Chapter 247: The Second Blood Plague Plague Plant

August 24, 2069, daytime.

Somewhere in the western Pacific.

Phoenix Society Sky City – Phoenix City.

【August 24, 2069】 【Saturday】 【15: 9: 5 (CCST)】

System Log

Power System: No. 1 Star Engine operating normally, all parameters stable, no fault alarms, "Night Star 9" Sky City nuclear turbine processor temperature within normal range, entering today's 2-1 maintenance cycle.

Navigation System: First-stage cruise phase, flight on schedule, distance traveled 【625】 km, speed 【210】 km/h, altitude maintained at 【9600】 km.

Airspace Radar: Tracking Bio-04 in coordinate zone xx-yy-zz+10 (relative to current position), sudden anomalous weather detected.

Anomalous weather description:

Over the target sea area, Sky City's weather satellites and over twenty million Pacific buoys detected a high-pressure wave zone exceeding 2400 kilometers in diameter, nearly black hole-like in form, slowly drifting over the Pacific for three hours and five minutes before vanishing.

【August 24, 2069】 【Saturday】

【15: 0: 5 (CCST)】: Following a decision by the Sky City Security Oversight Committee, deploy ZL-02 and ZL-03 unmanned aerial reconnaissance drones, and Night Walker Guard Unit 4, 7th Flight Team to investigate the target zone.

【16: 3: 2 (CCST)】: Unmanned aerial reconnaissance drones report Bio-04 has altered its trajectory.

Sky City Security Oversight Committee confirms Bio-04's current direction of movement is:

Asia-Pacific Continent.

……

Yunjiang Plain, outside Hengshan Pass City.

Beneath the night, multiple camp floodlights have been set up; the convoy is littered with the wreckage of battle.

Dead comrades, shattered insect corpses, vehicles coated in blood, and piles of insect carcasses surround the Infinite Train, filling the view.

Each convoy has dispatched patrol and cleanup teams to scout for hidden threats and any surviving monstrous insects.

Rescuing the wounded, counting ammunition, repairing vehicles… within the camp, shadows move in frantic haste.

Key personnel from the four convoys have gathered beneath a temporary canopy in the center of the camp, speaking around a campfire.

"Team Leader Lin, words can't express our gratitude. If not for you, we'd all be dead." Liao Ming's face was etched with exhaustion after survival; he looked toward Lin Xian's team with sincere thanks. "Uncle Wu, shouldn't we…?"

Wu Zhenhai raised a hand to cut him off, signaling he understood, then began directing his men.

"Liang Zi, bring our No. 5 supply truck over."

"No need."

Lin Xian saw their intent and said directly: "Since this was a joint operation, we're all pulling together on the same boat—no need for formalities. The road is hard enough; your hundreds need these supplies more than we do."

"This…"

Hearing Lin Xian's words, Luo Yang, Liang Lei, and Li Yi from the other two convoys grew anxious.

"Brother Lin, you did the heavy lifting and saved so many of us—we owe you something."

"That's right! If not for you, me and my wife wouldn't be alive tonight." Liang Lei's face was still caked in blood as he hurried to speak.

Lin Xian waved his hand. The recent battle had cost lives in all four convoys—yet his Infinite Train had not a single minor injury. Though these three convoys had sought his protection, in truth they had surrounded the Infinite Train, exhausting every tactic they had. If he'd wanted anything in return, he could've asked before nightfall. Now, with the dead and wounded, he had no such thoughts.

"Enough. I appreciate your kindness." Lin Xian looked up at the sky and said: "Cold air is approaching; a blizzard is coming. Supplies are life. We fought together tonight—that's mutual aid. No need for formalities."

Then he briefly explained his observations on the Dark Mark to the other convoys.

"If nothing goes wrong, we can kill this monster within its territory. Afterward, we'll vanish into the darkness. If luck holds, we might have several nights without incident."

Li Yi touched her swollen abdomen, frowning with doubt as she looked at Lin Xian: "Dark Mark? Team Leader Lin… is this really reliable?"

"Logically, Brother Lin's theory makes sense—it's more accurate than the Pack Hunting Effect," Luo Yang agreed deeply. "The only problem: if this theory holds, we can't know whether we carry a mark or its level—we can only detect it through attacks by mysterious entities. That's passive."

"Passive? It's the same either way," Wu Zhenhai slapped his thigh, his expression stern. "You'll meet it when you meet it. The difference is knowing when to run and when not to—luck doesn't always hold."

Liao Ming nodded, realization dawning: "So that's why some convoys who barely escaped large mysterious entities vanished soon after—they ran past the first, but not the fifteenth."

"Exactly."

Lin Xian scanned the group. He shared his experience only—never mentioned the Hell Black Chrysanthemum.

Whether he said it or not made no difference. If they believed him, they didn't need proof from something they couldn't understand—it'd be pointless.

If they didn't believe him, nothing he said would matter.

In the midst of survival, every convoy trusted only its own experience. At critical moments, you rely on yourself.

From their glances, Lin Xian saw they hadn't fully accepted it. They couldn't see their own marks, and attacks by mysterious entities defied clear patterns.

So Lin Xian said no more, and said directly:

"If you take the highway through Yuan Kou to the western side of Yunzhou Mountains, the cold air may arrive later—but not by much. I advise you depart early, don't linger."

Even the Infinite Train, with its icebreaker shield, couldn't guarantee safe passage through the blizzard—these convoys had no chance. Under these conditions, their rest time was minimal.

A cold wind blew; Hengshan Pass City was rapidly cooling. The temperature was nearing zero.

"Understood."

Luo Yang nodded: "We'll depart two hours before dawn. Based on our speed and direction, daylight will come around 11: 5 tomorrow, but darkness may arrive as early as 18: 0."

Wu Zhenhai frowned: "Less than seven hours."

"The further north we go, the shorter the daylight. Phoenix Society's West Lan outpost has already issued a notice—they'll evacuate West Lan in four days. At our speed, we must reach Xilin City within three days to have enough time to join Phoenix Society in West Lan," Li Yi calculated precisely. "Given the scale of the snowstorm, we truly have little time."

"Alright." Lin Xian stood. "Everyone's exhausted tonight. The monster's fear force may have affected some mentally, and the black smoke from the insect tide has contaminated many. I recommend your convoys take turns on watch and sleep, and distribute full rations of water and food tonight to stabilize morale."

Lin Xian worried not only about the lingering effects of fear force, but also that hundreds present had been exposed to the black smoke from the massive slaughter of monsters and mysterious entities. The Infinite Train had the Hell Black Chrysanthemum to convert energy and the Heteromorphic Cube to block fear intrusion—but these convoys had nothing. Without proper rest and recovery, further mutations might occur.

But if handled well, these battle-hardened convoy members might secretly gain significant evolutionary boosts.

Click~

At that moment, Lin Xian activated his communicator. Soon, the building and several Infinite Train members carried over several crates of ammunition.

They thudded down outside the canopy.

"Team Leader Lin, what's this?" Liao Ming stared, bewildered.

"Ammunition." Lin Xian took a deep breath. "Your ammo reserves are nearly spent. There won't be many resupply points ahead. We have surplus on our vehicle, so we're giving you some. Otherwise, if you run into trouble tomorrow, you won't have a shot."

What surprised Lin Xian and his Infinite Train members was that, during the worst moment of the insect tide, he'd expected these convoys to flee in their vehicles. Instead, they'd exhausted nearly all their ammo before retreating and clustering around the Infinite Train.

It was total desperation. Seeing this, Lin Xian felt moved. He'd known these convoys for only hours, yet they'd fought as if on the same boat—deadly, united.

So he decided to give them some of his own ammunition. For him, it took hours to produce more.

But for these hundreds, it might take traversing multiple towns to gather even one ammo base.

Most ammunition today comes from Lianbangzheng and Phoenix Society outposts, plus old stockpiles from industrial towns and military bases. Simply searching yields almost nothing. That's why convoys like Hu Lushou, who can consolidate and move resources in the apocalypse, are rare. It's not just about being shrewd—you need real team strength to survive and move between major strongholds.

"No, no, Team Leader Lin, we can't accept this!" Li Yi shot to his feet, lips dry. "You saved so many of us—we haven't given you anything. How can we take your supplies?"

"That's right! We're not that kind of people!" Liang Lei stared at the crates, stunned.

The new weapons and vast amounts of ammunition were pristine—valuable enough to trade for plenty of food. How could they just give them away?

"Team Leader Lin, this… this can't be…" Liao Ming hurried to say.

"Brother Lin," Luo Yang also stood up, panicked: "We…"

"No more talk." Lin Xian spoke firmly: "You all know our situation. If you can still fight the insect tide for five minutes, I'll take it back."

Silence fell instantly.

Lin Xian's words struck true. Right now, even gathering one ammo base among the whole group was difficult.

"We all carry burdens of lives on our shoulders. No need for formalities now—survival comes first. If you want to thank me, do it when we meet again in West Lan. Once we join the main force, everyone can breathe easier, right?" Lin Xian said directly.

Wu Zhenhai looked at Lin Xian with complex emotion, took a deep breath, and stood.

"Alright, Brother Lin. We accept your help. I've served in the military too long to be sentimental—but I don't take things without giving something back." He turned to Liao Ming: "Lao Liao, bring that thing. Brother Lin has so many psychics—maybe they can use it."

Liao Ming's eyes lit up. He immediately understood, nodded, and turned to Lin Xian:

"Team Leader Lin, wait—wait! We've got something great here—you'll be interested!"

Before Lin Xian could interrupt, Liao Ming dashed off.

Soon, Liao Ming returned with two men, who carried a silver case—elegant, high-end.

"What is this?"

Hiss!

Wu Zhenhai walked over and opened the case. Inside, only a cylindrical container, arm-thick and perfectly standard, held a dark, branch-like mass.

Wu Zhenhai carefully lifted the container, touched a setting on its surface. A purple-blue glow pulsed within. The group now clearly saw the "branch."

It was a plant!

About the thickness of a little finger, with short roots and several deep purple sprouts. Lin Xian studied it closely—fine purple light flowed within its stem, like breathing.

Blood Plague Plague Plant!

Lin Xian recognized it instantly, his gaze sharpening.

Wu Zhenhai explained: "We found this in a destroyed scientific research convoy. We don't know which organization it belonged to. Later, a small Lianbangzheng team found us and offered a high price to buy it—but we refused."

"High price?"

"Ha!" Liao Ming recalled it with disbelief. "Enough to equip two of our Eagle convoys. But Uncle Wu turned them down." Even Lin Xian, now Luo Yang, Liang Lei, and Li Yi stared at Wu Zhenhai in confusion.

Wu Zhenhai snorted coldly: "Who the hell would cooperate with that dog Lianbangzheng?"

"If this thing's so useful, I'd rather deal with Phoenix Society. But…" He tapped the container, looked at Lin Xian, and sighed: "We may not make it to West Lan. So instead of letting it go to waste, we give it to you, Brother Lin. If it's useful, consider it our gift. If not, trade it to Phoenix Society for supplies—it'll pay for itself."

Wu Zhenhai wasn't sure if the thing was as valuable as Lianbangzheng claimed—but he knew it was extraordinary. He also knew his convoy's chance of reaching West Lan and joining Phoenix Society remained uncertain.

Practically speaking, the thing was useless to them now. Giving it to Lin Xian was a favor—and it eased his conscience for accepting the ammunition.

Most crucially: ammunition was what he desperately needed. Without it, surviving tonight meant nothing for tomorrow.

Lin Xian's expression was complex. He was 70–80% certain Wu Zhenhai's item was a Blood Plague Plague Plant. He'd witnessed the Hell Black Chrysanthemum's wonders—the reason the Infinite Train's dozens had survived from Jiazhou City to now. He understood the value of Blood Plague Plague Plants.

Thinking of this, he felt no need for politeness.

"Fine. I accept."

After speaking, he paused briefly, then continued: "As far as I know, this thing is indeed valuable. Alright, I'll give you even more weapons."

"No, no, no—this is enough," Wu Zhenhai waved his hand. "I didn't come here to haggle or trade favors."

!

"I know."

Lin Xian turned on his heel and walked straight toward the Infinite, calling out: "So I don't want you to die before dawn."

At his words, everyone froze, their expressions stunned.

Soon after, four Roarers K23 electric rotary machine guns, three Thunderstorm A1 grenade launchers, twelve M556 light machine guns, nearly three baselines of ammunition, and a crate of alloy explosives were carried down from the vehicle by Lin Xian's men and neatly arranged before them.

The Roarers and light machine guns were taken directly from his team's existing stock—he had no time to manufacture new ones—and the ammunition was partly pre-existing, partly newly made.

At the sight of this display, many members of the convoy gathered around in shock.

Liao Ming and others stared in utter disbelief.

"Damn," Wu Zhenhai exclaimed. "I've only ever seen this kind of firepower haul in the military. Lin brother, you're emptying your whole arsenal on us?"

Lin Xian shook his head. "Don't worry—we still have more."

He turned to Liao Ming. "Liao Ge, you know our vehicle carries plenty of weapons."

Everyone turned to Liao Ming, who now wore a complex expression—he had indeed seen how Lin Xian's Infinite had unloaded weapons by the crate.

But now, asked directly, he was momentarily speechless, unsure how to describe it.

"Divide these among yourselves. Your firepower will jump a full tier. The road ahead is blizzards and unknown paths. For the sake of your brothers and sisters on those vehicles, don't be polite with me."

"Alright!" Wu Zhenhai stepped forward, seeing Liang Lei and Luo Yang hesitating. "We accept Lin brother's generosity—no more formalities."

"Plan it out—quickly distribute the weapons and ready the ammunition!"

"Yes!"

After a quick discussion, the ammunition and supplies were rapidly allocated. Dozens rushed forward, hauling gear into the convoy.

Seeing such vast quantities of ammunition, every convoy member was stunned, their spirits lifted. With this resupply, everyone could sleep soundly tonight.

This was a powerful boost to the camp's previously gloomy atmosphere!

"Alright, everyone has plenty to organize within your convoys. We won't linger. Communicate via radios. We'll depart before dawn. If we get the chance, see you again in Xilan!" Lin Xian said.

"Good. Thank you, Lin brother," Wu Zhenhai nodded. His convoy had suffered the heaviest losses and was currently in chaos.

"Lin Ge, thank you," Luo Yang said gratefully. "Take care. We'll meet you at Dawn Center!"

"Mm." Lin Xian nodded.

"Lin Team Leader," Li Yi stood up, visibly moved. "Thank you. We—"

Lin Xian looked at the couple and cut him off: "Your convoy has many children who need your care. No more words—just make it through safely."

Liang Lei hugged his wife's shoulder and said to Lin Xian: "Lin Team Leader, I've never admired anyone in my life—until now."

"Everyone, take care!"

A biting wind swept across the wilderness, carrying no hint of autumn's melancholy—under the night sky, winter arrived in full force.

Members of the Eagle Convoy, the Chasing Sun Convoy, and the Running Far Camp team hurriedly packed up, while their leaders organized internally, assessed casualties, and, with ammunition replenished, felt their confidence rise.

On the bus, Li Yi and her team began distributing food to the children.

"Mom Li Yi, the train is so cool!" a little girl chirped.

"Will we ride with the train?" a little boy asked.

"Yeah, yeah!"

Li Yi smiled. "Yes. When we reach Xilan, our group will grow larger—there'll be trains, cars, even airplanes~"

"Wow, really? So we can sleep on big beds?"

"Yes."

"Can we drink clean water now?"

"Yes."

"Report, Mom Li Yi—I wish for fries on my birthday!"

"Haha, so greedy—fries, huh?"

…

On the Chasing Sun Convoy, a group of young people led by Luo Yang held a meeting inside a motorhome.

"A Min, Luo Luo, you two coordinated well tonight. Da Yuan, record their movement data and optimize it."

The two girls nodded eagerly: "It was intense tonight, but I feel our teamwork's getting better."

"Li Guangwen, has your Dust Wave ability improved after killing so many monsters tonight?"

The boy named Li Guangwen scratched his head. "It's okay."

"The Infinite Convoy guys are insane."

"Yeah, fire ability, telekinesis—holy crap, Lin Ge can summon black holes!!"

Luo Yang's eyes gleamed as he nodded. "Yeah, Lin Ge is incredible."

"So we're still sticking to the original plan to enter Xilan City?"

"Yes. Plan unchanged," Luo Yang said calmly, activating his mobile terminal and illuminating the map. "We've replenished ammunition, but since most of our vehicles are low-clearance, we must cross the Yunzhou Mountain Range quickly—once the blizzards hit, we won't move an inch."

The two girls nodded. "So from Xilin to Xilan, then we join the Phoenix Society's main force?"

Luo Yang nodded. "Yes."

"I hope we meet up with Lin Ge in Xilan!"

…

The Eagle Convoy bustled with activity, but the deaths of many members had cast a heavy gloom over the group.

In a living quarters vehicle, a middle-aged woman busily cooked hot meals and distributed them to the wounded.

Beside her, a little boy worked hard to help.

Two team members approached carrying supplies.

"Sister Li."

"I know," the woman said, her eyes red, yet her hands never stopped. "Quick—get this food to the wounded. It's night; we can't let their conditions worsen."

Her voice lowered, trembling slightly: "Don't let them end up like Li Dong…"

The two members fell silent for a moment, sighed, and began helping distribute the meals.

For refugee convoys, parting and death happened every day.

In the convoy, Liao Ming helped the wounded while messaging Wu Shu, Wu Zhenhai: "Wu Shu, six dead, thirteen wounded—all under control."

"Give the list to Song Li. Take care of their families' living needs."

"Chen Chen and the other brats want to join the combat roster. These kids are full of energy now."

In the truck, Wu Zhenhai sighed. "They're all under fourteen. Tell them to wait until we cross the snow plain. If they've got energy, help with logistics."

…

(End of Chapter)