As for the dangers, Zhang Tao would naturally warn them. But humanity was too poor, and they had finally found a resource-rich area, so they didn't want to give it up. Going into the Catacombs meant a nine-in-ten chance of death, didn't it? Anyone willing to enter knew that.
Zhang Tao didn't waste words. Since everyone was mentally prepared, there was nothing more to say.
"Zhang Tao, what's the plan?" Li Zhen asked directly. Zhang Tao knew the way, and he had been leading the charge the whole time, so Li Zhen was the first to step forward and make it clear he would follow Zhang Tao's lead.
Zhang Tao nodded and quickly got into the right mindset. "Follow me. Keep your auras suppressed as much as possible. Senior, please stay behind us."
He glanced back at the senior, a trace of respect in his eyes. The man was a Rank 7 Grandmaster from the Forbidden City. In this era, every Grandmaster was revered. Zhang Tao knew the mission's success depended to a great extent on this senior's help.
The middle-aged man nodded without a word, indicating that he understood.
No one said anything. They simply followed Zhang Tao in silence.
Zhang Tao led them deeper into the Catacombs. Those following him were all astonished. Was this really the human prodigy Zhang Tao? Did he always venture this deep whenever he took a risk?
Most of them were Rank 5 or Rank 6. They had never gone farther than three hundred kilometers from the Forbidden City, but Zhang Tao had already taken them at least four or five hundred kilometers deep.
They had all fought their way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Just surviving this long made them the elite of humanity. Yet none of them would have dared to push things this far.
Li Zhen followed quietly behind Zhang Tao, as if he were already used to it. After all, Zhang Tao was notorious for his recklessness.
As he ran, Zhang Tao pondered how he had managed to survive being so reckless. He didn't believe he'd made it this far without help from some old monster. The question was, who? Maybe the old Earth Emperor from the Catacombs, maybe Mo Wenjian, or perhaps Li Wukai. They all wanted humanity to grow. Li Wukai probably wanted to support his younger brother's descendant, but Li Zhen hadn't measured up and Zhang Tao had outshone him. Had Li Wukai switched sides and started helping him instead?
The former Zhang Tao hadn't known about that Rank 9 Monster Plant, but the Zhang Tao who'd transmigrated here knew it had been given to him by Gong Yuzi, the Demon Emperor's master. There weren't many safeguards attached to it, just a little spiritual influence. Unlike his original self, Zhang Tao wasn't so suspicious. He'd barely used it at all and had eventually handed it over.
But since it was useful to him, he wouldn't die. That was another reason Zhang Tao had kept taking risks after transmigrating.
"Careful! Catacomb Inhabitants ahead! Prepare for battle!" Zhang Tao snapped out of his thoughts and spoke in a low voice as he stared ahead. There was no helping it: there were too many of them. He wasn't Fang Ping and had no way to conceal their auras. Even though they were doing their best to suppress their blood and energy, the large group still gave off quite a few fluctuations.
Sure enough, the Catacomb Inhabitants on the other side spotted them too. They charged over with a roar.
Zhang Tao drew his long saber and led the way. "Kill!"
Li Zhen charged alongside him without hesitation. Battle erupted in an instant. Zhang Tao wasn't his original self, but he still had the original's memories, including the scenes of battle. He'd already grown familiar with them over the course of the day.
"Void-Breaking Sword Art!" Li Zhen shouted. A beam of sword energy shot out. The space it passed through seemed to split apart. A streak of white light swept forward and pulverized everything in its path.
Li Zhen's gaze was cold and focused. He gripped the hilt tightly and poured blood and energy into it. The sword energy grew stronger and more forceful, eventually forming a beam as thick as a barrel that raced forward.
A Catacomb Inhabitant clad in black armor stood in its path, his face filled with terror. He tried to dodge, but it was too late. The sword energy engulfed him, shredding his body in an instant and turning him into a cloud of blood that dissipated into the air.
Li Zhen felt no pity. He knew that in this world, only the strong could survive. If he wasn't powerful, he'd be trampled underfoot and slaughtered at another's whim.
Zhang Tao knew about Li Zhen's Void-Breaking Sword Art, but seeing it this time, it seemed much stronger than before. He had no idea how that dummy Li Hanhan had trained.
But Zhang Tao was no slouch either. He swung his long saber, sending out streaks of blood-red saber energy. Everyone in their path, even Rank 6s at the upper levels, had no choice but to retreat.
Li Tingxiu, the Rank 7 who had been following behind them, stared wide-eyed. Was this the human prodigy? Was his blood-and-energy quality really that high?
Li Zhen looked at Zhang Tao too. That shameless bastard had only just entered Rank 6. How could his blood and energy be so powerful?
Zhang Tao was astonished as well. This was his first time fighting, and he was more powerful than before by more than one level. Thinking of the Kongtong Seal inside him, Zhang Tao began to understand. The Kongtong Seal must have helped him. He hadn't unlocked many of its functions, but now he knew it could probably improve and strengthen his blood and energy. As for suppressing fate and the like, he still couldn't make sense of that.
"Hmm? I recover this quickly too?" Zhang Tao sensed his body recovering and was overjoyed. He might not have a system, but he had the Kongtong Seal. And this thing should be far more powerful than Fang Ping's system, right?
With that thought, Zhang Tao charged out with a roar. Every move was wide and forceful, and he fought as if he didn't care whether he lived or died. For a while, even though he had only just entered Rank 6, he drove five mid- and high-level Rank 6 opponents steadily backward.
"Die!" The blood and energy Zhang Tao had been secretly accumulating erupted all at once. The Grade A Alloy saber flashed with a blood-red light, and Zhang Tao's face instantly turned pale. A streak of saber energy flashed across in front of him. The three mid-level Rank 6s didn't even have time to react before he beheaded them with a single slash!
The two remaining high-level Rank 6s were horrified and tried to flee. How could Zhang Tao let them get away? If word got out, he and Li Zhen might be the only ones in their group to make it back.
"Spurt!" Zhang Tao rushed forward. The high-level Rank 6 swung his saber down without a second thought.
Zhang Tao took the blow with his body, but his own saber struck the high-level Rank 6 in the head.
A deep wound had appeared across Zhang Tao's chest, reaching down to the bone. Yet his bones gleamed with golden light.
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