Dao of The Demonic Cultivator

More than an hour later, Tang Jinchuan and his two companions slowly regained consciousness. Upon waking, their heads throbbed with unbearable pain, as if a giant elephant had trampled over them repeatedly. The two men remained frightened, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.

Tang Jinchuan, mustering the last remnants of his strength, formed a shield from his dwindling fat reserves and cautiously approached the warehouse. However, inside the warehouse, there was nothing left.

The bloated body of the mutated spider queen had vanished without a trace. The spider webs that had once blanketed the warehouse were now completely incinerated, leaving only a few strands in the corners. Had Tang Jinchuan not seen these remnants, he might have doubted whether the mutated spider queen had ever existed.

He could not see the array flags that Chu Xuan had planted. Chu Xuan, to ensure security, had concealed all the flags with an illusion array, making them invisible to those with weak Psionic abilities.

The two men supported each other as they staggered over to Tang Jinchuan. Observing the now empty warehouse, they couldn't help but feel amazed.

"Bro Tang, seems we've benefited from that great man's actions," one of them murmured.

"Yeah, if it weren't for him taking out that mutated spider queen, we'd be dead by now."

"It looks like all the spiders here are gone, we can safely check the buses now," the other added softly.

Rejuvenated by this realization, Tang Jinchuan said, "Right! Let's make the most of our time! We'll report everything that happened here to the boss once we get back."

Their luck was good. Three of the buses in the warehouse were largely intact and operational. Two others were slightly damaged but could still be driven after some repairs. Moreover, they found a significant amount of gasoline and diesel in the warehouse, which could serve as fuel for their evacuation.

"Five buses, and only three of us to drive them," Tang Jinchuan declared, waving his hand, "Let's head back to the company immediately and get some help."

By dusk, they returned to Black Blade Security Company. In the main hall, Wang Gangjian, Wang Yong, and Song Dayi looked utterly dejected. Tang Jinchuan entered with a joyful expression, but his face fell when he saw them, especially upon noticing that Song Dayi was missing an arm.

"What happened? Things didn't go well?" Tang Jinchuan asked.

Wang Yong managed a bitter smile, "My trip to the factory went smoothly enough, but I only found one large truck that was still operational. Song, you..."

Song Dayi, still pale, spoke softly, "I encountered two high-level zombies. Everyone I took with me died, and I lost an arm but barely managed to survive."

Wang Gangjian sighed, "We only found one large truck, which is far from enough. If push comes to shove, we might have to draw lots..." He couldn't finish the sentence.

The mere thought of drawing lots to decide who could escape on the truck was too cruel. Most of the members of Black Blade Security Company were old buddies who had been with him since before the zombie crisis started. The idea of abandoning them was unbearable.

Tang Jinchuan chuckled, breaking the somber mood. "Don't look so gloomy; I've got some good news."

The three men looked at him in surprise. "Did you find some buses?" they asked.

Tang Jinchuan grinned mischievously. "Guess how many."

Wang Yong thought for a moment and held up two fingers, "Two?"

Tang Jinchuan shook his head.

Song Dayi held up three fingers, "Three?"

Again, Tang Jinchuan shook his head.

Wang Gangjian frowned, "Don't tell me there's only one? How would that be good news?"

Tang Jinchuan couldn't stop smiling, "You're all wrong—it's five!"

Wang Gangjian and the others were stunned, then their eyes lit up with elation. Five buses! If they packed them a bit more, they could surely fit everyone. There might even be enough room left over to load some extra supplies.

"Tang! You better not be joking!" Wang Gangjian said excitedly.

Tang Jinchuan replied earnestly, "I've checked them myself. All five buses are in good working condition, there are some spare parts, and there's plenty of fuel. It's enough to get us to the territory of the Linjiang Army."

The Linjiang Army's main stronghold was in Dragon River City, the capital of Linjiang Province. Although the direct distance from East Lake City to Longjiang City was only about 500 kilometers, the actual journey could be fraught with various unforeseen dangers, and the road traveled would definitely exceed 500 kilometers. Naturally, the more fuel they had, the better.

"Great! As soon as it's light tomorrow, we'll go and bring the buses over," Wang Gangjian said, hardly able to contain his joy.

Even Song Dayi's pale face brightened slightly with relief.

"Weren't you in any danger, Tang?" Wang Yong asked.

Tang Jinchuan's expression turned serious, "There was danger. If it weren't for some good luck, I might not have made it back."

Wang Gangjian and the others tensed up, "Tell us everything."

Tang Jinchuan then recounted everything that had happened at the East Lake City Bus Company. After hearing the tale, the three men were speechless, their minds struggling to settle from the shock of the ordeal described.

"Flying with a sword?"

"Controlling zombies! And he can control fire!"

"And the spider silk that you couldn't break after dozens of attempts, he just sliced through it effortlessly?"

The three men exchanged glances, each seeing the shock in the others' eyes. Who was this person? Did East Lake City really harbor such a formidable individual?

"Controlling zombies... Back on the highway, didn't a wolf pack get wiped out by a Superhuman who could control zombies?" Wang Yong suddenly remembered a past incident. The elimination of the wolf pack had occurred several months ago.

Wang Gangjian also paused, then slapped his thigh in realization, "That's right! It all connects now!"

"Could it be the same person?!" Song Dayi exclaimed in surprise, "Which means, East Lake City has been home to a powerful Superhuman all this time!"

The trio was momentarily thrilled. This Superhuman must be of a high level, at least a second-level, and possibly even the legendary third level.

However, their excitement soon faded as they remembered the grim reality. Even the most powerful Superhuman is no match for a zombie tide.

General Ye of the Linjiang Army, a third-level Superhuman, had once single-handedly broken through a zombie horde to rescue sixteen researchers from the Life Sciences Research Institute.

Yet, even he wouldn't dare to face a horde of tens of thousands of zombies alone. There's a saying that fits well here: enough ants can kill an elephant.

A Superhuman's Psionic powers are not infinite. Once depleted, they must rely on their physical bodies, which can easily be overwhelmed by a tide-like swarm of zombies. Moreover, some individuals' talents are not suited for combat.

What good is a third-level Superhuman then?

When the zombie tide comes, wouldn't they need to flee East Lake City just like everyone else?

"Let's not overthink this. Our evacuation plan remains unchanged," Wang Gangjian said solemnly.

"Agreed," the three responded gravely.

The next day, five buses, one large truck, and four cars were ready outside Black Blade Security Company. The company's premises had been cleared out. All important materials, grains, and other provisions were loaded into the vehicles. Under Tang Jinchuan's direction, every member efficiently boarded the vehicles.

At Wang Gangjian's command, the convoy set off, heading northward!