Thin wisps of smoke carrying the aroma of roasted beef drifted through the damp night air of the Lantern Sector. For the first time in weeks, the refugee camp in the corner of the meat market was no longer filled with the cries of starvation. Wu Chen sat leaning against an empty wooden crate, chewing on a piece of roasted meat with an unreadable expression. Across from him, Xiao Yu ate so ravenously that her cheeks bulged, while Doctor Liu was busy distributing fresh herbal medicine to the residents. The food supplies and medical logistics from Boss Hei’s black market were finally flowing in smoothly. The Blood Contract signed by the ruler of the Black Pavilion truly guaranteed that the gears of life for the Dead Meridian Clan kept turning without hindrance. A rare tranquility had finally settled over these outcasts. "Eat slowly, kid. Nobody’s going to snatch your meat," Wu Chen chided, handing a cup of water to Xiao Yu. "Y-yes, Brother... the meat is so delicious.

The giant Dadao blade, enveloped in toxic red energy, sliced through the night air with a terrifying hum. Seeing that lethal edge aiming straight for his and Uncle Chen’s necks, Wu Chen had no time to overthink. Driven by pure survival instinct, he scooped up a handful of filthy mud from the ground and hurled it with all his might right into the dark red eyes of the intelligent mutant. Slaasssh! Xing tilted his head slightly to dodge the splatter of mud, causing the massive swing of his Dadao to miss Wu Chen’s shoulder by a few centimeters and slam into the muddy ground, blasting a small crater. "Doctor Liu! Pull everyone back right now!" Wu Chen roared at the top of his lungs, grabbing the collar of the semi-conscious Uncle Chen’s robe and dragging the old man's burly body out of Xing’s reach. Doctor Liu, trembling violently on the verge of panic, gasped in shock. "R-retreat to where?! The front gate is surrounded by hundreds of zombies!" "Through the secr

Wu Chen's thin body was sent crashing violently onto the marble floor in the center of the open silk factory. The impact was so brutal that his body skidded several meters, leaving a long trail of fresh blood across the dusty floor before finally coming to a stop beneath the pale moonlight pouring through the shattered glass roof."Ugh! Bastard..." Wu Chen groaned hoarsely.He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. His entire vision spun violently. His broken ribs seemed to pierce straight into his internal organs, while the wound on his arm had torn open again, spilling blood that soaked through what remained of his black robe.He tried to push himself up with both hands, but his muscles screamed in protest, completely refusing the commands from his brain.From behind the darkness of the ruined weaving machines came the slow, heavy sound of iron boots approaching.Tap... tap... tap...Xing stepped out of the shadows.The former Forging-level general, now mutated into a monster, was no l

Wu Chen's face scraped against a pool of his own blood mixed with the foul-smelling lubricant oil that had spilled across the floor. He tried to command his left leg to support his body, but the only response he received was absolute emptiness. His left leg was completely dead, left behind his body like a rotten piece of wood no longer connected to the nerves in his brain.Standing before him, Xing towered over the battlefield. The former Forging-level general slowly lowered his massive Dadao blade. A hoarse, terrifying laugh rumbled from his ruined throat, echoing through the dark walls of the silk factory."Fall..." Xing growled, his dark-red eyes staring at Wu Chen with the mockery of a victorious predator. "Rat... can't run anymore. Die here."Wu Chen lowered his head and looked behind his left knee. The flesh had been torn wide open. His Achilles tendon had been completely severed. Blood was still pouring from the wound, but he felt none of the pain. He merely stared at the fatal

FWOOOSH!Blue-red flames shot forward like lightning, racing wildly along the trail of spilled lubricant across the marble floor like a swarm of starving serpents. The moment the flames touched the thousands of strands of silk webbing binding Xing's body in midair, a much larger explosion erupted, violently illuminating the entire interior of the old factory."ARRRGGGHHH!"Xing's roar was deafening, overpowering the thunderous roar of the flames now consuming his massive body.The weaving lubricant soaking the silk threads and the former general's armor acted as the perfect fuel.Within seconds, the Forging-level mutant had become a gigantic human torch suspended in midair.His mutated pale skin began to blister, boil, and melt onto the marble floor like hot wax. The black meridian veins covering his body ruptured under the extreme heat, tearing apart as the flames burned through his flesh alive.Xing thrashed wildly, his remaining right hand desperately reaching toward empty air, but