Chapter Sixty-Nine: Bai Xiaochun's Combat Prowess

After more than ten minutes, the air was saturated with the aroma of roasted meat. If someone sprinkled a little cumin or other spices, the scent would be quite tempting. Yet, upon seeing the source of this fragrance, even Fang Xia, a man hardened by six years of apocalypse, found it hard to stomach. Though they were zombies, their resemblance to humans made the ordeal difficult to accept emotionally.

In the distance, Bai Xing and her companions anxiously watched the towering flames on the bridge. The discomfort of the zombies meant nothing to her; she only cared about that tiny figure in her sight, fearful that something might happen to Fang Xia. Many knew that Fang Xia could teleport, but only three times—a secret reserved for a handful on the second floor. Some of the young women believed their leader remained above to observe the situation.

"Too slow. I need to add more fuel," Fang Xia muttered to himself. He retrieved several blocks of alcohol from his space and tossed them onto the bridgehead, literally pouring oil on the flames. "At least it's not cold anymore..." Amid the inferno, the chill vanished. The blaze raged for nearly an hour, scorching the bridge until it was pitch black. Amidst the charred surface, some transparent crystals still gleamed. No one knew how these upgrade crystals came to be; they couldn’t be broken, but once placed in the mouth, they melted.

Led by Bai Xing and Li Xiaochun, the young women began to cross the bridge, extinguishing fires and finishing off zombies, stooping whenever they spotted an upgrade crystal. By the time they traversed the entire bridge, Fang Xia was already sitting calmly, waiting for them.

Seeing that Fang Xia was safe, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Brother Fang, this method can't be used often; otherwise, the bridge might be destroyed," Bai Xing remarked, glancing at the scorched surface.

Fang Xia had noticed it too. The bridge was sturdy, but it wouldn’t withstand repeated burning. There were still five days of zombie rain ahead. Burning once daily was out of the question.

"We'll do it this way today. When we head back, I'll leave more alcohol blocks on the bridge. In five days, we'll come burn it again," Fang Xia said, his plans disrupted. He needed to thoroughly scout the outside today. At the very least, he didn’t want to see the zombie horde besieging the city before he left.

The bridge was an area Fang Xia’s team cleaned daily, having cleared a vast space, but now zombies had reclaimed it. They’d have to start all over again.

"Bai Xing, Xiaochun, you two keep your eyes peeled, especially for third-tier zombies," Fang Xia instructed. Only the three of them could handle third-tier zombies. The others, even in groups, would surely suffer casualties, which Fang Xia wanted to avoid.

The battle commenced. After descending the bridge, they first needed to clear a stronghold; otherwise, they’d soon be overwhelmed from all sides by zombies.

Li Xiaochun was the first to unleash her gifted powers. With her abilities activated, even third-tier zombies couldn’t breach her defenses—she was utterly fearless.

Soon, everyone could progress toward third-tier status. Only upon reaching that level would they truly understand their own limits. Ideally, they’d have more tanks like Li Xiaochun.

Relying on her formidable defenses, the young women carved out a patch of ground within ten minutes.

"Set up the stronghold," the squad leaders called out, each possessing a space ring. They pulled out spiked wooden stakes from their rings, and a dozen young women swiftly arranged them.

"Not bad," Fang Xia remarked. It had been a long time since he ventured outside the city, and he was impressed by their ingenuity.

"It was Sister Rui’s idea—we just followed her lead," one of the women replied.

Of course, Liu Rui was reliable—both in and out of bed, Fang Xia mused.

The stakes couldn’t fully block the zombies, but they eased the pressure on the defenders and allowed for fewer guards, making it possible for them to rotate and rest.

"Brother Fang, there are lots of second-tier zombies," Bai Xing said, standing beside Fang Xia. She was an assassin, not a reckless warrior like Li Xiaochun, so she wouldn’t charge ahead.

"That’s normal. As long as there aren’t too many third-tier zombies, it’s fine," Fang Xia answered. This wave of zombie rain was meant for second-tier zombies. Without them, how could he level up?

But what was meant to come, came.

A zombie, mingling within the horde, brandished sharp claws that set it apart. Its eyes flashed with unusual clarity, unnoticed by anyone. In the next moment, it reverted to a vacant expression, charging forward like the others.

"Xiaochun, another second-tier zombie," someone called out.

"I got it," Li Xiaochun responded, stepping up without hesitation.

The young women watched her with admiration—this sister was reliable and always stepped up when needed.

Li Xiaochun casually split two first-tier zombies, then faced the second-tier one without a hint of panic. She had slain countless second-tier zombies—this was nothing.

She raised her hands high, bringing her battle blade down in a heavy arc.

"Wait, something’s wrong," she thought.

A hint of mockery flashed in the zombie’s eyes.

"Sister Xiaochun, it’s a third-tier zombie—its eyes are clear!" one of the young women shouted, having seen it clearly.

But Li Xiaochun couldn’t alter her attack now. The third-tier zombie dodged with extreme agility, its claws swiping at her chest. Her clothes tore, but there was no blood. In that critical moment, she activated her tenacity skill, blocking the deadly blow.

"Courting death," Li Xiaochun growled, grabbing the zombie’s claw with her left hand, immobilizing it. Her right hand, fueled by anger, brought the blade down, shattering its skull.

"Not good, there’s another third-tier zombie over here!"

"And here!"

Several voices rang out simultaneously.

Fang Xia and Bai Xing were already on the move. Without the ability to teleport, Fang Xia could only wait for the zombies to approach.

"Xiaochun, support us!"

In this situation, Li Xiaochun’s abilities made her the most suited to clear third-tier zombies. She didn’t waste time, charging directly into the zombie horde while her skill lasted.

"Xiaochun, left side, two meters—one’s approaching you," someone called out.

Without looking, Li Xiaochun swung her blade to the left. Countless zombies grabbed at her, but she didn’t bother to dodge—they couldn’t harm her anyway.

Li Xiaochun, who only needed to attack and never defend, was like a goddess descended. In a few swings, she destroyed the third-tier zombie.

"Front right, about five meters," another voice guided her.

Li Xiaochun pushed forward with all her strength, forcing the zombies back. She spotted another third-tier zombie. Discarding her heavy blade, she pulled a dagger from her space ring.

Leaping over several zombies, she tackled the third-tier zombie. The others swarmed her, grabbing and biting, their saliva soaking her back.

With swift precision, her dagger pierced the zombie’s skull. With all her limbs, she flung the zombies off her.

On the other side, Bai Xing’s long legs powered her to the front in several strides. Her body twisted in an uncanny motion, perfectly evading the third-tier zombie’s attack.