36 Global Evolution
The three individuals walked towards the city center.
Abandoned cars and collapsed buildings could be seen everywhere along the road. Occasionally, they would come across putrid corpses hidden in tall grass. If they weren't careful where they stepped, they could easily tread on them.
Human civilization was no match for the forces of nature. All the carefully constructed infrastructure had been overrun by vegetation. Even towering buildings spanning a dozen or more stories were completely covered, turning the streets into a ghostly landscape.
The three individuals remained vigilant, sensing the fluctuations of energy around them. Previously, when they were attacked by mantises in Kunming, they were defenseless. But now, they could avoid surprise attacks by sensing energy fluctuations. As long as the attackers weren't too fast, they had time to react.
However, their ability to sense energy had limitations in three situations. First, when the energy of a species was too weak, such as mantis rats and similar animals. Although they were energy beings, even slightly larger trees had more energy than them, and there were too many of them. It was extremely difficult to distinguish them when they blended into the vegetation.
Second, when the energy objects were too far away, usually beyond thirty to forty meters, they couldn't perceive anything. The third situation, which they only discovered today, involved species that could hide their energy fluctuations, like that little boy.
Encountering the latter situation would undoubtedly put them in great danger. That's why they were eager to gather more information and fell for the trick set by the boy.
They didn't know if those mutated creatures were naturally more sensitive than humans and could perceive their energy, which was why they didn't attack them. Or maybe there was some other reason. They roamed the city for an hour but couldn't find any prey.
They even encountered two large rats but failed to catch them.
Cong Xia said, "Animals naturally have more developed senses than humans. Since mutated humans can sense other energy beings, it's likely that those animals can too. Just as we want to avoid encountering beings with stronger energy, they probably want to avoid us. This is quite troublesome."
Weak animals would hide from them, while stronger ones would flee upon seeing them. The task of finding suitable prey alone consumed a great deal of their energy.
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him and asked, "Are you okay?"
Cong Xia forced a faint smile, his face pale. "Don't worry, I'm fine." He had just eaten an entire piece of compressed biscuit by himself, yet he still felt hungry. Moreover, he was feeling somewhat dizzy. He desperately needed meat to replenish his strength.
Cheng Tianbi looked at the department store in front of them. "Let's go inside and take a look."
The department store was also covered in vegetation, with shattered glass doors at the entrance. The dark and seemingly endless entrance hall had an eerie atmosphere. Cheng Tianbi turned on his flashlight, and the other two followed closely behind him.
As they walked to the center of the lobby, they noticed several jewelry counters. These precious metals that used to attract people's attention were now less valuable than a clean sip of water.
Due to the overgrown vegetation surrounding the entire building, it was pitch black all around. The light from their flashlights seemed feeble.
Liu Fengyu commented, "There should be larger rats inside."
Cong Xia suggested, "Let's check the clothing or bedding area. Rats love to chew on things."
"There's a sign indicating which floor the textile section is on."
A non-mutated rat squeaked as it ran from the glass display case beside them. With a plop sound, the palm-sized rat ran into a dagger as if it were running into itself, impaled by an invisible blade, blood flowing from its face.
Cheng Tianbi picked up the rat and put it in his pocket. It was still a bit of meat, and they couldn't afford to waste anything.
Liu Fengyu chuckled, "If we could catch a dozen or twenty of them, we'd have enough for a meal."
Cheng Tianbi responded simply, "Too much effort." They couldn't satisfy their hunger with such small rats.
Shortly after their entrance, a surge of energy emanated from the front-left side, not originating from a sizable creature, but rather from a cluster of small creatures displaying feeble vitality. Chaotically darting past, a swarm of rats, numbering no less than a hundred, sprinted ahead. Seizing the opportunity, Cheng Tianbi swiftly conjured rows of razor-sharp wind blades in their path, resulting in a dozen rats colliding head-on and leaving behind a trail of bloodied heads.
After the group of rats ran past, there were at least twenty or thirty dead rats on the ground, most of them non-mutated small rats, but there were also some as big as a human head.
Cong Xia blinked and said, "What a lucky find." They had just discussed how much effort it would take to catch so many rats, and now they were being presented with a pile of them. It was too coincidental.
Cheng Tianbi said cautiously, "This might be a rat nest. It's not normal for rats to gather in such large numbers."
Cong Xia frowned and said, "You're right. Let's take those rats with us and leave quickly."
Liu Fengyu wrinkled his nose in disgust and said, "I don't want to touch them."
No one expected him to, and Cheng Tianbi and Cong Xia quickly began stuffing the bloody rats into a bag. Although they were smaller, they would be enough for them to eat.
While packing the rats, Cong Xia absorbed the energy from a few of the mutated rats into his own body. Although the energy was weak, even ants could provide some sustenance if accumulated.
Once they finished packing, they were ready to leave. At that moment, all three of them felt a truly powerful energy fluctuation coming from the direction of the dark exit.
"Let's go," Cheng Tianbi said in a deep voice.
The three of them quickly ran towards the staircase.
The energy object was moving at a fast speed and had already appeared not far behind them. When they turned around, they saw a pair of green eyes staring at them.
Four or five rats, much larger than humans, stood not far away, accompanied by a group of smaller rats of various sizes. The three of them were instantly surrounded.
Cong Xia felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the hungry eyes of the rats. Since the apocalypse, he had imagined many ways he could die, but being bitten to death by hundreds of rats was definitely not the way he wanted to go. Although fighting alongside Cheng Tianbi until the last drop of blood was shed did fit his fantasy of dying as a heroic figure.
Liu Fengyu sneered, "A bunch of rats. Watch me eat you all."
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him and asked, "Is your stench poisonous?"
Liu Fengyu glared at him, "You want to fight now?"
"Forget it, even if it's not poisonous, I don't want to eat something that you've fumigated." Cheng Tianbi handed his flashlight to Cong Xia and threw away the bag. He clenched his hands in the air, and the air in front of him visibly distorted. The wind turned into a powerful weapon in his grasp.
Liu Fengyu gritted his teeth and said, "I'll kill you sooner or later!" He swung his right arm, and his slender and strong arm instantly transformed into a large and plump petal. The bright red petal was covered in thorns, and the tips of the thorns secreted a pale yellow digestive fluid. The petal of the Corpse Flower was like a big palm, slapping towards the group of rats.
At the same time, Cheng Tianbi gripped the wind blades tightly and rushed towards the swarm of rats. When he was about seven or eight meters away from them, he swung his arm in the air. A sound of breaking through the air resonated as an invisible sharp blade cut through the bodies of the two leading large rats, cutting them in half at the waist!
The power of that strike surprised not only Liu Fengyu and Cong Xia but even Cheng Tianbi himself. He didn't expect to be able to unleash such a powerful attack.
The rat swarm was thrown into chaos, frantically pouncing towards them. Liu Fengyu swept his palm, and more than a dozen rats had half of their bodies dissolved. The foul stench filled the air, and the rats close to him immediately rolled their eyes from the smell.
Liu Fengyu exclaimed excitedly, "My energy has become stronger!"
Under Cheng Tianbi's guidance, he had sensed the energy core and practiced for a few hours today, which had increased his strength somewhat. How could he not be happy about it?
No wonder in just a few days, every time Cheng Tianbi made a move, his strength showed improvement. It seemed that Cong Xia's training method was indeed very effective. In this era where strength determined everything, what could be more valuable than that?
Liu Fengyu felt a sense of gratitude in his heart for the trust and generosity of Cong Xia and Cheng Tianbi.
Cong Xia watched the two of them swiftly sweep through the rat swarm, and his confidence grew. He kicked and trampled the rats that came towards him, and if they were too big, he used his backpack to hit them, without getting injured.
Cheng Tianbi looked like a warrior from ancient times, wielding invisible and flexible wind blades among the swarm of rats. A single strike resulted in piles of corpses. Having received training in slashing and cutting techniques, his movements were exceptionally skillful and magnificent.
After killing all the large rats, the smaller ones no longer dared to attack recklessly and scattered in all directions.
The three of them were exhausted and couldn't catch their breath for a while.
Despite their energy reserves increasing every day, when facing formidable enemies, their energy consumption falls short of what is needed to confront them. Evolution, constant evolution, is their only way to survive.
As they looked at the pile of rat corpses, all three of them felt happy. Cong Xia absorbed happily, Liu Fengyu digested happily, and Cheng Tianbi dragged the largest rat and threw it from the second floor to the ground.
After descending the stairs, the three of them dragged the large rat to the grassy area outside the door and skillfully set up a fire pit to roast the rat meat.
In the post-apocalyptic world, the thing they ate the most was rat meat. Cong Xia had even gained some insights into decomposing and cooking rat meat. He knew which part of the meat was the most tender and delicious, and he had mastered the right amount of seasoning and cooking time. He could even expertly slice the meat with a military knife. While grilling, he said, "We're running low on salt. We'll have to find some today. Salt never spoils, so let's bring back a good amount. Oh, it would be even better if we had other condiments."
"If there are any non-perishable condiments, we should bring a few kilograms," Liu Fengyu said. Throughout their journey, he had become more practical. The space in his backpack for clothes and perfume had decreased, while the space for useful items had noticeably increased.
The aroma of the roasted rat meat attracted some nearby residents who were scavenging in the surrounding streets. The first group consisted of seven or eight people, who appeared to be locals. They hadn't experienced the hardships of the journey, as their clothes weren't as tattered, but their complexion wasn't much better either. When they saw the large piece of rat meat, they disregarded everything and tried to rush forward to grab it.
Cheng Tianbi pulled out his gun and aimed it at one person's face. He coldly said, "Touch anything that belongs to us, and I'll shoot you dead." Cheng Tianbi's cold and ruthless gaze left no room for doubt.
This was an era where human life was worthless. There was no law, no regulation. If one lacked the ability to protect oneself, death was inevitable. Cong Xia said, "On the second floor of this department store, there are many dead rats, as well as some live ones. If you dare, you can go and scavenge, but don't think about touching our things."
They were not without humanity, but once a group of people took their food, others who followed the scent would not spare them either. People who didn't have food but couldn't protect themselves would be looted and overwhelmed by the hungry crowds. They would be deprived of all their belongings. They had witnessed such situations too many times along the way. Once, there was a woman with a mutated pet who gave a piece of meat to a child out of sympathy. Unfortunately, the poor child was trampled to death by the crowd rushing to snatch it. Just a piece of meat could trigger a fierce scramble among hundreds of people, let alone a large rat.
They could save one person, ten people, but they couldn't save hundreds, thousands, or millions of people. Therefore, they could only save themselves. Only by using absolute force to suppress any thoughts of challenging them could they ensure their survival in this post-apocalyptic world.
These seven or eight people pondered for half a minute before bypassing them and entering the department store.
Five minutes later, a group of people rushed out of the building in a sorry state. They all had various wounds and carried a bunch of dead rats in their arms. However, they were ecstatic and hid the rat meat in every corner of their bodies, leaving contentedly.
The three of them dealt with three waves of people who followed the scent using the same method. They quickly devoured most of the rat meat.
Liu Fengyu rubbed his satisfied belly and said, "Xiao Xia, you really know how to make rat meat taste so delicious. You've got some skills."
Cong Xia smiled and replied, "It's because you were hungry. Everything tastes good when you're hungry."
"No, I never feel hungry. I'm just greedy. This meat is really well-cooked," Liu Fengyu said.
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him and said, "Are you feeling better?" Seeing some color return to Cong Xia's face, he finally felt relieved.
Cong Xia laughed heartily and said, "I feel much better after eating. Maybe it has nothing to do with blood-sucking; I was just hungry."
Cheng Tianbi nodded and suggested, "Let's find another place to rest for a while and leave the meat here."
The three of them kicked down the fire rack, shouldered their bags, and walked north for over two hundred meters before finding a large tree to sit under.
Cheng Tianbi and Liu Fengyu practiced nearby while Cong Xia lay down to rest.
With the tree providing shade, the air around them became much cooler. It was a rare opportunity to rest after having their fill and quenching their thirst. Even if they had skipped meals or went hungry, as long as they had companions to share hardships with, it was a moment worth savoring and cherishing.
Amidst the low voices of their conversation, Cong Xia gradually drifted off to sleep.
Let's become stronger, let's become stronger together, and then, let's survive together.
36 Global Evolution
The three individuals walked towards the city center.
Abandoned cars and collapsed buildings could be seen everywhere along the road. Occasionally, they would come across putrid corpses hidden in tall grass. If they weren't careful where they stepped, they could easily tread on them.
Human civilization was no match for the forces of nature. All the carefully constructed infrastructure had been overrun by vegetation. Even towering buildings spanning a dozen or more stories were completely covered, turning the streets into a ghostly landscape.
The three individuals remained vigilant, sensing the fluctuations of energy around them. Previously, when they were attacked by mantises in Kunming, they were defenseless. But now, they could avoid surprise attacks by sensing energy fluctuations. As long as the attackers weren't too fast, they had time to react.
However, their ability to sense energy had limitations in three situations. First, when the energy of a species was too weak, such as mantis rats and similar animals. Although they were energy beings, even slightly larger trees had more energy than them, and there were too many of them. It was extremely difficult to distinguish them when they blended into the vegetation.
Second, when the energy objects were too far away, usually beyond thirty to forty meters, they couldn't perceive anything. The third situation, which they only discovered today, involved species that could hide their energy fluctuations, like that little boy.
Encountering the latter situation would undoubtedly put them in great danger. That's why they were eager to gather more information and fell for the trick set by the boy.
They didn't know if those mutated creatures were naturally more sensitive than humans and could perceive their energy, which was why they didn't attack them. Or maybe there was some other reason. They roamed the city for an hour but couldn't find any prey.
They even encountered two large rats but failed to catch them.
Cong Xia said, "Animals naturally have more developed senses than humans. Since mutated humans can sense other energy beings, it's likely that those animals can too. Just as we want to avoid encountering beings with stronger energy, they probably want to avoid us. This is quite troublesome."
Weak animals would hide from them, while stronger ones would flee upon seeing them. The task of finding suitable prey alone consumed a great deal of their energy.
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him and asked, "Are you okay?"
Cong Xia forced a faint smile, his face pale. "Don't worry, I'm fine." He had just eaten an entire piece of compressed biscuit by himself, yet he still felt hungry. Moreover, he was feeling somewhat dizzy. He desperately needed meat to replenish his strength.
Cheng Tianbi looked at the department store in front of them. "Let's go inside and take a look."
The department store was also covered in vegetation, with shattered glass doors at the entrance. The dark and seemingly endless entrance hall had an eerie atmosphere. Cheng Tianbi turned on his flashlight, and the other two followed closely behind him.
As they walked to the center of the lobby, they noticed several jewelry counters. These precious metals that used to attract people's attention were now less valuable than a clean sip of water.
Due to the overgrown vegetation surrounding the entire building, it was pitch black all around. The light from their flashlights seemed feeble.
Liu Fengyu commented, "There should be larger rats inside."
Cong Xia suggested, "Let's check the clothing or bedding area. Rats love to chew on things."
"There's a sign indicating which floor the textile section is on."
A non-mutated rat squeaked as it ran from the glass display case beside them. With a plop sound, the palm-sized rat ran into a dagger as if it were running into itself, impaled by an invisible blade, blood flowing from its face.
Cheng Tianbi picked up the rat and put it in his pocket. It was still a bit of meat, and they couldn't afford to waste anything.
Liu Fengyu chuckled, "If we could catch a dozen or twenty of them, we'd have enough for a meal."
Cheng Tianbi responded simply, "Too much effort." They couldn't satisfy their hunger with such small rats.
Shortly after their entrance, a surge of energy emanated from the front-left side, not originating from a sizable creature, but rather from a cluster of small creatures displaying feeble vitality. Chaotically darting past, a swarm of rats, numbering no less than a hundred, sprinted ahead. Seizing the opportunity, Cheng Tianbi swiftly conjured rows of razor-sharp wind blades in their path, resulting in a dozen rats colliding head-on and leaving behind a trail of bloodied heads.
After the group of rats ran past, there were at least twenty or thirty dead rats on the ground, most of them non-mutated small rats, but there were also some as big as a human head.
Cong Xia blinked and said, "What a lucky find." They had just discussed how much effort it would take to catch so many rats, and now they were being presented with a pile of them. It was too coincidental.
Cheng Tianbi said cautiously, "This might be a rat nest. It's not normal for rats to gather in such large numbers."
Cong Xia frowned and said, "You're right. Let's take those rats with us and leave quickly."
Liu Fengyu wrinkled his nose in disgust and said, "I don't want to touch them."
No one expected him to, and Cheng Tianbi and Cong Xia quickly began stuffing the bloody rats into a bag. Although they were smaller, they would be enough for them to eat.
While packing the rats, Cong Xia absorbed the energy from a few of the mutated rats into his own body. Although the energy was weak, even ants could provide some sustenance if accumulated.
Once they finished packing, they were ready to leave. At that moment, all three of them felt a truly powerful energy fluctuation coming from the direction of the dark exit.
"Let's go," Cheng Tianbi said in a deep voice.
The three of them quickly ran towards the staircase.
The energy object was moving at a fast speed and had already appeared not far behind them. When they turned around, they saw a pair of green eyes staring at them.
Four or five rats, much larger than humans, stood not far away, accompanied by a group of smaller rats of various sizes. The three of them were instantly surrounded.
Cong Xia felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the hungry eyes of the rats. Since the apocalypse, he had imagined many ways he could die, but being bitten to death by hundreds of rats was definitely not the way he wanted to go. Although fighting alongside Cheng Tianbi until the last drop of blood was shed did fit his fantasy of dying as a heroic figure.
Liu Fengyu sneered, "A bunch of rats. Watch me eat you all."
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him and asked, "Is your stench poisonous?"
Liu Fengyu glared at him, "You want to fight now?"
"Forget it, even if it's not poisonous, I don't want to eat something that you've fumigated." Cheng Tianbi handed his flashlight to Cong Xia and threw away the bag. He clenched his hands in the air, and the air in front of him visibly distorted. The wind turned into a powerful weapon in his grasp.
Liu Fengyu gritted his teeth and said, "I'll kill you sooner or later!" He swung his right arm, and his slender and strong arm instantly transformed into a large and plump petal. The bright red petal was covered in thorns, and the tips of the thorns secreted a pale yellow digestive fluid. The petal of the Corpse Flower was like a big palm, slapping towards the group of rats.
At the same time, Cheng Tianbi gripped the wind blades tightly and rushed towards the swarm of rats. When he was about seven or eight meters away from them, he swung his arm in the air. A sound of breaking through the air resonated as an invisible sharp blade cut through the bodies of the two leading large rats, cutting them in half at the waist!
The power of that strike surprised not only Liu Fengyu and Cong Xia but even Cheng Tianbi himself. He didn't expect to be able to unleash such a powerful attack.
The rat swarm was thrown into chaos, frantically pouncing towards them. Liu Fengyu swept his palm, and more than a dozen rats had half of their bodies dissolved. The foul stench filled the air, and the rats close to him immediately rolled their eyes from the smell.
Liu Fengyu exclaimed excitedly, "My energy has become stronger!"
Under Cheng Tianbi's guidance, he had sensed the energy core and practiced for a few hours today, which had increased his strength somewhat. How could he not be happy about it?
No wonder in just a few days, every time Cheng Tianbi made a move, his strength showed improvement. It seemed that Cong Xia's training method was indeed very effective. In this era where strength determined everything, what could be more valuable than that?
Liu Fengyu felt a sense of gratitude in his heart for the trust and generosity of Cong Xia and Cheng Tianbi.
Cong Xia watched the two of them swiftly sweep through the rat swarm, and his confidence grew. He kicked and trampled the rats that came towards him, and if they were too big, he used his backpack to hit them, without getting injured.
Cheng Tianbi looked like a warrior from ancient times, wielding invisible and flexible wind blades among the swarm of rats. A single strike resulted in piles of corpses. Having received training in slashing and cutting techniques, his movements were exceptionally skillful and magnificent.
After killing all the large rats, the smaller ones no longer dared to attack recklessly and scattered in all directions.
The three of them were exhausted and couldn't catch their breath for a while.
Despite their energy reserves increasing every day, when facing formidable enemies, their energy consumption falls short of what is needed to confront them. Evolution, constant evolution, is their only way to survive.
As they looked at the pile of rat corpses, all three of them felt happy. Cong Xia absorbed happily, Liu Fengyu digested happily, and Cheng Tianbi dragged the largest rat and threw it from the second floor to the ground.
After descending the stairs, the three of them dragged the large rat to the grassy area outside the door and skillfully set up a fire pit to roast the rat meat.
In the post-apocalyptic world, the thing they ate the most was rat meat. Cong Xia had even gained some insights into decomposing and cooking rat meat. He knew which part of the meat was the most tender and delicious, and he had mastered the right amount of seasoning and cooking time. He could even expertly slice the meat with a military knife. While grilling, he said, "We're running low on salt. We'll have to find some today. Salt never spoils, so let's bring back a good amount. Oh, it would be even better if we had other condiments."
"If there are any non-perishable condiments, we should bring a few kilograms," Liu Fengyu said. Throughout their journey, he had become more practical. The space in his backpack for clothes and perfume had decreased, while the space for useful items had noticeably increased.
The aroma of the roasted rat meat attracted some nearby residents who were scavenging in the surrounding streets. The first group consisted of seven or eight people, who appeared to be locals. They hadn't experienced the hardships of the journey, as their clothes weren't as tattered, but their complexion wasn't much better either. When they saw the large piece of rat meat, they disregarded everything and tried to rush forward to grab it.
Cheng Tianbi pulled out his gun and aimed it at one person's face. He coldly said, "Touch anything that belongs to us, and I'll shoot you dead." Cheng Tianbi's cold and ruthless gaze left no room for doubt.
This was an era where human life was worthless. There was no law, no regulation. If one lacked the ability to protect oneself, death was inevitable. Cong Xia said, "On the second floor of this department store, there are many dead rats, as well as some live ones. If you dare, you can go and scavenge, but don't think about touching our things."
They were not without humanity, but once a group of people took their food, others who followed the scent would not spare them either. People who didn't have food but couldn't protect themselves would be looted and overwhelmed by the hungry crowds. They would be deprived of all their belongings. They had witnessed such situations too many times along the way. Once, there was a woman with a mutated pet who gave a piece of meat to a child out of sympathy. Unfortunately, the poor child was trampled to death by the crowd rushing to snatch it. Just a piece of meat could trigger a fierce scramble among hundreds of people, let alone a large rat.
They could save one person, ten people, but they couldn't save hundreds, thousands, or millions of people. Therefore, they could only save themselves. Only by using absolute force to suppress any thoughts of challenging them could they ensure their survival in this post-apocalyptic world.
These seven or eight people pondered for half a minute before bypassing them and entering the department store.
Five minutes later, a group of people rushed out of the building in a sorry state. They all had various wounds and carried a bunch of dead rats in their arms. However, they were ecstatic and hid the rat meat in every corner of their bodies, leaving contentedly.
The three of them dealt with three waves of people who followed the scent using the same method. They quickly devoured most of the rat meat.
Liu Fengyu rubbed his satisfied belly and said, "Xiao Xia, you really know how to make rat meat taste so delicious. You've got some skills."
Cong Xia smiled and replied, "It's because you were hungry. Everything tastes good when you're hungry."
"No, I never feel hungry. I'm just greedy. This meat is really well-cooked," Liu Fengyu said.
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him and said, "Are you feeling better?" Seeing some color return to Cong Xia's face, he finally felt relieved.
Cong Xia laughed heartily and said, "I feel much better after eating. Maybe it has nothing to do with blood-sucking; I was just hungry."
Cheng Tianbi nodded and suggested, "Let's find another place to rest for a while and leave the meat here."
The three of them kicked down the fire rack, shouldered their bags, and walked north for over two hundred meters before finding a large tree to sit under.
Cheng Tianbi and Liu Fengyu practiced nearby while Cong Xia lay down to rest.
With the tree providing shade, the air around them became much cooler. It was a rare opportunity to rest after having their fill and quenching their thirst. Even if they had skipped meals or went hungry, as long as they had companions to share hardships with, it was a moment worth savoring and cherishing.
Amidst the low voices of their conversation, Cong Xia gradually drifted off to sleep.
Let's become stronger, let's become stronger together, and then, let's survive together.
