Chapter 155: Whistle Blowing Loudly

"Return our compatriots!""—Return our compatriots!""Reclaim the Seven Districts!""—Reclaim the Seven Districts!""Return our compatriots!""—Return our compatriots...""Three hundred thousand civilians in the Seven Districts! All died in the Gray Realm due to Aurora City's inaction! Today they abandoned the Seven Districts; tomorrow they might abandon us!""Vice Chief of Enforcers, Tan Xin! Deliberately concealed news of the Seven Districts' demise! Stood by as three hundred thousand compatriots perished! This is an act of utter cowardice! A cold-blooded, heartless traitor to humanity!""Today! I demand he give us! Give the three hundred thousand compatriots of the Seven Districts an explanation!!!""Return our compatriots!""Reclaim the Seven Districts!!!""—Return our compatriots..."

Leading the crowd were a group of youths, carrying flags on which the words "300,000" were etched in blood. They roared, veins bulging in their necks. Incited by them, the crowd behind also became agitated, waving their fists and shouting along, their voices echoing to the sky. The anger and shouts of the crowd were framed in the viewfinder. As the reporter pressed the shutter, a spark flashed above the camera, freezing the scene onto the film.

"I still can't believe they've become so indifferent to human lives," an Aurora City resident standing beside the reporter said, earnestly expressing his views. "The Seven Districts are the industrial heartland of the Aurora Domain, home to hundreds of thousands of busy, hardworking people. With their blood and sweat, they've propelled Aurora City forward...""But now, Aurora City has quietly abandoned them all. Though I don't understand the Gray Realm, this is simply too cold-blooded. Humanity is a collective, isn't it? We should help each other, not push our compatriots to their deaths at a critical moment."

The surrounding streets were already in chaos. Atop a nearby brown building, two figures overlooked the scene.

"How ironic..." Bai Ye rested his head on one hand, leaning languidly against the railing. A pair of silver, serpentine earrings swayed gently in the sunlight. "The very people Aurora City sacrificed the Seven Districts to protect are now turning around and accusing Aurora City of being cold-blooded and cowardly... Don't they realize they are the ultimate beneficiaries of all this?"

"Not everyone has the chance to see the full picture. They are angry out of pity for their compatriots, and I don't see anything wrong with that," Chu Muyun, wearing a white lab coat with his hands in his pockets, said blandly. "Humans are inherently emotional creatures... a little deliberate guidance can easily sway them. There must be someone fanning the flames behind this."

"You know, people in these domains are truly boring, squabbling back and forth without distinguishing right from wrong... If that's the case, why not all join the Twilight Society and embrace the world's reboot?" Bai Ye yawned. "Once everything resets to zero, all problems will be solved easily."

"...It's precisely because most people in the Twilight Society think like you that others consider us insane." Chu Muyun adjusted his glasses.

"What? Is our Dr. Chu trying to act normal now?" Bai Ye chuckled softly.

Chu Muyun was silent.

"Speaking of which, it's been twenty hours, and that kid still hasn't entered the city..." Bai Ye turned his head, gazing at the tall city walls and the tightly closed gate in the distance, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Didn't you say he would definitely make it?" Chu Muyun said unhurriedly. "Now you're starting to panic? Afraid of being blamed by the Red King?"

"Panic? What would I panic about? At most, I'll take a trip outside the city and bring him back."

"After all this time, how are you sure he's still alive?"

"If he's dead, do you think Aurora City would still be safe and sound?"

"...You're right." Bai Ye watched the bustling crowd below, but couldn't settle his mind. He let out a long sigh, then stood up and walked towards the city gate. "Alright, I admit I'm a little panicked... I'll go myself."

"Perhaps there's no need." Bai Ye stopped.

A cold wind surged from outside Aurora City, fluttering their clothes. Chu Muyun pushed up his glasses, his cerulean eyes glowing mysteriously, and he slowly spoke, "Didn't you hear it, the roaring whistle from the Gray Realm?"

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Beneath the lead-gray sky, a steam-roaring train was rushing forward! Perhaps the steel wheels disturbed the sea beneath the ice plain; countless dark shadows began to surface, and dense ripples spread across the ice, like thousands of invisible flowers blooming in unison! Eels covered in runes leaped wildly from the reflections, chasing the train. From a distance, they looked like a black tide surging forward alongside the speeding carriages.

One after another, the runic eels were sucked under the rapidly moving train, transforming into rolling flames that enveloped the wheels. The scorching heat licked the underside of the carriages, causing the huddled civilians inside to spring up in terror, their frightened cries continuous. They looked out the windows at the utterly alien world and the madly pursuing runic eels, the despair in their eyes deepening.

"It's over... We're definitely dead this time.""It's so hot, really hot. I feel like the whole carriage is about to melt!""At this rate, the train will surely be caught... Haha, we won't even reach Aurora City.""Daddy, I'm scared..."

Amid countless terrified voices, the train's speed did not falter. It continued to race forward like a black arrow of steel, cutting through the shimmering reflection of the sea.

The last few carriages, scorched by the continuous high temperature, had begun to deform. The train, originally moving straight, now swayed uncontrollably from side to side. In the control cabin at the front, Zhao Yi was drenched in sweat.

"No good... The train can't hold on much longer!"

Chen Ling's body blurred, and he instantly appeared on the roof of the train. He raised his gun and fired repeatedly at the surging swarm of runic eels behind them, his power of deconstruction continuously tearing open gaps, but it had little effect against their terrifying numbers. He looked back at the train's direction of travel. In the reflection at the end of the ice plain, the outline of Aurora City seemed to be already discernible...

"Keep going!" Chen Ling said without hesitation. "Break through ahead, and it's Aurora City!"

Zhao Yi gritted his teeth, and his hand, gripped firmly by the withered hand, pushed forward frantically. The train accelerated again with a harsh hum, carrying the rolling tide of runes behind it, desperately approaching the reflection!

BZZZZZZZ—!!!

The roar of steam echoed across the sky. Just as the eels completely melted the last carriage, the train smashed through the Gray Realm's boundary, vanishing instantly from its spot. When it reappeared, it was on the windswept, frozen tundra! The surging tide of eels behind them did not stop there; instead, they burst out of the Gray Realm right after, as if fixated on the train, still in close pursuit!

As the magnificent, massive city wall appeared on the horizon, Chen Ling, in a blood-red coat, stood at the very front amidst the fierce wind, a slight smile playing on his lips... He bent down, his fingertips lightly brushing the cold front of the train, and murmured:

"The show... begins."