Chapter 6 Survivor
Sun City
Eastern Gate
By afternoon, half of Sun City had gathered near the eastern gate.
Merchants.
Cultivators.
Curious civilians.
Everyone wanted to see the hunter who returned alive from the eastern forest.
Unfortunatelyā
Sun City citizens loved danger almost as much as gossip.
Xu Yuan stood near the back of the crowd while lazily holding roasted meat in one hand.
Beside him, Lin Hao looked visibly nervous.
"You're eating at a time like this?"
Xu Yuan looked confused.
"Fear increases hunger."
"That's absolutely fake."
Nearby guards continuously pushed civilians backward.
"Move back!"
"Stop crowding the gate!"
"Make space!"
The atmosphere felt far more tense than usual.
Even several city cultivators had arrived already.
Xia Yu quietly walked over beside Xu Yuan afterward.
As usualā
many people nearby immediately looked toward her unconsciously.
Xu Yuan noticed again.
And once againā
he felt this world was extremely unreasonable.
"What's happening inside?" Xia Yu asked calmly.
Lin Hao answered first.
"The survivor apparently lost his mind."
Xu Yuan swallowed his food before speaking.
"That's encouraging."
"You're still eatingā¦"
"I paid for this already."
Several moments laterā
the crowd ahead suddenly became noisy.
"He's awake!"
"The hunter woke up!"
"Move aside!"
The large crowd immediately shifted toward the front gates.
Xu Yuan sighed.
"Humans truly enjoy dangerous situations."
Then he still walked closer anyway.
Inside the guarded area near the gate entranceā
a wounded middle-aged hunter sat against a wooden cart while trembling violently.
His clothes were covered in dried mud and blood.
More importantlyā
his eyes looked completely terrified.
Like someone who had seen something impossible.
A city guard crouched beside him.
"What attacked your team?"
The hunter remained silent.
Breathing heavily.
Sweating.
Then suddenlyā
his pupils shook violently.
"Eyesā¦"
The surrounding crowd instantly became quieter.
The hunter's voice trembled.
"Red eyes inside the forestā¦"
Several nearby civilians immediately stepped backward nervously.
The hunter continued mumbling almost unconsciously.
"They watched usā¦"
"From the treesā¦"
"From undergroundā¦"
"From everywhereā¦"
Xu Yuan's expression slowly became thoughtful.
This no longer sounded like ordinary spirit beasts.
The city guard immediately continued questioning him.
"What attacked the caravan?"
The hunter suddenly froze completely.
Thenā
very slowlyā
he lifted one shaking finger toward the eastern mountains outside the city.
"There'sā¦ something alive beneath the forestā¦"
Silence instantly spread across the entire area.
Even nearby cultivators frowned seriously now.
Then suddenlyā
the hunter screamed.
"DON'T LOOK AT THE LIGHTS!"
BOOOOM!
Spiritual energy exploded wildly from his body while several nearby guards instantly restrained him.
The crowd panicked immediately afterward.
People quickly retreated while shouting erupted everywhere.
Xu Yuan calmly stepped backward before the chaos reached him.
Lin Hao almost grabbed his arm.
"We should leave."
"That's probably smart."
For onceā
even Xu Yuan agreed immediately.
As the three quietly moved away from the eastern gateā
the atmosphere throughout Sun City already felt different.
Not chaotic yet.
But no longer relaxed either.
People spoke more quietly now.
Several shops even started closing earlier than normal.
Fear spread faster than rumors.
"You think the hunter was telling the truth?" Lin Hao asked nervously.
Xu Yuan thought briefly.
"Partially."
"What does that mean?"
"Terrified people exaggerate things."
Lin Hao looked relieved briefly.
Then Xu Yuan calmly added:
"But fear usually comes from something real first."
"ā¦You really enjoy ruining my mood."
Xia Yu quietly walked beside him while the noisy streets slowly passed around them.
Then suddenlyā
she stopped walking.
Xu Yuan immediately noticed.
"What is it?"
Xia Yu silently looked toward the distant eastern mountains.
Her silver eyes narrowed slightly.
"ā¦Did you feel that?"
Lin Hao immediately panicked.
"Feel what?"
For several seconds, Xia Yu remained silent.
Then quietly answered:
"Spiritual fluctuation."
Xu Yuan's relaxed expression faded slightly again.
Because this timeā
he felt it too.
Very faint.
Like something briefly pulsed beneath the earth far away.
Then disappeared completely.