As mentioned before, building a city in the apocalypse is extremely difficult, and it is almost always met with the threat of destruction. Only a very small number of cities can survive countless waves of zombie creatures and mutated beasts. Those unfortunate enough to be destroyed by zombie or beast hordes, and subsequently occupied by zombies or mutated creatures, are referred to as "dead cities."
**Dead cities** have varying scales. Some are as small as a village, while others can span hundreds of thousands or even millions of square kilometers, making them terrifying in size.
Nearby Chu City, there are a few such dead cities. Some are spared because of their special terrain, making them easy to defend but not worth destroying. Others are guarded by powerful and dangerous creatures, making destruction a risky venture. There are also those where certain mutated creatures are kept, and people have turned them into breeding grounds for these creatures, refusing to destroy them.
No matter what kind of dead city it is, the danger within is always great. After all, these cities have the power to wipe out entire settlements, so even the weakest dead city is no easy foe.
The **No. 7 Dead City** lies 513 kilometers south of Chu City. It's called a "city," but in reality, it's just a small village. This village used to be a settlement with thousands of people, but unfortunately, it was destroyed by a zombie horde over a decade ago. Not a single person survived, turning it into a true dead city.
"Teacher, you're not planning for me to train there, are you?" Standing on a small hill, Chu Xun looked down at the village, now completely occupied by zombies. A chill ran down his spine.
His vision was sharp, allowing him to see clearly that the village was crawling with zombies—at least thousands of them. Every now and then, he spotted a few quick red figures darting through the crowds, clearly lickers.
This was a dead city. Even the smallest dead cities were beyond his ability to handle, right?
"What are you afraid of? You have me watching over you!" Seeing the apprehension on Chu Xun's face, Chu Kuangren suddenly slapped him on the back. "I've seen your performance before. You're indeed talented, and you know how to bring out that talent in battle. So, if you want to grow stronger, the fastest way is constant battle, nonstop fighting!"
"But..." Chu Xun wanted to argue, but the next words from Chu Kuangren shut him up completely.
"Do you want to lose to that old man and forfeit the Mutated Rabid Wolf King?" Chu Kuangren's cold gaze pierced through Chu Xun, and his voice was calm but sharp. "Without the Mutated Rabid Wolf King, you'll lose your only opportunity to quickly level up. How much do you think you can achieve in the Student Assessment then?"
"Yes… teacher!" After hearing his teacher's words, Chu Xun fell into silence for a long while before nodding.
He had been too impulsive earlier, but if he missed this opportunity, who knew when he would be able to get the spider gene again?
After all, many species were already extinct in the post-apocalyptic world, and the few remaining spiders had mutated. After mutating, these dangerous creatures became even more powerful and rare, making it extremely difficult to encounter them in the wild.
His decision to challenge the "poisonous spider" to a bet wasn't without reason. That old man was clearly a summoner, an ability user whose summoned beasts were strong but who himself was very weak. Most people who face such ability users would be tangled by the summoned beasts and then attacked from a distance using firearms or other ranged weapons. In this case, it's incredibly dangerous, especially when the summoner has a good weapon.
But Chu Xun wasn't just "anyone." Not only did he possess immense combat power, but he also had a powerful abomination on his side. Even if a fight broke out, he was confident that the abomination could hold the giant spider, while he took care of the old man.
This was why Chu Xun dared to propose the bet.
"Kid, you think that old man is foolish, don't you?" After Chu Xun nodded and fell silent again, Chu Kuangren suddenly asked.
"Yes, teacher…" Hearing his teacher's words, Chu Xun was slightly startled before nodding.
"Heh, you really think that old man is an idiot?" Chu Kuangren sneered, then patted Chu Xun on the shoulder. "There aren't many idiots in this world, especially those old dogs who have managed to survive in this cruel world. Ever heard the saying 'Old people are clever, ghosts are cunning'? It's talking about these kinds of guys."
At this point, Chu Kuangren's expression grew serious. "The reason I didn't stop you was to make sure you understand this. At least, if you lose this time, you'll only lose the Mutated Rabid Wolf King and still have a chance to try again. But in other situations, if you lose, you might lose your life!"
"Teacher, what does that old man really have up his sleeve?" Hearing Chu Kuangren's words, Chu Xun realized he had been too naïve. But he was also full of curiosity. The old man was obviously a summoner with weak personal abilities, so what was it that allowed him to think he could win against him?
"Do you know why that spider is only a top-tier first rank summon, but the poisonous spider is a second-rank ability user?" Chu Kuangren lightly shook his head and looked at Chu Xun, asking.
"That spider is only a top-tier first rank summon?" Hearing this, Chu Xun furrowed his brows again. He had little knowledge about dangerous creatures in this world, so he didn't know the true strength of that spider.
"Yes, the Hunter Spider is the weakest in the mutated spider species but also the rarest. Its average power is at the top of the first rank," Chu Kuangren patted Chu Xun on the shoulder and said, "That spider is indeed the old man's only summoned beast, but his abilities aren't limited to just summoning. He also understands fusion!"
As he spoke, Chu Kuangren seemed to recall something and showed a strange expression. "Once he uses his fusion ability, he becomes one with the spider and transforms into a second-rank dangerous creature, the Human-Faced Tiger Spider. Now, tell me, how would you defeat such an enemy by using the usual methods for dealing with ordinary summoners?"
"No wonder he looked so confident… so that's it..." Hearing Chu Kuangren's words, Chu Xun instinctively clenched his fists.
He had thought it was the others who were foolish, but it turned out it was him who had been naïve!
"Since you've made a mistake, you'll have to bear the responsibility. But the Human-Faced Tiger Spider is still one of the weakest second-rank dangerous creatures. With your strength, if you level up a bit more, and with a bit of luck, you can still win." Seeing the remorse on Chu Xun's face, Chu Kuangren laughed heartily and patted his shoulder. "Come on, let's go train in the dead city. Don't worry, I'm watching you. You'll end up crippled at most, not dead!"
"Crippled… well, thanks for the concern, teacher!" Hearing Chu Kuangren's words, Chu Xun was left speechless. He shook his head, took a deep breath, and began walking toward the dead city.
...
Meanwhile, in the north district of Chu City, in a massive mansion spanning several thousand square meters, a young man wearing a green warrior's outfit, his muscles bulging and skin as white as jade, was calmly looking at several house servants kneeling before him. He spoke in a cold tone: "So you're telling me that Chu Xun, that trash, awakened his ability and nearly crippled my brother?"
"Yes, Young Master Qing…" One of the servants trembled as he replied, "Young Master Jie's bones are broken in three places, and his internal organs are severely damaged. Although treatment was timely, he will probably be unable to participate in the Student Assessment."
"Heh, Chu Xun? Interesting!" Hearing this, the young man nodded slightly, then let out a faint laugh. "I didn't expect that little trash to turn things around. You've given me a bit of a surprise. But my brother may not be much, but he's not someone you can just beat. Looks like it's time to teach that guy a lesson."
The young man then turned to the servants and asked, "Where is that little fish now?"
"He seems to have gone out of the city with Lord Kuangren. Recently, he's been following Lord Kuangren for training..." The servant hesitated for a moment before adding, "It seems they have a good relationship."
"Chu Kuangren, that's troublesome." The young man furrowed his brows and said calmly, "Looks like I'll have to deal with him in the Student Assessment. If he's not dead by then, I'll personally kill him to avenge my brother."
There was no killing intent in his words, only boundless confidence, as though he was stating a fact.
And indeed, he had the strength to back up that confidence. As the strongest of the younger generation of the Chu family, his power had already far surpassed that of any other young expert.
After saying this, the young man turned and walked out.
He had something to do—something that would let everyone know that **Chu Qing**, the number one of the younger generation of Chu City, had officially emerged!