Chapter171

Meanwhile, the other ability users in his team focused on collecting as many supplies as possible, and when the sky began to dim and the forward team's abilities were nearly exhausted, Xu Nuo finally spoke, "From here on, while you continue to eliminate zombies, you must also watch over everyone's safety. Don't bother with the supplies anymore. I'll take over the rear with purification talismans."

Park Su had already anticipated this. After all, if the bloodlust continued for two consecutive days, the approaching zombies would be harder to disperse.

Although they had enough supplies for the moment, they were worried about the loved ones waiting for their return at S Base.

Their mission had already far exceeded the time they had originally budgeted for. The best solution, therefore, was for Xu Nuo to purify the bloodlust from the zombies they killed in the next two kilometers. This would prevent the zombies from chasing them.

Of course, performing such a purification unnoticed, especially in front of so many people, was impossible. Furthermore, Xu Nuo had no intention of revealing too much in front of outsiders.

Thus, much of the purification was carried out using talismans. After killing zombies, whether with the team or alone, Xu Nuo would walk roughly six or seven meters before using one or two purification talismans.

It was fortunate that during these past few days, his wife had been giving him the cold shoulder. Apart from trying to win her favor, the majority of his time had been spent drawing talismans. With so many "deadweight" members in his team now, he didn't want to expose too much of his abilities.

As a result, he had used fewer talismans in the field compared to before, but he had managed to accumulate quite a number. This time, they came in handy. Zhu Xiao, who had been following them, couldn't help but feel surprised. Before the apocalypse, he had encountered many Taoist priests.

However, those priests, though they called themselves "Taoists," were more like charlatans. Among the talismans they used, very few were genuinely effective. Even when he did encounter a talisman that seemed to work, its real efficacy could never be gauged in peacetime. The few that were effective likely had little impact or purpose.

Yet, the actions that had once seemed like the typical theatrics of a charlatan, when performed by Xu Nuo, now appeared strangely harmonious, almost profound. There wasn't the faintest trace of a fraudulent air about them.

Though Zhu Xiao had no idea what Xu Nuo's talismans did, he felt an inexplicable sense of awe and power. Naturally, he assumed they were of great use. After they had traveled a kilometer, it became apparent that the number of zombies surrounding them had noticeably diminished.

Most of the zombies were now flocking toward the direction they had just departed from, leaving fewer and fewer in pursuit of them. If anyone were to tell Zhu Xiao that Xu Nuo's talismans had no effect, he would be the first to vehemently disagree. It was as if some invisible force had isolated the surrounding area, preventing any zombies from closing in.

Zhu Xiao's eyes gleamed with realization. He recalled seeing similar talismans on the door of Ge Qing and Lu Shang's room the previous night. It seemed that the safety they had enjoyed while staying there had something to do with these talismans. Indeed, Xu Nuo was turning out to be the real deal.

Now, Zhu Xiao was increasingly convinced that following Fu Su and Xu Nuo was, without a doubt, a stroke of luck, and he was profiting greatly from it.

With fewer zombies chasing them, their progress naturally quickened. However, they were still not adhering to their original schedule.

Soon, they encountered another team of ability users, some of whom Zhu Xiao vaguely recognized. However, the other team had not yet spotted them, and even if they had, they probably wouldn't have remembered them immediately.

The other team appeared to be in a state of disarray, running toward them. One member, clearly a speed-type ability user, was sprinting quickly. Upon seeing movement ahead, the person's eyes brightened, and they immediately changed direction, heading straight toward them.

Xu Nuo's brow furrowed upon noticing the speedster's actions. He swiftly moved to Park Su's side. "Stay alert. It seems there's a high-tier zombie trailing them. As you know, high-tier zombies tend to bring along hordes of lower-tier ones."

"In the past, it wouldn't have been a big issue, but with so many burdens to protect now, and given that everyone's stamina is running low, we'd better proceed with caution."

Although Park Su's psychic abilities weren't as sharp as Xu Nuo's, he had already noticed the approaching figure. With the person moving toward them, there would be no time to retreat. He could tell that the individual was intentionally trying to lead the zombies toward them.

Given the number of ordinary people in their group, escaping was becoming increasingly difficult. This made him frown, and he immediately glanced toward a nearby small convenience store, pondering their next move.

He then turned to Lü Xia beside him and instructed, "Take everyone into the convenience store and have our people clear out the zombies inside. Protect the civilians at all costs, and no matter what happens outside, don't let anyone leave the store."

Lü Xia, though uncertain about the situation, immediately followed the orders, guiding the group into the nearby small supermarket.

Once inside, she, along with Shi Lei and the others, quickly dispatched the few zombies within. At the same time, Park Su's Green Ivy played a vital role in helping to clear the area. After a hard struggle, they managed to cleanse the store of zombies, and the civilians were ushered inside. Only then did Park Su and Ge Qing remain outside, waiting for the approaching individual. A part of them considered whether they should let him suffer a little to ease the resentment building in their hearts.

As the person drew nearer, his hope quickly extinguished upon seeing only four people standing at the entrance. He shouted loudly, "Stop wasting time here, there's a fourth-tier zombie behind us!"

"D*mn it, if I weren't a speed-type ability user, I'd already be caught by now. I thought you guys were a strong team of ability users, but it turns out there are just four of you! Hurry up and leave, or you'll end up dead!"

His voice, though hurried, was loud enough to be heard clearly. His actions, though initially seeming like an attempt to lead the zombies toward them, now gave Xu Nuo a slightly better impression of him. After all, despite his earlier behavior, it appeared he wasn't entirely heartless; perhaps he was just looking for a safe place to escape.

However, regardless of his true intentions, the fact remained that he had brought danger to them, and that was unforgivable.

Especially considering that Park Su and the others had already expended a great deal of their energy killing zombies, with only about 15% of their abilities remaining. While the civilians were being led into the supermarket, Xu Nuo quickly set up several small formations. Though these formations were compact, they were highly lethal. The mention of a fourth-tier zombie still caused him some concern. Up to that point, the strongest zombie they had encountered was only a third-tier, which already possessed some rudimentary intelligence. Who knew if a fourth-tier zombie could easily fall into their traps?

Furthermore, the fourth-tier zombie would undoubtedly have a swarm of lower-tier zombies following its commands. The bloodlust surrounding the area, due to the heavy slaughter of zombies they had conducted, meant that many more were still nearby. If they didn't act swiftly, the fourth-tier zombie could lead that entire horde to them, and with their current mental state, it was a real possibility that they could end up in dire straits.

Therefore, Xu Nuo didn't spare a second to consider the man running toward them but instead tossed three bags of zombie cores to Lu Shang, saying, "Get into the store with them and restore your abilities with Zhu Xiao. In your current state, you won't be much help. It's better to conserve your energy and act as our backup. A fourth-tier zombie is no small matter—if we don't end this quickly, we might be in for a tough fight. Restore your abilities as quickly as possible."

Upon receiving the zombie cores, Ge Qing and Lu Shang immediately understood the urgency of the situation. They made their way inside to find Zhu Xiao, hoping that they could restore their abilities in time to assist. If they were surrounded on all sides, today could very well be their last.

After seeing them leave, Xu Nuo turned to his wife and said, "Don't hoard all the zombie cores. Use some for your Green Ivy and Hallucinogenic Dandelions. They can absorb the cores and provide energy, at least replenishing the abilities you've lost."

"We need to eliminate that fourth-tier zombie as quickly as possible if we have any hope of escaping this predicament," Xu Nuo said firmly.

Park Su nodded in agreement, just as the speed-type ability user who had been rushing alongside them now caught up. He was panting heavily and couldn't help but apologize, "I'm really sorry. I had no idea you only had so few people here, and you look like you're in pretty bad shape. If I had known, I wouldn't have led them here. But there's no other choice now, so you should all run, too. Don't just stand there."

Xu Nuo raised an eyebrow but didn't respond, adopting a battle-ready stance. The speed-type user, catching his breath, looked at Xu Nuo in surprise. "Wait, are you planning to face him head-on? The other side has a fourth-tier zombie, and on top of that, a bunch of other zombies—two third-tiers, a group of second-tiers, and some first-tier zombies. You've got small arms and legs. Charging in there is suicide! Hurry up and run with me!"

Xu Nuo frowned slightly at his words. It seemed the enemy's strength was indeed greater than he had expected. However, he knew that although his speed wasn't slow, trying to maintain that pace over a long distance would be less effective than the speed-type user's abilities.

Rather than running, it would be better to focus on setting up more formations. If they could kill the fourth-tier zombie quickly, dealing with the two third-tier zombies would be manageable.

Without acknowledging the speed-type user, Xu Nuo quickly set up several more formations around them, arranging them densely and overlapping a few, intending to maximize their explosive power and high lethality. He hoped his luck would be favorable and that the third-tier zombies would fall first. If they could deal with the fourth-tier zombie all at once, that would be ideal.

Meanwhile, Park Su was fully immersed in his cultivation, with his Green Ivy and Hallucinogenic Dandelions working relentlessly to absorb the energy from the zombie cores. The surrounding area was suffused with a vibrant green life force, a sensation only Xu Nuo could perceive. Thanks to the energy radiating from his wife, Xu Nuo was able to replenish the energy he had lost, allowing him to effortlessly set up several more formations. Indeed, having a wife like hers was a blessing.