While the people with Shen Feng had set up camp, a battle was underway near the stadium in Yuzhou. Over a hundred thousand zombies were attacking the stadium from various directions. The ground around the stadium was already covered with a thick layer of zombie corpses, obscuring the ground itself. Even during their charge, the zombies were trampling over the bodies of their fallen comrades.
Despite the onslaught of over a hundred thousand zombies, they were being held back by the bullets sprayed from the stadium. The stadium had been modified, with all entrances sealed off. Large and small windows had been opened in the stadium walls, behind which soldiers were firing. The zombies, lacking any ranged attack capabilities, could only charge forward blindly, only to be killed by bullets as soon as they moved.
The stadium had now become a massive fortress. Soldiers inside were taking turns in combat. If the zombie numbers were overwhelming and they reached the front of the stadium, the soldiers would throw grenades from the windows, immediately eliminating large numbers of charging zombies.
The zombies were relentlessly attacking the stadium, displaying a desperate intent to break through the defenses. Even though hundreds of thousands of zombies had already perished, more were continuously charging towards the stadium. Even in the darkness of night, they were drawn by the sound.
Cheng Ke observed this scene, calculating silently: "We've already dealt with over seven hundred thousand zombies here. Has the Corpse King made no move at all? It's meaningless to keep sending zombies to their deaths. Could the Corpse King have other methods?"
Yuzhou was a large city, with a population of at least several million. The severity of the zombie outbreak would be magnified in such a large city. Therefore, even after killing seven hundred thousand zombies, millions more remained alive! However, in the end, seven hundred thousand zombies had dealt a significant blow to the Corpse King. Strangely, even under these circumstances, the Corpse King remained inactive.
Cheng Ke constantly put himself in the Corpse King's shoes, considering how he would command the zombies to attack. It was impossible for them not to attack, but currently, the zombies' only offensive tactic was to charge. Cheng Ke couldn't understand why the Corpse King continued to send zombies to their deaths.
In recent days, soldiers at the stadium had also eliminated many mutated zombies. Whether they were first or second-tier, these zombies couldn't withstand bullets, and even speed-type zombies couldn't evade gunfire.
Cheng Ke had expected the Corpse King to at least dispatch mutated zombies for assassination missions, as this was often how Corpse Kings operated in many cities. When ordinary zombies faced modern firepower, Corpse Kings would selectively send mutated zombies for sneak attacks, and soldiers, if not careful, would easily fall victim.
However, the Corpse King in Yuzhou seemed different. Even though it knew that the zombies charging forward were merely being sent to their deaths, the Corpse King still issued such orders. It was certain that this Corpse King possessed high intelligence, acted unpredictably, and had managed to evade satellite detection after hiding.
"Could the Corpse King be trying to delay our actions? That shouldn't be the case. Even if we are delayed, our supplies won't be cut off," Cheng Ke frowned, unable to comprehend why the Corpse King kept sending ordinary zombies to their deaths. It seemed like a waste of manpower.
After much thought, Cheng Ke couldn't fathom the Corpse King's intentions. However, it was clear that within another week, a large portion of the zombies in Yuzhou would be eliminated, and their victory would be assured. In terms of both tactics and combat strength, their seven thousand people would maintain a significant advantage.
This was also what Cheng Ke hoped for: to draw enemy fire by penetrating deep behind enemy lines, and after killing most of the zombies, they would gain a huge advantage. All that remained was to find the Corpse King to instantly turn the tide.
Military helicopters flew over Yuzhou every day. For the seven thousand people at the stadium, helicopters represented supplies. As long as the helicopters kept appearing, it meant their supplies would not be lacking. Moreover, if a crisis truly arose, they could escape the stadium via helicopter. Zombies couldn't fly, and by controlling the air, the soldiers were in an invincible position.
The survivors in Yuzhou had already been evacuated to reclaimed cities. Once combat began, the soldiers would undoubtedly be unable to care for the civilians, and civilians without combat capabilities would be a burden. With the civilians evacuated, the soldiers could fight without restraint.
As dawn broke, Shen Feng reluctantly emerged from his tent. This was his first time sleeping outdoors. The campsite was on a small hill beside the road. Throughout the night, he could hear the constant whistling of the wind. As a third-tier ability user, Shen Feng's hearing was already acute, making it difficult for him to sleep while listening to the wind.
After waking up, Shen Feng stretched and found a small stream nearby. He washed his face with the icy stream water, which finally invigorated him. He then returned to the camp and urged everyone to set off. The nearest county town was still dozens of kilometers away, and they aimed to reach it today to assess the situation and potentially launch a reclamation operation.
Yu Renshu and Chu Chaoyan did not stay in the camp. Instead, they slept in the back of the vehicle. The space behind the car was quite large, or rather, the car was designed so that a bed could be formed in the rear seat, which was convenient for Yu Renshu and Chu Chaoyan. They didn't need to set up tents and could sleep directly in the car. Of course, they still went to the camp for dinner. Chu Chaoyan couldn't cook, and Yu Renshu was too lazy to cook.
Afterward, the three thousand people continued their journey. They stopped and started along the way. Perhaps it was because they were farther from Luzhou, but the highway was no longer congested. By three o'clock in the afternoon, they finally reached the county town. Shen Feng did not launch a hasty attack. Instead, he sent people to scout the surroundings. If they could utilize the terrain to deal with the zombies, that would be ideal. If not, they would have to resort to direct combat. Fortunately, there was a river near the county town, which solved their water supply problem.
This county town was called Liancheng. It seemed that in ancient times, it was a place where lotus roots were abundant, hence the name. Currently, lotus roots were no longer grown there due to insufficient water. Therefore, the people here had started planting apples, a specialty of the Shu region. The apples were sweet and refreshing. Unfortunately, it was now late autumn, approaching winter, and there likely weren't many apples left.
Shen Feng stopped about a kilometer away from Liancheng. Looking at the zombies in the town from a distance, he saw them wandering around wantonly. The city itself was very quiet. From the outside, no useful information could be obtained, and it was unclear whether there was a Corpse King inside. Shen Feng hoped there was a Corpse King inside, because the presence of a Corpse King meant they could obtain ability potions. If they could acquire more potions, they could cultivate more confidantes.
However, Shen Feng had seen descriptions of Corpse Kings on underground websites. It seemed that Corpse Kings possessed a special substance in their brains that allowed them to command other zombies. But this substance was extremely rare, and therefore, Corpse Kings were also rare! Not every city would have a Corpse King, and those that did were usually killed by missiles.
If a Corpse King was present, Shen Feng would have to infiltrate the city again for a decapitation strike. Shen Feng was now a third-tier ability user and could handle ordinary Corpse Kings smoothly.
However, at this moment, a soldier driving a car approached Shen Feng and said, "City Lord, there's a situation in the orchard on the west side of the city. The Doctor has already taken people there. You should go and see as well."
Shen Feng heard this and quickly asked, "What's the situation?"
"Mutated plants have appeared!" the soldier replied quickly.
"Plants can mutate too?" Shen Feng was stunned when he heard this. It was understandable for animals to mutate due to the zombie virus, but now he heard about plants mutating, and he was completely bewildered. How could plants mutate? But just because he hadn't seen it didn't mean it didn't exist. Shen Feng then followed the soldier to the orchard.
To the west of Liancheng was a small hill, and on the mountainside was an orchard where apples were grown. Yu Renshu and Chu Chaoyan were currently picking and eating apples from the trees.
When Shen Feng arrived at the orchard, he immediately looked around. He found that all the surrounding apple trees had withered, with leaves and fruits scattered on the ground. In the center of the orchard stood a giant apple tree. The trunk alone had a diameter of five to six meters, and its height reached over twenty meters. This apple tree was lush and verdant. Even though it was autumn, it was still flowering, and the fruits on the tree were abundant. The skin of the fruits was incredibly vibrant, as if coated with a layer of red paint.
Shen Feng walked over and saw over twenty people, each holding an apple and eating it, commenting on its taste. He couldn't help but ask, "You're all eating so happily. Aren't you afraid of poison?"
The soldiers pointed to Yu Renshu, who was eating an apple, and said, "The Doctor said it's edible, no problem!"
Yu Renshu finished her apple, casually tossed the core aside, and pointed to a dozen mutated wild boars nearby. "Those pigs are edible, and nothing happens after eating them, so I think we can eat them too. As for those wild boars, they'll be a good addition to tonight's meal."
Shen Feng looked at the towering apple tree and couldn't resist picking an apple. He hadn't eaten fruit in a long time and was feeling a craving. He then asked, "How did plants mutate? And this apple tree has become so productive, flowering and fruiting in autumn. Can it be planted on a large scale in the future?"
Yu Renshu, while looking at the giant apple tree, said, "I'm not sure why it mutated, but I can be sure that this apple tree won't be planted on a large scale because the seeds are no good!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Feng couldn't help but take another bite of the apple. At this moment, he could see the seeds inside the apple core. These seeds were very shriveled, just as Yu Renshu had said. Such seeds could not grow an apple tree, so this was the only mutated apple tree.
"Since the seeds are no good, why is it still bearing fruit?" Shen Feng continued to ask.
"How should I know? I'm not a biology student. If you ask me, I can't answer you!" Yu Renshu said indifferently. She was a microbiologist, primarily a researcher. Shen Feng's question about why plants mutate was something she wasn't familiar with.
Reminded by Yu Renshu, Shen Feng suddenly remembered that there was a biology professor in the library who had been chased by a pack of mutated dogs and had fled to Luzhou. In this situation, it would be a good opportunity to ask for Professor Niu's advice. However, it would be best to take this tree back to Luzhou, as a fruit tree that could grow in autumn was quite precious.
"If I transplant this apple tree back, will it only be possible in spring?" Shen Feng suddenly asked.
Yu Renshu shrugged and said, "I'm not sure. I'm not a botany student either, but I can give you a suggestion. Mutated animals have developed stronger adaptability, so I think mutated plants will also have stronger survival capabilities."
Shen Feng nodded and called Yang Chang over, saying, "Get fifty people to dig up this tree and find someone to drive a truck to transport it back to Luzhou to be planted. Good things shouldn't be left outside; they must be kept at home!"
Yang Chang looked troubled upon hearing this and said, "City Lord, you're making things difficult for me. How can we transport a twenty-meter-tall tree? A truck can't even tow it."
"Then just cut off the branches, can't you? It's a mutated plant, after all, it won't die so easily," Shen Feng casually instructed.
Chu Chaoyan quickly said, "Don't cut it yet, don't cut it yet. I'll go up the tree first. You can take a few pictures for me. Also, I think we should pick the apples before cutting it, right?"
As she spoke, Chu Chaoyan handed her phone to Shen Feng, asking him to take pictures for her. Shen Feng was helpless. Chu Chaoyan seemed to be treating this place as a camping spot, even thinking about taking pictures. However, Shen Feng still took pictures for her and then gathered people to pick apples and dig up the apple tree.
Chu Chaoyan looked at the surrounding apple trees, which were at most four to five meters tall. Only the mutated apple tree had survived. As for the other apple trees, perhaps due to lack of care, they had all died. It was strange, though, that all the other fruit trees had died, and only one tree had survived and evolved.
Chu Chaoyan had a dream: when the apocalypse ended and life returned to what it was a month ago, she would definitely write a novel, documenting her experiences during the apocalypse. The pictures would serve as evidence to prove that what she said was not a lie. Thinking about it, such a work would surely attract attention.
Fortunately, the mutated plants were immobile, and this apple tree posed no threat to humans. So, after Shen Feng had people dig up the apple tree, they loaded it onto a truck and had reliable personnel transport it back to Luzhou. As for the soldiers that night, everyone could eat fruit. The apple tree's canopy was very large, and after picking all the apples, they filled two pickup trucks. These apples were enough for three thousand people to eat two each, with some left over.
Thinking about this, Shen Feng began to speculate. Since apple trees could mutate, could other plants also mutate? If former plants became poisonous, wouldn't that mean humans had lost a lot of edible food? And they might encounter danger in the wild. After all, humans could guard against animals, but plants were different. The wilderness was covered with plants, and who knew which plants might harm humans.