“Pfft!”
A zombie was cut in half at the waist. A military boot ruthlessly stomped onto the zombie’s head, crushing its fragile skull. A red crystal core was collected into a spatial device.
Xiahou Shaoxuan withdrew his foot and coldly looked at the corpses scattered across the ground before turning around and leaving.
“Boss.”
Xuan Lang came over, wiping the bloodstains from his face with one hand before standing straight in front of Xiahou Shaoxuan.
“District Seven is just ahead. Should we sneak in or launch a direct attack?”
Xiahou Shaoxuan raised his head and looked toward District Seven, his eyes narrowing slightly. His entire body seemed to be shrouded in ice.
“Three people per group. Sneak in secretly. Once discovered, immediately carry out a purge of District Seven. Unless you encounter a super-intelligent life form, do not use the special potion. If you are infected, take the antidote immediately.”
“Yes!!”
In the quiet courtyard, Lian Qiguang lay on a rocking chair beneath a tree with his eyes closed. Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, scattering fragmented patches of light over his body. From a distance, he looked like a beautiful oil painting, peaceful and warm enough to make anyone smile.
Su Lang sat cross-legged on the ground beneath the tree, silently staring at the ground. His blood-red eyes were hidden beneath his messy hair, carrying an empty sorrow.
Lian Qiguang opened his eyes and expressionlessly watched the branches swaying and crossing in the wind. Suddenly, he spoke, breaking the silence.
“Su Lang, how did he die?”
Su Lang raised his head and looked toward Lian Qiguang. Understanding what Lian Qiguang was asking, Su Lang clenched his hands tightly, suppressing his trembling.
“After Sir died, the various factions split apart again and fought for power. Because of the lack of food, many humans starved to death. The rotting corpses, combined with the virus in the air, caused an infectious disease to appear in many bases. The speed at which this epidemic claimed human lives was no slower than the zombies.”
“He was infected?”
“No.”
Su Lang shook his head, the corners of his lips curling into a stiff, bitter smile.
“I was the one who became infected. I contracted the epidemic. At the time, the Commander had left headquarters to deal with a rebellious base. Those scum forcibly stripped me of my authority and drove me out of the base. He was the one who stayed by my side the entire way. If not for him, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have merely been driven out of the base. I would have been thrown into a laboratory.”
“My illness became increasingly severe, and my internal organs had already begun to be corroded. Knowing that I didn’t have much time left, I drove him away. I didn’t want him to see me in that inhuman, ghostly state.”
“I thought he would leave me and then live a good life, welcoming the new world. But I never imagined that he would actually… that he would be so foolish…”
Su Lang lowered his head, his entire body trembling as he suppressed his painful sobs.
“He arranged for me to stay in a basement in a small town. After leaving behind enough food, he went away alone. He went alone to the base that was in the midst of internal turmoil to find the Commander.”
“His ability was a healing-type ability. He had no offensive power at all. Not to mention the countless dangers along the road, the Commander’s base itself was filled with even greater dangers.”
“When he was finally seriously wounded and managed to reach the Commander’s base, he… he was actually…”
“He was violated by a group of beasts…”
Looking at Su Lang’s trembling body, Lian Qiguang remained silent for a long time before reaching out and placing a hand on Su Lang’s shoulder, silently comforting him.
“He was such a proud and pure person. How could he endure such humiliation? But he gritted his teeth and held on. He desperately found the Commander and told him where I was. Then, then he jumped from the base’s city wall.”
“The Commander ordered his men to sever the limbs of those beasts and flay them alive, one knife at a time. Then he led people to the basement in the small town overnight and found me on the verge of death. He ordered his men to save me at any cost.”
“But what meaning was there in me staying alive?”
“I attempted to die several times, but the Commander saved me every time. Later, the Commander told me that he was willing to help me take revenge. He would hand over the scum inside the base and the families implicated with them to me and let me deal with them however I wished.”
“But in return, I had to do one thing for him.”
“What thing?”
Su Lang raised his head. His face was filled with pain as he forced a smile without the slightest trace of warmth.
“Find you, Sir.”
Lian Qiguang’s hand tightened beneath him. He slowly lowered his eyes, his tightly pressed lips carrying a chilling coldness.
“Boom!”
A tremendous explosion shook the ground slightly.
Lian Qiguang abruptly stood up. A pair of black eyes gazed into the distance toward where the sound had come from, where flames soared into the sky.
“That is…”
Su Lang stared at the flames reaching into the sky, somewhat dazed.
Lian Qiguang clenched his fists, opened his mouth, and hesitated.
‘Shaoxuan, is that you…?’
“Xiahou Shaoxuan…”
Wuma Yan stood before the window, looking at the flames soaring into the sky as he murmured softly. Yet his eyes were icy cold.
“He actually managed to find this place. Looks like I really underestimated you.”
Qiu Limao stood behind Wuma Yan, calmly looking at Wuma Yan’s back.
“What should we do now?”
“I originally intended to let him live a few more days. Since he has delivered himself to my doorstep, then he can stay.”
Wuma Yan untied the cloak around his body and casually tossed it aside.
“…Yes!”
Lightning-type energy swirled around his body.
His heart churned with monstrous rage and violent killing intent.
Xiahou Shaoxuan’s eyes were blood-red as he stared at the zombies running through the streets. His trembling hands ruthlessly slaughtered the intelligent life forms that continuously pounced toward him.
Lian Qiguang was here.
There was no mistake.
He could feel it—the aura that belonged to him…
Xuan Lang and the others followed behind Xiahou Shaoxuan, fighting zombies of varying levels. Looking at the surrounding high-rise buildings, flowerbeds, and streets, their faces were filled with unconcealed astonishment.
Not only that.
They also saw many familiar faces.
These people were precisely the soldiers who had been ordered to investigate District Seven back then, only to disappear without a trace afterward.
Although a long time had passed, as soldiers, they naturally remembered those faces from the documentary footage back then.
So they had all been here.
However, now they were no longer comrades.
They were mortal enemies who would fight to the death.
Zombies without memories.
The lightning around Xiahou Shaoxuan’s body rolled beneath his feet, forming several vortexes. Wherever he passed, buildings collapsed and the ground split apart. Any zombie that approached instantly exploded into flesh and blood.
A stream of black energy descended from the sky and smashed toward Xiahou Shaoxuan.
Xiahou Shaoxuan crossed both arms before his chest.
The two forces collided.
A tremendous force forced Xiahou Shaoxuan back several meters. His arms went numb, and both feet sank deeply into the ground.
Wuma Yan stood a hundred meters opposite Xiahou Shaoxuan.
His blood-red eyes were sinister, his expression ruthless, but there was also a hint of surprise in his heart.
After only a few months apart, this man had actually broken through into the Breakthrough Stage.
How had he managed to do it…?
“Wuma Yan!”
Xiahou Shaoxuan glared viciously at Wuma Yan, uttering his name word by word as though he wished he could cut the man before him into a thousand pieces, peel off his skin, and pull out his tendons.
“Xiahou Shaoxuan.”
Wuma Yan’s red lips curved upward, but his eyes surged with insane jealousy and hatred.
It was this person.
This was the person who had stolen Teacher from him!
This person deserved to die!!
“I didn’t expect you to be able to find your way here. Looks like I truly underestimated you before. However, if I want to kill you, it will merely take a little more effort.”
“He…”
Yuan Ling stared at Wuma Yan, his expression suddenly stiffening. Confusion flashed through his eyes.
“Don’t get distracted during battle!!”
Xuan Lang vigilantly guarded Xiahou Shaoxuan’s surroundings and glared fiercely at Yuan Ling.
“No.”
Yuan Ling shook his head hard, his eyes fixed on Wuma Yan as though he were trying to remember something.
“Don’t you think he looks familiar?”
“These monsters all look pretty much the same. Cut off their heads and they all look identical!”
Chong Mu snorted coldly.
“No… It’s not that kind of feeling. I just feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.”
Yuan Ling frowned as he thought hard, feeling as though his brain was beginning to ache.
“Where is Xiaoguang?”
There was no point in saying more.
Xiahou Shaoxuan coldly looked at Wuma Yan, killing intent surging from his body.
“Shut up!”
Wuma Yan shouted furiously. His blood-red eyes, filled with overwhelming hatred, stared at Xiahou Shaoxuan.
“Xiaoguang is a name you can call too! Damn you! You’re the one who dirtied Teacher! You!!”
“Ah!! I remember now!!”
Yuan Ling suddenly cried out.
He stretched out one trembling hand toward Wuma Yan, his eyes widening in terror.
“He, he…”
“What are you babbling about?! Can’t you see how tense the atmosphere is?!”
Xuan Lang cursed angrily and kicked Yuan Ling in the butt.
“He! The Creator, the first ruler of the First Year of the New Era!”
After removing that long hair and changing his eyes to black, he was exactly the same as the person in the portrait hanging beside his grandfather’s bed.
As soon as those words were spoken, Xuan Lang and the others froze.
They stared blankly at Wuma Yan.
Wuma Yan narrowed his eyes. His fingers brushed across his cheek as he indifferently looked at the group behind Xiahou Shaoxuan.
“I didn’t expect that after three thousand years, there would still be someone who recognizes me. What an honor.”
Was this a disguised admission?
The group exchanged glances, feeling a suffocating sensation.
“Xiahou Shaoxuan.”
Wuma Yan extended one hand.
Black energy swirled around it, gradually gathering in his palm.
“For Teacher’s sake, I originally intended to let you live a few more days. Since you’re so determined to court death, then die!”
The black energy spread out, surging toward Xiahou Shaoxuan like a tide that covered the sky and earth.
A sharpness flashed through Xiahou Shaoxuan’s eyes.
Lightning surged from beneath his feet, forming several vortexes that collided head-on with the black energy.
“Boom!”
A tremendous explosion rang out.
The enormous force spread outward, tearing up a hundred meters of ground. The surrounding buildings collapsed one after another, while Xuan Lang and the others were all blasted several meters away, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.
Wuma Yan leaped into the air and flew away from the collapsing ground beneath him.
Xiahou Shaoxuan coldly watched Wuma Yan and flew after him.
The two exchanged physical techniques and abilities, neither gaining the upper hand.
Everywhere they passed was reduced to ruins.
Xuan Lang’s side was not having an easy time either.
Xiahou Shaoxuan and Wuma Yan gradually moved farther away, while one red-eyed zombie after another slowly emerged from all around them.
Apart from those blood-red eyes, they were no different from humans.
Steady footsteps.
Strange smiles.
A chill crept into Xuan Lang and the others’ hearts, and they could not help remembering what Xiahou Shaoxuan had said before setting out:
Super-intelligent life forms.
Could they really have been unlucky enough to run into them just like this?
“Brothers, don’t you think these people look familiar too?”
Xuan Lang continuously retreated, eventually standing back-to-back with Yuan Ling and the others.
“You mean from elementary school lessons or museum promotional films?”
Chong Mu felt like he was about to cry.
These were all heroes he had worshiped since childhood.
How had they ended up having to fight each other to the death the moment they met?
“Do we fight?”
Yuan Ling looked at the approaching super-intelligent life forms, feeling both his legs trembling.
“…”
Xuan Lang.
“Do we fight? Give me an answer!!”
Yuan Ling roared.
“Are we fighting or not?! Damn it, just give me a straight answer!!”
Chong Mu felt that cold sweat was practically covering both his eyes, yet he did not dare wipe it away.
“Damn it!!”
Xuan Lang gritted his teeth, quickly pulled out a special potion, aimed it at one of the super-intelligent zombies, and pulled the trigger.
“Take them down!!”
“Please go back!”
Qiu Limao stretched out one hand and blocked Lian Qiguang’s path, speaking indifferently.
Lian Qiguang expressionlessly looked at Qiu Limao, flames gathering in his hand.
“Do you think you can stop me?”
Qiu Limao remained silent.
More than ten super-intelligent life forms approached from all directions, blocking Lian Qiguang at the entrance of the residence.
“Sir! Please go back!”
More than ten people walked before Lian Qiguang and respectfully bowed.
Su Lang stepped forward and blocked Lian Qiguang, coldly looking at everyone.
“What are you trying to do?”
“The war will end soon. Please go back.”
Another tremendous explosion erupted.
The anxiety in Lian Qiguang’s heart grew increasingly intense. The coldness in his eyes as he looked at the group opposite him gradually deepened.
Since reason could not get through to them, there was no need to say anything more.
Lian Qiguang reached out and pushed Su Lang aside.
A vine spread from his palm, rapidly shooting toward one of the super-intelligent life forms.
Although that person dodged in time and the vine did not pierce through his head, it still sliced off half of his shoulder.
His strength was disappearing.
The wound could not recover…
Qiu Limao stared blankly at the super-intelligent life form in front of him, unable to conceal the astonishment in his eyes for a moment.
Lian Qiguang struck Qiu Limao in the chest with one palm.
Qiu Limao spat out a mouthful of blood, flew several meters away, and crashed heavily into a wall.
Lian Qiguang quickly left.
The people beside him were just about to surround him, but Lian Qiguang’s cold glare forced them back.
“I don’t want to fight you. Get lost!”
Leaving the super-intelligent life forms behind him, Lian Qiguang hurried toward that incomparably familiar aura.
His violently pounding heart seemed as though it would tear through his chest and leap out at any moment.
‘Shaoxuan, you idiot, why did you come?! This is not a place you can come to!!’
‘Don’t let anything happen to you. You absolutely cannot…’