Chapter172

The speed-type user, seeing that they were ignoring him, was intrigued by the fact that they were moving quickly in circles along a narrow path, seemingly doing something that was just as fast as his own movements. He became curious about what they were up to.

However, when he looked up, he saw the horde of zombies charging toward them at full speed. If they didn't move quickly, he realized he might not escape.

Grumbling, he muttered, "Do what you want, I'm outta here. If you're looking to die, go ahead. But don't come after me if you end up dead."

With that, he didn't wait for a response and vanished into the wind, rushing off. Xu Nuo didn't spare him a second glance. Judging by the direction the man was running, he would likely return in no more than ten minutes.

That gave Xu Nuo enough time to exhaust the formations he had set up, after which the man would certainly be called upon to help deal with the zombies he had led here. Since he had drawn the horde to them, it was only fair that he helped take down a few of the zombies.

Xu Nuo's eyes flickered with cold determination as he glanced at the approaching zombies, especially the fourth-tier zombie leading the charge. The situation was tense, but he knew that they couldn't afford to drag things out. The sooner they dealt with the fourth-tier zombie and its horde, the better their chances of escaping.

Park Su had now regained around 30% of her energy, thanks to her relentless absorption of zombie cores, while her Green Ivy and Hallucinogenic Dandelions had also restored about 80% of their energy. With this, they still had some fighting power left.

As the zombies closed in, Park Su's Green Ivy quickly transformed into enormous, blue vines, sweeping through the approaching first-tier zombies and scattering the neatly organized zombie horde. Meanwhile, the Hallucinogenic Dandelions went to work, casting illusions, though it was unclear whether they would have any effect on a fourth-tier zombie.

Luckily, they were somewhat fortunate. The fourth-tier zombie, though devoid of memories, still had emotions. The illusions created by the Hallucinogenic Dandelions were enough to momentarily confuse it. This caused a delay in its commands, and several second-tier zombies ended up walking into the traps that Xu Nuo had previously set, allowing him to eliminate quite a few.

However, the Hallucinogenic Dandelions were only one tier below the fourth-tier zombie and couldn't control it for long. As Xu Nuo activated his second formation, the fourth-tier zombie broke free from the illusion and destroyed one of the Dandelion seeds in the process. Fortunately, the second formation still had a significant effect, wiping out about one-fifth of the zombies, the majority of them being second-tier.

While the first-tier zombies were mostly taken care of by Park Su's Green Ivy, the fourth-tier zombie's influence over the horde had diminished. However, the two third-tier zombies, which were tightly guarding the fourth-tier one, were still a problem. Since their intelligence wasn't as developed as that of the fourth-tier zombie, the Hallucinogenic Dandelions' illusions had little effect on them, meaning dealing with them would be difficult.

Xu Nuo quickly realized that the only way to handle this was to take out all three at once, but to do that, they needed to apply pressure with superior strength. While he could handle two third-tier zombies on his own, the situation with the fourth-tier zombie required more careful coordination.

The thought of charging straight in made Xu Nuo uneasy, especially with so many second-tier and first-tier zombies supporting the fourth-tier one. If he went in head-on and got injured, their chances of survival would decrease significantly. However, he also knew that with Park Su's abilities, she could handle herself just fine. What worried him most was ensuring her safety while he was also trying to protect her.

Determined, Xu Nuo's eyes narrowed with killing intent. He pulled out the peachwood sword from his space ring and turned to Park Su. "Wife, we'll take down the big one first. Once we kill this guy, we'll have a chance to break through the zombie encirclement. Otherwise, if the other zombies catch up, we might not even get a chance to run."

Park Su was still directing Green Ivy and absorbing energy from the air as she coordinated the battle. Most of the zombies had already been dealt with by Green Ivy and the Hallucinogenic Dandelions, but managing everything at once had only allowed her to recover about 10% of her energy. When Xu Nuo spoke, Park Su immediately understood he had a plan in mind. She didn't hesitate and responded, "You say the word. How do you want me to assist?"

Xu Nuo's plan was clear. They couldn't afford to delay, and every move from here on out would need to count. The battle ahead would be tough, but he was willing to risk everything to ensure that they both survived and escaped together. With their combined strength and precise teamwork, they just might make it out of this alive.

Xu Nuo no longer wore his usual playful smile but spoke directly, "Do your best to use the vines you collected earlier to bind these three advanced zombies together, and ensure that they are isolated from the other second and first-tier zombies.

The time required needn't be long—just a minute and a half will suffice."

Park Su understood that while this request might not seem particularly difficult, in reality, confronting a zombie of similar rank to herself was far from simple.

The fourth-tier zombies not only possessed their own cognitive abilities, but their strength was formidable, their regenerative powers almost unyielding.

If she failed to deliver a fatal blow at once, the enemy would have ample time to drag things out. And the longer the struggle continued, the more zombies would encircle them.

In such a scenario, if she lacked sufficient power, it was likely that she would be overrun, especially considering that the fourth-tier zombie's strength far surpassed that of the third and second-tier zombies.

Binding them securely with vines to prevent their escape was no easy feat, especially since the mutated vines she could produce were only at the second-tier's initial stage, whereas the enemy was a fourth-tier zombie, making it even more challenging to restrain it.

Moreover, she would not only need to bind the fourth-tier zombie but also the two third-tier zombies simultaneously. Even with limited time, this was no simple task. Thus, even when pitting a practitioner of equal level against a zombie of the same tier, survival was never guaranteed.

Nevertheless, Xu Nuo's request was straightforward—use the vines to trap them and separate them from the rest of the second- and first-tier zombies. Though the time was brief, it was not beyond possibility.

However, what seemed like a short span of time was only manageable when her abilities were fully replenished, and at present, she had only about 50% of her energy.

Achieving the desired result was undoubtedly difficult, but she understood that in this situation, if she did not take the risk, she would never know whether she could succeed.

Moreover, her partner was Xu Nuo. If she could not even dare to challenge her own limits for him, what right did she have to stand beside such an exceptional man?

She gritted her teeth and said, "At present, my abilities are not fully restored, and I cannot guarantee that I can sustain this for the entire duration, but I will do my utmost to meet your request. Please, help me eliminate these zombies as soon as possible."

Xu Nuo, fully aware of his wife's condition, nodded in acknowledgment, his eyes filled with unshakable resolve. "Do not overburden yourself with worry. Trust in me. If, by any chance, we cannot prevent the other zombies from advancing, your sole task will be to bind those three major ones. I will handle the rest. Don't worry—while the time required may be prolonged, no harm will come to you or the team."

He paused for a moment, his gaze softening. "Should you feel unable to continue, do not force yourself. Retreat immediately. Above all, prioritize your safety. Do you understand?"

Park Su, hearing his words, did not soften her expression. Instead, her brows furrowed more deeply, for he had only mentioned the safety of others, not his own.

Indeed, with Xu Nuo standing alone in this battle, dealing with such a vast horde of zombies was no easy feat. Did he truly expect to be a savior to them all?

Though he thought this way, he was also aware that, aside from Xu Nuo, no one else could resolve the crisis at hand. Yet, a sudden regret took hold, feeling that he had become Xu Nuo's burden.

Had it not been for him, Xu Nuo would not have needed to wander here with such a large group. In his previous life, Xu Nuo had always been solitary, indifferent to others.

If he were still the Xu Nuo of his past life, even amidst this horde of zombies, he could have escaped with ease.

Why bother with the lives of others? The more he pondered, the less calm he became, knowing he could only do his utmost to assist Xu Nuo in dealing with the three formidable adversaries before them.

Thus, he immediately released the Green Vine, urging it to swiftly clear a perimeter around those three leaders, sweeping the lower-tier zombies aside and slaying as many first and second-tier zombies as possible.

Then, he cast down two seeds of mutated vine, channeling all his energy into nurturing them, controlling the vines to encircle the three leaders.

The thorn-laden vines, swift as serpents, advanced towards the trio, each tendril brimming with aggression, eager to crush their skulls.

However, the adversaries were not slow, dodging the attacks several times, growing increasingly irritated by the assaults, their sharp claws tearing the vines apart with each strike.

This scenario forced Park Su to continuously infuse more wood-type energy into the vines to enhance their flexibility and durability.

Such efforts quickly depleted Park Su's energy, sweat beading on his brow, yet Xu Nuo could not simply stand by and watch his wife exert herself alone.

With a few swift movements, he darted into the encirclement, attacking the third-tier zombies in the gaps between his wife's vines. Though concerned for her safety, he knew that any distraction would only slow his attacks, thus increasing her burden. His only choice was to eliminate these zombies as quickly as possible to ensure her safety.