Liang Yuan just glanced at the corpses, not paying them much attention, and found a room to settle Yang Mei in.
Old Yang stood behind him and whispered, "Um... Mr. Liang, what do we do now?"
Liang Yuan gave him a look and asked, "What do you mean, what do we do?"
"What about those people? Theyāre all kneeling outside, begging us to protect them."
The superpower users from Yunquan Temple had been killed by him, leaving these ordinary people with almost no chance of survival.
Whether it was Li Kuirongās escaped companions or the terrifying mutant creatures hidden in Meishan, any one of them emerging could easily slaughter all the ordinary people here.
So these people were kneeling outside, praying for Liang Yuan to protect them.
Liang Yuan said, "Iām not in the mood to deal with them right now. Let them clean up the outside first."
"Alright, Iāll go tell them right away."
"Go ahead."
Old Yang quickly tiptoed out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Liang Yuan sat quietly by Yang Meiās bedside, looking at her swollen eyes from crying, feeling a pang of heartache.
Yang Mei was his first woman, always obedient and gentle to him.
It was hard not to love her; seeing her cry so sorrowfully, Liang Yuan felt equally distressed.
However, he was ultimately not a Daluo Immortal and couldnāt save everyone.
Yang Meiās motherās fate was just a microcosm of the countless lives impacted by this apocalyptic flood.
It just so happened that she was Yang Meiās mother.
Liang Yuan remained silent, contemplating the future.
Though Yangshan was good, its total altitude was only over three hundred meters. The impending cold wave might temporarily halt the raging flood.
But what about after the cold wave?
Would it continue to rain heavily, would the flood continue to spread?
Could Yangshan really sustain them then?
His gaze grew increasingly grave, clearly, building a ship was imperative!
Also, what happened to those mutant birds above the clouds?
What lay beyond the cloud tops?
And would the coming cold wave truly freeze the floodwaters?
If the floodwaters froze, would the government then be able to initiate rescue operations?
These questions flashed through Liang Yuanās mind, his thoughts in turmoil and uncertain about the future.
Although his strength had advanced incredibly, even to the current limit of what could be improved.
He was well aware that this was just his limit, not the limit of the mutant beasts.
He required genetic species to unlock the genetic map, but the mutant beasts might not need them.
Moreover, if the floodwaters froze and the military could mobilize, there would surely be a massive deployment of modern weapons.
Could his current strength withstand firearms and artillery?
Liang Yuan closed his eyes and muttered to himself, "I am far from strong enough."
"Genetic species... where on earth can I find them?"
Just as his mind had found a moment of peace, this sense of crisis enveloped him again.
It was precisely this sense of crisis that continually stimulated him, pushing him to keep moving forward.
Time passed bit by bit, in the jungle of Meishan.
Seven or eight figures quickly darted out of the forest.
One of them, with a pale face, already drenched by rain, swallowed hard and said to the others, "Weāre almost there, the cave I mentioned is just ahead."
"Brother Ze, is that cave secluded? Are there any mutant beasts?" someone asked nervously.
"Brother Ze, letās hurry, we musnāt let that person catch up with us."
"Damn it, what kind of person did Yang Mei and Old Yang bring back, too terrifying!"
The group cursed under their breath but didnāt dare delay, urging Yang Mingze to speed up.
Yang Mingze didnāt waste words and quickly ran through the forest.
Suddenly, Yang Er Ya, who was running at the back, stumbled and fell.
Yang Mingze glanced back at her but didnāt help her up, only urging, "Keep moving!"
Yang Er Ya gritted her teeth, got up, and caught up again.
The group finally reached a hidden cave.
Yang Mingze stopped and said, "I discovered this cave on the mountain before the flood. In summer, Iād come here for a cool retreat and barbecue with friends."
"Itās far from the trail, rarely visited by tourists, very secluded, and few people know about it. It should be safe."
He looked back and said to a round-faced young man beside him, "Toad, go check the inside."
The round-faced young man paused, then his face changed slightly, "Brother Ze, me... alone?"
Yang Mingzeās face darkened, "How many people do you need? Out of all of us, youāre the fastest. If you donāt go, who will?"
Yang Kai chimed in, "Yeah, Toad, if Brother Ze tells you to go, you go."
The round-faced young man, nicknamed Toad, glanced around, his eyes landing on Yang Er Ya at the back, "Er Ya is also a speed ability user. Sheās just as fast as I am. Canāt she go?"
Yang Er Yaās face changed instantly, she panicked and said, "I just fell, my foot hurts a bit..."
She looked pitifully at Yang Mingze.
After all, they had just had some relations in the forest not long ago.
Yang Mingze naturally trusted those close to him. He looked at the round-faced young man and said, "Toad, youāre a man, how can you make a woman go instead? Stop wasting time, are you going or not?"
As he spoke, his face already showed a cold expression.
The round-faced young man called Toad hesitated, but ultimately didnāt dare say more and reluctantly headed towards the cave.
Within the group, two other young men also looked uneasy.
Yang Mingze, Yang Er Ya, and Yang Kai were all part of a patrol teamāthe three who had previously encountered Liang Yuan.
The other three were patrolling by the terraced fields.
After witnessing Liang Yuanās massacre, these three didnāt dare approach and managed to escape.
Later, they met up with Yang Mingze in the forest, and he learned that the young man Yang Mei brought back was terrifying.
The three were shaken and didnāt dare return to Yunquan Temple, so they fled into the mountains.
Yang Mingze, familiar with the area, led them to this cave.
He was a strength superpower user, and among the group, he was the strongest.
Naturally, he became the leader of this makeshift team.
"Brother Ze, itās all clear, very safe."
From the cave came the voice of Toad.
The group breathed a sigh of relief, but Yang Mingze wasnāt entirely reassured. He turned to Yang Kai, "Kai Zi, go check. That boy Toad is careless, youāre more meticulous. Double-check."
Yang Kai nodded, immediately running to the cave. Moments later he called out, "Brother Ze, itās safe."
Only then did Yang Mingze lead the others into the cave.