85 Cambrian Consciousness
Tang Yanqiu continuously shot arrows into the sky, rarely missing a shot. However, the number of arrows in his quiver was dwindling.
Liu Fengyu spread out all of his petals, which had evolved to be as flexible and agile as his fingers. They could transform into thick, gigantic petals for wide-area strikes, or extend as single finger-like petals to entangle enemies. His body was like a giant flower, and the flower was his body. The obnoxious odor and highly corrosive digestive fluids that could serve as weapons made the enemies near him suffer greatly.
Cheng Tianbi stood beside Tang Yanqiu, observing the descending flock of birds with an icy gaze. He said to Cong Xia, “Transfer all your energy to me.”
Cong Xia didn’t hesitate and placed his hand on Cheng Tianbi’s back. While absorbing the energy from all the corpses on the ground, he continuously channeled it into Cheng Tianbi’s body.
He knew that just now, due to those weeds, the main members, especially Cheng Tianbi and Liu Fengyu, had already expended a considerable amount of energy. Now, there wasn’t much energy left in their bodies. Whatever Cheng Tianbi was planning to do, it would be the most effective strike. So, Cong Xia did everything he could, filling Cheng Tianbi’s energy core to the brim.
Cheng Tianbi steadied himself, gripping the invisible hilt with both hands. The air in front of him instantly distorted, visibly different from the surrounding atmosphere. A great blade, imbued with a faint green wooden energy, appeared in his hand. It seemed elusive, and the surrounding winds converged, forming a rapidly rotating vortex around the blade.
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Mbl ekhkdt qzsnj sq ckaep oyp okvbkd alynb. Ubldt Mkydck pweeldzu aykple bkp byde yde powdt okvb yzz bkp xktbv vsoyae vbl pju!
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Mbl osaze nbydtle nszsap!
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Mblu kdkvkyzzu clzklhle vbyv vbl xspv qsaxkeyczl rlapsd yxsdt vblx oyp vbl yhkyd yvyhkpv okvb y cso. Tso nswze vblu byhl kxytkdle vbyv vblu oswze ldnswdvla y zltldeyau dyvwayz qsanl xydkrwzyvsa yde lhszwvksdkpv? Ysalshla, bkp ekprzyu sq rsola oyp ps ypvsdkpbkdt, zlyhkdt vblx wvvlazu pbsnjle.
Mbl 3-xlvla-vyzz Rdekyd oszq, yzps jdsod yp Nys Nkw, asyale yv Hbydt Ckyd, “Wwnj usw, Hbydt Ckyd! Ebu eked’v usw vlzz wp ycswv vbkp dyvwayz qsanl lhszwvksdkpv?”
“I fucking didn’t know!” Zhang Qian was going insane. How much effort did he have to put in to create an avian hybrid, only for Cheng Tianbi to kill five of them in a single strike, decimating half of his forces. He now had the urge to strangle Zhang Mao. Zhang Mao only saw that skinny man as a healer. How could he overlook the most crucial and terrifying combat power?
Lao Liu suffered heavy losses as well. His Indian wolf legion was practically wiped out by Abu and Liu Fengyu. The remaining members could only jump around, fearing being shot. If it weren’t for Zhang Qian mentioning that skinny kid’s ability to heal his hand, he would have turned and left by now. But he had lost so many brothers. If he returned empty-handed, who would he answer to?
Moreover, everyone present had witnessed that kid healing the cat’s injuries, and he might even have the ability to transfer energy. The natural force manipulator energy was already dwindling, but after coming into contact with him, it suddenly surged. All of this indicated that Zhang Qian hadn’t lied. His left hand, which was severed, truly had a chance of recovery!
Lao Liu gritted his teeth. “That natural force evolutionist has no energy left! Everyone, charge!”
Zhang Qian’s eyes widened, his neck arched along with his back, and he let out a piercing roar. His subordinates joined him in howling. They still had eight bird species remaining, enough to gather the surrounding birds. No matter how formidable the natural force evolutionist was, his energy was limited. They still had hope!
After unleashing that incredible strike, Cheng Tianbi had almost exhausted his energy.
Cong Xia frantically absorbed the energy from the dead energy bodies and channeled it all into Cheng Tianbi’s body, ensuring that he wouldn’t run out of strength. Cheng Tianbi said, “Heal Abu’s injuries and let it carry us! Hurry!”
Cong Xia had no choice but to transfer the energy into Abu’s body. Abu was large in size, had a significant wound, and had a particularly slow energy circulation. Cong Xia nearly depleted all of his energy but couldn’t fully heal its injuries. Nevertheless, Abu endured the pain and carried them, attempting to break through the encirclement and escape.
“Don’t let them escape.”
Liu Fengyu and Tang Yanqiu were both heavily injured, with only Zhuang Yao in slightly better condition, as he didn’t have any external wounds. He had been using his brainwaves to control the surrounding low-level mutant animals, making them abandon their attacks on them. However, this consumed a significant amount of energy, leaving his face pale.
Cheng Tianbi felt his body growing weak, a result of his low energy levels. He managed to pull out a handgun and started shooting at the enemy.
Cong Xia held onto him tightly, afraid that he might fall off Abu. He also felt his body weakening, and if it weren’t for the continuous supply of energy bodies for him to absorb, he would have been the first to collapse among them.
The group held onto Abu’s fur tightly, fearing being thrown off during the rapid run.
Abu’s speed was already slower than their pursuers, and now, with injuries and depleted stamina, they caught up again after running two kilometers. Abu fiercely swatted away several of the wolves blocking their path and charged up a hill, with the bird flock trailing behind.
Zhuang Yao pointed ahead and shouted, “There’s a cave up ahead! Find a way to get there!”
If they could reach the cave, at least they wouldn’t be attacked from all sides. They all knew that running was futile; they could only fight to the death.
Except for Zhuang Yao, everyone slid down from Abu’s back. Liu Fengyu once again unfolded his petals, clearing the path for their advancement.
Tang Yanqiu was left with only three bamboo arrows. He didn’t dare to use them now, saving them for an extremely urgent moment. He drew his sword from his waist and thrust it towards a large rat that was pouncing on him. Despite his exceptional martial arts skills and physical fitness from training since childhood, he was still slower than quadruped animals. After slashing the chest of the rat-like person, he was successfully brought down to the ground, and the creature immediately bit into his shoulder.
Tang Yanqiu shouted loudly and raised his fist, smashing it against the rat-like person’s head. The heavy blow caused the creature’s vision to go blurry. Tang Yanqiu grabbed his sword and stabbed it into the creature’s ear.
Tang Yanqiu kicked away the crazed screaming rat-like person and pulled back his sword. Just as he was getting up from the ground, a force pushed him back down. Before he could turn around, Cheng Tianbi swung his empty hand, unleashing a wind blade. The wolf-like creature behind Tang Yanqiu couldn’t dodge in time and had half of its head sliced off.
Cheng Tianbi pulled Tang Yanqiu up and said, “Deal with the enemies in the sky!”
Tang Yanqiu held onto his sword and leaped into the air, aiming first at the half-humanoid Zhang Mao.
Zhang Mao felt some fear towards Tang Yanqiu and hid behind the densely packed owl flock. Tang Yanqiu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and glared ferociously at him.
By now, Cheng Tianbi’s eyes were bloodshot, and he released energy frantically, unleashing numerous wind blades, killing in all directions.
Cong Xia stayed by his side, absorbing energy to supply both Cheng Tianbi and Liu Fengyu.
However, the rate of absorption couldn’t keep up with the consumption, and their energy loss became increasingly severe. With enemies from both the sky and the ground, they were bound to be defeated if things continued this way.
Fortunately, they were slowly approaching the cave. Zhuang Yao shouted, “Abu, hurry inside!”
The cave was tall enough for Abu to crawl in, but there probably wouldn’t be any room for maneuvering. Abu dragged his heavily wounded body and was the first to enter the cave.
Cheng Tianbi yelled at Cong Xia, “You and Zhuang Yao, go inside quickly!”
Cong Xia shouted back, “No, I need to stay here and replenish your energy.”
“Go inside!”
Cong Xia shouted, “Little Tang is in trouble! Help him quickly!”
Tang Yanqiu was surrounded by the owl flock, their swords dancing wildly. However, he couldn’t break free from the encirclement. His injuries grew worse, and feathers fell from his body as they were pecked away like rain.
Cheng Tianbi roared, “Tang, come back!” He was too far away from Tang Yanqiu and couldn’t help him.
Seeing that Tang Yanqiu was at his limit, Zhang Mao seized the opportunity and pounced on him. In his owl form, Zhang Mao was much larger than Tang Yanqiu, fiercely knocking him down to the ground. Tang Yanqiu was almost knocked unconscious by the impact.
With sharp claws, Zhang Mao aimed for Tang Yanqiu’s temple.
Cheng Tianbi ran with all his strength towards Tang Yanqiu.
Just when Tang Yanqiu, who was on the verge of death, suddenly opened his eyes wide, quickly pulled out a bamboo arrow from behind, and inserted the arrowhead into Zhang Mao’s eye with a swift motion, causing Zhang Mao’s eyes to widen in horror.
“Ahh!” Zhang Mao let out a piercing scream.
At that moment, Cheng Tianbi also arrived, drew his military knife, and slashed Zhang Mao’s neck. He then grabbed Tang Yanqiu, who was covered in blood, and dragged him towards the cave.
Liu Fengyu had lighter injuries, mainly because no one wanted to attack him, but his flower petals were shot several times, and his energy was completely depleted. Cong Xia dragged him into the cave.
After all five of them hid inside the cave, they desperately ran deeper into it.
They crawled and rolled for over 300 meters before they all collapsed, exhausted.
“Huff… Huff…” Cong Xia struggled to open his eyes and looked at his heavily injured companions. Tears welled up in his eyes. Were they going to die here?
Zhang Qian and the Indian wolf were still alive, and they had enough fighting power to finish them off. The overwhelming number of birds… there were simply too many of them. They couldn’t possibly kill them all. Could they survive and leave this place? They were already halfway through this journey. He refused to accept it. He refused to die here!
Cong Xia choked up and said, “Is everyone… okay?”
No one answered him.
If he couldn’t feel their energy fluctuations, he would have thought that everyone was dead. Although their energy was as weak as his own.
Suddenly, a ray of light appeared in the cave. Cong Xia turned his head and saw Zhuang Yao’s disheveled smiling face, holding a torch in his hand.
Zhuang Yao whispered, “Most of our energy is depleted. They dare not come in now because they are unfamiliar with the situation here and fear our traps. But they will eventually come in. We either fight them to the death or negotiate with them.”
“Negotiations? How do we negotiate?” Cheng Tianbi’s hoarse voice rang out.
Zhuang Yao struggled to sit up and caressed Abu’s blood-stained fur. “They… have been relentlessly pursuing us, and it’s definitely not just because of the loss of that oil. I suspect it’s because of Cong Xia. Back then, we spared Zhang Mao with a fifty percent chance that they wouldn’t come after us. But we made the wrong bet. They also have allies in Hanzhong, which we didn’t anticipate. The enemy’s numbers are overwhelming, and we can’t win in a head-on fight. We have to think of another way.”
Cheng Tianbi said coldly, “Another way? Are you suggesting we use Cong Xia as a bargaining chip?”
Cong Xia gritted his teeth.
Zhuang Yao said, “No, but we can try a strategy of delay.”
“I disagree,” Cheng Tianbi stated firmly.
Cong Xia whispered, “Perhaps we can give it a try.”
“No,” Cheng Tianbi said resolutely. “No, you can’t take this risk.”
Zhuang Yao said, “We don’t have any other options at the moment. The disparity in combat resources is too great, and we weren’t prepared in advance. I can’t devise a plan, and I can’t think of any other way.” In the darkness, his bright eyes stared unwaveringly at Cheng Tianbi.
Just then, Zhang Qian’s voice resounded outside the cave, echoing loudly, “If you want to leave alive, leave behind the person who can heal wounds, and we’ll let you go.”
As expected…
Cong Xia assessed the situation on their side. No one was able to continue fighting. Unless a miracle happened, surrender seemed to be their only option. If he surrendered, there might still be a chance for the others to come and rescue him…
Cheng Tianbi grabbed his arm and coldly said, “I told you it’s not an option.”
Cong Xia anxiously pleaded, “Tianbi, none of us can fight anymore.”
“Let me rest. Zhuang Yao, you go and buy us some time.”
Zhuang Yao nodded and struggled to get up from the ground. He crawled over to Abu’s head, patted it, and then positioned himself closer to the entrance of the cave. He asked, “If we leave him with you, how can you guarantee our safe departure?”
There was a moment of silence outside, then the voice replied, “I will let you retreat five kilometers, and you leave him five kilometers away from here.”
Zhuang Yao began to raise a series of questions to buy more time.
Cong Xia looked at Liu Fengyu and Tang Yanqiu, both of whom had passed out. Overwhelmed by grief, he took a deep breath and sat down next to Cheng Tianbi, whispering, “Tianbi… I know you’re worried about me, but as long as there are green mountains, we won’t run out of firewood. Let me go with them while you rest and come back to save me.” His voice trembled uncontrollably.
Cheng Tianbi remained silent.
“Tianbi,” Cong Xia turned his head, unable to hold back his tears any longer. “We can’t die, not a single one of us. We’re supposed to go to Beijing together, not die on the way. I know you’ll come to rescue me. At least for now, we have to stay alive.” He touched the bloodstains on Cheng Tianbi’s face, wounds that hurt Cheng Tianbi more than his own cuts.
Cheng Tianbi’s lips trembled slightly, and he hoarsely said, “I can’t… give you to them.” With Zhang Qian’s brutality, no one knew what they wanted to do with Cong Xia. If Cong Xia’s abilities were revealed, it could invite even greater trouble. At that point, Cong Xia’s life would no longer be in their hands. Cheng Tianbi couldn’t let Cong Xia take that risk.
“But we don’t have any other options,” Cong Xia wiped away his tears and tried to remain calm. “Listen to me and let me analyze it for you. They need me, they definitely need my healing abilities. It will greatly benefit their future development. They won’t kill me, and as long as you all stay alive, we still have hope, Tianbi. Think about it calmly, isn’t it true?”
Cheng Tianbi stared at him intently, his eyes deep and inscrutable.
Trembling, Cong Xia continued, “Tianbi, Abu is seriously injured, Liu Ge and Xiao Tang are too. They’re all exhausted, including you. Look at the wounds on your body. We can’t break out of here together. We can’t die here together. I’m not afraid to die with you, but I’m not willing. I’m not willing to die at the hands of these people.”
Cheng Tianbi lowered his head and remained silent. His fists were tightly clenched, and the wound on his left arm throbbed faintly.
Cong Xia looked at the bloodstained, broad forehead of Cheng Tianbi, and an uncontrollable desire welled up in his heart. It was a longing that made his heart ache. Suddenly, he lowered his head and gently kissed Cheng Tianbi’s forehead.
Cheng Tianbi was surprised and raised his face, his heart pounding intensely, almost ready to burst out of his throat.
Cong Xia forced a smile, his mind racing. “Tianbi, I’m sorry. I might be… I might be homosexual. I shouldn’t say this, not in a lifetime. But if I don’t say it now, then… in the future… I truly just want to hunt and cultivate vegetables with you. I really mean it. I have no other intentions. As long as both of us are alive, I’ll be content. So… let me go, please. I know you will come to rescue me. I’ll wait…”
Cheng Tianbi couldn’t control his trembling. He reached out and touched Cong Xia’s face. Wild emotions surged in his eyes, and his strong hand suddenly captured the back of Cong Xia’s head, firmly pressing their lips together.
Cong Xia’s eyes widened as his lips met Cheng Tianbi’s slightly dry and masculine ones. They had never been this close before, never this intimate!
Cong Xia was overwhelmed with excitement, almost suffocating. He dared not move, fearing that any slight movement would reveal that everything he was experiencing was just a dream.
Cheng Tianbi’s body also trembled. This was the scent of Cong Xia… just as he had imagined, clean and soft. Cheng Tianbi kissed him deeply before releasing his grip.
Cong Xia stared at him rigidly. Even in the dim light, it was evident that his face was flushed to the point of dripping blood.
He had… kissed Tianbi? It wasn’t a dream, right? It was really a kiss! Damn it, it was real! He had kissed Cheng Tianbi, another man!
Cong Xia was so overwhelmed with excitement that he almost lost the ability to think. He stood there, like a wooden statue, staring at Cheng Tianbi.
After a brief moment of sinking into the sensation, Cheng Tianbi quickly regained his composure. He took a deep breath and firmly said, “You can’t go.”
Cong Xia finally snapped out of his daze, realizing that this was not the time for romance, but a matter of life and death. Just as he was about to speak, Cheng Tianbi pulled out a military knife from his combat boots.
Cong Xia grabbed his arm and pleaded, “Tianbi, don’t be impulsive! Your energy hasn’t even recovered by one percent!”
A shadow fell over Cheng Tianbi’s gaze. He looked at Cong Xia and said, “Let’s make a bet.”
Cong Xia anxiously asked, “What kind of bet?”
Zhuang Yao, who had returned to their side at some point, spoke softly, “Zhang Qian and the others are also buying time. I suspect they are preparing some kind of drug, trying to capture all of us at once. Cheng Tianbi, you’re hiding a secret. Can that secret save us?”
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him coldly, “I don’t know.” Suddenly, he rolled up his sleeves and stabbed the sharp knife into the bend of his left arm!
Author’s note: This is a significant development, isn’t it?
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Translator’s note: Finallyyyyyyy!!!!! aHHHH!!! This novel is really, really good.
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