Mad World, Blood Sun in the Sky

The Red Iron City under the cover of night is a stark contrast to the deathly silence of daytime.

Zhou Yuxuan walked through the bustling streets, where the shops on both sides were brightly lit, and various strange luminescent minerals and plants made the streets look bizarre and colorful.

The sounds of hawking, conversation, and the hammering of blacksmiths filled the air. Although people's faces still showed fatigue, they were more lively, as if they could only truly come alive in the darkness.

Zhou Yuxuan didn't rush back. Instead, he deliberately slowed down and focused most of his attention on the conversations of the people around him.

"This is really strange. On this trip, we didn't encounter a single mad dog, let alone a horde of shadow demons." A gruff voice came from an open window of a nearby tavern.

"That's right. I even mustered up the courage to run to the edge of the Blood Sun Alert Line. In the past, I would have been chased to my death, but this time it was completely calm." Another voice chimed in.

"It's quite strange. Commander Zagon has already led people to investigate the forbidden area. Hopefully, nothing bad has happened. You know, everyone wishes these strange creatures would disappear, but now that they've actually vanished, I'm even more uneasy."

"Strange creatures. Strange creatures. Where have they all gone? There's a rumor that they were summoned away by something in the forbidden area?"

"Who knows? If they really leave, it's fine if they don't come back."

The word "strange" appears repeatedly, like background noise, at an astonishing frequency.

Zhou Yuxuan understood immediately; this must refer to the crazed monsters they encountered upon their arrival.

The unfamiliar term "Blood Sun Alert Line" also caught his attention.

Zhou Yuxuan noticed that in front of a roadside stall selling crude weapons and armor, several city guards who looked like they had just finished patrolling were chatting. Although their voices were not loud, with his current hearing, he could hear them clearly.

"Orders have been given to increase patrols, especially in areas near the city walls."

A soldier who appeared to be the leader whispered, "While it's good that the strange creatures outside have disappeared, who knows if it's just the calm before the storm?"

Another, younger soldier scratched his head, somewhat puzzled. "Captain, now that there are no more strange occurrences outside, can't we go out and move around during the day? Being cooped up in the city all day is so boring."

"Nonsense!"

The team leader sternly rebuked, "The rules of daytime are bought with lives! Do you want to become one of those inhuman monsters outside? Don't be fooled by the peace outside now; who knows what will happen if you're exposed to daylight for a long time? Don't forget, those monsters were all created by daylight!"

The young soldier shrank back, not daring to say another word.

Zhou Yuxuan silently memorized the keyword "daytime".

It seems that the pale, luminous object in the sky, which the locals call the sun, has a serious negative impact on living beings if they are exposed to it for a long time.

Zhou Yuxuan walked and listened along the way for about half an hour before finally finding a shop that looked quite old on a relatively quiet street corner, following the directions he had found out earlier.

Above the shop's entrance hangs an old wooden plaque with the shop's name engraved on it in twisted, insect-like characters, roughly meaning "Ink Trace Book House".

As Zhou Yuxuan pushed open the door, a smell mixed with old paper and some kind of special medicine wafted towards him.

The store is not large, with bookshelves reaching the ceiling on all four walls, crammed with books and scrolls of various materials, including animal hides, paper, and even some kind of metal sheet as thin as a cicada's wing.

An elderly man with gray hair, wearing a monocle, was carefully repairing a rather tattered book by the light of a dim blue mushroom lamp.

Hearing the door open, the old man looked up, his cloudy eyes scanning Zhou Yuxuan through his glasses before asking, "What do you need?"

Zhou Yuxuan tried his best to make his accent sound less strange. He said according to his prepared statement, "This is my first time in Red Iron City. I want to learn about the local customs, history, and legends, and also buy some maps and some local Cultivation Technique Combat Skill."

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in the old man's eyes, but it quickly disappeared behind the murky depths.

He put down his tools and slowly stood up. "Historical legends. Over there in that corner, they're all copies, not too expensive. Maps are under the counter; there are maps of the area around Red Iron City, and also a general map of the Eternal Kingdom issued by the Royal City. The accuracy varies, so the price varies as well. As for Cultivation Technique Combat Skill..."

He pointed to a bookshelf on the other side, half-hidden by a runic curtain, and said in a flat tone, "Those are all mainland goods. The real good stuff wouldn't be displayed here. You seem like a sensible person; you should know the rules."

Zhou Yuxuan nodded without asking any further questions.

He first browsed through the bookshelf of historical legends for a while, selecting a few books that seemed to have relatively systematic content and newer materials, such as "Gazetteer of Heng Kingdom", "A Study on the Origins of Strange Things (Fragment)", and "Records of Red Iron City".

Then I went to the counter and spent a lot of Blood Crystal Coin to buy a relatively detailed map of the area surrounding Crimson Iron and a very comprehensive map of the territory of the Eternal Kingdom.

Finally, Zhou Yuxuan walked to the bookshelf displaying cultivation techniques.

The books here are clearly more valued; the bookshelves are engraved with simple protective runes, and the books themselves are mostly made of some kind of corrosion-resistant leather or treated metal sheets.

He randomly selected a few books with relatively basic-sounding titles: <Blood Condensation Body Tempering Art>, <Breaking Edge Saber Art>, and <Shadow Step Technique>.

Zhou Yuxuan flipped through them briefly and noticed that most of these cultivation techniques emphasized the use of Blood Crystal for training and paid great attention to how to fight against monsters in battle. Their styles were generally fierce and ruthless, carrying a strong sense of struggle for survival.

When it came time to pay, the white-haired old man looked at the books Zhou Yuxuan had selected, especially the few cultivation manuals. His lips seemed to twitch almost imperceptibly, but he still quoted a total price in the end.

Zhou Yuxuan readily paid with Blood Crystal Coin and packed the thick stack of his spoils into a prepared leather backpack.

He didn't linger and went straight back.

When they returned to the hotel, Li Wei and the linguist Nova had already returned and were quietly exchanging their observations in their room.

"Captain, you're back." Li Wei came up to greet him and helped him take the backpack.

He whispered, "We inquired around and found out that the people here only move around at night. They call that luminous object in the sky 'Daylight,' saying that if you stay under its light for too long, your mind will gradually be lost, and you will eventually fall into monsters."

"And every thirty night cycles, the daytime will turn into Blood Sun, at which point the light will be tinged with blood, and the madness will be drastically amplified after being exposed to it. The monsters will also be driven into a complete frenzy, becoming extremely aggressive."

Nova added, "Based on pieced-together information, the so-called Blood Sun Alert Line refers to the safe zone that major cities must ensure is cleared of all monsters within a day's journey around the city; otherwise, when the Blood Sun arrives, a terrifying wave of monsters can easily surge and impact the city."

Zhou Yuxuan placed his backpack on the crooked wooden table, took out some books, and said in a deep voice, "It's pretty much what I guessed. However, I bought some books in the hope of finding more systematic records."

As he spoke, he picked up the book "A Study on the Origins of Strange Things (Fragment)" and quickly began to read it.

The handwriting in the book was messy, and many parts were vague and even mythological, but combined with scattered information from other books, a vague and cruel picture gradually became clear in his mind.

This secret world has long been shrouded in the curse of "White Sun" and "Blood Sun".

Any living being, including humans, will be corrupted if exposed to sunlight, especially the light of Blood Sun, for an extended period. They will gradually lose their reason, and their bodies will undergo irreversible mutations, ultimately transforming into "monsters" that only know how to kill and devour.

The strange creatures were not simply wild beasts.

They are the product of the degeneration of humans and even other creatures.

Their attacks on humans are not entirely driven by hunger, but rather by instinct—devouring humans who have not yet gone mad seems to temporarily alleviate the eternal madness and pain in their souls.

Therefore, monsters rarely devour each other, as that would only exacerbate their madness.

The more powerful the monster, the more intelligence it may retain, but the more insane and bizarre it becomes.

Humanity struggled for countless years before finding a way to survive in the "night," building cities and relying on the power of Blood Crystal to resist the monsters to some extent.

"I see. This is the truth behind the people here being nocturnal, and also the cruel law of survival in this world." Zhou Yuxuan put down his book and sighed softly.

After learning the background, Zhou Yuxuan recalled that when he fought those monsters before, their eyes not only showed violence, but also seemed to hide deep pain and madness. In particular, the humanoid monsters he killed showed a sense of relief when they died.

Zhou Yuxuan sighed inwardly, then unfolded the <Overview Map of the Eternal Kingdom's Territory>.

The map was drawn rather crudely, with many areas consisting of only blurry outlines and markings.

However, Zhou Yuxuan discovered that this so-called Eternal Kingdom was different from the feudal dynasty he had imagined. Its territory was quite vast, with more than a thousand marked cities distributed in a network.

Red Iron City is located on the eastern edge of the Eternal Kingdom, and is probably a million miles away from the Royal City marked in the center of the map.

"This secret realm doesn't seem small at all; the area of just the Eternal Kingdom alone far exceeds that of a single continent on our Blue Star."

Zhou Yuxuan pointed to the location of Red Iron City on the map, his brows furrowed slightly. He whispered to Li Wei and Nova beside him, "Have you noticed? Based on our observations and energy scans during the day, the population of Red Iron City is estimated to be only two or three hundred thousand. But we sensed three Star Core level energy fluctuations, not counting ourselves. This ratio is abnormally high."

Upon hearing this, Li Wei's expression also turned serious. "Indeed. Based on the experience of the Main Universe, even on our Blue Star, with efficient inheritance and abundant resources, the proportion of Star Core level powerhouses is only this high. The cultivation system of this world may have some special aspects that we are unaware of."

Nova pointed to the basic cultivation manuals Zhou Yuxuan had bought. "Their power system seems to be closely related to Blood Crystal and combating madness; this could be an important direction for research."

Zhou Yuxuan nodded, temporarily suppressing his doubts.

He picked up the detailed map of the area surrounding Hematite and carefully examined the location of the camp.

His brows furrowed quickly.

On the map, the basin where their Eastern Edge camp was located and a large area around it were clearly outlined in dark red paint, next to which was a shocking skull symbol, and next to it was marked in bold font— Pale Forbidden Land.

"The Pale Forbidden Land." Zhou Yuxuan muttered to himself. He immediately recalled the conversation he had overheard among the Red Iron City soldiers. He then quickly searched through the <Chronicles of Red Iron City> and found a brief description of the "Pale Forbidden Land":

"Qianli east of the city Pale Forbidden Land, an ancient subsidence zone. Within it, blood accumulates, strange creatures roam, kings abound, and even emperors appear in hiding—it is an exceptionally dangerous place."

"In the subsidence zone, kings continue to emerge, and even emperors are appearing in the shadows." Zhou Yuxuan read this passage aloud, his lips twitching slightly.

He recalled the "enthusiastic" welcome ceremony at the beginning of his arrival, with its numerous Star Core level monsters, which must have been the so-called "Monster King." And the "Monster Emperor" probably referred to those few Star Vortex level monsters.

"Good heavens, we've built our outpost right in the forbidden zone marked in red on their map," Li Wei said with a wry smile, having also noticed the map marker. "No wonder there are so many monsters. The commotion from the spatial passage probably attracted all the monsters in the forbidden zone long ago."

Zhou Yuxuan nodded, agreeing with this deduction.

"Good fortune may be a harbinger of misfortune, and misfortune may be a harbinger of good fortune. Although the forbidden area is dangerous, its infamous reputation also prevents the people of Red Iron City from approaching it easily, thus providing cover for our initial establishment. Let's not discuss that for now; let's scan the information from these books and send it back to the camp."

As he spoke, Zhou Yuxuan made a simple division of labor.

Li Wei and Nova were responsible for spreading out all the purchased books and maps, and then using a tactical terminal to activate the high-precision scanning function, scanning the books and maps page by page and inch by inch.

Zhou Yuxuan himself compiled the core information about "Daylight", "Blood Sun", "Strange Ecology", "Eternal Kingdom Territory", "Pale Forbidden Land" and "Abnormal Star Core level Ratio" into a concise summary.

A pale blue scanning beam moved slowly across the pages, transforming the knowledge from the other world into a data stream.

Outside the window, the nightlife in Red Iron City was in full swing, with faint sounds of noise drifting in, a stark contrast to the quiet and efficient work being done inside.

Time passed quietly, and by the time the last map scroll was scanned, it was already late at night, and the noise outside the window gradually subsided.

"All data has been packaged and encrypted, and can be transmitted at any time," Nova said in a low voice, checking the terminal screen.

Zhou Yuxuan walked to the window, lifted a corner of the animal skin curtain, and looked out at the Return to Stillness street and the city wall in the distance, which looked like the spine of a giant beast under the dim light.

In the sky, the sun remained hidden behind eternal darkness, seemingly waiting for its next awakening.

"Transfer it."

Zhou Yuxuan said in a deep voice, "Send everything we know, along with these scanned data, back to the camp. Inform the Commander that we have initially integrated into the local area and obtained key background information. The ' Pale Forbidden Land ' where we are located is considered a place of great danger here. Red Iron City is uneasy about the disappearance of the monsters and has sent a reconnaissance team towards the forbidden land. I suggest the camp make preparations in advance."

"Clear."

Li Wei operated the terminal and activated the ultra-long-distance encrypted transmission module.

An invisible Information Flow pierced through the inn's walls and silently traveled towards the Pale Forbidden Land, towards the location of the Eastern Edge Camp.

After sending the message, Zhou Yuxuan did not rest. He sat back down at the table, picked up the book "Blood Condensation Body Tempering Art," and began to read it carefully under the dim light.

--

Meanwhile, in the Pale Forbidden Land, at the East Peak Mercenary Group's camp.

Inside the command center, which is made up of several large modular units, the lights are on and various holographic screens are suspended in mid-air, displaying real-time monitoring data of various areas of the camp, energy fluctuation maps, and Dynamic images transmitted back by the external reconnaissance units.

Although located in another world, the camp still maintains the efficiency and technological feel of the Main Universe, forming a stark contrast with the world outside the forbidden area.

Lin Yi sat in the main seat, calmly reviewing the encrypted message packets sent back by Zhou Yuxuan's team.

The information is extensive, including scanned books, map images, and a summary of key intelligence.

"Madness, monsters, Blood Sun," Lin Yi murmured these frequently used words.

He was very satisfied with the efficiency of Zhou Yuxuan's team.

In just one day, he figured out the underlying logic of this world—that the high-hanging "sun" was the source of all the distortion and madness.

Lin Yi frowned slightly when he saw the analysis about the "abnormal proportion of Star Core level".

"In this relatively isolated environment with seemingly scarce resources, an average city can produce three Star Core level."

Lin Yi leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. "This probability is indeed unusually high. Unless... the energy environment of this world, or their cultivation system, possesses something unique that we haven't yet understood."

They had already experienced firsthand the "madness" and "strangeness" of the passion at the very beginning of their landing.

According to the information sent back by Zhou Yuxuan, the so-called "Blood Sun" will descend in three days.

"Blood Sun."

Lin Yi repeated the word in a low voice, his gaze fixed on a huge monitoring screen on the command cabin wall, which displayed the desolate and lifeless scene outside the camp, shrouded in darkness.

"It can drive monsters into a frenzy, making humans flee at the mere mention of its name. I want to see for myself what's so special about this Blood Sun."

As Lin Yi pondered this, he issued several instructions:

"Xuanji, using the Source Energy Printer, expedite the production of fifty sets of clothing and matching simple decoys to suit the local style, and distribute them to the outer patrol teams."

"All outer patrol teams are hereby ordered to wear native camouflage while on duty, effective immediately. If native scouts are spotted approaching the Core Zone of the camp, they are not required to attack, but must project Star Core level aura to deter and drive them away. Our official statement is that we are the ' East Peak Society,' temporarily residing here, and wish to avoid disturbances."

Lin Yi glanced at the area marked "Pale Forbidden Land" on the holographic map, as well as its borders with several surrounding countries.

"The Pale Forbidden Land Zone is vast, bordering multiple countries, and its power structures are intricate and complex. A mysterious force with many Star Core level experts that suddenly appeared after the anomaly occurred within the Forbidden Zone is enough to instill fear in any nearby explorers, preventing them from taking any rash actions."

"This will give us more time to determine how to contact them."

"Understood, Master. The command has been issued." Xuanji's virtual image bowed slightly in respect.