New chapter 27

# Chapter 27 — The Laugh Behind the Gate

# Sun City — Eastern Defensive Line

The sound of laughter echoed from inside the crimson gate.

Ancient.

Heavy.

Inhuman.

And the moment it spread across the mountains—

every cultivator in Sun City felt chills run through their bodies.

---

CRAAAAACK…

Another black chain snapped beneath the eastern mountains.

The giant crimson eye above the sky pulsed once afterward while crimson mist flooded deeper into the eastern forest.

The corruption was spreading faster.

---

Xu Yuan stood atop the rebuilt eastern barricade while staring toward the distant gate silently.

The laughter still echoed faintly inside his mind.

Not through sound.

Through his soul.

---

Beside him—

Lin Hao wrapped himself tightly in a cloak while muttering nervously:

“I officially hate mountains now.”

Xu Yuan calmly answered:

“That feels geographically inconvenient.”

“We can move somewhere flat.”

“Then something underground appears.”

Lin Hao went silent briefly.

“…You know what, fair.”

---

Nearby cultivators repaired damaged formation pillars while guards carried supplies across the defensive lines continuously.

Nobody slept much anymore.

Every few hours:

* corrupted creatures attacked,

* formations weakened,

* or the gate reacted again.

Sun City slowly looked more like a battlefield than a city.

---

Meanwhile—

Xu Yuan continued seeing the crimson threads everywhere.

The ability never fully disappeared now.

Sometimes the threads weakened.

Sometimes they intensified.

But the one connected to him—

grew thicker every day.

---

And worse—

the giant eye kept watching him.

---

Suddenly—

a younger Xu Family disciple rushed toward the barricade.

“Eastern scouts returned!”

Nearby cultivators immediately gathered.

Several wounded scouts were quickly brought into the defensive area while healers treated injuries urgently.

Their expressions looked pale.

Terrified.

---

Third Elder Xu Jian stepped forward immediately.

“What did you find?”

One scout swallowed heavily before answering.

“The eastern forest is gone.”

Silence spread instantly.

---

“What do you mean gone?”

The scout’s voice trembled slightly.

“It’s becoming crystal.”

---

Several elders frowned deeply.

The scout continued quickly.

“Trees… mountains… spirit beasts…”

“Everything touched by the mist slowly transforms into black crystal.”

---

Xu Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Black crystal again.

The same crystal from:

* his visions,

* underground ruins,

* and the corrupted creatures.

---

Another scout spoke weakly while healers treated his arm.

“We also found ancient ruins beneath the forest…”

Everyone immediately focused.

---

The scout continued:

“There are massive tunnels underground.”

“And formations older than Sun City itself.”

One elder’s expression darkened.

“So the old records were real…”

---

Then suddenly—

the wounded scout froze.

His eyes widened violently.

---

Xu Yuan instantly saw it.

A crimson thread connected to the scout suddenly darkened rapidly.

---

“Move away from him!”

But too late.

---

BOOOOM!

Corrupted spiritual energy exploded from the scout’s body violently.

Black crystal spread across his skin instantly while crimson eyes opened beneath cracked flesh.

Nearby cultivators immediately attacked.

---

SHING!

Silver light flashed past instantly.

Xia Yu’s attack pierced directly through the corrupted scout’s chest before the transformation fully completed.

The body collapsed silently afterward.

---

The entire defensive line became quiet.

Several cultivators looked disturbed.

Because everyone recognized the scout.

He had survived yesterday.

Only to die here.

---

Lin Hao quietly muttered:

“…This city keeps getting worse.”

Xu Yuan slowly nodded.

Because the corruption no longer needed direct contact.

Now—

it spread silently.

---

The Observe ability activated automatically again.

---

> Corruption Mutation Increasing

>

> Soul contamination detected

>

> Warning:

>

> Ancient influence spreading

---

Xu Yuan rubbed his forehead lightly.

The system truly enjoyed delivering terrible news.

---

Meanwhile—

the elders continued discussing urgently.

“If corruption spreads through spiritual energy itself…”

“We can’t contain it forever.”

“Nearby cities must be warned immediately.”

---

Zhao Tianhe finally spoke coldly:

“They already know.”

Everyone looked toward him.

The city lord stared toward the eastern mountains silently.

“None have responded.”

Silence followed instantly afterward.

---

Lin Hao sighed deeply beside Xu Yuan.

“So we’ve been abandoned.”

Xu Yuan answered calmly:

“That does sound politically accurate.”

---

Even several nearby guards laughed bitterly at that.

Not because it was funny.

Because everyone already suspected it.

---

Then suddenly—

the giant crimson eye above the mountains moved again.

Slowly.

Its gaze shifted across Sun City before stopping once more on Xu Yuan and Xia Yu.

---

BOOOOOOM!

The resonance between them instantly reacted violently.

Silver and black spiritual energy flickered around their bodies simultaneously.

Nearby cultivators stepped backward immediately.

---

Xu Yuan clenched his fists tightly.

The pulling sensation returned stronger than before.

It almost felt like the eye wanted to drag something from inside him.

---

Then—

the cold ancient voice echoed again.

> “The pair stabilizes the fragment…”

Immediately afterward—

the softer female voice whispered urgently:

> “Hide your soul…”

---

Xu Yuan’s vision suddenly blurred.

Dark endless ruins appeared around him once more.

This time—

he stood closer to the massive sealed black sphere at the center.

Ancient chains wrapped around it endlessly while crimson eyes opened across its surface slowly.

Watching him.

---

Then—

the system screen appeared again.

---

> System initialization: 17%

>

> Hidden authority detected

>

> First mission available soon

---

Xu Yuan frowned slightly.

Mission?

That sounded dangerous already.

---

Before he could think further—

the black sphere suddenly pulsed.

BOOOOM.

And for one brief moment—

Xu Yuan saw countless figures kneeling beneath it.

Ancient cultivators.

Monsters.

Even enormous chained entities.

All bowing toward the sphere silently.

---

Then—

two enormous crimson eyes opened fully within the darkness.

And directly looked at him.

---

Xu Yuan instantly returned to reality breathing heavily.

The eastern barricade remained chaotic around him.

But something had changed.

---

Far beyond the mountains—

the gate had opened slightly wider again.

And from within the darkness—

a massive silhouette slowly began walking outward.