Compared to the intricate calculations and suspicious conjectures of Wen Shangyin and Song Lian, Su Ling and her companions harbored no such schemes.
Their current focus was solely on eliminating zombies.
To others, these zombies were a menace, a danger, objects that caused them to turn pale at the mere sight.
But to Su Ling and her group, each one represented a crystal core.
A bounty of crystal cores, mutated and upgraded after the hailstorm.
Gu Shangse and the others knew Su Ling’s fondness for crystal cores. With such a massive influx of zombies, despite the exhausting combat, they were ecstatic. The more zombies, the more satisfying the process of collecting crystal cores would be.
Furthermore, they didn’t feel tired.
Su Ling, while felling zombies, weaved through their ranks, offering water and snacks to replenish their energy and stamina. The water and fruits she provided were all products of her space, proving exceptionally effective in restoring bodily energy. Meanwhile, Shang Qi and Jiang Jiang, with little Jiang perched on his shoulders, had plunged deep into the horde of zombies.
Everywhere they went, the surrounding zombies were utterly annihilated. They advanced, treading on the corpses of the fallen, towards the densely packed zombie mass.
The zombie king, protected within this throng, also noticed Shang Qi and his companions. Initially, the zombie king paid them no mind, mistaking them for ordinary zombies.
It wasn't until Shang Qi and Jiang Jiang began their savage onslaught, severing the heads and bodies of the protective zombies, that the well-guarded zombie king grew alert. It started commanding its kin to shield itself, forming a tight cordon to block Shang Qi and the others.
Shang Qi had suppressed his aura, making it impossible for the zombies to detect his scent.
As for Jiang Jiang and little Jiang, one was a half-human, half-zombie, and the other a young zombie king. Their scents were indistinguishable from those of regular zombies.
Thus, even as the zombie king ordered its minions to surround them, they posed no threat, nor did they attack the trio.
This was the unspoken law of the zombie horde: kin did not kill kin.
The zombie king understood this principle, and could only command its followers to intercept Shang Qi and his group, preventing them from approaching.
Harm them, however, was out of the question.
While the zombies refrained from attacking Shang Qi and the others, the latter showed no mercy, their blades falling with swift precision, felling them in swathes.
Before long, Shang Qi and his companions had broken through the encirclement and reached the vicinity of the zombie king.
The zombie king, ensconced at the center of its protective barrier, peered cautiously outwards.
Observing Shang Qi and his group, the zombie king felt a surge of anger, yet dared not act.
It feared that any outward display of rage might only expose itself further.
But it had already been discovered; its exposure was no longer the primary concern. It was bound to be revealed sooner or later.
Shang Qi and his companions drew near, but stopped short of advancing further.
They halted outside the ring of zombies surrounding the horde. Shang Qi turned to Jiang Jiang and said, "You can communicate with them. Go forward and ask what this zombie king wants."
Jiang Jiang grunted in affirmation and moved forward, little Jiang still clinging to him, refusing to dismount.
Shang Qi remained in place, looking back towards the crowd. His gaze swept through their ranks, locating Su Ling, and his expression softened.
Jiang Jiang advanced a few steps. The surrounding zombies did not attack him; a few even tilted their heads, observing him. Though their movements remained stiff and sluggish, with continued evolution and mutation, they would eventually develop intelligence.
Upon closing the distance, Jiang Jiang peered into the zombie horde, attempting to pinpoint the zombie king.
However, the sheer number of zombies made identification difficult. Jiang Jiang, unwilling to strain himself, directly addressed them in the zombie tongue: "Do you wish to negotiate with us?"