Pretending to be a genius starts with the civilization advancement assessment.

Chapter 289 A Mad World, Blood Sun in the Sky (5.2K)

The Red Iron City under the cover of night is completely different from 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 signs of 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 group of shadow demons." A rough voice came from the open window of a nearby tavern.

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

"It is quite strange. Commander Zhagong has already led people to investigate the forbidden area. I hope nothing bad has happened. You all wish these strange things would disappear, but now that they have suddenly disappeared, I feel 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 warning 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 their patrol were chatting. Although their voices were not loud, with his current hearing, he could hear them clearly.

"Orders have been issued 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 things outside, can we go out and move around during the day? We're so bored staying in the city all day."

"Nonsense!"

The team leader sternly rebuked, "The rules of daytime are earned 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 noted down 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 Bookstore".

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, filled 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 Crimson Iron City. I want to learn about the local customs, history and legends, and buy some maps and some local martial arts techniques."

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, mostly copies, not expensive. Maps are under the counter, some around Crimson Iron City, others a general map of Heng Kingdom issued by the royal city; the accuracy varies, so the price differs. As for cultivation techniques and combat skills..."

He pointed to a bookshelf on the other side, half-covered 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, and selected a few books that looked relatively systematic in content and new in material, such as "The Customs and Things of Hengguo", "A Study on the Origin of Strange Things (Fragment)" and "The Chronicle of Chitie City".

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

Finally, Zhou Yuxuan walked to the bookshelf where the cultivation techniques were displayed.

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 picked a few books with relatively basic titles—"Blood Coagulation and Body Tempering Technique," "Detailed Explanation of the Blade Breaking Technique," and "Shadow Steps."

Zhou Yuxuan flipped through them briefly and noticed that most of these cultivation techniques emphasized the use of blood crystals 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 Coins 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, Livy 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 take his 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 in the light of Daylight for too long, your mind will gradually be lost, and you will eventually fall into monsters.”

"Every thirty night cycles, the daytime will turn into a blood-red day. At that time, the light will be tinged with blood, and the madness effect after being exposed to it will be drastically amplified. The monsters will also fall into complete berserk rage and become extremely aggressive."

Nova added, "Based on pieced-together information, the so-called Blood Sun warning 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 the 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 a blood-red sun, for a long time. They will gradually lose their reason, and their bodies will undergo irreversible mutations, eventually turning into "monsters" who only know how to kill and devour.

And the strange creatures are not simply wild beasts.

They are the products of the degeneration of humans and 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 it also becomes increasingly insane and bizarre.

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

"I see. This is the truth behind the people here being nocturnal, and the cruel law of survival in this world." Zhou Yuxuan put down his book and sighed softly. After understanding the background, Zhou Yuxuan recalled that when he fought those monsters before, their eyes were not only filled with violence, but also seemed to hide deep pain and madness. In particular, the humanoid monsters he killed showed expressions of relief when they died.

Zhou Yuxuan sighed inwardly, then unfolded the "Overview Map of Heng 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 Heng 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.

Chitie City is located on the eastern edge of Heng 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 Heng Kingdom alone far exceeds that of a single continent on our Blue Star."

Zhou Yuxuan pointed to the location of Crimson Iron City on the map, his brows furrowed, and whispered to Li Wei and Nova beside him, "Have you noticed that, based on the observations and energy scans during the day, the population of Crimson 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 became solemn: "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 no more than this. The cultivation system of this world may have some special aspects that we do not understand."

Nova pointed to the basic cultivation manuals that Zhou Yuxuan had bought back: "Their power system seems to be closely related to blood crystals and fighting madness. This may be an important research direction."

Zhou Yuxuan nodded, temporarily suppressing his doubts.

He picked up the "Detailed Map of the Hematite Area" and carefully examined the location of the camp.

His brows furrowed quickly.

On the map, the basin where their East Peak camp was located and a large area around it were clearly outlined in dark red paint, with a shocking skull symbol next to it, and the words "Pale Forbidden Land" marked in bold next to it.

“The Pale Forbidden Land,” Zhou Yuxuan muttered to himself. He immediately recalled the conversation he had overheard among the Crimson Iron City soldiers. He then quickly searched through the “Chronicles of Crimson Iron City” and found a brief description of the “Pale Forbidden Land”:
"A thousand miles east of the city lies the Pale Forbidden Land, an ancient subsidence zone. Blood has accumulated there, strange creatures have sprung up, kings have appeared one after another, and even emperors have appeared, making it an extremely dangerous place."

"In the subsidence zone, kings continue to emerge, and even emperors are appearing in the shadows." Zhou Yuxuan read this passage, and the corner of his mouth twitched 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 after seeing 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 keeps the people of Crimson Iron City away from it, which in turn provides cover for our initial establishment. Let's not discuss that for now and first scan the information in 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 the 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", "Heng Kingdom Territory", "Pale Forbidden Land" and "Abnormal Star Core 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 Akagi City was in full swing, with faint sounds of noise drifting in, a stark contrast to the quiet and efficient work 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 quiet 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 still hides 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 leader 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 very ominous place here. Crimson Iron City is uneasy about the disappearance of the monsters and has sent a reconnaissance team to the direction of the forbidden land. We suggest that the camp make preparations in advance."

"clear."

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

An invisible stream of information pierced through the inn's walls and silently traveled towards the Pale Forbidden Land, towards the location of the East Peak Camp.

After sending the message, Zhou Yuxuan did not rest. He sat back down at the table, picked up the book "Blood Coagulation and Body Tempering Technique," and began to read it carefully in 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 browsing 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.

“Crazy, bizarre, 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 cores".

"In this environment of relatively limited information and seemingly scarce resources, an average city can produce three Star Core-level beings."

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, has something unique that we haven't yet understood."

They had already experienced firsthand the "madness" and "strangeness" of the passion when they first landed.

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 falling 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 want to avoid it. I want to see for myself what's so special about this Blood Sun."

As Lin Yi pondered, he issued several instructions:

"Xuanji, use the energy printer to expedite the production of fifty sets of clothing and matching simple decoys that conform to the local style, and distribute them to the outer patrol team."

"Order all perimeter patrol teams to wear native camouflage while on duty, effective immediately. If native scouts are spotted approaching the core area of ​​the camp, do not attack proactively, but display a star core-level aura to deter and drive them away. To the outside world, we will adopt the unified narrative of 'Dongfeng Society,' residing here temporarily and not wishing to be disturbed."

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

"The Pale Forbidden Land is vast, bordering multiple countries, and its power structures are complex. A mysterious force with many Star Core-level experts that suddenly appeared after the anomaly in the Forbidden Land is enough to make any nearby explorers wary and dare not act rashly."

"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.

(End of this chapter)