Chapter 154: Everyone, We Have Survived

Those sprinting figures were instantly engulfed by the sea water, their desperate faces torn apart and chewed upon by ferocious sea beasts.

Through the cargo bay door, which was not yet fully closed, Bai Zhan watched these foreign citizens meet their demise, a heavy sorrow weighing on his heart.

However, there was no time for sorrow now.

Staring fixedly at the sea beasts closing in on the aircraft, Bai Zhan picked up the intercom and shouted, "Pilot, maximum throttle, hurry up!"

Driven by the surging waves, the tide was closing the gap, threatening to catch up to the accelerating plane!

"Understood!"

"Full speed ahead!"

In the cockpit, the two pilots pushed the throttles to the absolute maximum, their eyes locked on the changing numbers of the instrument panel.

"Boom!"

The Great Xia military transport roared and accelerated, sprinting desperately down the runway like a beast fleeing for its life.

Behind them were the surging ocean waters and chasing sea beasts.

"We must make it in time!"

Regret crept into Bai Zhan's mind, but he quickly pushed it aside. Reopening the cargo bay door, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "All soldiers, get over here, prepare to cover the evacuation!"

Every soldier immediately sprang to action, standing fearlessly at the open cabin door with their barrels aimed outward. Several soldiers hoisted RPGs and light and heavy machine guns, ready at a moment's notice.

The aircraft raced forward.

Behind it, the runway shattered and giant waves rolled.

Sea beasts roared as they pursued.

It felt as though the entire world was trying to tear apart these pristine wings of Great Xia, laden with hope.

"Roar!"

A sea beast suddenly burst from the waves, lunging toward the plane. Tentacles covered in suction cups lashed out at the wings, attempting to drag the aircraft down.

"Open fire!" Bai Zhan roared.

"Rat-tat-tat-tat!"

Bullets and explosions erupted in a torrent, the terrifying impact tearing the sea beast to shreds mid-air.

Yet Bai Zhan and his soldiers did not release their triggers; instead, they fired with even greater frenzy!

Because more sea beasts were leaping high into the air, lunging at the plane together!

"Hold them back!" Bai Zhan's eyes were bloodshot as he watched the ferocious beasts closing in. "Don't let them board!"

"Hold on until takeoff!"

The soldiers knew this was the final stand.

Once the plane was reined in by the beasts, all their efforts would be in vain, and every single person of Great Xia aboard this aircraft would die here!

At that moment, the soldiers' eyes turned crimson.

"Damn it, don't even think about getting in here!"

"Kill them!!"

"Rat-tat-tat-tat..."

"Boom..."

Explosions and gunfire roared deafeningly.

The soldiers' battle cries mingled with the screeches of the sea beasts, accompanied by the screaming engines and the roaring ocean.

Blistering bullets and missiles spewed from the cargo bay, tearing the lunging beasts apart, yet more and more monsters continuously emerged from the rolling tides!

"Roar!"

A gargantuan entity, standing dozens of meters tall, suddenly roared out of the surf, riding the force of the colossal wave as it violently crashed toward the warplane!

An Eighth-Rank Giant Whale warrior!

Bullets had zero effect on its body; its tough, thick hide endured the explosions and charged right through.

A resolute look flashed in Bai Zhan's eyes. Without a moment's hesitation, he turned to grab the grenade at the waist of a nearby soldier.

However—

"Clap!"

The soldier abruptly blocked Bai Zhan's arm.

Under Bai Zhan's stunned gaze, the soldier shouted, "Er-gou, Sheng-zi, with me!"

With that, he yanked at his tactical belt, which hung with five grenades, and leaped directly out of the open aircraft.

The other two soldiers roared and jumped out right behind him!

In mid-air, they pulled the safety pins of the grenades and looked back at Bai Zhan.

Their three youthful faces were filled with unshakeable resolve as they shouted at the top of their lungs:

"I have no regrets in this life to have been born in Great Xia!"

"General, take care!"

"Roar!"

Seeing three human ants proactively throw themselves into the fray, the Giant Whale warrior roared, opening its massive maw to swallow these foolish morsels.

The three soldiers were instantly engulfed by the giant beast's cavernous mouth.

Yet, in the very next instant—

"BOOM!"

Blinding, searing flames erupted from deep within the Giant Whale warrior's body. The horrific explosion blasted the colossal physique apart from the inside out, cleanly tearing it into two halves!

Along with the shattered remains of the three brave soldiers!

"Boom!"

The two severed halves of the Giant Whale warrior tumbled backward, crashing into the ocean behind them and effectively blocking the path of the other pursuing sea beasts.

"Hummm!!"

At that final, critical moment, the aircraft finally accumulated sufficient speed and soared straight into the sky like a mighty eagle!

"Roar!"

The frustrated sea beasts thrashed about in the churning waters, lifting their heads to watch the plane ascend into the heavens with angry, impotent bellows.

Inside the cargo bay—

"Thud!"

A bloodied, mangled severed arm landed right in front of Bai Zhan.

Bai Zhan stared blankly at the blackened, charred limb. The other soldiers stood in heavy silence, their faces devoid of any joy of having successfully taken flight and escaped danger.

"Oh, we survived!" The Free Nation citizens inside the cabin cried out in ecstatic cheers. "We survived!"

"Oh god, that was too close!"

"Terribly dangerous, just a fraction of a second! We almost all died back there!"

"It's all that Great Xia general's fault! If he hadn't insisted on waiting around a bit longer, we would have left ages ago! We wouldn't have had to face such danger!"

"Exactly, he had to wait until the very last second to take off. If you ask me, we could have flown away the moment I boarded!"

"Hmph, this Great Xia general, I really need to criticize you. Because of your procrastination, we had to bear enormous risks for nothing..."

These Free Nation citizens, who had just been saved by Bai Zhan, actually started complaining!

"You bastards!" A soldier lost control, violently racking the bolt of his rifle. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the Free Nation citizens.

Just moments ago, he had watched three comrades die with his own eyes!

All for the sake of these people!

If it weren't to rescue these Free Nation citizens, they wouldn't have delayed, they wouldn't have risked staying until the very last moment, and they would have taken off long ago!

Yet now, these Free Nation citizens actually had the nerve to—

"Oh god! What are you doing?!"

"Are you going to hit us?!"

"Is this how you Great Xia people treat your guests? We are guests here!"

Those Free Nation citizens who had been complaining moments ago instantly began to shriek.

"Stop!" Bai Zhan grabbed the soldier's arm. Looking into the soldier's bloodshot eyes, Bai Zhan sighed and patted his shoulder. "Beating them to death won't change anything."

"It was my mercy... sigh, I have failed you soldiers."

Bai Zhan picked up the severed arm, slowly turned around, and faced the Free Nation citizens.

"If it weren't for you people, we would have left long ago! To save your lives, three Great Xia soldiers died in battle, and now you... accuse us of moving too slowly?"

His fierce aura swept across the cabin as a pair of tiger-like eyes locked onto the Free Nation citizens.

Gritting his teeth, Bai Zhan yelled, "You're damn right, we should have left earlier! We shouldn't have given a damn about you at all, that would have been much safer!"

"You ingrates boarded the plane yourselves and didn't give a damn about anyone else! And you call yourselves civilized compatriots!"

"This is precisely why you were crushed by the gods, and this is what sets us Great Xia people apart from you!"

"Now, if anyone dares to utter another word of complaint, don't blame me for turning hostile!"

In an instant.

The cargo bay fell into a dead silence. Facing the grieving, furiously venting Great Xia general who had just lost his beloved men, the previously whining Free Nation citizens dared not utter another syllable.

Through the aircraft's public address system, the pilot's voice came through.

"The aircraft is ascending."

"All systems are currently normal. We expect to arrive in Great Xia territory in eleven hours."

"Everyone, we survived. We are going home."