The Reason for Research Base's Existence

They must have been detected, for the alarm grew increasingly louder, and hurried footsteps filled the hallways. In less than a minute, the sampling room's door flew open and ten men rushed in. Without a moment's hesitation, they directed red lasers at the trio who was hiding beneath neat rows of various weapons.

"President, what should we do?" Bai Yi looked towards Yao Si instinctively. 

Yao Si's lip twitched. Could they just surrender?

Without giving them time to consider it, the leader of the guards waved his hand forward. "Get rid of those intruders!"

The next moment, a white light flashed in front of Yao Si, flooding her vision. The guards had activated their weapons.

Hey! How could you be so impatient, we have a hostage with us!

While they were shooting, Yao Si bit down on her lip, convincing herself that a fight was inevitable. Besides, she was immortal, so what did it really matter.

Moments later, something exploded beside her. It sent a bright glow hurling toward the guards. The light burst into numerous sparks and landed as a web. Instantly, a scent of charred meat flooded Yao Si's senses, and the row of guards collapsed to the ground. 

"Luo Ying!" Bai Yi held onto the exhausted Luo Ying. The attack had been clearly summoned by her. 

"Are you all right?"

Luo Ying shook her head, and her face paled a touch more. In a worried voice, she said, "Shucheng… He… he's here, I can feel him, he's in danger."

"Do you know where he is?"

She shook her head, and Bai Yi turned to Yao Si.

"Let's leave this place first," she said in a hurry

If reinforcement arrived, they'd be goners. Luo Ying was the only one among them who could fight, but she had just awakened and hadn't yet regained her full strength. She wouldn't be able to withstand it if she summoned her ability once more. 

Yao Si supported the visibly exhausted Luo Ying, but just as they were about to leave, she remembered something. "Wait a minute, bring him along!" She pointed towards Professor Fu, who was clearly frightened by the lightning ability. 

"Wha-what do you want with me?" Professor Fu asked with a stammer. "I-I don't know anything. Besides, you saw it, they don't care about me at all, even if you bring me along, I won't be of any use."

"That's not for you to decide." Bai Yi grabbed him and dragged him out as well. 

They made a frantic escape. While they were doing so, Yao Si took a quick glance at the rows of words above everyone's head.

Basement five was ridiculously big, so even after trying several routes, they still weren't able to find a way out or any useful information regarding Nephew Gu. The alarm overhead, though, increased in urgency and intensity with each passing second. 

Professor Gu lamented, "Basement five has been closed down completely . Even I won't be able to leave now." He sighed heavily, a defeated expression on his face. "Even if you manage to find the other bloodling, they'll still destroy the entire base without a second thought."

"What do you mean?" Bai Yi asked, violently tugging at his collar. 

Professor Fu let out a bitter smile. "This research base is a secret of the highest level. Researchers who were brought in came with a knowledge that they'll have to stay here till the day they died. The alarm we're hearing now is the most critical one. Once it begins ringing, all the ships will begin evacuations. If the alarm isn't turned off in an hour, the whole research base will self-destruct, destroying everything within it. Nobody will be able to leave."

"Do you think to frighten me?" Bai Yi scoffed. 

At this, Professor Fu added anxiously, "I know that bloodlings are immortal, but the research base naturally has ways to kill those of your kind." 

Bai Yi froze, his grip tightening on Professor Fu's collar. "What do you mean? What kind of research are you guys doing here?" 

The man remained silent, his face paling even more. 

"Clearly its a research on bloodlings," Yao Si said.

If one added all they've encountered so far—Gu Shucheng's disappearance, the substance that could affect Bai Yi, the research laboratory in basement five, Luo Ying who had been tied to a surgical table—there could only be one explanation. This research base was made to specifically target bloodlings. 

"That's why he said that the research base will stop anyone from leaving at all cost… For if the matter was leaked, they would experience the wrath of the entire bloodling race."

Professor Fu lowered his head, his face reaching a terrifying shade of white. 

"Shucheng..." Bai Yi's face darkened. His hands tightened into fits unconsciously, and his expression clouded with worry. "No! We have to find him!"

He turned, preparing to look for Shucheng, but Professor Fu sighed at this moment. "It's too late, no one can leave."

"What did you say?"

The moment the question was spoken, a loud noise erupted above them. Yao Si's heart quivered. "Careful!" She grabbed onto Professor Fu and Luo Ying and dragged them both back. The next moment, the ceiling opened up. 

The floor started to tremble as though the research base was being ripped apart, and the walls began to collapse. A shattering sound filled their ears as large blocks of stone fell from walls and ceiling, smashing into each other. Numerous shards reached the group, grazing their skin. At this moment, the research base on the verge of total collapse.

"President!"

Bai Yi hurried over to grab the three of them, and with a high jump, they exited through the whole in the ceiling. Right then, the research base was no longer the peaceful calm lab it was before but a danger ground with fallen out floor.

"I was wondering who could have enter ed basement five." A foreign voice soaked with mockery came from nearby. "Isn't it some research specimens that came to join the fun?" 

Yao Si's heart sank. Turning, she saw a huge crowd ahead, at the front of which was the speaker. He was a man dressed entirely in black. Behind him stoof four guards and a crowd of at least ten people dressed in over-sized coats. Strangely, all of them were gazing weirdly over here.

"Professor Fu, you're still alive." The man disregarded Yao Si and her companions, turning instead to Professor Fu who was coughing continuously. "Weren't you always complaining about the lack of specimens? Now there's more."

Professor Fu froze, forgetting to cough as his eyes widened in fright. He stammered out, "Mr-Mr Lu, I-I didn't want to escape, it's them..."

"Professor Fu, of course I believe you." He smiled, and his eyes turned into crescents, yet the way he gazed was full of murderous intent. He waved his hand then, barely giving Yao Si and her fellow students a glance. "Keep those specimens."