Now the entire space has been completely sealed off. From the perspective of Earth, this city has become a real-life Silent Hill. Even if an army outside wanted to rescue us, not only would they be unable to get in, but even if by some miracle they managed to break through the thick mist and reach this area, all they'd find would be an empty, silent reflection of the city.
You could say that this space and the world of Earth are now like the relationship between the inside and outside of a mirror—deeply connected, yet escaping from here is almost impossible.
The situation is now extremely serious, complicated, and tricky. Everyone is at a loss for what to do next, or even where to begin.
But Jack Young wasn’t confused. Even in the most complex circumstances, he could always distinguish between what should be done, what could be done, and what must be done first. The eighth level of Prajna Technique, spiritual enlightenment—it doesn’t look like it increases combat ability at all, just seems like a beefed-up version of the seventh level with a bit more mental strength. But as the saying goes, sincerity brings clarity. With spiritual enlightenment, his mind was clear, never lost.
To put it in fantasy terms, his thoughts shine with light. Basically, if any mind-based ability user tries to mess with him again, he might not be totally immune, but they’d have to rely on brute-force mental power. Any sneaky tricks or traps? Pretty much impossible now.
His heart was already open.
"Your Highness, what should we do?" Bobby Brooks asked immediately.
"We move," Jack Young replied succinctly. "This black mist and humans are interdependent and influence each other. The more people there are, the stronger and thicker the mist. Even if we can’t get out for now, we need to find the place where the mist is thinnest first."
"Makes sense. This stuff might keep getting thicker. We need time to gather intel, time to observe the world’s nodes, and time to figure out how to break the deadlock." Qian Kun nodded repeatedly, then complained, "Too bad fate is a mess right now. There’s a powerful force twisting destiny, and I can’t calculate anything. No clue where to go."
"Huh?" Senior Brother Mentor asked, puzzled. "We’re already in Pudong—shouldn’t we just head further east where there are fewer people?"
"No." Jack Young shook his head. "Sorry, it’s not that simple. But don’t worry, someone knows—" Jack turned to Maggie Monroe with a gentle smile. "Where do you think we should go? Lead the way, goddess."
"Me?" Maggie Monroe was stunned.
"Her?" Many people were surprised. There were fortune-tellers, fighters, all kinds of talent here—why ask an ordinary woman about something everyone else is stumped by?
"Yes, you." Jack Young was very certain. After unlocking all seven chakras, he suddenly realized that Maggie Monroe’s so-called eighth chakra might be a level that very few in history have ever reached. The eighth chakra, the Brahma Wheel, isn’t inside the body but outside—an incredibly mysterious realm. In Prajna Technique, it corresponds to a level above the ninth tier.
Don’t be fooled by Master Golden Wheel reaching the tenth level of Dragon Elephant Wisdom Art and thinking Prajna Technique is easy. In reality, Prajna’s advancement is even harder than Dragon Elephant. Every four levels is a major hurdle; reaching the eighth level in Prajna is as tough as reaching the eighth in Dragon Elephant—both have unique effects. At Dragon Elephant: Eighth Level, the body returns to its true self; at Prajna: Eighth Level, the mind realizes its true self. Both are saintly levels.
Above the ninth level is another world entirely. Anyone at that stage could be called a living Buddha. In religious legends, when someone at that level passes away, miracles like flowers raining from the sky, golden lotuses blooming from the earth, and rainbows piercing the sun are said to occur.
That’s right—Maggie Monroe is just an ordinary person. Even if her chakra practice reached the level of 'the wheel is outside the body, the wheel illuminates the spirit,' her mental strength still isn’t very high. In terms of quantity, it’s about the same as Jack Young at Prajna Third Level. Plus, without ever practicing Prajna or martial arts, she probably can’t do any super-sensory or supernatural feats. Outwardly, she seems useless.
But in terms of quality, she’s even higher than Jack Young.
Those without enough mental strength can’t sense it, but after Jack Young achieved spiritual enlightenment, he could see a faint, hazy halo above Maggie Monroe’s head. Qian Kun just noticed something special about her, probably because of this. She didn’t seem aware of it, but this undying light of the soul has incredible, mysterious effects.
"It’s okay, just say what’s in your heart." Jack Young squeezed her hand, helping her let go of her anxiety. "I believe in you."
"Okay." Maggie Monroe took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment, then pointed, "That way—south. Let’s go there!"
"Alright, that’s where we’ll go." Jack Young addressed everyone: "Folks, this trip might be long, and we’ll probably run into plenty of danger, weird stuff, and tough situations. For regular citizens, help if you can; if not, regretfully move on—protect yourself and your loved ones first. As for those mutated monsters, they’re all originally human, so don’t attack unless they’re a threat. But if they endanger our safety—don’t hold back. No mercy."
Jack Young’s voice wasn’t cold, but everyone felt a chill. They knew this wasn’t the time for soft-heartedness.
Honestly, Jack Young was mainly saying this for Jasper Xiao, that righteous blockhead. Jasper nodded, his voice serious: "Some things are more urgent than others. You’re right." He wanted to help the citizens, but it was a tough call. If he tried to fix everything, he’d get nowhere. If he just did what he could, there were probably enough people along the southern route to wear him out.
"Alright, for the next stretch, Jingzhe, I’m afraid you’ll have to work extra hard. I won’t be able to fight for a while." Suddenly, a strange ripple spread from Jack Young—it couldn’t be described or heard, but everyone knew it was real.
Senior Brother Mentor was surprised, "This is...?"
"I need some uninterrupted time, maybe a few hours. During that time, I’ll need everyone to watch my back." The tips of Jack Young’s hair suddenly turned transparent and crystal-like, as if made of ice—this was the sign of Bright Jade Technique reaching mastery and beginning to transform into innate lunar cold energy. He smiled at Maggie Monroe, "I won’t be able to see or hear for a while, so you’ll have to be my guide dog."
"Guiding you is no problem, but..." Maggie Monroe leaned in and whispered, "What about Xixi? Are we just leaving her?"
"Her boyfriend’s job is to protect her. As for me, I just need to take care of my girlfriend." Jack Young looked at Maggie Monroe’s shy, happy, and slightly worried face and reassured her, "Relax, Zhu Ming’s acupoints haven’t been sealed for long—they’re already unblocked. He’s a Chosen One, good all-around, and he’s got a pretty tough robot bodyguard. Those mutated people look scary, but they won’t give him much trouble—as long as he doesn’t do anything stupid."
Jack Young’s assessment of Zhu Ming was thorough. He figured that in this sudden chaos, Zhu Ming probably wouldn’t do anything reckless. As the group headed south, just as Jack expected, Zhu Ming calmed down too.
In the pitch-black mist, Zhu Ming and Qi Xi stumbled along. When the thick fog rolled in, the subway train screeched to a halt, losing all power. Thanks to Jack Young’s earlier chaos, there weren’t many people left on board, and now everyone was screaming and fleeing down the tunnel. The darkness, the unknown dangers, and the creepy atmosphere were enough to push anyone to the brink of a breakdown.
At least Zhu Ming found one perk—he could light the way. For some reason, while the subway had lost all power, his modified body seemed totally unaffected. With a flick, his lights came on. They didn’t reach far, but it was something.
In the thick mist, his body’s controls grew slower and more sluggish, almost useless for fighting.
Zhu Ming sighed and started to escape with Qi Xi.
The two headed toward the front of the train. Passing the driver’s cab, they saw the operator collapsed on the floor, covered in grotesque, swollen black-brown lumps, convulsing and unconscious—like a broken puppet. The scene was more chilling than any horror game. Zhu Ming flipped open his storage compartment and took out a pistol, but after hesitating, didn’t blow the driver’s head off.
He just suited up in his nano combat gear and led Qi Xi toward the next station. The nano suit was running at full power, unaffected by the blackout, which put him at ease.
The wailing wind sounded like ghosts crying, and faint screams echoed through the long, dark tunnel. Neither of them spoke, but both tensed up. The other passengers were nowhere to be seen—they didn’t run into a single soul along the way.
Luckily, the next station wasn’t far.
"Light?" In the distance, a faint, flickering glow appeared. Zhu Ming slowed down and approached carefully, realizing they’d already reached the next platform.
There were still some lights on the platform, but most were out. The few that remained flickered eerily, accompanied by the buzzing of electricity. The flashes of light were downright creepy.
"Wait, something’s off." Zhu Ming stopped and said to Qi Xi in a low voice, "It’s way too quiet here."
This was Nanjing East Road Station, right under a mall at the eastern end of the famous Nanjing Pedestrian Street. Nanjing Road is legendary for its hustle and bustle; every tourist in Shanghai comes here. It was Sunday, peak time for shopping and sightseeing. Even with everyone on edge and few venturing out, this place shouldn’t be this quiet.
So quiet it felt like there wasn’t a single living soul.
"Be careful. I’ll check first." Zhu Ming, no longer impatient, cautiously poked his head onto the platform, braced himself, and climbed up. Suddenly, his hand landed on something strange—sticky and wet. He lifted his hand, and strands of liquid clung to it. He sniffed—metallic. Blood!
"Not good." Zhu Ming frowned deeply. If his nano suit’s helmet was intact, the visor’s scanning function would be a huge help. But for now, he had to rely on the central processor’s basic info to decide his next move.
What now? Follow the tunnel to the next station? Listening carefully, the wind ahead carried shrill screams—bad news. Head back to Lujiazui? Jack Young’s over there—no way!
After thinking it over, he decided to go up here. No matter what happened, there’d be more people on Nanjing Road. And if trouble popped up, he still had enough energy to fight or run.
Besides, this station was close to 'that place'...
"Come on, up here." Zhu Ming pulled Qi Xi up, and the two, plus his mechanized body, moved forward through the flickering light. The escalator had twisted into an abstract sculpture under some unknown force, so they took the stairs instead. Strange patterns—black and red—were faintly visible on the steps, but hard to make out clearly.
In the dead silence, the two reached the upper level. The ad lightboxes flickered, and this time it was clear—blood, bright and fresh, splattered across the whole box. The floors and walls too—covered in it. But strangely, no bodies anywhere.