Chapter 123: 123, Someone must sacrifice

Because Ren Xiaosu had fled first, their small squad had been running at the forefront of the refugee column. At one point, he glanced back and felt that the experimental subjects they had encountered this time seemed fewer than those in Jingsan.

Could it be due to the volcanic eruption, causing their numbers to dwindle?

But this was a good thing—Ren Xiaosu wished the more of them died in Jingsan, the better!

Leading the group in a frantic sprint, he shouted toward the Qingshi Consortium: "Don't shoot! Run together!"

Ren Xiaosu feared the Qingshi Consortium would open fire indiscriminately. At this moment, his brow furrowed. If the Qingshi Consortium made an aggressive move, he could only force his way out with shadows.

Chen Wudi watched Ren Xiaosu and muttered quietly: "Master's killing aura is so heavy... but it seems far more resolute than the indecisiveness of his previous life."

At that moment, Chen Wudi looked back and saw their rear had become a world of blood. The experimental subjects slaughtered with exceptional brutality, blood splattering everywhere!

The wails and screams intertwined, as if their backs were a realm of torment.

Pain.

This was the pain of the mortal world.

Chen Wudi's Golden Cudgel manifested in his hand, and the urge to slay demons and evil surged within him. Yet the experimental subjects were too many; he could not overcome them.

Ren Xiaosu, who had been shielding Xiao Yu Jie and the others, did not notice this. In that instant, a golden silhouette seemed to emerge from Chen Wudi's body—the Locking Golden Armor and the Phoenix-Winged Purple Golden Crown from the *Journey to the West*!

But before they could fully materialize, a golden circlet appeared atop his head. Then the Locking Golden Armor and the Phoenix-Winged Purple Golden Crown vanished.

Chen Wudi stood frozen, watching the experimental subjects' savage forms...

"Forget it, I'd better go to heaven and fetch reinforcements! Master, wait for me!" With that, Chen Wudi turned and fled!

Ren Xiaosu called after him: "Disciple, help carry everyone's luggage!"

In such a flight, Wang Fugui, Wang Dalong, and Xiao Yu Jie would surely be hindered by their belongings and unable to outpace the refugees!

Chen Wudi, stronger even than Ren Xiaosu, could easily carry such items.

By now, the Qingshi Consortium had already sensed the chaos. Though the refugees obscured their view, leaving them unsure of what had transpired, Luo Lan did not hesitate. He immediately ordered all Qingshi combatants to evacuate swiftly.

Thus, when the refugees surged forward, the Qingshi Consortium still led the retreat. Luo Lan, fleeing, shouted to those in the vehicle: "You go first—the car is faster!"

The wounded fell silent. Someone said: "We can't abandon you."

Luo Lan, panting heavily: "Get lost! Hurry up, a bunch of wounded fools!"

At that moment, the wounded were positioned higher and could see the experimental subjects behind the refugees harvesting lives with terrifying efficiency. Given their speed, even a normal human would be killed if they tried to escape.

If the experimental subjects could be drawn to those who couldn't run fast, it might help. But these creatures showed no attachment to the dead "prey"—they sought to slaughter everyone!

By now, the theory that "you only need to run faster than your teammates" no longer applied. Everyone would die!

The wounded ignored Luo Lan's command to leave. Instead, they decisively stopped the vehicle and unloaded the weapons and ammunition onto the ground. Luo Lan's confidant, Tang Zhou, directed the combatants to quickly establish a firing line. He roared: "Two men, protect the boss and get him into the car!"

Tang Zhou's choice was correct. Of their many people, only one-third could ride in the vehicle; the remaining two-thirds could never outrun the experimental subjects. The refugees were dying too quickly to buy much time.

Tang Zhou understood—they couldn't kill the experimental subjects either. When Qing Zhen had captured the first one, he had already transmitted the data to Luo Lan.

Thus, someone had to sacrifice.

"What are you waiting for? Wait to die together?" Tang Zhou said coldly, pointing to two younger soldiers: "Take the boss away!"

He chose these two soldiers to grant them a chance at survival, for they were young and had not yet tasted life's joys.

The other soldiers remained silent, knowing the consequences of staying, yet none opposed Tang Zhou's decision.

"Damn it, let go of me!" Luo Lan struggled as the two soldiers dragged him toward the SUV. He panicked, trying to break free: "Are you rebelling? I, Luo Lan, have never been a coward!"

Tang Zhou smiled: "Thanks to you and Boss Qing for your care over the years," and to the two young soldiers, he said resolutely: "Get the boss into the car now."

At that moment, Ren Xiaosu had just arrived at the Qingshi Consortium's base with Xiao Yu Jie and the others. Jiang Wu followed closely with his students, but the Qingshi soldiers ignored them, allowing them and scattered refugees to slip through the gaps in the defensive line.

Tang Zhou watched calmly as the refugees were driven forward by the experimental subjects. The distance between them closed. He waited for the perfect moment.

"Combat Squads 1 to 5, prepare to fire. Combat Squad 6 stands by for reinforcement. The wounded handle ammunition," Tang Zhou's calm voice echoed in the soldiers' ears. He opened a crate on the ground and pulled out an RPG rocket launcher!

Tang Zhou laughed joyfully: "Lucky we brought this thing!"

Within minutes, the refugees had been harvested by the experimental subjects. Tang Zhou knelt on one knee, hoisting the RPG to his shoulder.

When the first experimental subject appeared in his sights, Tang Zhou said calmly: "Fire!"

A thunderous explosion erupted as the grenade blasted from his shoulder! The force unleashed in that instant seemed like a divine roar, striking vertically from the mortal realm into hell!

Ren Xiaosu glanced back and found the Qingshi soldiers facing death with a unique serenity and acceptance.

It should have been a moving sight, yet they showed no sentimentality, as if they had done something trivial.

Luo Lan was dragged into the SUV, which then sped toward the 109th stronghold.

But at that moment, an anomaly occurred—Ren Xiaosu suddenly noticed that two wings had experimental subjects approaching, their numbers in the dozens!

These creatures had circled from the side of the Qingshi defensive line, four of them charging directly from behind toward Tang Zhou. In that instant, Ren Xiaosu knew—Tang Zhou and his men were doomed!