The Golden Retriever leaped high into the air.
With one swipe of its razor-sharp claws, it pierced a monster’s temple, dug out the crystal core along with a chunk of brain matter, and stuffed both into its mouth.
It chewed noisily, looking thoroughly satisfied with its meal.
Its attention grew even sharper as its crimson eyes locked onto the monsters still battling the mutated dogs.
The monsters’ overwhelming numbers clashed violently against the speed of the mutated dogs.
Roars, snarls, and howls blended into a nightmarish chorus that sent chills down everyone’s spine.
A realization struck Feng Moxi.
After devouring Zhang Tao’s flesh during the day, the mutated Golden Retriever had clearly evolved.
It now possessed a degree of intelligence.
It was actively searching for crystal cores, seeking to become even stronger.
If this continued…
None of them would survive.
She turned to Chaoyang and said calmly,
“Don’t you think something about this fight is a little strange?”
“What if there’s some kind of treasure out there?”
Chaoyang had already been itching to investigate.
He immediately grinned.
“Then let’s go have a look.”
Without asking any questions, the four bodyguards moved toward the entrance.
Sima Yue had already drawn his Tang saber.
It was obvious they all wanted to see what was happening.
Wan Yong glanced at the middle-aged woman and the young boy before lowering his voice.
“He Ping stays behind.”
“We’ll go.”
Among them, He Ping was one of the strongest fighters and also the calmest strategist.
No one wanted anything to happen to him.
“Brother…”
“I’ve decided.”
Wan Yong’s tone left no room for argument.
“Be careful.”
Only after He Ping nodded did he finally turn away.
Luo Yunxi looked eager to join them as well.
This time, however, Feng Moxi shook her head.
“Yunxi, you stay too.”
A chaotic night battle was too dangerous.
She couldn’t guarantee Luo Yunxi’s safety while fighting.
Besides…
Her strength simply wasn’t enough yet.
Once everyone was ready, Chaoyang quietly opened the back door.
The group slipped around the side of the building.
The moment they looked outside, they saw the mutated dogs and monsters locked in an even fiercer battle at the entrance to the street.
Of the dozen or so mutated dogs that had started the fight, only five or six remained.
The monsters, however, had suffered even greater losses.
Corpses carpeted the ground.
Black blood flowed through the streets while both sides continued tearing into one another.
The instant Feng Moxi’s group revealed themselves…
The Golden Retriever noticed.
Its golden fur bristled all over.
The remaining mutated dogs immediately stopped fighting.
Baring their teeth, they rushed straight toward the newcomers.
At the same time, the monsters abandoned their infighting as well.
Growling and clawing the air, they staggered toward Feng Moxi’s group, threatening to surround them.
Feng Moxi tightened her grip on her iron rod and charged toward one of the larger mutated dogs.
Even while fighting, her divine sense remained fixed on the Golden Retriever.
She tried once more to influence its mind.
This time…
Nothing happened.
She could no longer affect its consciousness in the slightest.
The four bodyguards intercepted the remaining mutated dogs.
Fighting as they retreated, they formed a straight defensive line across the small bridge.
It looked as though they intended to hold the position against overwhelming odds.
Wan Yong and his companions also fought the monsters.
However, they deliberately remained hidden behind the corner of the nearby building.
Only a limited number of monsters could reach them at once, allowing them to remain relatively safe for the moment.
Meanwhile, Chaoyang and Sima Yue stood at the junction between the bridge and the buildings.
Tang sabers in hand, they stared intently at the Golden Retriever, watching for the slightest movement.
The Golden Retriever’s fur remained fully raised.
Its blood-red eyes, as round as bronze bells, remained fixed on Feng Moxi alone.
The sight made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
“Awoooo!”
With a deafening howl, the Golden Retriever arched its back.
Its four legs exploded forward like shooting stars.
Its foul-smelling jaws opened wide as it lunged directly at Feng Moxi.
Chaoyang and Sima Yue reacted instantly.
Their Tang sabers flashed toward the beast.
The two moved together with flawless coordination, as though they had fought side by side for countless years.
One attacked.
One defended.
Their blades complemented each other perfectly.
For the moment, they actually managed to keep the evolved Golden Retriever at bay.
No matter how fiercely it charged or how suddenly it changed direction, the beast remained trapped within the range of their attacks.
A faint smile appeared on Feng Moxi’s lips.
So this was what people meant by matching generals against generals.
These two were no ordinary fighters.
Watching them battle the leader of the mutated dogs was truly impressive.
Her right hand swung the iron rod.
At the same time, her left hand formed a sword seal.
A streak of sword qi burst from her fingertips and struck the mutated dog she was fighting squarely on the head.
The beast let out two pitiful whimpers before collapsing to the ground.
“Hm?”
Xiaoying’s surprised voice echoed inside her sea of consciousness.
“So dogs mutate too.”
“The energy inside this crystal core is a little stronger.”
Its voice seemed to come from somewhere far away.
Feng Moxi silently nodded.
She already knew that later in the apocalypse, not only mutated dogs, but even mutated fish, shrimp, and countless other creatures would eventually develop crystal cores.
The four bodyguards fought skillfully.
This time, none of them used firearms.
They relied solely on their Tang sabers, engaging the remaining mutated dogs in fierce close combat.
Although the Golden Retriever repeatedly barked commands, its companions simply couldn’t break free from their opponents to assist it.
As the battle descended into chaos, Chaoyang and the others gradually found themselves moving farther into the middle of the street.
Meanwhile, Wan Yong’s group came under increasing pressure.
More and more monsters surrounded them.
Although the narrow side alley still provided some protection, they were beginning to struggle.
Fortunately, no one had been killed yet.
Seeing that Chaoyang and Sima Yue could restrain the Golden Retriever but couldn’t defeat it, Feng Moxi let out a quiet sigh.
Gripping her iron rod, she joined the battle.
The three of them formed a triangular formation.
Swinging their weapons in perfect coordination, they trapped the agile Golden Retriever firmly in the center.
“RRAAAGH!”
The Golden Retriever roared furiously.
Its enormous claw slashed toward Feng Moxi’s face.
To its surprise…
Not only was Feng Moxi incredibly strong…
Her movements were astonishingly fast.
For some reason, the beast seemed to harbor a particular hatred toward her.
It focused almost every attack on Feng Moxi alone.
Unlike Zhang Tao earlier that day…
Feng Moxi had earned the reputation of the greatest escape artist in her previous life.
Now, after cultivating, her speed had become even more extraordinary.
Each time…
She slipped away just before the claws could touch her.
“Ah!”
A miserable scream suddenly rang out from nearby.
One of the middle-aged men in Wan Yong’s team had his arm clamped down on by a monster.
Blood sprayed into the air.
His scream immediately attracted even more monsters.
Wan Yong’s formation instantly descended into chaos.
Moments later, another muffled cry echoed across the battlefield.
One of the four bodyguards, a young man named Shi Jin, had lost focus for a split second.
A mutated dog seized the opportunity and bit deeply into his shoulder.
Blood poured from the wound.
Realizing the situation was hopeless, Shi Jin gathered every ounce of strength he had left and wrestled the mutated dog to the ground.
After a series of agonized cries…
The mutated dog finally died.
But Shi Jin was clearly on the verge of collapse as well.
Chaoyang’s eyes narrowed sharply.
A fierce light flashed across them.
Wan Yong immediately dragged the injured man backward.
The remaining members of his team could no longer hold the line and retreated alongside him.
The defensive gap instantly collapsed.
Without the protection of the buildings, they were completely exposed.
Fighting as they withdrew, Wan Yong shot Feng Moxi’s group an apologetic glance.
With no other choice…
They turned and retreated into the distance.
Unable to catch Wan Yong’s fleeing group, the pursuing monsters slowly turned back.
This time…
They surrounded Feng Moxi and the others instead.
Their situation became even more perilous.
The Golden Retriever remained completely obsessed with Feng Moxi.
Its furious claws lashed repeatedly toward her face.
Each strike was more savage than the last.