Chapter 40

Cheng Yang said, "That is not really a true bow; it is merely a symbol of your archer identity, with no attack power at all. That bow is like a warrior's shield, both being relatively special. A warrior's shield never wears out, and an archer's bow does not require arrows."

Yu Kai immediately felt depressed and said, "In that case, isn't the archer's attack a double expense? It requires both mana and arrows?"

Cheng Yang, speechless, replied, "Why don't you mention that your arrows also increase attack power by one point? It's like your ordinary apprentice-level equipment increases attack power by two points. Be content with that."

Yu Kai chuckled but said nothing more. Although buying arrows also required spirit points, the cost was not high. A bag of the most ordinary wooden arrows contained two hundred arrows, and one spirit point could buy two bags, which was very cost-effective.

"Liu Hao, how should we arrange the morning? Should we continue to clear Huimin Town?" Liu Hao asked.

Cheng Yang said, "Niu Bing's team is responsible for protecting the lumberjacks today. As for you, you have a task to go with me in the direction of Xiangcheng City to see if we can open that passage."

"Are we going to open the passage to Xiangcheng City today?" Yu Kai's expression changed slightly, and he immediately asked.

Cheng Yang glanced at Li Wanshan, who was standing nearby, and nodded.

Yu Kai did not say anything more, and everyone began to prepare for the attack on the passage.

First, everyone except Cheng Yang went to the alchemy room to buy some pills. Since they had not used the life potions they bought last night, they now replenished with mana potions.

Second, Yu Kai, Liu Hao, and Li Wanshan, following Cheng Yang's instructions, each bought several bottles of medium-sized mana potions. These potions were naturally prepared for Cheng Yang.

After the supplies were purchased, Cheng Yang, without a word, led the group of about 150 people and set off. This might be the largest-scale action since the founding of Luofeng Village.

After leaving Luofeng Village, Cheng Yang paid attention to the ground while walking, looking for herbs to refine mana potions.

Finding herbs was indeed suitable for the daytime, especially since it was still early in the apocalypse, and no one recognized the herbs. These herbs for refining mana potions were everywhere. Cheng Yang had only walked about two kilometers and had already gathered enough herbs to refine over forty bottles of mana potions. If he did not need to focus on walking, his harvest would have been even greater.

Cheng Yang did not carry the herbs himself but had a warrior carry them for him. This might be considered a form of using his authority for personal gain, but the warrior, who looked excited, was probably happy to do it.

At this moment, Cheng Yang stopped, and Li Wanshan immediately asked, "Lord, are we close to the passage?"

Cheng Yang said, "We are about two kilometers away. But we need to start deploying now, or we won't succeed."

"Alright, Lord, just give the orders. As long as we can get through the passage, it's fine," Li Wanshan said, patting his chest, showing his genuine concern for his family.

Cheng Yang said, "We will first clear all the monster groups around us, then you will move in four different directions. If you encounter a monster group, either eliminate it or lure it away, but do not let them enter this area."

Yu Kai, who was quick to react, immediately said, "Yangzi, what do you mean? You're not planning to face these mutated beasts alone, are you?"

Cheng Yang said, "Indeed, I will go alone. You going would be unsafe, as there is a late-stage first-tier monster in this group. You are still too weak against such monsters. However, the task inside is also important. I can lead the mutated beast group in circles, but if the path ahead is blocked by the mutated beasts, it will be dangerous. So you must not let the mutated beasts outside break through."

Li Wanshan hesitated and said, "Lord, this is too risky. Let's wait a few more days before attacking this passage."

Cheng Yang smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's not as dangerous as you think. Although there are many monsters, most are early-stage first-tier monsters. My speed is four to five times faster than theirs. Apart from the late-stage first-tier leader, the other monsters are not a threat. If I find the situation unfavorable, I can turn and run. The late-stage first-tier mutated beast will be better off not chasing, but if it dares to chase, I will make sure it doesn't return."

Cheng Yang's confidence also infected Li Wanshan and the others, so they no longer tried to persuade him. Li Wanshan asked, "Lord, how large an area do we need to clear to ensure you have enough space inside?"

Cheng Yang said, "At least one square kilometer. With a thousand monsters, a small area can easily lead to being surrounded. However, you must follow specific routes, or I won't be able to find you once my potions run out."

Yu Kai said, "Don't worry, we will tell you the routes before we split up to ensure there are no problems."

Cheng Yang nodded and began assigning tasks. He would clear one direction alone, and the other four teams, including the one led by Zhao Chuan, would each take a different direction. They would advance 600 to 700 meters to the sides and then move forward together to the north.

Cheng Yang chose the easternmost route, which he had not visited yesterday. There might be large monster groups in this area. As for the other areas, Cheng Yang had already scouted them, and as long as no other monster groups wandered in, there would generally be no large monster groups.

As he cleared the way, Cheng Yang was very careful to conserve his mana potions and also took the opportunity to collect some herbs. This was not only to gather herbs but also to practice his herb-gathering skill, so he wouldn't be disappointed when he found high-quality herbs but lacked the skill level.

To Cheng Yang's surprise, he did not encounter any large monster groups on the way. The largest group had only about a hundred monsters, which he eliminated with one bottle of mana potion.

The other four groups also progressed smoothly. They did not encounter any monster groups larger than a hundred, and they directly advanced to a place not far from the ravine. It seemed that after Cheng Yang cleared this area yesterday, no other monster groups had wandered in.

When Yu Kai and the others reached the ravine, they did not dare to get too close to the central passage, fearing they would alert the large monster group. Through the gaps in the trees, they saw the passage filled with monsters, estimated to be over a thousand.

Cheng Yang also returned to his original position. After a brief exchange, they quickly dispersed. Cheng Yang, carrying the medium-sized mana potions he had taken from Yu Kai and the others, headed straight for the passage.

Yu Kai and the others scattered in different directions.

Cheng Yang stood in front of the southern passage of Xiangcheng City, looking at the dog-like monsters. He was somewhat depressed because these creatures were called Bloodthirsty Jackals, indicating they were not only vicious but also very cunning.

The Bloodthirsty Jackals were relatively fast monsters but had slightly less health. Cheng Yang did not want to encounter such monsters because, for early-stage first-tier mutated beasts, their health would not exceed 30 points. With his attack power, he could instantly kill such monsters, and the amount of health did not matter. However, their speed was different. Once his mana potions ran out, he would need more time to shake off these monsters and find Yu Kai and the others for more potions.

However, the Bloodthirsty Jackals had to be killed to reach Xiangcheng City. Cheng Yang was also very eager to open this passage. Not only to rescue Li Wanshan and the others' families, but also to claim a share of the large cake that was Xiangcheng City. In his previous life, he spent most of his time in Xiangcheng City and clearly remembered that there were many good things there, such as dungeons and outdoor treasures. While he could not bring dungeons out, outdoor treasures were different. As long as he could kill the monsters guarding the treasures, he could claim them for himself.

Thinking of this, Cheng Yang could not help but smile, but he quickly suppressed it. To gain anything, he first needed to eliminate these Bloodthirsty Jackals.

Cheng Yang raised his bone staff, and a magic missile instantly shot out, accurately hitting the head of a Bloodthirsty Jackal. The unfortunate creature did not even have time to cry out before it fell to the ground.