Chapter 872: The Assault on Qinggang
by xennovelFour Ultimates launch an all-out assault on Qinggang – leaving the city utterly defenseless.
While chaos and madness engulf Qinggang, the mountain peaks remain eerily silent.
At the conference table, the Black-clad Bishop’s voice, low and chilling, intoned, “It was destined to be this way.”
“Ha! In such an absurd world, there are those foolish enough to play savior…”
“It’s the most laughable spectacle.”
“Every soul they rescue will only become a burden—a weight that eventually saps their strength.”
“Control, possession, greed, jealousy—these emotions will dominate the hearts of the survivors.”
“They won’t be grateful like in fairy tales, loyal partners to Qinggang.”
“On the contrary, their inner imbalance will drive them into a frenzied, blind, all-out assault. Even if it means dragging Qinggang down with them rather than surviving as mere bystanders while someone else becomes the savior…”
“Ha…”
“Some might say this is simply the madness born of Ultimate-level contamination.”
“But in truth, no form of contamination can incite such chaos without an inner pull…”
“They are mad because they were mad from the start…”
“…”
The white-coated researcher listened to his words, his eyes darker than ever—devoid of any thrill of victory.
“The Cangzhang Sect and the Pale Hand have always been dangerous. We dared not let them cross into reality before, but now, for our final chance, we have summoned them to the real world. Their aid is invaluable, yet if they seize the initiative, our plan will be doomed…”
“…”
“They won’t take the lead.”
The Black-clad Bishop interrupted confidently, “After all, the Tyrant exists.”
“The Tyrant…”
“That embodiment of wrath—a monster who knows only destruction…”
“…”
As he spoke, his eyes gleamed with a wild fervor, the cold composure seemingly replaced by fanaticism:
“This is the most perfect plan…”
“Even the Tyrant can’t resolve the crisis facing Qinggang. He is simply no match for solving problems…”
“Ha-ha, when you mentioned the final chance, I knew everything.”
“Exactly—we should have done this long ago.”
“The Tyrant’s power comes from anger, and anger solves nothing.”
“We were wrong to try to counter anger directly. How could it ever work?”
“Instead, we must harness his rage—inciting even more fury.”
“With four Ultimates assaulting Qinggang, whether the Tyrant returns or not, our plans will collapse. That Ability User who dares to claim the title of Ultimate will shatter, and as for the Tyrant… ha, he will indeed be furious, more than ever before. Yet such anger will eventually overwhelm him; as it consumes him, the world will descend into chaos—and then…”
He exhaled deeply, his eyes burning with wild zeal, “That is our final chance…”
“The only chance…”
“…”
“…”
“To face the enemy head-on…”
Gazing at Professor Bai’s resolute expression, Mr. Su was brought to the verge of tears.
In terms of aura, philosophy, determination, and research—you must be far superior to me…
But still, I have eyes too!
He almost wanted to grab Professor Bai by the collar and shout, “Come on, tell me—what do we use to fight back now?”
Panic!
In Mr. Su’s line of sight, there was nothing but sheer terror.
Around the Qinggang Mental Power Research Base, every detection device began to blare frantically.
Not only the devices—every sentry and scout was sending urgent reports.
They were all going off because a chaotic, bizarre surge of mental energy now filled the air around Qinggang.
It was as if a giant net had enveloped the city, each wave of energy so unprecedented that the instruments malfunctioned, emitting a high-pitched, terrified chorus.
“Alert…”
“Alert…”
“Request to initiate countermeasures…”
“Over a million people are surging toward Qinggang from the wasteland…”
“…”
The endless barrage of phone reports echoed one after the other, every recipient’s voice raw with terror.
The emergency forces deployed in Qinggang’s outskirts had already been sent forward by countless numbers.
Yet, no matter how meticulous Qinggang’s prior arrangements were, since the attack began, all messages received read: “Unit XX suddenly lost contact,” “Unit XX requests retreat,” “City Defense Department awaits electromagnetic cannon activation,” and so on.
Occasionally, a gunshot would ring out, only to vanish almost immediately.
Perhaps Qinggang’s military had advanced weapons, professional training, and robust armor. But before that endless tide of people, these forces—like fearless madmen—proved utterly powerless.
Just as the sharpest sword cannot stem the force of a river’s current.
“Alarm… alarm…”
Just then, Minister Shen—who had rushed to the adjacent command post—nearly fainted upon seeing the information from High-wall City.
He had received live images transmitted from the high wall and the perimeter observation posts.
Under the Red Moon, wave after wave of people approached in orderly lines.
The ground was nearly invisible, overwhelmed by a crush of faces and blood-red eyes.
They moved like a carpet of ants, swarming over the wasteland and then relentlessly surging toward Qinggang.
Even military forces outside were instantly overwhelmed by their onslaught.
“Madmen… madmen…”
Stalwart veterans, with nerves of steel, were now trembling in terror at the sight.
It was reminiscent of the early days of the Red Moon Incident thirty years ago—the wasteland filled with man-eating lunatics.
But now, the pandemonium was even more terrifying than it had been then.
A living nightmare had descended.
Across the wasteland, cannibalistic lunatics wreaked havoc indiscriminately, launching a frenzied assault on any semblance of reason.
Even in High-wall City, countless citizens were abruptly roused from slumber.
The Third Descent had arrived. Although Qinggang had until now been shielded by the protective aura of the Doll and the Tyrant’s formidable reputation, its citizens—despite strict curfews and halted commerce—had been oblivious to the world’s true state outside, until now.
“…”
“…”
“Report: Violent incidents are erupting in the city; severe contamination is affecting Qinggang’s citizens!”
“All administrative halls and electromagnetic defense systems in the cities are under heavy assault…”
“…”
Another despairing report came in. Instantly, a chill ran through the research teams at the base—both those from Qinggang and the reinforcements from High-wall City who had come to aid the lab personnel.
This torrent of grim news shattered their rationality.
Their eyes glazed over as they looked at their comrades in Qinggang, while voices of dismay filled the air.
First, endless madmen were rushing over the wasteland—set to arrive in mere minutes, overwhelming any military line.
Then, riots had broken out in Qinggang, with insurgents clashing with every unit.
Meanwhile, at a critical moment in the Doll Experiment within Qinggang, the staff were too occupied to intervene.
The Ability Users of Qinggang—or Knights, as some called them—had mostly dispersed across the world to save those threatened by contamination.
Even the most feared Tyrant Squad…
“…they are still out there, and have not returned.”
“…How do we fight back?”
This level of attack could not be caused by ordinary contamination. To trigger such massive havoc, it had to be a force from the Abyss—a power so immense it required more than one Ultimate to unleash.
“Since the Third Descent, what is the fastest collapse against contamination recorded in the High-wall Cities?”
“One minute and thirty seconds.”
“…”
Someone asked, and the answer came swiftly.
The fastest collapse—where an entire city of millions fell to contamination—was recorded in one minute and thirty seconds.
So what about Qinggang?
Although Qinggang boasted a larger population, deeper heritage, and stricter defenses, the attack it suffered was even more horrific…
How long can Qinggang withstand the onslaught of four Ultimates?
“…”
“…”
Professor Bai drew a deep breath, turned to Mr. Su and Minister Shen, and said, “Do not panic.”
“I know you’re tense—you might even want to hit me.”
“But trust me, I wasn’t holding back for mere dramatic effect.”
“Not because I chose silence over action.”
He murmured, “Against an Ultimate assault, our military and weapons will likely be useless.”
“So there is no need for our troops to march to their deaths, nor can we use weapons of mass destruction to wipe out the homeless in the wasteland. After all, beyond the contamination, they are no different from us.”
“When arms and troops fail, the only weapon we have left to counter contamination is…”
“Will!”
“…”
He exhaled deeply, smiling as he looked around, “We possess the strongest willpower.”
“Therefore, we cannot lose.”
“…”
“You keep saying, you keep saying…”
Mr. Su rolled up his sleeves and shouted in anger, “Then tell me—how do we fight with willpower?”
Professor Bai stepped back coolly, turning toward the West, and said:
“Look, isn’t it already here?”
“…”
“Hmm?”
Everyone was stunned before they slowly turned their heads.
A bone-chilling wind swept in from the western edge of the base.
Under the Red Moon, a sector of the night had darkened further.
So deep was the blackness that even the red glow of the moon could not penetrate; no human gaze could pierce it.
All they could see was the dense darkness rolling in from the West.
It seemed slow at first, but in an instant it swallowed entire swaths of the world, descending upon every person at the base—and into the very depths of their minds…
It felt unnervingly familiar as it invaded the base, filling every nook and cranny.
“…”
“What… what is that?”
At that moment, everyone lifted their heads, only to see nothing but impenetrable darkness.
Suddenly, a shrill and surreal cacophony of screams filled their ears—a morbid symphony of slaughter: the bleating of a pig as its throat was slit, the wails of newborns in the dead of night, a woman’s lung-shattering terror, and the collective cry of a city in despair…
The voices were disturbingly clear yet evasive.
Everyone stiffened, frozen in place, too terrified to move amidst the cacophony.
Thump… thump…
Panic gripped them—a terror without seeing a thing, yet their hearts pounded with dread.
Each person felt a creeping unease, afraid to step off the ground, as if the earth might sprout a serpent’s hand; they anxiously glanced back, fearing something might be lurking at their necks; they dared not stray too far from the crowd, for a single glance might turn their companions into fiends.
Fear invaded from every angle, in every form, embedding itself in their minds.
It was as if fear needed no reason—it simply was fear incarnate.
Swish, swish, swish, swish…
It wasn’t only those at the base who trembled; even among the few who sensed only slight radiation induced fear, scores of madmen under the dark shroud suddenly collapsed to their knees, leaving trails of blood and faces twisted in icy distortion.
“He-he-he…”
Some screamed desperately, collapsing to the ground while clawing at the earth in spasms.
Their fingernails shattered and blood flowed, yet they could not stop.
Faces contorted in agony as some, panting and slowing their frantic dash, burst into gut-wrenching sobs before, driven to breakdown, lunged at others—rending necks with vicious teeth.
Some trembled uncontrollably and fell to their knees.
One man gaped, tearing at his own tongue, wailing pitifully, until he finally yanked it out…
“…”
“…”
From the vantage of Qinggang, details were blurred—only a mass of darkness surging over the city, and countless madmen falling, the air thick with despair.
The uncanny darkness—and the terror within—stopped even the approaching madmen in their tracks.
Face after twisted, uncomprehending face, those who had lost the ability to think stood frozen, expressionless.
“He-he-he-he…”
A withered, hollow laugh suddenly resounded, echoing in their hearts with crystalline clarity:
“Little kittens, little kittens…”
“…”
With that, the chaos, delirium, and phantom screams vanished as if wiped clean.
In that moment, the only sound left in the world was the beating of their own hearts.
Simultaneously, the heavy night turned upside down, blanketing every inch of space, every person—even the red moon in the sky was swallowed by darkness. Its crimson light flickered weakly as if resisting, but ultimately was obliterated; every ray of light was blocked, and the oppressive night ruled the evening.
A sullen, mocking voice crept slowly through the air, spreading boundlessly toward the horizon.
Swish…
Within the horde of madmen, there were figures clad in black robes chained all over, and hooded figures boasting a single pale hand.
There were also women in black court dresses wearing crowns studded with thorns.
They all suddenly halted, their eyes cold as they looked around the perimeter of the base.
From the depths of the night surrounding the base, the dark shroud began to roil.
At last, someone caught sight of the master lurking within the darkness.
Or rather, they had seen him for a long time.
It turned out that all the darkness formed his very body, and from within that nearly infinite form, a black mask slowly ascended to where the Red Moon once glowed. Beneath the mask, a chilling gaze fixed on the assembled Ultimates.
With a smile that hinted at amusement, he murmured, “One, two, three…”
“Three little kittens…”
“Guess how many will be wiped from this world tonight…”
“…”
The atmosphere tensed abruptly.
Even with only three Ultimates present, an unmistakable tautness gripped everyone.
Panic…
The most terrifying Ultimate—one that would not hesitate to erase its kin from this world—was upon them…
“…”
“…”
At the same time, in Qinggang City, an old man garbed in priestly robes emerged from the library.
His attire was oddly out of place in the real world, yet no one around him could see him; they instinctively stepped aside as they approached. In fact, he seemed quite content—the post-Red Moon Incident effort to organize and preserve old texts from the pre-Civilization Era in Qinggang had filled him with satisfaction and a sense of the city’s earnest pursuit of truth…
So he stood before the grand entrance of the Qinggang Library, sighed softly, and surveyed Qinggang—a main city, six satellite cities, and a base—watching as countless people descended into madness, attacking and biting everything, while others struggled to maintain order.
For instance, there were police pulling up cordons.
Soldiers formed human barriers, brandishing reinforced glass shields against the surging mob.
Then there was a female officer on a gleaming motorcycle, directing panicked citizens to rush to underground shelters.
Or Teacher Xiao Lu, hurriedly locking the orphanage’s children inside as she fled into the basement.
Naturally, fear reigned.
Yet even as these anxious young soldiers gripped their guns with sweat-drenched palms, when the assembly whistle sounded, they charged without hesitation toward the meeting point, surging at the deranged residents now flooding the streets.
Despite the shock that even ordinary residents fled downstairs wearing nothing but a mask, they still obeyed the instructions of the street officers and soldiers to seek refuge in underground shelters. Among them were individuals in shorts clutching kitchen knives, rushing over to ask if they could help, and aunties carrying baskets of eggs muttering in anger:
“What’s all this fuss about?”
“Tomorrow, the prices will go up again…”
“…”
“…”
“In an age of confusion where truth seems lost, there are always those who come a little closer to it…”
The white-haired old man walked quietly through the chaotic crowd, strangely fascinated by Qinggang’s descent into madness.
“No wonder even Kuimeng chose this place…”
He admired everything around him—the chaos, and those who steadfastly believed.
Whether it was the fellow brandishing two kitchen knives in his boxer shorts, convinced he could hack a madman to death,
or the auntie who was certain tomorrow would dawn despite rising egg prices.
Or the residents who, upon hearing the police’s orders, maintained order by bolting into underground shelters.
He felt a stirring of emotion.
Softly, almost inaudibly, he began to speak. His gaze grew resolute as he slowly spread his arms.
Within his aging body, he instantly sensed countless forces akin to his own emerging all around.
And then, a smile blossomed on his face.
Rustling pages echoed around him, soon reaching every ear throughout Qinggang.
A book with a sheepskin cover flipped open behind him.
Then, as if influenced by a mysterious force, every book in Qinggang—including those once used to prop up table legs—flipped open at once, as an unseen, unassailable hand turned every page.
At that moment, the chaos and riot in Qinggang diminished noticeably.
On those affected, endless worms suddenly lifted their heads, their expressionless mouths slack and agape.
It was as if the turning of the books had awakened a force that suppressed them.
How does one combat ignorance, insensibility, and the insatiable, all-devouring worms?
Only with the most genuine, unending knowledge.
“…”
“…”
“What are you…”
The arrival of reinforcements was even swifter than the invasion by the Ultimates, sending Mr. Su’s body into simultaneous excitement and terror.
“It was always meant to be…”
Professor Bai, visibly excited as he gazed at the darkness enveloping the base, could barely contain his astonishment. He shouted, “I told you before—if our faith is steadfast and we have the determination to uphold this world, then not even an Ultimate can shake us; even the gods in our eyes will resonate with us and stand by our side!”
“Ultimately, the power of an Ultimate springs from within man…”
“…”
He spoke louder, inhaling deeply as if his very body were expanding in resolve.
He even earned the privilege of locking eyes with several of the Ultimates.
“Granted, our strength in Qinggang is still weak, and our plan is not flawless.”
“But at least we have the resolve to do this.”
“We are using every ounce of our power to save this world.”
“So when those we saved turn on us with greed, ambition, and jealousy, we will make our stance known immediately…”
“With the left hand deterrence… oh no, intimidation,”
“and the right hand of truth…”
“This is Qinggang’s courage in the face of this world!”
“…”
Having said that, he abruptly turned and glared at the adjacent Midnight Tribunal.
At that moment, the Midnight Tribunal bore no trace of its former self—a new entity was emerging.
With pristine white walls, spiky rooftops, and glittering objects flashing intermittently, the crisp sound of clanging chains gently resonated.
Something pure and crystal-clear was slowly forming.
“With left hand intimidation and right hand truth, naturally…”
Professor Bai paused briefly before exclaiming with passion, “We shall usher in the Light!”
“…”
“…”
Swish, swish, swish.
For reasons unknown, upon hearing Professor Bai’s words, both Mr. Su and Minister Shen suddenly felt their scalps go numb.
It wasn’t the numbness of fear, but one of excitement—of being moved.
A deep inner logic, long-awaited to be fulfilled, finally resonated within them.
People of their stature nearly wanted to scoop up Professor Bai, toss him into the air, and then hide…
After all, with such complete logic—and clarity—why hadn’t he spoken sooner?
So this must be the most important part of the data shared by the Moon Eclipse Research Institute or that genius researcher, isn’t it? This is the true sincerity of the Moon Eclipse Research Institute. They had collaborated with the Fire-Thief long ago and arranged everything to ensure Qinggang’s safe passage!
Damn it, he must have known all along—he was just teasing us here…
“Hehehehehe…”
Before their thoughts could take shape, a withered, cold laugh echoed. They could almost feel unseen eyes fixated on them amid the dense night, along with a voice sneering, “Left hand intimidation, right hand truth?”
“I just want to ask—if I help with the intimidation, will there be…”
A pause. The voice grew serious: “…a salary?”
“?”
Professor Bai was momentarily dumbfounded, then puffed out his chest confidently and replied, “By the rules!”
“Rules?”
The darkness suddenly thickened, and a cutting, icy wind swept over them, as if an invisible hand gripped their necks and shifted, searching for a way to rip the spine out intact…
“This…”
Professor Bai’s scalp went numb; his composure and confidence crumbled in an instant.
He nodded frantically and stammered, “Yes, yes, there’s definitely a salary…”
“No, not salary—sponsorship…”
“Sponsorship…”