Su Ling stood on the lifeboat, paddling it into the stormy night.
On the rooftop, Li Yunlong looked down into the darkness, seeing nothing but the relentless downpour.
The flashlight beam, cast from such a height, offered extremely limited visibility.
Su Ling paddled the lifeboat further away from the department store building, heading towards Chen Jiakai's location.
The rain was heavy, and without a raincoat, she was completely exposed to the deluge.
By the time she reached the building where Chen Jiakai was, she was completely drenched.
Wasting no time, she immediately began searching for an entry point into the building.
After circling the building and spotting a window, Su Ling threw in a climbing rope, secured it, and began to ascend.
Entering the building through the window, Su Ling used her Phoenix Fire to dry her soaked clothes before drawing her Tang blade and heading directly for Chen Jiakai's location.
As she drew closer to Chen Jiakai, the thick smell of blood in the air grew more potent.
And Chen Jiakai's pained groans became clearer.
Approaching her target, Su Ling moved with increased stealth, making no sound.
When she appeared, a zombie was hunched over Chen Jiakai, feeding on him.
Chen Jiakai seemed to be immobilized, unable to move, leaving him at the mercy of the zombie and only able to emit cries of pain.
From Su Ling's vantage point, the zombie had already ripped open Chen Jiakai's abdomen and was feasting on his entrails.
Perhaps engrossed by the delicious meal, the zombie was so absorbed that it didn't notice Su Ling's arrival.
By the time it sensed the encroaching danger, Su Ling was already behind it, her Tang blade descending.
As the Tang blade fell, an icy chill swept through the air. The zombie spun around, but it was too late to evade.
Half of its face was sliced off by Su Ling's descending Tang blade, the severed portion falling to the ground.
Su Ling didn't pause, continuing to swing her Tang blade, attacking the zombie.
Now, the zombie reacted swiftly, dodging Su Ling's attack. Its bloodshot eyes fixed on its severed half lying on the ground. Enraged and ferocious, it glared at Su Ling and lunged at her.
The zombie seemed to fear Su Ling's Tang blade and her power.
So, as it attacked Su Ling, it let out a roar.
Following its roar, Su Ling felt a wave of dizziness, her hand holding the Tang blade shaking, almost dropping the weapon.
Seeing that its roar hadn't had a significant effect on Su Ling, the zombie roared again.
This time, Su Ling's body wavered, and she stumbled back several steps.
Seizing the opportunity, the zombie pounced forward, its sharp claws aiming for Su Ling's head.
The zombie's roar caused Su Ling's head to throb with a sharp, constricting pain.
She now understood why Chen Jiakai was immobilized; this was a zombie that specialized in mental attacks.
Fortunately, she had also awakened her mental abilities, which greatly diminished the zombie's mental control.
Even so, she was still affected, her head throbbing as if it would explode.
The zombie was already upon her. She ignored the throbbing pain, gripping her Tang blade tightly to block the zombie's attack.
The zombie's attack missed her head, blocked by Su Ling's Tang blade.
Seeing its attack thwarted, the zombie roared again, letting out another cry towards Su Ling before continuing its assault.
The sound made Su Ling's vision black out, and countless stars danced before her eyes.
In that brief moment, the zombie opened its maw, its fangs bared, lunging for Su Ling's face—