134: Heihe Village (2)

Li Xueli caught it steadily, her face overflowing with the joy of victory and a hint of excitement: "Amazing! Zhu Lingyun! Your Magic Sword cuts through zombies even more smoothly than slicing vegetables!"

Zhu Lingyun also revealed a smile, cupping his hands in return: "Captain Li flatters me! Your Polar Ice Bear's roar had an excellent crowd control effect, creating a perfect opportunity for us." His tone was sincere.

"Oh, don't keep calling me Captain Li, it sounds awkward! Just call me Xueli!" Li Xueli waved her hand heartily, casually stroking the cool, smooth fur of the Polar Ice Bear beside her. The ice bear rubbed against her hand comfortably.

"Yu," Li Xueli turned to Yang Yiyu and said, "Restore everyone's condition; let the Azure Water Spirit Beast come out!"

"Alright." Yang Yiyu nodded, her hands elegantly forming seals in front of her chest as she chanted softly. That exquisite Azure Water Spirit Beast condensed on her shoulder again, letting out a crisp cry like flowing water. The spirit beast's slender arms waved gently, and ripples of soft, cool blue water sprinkled over everyone like sweet rain.

"Water Healing Light!"

Everyone felt a cool, comfortable energy surge into their limbs and bones. The slight fatigue from battle quickly faded, and their consumed physical strength and Superpowers were slowly recovering at a perceptible speed. Even the Rampaging Water Buffalo and Gale Warhorse let out comfortable snorts.

"Wow, that feels so good!" Miao Lili praised as she felt the energy filling her body. She didn't keep her secrets either; her hands quickly condensed Wood Element energy, and over a dozen emerald-green Magic Fruits, emitting a sweet fragrance and with crystal-clear skin, quickly took shape above her palms.

"Come, come, Lili-brand Magic Fruit, one for each person. They restore stamina and double the effect!" She giggled as she distributed the fruit to everyone. The fruit melted in the mouth, turning into a warm current that merged into the body, complementing the effect of the Water Healing Light, instantly making everyone feel refreshed and restored to their peak state.

The first joint battle between the two teams was successfully completed with tacit cooperation and mutual support, and the distance between them narrowed considerably. After a short rest, they got back on the vehicle and continued toward Heihe Village.

The modified bus bumped along the muddy dirt road leading to Heihe Village with difficulty, the wheels occasionally getting stuck in the soft mud and spinning in vain. Finally, more than a li away from the village, the vehicle became completely impassable.

"Engine off! Get out!" Zhu Lingyun ordered decisively. "Park the car on this relatively dry high ground and lock it. We'll enter the village on foot!"

Everyone got off the bus, their feet landing on slippery, sticky mud. The Paladin Wang Sheng flipped onto his Silver Warhorse, and the Gale Warhorse Summoner Ma Tianfeng also summoned his Cyan Warhorse with its shimmering mane.

"The two of us will lead the way in front; we're fast and have a good field of vision," Wang Sheng proposed.

"Good idea! Be careful," Zhu Lingyun agreed with a nod.

The two majestic warhorses rode side by side, treading through the mud and scouting ahead. Their hooves made "patter, patter" sounds in the muddy water. Just as they passed a desolate farmland, several zombies wearing ragged peasant clothes, their bodies long since decayed, roared and lunged from behind the ridge.

"Hmph, seeking death!" Wang Sheng's eyes narrowed, and the Light Spear in his hand shot out like a venomous snake's tongue, striking accurately! With a "puchi" sound, the sharp spear tip instantly pierced a zombie's skull, and the immense force sent its entire body flying, crashing heavily into the mud.

"Beautiful!" Ma Tianfeng praised, while simultaneously controlling his Gale Warhorse to rear up, its front hooves wrapped in a cyan whirlwind trampling down fiercely! "Bang!" It crushed another zombie's skull to pieces.

"You're not bad either!" Wang Sheng's lips curled slightly as he responded, feeling a bit embarrassed.

The two of them rode side by side, temporarily pulling ahead of the walking group behind them by a short distance.

"Brother," Ma Tianfeng turned his head, looking at Wang Sheng's well-defined profile, with a bit of envy and teasing, "Your Sword of Hope's captain and that Azure Water Spirit Beast Summoner are really beautiful! They're still college students, young and pretty. Unlike me, I've been graduated for two or three years, struggling in the apocalypse, looking quite rough."

Wang Sheng glanced at him and smiled knowingly: "What? Have you taken a liking to our team's beauty icons?"

"Hehe," Ma Tianfeng scratched his head sheepishly and said frankly, "Everyone loves beauty! Especially that Yang Yiyu, she's really beautiful. You can tell she's a dancer at a glance, with such elegant temperament and a gentle personality, and her Superpower is very strong too..."

The smile on Wang Sheng's face faded a bit, and he shook his head with a hint of sympathy: "Yang Yiyu... Brother, let me give you a piece of advice: give up on that idea as soon as possible."

"Ah? Why?" Ma Tianfeng was stunned and pressed, "Does she have a boyfriend?"

"Not exactly." Wang Sheng shook his head again, deliberately keeping him in suspense.

"Good brother, don't keep me hanging! Tell me!" Ma Tianfeng's curiosity was completely piqued.

Wang Sheng lowered his voice, with a bit of playfulness: "She has someone in her heart, and it's the guardian deity of our base, the ice fire divine lord—Lord Zhang Lei! Do you think you can compete with him?"

"Zhang... Lord Zhang Lei?!" Ma Tianfeng's eyes widened instantly, and he gasped. The romantic thoughts in his mind were instantly extinguished, leaving only deep awe and disappointment. "Hiss... then... then forget it, pretend I didn't say anything! Lord Zhang Lei is like a divine dragon in the sky; how could a little pony like me even think about it?" He patted his warhorse somewhat dejectedly.

"Then what about your captain, Li Xueli?" Ma Tianfeng quickly adjusted his mood and switched targets. "She's also pretty, and her personality seems straightforward. Although she's a bit carefree, she's easy to get along with, and she's strong! Don't the guys in your team have any ideas?" He winked mischievously.

Although Li Xueli wasn't a campus-belle level beauty like Yang Yiyu, she had a well-proportioned and slender figure, fair skin, and delicate features—a standard Oriental oval-faced beauty. Especially with her easy-going personality and ability to get along with others, she was more likable than Yang Yiyu, who was sometimes cold and sometimes a fangirl.

Wang Sheng sighed, his expression a bit strange: "Ideas... how could they not? But, according to the 'rumors' I heard back in school... the captain and Yang Yiyu's relationship is... a bit 'special.' Plus, the captain is a heavy animal lover; she likes fluffy animals and doesn't seem to have that kind of interest in guys." He recalled how Li Xueli had once boldly ridden on the back of Xiong Da, the Earth War Bear, and deeply agreed.

"Ah? This..." Ma Tianfeng was completely speechless. He opened his mouth but couldn't say anything for a long time. He felt that these two beauties from the Sword of Hope—one was unattainable, and the other's orientation was a mystery—his little thoughts were completely hopeless.

While they were talking, the team had already approached the edge of Heihe Village. A four-story self-built building stood at the entrance of the village, its outer walls covered in somewhat peeling tiles, looking particularly conspicuous in the desolate village.

Ma Tianfeng and Wang Sheng were the first to dismount and walked to the closed metal gate. Ma Tianfeng knocked hard on the door ring, making a dull "thud-thud" sound, and shouted loudly: "Is anyone there? We're the official rescue team from Lujiang Base! Open the door!"