Night of Despair
Chapter 132 - 132: Hope Four

As for Guan Cao's words, if they were useful, he would listen carefully; if not, he'd just do his own thing.

Unfortunately, when he asked about Tang Haitao, the other party didn't know the situation either.

After exercising for a bit, he ate some nutrient paste, bid farewell to Guan Cao, who said he was tired, and then went out to check on Li Rushan and the others.

Outside the cave, Li Rushan had already dug a simple foundation. He was sitting with Aisena, eating nutrient paste, while explaining something.

Zhou Xueguang was tending to the newly moved livestock box, pacing around the yard, furrowing his brows as if pondering something.

"Old Li," Yu Hong stepped down the stone steps, surveying the surroundings. "Give me a hand first."

"What's up?" Li Rushan seemed to quickly recover from the departure of his friend and stood up, moving closer.

"It's still a leg technique issue," Yu Hong thought for a moment, "I've got a heavy leg technique to increase combat power, but I still lack one that enhances speed."

While exercising, he had this idea early on, thinking that if he had a technique to increase movement speed, he could significantly shorten travel time in many places.

"Movement speed?" Li Rushan looked confused. "Isn't that just running? Just run more."

"Speaking of which, since we finished teaching the leg technique, we haven't sparred for a long time. How about a match?" Yu Hong said thoughtfully.

"...Well, okay, but your strength is too great now. At most, we can exchange moves. If we were to have a formal match... I guess only an enhanced person could face you." Li Rushan was momentarily taken aback and quickly said.

"Then let's just practice the moves purely. I'm really lacking in actual combat experience. Old Zhou, you come and help guide us too," Yu Hong said seriously.

He didn't think that saving two people made him unbeatable in the world. At least until he could deal with many firearms, he didn't feel strong enough.

And in this dangerous era where even firearms often proved ineffective, his skills seemed even weaker.

"I have indeed seen a combat style similar to yours in enhanced individuals," Zhou Xueguang came closer, a hint of reminiscence in his voice.

Together with Li Rushan, they no longer withheld knowledge. After inquiring about Yu Hong's leg technique skills, they combined them to provide a set of practical leg technique moves and skills.

After all, just the basic survival leg technique moves were far from enough. In many complex environments and situations, Yu Hong often resorted to using his hands instead.

But according to Zhou Xueguang, a true master of leg techniques almost never needed to use their hands; a few kicks could seal the deal because the power of the legs far exceeded that of the hands.

The two worked together, quickly enabling Yu Hong to summarize all the details of a set of practical leg technique moves and record them on paper.

What followed was constant repetition and practice, without any shortcuts.

The recorded moves, Yu Hong planned to incorporate into the cultivation technique during enhancement, further refining his combat system.

Now, with the biggest problems of the safe house—energy and water—resolved, his mind settled down considerably.

The utilization of the Black Mark also became a priority on his agenda.

The most crucial point among them was the optimization and enhancement of the cultivation technique. After completing the mark, Yu Hong planned to strengthen the technique once again.

The previous optimization of the cultivation technique had yielded significant benefits; otherwise, he couldn't even touch the person behind the Evil Shadow last time.

Next, after strengthening his leg technique, he still needed an inner strength technique to accelerate Inner Qi cultivation.

Currently, his Inner Qi was slowly accumulated through additional leg technique training, which was frankly torturous for Yu Hong.

Recognizing the effects of Inner Qi on the Black Mark and its impact on the mark, he decided to rely on his experience in cultivating Inner Qi to summarize a simple Inner Qi cultivation method and enhance it to create a specialized inner strength technique.

According to the fundamental requirements for Black Mark enhancement, he had gained a basic understanding of this energy through his cultivation of Inner Qi so far. Now, imagining a highly feasible pure inner strength technique was no longer difficult.

If it were at the very beginning, when he knew nothing about Inner Qi, he certainly couldn't have done it. But now, with the foundation of basic leg technique Inner Qi, his understanding of Inner Qi far surpassed before. So... he already had the foundation to weave a pure inner strength technique!

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Baihe City.

Women's Dormitory of the Joint Army Enhanced Unit.

Stammering Yiyi carefully handed her Enhanced Red Value Detector to the female soldier who had come to fetch it.

"When... will I... get it back?" Her hand struggled to release the detector, showing reluctance.

This was a treasure Yu Hong had given her, and it had saved their squad's life previously. Beyond its functionality, it held significant meaning.

"Don't worry. They'll need to check it above to get the results. However, be assured that your contributions to the entire army may save many elite comrades who would have otherwise perished during missions. Also, you won't have any tasks during this time to ensure your safety," the person answered earnestly and sincerely.

"Understood..." Stammering Yiyi nodded. If she could help more people survive, she relaxed her grip despite her reluctance.

Thorough analysis and research by the laboratory would lead to extensive replication and mass production. This was the correct way to utilize the Enhanced Red Value Detector.

"Everything will be fine. With Captain Xue's connections, no one will dare to think wrong," Ou Li said impatiently as he approached, "Besides, the fifth lab is in the city, so you can just drop by to check on the progress if you're free."

"Okay..." Stammering Yiyi took a step back reluctantly and exchanged salutes with the female soldier fetching the item, watching her turn around and stride towards the dormitory exit.

The female soldier walked out of the dormitory and quickly got into a camouflage military vehicle parked by the roadside.

There were two people in the vehicle.

One was a woman dressed in a black lady's suit, her hair tied back in a bundle, with a sharply defined face. She was Qiu Yanxi, Wei Hongye's wife.

"Did you get it?" Qiu Yanxi asked, her expression slightly tense as she looked at the item in the female soldier's hand.

"Got it." The female soldier wiped her face with her hand, and suddenly the entire mask was peeled off, revealing a completely different face.

"Everyone saw that it was the people from the fifth lab who took away the detector." She smiled slightly and handed the item to Qiu Yanxi.

Receiving the detector, Qiu Yanxi sighed, recalling Yu Hong's familiar and increasingly strange face.

"Didn't get the plant, but having this as a substitute isn't bad either. If the higher-ups hadn't left ahead of time, this wouldn't have been our turn."

Although Yu Hong had saved them, with the approach of the Black Disaster presenting high risks, Yu Hong being in the wild surely meant his doom. Whether or not they took the technology, someone else would.

Compared to themselves, others would not consider Yu Hong's face, and might even harm Stammering Yiyi harshly.

Rather than that, taking it themselves could both ensure Stammering Yiyi's—Lin Yiyi's—safety and help her husband enhance his status and authority in the new Aurora City. It's a win-win situation.

"Time to head back, ma'am. Tomorrow, we need to leave on the last fleet of ships, so preparations need to be made," reminded the female soldier.

"Hmm." Qiu Yanxi nodded, collecting her thoughts.

The military vehicle slowly started up, driving along the somewhat deserted road into the distance.

The next day.

Baihe Harbor.

There were a total of six ships heading to new Aurora City, and each massive cargo ship laden with migrants started setting sail, heading toward the distant sea.

Before long, the first five slowly embarked, leaving port.

Beside the last cargo ship.

A long line of migrants, under the maintenance of joint army soldiers, queued up continuously, boarding the cargo ship.

Wei Hongye's family and two other families from institutes of the same level, with hints of nervousness in their expressions, chatted aimlessly as they slowly moved forward.

Not far behind them were the families of important members of the institute, such as the one-eyed man, and further back were some well-informed, capable small merchants who used the resources they had accumulated to exchange for spots on the last cargo ship.

In the distance, many onlookers, totally unaware, watched the bustle, not knowing that they were the last group of people to be abandoned.

WOOO!

With the sound of the departing cargo ship's horn, Wei Hongye's family also stepped onto the boarding stairway.

Wei Shanshan couldn't help but look back at Baihe City, a trace of bewilderment flashing in her eyes.

"Mom, what kind of place is new Aurora City? Will it be safer than here?"

"Many prominent people have migrated there beforehand; it has to be much safer than here," Qiu Yanxi reassured her with a smile.

"But with so many important people going there, will we manage poorly once there?" Wei Shanshan couldn't help but worryingly ask.

"Of course not. Your dad has prepared everything; don't worry. Trust him." Qiu Yanxi smiled softly, knowing that with the Enhanced Red Value Detector, a little groundbreaking technology would ensure their swift establishment.

"Okay... but I actually..." Wei Shanshan lowered her head, worry evident on her face.

Whoosh...

Suddenly, a faint gust of wind brushed past everyone's ears.

The sound was initially small, but rapidly, within mere seconds, it swelled bigger, getting louder and louder.

"Oh my God!! What is that!?!"

Someone standing from a height shouted in terror.

"The right side!! Look to the right!! At the cargo ship sailing ahead!!"

"In the sea! Look at the sea!!"

"Holy shit!"

Screams erupted one after another, laden thick with fear.

As Wei Hongye's family stood dumbfounded.

Boom!!!

A thunderous, horrifying explosion, accompanied by massive splashing waves, echoed from the sea surface.

Under everyone's gaze.

In the deep-sea region at the port.

A preceding cargo ship more than three hundred meters long, stood on the sea surface, was violently hit on its waist by a colossal black creature emerging from the right.

The crash resounded with plumes of spray bursting forth.

The cargo ship instantly snapped with a crack, broken in two, like a child's simple paper box easily torn in half.

Moo!!

The black creature leapt partway out of the sea, revealing a massive head adorned with countless black horns.

It gently re-entered the sea, its gigantic body over three hundred meters long, making a turn, dragging long black smoke, rushing toward the next cargo ship.

Boom!!!

The cargo ship that Wei Hongye and the others were about to board was also completely shattered at that moment.

At the dock's edge, the massive, weighty structure of the cargo ship was flung violently ashore, crashing onto the vacant square lanes.

Countless metal fragments scattered and splattered, hitting the crowd before they could react, instantly becoming a scene of bloody mist.

Simultaneously, from the sky on another side of Baihe City, flocks of large Multi-eyed Birds flapped their wings, with sharp beaks, swooping down toward the city's district.

Screech!!

The dense chorus of bird cries plunged this Hope City, already half-emptied of its people, completely into despair.

With the leadership's quiet departure, much of the elite joint army, along with a large quantity of weapons and equipment, had silently been taken away.

Those left behind were simply not sufficient to resist the incoming Black Disaster Monsters.

And such an outcome meant that Baihe City was doomed.

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