Chapter 60: Si Yeās Emergency Rescue
The narrow alley was flanked by stagnant water, and several residents sat nearby, staring at them.
Xie Qiang exuded a powerful aura, meeting their gazes directly.
Her suddenly fierce stare caused the residents to lower their heads.
She then carefully sensed the pull on her heart and her spiritual energy. Pointing further in, she said, “Heās in there. Let’s go.”
Yan Ci followed behind her. They hadn’t gone far before Bai Zhi caught up.
“Wait… wait for me.”
Seeing Bai Zhi, Xie Qiang felt more confident.
“Well? Does Si Ye know?”
Bai Zhi nodded, breathless. He pointed to the guards behind him. “Heāll be here a bit later. He sent these men to help us.”
There weren’t many guardsāonly eightābut when they appeared at the mouth of the alley, the surrounding residents quickly picked up their chairs and scattered back to their homes.
Yan Ci hadn’t been on the best of terms with Si Ye lately. Seeing the guards, he snorted coldly. “At least he has some brains.”
He then directed, “You guys take the lead. Follow Xie Qiangās directions.”
He and Bai Zhi then fell in behind Xie Qiang.
It wasn’t that he was using the guards as cannon fodder; they needed to bring up the rear to guard against any sudden changes and better protect Xie Qiang.
Under Xie Qiangās guidance, the group entered a dilapidated building. They climbed the stairs to a central courtyard and stopped before a large iron door.
The building didn’t look like a residence; it might have been an office building for the slum district. Since it was after working hours, the building was mostly silent.
“Are we going in?”
Bai Zhi leaned toward the door to inspect it. It was a barn-style door hanging from a long track above. There was no visible lock, and he wasn’t sure if it would open.
Xie Qiang nodded. “Open it. Which of you wants to try?”
The guard captain stepped forward, placed both hands on one side of the door, and pushed with all his might.
Contrary to their expectations, the door slid open with only a little force.
Seeing that it wasn’t difficult, the captain gave a final shove, fully opening the entrance. Yan Ci immediately moved to shield Xie Qiang as the guards rushed into the room.
Inside, they found several people in white lab coats standing in small groups. In the center was a metal table. A frail, thin young man with delicate features lay there with his eyes tightly shut.
This boy had to be Xie Qiangās brother. He was wearing only a pair of trousers, and numerous sensors were attached to his temples and chest. Beside him, a machine flickered with rapidly scrolling data.
“Yan Ci, save him!”
Xie Qiangās heart trembled at the sight of her brother lying motionless.
The researchers in lab coats were momentarily stunned by the intrusion. A second later, they dropped their files and equipment, pulled projectile guns from their pockets, and opened fire on the guards.
The guards hadn’t expected to be fired upon immediately. They rolled and dove for cover, drawing the laser pistols at their waists to return fire.
Yan Ci, who hadn’t yet entered, quickly pushed Xie Qiang behind the iron door. With the door as a shield, at least she wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire.
Xie Qiang was growing frantic. What if her brother was caught in the crossfire? She shouted, “Yan Ci, Bai Zhi, get him out of there!”
Yan Ci tried a few times, but the gunfire in the room was too dense for him to force his way in.
“Don’t worry, don’t panic. Iām going in, just wait a second.”
He was anxious too. The target was right there, but he couldn’t reach him. He was terrified Xie Qiangās brother would get hurt, and his heart was pounding.
Suddenly, Lei Lieās voice rang out from behind.
“Wait for what? Just hit them!”
Wearing a radiation-proof suit and wielding a gun in each hand, Lei Lie stormed into the room and began firing.
With every rotation he made, a group of lab coats collapsed.
Yan Ciās face flushed red. He had been stuck at the door for so long, yet Lei Lie had charged right in the moment he arrived. It was more than a little embarrassing.
Seeing the opportunity, Bai Zhi also rushed in, as the pressure had decreased significantly.
The moment he reached the table, he began tearing the sensors off the boy.
It looked like he was pulling them off randomly, but he was actually following a specific sequence. A single mistake could cause the boyās spirit to become lost, leaving him in a permanent coma.
Yan Ci also rushed in, intending to help Bai Zhi carry the boy out.
However, just as he entered and took down a few more researchers, a dozen guards suddenly swarmed out.
The battle turned dire. Bai Zhi grabbed the boy and dove under the metal table for cover while the others formed a defensive line to repel the attackers.
But they were pinned down, unable to move or escape.
Xie Qiang became desperate. In her agitation, she sensed a chaotic spiritual energy surging through the room.
This energy shared the same source as hers; it was clearly her brotherās spiritual power, wildly out of control.
She snapped her eyes toward the screen and focused. She realized that the experiment being performed was designed to forcibly awaken his potential as a Guide.
But her brotherās potential was unstable, and coupled with the immature experimental technology, his spiritual energy was now running rampant.
Seeing the sensors being removed, a few of the researchers tapped a sequence on a nearby machine.
An invisible attack surged toward the spiritual energy in the air.
The spiritual energy accelerated instantly, catching Xie Qiangās attention.
She realized her brotherās spirit was in grave danger.
Seeing this, Xie Qiang released her own spiritual energy, wrapping it around her brotherās spirit. The attack meant for him slammed into Xie Qiangās spirit and vanished instantly.
She had protected her brother, but her released spiritual energy carried the Poppy domain, which immediately affected every Sentinel in the room.
Aside from Yan Ci and the others who shared a spiritual connection with Xie Qiang, everyone else in the room collapsed weakly to the ground.
Xie Qiang didn’t have time to worry about the fallen guards. She shouted to the struggling Yan Ci and the others, “Get out of here, now!”
She guided her brotherās spirit back into his mental landscape and then withdrew her own energy and the Poppy domain.
Right then, Si Ye arrived. He piloted a mid-sized hovercar, descending directly in front of the entrance.
“Get in!”
Si Ye opened the door. Xie Qiang helped Bai Zhi, who was carrying her brother, onto the vehicle. Behind them, Yan Ci and Lei Lie dragged Si Yeās guards aboard, leaving the researchers and enemy guards writhing on the floor.
The doors hissed shut, and the hovercar rose rapidly, speeding away.
Half of the back of the hovercar was filled with unconscious guards. Bai Zhi laid the boy flat on a seat and performed a quick examination. He frowned and said, “Xie Junās spiritual energy is problematic. His mental landscape is incredibly chaotic. Xie Qiang, can you soothe him?”
“Iāll try.”
Xie Qiang couldn’t make any promises. She had sensed something was wrong when she pushed his spirit back into his mental landscape earlier. She could force the energy in, but she couldn’t make it integrate with his mental world.
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