Chapter 282 Little Branch Needs to Level Up...
The heads of the four attacking level-four zombies exploded one after another, splattering blackish-green pus and blood onto the surrounding vines, even making a sizzling sound...
"Bang!"
The cocoon suddenly shook violently, and its surface began to crack.
Lu Nange and Shi Xu exclaimed in unison, "Level 5!"
With a tearing sound, the cocoon broke open.
A zombie with vines covering its right arm slowly stood up. Its entire body was wrapped in writhing green vines, and its pupil-less, eerie green eyes stared straight at the crowd.
Just as the atmosphere of terror reached its peak—"Whoosh!"
Zhizhi's petite figure suddenly attacked from the side, and her emerald green vines pierced through the forehead of the level 5 zombie like a javelin.
The little guy was quick and precise, and in the blink of an eye, he pulled out a crystal core that glowed with green light.
In an instant, the vines throughout the space collapsed to the ground like machines whose power had been cut off.
Zhizhi triumphantly flicked the sticky sap off its vines: "Chirp chirp chirp~"
[Master, isn't Zhizhi amazing?]
The scene was completely silent...
He Zhuo's mouth was agape enough to fit an egg: "That's... all?"
Gu Wan: "It still has to be our outstanding little branch!"
Lu Nange and Lu Beiye simultaneously gave a thumbs-up: "Awesome!"
The leaves on the branches trembled merrily: "Chirp chirp chirp~"
[This giant, clumsy creature just finished evolving and is very weak... Master, can I have this crystal core? It's incredibly useful for Zhizhi! It's extremely valuable to Zhizhi...]
"Of course," Lu Nange said with a smile, ruffling its wavy hair. "This is your own spoils."
The little guy immediately spun around happily, the vines twisting into a pretzel shape: "Chirp chirp chirp!"
[Master is the best! I knew Master loved me the most. Master, Master, could you help Zhizhi wash this?]
Lu Nange looked at Gu Qi: "Brother Qi, could you please help Zhizhi clean the crystal core in its hand?"
As soon as Gu Qi took a step, Zhizhi happily rolled the crystal core covered in sticky fluid in front of him.
A stream of clear water flowed from Gu Qi's fingertips, washing the crystal core until it was crystal clear and glistening under the searchlight.
Zhizhi shook off the water droplets, making cheerful "chirp chirp chirp" sounds: [Master~ wipe me clean...]
Lu Nange took out a tissue to wipe the crystal core.
The little tree-man happily rolled up the crystal core and nimbly climbed back into the pocket on Lu Beiye's chest.
Just as it was about to put the crystal core in its mouth, it suddenly stopped, as if remembering something: "Chirp chirp chirp..."
[Master~~~ Wait until we get back in the car. Master is safe, then Zhizhi can eat...]
Lu Nange said gently, "Eat if you want, we'll be back soon."
Lu Beiye: "I will protect my sister, Zhizhi, don't worry..."
The wavy leaves of the branch swayed merrily up and down, then "whoosh," it swallowed the crystal core in one gulp.
After a crisp "crack," the little guy suddenly yawned: "Chirp...chirp chirp..."
[Master...I'm sleepy...]
No sooner had he finished speaking than the little tree-man collapsed limply into the pocket.
Lu Nange gently touched its burning leaves: "It's time to upgrade."
The vines that had been wriggling around the area had withered and shriveled from the death of the level-five zombies...
Chi Yi manipulated his vines to sweep away all the withered vines.
As the vines were cleared away, the supermarket on the top floor was revealed.
The supermarket shelves were still stocked with a variety of goods—daily necessities, canned goods, and sealed foods...
Lu Nange thought of the supplies she had collected, the sign-in rewards, and the pigs, cattle, and sheep she was raising in her space, which were practically overflowing under the housekeeper's meticulous care, while fresh fruits and vegetables were growing wildly one after another...
"We've collected quite a few supplies along the way; why don't we leave them for the other survivors?"
Hearing Lu Nange's words, everyone thought that they had indeed collected a lot of supplies along the way and were not short of supplies at all, so they nodded.
The group left the supplies where they were and moved all the zombie corpses from the mall to the open space outside.
Earthen and golden shields enveloped piles of zombie corpses, and Lu Xici and Gu Wan kept throwing fireballs into them...
Amidst the flames, black smoke rose into the air...
The superhumans who went out to search for supplies noticed something was amiss—the usually perilous streets were unusually quiet today, and not even a wandering zombie could be found.
In the distance, the flickering flames among the ice sculptures stood out starkly against the dim sky, attracting the survivors' attention like a beacon in the night.
Several sharp-eyed superhumans even noticed flames rising from mid-air from time to time.
"Is that the direction where Hongfa Shopping Mall is located?"
"That place is full of zombies, how can it catch fire?"
"This fire... doesn't seem like an accident." A man wrapped in layers of tattered cotton clothing squinted. "It looks like someone deliberately set something on fire."
The woman carrying a cloth bag next to him swallowed hard: "There must still be a lot of goods left in the mall..."
"We're going to starve to death either way." The burly man with a full beard gripped his golden staff tightly. "My family's waiting for me, why not try my luck?"
The youngest boy in the group said, "What if it's other survivors clearing out zombies? Let's go help, maybe we can get a share..."
"Yes, let's go and see... see if we can lend a hand."
......
Such conversations were repeated among the various survivor squads.
Gradually, figures moved toward the firelight from all directions.
They trudged forward on the icy road, their eyes filled with a mixture of wariness and hope.
Someone muttered under their breath, "It'd better not be a high-level zombie..."
"This awful weather, no sun and freezing cold... I'm going to die sooner or later anyway, might as well take a gamble and at least I won't starve to death..."
"Look, there are survivors all around us who have arrived. With so many of us, aren't we afraid..."
......
The cold wind carried their chatter, scattering it among the ruins.
Everyone knows in their hearts that in this apocalyptic world, anything unusual could be an opportunity or a deadly trap...
Meanwhile, at the scene of the burning in front of the shopping mall—
Lu Nange withdrew her probing mental energy and instead gently raised her hands.
In an instant, dozens of wind blades roared out, forming a fiery whirlwind accompanied by raging flames.
The pile of corpses crackled and popped amidst the raging wind and fire, black smoke swirling and rising into the sky...
Shi Xu's spiritual power kept a close watch on his surroundings.
Amid the dripping sound of melting ice, Shi Xu spoke up: "Survivors are approaching from all four directions—east, west, south, and north—the closest group is less than three hundred meters away..."
"Speed up, retreat as soon as it's burned..." Chi Yanzhou waved his hands, and the melted ice crystals quickly returned to their original state.
Lu Xici simply burned the fire sickle inside the earthen and golden shields.
Lu Nange's fierce wind whipped up flames, making the pile of corpses even more tightly enveloping them...
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