“Roar—”
The moment Su Su saw the Tier 7 zombie’s appearance, a flash of realization struck her mind like lightning.
This was a trap!
A Tier 7 zombie that should have been wandering the desert was instead deliberately locked inside an iron cage. And coincidentally, it was right here in this laboratory… Meanwhile, Lin Weiran, who had seemingly no knowledge of this base, was able to quickly press the mechanism button, release the zombie, and escape on her own…
She had known Su Su would follow!
She had even been waiting for her to follow!
Why…? Could it be that from the moment she started trailing Qi Huiling and Lin Weiran, all of their seemingly genuine conversations had actually been an act?!
There was no time for Su Su to dwell on it.
She had to deal with this Tier 7 zombie first!
“Stop!”
A commanding shout rang out, and a burst of white light poured forth, surging toward the pale blue zombie’s body, successfully slowing its steps for a few seconds.
The black snake immediately cooperated, spewing out a wave of blue flames—
“Hiss!!!”
In an instant, the fireball trapped the zombie, which had been about to lunge.
“Ah Xuan, break the door down!”
“Hiss!”
The giant python reappeared, its powerful tail slamming heavily against the metal door. Despite the immense force, the door remained intact!
Realizing it might be constructed from some special material, Su Su quickly shifted her target: “Break the wall! Smash through the wall!”
The snake’s tail lashed fiercely at the wall where Lin Weiran had disappeared.
Boom!
A large portion of the concrete wall collapsed, revealing a dark, narrow tunnel.
“Ah Xuan, shrink down quickly!”
Within mere seconds, Su Su had already grabbed the black snake and darted into the tunnel. However, before she could run far, a rustling noise suddenly echoed ahead.
Before she could figure out what it was, a massive surge of yellow sand came flooding into the tunnel at high speed, resembling tidal waves. The “shallow sand” at the forefront instantly buried Su Su’s feet up to her ankles.
“Roar—”
The zombie’s growls grew louder, and the sand surged in even faster, filling up the path ahead in the blink of an eye.
Su Su had no choice but to retreat back into the laboratory.
The pale blue Tier 7 zombie was still trapped inside the fireball, but the sand from the tunnel had already spilled into the room! In just a few seconds, it had formed a small pile at the exit!
She couldn’t let it keep pouring in—otherwise, the endless flood of sand would bury the entire lab alive!
Realizing something was seriously wrong, Su Su hurriedly pushed a cabinet against the hole in the broken concrete wall, trying to block the opening.
However, the force of the “sand waves” was far greater than she had imagined. With just a few surges, they nearly knocked Su Su, who was bracing against the cabinet, off her feet!
The black snake sensed the worsening situation and once again transformed into its massive form, using its body in place of the cabinet to block the opening.
With its weight exceeding a hundred jin, the “sand waves” surged forward a few more times, but after realizing they couldn’t push through, they gradually came to a halt.
But it wasn’t over yet!
The Tier 7 zombie that had been trapped within the fireball had finally broken free. Aside from its tattered clothing being completely burned away, its body remained utterly unscathed!
“Roar!!!”
Although the interior of the laboratory had been reinforced with concrete and steel, the majority of the outer structure was still made of yellow earth and sand.
The moment the Tier 7 zombie activated its ability, the entire building started to tremble.
If this continued, she and Xiao Hei would definitely be buried alive beneath the collapsing ruins!
There had to be a way—what else could she do with her ability? What more could she unlock?
Su Su forced herself to stay calm, her eyes fixed on the Tier 7 zombie under the glow of her white light.
It kept trying to charge at them, but the blue flames and the black snake’s sturdy tail repeatedly forced it back. In the process, the giant python’s tail had been clawed open by the zombie’s nails, bleeding profusely. Its already precarious scales fell off in pieces… Meanwhile, the Tier 7 zombie, even when slammed heavily into the wall, would simply get up again without a scratch.
Su Su bit back her tears and heartache, her gaze locked onto the zombie’s head.
As the white light flickered, her mind entered a strange, profound state—she could faintly sense the location of the Grade 7 crystal.
Seize it.
Seize that crystal.
The white light transformed into an invisible hand, struggling through layers of resistance until it finally grasped the purple crystal!
Su Su bit her lip hard, her eyes growing vacant and unfocused.
Stop.
Stop!
Stop—right—there!
The invisible hand clenched tightly around the purple crystal, and at last, the solid object trembled slightly before coming to a halt.
The Tier 7 zombie, just as it was getting up, froze in place.
The shaking building returned to stillness.
The “sand waves” behind the cabinet also fell into eerie silence.
Su Su shouted, “Ah Xuan!!!”
Finally freed from holding back the sand, the giant python sprang forward and lunged at the motionless Tier 7 zombie.
“Hiss!”
It clamped onto the zombie’s head and swung it fiercely against the wall.
Bang!
Yet, surprisingly, the zombie’s head remained firmly attached to its body.
The giant python’s eyes flashed with both astonishment and urgency as its tail lashed down fiercely onto the zombie’s head.
Smack!
The zombie’s skull caved in halfway.
Even at this point, the Tier 7 zombie was still alive!
“Hiss!!!”
The giant python was utterly enraged. It gathered all its abilities into a single fire arrow, which shot straight out of its mouth, streaking directly toward the zombie’s head—
The flaming arrow pierced through the zombie’s skull, revealing a pale purple crystal.
At that exact moment, Su Su had reached her limit. Her entire body collapsed onto the ground, completely drained. The “white hand” that had been gripping the crystal rapidly dissipated.
Before the Tier 7 zombie could even begin to struggle, the tip of the python’s tail shot into its skull like lightning, hooking onto the crystal to yank it out.
Halfway through pulling it, however, something felt off—
Behind the crystal, there was an unusual black solid mass buried deep within!
The snake’s tail hesitated for only half a second. But in that brief instant—
Boom!!!
The black solid exploded!
The previously indestructible crystal, the impenetrable core that no ability could destroy—had shattered at the same time!
A massive surge of energy erupted, instantly flooding the entire laboratory in the blink of an eye!
The giant python, being the closest, bore the brunt of the blast. An overwhelming force, along with countless impurities, rushed violently into its body without warning—
This energy was far too domineering!
It was two, three, even four times stronger than a Grade 6 crystal! It forcefully assaulted every inch of its flesh and blood!
After an entire year, the python once again experienced the agony of accidentally consuming a crystal.
It thrashed violently, its bloodstained tail convulsing as it collapsed onto the ground, letting out a howl of sheer agony.
“Xiao Hei! Xiao Hei!!!”
Panicked, Su Su crawled to its side, her trembling, powerless hands pressing against its massive body. Thin white light surged desperately into the python, trying to regulate the raging energy inside, to guide the impurities out like before…
But this time, she failed.
She had exhausted nearly all of her ability while fighting the Tier 7 zombie, leaving only a final, faint remnant of her power.
Even if she poured that last bit entirely into the python’s body, it would be like a drop in the ocean.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The python’s scales ruptured one after another, exploding into countless crimson blood splatters.
“Xiao Hei!!!”
Without realizing it, Su Su was already crying uncontrollably. Her arms, numb with exhaustion, instinctively clutched onto its wounded tail, allowing its blood to splatter all over her face.
This couldn’t go on…
Xiao Hei would be torn apart from the inside!
She frantically shoved aside its tail, searching through the debris until she found shattered fragments of the crystal.
Without hesitation, she stuffed them all into her mouth.
The overflowing energy abruptly halted—
Instead, it all surged violently into Su Su’s body!
Her once delicate face swelled into a deep blue-purple hue.
She had already swallowed a Grade 6 crystal not long ago, and now, she had immediately consumed a Grade 7 crystal!
Even if her body was free of impurities, there was no way she could withstand this much energy!
Su Su clutched her abdomen, her body convulsing as she rolled back and forth atop the python’s scales.
She could absorb it!
Her ability was to control impurities and guide energy—
So why couldn’t she absorb it?!
The revived giant python seemed to realize something. Its ferocious head inched closer to the female’s side, its blood-filled vertical pupils locking onto her. The moment it noticed her temples swelling abnormally, it suddenly let out a sorrowful, piercing hiss.
“Xiao Hei… I can do this… I’m fine…”
Her consciousness blurred, yet Su Su still remembered hugging the python’s massive head. However, the words she uttered sounded like sleep talk.
She could do this.
Her ability… It wouldn’t be so useless.
If she could heal others, why couldn’t she heal herself?
Just as the energy from all the shattered crystal fragments surged out and was about to burst her apart, the white light that had previously run dry flared back to life.
The absorbed energy swiftly transformed into her own strength, protecting her core—both her brain and dantian. The chaotic, untamed energy finally found guidance and, under the embrace of the white light, gradually flowed into her dantian.
Her swollen temples, on the verge of rupturing, quietly subsided at an imperceptible speed. The bluish-purple hue of her face slowly returned to normal…
This process lasted for an exceptionally long time.
Throughout it all, the giant python remained curled up beside the female, ignoring its own gaping wounds and rotting flesh, gently and sorrowfully licking her face.
Don’t die.
Don’t die.
Or… let it die instead.
Inside the lab, time no longer existed. There was no distinction between night and day—only a person and a snake sharing warmth.
In a daze, Su Su woke up multiple times.
The first time, she realized the energy in her body was finally flowing into her dantian at a steady, controlled pace.
The second time, she was awakened by the rough, burning sensation of a scarlet snake tongue licking her face. Dazed, she opened her eyes, only to meet a pair of massive, copper-colored snake pupils… Why were they so intensely bloodshot…? Her heart ached, and she fell unconscious again.
The third time she woke, all she could hear was the violent sound of something slamming against a surface.
The giant python was no longer by her side.
Panic surged within Su Su. Mustering the last bit of strength she had, she forced her powerless body to sit up. Her gaze swept around in desperation—
Then, suddenly, it landed on the metal door.
On its surface, new dents and deep marks from a snake’s tail were visible. But the “culprit” behind them was now standing stiffly in front of the door.
The giant python knew the female had awakened.
Yet, it did not rush over to her immediately. Instead, it remained motionless, its broad back facing her.
Su Su blinked in a daze.
Then—she saw it.
A long, battered, bloodied tail.
Its very tip was resting near her leg.
Above the tail, its form gradually changed—turning into a slender, pale waist.
Further up, a broad, muscular back.
And above that…
Thick, messy black hair.
Fine, straight, smooth, and ink-black—so much so that she suddenly had the urge to reach out and touch it…
Su Su held her breath.
Was she dreaming?
Why was she seeing a half-human, half-serpent being?
Or had she already died, and this was nothing more than a final hallucination before death?
Her body slumped weakly back onto the ground. She no longer had the strength to stand.
If this continued, she might even lose the strength to sit up altogether.
Taking advantage of the limited time she had left, Su Su grasped the tip of the snake’s tail and gently squeezed it.
“Xiao Hei?”
“…Is it you?”
No response.
Su Su’s strength drained away, and she collapsed onto the ground. Just before the back of her head could hit the cold floor, a segment of the snake’s tail reached out, cushioning the impact for her.
A wave of exhaustion crashed over her like a tide.
Su Su’s weary eyelids fluttered shut.
If she woke up again… if she could wake up again…
She must, she definitely must…