Infinite terror invades all heavens

But Chu Xuan's next words made everyone's hearts sink again.

"The armory is located three main areas away, and we'll encounter the aliens along the way. We can force our way through, but casualties are inevitable. We need to separate them and gradually reduce their numbers to clear the path." Chu Xuan's voice was calm to the point of cruelty. "I propose we use a decoy splitting tactic."

Chu Xuan pulled up the spaceship's passageway structure diagram and pointed to several "slaughter zones" that had been precisely calculated and marked in red.

"First, we'll seal off the non-essential passages between us and the armory, creating a relatively controllable route." Chu Xuan's gaze, like a cold probe, locked onto the newcomers. "We'll utilize the aliens' extreme sensitivity to the blood and life force of living beings. They will proceed to designated locations in a predetermined order, releasing their own blood as a pheromone source to attract aliens within the area. Once the aliens are successfully lured to the pre-set 'slaughter zone,' I will remotely control the closure of the isolation gates, separating them and blocking reinforcements."

"At that time, the main combat team will go to the armory first to obtain weapons, which can ensure absolute firepower and strength to quickly and thoroughly eliminate the segmented aliens."

"I object!" Zheng Zha stepped forward abruptly, his face a mixture of anger and reluctance, his voice hoarse with emotion. "This is too cruel! Using them as bait is no different from simply pushing them to their deaths! We are veterans, stronger, and we should bear the risks!"

Zhang Jie's face darkened as he spoke, his voice laced with suppressed dissatisfaction: "Chu Xuan, you're smart, but isn't this treating people like dirt? They may be new recruits, but they are still living, breathing human beings! They're not expendable resources! If your calculations are even slightly off, if the gate is a second too slow, or if the bait is misplaced, they'll be finished in an instant! In that case, we won't be able to save them, and it might attract even more aliens, causing the situation to spiral completely out of control!"

Faced with fierce opposition, Chu Xuan remained expressionless, as if listening to irrelevant noise. He adjusted his glasses, his tone as calm as if delivering an academic report: "Emotional appeals and moral condemnations cannot change the objective predicament. First, veterans are the core combat force; their value lies in efficiently eliminating aliens. Serving as mobile bait is high-risk, low-reward, and a misallocation of resources. Second, newcomers contribute very little to the main battlefield and may even cause the front line to collapse due to panic, becoming a burden. Serving as bait is the most effective and strategically valuable contribution they can make to the team's survival in the current environment. Third, risk management—"

He quickly retrieved the detailed 3D model of the selected channel, the response time of the isolation gate, the closing speed, and the structural strength data.

"All decoy points are precisely calculated and located within the effective protection radius of the isolation gate. Theoretically, before the gate is fully closed, the alien cannot directly and physically contact the safe decoy points. We have global monitoring and near real-time remote control capabilities, which can keep the risk within an acceptable threshold. Of course, theoretically and acceptable is not absolutely safe, but compared to being trapped and waiting to die or blindly charging forward, this solution increases the team's overall survival probability by at least twice."

Chu Xuan's sharp gaze fell upon Zheng Zha and Zhang Jie. "If you can propose an alternative that can more effectively reduce the number of aliens within the same timeframe and safely reach the armory, I will adopt it immediately. Otherwise, based on the existing data and logical deduction, this is the optimal solution. We need to survive rationally, not with emotional sympathy."

Zheng Zha opened his mouth, his chest heaving violently, but found his mind blank, unable to come up with any comparable feasible solution. His clenched fists and ashen face revealed the intense struggle within him. Chu Xuan used cold data and impeccable logic to completely dismantle their opposition based on basic human instinct.

Listening to this, Wang Yi looked at Chu Xuan's absolutely rational profile and, recalling Zhang Jie and the others' despairing reaction to the twenty-person difficulty level, an idea uncontrollably popped into his head: "This guy... could he have already figured out that the difficulty of the Main God Space missions is linked to the number of participants, and is using this opportunity to rationally eliminate useless newcomers to avoid dragging things down later? This plan is simply killing two birds with one stone..."

Chu Xuan added casually, as if he could see through some people's thoughts: "All my decisions are based on only one goal: to maximize the overall survival probability of the team. Personal feelings of good and evil are not within the scope of calculation."

Chapter 19 Operation (Part 1)

Chu Xuan gave them no chance to refute, and went straight to tactical deployment, pointing to the precisely marked points on the structural diagram, his tone leaving no room for argument:

"The plan is to divide into combat teams and decoy teams. I'll stay in the control room to oversee the overall situation."

"Combat Team: Wang Zongchao, Zheng Zha, Zhu Peng, Lingdian, Bawang, Zhang Jie, Zhan Lan, Wang Yi, Ying, Li Xiaoyi. They are responsible for quickly traversing the established path to reach the armory, carrying sufficient firepower, and then proceeding to the area where the Pandora Beasts are stored as instructed. They will quickly eliminate the remaining aliens, ensuring that no Pandora aliens appear, and then proceed to the designated slaughter area to eliminate small groups of aliens."

"The decoy team: will be formed by the remaining new recruits in rotation. The specific route, bleeding location, and duration of stay must be strictly followed in real time according to the command team's instructions. Any unauthorized actions may result in the failure of the plan and personal death."

This plan squeezes every last bit of the team's strength to the extreme, while also clearly imprinting the cold and cruel rules of survival in everyone's mind, especially those newcomers who are given the mission of "bait".

Zheng Zha frowned as he looked at the group assignments and raised an objection: "It's too dangerous to leave Chu Xuan alone in the control room. What if an alien breaks through another route and flanks us? Let Zhan Lan stay as well. More people means more protection, and we veterans can feel more at ease!"

Chu Xuan agreed almost without hesitation: "Okay. Zhan Lan will stay and assist with monitoring and communications."

His final gaze swept over Wang Zongchao and Zheng Zha, completely ignoring the lingering struggle in Zheng Zha's eyes and the newcomers' despair like lambs to the slaughter: "Unless there are no other objections, in ten minutes, we will execute the first phase of the 'Hunting' plan. Objective: Before the Pandora sleeping chamber is completely breached, successfully obtain the armory equipment and annihilate the aliens at the Pandora behemoth's location. Afterward, minimize the aliens' manpower. That is our... only visible chance of survival at present."

Chu Xuan's words echoed in the control room like a final verdict, each word as cold as iron, striking the hearts of everyone, especially the newcomers who had been assigned to the "bait group".

Inside the control room, the suppressed, desperate cries of the newcomers mingled with the heavy breathing of the veterans, pounding against everyone's eardrums. A brutal hunt, using human blood as bait, steel corridors as a chessboard, and life and death as the stakes, was about to slowly unfold its bloody prelude within this metal coffin floating in the cold universe. And the planner had already transformed into the most ruthless chess player, placing all the pieces, including himself, one by one on this desperate chessboard.

After a brief silence came an uncontrollable, tearful plea and questioning.

"No...no! I'm going to die! I'm going to die!" A young man wearing glasses, who looked like a student, collapsed, clutching his head and squatting on the ground, his body trembling violently.

"Why should we go and die? Aren't you veterans? Aren't you stronger? Why can't you protect us?!" The thug leader, who had been taught a lesson by Shadow before and still had bruises on his face, roared fiercely, but his trembling voice betrayed his inner fear.

"Please, please, try a different method... I, I can help you carry things, I'll do anything, just don't make me the bait..." A middle-aged woman was sobbing uncontrollably, almost kneeling down.

A pervasive atmosphere of wailing, fear, and despair mingled with the heavy breathing and complex gazes of the veterans, transforming this control room, which should have represented the pinnacle of human technology, into what felt like the prelude to hell.

Chu Xuan adjusted his glasses, ignoring the wailing before him. His gaze didn't linger on the newlyweds for even a second longer; he focused intently on adjusting the parameters on the control panel, ensuring every gate's control command was precise. To him, these emotional outbursts were merely necessary, useless noise before the plan was executed.

Zheng Zha clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms. He looked at the despairing faces of the newlyweds, a surge of helplessness and anger rising in his chest. He knew Chu Xuan's plan was logically the optimal solution at present, but the intense conflict between reason and emotion tormented him. He wanted to say something more, but found any pale words of comfort or opposition he could offer utterly ridiculous in the face of cold reality.

Wang Zongchao closed his eyes and concentrated, adjusting his inner energy, as if the outside world's disturbances were irrelevant to him. Yet, his aura was as solid as a mountain, and the subtle pressure emanating from him gave those near him a sense of inexplicable peace. He was a martial artist, well aware that indecisiveness at crucial moments would only lead to greater casualties. Having chosen to trust Chu Xuan's wisdom, there should be no further hesitation during the execution phase.

Zhu Peng observed Chu Xuan's retreating figure with interest, then glanced at the distraught newcomers. A faint smile played on his lips as he murmured, "Heaven is ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs. This lad... has some potential." His fingers, hidden in his sleeve, gently caressed the cold bone flute. The Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain appeared unusually calm about the impending slaughter and sacrifice, even displaying a hint of scrutiny and...anticipation.

Wang Yi felt equally heavy-hearted, but he forced himself to remain calm. He took a deep breath, walked to Zheng Zha's side, and whispered, "Zheng Zha, now is not the time to hesitate. Chu Xuan's plan is cruel, but it is indeed the only way to survive. We must get the weapons as soon as possible, or everyone will die." He paused, his voice even lower, "Protect yourselves; we have to go back."

Zheng Zha looked sharply at Wang Yi and saw that although there was reluctance in his eyes, there was even more determination. Finally, he nodded heavily and said hoarsely, "I understand... Let's do it!"

The ten-minute break flew by in the agonizing despair.

"Time's up." Chu Xuan's icy voice rang out, like a death knell tolling. "First sequence of the decoy team, Li Shuaixi, target: B-7 passage intersection. Proceed according to the indicator route. Upon arrival, cut your palm, smear the blood on the designated marker, stay there for thirty seconds, and then immediately return via safe route C. Keep communications open."

Li Shuaixi, whose name was called, trembled violently, his face turning deathly pale. He glanced at Chu Xuan, then at the expressionless veterans, his lips trembling. Finally, under Chu Xuan's emotionless gaze, as if all his strength had been drained away, or as if driven by some invisible force, he staggered out of the control room. His retreating figure was filled with a tragic grandeur, as if facing certain death.

The metal door slowly closed behind him, separating the two worlds inside and outside the door.

"Combat team, prepare!" Wang Zongchao's eyes snapped open, gleaming with sharp light. "Move out according to the predetermined formation!"

The team sprang into action instantly. Wang Zongchao led the charge, like a sword drawn from its sheath. Zheng Zha followed closely behind, his [Scent Map] and the power of the Cat Alien Soul Seed already activated; his nostrils twitched slightly, and his sharp eyes scanned the dim passage ahead. Zhu Peng carried the iron coffin on his back, his steps steady, his aura deep and sinister. Zero and Overlord flanked him, each wielding a Desert Eagle, their eyes alert. Zhang Jie and Li Xiaoyi provided support from the center. Wang Yi and Ying positioned themselves at the rear of the team for protection.

The corridor echoed with the hurried footsteps and heavy breathing of the group. The emergency lights cast a ghastly green glow, stretching everyone's shadows into distorted, elongated shapes, like ghosts lurking in the darkness.

"Slight vibration in the left ventilation duct, fifty meters away, rapidly approaching!" Zheng Zha suddenly roared a warning, his senses becoming even more acute with the enhancement of the cat-like alien soul seed.

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Chu Xuan's calm voice came through the headset: "The isolation gate for Sector C-3 is ready, the decoy is in place, and the alien has been lured. Combat team, accelerate through the T-junction ahead. The gate will close within ten seconds of your passage."

"Hurry!" Wang Zongchao shouted, his body suddenly accelerating, with the others following closely behind.

Just as they crossed the T-junction, a heavy metallic clang and a teeth-grinding scraping sound came from behind, along with a faint, inhuman roar. The heavy barrier gate slammed down, temporarily blocking the pursuers.

However, the road ahead was not smooth sailing.

"At the fork in the road ahead, there's a strong smell of blood approaching from both the left and right passages!" Zheng Zha's expression was grave, and he spoke rapidly. "Five on the left and three on the right, moving very fast. They're expected to arrive at the main road we're on in about twenty seconds!"

"This is bad!" Zhang Jie spat. "We've been surrounded!"

Chu Xuan's voice remained calm: "Calculation error, the convergence point of the two alien streams coincides with yours. The probability of casualties from a direct assault is over 40%. I suggest splitting your forces to intercept them, while the main force continues its advance."

Wang Zongchao and Zhu Peng stopped almost simultaneously, exchanged a glance, and instantly understood each other's thoughts.

"Leave the five on the left to me." Wang Zongchao's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable confidence. He took a step forward, facing the dark passage on the left alone. A vast and overwhelming aura, capable of suppressing the world, began to rise, as if a war god stood in the center of the passage, ready to crush all invading enemies.

"Three on the right, I'll take them." Zhu Peng said calmly, slamming the iron coffin he was carrying onto the ground with a dull thud. His wide Taoist robe fluttered without wind, and an eerie aura, a mixture of chilling cold and intense heat, began to permeate the air.

"You guys..." Zheng Zha wanted to say something more.

"Go!" Wang Zongchao shouted without turning his head. "Don't waste time! Getting the weapon is the key!"

Zheng Zha gritted his teeth, knowing this was not the time for sentimentality, and roared, "Let's go! Trust Instructor Wang and Daoist Zhu Peng!" With that, he led the remaining people and continued running forward along the main road.

As Wang Yi passed by, he took a deep look at Wang Zongchao's tall and straight back, and at Zhu Peng's somewhat eerie figure under the ghastly green light, and silently thought to himself, "I must stay alive and keep up!"

……

A foul stench filled the air from the left-hand passage!

Five black figures emerged from the darkness like ghosts, carrying a chilling killing intent, and pounced straight at the lone Wang Zongchao! They coordinated perfectly, almost sealing off all his space to dodge.

"Good timing!"

Wang Zongchao's eyes blazed with fighting spirit, and instead of retreating, he advanced! The boundless blood and qi of the Immortal Martial Arts and the internal force of the Seven Heavens of Ice and Fire erupted, and the two forces of ice and fire flowed and merged in his body, causing the air around him to distort slightly!

Facing the two aliens that pounced on him first, he unleashed both fists simultaneously, simple and direct, yet as fast as lightning! His left fist was icy cold, as if it could freeze the soul, while his right fist was scorching hot and explosive, like an eruption of lava!

"Boom! Boom!"

Two muffled thuds, almost simultaneous! Fists imbued with terrifying force and elemental damage slammed precisely into the relatively vulnerable chests and head joints of the two aliens!

The violent force of ice and fire instantly penetrated their bodies! One alien's head was instantly covered with a layer of white frost, and its movements became stiff, while the other's carapace made a "hissing" sound, as if it had been branded with a hot iron! The two aliens flew back at an even faster speed than when they came, crashing heavily into the wall with the sound of bones shattering, and it was clear that they were not going to survive.

Two instantly killed!

But the attacks of the other three aliens were already upon him! Sharp claws tore through the air, and deadly tail stingers, like venomous snakes, stabbed at Wang Zongchao's vest and abdomen from tricky angles!

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Wang Zongchao suddenly ducked and spun around like a ghost, narrowly avoiding the two claw attacks. However, the third alien's tail spike was too fast and ruthless. With a piercing shriek, it pierced through his protective ice and fire energy and deeply embedded itself in his left shoulder blade!

"Pfft!"

Despite the excruciating pain, Wang Zongchao didn't even flinch! A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and using the force of the tail piercing his body, he suddenly turned around, his right hand gripping the alien tail embedded in his body like an iron clamp!

"Come here!"

With a roar like a raging bull, he unleashed tremendous power, forcefully lifting the alien up as if wielding a giant flesh and blood meteor hammer, slamming it down with a piercing whistle into another alien that was about to pounce on him!

"boom!!"

The two aliens collided violently, the sound of bones breaking and tendons snapping was enough to make your teeth ache! The one that was hit went limp on the spot, while the one that was used as a "weapon" was also shaken so badly that its internal organs were shattered, and its tail was yanked out by Wang Zongchao, bringing out a clump of blood and flesh!

Blood gushed from his left shoulder, the strong acid corroding the wound and hissing. Wang Zongchao, however, seemed oblivious to the pain. His feet moved in rapid succession, cracking the ground, like a charging bull, instantly closing in on the last alien, stunned by the gruesome death of its companion!

"die!"

It was still the Bull Demon's Mighty Fist! A simple and direct "Bull Demon's Horn Top" punch, which concentrated all the strength, blood and qi of the whole body and the intent of the fist, the fist like a drill, hitting the gap in the neck carapace of this alien with perfect precision!

"Crack!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out as the last alien's head was nearly ripped off its neck by the violent force of the punch, spurting out dark green blood.

Without even glancing at the five corpses on the ground, Wang Zongchao used his fingers to seal acupoints and stop the bleeding. In a flash, he chased after the main force.

The entire process was fierce and domineering, exchanging injury for life, showcasing the violent aesthetics of the Bull Demon's Mighty Fist to the fullest!

……

Chapter 20 Operation (Part 2)

Meanwhile, the right-hand passage.

Zhu Peng faced the three roaring aliens alone, his expression remaining calm. He even had the leisure to straighten his slightly crooked Taoist crown.

In a silent environment, even the slightest sound becomes very clear and distinct.

The heavy footsteps and roars of the alien intertwined with the incredibly heavy footsteps of Zhu Peng carrying the iron coffin.

His every step seemed to be on some strange rhythm, carrying a heavy sense of oppression, as if he were not walking towards the alien, but rather the alien was stepping into the death zone he had set up.

"Roar!"

One of the aliens pounced first, bringing a stench to the air!

Zhu Peng frowned slightly, seemingly displeased with the clamor of this ugly creature. He did not dodge, nor did he use the iron coffin on his back. He simply pointed his fingers like a sword and gently pointed at the void.

In an instant, a sinister, icy aura, seemingly capable of freezing the soul, spread out from his fingertips! In the dim light, a phantom of a poisonous dragon, composed entirely of dark energy and existing between reality and illusion, flashed by, letting out a silent roar, and instantly burrowed into the head of the alien in front!

Taiyin Extinction Path - External Elixir Spirit Ghost Poison Dragon!

The alien's forward momentum suddenly halted, as if bound by invisible chains. Its massive body trembled violently, and its original bloodthirsty roar turned into chaotic and painful wails. Its movements became extremely slow and stiff, like a puppet on strings, and it even began to involuntarily swing its claws!

"Its skin is thick and tough; the ghostly invasion couldn't kill it instantly," Zhu Peng commented casually, seemingly not entirely satisfied with the effect.

At this moment, the other two aliens also arrived!

Zhu Peng remained calm and gently patted the iron coffin behind him with his right hand.

With a "click," the coffin lid slid open a crack.

"Go."

At his command, the crawler corpse, which he had meticulously refined and whose body was covered with a thin layer of blood scabs, burst out of the coffin like a wild beast, carrying a violent killing intent, and fearlessly met the second alien!

The corpse general possessed no wisdom, no fear, only a killing instinct driven by the laws of Tao. With its strong body and sharp claws, it tightly entangled the second alien, allowing the other's claws and tail spikes to leave deep wounds on its body. The corrosive acidic blood reacted violently with the crimson blood membrane, emitting a "sizzling" sound, but it did not retreat.

Now, only one alien remains. It broke through the Corpse General's obstruction, opened its blood-red maw, and lunged at Zhu Peng!

Zhu Peng looked at the alien that rushed towards him, and for the first time, a slightly serious expression appeared on his face.

He neither formed hand seals nor chanted incantations, but simply slowly raised his right hand. In the palm of his right hand, a deep, pure, and seemingly mysterious purple spark had gathered...

The purple sparks, though seemingly faint, caused the temperature of the surrounding space to rise sharply, distorting even the light!

"Tch... You're unlucky to have met me."

With a gentle flick, the purple spark, as if possessing a life of its own, floated lightly towards the last alien.

Pure Yang Purple Night Calamity - Purple Night Calamity Fire!

The alien seemed to sense the terrifying power contained within the purple sparks, letting out a sharp screech as it tried to dodge. But the sparks, though seemingly slow, were actually moving faster than the limits of visual perception, instantly coating its bony carapace.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor any violent impact.

It was like a spark falling onto cotton wool soaked in grease.

"boom!"

A cluster of bewitching purple flames suddenly erupted from the alien's body, instantly engulfing it completely!

That flame was no ordinary fire; it burned silently, yet emitted terrifyingly high temperatures, scorching even the metal walls until they glowed red and warped! The alien struggled and howled wildly in the purple flames, but its hard shell, capable of withstanding small-caliber bullets, was like paper in the face of this purple fire, quickly turning charred, carbonized, and then reduced to ashes! In just two or three seconds, a living, ferocious, mature alien was burned to ashes in this eerie purple flame, leaving only a small clump of ash and the lingering smell of burnt food in the air.

After easily taking down one, Zhu Peng turned his attention to the other two battlefields.

The alien controlled by the venomous dragon was still struggling painfully in place, its movements becoming increasingly sluggish.