53: Z449 Tunnel (Part 3)

Only a few dozen seconds had passed since the Walking Corpses began surging forth like a tide.

These Walking Corpses were like a dark cloud blotting out the sky as they swept toward Tang Tang.

"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh..." Several sharp, ear-piercing whistles of air rang out as Tang Tang raised her hand and cast several Wind Arrow Spells.

In that brief interval, the corpse horde had already charged close, pouncing like hungry tigers.

"My goodness! Even if these were victims of a tunnel accident, there surely wouldn't be this many people!" Tang Tang couldn't help but cry out in shock.

Immediately after, the Walking Corpses slammed violently against the shield held up by the Ancient Star-Plucking Umbrella, letting out a series of dull yet loud "thud, thud, thud" sounds.

Although the intensity of the impact was not enough to break through the defensive line established by the magical artifact, there were simply too many Walking Corpses.

They surged forward incessantly, their impact as dense as a swarm of ants, converging into an exceptionally eerie resentment that trapped Tang Tang firmly in the center, making it impossible for her to move even a single step, no matter how hard she tried.

Furthermore, many Wandering Souls took the opportunity to mingle among them, baring their fangs and claws as they lunged at Tang Tang, attempting to bite her.

Although these Wandering Souls were burned by the pure spiritual power contained within the protective shield every time, the extremely intense Yin resentment continued to erode the seemingly indestructible barrier like maggots on a bone.

At this distance, the peach wood sword was no longer of much use.

Dense crowds of Walking Corpses surrounded her on all sides, emitting a nauseating, putrid stench.

Tang Tang tried to swing the peach wood sword in her hand, but against the iron wall formed by the Walking Corpses, her attacks seemed weak and futile, unable to hit any target at all.

The spiritual light flickering on the Ancient Star-Plucking Umbrella was also gradually dimming. Under the relentless human-wave tactics of the corpse horde, its spiritual power was being consumed at an alarming rate.

The ancient umbrella began to tremble and shake, threatening to fall at any moment. Tang Tang knew well that she was about to reach her limit.

"The corpse energy is truly overwhelming; it's practically marinating me!" Tang Tang couldn't help but complain.

She had replaced several Breath-Holding Talismans in a row, yet she still couldn't withstand the intense, pungent odor. Holding her breath, a hint of coldness surfaced in her eyes.

The situation was already very grim, almost reaching a point where she was out of options.

If she couldn't completely wipe out these suddenly emerging Walking Corpses, let alone venture deep into the tunnel to find the source of the corpse poison, even the Buddhist Nuns of Yunlan Nunnery, who had just broken through to the third-rank realm, would likely find it difficult to escape safely.

In such a critical moment, there seemed to be only one choice left—run!

This thought flashed through Tang Tang's mind and instantly took hold.

She gritted her teeth and made a decisive turn. As the breath in her dantian sank, she placed the peach wood sword behind her back and made a grasping motion forward with her hand.

A massive amount of spiritual power erupted from the Ancient Star-Plucking Umbrella with several "poof" sounds. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a heavy Tang sword, which Tang Tang gripped tightly with both hands.

With a loud shout, "Ha!", she swung forward!

Instantly, a blade light flashed, splashing a shower of blood. Several Walking Corpses near Tang Tang were sliced in half with a series of "crack" sounds, the cuts being remarkably smooth.

She crouched down and then, with a "whoosh," leaped up like an arrow from a bow, jumping over ten meters into the air in the blink of an eye!

Her body flipped nimbly, skillfully borrowing momentum as she lightly touched down on her tiptoes.

Then, floating backward like a feather, she drifted dozens of meters away before landing steadily.

"Swish, swish, swish..." Tang Tang slapped all the Haste Talismans from her Treasure Bag onto herself in one go.

She wished she could be like a centipede and grow a few more legs so she could run faster.

The mutated Walking Corpses were incredibly fast, chasing relentlessly behind Tang Tang.

"Infinite Blessings of the Heavenly Lord!" Tang Tang shouted as she ran. "You guys, why are you chasing me? I only chopped up a few Walking Corpses; is there any need to be so petty!"

"A Daoist slaying zombies is only natural."

"Stop chasing me, I'm getting a stitch in my side." Tang Tang panted with her hands on her hips... "Vermilion Bird's Soaring Light, divine might restrained... Red Lotus Possession, angrily summon the Karmic Fire of the Eight Directions! Fierce Breath of Flame, Burn!" As Shang Wan Ning's voice fell.

A ball of fire suddenly erupted from her hand, splashing rapidly in all directions.

The flames were like a fire dragon, baring its claws as it lunged at the resentment permeating the tunnel.

The resentment, which should have been able to suppress everything, now seemed powerless against this Karmic Fire, and was even secretly fueling its power to some extent.

With a loud "bang," the fire dragon quickly spread through the corpse horde, forming a sea of fire. The ignited Walking Corpses instantly fell into an extreme frenzy, scurrying madly within the narrow tunnel... A "sizzle, sizzle" sound of rendering fat reached her ears, sounding like the tempting aroma of roasting meat.

However, at this moment, the sizzling sound did not bring any appetite; instead, it made Tang Tang shudder.

Listening to the noise, Shang Wan Ning couldn't help but feel an indescribable wave of irritation rising in her heart.

Her brow furrowed as she lightly snapped her fingers. In an instant, all the Walking Corpses in the tunnel turned into a pile of ash and scattered into the air.

Tang Tang, who had been in a state of shock, suddenly came to her senses. She turned her now somewhat stiff neck and looked toward a wall dozens of meters away.

There stood a woman quietly, wearing a tube-top gauze dress and her hair in a bun.

Her figure looked exceptionally divine under the reflection of the firelight.

At the moment their eyes met, Tang Tang dashed over and hugged Shang Wan Ning's leg, rubbing against it. She murmured, "Sister, they're bullying me. Can you help Tang Tang hit them?" She raised her teary puppy eyes, looking pitifully at Shang Wan Ning.

Shang Wan Ning helplessly brushed back the stray hairs on her forehead, trying to break free. But Tang Tang's survival instinct was too strong, and she held on tight. "Little Daoist, let go. I am not your sister!"

"Waaah... You are sister, Fairy Sister!" Tang Tang brought her nose close and sniffed. "Elegant lily fragrance, top note."

Shang Wan Ning held her forehead, muttering to herself. She had finally thought she could avoid Ling Qi for a few days, but as soon as she received a System notification, she rushed over without stopping. Who knew the Little Daoist she saved would be a bit of a pervert?

Who smells someone's body fragrance the first time they meet?! This is way too lacking in boundaries.

"Let go. I don't want to say it a third time."

"No, no! Sister, sister, sister..." Tang Tang repeated it dozens of times like a broken record.

Shang Wan Ning didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She forcefully shook off Tang Tang's hand and said crossly, "I am not your sister. And stop following me!" With that, she walked toward the depths of the tunnel without looking back.