"Ugh..." The black-haired man's throat seemed to close up, his face a mask of shock mixed with a dull bewilderment, as if he couldn't quite process the near-miraculous event unfolding before his eyes.

It was utterly staggering.

That was a Bloodthirsty Rat; a single swipe of its claws could tear through reinforced concrete, yet it had just been sent flying by a single kick.

Swish, swish, swish.

Several figures streaked in from the distance, one moving with lightning speed, instantly standing before him. He was breathing evenly, his heart rate undisturbed, as if he had been standing there for an eternity already.

"Hey there, little friend, are you alright?" Bailong chuckled.

The black-haired man paused, then forced a wry smile, looking at Ye Chen standing before him. "Thank you all for your timely help. I am Gu Xinghe, and I shall never forget this debt of rescue."

"Gu Xinghe?" Ye Chen froze for a moment, suddenly recalling the previous life: one of the Ten Peak Warriors, the powerhouse known by the moniker 'Thunder Emperor,' was named Gu Xinghe. He wasn't sure if it was the same person. After a moment of thought, Ye Chen asked, "Where are you headed next?"

Gu Xinghe looked at him strangely, slightly taken aback. After thinking it over, he replied, "I plan to go to Beijing City with two companions. Given the catastrophe that has befallen the world, there should be army garrisons setting up defense posts there; we can try to survive through that."

Ye Chen’s heart jolted, his eyes gleaming. If his memory served him right, that 'Thunder Emperor' from his past life had aligned himself with the base city in Beijing at the very start of the apocalypse. He developed rapidly, constantly earning military merits, his status skyrocketing from an ordinary civilian to eventually securing a spot among the world's Ten Greatest Warriors.

In later ages, the experiences of every super powerhouse were chronicled into legends and epics, passed down through countless hearts. Ye Chen was certainly familiar with some of them.

This man right here is likely that peerlessly brilliant Thunder God, Ye Chen mused inwardly.

In his past life, he was merely someone with minor fame in the western base city of China, not even ranking among the top ten warriors nationally, let alone being in the league of world-class powerhouses—figures who were utterly revered.

Ye Chen had paid close attention to the Thunder God because he was not an evolved human; he possessed the same ordinary physique as a regular person, rising purely through step-by-step effort, defeating and trampling down those born with superior evolution. His heroic figure stood like a monument, becoming the object of worship for all ordinary people.

What was even more admirable was the Thunder God’s profound sense of loyalty.

In this chaotic, struggling apocalypse, backstabbing was far too common, and genuine fellowship was increasingly rare. The Thunder God stood out as one of the rare exceptions.

Once, by the banks of the Jiujiang River, he jumped into the torrent to slay a three-headed Flood Dragon for a brother…

Once, deep within the Great Australian Forest, he traversed mountains and valleys alone to destroy several monster castles for a comrade…

Once, at the edge of Daming Lake…

There were countless news reports and legends surrounding him.

However, the Thunder God did not form connections carelessly; every friend he made shared a bond forged through life-or-death trials. Yet, ultimately, he died at the hands of one of those friends—murdered.

On that day, countless people mourned him silently.

Ye Chen never dreamed he would cross paths with such a legendary hero. He suspected that even if he hadn't intervened just now, the man likely had backup plans and wouldn't have died easily.

"My esteemed friends..." Gu Xinghe looked at Ye Chen and his group with reverence. "With your skills, if you go to Beijing, you will undoubtedly make great contributions in the army, rising to General or Marshal. Why not accompany me?"

Bailong and the others all looked toward Ye Chen.

Ye Chen shook his head. "We won't be going for now. Next month, the national army will establish a base city in Beijing. You can join then, kill monsters, accumulate military merits, and we will join you then as well."

Gu Xinghe looked slightly disappointed. "Very well then. May I ask your names? If I manage to arrive safely, I will certainly host a welcoming banquet for you when you come."

Ye Chen nodded slightly. Befriending such a future super-figure was indeed worthwhile; becoming close friends would be even better. He spoke immediately, "My name is Ye Chen."

"Little friend, I am Bailong, famously known as the Invincible Super Hunk. It's inconvenient right now, but I'll sign autographs for you next time."

Gu Xinghe: "..."

"I am Yue Heng."

"Mo Feng."

The group finished introducing themselves one by one.

Ye Chen paused, then looked at Gu Xinghe. "There is a way to increase strength. Within the bodies of monsters and zombies, there will be a substance that can be refined. After you hunt them, you can dissect them; it can be cleaned and eaten. This refined substance will not carry the virus."

Gu Xinghe's eyes lit up. "Is this what makes you all so powerful—the refinement?"

Ye Chen nodded.

Gu Xinghe burst into loud laughter. "I knew it! Heaven would never allow humanity to be completely wiped out; there is always a sliver of hope left. Your great kindness cannot be repaid with mere words. If I live, I will never forget your grace, even if it means climbing mountains of blades, I will not frown!"

Ye Chen smiled faintly.

After a few final pieces of advice, they parted ways.

Ye Chen and his group continued their trek between the high-rise buildings.

Ye Zhu walked up to Ye Chen, blinked, and asked curiously, "Do you know that person?"

"Why do you ask?" Ye Chen chuckled.

"Because after seeing him, your mood seemed to brighten significantly. For an ordinary person, you would at most give a cold look and walk away, not chat much," Ye Zhu’s eyes held a hint of slyness as she teased him.

Ye Chen managed a wry smile. This sister of his was like a piece of his own inner workings; she understood him better than he understood himself.

...

Three days later.

Jiangsu, Mount Mao.

Mount Mao boasted superb geographical features, with picturesque mountains, lush forests, verdant hills, and clear waters. It was said to contain nine peaks and twenty-nine springs. Within the undulating, overlapping mountain ranges, the scenery was myriad and magnificent, each facet displaying its unique splendor.

Ye Chen and his companions entered the area.

"Huayang." Ye Chen spread out a map and began searching carefully. Not long after, he spotted a triangular symbol labeled "Huayang." Comparing it to their current location, it seemed to be about a ten-minute walk away.

"This is Mount Mao?" Bailong looked up all around. Surrounded by towering mountains and endless seas of green, a sense of relief and boldness swept over him, urging him to throw his arms wide and shout to the heavens.

"Let's go," Ye Chen folded the map and led the way.

The group followed the forest path deeper into the mountains. The former scenic beauty remained largely unchanged, except for the numerous corpses littering the ground—a jarring stain upon the beautiful natural canvas.

"Roar!"

A zombie, clad in casual tourist attire, burst from the distant jungle and charged forward, its face contorted in a snarl. A camera dangled from its chest, likely belonging to a tourist who met their end here.

Pfft.

Ye Chen didn't even look. He tapped the ground with his toe, flicked up a small stone, and threw it casually. The stone pierced the zombie's skull, and he continued walking forward, his expression unchanged.

Bailong and the others watched this feat of skill, utterly dumbfounded. Although their physiques were also exceptionally strong and their nerves robust—they could certainly flick stones to kill zombies—they couldn't manage the casual ease Ye Chen displayed.

Hiss, hiss.

A faint sound arose from the jungle, like wind rustling through leaves, but Ye Chen heard a distinct anomaly. He sensed an unusual odor in the air and turned to look at his sister, Ye Zhu. He saw her eyebrows slightly furrowed; she had clearly noticed something was amiss.

Ye Chen inwardly praised her. Butterflies were extremely sensitive to scents. Even though Ye Zhu had only integrated 20% of her abilities, she already possessed formidable sensory perception.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a Green Python erupted from the nearby woods. It was ten zhang long, as thick as a water bucket, covered in blue-green scales, with menacing fangs. It lunged toward Ye Chen, its mouth gaping, emitting a foul, nauseating stench.

Ye Chen’s eyes narrowed. His body moved instantly. His arm shot out like a silver dragon emerging from the sea, his five fingers curled like an eagle’s talons, seizing the python’s vital seventh scale point. In his other hand, he gripped a firefighter's axe, executing the Phantom Ten Slashes.

With his current strength of 103 people, he could execute the Phantom Ten Slashes perfectly without risking injury to his tendons, unlike before.

Hiss, hiss. The Green Python spat out a flick of bright red tongue, its eyes blazing with ferocity as it stared at Ye Chen. It twisted its head, evading the firefighter's axe aimed at its weak point, and looped around to constrict him.

The axe landed on its body.

Clang!

After a violent collision that sparked briefly, the axe did not cleave through the scales, but the sheer kinetic force generated by the 500-man power behind the Phantom Ten Slashes threw the python backward into the jungle. Instead of fleeing, the creature’s ferocity was ignited, and it lunged at Ye Chen again.

"Seeking death," Ye Chen's eyes turned cold. Instead of retreating, he advanced. Passing a large tree, he casually grabbed it and wrenched it free from the ground. Gripping the trunk with both hands, he swung it horizontally toward the python.

Boom!

The tree swept across the python's head, sending its thirty-meter-long body flying several yards. Immediately, Ye Chen held the tree high with both hands and slammed it down viciously onto the python’s seventh scale point—precisely on target, without the slightest deviation.

Generally speaking—

When chopping down from above, one doesn't always strike the desired spot exactly, much like splitting wood with an axe where hitting the center is not guaranteed.

Moreover, the python was a living creature, writhing and convulsing on the ground, making it even harder to hit accurately.

This demonstrated Ye Chen’s exquisite control and vision; no matter how it twisted, it was struck exactly where intended.

Hiss…

The python convulsed a few times and then lay still.

Ye Chen did not step forward yet, instead raising the tree again and smashing it down hard. The originally 'dead' python flinched from the impact, struggled, and tried to turn and flee.

Ye Chen would not allow it that chance. He dropped the tree, lunged forward in an arrow-like dash, grabbed the python’s tail, and yanked it up, beginning to spin. He smashed the surrounding trunks of seven or eight trees with the thrashing serpent.

Finally, blood oozed from the python’s entire body, its head was smashed askew, and it died completely.

"Daring to launch a sneak attack with only the strength of 80 people," Ye Chen sneered. He walked over, pulled out the two ivory fangs from its mouth, wrapped them in coarse cloth, and stuffed them into his backpack.

These two snake fangs were nearly a foot long and contained potent venom. If they struck an enemy's bloodstream, even a monster with 200 people's strength would suffer debilitating numbness throughout their body.

However, the venom glands were not attached to the fangs; the toxicity would diminish after only two or three uses.

"Let's go," Ye Chen glanced up toward the mountaintop. They would reach their destination soon.