Chapter 723: The Onset of the Red Moons

Ugh…

The oppressive, piercing alarm suddenly echoed through every street and alley of Qinggang Main City and the five Satellite Cities.

A trio of Red Moons appeared in the sky over Qinggang, instantly imposing immense mental pressure on everyone.

At first, a massive surge of mental power began descending from the heavens, as if intent on purging every mind in Qinggang – but in less than a second, an invisible force intercepted it.

The raw mental power never actually landed in Qinggang City.

Still, the appearance of the trio of Red Moons delivered an enormous blow to the spirit.

An indescribable weight of oppression flooded hearts, nearly driving people to forsake everything and spiral into madness.

Years of drills and emergency shelter protocols kept Qinggang’s order intact; as alarms rattled souls, residents surged toward the shelters.

“Everyone, immediately head to the shelters.”

“Keep your head down; don’t look directly at the eyes in the sky. Go straight to your shelter…”

“If you can’t make it in time, enter any nearby building, cover your eyes and ears; don’t look or listen…”

“…”

At the same time, Qinggang’s Security Halls and Fire Departments mobilized, driving vehicles and blaring megaphones.

Clad in uniform, the Special Pollution Support Teams – strategically posted throughout key areas – rushed out. Some maintained order and cleared the streets, while others immediately began emergency assessments.

“They’ve finally arrived…”

Meanwhile, able users began appearing in both the Main City and the Satellite Cities.

A Drunkard emerged in Satellite City No. 4.

The Watchdog made an appearance in Satellite City No. 1.

The Red Serpent showed up in Satellite City No. 3.

The Godly Woman appeared in Satellite City No. 4.

Additionally, other ability users – such as Luohan and Xionghai – who had long been prepared, emerged in Satellite City No. 5 and Satellite City No. 6, the latter built by Sea Country immigrants and clearly less fortified.

They all treated the situation as a grave threat. With solemn expressions, they equipped themselves with parasitic items to boost their strength, changed into their most combat-ready protective suits, or clutched statues of Guan Gong for blessings. Guided by intel specialists and shared information across channels, they converged on designated locations, bracing for any imminent assault…

Atop an unfinished high-rise next to the Special Pollution Cleanup Bureau Department in Qinggang Main City, Doll had already arrived.

In fact, she was among the very first to appear.

She had arrived the very moment the trio of Red Moons appeared in the sky.

Facing the celestial triad, she gently opened her umbrella.

For countless Qinggang citizens, an image of a beautiful, elfin figure flashed through their minds.

Of course, not everyone perceived her as merely an elf.

In the mid-to-late phase of the Heavenly Kingdom Plan – especially after mysterious eyes were spotted in the sky, their potential threat uncertain – Qinggang had actively propagated Doll’s influence. Many residents had seen her without even knowing the name “Doll.”

Some caught a glimpse of her while watching TV.

On television, a strikingly beautiful girl – who appeared to lack any acting flair – was seen eating sticky rice balls.

Truly exceptional…

Other ads at least had some performance value – even if they skipped holiday themes, they’d at least praise the food.

But she did not. She simply sat there eating, never once shifting her gaze to the camera.

Yet every Qinggang resident who saw the ad remembered her face vividly.

“What a fantastic ad.”

Who needs any acting?

A girl this beautiful doesn’t require performances.

I just want to know when they’ll replay that ad!

“…”

The ad aired only once before mysteriously vanishing, though sticky rice ball sales skyrocketed in the following days.

Sales kept climbing until the Special Cleaning Department acquired the brand.

This ad was merely one experiment by the Special Cleaning Department.

There were more experiments in store.

For instance, someone inadvertently spotted a little girl quietly sitting in a plaza under an umbrella.

Others caught sight of a massive, mesmerizing poster.

And some had long heard rumors that an ethereal beauty had appeared in Qinggang – even allegedly dating an ordinary man…

A series of astonishing moves meant almost every Qinggang resident had seen Doll at least once, though many were unaware of it. Consequently, the cumulative mental energy from all these events gradually began to venerate her…

“…worshipping her.”

Earlier, while Lu Xin was driving a truck to buy groceries, he noticed a stall featuring a deity statue dedicated to Doll.

Although the name varied – some called her the Bodhisattva, others the Elf, and still others the Virgin Mary…

Some even claimed it was the Great Sage, Sun Wukong, in disguise…

…Lu Xin ended up buying a Sun Wukong figure and placed it on the Old Security Guard’s desk.

“…”

The moment the Red Moons appeared, Qinggang residents instinctively recalled Doll.

In reality, her depictions were wildly diverse, making comparisons nearly impossible.

But on a mental level, they all pointed to that one girl.

Thus, almost imperceptibly, a faint yet immensely potent collective mental force gathered over Qinggang, and as Doll opened her umbrella, it held that force at bay…

If described from an individual’s perspective,

the sudden appearance of the trio of Red Moons filled one with intense fear and tension.

Yet almost immediately, thoughts of Doll took over, banishing the panic.

Take, for example, a couple in a serious breakup argument – suddenly, one recalls a joke.

Unable to hold back, they burst into a light chuckle.

“…”

“…”

“Report the detailed situation!”

Simultaneously, next to the building where Doll was located, high-ranking members of the Special Cleaning Department – including Professor Bai and Mr. Su – convened an emergency meeting. On a massive screen, Minister Shen appeared grim as the TV’s volume roared, delivering a hundred-decibel effect.

“It’s those eyes in the sky.”

An intel specialist’s voice broke into the meeting room urgently, “We’ve detected those eyes opening again.”

“Don’t say it – once there are eyes, they always watch!”

“Yes, just as before, those eyes impose immense mental pressure on Qinggang.”

“But unlike previous times, they have now remained open for ten minutes and forty-two seconds…”

“And that has thrown large crowds into panic. Besides mental strain, no other forms of contamination or danger have been detected so far. Doll was deployed immediately to help Qinggang withstand the pressure…”

“…”

“I have a question.”

After the first report concluded, the voice of the second intel officer – that of Chen Jing – came through, anxious as she said, “Outside Satellite City No. 2, we’ve detected a massive gathering of mental energy. Analysis of its nature and radiation wavelength by our monitoring team suggests it is likely the Midnight Tribunal force, classified as an S-level contamination incident by the Moon Eclipse Research Institute…”

“Originally, Doll was in Qinggang, and her mental energy radiated across seven cities, preventing intrusions into the High Wall.”

“But after those eyes in the sky opened, Doll’s focus was largely diverted, leaving little capacity for vigilance.”

“They’ve already infiltrated Satellite City No. 2…”

“…”

“Whoosh!”

After Chen Jing’s report, Mr. Su and Minister Shen simultaneously turned their gaze to Professor Bai.

“It’s the Trial!”

Professor Bai murmured, “Earlier, the Single Soldier shared details about the Midnight Tribunal’s contamination – namely, the Trial. This mental pollution occurs every time an enforcer executes the Trial, creating a powerful local contamination. In the Alliance’s twelve High-wall Cities, apart from Central City and our Qinggang, most have been affected to some degree.”

“They couldn’t breach Qinggang earlier because Doll was watching; they dared not force their way in.”

“But now, they have a chance…”

“Taking advantage of Doll’s struggle with those eyes, they’re infiltrating Qinggang to execute the Trial…”

“…”

As his analysis unfolded, everyone in the meeting felt their hearts sink.

“What the hell is this Trial?”

Suddenly, a booming voice resounded as Minister Shen slammed the table and roared, “This is nothing short of an invasion!”

“This is a classic case of a mental monster invading Qinggang!”

“…”

He glared fiercely at the screen and shouted, “I want the Special Cleaning Department and the City Defense Department to work together immediately. Get all citizens into underground shelters as quickly as possible, and have every department prepare for a major emergency contamination incident. Also, send out distress signals to the Moon Eclipse Research Institute and all our Qinggang allies…”

“…”

“Once all tasks are completed, mobilize every available force to support the Single Soldier in Satellite City No. 2.”

Professor Bai nodded in agreement with Minister Shen’s proposal and added, “We all know the Midnight Tribunal is coming for him.”

“This…”

Someone in the meeting, puzzled, asked, “For someone at the level of the Single Soldier, do we really need to support him?”

“Yes.”

Answering him and others with similar queries was Mr. Su.

He nodded slightly and said, “In terms of ability, the Single Soldier clearly surpasses Qinggang’s level.”

“But legally, he’s just another Qinggang citizen.”

“That Elementary School principal is the same.”