Chapter 163 The Smile Without Hemorrhage

An hour later, the group stepped back into the thick fog.

The fog, a dull gray, moved slowly, seemingly alive, silently devouring everything around it.

Two buses followed side by side behind the pirate ship, moving at a snail's pace.

The thing pulling the boat in front has transformed into a brown bear spirit.

Xiao Yunzhao refused to ride the bus and insisted on riding her pirate ship.

Eleven sentries combined couldn't persuade her alone, and apart from Xie Tu, no one dared to offer any further advice.

The result was as Zero Team predicted.

Xie Tu compromised again.

With the road ahead obscured, the group headed toward Smiling Street at the seven o'clock direction.

Duan Xi was driving the car for Team Zero, while the others took the opportunity to doze off.

Having been in contaminated zone 249 for so long, we only had a two-hour break initially, and no one has had a break since.

With Captain Yun Zhaohe around, there was absolutely no need for them to be on guard in the fog.

In contrast, the salt lake search team.

The four sentries were on high alert, depriving themselves of all senses, wary of any mutants that might appear in the fog.

Seeing this, Wu Kui, who was driving, said helplessly, "Let's all take a rest while we can."

After staying here for a while, everyone has subconsciously maintained a high level of tension.

At first, he wasn't used to it either, but after witnessing the little girl's abilities, he realized he was worrying unnecessarily.

Yang Li was silent for a while, then understood what he meant. "Okay, everyone get some sleep, so you don't drag Zero Team down later."

Since entering, no one has dared to close their eyes and sleep.

Now I definitely need to rest and recover my physical strength and energy.

The sentries tried to relax their nerves.

But the instinct for vigilance still lingered in my heart; though my eyes were closed, my ears remained alert to the sounds around me.

The two vehicles and the pirate ship had barely been traveling through the fog when they were soon attacked by the first wave of mutants.

In the silent, indistinct fog, all sense of direction was lost.

Several mutants, their figures shrouded in mist, moved with the speed of afterimages as they attacked them.

A putrid and pungent odor wafted towards us.

Xiao Yunzhao sat on the pirate ship, scribbling and drawing haphazardly in Xie Tu's notebook.

Suddenly, she raised her head, her gaze piercing through the layers of mist, and uttered disdainfully, "Useless."

This was the first time Xie Tu had witnessed her take action in person.

It wasn't like before; it was just using mental power to control the monster.

The scattered fluorescent lights, like fine threads, intertwined and coiled in the air, instantly becoming sharp and fierce, like razor blades, shooting towards the approaching mutant.

The mental threads easily penetrated the protective shield and mercilessly pierced into the mutant's body.

It was accompanied by a piercing scream.

The monsters seemed to be torn apart by an invisible force, their bodies instantly turning into black liquid and scattering into the mist.

The fog seemed to have been diluted, and suddenly began to churn.

The sentries of the Yanchi search team witnessed the entire process through the car window, and subconsciously swallowed, already sensing the malice and anger of the gatekeeper.

Xie Tu's expression was complex and hard to read. He watched as she continued to write and draw as if nothing had happened.

The cyan fluorescent filaments wove a web of death in the air, easily manipulating the mutants at will.

At six years old, her abilities were actually stronger than those of a nineteen-year-old!

Xie Tu's mind raced.

Based on research data from the four bases over the years, like the Guides and Sentinels, the time it takes for their abilities to awaken is related to their potential.

The later one awakens, the more powerful their abilities usually are.

It's impossible for anyone to possess extraordinary abilities during childhood.

It's like handing a sharp blade to a toddler; though its edge is sharp, it's fraught with uncontrollable danger.

How can such a small body withstand such immense mental power?

Is the appearance of an S-class guide truly a coincidence?

She's like a mystery now, impossible to see clearly or understand.

"you……"

Xie Tu had barely uttered a single word when his youthful face lifted again, staring at him impatiently.

That look seemed to say, 'Try trying to trick me into telling you something again.'

The little bluebird chuckled and stared at Xie Tu with a mocking sound.

The two beings, one human and one spirit, looked at him with remarkably identical expressions.

Xie Tu fell silent again.

The group continued moving in the direction of seven o'clock.

When encountering mutants, the Sentinels don't even need to intervene.

They returned to the eerie street after going to the wrong scene.

At seven o'clock in the morning, the sun had just begun to shine on the earth.

The streets appear bustling and prosperous, with towering buildings standing side by side, shops lining the streets, and bright and eye-catching signs.

The "people" on the street appear as phantoms, as if they were shadows projected from another world.

Their bodies are slightly transparent, their outlines are indistinct, yet their shapes are still clearly discernible.

Everyone wore the same smile, a stiff and eerie smile, like a mask etched onto their face.

The trees lining the street were lush and green, yet their leaves remained perfectly still. On the benches beneath the trees sat some "people," all in the same posture, smiling and gazing ahead.

The entire street was completely silent, deathly still.

The sentries of the Salt Lake search team felt a chill run down their spines when they saw this.

The pirate ship stopped, and the two buses behind it also stopped.

Everyone got off the bus.

“Look at their expressions,” Xie Tu said.

Everyone was confused, and upon hearing this, they forced themselves to turn their heads to look at the stiff smile of the illusory figure.

Even if it's the second time I've come.

The rabbit still felt a little scared.

These 'people' are really too strange.

Xie Tu said calmly, "Go in and try activating the scene."

Xiao Yunzhao silently curled the corner of her mouth.

Her little leather shoes were brand new and had never touched the ground; walking was impossible for her.

Xie Tu seemed to understand her meaning, bent down, and carried her off the boat.

As he stepped into the boundary land.

The whole scene instantly came to life, filled with noisy and chaotic sounds.

Everyone wore a standard smile as they busily moved about the streets.

It looks extremely strange.

Xiao Yunzhao wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes darting around as she looked around. She didn't care about the afterimages; she only cared about what delicious food and fun things were available on the street.

The entire Zero Team has arrived behind their captain.

The captain had previously mentioned that the Smiling Street was related to the way the goalkeeper died.

But the gatekeeper could hear their conversation.

The group was unsure whether they should ask the question.

Duan Xi released his peregrine falcon to investigate and quickly got the answer, reporting, "Captain, it's clockwise here."

The search team from Yanchi, following behind, carefully avoided pedestrians on the street.

"Um."

Xie Tu's gaze swept over everyone walking towards them, his eyes vacant and his smile stiff.

He looked away and spoke again, "Although the terrain has changed, don't forget where we are now."

Qilian Mountains, Tiger Gully Glacier.

The answer is obvious.

"The gatekeeper died of hypothermia."

Xie Tu said, "Humans are typical warm-blooded animals. When they lose their temperature, their bodies are in a state of paralysis, and their brains become abnormally excited, causing them to hallucinate and believe that the temperature has increased..."

You feel no cold at all in your mind, which is why you smile.

Even as he froze to death, a smile remained on his face.

Xie Tu's gaze sharpened. "The gatekeepers going clockwise are very likely here. Search carefully!"

Everyone suddenly realized, "Yes!"