Slaughter

Above the towering mountains of the south, the majestic Qingshan Aerial Fortress, which blots out the sky, is slowly flying.

Hundreds of soldiers moved through the mountains.

Thousands of drones swarmed across the ground, searching every corner in a matrix-like fashion.

The buzzing drone swarm, like a dense mass of giant killer bees, was in a state of complete frenzy.

Whenever a batch of drones approaches its energy limit, it will fly back to the bottom of the Qingshan Hao cabin and enter a charging and hibernation state. Then another batch of Hive hatches will open to release a second batch of drones.

Li Changqing violated the search principles by repeatedly expanding the search area, but still found no clues about Qing Chen.

Six hours later, a drone finally detected two anomalies in the north.

The first anomaly was detected by the drone: the carcass of an Overlord Salamander was found outside the northern valley, indicating a fierce battle had taken place there, but no human remains were found.

The second anomaly was found in a valley five kilometers away, where the scattered carcasses of wild animals lay in disarray.

There are signs of human activity nearby; it appears a group of people camped here for several days before leaving not long ago.

Li Changqing believed that the person who could control the Overlord Salamander must be Kamiyo Yunhe, but she couldn't imagine who had fought Kamiyo Yunhe here.

Moreover, various signs at the scene indicate that Kamiyo Yunhe was not dead, as there was no large amount of human blood found there.

The valley on the other side might have been a sign of Qing Chen's escape, but it seems he has been intercepted by another group of people.

If this group of people are from the Divine Era, then Qing Chen has likely already been taken to a secret military base in the north.

Li Changqing thoughtfully gave the instructions. She requested to use Li's satellite to retrieve all satellite images from the vicinity. As a result, she discovered that an A-Class Airship had taken off 20 kilometers to the north just 6 hours earlier.

Old Nineteen glanced at Li Changqing and said, "Boss, it's too late for us to catch up now. It's too late. Further north is the Divine Era's military region, and they'd love for you to break in."

It wasn't that he didn't want to save Qing Chen, but rather that he knew very well that, compared to Qing Chen, Shen Dai would rather directly kill the boss beside him.

Li Changqing stood calmly in the cockpit of the Qingshan Hao, in front of the huge transparent protective shield, without saying a word.

The Old Nineteen grew anxious. "Boss, there are still thousands of soldiers on the Qingshan Hao. You can't act rashly. Give me an elite force, and I'll lead them to infiltrate the rear. The military base where they're holding Qing Chen must be the one where Qing Mu was before. I'll take men to rescue him."

In fact, Old Nineteen knew very well that the military base was located in the cold north, and to get there, one would have to traverse the entire territory of the Divine Era. He couldn't save Qing Chen on his own.

But it doesn't matter, as long as Li Changqing isn't willing to risk his life, he can go.

Li Changqing suddenly shook his head. "We need to gather the troops and return to base. We need to think of other ways. You don't need to go and die. If you want to save Qing Chen, you'll have to find someone else. Don't worry, some people know that Qing Chen has been taken to the north, and they'll be even more desperate than I am."

As far as Li Changqing knew, that person was currently in the north.

The Old Nineteen immediately breathed a sigh of relief; he didn't want to go and die either...

However, at that moment, the commander in charge of regrouping the troops and returning to the Aerial Fortress suddenly frowned. "Sir, a soldier went missing while searching on the surface. I just located him, but when the drone swarm arrived, he realized he couldn't escape and immediately jumped off a cliff to commit suicide... I suspect that he sent a message to the outside world before he took his own life."

There are still 6 hours of air travel to reach A02 Base.

Qing Chen sat in the corner, observing.

This A-Class Airship carries 21 genetically engineered warriors, each armed with a sidearm.

Their strength is also unknown.

Qing Chen recovered quickly from his injuries. Although he was far from his prime, he could even feel the strange itching sensation as his muscles regenerated.

This has never happened before.

It seems that awakening has brought about some new changes for him.

According to his original plan, Qing Chen felt that even if he consumed his internal potential, the level of his awakened ability would only be D-Class or E-Class.

But he had seen the power of C-Class awakened ability in Liu Dezhu, and his initial control over Thunder was no worse than Liu Dezhu's.

In other words, even after he exhausted his potential through cultivation, he still had enough potential left for him to fully awaken.

At one point, Qing Chen felt that when he recovered to his full strength, his physical abilities would probably be even stronger than before.

When ordinary people cultivate themselves, their physical fitness becomes stronger.

When awakened, one's physical abilities will also be stronger.

The simultaneous existence of his cultivation and awakening states might directly allow his physical attributes to break through the upper limit of C-Class, since he was already at the cusp between C-Class and B-Class.

Does this count as a promotion to B-Class? Strictly speaking, it shouldn't, but at his peak, he should have had B-Class physical attributes, at least the early stage of B-Class.

If that's the case, then at least during his prime, he had a chance to dodge bullets.

Unfortunately, time was too short, and the other party wouldn't give him that chance.

"Commander Takahashi, have some hot water first. We've ordered you to be injected with a locator. We need to check with other intelligence personnel to see if it matches your story," a genetically engineered soldier on the airship said solicitously. "I estimate it won't be long before the micro-bomb is deactivated."

Qing Chen calmly accepted the water glass.

This is what he is most worried about. There must be a lot of reinforcements chasing after Kamiyo Yunhe and the others, and it is hard to avoid the presence of spies among them.

If the other party relays the message of "failed possession" to Shindai, then he's finished.

But... what could he do?

His body could no longer withstand high-intensity combat, and the 21 genetically engineered warriors and 21 firearms inside this airship were beyond his capabilities.

Qing Chen sighed and leaned against the wall.

No, he had to do something before the airship reached A02.

Even if it's meaningless, we must do something.

Surrendering without resistance is not in Qing Chen's nature.

At this moment, a genetically engineered soldier looked at Qing Chen: "Commander Takahashi, we stayed in the wilderness for a long time this time in order to meet you and Commander Kamiyo Yunhe..."

Qing Chen looked at the people in the cabin, then at the gene warriors in the cockpit, and calmly said, "Don't worry, everyone. Without your help, I wouldn't have been able to return to the family safely. Once we get back to the North, I promise I won't treat you all unfairly."

At this moment, Qing Chen's tone clearly conveyed the sentiment of a superior repaying a debt of gratitude.

However, everyone's eyes lit up when they heard this.

The Kamishiro clan had a strict hierarchy and secretly implemented a "caste system." Takahashi Tōju belonged to the "high caste," second only to the Kamishiro clan in the north.

Now, Takahashi Tōju has successfully possessed Qing Chen and is about to rise to prominence.

Although Takahashi Tōju's strength level is low, only an E-Class gene warrior, the body of 'Qing Chen' is of a high level, supposedly already C-Class.

Don't underestimate Takahashi Tōju just because he's currently only a regular sergeant. He could be promoted to major within a few months of returning, and might even become a colonel.

It would be perfectly normal for Kamishiro to give Takahashi Higashiki a major general rank in order to annoy the Takahashi Tōju.

So as soon as Qing Chen finished speaking, someone immediately came over and said, "Commander Takahashi, we were in the same training camp. Please take care of me in the future."

Qing Chen nodded. "Yes, it will. By the way, does the airship have communication equipment? I want to call my family to let them know I'm safe."

He needs to make contact with the outside world first, contact one.

After all, at this moment, on this airship, contacting anyone is not as effective as contacting Yi.

Although the other party provides paid services, and you will be scammed out of the money very quickly after receiving it, they really do get things done!

The genetically engineered soldier said with difficulty, "Commander Takahashi, you weren't in the Air Force training camp, were you? It's not allowed to carry communication equipment on the A-Class Airship at A02 Base. Furthermore, both the airships and A02 Base use independent military satellites and physically isolated sandbox networks to prevent hacking. I know you're eager to call your family after surviving this ordeal, but it's simply not possible on this airship."

Qing Chen nodded calmly. "I understand. I was in the intelligence department at the training camp before. I had never touched an airship before, nor did I know about the airship's network. So it's okay that I couldn't contact the outside world."

He lived through Takahashi's entire life, so there were no loopholes here, because they belonged to different combat units, and Takahashi Tōju genuinely didn't know any of this.

But he was already cursing in his heart; if he couldn't contact Yi, he would have no choice but to take the risk.

Qing Chen continued casually, "By the way, is there any expert protecting us on this airship?"

The gene-engineered warriors exchanged glances. "Commander Takahashi, don't worry. Our captain is a top-tier C-Class fighter. Commander Kamiyo Yunhe should have boarded the airship as well..."

At this moment, the captain said, "With the airship in the airspace, the experts in the cabin are useless. If there are pursuers, the main firepower carried by the A-Class Airship is more effective than any expert."

At this moment, Qing Chen stood up and walked to the pilot's seat. "When I was in training camp, I was particularly envious of your physical abilities, being selected for the air combat sequence. Could you teach me how to pilot an airship?"

The others didn't think much of it. Gene warriors all dream of becoming air force pilots, where the benefits are better, and it's safer and more comfortable. It's normal for Takahashi Tōju to be envious.

The pilot glanced at the captain, who nodded slightly. The pilot quickly stood up, smiling, and said, "Commander Takahashi, would you like to sit here and experience it?"

Qing Chen sat nonchalantly in the driver's seat, looking at the intricate LCD controller in front of him. "How do I operate this?"

The pilot chuckled, "A02 Base has already locked the airship into autopilot mode. We won't be able to control it from inside until we reach A02. Commander Takahashi, you can just sit here and experience it."

Qing Chen: "..."

He stared at the pilot in astonishment. If there's no way to change the flight path, then what kind of experience is this? Am I just supposed to sit here and look at the scenery?

The captain also said, "To avoid any problems with the escort mission, all of us must stay in the bridge until we arrive at A02 Base. The engine room and main fire room are also closed."

Just then, a genetically engineered soldier approached Qing Chen and said, "Commander Takahashi Tōju, you are injured. How about I take you back to the ship's hold to rest for a while? You can get some sleep and then we'll reach the base."

The captain said, "Yes, you can sleep in my captain's cabin. I'll get a new quilt for Commander Takahashi Tōju."

The intimacy between them was evident in their words.

Qing Chen sighed and stood up, following the gene warrior toward the ship's cabin behind the cockpit, hoping there might be some clues in the captain's quarters.

However, just as they passed the bridge and arrived at the captain's cabin, the genetically engineered warriors ahead continued to walk deeper into the ship's hold.

Qingchen asked doubtfully, "Aren't we already in the captain's room? Where are you going?"

Suddenly, the genetically engineered warrior pulled a pistol from his waist, turned around, and pulled the trigger at Qing Chen.

The gunshots were exceptionally loud inside the ship's cabin, causing everyone's eardrums to ache.

However, Qing Chen's reaction speed is now far beyond imagination. The moment the gene warrior drew his gun, he had already dodged to the left.

The genetically engineered warrior who fired the shot forced Qing Chen back while continuing to run deeper into the ship's hold.

Qing Chen looked up and was surprised to find a door there with the words "Power Warehouse" written on it!

He quickly realized that the genetically engineered soldier was pretending to take him to the captain's cabin, but in reality, he wanted to find an excuse to go to the power bay, destroy the airship's power system, and create a "crash" incident!

Qing Chen's mind raced.

Etc!

What kind of person would want to destroy their own airship at a time like this?!

Only the intelligence agents of the Qing clan would do this!

He has already understood:

This must be an intelligence agent of the Qing clan. After learning that Qing Chen had been possessed by Takahashi Tōju, and unable to contact the outside world, the agent immediately decided to kill "Takahashi Tōju" to prevent "Takahashi Tōju" from humiliating the Qing clan with Qing Chen's face.

Because now only Kei's intelligence agents have a reason to risk their lives to kill "Takahashi Tōju".

Perhaps this is the sense of honor that Qing's intelligence agents possess.

The other party was unaware that Qing Chen had not possessed anyone, and Qing Chen was unable to explain it either.

But the key point is that although he doesn't want to reach the A02 Secret Military Base, he also can't let the airship crash!

But then Qing Chen staggered and caught up with the gene warrior, tackled him to the ground, and disarmed him.

"What are you doing?" Qing Chen asked.

The gene warrior was suppressed and unable to move. Seeing that he had failed, he sneered, "You northern worm who wants to impersonate Commander Qing Chen to humiliate the Qing family? You're delusional."

As he spoke, he punched Qing Chen in the left ribcage, the same spot where he had corrected Qing Chen's ribs, so he knew that hitting there would cause Qing Chen to go into a brief shock.

But Qing Chen took the punch without fainting. He didn't explain anything. What if this was another test from the Gods?

Rapid footsteps came from behind, and someone shouted, "Commander Takahashi, get out of the way!"

Qing Chen was wrestling with the Qing Clan intelligence agent on the ground when he suddenly kicked out, sending the agent sliding off the floor.

He got up and hid to the side, shouting, "I've disarmed him! Capture him alive and interrogate him!"

Upon hearing the gunfire, the genetically engineered warriors on the ship reacted quickly, and two of them provided cover fire while moving to Qing Chen's side to protect him.

The rest of the crew provided suppressive fire, forcing the Qing clan intelligence agent back to the tea room next to the bridge.

The Qing clan intelligence agent desperately tried to rush out and kill Qing Chen, but before he could even leave the tea room, he was kicked back by the C-Class captain and couldn't stand up for a long time.

The captain stood at the entrance to the tea room and asked coldly, "Whose man are you? Why did you kill Takahashi Tōju?"

Someone suddenly tried to assassinate Qing Chen on the airship. This was an accident during the mission. Everyone was puzzled as they had just entered the airspace of the God Era.

The Qing family intelligence agent in the tea room sneered, "You wouldn't understand."

After saying that, the Qing clan intelligence agent struggled to get up again.

Then the captain kicked him back.

The captain said coldly, "Let me tell you what will happen after we arrive at the base. People from above will come to conduct a political review on you, and then you will face the most tragic life in the world."

The genetically engineered warrior sneered, "Northern maggots."

As he spoke, he rammed his head against the wall of the tea room, but the captain swiftly knocked him to the ground.

The captain dragged the Qing clan intelligence agent back to the bridge and said apologetically to Qing Chen, "I'm sorry, I didn't expect this to happen..."

As he spoke, the captain threw the intelligence agent from the Qing Clan on the ground and looked at his subordinates. "Interrogate him now and get something out of him before we return to A02 Base, otherwise our political vetting will be very difficult."

Upon their return, all crew members aboard the Takamanohara -A-Class Airship will face a rigorous political review. The higher-ups will certainly screen the crew to see if any spies remain or if anyone has been recruited by spies.

At this point, the captain must find a way to clear himself of any wrongdoing.

Several genetic warriors brought pliers and plucked off the fingernails of the Qing clan intelligence agent one by one, leaving him covered in blood.

However, the Qing clan's intelligence agents remained stubborn and continued to hurl insults.

The captain then ordered his teeth to be pulled out.

The Qing clan intelligence agent soon had his mouth full of blood.

Qing Chen watched.

Now that the Takamanohara has locked onto its course.

Since he is bound to arrive at A02 Base.

Since his identity as Takahashi Tōju won't last long either.

Therefore, there are some things he absolutely must do.

Qing Chen took a deep breath and said to the captain, "My safe arrival at A02 Base is now the top priority. I require all of you to surrender your weapons and store them with me. Let me clarify, it's not that I don't trust you, but my current identity is too crucial. To prevent any Qing Clan spies from remaining among you, I must make this decision. Anyone who doesn't surrender their weapons is a Qing Clan spy!"

Inside the ship, all the genetically engineered warriors looked at the captain.

After pondering for a few seconds, the captain thought Qing Chen's suggestion was very reasonable, so he slowly nodded. "Before arriving at A02 Base, all firearms shall be handed over to Takahashi Tōju for safekeeping. Anyone who does not hand them over is a Qing spy."

After he finished speaking, even though the gene warriors were unwilling, they all stepped forward and unloaded their guns.

Immediately afterwards, Qing Chen turned his gaze to the captain.

Captain. "..."

Qing Chen frowned. "Captain, do you want to kill me? I will tell the political censors the truth about this."

The captain quickly said, "No, Takahashi, you've misunderstood."

As he spoke, he handed over the pistol from his waist.

Qing Chen gathered all the guns around himself.

Just then, the holographic image in the cockpit lit up, and Kamiyo Yunzhi said with a serious expression, "It has been confirmed that the attempt to possess Qing Chen has failed. Take him into custody immediately. Everyone be on high alert until we reach A02 Base."

The crew and captain aboard the Takamanohara airship looked at Kamiyo Yunzhi, then at the pile of weapons beside Qing Chen...

Your mom!

Why the hell didn't you say so sooner?!

We've already handed over all the guns, and you're telling us this?!

Only the bound Qing clan intelligence agent stared blankly at Qing Chen, only to find that Qing Chen was smiling and winking at him.

Kamiyo Yunzhi he looked into the cockpit. "What's wrong with you guys?!"

The next second, Qing Chen raised his hand and pulled the trigger, smashing the center console in the driver's cab.

The captain reacted quickly, instinctively reaching into his pocket to retrieve the controller for the miniature bomb.

But he found that even though he had pressed the detonation button, the two miniature bombs did not react at all.

The captain roared, "He's all alone! Pistol bullets aren't unlimited! Get him!"

The remaining 20 people on board all rushed forward.

"It's too late."

Qing Chen pulled the trigger without any expression.

The Qing clan intelligence agent collapsed to the ground, staring blankly at the scene.

He saw the barrels of two guns in Qing Chen's left and right hands striking the mechanisms.

He saw the golden bullet casings eject from the gun barrel and fall to the ground with a crisp tinkling sound.

He watched as the genetic warriors of the God Era fell one after another, each shot between the eyebrows.

The intelligence agents of the Qing family swore that they had never seen such domineering marksmanship. Every shot that rang out ended a life. It was as if it were a destiny. The gunshots echoed in the driver's cab like a death knell.

It was exhilarating.

"Watch out!" the Qing clan intelligence agent mumbled a warning, spraying blood in front of him as he spoke.

The captain then picked up the corpse of a genetically engineered soldier and used it as a shield before charging towards Qing Chen.

He knew that Qing Chen was seriously injured, and as long as he, a C-Class, got close, everything would still be under control.

Qing Chen kept pulling the trigger, trying to shoot through the corpse the captain was holding.

Given his physical condition, even if the captain is only C-Class, he would still be no match for him.

Before Qing Chen could even break through the corpse, the captain had already used the corpse as a shield to ram into him, sending Qing Chen flying.

In that instant, Qing Chen felt as if all the wounds on his body had burst open at once.

The captain didn't notice that when he rammed Qing Chen kicked a pistol at his feet.

The cold, black pistol spun as it slid toward the Qing family's intelligence agents.

The Qing clan intelligence agent was stunned for a moment, then struggled to sit up.

Raise your hand and pull the trigger.

With a bang.

The captain's neck was pierced by an angry bullet, and blood splattered all over Qing Chen.

The ship fell silent.

The Qing clan intelligence officer lay helplessly back down on the floor. He watched as Qing Chen struggled to his feet and then squatted down next to him.

Qing Chen calmly said, "Identity."

The intelligence agent from the Qing Clan said, "Secret Intelligence Department Kite Falcon, Zhang Wenqi... I'm sorry, sir, I cannot reveal my identity as a secret agent."

Qing Chen untied the restraints from the other person's body. "Is there still any way to control the airship to leave the flight path?"

Zhang Wenqi sat up and shook his head. "Commander Qing Chen, the flight path has been locked. Unless the plane crashes, there's no way to change it. A02 Base is doing this because they're worried about hijacking."

Qing Chen sighed. After all that effort, he still had to reach that unknown A02 Secret Military Base.

Qing Chen didn't want to give up, so he asked, "Does the airship have parachutes?"

"We originally had ten, but we used them all when we went to the Central Plains to carry out an infiltration mission," Zhang Wenqi said.

Qing Chen then asked, "Is it possible to crash the airship?"

If the plane crashes, Qing Chen can use the things here to make a simple parachute when he gets close to the ground. He can then use a gun to break the cockpit window and climb outside. He can cushion the impact when he is about to land and maybe he won't die.

Zhang Wenqi said, "There's no way around it. A02 Base must have locked the power compartment. It's an alloy hydraulic door that's over 30 centimeters thick, and it can't be opened."

Qing Chen plucked a hair and attempted to sever the power chamber with his Knight True Qi.

He could cut a very fine mark, but after a quick calculation, he realized that at the speed at which he cut the engine compartment door, there was simply not enough time to cause a crash before reaching A02 Base.

Qing Chen returned to the driver's seat, sat down next to Zhang Wenqi with his knees drawn up, and said calmly, "I'm the one who dragged you into this. Without me, you wouldn't have had to go through this."

Zhang Wenqi struggled to his feet, sat down next to Qing Chen, and shook his head. "Sir, this is my duty."

"For the sake of the Qing family?"

"Yes, for the sake of the Qing family."

Is it worth it?

Zhang Wenqi was taken aback for a moment. "I'm sorry, sir, I hadn't thought about that."

Qing Chen asked in confusion, "Then why did you do that?"

Zhang Wenqi thought for a moment and said, "That's how our predecessors have always done it, generation after generation. Success doesn't have to be achieved by me."

"Where are you from?" Qing Chen asked.

"I lived in City No. 10 until I was 13, and then I followed my superior to the north and changed my name. I haven't been back for 10 years," Zhang Wenqi said.

Qing Chen sighed inwardly. In this chaotic world, a 13-year-old child had already begun to face this cruel world.

"Sir, can I ask you for a favor?" Zhang Wenqi said.

"What is it?" Qing Chen asked.

"If you survive and go back alive, could you buy my mother a bouquet of flowers?" Zhang Wenqi said, writing the address on the ground with his own vomited blood, and then wiping it off with his hand.

This airship has Black Box that records the sounds inside the airship every second.

Qing Chen thought for a moment and said, "I'm afraid I won't be able to go back alive, but if I do, I'll do it for you."

"Thank you, sir," Zhang Wenqi said with a smile.

"Is there anything else you want to do?" Qing Chen asked.

Zhang Wenqi for a long time. "No."

"No regrets?"

Zhang Wenqi pondered for a long time, then smiled and said, "Perhaps I lived too short a life, so I haven't had time to accumulate any regrets."

After saying that, he wrote on the ground: Do you need me to tell you about the situation at A02 Base?

Qing Chen calmly shook his head.

Because Zhao Jie came from A02 Base, Qing Chen also knew everything about that place.

The Eight Branches Organization's training camp was located in the harsh northern lands, with a vast, boundless grassland to the west and a wide river further north, which was said to be frozen year-round.

The Kamishiro Corporation not only sends its best intelligence personnel there, but also escorts some secretly captured prisoners to move rocks.

They weren't going to use the prisoners as laborers, and the rocks were of no use to them anyway.

The gods simply made the prisoners carry rocks to the west and then back to the east in a repetitive cycle.

This endless life and labor devastates the prisoners' minds and bodies.

Half of the prisoners here have received counter-surveillance and counter-torture training. They hold their breath and refuse to reveal their secrets, and then they are kept there indefinitely.

The other half consisted of ordinary prisoners from the three cities controlled by the gods.

Federal prisons are supposed to be impartial, inviolable, and therefore it's no secret that various corporations, after capturing prisoners, will directly detain them in secret prisons without going through legal procedures.

Every year during the training camp's graduation season, the Kamishiro Corporation distributes basic weapons to these prisoners and then herds them into the mountains, where the Eight Branches Organization's newest graduates hunt them down.

The Kamishiro Corporation told the prisoners that they could gain their freedom if they escaped alive, or if they killed a member of the Eight Branches Organization.

However, through Takahashi Tōju's memories, Qing Chen clearly knew that each prisoner had the same miniature bomb and locator as he currently had inside him.

Orochi never let any prisoner leave alive.

The purpose of hunting down these prisoners was simply to stimulate the bestial instincts within the new members of Orochi, so that they would not feel uncomfortable about killing in the future.

There are three such training camps, which are referred to within the Shindai as the A01, A02, and A03 secret military bases.

Qing Chen is going to A02.

Silence fell over the cockpit. Qing Chen and Zhang Wenqi both knew that this empty airship held their fate in its grip, and they would soon arrive at A02 Base.

The flight path has been locked, and the ship's firepower cannot be activated.

Silence.

Zhang Wenqi sat on the ground and remained silent for a long time before saying, "Sir, I know what I'll face if I reach A02 Base... I'm sorry, I want to desert."

"Hmm, it's not shameful," Qing Chen nodded calmly, looking out the window in front of the driver's seat.

"Take care, sir," Zhang Wenqi said with a smile, picking up his pistol, aiming it at his chin, and pulling the trigger.

Qing Chen's expression remained completely unchanged.

He wasn't familiar with Zhang Wenqi, so he wasn't very sad.

Strictly speaking, Qing Chen is not a member of the Qing clan; he lacks that sense of honor and belonging.

Whether he was a "public beta player" or a "closed beta player," deep down, Qing Chen's sense of identity always belonged to the Outer World.

But at this moment, my heart was still stirred.

At one point, Qing Chen finally had some goals in his life since he transmigrated.

He needs to find a way to survive, and then do something.

5 p. m.

At A02 Base, prisoners in cold shackles were carrying rocks in a repetitive cycle when they suddenly heard a series of footsteps. Then they saw hundreds of fully armed soldiers assembling in the central open space of the base.

The defensive formation has been set up.

Soon, a high-altitude A-Class Airship, over forty meters long, flew over.

The prisoners were puzzled as to what had prompted the soldiers of the Age of Gods to make such a large mobilization.

They stared blankly, wondering if someone had broken in.

The airship slowly descended, and the hydraulic hatch opened with a hiss.

The next moment, a young man calmly walked out of the ship and stood at the edge of the exit as if no one else was there, looking at the thousands of troops outside with a smile.

The boy was pale and weak, and his body was covered in blood.

But the smile on his face was particularly dazzling.

The soldiers who had been waiting outside rushed forward and pulled Qing Chen off the airship, pressing him onto the cold ground.

Immediately afterwards, the bodies of the Eight Branches Organization soldiers were carried out of the ship one by one.

The prisoners gasped, recalling the moment the boy had stood at the exit smiling.

They had seen countless prisoners being brought in, but never had they ever seen prisoners arrive at the A02 Secret Military Base in such a shocking manner.

"Did he kill an entire fleet of Kamishiro soldiers aboard the Takamanohara...?"

One of the prisoners murmured a question.

It seemed to be asking its companions, and also to the biting cold wind.

City No. 5.

High up in the Ginkgo Manor.

In the coldest, most deserted room, the Shadow Gate opened.

When Shadow arrived this time, he didn't immediately ask any questions. Instead, he sat down in silence.

After an unknown amount of time, the old man, with his back to him, laughed and said, "What, are you planning to do what those students do, sit here and fast? It's no use."

The shadow calmly said, "If I'm not mistaken, your people should have met Qing Chen. He's also the one who was chasing Kamiyo Yunhe."

The old man neither agreed nor disagreed, offering no answer.

Shadow continued, "If nothing unexpected happens, Qing Chen should have already arrived at the A02 Secret Military Base. You must have someone planted at the A02 Base, otherwise why would you actually send him there?"

The old man still did not answer.

"Why? Just so he can quickly gain the qualifications and prestige to seize power? Can you have an open and honest talk with me? Otherwise, I might turn the world upside down," Shadow's tone gradually became serious.

The old man calmly said, "Have you considered this: back then, that person told me they would send him to the Outer World, and I agreed. But that person didn't tell me how long he would be there. He arrived in the Outer World before he could remember anything, and more than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. Do you think he would consider himself a member of the Qing clan?"

"I will teach him slowly," the shadow said.

"It's too slow, I can't wait, and neither can you," the old man said.

"So you're resorting to such extreme measures?"

"If he doesn't see what the Qing people are like with his own eyes, how will he understand what the Qing family really is?" the old man said slowly. "He has to see for himself to understand."

"I'll say it again, what if he doesn't want what you offer him? What if he wants to leave the Qing family and start his own business?" Shadow said. "He has that ability."

The old man laughed, "I'll give him the Secret Intelligence Department, and in the future, I can give him the army too. I'll also make a deal with Li Shutong to make him the next leader of the knights. What does it matter to him whether he wants the Qing family now or not? Wherever he is, that's the Qing family."

The shadow paused for a moment.

The old man said softly, "The world has become corrupt, and some people can no longer stand it, so the millennia-old order must be broken. Xiao Zhun, the Qing Clan is not you, nor me, nor those short-sighted factions within the Qing Clan. The Qing Clan is built on human lives, forged by the great wisdom of our ancestors; it does not belong to you, nor to me. The Qing Clan now is like the bloated shell of a crab; you cannot survive without shedding this shell."

The shadow fell silent.

Everyone says the Qing family is ruthless, the shadow of the Qing family is ruthless, and the head of the Qing family is even more ruthless.

But even Shadow didn't expect that this head of the Qing family would be so ruthless as to personally abandon his vast empire in order to undergo a rebirth.

"What if he dies? He's the only remaining bloodline heir of the Qing family."

The old man shook his head. "You still don't understand. If you could live another twenty years, you could be the one to complete this task. But you don't have that much time, so I chose him. If he dies too, then the Qing family will be left to fate."

Nine thousand three hundred words. Sorry for updating so late. Goodnight everyone.