229: Still camping? Here we go!

A zombie?

Lu Yuchen's mind went blank for a moment.

He had Transmigrated, he had cultivated as a Cultivator, he had seen Sons of Luck, and he had even seen zombies in the Tianwu World.

But damn it, zombies, this kind of thing, actually existed on Earth too?

What the hell, could it be that zombie movies were actually documentaries?

Lu Yuchen looked at the already stiff corpse, and a solemn expression appeared in his eyes.

Because he thought of a question: since zombies existed, would Cultivators also exist?

Could it be… besides himself, there were other Cultivators in this world? Were they just living in seclusion?

Or, behind Earth, were there other secrets he didn't know about?

One mystery after another, like tangled threads, coiled around his heart.

After thinking it over, he decided to deal with the corpse first.

A wisp of golden flame burst from his fingertip, landing on the corpse, instantly burning it to ashes.

Immediately after, he closed his eyes, and his Divine Sense, vast enough to cover the entire Earth, surged out like a tide, following the faint trace of corpse Qi, searching deeper into Shennongjia.

…

At the same time.

On the outskirts of Shennongjia, beside a beautiful stream valley.

The bonfire crackled, adding the only touch of human warmth to the silent mountain forest.

Six young people, who looked to be in their early twenties, were gathered around the bonfire, singing and dancing.

The aroma of roasted meat, mixed with the girls' bell-like laughter, echoed through the valley.

They were members of Jiangcheng University's Outdoor Adventure Club, three boys and three girls.

Relying on their youthful boldness, they ignored the 'No Entry' warning sign at the scenic area, secretly snuck in, and started their so-called 'wilderness camping'.

"Come on, come on! Zhang Wei, roast me another skewer of lamb kidneys!"

"Li Xue, don't just eat, sing a song for us guys!"

"Exactly! Sing one! Sing one!"

The atmosphere was incredibly lively.

No one noticed.

Not far behind them, beyond the dense bushes, a pair of hungry, lifeless eyes were staring intently at them!

…

After several rounds of drinks and food.

One of the boys, named Zhao Lei, had a bit of beer and felt a bit urgent, so he swayed to his feet and greeted everyone.

"I'm going over there to relieve myself, you guys keep having fun."

Saying that, he pulled up his pants and fumbled his way behind a large tree not far away.

But, time passed by minute by minute.

After more than ten minutes, Zhao Lei still hadn't returned.

"This guy Lei Zi, he didn't fall into a latrine, did he? Taking so long to pee?" A companion joked.

"Exactly, his kidneys must be bad."

Everyone burst into laughter, but didn't pay much attention.

A few more minutes passed.

Another boy, Zhang Wei, who was good friends with Zhao Lei, started to feel something was wrong.

"I'll go check."

He stood up and walked in the direction Zhao Lei had gone.

"Lei Zi? Lei Zi? Where did you go, you rascal?"

He walked and called, but only the empty valley's echo responded to him.

A premonition of ill omen rose in his heart, and he quickened his pace.

As soon as he rounded the big tree.

"Ah—!"

A scream filled with extreme terror and disbelief suddenly erupted from him, tearing through the silent night!

By the bonfire, the remaining two boys and two girls were all startled.

"What's wrong?!"

"What happened?!"

They no longer dared to hesitate for a moment, and without thinking, they rushed in the direction of the scream.

As soon as they got close, they saw a terrifying scene they would never forget in this life!

Behind the big tree, Zhao Lei was already lifeless.

He lay there rigidly, his eyes wide open, his face still frozen in the extreme fear he felt before death.

His neck had been brutally bitten off! Only a tiny bit of flesh was still barely connected.

The gruesome wound horrified them.

Blood flowed everywhere, staining the grass beneath him a dazzling crimson!

"Dead… someone's dead!"

One of the girls was so scared her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground, the color completely drained from her pretty face!

"It's… it's a wild beast! It must have encountered a wild beast!"

Another boy's voice also trembled, his face filled with terror.

"Quick! Let's go! We need to get out of this cursed place right now!"

After a brief moment of calm, the group completely erupted into chaos.

They no longer cared about camping or adventuring; in their minds, they only wanted to escape!

The farther, the better!

The group rushed towards their campsite.

They needed to pack their things; they needed to leave this troubled place as quickly as possible!

…

Inside the camp, it was a mess.

Leftover barbecue, scattered beer cans, and the still-burning bonfire illuminated their panicked faces, flickering between light and shadow.

Everyone was frantically packing their tents and backpacks.

Just as they were about to finish packing and prepare to flee.

One of the boys suddenly seemed to remember something and slapped his thigh!

"No!"

He pointed at the empty campsite, his voice choked with tears, "One… one person is missing!"

"Li Xue! Li Xue… she's gone!"

Boom!

At these words, the remaining two boys and one girl felt a 'buzz' in their heads, instantly going blank!

A bone-chilling coldness completely enveloped them.

Before, they had all run back together!

When did Li Xue disappear?!

"Xue… Xue'er…" One of the girls, who was closest to Li Xue, burst into tears on the spot, her voice filled with helplessness and despair.

Just as everyone's minds were about to collapse.

"Rustle… rustle…"

A sound, like footsteps rubbing against fallen leaves, slowly came from the dark bushes not far away.

Everyone shivered and instinctively looked in the direction of the sound.

In the dark bushes, a slender figure slowly emerged.

It was the missing… Li Xue!

"Xue'er! Where… where did you run off to?! You scared us to death!" The girl closest to her, seeing this, felt immense relief and scrambled to rush over.

But, as soon as she moved.

She was firmly held back by the arm by a boy next to her.

"Don't go!"

The boy's voice was filled with fear and trembling.

"Look at her… look at how she looks…"

Everyone's hearts tightened at these words, and they looked at the figure again.

Under the moonlight, Li Xue's pretty face was utterly bloodless, as pale as paper.

Her eyes, which should have been lively, were now hollow and lifeless.

Her movements were incredibly stiff, step by step, like a marionette.

That appearance, how could it be that of a living person?

Fear completely engulfed everyone.