They didn't know the secret of Shen Qian, but they could probably imagine that for someone of Shen Qian's level to achieve something they couldn't, he must have paid a heavy price.

"On behalf of all my comrades in the Right Wing, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Comrade Shen Qian!"

Sun Fang's expression was solemn as he saluted Chen Qian.

Shen Qian let out a soft breath, and when he raised his head, his eyes had returned to normal. He shook his head and said, "Commander Sun, you're too kind. Although I don't know the reason, you all dared to face death without fear, and I can't remain at ease in the rear..."

"If we can successfully prevent the 'door' from opening this time, Shen Qian will deserve the greatest credit!" Sun Fang said solemnly, and Huang Tao and the others nodded in agreement.

"Door……"

Shen Qian originally wanted to ask about the inside story, but he suppressed the thought for the time being, because although the sacrificial ceremony was interrupted, they were far from being out of danger.

Thousands of corpses surrounded the altar, and the remaining eight hundred-odd soldiers were struggling to hold them off. Every few seconds, soldiers who were exhausted were swallowed up by the horde of corpses.

Shen Qian had just killed at least several hundred zombies, but compared to the total number of zombies, it was still insignificant.

The situation on the hillside was probably even more critical. Fortunately, Ouyang Fei and the others had climbed about halfway up when they realized there was nothing they could do, so they silently climbed back up instead of rushing down to their deaths.

"What do we do now?" Shen Qian asked.

"There's no good way out but to hold on to the bitter end."

Sun Fang shook his head and then explained, "Generally speaking, the appearance of a 'gate' will definitely alarm the garrisoned experts of the Sky Patrol Divisions in various places. We just need to hold out until reinforcements arrive, and then everything will be over."

Hearing that there would be support, Chen Qian relaxed slightly.

He seemed to be displaying great power and being incredibly arrogant just now, but in just five short minutes, the system's energy dropped by 10%, and now it has less than 40% left.

Clearly, this kind of combat places a huge burden on the system.

He couldn't be a true savior before he died, but he couldn't bear to watch so many familiar people die in front of him.

"Don't worry, although there will be some casualties, we can definitely hold out, unless something unexpected happens..."

Li Ziyan was worried about Shen Qian's mood and offered a word of comfort.

However, the next second, the white arm that had been frozen in mid-air suddenly started waving as if it had been stimulated by something.

The nine cloaked figures who had been dead on the ground for a while suddenly opened their eyes, and a ghostly blue light emanated from them. Then they silently got up from the ground.

Splash!

The snow on the trees fell, and countless dark figures emerged from the edge of the forest—a horde of zombies stretching as far as the eye could see.

Everyone's expression changed drastically, while Li Ziyan slapped himself hard across the face.

"Prioritize dealing with these nine people!"

Although Sun Fang was startled, he remained calm and instantly discerned from the eerie blue light in the eyes of the nine people that they were different from ordinary zombies. He immediately shouted loudly.

However, as soon as they started fighting, Sun Fang's expression became much more serious.

He Yanfeng, who was slightly weaker, had his weapon broken by a cloaked zombie, and was sent flying backward, coughing up blood.

"High-level martial artists, they all possess the power of high-level martial artists!"

He Yanfeng cried out in terror.

Huang Tao and the others were caught up in a fierce battle and didn't respond for a moment.

The most troublesome thing is not the strength of these nine cloaked zombies, but the ice armor covering their bodies, which is several times harder than that of ordinary zombies.

Clang!

Sun Fang's spear pierced the neck of the cloaked zombie, producing a crisp metallic clang, but it couldn't break through its defenses at all.

"Commander, we have come to your aid!"

Seeing this, Song Ben and dozens of other mid-level warriors from the Right Wing Battalion withdrew from their ranks and joined the inner battlefield to help Huang Tao and the others share the pressure, thus temporarily stabilizing the situation.

However, the outer perimeter of the circular formation formed by the soldiers became precarious due to the influx of the zombie horde from the forest.

"Before we sink, we'll find a way to clear a path for you. You go first!"

At this moment, Huang Tao suddenly shouted.

Shen Qian was taken aback upon hearing this, and was about to refuse when Sun Fang and the others' voices rang out.

"Can!"

"Stop being dramatic. With your potential, your life alone is worth more than all of ours combined!"

"Go back up the hillside. If you still have the strength, help Director Zhao and the others fight off the horde of zombies and wait for Shan Hai's reinforcements!"

"You've already played your part; the bigger picture is what matters!"

One person said one sentence, effectively silencing Chen Qian.

Shen Qian was struggling internally, but he knew that rationally, he couldn't be of much help here anymore unless he forced the system to intervene again.

However, the combat power of these nine cloaked zombies was already above that of high-level martial artists, which was clearly beyond the scope of the system's capabilities.

"Song Ben, lead the men to clear a path for Shen Qian. The rest of you, provide full assistance!"

Xu Fang didn't wait for the sinking to say anything more, and gave the order in a deep voice.

"yes!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Song Ben called upon five more martial artists and resolutely charged into the horde of corpses on the hillside.

Huang Tao and the others lured away the zombies in the inner circle, making way for Shen Qian.

Shen Qian gritted his teeth, stood up with his long sword, and was about to catch up with Song Ben, who was leading the charge, when another figure was even faster.

"I want to leave too!"

"Let me go!"

"Why should I, a high-level martial artist, be sacrificed to pave the way for a high school senior? Who is he? What is he anyway? You're all insane! You're all fucking insane!"

"Let me go first!"

A series of frantic, hoarse roars rang out, but He Yanfeng suddenly retreated and turned to rush towards the path cleared by Song Ben and the others.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!