84 Cambrian Consciousness
They successfully left the city, just as they had come, they went without a trace. They had spent five hours in such a vast city, yet not a single human was seen. Cong Xia looked back at the rusty words “Hanzhong” on the entrance to the expressway and couldn’t help but feel a sense of profound emotion.
After leaving the city, it was just dawn, and everyone was feeling hungry. They had originally planned to make a fire and cook on the spot, but the weeds of this era were very dense, almost reaching their waists. They decided to find a place with shallower grass before proceeding.
Cong Xia looked down from Abu and said, “Why are the grasses getting deeper and deeper? We can hardly see the path.”
Zhuang Yao said, “Hmm, someone needs to go down and explore the path, or we might get lost.”
Cheng Tianbi slid down from Abu and retrieved a knife from the car, which was suitable for jungle warfare. One major advantage of this knife was that it was very handy for cutting wild grass. Holding the knife, he searched for the original expressway roadbed or cement blocks on the ground in the waist-deep weeds to determine the direction ahead.
Due to the need to match Cheng Tianbi’s speed, Abu and Road Bully had to move very slowly. Since entering the grassy field, their speed had become comparable to walking speed.
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“Mbkp osd’v osaj, kv’p vss pzso qsa sdl rlapsd vs lmrzsal vbl ryvb,” Usdt Dky yzps pzke esod qasx Gcw yde qswde y nsdhldkldv xkzkvyau jdkql. Mydt Zydikw bye Nwk Wldtuw eakhl, yde bl bkxplzq tsv swv sq vbl nya vs blzr.
Mbl vball sq vblx zycsakswpzu plyanble qsa vbl ryvb yde nsdvkdwle qsaoyae.
Usdt Dky pyke okvb psxl nsdnlad, “Mbl ldlatu qzwnvwyvksdp qasx vblpl xwvyvle ollep yal tlvvkdt pvasdtla.”
“Rp vbyv ps?” Ubldt Mkydck pldple kv yde pyke, “Jlnywpl vblal yal xwvyvle rzydvp yzz yaswde, vbl ldlatu kp pxyzz cwv hlau eldpl. Rv’p yzxspv kxrsppkczl vs ekpvkdtwkpb clvolld kdekhkewyz rzydvp yde nzwpvlap wdzlpp vblal kp y pktdkqknydv ldlatu qzwnvwyvksd qasx y zkhkdt clkdt. Xvblaokpl, R nyd ds zsdtla vlzz.”
Usdt Dky pyke, “R jdso, uswa rlanlrvksd sq ldlatu kp dsv yp ralnkpl yp xkdl. R nyd qllz vbyv vbl ldlatu sq vblpl ollep yal kdnalypkdt.”
Mydt Zydikw zssjle yaswde okvb nsdnlad. “Mbl ollep yal kdelle tlvvkdt vyzzla, xyjkdt wp pkdj ellrla.”
Usdt Dky zssjle yblye yv vbl ldezlpp ollep, yde vblu pllxle zkjl vkdu xknl kd y hypv tayppzyde, yrrlyakdt ps pxyzz.
Ubldt Mkydck pweeldzu ypjle, “Mbl aydtl sq xu ldlatu rlanlrvksd kp ycswv qsavu xlvlap. Tso ycswv usw?”
Cong Xia replied, “At most seventy meters.”
Cheng Tianbi stopped and looked around thoughtfully.
Cong Xia furrowed his brow and said, “Something is increasingly amiss. No, let’s stop looking for the path and find a way to leave this grass field first.”
“Okay, get in the car.”
Cheng Tianbi climbed onto Road Bully and was about to open the car door for Cong Xia when he suddenly felt a sharp increase in energy fluctuations. It was as if a wave of energy was converging on them from all directions.
He turned his head abruptly and saw the weeds around them suddenly growing wildly, like countless conscious tentacles reaching out to grab them!
Cheng Tianbi shouted, “Xiao Tang, take Cong Xia and accelerate at full speed!”
Tang Yanqiu hugged Cong Xia tightly and took off abruptly. The weeds on the ground chased after them, but Tang Yanqiu flapped his wings forcefully, breaking free from the entanglement of the weeds and soaring into the air.
Abu meowed loudly as its limbs, including its tail, were entangled by the weeds.
A single weed could be easily broken, as could ten or even a hundred. It was nothing for Abu, weighing six tons. However, when thousands upon thousands of weeds twisted into a rope and entangled it, Abu also felt the strain.
Road Bully’s tires and body were also entangled, but Liu Fengyu stepped on the accelerator, and the engine emitted a harsh roar. Road Bully relied on its powerful force to continue moving forward slowly, but more and more weeds entangled them.
Cheng Tianbi’s legs were also entangled, and with a gentle shake, invisible wind blades cut through the weeds, severing the mutated weeds that entwined Abu and Road Bully. However, new waves of weeds continuously came forward.
Tang Yanqiu placed Cong Xia on Abu and sat with Zhuang Yao. He shouted to Cheng Tianbi, “These weeds want to keep us here as nutrients. Let Liu Fengyu try if his foul odor works.”
Liu Fengyu shouted, “Don’t mention that word to me!” Although he said that, he quickly opened the car door and his palm, transformed into a giant flower petal, slapped away the weeds that had entangled the car door. The foul odor was released along with it.
However, plants had no olfactory organs, so the foul odor had no effect on them. Although the digestive fluid was effective, with so many weeds, even if they squeezed Liu Fengyu dry, they couldn’t digest them all.
Cheng Tianbi shouted, “Xiao Tang, come over and drive. Liu Fengyu and I will deal with these things. Full speed ahead, don’t stop!”
Cong Xia shouted, “Bring me over! I can replenish your energy!”
Tang Yanqiu grabbed him and flew together to Road Bully. He entered the car and took over the driver’s seat from Liu Fengyu.
Liu Fengyu jumped off Road Bully, transforming into giant flowers filled with thorns and digestive fluid. The weeds that touched him were instantly dissolved, leaving no trace. He walked in front of Road Bully, clearing the way.
Cheng Tianbi focused all his energy on cutting off the weeds entangling Abu’s limbs.
Zhuang Yao shouted, “Be careful, both of you!”
Cong Xia clenched his teeth and looked at the surrounding frenzied weeds. It seemed like there were no other living creatures in this world except for the wildly growing two-meter-tall weeds, which completely surrounded them, intending to trap them to death within the weed thicket.
What’s going on? Even if these weeds are mutated, could they still lie in wait and lure the enemy in? Could it be that these weeds have evolved intelligence?
That’s impossible. If the weeds truly evolved intelligence, Hanzhong would have been destroyed long ago. We are less than five kilometers away from Hanzhong. With this growth rate, it wouldn’t take a few days for these weeds to engulf the entire city.
Cong Xia closed his eyes and focused on sensing the energy fluctuations of the surrounding weeds. All the energy became clear in his mind. These weeds were being controlled by a force of energy, and this energy, which was extremely powerful just a moment ago, was gradually weakening. Logically speaking, with so many weeds here, it should be impossible to eliminate them all. How could their energy start to decline in just three minutes? There was only one possibility…
Cong Xia suddenly opened his eyes. “These weeds are being controlled by someone. His energy is running out. Everyone, don’t let your guard down!”
Zhuang Yao also shouted, “Don’t move forward. If this is a trap, there must be more than just the weeds waiting for us.”
As soon as he finished speaking, gunshots sounded from the distance. Abu was entangled by the weeds and unable to jump. It let out a cry as a bullet hit its back.
“Abu!”
At the same time, the weeds retreated like a tidal wave. The previously wildly growing weeds, which had reached a height of over two meters, instantly shrank back to just above knee level. Behind a distant tree, a cluster of green weeds gradually gathered and took on a human shape.
As it formed into a human figure, the energy fluctuations immediately distinguished it from the surrounding mutated plants. Everyone could sense its presence. Tang Yanqiu opened the car door and swiftly flew over. The weed figure hadn’t fully formed yet, but upon seeing Tang Yanqiu, it attempted to disperse and escape.
Tang Yanqiu drew his bow and shot an arrow, piercing the weed figure’s abdomen. The cluster of weeds let out a piercing scream. This arrow completely drained its strength, and it could no longer sustain the form of weeds. Slowly, a human figure emerged, revealing a man in his thirties.
Tang Yanqiu raised his bow, and the man screamed, “No, please don’t kill me, elder brother–“
Tang Yanqiu’s gaze turned icy, and he shot an arrow through the man’s chest.
Abu had already taken cover behind a road bully with its injuries. Cheng Tianbi leaped onto the car’s roof and aimed the machine gun towards the spot where the shots had been fired. He unleashed a barrage of bullets. However, the machine gun’s range was limited, and the surrounding vegetation was too high to see the person.
In the distance, the resonating flapping of wings from birds grew nearer. They turned around and saw a massive flock of various sizes of dark-colored birds flying towards them. Simultaneously, a horde of carnivorous animals and mutated humans emerged from deep within the forest. Leading them was an Indian wolf with a curved iron hook attached to its front paw, showcasing its formidable speed. The largest in number were the wild dogs, numbering around thirty to forty. People armed with guns were riding on their backs.
Cong Xia’s face turned pale. This was the most severe encirclement they had faced. Everything that could fly or run seemed to have converged on them. Were their five-person group really worth such a massive pursuit?
Zhuang Yao shouted, “Cong Xia, heal Abu’s wounds. We’re abandoning the car!”
Cong Xia jumped off the Road Bully and swiftly treated Abu’s injuries. All five of them climbed onto Abu’s back. Zhuang Yao called out, “Abu, let’s go!”
Abu leaped up and dashed rapidly towards the depths of the forest. No one had ever measured Abu’s speed, but effortlessly overtaking a car was child’s play. At this moment, Abu accelerated even further, and everyone could feel the howling wind slicing their faces like knives.
The army of birds and beasts behind them pursued relentlessly, occasionally firing bullets that narrowly missed Abu’s heels.
Tang Yanqiu took flight, hovering in mid-air. Drawing his bow to full moon, he aimed at the Indian wolf with the curved paw. The Indian wolf halted alertly and veered to the side. Tang Yanqiu quickly adjusted his arm to the left and released an arrow. The sharp arrow showed no mercy as it pierced through the head of the largest-sized wild dog.
“Wu!” The Indian wolf let out a roar of anger.
“Wu-ge!”
“Xiao Tang, come back quickly!”
Tang Yanqiu ascended rapidly, but a stray bullet struck his calf. He darted through the trees, continuously drawing his bow and shooting arrows, causing the pack of wild dogs to scatter and dodge in all directions.
Cong Xia bellowed, “Xiao Tang, that’s enough, come back!”
Tang Yanqiu flew backward, shooting arrows as he went. One by one, the pursuing wild dogs fell to the ground, and the beasts’ speed noticeably slowed down, wary of his arrows.
Meanwhile, the avian creatures in the distance drew closer. Leading them was a gigantic gray-black falcon with a wingspan of three meters. Various types of birds followed behind, all assuming avian forms for high-speed flight. It was a massive swarm, numbering at least a thousand, making it impossible to distinguish between true birds and avian mutant humans.
The birds flew at an incredible speed, while the ground-dwelling beasts were already much faster than cats. Abu’s large size and the burden of carrying five people put him at a clear disadvantage.
When the pursuers closed in within fifty meters of the group, Cheng Tianbi’s eyes turned cold. Suddenly, the birds in the sky were pierced through en masse without any warning, as if a giant invisible force rained down iron spikes from above, impaling the birds to the ground.
“What’s going on?” Zhang Qian exclaimed. “What is this?”
“I don’t know?!”
Zhang Qian felt that the airflow above his head was behaving unusually. His eyes flashed, and he swiftly dodged to the side. A sharp object made a piercing sound as it pierced through his wings.
“Elder brother!”
The Indian wolf on the ground roared, “It’s a natural force controller evolved human!!”
“Damn it, how can there be a natural force user here? Spread out, everyone, spread out!” Zhang Qian gritted his teeth, circling in the sky, no longer flying in a straight line but tracing a zigzag pattern like a dragon.
The Indian wolf shouted, “Spread out and form an encirclement!”
He took the lead, running into the forest, darting between the shadows of the trees, trying to avoid Tang Yanqiu’s arrows and Cheng Tianbi’s wind blades.
In a moment, the flying and running figures dispersed. They organized themselves to surround the group from all sides. Their speed, on average, was faster than Abu’s, and they quickly caught up with him.
Zhuang Yao rummaged around on his body and pulled out a plastic water bottle. He handed it to Liu Fengyu and said, “Pour the digestive fluid into it! Hurry!”
Liu Fengyu took the water bottle, and the digestive fluid flowed continuously from his palm into the bottle, emitting a foul stench.
The entire group put on masks because of Liu Fengyu. The stench was so bad.
Once the bottle was filled, Zhuang Yao handed it to Cheng Tianbi. “Throw it into the air above those birds, and Tang Yanqiu, use your arrow to shoot it.”
“Got it.”
Cheng Tianbi swung his strong arm and forcefully threw the water bottle into the air. Tang Yanqiu rubbed the arrowhead against a piece of flint, igniting the oil-soaked arrowhead. Just as the bottle reached the birds directly overhead, Tang Yanqiu released the arrow. The full bottle of digestive fluid exploded in the air, corrosive liquid raining down on the birds and the wild beasts on the ground. Cries of agony filled the air, and the stench intensified as the fluid burned. Many birds convulsed and fell from the sky.
Zhang Qian roared, “Kill them!”
Despite the many casualties, the swarm of birds seemed endless.
Cong Xia desperately absorbed all the energy within his range. He knew that in this fierce battle, no one could come out unscathed.
A bullet hit Abu’s hind leg. His body swayed, nearly falling.
Cong Xia directed the energy through his skin to Abu’s injured leg. Abu gritted his teeth and continued running despite the pain until his injury was repaired. However, in those few seconds, his speed had significantly decreased. A wild dog pounced on him, biting down on Abu’s foot.
Abu angrily roared and forcefully threw the wild dog onto a tree, causing it to bleed from its seven orifices and die.
However, more wild dogs quickly rushed forward, fearlessly tearing and biting at Abu.
Abu’s hind leg gave way, and it fell to the ground. The people riding on him were thrown off. Cheng Tianbi held onto Cong Xia, while Tang Yanqiu grabbed onto Liu Fengyu and Zhuang Yao to cushion the impact.
Abu climbed back up from the ground and turned around. With a swipe of his large paw, he sent two wild dogs flying. The size of those wild dogs was similar to that of humans, but in front of Abu, they were nothing more than tiny creatures. Abu swatted them away with his paws and mouth, but the number of wild dogs was overwhelming. They pounced on Abu from all directions, causing him to lose focus. Soon, Abu’s body was covered in wounds, and the wild dogs suffered heavy casualties as well.
On the other side, the five of them couldn’t afford to care about Abu anymore. They stood in front of Zhuang Yao and Cong Xia, and one by one, the mutated beasts charged at them. From above, Zhang Qian descended with a swarm of birds.
A hint of despair appeared in Cong Xia’s eyes.
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