Miao Miao fumed at the remark, "Who's calling me an easy target? This thing's not weak at all... Someone assist me; I'm barely holding on!"

Miao Miao recognized the creature's claws and knew better than to engage in close combat, resorting to her whip. But the creature was resilient and swift, nearly catching her several times. Even her whip seemed on the verge of giving out.

Qin Lifen managed to shoot at the creature, drawing its attention with gunfire. Bullets barely grazed it; its defense was stronger than standard armor. This defensive prowess thrilled the live stream viewers.

"Wow, some experts were right! Once human and beast genes merge successfully, the result is more formidable than the sum of its parts."

"Why would anyone want this? Turning into such an abomination, devoid of thought and memory. How useful is sheer strength then?"

"It's terrifying. Didn't you notice how eerie the creature's eyes are? Kudos to Miss Miao for daring to lash at its face. I'd have been paralyzed with fear."

"This is far more challenging than killing mutated beasts. The psychological toll is enormous, especially knowing they were once human."

Sobbing, one viewer commented, "It looks like my uncle, who never returned after leaving the base last year."

A hush fell over the chatroom. Someone tried to console, "It's impossible to identify anyone after such transformations. It's probably just your imagination playing tricks on you."

Li Yanqing clutched a photograph, tears brimming. Mia Ai, unsure of how to comfort him, silently continued watching the video beside him.

They had initially been practicing their skills that day, only tuning into the live stream because of a link shared by an old schoolmate who mentioned that Mr. Zhou and his team were on. Despite the vagueness, they clicked on it and got engrossed.

At first, they engaged in the discussion like everyone else. But the moment the camera panned to the cold storage, revealing three monstrous humans emerging from the icy coffins, Li Yanqing froze and quickly fetched a cherished family photo.

"It might not be him, right? After all, you haven't seen him in many years," Mia Ai sighed. Having met Li Yanqing after the apocalypse, he wasn't aware of Li's elder brother and assumed he was an only child.

Failing to spot the pale youth who attacked Major Zhuo, Li Yanqing covered his face in anguish, "I haven't seen him in a decade. We assumed he was dead. But the resemblance is uncanny. I just can't..."

Standing abruptly, Li Yanqing moved towards the exit. Mia Ai stopped him, asking, "Where are you going?"

With determination, Li Yanqing replied, "I need a closer look. I'm going to find them."

"Have you lost your mind? Do you even know where they are? How will you find them?"

"They must be somewhere around the base, not too far. If I circle the city, perhaps I might bump into them with some luck?"

"It's snowing heavily outside. It might be better if you inform our uncle and aunt first, and let the adults handle it."

Li Yanqing said stubbornly, "I'm already an adult. I don't want them to worry. Don’t tell them; I'll be back soon." Seeing his friend's concern, he emphasized, "I won't act recklessly. If I can't find them, I'll later seek Mr. Zhou. He will surely help me!"

Li Yanqing put on his clothes and shoes, grabbed his snowboard and ski poles, and swiftly left.

Mi Ai, worried, quickly followed him. Both young people glided quickly on the snow, heading out of the city.

On the way, they encountered a military convoy. They paused to watch them head towards the city lord's mansion and then hurriedly continued on their way.

Though young and not exposed to much of the world, they knew that Zhou You and his team's mission was risky. Reaching the outer city, they saw the military urgently mobilizing fully-armed troops. Friend or foe, it was uncertain.

Mi Ai, frightened, gripped her friend’s hand, "We should head back. It seems it’s outside the city. It's too risky with all those soldiers. Are we just asking for trouble?"

"How do you know they're the enemy's?"

"Come on, who in our base could establish such a large underground laboratory? And can anything really escape the military's notice? Even the city lord knows about our Tian Shen cult. Otherwise, how could the cult recruit so openly?"

Li Yanqing retorted, "But aren’t Mr. Zhou and the others the leaders of the Tian Shen cult?"

"Are you dense? It's obviously a ruse! They simply use the name to teach martial arts. Haven't you noticed since the martial arts live broadcast, they've stopped communicating? Now, many followers are thinking of leaving the cult."

Li Yanqing of course knew Zhou You and his team weren’t really Tian Shen cult leaders. Their style was entirely different from previous cult leaders. They never asked for money or organized events in the name of the cult. How could they be considered devout followers?

"If we discreetly follow, we should be safe. If caught, we can just say we lost our way."

"You think getting lost would take you outside the city gates?" Mi Ai, unable to persuade him, said, "Fine, if you can make it out, I won’t stop you."

With a mindset of giving it a shot, Li Yanqing slid towards the city gate. Today, due to the live stream, many of the city defense team's captains had come out.

Lin Zihua whispered to a few colleagues, "Our base is so unlucky. First, we had a sect leader who imprisoned people. Now, an underground lab. It's probably linked to the military. We should be careful not to let our heroes get hurt by the military."

Captain Wang agreed, "We finally have some skilled individuals in our base, selflessly helping everyone. If something happened to them here, who would respect us in the future?"