Chapter170

Park Su, who had grown somewhat weary of Xu Nuo's persistent, almost childish affection, could only sigh. The lingering discontent from earlier had dissipated, but when he saw Xu Nuo's smug expression, he couldn't resist delivering a sharp remark.

"So he's the first in your team to make the breakthrough, then. Who's next on your list—Ge Qing, Lu Shang, or maybe Lü Xia, Shi Lei? And you still claim this team is just in the planning stages? I see you've already chosen quite a few candidates."

Xu Nuo, having tasted the bittersweet consequences of too much satisfaction, smiled wryly and replied, "They're all still under consideration, but I haven't mentioned anything to them yet. Their circumstances are different from Zhu Xiao's, and I'm not planning to force them into anything. But if I don't use force, I can't be sure they won't betray me.

So, for now, they remain part of my evaluation process. This is why my team is still in the planning stage, and I haven't made any concrete moves yet. After all, I'm worried that if I don't take action and just talk to you about it, I might end up deceiving you with empty words."

"When I saw the first person in the team, didn't I immediately report it to you? So stop being mad at me, alright?"

Park Su, deep down, had already let go of any lingering anger, but seeing Xu Nuo's demeanor, he couldn't resist teasing him a little. After all, back when Xu Nuo hadn't fallen for him, any chance to mock him was seized with delight. Now, it was his turn to return the favor.

With a sly smile, Park Su continued, "Is that so? I'd say, if I hadn't overheard that conversation, you wouldn't have told me, would you?"

Xu Nuo, who understood Park Su well enough by now, could tell that despite the playful tone, there was no real resentment in his eyes. So he played along, indulging him. Though they seemed to be bickering on the surface, it was all just their little game—an excuse to pass the time.

After all, Zhu Xiao's breakthrough would still take some time. And their plans for departure would have to wait. This waiting lasted until about 2 p.m. that afternoon, when the energy fluctuations from Zhu Xiao's ability finally settled.

At that, Xu Nuo stood up and said, "Let's go. After all this time, and with him stripping everything off, I'm sure he's absorbed it all. Perfect timing to check on his breakthrough and see what he's gained. Let's see if it's worth the zombie crystal gift I gave him."

Park Su, just as curious, quickly got up to follow.

When they arrived, they found that Zhu Xiao's followers had already crowded around. Especially his most loyal fans, who were particularly sensitive to these sorts of changes.

It was almost as if they were waiting for their leader to complete his breakthrough, so eager that they were ready to rush downstairs. If it weren't for the warnings from the ability users in their rooms, cautioning them to stay put to avoid alerting the zombies outside, they likely would have surged forward to witness the breakthrough, possibly even disrupting Zhu Xiao's focus.

Now, with their leader's breakthrough seemingly completed, they could barely contain themselves. Many rushed forward, some even audacious enough to knock on the door and wait.

To prevent their living aura from being detected, Ge Qing had no choice but to tolerate these uninvited guests, letting them crowd into the room, some twenty or so people, one by one.

Zhu Xiao, aware that they meant well, didn't turn them away but allowed them to remain. As for their incessant questions about his abilities, he merely mentioned that he'd made a slight breakthrough, offering vague responses to avoid revealing too much, all while trying to figure out how to get them to leave without hurting their feelings.

When Xu Nuo arrived and saw the swarm of people, he was unimpressed. He had no patience for such crowds. With a cold snort, he said, "I see you all are trying to become zombie snacks down there, huh? Is that it? All of you crowding in here with so much energy—why don't you go downstairs and kill some zombies instead?"

He counted down, his voice steady. "I'll give you three seconds to get out of here and back to your rooms, or you'll have to figure out how to leave this building on your own. Or better yet, you can choose to stay and become snacks for the zombies down there. One, two, three."

By the time he reached "two," the crowd snapped to attention. Although some were still contemplating resistance, the coldness emanating from Xu Nuo made them think twice. They quickly realized that this man was not one to trifle with. If they didn't follow his orders, they might very well be tossed out of the building or worse.

Caught between their admiration for their leader and their instinct to protect their own lives, they quickly chose the latter, deciding that their survival mattered more than indulging in their fanboy fantasies.

What is the point of dying for such trivial matters? Surely, the leader would not even remember their names. So, when the third count came, everyone immediately fled for their lives.

They nearly knocked the two protective talismans off the door to the room where Ge Qing and the others were staying. However, they managed to escape safely from the room. Ge Qing, seeing the room finally emptied after a night, sighed deeply and said, "With so many people here, it truly is quite a commotion. The matters ahead are for you to handle. I'm going to retire to my room and rest. I can't bear it any longer!" With that, he turned away, not bothering further with them, and closed the door behind him.

It was only then that Xu Nuo approached Zhu Xiao, giving him a long, appraising look. With a glance, he could tell that Zhu Xiao's ability had truly stabilized at the initial stage of the third tier. It seemed that his assistance with the zombie crystal cores had borne some fruit.

He then inquired, "Now that you've broken through to the third tier, how much has your space increased? Have you noticed any changes in your body?"

Having broken through, Zhu Xiao was now somewhat convinced by Xu Nuo. Moreover, he considered himself to be under Xu Nuo's wing and did not fear being harmed, as he had only benefited from Xu Nuo's resources thus far, with little to offer in return. If Xu Nuo were to betray him, it would surely be a disastrous loss on his part.

Therefore, Zhu Xiao answered honestly, "My space has increased by about the size of a large shipping container. I also feel much lighter. The storage capacity of my space ability has increased significantly. Additionally, following your advice from yesterday, I can now sense a connection between the spatial energy in the air and my body. Although I haven't tested it yet, I feel that my rate of cultivation seems to be faster than before."

He continued, "With the current storage and replenishment of my spatial energy, I should be able to teleport about eight times. Each teleportation covers a distance of at least two meters. This is far better than I expected. I had thought that after breaking through to the third tier, I would only be able to teleport six times, with a maximum range of one and a half meters. But now, it's much improved."

Xu Nuo nodded thoughtfully. "Given your current situation, this achievement is quite good, but to me, it is barely passable."

He paused, assessing the young man before him. "The reason it took you so long to break through could be for one of two reasons. Either the amount of energy required for the breakthrough was immense, or the ability you were attempting to access is particularly strong. Or, more likely, your physical constitution is lacking, and needs strengthening. It seems to be the latter."

"Fortunately," Xu Nuo continued, "your comprehension is good. After just one night, you already grasped the meaning behind the training I gave you. That's not without merit."

"From today onward, you need to be more attuned to the spatial energy in the air; this will aid your cultivation immensely."

He then added, "Don't limit yourself to just the three abilities you've discovered so far. You should think about what other techniques your spatial ability might allow you to create. The more destructive, the better!"

"Expand your thinking. Don't confine yourself to a single approach. As the saying goes, the greater your boldness, the greater your achievements. Only by daring to imagine can you create your own unique techniques."

"That's how you can strike the enemy with an unexpected force. Do you understand?"

Zhu Xiao swallowed nervously. Had anyone else spoken to him in such a manner, he would have slapped them across the face and retorted, "Are you out of your mind? Space ability is limited to these few uses—what else could you possibly create from it? If you had the time to experiment, why not just focus on strengthening your space power instead?"

However, when the words came from Xu Nuo's mouth, they carried an air of absolute wisdom, transforming into something akin to a secret technique. Zhu Xiao couldn't help but reflect deeply. There was no denying that the plans Xu Nuo had provided before had been tested and proven extraordinarily effective.

This time, Zhu Xiao felt that Xu Nuo's advice was not without merit. So, he resolved to start training his physical strength from today onward.

He also decided to follow Xu Nuo's suggestion and focus on feeling the spatial energy in the air, as well as begin developing new techniques. What Zhu Xiao failed to realize was that his blind reverence and unwavering belief in Xu Nuo were starting to resemble the obsessive adoration of his most loyal followers.

After confirming that Zhu Xiao had grasped his meaning, Xu Nuo nodded, then instructed him to get his loyal followers ready to obey the team's orders.

The second round of the supply run was about to begin, and it was best if they behaved, as the number of zombies outside was overwhelming, and Xu Nuo could not guarantee the safety of those who disobeyed.

Zhu Xiao, naturally, complied obediently. After all, they were his chosen team, and if they proved too foolish, it would reflect poorly on his judgment.

Seeing his compliance, Xu Nuo was satisfied and was about to leave when he turned to Zhu Xiao with a smile and said, "Since you've wasted so much of our time, you're responsible for making up for the supplies we've lost during this time. The team swap in a while means you won't have any rest. Now that you've broken through to the third tier, you'd better show what you're capable of. Don't disappoint me."

Zhu Xiao suddenly felt that his earlier impression of Xu Nuo as a good person had been utterly misguided. In truth, Xu Nuo was more like Huang Shiren, and he, Zhu Xiao, was nothing more than Yang Bailao—an exploited soul.

Despite his thoughts, Zhu Xiao couldn't help but feel an eager excitement toward his newly unlocked abilities. Soon after, he had a meal with the group and gathered his loyal followers to head downstairs.

This time, as the main force in the zombie hunt, Zhu Xiao fully intended to unleash the full power of his ability. Xu Nuo had arranged for him to coordinate with Ge Qing, Lu Shang, and Park Su, cutting a bloody path through the undead.

The journey was gruesome, for speed was essential. There was barely time to pick up the zombie crystal cores scattered on the ground, and Xu Nuo, positioned at the rear of the team, safeguarded the other members and civilians, occasionally providing field support.