Bu Zhi already felt his blood draining away. He no longer had the strength to struggle and could only look at Tian Shang and smile at him.
This was as far as he could protect Tian Shang. In truth, he harbored a small secret: he had feelings for Tian Shang.
It was just the vague affection young boys and girls have for the opposite sex, not quite love.
But when he learned that his roommate, Wang Xiaohui, also liked Tian Shang, he buried this affection deep in his heart.
It was only when he saw Supervisor You grab Tian Shang and try to push her out just now that this affection erupted, causing him to step forward.
"No, Bu Zhi, don't die."
Tian Shang, sitting on the ground, cried out tragically. Suddenly, countless green vines sprouted from her hands.
They wrapped around the zombie, binding it like a zongzi, and it fell to the ground.
"You killed Bu Zhi, I'll avenge him."
Picking up the chair Bu Zhi had dropped, Tian Shang had forgotten her fear and disgust.
She smashed the head of the zombie she had trapped into a pulp, then hugged Bu Zhi, who had fallen to the ground, and wept heartbrokenly.
"Ming Yue, I can't hold on much longer, hurry up!"
More and more zombies were gathering at the entrance. Ji Shiyou's stamina had already been depleted and had not recovered.
He now felt a burning pain in his dantian and urged Ming Yue to end the fight quickly.
Glancing at the entrance, Ming Yue suddenly made a gesture, and countless vines emerged from the ground.
They instantly ensnared the fast-moving Level 1 zombie. Her vines were much stronger than the ones Tian Shang had summoned earlier, like the difference between wild grass and a large tree.
As she clenched her hand, the vines tightened rapidly, shredding the zombie's body in a few moments.
She retracted her vines, walked over, rummaged through the pile of flesh, and picked up a cyan crystal core, storing it in her spatial dimension.
She launched a wave of wind blades towards the entrance, relieving Ji Shiyou's burden, and Ming Yue walked towards the entrance.
"He's not dead yet. If you want to save him, follow me closely."
Passing by Tian Shang, Ming Yue said softly. These two young people were loyal and respected life, very much like the people of her Witch clan. She wanted to help them.
Although Ming Yue's voice was not loud, it was like thunder to Tian Shang's ears.
Bu Zhi could still be saved? This sentence was like heavenly music to her.
She didn't know where the strength came from, but Tian Shang picked up Bu Zhi's tall body and carried him, following closely behind Ming Yue.
Upon reaching the entrance, Ming Yue summoned a fire dragon and sent it charging towards the zombie horde.
Meanwhile, Ji Shiyou took the opportunity to inspect the heads of all the zombies he had killed, collecting a few crystal cores into his backpack.
The rampaging fire dragon scattered the zombie horde, and Ming Yue and Ji Shiyou seized the chance to escape the convenience store. Tian Shang gritted her teeth and followed behind them.
Ming Yue did not call out to the other survivors in the convenience store. She had already drawn the zombies away for them and had no obligation to continue taking care of them.
Those people had lost their conscience. Whether they lived or died depended on their own fate. She was not a savior and couldn't manage so much.
"Who is she? To have such powerful abilities at the beginning of the apocalypse, and it seems she has more than one.
Why do I have no memory of this woman?"
On the rooftop to the left of the convenience store, a beautiful woman watched Ming Yue disperse the zombies with her fire dragon and muttered to herself.
Her name was Qing Ying. She had been reborn a month before the apocalypse. In her previous life, she had lived in the apocalypse for five years. After her rebirth, she considered herself chosen.
Before the apocalypse, she had prepared supplies according to her memories and found a spatial treasure based on her past life's knowledge.
After the apocalypse began, she scoured for supplies. However, all the major supply depots in Lin Hai City had already been taken. She found it strange.
Just now, she had seen Ming Yue use her abilities, a person who had not appeared in her memories.
She was confused. Had her rebirth altered the trajectory of this world? Everything was different.
She didn't have time to think too much. She had to save someone, someone who would become a significant figure in the future.
She wanted this person to become her subordinate, a great asset in her future conquest of the world.
Qing Ying headed towards the villa district of Lin Hai City. Ming Yue, on the other hand, brought the other three into her spatial dimension because Tian Shang and Bu Zhi could no longer wait.
Making Tian Shang carry over a hundred catties of Bu Zhi while they ran was intentional on Ming Yue's part.
She wanted to bring out Tian Shang's full potential. If she had already decided to save them, why not just put them in her spatial dimension? Why drag them through the streets?
This was because Tian Shang had been scratched by a zombie and, combined with her emotional distress, had triggered her abilities.
Her abilities were not awakened through normal mutation, so they were very unstable. If she couldn't consolidate her powers, her abilities would be unable to advance.
She would remain at her current level. Therefore, Ming Yue made her unleash her body's full potential before entering the spatial dimension to consolidate her powers.
Tian Shang's mutated ability was wood-elemental. Ming Yue taught her the Witch clan's wood-elemental cultivation incantations, allowing her to cultivate alone.
Now, in Tian Shang's eyes, Ming Yue was a god. From her summoning vines and fire dragon, to the sudden appearance of the spatial dimension, Tian Shang believed in Ming Yue unconditionally.
Although she was so tired she could barely breathe, she still sat cross-legged on the ground as instructed by Ming Yue and entered a state of cultivation.
After settling Tian Shang, Ming Yue approached Bu Zhi. She placed her palms on him, emitting green light, and began to expel the corpse poison from his body.
The corpse poison had already permeated Bu Zhi's entire bloodstream, making its removal very strenuous. Ming Yue was sweating profusely before she finally cleared all the poison.
According to Ming Yue's expectations, Bu Zhi would wake up once the corpse poison was gone.
Unexpectedly, he had a pained expression, his body was burning hot, and he was rolling on the ground.
"Ji Shiyou, quickly restrain him. He's mutating."
Calling out to Ji Shiyou, Ming Yue sat down to the side and wiped her sweat.
"Why did I have to be tied up when I mutated, but this kid gets treated differently?"
Sitting entirely on top of Bu Zhi, using his body weight to suppress him, Ji Shiyou grabbed his hands to prevent self-harm. Recalling his own experience of being bound, he asked enviously.
"Do you want me to sit on you like this?"
Ming Yue gave Ji Shiyou a sharp look. Ji Shiyou quickly shut his mouth.
An hour later, the heat on Bu Zhi's body dissipated. He pushed Ji Shiyou, who had fallen asleep on him, away and stood up dazed.
"I'm dead. Is this heaven?"
Looking at the beautiful scenery before him, he muttered to himself. Compared to the zombie-infested city outside, this was a paradise.
"Kid, you're not dead yet. Quickly try and see what ability you've awakened."
Suddenly falling to the ground, Ji Shiyou woke up and chattered around Bu Zhi.
He first recounted the events and then explained the types of abilities and how to use them.
Bu Zhi listened, half-understanding, and could only do as Ji Shiyou said. Concentrating, a water ball appeared in his hand.
"Water element! Not bad, kid. Water sources will be contaminated in the apocalypse.
Water-elemental abilities are sought after by every base. You'll definitely be popular in the future."
"Base? What's that?"
"The apocalypse won't end anytime soon. Some larger factions will establish survival bases and recruit people with abilities.
Only by uniting can they resist zombies and various mutated plants and animals, thus surviving.
Between the bases, there will also be covert struggles and competition for resources and talent."
"I don't want to join a base. I want to follow Sister Ming Yue, unless she joins a base too."
Through Ji Shiyou's explanation, Bu Zhi understood the direction of the apocalypse.
However, he still walked towards Ming Yue, who was resting, and knelt before her, declaring his intention to follow her forever.
"Me too. Bu Zhi's and my lives were saved by Sister Ming Yue, so I swear to follow Sister Ming Yue to the death and never leave."
Tian Shang, having finished her cultivation, also came over and knelt before Ming Yue, almost swearing to the heavens.
"Alright, two more followers."
Ji Shiyou, who was watching the commotion, teased. At the same time, he felt a sense of crisis, thinking that no matter how many people joined, he would still be Ming Yue's number one follower.
Ming Yue was very fond of the two of them; otherwise, she wouldn't have saved them.
She knew very well that in the apocalypse, building a team was essential for better survival. Therefore, she agreed to their requests.
Because Tian Shang had consolidated her abilities according to the Witch clan's cultivation methods, in addition to the wood element, she had actually awakened healing abilities.
This made Bu Zhi envious. He begged Ming Yue to teach him the Witch clan's water-elemental cultivation methods, and Ming Yue naturally taught him wholeheartedly.
Seeing that it was getting late, Ming Yue decided to go home. Bu Zhi and Tian Shang were both outsiders, which was why they were living in the school dorms.
Therefore, they decided not to return to school and to go home with Ming Yue. The four of them then left the spatial dimension and returned to Ming Yue's residential area.
However, as soon as they entered the neighborhood, they saw many people gathered in the open space. Several women were cursing, and one of them became increasingly agitated, throwing a slap.
Ming Yue rushed over immediately because standing among these people was Ba Jiu.