Chapter 80: Is This the End?

Xinzi barely had time to pull the door closed, but with the speed and strength of seven mutated zombies, they quickly caught up inside the inn—after all, this was where the scent of blood was thickest.

A furious roar erupted—Yunsheng, who was at the rear, was also spotted, and the seven zombies surged forward, charging straight at Yue Qi and the others.

The back door was locked tight. Yue Qi swung his sword hard at the steel lock, but, to his shock, the treasured blade bestowed upon him by Yan Liang snapped in two, just like the steel itself.

“As expected…” Bai Lian, standing beside him, sighed and handed over her own sword. “Qi, take mine—this weapon in your hands will unleash even greater power!”

Only in the grasp of the strongest can a weapon's might be fully realized. Yue Qi glanced at Bai Lian but did not refuse—he needed such a tool now more than ever.

“Hurry inside…” With no time to spare, Yue Qi called out to those behind him. Yunsheng, having to care for Yuqi, was running last and was in the greatest danger.

“Yunsheng, get out, now!” Yue Qi roared, flinging several fire talismans at the leading zombies to buy Yunsheng precious seconds.

As expected, these mutated zombies were far more intelligent than ordinary ones; at the sight of a threat, they dodged nimbly aside—the fire talismans struck only empty space, but the distraction was enough for Yunsheng to sprint through the last doorway. The back door was solid, made of the same steel as the lock. Who could fathom how wealthy the innkeeper must be, to use such materials even for a back door?

Yue Qi hurried outside and locked the door behind him. The wall wasn’t high, but given the zombies’ intelligence, it was unlikely they’d think to scale it—at least for now.

Still uneasy, Yue Qi sent a few water talismans at the steel door, instantly sealing the final crack with ice. No matter how strong the zombies were, without a grip they’d never break through.

With this final defense in place, Yue Qi dashed after the others, but he’d barely gone a few steps when three zombies leapt over the wall!

“So fast!” Now it was Yue Qi’s turn to be stunned—he’d never imagined they could leap so high, nor that their intelligence had advanced so greatly.

“Go, now! I’ll hold them off. Meet at the hillside outside town!” Yue Qi shouted back, urging the others on; their staying would only hinder him.

Xinzi gritted her teeth and saw the resolve in Yue Qi’s eyes. “Let’s go—Brother Yue will find us!” she said, taking the lead as the four of them ran toward the hill.

Once they were gone, Yue Qi breathed a sigh of relief. With them here, he’d have to protect them at all costs. “With Xinzi there, they should be able to survive…” He smiled faintly, then his eyes grew cold as he faced the three approaching zombies.

Thankfully, there were only three—he still had some fight left. The other four must be trying to break out; if they succeeded, his fate would be grim indeed.

Steeling himself, Yue Qi began to gather the Lightning Array Dance in his right palm. The pain from casting two second-tier spells at once still lingered, so he chose to unleash the most powerful attack among them.

The five elemental spells all had their strengths and weaknesses. Of the second tier: water for healing, wind for speed, lightning for destructive power, earth for wide range, and fire for ignition. Each had its use, but against these mutated zombies, only the most powerful attack would suffice.

As the Lightning Array Dance formed, the three zombies sensed danger and halted abruptly—they knew the damage a second-tier spell could inflict.

But this gave Yue Qi a dilemma: if they stayed outside his range, the spell would be wasted. So he steadied the spell with his mind and compressed it as much as possible, then charged forward, Bai Lian’s sword in his left hand.

He felt no awkwardness wielding the blade left-handed; in the Qinghe Sword Sect, left-handed swordplay was essential, and he’d been scolded enough to master it well.

With a sharp sweep, the sword unleashed a white arc—such was the power of a true weapon, able to channel spiritual energy into lethal force at a thought. It might not be overwhelming, but at a critical moment, it could be invaluable.

Seeing Yue Qi rush in, the zombies kept their distance, wary of his spell, hiding rather than confronting him.

But this was exactly what he wanted; once within range, the Lightning Array Dance could be unleashed. If it hit, it would at least render the three zombies temporarily powerless, and if the others were still trapped, he might just escape alive.

The spell, condensed to its limit, was about to explode in his grasp—any further delay and he’d be caught in the blast himself, with little hope of survival.

He hurled the massive lightning sphere, relaxing a little—though he hadn’t locked onto the zombies, the area was confined enough that he was sure to hit something.

As the spell burst forth, the zombies, finding no escape, retreated toward the courtyard, but Yue Qi was ready—this time, he cast a water talisman.

Why water? Because even if the zombies dodged, the spell would freeze the wall with thick ice, making it too slick for them to climb.

But unexpectedly, the steel door—his last line of defense—was shattered by the four zombies within! The three outside, seeing a haven, rushed back inside. The four within, sensing danger, also took cover.

The Lightning Array Dance, with its limited range and Yue Qi’s distance, missed entirely—the zombies all evaded it.

“Damn…” he thought. With only seconds left before the spell dissipated, he used a wind talisman to speed away toward the rendezvous point. Staying to fight would be suicide.

He ran as fast as he could, but even so, in a few seconds he could only cover about a hundred meters. The zombies soon spotted him, furious now, and charged after him.

“No, I can’t keep running—if I meet up with Lian and the others, there’s no way I can protect them all.” Alone, he might outrun the zombies, but with the group, escape was impossible.

“Lian… live well,” Yue Qi thought, his eyes steeling with resolve. If his death could guarantee their safety…

He stopped abruptly; the four pursuing zombies halted as well, their intelligence keen enough to sense a trap and hang back, watching warily for another spell.

But instead, Yue Qi charged forward with his sword, forgoing magic—his spiritual energy was too depleted to lock onto a single mutated zombie, and if they scattered, he’d never catch them.

The zombies, seeing him abandon spells, relaxed a little, exchanged glances, and then lunged at him—led by the three from before. They were formidable, but not as powerful as the “Fifth Brother” he’d faced at the Dragon Burial Pit—a fleeting thought, for in that instant, they were upon him.

Three mutated zombies attacked in concert; Yue Qi dodged nimbly in the limited space, just a hair quicker than they were, but facing all three at once, his movements grew strained.

“This won’t work…” he thought. “If only I had Xinzi’s weapon—at least I could escape alive…”

But Xinzi was gone, and he had no choice. The other four zombies joined in, and Yue Qi panicked—one of them seized the opening and struck him hard in the chest! Without the soft armor beneath his clothes, that blow would have ripped out his heart.

The force flung him several meters, the impact so great that he coughed up blood.

The scent of fresh blood drove the zombies wild—the red of their eyes deepened as they charged at him again.

“Is this the end?” Yue Qi closed his eyes, and at the brink of death, he felt a profound tranquility settle over him, a clarity and emptiness he had never known before…