Chapter 1196: The Siren Blasts

嗡—嗡—嗡—

The loud air-raid siren echoed over the entire Wushan Town.

Lu Xun, Su Zhiwei, Yang Xiao, and Chu Changqing, who were idling in the safe house, were all stunned at the same time, then stood up from their chairs abruptly!

"Air-raid siren??" Yang Xiao said in surprise. "What's going on? Why did the air-raid siren suddenly go off?"

Lu Xun's brows were locked in a frown. He strode to the window, pushed it open with force, and looked up at the sky...

He saw missiles trailing flames rising rapidly from beneath the earth amidst the distant rolling mountains. After constantly turning in the air, they shot out in different directions!

Not just the mountains around Wushan, but a moment later, dense trails of fire almost like a meteor shower streaked across the sky, leaving behind trails of white marks.

Everyone saw this scene, not just Lu Xun, not just Wushan.

Those nuclear weapons from military bases, from the wilderness that the world had never paid attention to, and from the bottom of the deep sea, were like the world-destroying Sword of Damocles, whistling out from dormancy, carrying dazzling cold light, pointing directly overseas!

Where were these weapons going? The United States? Japan? Europe? Or more places?

Was this a lightning strike, or a defensive counterattack?

No one knew.

The moment the war that swept the world arrived, the vast majority of the public was unaware... In the face of this tide of human civilization reshuffling, all the once-fast social media seemed to have lost its function, leaving only overwhelming and conflicting messages flooding the internet. Only a very, very small number of people could glimpse a corner of the truth from the massive amount of misleading information.

Of course, whether they knew the truth no longer mattered...

The moment the bullet left the chamber, what arrived before the truth was destruction and death.

"It started???" Chu Changqing looked at this scene in shock. "Why so suddenly..."

"It's only sudden to us. To those who truly control everything, perhaps this has been planned for a long time, or rather... there is a tacit understanding." Yang Xiao, who had been silent, suddenly said.

"This shouldn't be us taking the initiative. In all likelihood, someone on the Western side has flipped the table and is playing for keeps!"

"Quick!! Quick, find the air-raid shelter!!"

The four of them reacted quite quickly. Amidst the piercing air-raid siren, they immediately took action, searched for the nearby civil air defense project, and rushed out!

At this point, whether they would be targeted by Ying Fu no longer mattered. This was a moment of life and death for everyone. Whether it was the four of them or Ying Fu's group, none of them could withstand a nuclear bomb. If the disaster really descended on Wushan, it would truly be equal for all living beings.

"What about Director Chen?!"

"I don't know where he is now... I'll send him a message!"

"I'll also send a message to my uncle, telling him to hurry and find an air-raid shelter..."

While rushing away, Yang Xiao immediately took out his phone and sent the message with his mind, while Lu Xun typed while running. After everyone went downstairs, they saw a large number of Wushan Town residents running on the street.

Not everyone among them knew how to respond to an air-raid siren, nor did everyone know that they could check the nearest air-raid shelter on their phones. But at this time, official news and detailed guidance had been sent to everyone's phones. After a brief period of chaos, everyone started rushing to the nearby shelters.

"Emergency Alert System. This is not a drill. A ballistic missile threat is approaching Wushan. Seek shelter immediately. Repeat, this is not a drill..."

"Fellow countrymen, our country is facing an extremely serious nuclear threat. All citizens, please enter civil air defense projects or underground bunkers immediately. Stay away from windows. Keep calm and obey local command. We will protect the safety of the people's lives at all costs..."

Broadcasts from local and central authorities echoed repeatedly in the Wushan area. The colorful ribbons on the street rustled, eventually being rolled into disarray by the violent gale.

Brother Pao, who had just walked from the vegetable market to his door, was stunned. The vegetables and meat in his hands dropped to the ground with a thud. He rushed into the house and shouted:

"Xiao Yu!! Xiao Yu!!!"

"I'm here!" Xiao Yu, who had just struggled to change her clothes on the bed, replied.

Without a word, Pao-ge hoisted Xiao Yu onto his back and prepared to rush outside. Suddenly, he saw a figure anxiously rummaging through cabinets and immediately spoke up,

"Auntie! Stop packing!! Getting to the shelter is what matters most right now!"

"But..."

"There's no time, Auntie!! Staying alive is the most important thing!! Hurry!!!"

Pao-ge carried Xiao Yu on his back while dragging her mother out of the house. By then, the other brothers had also rushed over, their faces filled with unease and anxiety.

"Did you find the location of the air-raid shelter??"

"Found it! There's a big one just ahead!"

"Let's go!!"

Pao-ge and his group were young and quick-witted, and the unspoken rapport between the brothers needed no explanation; with just a simple glance, they gathered all their strength and sprinted toward the shelter.

The flow of people was torrential and hearts were filled with panic. Fortunately, the emergency broadcast and information protocols had been executed perfectly, and a large number of public officials were maintaining order, preventing any large-scale stampedes or conflicts. Even the large television screens on the roadside were looping safety and first-aid measures for a nuclear attack as people fled.

More and more residents were hiding in underground civil defense projects—some in designated shelters, others in underground garages, and some in the basement parking lots of shopping malls... The flow of people on the surface gradually thinned, while the sound of tense breathing underground grew louder.

They frantically refreshed their phones, trying to find the reason for all this online, but because they were underground and the traffic was so heavy, it was basically impossible to connect. Even if they did, there was no real information, only overwhelming anxiety.

At this moment, Lu Xun and the others also ducked into the largest shopping mall shelter, gasping for air while looking for a place to sit.

"So, is Wushan really a target for a nuclear strike?" Yang Xiao frowned deeply. "How could this happen... Even if a world war broke out, Wushan is just a small county town. Why would a nuclear missile come here?"

"It's probably because there's a military base in the nearby mountains... Or it could be related to the Wushan Assembly."

"Are you saying that Western intelligence networks knew a large number of Divine Path holders would be gathering here?"

"In this vast country, every city has spies from various nations, especially cities with nearby military bases... If a single nuclear missile could take out both the base and a large number of Divine Path holders, they certainly wouldn't hesitate."

"But I don't understand, everything was fine—why did it suddenly start?"

"Remember the satellite failure we encountered when we arrived in Wushan?" Lu Xun paused for a moment, the image of countless red double-flashing lights weaving into a river along the roadside reappearing in his mind, along with the scene of Chen Ling looking at it with a complex expression.

"Director Chen said back then... our time is running out."