Thriller Zone: From the Mental Hospital to the Ghostly World

"hiss!"

Chen Ji abruptly pulled his arm away, the pen tip scratching his skin and causing a burning pain.

He gripped the pen, his expression somewhat helpless.

"I didn't put it on!"

The red scarf is a New Year's gift from Liu Zi to Xiao Hou!

Besides, how could a pen possibly wear a scarf...?

Chen Ji touched the scratches on his arm and felt genuinely wronged.

He lowered his head, then glanced at the little monkey with a hint of suspicion, feeling that its furry face...

The corners of his mouth seemed to be slightly upturned.

The pen stopped moving and refused to write another word.

Chen Ji sighed.

"what happened?"

Suddenly, Xu Sandao's voice rang out from the side: "You haven't leveled up?"

He had returned to normal at some point, stretched, and had no expression, his eyes as calm as a lake.

Contrary to Chen Ji's expectations, they were not overjoyed at the opening of the Netherworld.

"Promoted."

Chen Ji shook the pen in his hand.

"Then why is it still looking so dead?" Xu Sandao paused for a moment and poked at his pen.

The pen impatiently flipped itself over.

On the pen, the corroded pits were even more conspicuous thanks to the glow of the waste material, making the whole thing look pitted and uneven.

"...Could you fix it when you have time?"

"If it doesn't work, washing it would be fine too."

Xu Sandao was silent for a few seconds before offering his sincere advice.

Chen Ji nodded silently.

Xu Sandao then briefly explained his experience of opening the Netherworld, which was similar to what he had described before. It was like having a lucid dream, but he was the one who decorated the world in the dream.

Of course, when it's used by others, this dream should become a reality.

The two then started talking about Tuotuo Mountain.

When Lao Yang was mentioned, Xu Sandao's expression became somewhat dazed.

"If we had known earlier... that Tuotuo Mountain would eventually collapse, he might have survived."

"But this time, the domain's guidance is far too misleading."

The domain stated from the beginning that the goal was to collect five pieces of scrap and survive to the end.

Even though both of them had suspected whether there was a sixth piece of scrap, this statement dispelled their suspicions.

Moreover, the phrase "to live to the end" has many ambiguities.

The first thing anyone would think of is surviving from the clutches of a ghost.

But in fact, the most dangerous part is the last piece of scrap.

He killed Lao Yang and almost killed Chen Ji.

"Why... why are we only allowed to collect five pieces this time?"

Chen muttered blankly.

"It was as if they were certain we wouldn't get the sixth piece."

This question can no longer be answered.

Because of the urgency of the situation, Xu Sandao only had time to take Xiaoyu away and didn't have time to find the last piece.

The main body of this piece of waste material may have already fallen into the depths of the earth along with the bodies of Lao Yang and Lili.

Chen Ji's mind was in turmoil.

"Everything about Tuotuo Mountain... always gives me a feeling of destiny."

"It's like we've done a lot of things, but nothing has changed."

Old Yang still died.

To die so suddenly... Fate is unpredictable.

Xu Sandao looked into Chen Ji's eyes and said softly, "At least we rescued the child."

Xiao Yu, who was almost swallowed into the ground, and the baby held protectively in Chen Ji's arms...

Chen Ji remained silent.

He shook his head, and the gloom in his heart was cleared up a little.

A rustling sound came from not far away.

Chen Ji and Xu Sandao were both taken aback!

A few seconds later, a familiar figure appeared from around the corner... It was Chen Yuetan, holding Wusu in his arms!

"Your uncle—"

Xu Sandao's pupils contracted.

Chen Ji was also taken aback. He quickly checked his watch to confirm that the time flow in reality and the domain was the same.

But Chen Yuetan... seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.

In just a few days, his whole demeanor changed; he became unshaven and looked utterly defeated!

"Out."

Chen Yuetan's voice was very hoarse.

It uses a declarative sentence.

"......Um."

Chen Ji responded.

His preconceived notions about meeting his uncle were not like this.

Chen Yuetan will probably ask them where they went and why they suddenly disappeared.

but no.

Instead, it was as if they knew they had entered the domain.

Moreover... he didn't hear any footsteps at all.

This proves that Chen Yuetan was always behind the corner, very close to them.

They might even have witnessed the balloon ghost approaching... yet remained unmoved!

In the end what happened?

Has Chen Yuetan been staying here these past few days?

"January 15, 2025. Afternoon."

Chen Yuetan paused for a moment before murmuring.

"What?" Chen Ji was taken aback. Was he referring to the time they left the domain?

"Let's go."

Chen Yuetan offered no explanation.

He turned around, his back view looking desolate.

"......"

Chen Ji and Xu Sandao looked at each other, both of them confused.

Chen Ji felt an indescribable unease.

They had a feeling that something had suddenly happened to Chen Yuetan during the few days they had been in the domain.

The three walked on in silence.

Inside the dark passage...

After a long silence, Chen Ji cautiously mentioned, "We've entered the domain."

"Ah."

Chen Yuetan showed no reaction.

really.

Chen Ji had confirmed that his uncle didn't just guess; he knew with absolute certainty about their entry into the domain.

"Go through the door... The space there is strange; it's all white, surrounded by a galaxy."

"It is the opposite of Yuhe."

“We touched the river water and entered the domain directly.”

Xu Sandao, seemingly unaccustomed to the somber atmosphere, interjected:

"The space there—"

He was interrupted by Chen Yuetan halfway through his sentence:

"Space and time are all messed up, aren't they?"

Xu Sandao's words came to an abrupt end.

A rare look of confusion appeared in his eyes, and he nudged Chen Ji with his elbow.

"Uncle...how did you know?"

Chen Ji's gaze sharpened.

Chen Yuetan did not answer.

A few seconds later, he sighed heavily:

"Don't go into that river again."

"why?"

Chen Ji immediately pressed for an answer, only to realize a second later that Chen Yuetan had said "later".

"It's not good for you."

Chen Yuetan gave a brief reply and then said no more.

Chen Ji was speechless for a moment.

For some reason, he had a feeling that his uncle was in a state of turmoil.

He couldn't help but wonder if Chen Yuetan had also entered that black gate and touched the Milky Way.

But Chen Yuetan has no hair... so how did he get in?

Each of the three had their own thoughts, and after an unknown amount of time, they finally emerged from the tin mine entrance.

Chen Yuetan squinted, seemingly unaccustomed to the sunlight outside.

After a quick discussion, they confirmed that there was nothing left to explore in the tin mines.

Based on the map obtained from the tin mine, it is known that the Yunnan Grand Tomb has three entrances, located at:

Yunxian County is now closed.

The Gejiu tin mine had a problem; once inside, it led directly to the Milky Way.

There's one last one...

The location is in Mangshi.