Chapter 215

The Empire's research center, lights blazing all night.

The air was filled with the mixed smell of various reagents and metal instruments, the harsh white light contrasting with the darkness outside the window.

Lin Zhi Jing leaned against the cold edge of the lab bench, his phoenix eyes behind silver-framed glasses bloodshot, the dark circles beneath revealing how long he had worked nonstop.

His gray short hair was somewhat disheveled, a few strands stubbornly hanging over his forehead, a stark contrast to his usual immaculate appearance.

Since Ye Xi'an left, he has come here to participate in the development of antibodies against the viruses of the Frigid Realm.

Nearly all of Zhu Shen Xing's top researchers have gathered here, working day and night.

On the light screen before him, the basic structures of various viruses and their gene diagrams kept changing.

These are all deadly viruses from the Frigid Realm.

Besides the known virus that Yi Yang had been infected with earlier, another 17 deadly viruses were discovered one after another in the Frigid Realm and named in the order of their discovery.

The virus Yi Yang had been infected with earlier was Virus No. 1.

Lin Zhi Jing's fingertips swiftly swiped across the light screen, pulling up a set of the latest gene sequence comparison data.

His brows were knit tight, his thin lips pressed into a cold, hard line.

The intense research work added a further chill to his already austere demeanor, making him seem unapproachable.

Occasionally, a researcher would come over to report, only to have their voice tremble from the low pressure aura he exuded.

"Dr. Lin, the gene analysis of Virus No. 17 has failed again; we don't know why the restriction enzyme keeps failing to find a cut site."

A young researcher spoke up hesitantly, his voice clearly fatigued and despondent.

Lin Zhi Jing didn't even lift his head, his voice hoarse yet carrying undeniable authority.

"Try a different restriction enzyme and redo the sequencing."

"The previous plan..."

"Scrapped."

He spat out those two words, offering no further explanation.

The young researcher dared not say more, quickly withdrew, and the lab's atmosphere grew even heavier.

Zhu Shen Xing's environment was deteriorating day by day, the insectoid clan eyeing it hungrily, and the Frigid Realm was humanity's sole hope for survival.

And this hope now rested upon those tiny, invisible-to-the-naked-eye virus antibodies.

He raised his hand, instinctively moving to adjust his glasses, but his fingertips touched his brow instead.

There, from prolonged concentration, a deep river‑shaped furrow had formed.

In his mind, Ye Xi'an's smiling face flashed inopportunely, bright and warm, utterly out of place in this icy lab.

How is she doing now?

That thought flickered and was then forcibly suppressed by him.

Now is not the time to be distracted.

He must succeed.

For Zhu Shen Xing, for his family, and even more for his future sexual bliss!

Mentioning sexual bliss finally gave him some drive again.

After countless failures and retries, the dawn of hope finally arrived in a late-night experiment.

When the newest antibody was injected into the experimental subject infected with the mixed virus, various vital signs miraculously began to rise.

The entire monitoring room burst into a long-suppressed cheer.

Lin Zhi Jing watched the gradually stabilizing curve on the screen, the nerves that had been taut for months finally showing a hint of relaxation.

He slowly took off his glasses and rubbed his sore eyes.

Behind the lenses, his phoenix eyes were no longer just cold data; they now flickered with a barely perceptible sense of relief.

"It's done."

An aged voice sounded beside him, the oldest researcher at the center, who had been there since its establishment, his face likewise showing fatigue and joy.

Lin Zhi Jing gave a slight nod, his voice still low.

"It's only a preliminary success; we still need large-scale clinical trials to ensure absolute safety."

He remained calmer than anyone else.

Success in developing the antibody is merely the first step; we must confirm its safety and efficacy before we can truly administer it to all residents.

Only then will the residents of Zhu Shen Xing be qualified to step onto the thawed frozen land and begin a new life.

"We're out of time; let's inject a batch and send it to the Frigid Realm for a trial first."

To have a future, sacrifice is inevitable.

Lin Zhi Jing frowned: "This isn't just another reagent; there's a strong chance it could cause mass fatalities."

"So what? Science always walks hand in hand with sacrifice."

Before the two sides could finish their argument, the research center's top-level alarm suddenly blared.

The piercing wail of the flashing red alarm lights filled the entire lab.

"Oh no, the insectoids are here! Quickly protect the antibodies and experimental materials and evacuate."

Someone shouted, and the researchers who had been arguing hastily dispersed, nimbly packing up their results and fleeing.

Lin Zhi Jing frowned, anxiously gazing toward the Mission Hall, thinking, 'Xi'an, please don't come back now.'

By the time Lin Zhi Jing exited with the crowd, he saw that the situation had changed outside; the insectoids had poured out en masse.

Outside the research institute's window, the sky had turned a horrifying dark red, as if splattered with congealed blood; gray-black clouds drifted slowly across the sky, revealing terrifying silhouettes looming faintly between them.

The white-coated researchers stared in shock at the scene; this insectoid assault was far more terrifying than any before, clearly having made thorough preparations.

"Dr. Lin, Dr. Zhang, follow the army to the Marshal's mansion; we'll hold the line here."

Sometime later, they found themselves surrounded by the military, which shielded them from behind, ensuring they came to no harm.

One must know that scientific personnel and females are the most important groups on Zhu Shen Xing; their fate determines Zhu Shen Xing's future, and there can be no mistake.

Boom——!

A deafening roar accompanied the shaking of earth and mountains.

Not far away, a hundred-story skyscraper, like toy blocks crushed by an invisible giant hand, collapsed with a roar, kicking up clouds of dust.

Within the dust, a ferocious outline slowly emerged.

An elderly researcher, trembling, raised their wrinkled finger toward the sky: "That... what is that?"

Everyone was drawn in, all looking toward where the old man pointed, and then their pupils contracted.

That was an unimaginably huge insectoid arthropod, its entire body covered in dark brown carapace that glimmered with a metallic sheen.

It stood a hundred meters tall, its legs like sky‑reaching stone pillars; each step made the earth groan under the weight.

Its legs swept, colliding with the steel skyscrapers in its path.

The supposedly indestructible skyscrapers collapsed like paper, shards bursting out and striking the ground to form deep pits.

"Can the insectoids now grow to this size?"

Lin Zhi Jing frowned: "The insectoids must have undergone a second evolution."

【Warning! Warning! The San Huan defense line has been breached!】

Not long after the news of San Huan's fall arrived, the alarm for Second Ring's fall followed in quick succession.

【All residents must evacuate to the First Ring area immediately! Repeat! All residents must evacuate to the First Ring area immediately!】