Using the MC system to pretend spiritual revival

Chapter 243 Clouds

The sun set, and the sky grew dark.

The wheels rolled over the sticky fungal carpet.

One by one, the lights were turned on, sweeping across the infected buildings on both sides of the road, their windows filled with dark holes, resembling the shadows of monsters.

After the initial excitement and exhilaration subsided, the convoy gradually slowed down as it approached the coast, and the atmosphere became tense.

Both the soldiers and the refugees being escorted looked around anxiously.

Upon realizing the situation, Li Qingfeng and Yang Ping returned to the convoy.

Each person sat cross-legged on the hood of the car, maintaining their physical and magical strength at all times.

A few minutes ago, the group crossed the second checkpoint on the outskirts of the camp.

These anchor points, originally intended for permanent staffing, surveillance, and supply replenishment, were also covered in purple mycelium.

The supplies were still there, but there wasn't a single soldier in sight.

Both checkpoints were unattended. Such a serious mistake should not have happened. Even those who did not understand the reasons could instinctively sense that something was wrong.

Furthermore, as the team approached the edge of the land, they still couldn't see the end of the purple mycelium.

The uneasiness is even worse.

In a daze, some people even had a guess that made them shudder.

Could it be... that the entire world is covered by this thing?

But just imagining that scene made him quickly shut up the terrible thought.

As if echoing the unease of the crowd, the last few rays of sunlight in the sky were also obscured by dark clouds that drifted in from nowhere.

The city, which was already shrouded in shadows and where even moonlight could not reach, was now almost entirely covered by shadows.

The towering buildings on both sides of the road resemble rows of eerie giants standing with their heads bowed.

Silently, with empty eye sockets, they surveyed the small convoy passing through.

The pitch-black night and the long street confine your view to a narrow space.

Only in the distant distance could the faint light of a simple lighthouse be heard.

This extremely oppressive environment makes those trekking along this road wonder if they are still living in the human world.

However, this was ultimately just an illusion.

As they moved slowly, the faint guidance of the lighthouse at the edge of their vision grew brighter and brighter.

It wasn't until they turned a corner that the view, previously obscured by the buildings along the street, came into view.

My field of vision suddenly opened up.

Although it was also covered by dark purple mycelium.

However, it is also clear that the leveled and cleared open space appears abruptly among the densely packed buildings.

This place may have once been a square or a parking lot, or it may have been a large warehouse for storing goods.

But whatever it may be, the raised platforms and tents erected everywhere are proof of it.

This is now the outpost landing camp of the Sin Kingdom.

As the vehicle rolled over the deep purple mycelium covering the ground, it slowly came to a stop in the center of the camp.

Everyone got out of the car, their eyes scanning the surroundings with suspicion and unease.

There were no logistics personnel to greet them, no patrolling soldiers, no human figures, and no monsters either.

Everything was eerily quiet.

Looking up at the very center of the camp, the lighthouse, erected from various simple supports, shone with a blinding white light powered by batteries.

This also made the entire camp much brighter compared to the rest of the camp.

Li Qingfeng stepped away from the group.

He stepped forward, bent down among the mycelium, and picked up a communicator whose offline red light was flashing.

It looks intact, with no signs of damage.

This is one of the strange things about the deep purple fungal carpet.

They seem to only cover and stain the building and the ground, while keeping the items placed on them distinct.

After fiddling with it for a while, they found that they still couldn't send a message. The communicator, which no one knew who had accidentally left behind, was then casually tossed aside.

Li Qingfeng then looked towards the sea at the far end of the camp.

It was pitch black.

But with his current eyesight, he could still clearly see that the place where the fleet should have been docked was now completely empty.

"Is this... an evacuation?"

He frowned slightly, looking at the relatively tidy camp, which showed no signs of battle.

It appears to have been a planned evacuation, rather than an accident.

As he pondered what could possibly lead the fleet to issue such an order to evacuate immediately.

Not far away, Yang Ping's highly recognizable shouts suddenly rang out.

"Fellow Daoist Li, come quickly! There's a message left for us here!"

Upon hearing this, not only Li Qingfeng, but everyone who heard the news rushed over.

After passing through a cluster of abandoned vehicles, the group saw Yang Ping standing on the seawall, wearing a striking apricot-yellow Taoist robe, waving to them.

Behind him was a huge helicopter wing whose curtain had been partially torn off, revealing a corner of its military green interior.

Upon seeing this, Li Qingfeng's heart stirred.

He exerted force with his feet, and in an instant, he leaped more than ten meters, landing in front of Yang Ping, who was still waving.

"What information? Show it to me."

Yang Ping seemed quite used to this sudden act of jumping in front of him.

He didn't seem to care at all; instead, he smiled and brought over a device with a screen.

"Look, look, this is what I found under the helicopter. It looks like something that detects sound. As soon as I got close, it flashed suddenly, which startled me..."

Listening to the other person's rambling explanation, Li Qingfeng turned his gaze to the text information displayed on the device screen.

"At 7:21 PM on July 4th, due to an underwater biological mutation crisis, this ship had to evacuate from the coastal area. Due to an unknown shielding phenomenon that affected the entire Yinghua Island several hours earlier, real-time communication was not possible."

"After discussion, a large number of air troops have been dispatched to the area where the signal was lost to conduct a rescue. If that fails, a suicide airstrike will be carried out to reduce the number of monsters as much as possible and provide some assistance for the subsequent evacuation of people in the city."

"Before the fleet withdrew, we used our last moments to airdrop supplies over the widest possible area and left behind enough transport aircraft to evacuate ten times the number of personnel."

(Coordinates of the supply points and transport aircraft are attached below)
(This information has been sent along with the airdropped supplies and drone wreckage.)

"Finally, I wish everyone a safe evacuation."

That concludes the information.

The good news is that they were not abandoned. After the communication was cut off and the fleet withdrew, they left behind enough supplies and means of evacuation.

However, it also mentioned some aspects that are of concern.

Li Qingfeng frowned, looked up from the screen, and gazed at the distant sea, which was the same color as the sky and as thick as ink.

To the naked eye, it appears quite calm, except for being somewhat oppressive.

However, it is clear that the intelligence presented in the information is not false.

With that thought in mind, Li Qingfeng slowly closed his eyes.

The next moment, his divine sense suddenly expanded, encompassing most of the surrounding camp and the sea not far away.

As he turned his attention to the seemingly calm sea.

In the blink of an eye, the continuously emerging clusters of energy spread out in his divine sense, forming a net that almost dyed his vision red.

It forms a stark contrast to the other half of the port, which is completely calm.

"…this!"

Startled, Li Qingfeng instantly opened his eyes and withdrew from his divine sense vision.

With a solemn look in his eyes, he gazed at the horizon, at the seemingly normal expanse of sea.

Stare for a moment.

Only then did he turn his head and look at the old Taoist priest Songming and the others who had arrived with a crowd.

"Tell everyone not to go near the shore, and especially not to touch the seawater."

Upon hearing the news, the group of people who had just arrived were somewhat bewildered by this sudden order.

However, upon glancing up and seeing the other person's slightly solemn gaze and serious expression, they all nodded solemnly and said no more.
One person was immediately sent to the rear to relay the order to the soldiers and refugees.

Meanwhile, after the warning was given, someone went to carry it out.

Li Qingfeng took the device that recorded the information, flipped to the interface of the transport aircraft distribution map, and handed it over. "Send some fast-moving agents to the nearest transport aircraft parking locations to check if the machines are still functioning properly."

As he spoke, Li Qingfeng turned around and pressed down with his palm.

A beam of sword light shot out in an instant, carrying wind pressure, completely lifting the curtain that covered the machinery.

Then, looking at the military green transport aircraft, which was nearly eight meters long and had two sets of helicopter wings, he scanned and assessed it.

"If we squeeze in, this plane should be able to carry forty people without any problem. We need at least four. Send people to find the nearest one and hurry up."

"Yes!"

Looking at the old Taoist priest Songming and the others, he solemnly responded and then turned and ran around.

He then looked away.

Yang Ping was discovered leading the refugees onto the transport plane.

Everything is going on in an orderly manner.

Looking at all this, Li Qingfeng's brows were still slightly furrowed, and he felt somewhat uneasy.

Since entering this camp, everything has been going smoothly and there has been no danger, but there is a strange sense of crisis that is faintly emanating from my heart.

Now, as time goes by, it has become even stronger.

This invisible and intangible feeling stirred a sense of restlessness within him.

Although it was quickly suppressed, a sense of urgency still arose.

The lives of 178 people are vastly different from risking one's own life alone.

Right now, all he hopes is that the carrier aircraft can be started up as soon as possible.

Before the sense of crisis truly surfaced in their hearts, Anquan led the soldiers and refugees away from here.

With his thoughts racing, he finally leaped into the air and landed atop the lighthouse in the very center of the camp.

He summoned the Azure Cloud and Righteous Path swords from the sword box, held them in his hands, and warily surveyed his surroundings.

A serious expression and a slightly urging tone have a noticeable effect.

Throughout this journey, Li Qingfeng's strength and composure have deeply impressed people.

Even the usually composed Master Li suddenly became serious and told them to hurry up.

Whether they are refugees or soldiers, a little wild speculation makes them break out in a sweat.

Despite their exhaustion, their movements became swift and efficient. Some carried supplies, while others searched for transport aircraft with even greater haste.

So much so that just over ten minutes after the order was issued, the resonant sound of the wings turning could be heard from the rooftops or open squares near the port.

Under Li Qingfeng's gaze from the top of the tower, including the one on the shore below, a total of five helicopters slowly ascended and began to converge on the coast.

Once the small helicopter formation was all in place under the soldiers' control, Li Qingfeng, who had been keeping a cold face and on guard, slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

As the helicopter flew overhead, Yang Ping leaned out of the porthole and waved at him.

He moved instantly, and a visible gust of wind enveloped his body. With a stomp, his entire body became a blur, and he leaped into the sky.

The next moment, with a grab and a dodge, he slipped into the open hatch of the transport aircraft.

He looked at Yang Ping, who had also turned around and sat down opposite him, dressed in an apricot-yellow Taoist robe.

Their eyes met, and they both sensed the joy in each other's eyes.

Look out of the cabin.

The gradually shrinking ground and the receding scenery gave me a sudden sense of relief, as if a huge weight had been lifted from my heart.

This perilous journey, marked by exploration, evolution, and unexpected events, is something that is difficult to experience within the powerful human realm.

As the helicopter gradually followed the coordinates and headed towards the distant sea, recalling everything he had seen while traveling through the city, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.

Life is fragile under disaster, but humanity is even more fragile under disaster.

The obvious signs of human destruction and looted shops from the riots far outnumbered the monster traces found when I first entered the city.

"Phew~ Thank goodness this isn't in our country, it would be too horrific."

As the helicopter climbed to an altitude of 5,000 meters and began to travel smoothly, Yang Ping relaxed and leaned back in his seat, sighing with admiration.

However, as he spoke, a hint of confusion appeared on his face.

"But it seems that so far, apart from those who have turned into monsters, we haven't seen any corpses. Could there be monsters hiding in this city, devouring corpses?"

He was talking to the person in front of him.

However, after speaking, he received no response for a long time, which made him open his eyes in confusion and look at the person opposite him.

"Fellow Daoist Li?"

A question escaped Yang Ping's lips as he slowly straightened up from his relaxed posture, realizing something was amiss.

Li Qingfeng, sitting upright in his seat, showed no sign of his earlier relaxation; his face was full of solemnity.

He tilted his head slightly, looking out through the small window of the cabin door.

Perhaps it was Yang Ping's actions that finally drew attention, and a suppressed voice drifted over.

"...You're right, but I might know...where the bodies of those civilians went..."

"…What?"

Upon hearing this clearly, Yang Ping's expression froze.

Just as I was about to ask a question, I felt the helicopter beneath me suddenly shake.

Amidst the shaky blur of vision, I instinctively grabbed the handrail beside me.

As the red indicator lights inside the cabin flashed rapidly, shouts from the pilot's seat were transmitted into the cabin through the microphone.

"Report! We've encountered strong convective air... no! That's not right... it's a thundercloud! A thundercloud is descending and crashing down on us!"

The shouts, mixed with a lot of electronic interference, echoed around Yang Ping, who was still quite puzzled after regaining his footing.

However, as he turned his head, he saw that Li Qingfeng, who was sitting opposite him, had left his seat at some point and suddenly pulled open the cabin door.

He picked up his sword and immediately flipped over and jumped out.

"Hey you—?!"

He instinctively raised his hand, ready to pull.

The exclamation was not yet uttered.

Through the wide-open hatch, the outside view became clear in his gradually shrinking pupils, and he froze.

"...What the hell is this thing?!"

As he watched, a large, dark object slowly drifted down from the side of the transport aircraft squadron above the sea.

It looks very similar to the thick, dark clouds that had previously blanketed the island nation.

At that moment, I thought it was just some kind of severe weather that was rare on the sea.

But as the dark cloud drew closer, the distance to the carrier-based aircraft shortened.

Yang Ping discovered that it did not seem to be an illusory mist, but rather felt quite solid.

As he watched, the dark mass began to writhe, as if it were composed of countless small parts, and was constantly... rotating.
Just as he was filled with doubt, suddenly, the "dark clouds" that had been as black as ink turned white in the blink of an eye.

Starting from this area that descended from the sky, it seemed to spread rapidly upwards, continuing into the sky.

The entire world was suddenly filled with this pale white color.

And this finally allowed Yang Ping to see clearly what it really was.

Those weren't the dark clouds I had imagined; they were countless faces!

Or to put it more comprehensively, they are countless enormous heads suspended in mid-air, close together!

The hair was connected to the rest of the hair, and from a distance, it looked like a dark, heavy cloud.

But just now, as these things spun around and turned their faces in a different direction, the dark sky suddenly turned gray.

As the distance grew closer, Yang Ping could even vaguely see that the different features on each head all wore the same eerie smile, facing him.

Where the neck should be, there was nothing but emptiness, with only a rope swaying, and at the end of the rope, a somewhat withered outline hanging.

Looking around, they are countless.

As time passed, the cloud, composed of such densely packed heads, descended lower and lower.

Until the entire sky seemed to fall downwards, everything in sight, near and far, was covered by this layer of black and white "clouds".

Looking at this scene, with faces densely packed across his field of vision, Yang Ping couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

It was then that he suddenly realized why the satellites could not detect the scene on the ground.

And why, by such a coincidence, shortly after the sudden change, was the entire Yinghua Island covered by thick dark clouds?

This isn't some kind of dark cloud; it's clearly a gigantic horde of monsters made up of human heads—the very islanders who have been missing all along!
(End of this chapter)