The overturned vehicle sent four people flying. One landed headfirst on the ground. While their Awakener physiques would prevent immediate death, they were thrown about disgracefully. One was knocked unconscious, while the other two were trapped inside the vehicle, unable to move, their faces contorted with horror.
"How is this possible? This little girl's strength is actually beyond that of a High-level Awakener?" they thought. "If a little girl is this strong, just how powerful must their team be?"
Before they could recover from their shock, the little girl suddenly leaped high into the air and, using gravity, stomped down heavily onto the roof of the overturned vehicle. One stomp, two stomps, three stomps... The jeep's cockpit was gradually flattened, compressed until it was only a few dozen centimeters thick. Blood began to flow from the seams of the doors and windows. It was clear that those inside were dead, and their demise was undoubtedly gruesome.
"A ghost!"
The survivor who had been thrown clear scrambled to their feet and ran back in the direction they came from, screaming. The clones glanced at the fleeing survivor but did not pursue. They turned and rejoined the group, continuing their advance.
Zhang Chen had intentionally let that person go. He hoped that if the so-called "experts" here had any mettle, they would unite and confront him. This way, he could eliminate these pests all at once, saving him the trouble of searching for them. If these experts were merely bullies who preyed on the weak and, upon learning of Zhang Chen's strength, dared not show themselves, then that would be even better. It would save him the hassle of dealing with unknown, suicidal ants causing trouble. In any case, it was a win-win situation.
The group continued forward for about half an hour. Suddenly, bull head graffiti began appearing on the streets on both sides.
"It's people from the Black Bull Legion!" Shirley said nervously. "These graffiti aren't just simple patterns; each subtle difference is conveying information to other members of the legion! The Soul Organization captured someone from the Black Legion before, and the Soul Envoy extracted intelligence from his mind using hypnosis. They even educated some of the strong individuals in the camp about this information, and I was fortunate enough to learn a bit!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen couldn't help but frown. His focus wasn't on the information conveyed by the graffiti, but on the name "Soul Envoy." This was the second time Zhang Chen had heard the name. It seemed to be an important figure in the Soul Organization. Furthermore, this person knew hypnosis? Could they be a psychic-type powerhouse? If so, he would need to make some preparations for future encounters. Currently, Zhang Chen was invincible in terms of his physical and energy bodies. However, his defenses against psychic attacks remained very weak.
Shirley examined the graffiti on the wall and analyzed it based on what she had learned. Soon, she ran back to report, "Master, I've roughly deciphered the meaning of the information on the wall. Although some details are missing, the general meaning is clear! It seems to say that all awakened survivors should immediately gather at the laboratory to kill the demon in its infancy!"
"The laboratory? Demon?" Zhang Chen opened his electronic minimap and looked. Apart from the Third Research Institute, there was no other "Raven Laboratory" in this city. Perhaps from this point onwards, the Raven experimental personnel had transitioned from underground to above ground, becoming overt practitioners of the Gene School and the Progress Faction. Therefore, there was no need for secrecy. It was possible that the laboratory mentioned here was within the Third Research Institute!
But... what did it mean to kill the demon in its infancy? Zhang Chen asked.
Shirley gently shook her head and said, "I'm not entirely sure about this. Perhaps after these轮回者 (reincarnators) awakened, they inadvertently discovered a terrifying existence that would pose a severe threat to survivors in the later stages of the apocalypse? So, while its strength is weakened, they plan to join forces to kill it, thereby reducing the survival pressure in the future?!"
Zhang Chen nodded. This seemed plausible. Moreover, this entity was likely what Xu Ruina had referred to as "Ge...". Never mind, instead of speculating, it was better to move forward quickly. Once they reached the Third Laboratory, everything would be clear.
"Erh Pang!" Zhang Chen called out to Erh Pang.
"Woof!" Erh Pang understood and instantly transformed into its large-sized form.
"This... this guy is so big..." Shirley said, her face filled with shock.
"Get on!" Zhang Chen jumped up first, followed by Xiaobai. The spot in his arms was Xiaobai's exclusive spot, and she snuggled into his embrace as if being pampered, looking blissfully happy. Shirley jumped on last, sitting behind Zhang Chen and gently wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Let's go!"
"Roar!"
Erh Pang revved up its power, raised its paws, and began to gallop. The road was smooth and had not been invaded by mutated plants, allowing Erh Pang to run very fast. The clones behind them also changed their mode of travel, accelerating their charge.
Soon, the group arrived at the Third Research Institute. The location of this complex was rather peculiar. It was surrounded by an artificial lake, with water on all four sides. Only one large bridge led to the institute. Such an arrangement felt more like a prison or a fortress, rather than what a research institute should look like. The gate at the entrance of the bridge, protected by an energy barrier, had already been breached. Looking further inside, the defensive turrets at the institute's entrance had also been dismantled into scrap metal. It appeared that the strength of these survivors was not insignificant, and they had come prepared.
"Xu Ruina is with these desperate individuals and terrifying monsters; it's truly too dangerous!"
"Let's go!"
With a few rapid flashes, Zhang Chen reached the entrance of the institute first. The interior was also in a state of disarray. All defensive measures had been destroyed, and the thick, iron gate, more than ten centimeters thick, had also been blasted to smithereens. This was good; as long as they followed the traces of destruction, they could find the so-called laboratory.
Zhang Chen moved through the sprawling corridors of the institute for a while. At every intersection and corridor, there were clone guards, who served as markers to guide them if they took a wrong turn. Finally, Zhang Chen arrived before a wide-open door, labeled "Ultimate Form Research Laboratory."
"This must be it!"
"Hoo!" Zhang Chen took a deep breath and slowly walked in. As soon as he entered, the temperature of the entire space dropped by more than ten degrees Celsius, feeling somewhat chilling. The laboratory space was much larger than imagined, with a ceiling height of five or six stories, making it incredibly spacious. The operation consoles at the far end were almost like a small dot. If Zhang Chen hadn't activated his Absolute Vision, ordinary people might not even be able to see the consoles.
On both sides were massive glass vats. Some contained cloned bodies of Xu Ruina with long hair, while the contents of other vats had become so deformed and grotesque that their original forms were unrecognizable. Some of the vats had also been smashed, with green liquid spilling all over the floor. These vats, numbering in the hundreds, were neatly arranged throughout the laboratory.
Moving forward another dozen meters, beneath one of the adjacent vats, lay the shattered remains of a human body. The upper torso had a large hole, with only a spine barely connecting it to the lower body, its internal organs and flesh blown away. The head on the neck seemed to be on the verge of splitting open, with a faint blue energy flowing from beneath the cracks in the skin. This manner of death somewhat resembled the result of "Divine Radiance," but the demise was far more tragic than that technique.
"Dark red ring, Black Bull tattoo, captain's insignia... This is at least a Rank 2 High-level Transformed轮回者 (reincarnator)!" Shirley said with a grave expression.