The pilots gritted their teeth, collectively responded with a "Yes", then rapidly flew away. Behind them were dozens of mutated birds. Everyone hoped they could buy some time, without expecting a single jet to fend off such a swarm.

Situ Han confronted the mutated birds with a resolve to die fighting. The first shot took down a gray-feathered vulture, striking its wing and sending feathers spiraling down.

The vulture struggled to maintain balance, flapping its wings and veering towards the jet. Just as Situ Han was about to fire again, Zhou You grabbed his hand, saying, "Don’t waste the ammo. I'll handle the wounded one."

Situ Han was unsure about Zhou You's plan, but he soon understood. Zhou You swiftly opened the jet door. The roaring wind filled the cabin and, in moments, Zhou You's silhouette vanished from the plane.

"Brother Zhou... Zhou... don’t do anything rash!" Initially, Situ Han had intended to hold the front, and, if overwhelmed, let Zhou You parachute out. He had witnessed Zhou You's parachuting skills before and believed Zhou You would be safe once he reached the ground.

But what was Zhou You thinking now? How could he rush out without any protection at such an altitude?

Zhou You positioned himself on the wing, secured by ropes, holding a crossbow. As the injured vulture approached, he rapidly fired ten bolts targeting its eyes, belly, and the joints of its wings.

Thanks to the extensive database from the research institute, warriors first learned the weaknesses of all mutated creatures. In wilderness combat, every attack opportunity is precious; a miss increases the danger.

The vulture screeched as it plummeted from the sky. Situ Han saw it and quickly targeted another.

The duo synchronized perfectly, one with artillery, the other with a crossbow. Except for a few occasions when the jet's evasive maneuvers almost shook Zhou You off, everything went smoothly.

The number of attacking mutated birds dwindled; some had already flown to the base to join other beasts.

Zhou You remained puzzled about their motives. Were they driven by hunger or fear?

In the end, a few isolated mutated birds stayed away, showing no aggression. Zhou You untied the ropes and slowly crawled back into the cockpit, sinking into his seat after removing his helmet and armor.

Situ Han, voice trembling, asked, "Brother Zhou, are you alright?"

"I'm okay, just exerted too much. Let's find Shao Qi." Zhou You closed his eyes, meditating to restore his energy. His arms ached from continuous shooting and he was nearly drained. Had there been a few more birds, he doubted he'd have held on.

Situ Han was utterly impressed. He'd never seen someone achieve such a feat.

Ordinary arrows couldn't penetrate the tough feathers of the mutated birds. Their only clear vulnerability was their eyes, yet every bolt from Zhou You found its mark, displaying the immense force behind each shot.

Situ Han piloted the jet lower, flying close to the ground, searching for Shao Qi and his group. They were rumored to be about ten miles northwest. He should've spotted them by now, but even after circling for half an hour, there was no sign of any creatures.

Glancing at the dimming sky, Situ Han expressed his concern, "Brother Zhou, it's getting dark."

Zhou You exhaled slowly, looking at the horizon, and replied, "If we can't find them, let's land and find shelter. We'll continue our search tomorrow."

He believed that nothing untoward had happened to Shao Qi and his group. If there had been a battle, it would have left traces, which they could follow tomorrow.

Situ Han chose a barren stretch of sandy land for landing. The wind kicked up, sending a thick cloud of yellow dust into the air, obscuring their vision.

After alighting, Zhou You looked around curiously and asked, "How can such a place still exist outside the Life Base?"

This desert patch wasn't vast, spanning just a few hundred acres. Logically, reversing desertification here should have been easy. Why did the Life Base leave this land to waste?

"The Life Base doesn't focus much on agriculture; they rely on outside supplies for food. Therefore, they don't care whether it's a desert or not. Their primary interests are in mining and metallurgy. The nation would never forsake this land," Situ Han noted.

Stepping onto the sand, Situ Han, with his vision now cleared, commented, "I used to find deserts intimidating. Now, forests are the ones that terrify me. Let's spend the night here. We can sleep in the plane."

Zhou You had no objections. The surroundings were flat and clear, making it easy to spot any approaching danger, hence it seemed relatively safe.

They could even hear the roars of creatures from the Life Base in the distance. He wondered what these creatures would do upon finding the base deserted. Perhaps they would soon scatter in different directions?

"Let's rest while we can. You must be tired from flying all day. I'll take the first watch," Zhou You suggested.

After gulping down a few nutrition drinks, they settled down to rest, despite having plenty of meat at their disposal.

Zhou You checked his phone. Still no signal. It was baffling—how could there be no signal over such a vast area? Was someone jamming it?

He sent several messages to Shao Qi. Each attempt failed, but he persisted, hoping that the messages would go through once the signal returned.

By the second half of the night, Zhou You noticed that Situ Han hadn't woken up. He chose not to disturb him, instead opting to sit atop the plane, gazing at the starry sky.

Ever since the apocalypse, even the night sky seemed to have become more beautiful. The myriad of stars suggested that Earth remained unchanged. However, the conditions for survival had undergone drastic transformations.

To date, no one has been able to pinpoint the origins of these changes. What triggered the evolution in flora and fauna? Were mutated creatures truly plausible?

Maybe, years from now, someone might unlock these mysteries. Yet, the world might never revert to its former state. Children born now could only glimpse the past through visual archives.