Chapter 504: Gazing

The sky erupted with thunderclouds, the four seas churned in wild waves; within mere minutes, the Skytrain pierced the sound barrier in the gale, hurtling along the ocean track—long since submerged and nearly invisible—dragging the military train behind it. Lin Xian stood on the main bridge, watching the terrifying tsunami recede behind him, and farther still, the crimson tide of darkness in the sky, his expression grim.

At this moment, they had clearly broken free of the black veil’s expanding range, and the dark marks on their bodies had been completely erased—erased by the force of Lu Xingchen’s sword slash, which had obliterated countless mysterious entities within the tsunami.

Suddenly, the Skytrain, which had just been roaring with furious firepower, fell silent, leaving only the howling wind and below, dozens-of-meters-high waves churning endlessly through black water.

“We made it out. Close call.”

Ning Jing returned to the bridge; her figure had gradually shrunk back to most of its original size, now standing barely under one point nine meters tall. Though still tall compared to most, she now appeared far more normal.

“We got lucky. If that crimson had erupted last night, we’d all be dead here.”

Lin Xian turned to look at her, frowning slightly: “You can control your size now?”

Ning Jing unlatched her power armor helmet, sweat drenching her hair as she nodded at Lin Xian: “It’s still chaotic, but after fully activating the lattice, I’ve found some way forward. I always doubted my ability type—the Phoenix Society labeled it ‘Hyperbody Gene Evolution,’ but now it seems different.”

“You suspect you’re some kind of psychic?” Lin Xian asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Ning Jing frowned. “If I actively release this ability now, I’d instantly revert to my previous size—maybe even…” She paused, leaving the rest unsaid.

At that moment, Long Zhijie and the rest from Building Lu Xingchen hurried into the main bridge. Sha Sha leapt to her feet the moment she saw Fire Brother return, staring at him in astonishment and exclaiming loudly:

“Whoa, nice job, Fire Brother! You’ve earned a little admiration from me today~”

“That was truly impressive,” Shu Qin added as she entered, gazing at Lu Xingchen. “Without some prior mental preparation, it’s hard to believe this is human power we’re seeing now. I think Fire Brother could even fight an S-Class now.”

“Exactly!” Lu Chang wore the look of a devoted fan: “So cool! You split the tsunami right in half! Dude, that’s insane.”

“Decided then—I used to think the title ‘Fire God’ was a bit cringe, but starting today, I fully accept it.” The automatic doors slid open as Qian Dele’s voice came through; he and Mo Nika entered one after the other.

The others from the buildings, including Long Zhijie, all turned their gazes toward Lu Xingchen, clearly acknowledging his feat.

“Merely a small effort. We overcame this crisis together.”

Lu Xingchen clearly relished this moment of praise; his posture stood rigid as a blade, hands clasped behind his back, eyes brimming with uncontainable pride and exhilaration. In this instant, he radiated an unmatched grandeur, as if the suppressed gloom from Xilan and Dawn City had vanished entirely.

“Lin Brother, everyone—rest assured, our combat potential still has vast room to grow. I believe we can overcome even greater dangers in the future.”

Lin Xian smiled, cutting in: “Enough. We’re not fully out of the black mist yet, but the high-altitude recon drones have returned data—the Dark Side’s invasion force is gradually weakening. That confirms we’re leaving the danger zone.”

Mo Nika stood at the rear, her gaze fixed on Lin Xian, speaking softly: “High-altitude recon drones? When did you launch them? Or… did you make other preparations already?”

“Call it multiple safeguards. But since we’ve escaped, let’s focus on this instead.”

Lin Xian offered no further explanation; he raised a hand, his eyes flickering with blue informational waves. The Mechanical Heart synced precisely with Viola’s Wisdom Core, projecting a hologram before them. He played back the footage he’d collected and categorized from surveillance cameras across the city.

At this moment, Ding Junyi and Xiao Yuan from the Science Lab also arrived, watching the footage; everyone’s expressions grew complex.

“It looks like the zombies mutated under the crimson?” Xiao Yuan asked softly.

“So fast—it affected them the moment it covered them,” Ning Jing said grimly, frowning. “This situation… it’s just like…”

“Like what?” someone asked.

“Like the night of Revelation Day,” Shu Qin replied.

Ning Jing nodded.

“So this is the second wave of apocalypse from the Star Abyss?” Qian Dele crossed his arms; among them, his expression remained the calmest. “What’s this? First wave didn’t finish us off, so now they’re escalating?”

Lu Chang sighed, sounding defeatist: “This is just weird. We thought the biggest threat was S-Class Corpse Masters, and we finally upgraded our abilities—only for the Star Abyss to unleash something even more hopeless. This…”

“Lu Chang, you don’t have to think that way.”

Lin Xian looked at him and voiced his thoughts: “Forget the conspiracy theories about this being a civilization experiment. From a strategic standpoint, finishing it all in one blow is the best approach. Though we don’t know if humanity can survive the Star Abyss’s changes, if we stay calm, it’s actually less terrifying than Revelation Day.”

Lu Chang looked confused: “Huh? Lin Team Leader, I don’t get what you mean…”

“Oh, come on, dummy,” Miao Lu cut in directly. “Lin Team Leader means—if the Dark Civilization has superior power to destroy us but didn’t unleash it from the start, that means either they lack intelligence on us, or this ultimate weapon comes at a heavy cost!”

“Exactly,” Ning Jing nodded. “I don’t like that ‘human experiment’ theory either. To me, this is the Star Abyss releasing greater threats—and it proves our survivors’ resistance has made the Dark feel threatened.”

“But…”

Sha Sha shrugged: “It makes sense, but this crimson descent really does seem terrifying. If the Phoenix Society and Dawn Center are both scattered, many might never reach the poles.”

“Even if they reach the poles, this unpredictability is a nightmare,” Qian Dele leaned back in his chair, relaxed. “If we can’t stay in the crimson, then every city, factory, and fixed base must be abandoned. Forget the monsters inside the crimson or those space channels we just saw—just supplying resources afterward will be a massive problem.”

His gaze swept over them: “Safe cities across Asia-Pacific, South America, North America, and Europe? Probably all gone. The Phoenix Society’s arms factories, greenery farms—they can’t be moved. What does that mean?”

“It means all production and daily life must happen on the train,” Lin Xian said sharply.

Silence froze the air.

Lin Xian exhaled slowly: “I’d like to say it’s not that bad—we’ve got full-coverage power armor, so maybe we can move through the crimson. But it’s nothing like the old nights. The danger level is too high. Once we link up with the Alliance convoy, I suspect everyone will have to live on this end-of-the-world train for the rest of the journey.”

“Then your greenhouse won’t be enough,” Mo Nika smiled.

Lin Xian tilted his head: “Perfect. I plan to connect the intercontinental train with the Infinity, expand the greenhouse cars, and even set up livestock—chickens, ducks, cows, sheep.”

Ning Jing looked at him and smiled faintly: “Lin Team Leader, I’ve always felt you carry a certain energy—no matter how hopeless things get, you always find a reason for people to keep going.”

“What else can we do? Kill ourselves?” Lin Xian joked. “You’re all like superheroes now—fists like cannons, swords that split waves, giants, puppet masters, laser shooters. You’re all fighting for your lives with everything you’ve got. Isn’t that reason enough to find a way forward?”

With that, he rose and walked toward the door: “Shizhi said there’s been a change in the cryo-pods. Watch this place. I’m going down to check.”

“I’ll come with you,” Ding Junyi followed.

“Me too~” Sha Sha’s eyes lit up, hurrying after Lin Xian.

Lin Xian entrusted defense to Mo Nika and the others. These individuals, after their lattice evolution, were terrifyingly strong, and with Viola and the Skytrain’s firepower backing them, he could now fully hand over the bridge to them. He hurried with Sha Sha to the cryo-chamber hall.

The time was still before 11 a.m.; the sky was dark. Though wild waves crashed outside, the Skytrain remained perfectly stable inside.