Mutated beasts began to wreak havoc in the city. The three beast kings, who had previously feigned death, had also charged in. If they failed to kill the beast kings completely on the first opportunity, they would not have another chance. At this moment, hundreds of thousands of beast tides had flooded into the city. The soldiers on the front lines had already begun to resist. They had been trying their best to kill the mutated beasts, but unfortunately, with the presence of beast kings and the endless beast tides, the defense line was eventually breached.
Once one defense line was broken, the other defense lines had no reason to hold. Yan Jing only had one defensive measure: the city wall. Yet, this very wall had once blocked the largest zombie tide in the world and had played an incredibly significant role afterward. The city wall was built and had never been breached.
However, at this moment, Yan Jing's impregnable city wall was finally breached under the combined forces from within and without. Countless mutated beasts poured into the city, leaving the millions of residents in utter confusion. They had lived in this city for decades and had developed deep affection for the land beneath their feet, finding it hard to leave their homeland.
This was not the most critical issue. Even though it was their childhood home, in the face of imminent mortal danger, their lives were paramount. They should flee as quickly as possible. But at this moment, the entire area outside the city was filled with terrifying mutated beasts, making escape not an easy feat.
Currently, both inside and outside the city, terrifying wild beasts were devouring people everywhere. Mutated birds in the sky were even throwing burning branches down, causing fires to erupt throughout the city, sending thick smoke billowing upwards. It was the dead of winter, and every household had stockpiled a large amount of firewood, as it was necessary for winter. Without firewood, how could they survive? However, once the firewood in the city was ignited, it would be impossible to extinguish at crucial moments.
The interior of Yan Jing had now transformed into a hellish landscape. Raging fires burned incessantly, and people, clutching their children, ran frantically through the city, all seeking a safe place to hide. But such thoughts were merely wishful thinking. Where in the city could be considered safe now?
Furthermore, the chaotic crowds had completely disrupted the soldiers' formations. Without the suppression of strong formations, the mutated beasts and mutated birds had no reservations. Whether it was mutated beasts or mutated birds, they were all short of food in winter. The fleeing civilians in the city were too numerous at this moment. To these mutated animals, humans were simply walking buffets; consuming them would replenish their energy.
Ultimately, Yan Jing descended into utter chaos. People wailed and cried in the streets. Some were fleeing with their families, while others still clung to the hope that the chaos in Yan Jing would eventually end. However, Yan Jing's city walls had already been breached. Even if they wanted to defend, there were no positions left. The hope for the end of Yan Jing's chaos was nothing but a delusion.
Suddenly, thousands of helicopters rose from the ground and flew towards the distance. These helicopters bore various insignia, many of them private aircraft. The sudden takeoff of these planes had a clear implication: the wealthy, having witnessed the current situation, knew that Yan Jing could not be held. Thus, they unhesitatingly fled by air. Although there were mutated birds in the sky, it was still difficult to block a large number of helicopters, especially when the ground was teeming with people. Mutated birds would certainly prioritize preying on ordinary people and had little interest in helicopters.
At this moment, Li Keyi also showed no hesitation. Huge laser swords appeared in her hands. With the presence of the laser swords, no mutated beast could withstand Li Keyi for even a single round. Upon witnessing this, many were greatly shocked. They had only known that the Goddess of Light was powerful, but now they realized that Li Keyi possessed the ability to fight her way out of Yan Jing. Thus, many followed behind Li Keyi, charging towards the southern direction.
Li Keyi also noticed the people following her. These people seemed to regard her as their last hope, trailing closely behind her.
Although this would undoubtedly attract the attention of mutated beasts and mutated birds due to the immense commotion, Li Keyi did not care at this moment, as she only needed to protect herself. As for the others, if they could keep up, so be it. Whether they could survive was not something she could guarantee.
The wealthy could escape dangerous places by helicopter. Even in the most perilous times, they were protected by formidable bodyguards. However, ordinary people had few means to protect themselves. Even with a few kitchen knives, they might be able to resist mutated beasts. The scene was utterly tragic.
He Qiuan also felt helpless. He desperately wanted to turn the tide, but it was no longer possible. Even hundreds of thousands of soldiers could not stop the mutated beasts. What could he, an ability user, do? He then clearly stated to his subordinates: "Quickly take your families to the bureau. In an hour, we will break through. I will go find my great-grandfather. You all should hurry."
He Qiuan and his subordinates then began to search for their respective families. He Qiuan found his great-grandfather bedridden in his home. He was over eighty years old. As a veteran of China, he was now in a desolate state. Mutated beasts had entered the city, and everyone was busy fleeing, with no one to care for him.
"Grandfather, I'll take you away. Yan Jing is finished now," He Qiuan said quickly.
After speaking, He Qiuan carried his great-grandfather on his back and secured him with soft ropes. His great-grandfather was already extremely weak and lacked the strength to hold on. He could only resort to this method. He was his only relative and his spiritual guide over the years. Even if others had abandoned this old man on the verge of death, he could not.
Marshal He then said weakly, "My time is short. My body is frail, and I don't know how long I can last. You should flee quickly and leave me be."
However, He Qiuan ignored these words and said sternly, "You are my closest relative, and you raised me to where I am today. If I were to flee now, I would not be human. Don't worry, I will definitely take you out of the city. Afterwards, we will head south, whether it's to Luoyang or Kaifeng."
He Qiuan then walked away carrying his grandfather. Using a vehicle would have been the most suitable option for a breakthrough, but the road conditions in Yan Jing were too poor. He could only rely on his legs, striving to reach the gathering point.
Once the members of the Special Administration Bureau gathered, they would all break through. They had also brought their families with them. Fortunately, they were able to find their families at this time. If they had been separated in the chaos of war, it would truly have been the end.
"Captain, the city is in complete disarray, and mutated beasts are still pouring out from outside the city. It's not easy for us to get out now!" the team members said to He Qiuan.
He Qiuan also became confused at this moment, unsure of which direction to break through. Mutated beasts were everywhere. To escape now, they had to find the enemy's weak point. But where was the weak point?
"Everyone, think of a way and see where we should break through next," He Qiuan quickly asked.
Someone received the latest news about the breakthrough and quickly said, "I heard that the Goddess of Light, Li Keyi, has led tens of thousands of people out. She chose the southern direction. Let's follow her now. If Li Keyi can do it alone, then others can do it too."
The others nodded seriously after hearing this suggestion. Since the answer was already before them, they just needed to follow suit.
But at this moment, the Marshal, tied to He Qiuan's back, spoke, "Don't act rashly. Acting rashly is no longer effective. We must use our brains. Gather the civilians and break out from the west in one go. You must take the lead in this charge, and others will naturally follow."
"The west? Wasn't the city wall on the west the first to be breached?" He Qiuan felt something was wrong. The west was where the mutated beasts had first entered. If they were to break out from here, they would suffer immense losses.
Marshal He, though weak, explained earnestly, "Don't be deceived by false appearances. You must see the essence of things. Based on the distribution of mutated beasts, the south appears to be the weakest point. However, people have already gone out there, so the mutated beasts will surely strengthen their defenses there. Conversely, on the west side, because the mutated beasts entered too early, their forces have dispersed. Breaking out from here offers the greatest opportunity. But, the prerequisite is that you must gather a large number of people, at least fifty thousand."
Marshal He's experience and foresight played a role at this moment. Most people, when presented with an answer, would blindly follow it. However, they did not consider that answers could change with circumstances. Blindly copying answers without understanding the question was a wrong choice.
The reality was exactly as Marshal He had said. As Li Keyi led tens of thousands of people out of the city, the mutated beasts also strengthened their forces in the south. Replicating Li Keyi's feat was no longer easy. Instead, there were many opportunities in the west.
"No problem, we will immediately gather our people and break out in one go!" He Qiuan showed great resolve. He had always listened to his elders, and it was no different now. It was because of his elders' guidance that he could make the right decisions.
Yan Jing was now engulfed in flames. Mutated beasts continued to devour people within the city, and the situation was tragic everywhere. Gathering people quickly was not a simple matter.
"To gather people, we must first establish our slogan. From now on, we will walk towards the west while shouting our slogan. The slogan is 'Follow us and break out.'" He Qiuan, in a moment of inspiration, came up with a solution. For a long time, slogans had only been used for superficial purposes, but one should not forget that shouting slogans was the easiest way to inspire people.
A group of people then rushed towards the west gate, shouting slogans as they went: "Follow us and break out, follow us and break out!"
Ordinary people were easily influenced. When faced with a major crisis, they preferred to believe that someone taller would bear the sky. At this moment, with fires raging everywhere and no one knowing what to do, someone suddenly shouted the slogan to break out, and everyone naturally followed suit.
He Qiuan's slogan worked. A group of people shouted loudly, and as they shouted, they headed towards the west gate. Along the way, more and more people joined in, and the group gradually grew to fifty to sixty thousand.
When the numbers were sufficient, the group headed directly for the city outskirts. There were countless mutated beasts on the streets, attempting to block the group's departure. However, in the face of ability users, mutated beasts were even more vulnerable. At this moment, the mutated beasts' formations were also dispersed, which provided this group with an opportunity to break out.
The crowd united, refusing to scatter regardless of the threats they faced. Mutated beasts charged from the flanks of the group, but the crowd was dense. Even mutated beasts could not penetrate the crowd. Under the power of unity, everyone strived to break out.
Fortunately, they did not encounter any beast king attacks during their breakout from the city. If they had been held back by a beast king along the way, it was conceivable that tens of thousands of people would have perished.
It was fortunate that ability users were leading the way. Ordinary people could break out under the guidance of ability users. However, as the ability users successively broke through, the millions of people in the city completely lost hope. Countless people died in despair. Yan Jing was finished.