Prosperous Safety Zone

"Big Boss, we've arrived. Just ahead is the Ninth Safe Zone!"

Led by a local guide, Chen Yi and Ye Ancai finally reached the outskirts of this world's human settlement.

Of course, the two could have entered directly—after all, there was nothing on this continent capable of stopping them from bulldozing their way through!

But that would have been too arrogant. They were here to explore, not to destroy. If they scared off the hidden 'Key to the Heavenly Dao of the Divine Realm,' finding it again would be a hassle!

As they approached the Ninth Safe Zone, a refreshing breeze greeted them. The towering defensive walls were faintly lined with greenery, exuding an atmosphere of vitality and thriving life.

Entry into the safe zone was strictly regulated, requiring not only blood tests but also a series of identity verifications to prevent high-level E'Mo—intelligent demonic entities—from infiltrating and causing chaos.

Naturally, none of this posed any challenge for Chen Yi and Ye Ancai.

The two strolled through the security checkpoint as casually as if returning home, while the third-tier superhuman guards remained oblivious to their presence—utterly unaware!

Only Liu Bi and Dai Yuanshan could see them, leaving the pair momentarily stunned before being swiftly apprehended by sharp-eyed guards who suspected they were infected with the E'Mo virus!

Despite their desperate protests, the guards trusted their own eyes like an infallible ruler.

They immediately dragged the two off to the advanced inspection channel for verification.

Meanwhile...

Inside the safe zone, Chen Yi and Ye Ancai felt as if they had truly returned home!

This place was a world apart from the ruins outside!

Clean asphalt roads stretched before them, vehicles powered by special energy sources glided silently past, and bustling streets teemed with people in T-shirts, white shirts, pleated skirts, and floral shorts paired with flip-flops...

An AI server at a milk tea shop beckoned customers with a sweet synthetic voice, while in this highly advanced technological setting, elderly artisans still manned stalls crafting sugar figurines.

Holographic projections shimmered outside subway stations, and people could summon smart operating systems with a mere gesture—playing games, watching movies, or listening to music anytime, anywhere...

Where was the apocalypse in all this? If not for the man-eating E'Mo outside, this could easily be mistaken for a highly developed technological world!

The strange yet familiar sensation left both Chen Yi and Ye Ancai momentarily dazed.

"Ding dong~ Hey there, friends! Why just stand around looking lost? Need any help?"

At that moment, an intelligent trash bin seemed to detect their presence and greeted them with a voice prompt directed at the air.

"Hey, this is kinda fun!" Ye Ancai's interest was piqued. He fished out a useless but top-grade spirit stone from his pocket and stuffed it into the trash bin's "mouth."

"Ding! Thank you for your contribution... Zzzzt—Unable to process. Detected as high-grade energy ore. Please check if you've made a disposal error?"

The smart trash bin shuddered before spitting the spirit stone back out.

"Hah, it won't even take it! Let me see what else it can do..." Ye Ancai grinned, retrieving the spirit stone before tinkering with the bin. Discovering it could connect to the local network, he instantly lit up like a five-thousand-year-old child.

Understandable—before his transmigration to the Moyun Continent (where he'd died from overwork), he'd been a hardcore internet addict. He'd missed this feeling for ages.

The chat groups back home were monotonous, limited to discussions about cultivation. Without gossip columns, forums, or torrent sites, he'd been deprived of the thrill of surfing the web.

Even Chen Yi couldn't resist copying a random passerby's smart terminal to browse through various feeds.

[Hope Forum]

[Pinned Post: "Alert! Updated List of Infected Characteristics"]

[Hot Post 1: "Shocking! What the School Beauty of Superhuman Academy Was Doing Before Awakening!"]

[Hot Post 2: "Anyone Else Hearing That Mysterious Broadcast at 11 PM Every Night?"]

[Hot Post 3: "Looking for Friends? Drop Your Info Below—Love Might Be Just Around the Corner!"]

[...]

Just as Chen Yi and Ye Ancai were engrossed in their browsing...

Liu Bi and Dai Yuanshan, having undergone advanced testing, finally caught up.

"Alright, enough scrolling. Time to get down to business!"

"Okaaay~~"

Chen Yi pocketed the smart terminal without hesitation, while Ye Ancai reluctantly released the trash bin.

Though both could instantly comprehend everything in the world, that was like wolfing down a meal—akin to Zhu Bajie eating the Ginseng Fruit without tasting it. Only by savoring each detail could they truly appreciate the brilliance of netizens' wild ideas, finding them increasingly fascinating.

Still, this was merely seasoning for their mundane lives—a quick indulgence was enough. The real mission took priority!

"Kid, don't worry if you can't remember the tattoo parlor's location. Later, I'll activate your tattoo. Just follow your instincts, got it?" Chen Yi said calmly, eyeing Dai Yuanshan.

"Got it!" Dai Yuanshan nodded solemnly, his eyes flashing with both eagerness and hesitation.

He longed to see that sweet-smelling tattoo artist sister again... but feared what this big boss might do to her.

A dilemma.

But there was no choice.

This big boss had saved both his leader and himself!

Sorry, sweet tattoo sister... my leader comes first. I'm about to betray you...