# 1425
Chapter 1426: Reinforcements for the Pass
The heavy rain lasted the entire night.
Wu Quan also stood silently beside him, watching through the night.
He watched Wu "Old Dog" pour baijiu into his mouth one gulp after another, watched him chat merrily with the seven cold corpses, watched him smash his fist onto the helipad creating vicious cracks, watched him sob uncontrollably in the rain, watched him sit motionless like a soulless sculpture on that stool until dawn...
The rain had gradually stopped, but the faint light of dawn still couldn't penetrate the heavy dark clouds. The world between heaven and earth remained gloomy.
Rainwater dripped from the edges of the tarp, the dishes on the table had long gone cold. Wu "Old Dog," who had been sitting in silence on the stool, finally slowly came back to his senses and stood up unsteadily...
"The banquet is over..."
Wu "Old Dog" looked at the table of food that had barely been touched, murmuring to himself. "It's time for us to go."
Creak—
Several stools were pushed back as the seven corpses slowly rose. Their tattered black cloaks fluttered in the gentle breeze.
Wu "Old Dog" turned and walked out of the simple tarp shelter. Seven figures followed closely behind. The smooth, mirror-like water surface reflected their black shadows and those pale, lifeless faces.
Dr. Li, wearing a white coat, walked out of the Purification Chamber.
He first glanced at Wu Quan beside him, then looked at Wu "Old Dog" whose eyes were red from crying. With a complex expression, he spoke:
"Leaving already?"
"Yes." Wu "Old Dog" replied calmly. "The situation at Chennan Pass is still dire. We can't waste any more time here."
"Wu Tongxuan, are you... truly ready?"
Wu "Old Dog" stared quietly at Dr. Li without speaking. He merely closed his eyes slowly.
In the next instant, the pressure of the Human Apex level descended abruptly!
Wu Quan felt the terrifying force pressing down on his shoulders. His eyes slightly narrowed—he had never expected this seemingly crazy and unremarkable mental patient to have, without anyone noticing, already reached such a height!
Sensing Wu "Old Dog"'s aura, Dr. Li's expression relaxed somewhat.
"When did you break through?"
"Half a year ago, I had already crossed the threshold." Wu "Old Dog" turned his head, glancing at the simple tarp shelter swaying in the wind. "Last night, I broke through the 'Heart's Gate'..."
Dr. Li nodded, wanting to offer congratulations but ultimately deciding against it.
"I've brought your things."
Dr. Li took out a black box from behind him and handed it to Wu "Old Dog".
"When you first came to this hospital, I had someone keep them safe for you. All these years, I've been waiting for this day to return them to you."
Wu "Old Dog" opened the box. In its center lay a straight blade, a coat of arms, and a neatly folded black cloak—all resting quietly within.
"...Thank you."
Wu "Old Dog" gazed at these three items, his eyes filling with nostalgia.
He tucked away the coat of arms, hung the straight blade at his waist, and with a gentle flick, the black cloak draped elegantly over his blue-and-white striped patient clothes.
With these three items in place, Wu "Old Dog"'s back immediately straightened. His originally disheveled and lazy demeanor vanished, and his eyes shone bright like stars.
As if remembering something, he said to Dr. Li: "Aren't you coming along?"
"Me?" Dr. Li smiled and shook his head. "I'm just a doctor. How could I go to the front lines?"
Wu "Old Dog"'s eyes narrowed slightly. He gave Dr. Li an odd look, seemingly not believing his words.
"How will you travel? Should I call a helicopter for you?"
"...No need."
Wu "Old Dog" shook his head. From the seven shadows behind him, one figure slowly raised both hands, and a violent gale gathered beneath their feet, rapidly lifting them into the sky!
The black cloak on Wu "Old Dog" billowed fiercely beneath the dark clouds. He turned his head one final time to look at Dr. Li and at this Purification Chamber where he had spent several years. He spoke calmly:
"We're leaving."
Whoooosh—!!
Eight black figures rode the gale, their forms streaking through the air and vanishing at the horizon in the blink of an eye!
Dr. Li watched their departing figures and let out a long sigh. He turned and walked back into the Purification Chamber.
He had only taken two steps when he turned to speak to the figure lurking in the corner:
"Are you going to follow? You want to escape too?"
Wu Quan snapped back to attention, gave him an incredulous look, and quickly caught up.
As the heavy metal door slowly closed, this isolated Purification Chamber once again fell into complete silence.
...
"Static static static..."
"This is Chennan Pass Defense Line 4! The lizard horde has launched a new wave of attacks! Requesting backup!"
"Defense Line 3, received. A heavy firepower unit has been dispatched!"
"This is Defense Line 5. We have no spare personnel, but Mr. Lu has received the message and is heading there."
"Defense Line 2 is also undermanned... The Night Watch stationed here were all killed at the very beginning. When will reinforcements from the other passes arrive?"
"This is Jialin Pass. All our Night Watch have assembled and are en route to Chennan Pass."
"This is Sunken Dragon Pass. Our first team of Night Watch has departed..."
"This is Snowchill Pass..."
The roar of helicopter rotors echoed across the helipad. Eighteen figures draped in dark crimson cloaks, carrying black cases, were quickly gathering inside the cabin against the fierce wind.
This was Jialin Pass, an A-level strategic war fortress located over six hundred kilometers from Chennan Pass.
As the last Night Watch member rushed into the cabin, the helicopter slowly lifted off, carrying everyone rapidly toward Chennan Pass. On the other helipads between the inner and outer walls, aircraft loaded with heavy thermal weapons also took off one after another.
Hongying settled into her seat and glanced out the porthole.
"What are you thinking about?" Wen Qimo, seated beside her, asked.
"I'm wondering how things are going at Chennan Pass." Hongying sighed. "I heard that the gods of the Indian Temple have all descended upon Chennan Pass. The stationed Night Watch were completely wiped out... I don't know how much longer they can hold."
"Don't worry too much. Everything will be fine." Wen Qimo comforted her. "The Gods of Great Xia have already rushed over, along with numerous Human Apex. Even if they caught us off guard at the start, as long as we buy a little more time, the initiative will return to us... Don't forget, this is Great Xia. We have home-field advantage."
"He's right." A girl carrying a large black case across from them nodded. "Before boarding, I heard news on the encrypted channel. The situation there has temporarily stabilized. The Gods of Great Xia repelled the Temple's first wave of assault. The gods above the divine level have basically been locked down by Heavenly Court and can barely break through their defensive line.
The main issue now is the severe manpower loss at Chennan Pass. They're struggling against the larger numbers of Divine Beasts. But as long as reinforcements from the other passes keep arriving, the situation should improve."
After hearing her analysis, Hongying nodded. "That's good to hear... By the way, you seem unfamiliar to me..."
"I only transferred from Sunken Dragon Pass a few days ago." The girl extended her hand cheerfully. "I'm Molly."