Countless earth bees began nesting in the city. The original underground nests were abandoned, and the queen bees also flocked to the city. There were tens of millions of earth bees in the sky, obscuring the sun and instilling immense fear. The queen bees chose to nest in the city, and worker bees subsequently collected materials everywhere to build their nests.
Originally, earth bees primarily nested underground. However, the situation had changed. With no threats on the surface, earth bees no longer needed to nest underground. Instead, nesting on the surface made it easier to obtain more resources.
When it rains, it pours. Rongcheng was already facing attacks from earth bees, but the crisis was not over. Suddenly, countless mutated beasts appeared in the distance, rapidly approaching Rongcheng.
In the past, these mutated beasts would not have dared to come near Rongcheng because human strength was too formidable. The moment they encountered each other, humans could kill countless mutated beasts with their firearms. However, at this time, humans were suppressed by the earth bees, all cowering in underground fortifications and unable to emerge. This presented an opportunity for the mutated beasts to attack Rongcheng.
The mutated beasts gathered and began their assault on Rongcheng. There were no longer any defenders on the city walls, but the walls remained very sturdy. For a time, the mutated beasts could not enter the city. Reinforcements from Yuzhou were fast approaching; holding out for one more day would be sufficient.
Everyone had heard the news that Li Keyi and Chu Chaoyan were personally leading the team. This news was incredibly morale-boosting. Many had heard of Li Keyi's fame; she was the renowned Goddess of Light. Her arrival in Rongcheng would undoubtedly change the tide of the battle instantly.
Countless people now saw Li Keyi as their only hope for salvation. However, Li Keyi had not yet reached Rongcheng. In the short term, the people of Rongcheng could only rely on themselves to overcome the immediate crisis. Some people realized the danger and believed it was better to escape while there were still many people around, as escaping later would be extremely difficult.
Those hiding in the air-raid shelters were whispering amongst themselves, and the sound of crying could occasionally be heard. Everyone was filled with fear, as they had no idea what the future held.
The air-raid shelters were equipped with emergency lighting. Even without power, they could provide illumination for the next few days. However, the dim light only amplified the terrifying atmosphere. Many people were crammed into the shelters, with no place to sleep, only a spot to squat. Due to the overcrowding, even lying down to rest was a luxury.
The air-raid shelters also had ventilation systems to replace the stale underground air. However, there were too many people underground, making the air extremely stuffy and hot, which was unbearable.
Under these circumstances, Yu Renshu could not find any more space to hide. She could only let her mother lean against the wall to rest. She stood, holding her daughter Yu Hongxiu in her arms, letting her sleep. Despite being exhausted, this was the only way.
"Daughter, it seems Rongcheng is in crisis. We should quickly find a way to escape," Qian Mingya said seriously to her daughter.
Yu Renshu quickly replied in a low voice, "Mom, don't be so pessimistic. We are far from being at our last resort. Didn't we survive the attack by mutated birds before? I believe we can turn danger into safety."
"Don't be silly. Even Yanjing was destroyed before. The crisis Rongcheng is facing now is no less severe than Yanjing's. Rongcheng could be finished at any moment. We must make plans early and not waste any opportunity to escape! If Rongcheng doesn't receive support, it will surely be finished," Qian Mingya continued to persuade her daughter.
"Let's observe the situation first. Even if we want to escape, it cannot be done in haste," Yu Renshu quickly said to her mother.
When faced with a crisis, most people's first thought is to escape. However, the sky was now filled with mutated earth bees. Escaping from these earth bees was no easy feat; even driving a car would result in being caught.
Yu Renshu understood this clearly, so even though her mother urged them to escape quickly, she could not immediately implement the plan.
As night fell, the earth bees in the sky found places to rest. These earth bees had a remarkable ability to build nests. In just one day, nests appeared in the high-rise buildings of Rongcheng. These nests were found under eaves, on walls, on utility poles, and even in human rooms.
All bees are natural architects. These nests were all hexagonal in shape, densely populated with earth bees. At night, the vision of bees is greatly reduced, and they typically return to their nests. Even if humans walked past the edge of a nest, the earth bees would not attack.
Upon discovering this, Rongcheng finally began its counterattack. Soldiers, clad in heavy protective suits, took advantage of the darkness to clear the nests that had appeared in the city. By clearing a single nest, a large number of earth bees would be killed.
When dealing with earth bees, everyone had discovered a weakness: they had little resistance to flooding and fire. Simply dislodging a nest and throwing it into the river would drown all the earth bees inside, eliminating the need for firearms.
Taking advantage of the darkness when the earth bees were inactive, everyone wanted to escape. However, an unexpected piece of news came from the army: countless mutated beasts were surrounding the city, seemingly seizing this opportunity to break through and feast. Rongcheng's city walls were exceptionally tall and sturdy. With the walls in place, the mutated beasts could not enter, but anyone trying to escape the city would first have to face the brutal mutated beasts.
Many mutated beasts possessed night vision capabilities, such as mutated cats and dogs. Even in the dark, they could detect the presence of humans. With pairs of green eyes staring at the city walls, anyone venturing out would be instantly torn apart and devoured.
"How can this be? Why are there mutated beasts outside the city as well?" Everyone looked puzzled, clearly not expecting danger to await them outside the city.
"Can't you go out and fight to clear a path? Rongcheng is already very dangerous. If we stay here, we will surely be killed!" Suddenly, a resident suggested that the army go out and clear the mutated beasts. If the army fought the mutated beasts, all the external dangers could be resolved.
However, the army had its own mission. They needed to clear all the nests in the city during the night. Otherwise, by the next day, the pressure from the earth bees would become even greater.
"All of you, shut up! Don't disrupt morale at this time. We haven't reached the main rescue yet; reinforcements are on their way. Once the reinforcements arrive, we will be completely safe," the army explained to the residents. If anyone tried to escape at this time, it would incite a large number of people to leave Rongcheng. Therefore, the most important thing now was to stabilize the populace.
Finally, under the persuasion of the army, everyone returned to their homes. Some uneasy individuals hid in the air-raid shelters. As long as they stayed in the shelters, they would be safe from danger. Thus, although the shelters were a bit crowded, being with the crowd provided a sense of security.
After a night passed, all the nests in the city had been dismantled by the army and then thrown into the river. Countless earth bees were drowned, and the rivers near Rongcheng were filled with floating nests.
Although the nests within the city had been cleared, the soldiers were well aware that the earth bees remaining in the city were still a minority. As soon as dawn broke, the earth bees could return at any moment. If they were ineffective in combat after dawn, they would have to retreat to the air-raid shelters.
However, Rongcheng had also received good news: the Goddess of Light from Yuzhou was on her way. She would arrive in Rongcheng in another half a day. This reinforcement group carried a large amount of poison gas, which could kill all the earth bees in the sky.
At this time, Shen Yu was with her parents. The family was under the protection of soldiers, barely ensuring their safety. However, the entire family remained anxious, unsure of how the future would unfold.
"If it really comes to it, we'll have to go and seek refuge with your brother!" Shen Xin said softly to his daughter Shen Yu.
Circumstances were beyond their control. The situation was dire, and Rongcheng was fraught with danger. If Rongcheng were truly breached, their family would be forced to move south.
Shen Yu said seriously, "I believe Xiao Sheng can protect us, and reinforcements have already been dispatched from Yuzhou. We will be rescued soon."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xin and He Liping could only nod helplessly. The army and superpowered individuals in Rongcheng had not suffered significant losses; their strength still remained. As long as they could hold out for half a day, the reinforcements would arrive.
As the family was discussing, the ground suddenly began to shake violently. Tall buildings started to sway, and parts of the ground began to sink. The earth seemed to split open, and the once solid city walls suddenly collapsed.
"Earthquake! Quick, take cover!" Shen Xin, noticing the ground shaking continuously, immediately pushed his wife and daughter into a corner and shielded them with his own body.
Sichuan Province was indeed a region prone to earthquakes, situated in an earthquake belt. There were several earthquakes each year, varying in magnitude. Everyone in the province was accustomed to earthquakes. However, they never expected an earthquake to occur on this critical day.
The earthquake did not last long, but the damage it caused was immense. Buildings collapsed one after another. A long time had passed since the apocalypse, and most of the buildings had not been repaired. Once an earthquake occurred, they would easily collapse.
Fortunately, a large number of people were hiding in the air-raid shelters, which were very sturdy and did not risk collapse even during an earthquake. However, those hiding in their homes suffered severe casualties. Buildings collapsed, crushing countless people.
No one could have anticipated such an event. The moment the ground began to shake, everyone was trying to take cover from the earthquake and dared not move around. After the earthquake passed, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. But then they discovered something terrifying: the city walls that had surrounded Rongcheng had collapsed.
Without the obstruction of the city walls, the mutated beasts outside the city roared and charged into the city. They attacked anyone they saw, tearing at them. Since many people had died in the street during yesterday's battle, the mutated beasts saw a feast and immediately began to feed. Many people had run into the streets the moment the earthquake struck. Before they could even catch their breath, they saw an endless stream of mutated beasts pouring into the city. At this moment, everyone on the street wore expressions of terror.