34 Global Great Evolution
Leaning against Cheng Tianbi, Cong Xia closed his tired eyes and gradually fell asleep. After walking all day and exerting a lot of physical energy, he slept soundly. When he woke up, it was already bright outside.
Rubbing his eyes, Cong Xia sat up and saw Liu Fengyu sitting on the ground, playing with twigs, while Cheng Tianbi leaned against a tree trunk, resting with his eyes closed. Cong Xia asked, "Liu Ge, why didn't you wake me up for the night watch?"
Liu Fengyu didn't even look up. "He took over for you."
Cong Xia felt embarrassed, looking at Cheng Tianbi's tired eyes, not knowing how to feel. He knew that Cheng Tianbi was really good to him, whether it was for the mission or because he truly considered him a companion. Cong Xia was deeply moved. He didn't know how to repay him, but he was willing to do anything he could for Cheng Tianbi.
Liu Fengyu teased, "He's really good to you, huh? Are you two together?"
Cong Xia blushed slightly. "Liu Ge, you make all sorts of jokes."
"What's the big deal? I've seen it a lot in the circle, it's nothing new." Liu Fengyu grinned at him.
"Cong Xia, I can tell just by looking at you that you're still a virgin. Let me give you some advice, we might not have much time left, so enjoy yourself while you can, you know? Would you want to die as a virgin?"
Cong Xia's face turned red. "Stop talking nonsense. I don't have the mind for those things right now."
Liu Fengyu shrugged. "Regardless, don't fall in love with me. I know, I'm handsome and impressive, and you admire me a lot, but I like people who are pretty."
Cong Xia felt extremely helpless. "I'll make sure to keep that in mind."
Liu Fengyu continued playing with the twigs, smiling mischievously. Cong Xia took a deep breath. "Liu Ge, I want to talk to you about something serious."
"Let's save the sausages for tomorrow."
Cong Xia couldn't help but laugh and cry. "It's not about that."
"Oh, go ahead."
Cong Xia organized his words and said, "I have a secret that I haven't told you."
Liu Fengyu glanced at him askew. "I've known for a long time that you and Cheng Tianbi have been whispering mysterious things behind my back. There must be something you're hiding from me. I didn't bother asking, but now you want to say it, so reluctantly, I'll listen."
"Well, how should I put it... My understanding of this world and mutant species is more comprehensive than yours."
"What do you mean by 'comprehensive'?"
"Let me be more specific. For example, we all know that species evolution requires internal energy, and the energy for all species' evolution is inseparable from the Five Elements."
"Oh?" Liu Fengyu became interested. "Are you saying that all our mutations are related to the Five Elements?"
"You could say that."
"Then what element am I?"
"Corpse King Flower is of the Fire element, and the energy within you is Fire energy."
"What about Cheng Tianbi?"
"He has Wood energy, and his wind power is a derivative of Wood energy."
"And what about you?" Liu Fengyu narrowed his eyes as he looked at him.
"I..."
"Don't tell me you're not mutated. Although I can't sense any energy fluctuations from you, there have been several instances where you didn't behave like an ordinary person. For example, your body spontaneously heated up last night, your vision suddenly improved today, and when that frog died, I could still feel its energy, but as soon as you approached, the energy decreased and quickly disappeared. I initially thought it was because it died, like a soul dispersing after death, but I still had some doubts."
Cong Xia was somewhat surprised. In his eyes, Liu Fengyu always had a carefree attitude, as if he didn't care about anything and didn't pay much attention. But he didn't expect him to have such keen observation skills, constantly paying attention to their every move, although he didn't say anything about it.
It seemed that they were both guarding and observing each other throughout the journey. However, they had established a certain level of trust, which is why Cong Xia was honest with Liu Fengyu, and Liu Fengyu no longer concealed his questions.
Cong Xia said, "Explaining this question is a bit complicated, but I will talk about it later. In short, the evolution of animals and plants is not random. Although the forms of evolution may appear different, ultimately, they are all connected to the Five Elements. Any evolved animal or plant is due to an excessive presence of one of the five elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, or Earth."
Liu Fengyu nodded, gaining a whole new understanding of evolution. At some point, Cheng Tianbi had already woken up and sat leaning against the tree trunk, silently watching them. Cong Xia gave him a smile and continued speaking to Liu Fengyu, "There is an exception to this, and that is me."
Liu Fengyu wasn't surprised at all. Cong Xia exhibited some characteristics of an evolved individual, but Liu Fengyu couldn't sense any energy fluctuations within him, which was highly unusual. So Cong Xia was indeed something special.
Cong Xia said, "The energy within me is called 'Attributeless or neutral Energy.' Currently, all of my Neutral Energy is obtained by absorbing energy from deceased creatures. Regardless of the energy's original element, once it enters my body, it becomes neutral. The only ability I currently possess is using Neutral Energy to enhance a specific part of my body, such as maintaining a constant body temperature or strengthening my vision."
"Why does this Neutral Energy exist?"
"Neutral Energy is everywhere. The massive energy wave that spread globally after the Golmud earthquake is Attributeless Energy."
Liu Fengyu finally showed a surprised expression. "Are you sure?"
"I'm almost certain."
"Why do you know so much about this?"
"On that matter, I can't tell you for now. What I want to tell you today is something very important."
"Go ahead."
"The ability to evolve can be improved through cultivation."
Liu Fengyu's gaze became intense. In the midst of the apocalypse, power was everything. It was the only means to ensure one's survival, and there was no one who didn't desire to obtain greater power.
Cong Xia spoke sincerely, "Liu Ge, we have been together through life and death, and now we still have over two thousand kilometers to go. Unless something unexpected happens, we will continue this journey together. I trust you and consider you as our companion. I hope you become strong, all three of us become strong, so that we can survive together. I plan to share the cultivation method with you, but I hope you can keep it a secret."
Liu Fengyu nodded, "How could I tell anyone?"
He didn't know where Cong Xia obtained this information, but since Cong Xia said he couldn't tell him for now, Liu Fengyu didn't want to ask. Regardless of Cong Xia's secrets, they couldn't be exposed to others. In this crazy era, the consequences were unimaginable.
Cong Xia took out a few sheets of paper from Cheng Tianbi's backpack. "Here they are. I copied them down. Tianbi has been practicing for a long time. If you don't understand anything, ask him. After you remember it, you can destroy them."
Liu Fengyu took the sheets of paper and quickly glanced at them. Then he looked up, smiling, and patted Cong Xia's head. "Impressive."
Cong Xia smiled and explained in detail to Liu Fengyu about the energy system and the purification of energy cores.
The more Liu Fengyu listened, the more engrossed he became. He exclaimed, "According to what you're saying, if the purity of the energy core reaches the seventh rank, wouldn't that mean having control over the weather?"
"That's right. With the growth of energy, you will develop many unknown powers. Just like the impact of Attributeless Energy on this world, it goes far beyond the evolution of existing species. If this is the Second Cambrian Period, then the most prominent feature of the First Cambrian Period, besides evolution, is the emergence of new life. During the millions of years of the Cambrian Period, countless species emerged, completely new organisms and life forms kept appearing. Compared to the evolution of the original species on Earth, I am more afraid of the new species that may emerge in the future because we have no understanding of them. So, not only do we need to enhance our energy, but also create and evolve new abilities. I believe you can do it."
"What about you? Your energy must also be very promising."
Cong Xia nodded, "I believe my energy will also be very useful, but that requires me to explore it. At least for now, I can use the energy in my body to strengthen a specific part and achieve self-protection."
Liu Fengyu smiled and narrowed his eyes, "The journey to Beijing is getting more interesting."
Cheng Tianbi, who had been silent all along, finally spoke, "Come here, let me first teach you how to find the energy core within your body."
This time, Liu Fengyu didn't act rashly. He sat down obediently next to Cheng Tianbi, listening to his concise guidance, carefully searching for the energy core within his body. At least he could "see" the flow of his own red fire energy.
After two hours, most people woke up, and a new day of the journey began.
The three individuals organized their things and joined the majority and hit the road. Along the way, they saw many dead bodies, each with a bizarre cause of death. They were well aware of the fate that awaited those who were alone. Only by staying with the larger group could they ensure that relatively weaker hunters wouldn't dare to attack them easily. With this realization, the team became more compact and their speed increased.
In the following two days, they encountered small-scale ambushes. The number of people decreased each day, but everyone had become completely numb. As long as they and their loved ones were safe, no one had the energy to observe others.
After nearly three days of walking in fear, they arrived in Guiyang.
During these three days, they hadn't managed to catch any large animals. The only thing they caught was a small, non-mutated wild rabbit, which was too small to satisfy their hunger. They had originally wanted to ask for help from the middle-aged man with the Border Collie, but he seemed to intentionally avoid them and remained elusive.
Under these circumstances, they became more reluctant to touch their last lifeline - a bag of sausages and a pack of compressed biscuits.
The chief of staff gave the order for everyone to enter Guiyang city to search for more warm clothing and clean water. Drinking untreated water from the wild had caused many people to fall ill, and once they became sick, they could never get back up. They were in desperate need of a large city to replenish their supplies. Moreover, everyone held onto the hope that Guiyang might be in a slightly better situation than Kunming and that they might find something edible.
However, as the over 30,000-strong army gradually entered the city, they couldn't help but feel disappointed when they saw a city almost completely covered in vegetation. Guiyang didn't seem much different from Kunming, except for slight variations in plant species. They didn't know if the mutated species here would be different from those in Kunming.
The military informed those in need of supplies to act freely and gather at the highway entrance at dusk. However, they cautioned most people to stay where they were and remain with the main force for safety.
Some of the mutants who lacked clothing and had some self-defense capabilities entered the city.
The three of them also decided to take a chance and see if they could find anything useful, especially since Liu Fengyu had been clamoring for a bath and a change of clothes all along.
Cong Xia asked, "Brother Bing, what should we primarily look for? It would be good to have a direction. I have a feeling this city is gloomy, and I don't want to stay too long."
Cheng Tianbi said, "Bicycles."
Cong Xia hesitated, "We have traveled many roads that are not suitable for riding, and I've noticed that many people have abandoned their bicycles."
"Those people didn't have the strength to carry the burden, but we do. We should take one. Many roads are completely passable by bicycle," Cong Xia nodded. "Let's look for one along the way. We should have plenty of time."
Liu Fengyu shouted, "I want to take a bath! I want to take a bath!"
Cheng Tianbi ignored him and led the two of them towards the city center.
The urbanization construction that had been tirelessly perfected by several generations was completely destroyed within a month by the rapidly growing vegetation. Everywhere, there were collapsed buildings and public facilities, and wild grass almost reached chest height. They had to push through the overgrown grass as they moved forward. Cong Xia thought that even the scenes of a ghost town in movies couldn't compare to what he was seeing, as it lacked the imagination he witnessed.
The more Cong Xia walked, the more he felt exhausted. Eventually, he started to gasp for breath, and his steps became weak. Although he had been walking for a few hours and was tired, he shouldn't have become this exhausted.
Cheng Tianbi was the first to notice something was wrong. "What's the matter with you?"
"I feel like my steps are heavy, and I'm a bit dizzy."
Cheng Tianbi looked at his pale face devoid of color and immediately remembered something. He abruptly lifted Cong Xia's shirt.
As Cong Xia glanced down, his body was covered in goosebumps. If it weren't for his strong heart due to regular exercise, he would have gone crazy on the spot.
He saw numerous black, fleshy worms the size of a palm crawling all over his chest. Judging from their appearance, they seemed to be locusts, but their heads were much larger. Looking at their plump bodies, he had no idea how much blood they had sucked from him!
Cheng Tianbi turned him around and found that his back had also been bitten. When locusts sucked blood, they secreted an anesthetic that made the person unaware of the wounds. However, with so many locusts attached to his body, their weight alone was astonishing. Cheng Tianbi asked, "Didn't you feel heavy?"
"I thought I was just too tired," he said with a mournful face. "Quickly get them off me. It's making me sick."
Cheng Tianbi took out a bottle of medical alcohol from his bag and poured it on the suction cups of the locusts. Stimulated by the alcohol, the locusts automatically detached and fell to the ground. Liu Fengyu disgustingly crushed one under his foot, splattering blood all over the place. He shook his head, "These things have made their way into the city."
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him. "Take a look at yourself."
"No need to look. I've seen plenty of these creatures in Yunnan. Ever since I became the King Flower's host, insects don't come near me. But what about you?"
Cheng Tianbi confidently said, "I'm fine." He had extensive experience carrying out missions in the jungle. No matter how hot the weather was, he always tightly secured his sleeves and waist. He had encountered even worse situations than Cong Xia before. Once you experience the suffering, you never make the same mistake again. He frowned and said, "I told you to secure your sleeves and tuck your clothes into your pants. Why did you let them out?"
Cong Xia regretted it deeply, "It was too hot. I forgot to tuck my clothes in when I went to the bathroom just now..."
"And you won't forget in the future?"
"Even if you kill me, I won't forget."
Cheng Tianbi used alcohol to fumigate and remove each of the locusts. Liu Fengyu angrily crushed one under his foot, leaving blood stains all over the grass beneath them. Cong Xia felt a bit dizzy.
After dealing with the situation, Cheng Tianbi handed him water. "Drink up. Let's find a place to eat and replenish your blood."
The three of them walked for another ten minutes and found a shopping mall. The steps of the mall were relatively high, and the floor tiles hadn't been completely overrun by wild grass, making it a relatively clean place.
They looked around and saw no one, so they sat on the steps, ready to eat the sausages they had been longing for three days.
Just as they opened the packaging, they all simultaneously felt a strong energy fluctuation above their heads.
They looked up and saw a massive black shadow jumping down from the upper floor, landing in front of them. However, there was no earthquake-like noise they had expected. The black shadow landed silently, but due to its weight, the ground trembled slightly.
The three of them stared and saw that it was a giant cat, at least eight to nine meters tall. It had a delicate face, magnificent fur, purple eyes, and a long tail. Anyone who saw it would be amazed at how beautifully it was designed.
Cong Xia tried to recall and realized it looked like a Ragdoll cat.
Unfortunately, they had no mood to appreciate its beauty. Cheng Tianbi and Cong Xia both took out their guns, and Liu Fengyu remained on high alert.
This was the largest land animal they had seen so far. Although the cat's weight might be less than that of the giant frog, its size was even larger. Moreover, its movements were incredibly agile. If it hadn't landed from a height, there would have been no sound at all.
Perhaps it was even better at hunting than dogs.
Just as the three of them were highly vigilant, a person's head suddenly emerged from the back of the cat.
It was a child of around eleven or twelve years old with an exquisitely beautiful face. It was impossible to determine their gender. The child silently stared at them for a while, devoid of any childlike innocence. Instead, they seemed cold and arrogant. "What are you eating? Is it sausages?"
34 Global Great Evolution
Leaning against Cheng Tianbi, Cong Xia closed his tired eyes and gradually fell asleep. After walking all day and exerting a lot of physical energy, he slept soundly. When he woke up, it was already bright outside.
Rubbing his eyes, Cong Xia sat up and saw Liu Fengyu sitting on the ground, playing with twigs, while Cheng Tianbi leaned against a tree trunk, resting with his eyes closed. Cong Xia asked, "Liu Ge, why didn't you wake me up for the night watch?"
Liu Fengyu didn't even look up. "He took over for you."
Cong Xia felt embarrassed, looking at Cheng Tianbi's tired eyes, not knowing how to feel. He knew that Cheng Tianbi was really good to him, whether it was for the mission or because he truly considered him a companion. Cong Xia was deeply moved. He didn't know how to repay him, but he was willing to do anything he could for Cheng Tianbi.
Liu Fengyu teased, "He's really good to you, huh? Are you two together?"
Cong Xia blushed slightly. "Liu Ge, you make all sorts of jokes."
"What's the big deal? I've seen it a lot in the circle, it's nothing new." Liu Fengyu grinned at him.
"Cong Xia, I can tell just by looking at you that you're still a virgin. Let me give you some advice, we might not have much time left, so enjoy yourself while you can, you know? Would you want to die as a virgin?"
Cong Xia's face turned red. "Stop talking nonsense. I don't have the mind for those things right now."
Liu Fengyu shrugged. "Regardless, don't fall in love with me. I know, I'm handsome and impressive, and you admire me a lot, but I like people who are pretty."
Cong Xia felt extremely helpless. "I'll make sure to keep that in mind."
Liu Fengyu continued playing with the twigs, smiling mischievously. Cong Xia took a deep breath. "Liu Ge, I want to talk to you about something serious."
"Let's save the sausages for tomorrow."
Cong Xia couldn't help but laugh and cry. "It's not about that."
"Oh, go ahead."
Cong Xia organized his words and said, "I have a secret that I haven't told you."
Liu Fengyu glanced at him askew. "I've known for a long time that you and Cheng Tianbi have been whispering mysterious things behind my back. There must be something you're hiding from me. I didn't bother asking, but now you want to say it, so reluctantly, I'll listen."
"Well, how should I put it... My understanding of this world and mutant species is more comprehensive than yours."
"What do you mean by 'comprehensive'?"
"Let me be more specific. For example, we all know that species evolution requires internal energy, and the energy for all species' evolution is inseparable from the Five Elements."
"Oh?" Liu Fengyu became interested. "Are you saying that all our mutations are related to the Five Elements?"
"You could say that."
"Then what element am I?"
"Corpse King Flower is of the Fire element, and the energy within you is Fire energy."
"What about Cheng Tianbi?"
"He has Wood energy, and his wind power is a derivative of Wood energy."
"And what about you?" Liu Fengyu narrowed his eyes as he looked at him.
"I..."
"Don't tell me you're not mutated. Although I can't sense any energy fluctuations from you, there have been several instances where you didn't behave like an ordinary person. For example, your body spontaneously heated up last night, your vision suddenly improved today, and when that frog died, I could still feel its energy, but as soon as you approached, the energy decreased and quickly disappeared. I initially thought it was because it died, like a soul dispersing after death, but I still had some doubts."
Cong Xia was somewhat surprised. In his eyes, Liu Fengyu always had a carefree attitude, as if he didn't care about anything and didn't pay much attention. But he didn't expect him to have such keen observation skills, constantly paying attention to their every move, although he didn't say anything about it.
It seemed that they were both guarding and observing each other throughout the journey. However, they had established a certain level of trust, which is why Cong Xia was honest with Liu Fengyu, and Liu Fengyu no longer concealed his questions.
Cong Xia said, "Explaining this question is a bit complicated, but I will talk about it later. In short, the evolution of animals and plants is not random. Although the forms of evolution may appear different, ultimately, they are all connected to the Five Elements. Any evolved animal or plant is due to an excessive presence of one of the five elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, or Earth."
Liu Fengyu nodded, gaining a whole new understanding of evolution. At some point, Cheng Tianbi had already woken up and sat leaning against the tree trunk, silently watching them. Cong Xia gave him a smile and continued speaking to Liu Fengyu, "There is an exception to this, and that is me."
Liu Fengyu wasn't surprised at all. Cong Xia exhibited some characteristics of an evolved individual, but Liu Fengyu couldn't sense any energy fluctuations within him, which was highly unusual. So Cong Xia was indeed something special.
Cong Xia said, "The energy within me is called 'Attributeless or neutral Energy.' Currently, all of my Neutral Energy is obtained by absorbing energy from deceased creatures. Regardless of the energy's original element, once it enters my body, it becomes neutral. The only ability I currently possess is using Neutral Energy to enhance a specific part of my body, such as maintaining a constant body temperature or strengthening my vision."
"Why does this Neutral Energy exist?"
"Neutral Energy is everywhere. The massive energy wave that spread globally after the Golmud earthquake is Attributeless Energy."
Liu Fengyu finally showed a surprised expression. "Are you sure?"
"I'm almost certain."
"Why do you know so much about this?"
"On that matter, I can't tell you for now. What I want to tell you today is something very important."
"Go ahead."
"The ability to evolve can be improved through cultivation."
Liu Fengyu's gaze became intense. In the midst of the apocalypse, power was everything. It was the only means to ensure one's survival, and there was no one who didn't desire to obtain greater power.
Cong Xia spoke sincerely, "Liu Ge, we have been together through life and death, and now we still have over two thousand kilometers to go. Unless something unexpected happens, we will continue this journey together. I trust you and consider you as our companion. I hope you become strong, all three of us become strong, so that we can survive together. I plan to share the cultivation method with you, but I hope you can keep it a secret."
Liu Fengyu nodded, "How could I tell anyone?"
He didn't know where Cong Xia obtained this information, but since Cong Xia said he couldn't tell him for now, Liu Fengyu didn't want to ask. Regardless of Cong Xia's secrets, they couldn't be exposed to others. In this crazy era, the consequences were unimaginable.
Cong Xia took out a few sheets of paper from Cheng Tianbi's backpack. "Here they are. I copied them down. Tianbi has been practicing for a long time. If you don't understand anything, ask him. After you remember it, you can destroy them."
Liu Fengyu took the sheets of paper and quickly glanced at them. Then he looked up, smiling, and patted Cong Xia's head. "Impressive."
Cong Xia smiled and explained in detail to Liu Fengyu about the energy system and the purification of energy cores.
The more Liu Fengyu listened, the more engrossed he became. He exclaimed, "According to what you're saying, if the purity of the energy core reaches the seventh rank, wouldn't that mean having control over the weather?"
"That's right. With the growth of energy, you will develop many unknown powers. Just like the impact of Attributeless Energy on this world, it goes far beyond the evolution of existing species. If this is the Second Cambrian Period, then the most prominent feature of the First Cambrian Period, besides evolution, is the emergence of new life. During the millions of years of the Cambrian Period, countless species emerged, completely new organisms and life forms kept appearing. Compared to the evolution of the original species on Earth, I am more afraid of the new species that may emerge in the future because we have no understanding of them. So, not only do we need to enhance our energy, but also create and evolve new abilities. I believe you can do it."
"What about you? Your energy must also be very promising."
Cong Xia nodded, "I believe my energy will also be very useful, but that requires me to explore it. At least for now, I can use the energy in my body to strengthen a specific part and achieve self-protection."
Liu Fengyu smiled and narrowed his eyes, "The journey to Beijing is getting more interesting."
Cheng Tianbi, who had been silent all along, finally spoke, "Come here, let me first teach you how to find the energy core within your body."
This time, Liu Fengyu didn't act rashly. He sat down obediently next to Cheng Tianbi, listening to his concise guidance, carefully searching for the energy core within his body. At least he could "see" the flow of his own red fire energy.
After two hours, most people woke up, and a new day of the journey began.
The three individuals organized their things and joined the majority and hit the road. Along the way, they saw many dead bodies, each with a bizarre cause of death. They were well aware of the fate that awaited those who were alone. Only by staying with the larger group could they ensure that relatively weaker hunters wouldn't dare to attack them easily. With this realization, the team became more compact and their speed increased.
In the following two days, they encountered small-scale ambushes. The number of people decreased each day, but everyone had become completely numb. As long as they and their loved ones were safe, no one had the energy to observe others.
After nearly three days of walking in fear, they arrived in Guiyang.
During these three days, they hadn't managed to catch any large animals. The only thing they caught was a small, non-mutated wild rabbit, which was too small to satisfy their hunger. They had originally wanted to ask for help from the middle-aged man with the Border Collie, but he seemed to intentionally avoid them and remained elusive.
Under these circumstances, they became more reluctant to touch their last lifeline - a bag of sausages and a pack of compressed biscuits.
The chief of staff gave the order for everyone to enter Guiyang city to search for more warm clothing and clean water. Drinking untreated water from the wild had caused many people to fall ill, and once they became sick, they could never get back up. They were in desperate need of a large city to replenish their supplies. Moreover, everyone held onto the hope that Guiyang might be in a slightly better situation than Kunming and that they might find something edible.
However, as the over 30,000-strong army gradually entered the city, they couldn't help but feel disappointed when they saw a city almost completely covered in vegetation. Guiyang didn't seem much different from Kunming, except for slight variations in plant species. They didn't know if the mutated species here would be different from those in Kunming.
The military informed those in need of supplies to act freely and gather at the highway entrance at dusk. However, they cautioned most people to stay where they were and remain with the main force for safety.
Some of the mutants who lacked clothing and had some self-defense capabilities entered the city.
The three of them also decided to take a chance and see if they could find anything useful, especially since Liu Fengyu had been clamoring for a bath and a change of clothes all along.
Cong Xia asked, "Brother Bing, what should we primarily look for? It would be good to have a direction. I have a feeling this city is gloomy, and I don't want to stay too long."
Cheng Tianbi said, "Bicycles."
Cong Xia hesitated, "We have traveled many roads that are not suitable for riding, and I've noticed that many people have abandoned their bicycles."
"Those people didn't have the strength to carry the burden, but we do. We should take one. Many roads are completely passable by bicycle," Cong Xia nodded. "Let's look for one along the way. We should have plenty of time."
Liu Fengyu shouted, "I want to take a bath! I want to take a bath!"
Cheng Tianbi ignored him and led the two of them towards the city center.
The urbanization construction that had been tirelessly perfected by several generations was completely destroyed within a month by the rapidly growing vegetation. Everywhere, there were collapsed buildings and public facilities, and wild grass almost reached chest height. They had to push through the overgrown grass as they moved forward. Cong Xia thought that even the scenes of a ghost town in movies couldn't compare to what he was seeing, as it lacked the imagination he witnessed.
The more Cong Xia walked, the more he felt exhausted. Eventually, he started to gasp for breath, and his steps became weak. Although he had been walking for a few hours and was tired, he shouldn't have become this exhausted.
Cheng Tianbi was the first to notice something was wrong. "What's the matter with you?"
"I feel like my steps are heavy, and I'm a bit dizzy."
Cheng Tianbi looked at his pale face devoid of color and immediately remembered something. He abruptly lifted Cong Xia's shirt.
As Cong Xia glanced down, his body was covered in goosebumps. If it weren't for his strong heart due to regular exercise, he would have gone crazy on the spot.
He saw numerous black, fleshy worms the size of a palm crawling all over his chest. Judging from their appearance, they seemed to be locusts, but their heads were much larger. Looking at their plump bodies, he had no idea how much blood they had sucked from him!
Cheng Tianbi turned him around and found that his back had also been bitten. When locusts sucked blood, they secreted an anesthetic that made the person unaware of the wounds. However, with so many locusts attached to his body, their weight alone was astonishing. Cheng Tianbi asked, "Didn't you feel heavy?"
"I thought I was just too tired," he said with a mournful face. "Quickly get them off me. It's making me sick."
Cheng Tianbi took out a bottle of medical alcohol from his bag and poured it on the suction cups of the locusts. Stimulated by the alcohol, the locusts automatically detached and fell to the ground. Liu Fengyu disgustingly crushed one under his foot, splattering blood all over the place. He shook his head, "These things have made their way into the city."
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him. "Take a look at yourself."
"No need to look. I've seen plenty of these creatures in Yunnan. Ever since I became the King Flower's host, insects don't come near me. But what about you?"
Cheng Tianbi confidently said, "I'm fine." He had extensive experience carrying out missions in the jungle. No matter how hot the weather was, he always tightly secured his sleeves and waist. He had encountered even worse situations than Cong Xia before. Once you experience the suffering, you never make the same mistake again. He frowned and said, "I told you to secure your sleeves and tuck your clothes into your pants. Why did you let them out?"
Cong Xia regretted it deeply, "It was too hot. I forgot to tuck my clothes in when I went to the bathroom just now..."
"And you won't forget in the future?"
"Even if you kill me, I won't forget."
Cheng Tianbi used alcohol to fumigate and remove each of the locusts. Liu Fengyu angrily crushed one under his foot, leaving blood stains all over the grass beneath them. Cong Xia felt a bit dizzy.
After dealing with the situation, Cheng Tianbi handed him water. "Drink up. Let's find a place to eat and replenish your blood."
The three of them walked for another ten minutes and found a shopping mall. The steps of the mall were relatively high, and the floor tiles hadn't been completely overrun by wild grass, making it a relatively clean place.
They looked around and saw no one, so they sat on the steps, ready to eat the sausages they had been longing for three days.
Just as they opened the packaging, they all simultaneously felt a strong energy fluctuation above their heads.
They looked up and saw a massive black shadow jumping down from the upper floor, landing in front of them. However, there was no earthquake-like noise they had expected. The black shadow landed silently, but due to its weight, the ground trembled slightly.
The three of them stared and saw that it was a giant cat, at least eight to nine meters tall. It had a delicate face, magnificent fur, purple eyes, and a long tail. Anyone who saw it would be amazed at how beautifully it was designed.
Cong Xia tried to recall and realized it looked like a Ragdoll cat.
Unfortunately, they had no mood to appreciate its beauty. Cheng Tianbi and Cong Xia both took out their guns, and Liu Fengyu remained on high alert.
This was the largest land animal they had seen so far. Although the cat's weight might be less than that of the giant frog, its size was even larger. Moreover, its movements were incredibly agile. If it hadn't landed from a height, there would have been no sound at all.
Perhaps it was even better at hunting than dogs.
Just as the three of them were highly vigilant, a person's head suddenly emerged from the back of the cat.
It was a child of around eleven or twelve years old with an exquisitely beautiful face. It was impossible to determine their gender. The child silently stared at them for a while, devoid of any childlike innocence. Instead, they seemed cold and arrogant. "What are you eating? Is it sausages?"
