Just then.
Seeing the mist spreading around, Zhang Wei didn't hesitate. He grabbed the镇国级 (Zhen Guo Ji - National Guardian level) artifact, the White Feather Fan, from his waist and shouted:
"Everyone, come to me. Hill, let's try to fan a way out together."
"Alright."
Hill nodded directly. Spreading his back, three pairs of fallen angel wings unfurled.
Following that.
Zhang Wei fanned the fan, and Hill fanned his wings. A gale surged, transforming into two dragon-like tornadoes that rushed towards the east.
Boom!
The wind swept through.
A path was forcefully cleared through the surrounding mist.
"Quick, stay close to me. Everyone grab the clothes or hands of the person in front, absolutely do not get separated."
As he spoke.
Zhang Wei saw that the path fanned open seemed like a breach. The surrounding mist was rapidly surging towards the path, as if trying to fill this mist-free road. The speed was astonishing, rolling and surging.
Zhang Wei and Hill dared not delay. They continuously fanned the fan and their black wings, blowing away the mist that entered the path, ensuring the passage remained clear of mist, then led everyone quickly into the path, aiming to exit the mist range as soon as possible.
However.
The mist range was too vast.
Zhang Wei and the others walked for a full half a kilometer without exiting the mist range. Moreover, because they were heading deeper into the Yunnan Worm Valley, their visibility in the mist was low, and they encountered attacks from Gu worms.
"Careful!"
"Damn it, it's Gu worm centipedes, so many?! When did they get here?"
"Fire, use fire quickly, these Gu worm centipedes are afraid of fire."
Lin Gushi shouted while fumbling in his backpack for a yellow talisman, intending to set fire to repel the centipedes.
It could be seen.
In the mist on their sides, there were constant crunching sounds. A large number of centipedes emerged, their numbers overwhelming, numbering in the thousands or tens of thousands. The crunching sound was the sound of their legs crawling. The sheer quantity, dense and numerous, was enough to trigger trypophobia.
Just as Lin Gushi held the yellow talisman between his fingers, about to activate it to burn.
"Don't use fire."
Zhang Wei, Huang Xiaodan, and the Fengmen Zombie all shouted in unison.
Then.
Huang Xiaodan urgently exclaimed:
"The mist smells like flour. If you use fire, the entire mist might ignite. Then we won't be in the mist, but in a sea of fire."
Zhang Wei also chimed in:
"The mist is very dense. I'm not as sensitive as Huang Xiaodan, but the mist clearly has dust particles."
As his words fell.
Lin Gushi, startled, quickly stopped activating the yellow talisman.
It was at this moment.
The Fengmen Zombie's voice came:
"I know what this mist is. Damn it, it's the legendary Corpse Tide Mist."
His voice was loud, intentionally alerting everyone. Everyone present heard it, including the old corpse driver.
Instantly.
The old corpse driver's face showed shock, his beard trembling with fear:
"What did you say? This is Corpse Tide Mist? Does Corpse Tide Mist really exist in this world?"
As he spoke.
The old corpse driver, ignoring everyone's questions, quickly explained:
"Everyone, don't worry about encountering the mist. A brief contact with the mist is fine, but absolutely do not stay in the mist for 10 minutes, otherwise you will contract corpse poison. In 10 minutes, you will be poisoned and turn into a corpse."
The Fengmen Zombie took over the conversation:
"This old man is right. This is Corpse Tide Mist, which can form when a 'Han Ba' exhales and reacts with a corpse-raising ground. Do you know the saying 'When the Han Ba emerges, the land turns to scorched earth for a thousand miles'? In fact, this refers to Corpse Tide Mist."
As he spoke.
The Fengmen Zombie's face was grim. He quickly scanned the surrounding mist, seemingly trying to find something. However, the visibility was too low. Apart from the path opened by Zhang Wei and Hill, nothing else could be seen:
"There must be a corpse-raising ground nearby, and a Han Ba is present. We must leave here quickly."
In response.
Hu Shiliu looked somewhat puzzled, glancing at the Fengmen Zombie, Zhang Wei, Hill, and the others, and couldn't help but say:
"Legend says the Han Ba is of Zhen Guo Ji level, with tough skin. But we also have Zhen Guo Ji level individuals here, and Captain Zhang Wei wields a Zhen Guo Ji artifact. Coupled with the rest of us, dealing with a Han Ba might be tricky, but it should be manageable, right?"
Huang Xiaodan also chimed in:
"Yeah, the Han Ba is indeed terrifying. It's said to be the most terrifying zombie, but we have so many experts, and we even have the legendary primordial fallen angel. There's no need to just run."
The others remained silent.
But during the fight against the Gu worm centipedes, they kept glancing over, their intentions clear, mirroring Huang Xiaodan and Hu Shiliu's thoughts. The Fengmen Zombie also noticed this. He casually crushed a centipede lunging at him and slowly replied:
"One Han Ba can indeed be dealt with. But did I say there was only one Han Ba?"
As he spoke.
Everyone was startled. Then the old corpse driver's words followed:
"The reason Corpse Tide Mist is legendary is because it's almost impossible to occur. A Han Ba appearing once in an era is rare, but the appearance of Corpse Tide Mist, according to legend, requires... at least two Han Ba to form. This means... there are two Han Ba nearby."
As he spoke.
The old corpse driver was moved:
"Yunnan Worm Valley actually has Han Ba, and two of them, or even more. This place is a veritable stronghold of corpses. Living people should not come here."
Following his words, no one present could remain calm. Huang Xiaodan's eyelids twitched rapidly, and he quickly said:
"Let's get out of here quickly. My god, what kind of cursed place is this? Having legendary Han Ba is one thing, but having two of them at once!"
On the other side.
Zhang Wei also frowned. Upon learning about the Corpse Tide Mist, he had already quickened his pace, rapidly clearing a path with Hill, wanting to leave the Corpse Tide Mist range as soon as possible.
There was no other way.
Although he wasn't afraid of the Han Ba, and even wanted to see the legendary most powerful zombie, the Han Ba, with his own eyes, others were not so fortunate. If anyone present were killed by a Han Ba, he couldn't guarantee finding Wan Taisui alone. The trace of Wan Taisui required everyone's abilities.
"Everyone, speed up and follow me. Let's quickly exit the Corpse Tide Mist. Fengmen Zombie, Old Corpse Driver, do you know how large the range of the Corpse Tide Mist is?"
Zhang Wei asked, fanning the White Feather Fan.
The Fengmen Zombie and the old corpse driver didn't play coy, fully aware of the current danger. They quickly responded:
"Corpse Tide Mist only exists in legends. When a Han Ba emerges, the land turns to scorched earth for a thousand miles. That saying is not false. This means the range of Corpse Tide Mist is hard to say. It could be a thousand miles, or even larger. However, the Corpse Tide Mist has only just appeared, so it shouldn't be that large."
"I estimate it depends on the Han Ba's breathing. Judging by the mist's density, we should be able to walk out quickly."
The old corpse driver also said:
"I'm not sure how large it is, because this is only recorded in ancient texts. No one has seen it firsthand. Perhaps those who saw it are all dead. I can only say to try not to inhale the mist. 10 minutes is the limit. For ordinary people, a single inhalation might cause them to turn into a corpse."
"Back then, during the battle with the Yellow Emperor, it is said that the Yellow Emperor's daughter was the Han Ba. She caused a corpse tide, leading to scorched earth for a thousand miles. Wherever she passed, no one survived, and that's how the concept of zombies came about. Let's keep moving, as quickly as possible."
...