Chapter 142: Leading the Way Alone

Just as Yu Li was preoccupied with the numerous walking corpses, one of them seized the opportunity, lunging toward the young girl, Rou'er, with its blood-stained jaws wide open. Sensing the movement, Yu Li and the others turned their heads, and upon seeing the scene, they were struck with alarm and hurriedly shouted, "Rou'er, look out!"

Hearing the shout, Rou'er seemed paralyzed. She stared at the grim, lunging corpse, her small face filled with panic. She wanted to flee, but her body felt as stiff as stone. With the corpse’s hands now within arm's reach, she could almost feel their icy chill. The thought of turning into one of those disgusting monsters upon being bitten turned her pretty face deathly pale, and she began to tremble.

It was already too late for the others to intervene. As the girl was about to be seized by the corpse—a situation from which escape would be nearly impossible once grabbed, and from which others would struggle to pull the creature away—the outcome seemed sealed. Just as despair began to settle in everyone’s hearts, the lunging corpse suddenly lurched and froze in place, its foul, necrotic breath washing over the girl’s shocked and panicked face.

Everything happened in an instant. Yu Li and his companions stared at the suddenly motionless corpse in bewilderment. When they followed the line of sight from the corpse to the side, they were stunned to see a fair, slender hand tightly gripping the creature's arm, preventing it from advancing further. As their eyes traveled up the arm, their astonishment turned into utter stupefaction.

Su Yi held the corpse’s arm firmly. Feeling the strength of its struggle, he couldn't help but feel a surge of surprise. This creature must have been an ordinary person in life, yet its current strength was comparable to that of a fourth or fifth-rank battle master! Su Yi had heard of such terrifying transformations before, but experiencing it firsthand felt surreal. Furthermore, this was not even the strongest type of corpse after infection, which showed how difficult it would be for an average battle master to face a horde of them.

After struggling in vain to break free, the corpse tilted its head, emitting a grinding sound. Its rotten, hollow eyes stared in Su Yi's direction before it let out a low, guttural growl and lunged again. Su Yi grabbed both of the creature’s arms, once again immobilizing it. Although the creature possessed significant strength, it was far inferior to Su Yi, who was already at the pinnacle of a first-rank magical beast’s physical prowess.

Feeling the slimy, repulsive skin of the creature’s arms, Su Yi frowned slightly. He pulled downward with a sudden burst of strength while simultaneously driving his right knee upward with a sharp, piercing whistle of air. The corpse’s head collided violently with his knee.

"Crack!"

A dull, heavy sound erupted from the corpse, and it immediately went limp. Seeing Su Yi resolve a threat equivalent to a fourth or fifth-rank battle master so cleanly and decisively, Yu Li and the others widened their eyes in disbelief. In a sense, if Su Yi had been using battle energy, they might have been surprised but not so stunned. One had to wonder: how could an ordinary person possess such power?

After finishing off a few more corpses, Yu Li gave Su Yi a wry smile and sighed, "It seems we all misjudged you..." Gong Yan and Qin Shou were equally astonished. With their combat experience and keen eyes, they could tell that Su Yi’s movements were effortless and precise, indicating a lethality at least on par with a sixth or seventh-rank battle master. At only eighteen years of age, this was truly eye-opening.

"Haha! I never expected Brother Su Yi to be hiding such depth—truly remarkable!" Gong Yan laughed loudly, swinging his greatsword to shatter the skull of a corpse and sending it flying.

Beside him, Qin Shou nodded slightly at Su Yi, also looking stunned. To possess such ability at his age suggested that Su Yi’s future potential was even more staggering; in that regard, his cultivation talent far surpassed his own.

Su Yi smiled modestly and replied, "You all flatter me; I simply have a bit more strength than the average person..."

The group took this as a humble remark. Strength comparable to a sixth or seventh-rank battle master was far beyond "a bit more." Moreover, who knew what other hidden skills Su Yi might possess? He had acted like an ordinary person throughout their journey, showing just how much he preferred to keep a low profile.

As for the terrified Rou'er, she continued to stare at Su Yi with a blank expression, unsure if she was still shaken by the corpse or shocked by Su Yi’s prowess. Those corpses were not mere bodies, yet the person she had looked down upon had dealt with them so easily.

Looking at the seemingly endless stream of corpses, Su Yi’s brows furrowed. At this rate, the area would be swarming with them long before they could break through. They had the strength, but their speed was lacking, which would only lead to more trouble.

"Uncle Yu," Su Yi said in a deep, serious tone, "the corpses are increasing in number. We must move in a straight line and pick up our pace!"

Yu Li nodded with a grim expression, though his face carried a hint of helplessness. "You’re right, but these corpses are numerous and powerful. Once you’re grabbed, even a sixth or seventh-rank battle master can’t break free. Gong Yan and Qin Shou have done well to hold them off this long, but even if I took over, I don’t know if we could move much faster... plus, I must remain at the rear to hold the line."

Watching the sweat-drenched Gong Yan and Qin Shou, Su Yi shook his head inwardly. While having two people clearing the path provided space for the others to maneuver, it hindered their forward momentum. Though one was an eighth-rank and the other a ninth-rank battle master, the prolonged, high-intensity consumption of battle energy was taking its toll. Judging by their pale faces, they wouldn't last much longer.

Though they were nearing the exit, the path was becoming increasingly clogged. If they didn't break through the encirclement quickly, they would be exhausted to death. After a moment of deliberation, Su Yi sighed inwardly—it seemed he would have to take the lead himself.

Although Yu Li was stronger, Su Yi was confident that he could clear the path faster. Yu Li could only take out one corpse at a time and had to worry about depleting his battle energy. Su Yi, however, possessed raw physical power rivaling that of a high-level battle practitioner, and thanks to the unique training methods he had been using during their journey, his endurance was extraordinary. He decided to treat these corpses as mere obstacles in his way.

Having made up his mind, Su Yi looked at Yu Li and said, "I will take the lead to clear a path. You all must follow closely and move quickly."

Yu Li, who was also anxious about the dire situation, was taken aback. "Su Yi, are you... are you sure?"

Although Su Yi could easily handle one corpse, he would be facing a swarm!

"There is no other way. The current situation is extremely disadvantageous for us, and Uncle Yu knows it as well as I do," Su Yi said, his voice firm.

Yu Li, a man of decisive action, hesitated only for a moment before issuing the order: "Gong Yan, Qin Shou, step aside! Let Su Yi charge out, and follow him closely!"

The two, already struggling with fading energy, nodded. With a grunt of effort, they opened a gap just wide enough for one person. Su Yi let out a low shout, stomped his feet against the ground, and surged forward like a cannonball, crashing straight into the swarm of corpses!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Su Yi’s body, shrouded in a fierce gale, slammed into the corpses. Those he hit were sent flying like kites with severed strings. While it didn't necessarily kill them, it sent them sprawling far away, and since the corpses lacked speed, this bought the group precious time.

Sensing his momentum slowing, Su Yi frowned and let out a cold laugh. He stomped his other foot, and with a thunderous blast, he surged forward again with even greater force. This time, he used his full strength, and the tightly packed corpses were plowed aside like soil in a field, rolling and tumbling away!

Seeing Su Yi blast open a path with such ferocity and at such an incredible speed, Yu Li and the others were dumbfounded. Even though they had been mentally prepared, seeing the corpses flying through the air left them utterly shocked.

"Quick! Seize the opportunity! Line up and follow Su Yi!" Yu Li regained his composure and shouted. Gong Yan and Qin Shou immediately fell in behind Su Yi, while Yu Li shielded Rou'er as they followed in a straight line, sprinting forward. Though there were risks, their speed made the gamble worthwhile.

With the corpses cleared, the path ahead was much clearer. After a final burst of momentum, they broke through the encirclement. Though they had to fend off a few stragglers, they did not linger to fight. With a battle practitioner protecting the rear, the few corpses that dared to approach were quickly dispatched, ensuring their progress was not delayed.

Once they had cleared the area, the number of corpses dwindled significantly, no longer posing a major threat. Still, to be safe, the group continued for a considerable distance before stopping to rest.

"Haha, Brother Su Yi, that burst of strength you showed was even more powerful than my own. Are you truly certain you don't use battle energy?" Yu Li asked with a smile of newfound respect.

Hearing this, the gazes of Gong Yan, Qin Shou, and Rou'er all fixed on Su Yi.