Volume One Mutation Chapter 22 There Is an Immortal Swordsman in China

After confirming that the white serpent was truly dead, Liutong turned and floated into the air, directing his sword toward the earth below. With a sweeping gesture, he drew a line of black fire between the city wall and the horde of corpses. Countless zombies were reduced to ashes, and, faced with the dual temptations of the black clouds and flesh, the mutated zombies, having lost all reason, surged madly into the black fire, desperate to cross the inferno, only to perish without a trace.

A deafening thunderclap resounded—at last, the rain began to fall!

The rain poured in torrents, each drop as large as a bead, cascading down like broken strings of pearls and soaking the ground within seconds. The wind arrived as well, whipping the downpour into countless lashes, striking everything on land with relentless fury, as if the entire world had become a realm of water.

The endless tide of corpses seemed to receive a blessing from the heavens, scrambling over one another in a frantic climb, striving to reach and kiss the black clouds. It was a wild revelry for mutated creatures, but a nightmare for ordinary humans!

Liutong hovered in midair, surrounded by a shield of swirling air that kept the rain at bay. This parched land, dry for months, finally welcomed its springtime, as the rain poured down with reckless abandon. Curiously, the deluge could not extinguish the burning black flames; each raindrop that fell upon the fire transformed into hazy steam before it touched the ground, forming a vast white mist above the inferno.

Liutong had often considered flying up to the clouds and dispersing them with his command of the wind, yet reason told him that if he stopped this black rain now, the next would come even sooner—and then, without his protection, people might not survive. He could only gaze up at the sky and pour his strength into the black fire, incinerating everything.

The soldiers atop the city wall had long ceased firing, donning masks to avoid inhaling the black rain. The storm obscured their vision and halted the tide’s assault on the walls, granting them precious respite. Zhao Meng and the other soldiers gazed in awe at the hazy figure high above; though the silhouette was blurred, it radiated an imposing presence, as if the very next moment it might soar skyward and pierce the clouds.

Within the safe zone, the rainproof measures finally proved their worth. Specially designed roofs channeled the pattering rain into drainage pipes, minimizing splashing and evaporation. Most remarkable was the unique design, which formed a perfect circuit between rooftops, thoroughly shielding the roads below. With the black rain unable to reach the ground, corrosion was prevented, saving much effort in road maintenance and water removal.

Though humanity was small, its wisdom and creativity were boundless. Time and again, people broke through their limits to defend themselves against disaster, and this was why humans had survived in nature for thousands of years.

Every household in the safe zone kept doors and windows tightly shut, stuffing vents with quilts and clothing to keep even the slightest trace of moisture out. Faced with the black rain, the authorities called on every survivor to block their nose and mouth with garments until the storm passed—and all obeyed.

District Chief Zhou, wearing a water-absorbing mask prepared by his secretary, looked out the window with a troubled expression. Despite the best measures taken each time the black rain fell, post-storm mutations always occurred. Every safe zone affected by rain had witnessed such events, making it impossible to guard against.

All he could do was pray that the residents protected themselves and, if mutated, would not harm others.

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No one knew how long the rain lasted. Some zombies, soaked to saturation, seemed stimulated by some unknown force and began to violently shove aside their kin, charging toward the city wall.

One, two.

Ten, dozens.

As more and more zombies stormed the black fire zone, Liutong finished his observations—these mutated creatures had absorbed the black energy from the rain, which strengthened their bodies and drove them into renewed frenzy.

"Captain! Bad news! The other two walls are already piled with zombies, and in a few minutes they'll breach the defenses!" A soldier rushed over to report in panic.

Zhao Meng calmly ordered, "Fetch the bait—bring plenty. Since we have the Sword Immortal here, let’s draw all the zombies to our side!"

Following his command, several soldiers carried large