Chapter 34: The Celestial Tower

Li Xinlong hadn’t anticipated such a fierce reaction from these people. He hurried to calm the crowd, but then he heard Qin Hao’s voice.

“Was it him who killed the Fanged Demon during the apocalypse?”

Qin Hao pointed at Li Xinlong.

The others fell silent at his words. There seemed to be a force in Qin Hao’s voice that reverberated in everyone’s ears, making it impossible to pretend not to hear.

“Yes, but—”

“No buts. Without him, you'd all be dead already, so you wouldn’t be standing here talking. If you want to come with us, then come. If not, stay here. And you, you, and you—” Qin Hao pointed at several among them, “the ones who shouted the loudest just now—you don’t get to follow. Even if you do, we won’t protect you.”

He was making an example of them.

At this point, persuasion was useless. Those unwilling to leave wouldn’t be convinced no matter what was said. As the saying goes, a forced melon isn’t sweet.

Moreover, those who caused the most trouble would likely become problems later, undermining their efforts. If they couldn’t contribute to the group, what use were they?

Qin Hao’s words made the troublemakers panic instead.

They had only instinctively contradicted Qin Hao, refusing to leave out of fear. Now that Qin Hao wouldn’t take them, they suddenly felt that leaving might be a better opportunity.

But now, Qin Hao wouldn’t take them.

Sometimes, when something is offered for free, no one wants it. Yet, once it’s not free and there’s a limited quota, people start to see it as precious.

“I’ll go with you.”

“Me too. There’s nothing for me here.”

“Which way will you go? Can we pass by Qishan Primary School? My grandson is still there.”

Qin Hao ignored their discussions. Once they witnessed the dangers outside, they would realize just how ludicrous their opinions were.

By then, even if someone insisted on heading elsewhere, the others would curse them for suggesting it.

Soon, the crowd of over a hundred split into groups. In the end, half chose to follow Qin Hao and his group.

Still, many were unwilling to take the risk.

“Qin Hao, I have a follower who works at a sales office. He told me the best and sturdiest building nearby is Skyvault Tower, about two kilometers from here.”

“That’s the one, then. Let’s move.”

They had come with over a hundred people, but now, nearly two hundred had gathered. By high school class standards, that was the size of at least five classes—a sizeable group.

Fortunately, most of these people were evolved humans.

Qin Hao led the way. When they reached the fourth floor, he stopped and said, “Gather supplies. Take everything edible, everything useful. Don’t leave a single scrap behind.”

These supplies would go to waste if left here, so better to take everything.

Li Xinlong, hearing Qin Hao’s order, thought of those still on the fifth floor and felt a chill run down his spine.

Those people were extremely timid. Even when they ventured out for food, they only dared take some popcorn from the cinema’s counter. The bread they ate yesterday had been brought by Li Xinlong from a dessert shop on the fourth floor.

Once the popcorn was gone and they came downstairs for more, they’d find all the food on the other floors cleaned out. Survival here would become impossible.

Guilt gnawed at Li Xinlong.

Zi Hui, however, had no such qualms.

She and her team had gone to great lengths to get in here—not to rescue survivors, but to avoid the relentless harassment of the Fanged Demons, which would attract even more of them.

So, after seeing others gather food, she reminded them, “Take all the bowls, basins, and cutting boards too. Grab some of the shelving units as well. Don’t worry, Qin Hao has a bigger spatial ring.”

With this encouragement, everyone searched even more diligently.

A hundred people worked quickly, and in just twenty minutes, everything worth taking on that floor was gone.

Soon after, all the supplies from the fourth, third, and second floors were packed away, especially as the second and third floors were supermarkets. Qin Hao didn’t even need the others to help—he simply moved the shelves himself.

Wherever they went, nothing was left. The place became so empty it looked as if the building had just been completed.

Qin Hao’s spatial ring easily held all the goods. Once the supermarket was emptied, those who had chosen to follow Qin Hao felt incredibly fortunate.

And when they saw the second-floor elevator entrance blocked by an iron plate, they were even more astounded.

None of them had witnessed Qin Hao’s battle; only Li Xinlong, who had climbed up to the high window, had seen it.

Qin Hao’s mental tendrils brushed against the metal, and in an instant, a door opened in the sealed wall.

“Go!” Qin Hao led the way.

A shrill cry echoed.

The Fanged Demons, drawn by the earlier noise, were already prowling the first floor, hunting for humans to tear apart.

Not finding any upon arrival, they hadn’t left.

Now, as Qin Hao’s group emerged, the Fanged Demons shrieked with excitement and lunged, baring their gruesome jaws.

But before they could attack, a steel bar shot from afar and pierced a demon’s skull.

It drove straight down through the head, crushing its gaping jaws and nailing it fiercely to the ground.

The demon died without even a scream, a pool of blood spreading beneath it.

A crystal star condensed in the air, caught by Qin Hao’s mental tendrils and drawn into his hand.

Then, the crowd rushed out of the supermarket.

“This way! Follow Qishan Road through several traffic lights, then turn left—you’ll see it.”

“Get in!” Qin Hao commanded.

Li Xinlong was about to ask where the car was when he saw a blue metallic orb appear in Qin Hao’s hand. As Qin Hao released it, the orb transformed into a vehicle.

In fact, calling it a car wasn’t quite right—it had no wheels, hovering in midair instead.

There were no seats inside, and it looked like a massive cargo truck, yet it could hold all two hundred of them with room to spare.

Those who’d worried about something going wrong during the two-kilometer journey now looked at Qin Hao with newfound awe.

The vehicle sealed itself, with Qin Hao in the driver’s seat and Zi Hui and her follower beside him.

Qin Hao piloted the liquid-metal, shape-shifting truck over the rooftops of other vehicles, speeding straight toward Skyvault Tower.

The vehicle was so silent that it hardly disturbed any Fanged Demons.

They soon arrived at the entrance of Skyvault Tower.

The revolving glass doors had been shattered, leaving a gaping hole, and the security booth inside was spattered with blood—but no bodies remained.

The chaotic scene immediately brought one thing to mind.

Serpent Demon.

“Hiss!”

Around the corridor’s bend, a massive Serpent Demon slithered into view. Spotting Qin Hao’s group, it opened its maw wide.

But in the next instant, a metallic spear materialized behind it, piercing its throat.

The Serpent Demon was dead.

“Upstairs!” Qin Hao strode to the emergency exit. Without even pushing the door, he manipulated the metal with his mind, twisting the lock until the door swung open.

There had to be survivors in the building.