The Differential Old Man (Part One)
Behind them came destructive energy that devoured everything, along with its blinding white light and the shriek of tearing metal. Gao Gong almost entirely relied on instinct and the intuition honed over years at the edge of life and death as he dragged Xiao Yu into a desperate sprint through the intricate mechanical passageways.
The corrupt divine power had not fully withdrawn. Instead, it transformed into a thin but deadly aura of decay that wrapped around the two of them from behind. Any mechanical tentacle that tried to spring from the passage walls to intercept them, or any gate that suddenly closed, rapidly rusted and disintegrated the instant it touched that aura, forcibly carving out a path of survival for them.
The scene before them constantly twisted and changed. The disordered space made their heads spin.
Gao Gong had no time to distinguish directions. He followed only one conviction—get away from that core region, away from that bizarre "No. 3" and the "truth behind the riot" it represented.
At last, a relatively open area with chaotic lighting appeared ahead.
Without the slightest hesitation, Gao Gong used the last of his strength and dragged Xiao Yu through the thin energy membrane at the passage exit—
Boom!
A familiar, filthy stench mixed with metallic tang, machine oil, and ionized air surged toward them.
The deafening, ceaseless roar of steam pistons, the clanging of interlocking gears, and the sizzling of leaking energy instantly engulfed them like a tidal wave.
They crashed heavily onto the cold, rough metal floor coated in oil, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Gao Gong panted violently and raised his head.
Before him lay the familiar and suffocating Eternal Junkyard:
Broken pipes sprawled chaotically across his field of vision like the carcasses of