Rise of the Wasteland in Cultivation

The camp where Leng San and his group were staying tonight was numbered C-444, which was a bit unlucky, but since it was already dark, they had no choice but to make do for the night. However, the conditions at this camp were quite good. It had been a military camp before, with high walls and electric fences, and it was also close to the sea, so they could hear the sound of the waves.

Those two rows of four-story dormitory buildings could accommodate hundreds of people and could easily be built into a Class B shelter, but for some reason, there are not many scavengers living here, less than a hundred, so it can only be classified as a Class C shelter.

Moreover, when Leng San stepped into this scavenger camp, he felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was strange about it.

Ye Wenrou frowned and looked around, seemingly sensing something was off. She whispered, "Fatty, don't you think something's off here?"

The fat man shook his head and said, "No, I feel quite comfortable. At least I don't have to sleep in the container tonight."

Zhou Chen, carrying the nuclear battery wrapped in cloth, was also looking around, but his gaze was scanning the young female scavengers passing by. He nodded and said, "I also feel a little awkward. There's no one selling flesh here."

Leng San was speechless, and Ye Wenrou kicked him in annoyance.

When the group arrived at the check-in counter, they boldly rented five rooms, one for each person. This was very much in line with Boss Bi's personality; as long as he had money in his pocket, he never shortchanged himself.

"Hey buddy, this camp is pretty good, so why are there so few scavengers?" Bi Lang asked with a smile as he handed a bottle of Grade B clean water to the staff member in charge of registration.

The staff member, a bespectacled man in his early twenties, pushed up his glasses and joked, "Maybe everyone thinks the number 444 is unlucky."

"Haha, just kidding. This place is by the sea and typhoons often hit, so many scavengers don't want to live here long-term. It's okay now in January, but there will be even fewer people here in the summer." Four-Eyes explained with a smile, but his gaze intentionally or unintentionally swept over the nuclear battery that Zhou Chen was carrying.

"I see!" Bi Lang exclaimed in realization. "That explains why there were so few people."

Four-Eyes handed over the room key and said with a smile, "We're short-staffed here, so I won't take you to see the rooms. The key has a number on it, so please check in on your own. Oh, and please keep your valuables safe. The camp will not be responsible for any losses."

Leng San's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "You mean, people frequently lose items at this camp?"

Four-Eyes replied ambiguously, "I never said that." Then he lowered his head to organize the documents, ignoring Leng San and the others.

The group found their rooms according to the numbers on the keys. The rooms were located on the fourth floor of dormitory building two, and the numbers were 404, 405, 406, 407, and 408. It seemed that there weren't many people staying here, as there were even consecutive numbers.

But this is good too, everyone living next door can look out for each other, Leng San always felt that there was something strange about this place.

Since this used to be a military dormitory building, all the rooms are standard and have balconies with corridors. After everyone put down their luggage, they went out onto the balcony to enjoy the breeze. It faced the sea directly, so it was a prime spot with an unbeatable ocean view.

Bi Lang and Zhou Chen were really into smoking and started puffing away again. The fat guy wanted to join in, but Ye Wenrou glared at him and he quickly withdrew his hand.

With lingering fear, Bi Lang concluded, "Our operation this time was far too reckless. We actually encountered armored zombies. If it weren't for good luck, we would probably have been wiped out. As the leader, I have to reflect on my actions!"

Zhou Chen, however, exclaimed excitedly, "A horse won't get fat without night grass, and a man won't get rich without unexpected wealth—that's what you taught me, boss. Fortune favors the bold, life is short, if you don't fight hard, when will you ever get ahead? Hehe, and this time we won too. That battery is worth…"

Bi Lang coughed lightly, interrupting Zhou Chen to avoid being overheard and attracting unwanted attention. As the saying goes, "A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime." This was true in the world before nuclear war, and even more so in the post-nuclear wasteland.

However, the thought that the subway nuclear power battery was worth 300 million yuan, even if it was discounted by half, would still be worth 150 million yuan, and each person could get an average of 30 yuan, even Bi Lang couldn't help but feel excited.

300,000 contribution points can buy a Tier 3 gene enhancement potion. I never thought that I, who am already over 30, would still have the opportunity to advance again. If that bitch sees me become a Tier 3 enhanced warrior, will she regret it?

At this moment, Leng San asked, "Master Bi, ordinary zombies and mutated zombies aren't afraid of sunlight, so why is the more powerful armored zombie afraid of it?"

"Yes, why?" Everyone looked curiously at the seasoned veteran, Bi Lang.

Bi Lang exhaled a smoke ring, which was immediately dispersed by the sea breeze. He shook his head and said, "I don't know either, but a fully evolved armored zombie is definitely not afraid of sunlight. The one we encountered today hadn't completed its evolution yet, otherwise we wouldn't have had any chance."

The fat man patted his chest and said, "Luckily, we weren't too unlucky, and we also had Brother San to help us. Otherwise, Brother Chen and I would have been done for on the basement level."

Leng San said thoughtfully, "That armored corpse clearly possesses intelligence. Could this be its weakness?"

Ye Wenrou asked in surprise, "Wouldn't having intelligence make you more difficult to deal with? Why has it become a weakness?"

Leng San used an analogy: "Why do evil spirits and ghosts possess human bodies instead of zombies?"

Everyone paused for a moment, then fell into deep thought.

Leng San used an analogy again: "It's like you usually walk barefoot, so you're not afraid of getting your feet dirty. But one day you put on brand new shoes, and you'll worry about getting them dirty."

Ye Wenrou blurted out, "I understand. Ordinary zombies don't have souls, so they're not afraid of sunlight, while armored zombies have souls, so they're afraid of sunlight."

Leng San nodded and said, "That's roughly the idea. That armored corpse has evolved intelligence, or rather, a soul, but it hasn't fully solidified yet, so it's afraid of sunlight. Once it's fully evolved, it won't be afraid of sunlight anymore. Of course, this is just my guess."

Bi Lang nodded and said, "Xiao San's guess is very interesting, and it's probably pretty close to the truth. To be honest, ever since I witnessed Fatty being raped by a ghost, I've believed that ghosts really exist in this world."

"It's a spiritual energy entity!" Ye Wenrou corrected.

Bi Lang laughed and said, "Pretty much. Whether it's a ghost or a spiritual energy entity, it's just a name!"

The fat man corrected him, "Boss, I was possessed by a ghost that day, not possessed by a ghost."

Bi Lang said, "Pretty much!"

Zhou Chen burst into laughter.

Bi Lang gave him a flick on the forehead and scolded, "What are you laughing at? It's late at night, don't disturb others. You're the strongest and most alert, so put that thing in your room tonight."

That nuclear battery is too valuable, exceeding 100,000 contribution points. C-level camps don't have the authority to buy it; they can only sell it to B-level or higher camps. Otherwise, they would have sold it as soon as they entered the camp and secured their profits. Now, they have to keep it safe themselves.

Leng San nodded and said, "No problem, leave it to me."

"Alright, everyone's had a long day and must be tired. Go back to your rooms and rest, but don't sleep too soundly, especially Fatty and Zhou Chen." Bi Lang reminded them, "I have a feeling that Four-Eyes was implying something. I guess people here often lose things."

Zhou Chen raised his fist, which was as big as a clay pot, and laughed dismissively, "Three level-two enhanced warriors, plus Xiao San, this near-level-three enhanced monster, which blind thief would dare to mess with us?"

"Alright, stop showing off your muscles, or you'll end up getting yourself into trouble!" Bi Lang turned and went back to his room.

Leng San returned to his room, closed the door, and placed the several-hundred-pound nuclear battery behind it to prop it open. Then he sat cross-legged, took out two mutated leopard beast crystals, one in each hand, and entered a meditative state.

Although these two beast crystals were not large, they contained a very rich spiritual energy. As Leng Sanyi circulated his cultivation technique, the spiritual energy was continuously drawn into his meridians and reached his dantian.

Why is cultivation faster when using spirit stones? It's because the spiritual energy in spirit stones is concentrated, with a much higher concentration than the spiritual energy dispersed in the air.

Leng San's cultivation level had previously reached the late stage of the first level of Qi Refining. It is estimated that after absorbing these two beast crystals, he will most likely break through.

Reaching the second level of Qi Refining in just one year is a speed comparable to cultivation in the world of immortals, something Leng San never expected when he first transmigrated to this wasteland world.

This perfectly illustrates the saying: "Where there's a will, there's a way; where there's a will, there's a way."

Ye Wenrou lived in room 407, right next to Leng San's. After returning to her room, she closed the door. Girls like to be clean, so she wrung out a towel and wiped herself down before changing into her pajamas and lying down in bed.

However, Ye Wenrou did not go to sleep. Instead, she sat against the wall, her eyes fixed on the bottle of clean water with the cap open, and quietly sat there for a minute.

A magical scene unfolded: a water droplet the size of a soybean separated from the bottle of water. This droplet seemed to be guided by an invisible thread, slowly rising and eventually flying out of the bottle opening.

Ye Wenrou was delighted, and in that moment of distraction, the water droplet fell back into the small bottle, creating a series of ripples.

Ye Wenrou rubbed her forehead in annoyance and continued her previous operation, separating the water droplet again. This time, she was not distracted and successfully moved the water droplet in front of her from a distance, then stuck out her tongue to catch it.

"We did it!" Ye Wenrou happily pumped her fist.

Everyone has their own secrets. Ye Wenrou's secret is that she can control water. This is a special ability that she only awakened last year. Only she knows it. However, she practiced for half a year and could only barely make the water droplets leave the bottle mouth. Today was the first time she successfully "ate" a water droplet.

Perhaps it's because this place is by the sea, so the water element is particularly concentrated!

Having succeeded the first time, Ye Wenrou was even more motivated and practiced several more times. However, on the fifth practice session, her eyelids became heavier and heavier, and she actually tilted her head and fell asleep.