44: Chapter 44 Interrogation

The moment they passed through the hazy spatial light curtain of the secret realm, the surrounding atmosphere changed abruptly.

Behind them, the secret realm was filled with lush greenery and swirling spiritual energy, but before them, a cool night breeze rushed to meet them, carrying the cold, hard scent of mechanical metal.

Mo Yufei's footsteps faltered, and he froze in place.

The night sky shrouded the earth, and on the flat land in the distance, a magnificent and vast cyber city rose from the ground.

Towering buildings stacked layer upon layer, their facades shimmering with neon purple, electric blue, and fluorescent green light strips. Intersecting hover lanes were traversed by silently gliding aircraft, and giant holographic advertisements in the air cast flowing light, staining the entire night sky with dazzling, hazy colors.

Metal mega-structures stood like a forest, with suspended pipes and energy cables covering the sky like a spiderweb. The streetlights stretched out in a continuous expanse, and the cold sense of technology, mixed with a unique bustling yet alienated atmosphere, washed over them.

Xiao Hei pricked up its ears, quietly watching the direction of that iridescent city, its eyes full of curiosity about the unknown.

Beside him, the Wind Blade Parrot, Benboerba, also stopped preening its feathers, flapped its wings, tilted its head to look at the brilliant neon lights in the distance, and let out a few low, chirping sounds.

Mo Yufei stared blankly at this cyber city under the night sky, his heart filled with shock and disbelief.

He had originally thought that stepping out of the secret realm would only reveal a desolate, ruined wasteland of The Apocalypse covered in yellow sand, but he never expected to find such a massive city that integrated technology, neon lights, and a sense of the future.

The vicissitudes of ancient calamities blended with advanced cyber technology, creating a visually striking scene.

Wang Chen stopped, turned his head to look at the stunned Mo Yufei, and said in a calm tone, "This is the outside world, one of the core main cities, Tieyuan City."

Mo Yufei gazed at the neon lights filling the city, his thoughts surging.

The stark contrast between the secret realm and the bustling, cold cyber city left him momentarily speechless, and he truly felt the unique nature of this world, where ancient calamities and cutting-edge technology coexisted.

The shock of stepping out of the secret realm's light curtain had not yet dissipated. Mo Yufei's gaze remained fixed on the iridescent outline of the cyber city in the distance, the neon lights reflecting in his eyes, weaving together curiosity and bewilderment.

Xiao Hei pricked up its ears, its nose twitching gently as it sniffed the vastly different atmosphere of the outside world. Beside him, Benboerba flapped its colorful wings, landed on Mo Yufei's arm, and tilted its head to stare at the hovering aircraft passing through the air.

"Boss, that's the kind of car that almost hit me just now!"

Wang Chen stepped steadily, reached out to gently pull Mo Yufei, and whispered a reminder, "Follow me, don't look around. There are always guards near the secret realm exit; be cautious."

Mo Yufei immediately collected his thoughts, gripped the energy crystal in his hand, and followed closely by Wang Chen's side, not daring to be distracted for even a moment.

But just as the two of them, the dog, and the Parrot had walked a hundred meters along the gravel road of the wasteland, two blinding white lights suddenly shone in the dim night ahead. Two figures wearing dark, standard-issue armor suddenly stood up from behind the cover on the side of the road, blocking their path.

The armor of the two guards was made of a special material, emitting a cold, hard, matte metallic luster. Pale blue energy indicator lights were embedded in their shoulder armor, energy daggers were tucked at their waists, and they held half-person-high energy detection guns. The muzzles were pointed directly at Wang Chen and Mo Yufei, and their bodies exuded an aura of stern vigilance; one look and it was clear they were elites who had been stationed here for years.

"Stop! This is a controlled area of the secret realm exit; unauthorized passage is prohibited!"

The leader of the guards spoke in a cold, hard voice, with a commanding tone.

The other person raised his hand to activate the detector in his hand. A pale green scanning beam instantly swept over the two of them, along with Xiao Hei and Benboerba, and the detector emitted a faint beeping sound.

Mo Yufei's heart tightened, and he subconsciously shrank back. Xiao Hei on his shoulder immediately tensed its body, a low whimper emitting from its throat, its fur slightly bristling, but it did not bark wildly. Clearly, the opponents only possessed the sternness of duty and had no malicious intent.

Benboba also instantly quieted down, pressing tightly against Mo Yufei's arm, its small eyes vigilantly staring at the two guards.

Wang Chen's expression was calm, without the slightest panic. He raised his hand to signal Mo Yufei to be at ease, then took out a silver token engraved with special patterns from his bosom.

Embedded in the center of the badge was a tiny blue crystal, which glowed faintly in the night; it was the exclusive identity mark of a researcher from Xing Shu Academy.

He handed the badge to the guards, his voice steady and clear.

"You two have had a hard shift. I am Wang Chen, a researcher at the Energy and Secret Realm Space Laboratory of Xing Shu Academy. I hold a special secret realm exploration permit from the academy, and I have come here specifically to survey the energy fluctuations of this secret realm."

The lead guard took the badge and scanned it with his portable identity verification device. Wang Chen's researcher information immediately popped up on the screen. The guard's expression softened instantly, and his hand holding the energy gun lowered slightly.

Xing Shu Academy held a revered status in this region, and the status of its researchers carried far more weight than that of ordinary field personnel.

"So it is a researcher from Xing Shu Academy. My apologies."

The guard cupped his hands in a salute, then his gaze fell on Mo Yufei, filled with confusion. "But why are this person and these two exotic beasts coming out from the depths of the secret realm with you? Our registration records do not indicate any other accompanying personnel."

Wang Chen followed the guard's gaze to look at Mo Yufei. His tone slowed as he concocted a reasonable explanation, which both explained his background and avoided unnecessary trouble.

"This is Mo Yufei. He is not an outsider, but a native of this secret realm."

"According to ancient records of the secret realm and my on-site surveys, this place was once an ancient settlement. When the calamity descended, some of the ancestors fell into an energy slumber, escaping the catastrophe."

"The opening of the secret realm this time triggered energy fluctuations that woke him up. He has only just awakened and is completely ignorant of everything in the outside world; he is not an unauthorized intruder."

He paused, then added, "I discovered him while exploring the secret realm. Seeing that he was alone and that the outside world is fraught with danger, I decided to take him out of the secret realm and bring him back to Tieyuan City first."

"On one hand, this is for basic identity verification, and on the other, I can obtain more research information about the ancient secret realm from him. This is crucial for us to analyze the history of the calamity and study the energy of the secret realm."

The guards exchanged glances and then looked at Mo Yufei.

Mo Yufei's eyes were filled with unfamiliarity and confusion about the outside world, not at all like someone who had been wandering in The Apocalypse for years. The spirit dog and Parrot beside him were also docile and well-behaved, without a trace of aggression, truly looking like someone who had lived in the secret realm for a long time and had just awakened.

Coupled with Wang Chen's status as a researcher from Xing Shu Academy, the guards no longer harbored any doubts, put away their verification devices, and nodded.

"Since it is a matter of research for Xing Shu Academy and he is a native who has awakened from the secret realm, no additional verification is needed."

"However, be careful on the way into the city; there have been scattered marauders wandering around recently. Take care, both of you."

After speaking, the two stepped aside to clear the way and gestured for them to proceed.

Wang Chen nodded slightly in thanks, turned to look at Mo Yufei, signaled him to be at ease with his eyes, and then said softly, "Let's go, let's get to Tieyuan City as soon as possible."

Mo Yufei let out a sigh of relief. Xiao Hei and Benboerba on his shoulder followed along, keeping close behind Wang Chen as they walked toward the iridescent Tieyuan City in the distance. His previous tension gradually subsided.