"Let's go see my brother."
Jian Ning was worried about Jian Anping. Looking out the window, she could clearly see the ground undulating, and a tiny crack had appeared near the front door.
But it quickly closed again; that's the effect of the Earth Spirit Orb. Without it, all the houses in the base would probably have been swallowed up by the cracks in the ground.
Jian Ning, pulling Xiao Lingfeng along, didn't leave the house but instead passed directly through the wall to the other side. A huge tortoise shell stood silently in the middle of the living room; the house was quiet and empty.
Jian Anping had led his family to hide as soon as the earthquake was detected, including Bawang, who was left outside. As for the poultry raised outside, they couldn't be bothered with them.
Jian Ning waved her hand and put the tortoise shell away. Nowhere was as safe as her immortal abode.
As long as she doesn't open the door, these people can't get out. Anyway, there's everything in the house; they can stay for ten days or half a month without any problem.
The wind and rain were still raging outside. Worried about the safety of the leaders, Xiao Lingfeng erected a spiritual energy shield and insisted on going up the mountain to check. Jian Ning, uneasy, could only follow behind him.
Once outside, they realized the wind was at least level ten, like a strong typhoon. It was only because they were cultivators that they were safe; for ordinary people, the wind alone would have blown them away.
The mountain-protecting formation can only defend against external attacks, but it cannot prevent wind and rain.
Thankfully, the earthquake occurred in the morning, when most people were at home. However, the shaking still frightened them.
They dared not come out, yet were worried the house would collapse.
Therefore, most of the people living here gather in the sunroom on the third floor of the villa.
There are no concrete slabs here, only glass, which feels much safer than the first floor.
Seeing Jian Ning and Xiao Lingfeng walking on the road in the wind and rain, they kept waving, trying to get them to stop.
Jian Ning could not pay attention to them. Now, walking on the road, she could feel the ground shaking noticeably, even with the array supporting her.
It goes without saying how severe the tremors would be in areas without any formations.
When they arrived at the elementary school gate, Jian Ning made a point of going inside for a look.
Xiao Wuyu sat on the sofa looking out the window, eating an apple. When he saw Jian Ning coming over, he waved to her leisurely, seemingly not worried at all.
Jian Ning didn't go any further inside, but instead followed Xiao Lingfeng to the mountain shelter.
The situation here is slightly worse than at the villa; the path leading up is littered with rocks that have rolled down from the mountain.
There are large and small pieces, which is probably caused by ground vibration, but it has little impact on the shelter.
There were only soldiers on guard at the entrance of the shelter, and the order inside was very stable. Even though there were earthquake noises outside, there was no panic here. This shows that Commander Gao managed the situation very well.
At the very least, it can stabilize the public's emotions. Otherwise, if everyone rushes out in a panic, who knows what might happen.
Xiao Lingfeng greeted the soldiers at the door, then led Jian Ning into the shelter and went directly to the regimental commander's office.
Commander Gao also looked like he hadn't slept all night; his eyes were bloodshot. The senior commander and the old commander were both sitting on the sofa. When they saw Xiao Lingfeng come in, the senior commander glared at him and snorted.
"Xiao Lingfeng, right? You've got some nerve, kid. You actually dared to sneak me here. I know you meant well, but you can't disrespect this old man's opinion, can you?"
"Commander, I was wrong, but I don't regret it. You know there's an earthquake outside. I'm sure that in this world, the land you're standing on is the safest place, without exception."
"After the earthquake, you can rest here for ten days to two weeks, and then I'll send you back immediately."
"You little rascal, what will Beijing be like in half a month? The earthquake here has stopped, I need to leave immediately."
The leader was extremely anxious. His old subordinates and many civilians were there. How could he, as the leader, not go back and only care about his own life?
Xiao Lingfeng neither agreed nor disagreed, but simply smiled. The specific situation outside was still uncertain, so he couldn't give an answer.
"Ling Feng, thanks to you this time. I reported your contributions to the commander, and we've kept them in mind. Once order is restored, we'll reward you accordingly."
Commander Gao looked up at Xiao Lingfeng and said something. That night, he felt more tired than in the past few decades. The burden on his shoulders was too heavy, making it hard for him to breathe.
But for everyone's sake, he had to hold on.
"Thank you, Commander, but no need. It's all I should do. I'm glad everything's alright here at the shelter. I'll go outside and take a look."
After Xiao Lingfeng finished speaking, he saluted and, together with Jian Ning, left the shelter and flew to the mountaintop on their swords. From there, they had a clear view of the outside world.
The ground was constantly undulating, and the distant county town had become a ruin, with all the buildings gone. Huge ravines had cracked in the ground, seemingly bottomless.
This earthquake was definitely more than magnitude 10; it was much more severe than Xiao Lingfeng had predicted.
Jian Ning sighed as she looked at the scene outside. This place isn't even the epicenter yet, and it's already this serious. What must the very center of the earthquake be like? Everything will probably be submerged by groundwater and turned into a lake.
Hopefully, some people will survive. The power of nature is simply beyond the resistance of ordinary, weak humans.
“Let’s go back, it’ll just be the same result anyway,” Jian Ning said, but then suddenly exclaimed. A deafening roar echoed in the distance, and half the sky was then stained red by wildfire.
The dense raindrops seemed to sense the power of the volcano, and even the rain intensified considerably.
The gale intensified, swirling and blowing even more fiercely.
"The volcano has erupted, and it looks like it's still some distance away."
Xiao Lingfeng calmly looked outside, his face expressionless.
But he reached out and held Jian Ning's hand, as if he could draw some warmth from it. Everything that had happened at the banquet had made him feel too bad.
"Ling Feng, things will be alright. As long as we're alive, we can always rebuild. We have tens of thousands of people at our base."
"The scientists and leaders are all here. As long as they are here, civilization will not perish. Everything will be rebuilt eventually; it's just a matter of time."
"I know, I understand, but the process was too brutal." Xiao Lingfeng sighed and secretly wiped away a hot tear from the corner of his eye.
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