Chapter 94: Nothing but Trees
As darkness fell, Lu Nange and her group still hadn't found a place to spend the night.
The road ahead kept narrowing, like the entrance to a deep, dark tunnel.
Dead silence.
Even the sound of the wind outside the car window disappeared, leaving only the faint sound of tires rolling over gravel.
Lu Nange channeled her spiritual energy outwards, and all around her were endless, distorted tree shadows—no living creatures, no movement, not even the low growls of mutated beasts could be heard, as if the whole world consisted only of the few of them.
"Stop the car." Lu Nange's cool voice suddenly came through the walkie-talkie in He Zhuo's hand: "Let's stay in one car for now."
Ji Xian slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching on the asphalt road.
"Bang--"
The side door of the RV was opened.
Lu Nange came down.
Lu Beiye stood by the RV door like an obedient puppy, tightly hugging the disheveled macaw in his arms.
The macaw slumped listlessly in his arms.
Lu Beiye's eyes were fixed on his sister's figure.
Only after seeing Lu Nange lightly tap her finger to store the off-road vehicle in her spatial storage and turn around did he step onto the creaking metal steps and crawl back into the RV.
Several people squeezed into a campervan.
Lu Xici was replaced by Chi Yi as the driver, and Chi Yanzhou sat in the passenger seat.
Everyone else squeezed into the rooms and living room.
Unlike in the afternoon, everyone was sitting down now, so the RV didn't feel as crowded.
He Zhuo glanced at the parrot in Lu Beiye's arms and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Is Gou Dan still not awake?"
Gu Wan scoffed, "You just need to be taught a lesson. You won't be able to handle Gangzi when he wakes up!"
"Who said that?" He Zhuo retorted stubbornly, "I was only letting it have its way because of Nan Nan..."
Lu Xici noticed Lu Nange's slightly furrowed brow and asked in a low voice, "Nannan, what's wrong?"
Lu Nange raised her eyes, a hint of wariness flashing in them: "The entire area is only covered in plants; there isn't even a single mutated animal. Or rather, apart from us, I can't sense any living thing on this path."
He Zhuo leaned heavily back in his seat and yelled, "Going back to the capital is harder than going on a pilgrimage to the West!"
Chi Yanzhou's voice came from the driver's seat: "Brother Ci, it seems like the road ahead is blocked. Come over and throw a few fireballs to scout the way."
Lu Xici got up and walked towards the passenger seat.
Chi stepped on the brake, and the car paused slightly.
Chi Yanzhou turned over and gave up his seat.
"Reverse the car!"
Chi drove the car back another ten meters or so.
Lu Xici rolled down the car window, and a dozen fireballs burst forth from between his slender fingers.
The intense firelight pierced the darkness, illuminating the eerie scene ahead—the tree branches that had been straddling the middle of the road were slowly retreating to the sides like tentacles.
"Holy crap!" He Zhuo and Gu Wan rubbed their eyes simultaneously.
"They... seem to be moving?"
Lu Nange: "Be more confident, remove 'seems'."
Under the firelight, the plants on both sides twisted and turned wildly in retreat.
Countless branches and leaves rustled as they tried to extinguish the flames.
"Brother, let me do it!"
Lu Nange withdrew her psychic powers and quickly switched places with Lu Xici.
With a wave of her hand, a sudden gust of wind arose, and the fire instantly spread into two walls of flame, forcefully carving a path through the vegetation.
"Brother Chi, charge!"
With the engine roaring, the RV whooshed through the wall of fire.
In the rearview mirror, the burning trees extinguished the flames at an eerie speed, their twisted branches dancing wildly in the air.
The moment the RV burst through the wall of fire, the road ahead miraculously returned to a two-lane road, as if the terrifying moment had never happened.
"Look behind us!" Wen Qing and the others crowded around the car window, their eyes wide as they watched the plant barrier slowly close behind them.
The way those branches swayed and moved looked just like some living thing breathing.
He Zhuo: "Did the tree extinguish the fire?"
Gu Wan gripped the armrest of the seat: "This doesn't make sense!"
Lu Nange suddenly stiffened: "Stop talking nonsense, a fight is about to break out!"
He Zhuo let out a dry howl: "Can't a person get some rest?!"
Gu Wan turned her head: "Shall I give you a ride?"
He Zhuo tilted his head and looked at her blankly.
Luo Xingyou added insult to injury at the opportune moment: "Passed away!"
He Zhuo rolled his eyes: "Having you guys is truly my blessing!"
"They're here!" Lu Nange warned sternly.
Suddenly, the entire forest erupted in chaos, with countless vines whistling through the air as they lashed out from all directions.
The car windows rolled down immediately, and multicolored supernatural light exploded in the dim forest.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Plant tentacles, as thick as an adult's arm, lashed wildly at the car body.
Some dark green vines wriggled and wrapped around the tires and the car body like living creatures.
Lu Nange unleashed dozens of translucent air blades, shredding the attacking branches and leaves into fragments.
But more vines surged forth one after another, seemingly endless.
"Get out of the car!" Chi Yanzhou's voice pierced through the chaos: "The space inside is too cramped!"
Chi Yanzhou, Lu Nange, Lu Beiye, and Chi Yiwo unleashed their supernatural abilities at the window, while everyone except Wen Qing rushed out of the car.
"Scatter!!" Lu Xici roared, leaping out of the car first.
The group tacitly dispersed around the vehicle.
He Zhuo and Ji Xian slammed their hands on the ground at the same time, and the earthen wall rose up with a roar, temporarily blocking the wriggling vines from entering.
Lu Xici and Gu Wan were hit by fireballs like a barrage of bullets, the intense flames reflecting off their faces.
"Swish, swish, swish——"
Wherever Luo Xingyou's golden throwing knife passed, the vines snapped instantly.
On the other side, Gu Qi was controlling the high-pressure water jet, but he saw that the vines were excitedly twisting their bodies under the scouring, and rushing over in a more frantic manner.
Thorns sprouted from the ground and became entangled with the attacking vines.
He darted and weaved through the vegetation, dagger in hand, each flash of his blade sending up a spray of green sap.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lu Nange and the others got out of the car. With a wave of her hand, the entire RV disappeared into the void.
The group immediately tightened their formation, standing back to back to form a defensive circle.
Wen Qing stood at the center, holding a Tang sword and cradling a sleeping macaw.
The surrounding branches writhed as if alive, surging forward one after another.
Just as Chi Yanzhou's lightning crackled, Lu Nange's spiritual power dispersed.
"Yanzhou, Guqi, Chiyi, Zhuo, and Jixian, take care of our backs!" She spoke rapidly but clearly: "The rest of you, follow me and split the right side open!"
Chi Yanzhou and his four companions quickly moved to new positions.
Lu Nange crossed her hands, and dozens of wind blades roared out, forcefully cleaving a passage through the plant wall.
"Brother! Wanwan! Fire attack!" she shouted sternly.
Lu Xici and Gu Wan attacked simultaneously, smashing into both sides of the passage.
"Sister Xingyou, Aye, chop!"
Lu Beiye's throwing knife and Luo Xingyou's dart followed closely behind, cutting down all the branches that were trying to close up.
Lu Nange's palm strike suddenly intensified.
The howling air currents, carrying flames, raged through the narrow passage, creating a long, fiery corridor.
The twisted plants emitted a mournful 'scream,' trembling like living things as they scattered to both sides.
Run! Now!
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