The vine shot toward Liu Yang's chest in the blink of an eye.
Yet in that fraction of a second, Liu Yang had already enveloped his entire body in a [Cryo Shield]. Instead of penetrating his defenses, the vine slammed straight into a thick, solid wall of ice. The massive tree seemed to feel the impact, trembling violently as leaves showered down like rain.
The dark red, supple vine recoiled instantly, not daring to strike at Liu Yang again.
Immediately after, frost seeped into the four vines binding Liu Yang, freezing them stiff and brittle.
Liu Yang pulled with both hands.
Crack!
The four vines snapped like twigs. He executed a flawless backflip and landed lightly on his feet.
Seeing Liu Yang break free, the female survivor's eyes widened in utter disbelief. "Y-You did it?! Please, save us! Save him first! He's not going to make it!"
"On it." Without missing a beat, Liu Yang pulled up the katana stuck in the ground, leaped into the air, and sliced through the vines holding the man with a few swift flashes of his blade.
The man crashed heavily onto the dirt, kicking up a small cloud of dust.
In a flash, Liu Yang leaped again, severing the vines holding the woman. She tumbled down, but Liu Yang caught her effortlessly in a bridal carry.
She was drop-dead gorgeous. Holding her close, Liu Yang could feel her slender waist and supple frame-she didn't have a single drop of excess fat on her body.
At a closer glance, her skin was virtually translucent and flawless, her features exquisite. Purely in terms of looks, she didn't lose out to Zhao Lina at all!
She was a once-in-a-million peerless beauty.
Having rescued the pair, Liu Yang swung the katana once more, taking a wide chop at the tree trunk-a trunk so massive it would take two men to wrap their arms around it.
BOOM!
The massive mutated tree crashed to the ground.
From the slick, clean cut, thick black blood gushed out.
Liu Yang stared in mild shock.
This blade is insane!
A trunk that thick-he originally thought he'd need to hack at it a dozen times to fell it.
Who would've thought he'd cleave it cleanly in two with a single swing, like cutting through soft tofu?
This really was a masterwork blade. A legendary weapon fit for a hero-in ancient times, only a great general would be worthy to wield power like this.
"He... he's dying! Sob, sob... please, you have to save him!" Upon touching the ground, the woman looked at the unconscious man lying beside her, tears instantly welling up in her eyes.
Her weeping snapped Liu Yang out of his thoughts.
He pulled his attention away from the blade.
"Who is he?" Liu Yang asked.
If he was her boyfriend, there was no chance he was saving him.
If he saved the guy, how could he play the classic wife-stealer?
"He's my brother! Waaah! We've relied on each other to survive the apocalypse, but I never thought we'd get caught by this mutated tree... sob, sob!" The girl burst into tears, weeping like pear blossoms in the rain.
Oh, so it's my brother-in-law.
Why didn't you say so earlier?!
Liu Yang rushed to the man's side immediately.
Having dropped from the tree, the man had regained a sliver of consciousness, his eyes barely open.
However, a dark red vine had pierced straight into his heart. Though Liu Yang had severed it, crimson blood poured continuously from the open wound.
"I'm... I'm not gonna make it, brother. Take care of my sister... This blade is my last and most valuable possession, and I'm giving it to you. You... you must protect her!"
"Brother! Brother! No, please!" The woman sobbed hysterically.
"Jingyu, don't cry... Ever since the apocalypse started, I knew this day would come. I'm not afraid to die... My only regret is that I can't keep protecting you... Cough! Cough!"
The man coughed up a huge mouthful of blood.
With a final shudder, his hand dropped limply to the ground, all life leaving his body.
"Brother! Brother!" Zhang Jingyu clutched his cold hand, calling out repeatedly, but there was no response.
"He's gone. Don't be too heartbroken. Right now, the most important thing is for you to stay alive," Liu Yang consoled her gently.
"Sob, sob... He was my only family left! My own blood brother! Waaah!" Zhang Jingyu cried uncontrollably, completely heartbroken.
Seeing her reduced to tears, Liu Yang pulled her into a warm embrace, gently patting her back to comfort her.
However, his gaze drifted to the dark red vine still clinging to her chest.
A look of confusion crossed Liu Yang's face.
"Strange. A vine pierced your brother's heart, so saving him from the tree was useless anyway... but you were pierced by a vine too. How come you're completely fine?"
"Huh? Me?" Only then did Zhang Jingyu realize there was still a broken vine hanging off her chest, though without the tree's energy, it looked soft and limp.
She pulled her clothes open slightly to check.
Instantly, a flash of fair skin was exposed, making Liu Yang's eyes light up.
Huge!
Even more impressive than Zhao Lina's!
Tsk tsk!
If she ever becomes a mother, her kids definitely won't go hungry! She could easily feed quints all at once!
Focused on her chest, Zhang Jingyu didn't notice his intense gaze. She realized that while the vine had pierced through her outer clothes, it had been stopped dead by her thick bra underneath. Before the vine could punch through it, Liu Yang had already cut them down.
"Ah... well..."
Looking at the situation, Liu Yang was rendered speechlessly amused.
If her brother had worn a padded bra too, would he have survived?
Cross-dressing truly was the ultimate lifehack!
Only now did Zhang Jingyu notice where Liu Yang was staring. Her lovely face flushed bright red as she grabbed the vine, yanked it out, and hurriedly buttoned up her clothes.
After this brief interlude, her grief had subsided a bit.
She looked up at Liu Yang and whispered, "H-Hello... I'm Zhang Jingyu. Thank you for saving me. What's your name?"
"I'm Liu Yang. I came out to scavenge for food and just happened to run into you two-it was no big deal. Let's dig a grave for your brother first, so the zombies don't find him and leave him without even a whole corpse."
"Okay..." Though still grief-stricken, Zhang Jingyu nodded through her tears.
They found a suitable spot, dug a pit, and buried her brother's body.
Though heartbroken, Zhang Jingyu understood that in the apocalypse, there was no luxury of time for wallowing in sorrow.
"You'll come with me from now on. Since your brother gave me such a fine blade, I'll take good care of you in his place. First, we'll search for food, then I'll bring you back to a safe shelter," Liu Yang said, holding the katana.
"Mhm, alright." Zhang Jingyu nodded obediently, falling in line behind him as they made their way toward the supermarket.
As they walked, the two began to talk.
Liu Yang asked, "Where did you two come from? Where were you heading?"
"My brother and I came from the Black Tiger Survivor Base. We were trying to find a new shelter, but who knew we'd run into trouble on the road... sob..." Zhang Jingyu started sniffling again.
"Black Tiger Base? Is it far from here? What were your identities, and how did your brother get his hands on such a good weapon?" Liu Yang frowned.
If a random survivor from this Black Tiger Base was as strong as her brother, then that faction was not to be taken lightly.
Besides, the katana he held was clearly no ordinary weapon.
Even back in the peaceful 21st century, it would have been nearly impossible to forge a blade this sharp-let alone in the middle of an apocalypse!