Two days had passed since that massive explosion.
{I am the Big Star Special!}
The phantom train that became the big star—Xiao Machao! Now it could freely race across the sky, even in broad daylight!
The only problem was that it now exuded an eerie, somber air.
Everyone who entered it came out with a fever or fell ill, prompting Yang Zicang himself to stock up on many remedies and healing items aboard the train.
At that moment, Deputy Town Lead Zhu Yin and others were in the train, looking at the piles of fever patches, medicines, and healing beads in the medical cabinet.
“A one-stop service for getting sick and selling medicine.”
“I always feel… this flying subway train has the potential to become an accomplice to a shady medical organization.”
……
Yang Zicang, sitting on his flying carpet, hovered between the clouds, watching the distant train glide through the cloud layers at the speed of an ordinary subway.
“Let’s go to a higher place,” said Luo Bin and Xu Xiuchuan and others.
Yang Zicang nodded, and the flying carpet continued to ascend in altitude. Beyond two hundred meters, it began to consume Amplified Chrono at a rate of up to one year per second. Higher altitudes required controlling more cells.
“The air is so thin, my head is starting to ache.”
With a pat, a bottle of painkillers fell into Fan Xiuyun’s arms as he clutched his head.
“Look over there!”
Little Liu suddenly stood up and pointed ahead.
Ahead lay a chaotic, suspended entrance, like a flowing curtain of liquid silver.
“Could that be the Lost Illusion Company?”
This was Xiao Machao’s discovery over the past two days. If not for close observation, no one would have been able to see it.
“Doesn’t seem like it, but aside from the ‘Lost Illusion Company’, I can’t think of any other bizarre secret realms in this world.”
Yang Zicang tried probing it with the “White Shadow Nian Dragon”, but the entrance was eerily silent.
“It should have been manifested by psychokinesis.”
“The one who could leave their psychokinetic power here, with it still intact after that explosion—must have been incredibly formidable.”
A few people nodded in deep agreement.
“I think this was left for whoever claimed the identity of the ‘Greater Glamour’. Why else would it be thrown in a place no one else could reach?”
Teacher Chen tempted him, saying, “Boss, want to take a look inside?”
Yang Zicang rubbed his chin; he hadn’t forgotten Xingmiao’s cryptic words.
—Don’t become the protagonist of this place. What if something inside was left for the future owner of this location?
“We’ll go in only after a thorough investigation. No rush for now.”
The flying carpet carried several people soaring through the sky, naturally cleaving the gale so those on board wouldn’t be tossed off by the speed.
Teacher Chen leaned over the edge, looking down.
Below, the land faintly revealed an irregular rectangular shape, beyond which stretched an endless chaotic grayness, as if it existed within a dark void—this was not a continent on a planet.
“So he turned his own body into this land, leaving it here…” Teacher Chen’s hair danced in the strong wind as she sighed deeply, “Still sustaining the life that thrives on it. Is this not truly a god?”
“I wonder if we could ever reach such power in the future.”
“Then go back to the city and get that daily excellence award.”
“Why?”
“Dreams have everything.”
……
Amidst a mountain forest, Wuying revealed himself.
“Hmph, Yang Zicang… sigh, if only your power weren’t so precious, I’d truly want to be your real friend.”
As he spoke, a crease from his chest shot into the void.
……
The flying carpet sped forward, when suddenly a small ball of light rose and drifted up beside the group.
“Little reporter is here!” the group called out, “Come play, little cutie!”
Yang Zicang had just turned to look when a crease shot toward him. He instantly understood—so Little Reporter was here to do “research.”
Smiling, he answered the channel:
“Wuying, what’s up?”
{Haha, nothing much. Anyway, I’ve scored some fine wine aged for years—how about a drink tonight?}
“Forget it, we just met the day before yesterday when I returned that treasure to you. Another time.”
“Alright then, but there’s a joint memorial gathering hosted by a few greenhouse bosses three days from now. You have to come. I’ll also use the chance to tell you something about the ranking battles.”
“Ranking battles?”
Wasn’t that the fight the 41st Assessment Judge had suggested he participate in? Victory would grant an extra reward given by an elected councilmember.
“You’re from City 41, right. To truly improve your ranking, you must defeat the current top team in City 23 by the end of the year.”
“I can do that. Thank you, Wuying.”
Seeing that Yang Zicang had seemingly developed some interest in the gathering, Wuying smiled with satisfaction and ended the communication link.
After the two finished their conversation, Luo Bin chuckled and said, “That guy really earned his stripes—we’re sort of like foes turned friends.”
“More or less. I still think it’s best not to get too involved with him. Keeping a proper distance is good enough.”
The floating energy beneath Lili’s teeth on the flying carpet suddenly vanished. Dropping from a two-meter height onto the rug, it bounced back a few centimeters.
“How fun.”
Luo Bin mumbled to himself, “Wouldn’t that guy —the reporter— know about that just now?”
Everyone’s eyes immediately fell on the adorable spirit. She turned her head to look back at them.
“Why is everyone staring at me?”
Yang Zicang suddenly wore an expression like a lecherous creep and said, “World’s cutest little beauty, Liliya… Do you know what’s inside that whirling vortex over there?”
Lili’s teeth rose, flew close, and sniffed Yang Zicang’s face.
“I smell the stink of a bad idea~!”
“Stop messing around. I bet you don’t know either, right?” Yang Zicang said, crossing his arms.
{Hmm… I really don’t know.}
As expected, Li Li Ya drooped her little face in disappointment, as if a weak spot had been hit.
Seeing that little expression, several reproachful glances glared at him from around. Yang Zicang instantly felt like he had made a huge blunder, and he waved his hands in panic:
“Come on, no one knows the answer, actually. It’s normal that Li Li Ya doesn’t know.”
{Yeah, that’s right!}
Li Li Ya, suddenly full of energy, dashed out of the flying carpet and ran off.
“She took the out when he gave it, but still ran off in embarrassment.”
“You sneaky devil.”
Luo Bin walked over with an unsteady gait, grumbling like a doting old father: “Don’t tease the little fairy for fun anymore—she’ll take you seriously.”
“Ahaha.”
Yang Zicang scratched his head awkwardly. From the people around, some voices chimed in:
“Here on out… Deputy Town Chief can always call Xiao Machao to ascend whenever. If we miss out on treasure, we’ll lose big time!”
Luo Bin swept a glance over the group on the flying carpet—members of the squad who were blatantly or subtly egging on the plan to push forward with the mental channel exploration: “Then are you brave enough to go in?”
The whole group shuddered in unison.
“Maybe we should head home for dinner instead. It’s about time.”
Yang Zicang suddenly sank into serious contemplation. “Perhaps someone might still know.”
“No way, boss—are you saying you’ve figured something out now?”
The several looked over, staring intently as threads spread from the chest of the meditating Yang Zicang.
[I, the Great Quadrilateral Train Commander, begin to connect with my train.]
In a brief moment, a gaze fell upon us.
[Hub Town is watching over us.]
“Ah, it’s the Mayor.”
Silver-Opal Hub Town, who had already learned the query through Xiao Machao Damingxing, replied directly:
{Inside that place are all the imagined regions of that being. Though she has died, her firm belief in life has brought her residual spirit to concretize a real image, one that burgeons alongside the earth.}
“Is it the true master of Xingmiao—the goddess who manifested this land?”
{By human standards, this is indeed a miracle. However, she is no divine being; you may call her a saint. As for the buildings within the illusion field… they are phantom images of the Holy Land, passed down through oral lore in her old world.}
“The Holy Land!” The group was taken aback—the word “Holy Land” instantly conjured a place laden with treasures!
But Hub Town added:
{Still, since she herself visited not the Holy Land of that old world, what’s inside differs from the true sanctuary, merely a sanctuary imagined from words.}
“Well…”
“For a sage this strong to have never set foot on a deeply cherished holy ground?”
A trace of sympathy for the saint who had transformed into the land arose among them.
{Time has worn away other fantasies. Left now are her most solidified “beliefs.” If you attempt this journey, take good care of yourselves—for you essentially stir a formidable being’s innermost heart.}
It is indeed so; the inside is not safe.
The fact that the Town Chief warned everyone at all is probably all for the sake of “Damingxing,” Xiao Machao.
“It’s because of that intense faith that, even after death, this obsession materialized such a place. That’s why it was hidden so high up in the sky.”
Yang Zicang looked toward the distant sky.
{Her lingering consciousness has died out. The information left here will soon dissipate.}
With that in mind, Yang Zicang decided to take a glance at the entrance.
The flying carpet once again drew near the entrance. Outside the chaotic psychic field, he could vaguely make out a stretch of vast wilderness thronging with people.
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