《The Apocalypse of Yin and Yang Duality》 The Shattering Classroom In a classroom at New York University, the philosophy professor''s voice was steady and engaging: "Both Eastern and Western philosophy ask the same question¡ªhow does an individual seek order and balance in a chaotic world?" Sitting by the window, Jiang Ye tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, his gaze wandering toward the sky outside. Sunlight streamed through the glass, highlighting his composed yet thoughtful expression. On his notebook, he had sketched out the movements of a Tai Chi sword technique. Since childhood, Jiang Ye had trained in martial arts under his master, honing not only his swordsmanship but also his inner strength. Even amid his busy academic life, he never stopped practicing. "Bro, what are you drawing again?" Tim Wang, his roommate, pushed open the door, balancing a cup of hot coffee as he plopped into the seat beside Jiang Ye. "Aren''t you busy enough already?" Jiang Ye gave a faint smile. "Precision is key to sword techniques. Practicing even in thought keeps the moves sharp." He closed the notebook as he spoke. "You¡¯ve got the patience of a monk," Tim muttered, pulling out his phone. "Have you heard about this? There''s been some weird flu going around in New York. Hospitals are packed." Jiang Ye glanced at the screen Tim held up. The headline read: "New York Flu Outbreak: Emergency Rooms Overwhelmed." The accompanying photo showed crowded hospital hallways, with exhausted doctors and nurses tending to distressed patients. "It¡¯s just the flu. No need to panic," Jiang Ye replied, though a faint unease stirred within him. Years of martial arts training had sharpened his instincts, and his heightened awareness told him something about this flu felt¡­off. As the lecture neared its end, a sudden, piercing scream erupted outside. The students froze, pens and notebooks forgotten as they turned to the windows. On the university''s central lawn, a student lay convulsing on the ground, black fluid dripping from his mouth. Several concerned classmates approached him hesitantly, but in an instant, he sprang up, eyes bloodshot, and tackled the nearest person to the ground. Without hesitation, he sank his teeth into their shoulder. Blood sprayed across the grass as the victim''s agonized cries echoed. "My God! He''s attacking them!" a girl in the class shrieked, breaking the silence. The room burst into chaos. Students shouted and scrambled for the exits, while the professor attempted to restore order. "Stay calm! It''s probably a medical emergency¡ª" His voice was drowned out by the sound of shattering glass and more screams from the hallway. Jiang Ye¡¯s eyes narrowed as he stood abruptly, his body tensing. "Tim, we need to go. Now." "Go where?" Tim stammered, his face pale. "Back to the dorm. I need my equipment," Jiang Ye replied curtly, grabbing his bag and heading for the door. The hallway was a maelstrom of fear and confusion. Students were running in all directions, their faces masks of terror. Near the stairwell, Jiang Ye saw the source of the commotion: several infected individuals, covered in blood, were attacking anyone they could reach. Their movements were jerky yet unnervingly fast, and their strength seemed unnatural.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "Don''t go that way!" Jiang Ye barked, pulling Tim away from the crowd. They darted toward a quieter corridor, avoiding the mob as best they could. Just as they turned a corner, a bloodied figure lunged at them from an adjacent classroom. "Watch out!" Tim yelled, stumbling back. Jiang Ye reacted instantly. His feet shifted, grounding him with perfect balance, and he sidestepped the attacker with fluid precision. Pivoting on his heel, he delivered a sidekick that sent the infected stumbling backward. The kick was controlled yet forceful, a testament to his martial arts training. "That wasn¡¯t human strength," Jiang Ye muttered under his breath. The infected regained its footing and charged again, its bloodshot eyes locked onto him. Grabbing a metal rod from a nearby maintenance cart, Jiang Ye struck with practiced precision. The first blow landed on the infected¡¯s shoulder, but it hardly flinched. The second strike hit its temple with a sickening crunch. The infected paused, then collapsed to the ground, motionless. Tim stared in disbelief. "Dude, that¡­that was amazing. Have you been secretly training for the apocalypse?" Jiang Ye didn¡¯t respond. His grip on the rod tightened as he focused on calming his inner energy, steadying his breathing. These things weren¡¯t human anymore, but killing them still left an unpleasant weight in his chest. Reaching the end of the corridor, Jiang Ye pushed open the fire escape door. The chill wind hit them as they stepped out onto the metal staircase. Below, the campus lawn was teeming with infected, their grotesque forms wandering aimlessly¡ªor so it seemed. ¡°Move quietly,¡± Jiang Ye whispered, his steps deliberate and light. His mastery of balance and control made him nearly soundless on the metal grating. Halfway down, an infected near the base of the stairs raised its head, its senses detecting their presence. It let out a guttural screech, and the other infected immediately converged on their location. ¡°They see us!¡± Tim¡¯s voice cracked with panic. ¡°Stay behind me,¡± Jiang Ye ordered. With a swift leap, he landed silently at the bottom of the staircase. Using his inner strength to enhance his movements, he struck down the first infected with a powerful kick, sending it flying into the crowd. Tim stumbled down behind him, fumbling with his phone. ¡°You¡¯re like a martial arts superhero or something,¡± he muttered, trying to catch his breath. Jiang Ye didn¡¯t reply. His attention was on the growing horde, calculating their next move. At the dormitory, Jiang Ye quickly unlocked their room and shoved Tim inside. He shut the door and braced it as the infected slammed into it with inhuman force. ¡°Get the box under my bed,¡± Jiang Ye commanded. Tim scrambled to retrieve a long wooden case. When he opened it, his eyes widened. Inside lay a gleaming sword with an intricately crafted blade¡ªLingfeng Sword, Jiang Ye¡¯s family heirloom. ¡°You seriously brought this to college?¡± Tim asked incredulously. ¡°It¡¯s never let me down,¡± Jiang Ye said, drawing the sword. Its blade caught the faint light, casting a cold gleam across the room. He turned to face the door, his expression resolute. The door burst open, and the infected flooded in. Jiang Ye moved like flowing water, each stroke of the Lingfeng Sword precise and efficient. His inner strength flowed through his body, guiding every movement. In minutes, the room was filled with the motionless bodies of the infected. Jiang Ye exhaled deeply, wiping the blood from the blade. His hands trembled faintly, not from exhaustion, but from the weight of what had just happened. ¡°What now?¡± Tim asked, his voice shaky but steady enough. ¡°We head to the supermarket,¡± Jiang Ye replied, sheathing the Lingfeng Sword. ¡°If we want to survive, we need supplies.¡± He glanced at the corpses around him, his jaw tightening. Though his body felt calm, his mind wrestled with the reality of the situation.

caping Down the Fire Escape¡°Only by staying alive can we make a choice,¡± he said quietly. With that, he stepped into the night, ready for the challenges ahead.

A Moment of Respite ¡°Wait, bro, hold on! Don¡¯t rush to the supermarket just yet!¡± Wang Han grabbed Jiang Ye¡¯s arm, panting heavily. ¡°Can we take a break? I¡¯m out of breath from all that running earlier! I¡¯m not some monster like you with superhuman stamina.¡± Jiang Ye stopped in his tracks and looked at Wang Han¡¯s exhausted face with a hint of exasperation. Sheathing his Lingfeng Sword, he replied calmly, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s rest for a bit. But not too long¡ªthe outside world won¡¯t wait for us.¡± Wang Han collapsed into a chair, gasping for air. He grabbed a bag of chips from the table, tore it open, and shoved a piece into his mouth. ¡°Man, you¡¯re not even human, are you? You run so fast even the zombies can¡¯t keep up with you.¡± Jiang Ye tossed him a bottle of water and remarked, ¡°The difference is, I trained for twenty years while you avoided every chance to move. Maybe try running more?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, mock me all you want.¡± Wang Han grinned while munching on chips. ¡°But hey, at least I¡¯m contributing as the team¡¯s stable energy reserve.¡± ¡°Eat less.¡± Jiang Ye didn¡¯t humor his joke, instead turning to check the supplies in the room. He organized a few bottles of water, two sodas, and some spare food into a bag. ¡°Pack everything useful. We¡¯ll need it.¡± Wang Han swung the metal pipe in his hand and sighed. ¡°Bro, this thing¡¯s barely useful. If I face another zombie, I might as well wave a twig at them.¡± Jiang Ye glanced at him and then turned toward the door. ¡°There¡¯s a fire safety box in the stairwell. I¡¯ll see if it has a fire axe.¡± ¡°You want me to come with you?¡± Wang Han offered, sounding a little uneasy. ¡°You stay here and organize the supplies. Take the chance to rest a bit more,¡± Jiang Ye said as he unsheathed his Lingfeng Sword and cautiously stepped out of the room. The dormitory corridor was eerily quiet, with only the faint sound of wind rustling outside. Jiang Ye¡¯s footsteps were light and deliberate, his body taut and ready for action. At the stairwell, he found the fire safety box intact. Using the hilt of his sword, he carefully shattered the glass and pulled out the fire axe. Testing its weight and balance, he nodded in approval. ¡°This will do.¡± After ensuring there were no nearby threats, Jiang Ye quickly returned to the room.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°You really brought it back?¡± Wang Han¡¯s eyes lit up as he grabbed the axe and gave it a few swings. ¡°This thing feels solid! Finally, something I can actually use.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky,¡± Jiang Ye warned. ¡°This is for surviving, not showing off.¡± Wang Han laughed but soon grew serious. ¡°Bro¡­ what about our parents? What if the same thing is happening back in China?¡± Jiang Ye hesitated, then suggested, ¡°Try calling. Maybe we can get through.¡± The two each dialed their parents¡¯ numbers, their hands trembling slightly. Wang Han stared at his phone as it rang endlessly with no answer. ¡°It¡¯s probably because it¡¯s the middle of the night over there,¡± he said, forcing a weak smile. ¡°They might not even know what¡¯s happening here.¡± Jiang Ye¡¯s call went unanswered as well. Taking a deep breath, he switched to voicemail and left a message: ¡°Dad, Mom, it¡¯s Jiang Ye. There¡¯s been an outbreak here. People are turning into zombies. I¡¯m okay for now, and I¡¯m still alive. Please call me back when you hear this. Stay safe.¡± Wang Han followed suit: ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry about me. But please, if you get this, call me back.¡± After putting down their phones, the room fell silent. Wang Han finally broke the quiet, his voice low. ¡°What if¡­ they¡¯re already¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about it.¡± Jiang Ye¡¯s tone was firm, almost commanding. ¡°Worrying doesn¡¯t help. We don¡¯t know anything yet. We¡¯ll just have to wait.¡± Wang Han bit his lip, then asked softly, ¡°But if something has happened to them¡­ what can we do?¡± Jiang Ye¡¯s gaze turned sharp, his voice steady: ¡°We focus on surviving. If we can¡¯t keep ourselves alive, there¡¯s no way we can help anyone else.¡± Wang Han exhaled deeply and picked up his backpack, gripping the fire axe tightly. ¡°Fine, you¡¯re the boss. But man, your heart is cold as steel.¡± Jiang Ye didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the floor, closed his eyes, and began meditating. His breathing slowed, and a subtle energy flowed through his body as he adjusted his internal balance. Despite his rational mind telling him that the zombies were no longer human, the image of slaying them lingered in his thoughts. Blood and severed bodies flashed through his memory, weighing on him heavily. ¡°Stay calm,¡± Jiang Ye told himself silently. ¡°If you lose focus, you won¡¯t survive.¡± After about ten minutes, he opened his eyes. His expression was steadier, his mind clearer. Standing up, he looked at Wang Han. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Wang Han replied, patting his backpack. ¡°This time, I¡¯ll try not to slow you down.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll believe it when I see it.¡± Jiang Ye adjusted his sword and backpack, then headed for the door. As they stepped into the corridor, a distant growl echoed from somewhere in the building. Wang Han tightened his grip on the fire axe and asked nervously, ¡°Bro, do you think these zombies will¡­ evolve? Like in movies, where they get faster and stronger?¡± Jiang Ye paused, glanced back at him, and said plainly, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± After a brief moment of silence, he added, ¡°But if novels and movies are any indication¡­ they¡¯ll only get stronger.¡± Wang Han opened his mouth to reply but stopped, a heavy sigh escaping him instead. Without another word, he followed Jiang Ye, the two of them disappearing down the shadowed hallway as the looming threats of the apocalypse grew ever closer. The Stairwell Battle The dormitory was eerily quiet, with only the occasional low growl in the distance reminding Jiang Ye and Wang Han that they were not alone. This silence did not bring comfort; instead, it felt like an invisible hand was tightening around their throats, making each step heavier. The two cautiously stepped out of their dorm room, ensuring the door was securely locked behind them. Wang Han was panting, his nerves stretched to the breaking point. His sweaty hands gripped the fire axe tightly, making the handle slippery. Even though they had rested in the room for a while, his body remained as tense as a drawn bowstring, unable to relax. ¡°Bro, do we really have to go downstairs?¡± Wang Han whispered nervously, his eyes flickering with unease. His voice cut through the silence like a knife, drawing a sharp glance from Jiang Ye. ¡°Stop talking and move!¡± Jiang Ye¡¯s voice was cold and firm, brooking no argument. As they slowly approached the third floor, a nauseating stench of rot and blood filled the air. Wang Han hesitated, his face turning ashen. He wanted to retreat, but Jiang Ye pressed forward without hesitation. When they reached the stairwell landing, the scene before them nearly made Wang Han vomit. Three zombies were crouched in the middle of the hallway, voraciously tearing into the remains of a male student. The boy¡¯s school uniform was shredded into blood-soaked scraps, his intestines spilling grotesquely onto the floor. Blood spattered the walls and pooled on the ground. Pieces of flesh were scattered everywhere, and his stark white bones were exposed to the air. His face was utterly unrecognizable, reduced to a mass of mangled flesh and exposed skull. ¡°This is¡­ this is horrifying¡­¡± Wang Han muttered, covering his mouth as his voice quivered. ¡°Stay quiet,¡± Jiang Ye ordered sharply, his piercing gaze sweeping the surroundings. His body leaned forward slightly as he slowly unsheathed the Lingfeng Sword, its blade gleaming coldly in the dim light. The three zombies were still engrossed in their ¡°feast,¡± oblivious to the two intruders. Their movements were rough and mechanical, each tear and bite accompanied by stomach-turning chewing sounds. ¡°Step back and keep an eye on the surroundings,¡± Jiang Ye whispered before advancing step by step toward the creatures. As Jiang Ye drew within five meters, the nearest zombie seemed to sense something. It slowly lifted its head, its empty, blood-red eyes locking onto Jiang Ye. A low growl escaped its throat as it staggered to its feet. Jiang Ye shifted his stance, lowering his body slightly. The Lingfeng Sword gleamed in his hand as a cold glint flashed in his eyes. ¡°Hiss!¡± The zombie lunged at Jiang Ye, its rotten claws slicing through the air, aiming for his face. Jiang Ye sidestepped smoothly and swung his sword in a clean arc, slicing precisely through the creature¡¯s neck. Crack!The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The sound of snapping bones was chilling. Blood gushed from the severed neck, spraying across the floor. The zombie¡¯s head rolled onto the ground, and its body wobbled for a moment before collapsing with a heavy thud. ¡°One down,¡± Jiang Ye muttered under his breath, wiping the blood off his blade onto the zombie¡¯s tattered clothing. His sharp gaze shifted to the next target. The second zombie was alerted by the noise. It turned its head toward Jiang Ye, letting out a sharp screech before charging at him. Although it moved faster than the first, its motions were still jerky and stiff. Jiang Ye remained calm. With a slight shift of his feet, he dodged the zombie¡¯s attack. The Lingfeng Sword gleamed once more as it pierced upward, stabbing cleanly through the creature¡¯s chin. The blade drove through its skull, the sharp tip emerging from the top of its head. The zombie froze mid-motion before collapsing into the growing pool of blood. ¡°Still ordinary,¡± Jiang Ye noted softly. Only one remained. The third zombie finally abandoned its ¡°meal,¡± standing up with a chilling screech. Compared to the first two, its movements were slightly quicker, though still far from threatening. Instead of rushing directly, it swayed from side to side as it approached Jiang Ye, as if searching for an opening. Its speed was slightly faster than that of a human, but it lacked the agility to pose a significant danger. Jiang Ye lowered his body, gripping the Lingfeng Sword tightly. His posture was taut like a drawn bow, ready to unleash a fatal strike. ¡°Hiss!¡± The zombie suddenly lunged forward, its speed catching Wang Han by surprise. However, Jiang Ye had anticipated its move. He stepped back swiftly, avoiding its clawed attack, and swung his sword in a decisive arc, cleaving through the zombie¡¯s head. Thud! The sword split the zombie¡¯s skull, sending blood and brain matter splattering. The creature¡¯s body staggered forward before crashing heavily to the floor, lifeless. Jiang Ye exhaled slowly, scanning the hallway to ensure there were no other threats. Satisfied, he turned to Wang Han. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Bro, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Wang Han said, exhaling in relief. But before his words fully left his mouth, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway¡¯s far end. The two looked up to see another zombie appear from the shadows. This one was thinner than the others and moved with comparable speed, but its eyes burned with an unsettling madness. It let out a guttural growl before charging toward them. ¡°This one¡¯s yours,¡± Jiang Ye said coldly, glancing at Wang Han. ¡°Me?!¡± Wang Han froze, gripping the fire axe as his hands trembled uncontrollably. ¡°Bro, I can¡¯t¡­ it¡¯s a zombie!¡± ¡°Learn to fight, or you won¡¯t survive,¡± Jiang Ye replied, his tone calm yet commanding. ¡°I¡¯m right here. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Although the zombie wasn¡¯t particularly fast, its erratic movements unnerved Wang Han. As it lunged at him, he panicked and swung his fire axe wildly, striking the zombie¡¯s shoulder. The force staggered it but didn¡¯t deal a fatal blow. ¡°Aim for the head! Stay steady!¡± Jiang Ye called out. Taking a deep breath, Wang Han forced himself to focus. He locked onto the zombie¡¯s head, waiting for its next lunge. When it came, he roared and swung the axe with all his strength. Crunch! The blade embedded itself deeply into the zombie¡¯s skull. Blood spurted as the creature twitched violently before collapsing to the floor, lifeless. ¡°I¡­ I did it?¡± Wang Han gasped, his chest heaving as he stared at the unmoving body. His hands were still trembling, but a glimmer of pride and disbelief lit up his eyes. ¡°Not bad for your first time,¡± Jiang Ye said with a nod. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± The hallway was littered with corpses, the stench of blood and decay heavy in the air. Wang Han slumped against the wall, panting heavily. ¡°Bro, this was just the third floor. I¡¯m already spent. Who knows how many more of these things are waiting below¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Take it one step at a time,¡± Jiang Ye replied calmly. ¡°Let¡¯s hope we don¡¯t run into more of those crazed ones¡­¡± Wang Han muttered. But his grip on the fire axe was firmer now, and his hands trembled less. Without responding, Jiang Ye adjusted his backpack and raised the Lingfeng Sword once more. His cold, determined gaze was fixed ahead. The road before them was fraught with unknown dangers.