Blackstone City.
South Gate.
"Please, have mercy."
"This is unacceptable!"
A group of people cried out, dressed in luxurious silk and satin, likely from wealthy families and officials in the past.
But now, as they watched bags of food being looted, their eyes were filled with indescribable despair.
When the demonic disaster erupted, they were lucky to escape the initial wave of attacks and sought refuge near the South Gate with Yuanhe Mountain.
However, today, these warriors from Yuanhe Mountain were openly looting their food!
"My father is the governor's aide in Dingzhou!"
A handsome scholar spoke loudly, "My uncle serves in the Dingzhou army, they won't let you off."
He looked at the bags of food and cured meat, feeling like his own life was being taken away.
"Oh?" Qiao Wuchang patted his chubby belly. After being trapped in Blackstone City, he not only didn't lose weight but became even fatter.
He approached with a smile, "So it's Young Master Xu, my apologies!"
As he spoke, he suddenly swung his right hand in a circle and slapped fiercely.
Smack!
Young Master Xu flew backward, his cheek sunken, clearly lifeless.
"Hmph! Ignorant fool, I've tolerated you for too long."
Qiao Wuchang wiped the blood off his hand, looking at the remaining officials and nobles with a fierce smile on his face.
The rules had changed long ago; these aristocrats in the city were no different from lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
That day, when Leng Hu Yang's breakout failed, they could only hold their ground and wait for changes.
Subsequently, the warriors of Yuanhe Mountain branch not only did not disperse but became more disciplined and ruthless.
As order collapsed, a group of violent individuals gathered together, revealing a more brutal discipline.
Because the apocalypse would trigger the beastly nature within humans!
Soon, Yuanhe Mountain occupied the entire South Gate, looting supplies on a large scale.
Ironically, it was the once wealthy households that suffered the most.
Because the commoners had nothing left to steal!
"Haha...haha..."
Watching these once high-ranking figures now reduced to nothing, Qiao Wuchang couldn't help but burst into laughter. He grabbed a woman adorned with emerald hairpins, who seemed to be a concubine of a former official, and carried her on his shoulder, ready to take her back to his room.
Not far away.
Leng Hu Yang stood with his hands behind his back, coldly watching the scene.
Chun Yu stood beside Leng Hu Yang, showing a hint of reluctance, "Qiao Wuchang is going too far, should we stop him?"
"No need." Leng Hu Yang waved his hand, his tone icy, "They are all doomed anyway, their backgrounds don't matter...let Wuchang handle it, he is becoming more capable!"
Chun Yu felt a chill in her heart. She had not yet recovered from the peaceful mindset of the past, but the outside world had already turned upside down.
"Chun Yu, my niece..." Seeing this, Leng Hu Yang's lips curved into a sinister smile, his voice cold, "The demonic realm has taken shape. Unless the demon lord retreats voluntarily, otherwise, to escape... perhaps only the grandmasters have a slight chance. Most of us will die here."
"But my martial path will not end here!"
"As long as the demons do not come knocking, I will survive by any means necessary!"
"Even if in the end, food and water run out, I will resort to any means... even cannibalism..."
"This is... my martial heart!"
Leng Hu Yang's eyes were resolute, "I must climb to the pinnacle of martial arts, reach the realm of grandmaster, by any means necessary!"
"The martial heart?" Chun Yu looked greatly shocked.
...
Similar tragedies continued to unfold in Blackstone City.
However, all this could not stop the growth of the demonic tree at the center of the city, which continued to thrive day by day.
The massive canopy of the tree first covered the entire government office area, then spread throughout the inner city, and further expanded towards the outer city.
Under the canopy, monsters roamed freely, sparing neither humans nor animals.
This scene, like a harbinger of death, made the survivors even more desperate, leading them to cross various moral boundaries.
...
Time passed like flowing water, and three months had passed in the blink of an eye.
West Gate.
Fang Xi, dressed in black, wearing a bamboo hat, entered a marketplace.
It was more like a place for survivors to exchange goods.
He frowned, avoiding the filth on the ground, and looked at the women leaning against the door frames, their faces pale and emaciated.
Seeing a man approaching, many women forced a smile, a faint trace of their former beauty still visible on their faces.
"It is said that many noble ladies are among them, as long as they receive a small bag of food, they can experience a moment of prosperity..."
Fang Xi was not interested in such matters at all. He quickly passed through this area and arrived at the stall area.
Various treasures, antiques, precious herbs, and swords were scattered around like trash, sold at low prices.
The sellers didn't want gold or silver, only food!
"Esteemed guest, come and take a look at this Dragon-Slaying Sword passed down in my family, as light as a feather, only fifty catties of food!"
An old man held the sword and, to prove its sharpness, lightly blew on a strand of hair placed on the blade.
Snap!
The hair was cut, proving it was indeed a sharp weapon!
In the past, such treasures could have caused a frenzy among warriors and wealthy individuals.
But in the present circumstances, a sword that couldn't be eaten was no different from scrap metal.
"Peerless treasure... White Jade Nine-Ring Bracelet!"
"Jade Guanyin Statue!"
"Selling manuals... Red Rust Sword Manual, with divine intent, only a hundred catties of food!"
...
Ignoring the calls of the emaciated individuals, Fang Xi walked into a house.
Inside, there was a somewhat shriveled meat mountain.
"You're here!"
Han Fatty's voice sounded weak.
Next to the meat mountain, there were bloody... rats?
This was a rare meat stall selling rat meat.
"Han Fatty, you've lost weight again."
Fang Xi greeted him.
In the face of the disaster in Blackstone City, even the black market traders were not spared.
However, as Fang Xi strolled through the market in the western city area, he unexpectedly encountered an old friend, which was truly a pleasant surprise.
Even in the face of the apocalypse, this Han Fatty still had his ways and means, managing to procure a certain amount of rat meat for sale.
Much better than the other stalls selling dog meat under false pretenses.
He was almost a unique presence in the entire market.
Of course, Fang Xi didn't come to buy rat meat to eat.
On the contrary, when Han Fatty saw him, he greeted him as if he had seen a relative, complaining, "Isn't it? The price of food has skyrocketed recently... the Taosui I've been raising is almost starving to death. I had to cut back on my own food and eat eight meals a day, I'm starving..."
As he spoke, Han Fatty looked at his slightly reduced belly, sounding infinitely sad.
Fang Xi was speechless, but this person was said to eat ten meals a day before.
At this time, seeing people outside starving to the point of green-eyed envy made it seem like... showing off!
"The 'Iron Arm Fist' manual you sold me last month was quite average. If this one is the same, I won't buy manuals this time, just give me Taosui meat."
Fang Xi said casually.
When he saw Han Fatty in the market, he was overjoyed.
The source of demon meat could continue.
Moreover, the other party had a large number of manuals!
Probably purchased from ordinary farmers under Qingzhu Mountain for a small amount of food.
After seeing them, Fang Xi immediately thought of cooperating.
Let Han Fatty handle the purchase of manuals and then sell them to him at a higher price, settling with food.
After all, as long as it wasn't spirit rice, buying food from ordinary farmers under Qingzhu Mountain was just a matter of a little gold or silver.
"With my own efforts, I don't know how many people I've fed. Immeasurable merit, immeasurable merit..."
Fang Xi thought to himself.
Han Fatty turned over, "Last time, the Iron Arm Fist was the authentic heritage of the Iron Family. The old master of the Iron Family had almost swept half of the martial arts world with a pair of iron fists... If his grandson wasn't starving to death, he wouldn't have sold it to me cheaply... Forget it, forget it, let's not talk about this. Do you want the real powerful manual you're looking for? I don't have it! But Yuanhe Mountain seems very interested. Do you want me to introduce you to them?"
"Let's forget it. I'll find them on my own."
Fang Xi rubbed his fingers.
At this moment, facing Leng Hu Yang, who was almost at the second level of body refining, he wasn't very confident. "Show me what you have!"
"This is the secret manual I've kept hidden."
Han Fatty took out a book and tossed it to Fang Xi.
Fang Xi took a look, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes, "Iron Armor Technique?"
This technique focused on external strength training, specifically strengthening the body and limbs for defense.
It was quite compatible with his White Cloud Palm and Red Snake Leg, at least not conflicting too much.
Of course, the real conflict would only be known after practicing it.
"And the Divine Intent, it's definitely a fine piece. Not bad, not bad. How much are you asking for?"
He asked casually.
"A thousand catties of food! I put a lot of effort into getting this..."
Han Fatty said firmly.
"Five hundred catties, and give me ten catties of Taosui meat!"
Fang Xi frowned, directly cutting the price in half.
"No, at least eight hundred catties."
After some bargaining, they settled on a baseline of seven hundred catties of food, and Fang Xi took the manual and left.
As for the food and Taosui meat, they would be delivered later.
If such a big deal was done in the market, it would have been snatched away long ago!
People driven mad by hunger would do anything!
"This person..."
Han Fatty watched Fang Xi's departing figure, pondering as he stroked his chin, "Heh heh... Did he rob several food shops? He really has plenty of food... Unfortunately, he's not easy to provoke. I hope those guys in the market are a bit smarter..."
"Hmm? No, they're better off being foolish. When they all die, I can easily grab their shops and food!"
(End of Chapter)