Chapter 143
TL: Moonlit
The evacuating survivor group consisted mostly of pedestrians. Despite running non-stop, their speed was still no match for regular zombies. To compare their speed with evolved zombies would be an absolute defeat. And as for comparing their speed with giant zombies, it goes without saying that they had no chance at all. A giant zombie could cover the distance in a single step that would take a survivor half a day to run. Not to mention the man and the young boy who was already being chased by the zombies.
As the sound of the approaching horde grew louder, more and more zombies caught up with them. Everyone panicked. The survivors who had vehicles couldn’t wait any longer. They didn’t want to stay behind and die with the others. After the first vehicle broke out from the convoy and quickly sped away, more private cars followed suit and left on their own.
The armored vehicles and armed helicopters at the rear had already started fighting. The number of zombies was overwhelming, like a flood that kept surging forward. For every wave that was annihilated, another immediately filled the gap. It was an endless slaughter.
The armed helicopters strafed and bombed the oncoming horde of zombies from the air. The front of the group mainly consisted of evolved zombies, whose strength was formidable. In one-on-one combat, a soldier was not necessarily able to defeat an evolved zombie. These evolved zombies moved like monkeys, leaping and dodging amidst the barrage of bullets.
The survivors near the back of the group were in chaos. Everyone screamed and pushed forward, fearing being left behind and devoured. The lighting was dim, and there were too many survivors. They all rushed forward, causing many to fall. It was like a domino effect, one person falling and causing others to fall as well.
No matter how the soldiers at the outer perimeter shouted through loudspeakers, it was futile. Everything was in chaos. At this critical moment of life and death, everyone wanted to survive. Fear-stricken survivors broke through the outer perimeter and clung to military vehicles. They wanted to seize the vehicles; they didn’t want to die there. They wanted to leave as quickly as possible.
Several soldiers guarding the outer perimeter were trampled and trampled upon by the crowd. No one cared whether the fallen soldiers were dead or alive; they only wanted to grab the vehicles. They wanted to leave immediately; they couldn’t afford to wait for even a moment.
Xiao Jiang, Mo Jiang, and Lei Jiang’s vehicles were constantly moving back and forth within the group, monitoring the situation. The front of the survivor convoy was already out of control. Most of the vehicles had abandoned the main group and fled on their own. Chaos reigned in the front, and the chaos quickly spread to the rear.
The three military vehicles rushed to the scene and witnessed the chaos. It infuriated them to the core. Lei Jiang had a volatile temper and immediately shot dead several survivors clinging to the doors of military vehicles and attacking the soldiers inside.
Xiao Jiang immediately gave the order, “Everyone, listen up! Shoot anyone attempting to seize the vehicles!”
“Yes, sir!”
The military vehicles were filled with children and exhausted survivors. If they allowed those people to seize the vehicles, it was certain that the children inside wouldn’t survive. Those crazed survivors would definitely discard the children and climb inside themselves.
Upon receiving the order, gunshots rang out one after another. All the survivors clinging to the military vehicles were shot down.
Witnessing soldiers daring to open fire on those trying to protect the survivors, many people began to cry and curse loudly.
Lei Jiang saw that the defense in the rear was about to be breached. He rushed forward with Lei Yuxiao, and they stood on top of an armored vehicle, creating a wide electric grid. Any evolved zombies that pounced would be electrocuted and fall to the ground, unable to get up for a while.
They were buying time. Every second they delayed meant more survivors would survive.
Using such a large-scale ability had an enormous consumption each time. After three wide electric grids, both father and son clearly felt their energy depleting rapidly. It was on the verge of being exhausted.
They had no choice but to resort to throwing explosive charges. They threw clusters of explosives that would electrocute a circle of zombies every time they detonated.
Lei Yuxiao’s ability couldn’t hold on for much longer. He carried a machine gun and fired while shouting, “General, you go ahead. I’ll cover the rear!”
The armored vehicle also continued to fire, suppressing the advancing evolved zombies. Lei Jiang took a step forward, grabbed Lei Yuxiao by his clothes, and threw him onto the roof of Xiao Jiang’s vehicle, which had been following closely beside him. “Stop wasting time! Go!”
Lei Yuxiao fell onto the roof of the military vehicle. Xiao Jiang opened the door, intending to pull Lei Yuxiao inside, but before Lei Yuxiao could climb up, a large shadow descended from the sky, aiming directly at Lei Jiang’s armored vehicle.
“Dodge!!!”
Before Lei Yuxiao’s voice could even fade, he watched helplessly as Lei Jiang was slapped by the giant zombie into the midst of the zombie horde.
“Dad!!!” Lei Yuxiao’s eyes turned red. He struggled free from Xiao Jiang’s hand and without hesitation, chased after his father, using his remaining power to surround himself with an electric web, electrocuting all the zombies that pounced on him.
The moment Lei Jiang hit the ground, he also wrapped himself in an electric web. Unable to get up, he was sent flying by the giant zombie’s slap, even more vicious than being bitten by the zombies. Countless bones in his body had been broken, and he lay on the ground unable to move.
Lei Yuxiao fought his way through the zombies, struggling to reach his father’s side. He picked up his father from the ground but found themselves surrounded by the horde of zombies.
With the electric web on their bodies, they could barely prevent the zombies from biting them. However, their powers were depleting rapidly, and the power of the electric web was gradually weakening.
Lei Jiang was furious and cursed, “Who told you to come over! Put me down and get out of here immediately!”
The soldiers at the rear launched a frantic attack, trying to retrieve Lei Jiang and his son. However, there were too many zombies. Whether it was grenades or bullets, it was like dropping a stone into the ocean, causing no ripples.
Seeing the Lei father and son being surrounded by the zombie horde, Xiao Jiang gritted his teeth. “Reverse! Ram through them!”
The driver obeyed the order and shifted to the highest gear, reversing and knocking down the zombies that lunged at them. The military vehicle had strong defense capabilities, but it couldn’t withstand so many zombies blocking the way. Reversing became increasingly difficult, and they were still some distance away from the Lei father and son.
“Accelerate! Accelerate! Just a little more!” Xiao Jiang shouted loudly.
The electric web on the Lei father and son grew weaker and weaker. Once the electric web disappeared, they would be torn apart by countless zombies.
To reduce resistance, both Xiao Jiang and Lao Xue fired their guns out of the shooting ports, killing as many zombies as they could.
The military vehicle finally stopped beside the Lei father and son. Xiao Jiang opened the two small palm-sized windows. “Get in the car! Get in the car!”
Lei Yuxiao carried his father and struggled to squeeze towards the car door. There were too many zombies, and they couldn’t open the door casually. Once they opened even a small gap, if they were caught by the zombies, they wouldn’t be able to close it again.
Lei Yuxiao was reaching his limit. “Dad, let’s give it a try!”
Lei Jiang and Lei Yuxiao instantly depleted their remaining powers, erecting a semicircular electric web. Xiao Jiang timed it and pulled open the car door, allowing Lei Yuxiao to quickly climb into the car and close the door as fast as possible.
The whole process took no more than three seconds. As the electric web disappeared, the zombies surged forward, burying the military vehicle instantly. The driver kept stepping on the accelerator, but the military vehicle could only move slowly, pinned down by countless zombies.
Lei Jiang felt heartbroken and angry. “Old Xiao, you idiot! Why did you rush in?! Now no one can escape, we’re all going to die here, cough cough…”
Lei Jiang started coughing violently, blood spewing from his mouth. He seemed to have injured his internal organs.
Xiao Jiang looked at the footage transmitted by the external cameras and shook his head. “No, saving you may be the only way to save ourselves.”
The giant creature, with dark skin and a height of five meters, had already smashed an armored vehicle when it landed. It picked up the flattened vehicle and swung it towards other armored vehicles, flipping over two nearby ones and sending them crashing into other vehicles. The creature threw the armored vehicle into the survivor group, killing an unknown number of people.
Many people recognized this giant creature. Its appearance matched that of the Level 8 evolved being, “General,” whom they had fought against alongside Xiao Hen. Everyone went crazy, attacking relentlessly, all aiming to kill this Level 8 evolved being!
The speed of the “General” was incredibly fast. Even Xiao Hen and Wen Qingling had been suppressed by its friction before. These ordinary soldiers were no match at all. It could grab a vehicle and throw it, easily killing multiple targets.
The nearby military vehicles and armored vehicles retreated. The armed helicopters launched rockets at the “General.” The rockets exploded on its tough, steel-like skin, creating bursts of fire. The “General” staggered backward, roaring in anger!
“Boom!”
A cannon shot rang out, and the armed helicopter in the sky was blasted down, exploding in mid-air. The flames illuminated the entire night sky.
A hideous and enormous zombie approached, with a turret embedded in its chest. The barrel of the turret was aimed at the armed helicopters in the sky. After destroying two armed helicopters with consecutive blasts, the turret adjusted its aim and targeted the group of survivors ahead.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!!”
The Level 7 evolved being, called the “Turret,” began its one-sided massacre.
The situation completely spiraled out of control. Seeing that the group of survivors in the rear was on the verge of collapse, they could only do their best to protect the front. All forces were redirected to support the rear. The appearance of Level 7 and Level 8 evolved beings simultaneously posed an unimaginable threat.
At the most critical moment of the battle, as the horde of crazed zombies charged forward, they suddenly split apart, automatically creating a path. A handsome young man rode in on a bull!
The bull was a mutant, as large as a train’s locomotive. It ran fast and steady, lacking Xiao Hen’s space teleportation. Wen Qingling didn’t feel like walking to catch up, so he found this mutant bull on his way and rode it all the way here.
The mutant bull charged forward with a “moo” sound, behaving recklessly. It only moved in straight lines and could directly knock away slow-moving zombies with its massive horns. Fearless, the mutant bull charged straight ahead. However, there was a roadblock ahead—a lump of iron. The mutant bull crashed into it head-on, with its enormous horns pushing against the obstacle.
Xiao Jiang, Lao Xue, Lei Jiang, and Lei Yuxiao inside the vehicle looked dumbfounded.
Xiao Jiang turned around and saw a gigantic mutant bull, pushing against the military vehicle with its horns, displaying extreme aggression. When he saw the person riding on the bull’s back, Xiao Jiang almost thought he was seeing things. He instinctively looked for Xiao Hen’s presence but couldn’t find it.
“It’s Wen Qingling! How did he appear here?!” The one who spoke wasn’t Xiao Jiang but Lei Yuxiao. His voice was filled with surprise.
Lei Yuxiao quickly opened the rear window and shouted outside, “Dr. Wen, Lord Wen, can you save my father? I’m willing to pay any price! Please save my father!”
Old Xue couldn’t stop him in time, and Lei Yuxiao had already shouted out. Their relationship with Wen Qingling was currently quite awkward, and yet Lei Yuxiao was asking for help like this. How could Wen Qingling possibly agree?
Wen Qingling looked at Lei Yuxiao, who was pressed against the small window, with an expressionless face and ice-cold eyes, as if he didn’t recognize the person.
Seeing that he didn’t react, Lei Yuxiao hurriedly said, “Lord Wen, do you remember the deal we were going to make? Is it still valid? Please name your conditions; my father was injured by a Level 8 evolved being. His injuries are severe. I beg you to save him.”
Wen Qingling’s eyes flickered. The Level 8 evolved being was also here? That was great because he had been itching to beat it up.
Wen Qingling stood up, leaped into the air, and landed steadily on the shoulder of the Level 8 evolved being. With a terrifying aura of a king, he pressed the previously fierce and ruthless Level 8 evolved being down to the ground with a “thud.” The Level 8 evolved being couldn’t even lift its head.
Wen Qingling stood on its shoulder and smacked its massive head repeatedly, saying, “You dare to hit me, dare to make me die over and over again! Come on, hit me again, be as arrogant as you want! Come on, hit me! Let me show you what it means to have a father!”
The Level 8 evolved being was beaten into submission and didn’t dare to fight back. It could only curl up and try its best to protect its head, howling in pain.
The Level 7 evolved being, which was indiscriminately firing its cannons, aimed at Wen Qingling when it saw its companion being suppressed. Wen Qingling reached out and inserted a wooden stake into the barrel, with dark vines wrapping around the turret, climbing up the massive body of the Level 7 evolved being…
“Boom!”
With a tremendous explosion, the brainless Level 7 evolved being self-destructed. Rotting flesh and blood scattered everywhere. Wen Qingling quickly jumped away, avoiding the filth. The Level 8 evolved being seized the opportunity, got up, and ran towards the front of the group.
Wen Qingling shouted, “Stop! Dare to run? Watch me twist your head off, fatherf*cker!”
Of course, the Level 8 evolved being didn’t stop and ran even faster. It ran and jumped, fleeing in a disheveled manner.
Wen Qingling leaped onto the mutant bull’s back, gripping its horns with both hands. With one foot, he kicked the military vehicle away, pulled out the bull’s horns, and turned it around. This “bull car” was too difficult to handle, and the mutant bull was unhappy without knocking away that thing.
Wen Qingling desperately held onto the bull’s horns, preventing it from crashing into the military vehicle again. “Don’t compete with the lump of iron. Go after it! Knock that ugly zombie into the air! Charge, charge, charge!!! Victory belongs to you! Come on, old bull!”
The mutant bull’s blood boiled as it mooed and charged forward, knocking away countless zombies along the way. The battered military vehicle, enduring the double onslaught from the old bull and Wen Qingling, hadn’t fallen apart yet and could hold on for a while. The driver reacted quickly and drove the vehicle through the gap created by the mutant bull, moving forward.
All the soldiers who rushed to provide support from behind were perplexed. They were being suppressed by two high-level zombies one moment, and the next moment, one of the zombies died, and the other escaped…
They were too powerful. Wen Qingling’s strength deeply impressed everyone.
Two figures, one large and one small, descended from the sky and landed on the roof of a military vehicle.
The man let go of the boy’s hand. “Go and play.”
The boy looked up at him, seemingly puzzled.
The man held the boy’s head. “You’re hungry. This food is all yours.”
The boy understood the word “food” and excitement filled his crimson eyes. He leaped into the crowd.
Piercing screams occasionally echoed, and a vacant area quickly formed within the crowded crowd. Everyone ran around a blood-drenched boy.
The boy noticed that everyone was avoiding him, and he felt somewhat displeased. He took a deep breath and exhaled a mouthful of poisonous mist.
Since they wouldn’t feed him, they could all die.
As the poisonous mist spread, all the survivors wailed and fell to the ground. When they stood up again, they had turned into red-eyed zombies, biting their prey within the crowd.
The group was scattered, and many people rushed into the darkness, leaving no trace behind.
The young boy found it amusing. He took another breath, ready to exhale more poisonous mist. Suddenly, a figure appeared and covered the boy’s mouth, blocking the toxic mist.
Wen Qingling pushed the boy away and wiped his hands disdainfully, looking at the boy in front of him who looked exactly like himself. He scrutinized him from head to toe. He hadn’t expected that Kuibao would grow up to look like this. The two small ones at home were still so small, so how did he suddenly grow up like this?
The boy, unable to release the poisonous mist in happiness, let out an angry roar. All the red-eyed zombies obeyed his command and converged toward Wen Qingling.
Wen Qingling: “…”
He slapped the boy and decided to beat him up first before saying anything.
“You little troublemaker, you don’t even recognize your own father? I traveled thousands of miles to find you here, and this is how you treat your dear old dad?”
“You weren’t raised by me, but you still have my genes. How come you haven’t learned the essence of being a good socialist zombie?”
“We don’t provoke others, nor are we afraid of anything. How did these humans offend you? Did you transform all of them with your poisonous mist? Do they look beautiful covered in blood?”
The young boy was confused by the series of slaps and looked at the man with his crimson eyes, not understanding why he was being punished.
The black-haired man standing not far away was also confused. His own child was being beaten by someone else. Could he tolerate this?
“Roar!”
A roar filled with a dominating aura echoed. All the zombies gathered in this direction, launching a group attack against the intruders.
Wen Qingling turned his head and glanced at the man, issuing a zombie roar as well, spreading his aura of dominance.
The approaching zombies, obedient to the call, stopped in their tracks, afraid to move forward.
Once, he had been beaten by the Level 8 evolved being, that despicable turtle, because he wasn’t strong enough. But now, they were all at the same level, all kings. Who would fear whom?!
The black-haired man also realized that the zombie before him was on par with himself, except their auras of dominance were different. The former had combined with mutated evolution, taking a shortcut, while he had relied on immense energy for his evolution!
The black-haired man had sensed the birth of a king in Ling City, and it was the zombie before him. It was the one who interrupted his own evolution!
He had always remembered this grudge and had intended to deal with these humans first before settling the score with this pay-to-win king. But it turned out that he had come looking for him first.
The black-haired man roared angrily and lunged toward Wen Qingling.
Wen Qingling, being fearless, found the man extremely displeasing. How could he have corrupted his child? If he didn’t beat him to death, he wouldn’t be called Wen Qingling!
As the two kings clashed, all the zombies respectfully stood by, and for a moment, no zombies went after the survivors. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the survivors quickly escaped.
At the level of Wen Qingling and the black-haired man, their abilities and methods were too low. They resorted to the most primitive method—those who were bitten would be unlucky, as the flesh and blood of kings were great nourishment.
Wen Qingling fell to the ground, his clothes tattered, hair in disarray, and a bit confused. They were both pseudo-kings, so why couldn’t his pseudo-king defeat the other pseudo-king?
The black-haired man descended, wanting to quickly deal with Wen Qingling. Suddenly, the space around the man distorted and tore at his body, as if to shatter him.
The man quickly reacted and made a gesture in mid-air, manipulating the airflow to forcibly correct the distorted space, successfully freeing himself.
Xiao Hen appeared in the sky, confronting the black-haired man.
Xiao Hen: “Are you alright? Are you injured?”
Upon seeing Xiao Hen, the man’s eyes widened with rage. “Sub-king?!”
He pointed at Wen Qingling on the ground and shouted, “You actually created a ‘sub-king’?!”
Wen Qingling stood up, brushed off the dirt from his body, and replied to Xiao Hen’s question, “I’m perfectly fine, just my clothes are torn.”
The man felt ignored and was almost driven to madness. “You all must die! A pseudo-king and a sub-king! Since you’re companions, you should both die!”
Wen Qingling sneered, “You talk as if you’re not a pseudo-king yourself. None of us have truly reached the Tenth Stage, and no one is stronger than the others. What do you have to be proud of?”
They knew as soon as they met that neither of them were true kings. The black-haired man could at best be considered a “potential king,” only a step away from becoming a true king. But that half step was incredibly difficult to overcome.
Wen Qingling, on the other hand, was different. Although he hadn’t truly entered the realm of kings, he was a “true king.” As long as he accumulated enough energy, he could ascend to the king’s realm within minutes. Unlike the “potential kings,” who still had to search for opportunities and rely on fate to determine if they could become true kings.
The more the man thought about it, the angrier he became. “Who caused me to become like this?!”
Wen Qingling was surprised. “You’re not implying it was me, are you? I won’t take the blame for that!”
The man roared, “It was you! When I was about to successfully break through the barrier of kings and become a true king, the aura of the ‘true king’ suddenly appeared, affecting my advancement. That’s why I’m now just a ‘potential king’!”
Wen Qingling shrugged. “Well, that can only be blamed on your bad luck.”
The man continued to roar, “It’s not just that you caused me harm! You also unreasonably attacked my child!”
Wen Qingling exclaimed, “What? What child?”
The man roared, pointing at the young boy beside him. “My child! My Kuibao!”
Wen Qingling exploded instantly and jumped up to beat him. “Are you blind? How could you have such a good-looking child?!”
The man fought back, saying, “Kuibao was found by me, so he’s mine!”
Wen Qingling fiercely bit down, but was suddenly blown away by a gust of wind that appeared out of nowhere. Xiao Hen continuously manipulated his fingers, creating a three-dimensional space that trapped the black-haired man. As the man charged forward, the space suddenly exploded, trapping him.
The man, covered in tattered clothing, emerged from the fragments of space, injured. The edges of his abyss-like black pupils were stained with blood. He roared, unleashing a powerful gust of air pressure toward Xiao Hen. The surrounding area became shrouded in dark clouds, and heavy rain poured down.
Xiao Hen fought against the man in the pouring rain. Xiao Hen controlled space while the man manipulated the airflow, disrupting the magnetic field. Xiao Hen’s spatial attacks were repeatedly interrupted, and the man’s momentum grew stronger. Xiao Hen grew increasingly exhausted and seemed suppressed by the man.
Wen Qingling joined the battle, and the two of them relentlessly attacked the “potential king.”
To Wen Qingling and Xiao Hen’s surprise, even when they joined forces, they could only fight the man to a draw.
They had become “true kings” and “sub-kings” only recently and couldn’t compare to the black-haired man, who had been stuck as a “potential king” for a long time. His accumulated strength made him truly formidable.
Wen Qingling was determined to give him a severe beating.
Wen Qingling was once again swept away by the airflow and rain, falling into a pile of red-eyed zombies. Instead of getting up immediately, he started actively gathering sacrifices, targeting the red-eyed zombies!
One by one, the red-eyed zombies fell, and Wen Qingling’s strength increased. He grabbed the crystalline core of a Level 7 evolved creature from a distance and quickly absorbed it. His spiritual power spread out, actively seeking targets and absorbing all available energy.
Meanwhile, Xiao Hen and the man had fought for hundreds of rounds. Xiao Hen grew increasingly weary, fighting desperately to buy time for Wen Qingling.
Xiao Hen’s spatial movement was once again interrupted, and he couldn’t evade in time. He had a chunk of flesh torn off his side.
Wen Qingling, lying in the mud, caught the scent of Xiao Hen’s blood. He suddenly sprang up, pounced towards the black-haired man, and clung to his back. With a fierce bite, Wen Qingling sank his teeth into the man’s neck, tearing off a piece of flesh and swallowing it directly.
The flesh of a “potential king” was a great supplement, while Wen Qingling’s flesh was highly poisonous!
Wen Qingling was thrown off, and the three of them resumed their intense battle. Blood mixed with rainwater flowed down, and the rain poured incessantly from night to day. The rain was heavy, a rare occurrence in the post-apocalyptic world.
The flesh of the “potential king” was indeed a great supplement. Whenever they had the chance, Wen Qingling and Xiao Hen would take a bite, steadily increasing their strength. The black-haired man gradually fell into a disadvantage. He roared in frustration, falling from the sky into the muddy water, looking battered and tattered.
Xiao Hen’s gigantic spatial blade was descending, but the young boy suddenly rushed forward and stood in front of the man. Xiao Hen was alarmed and swiftly shifted the space, redirecting the attack, narrowly saving the boy.
The boy spread his arms, his crimson eyes filled with determination. “No! No!! No!!!”
He repeated these words loudly, persistently, like a small beast ready to bite at any moment.
“Come here!” Wen Qingling reached out and grabbed the boy, pulling him back through space.
The boy howled and struggled fiercely. He spat a mouthful of toxic mist toward Wen Qingling, but it didn’t reach his face. Instead, it covered the boy’s own face, forcing him to inhale his own toxic mist.
“Ah! Ah! Ahhhh!!!” The boy screamed madly, his voice piercing.
The black-haired man also let out a roar, covered in blood, as he crawled up to snatch the boy back. “Give him back to me! Give him back!”
Wen Qingling grabbed the boy’s face, brought it close to his own, and made the man look. “Are you blind? I’m his real father! His real father! Look at our appearances, do you see any resemblance?!”
The boy was being held up, his crimson eyes fixed on the man. He mumbled incoherently, “Go… go! Go! Revenge! Revenge!”
The black-haired man understood the boy’s meaning. The boy wanted him to go ahead, heal his injuries, improve his strength, and then seek revenge.
The man got up, his eyes locked on the boy, but he leaped backward towards the direction of Yunjing City. Like a tide, all the zombies retreated in that direction.
The child belonged to him, and he would definitely take him back!
It was hilarious imagining the scene where the black-haired man and Wen Qingling arguing about the child HAAHHAHAHHAHAHHA I kept imagining they suddenly turned chibi while arguing HAHAHHHAHAHA