Chapter 127: Ring Star Orbit (2,000 Monthly Tickets Bonus Chapter—Still Seeking Monthly Tickets)

“There’s a valley ahead; turning there should bring us into view of Yubei City. This stretch should merge into the main line just before the Yubei freight station.”

The Infinite surged through the snowdrifts, accelerating across the snowfield.

“I hope everything goes smoothly.”

Lin Xian’s expression was grim. Though he said so, the squad members all knew the situation in Yubei City was incredibly complex: many survivors had flocked to the high-altitude corridors of this airport hub, along with former Federation personnel, Taitiewei, the Airport Security Corps, and local Yubei survivors. And according to radio reports, the giant atmospheric jellyfish was drifting toward Yubei City…

“With snow this deep, without snowplows, ordinary convoys might struggle even to move forward,” Chen Sixuan said.

Lin Xian replied, “Under these conditions, survivors either head to major city gathering points to wait for official mass evacuations, or join large convoys or trains like ours. Small convoys rarely survive unless they have powerful aberrant abilities.”

From the initial mass exodus during the chaos of Star Abyss to the present, as time passed and with appeals from official forces and survivor groups, those who survived gradually clarified their paths to survival, forming tight-knit groups for mutual support, and human organization began to take effect, slowly transitioning from chaotic disorder to order.

“If we cross the high-altitude corridor, we might gain some breathing room. But east of Star City, we’ll enter the edge of the Fourth Star Abyss. Then, the darker it gets the farther we run—we’ll pass near the polar night zone, and face many unknown risks.”

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Snow sprayed from the locomotive’s front as the Infinite raced steadily along the rails. Soon, the train entered a valley, and around them emerged countless cars buried beneath snow.

“Lin brother, Lin brother, both of them are awake!”

A crackling voice came through the radio. Lin Xian replied, “Give them some bread and water. Don’t bother them further.”

“Got it.”

Thud!

The locomotive seemed to collide with a car or something similar, emitting a dull impact.

“Lin Xian, look!”

Chen Laoshi pointed ahead and shouted to Lin Xian.

Lin Xian looked up. On the slope ahead, a massive aerial cannon pod had crashed, carving a huge gash into the ground. Debris was scattered everywhere, flames still burning in several spots. Thin layers of snow had already settled on many internal components—clearly it had crashed last night.

Others on the train also saw it. Zhao Yan and Xu Wen were hastily eating bread that Shasha had given them when Xu Wen suddenly exclaimed, “Teacher Zhao, look! It’s a military aircraft!”

Both stared in shock. The crash site was horrific. Scattered across the landscape were only a few scattered soldier corpses; most had been reduced to bloodstains.

Ding Junyi in Car 3 also came to the window, watching the scene, murmuring softly:

“Taitiewei.”

In the cab, Kiki had also rushed over. Ahead, across the open stretch, more and more weapon debris appeared—tanks, helicopters, aircraft, aerial cannon pods—all charred black, burning, sparking. More and more soldier corpses lay scattered, each one silently testifying to how brutal this battle had been.

“Taitiewei Unit 3, Destroyer… Oh my god, Hawk-class aerial cannon pod, heavy TFV600 twin-barrel tank, Lightning II aerospace fighter… What the hell did they even fight? Could it have been that giant jellyfish?” Kiki gasped.

“Very likely,” Lin Xian said grimly. These were the main combat units of the Interstellar Military Taitiewei—yet they’d been crushed so brutally, it was horrifying.

“Did they… get wiped out entirely?”

“No. The radio mentioned that the 52nd Brigade retreated toward Yubei City. Things there… are definitely extremely complicated,” Chen Sixuan said, worried.

“If there are aerial aberrations, the high-altitude corridors aren’t safe anymore. But we have no other choice.”

Lin Xian said. The Dazhu Mountain Tunnel was blocked. Taking the western detour was now impossible. They had only one path left: push up the ascent corridor.

Vrrr! Vrrr!

A loud tearing sound filled the air. Everyone looked up to see a small aircraft streaking across the sky, heading rapidly toward Underground City 9.

“Is that a former Federation or Phoenix Society plane?”

“Don’t know,” Lin Xian glanced once, then paid it no further attention.

Beneath the ruins of Underground City 9 lay a abyssal behemoth. No one knew if it might climb to the surface. Even if someone told Lin Xian there was treasure there, he wouldn’t turn back.

As the train slowly advanced, the view ahead widened. On the ground and slopes, a massive, irregularly shaped gash appeared, stretching intermittently into the distance.

Inside the gash lay countless damaged vehicles, shattered fragments, vehicle frames—even a military transport train overturned and still burning.

At the edge of a deep pit in the gash, a massive gray tentacle lay severed, surrounded by unidentifiable fluids and human blood.

Lin Xian remembered this gash shape, remembered this tentacle. His gaze hardened. “It’s definitely that atmospheric jellyfish.”

“These convoys couldn’t have stood a chance…” Chen Sixuan swallowed hard, realizing belatedly.

That night’s danger had come too strangely. If Lin Xian and Da Lou hadn’t reinforced the train roof with armor, their train might have been torn apart and derailed like that military transport.

!

The Infinite followed the valley’s edge down from Dalaoshan. In view, a vast industrial city complex emerged. They had reached the outskirts of Yubei City. In the distance, massive pillars of the high-altitude corridors flickered faintly through the cold fog, extending into the snowy peaks of Dazhu Mountain.

To pierce the 4,500-kilometer plateau mountain range, the Federation spent over thirty years building the aerial freight rail. All vehicles, trains, and cargo carriers rode like airport express elevators, using electromagnetic acceleration to transport goods at speeds exceeding 1,000 kilometers per hour to the next port. Yubei City’s No. 1 Airport was a vital transportation hub connecting western and central urban clusters in Longguo. These high-altitude corridors weren’t unique—worldwide, the 320,000-kilometer Ring Star Orbit included not only high-altitude corridors but also oceanic tracks and ground mainlines, linking the entire Blue Star in an unprecedented mega-engineering project!

Spanning tens of thousands of kilometers of land, the Ring Star Orbit stretched eastward across Asia-Pacific, Blue Oceania, North America, South America, Africa, Europe, the North Pole, East Continent, and Republic Continent—nine continents—and crossed the Pacific, Black Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and Atlantic Ocean. It was, without doubt, the most important transportation artery in human history.

Massive aerial structures blotted out the sky. Yet within the city, silence reigned. The Infinite merged onto the Y3365 main track, heading toward the Yubei Freight Terminal.

Several major city roads and highways appeared in view. All roads leading into the city were completely blocked by endless rows of cars. Bloodstains, severed limbs, burning vehicle frames, scattered luggage and clothing—all buried under snow.

Woooo~

As the train slowly advanced toward Yubei City, a buzzing drone swiftly approached from high above. It hovered for a moment, then turned and flew back.

Lin Xian sensed something odd. At that moment, a snowmobile emerged from the snowfield, heading toward the train’s direction, approaching the cab.

Everyone on board tensed—but the woman riding the snowmobile removed her helmet, revealing a familiar face.

“Captain Lin, stop for a moment!”

Lin Xian recognized her: Shu Qin, the leader of the Bigfoot Convoy who’d once asked him to repair her water purifier at the bonfire mutual aid gathering.

New book launch, first time hitting 2,000 monthly tickets—thank you all for your support! Today’s extra chapter—still seeking monthly tickets and subscriptions!

(End of Chapter)