

Created an Account Just to Flame the Streamer: "Roast my ass! I just can't stand him! A streamer taking money from his livestream viewers needs to take responsibility. Did his mom die, or did he get in a car crash that he had to ditch his viewers in such a rush? I seriously suspect his broadcast is the plagiarized one now. People said so before and I didn't believe it, but now, heh!"

"Uh, flaming the Streamer is fine, but dragging his family into it isn't cool, right? Besides, it's not like you lost anything by watching the stream. You're just here for the show..."

Created an Account Just to Flame the Streamer: "I do what I want! What's wrong with cursing out his whole family? You think my time isn't worth anything? Motherfucker, I read all my ebooks pirated, and after I finish, I still go to the official review section to curse out the author. I enjoy it. It's none of your business!"

Jiangcheng Veteran Driver: "Is the guy upstairs a new driver who just joined the channel? I had a friend pretty similar to you. He loved making up stories too. He passed away last year, and he didn't go peacefully. His corpse twitched in the morgue for three days. When he was cremated, his body sizzled and hissed, and his mouth was still howling. It took hours for him to finish burning. After that, he was put in a hearse, but it flipped over right outside the gate. His ashes spilled all over the ground and a lot got blown away by the wind. Just as they were about to sweep up the rest, a street sweeper truck came rolling right by. Sigh... His family was very strong. They didn't cry. Some even laughed out loud!"

"Veteran Driver, you're savage!"

"Why are they fighting? Are there no fan-service photos today? I'm clutching my only steering wheel, completely at a loss..."

Created an Account Just to Flame the Streamer: "A bunch of paid troll dogs, fuck you!"

Master Tieling Biao tipped the Super Thriller Live Broadcast Room 1 Yuanbao: "Bro, calm down. It's entertaining for me when you flame the Streamer, but going after his family crosses the line. Besides, you're just typing away in the chat. This Streamer's skin is thick as a wall; he probably isn't even looking at your comments. If you genuinely feel wronged and pissed off, why don't you dive into your computer, crawl through the network cable, and hack him to death! If you can use your hands, try not to run your mouth. If you can chop him up into exactly eighty-one pieces—not one more, not one less—then I, Lord Biao, will respect you as a real man!"

Created an Account Just to Flame the Streamer: "Fuck off! You bunch of ass-kissing dogs. The truth is always in the hands of the minority. The stats in this channel are probably all botted by people the Streamer hired. Everyone else uses bots, so he definitely uses them too! Fuck his mom!"

Socrates Paradox: "Brother, stop insulting the truth... I can't hold down Socrates' coffin lid anymore..."

Teletubbies Died of Murder: "Why bother saying so much to a hater? They think they can do everything, and they'll trash-talk anything. In reality, they only have blind sockets for eyes, a nose that can't tell perfume from shit, ears deaf to good advice, a mouth full of nonsense, and a pile of mush for brains. Because they have nothing, they're cynical; because they're ignored, they desperately farm for attention; because no one cares about them, they grandstand; because they have no ambition and accomplish nothing, they blame everyone around them for not helping out. I didn't make that up. I read it in a book, which is why it's good to read more..."

Master Tianxin: "Benefactors, anger is a fire in the heart that can burn down the forest of merit. To walk the Bodhisattva path, one must endure humiliation with a sincere heart. Slandering others is like spitting blood at someone—it soils your own mouth first. When there is no right or wrong hanging over your heart, it is a good season in the mortal realm."

...

The flame war in the channel raged on. I was completely dumbfounded. Watching the endless scroll of comments, I thought, 'Did I actually make the Underworld Live Show's program popular?'

Time ticked by. The situation outside was dangerous, so I shook my head, wanting to put a stop to the arguing, but my efforts didn't do much.

After scrolling through the comments for a while, my eyes lit up. I had spotted a very unassuming ID.

'Master Tianxin? This Buddhist cultivator is actually in the channel!' I thought. During the Death Train Live Broadcast, I had encountered him. The master was a great person, directly imparting an extremely precious Buddhist sutra to me and helping me through a crisis.

"Master Tianxin! It's been a long time. I've missed you!" I spoke through my mask. Because I was afraid of being discovered by whatever was outside, I kept my voice extremely low.

My sudden voice finally managed to slow the frantic pace of the chat.

Master Tianxin: "Benefactor, I came over right after finishing my sutra recitations. I saw your livestream viewers arguing, which is why I offered a word or two of mediation."

"You have such a kind heart, Master..."

"Don't beat around the bush. Just speak plainly. What kind of troublesome thing have you run into this time?"

To my surprise, before I could even finish my preamble, Master Tianxin sent a wry smile emoji.

"Master, you truly are a living Buddha reborn, possessing a seven-aperture exquisite heart. I haven't even said anything yet, and you already guessed it." I held my phone up in front of me.

"Stop flattering me. I see that the various energies around your body have merged like a vast ocean. The Red Lotus of Karmic Fire remains unmelting; having endured tribulations, you already show signs of a Golden Body. With the three methods of Ghost, Dao, and Buddha protecting you, although the world is vast, there are very few places that can trap you." Master Tianxin paused for a moment before sending a second message. "Did you enter the Yin-Yang Boundary again? That place is the intersection of the mortal and nether worlds, a forbidden zone for the living..."

"Master, the place I'm in right now isn't the Yin-Yang Boundary, but in terms of sheer weirdness, I'm afraid it surpasses it." Master Tianxin had just entered the channel and hadn't watched the earlier parts of the broadcast, so I had no choice but to recount everything that had happened in the Red Building.

At first, Master Tianxin would occasionally reply with a message or two. But when I mentioned that cannibalism had occurred here decades ago, he fell completely silent.

"Master, my current situation isn't optimistic at all. The thing known as obsession has wormed its way into the bodies of most of the tenants in the Apartment Building. Under its protection, my ghost arts are completely useless. Do you know how to deal with it? I saw a pitch-black, burned monster covered in bite marks out in the hallway. It still maintained a human shape. Was that thing the true body of the obsession?"

I poured out all my questions, and for a moment, even the live chat quieted down.

Master Tianxin: "Cannibalizing one's own kind degrades one into the Animal Realm. With humans and pigs mixed together, Streamer, you have stepped onto the edge of reincarnation, with half a foot planted in the Underworld."

"Please explain, Master." To be honest, I didn't understand Master Tianxin's message.

"Those whose past lives were filled with ignorance and greed, committing the lowest five rebellions and ten evils, will ultimately die from hard labor, being used as food, being slaughtered by others, or cannibalism. They plummet into the Animal Realm. Stripped of the right to be human, they can only become pigs and dogs. This is reincarnation. Only through the cycle of karma can yin and yang remain balanced. The cosmos is founded on the Six Paths, which is why everything is perfectly ordered. But in the place you find yourself, the living eat each other, and humans view themselves as pigs. It has completely overturned human morality. It is highly likely that this place is connected to the rumored Animal Realm."

"The Animal Realm?" Master Tianxin's message didn't quite match my earlier guesses. "Then how do you explain the obsession?"

"Didn't you see a charred figure covered in bite marks? He died from cannibalism. Logically, everything related to him should have plummeted into the Underworld forever, suffering the torments of the Eighteen Levels of Hell before being cast into the Animal Realm. However, some sort of anomaly occurred in this place. His three ethereal and seven corporeal souls have dissipated, but his lingering memories managed to find their way back. These undying memories form the obsession. It has nothing to do with yin energy or malicious energy; it is sustained entirely by obsession. Did you see the bite marks on his body? They are all different sizes and shapes, which means that many obsessions have converged together. Even I would find it extremely difficult to purify him."