Chapter 290 Whetstone...

Chi Yanzhou: "Stop playing around, let's go!"

Gu Qi: "Brother Yan, let me try...can I drain a level 5 zombie dry?"

Chi Yanzhou stepped aside.

As the lightning on the zombie dissipated, Gu Qi pressed his palm down sharply, and the level-five zombie on the ground visibly shriveled up, instantly turning into a charred, dried-up corpse...

With a "whoosh," the vines plucked the crystal core from the zombie's brain.

As the two turned around, Gu Qi glanced at the battle situation on Gu Wan's side—that guy not only didn't suffer any losses, but was having a great time.

He withdrew his gaze and smiled at Chi Yanzhou, saying, "Brother Yan, our Nannan's little branch is getting more and more amazing. She's killing zombies and collecting crystal cores at the same time, not missing a single one. It's so convenient."

Chi Yanzhou: "Who says you're part of our family?"

Gu Qi's lips curled into a provocative smile beneath his mask: "If it's not our family, is it yours? We're at least a 'big family' that's shared joys and sorrows, while your 'family' is illegitimate."

Chi Yanzhou: "After going on a long trip, they all became more and more sarcastic in their speech. Aren't they afraid that their licking lips might poison themselves..."

"Brother Yan," Gu Qi said in a cheeky tone, "this little twig is truly a product of our Nan Nan's upbringing, so clever..."

Chi Yanzhou: "Gu Qi..."

Gu Qi interrupted first: "Nan Nan is so outstanding, just like Wan Wan said, it's good to be beautiful on your own. If you keep dawdling like this, Nan Nan, that blockhead, still won't get it, and someone else will beat her to it..."

He deliberately dragged out his words: "Just you wait and see, you'll have to grit your teeth and swallow it!"

After saying that, he rushed towards Lu Nange and shouted, "Brother Ci! Old Shi! Nan Nan..."

Chi Yanzhou watched as Lu Nange and the others turned their heads upon hearing the sound, then followed them, his eyelashes trembling slightly: [Wait a little longer... Nannan is currently oblivious to everything else, focused solely on becoming stronger... He can't be rushed...]

As everyone lined up, the vines continued to encircle the area, isolating the survivors from the base.

Wen Qing's clothes were stained with dark red zombie blood, and viscous liquid was dripping from his Tang sword.

She walked side by side with Zhizhi, which was laden with crystal cores, and slowly came to stand beside Lu Nange.

Now only Luo Xingyou, Chi Yi, and Gu Wan remain, still fighting the last remaining zombies.

The level four and level three zombies controlled by Shi Xu stood motionless like statues on the side opposite Lu Nange and her group.

Shi Xu: "Nan Nan, how about we keep these dogs for now? We can let them run behind our car..."

Lu Nange raised an eyebrow: "Like the 'Zhuangzhuang' you raised?"

Shi Xu's expression froze instantly beneath his mask, his eyes widening slightly.

Lu Beiye looked up: "You were crying so hard back then, like...like a friend had died. Then you turned around and kicked that zombie..."

Shi Xu's voice tightened: "...What Zhuangzhuang? Nan Nan, A Ye, what are you talking about?"

Lu Xici chuckled, arms crossed: "It was when you were out of your mind. We had just run into you then, think back..."

Shi Xu's voice sounded like it was being squeezed out between clenched teeth: "...Really? I...don't...remember...at...all."

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

...

Several explosions followed, and the heads of the zombies that had been controlled just moments before instantly exploded...

The vines moved with lightning speed, curling up the crystal cores and then retracting them, as if afraid of being snatched away.

The survivors who had been watching exchanged bewildered glances: "That's... the end?"

The bearded man said in a deep voice, "Don't you all have eyes? Can't you see? There are still three zombies using them as whetstones."

"Base Commander, shouldn't we go and thank them?"

The bearded man looked at the area surrounded by vines, pondered for a moment, then walked around the warning line formed by the vines and stood at a safe distance.

He took a deep breath and his loud voice rang out: "Everyone! I am Ye Xiang from the Ping An Base. Thank you all for your help!"

Lu Nange: "Brother, Brother Qi, let them go back."

Gu Qi and Lu Xici exchanged a glance, then simultaneously stepped towards Ye Xiang.

Lu Xici cut to the chase: "Chief Ye, we're here for the crystal cores."

Ye Xiang was clearly taken aback by the other party's bluntness, and paused for a moment before saying, "Even so, you all saved us, and this kindness..."

Gu Qi interrupted, "It's just a matter of mutual benefit. It's freezing cold, you should all head back to base as soon as possible."

Ye Xiang hesitated, then said, "But..."

Gu Qi: "What? You want these crystal cores too?"

"No, no..." Ye Xiang quickly waved his hand, "That's not what I meant..."

Lu Xici: "Then please return."

Ye Xiang took a deep breath and said solemnly, "In any case, thank you all for saving me."

The people at the base behind him, keeping their distance, bowed in unison: "Thank you for saving our lives!"

Seeing that Lu Xici and Gu Qi stopped talking, Ye Xiang wisely led his team away.

"Boss, is that all? We're just going to say thank you and that's it?"

Ye Xiang: "Otherwise what? Can we offer crystal cores as a thank-you gift, or can we allocate some resources?"

Just as Ye Xiang and his group put away their defensive shields and prepared to retreat to the base, Luo Xingyou and Chi Yi had already finished the battle and returned to Lu Nange's side.

On the battlefield, only Gu Wan remains.

She deftly led the zombie away into the distance, then suddenly turned around and unleashed two extremely compressed flames.

The flames struck the zombie's head, and the blast wave kicked up a cloud of snow dust.

Chi Yi's vines wrapped around Gu Wan's waist, safely pulling her back to the group.

Before them lay a battlefield littered with zombie corpses and fragments, and Ye Xiang and his group were slowly retreating in front of the base gate.

Lu Nange lowered her voice: "Shi Xu, cooperate with me, make them all freeze for a moment..."

Shi Xu smiled knowingly: "I understand..."

The two men simultaneously unleashed their spiritual power, causing Ye Xiang and his group, including all those secretly watching, to momentarily become disoriented...

In that brief moment, Lu Nange lightly tapped her fingertip, and all the crystal cores on the vines disappeared.

Zhizhi quickly retracted all the vines and obediently burrowed into the specially made large pocket on Lu Beiye's chest, only her wavy hair peeking out.

The group turned and left, and only when they turned into the alley did Lu Nange and Shi Xu simultaneously withdraw their mental energy.

Chi Yanzhou glanced back at the distant base, his voice carrying far: "Base Commander Ye, the cleanup work is now in your hands..."

When Ye Xiang and his group came to their senses, the street was already deserted, with only zombie corpses lying scattered everywhere.

"Base Commander! They've disappeared!"

"This...this is way too fast!"

Ye Xiang gazed at the empty street, lost in thought. After a moment, he said, "Call for help. Wood-type users, drag the corpses away. Metal and earth-type users, build a wall. Fire-type users, burn all of this..."

After saying that, he looked into the distance and said, "[These young people are really interesting...]"