The problem was this place's remoteness. The next city was a long way off. Relying on foot, it'd probably take a month to get there. During that time, any random bug could be lethal.

Thus, he needed to enter the Life Base, find a drivable vehicle, gather some food, and get some clean clothes, as the ones he wore were dirty.

Taking advantage of the remaining daylight, Shao Qi...

Healing damaged meridians wouldn't be an overnight process. He might never be able to practice martial arts again in this lifetime.

The cultivation method he practiced was unlike others'. His rapid progress was entirely due to the Life Stone. Now that it's destroyed, whether he could tread the path of cultivation again was uncertain.

He chuckled bitterly, thinking: "Maybe I'll just be an ordinary person for the rest of my life."

Being ordinary wasn't that bad. He wasn't afraid Zhou You would disdain him. But future free access to the base might become challenging.

Never mind, such thoughts were too far off. He first had to safely reach the next base; otherwise, there would be no future.

It was almost dusk when he finally approached the base. The gates and walls were destroyed. He hid in a crevice, discreetly surveying the surroundings. It was silent, with no mutated creatures in sight.

The initial wave of mutated creatures that broke in must have mostly dispersed. If any remained, they'd likely have ventured deeper into the city.

The outer city typically housed specialized armored vehicle parking lots. When the initial chaos broke out, the residents left by aircraft, leaving all the armored vehicles behind.

However, many of the vehicles relied on electronic starting mechanisms which, by now, are defunct. After some searching, he found an older model - a mechanical one. It was a limited edition produced for the general public's enjoyment.

Finding food was easy. He selected some with a longer shelf life and stored them in the vehicle. He then slept in the vehicle overnight and set out at dawn the following day.

Chapter 224: You're No Longer Human

Zhou You walked tirelessly for three days and nights, not drinking a drop of water or eating a single grain of rice. Yet his body withstood the strain. It was the void in his heart and the emptiness in his mind that weighed heavily on him.

He shouldn’t continue this way. He needs to find his focus, whether to search for Shao Qi or to seek vengeance on his behalf.

On the fourth day, a nearsighted spectacled cobra emerged from the sand and attacked him. Zhou You gripped his scimitar without invoking any special skills and battled the creature for what seemed like hours, ultimately slicing the snake into chunks.

As night fell, Zhou You sat on the ground, covered in the pungent blood of the snake, with chunks of its flesh scattered about. He kindled a fire, roasted some of the meat for sustenance, then closed his eyes to meditate and recover his inner strength.

He meditated through the night. As moonlight poured down, his body acted like a receptive vessel, absorbing the spiritual energy and essence surrounding him.

After his advancement, he distinctly felt the influx of spiritual energy increase manifold during his meditative practice, allowing for rapid physical and mental recuperation.

As dawn broke, he extended his psychic sense. Now it could span nearly ten kilometers. Roughly at that distance, he detected an abandoned military base. This must be the border.

In reality, clear-cut borders no longer existed. Given the vast wilderness teeming with mutated creatures, borders had faded into obscurity.

Yet, all these years, no one had officially crossed the borders for diplomacy, although covert operations were ongoing.

Just as Zhou You was about to cease his meditation, he spotted a convoy heading to the abandoned base and recognized a somewhat familiar face within his “vision”.

"It's Jiang Shun!" He immediately stood up and hastened in that direction.

Their presence here was surely planned. Some set the stage while others finished the job. Such meticulous scheming!

Laughable bunch of miscreants!

By Jiang Shun's side was a young man with pale skin and striking green eyes, which reverted to black with a blink.

“Doctor, I feel that my power has intensified,” he remarked.

“Ha, Sun Lu, you are my proudest creation. You were naturally predisposed for this experiment. The fusion of man and beast - you are the epitome of perfection,” Jiang Shun beamed at Sun Lu.

The youth was a volunteer from within their ranks. Initially, he always had a white python by his side. His beastly genes were extracted from this serpent, and the fusion was a resounding success.

Sun Lu felt a surge of power coursing through him. He had seen the aftermath of similar experiments on others - typically, only specific body parts underwent transformation.

His transformation was more profound. The doctor deemed him the most successful, which surely meant he was the strongest.

"Doctor, are we really helping these foreigners take over our territory?" Sun Lu was uneasy. He desired strength, not the downfall of his homeland.

Jiang Shun glanced back at the people wrapped in white robes, whispering, "What assistance? I've done my part. What follows does not concern us. You just ensure my safety."

"But what about those before..."

"Mr. Li took charge, and by now, he should have successfully taken over the life base. No one can stand against those creatures, comparable to advanced mutants. Mr. Li is the true insurgent."

Those foreigners chattered incessantly. Jiang Shun didn't pay them any attention. This time he returned, intending to stay for good. Once the place is captured, he can relocate his lab here. There's no place like home.

"This place has been abandoned for a long time, what could they possibly be doing here?"

"I've been on the road all night. Rest up here. I'm going to catch some sleep in the car. Don't wander off," Jiang Shun instructed Sun Lu, then headed back to the vehicle.

Just as he closed his eyes, a commotion echoed from outside. He thought to himself: Could it be more pests looking for trouble?

Such matters weren't his concern. He donned his eyeshade and earplugs and continued his rest.