137: The Mystery of the End Times
They took a car and arrived at a weedy open space not far from the Academy of Sciences. Looking at the surrounding buildings, it used to be a shopping mall’s plaza. Now it still appeared deserted in the wild.
Cong Zhenzhong patted a clump of grass, about as thick as a small tree and over three meters tall. Such wild grasses were everywhere. “Let’s use it as a target first. Shen Changze, ignite it, and Cheng Tianbi, use your wind vortex to increase the area of the fire. I want to see how long it takes to burn it completely.” He stepped back after speaking.
Shen Changze took a step forward, his hands clenched into fists.
Cong Xia stared at Shen Changze intently. It was his first time seeing Shen Changze demonstrate his abilities. The powers displayed by Yao Qianjiang and Zhou Fenglan last time were already astounding, and he wondered what scene the fire ability would create.
Shen Changze suddenly spread open his five fingers, and two boiling flames burst out from the palms of his hands, burning fiercely. He gathered the two fireballs together, forming an even larger fireball in front of his chest. Then, with a swing of his hand through the air, he sent the fireball towards the nearby clump of grass. The flames crazily spread over the grass, and in a matter of moments, it was completely engulfed in flames.
Cheng Tianbi immediately generated a flowing wind around the burning grass, constantly fueling the fire, making the flames grow stronger. Eventually, the fire spread to the nearby grassland, and the blaze engulfed an area of more than ten meters. The fire soared, creating a scene of a wildfire.
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Ohlausdl oyvnble kd pbsnj yp vbl qkal, qasx kvp kdnlrvksd vs kvp ldsaxswp pkgl, vssj zlpp vbyd vld plnsdep.
Usdt Hbldgbsdt iwknjzu pyke, “Fvsr, vbyv’p ldswtb.”
Ubldt Mkydck pvsrrle bkp ynvksd, yde vbl qzyxlp olyjldle pzktbvzu, cwv vblu pbsole ds pktdp sq pvsrrkdt. Rdpvlye, vblu nsdvkdwle vs pralye swvoyae. Mbl olyvbla oyp eau, yde vblal olal rzydvp dlyacu. Rq vbl qkal oypd’v lmvkdtwkpble, kv nswze jllr cwadkdt, nywpkdt vaswczl.
Usdt Dky nbwnjzle yojoyaezu, “Bb… bso es ol rwv swv vbl qkal?”
Mydt Mkdtgbk tzydnle yv Fbld Ubydtgl, “Kwpv oydvle usw vs tkhl kv y vau.”
Fbld Ubydtgl pyke, “Rv oyp bkp okde vbyv czlo vss byae.”
Ubldt Mkydck alvsavle nszezu, “Rv oyp bkx wpkdt vss xwnb qkal.”
Rd qynv, lhlausdl nswze pll vbyv obld vos pvasdt yckzkvklp nszzkele, dlkvbla sq vblx oydvle vs cynj esod. Fs, kdvldvksdyzzu sa wdkdvldvksdyzzu, csvb sq vblx pbsole sqq vblka rsolap, obknb alpwzvle kd vbl nwaaldv aytkdt qkal.
Cong Zhenzhong frowned, “This won’t work. You are just wasting energy. The interior space of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is limited and built with ancient structures, highly vulnerable to fire. You cannot let the fire burn unchecked. Your goal is to eliminate the insects and shock them, allowing others time to take the Puppet Jade. Remember, you are not going to set the pagoda on fire; otherwise, a long-range missile would solve all the problems.”
Zhuang Yao added, “Shen Changze needs to learn to control the fire precisely. You should know exactly how much energy is needed to burn an object of a certain size. Otherwise, it’s a waste of energy. Cheng Tianbi, on the other hand, should control the direction of the fire, ensuring that the fire concentrates on the targets and not spreading aimlessly. If you create such a massive fire within the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the mission would be a failure.”
Tang Tingzhi said, “Let’s leave the training of these two to Zhuang Yao for now.” He made a call back to the scientific academy to get people to put out the fire.
Being educated by an eleven or twelve-year-old kid was something Cheng Tianbi had grown accustomed to, but Shen Changze’s expression didn’t look too good. He couldn’t help but glance at Shen Ming.
Shen Ming sneered, “Feeling c*cky?”
The group returned to the scientific academy. The power of wind and fire had indeed left them astonished. Although the effect was a bit exaggerated, having such powerful teammates gave them more confidence in entering the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
Back at the scientific academy, Zhuang Yao took Cheng Tianbi and Shen Changze away.
Cong Zhenzhong had Cong Xia look at the improved protective suits.
The protective suits had undergone some changes, now in black instead of white. The overall design was similar to what they had seen before, but there were many detailed adjustments.
Cong Zhenzhong explained, “We plan to sandwich the cotton you modified in the inner layer to provide an additional protective layer, making it more challenging for insects to bite through. The black coating is a special material we developed based on our research on insects, containing a distinctive scent that humans cannot detect, but insects dislike. It can have some effect. This gas tank provides firepower propulsion, worn on the back. We changed the material to titanium alloy, increased its capacity, and reduced some of the weight. Of course, depending on each person’s mutation ability, such as wings or body shape alteration, the protective suit has been tailored accordingly.” Cong Zhenzhong introduced various features of the protective suits one by one, and Cong Xia listened attentively.
Finally, Cong Zhenzhong laid out a blueprint, “This is the improvement plan that Colonel Tang and I designed after research. The material has four layers: inner cotton layer, soft steel layer, fire-resistant layer, and coating layer. We hope you can make improvements to each layer, striving to increase their performance by more than 50%. For each increase you achieve, the protective suit’s resistance against insect bites will be extended by one point.”
Cong Xia nodded firmly and said, “I understand, Uncle, leave it to me.”
Their main defense relied on these protective suits. Although the suits were not invincible and would eventually be bitten through by countless insects, they needed the suits to withstand as many attacks as possible to buy themselves time. Once the protective suits were breached, they would have to face the relentless onslaught of the insects with their own flesh and blood.
Cong Zhenzhong pointed to several large boxes in the corner and said, “The main materials for the protective suits are in there. You can use them for practice. Xia, the safety of your group depends on you.”
Cong Xia gave him a reassuring smile and replied, “Don’t worry, I’ve got it.”
After Cong Zhenzhong left, Cong Xia sat alone in the spacious laboratory, studying the blueprint. To help him understand it better, the contents of the blueprint were clearly labeled, and all technical terms were explained. With Cong Xia’s knowledge, he could understand it.
After studying the blueprint, Cong Xia placed various materials on the table and started to modify them. He worked tirelessly throughout the night, continuously using energy to alter the molecular structure of the materials. The materials, which became bizarre due to failures, piled up on the table. He kept exploring better material structures.
Suddenly, a knocking sound came from outside the door.
Cong Xia was startled and turned to see Cheng Tianbi looking at him through the glass wall. He rubbed his eyes, walked over, and opened the door. “Tianbi? Have you finished your training?”
“Do you know what time it is now?”
Cong Xia checked his watch and found that it was nearly three in the morning. He yawned and smiled, “I totally lost track of time.”
Cheng Tianbi’s thumb brushed over his brow bone as he looked at the tired red circles around Cong Xia’s eyes. “Are you tired?”
Cong Xia nodded, “A bit. I forgot about the time when I was busy with things. How about you? How was your day?”
“Not bad.” Cheng Tianbi glanced at the pile of materials on the table and asked, “Any progress?”
“Yes.” Cong Xia picked up a piece of material woven with soft steel, “I found that metal structures are easier to modify than fabric structures. I’ve already enhanced the strength of this material, but I’m not entirely satisfied with the results. And this fire-resistant material has also made some progress. Give me a few more days, and I’m sure I can make these things even more resistant to bites.”
Cheng Tianbi, feeling a bit tired, hugged him, almost pressing half of his weight onto Cong Xia. He sighed lightly, “You’ve worked hard.”
Cong Xia patted his back and smiled, “Tianbi, what’s wrong with you? Are you tired?”
“Not really. I just…”
“Um?”
“Before coming to Beijing, we agreed that we wouldn’t live like this.” He didn’t want Cong Xia to live the same dangerous life as him.
Cong Xia was taken aback, recalling the life they had envisioned after arriving in Beijing when they were separated by a wall in Chongqing—finding a piece of land, growing fruits and vegetables, raising livestock, farming, hunting, and living a peaceful and self-sufficient life.
Unfortunately, the ideal was beautiful, but reality was far from it. Although they were no longer worried about their basic needs, they had to step into dangerous battles for themselves and the future of the human race. They had no choice. The heavens gave them abilities, but also took away their peaceful lives.
Cong Xia hugged Cheng Tianbi tightly and whispered, “We might not be unable to live that kind of life; it’s just that the time hasn’t come yet. Once we seal the Puppet Jade and the world returns to normal, everything we originally planned will come true.”
Cheng Tianbi responded in a muffled voice, “Mm.”
Cong Xia smiled, “Let’s go back and rest. There’s still a lot to do tomorrow.”
“Let’s go back.”
In the following days, everyone made preparations for the upcoming battle.
With the advanced technology and weaponry from the scientific academy as their support, their overall equipment was greatly upgraded. Each person was equipped with suitable weapons and received basic weapon training. The difference between the 300 arrows prepared for Tang Yanqiu by Cong Zhenzhong and the crude batch made in Xi’an was like night and day.
Cheng Tianbi and Shen Changze were undergoing secret training. Deng Xiao and Liu Fengyu were learning close combat techniques from the hired mercenaries of the Dragonblood Clan. Cong Xia spent his days in the laboratory, tirelessly modifying their protective suits.
Every individual was tirelessly working day and night to improve their own and their companions’ chances of survival.
Four days later, Tang Tingzhi’s search for the mutated people made new progress. Reports came in from Dongcheng District about multiple missing persons. A few missing people wouldn’t draw much attention since the resurgence of mutated creatures meant that people could be taken anytime. However, once the number of missing persons reached a certain threshold, it would arouse suspicions.
Finally, using the keen senses of Zhuang Zhuang, they found over ten corpses in an abandoned residential building in Dongcheng District, their bodies rotten into mush. The insects had used them as incubators for breeding and feeding. However, as the insects grew slowly, they were eventually devoured by their offspring. Unfortunately, they did not catch the mutated people responsible for this.
When Tang Tingzhi brought this information to the group, they were all shocked.
“Using people for breeding? Didn’t they turn those people into mutants?”
“No, they are indeed laying eggs,” Cong Xia said. “I have seen such a situation before. When Yao Qianjiang’s leg injury wouldn’t heal, we thought the insects were laying eggs in his wound, feeding on his flesh and nurturing their offspring. It was because of the sterile chamber that prevented the spread of the insects; otherwise, Yao Qianjiang would have died long ago.”
Liu Fengyu grimaced, “It’s truly disgusting.”
Tang Tingzhi expressionlessly raised a photo. “This is a photo of one of the bodies. Look at him…”
Liu Fengyu shouted, “Damn it, who wants to see that?” and quickly turned away.
Cong Xia swallowed a gulp of saliva and instinctively lowered his head as well.
Zhuang Yao took the photo and examined it. “Indeed, it’s different from what we saw in the video. When parasitized by the mutants, the insects move under the skin, but those who are laid with eggs have their bodies burst open, with a gruesome death. I wonder how these insects select people for parasitism and egg-laying.”
“If we could capture one of the mutant insect people alive, it would be great. Although these people have lost their self-consciousness, their intelligence remains. They can think and speak, so they must know what we want to find out,” Cong Xia said.
Shen Changze added, “Killing them is simple when encountered, but capturing them alive would be a bit difficult.”
Cong Xia sighed, “They can split into countless insects in an instant. I can’t think of a way to catch them, should we put them in a glass container?”
Zhuang Yao said, “As long as we can find them, we will figure out a way. However, tracking their movements is extremely challenging. We don’t know if they have created more mutants in these few days.”
Tang Tingzhi reassured them, “You don’t need to worry about that. Focus on preparing for the battle. If it’s only these few people, it won’t become a major issue.”
Indeed, everyone was currently under tremendous pressure after finding those ten-plus corpses.
After ten days of intense preparation for the battle, they set off.
They took the modified steam airship to Xi’an, where they joined the local military forces. The team would enter the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, while the rest of the troops would stay outside, ready to prevent any insects from escaping.
The steam airship was an improved version of a balloon airship. As it was the most practical flying tool at the moment, its performance had been significantly enhanced.
Their weapons and equipment were loaded onto the airship one by one. Cong Xia looked at the black protective suits made with the materials he had modified and felt more reassured. The materials for twenty sets of protective suits had depleted all his stored energy jade talismans. He had to spend the whole night crafting more talismans, but it was worth it. The performance of these materials had improved sevenfold compared to before. At least, they could withstand the insects’ attacks for forty minutes to an hour. With such an extended time, they had a good chance of retrieving the Puppet Jade from the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
However, they had analyzed that the most dangerous time for them would likely be after they obtained the Puppet Jade. Although they didn’t know why the insects were trapped around the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, it was highly possible that it had something to do with the Puppet Jade. If the Puppet Jade was the reason the insects wouldn’t leave the pagoda, taking it away would effectively release the insects. The insects would undoubtedly pursue them relentlessly, and they couldn’t just leave the situation alone; otherwise, the remaining hundreds of thousands of people in Xi’an would be in grave danger.
If the insects followed them out of the pagoda, they would be responsible for leading the insects to a designated location for the military to eliminate them with explosives. Every step of this plan was risky, and if they failed at any point, they would be overwhelmed by the swarm of insects, and Xi’an would be completely overrun. However, they couldn’t wait until the insects became powerful enough to establish an army of insect mutants; that would be too late.
For this mission, they couldn’t take Abu with them. Before leaving, Abu seemed reluctant to let them go. It lay at the entrance of the airship, blocking the door and using its paws and tail to hit the airship, as if trying to overturn it, which frightened the maintenance personnel.
Abu’s fur had grown halfway, with heart-shaped patterns forming on its chest. It looked exceptionally beautiful. When it opened its large, moist, purple eyes and softly meowed, everyone present couldn’t resist its charm.
Deng Xia softly suggested, “Why don’t we ride it there?”
Zhuang Yao firmly said, “It’s impossible. Compared to the airship, its speed is too slow, and this trip to Xi’an is too dangerous. We can’t take it with us.”
Abu let out a loud meow, expressing its reluctance.
Zhuang Yao hugged its nose and comforted it gently, “We’ll be back in just one week. Be good and stay at home; you’ll have fish to eat every day.”
Abu meowed sadly.
Cong Xia rubbed its soft fur, “When we come back, we’ll take you for a bath, let you go out to play, and find Zhuang Zhuang with you.”
Abu meowed softly several times, finally moving aside to reveal the entrance of the airship.
Zhuang Yao kissed it on the head, “Abu, we’ll be back.”
Cong Zhenzhong patted Cong Xia’s shoulder and said solemnly, “Xia, you must take care of yourself. Do you understand? You are our hope.”
Cong Xia’s nose felt a little sour, “Don’t worry, Uncle. I’ll come back alive. You should go to bed early and stop staying up late.”
Cong Zhenzhong sighed, looking at Cheng Tianbi, “Tianbi, I’m entrusting Xia to you again.”
Cheng Tianbi nodded, “I will definitely bring him back.”
Cong Zhenzhong turned his head away, “Go now, and come back quickly.”
One by one, everyone boarded the airship.
The pilot ignited the fuel, and the airship carried them, along with the twenty members of the Dragonblood Clan, as well as all their equipment, soaring into the sky.
Abu watched the airship rise before its eyes and couldn’t help extending its claws. Zhuang Yao shouted, “Abu, don’t touch it!”
Abu withdrew its claws with a sulking expression, its purple crystal-like eyes filled with longing.
The ground became farther and farther away, and Abu became smaller and smaller. At that moment, they had never felt that Abu was so small, gradually turning into a blurry white dot.
Inside the airship, the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.
They had been flying for less than ten minutes, still above Beijing, when suddenly, a phone rang.
To simplify the process, all their phones had the same ringtone, so it was hard to tell whose phone was ringing. Those closest to the sound quickly took out their phones, and it turned out to be Al Moray’s phone ringing.
Al smiled triumphantly, “It must be my wife.” He answered the call, “Hello? Darling?” He flashed a pleased expression at the others.
“Uh-huh, what’s up? You miss me already?” Al focused on the call, his face changing from excitement to seriousness, until all he said was, “Uh-huh, uh-huh,” in response.
“I understand. You guys take action quickly, and we’ll be vigilant too.”
After hanging up the call, everyone looked at him.
Al said, “The dog is missing.”
“Zhuang Zhuang?”
“Yes, it left home about two hours ago, left the city, and it had three people riding on it, including the little boy. They headed in the same direction as us.”
“They… went to Xi’an?”
Al nodded, “Very likely.”
Cheng Tianbi said in a solemn voice, “Dogs obey their owners’ commands, so it’s not surprising, but the fact that it left Beijing for Xi’an before we even set off means they were well aware of our movements.”
Zhuang Yao’s expression grew dark, “In other words, the insect mutants has already infiltrated the Academy of Sciences.”
Cong Xia’s heart trembled, “Has Colonel Tang identified the individuals?”
Al replied, “Not yet.”
“Currently, there is no information yet. Tang Tingzhi has requested all mutants involved in this operation to remove their energy shielding devices and is conducting individual investigations,” Al looked worried. Having a mutated creature infiltrate the Science Academy means that everyone inside the academy is at risk.
Shen Changze suggested, “Let Yang Guan increase the number of personnel to protect Tang Tingzhi.”
Al responded, “Yang Guan will definitely do so.” Despite saying this, he still furrowed his brows.
The atmosphere among the group was already heavy, and now it became even more oppressive. The fact that a creature infiltrated the Academy of Sciences implies that their actions and the location of the Puppet Jade may have been compromised. If something happens in Beijing while they are in Xi’an, it will be troublesome.
They weren’t sure if the people taken away by Zhuang Zhuang were the same individuals from Jiujian Prefecture. Those two were the first to transform into mutated creatures, and they were probably the ones orchestrating all the actions. If those two people also left Beijing, it would indicate that they prioritized their base over the Beijing plan. In that case, Beijing would be somewhat safer, but their journey to Xi’an would be even more perilous.
Zhuang Yao said, “Let’s not dwell on the situation in Beijing for now; there’s nothing we can do. We still have about ten hours before we reach Xi’an. Everyone, rest now.”
The group stopped discussing the matter and found their seats. Some closed their eyes to rest, while others began their cultivation. Cong Xia noticed that many members of the Dragon Blood Clan were starting to practice the breathing adjustment method. It seemed that this technique had become popular. Hopefully, they were starting early enough, so when they advanced from the first stage to the second stage, their bodies wouldn’t explode into pieces.
Cong Xia closed his own eyes and quietly started his cultivation.
The hot air balloon slowly flew towards Xi’an.
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