The First Order

Chen Wudi rushed over frantically when he saw that Ren Xiaosu had become unconscious. He checked Ren Xiaosu’s breathing and found that his master was still alive. Come to think of it, the armor had borne the brunt of the damage for his master, so it probably did not cause any fatal injuries to him. But it still proved a bit too much for Ren Xiaosu to withstand an RPG attack as the huge blast left him unconscious.

Firearms were one of the essences of humanity’s intelligence over thousands of years as human civilization developed. It was strong enough to even kill gods.

Chen Wudi thought of carrying Ren Xiaosu, but the Experimentals behind them were approaching. He shouted to Li Qingzheng, “Get over here and help carry Master onto the truck!”

However, Li Qingzheng said bitterly, “The front side engine of the truck was hit by a stray bullet just now, so it’s no longer drivable!”

Seeing that the Experimentals were approaching, they were now faced with more and more difficulties. Yan Liuyuan suddenly said, “Everyone, help carry the injured students. Ms. Jiang, you and I will each take turns carrying my brother.”

Although Yan Liuyuan had nanomachines in his body now, there wasn’t enough power for them to last long. So he couldn’t carry Ren Xiaosu by himself for too long. He needed Jiang Wu’s help.

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Fugui was the first to act and carried an injured student out of the truck. Wang Yuchi and some of the other students had still not recovered from their injuries yet. There were five students who were injured, and now, Ren Xiaosu was added to the list as well.

The dozen or so female students were helping out on the side. They frantically carried the wounded students and continued moving forward. Everyone was at a loss. What should they do now that Ren Xiaosu had fallen unconscious?

In the past, Ren Xiaosu was the backbone of the group when he was around. Even if the sky were to collapse, Ren Xiaosu would be there to hold it up.

But now, Ren Xiaosu was in a coma and needed to be taken care of by the others!

This huge stronghold city was going to perish in the war along with the people in it. Prosperity would cease to exist, and the civilization here would become a thing of the past.

As a fleeing crowd of people passed them by, the neon lights in the distance fell one by one.

Even the sky looked like it was falling.

They had no way out. No one could survive this gray tide of Experimentals that were chasing after them.

The Experimentals started getting closer and closer. But Yan Liuyuan acted as though he did not see them and carried Ren Xiaosu on his back!

It would be impossible to escape the Experimentals if they had to carry the wounded with them. That was without a doubt.

But they could not defeat several thousand Experimentals either.

Looking at the oncoming crowd of ferocious Experimentals, everyone was faced with a choice: leave, or stay behind and die together.

When Yan Liuyuan saw the hesitation on the others, he said coldly, “If y’all want to leave, you can leave now.”

However, Yan Liuyuan was going to stay together with Ren Xiaosu even if he had to die.

Seeing how the Experimentals had already come within a 100 meters of them, a girl cried out and bowed to Jiang Wu. “Teacher, I’m so sorry.”

She then ran ahead by herself and left everyone behind.

Chen Wudi silently watched her disappear. He opened his mouth and tried to say something but did not manage to utter a sound.

No one blamed the girl. In the face of death, there was no other choice.

Jiang Wu silently took Ren Xiaosu from Yan Liuyuan’s back. “We’ve tested it out before. Your nanomachines won’t last for long. Since I’ve got more strength now, let me carry him.”

Then another two girls ran away after apologizing to Jiang Wu, but she did not blame them. As of now, she only needed to answer to herself.

The injured Wang Yuchi fell to the ground because no one was supporting him. He said with a wry smile, “You all can go ahead, take the monitor with you. I won’t be able to get away. Old Li, pass me a grenade. I know that you still have two left.”

Another student smiled and let go of his classmate who was supporting him. “That’s just as well, give the other one to me. You guys, go ahead.”

These students were supposed to be sitting in a classroom with transparent windows while their teacher lectured to them. They should also be secretly passing around notes under their desks. After their classes, they would play basketball in the schoolyard, then stroll along in the sunset with their backpacks after school.

If they could qualify for university in the future, they might even get to gain more knowledge. There, they would meet the girl of their dreams and then live happily ever after.

But the life they were supposed to live was suddenly interrupted at the age of 18. There was no future for them.

This “long street” that stretched into the future seemed to have no end to it. That “schoolyard” where young men should be sweating it out also collapsed into the abyss.

A determined will that was ready to die manifested itself in Wang Yuchi. He said with a smile, “Remember to live well, guys.”

Chen Wudi looked back at the pursuing Experimentals, then looked at Wang Yuchi and said, “None of you are going to die. I’ll cover everyone while you all retreat.”

“Huh?” Li Qingzheng said anxiously, “Let’s leave together.”

“There’s no need.” Chen Wudi said with a smile, “Have you all forgotten that I’m the reincarnation of the Great Sage?”

Everyone fell silent. But even if the Great Sage was here, he couldn’t defeat this many Experimentals, right?

Chen Wudi said, “Other disciples always protect their masters, but my master has been protecting me ever since I joined him.”

‘Master, you always lied and pretended to be the bad guy to protect me, so let it be my turn to protect you. I’m the Great Sage after all! How can the Great Sage be afraid of monsters? Even if I am to die, I have to drag those monsters down with me!’

Chen Wudi walked step by step towards the countless Experimentals. His tiny figure among the gray tidal wave made him look like a lone island facing a towering tsunami.

The afterglow of the sunset suddenly cast a ray of light through the clouds, and it somehow shone down on Chen Wudi.

His master had mentioned before that he was that ray of light!

He was the brightest, the most brilliant, and the most invincible ray of light in this world!

All of a sudden, Chen Wudi sprinted towards the Experimentals as fine beads of blood started seeping out from all over his body. That was the price to pay for his life force being set aflame.

Hints of the golden armor appeared on Chen Wudi, but he was unsuccessful in materializing it fully.

Chen Wudi roared, “That’s not enough! More!”

“I said! More!”

His life force started burning so strongly it was draining his life away!

His soul bent on achieving ruling the world was turbulent, as if fluctuating between past and present!

Who was I in my previous incarnation?

Handsome Monkey King of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit?[1]

No.

Keeper of the Horses of the Heavenly Palace? [2]

That’s not it either.

Yes, I’m the Great Sage.

I’ve already been to the Western Paradise.

I’m the invincible “Victorious Fighting Buddha” of this world!

I’ve already been to the Western Paradise!

I’ve already been to the Western Paradise!

A moment later, Chen Wudi’s phoenix-feather cap appeared on his head out of thin air. The two striped feathers pointed skyward and touched the clouds. Another moment later, his golden armor also appeared out of thin air. The golden glow was like the burning sun competing for glory with the Heavens. His cloud-walking boots also appeared at the same time, trampling the lands under his feet.

Chen Wudi laughed heartily in the shimmering twilight. “The Great Sage is here, who dares fight me?!”

The gray tsunami finally reached him, but Chen Wudi plunged his Golden-Hooped Rod into the ground, then flipped it upwards. The power of the staff raised a wave of earth over 30 meters high and buried the Experimentals at the very front alive!

The mighty wave of earth was like the wrath of an angry god. The Experimentals buried under the ground struggled as they tried to climb out of it, but the earth had become as hard as metal, and those Experimentals suffocated alive underneath it!

The Experimentals at the back continued rushing forward fearlessly!

Chen Wudi plucked a handful of hairs from behind his ear and blew lightly on them. “Where are you, my little monkeys!”

Hundreds of monkeys appeared in the blink of an eye. “We’re here!”

“Subdue the demons with me.” Chen Wudi belly laughed as he charged towards the Experimentals.

The monkeys pounced at the ferocious Experimentals and smashed them with their staves!

The originally ferocious Experimentals were unable to stand up to the monkeys. When the staves were smashed into them, their flesh and bones shattered!

Earlier, Chen Wudi had said he would stop the incoming gray tide and cut off their path so that everyone could retreat.

This was what he meant by cutting their path off!

Chen Wudi suddenly felt that the Experimentals in front of him had turned into fiendish demons that attacked from all directions. His entire world was filled with black smoke as evil spirits enveloped the sky!

The intelligent being behind the Experimentals remained hidden throughout. It commanded the large number of Experimentals and attempted to surround Chen Wudi completely. He was the most powerful enemy it had encountered since it ventured out of the Jing Mountains, and it had not expected such a powerful and invincible enemy among the humans.

There were still some humans hiding in the building next to the road. When they heard the commotion, they quietly looked out their windows and saw Chen Wudi dressed in shining golden armor, fighting like an unparalleled hero!

But the Experimentals had already surrounded him!

Chen Wudi spat out a mouthful of blood, but he wanted to ask his master with a smile, “Master, do you think I’m powerful? Master, you should hold on to your ray of light and protect it from now on. It hasn’t gone out yet.”

In that instant, he raised the Golden-Hooped Rod and pointed it to the sky. “Sky Breaker!”

Then he plunged the Golden-Hooped Rod into the ground with a furious roar. A circle of golden light emitted outwards from the epicenter of the Golden-Hooped Rod.

The golden light was a ripple, the lands a lake, and the Experimentals mosquitoes. In an instant, all the mosquitoes near the center of the lake were reduced to dust!

After that, none of the Experimentals dared to attack Chen Wudi anymore. The gray tsunami of Experimentals quickly fled the stronghold and ran madly for their lives!

This was the first time the Experimentals had been defeated since they headed out of the Jing Mountains!

By burning up his life force, Chen Wudi had reversed an overwhelming situation of adversity. It was like preventing a gigantic building from collapsing at the last critical moment!

But at this moment, Chen Wudi’s life also reached its end. He slumped to the ground and sat there with a stupid grin without any hint of sadness in his eyes.

He was thinking that if his master was here, he would definitely praise him, right? Thinking of this, Chen Wudi became even happier. He might even prepare a bowl of fried rice with sausage for him, one that had a lot of meat bits hidden at the bottom of the bowl.

At this moment, the stronghold residents who were hiding in the nearby building came running out. “Hero, are you alright?”

Chen Wudi ignored them as he was already at the end of his life. He was recalling the beautiful moments he had with his master.

He had been sent to a psychiatric hospital as a child. He heard his mother ran away with someone because of his mental illness, and that his father went missing as well.

He did not have any friends there and had nothing to look forward to most of the time. He felt that life was always gloomy.

Actually, Chen Wudi’s memories had always remained in the summer when he was eight years old. In that summer, he had vowed to become the Great Sage.

But many interesting things happened since meeting his master, and he even got the chance to eat delicious food too. Everyone protected him and no one called him a fool anymore.

He really wanted to tell his master, “You’re such a bad driver. Can you please never drive again? Master, you look like a cow when you wear that armor. Can’t you make it look better? Master, is that cap-wearing girl at the top of the tall building the girl you like? She’s much better than that Zixia. Master, your cooking is delicious. Master, you’re the one who is that ray of light.”

Chen Wudi started grinning.

But then he turned his head and looked to his side. He saw a middle-aged man secretly grabbing a handful of soil stained with Chen Wudi’s blood.

Startled, Chen Wudi asked, “What are you doing?”

The middle-aged man hemmed and hawed but was too afraid to speak. Chen Wudi shouted, “I’m asking you, what are you doing?”

The middle-aged man got so scared he almost cried. When he saw he had been discovered by Chen Wudi, he immediately knelt down. “The Pyro Company is purchasing blood samples of supernatural beings…”

The Pyro Company’s far-reaching advertisements had proven to be effective. Since he was not a supernatural being, he could not sell his blood. All he needed to do was to sell the blood of someone who was one.

As long as he managed to sell a blood sample one time, he would become a millionaire. Then he would lead a very comfortable life.

Chen Wudi laughed silently. So this was what the world was really like.

He remembered the middle-aged person who had incited others to steal his food even though he had saved him along the way while escaping from Stronghold 109. He remembered Liu Zhaojiang, who had secretly run away with everyone’s food supplies even though they had spent their days together and helped each other back at the outpost. He remembered that soldier who said that the idiot would offer to carry them if they deliberately acted like they had fainted. He remembered the soldiers who cursed at him even though he helped bring them to the medical center.

Chen Wudi suddenly remembered everything that happened in this world and laughed silently.

He gripped his Golden-Hooped Rod again, and the golden light rippled out around him once more. This time, he reduced all of the stronghold residents who tried to obtain his blood into dust.

Even as the middle-aged man slowly turned to dust, he still held the bloody soil in his hand tightly and did not let go.

This was the first time Chen Wudi had taken the initiative to kill someone, and it would also be the last time.

He remembered his master’s words: If you constantly feel like you’re being devoured by the darkness, wouldn’t it mean that you’re the light?

‘But, Master, this world is full of darkness. And now, my light has been extinguished.’

Chen Wudi sat cross-legged and gently placed the Golden-Hooped Rod between his knees. The striped feathers on his head dazzled like new and the golden armor on him shone as brightly as before.

Then Chen Wudi started turning into stone bit by bit from his feet. The petrification process moved up his legs like two dragons climbing up towards his neck, until his entire person turned into a statue.

When Chen Wudi first arrived at the psychiatric hospital, his mental illness was still not that severe. He would always ask the nurse there, “Sister, where are my parents?”

The nurse said coldly as she carried the medicine tray, “You don’t have any parents since you were born from a rock.”

Since he was born from a rock, he should go back to being a rock.

The monkeys gathered around him and vanished after bowing to him. The clouds in the sky scattered and a rainbow emerged.

It was so dazzling it could be seen from ten kilometers away, like a huge rainbow forming after the rain.

A smile touched the corners of Chen Wudi’s mouth for the last time.

“Master, I’m leaving now.

“This world no longer needs the Great Sage.”

[1] According to Journey to the West, the Monkey King is born from a magic stone that sits atop the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. |

[2] After angering several gods and coming to the attention of the Jade Emperor, Sun Wukong was given a minor position in heaven as the Keeper of Horses (37559) so they can keep an eye on him.