Invincible Beyond Heavens: Cultivating With A Broken EXP System - Chapter 160: Battle!

Chapter 160: Battle!

“Let us move,” Fu Ting said decisively.

At her command, the group abandoned their Moon Gazing Rhinoceros mounts and proceeded on foot into the Black Wind Desert. Although traveling with mounts would have made the journey easier, they had not come to sightsee. Their objective was to hunt Blood Zombies, and moving conspicuously across the sands risked alerting hidden enemies.

The Black Wind Desert was immense, spanning a territory comparable to two or three entire Tiandu Countries. After advancing for the time it took an incense stick to burn, they had only just reached the innermost area of the outer desert. Another two to three hundred miles ahead would mark the true depths of the Black Wind Desert.

Throughout the journey, Li Yun and the others did not encounter a single Blood Zombie. Instead, they crossed paths with several other teams of disciples from the Martial Ascension Gate.

There was no exchange of words between them. At most, they acknowledged one another with distant nods before continuing on their separate paths. Every group had come for the same purpose, to hunt Blood Zombies and earn contribution points. In such circumstances, they were competitors rather than allies, and each side remained wary of the other.

“Huh? I did not expect such a harsh environment in the Black Wind Desert, yet there are still people living here.”

Xu Ming’s voice carried a note of surprise as he spoke.

Everyone followed his gaze. Through the swirling black wind and rolling waves of yellow sand, faint silhouettes of buildings gradually emerged. The outlines grew clearer as they drew closer, revealing what appeared to be a small town standing stubbornly amid the desolation.

Fu Ting glanced at the group and said, “We have been traveling for quite some time, and everyone must be feeling tired and thirsty. Let us head to that town and rest briefly.”

No one objected, and they began moving toward it.

After only a few steps, Li Yun suddenly halted. His expression sharpened as he spoke in a low voice, “Wait. There is a scent of blood coming from that direction. Something may have happened. Be cautious.”

“A scent of blood?”

Fu Ting and the others were taken aback, and their expressions quickly turned grave. After traveling for so long without incident, were they finally about to encounter Blood Zombies? Given the possible connection to the Blood Zombie Demon General of the Iron Blood Sect, none of them dared to lower their guard. They advanced toward the town slowly and with heightened vigilance.

As they approached within a hundred meters, the group came to a stop once more. The powerful stench of blood now reached them clearly. Earlier, the distance and the roaring wind had concealed it, but at this proximity, the metallic scent lingered heavily in the air.

Apart from Xiao Feng, the others could not help but glance at Li Yun with admiration. His perception was astonishingly keen. To have detected the smell from so far away was no small feat. With someone like him in their team, many hidden dangers could be sensed in advance, which would greatly reduce the risks of their mission.

“Stay alert,” Li Yun reminded them quietly as he stepped forward and entered the town.

Fu Ting and the others followed closely behind.

The moment they crossed into the town and saw the scene before them, their expressions changed dramatically. Rage flared in their eyes. Even Li Yun, who was usually composed, felt a surge of killing intent rise within him. His gaze turned icy as he took in the devastation before them.

At that moment, the so called small town no longer resembled a place where people lived. It had become a living nightmare, a scene straight out of hell.

Blood soaked the streets and seeped into the sand. Corpses lay scattered everywhere, their deaths horrifying beyond words. Some had been torn apart by savage bites. Some had their hearts ripped from their chests. Others had their limbs severed and cast aside like broken dolls. A few had been drained completely, their bodies shriveled into dry husks that looked more like mummies than human remains.

The dead were not limited to a single group. There were men and women of all ages. An elderly man with white hair lay lifeless beside the ruins of a house. Not far away, wrapped in bloodstained cloth, was the tiny body of an infant who had not even learned to walk.

Even infants had not been spared. The sheer brutality revealed just how savage and inhuman these Blood Zombies truly were.

A shrill and sinister laughter suddenly echoed from ahead.

“Hehehe. More prey has arrived.”

“And they look like martial artists with decent cultivation.”

“I prefer martial artists. Their blood is far fresher than that of ordinary mortals. Drinking it improves our cultivation much faster.”

“There is even a beautiful woman among them. I have been trapped in this cursed desert for too long without any pleasure. This time, I will enjoy myself properly.”

The foul voices were accompanied by lewd and malicious laughter that grated against the ears.

Li Yun and the others looked toward the source of the sound and saw a group of figures dressed in blood red garments standing not far away. A closer look made it clear that they were not human.

Their forms were roughly humanoid, yet their skin was covered in twisted crimson demonic patterns. Their eyes glowed an unnatural red, and sharp fangs protruded from their mouths, gleaming under the dim light.

These were Blood Zombies.

“Kill them all,” Li Yun said in a voice as cold as ice.

Zhu Ximen and the others were already seething with anger at the gruesome sight before them. They nodded fiercely, their eyes burning with killing intent as they fixed their gaze on the monstrous creatures.

“Brothers, charge!”

Before Li Yun’s group could take the initiative, the Blood Zombies let out a collective roar. Led by one whose aura reached the fifth level of the Xiantian Realm, they blurred into streaks of crimson light and rushed forward with astonishing speed.

“Attack!” Fu Ting shouted as she moved first, with Xu Ming and Shi Luo at her side.

A thunderous clash erupted the instant the two sides met. Fu Ting and the others were clearly accustomed to fighting together. Their coordination was flawless as they intercepted the Blood Zombies’ charge. Their Qi surged violently, colliding with the demonic aura in a storm of force.

All three of them were already masters of the Xiantian Realm. Fu Ting’s cultivation had reached the sixth level, making her the strongest among them. Xu Ming stood at the fifth level, while Shi Luo had advanced to the fourth.

Within moments of exchanging blows, five or six Blood Zombies were cut down under their combined assault, their bodies collapsing onto the blood soaked ground.