In the square at the center of the Great Iron Plants that was right next to the geothermal well, a hundred core members of Nepenthe were escorted out under the illumination of the burning flames.
After days of interrogation, their bodies had all been damaged to different degrees. Many of them were staggering forward while supporting each other. The heavy shackles were dragging on the ground in earsplitting noises and feeble sparks.
However, there was neither the fear of impending death nor the indifference and confusion when they practiced the Serenity Arts on their faces. There was only vague delight and relief.
Everybody was humming the ancient and warm tune softly as they walked toward their end hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder, leaving their last smile to the workers around.
Different from the passionate and blood-boiling battle hymn that Li Yao played above the Great Iron Plants half a month ago, the key of the hymn was almost as low as the dust and as lackluster as the coal core that had not been extinguished yet, but it was full of the appeal of "moisturizing".
After the failure of the riot, the workers who had volunteered to stay had been devastated. Dragging their bodies that looked like walking corpses, they embedded themselves into the assembly lines and the mines, at the mercy of the Immortal Cultivators.
However, the scene before their eyes — the smiles of Xu Zhicheng, the "teacher", and the rest of them, as well as their soft humming — woke up the sleeping souls of the workers again. As if a handful of white sugar mixed with salt had been poured into their throats, complicated feelings flooded their hearts again.
There was no telling who started it first, but all the workers echoed Xu Zhicheng and the rest of them and began to sing softly together.
Perhaps they had long forgotten the lyrics, or perhaps they could not even remember the rhythm. Some of the young workers had never heard this melody before, but this melody was actually engraved in their genes a long time ago. They only needed to summon up their courage and open their throats, and the sound would naturally flow out.
Such a warm melody, however, made the Immortal Cultivators feel chilly to their bones.
Li Minghui had never seen such a scene before. Even the soul-stirring battle hymn during the riot of Nepenthe more than half a month ago did not seem as weird and dreadful as the singing of the workers at this moment.
"Don't sing! Don't sing!"
The Immortal Cultivators waved their electromagnetic whips and threw out dazzling balls of lightning in midair while they roared at the top of their lungs.
However, the song was like a calm ocean that quickly swallowed up these small sparks.
Now that the workers had lost all hope, naturally, they were no longer scared of the threat of the Immortal Cultivators.
Li Minghui, however, did not dare go on a killing spree. Most of the workers had run away, and new workers and spiritual puppets could not be mobilized so easily. Those were the only people that he could use. It was already difficult enough to complete the production mission that Yue Wushuang gave him. If he infuriated the workers and failed the mission, even he would be buried together with the lowly scumbags!
Li Minghui could only grit his teeth and order his subordinates and battle puppets to separate the workers as much as possible, not giving them a chance to gather together. Then, he ordered the executioners to carry out the execution quickly, so as to avoid any unexpected problems. Originally, he had prepared a colorful sentence, but he was prepared to wait until these people's heads were chopped off.
The whole Great Iron Plants was exactly like that. Silence and chaos coexisted in a contradictory way, like an ocean before a storm or a volcano that was about to erupt with magma.
The scene was all seen clearly by the attacker who was crouching in a secret cave on the forsaken rock to the southwest of the Great Iron Plants.
The settings of the brand-new firing points of the Great Iron Plants at this moment, the number of the elite Imperial Guards and the devil huntresses, as well as the patrol routes, were all displayed on the light beam of the crystal processor next to the ambushers like a waterfall of data and glittering translucent maps.
Carrying a heavy anti-shield sniper rifle, the young man locked onto the firing points one after another and set the corresponding shooting parameters. With dense sweat popping out of his forehead, he asked anxiously, "Sister Long, Grand Guardian Xu and the rest of them are about to be executed by the Immortal Cultivators. How long do we have to wait before we can go down and rescue them?"
"I've said it many times on our way here. I'll say it for the last time. We are not here to rescue but to kill. If you really want to rescue them, you can go down there and rescue them yourself!"
Long Yangjun tied her black hair behind her head and bit a blue dagger in her mouth. Her face was as cold as iron. "There are so many elites of the Imperial Guards and devil huntresses down there, and Yue Wushuang, the she-devil of the Tribunal of Extraterrestrial Devils, is guarding the place in person. How can they be rescued?
"Don't underestimate Yue Wushuang. Although she was not the most distinguished Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivator of the Imperium in the past decades, it was mostly because of the decline of the Tribunal of Extraterrestrial Devils.
"Judging from her battle performance in the past few months, she definitely deserves to be called 'cunning and ruthless'. The achievements of the Tribunal of Extraterrestrial Devils in the past hundreds of years have all been concentrated on her.
"How is it possible to rescue so many workers and Nepenthe believers right under her nose?
"It will already be the most ideal result if we can find an opportunity to take her down. As for whether or not the Immortal Cultivators' control over the Great Iron Plants will collapse after she is killed, and how many workers and Nepenthe believers can escape, good luck!"
Li Jialing said in a hurry, "But —"
"No buts!"
Long Yangjun glared at the young man. "Do you think I like coming back here? Do you think I have nothing better to do or have lost my mind, which is why I'm willing to play a hero in the Great Iron Plants that is heavily guarded by the Immortal Cultivators?
"It's only because I'm heavily wounded, running out of supplies, and being chased by the two Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators that I have to come back here to try my luck!
"Listen. Our ammunition, fuel, and spiritual energy reserves are running low. The best we can do is to fight a brief assault. It is impossible for us to continue the battle with the Immortal Cultivators. We do not have the ability to cause any trouble, either.
"Right now, in the hundreds of square kilometers nearby, only the Great Iron Plants has enough resources stored that can provide us with effective supplies. Also, nobody would've thought that we would be bold enough to come back. So, this place is actually the safest place. That's the reason why we took the risk to come back. The only reason!
"In the past few days, we have tried our best to get rid of the hunting of the two Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators and earned a rarely-seen opportunity. However, the illusions that we set up cannot fool them for long. Once the trick is seen through, they will certainly realize it very soon and return to the Great Iron Plants as quickly as possible. We only have six hours to half a day at best. In at least five minutes, they will march out from behind us!
"One against three, I am definitely no match for them. So, we have to take down 'Moon Devil' Yue Wushuang before the other two Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators show up. Then, we will get enough supplies and be prepared for the new enemies.
"After we take down Yue Wushuang, we will still have a chance to deal with the two Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators. Otherwise, we can just cut our own throats and hang ourselves!
"All in all, now is not the time for petty kindness. Remember your mission and pray that I can take down Yue Wushuang successfully. In that case, some of the people down there may survive. If you are still hesitant, don't think that you can save any of them!"
"I-I understand. I'm sorry, Sister Long."
Li Jialing lowered his head in embarrassment. After a while, he asked concernedly, "Sister Long, how are your wounds?"
"I won't die."
Long Yangjun's face was pale and emotionless. With gloominess popping out of her eyes, she said, one word after another, "I, Long Yangjun, am not someone that any random cat or dog can kill. Three Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators are not enough. At least ten of them are enough!"
"I wonder where Brother Yao has been exactly."
Li Jialing hesitated for a moment but still said in a low voice, "If only he were here."
"Don't mention that animal in front of me!"
Long Yangjun said angrily, as he expected, "If he hadn't … deceived me with his fancy words, how could I have fallen into this wretched swirl and ended up getting myself burned?
"At first, I asked him to run away out of kindness, but instead of running, he even risked his life righteously. After we were all dragged into the mess by him, he simply ran away stealthily? What a scumbag!
"Let me tell you, the biggest mistake I made in my life was getting acquainted with a scumbag like your elder brother. There was even a moment when I actually treated him as a good friend. The second biggest mistake I made was that I was actually stupid enough to believe his words! God, I feel so ashamed when I think about it now. What was wrong with me at that time? How did I become exactly like him? "
"Well …"
Thinking for a moment, Li Jialing said, "In fact, it's not entirely your fault. It's mainly because Brother Yao is too cunning and sensational."
"Therefore, if he dares to show up in front of me again —"
Long Yangjun said brutally, "I won't give him a chance to talk again. I'll chop him in half. The world will be quiet, and the universe will be at peace!"
Li Jialing did not know how he should respond. He could only focus his attention on the scope.
Through the scope, on the execution ground, the executioners wearing iron masks had already activated their chainswords. The coldly glittering teeth were revolving quickly.
Xu Zhicheng and the rest of them were pressed to the ground by the battle puppets. They stood even straighter in the competition against iron.
Li Jialing swallowed hard. His palms were wet, and every muscle on his body was tightened. He could not hold back the urge to pull the trigger at the center of the executioner's eyebrows.
For some reason, the picture of Li Yao fighting ten thousand enemies in blood popped up in his head again.
'Did Brother Yao really run away?'
Was it really impossible for a one-billionth miracle to happen? Were they really unable to save everybody?
The executioners raised their chainswords high. Xu Zhicheng, the Grand Guardian, was the first to bear the brunt.
Seeing Xu Zhicheng's smile through the scope, Li Jialing's fingers almost shrieked and exploded.
"Do it."
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