The Corpse King, in its search for traces of humans, took out a lighter and a candle it carried. To find Shen Feng's whereabouts, the Corpse King needed to see its surroundings clearly even underground, so the candle was quickly lit.
In this instant, the tables turned. Shen Feng had been holding a flashlight, and all the zombies were attacking him. Now, Shen Feng hid in the shadows, while the Corpse King lit a candle. At this moment, Shen Feng was in the dark, and the Corpse King was in the light.
Shen Feng understood that he had only one chance. He immediately unleashed "Hurricane Eye," scattering the surrounding zombies, and then rushed towards the direction where the candle was lit. Only by killing the Corpse King could the current situation of being besieged by mutated zombies be resolved. As long as the Corpse King existed, it would control the mutated zombies to launch organized attacks!
In that instant, Shen Feng blew away the dozens of mutated zombies blocking his path and found the Corpse King hiding in the shadows. The strong wind blew out the candle again. The moment the light vanished, Shen Feng thrust his long sword into the Corpse King's chest, then twisted it forcefully. In that moment, bright red blood spurted from the Corpse King's chest, and it collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Chu Chaoyan said seriously, "Shen Feng, even if there is a third level of space here, we cannot stay for long. We should rush out from where we came down and then find a way to locate the passage to the first level. As long as no danger occurs during this time, we can leave."
Shen Feng nodded and prepared to do as Chu Chaoyan suggested, but fate intervened.
When Shen Feng killed the Corpse King that had discovered him, in a stone chamber on the third level, dozens of Corpse Kings sensed it. They could not believe that a companion hiding underground had been killed. It was simply incredible.
There was a unique way of communication among the Corpse Kings, which they themselves did not understand, but it did not prevent them from contacting each other through this method. Suddenly, one of the signals disappeared, leaving only one explanation: a Corpse King had been killed!
Under the candlelight, Ma Jingshuang slowly stood up and said, "It seems I underestimated humanity's will to survive. I didn't expect there to be survivors in the tunnels after so many days. However, he will stop here. Activate all the zombies on the third level, search for the enemy's traces, and everyone bring candles. You must find this hiding rat!"
There were also divisions of strength among the Corpse Kings. Ma Jingshuang, in particular, was the one who formulated the plan to attack Yan Jing. His intelligence and planning surpassed ordinary Corpse Kings. Now that he had issued orders, the other Corpse Kings had to obey. In this sense, Ma Jingshuang was the king among the Corpse Kings.
"You take your people to guard Pocket Valley and prevent humans from escaping from this side. This exit must not be exposed. Also, Old Li, you take the mutated zombies to protect the granary and prevent humans from approaching. The rest of you set out and force the intruders into a dead end! It's best to capture them alive; perhaps we can gather some necessary information." Ma Jingshuang commanded the other Corpse Kings. At this time, a net of encirclement began to be set up underground west of Yan Jing, and Shen Feng and Chu Chaoyan were the prey caught in it.
Shen Feng, carrying Chu Chaoyan on his back, hid in the shadows, not daring to turn on his flashlight. Once the flashlight was turned on, his position would be exposed, just like how the Corpse King was assassinated earlier. Shen Feng did not want to suffer the same fate.
Unfortunately, while Shen Feng did not want to illuminate the cave, the zombies began to move. Many mutated zombies emerged from a distant tunnel, holding candles. The situation in the cave was revealed for a moment. Shen Feng quickly looked towards the hole he had fallen through earlier, but zombies were continuously falling from above, indicating that the passage above was also blocked by zombies.
The mutated zombies kept passing the candles among themselves, and the illuminated area continued to expand. Shen Feng became anxious. He knew he would be discovered sooner or later if he stayed hidden. If he didn't make a decision now, he might not be able to escape later. However, it seemed there was no possibility of escape at the moment.
As the candles were passed among the mutated zombies, Chu Chaoyan observed a strange phenomenon: the flames of the candles seemed to be leaning in a fixed direction.
"Shen Feng, quickly observe the wind direction. Look closely, the flames of these candles are all leaning in one direction. This indicates there is wind inside the cave!" Chu Chaoyan quickly reminded Shen Feng of this.
Shen Feng suddenly realized that if there was wind, it meant there was an exit. He had been flustered. His ability was to control wind flow, but now he needed Chu Chaoyan to remind him, which was embarrassing. However, this also meant that as long as he moved in the direction the wind was blowing, he would surely find a way out.
Seeing the lit candles being passed continuously and the illuminated area in the cave growing larger, Shen Feng made a decisive move. He unleashed "As the Wind Follows" and rushed towards the direction the wind was blowing. He stepped on the heads of the mutated zombies, transforming into a gust of wind, and headed straight for the widest cave entrance.
The mutated zombies, seeing the enemy appear before them, swarmed to attack Shen Feng. Unfortunately, in the face of Shen Feng's speed, these mutated zombies were too slow to react.
With the illumination of the candlelight, Shen Feng could vaguely see the surrounding situation. He only needed to focus on escaping, which allowed him to move at high speed.
Upon entering the tunnel where the wind was blowing, Shen Feng turned on his flashlight again to illuminate the path ahead. Chu Chaoyan discovered that countless mutated zombies had reappeared in this tunnel. In the dark cave, no one knew how many zombies were hidden in the tunnel. Only by entering the tunnel could they find out.
To block Shen Feng's advance, the mutated zombies took an unexpected action. They began to stack upon each other, linking hands and feet, piling up layer by layer, as if to prevent Shen Feng from moving forward.
Zombies from behind also rushed forward. Shen Feng found himself caught in a pincer attack. In response, Shen Feng had to use "As the Wind Follows" to forcefully blow away the zombies charging from behind. However, the zombies blocking the path in front remained motionless. A single zombie could easily be blown away, and even tank-type zombies could only retreat in the face of Shen Feng's strong winds, unable to get close. But when dozens of zombies held onto each other, they firmly blocked the tunnel, giving Shen Feng no chance to advance.
With the path ahead blocked, Shen Feng could not proceed further. The mutated zombies at the edges clung to the walls, refusing to let go. They did not need to fight; their mission was to block Shen Feng's path. Even if they were killed by Shen Feng, as long as they could delay him, their mission would be accomplished.
Shen Feng, in a moment of inspiration, thought that since he couldn't repel these zombies, he should do the opposite and have them blow towards him.
Therefore, Shen Feng quickly instructed Chu Chaoyan, "Close your eyes and grab my shoulders!"
Chu Chaoyan quickly complied. At this moment, Shen Feng used "Vast East Wind." This gust of wind did not blow from behind to the front, but rather from the dark tunnel towards him. The zombies were tightly blocking Shen Feng's front, making it difficult for him to advance. However, their collective surface area for the wind to act upon had increased. When "Vast East Wind" was unleashed, the long wind blew from afar, converging in the small cave, immediately blowing down the stacked formation of zombies. The strong wind also extinguished the candles in the cave.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Shen Feng rushed forward. He could feel the increasingly strong wind, which indicated that the exit was ahead. Although he didn't understand why there was wind on the third level underground, it was no longer his concern. Now, all he wanted was to leave the underground.
Shen Feng ran through the dark tunnel for a long time. During this period, many mutated zombies tried to surround him, but without exception, they were all repelled by his "Hurricane Eye." Fortunately, the tunnels underground were relatively flat, so Shen Feng was not tripped.
After running for two kilometers, Shen Feng finally saw a white spot appearing ahead. It was a ray of light in the darkness, the direction from which the wind was blowing. That was the cave entrance. Once he reached that place, he would surely be able to leave. Now, only a few hundred meters remained. The hope of survival was right before him, and he had to seize it.
With this thought, Shen Feng couldn't help but accelerate. The closer he got to the cave entrance, the clearer the outside situation became. The outside was bright, but upon closer inspection, it was actually snowing. It seemed his guess was correct. The reason there was no water in the rock walls was because it was snowing, and the water sources were frozen.
However, there was still an obstruction in front of the cave entrance: dozens of mutated zombies blocked the entrance. What surprised Shen Feng the most was the presence of two Corpse Kings at the cave entrance. These two Corpse Kings had changed drastically. Their bodies were no longer thin but incredibly strong.
The Corpse Kings now possessed the bone spurs that only speed-type zombies grew, followed by the muscles of strong-type zombies, and the fat and regenerative abilities of tank-type zombies. Their bellies were slightly protruding, clearly indicating they had also learned the abilities of projectile-type zombies. These two Corpse Kings were definitely not incompetent beings like the ones Shen Feng had encountered in Rongcheng. They were Corpse Kings that had gathered the advantages of various mutated zombies, similar to Deng Jiahao. Back then, Shen Feng had only faced one such Corpse King, but now he had to face two, especially while carrying Chu Chaoyan as a burden.
"Kid, you've trespassed into our territory and still want to leave? Don't you think it's too easy?" one of the Corpse Kings said coldly.
Shen Feng did not answer. He used "As the Wind Follows" and intended to rush out of the underground. Even if he had to fight, it shouldn't be in the cave, as there would be no room to dodge. If the fight continued, he would surely be at a disadvantage.
As Shen Feng charged forward, one of the Corpse Kings blocked the cave entrance, while the other rushed forward to engage him.
Shen Feng dodged the charging Corpse King's attack. At this moment, the Corpse King at the cave entrance let out a sky-shattering roar. The scream instantly spread throughout the cave entrance. Shen Feng knew the power of the Corpse King's scream and immediately erected "King of Wind Barrier" to block the sonic attack.
However, the Corpse King that Shen Feng had dodged charged forward again and engaged him in a close-quarters fight. It possessed the speed of a speed-type zombie. Although it was not as fast as Shen Feng, with the distraction of its companion, it could still keep up with Shen Feng. This was also thanks to the narrow underground tunnel, where Shen Feng's speed advantage was difficult to utilize.
Shen Feng was fighting desperately to leave the tunnel. His eyes gradually turned red, and his reason began to fade. However, as Shen Feng's reason waned, his speed also surged. Chu Chaoyan was the first to notice Shen Feng's abnormality because Shen Feng's body was burning hot, and he was panting heavily, but his speed had increased to an incredible level.
Originally, Shen Feng could only run on the ground, but now, to leave the cave, Shen Feng could actually walk on the cave walls. His speed was already beyond human perception. However, even so, Shen Feng could not break through the defense of the two Corpse Kings and dozens of mutated zombies. He could see the cave entrance and feel the cold wind outside, but no matter how he charged, he was blocked by the Corpse Kings.
If he had to face the attack and entanglement of one Corpse King, Shen Feng could easily resolve it. Even if he couldn't win immediately, he could use his speed to escape. However, it was different in the underground tunnel. His speed could not be fully utilized, and he had to face the possibility of sneak attacks at any time.
The Corpse King at the cave entrance controlled the mutated zombies to form the Rōhan formation again. It continuously fired bone spurs, and sometimes issued sonic attacks at critical moments. Shen Feng could only fight while using "King of Wind Barrier." His stamina was constantly draining. He had already been fighting for a long time, and now facing the entanglement of two Corpse Kings, his stamina could not last much longer.
Shen Feng fought at the cave entrance for an hour. His speed slowed down again, and his stamina could no longer hold out for long. Now, he was only relying on sheer willpower to resist the Corpse Kings' attacks. If this willpower dissipated, he would be easily killed by the Corpse Kings.
Suddenly, two more Corpse Kings emerged from the tunnel behind Shen Feng. Although these two Corpse Kings were thin, they were protected by strong-type zombies and speed-type zombies. They organized a defensive line and charged towards Shen Feng with the zombies.
"Go!" The newly appeared Corpse King commanded the speed-type zombies to surround and attack Shen Feng. Meanwhile, projectile-type zombies in the distance sprayed acid. Forced to do so, Shen Feng had to dodge so many attacks. Under these circumstances, Shen Feng was gradually forced into a corner, making it seem impossible to leave the cave.
Shen Feng looked back at the dim world outside. The sky was getting dark, and when it did, he would not be able to see his surroundings, which would put him in an even more dangerous situation.
Finally, Shen Feng made a difficult decision. He first unleashed "Vast East Wind" to blow the zombies in the cave into disarray, then activated "King of Wind Barrier" to block the acid attack, and then unleashed his extreme speed, using "As the Wind Follows" to step on the walls and charge into the depths of the cave. Under these circumstances, Shen Feng finally decided to leave the battlefield and find another opportunity to leave later. Continuing to struggle would only exhaust his stamina and lead to death.
However, Shen Feng's wish to leave was not realized. The mutated zombies were indeed thrown into disarray, but the Corpse Kings were not significantly affected. The Corpse King entangled with Shen Feng instantly fired a series of bone spurs. Ten bone spurs struck the barrier one after another, and the cracks on the barrier increased. Finally, the ninth bone spur shattered Shen Feng's barrier.
Shen Feng did not have time to activate "King of Wind Barrier" again. The tenth bone spur had already reached Shen Feng's back. This bone spur instantly pierced Chu Chaoyan's back. Chu Chaoyan let out a muffled groan and was severely wounded. She was already weak from dehydration, and now she had taken such a blow. Blood immediately gushed out, unable to stop.
Shen Feng was very worried about Chu Chaoyan's condition, but the mutated zombies were attacking fiercely. He could only face attacks from all directions, not even caring about the direction of escape, as long as he found a passage to move forward, he would keep going.
But Shen Feng did not realize that these so-called passages were all areas deliberately opened by the zombies. The direction he was heading was all areas with weak defenses that could easily break through the defense line. In other words, these passages were specifically prepared for Shen Feng to advance.
Shen Feng had no time to think too much. His stamina was almost exhausted. The most important thing now was to find a place to catch his breath and check Chu Chaoyan's injuries. If she did not receive timely treatment, Chu Chaoyan would surely not be able to hold on.
Finally, Shen Feng found a spacious tunnel. There were no mutated zombies here, and it was definitely safe. But after walking in, Shen Feng realized that this was not a path to survival, but a dead end!
After exiting the tunnel, the terrain suddenly opened up. Upon closer inspection, the surroundings were all stone walls. This was a naturally formed mountain cave, and the ground was a giant crack, more than twenty meters wide. The bottom of the crack was dark, and nothing could be seen. This seemed to be the abyss from Greek mythology, an abyss that one could not escape from once entered.
Now Shen Feng finally understood why this passage was not guarded by zombies. This was a giant abyss, and guarding it would be useless, as it was a dead end.
Shen Feng carefully placed Chu Chaoyan, who was on his back, down. However, Chu Chaoyan's clothes on her back were already stained with blood. Her face was pale, and her eyes could close at any moment.
Shen Feng quickly pulled the bone spur from Chu Chaoyan's back, then tore off his inner garment and used it as a bandage to wrap Chu Chaoyan's wound. After performing first aid to stop the bleeding, Shen Feng brought the water bottle from his backpack to Chu Chaoyan's lips, but Chu Chaoyan could not drink a single drop of water.
"Shen Feng, it seems we are doomed. I have something I want to tell you, listen carefully: I like you." Chu Chaoyan gave a pale smile and then slowly closed her eyes.
Shen Feng bit his lip, and tears fell uncontrollably. He then slowly said, "I know, I know. I just never dared to admit it. Now that we are destined to die, I can answer you. I like you too!"
Shen Feng and Chu Chaoyan had been together for a long time, even when they were on expeditions. Chu Chaoyan always stayed by Shen Feng's side, and Shen Feng had grown accustomed to this companionship. However, he had been avoiding this relationship. He knew he already had a wife. Although the wedding was simple and no one congratulated them, Chang Jianyi was destined to be the person he loved most in his life. Shen Feng did not want to transfer this affection to anyone else.
But now, facing a desperate situation, Shen Feng could only face his inner feelings. He reciprocated Chu Chaoyan's feelings.
"Clap, clap, clap..." Suddenly, applause echoed through the tunnel. A Corpse King, accompanied by hundreds of mutated zombies, walked out. They were holding candles for illumination, and the applause came from this Corpse King. He clapped and said, "How touching. Two lovers in a desperate situation have finally admitted their feelings. It makes me tear up. Do you want to live? Surrender to me, and I will spare your lives. As long as you provide information, I will let you go and let you leave here!"
Shen Feng lowered his head and sat on the spot with a blank expression, but his eyes flickered, as if he was contemplating whether this was worth it.
The Corpse King continued, "My name is Ma Jingshuang. Perhaps you have heard my name, but it is no longer important. If you want to live, you can only do so with my consent. As long as you provide information, I will let you go, and I guarantee that I will not spread this news. After you leave, you can become a hero who escaped from the zombies. How about it? This condition is quite good, isn't it?"
Shen Feng did not answer. He did not know how to make a choice. On one hand, there was the hope of survival; on the other hand, there was the certainty of death.
If he told the Corpse King enough information, the Corpse King might break through Yan Jing, thereby destroying humanity's hope. However, this could temporarily preserve his life. If he did not make this deal, he would surely die and never see his beloved family again. Everything he had desperately earned would no longer belong to him. Dying young seemed too tragic.