No one could have foreseen it.
The once supreme Hua Nation had plunged into war.
When outsiders learned of the events unfolding in the Hua Nation's capital, they fell into stunned silence.
For they had glimpsed the world's most terrifying aspect.
In history books written years later,
This day would be known as the beginning of the 'Longevity Calamity'.
Shan Li Qianho arrived at Chen Jin Chao's small courtyard without incident. Yu Meng Zhi and Xu Nian Qing's complexions were grim, and Shan Li Qianho, realizing something significant must have happened, asked in a deep voice, "What is the situation at the Forbidden City now?"
Yu Meng Zhi's eyes were rimmed with red, and a slight nasal tone was evident as she replied, "The Candle Dragon Legion has lost over half its strength."
"And the enemy?" Shan Li Qianho inquired.
Yu Meng Zhi fell silent.
Xu Nian Qing, standing beside her, said with a heavy tone, "The enemy... only dispatched Wu Zhi Nian. The other twelve did not engage."
"What?!" Shan Li Qianho's face turned deathly pale.
This outcome...
It was too cruel, too utterly powerless.
"How could this be?" Shan Li Qianho murmured to herself.
Yu Meng Zhi turned to Xu Nian Qing and asked, "And your situation? I heard a Lock Realm cultivator infiltrated the Kunlun Research Institute, aiming to seize all experimental data."
Xu Nian Qing's voice was low, conveying a profound despair.
"They are all dead..."
"Before they died, they uploaded all the data to the database located at the Southwest Base and destroyed all the equipment, preventing it from falling into enemy hands."
Yu Meng Zhi felt both relief and sorrow.
This was an epic battle against the Longevity Calamity!
Everyone was a protagonist!
"There must still be a chance. We cannot despair," Xu Nian Qing declared.
Yu Meng Zhi shook her head. "My greatest worry now is Yao Yao and Qi Yue. If Chen Jin Chao learns they've gone to the front lines, he'll likely go mad. The bloodbath at Shangguan Yu An's place is still fresh in our minds; such a tragedy could repeat itself."
Xu Nian Qing's gaze was firm. "I have prepared for the worst."
"What?" Yu Meng Zhi asked.
Shan Li Qianho also turned to look at Xu Nian Qing.
Xu Nian Qing spoke each word deliberately, "I have collected everyone's genes in advance, including my own. If one day we die, I will use the most forbidden methods to have you cloned, and then inject your memories into them."
"Are you insane?!" Yu Meng Zhi exclaimed in disbelief.
Shan Li Qianho's pupils contracted.
She stared blankly at Xu Nian Qing's frenzied demeanor, feeling that Xu Nian Qing was the most like Chen Jin Chao, her obsession and madness mirroring his perfectly.
Xu Nian Qing sighed, "Perhaps I truly am mad? I don't believe in an afterlife; I only believe in this life! I'd rather believe your memories are etched into your genes, and that someday, perhaps that clone will regain their memories. That person might very well be yourselves."
Yu Meng Zhi and Shan Li Qianho fell into silence.
They couldn't comprehend Xu Nian Qing's madness, yet neither of them spoke to dissuade her. Everyone had their own way of thinking.
Perhaps—
Xu Nian Qing was right.
At that moment,
Yu Meng Zhi's phone rang. After answering, her expression turned extremely grim.
Shan Li Qianho quickly inquired, "What happened?"
Xu Nian Qing also looked at Yu Meng Zhi.
Yu Meng Zhi's face was ashen, her brows furrowed with intense anger. "Something has happened in the north."
"A humanoid monster has appeared there. It has already slaughtered three or four towns, killing hundreds of thousands of people. Moreover, after their deaths, the bodies turned into desiccated husks, their flesh and blood consumed in some manner."
"Is it Xuan Tian Guan?" Shan Li Qianho asked.
As far as she knew,
Xuan Tian Guan was located in the far north.
Xu Nian Qing's eyes became solemn, and she sighed, "Besides Xuan Tian Guan, who else could it be? These people are truly detestable. I hope they don't fall into our hands, otherwise, we will make them wish they were dead!"
Yu Meng Zhi said with a sorrowful countenance, "Don't you find this tragic? You should know the background of the founder of Xuan Tian Guan. Those were his followers back then. How could he do something like this?"
To achieve longevity, no means were too extreme.
"I finally understand why the reports from the north described that person as a humanoid monster," Shan Li Qianho said with a bitter smile.
Could such a person still be called human?
No different from a monster!
The three fell into silence once more.
All they could do now was wait for Chen Jin Chao to wake up.
But—
They had no idea how long they would have to wait.
Perhaps a day or two, or perhaps a month or two...
Waiting aimlessly was the most agonizing.
Night fell.
The three no longer spoke, sitting in the courtyard in silent anticipation.
And the entire capital, its power facilities damaged, had plunged into darkness.
Flashes of fire occasionally lit up the horizon; the roars of artillery!
"Hmm?"
"Have you noticed? Those lights are getting very close to us?" Shan Li Qianho inadvertently observed this.
With each flicker of light, they seemed to draw nearer.
A few minutes later,
The three realized it wasn't an illusion.
Someone was indeed approaching their direction, and if nothing went wrong, it was likely the enemy.
Shan Li Qianho frowned. The situation was dire.
She said to the two beside her, "You two should leave. I'll stay behind."
"You both have more value. You cannot fall into the enemy's hands. I believe Chen Jin Chao would not want you to fall into their clutches. As for me, my encounter with Chen Jin Chao was an accident; my life or death is insignificant."
"Qianho, how can you say that? We are family. We face this together," Yu Meng Zhi stated first.
Xu Nian Qing followed suit.
Shan Li Qianho was about to say more, but Xu Nian Qing took her hand and said, "We cannot leave. If we leave, what about Jin Chao?"
The three waited silently for the enemy's arrival.
All they could do now was grip their pistols tightly. If they were about to fall into enemy hands, this pistol would send them to the afterlife.
They would rather die than be captured.
Ten minutes later,
A dark figure burst through the door. Three pistols were instantly raised, aiming at the intruder.
None of them could discern the person's appearance, assuming them to be an enemy rather than an ally.
"Who are you?" Yu Meng Zhi demanded.
The intruder did not answer immediately. Instead, he spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground, then said, "I am Luo Feng, here to protect Mr. Chen!"
"Xiao Feng, is that you?" Yu Meng Zhi lowered her pistol.
She remembered Luo Feng vividly from their brief encounter at Changbai Mountain.
Luo Feng gritted his teeth and said, "Sister Yu, hurry and leave! Those people are about to kill their way here. I am no match for them!"
As soon as he finished speaking,
A series of hurried footsteps sounded, followed by a cold sneer, "I knew Chen Jin Chao was hiding here. It seems my guess was correct."
Upon hearing the speaker's voice, Yu Meng Zhi's expression changed drastically.
How could it be him?