I was sent out of my daze when I heard a scream.
"..."
I started running towards its source. Kiana followed right after. She already took out the handgun on her waist. She flicked the safety off, and stood still. I avoided her range of sight.
Then, I saw it. A woman is grotesquely bitten to death by a man. Vague purple lines can be seen on his neck. Blood splattered in his mouth and coat.
"Uk…"
The woman's neck formed a blood fountain. It is extremely disgusting. She lay helplessly on the ground, her body occasionally spasming.
The man stood with a growl. He examined his surroundings before locking on someone else.
Kiana is faster than him.
Bang-!
Bang-!
It is a body shot. The man got winded as he fell to the ground.
Kiana lowered her gun and ran straight to the man. Amidst the horrified gazes of the strangers…
Bang-!
She shot him straight to the head.
"Growl!"
"Ah?!"
"Get away—!"
The scene became more chaotic. The spiritual qi in this town slowly became thicker. Yet, the ones initially struck with honkai energy still became zombies.
We are at an intersection. Bumped cars and even a truck could be seen. Their drivers are no longer human.
Incidents of collapsed people waking up could be seen in all four main roads.
Bam-!
An explosion emerged from our left side. I saw a thick cloud of dust rise into the ground.
Swoosh-!
Its aftershock blew a strong wind in our direction.
"The gas station…"
A cold sensation gripped my heart.
That is twelve deaths at minimum.
Add to that the zombie here…
"She did not turn."
I heard Kiana's mumble. I looked at the woman who died of bleeding. Then, to the zombie Kiana killed. I saw bits of spiritual qi emerge from the corpse.
Free energy…
I think I get it.
The moment honkai strikes, people become afflicted with honkai energy. It begins to affect their body—alter it into something else. It is not free energy.
Only when its host dies will honkai energy return to the surface… it is considered free energy by then.
I can't do anything to the people afflicted by it. I did not make techniques like [Two Phase Art] once my cultivation problem was solved.
Bad news: The [Two Phase Art] does not cover these zombies..!
…
"Fu…"
I cleared up my mind. I saw Kiana's gaze. She did not say anything to me. My blank-outs are evident.
"I am still adapting to this."
I took the strapped sword case out of my shoulder. I replaced it with one of the cases in Kiana's luggage.
With two flicks, I opened it. The silver blade has a sleek and slender build. Its two sharp edges glinted with a threatening light. Its handle is composed of some black iron with red colored lines. It is dim.
A jian.
It perfectly matched the characteristics of my dozen sword techniques. Its cold touch and fitted handle felt perfectly in my hand.
"Let's separate. Try to save as much."
"I will take the luggage with me." Kiana said.
"Um."
It is not my first time seeing her serious side. Then again, it feels very cool to see her different from her usual self.
This jian's sword case won't fit in the luggage. I placed it on my left shoulder.
We did not speak any further. She took the east side of the Intersection while I took the north side.
My [Cloud Seeking Steps] nimbly avoided the crashed cars. It only took ten seconds to get across to the opposite side.
"Grra..!"
A growl came to my right side. My body reacted first before my mind.
Psshk-!
The jian's tip pierced the zombie's head like tofu. Blood and brain matter spurted when I pulled it out.
Looking at the zombie…
She's more than familiar. It's one of the couples Kiana asked earlier.
My eyes caught a still body in the back of the crashed cars. I walked over and saw the man's entire lower half pulverized by the cars. His eyes were wide open when he died.
Then, it hit me.
The pungent smell of blood. It smells like iron, but worse.
Psshk.
My right foot stepped on something. I raised it and saw muscle tissue… no, a part of the intestine?
…
This is sickening.
My internal spiritual qi circulation prevented my body from acting up. In normal times, it is in the state of automatic internal circulation or automatic recovery. That 'locks' the 'refreshing' effect in my body, thus staying in its optimal state.
Still…
"Keuk!"
I vomited my saliva. My right hand that was holding the jian trembled. I stood still for a second or two.
I stepped away from the violent scene. My footsteps left a trail made out of blood.
Then, my entire mind starts to focus like crazy. My body's occasional trembling stopped. All that mattered is the things I am seeing now.
"Grr..!"
Splatter-!
My right hand did not hesitate to cut the zombie's head horizontally. Its upper half flew off somewhere. Its remains dropped to my side with a thud.
I looked ahead.
There are still many zombies to clear out.
Strangely, I felt calm. I can feel my heartbeat. My strong body. My month's worth of cultivation did not go to waste.
I began to re-circulate [Cloud Seeking Steps].
It is time for it to show its 'means of attack'.
Swoosh-!
My surroundings turned into a blur. I held my jian diagonally sideways.
My first victim came too fast.
"@@#^&..!"
The woman being attacked by the zombie said something slavic. I can't understand it. Though, she pushed the zombie away from her. This is favorable for me.
The moment my blade's sharp edge struck the zombie's neck, it dragged the zombie with me as I ran. It did not take long for its neck to be fully incapacitated.
Psshk-!
Blood flew in front of me. It stained the coat I am wearing.
I did not stop running. I killed every other zombie that I came across with like this. My physical strength is enough to do this feat. That, and the acceleration caused by my technique.
I did come across ones that ran a bit too fast.
For him…
"...interchange."
The spiritual qi circulation and formula are finished. A strange connection is formed between me and the ground. This 'feeling' forced the ground to change.
This is the [Five Elements Dao Sutra] at work—to be specific, its [Mountain Rising Art]. Qi REfining Realm can only use it to raise rocks... but that is enough.
A one-meter irregular rock rose up in place. I expected the zombie to run into it…
Thud-!
Psshk-!
…to which it did. It tripped down. Its own momentum caused its face to be dragged into the ground. When I ran close enough, I did not give it any other chances. I stopped in its place. The momentum from my feet went up to my arms.
The gathered force went to the jian that I stabbed below.
Bam-!
Crack-!
A web of crack emerged on the ground. The zombie's head exploded, staining my pants and shoes with blood. The jian's tip is embedded several inches into the ground.
The zombie's remaining body spasmed every now and then.
I did not stop.
"Fu…"
I gripped my jian's handle and readied for another round.