In his previous life, Ye Chen had witnessed countless instances of death and had long grown numb to life itself. However, at this very moment, holding the fate of millions in his hands, the emotional impact was profoundly intense…

He glanced briefly, then turned and stepped out of the ruins of the Fire Civilization. Bai Long and the others swiftly dispatched the monsters surrounding them. Casting a look over the desolate surroundings, complexity flickered in their eyes before they grit their teeth and charged into the ruins, following Ye Chen’s lead.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Many awakened powerhouses poured in right behind Ye Chen. Huang Tianci led the seven or eight Superman warriors who had come to assist, entering together.

The Golden Scaled Flood Dragon lay prone near the entrance to the ruins, letting out a low growl. Following Ye Chen’s instructions, it transferred a portion of the main army, who had been fighting to defend the perimeter, onto its broad back, then lunged into the ruins.

The Six-Tailed Silver Fox let out a soft cry tinged with sorrow. With a flick of its claws, it grasped several warriors and tossed them onto its back before leaping forward, following the Golden Scaled Flood Dragon inside. In the sky, the Demon Bird leader dove down, sweeping up a large contingent of warriors, and plunged straight into the ruins.

Save as many as possible.

Murong Xue and Bing Yun did not halt either. Leading the generals who had not yet awakened their inner energy, they rushed toward the city of Atlantis. Suddenly, they heard frantic shouts from many people, causing them to pause and turn slightly to look back.

“What are you doing?”

“Look! They are evacuating all the generals inside! They must be closing the ruins!”

“They’re abandoning us!”

Many people were not fools. Upon seeing even Ye Chen, that invincible God of War, retreating into the ruins, they immediately sensed disaster. In a battlefield teeming with millions of monsters, even the mighty Ye Chen was still flesh and blood.

“You are too cruel!”

Everyone stared at Murong Xue and Bing Yun, filled with indignation. Yet, no one dared to shout angrily at Ye Chen. Perhaps out of fear, or perhaps for other reasons, Ye Chen was merely a passerby to these people. His willingness to help was already reason enough for gratitude, so they did not blame him for his retreat. After all, everyone had witnessed the scenes of Ye Chen frantically slaughtering monsters earlier…

Thus, all their pent-up fury was vented upon the two women, Murong Xue and Bing Yun, suspended in the air.

Murong Xue’s delicate brows furrowed. Looking at their malicious and hateful gazes, a surge of anger rose in her heart, bringing to mind the image of her father’s tragic death, causing her expression to grow even colder.

“Murong Xue!” A tall man stood up from the crowd, his eyes full of sorrow and anger. “In the eyes of you rulers, are lives truly so insignificant?”

Murong Xue’s slender hand clenched slightly. Coldly, she replied, “I never oppose anything, and I have always believed that perhaps you lack powerful strength, lack noble status, but your yearning for life is the same as ours. However, this does not mean you escape being culled. You only have the misfortune of being born in the wrong era.”

At these words, furious curses erupted from the crowd.

“Nonsense!”

“Bitch! You son of a—! You will get your retribution someday!”

“Vile woman!”

Many roared in anger. Murong Xue’s expression remained icy. She glanced over them indifferently, then turned to leave. In a moment imperceptible to others, her body trembled slightly. Trembling can signify many things—perhaps rage, perhaps sorrow…

Bing Yun looked at the shouting crowd and found their faces utterly repulsive. Her fiery temper instantly exploded. She took a step forward, and her haughty voice echoed across the entire assembly, even resounding throughout the city of Atlantis: “This is the Age of Great Darkness! All you dregs, if you don’t want to die, then strive to become stronger!”

Saying this, she cast a contemptuous glance at the millions present, then turned and walked away, the click of her high heels echoing her arrogance. As she entered the Atlantis civilization’s structure, the entrance to the ruins slowly writhed, gradually closing.

The crowd that had been rushing to enter the city was instantly pushed out. Many who were halfway through vanished as spatial rifts tore them apart. In the space before the ruins’ entrance, a sky-high roar erupted instantly, ferocious and furious like that of wild beasts.

“It’s gone!”

“Ahhh!”

Countless people stared in despair, lingering where the ruins’ entrance had been, hoping for a miracle, a chance to be transported inside. However, this hope slowly devolved into absolute despair. Behind them, the roar of the advancing monster army was earth-shattering, sweeping over them like a bulldozer.

“Roar!”

“Awoo!”

Countless zombies, their faces grotesque with bared fangs, charged alongside various monsters—bloodthirsty rats, black armored beetles, green-striped pythons, and more.

“Ah!”

The outermost people were the first to be attacked, screaming as they were submerged by the endless horde of monsters, quickly reduced to piles of bloody pulp. The entire city center transformed into a veritable Shura field, filled with desperate cries, sounds of terror, shrieks, and weeping. Under the monsters’ onslaught, everyone scattered and struggled like humble ants.

All beings are like ants.

This famous saying originated in ancient times when a child, watching a colony of ants under a tree fiercely fighting over a crumb of sugar, was deeply moved. Later, this child became a renowned writer and statesman—Zhuangzi.

Just then, inside the ruins, the nuclear missile launch site was active.

“Countdown…”

“3, 2, 1,”

An officer looked at the black hole in the distance beyond the launch muzzle and shouted, “Fire!”

Rumble~~~

The entire ground trembled slightly, immediately followed by a streak of white light, as brilliant as the Milky Way, shooting out. It pierced through the distant, opened black hole, burst out above the Atlantis civilization city, and appeared over the Huaxia Base City.

All those fleeing in all directions suddenly noticed the sky brighten intensely, chasing away the shadows below, compelling them to look up. They saw that in the previously overcast sky, there was now a light, dazzling as the sun. This light grew larger and larger until, finally, waves of destructive aura permeated every heart…

“Not good!” Far away, the Ox-Headed Monster leading the attacking army felt a sudden jolt; an intense sense of crisis washed over it, and it frantically tried to turn and flee. However, the area covered by the white light was vast. As it spread downwards, the windows of many tall buildings and magnificent structures shattered, and concrete walls crumbled like roof tiles, turning to ash bit by bit…

The white light descended…

So purely white, untainted by a speck of dust, like a blessing from the gods, as if a divine entity was opening its arms to all creation…

In less than a second, everyone bathed in the white light. Without any struggle, they were annihilated, vanishing like porcelain.

The dim, dark clouds and the bleak light shone upon the earth.

Rumble~~~

The original location of the Huaxia Base City trembled as if struck by a magnitude ten earthquake. At the epicenter, a sphere of white light slowly expanded, directly annihilating every living thing within its radius.

Millions of people, millions of monsters—under this power that transcended humanity—became fragile and humble as stalks of straw…

Ye Chen, Bai Lan, Mo Feng, his sister, and the others stood within the Fire Civilization city. Behind them, in the resting area, stood a dense crowd. Although they could not see the carnage outside, Ye Chen had witnessed several nuclear explosions in his previous life, so he could easily imagine the horror unfolding beyond.

One living soul after another withered like fallen leaves…

Silence descended upon them all. The hundreds of thousands resting in the designated area also fell silent, clutching their children or sitting alone, knees drawn to their chest, their heads buried. They could almost imagine the despair of those who had not made it into the ruins, facing the monster horde.

However, even if some felt pity, they harbored no hatred toward Ye Chen and the others, because they understood one thing: if the ruins had remained open and the monsters had poured in, they too would have been in danger…

Once personal safety is threatened, people become selfish.

It was like a ship that could only hold fifty passengers. Those fifty already aboard would only feel immense relief watching those still in the water unable to board.

Time slowly passed…

Because the ruins were spatially shielded, communication devices from Atlantis could not connect. They could not inquire about Elvie’s situation, so they could only wait silently until the radiation from the nuclear blast subsided enough to reopen the space.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

Ye Chen felt that sixty percent of the Qi power within him had recovered, and his Superman Mode was also ready. After a moment of contemplation, he said to Bai Lan, “Open the space to the size of one person. I am going out to check the situation.”

Bai Lan was momentarily stunned, and her brow furrowed. “It’s too dangerous. I know you detonated the nuclear bomb because you were wary of an opponent at the Ghost-God Realm. But what if that expert didn’t die? Wouldn’t you fall into their hands?”

Ye Chen glanced at the woman, surprised by her sharp perception. He immediately shook his head. “It’s fine. I have my Superman Mode for self-preservation. While it can’t harm them, it would still be very difficult for someone of their strength to harm me while I’m in Superman Mode.”

Bai Lan started to persuade him again, but Ye Chen had made up his mind. “Open the ruins.”

Bai Lan gazed at him, then let out a helpless sigh. No matter what, Ye Chen was her master, and she dared not disobey his orders, lest the self-destruct chip activate and cause her demise.

“Brother.” Ye Zhu bit her lip. “Let me go.”

Ye Chen looked at her and smiled faintly. “If you went, I truly wouldn’t be reassured. Wait here. I will be fine.”

“Be careful,” Bai Long said solemnly, without adding more.

Ye Chen nodded slightly.

Whoosh.

Bai Lan gestured with her hand, and space opened.

Ye Chen took a deep breath, his figure shifting as he darted out.

The moment he left the ruins, the scene before him came into view, causing Ye Chen to frown. The former Huaxia Base City had been leveled; there was no trace left of its prosperous architecture or imposing city walls. The ground was scorched black, riddled with cracks, and utterly barren, resembling a vast desert~~~~