Chapter 9

Prologue

April 10, 2030, on an unknown small island in the Pacific Ocean.

Huge aircraft carriers, like giant beasts, lay across the sea, tightly surrounding the small island. Their gun barrels were all aimed outward, guarding against any external threats. In the sky, the latest model helicopters flew back and forth, including China's Shenlong 3, America's Mighty Eagle 2, and Britain's Phoenix 1, the most advanced helicopters of recent years.

In a bright house, precision instruments and new optical computers continuously flashed with incomprehensible numbers. In the center of the room, a strange cover contained an intricately designed box. The box was engraved with strange symbols, seemingly a form of writing, but no one had ever seen it before.

"What is this thing? Why can't we open it with all our advanced technology?" one of the black scholars said angrily.

"Oh, Mother Mary. I guess it must be a gift from God to his people. Only God could create such a magical box. Look at its mysterious inscriptions; who else but God could write such enchanting words?" a white scholar said, entranced.

Outside the cover, about ten people stood, including Asians, Africans, and Caucasians. If anyone familiar were present, they would be shocked, as these ten people were the most famous figures in the world over the past fifty years, each achieving unprecedented success in their respective fields.

"It's deciphered! It's deciphered!" At this moment, a researcher in a white coat excitedly ran into the laboratory, shouting happily as he ran.

At this moment, a message suddenly appeared on the light screen.

"Are you ready, those who have obtained it? This is the ladder guiding humanity to heaven, and the key opening the door to hell. Be cautious, very cautious, before opening it!"

"Oh, shit, what a mess, no useful information at all, just a bunch of nonsense. What we need is how to open it!" one of them said angrily after reading the message.

"Do you really want to open it? We just deciphered the text on it. It's a prehistoric script, older than the earliest known writing. I even have a more significant hypothesis: this script is the origin of oracle bone script, Hebrew, and cuneiform, or rather, these three scripts all derive from it! We found the key to deciphering it from these three scripts," a young man from China said as he walked in.

"Hey, Ji, we don't want to hear this. I don't care if it's prehistoric script; I just want to know if we can open it!" the black professor who had been complaining said again.

"We can!" Professor Ji's face suddenly became serious, and he said solemnly, "But do we really want to open it? I think we shouldn't open it until we fully understand it."

"But, apart from opening it, we've already studied everything else, and there's no useful information. Let's vote, raise your hand if you agree to open it!" another white man said, raising his right hand.

Subsequently, everyone except the man surnamed Ji raised their hands.

"Ah!" Professor Ji sighed softly, suppressing the unease in his heart, walked forward, and opened the light cover. He then began pressing the strange inscriptions on the box.

As Professor Ji's fingers pressed continuously, beams of colorful light radiated from the gaps in the box, dazzling and beautiful. Finally, Professor Ji stopped, and the box, which had been tightly closed, slowly opened like a blooming snow lotus. A magnificent light orb emerged from the box, captivating everyone.

"What a beautiful light orb, truly a masterpiece of God!" At this moment, a white man, entranced by the light, slowly extended his right hand toward the orb.

Just as the white man's right hand touched the orb, the orb suddenly shot into the sky, forming a column of colorful light that extended into the heavens.

The sudden change stunned everyone. At this moment, another anomaly occurred!

"Roar!" A strange roar echoed, and the white man who had extended his hand suddenly underwent a strange transformation.

Disaster began!

Hell arrived as scheduled!

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Disaster Year 2035, April 10, in the city of Shangshi, China, the largest survivor city in Asia. Countless emaciated people walked busily through the city, their faces numb and their eyes hollow, living like zombies.

In the center of Shangshi, there was a magnificent estate. It was hard to imagine that such a beautiful estate still existed in the post-apocalyptic world. Inside, everyone was radiant and well-dressed, in stark contrast to the ragged masses outside the city.

Class distinctions were everywhere!

At this moment, a well-equipped team slowly walked out of the estate. The leader, about 28 or 29 years old, had a face that was once delicate but now firm. He carried a traditional Chinese sword on his back and slowly walked out of the estate.

"Brother Han, this is indeed the residence of one of the Three Emperors and Four Respects, the Martial Emperor Shi. I thought the estate was beautiful from the outside, but now I realize that what I saw was just a fraction of its beauty!" one of the team members, a thin and black youth, said excitedly.

"Monkey, that's no surprise. The Three Emperors and Four Respects are the strongest seven people in the world since the Great Catastrophe. Out of five hundred million people, only seven emerged, legendary tenth-stage powerhouses. How could their residence be anything but magnificent?" another strong youth in the team said disdainfully.

"Hmph, Zhanhu, you know everything, but if we complete the Martial Emperor's task and Brother Han takes the evolution liquid granted by the Martial Emperor, Brother Han will become the youngest ninth-stage powerhouse in Shangshi. Then Brother Han will have the qualifications to live in the Martial Emperor's Pavilion. With Brother Han's qualifications, we can also move in. Ha, I never thought that I, Monkey, would one day live in the Martial Emperor's Pavilion. Ha..." As he spoke, not only Monkey but everyone in the team had a look of hopeful anticipation.

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Five hundred kilometers north of Shangshi, in a small town affiliated with Jishi, countless zombies surrounded the vast city.

"Why, why are there so many eighth-stage destroyers in this town, along with so many zombies and bio-beasts? Has the entire province of Su gathered here? The Martial Emperor clearly told us there was only one eighth-stage destroyer zombie here. Why?" Monkey fiercely cut off the head of a sixth-stage hunter zombie and said angrily.

"Chuhan, something's wrong. This isn't what the Martial Emperor said. There's probably a trick!" Zhanhu, the strong youth, calmly said as he split the zombies in front of him with a single strike.

Chuhan, the young man with the sword, saw a sea of zombies surging from all directions, surrounding them.

"Zhanhu, take them and retreat. I'll cover the rear!" At this critical moment, Chuhan remained calm and composed.

"Alright, I'll lead the way, you cover the rear. Let's fight our way out!" Zhanhu didn't hesitate. He knew that in the post-apocalyptic world, hesitation meant death. Zhanhu took the lead, and Monkey and the others followed closely behind, fighting their way out.

"Hmph, you think you can escape? Dream on. Today, none of you will leave, ha!" A massive pressure suddenly emanated from the zombie horde, and a cold voice echoed. Then, strange mutated beasts emerged from the horde, surrounding Chuhan's team from four directions.

Seeing the four mutated beasts that suddenly appeared, everyone, including Chuhan, changed color. "Nine-tailed fox, blue-winged dragon beast, three-eyed tiger, and bloodthirsty wolf king, four ninth-stage mutated beast kings. Why, why are they here?" Monkey said, terrified.

"Human, I've been looking for you for so long, and finally, I've found you!" At this moment, the cold voice echoed again, and a pale young man slowly descended from the sky, standing above them, and said coldly.

Seeing the young man appear, Chuhan's team was shocked. Monkey stammered, "Flying in the air, tenth... tenth... tenth-stage mutated beast, when... when did it break through to the tenth stage?"

"Who would have thought, worm, you finally evolved into a five-clawed dragon. Now, you should be called Dragon Emperor, right!" At this point, Chuhan was calm. If it were only the four ninth-stage mutated beasts, he could have let his brothers escape by fighting to the death. But now, with the tenth-stage emperor appearing, especially with its body being the legendary dragon, Chuhan knew they were doomed.

"Hmph, human, do you know why I'm here today? See the zombies around you? This is a feast I've prepared for you for a long time! When you participated in killing my parents, did you ever think of this day? And that Martial Emperor, you've watched the show for so long, it's time to come out, right!" The young man in the sky looked down at Chuhan and said slowly.

Sure enough, the figure of the Martial Emperor slowly appeared from the void.

"Why? Why? Martial Emperor, as our leader, why are you betraying us!" Monkey looked at the Martial Emperor, his heart in pain, his faith shattered.

"I'm sorry, but for the sake of humanity, you must die!" The Martial Emperor's indifferent voice echoed in the sky, as if the deaths were just a few ants.

At this point, if Chuhan still didn't understand, he would be a fool. He looked back at his brothers and said bitterly, "What a noble death for humanity! Brothers, I'm sorry, it's my fault!"

At this point, everyone understood. The ninth-stage evolution liquid was just a ruse to lure them into a trap. They were betrayed, and the Martial Emperor had sent them to their deaths!

"Brother Han, let's fight them, I've never experienced what it's like to fight a tenth-stage emperor!" Zhanhu stepped forward and said loudly.

"Right, Brother Han, let's fight these monsters. I'm sick of this damned post-apocalyptic world!"

"Damn, in eighteen years, I'll be a hero again. Animals, come at me, let me clean you up!" Even the usually timid Monkey now discarded his fear and spoke with great courage.

Seeing his brothers' heroic resolve, Chuhan felt a warmth in his heart, and tears blurred his eyes.

"Good, today, let's have a good fight, fight!" Chuhan said loudly.

"Fight!" Zhanhu and Monkey picked up their weapons and slashed at the surrounding zombies.

"Hmph, like a mantis trying to stop a cart, overestimating yourselves! Kill them!" The man in the sky waved his hand, and the four ninth-stage mutated beasts, along with the endless horde of zombies, surged toward Chuhan and his team.

Chuhan was enraged! Chuhan was trembling with anger!

But he had no choice. He could only watch helplessly as Zhanhu was repeatedly bitten by the bloodthirsty wolf king, his limbs torn off, and finally his head bitten off.

He could only watch helplessly as Monkey was tossed around like a ball by the nine-tailed fox's nine tails, until they pierced through his body.

And the snake, scorpion, and horse, especially the scorpion, a beautiful and quiet girl, had her face scratched by the three-eyed tiger, her eyes gouged out, and was thrown into the zombie horde.

Chuhan was filled with hatred!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA, five-clawed dragon, Martial Emperor, if I, Chuhan, survive, I will be your eternal nightmare!" Chuhan screamed in despair, and was finally pierced through the heart by the five-clawed dragon emperor.

Disaster Year 2035, May 1, the famous Dragon-Slaying Team in Shangshi was surrounded and killed by a horde of zombies led by four ninth-stage mutated beasts. Among them was Chuhan, the youngest eighth-stage powerhouse in Shangshi.

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