Chi Yuanyuan was naturally overjoyed. In the original novel, she had been a kind-hearted person, so when Tian Ling’er told her that she had awakened a healing ability, she did not suspect anything. Instead, she was simply happy for her best friend. Not long afterward, Chi Xu and Yan Xun also arrived.
Tian Ling’er kept thinking about the special abilities and opportunities belonging to these three characters in the novel. She decided that she would stay by their side for the time being, so she became even more attentive and considerate toward Chi Yuanyuan.
The four of them agreed to visit the supermarket outside the apartment complex early the next morning to gather supplies. Once they had collected enough, they would head to A City. Chi Yuanyuan and her brother’s family, as well as Yan Xun’s parents, were all in A City.
Tian Ling’er had never really considered what had happened to her original body’s family. She remembered that the two people mentioned in the novel were ordinary individuals without any supernatural abilities. Since she had no better plan, she might as well travel to A City with the other three. Besides, a survivor base would eventually be established there, and she could make contact with its leaders early.
Ru Jiao drove toward Qianyuan Mountain, which was near S City. Whenever she encountered zombies along the way, she simply rammed them aside. At this time, vehicles were gradually leaving S City, but most were heading toward other provinces and cities. Very few people were driving farther and farther into the mountains like Ru Jiao.
She drove throughout the night and finally reached the foot of Qianyuan Mountain around noon the following day. After storing her car in her space, she entered the mountain through an uninhabited area.
At this point, the apocalypse had only just begun. In her previous life, plants and animals had not undergone any changes until the second year, but Ru Jiao did not let her guard down. She walked through the mountains, stopping from time to time, until she found a suitable mountain peak. Using the tools she had brought, she spent the entire afternoon digging out a simple cave. She then took out the steel plates she had previously collected and placed them at the entrance to serve as a door.
Ru Jiao took a bed from her space and brought out a circular device used to test spiritual energy. Seeing that the spiritual energy in the area was relatively abundant, she was quite satisfied. According to the books, it was best for her to travel deep into the mountains, away from populated areas, to draw spiritual energy into her body. The spiritual energy inside her space was used to maintain its operation, so unless she could replenish it with additional spiritual energy, she should avoid absorbing it for cultivation.
Ru Jiao placed another refrigerator at the entrance as a precaution. Then, following the instructions in the book, she sat cross-legged on the bed, gathered her thoughts, calmed her mind, and began sensing the spiritual energy around her.
As Ru Jiao settled her mind, everything in her consciousness turned pitch-black. She had no idea how much time had passed when colorful specks of light suddenly appeared around her. She knew these were spiritual energy particles. Suppressing her excitement, she reached out to make contact with the red and green specks.
One particle followed her guidance and entered her body. Then countless red and green specks rushed into her all at once. Ru Jiao felt a warm current flowing throughout her body as every pore opened.
The red and green clusters of spiritual energy traveled through her body before entering her dantian. Ru Jiao continued guiding the spiritual energy into her dantian. Once it was filled with red and green spiritual energy, she repeatedly compressed it until it condensed into a tiny droplet and sank to the bottom of her dantian.
With that, she had successfully drawn spiritual energy into her body!
Ru Jiao opened her eyes and noticed a thin layer of impurities on her skin. She quickly entered her space and took a shower, immediately feeling refreshed and clean.
Drawing spiritual energy into her body was merely the beginning of cultivation, and she had not stored much spiritual power yet. She took out her phone to check the time and discovered that another entire night had passed.
She had previously planned to visit the hospital and wholesale market, as well as search for suitable weapons, but her cultivation had forced her to put those plans on hold for the time being. Still, Ru Jiao intended to leave the mountain once she reached the first level of Qi Refining. Based on her estimates and the current amount of spiritual energy in the mountains, she would probably need about a month to break through.
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Inside the cave, a woman sitting cross-legged suddenly opened her eyes. A flash of red and green light flickered in them before disappearing.
Ru Jiao nodded in satisfaction.
“Not bad. Just as expected, I broke through in a month. Now that the apocalypse has arrived, it seems that spiritual energy in this world is beginning to recover. That’s why my cultivation has progressed so quickly.”
She stood up, stored everything inside the cave in her space, and stretched lazily.
“It’s time to go down the mountain!”
With that, she pushed off the ground and dashed down the mountain at incredible speed.
After reaching the first level of Qi Refining, Ru Jiao had selected two cultivation techniques for herself from the books in the study, one suited to her fire spiritual root and the other to her wood spiritual root.
She reached the foot of the mountain in just half an hour. Along the way, she encountered several animals, but the moment they sensed the aura surrounding her, they all retreated. Judging by this, if she encountered that strange Level Three Zombie again, she could now defeat it without nearly as much difficulty.
Ru Jiao took out her car and drove toward the city. After checking the fuel gauge, she saw that very little gasoline remained. She frowned. It seemed she would have to visit a gas station to collect more gasoline, as well as diesel, since the diesel generator in her space required it to operate.
She therefore opened the map, located the nearest gas station, and sped toward it along the indicated route.
Since the road was sparsely populated, the journey was smooth and unobstructed. She soon arrived at the gas station.
Ru Jiao got out of her car about five hundred meters away from the gas station and released her divine sense from behind a tree.
However, the gas station was far from peaceful. To her surprise, she spotted someone familiar there: Tian Ling’er!
Tian Ling’er was hiding alone in a small room at the gas station. She looked rather furtive, frequently glancing outside the window as though waiting for someone.
Ru Jiao concentrated her divine sense and listened carefully.
“Why hasn’t this villain, Lin Zhen, brought that mutated wolf pup here yet?”
Ru Jiao frowned. Tian Ling’er and a villain?
“After going through so much trouble to find an excuse to separate from those three and act alone, you’d better show up obediently so I can claim your special opportunity!”
What a disgusting woman!
She was actually plotting to steal someone else’s special opportunity again! Judging from what she had said, she had apparently already obtained several special opportunities belonging to other people!
Ru Jiao was about to observe her more closely when she saw Tian Ling’er frown and turn her gaze in Ru Jiao’s direction. Ru Jiao immediately withdrew her divine sense, her heart filled with suspicion.
She knew her divine sense abilities better than anyone. It was completely silent and undetectable, to the point that even ferocious beasts could not sense it. Could Tian Ling’er have acquired some kind of mental ability?
Ru Jiao waited behind the tree for a while. After sensing that Tian Ling’er had shifted her attention elsewhere, she used the tree’s shadow for cover and quietly circled around to the back of the gas station. There, she cautiously released her divine sense again.
She saw that Tian Ling’er moved like a leopard. Faint flames flickered in one of her hands, and a jade Buddha pendant hung around her neck. Suddenly, the space around her seemed to ripple, and a handgun appeared in her hand!
Tian Ling’er remained hidden inside the gas station, her body tense and ready to strike. Judging solely by her physical condition, she was already nearly on par with Ru Jiao.
And that was not even taking into account her combat instincts and skills as a former assassin!
Ru Jiao knew that she could not confront Tian Ling’er head-on at this point. Remembering the villain Tian Ling’er had mentioned, she gave a cold laugh. Whatever Tian Ling’er wanted, Ru Jiao was determined not to let her have it!
Following the direction Tian Ling’er was watching, Ru Jiao concealed her presence and moved away. She also rapidly extended her divine sense, and before long, she discovered something.
A man covered in blood was running forward while holding a little wolf in his arms. About one thousand meters ahead, a turn in the road led to the gas station, which was another five hundred meters beyond it. More than ten zombies were hot on his heels!
At the turn, Ru Jiao took out her car and drove straight toward him.
Lin Zhen was covered in blood, and even breathing had become extremely difficult. Clutching the little wolf tightly, he struggled to keep running. There was a gas station around the corner ahead. He could hide inside temporarily and wait for the zombies to leave.
Just as he was thinking this, an SUV suddenly appeared and stopped beside him. The car door opened, and a woman inside called out, “Get in!”
Lin Zhen glanced at the zombies rapidly closing in behind him and did not hesitate. He immediately climbed into the car. The moment he shut the door, Ru Jiao slammed her foot down on the accelerator and drove straight into the horde. Fortunately, the vehicle was powerful enough to knock five or six zombies out of the way, leaving the rest far behind.
There was not much gasoline left in the car, so Ru Jiao drove into the city and stopped in front of a shop where there were relatively few zombies.
Lin Zhen was about to get out, but Ru Jiao told him to remain in the car while she went inside to deal with the zombies. Only after clearing the shop did she allow him to follow her inside.
Once the door was closed and they were finally in a safe environment, Lin Zhen let out a long breath and collapsed onto the floor.
“Thank you. My name is Lin Zhen. If you ever need anything, you can come to me.”
Ru Jiao nodded and introduced herself as well. She then took a bottle of water and a loaf of bread from her backpack and handed them to Lin Zhen.
Lin Zhen silently accepted them without offering any more words of thanks. The shop was a general store, with a resting room and a bathroom at the back. The zombies Ru Jiao had cleared had been inside the bedroom. She told Lin Zhen to rest in the room while she stayed in the shop to keep watch.
Lin Zhen knew his own physical condition and did not insist otherwise. He had started running a fever on the day the orange light appeared, and it had not subsided even now. Fortunately, he had regained consciousness by the time the zombies broke into his home. Together with his “friend,” Yan Chi, he had killed the zombies and escaped.
However, while the two were gathering supplies at a convenience store along the way, they had unfortunately encountered more than ten zombies.
Neither of them had supernatural abilities, so they could only rely on their physical strength to escape. When Yan Chi realized they could not shake off the zombies, he shoved Lin Zhen toward them, using him as bait to draw their attention while he fled on his own.
Faced with the threat of death, Lin Zhen’s potential erupted. He rolled several times to dodge the zombies’ attacks and used the surrounding terrain to evade them. However, his body was in poor condition, and he was about to be caught when a mother wolf suddenly appeared. She placed the unconscious wolf pup she had been carrying in her mouth into his arms, then turned and lunged at the horde of zombies herself.
Lin Zhen was deeply shaken. The mother wolf, however, turned toward him and growled several times. He understood what she meant and wanted to help her, but then he noticed the almost human expression in her eyes and a rotting wound on her back. She knocked away a zombie that was about to pounce on him, then growled at him again.
Clutching the little wolf tightly, Lin Zhen’s eyes turned red. Animals were far more sincere than humans.
“Thank you. I’ll take good care of your pup. Don’t worry.”
The mother wolf understood him. She cast one last reluctant glance at her pup before turning to fight the horde of zombies.
The mother wolf fought with everything she had, but more than ten zombies still pursued Lin Zhen. At least, however, she had bought him a chance to escape. That was how he ended up running toward the gas station with the little wolf and eventually encountered Ru Jiao.
After saving Lin Zhen, Ru Jiao did not think too much about it. It was still too early to tell what kind of person he was. However, since Tian Ling’er had been plotting to steal something that belonged to him, he must have had some kind of special ability or opportunity worth coveting. If he proved trustworthy, having him as a teammate would not be a bad idea. No matter how strong she became, having a reliable companion was better than fighting alone.
Ru Jiao was not worried that Lin Zhen might try to harm her either. With her current abilities, it was still uncertain who would end up killing whom.
Ru Jiao closed her eyes to rest. Meanwhile, after relaxing in the bedroom, Lin Zhen once again fell into a high fever.
The two had arrived at the shop at around one in the afternoon. By the time night fell, Ru Jiao was preparing to check on Lin Zhen and ask what he intended to do next. She knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered.
Ru Jiao kicked the door open and saw Lin Zhen lying on the bed with his face flushed bright red. The wolf pup was unconscious beside him as well.
She went over to check on him and found that his forehead was burning hot. He had developed a high fever. Ru Jiao took out some fever medicine she had collected earlier and fed it to him, but an hour later, his temperature had risen again!
After thinking it over for a while, Ru Jiao finally took out a cup of spiritual spring water and fed it to him, deciding to observe what happened next. If even the spiritual spring water could not help him, there was nothing more she could do.
Fortunately, the spiritual spring water worked. Ten minutes later, Lin Zhen’s fever had subsided. Ru Jiao then checked the wolf pup and decided to give it a small cup of the water as well.
To prevent either of them from developing further problems, Ru Jiao stayed beside the bed to keep watch. Fortunately, the spiritual spring water was remarkably effective, and nothing else happened throughout the second half of the night. However, just before dawn, both Lin Zhen and the wolf pup were covered in impurities expelled from their bodies.
Ru Jiao frowned. The smell was unpleasant, but she did not leave.
By the time daylight had fully arrived, Lin Zhen finally woke up.
The first thing he noticed was a strange smell. Only then did he realize that it was coming from himself and the wolf pup.
Lin Zhen was terribly embarrassed. Ru Jiao, who was sitting beside the bed, gestured toward the bathroom. It had a water heater, and fortunately, the running water and electricity had not yet been cut off. Carrying the wolf pup, Lin Zhen went into the bathroom and washed them both thoroughly. After coming out, he threw away the dirty bedsheets.
Once he had cleaned himself up, Lin Zhen carried the now-awake wolf pup into the shop.
“I owe you another one. You’ve helped me so much this time.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“I plan to find a vehicle, gather some more supplies, and then head to A City. It’s the capital, so it should have well-equipped military forces and a survivor base. What about you?”
Ru Jiao briefly explained that she planned to visit a gas station to refuel, then look for suitable weapons before heading to the hospital.
When Lin Zhen heard that she was looking for suitable weapons, he thought for a moment before speaking.
“If you trust me, you can come to my home. I have a villa in the suburbs of S City. I usually collect antique cold weapons as a hobby, and I have several Tang swords and other weapons at home. You can take a look and choose whichever ones suit you.”
Ru Jiao agreed. After all, searching for weapons on her own would be difficult, and there was no guarantee she would find anything good. If Lin Zhen really had Tang swords, they would certainly be better than steel pipes.
Once they had settled on their plans, Lin Zhen told Ru Jiao that he had awakened dual supernatural abilities of the wind and lightning elements. He also felt that his physical strength had increased tremendously.
Ru Jiao merely smiled without saying anything. Lin Zhen understood that she must have helped him obtain this good fortune. Since she did not bring it up, he would not ask. She had saved his life more than once, and merely expressing his gratitude in words would be far too shallow. He would repay her with concrete actions in the future.
The two of them checked the map and settled on a route. Since Ru Jiao’s SUV did not have much fuel left, they decided to stop at a gas station along the way.
As luck would have it, that gas station was not far from their current location.
After confirming the route once more, Ru Jiao took advantage of the backpack to conceal the movement and handed Lin Zhen a pointed knife. The two searched the general store and found a large backpack, along with a smaller one that Lin Zhen could wear on his chest to carry the wolf pup. He packed some useful items, including towels, into the larger backpack. Ru Jiao also gave him two bottles of mineral water, a packet of ham sausages, a bag of chocolate, and two loaves of bread.
Lin Zhen accepted everything one by one.
Seeing that he was ready, Ru Jiao opened the shop door. The noise attracted nearby zombies, and Ru Jiao immediately rushed out first, plunging her knife into a zombie’s eye socket and taking it down. Lin Zhen followed closely behind and imitated her, driving his pointed knife into another zombie’s eye socket.
As for using their supernatural abilities? Newly awakened abilities were still very weak. It was faster to deal with the zombies personally than to rely on them.
The two quickly eliminated several zombies at the front of the group. Ru Jiao opened the car door, and they climbed inside. She then rammed the other pursuing zombies out of the way and drove toward the gas station according to the route on the map.