Under the scorching sun, Xia Leng continued forward for about 20 more kilometers, now halfway to his first destination.
The sky remained cloudless, with the massive sun mercilessly baking the earth with its intense rays.
This reminded Xia Leng of a popular children's song from the old days:
"I have a beautiful wish To plant the sun when I grow up Plant one, and many suns will sprout One for the South Pole One for the Arctic Ocean One to hang in winter Hang in winter One to hang at night Hang at night …"
Now, he couldn't help but wonder if some mischievous child had succeeded in planting the sun…
Fortunately, after leaving the highway, Xia Leng entered a dilapidated small town.
The deserted town was eerily silent, with the streets littered with rusted, abandoned vehicles. Vines grew wildly, engulfing every protruding object, as if wrapping the city in a layer of green clothing.
These seemingly harmless plants, however, would quickly ensnare and crush you like a python if you got too close, piercing your skin with their spiky thorns until they drained you dry, leaving behind a shriveled corpse.
Most of the doors to the shops lining the streets were open, but the interiors were in disarray, their valuables long looted by other drifters or mercenary groups.
Deeper within the buildings, one might still find expired food or similar items, but entering them during the day was akin to walking into the lairs of mutated monsters.
Xia Leng walked along the streets, using the shop signs for shade from the scorching sunlight.
As long as he didn't venture inside, he wouldn't be attacked by those light-fearing mutated beasts.
However, there were always other dangers in the form of humans who could adapt to any environment, ready to deliver a deadly blow at any moment.
As Xia Leng walked in the shadows, he suddenly stopped, standing motionless like a puppet.
He was using his keen hearing to sense any movements behind him. He knew those three bikers had been following him ever since he left the bar.
Their hesitation to act was likely due to uncertainty about Xia Leng's strength—whether he was a Blessed one or not.
Were they seeking revenge for their two comrades, who had probably already become something else's waste by now?
More likely, they had their eyes on the potentially valuable light-blue crystal in Xia Leng's skull, worth enough to sustain them for a long time.
Ordinary people facing a Level 1 Blessed didn't stand a chance unless they had guns—and good aim.
Each of the three bikers had a makeshift shotgun, which they relied on the most.
No matter how strong your regenerative abilities, it would be tough to recover if your head was blown off at close range, at best leaving you a vegetable like the "Flesh God" who regrows its flesh when cut.
Xia Leng didn't want to keep dragging this out with them, so he decided to deal with them here in the town.
The buildings here provided more cover than the open wilderness, where he'd be an easy target for their bullets.
After a brief moment of thought, Xia Leng turned and entered a deserted general store by the street.
Meanwhile, on a hill about 500 meters away on the town's outskirts…
The three bikers, clad in black jackets and sunglasses, observed Xia Leng's location through binoculars while sitting on their motorcycles.
"That bastard's been inside for almost ten minutes and hasn't come out yet. Think he found something valuable?"
They noticed Xia Leng hadn't reappeared after entering the building.
Normally, buildings were more dangerous during the day; people wouldn't stay in them long unless they had to—unless he wasn't an ordinary person.
"Boss, I think he might have realized we're following him. He could be setting a trap for us. Should we wait a bit longer?"
"Yeah, let's wait. I doubt he's brave enough to sleep in a monster's nest."
So, they remained on the hill, which provided a good vantage point, waiting once again.
But this time, they waited another ten minutes or so, while Xia Leng stayed in the shade, and they roasted under the sun, sweating profusely. Even the umbrellas they'd found provided little relief.
Finally, the bikers couldn't take it anymore. The sun had baked them into a state of extreme irritability.
"Damn it! I don't believe our three guns can't take down a Level 1 Blessed!"
The biker leader tossed aside his umbrella, revved his motorcycle, and sped down the hill. His two subordinates quickly followed suit.
They were so confident Xia Leng was only a Level 1 Blessed because of his slender build, which didn't seem particularly strong. But being able to crush someone's wrist bones with just his fingers—that was no ordinary feat of strength.
So, they figured Xia Leng must be a newly transformed Blessed, who hadn't had much time to master his newfound powers.
These bikers had previously hunted down similar newly transformed Blessed, extracting valuable blue crystals from their brains, which made them so eager to get to Xia Leng.
Revenge for their comrades had never crossed their minds.
Meanwhile, Xia Leng, who had been waiting inside the general store, sat leaning against a wall, regulating his breathing to conserve energy for the upcoming confrontation.
He pulled out the "Peace Gun" from his backpack, loaded it, and held it firmly in his hand, hoping the weapon, which had been well-maintained by its previous owner, would still fire properly.
If it were just a close combat fight with the bikers, Xia Leng was confident he could take them down.
What concerned him were their three makeshift shotguns. Although he had gained significant regenerative abilities, the healing process would still consume a lot of his energy and stamina.
If his energy was completely drained, or if he was shot in the head, he might not recover at all.
"You've finally shown yourselves."
With a calm expression, Xia Leng listened to the approaching roar of motorcycles, guessing they'd lost patience under the relentless sun and decided to forgo a stealthy ambush, heading straight for his location instead.
His finger lightly touched the trigger, and he pressed himself against the wall, his grip on the gun steady. His stance was flawless, ready to raise the weapon and fire the moment an enemy appeared in his line of sight.
Although Xia Leng had never fired a gun before, the knowledge of how to shoot seemed to be ingrained in his mind, ready for use at a moment's notice.
Skreee!
The screeching of brakes echoed around the general store as the three motorcycles came to a halt.
Xia Leng could hear the faint crunch of their boots on the gravel as they slowly approached his position.