Zuo Feng continued, "The world was originally divided into two groups, the strong and the weak. The strong survive and the weak die. But this calamity of the undead changed everything. The hierarchy of the world had changed before our eyes."

“Now it is also divided into the commoners who have the passive virus in their system, and the purebloods who live in the protection of the almighty sects. The purebloods have access to resources, knowledge, and power that the commoners could only dream of. Although they are immune to the virus, they have the ability to cultivate. They live in luxury while the commoners struggle to survive."

The test subject looked at Zuo Feng with a mixture of fear and anger. "You're one of them," he spat out, "You're a pureblood, and you're using me for your own gain."

Zuo Feng gave him a cold smile. "I may have been a pureblood once, but I am not like the others. I was thrown out of my sect because of my virus. I have no one to rely on, no one to protect me. I am now a commoner struggling to survive. But I have found a way to use my virus to my advantage. I have found a way to control it, to use it to fight against the zombies. And I will do whatever it takes to survive, even if that means using you as a test subject."

The man's expression changed from anger to despair. He knew that he had no choice but to comply with Zuo Feng's demands. He knew that he was at the mercy of this powerful cultivator who had somehow gotten the passive virus.

The test subject was resigned to his fate. He knew that he had no choice but to comply with Zuo Feng's demands. He knew that if he refused, he would be killed.

"I'll help you," he said, his voice filled with defeat. "But I want something in return."

Zuo Feng raised an eyebrow. "What do you want?"

"I want you to let me go once this is all over," the test subject said. "I want you to let me return to my family."

Zuo Feng thought for a moment. He knew that this man could be useful to him in the future. But he also knew that he could not keep him against his will forever.

“This is a deal.” The wounded man stood up and offered his hand towards Zuo Feng.

Zuo Feng didn’t reject it and shook the man’s hand.

“My name is Huang Wanjing. I am not a nameless test subject.”

***

As Zuo Feng and Huang Wanjing walked through the ruins, they were constantly on guard for any zombies that might be lurking around the corner. The buildings were crumbling and the streets were filled with debris. Zombies roamed the streets aimlessly, their moans echoing through the empty streets.

Huang Wanjing, who had previously been resistant to Zuo Feng's research, had now come to understand the importance of finding a cure for the virus. He had even started to help out with the research, collecting samples and taking notes.

He still hated Zuo Feng for abducting him but he knew that he would have never survived without his help and he was grateful for that.

"We need to be careful," Zuo Feng said in a low voice, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger.

"I know," Huang Wanjing replied, his hand gripping tightly onto a small knife he had been given for protection.

As they walked, they came across a group of zombies feasting on the remains of a small group of survivors. Zuo Feng and Huang Wanjing quickly retreated, not wanting to get caught in the middle of the carnage.

Even though Zuo Feng could probably easily kill them, there was still a danger that they might attract a horde of zombies by bringing attention to themselves.

"It's getting worse," Huang Wanjing said, his voice barely above a whisper.

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"Yes, it is," Zuo Feng replied, a hint of sadness in his voice. "But I can't give up hope.I have to keep searching for a cure, no matter how difficult it may be."

As they continued to walk, they came across a small village that had been overrun by the virus. The streets were littered with the bodies of the villagers, and the buildings were in ruins.

"This is what happens when the virus spreads," Zuo Feng said, his voice heavy with sadness.

"I have to find a cure, before it's too late.”

The two of them made their way through the ruins, avoiding the zombies as best they could. They climbed over rubble and ducked behind buildings, always keeping their eyes peeled for any signs of danger.

"We need to be careful," Zuo Feng said, his voice low. "These zombies are attracted to noise and movement. We need to move quietly and quickly."

As they walked, Huang Wanjing couldn't help but feel a sense of hopelessness. The world was a dark and desolate place, and he couldn't see any way to survive in it. But he knew that he needed to keep going, for the sake of his own survival and for the sake of finding a cure for the virus.

As Zuo Feng and Huang Wanjing walked down the streets of the ruins, they heard the unmistakable sound of zombies shuffling in the distance. Huang Wanjing tensed up, but Zuo Feng remained calm and focused. He knew how to handle these creatures.

Suddenly, an infected sword appeared out of nowhere, its blade covered in the virus that had turned so many into zombies. Huang Wanjing panicked and ran, leaving Zuo Feng to face the sword alone.

Zuo Feng quickly unsheathed his own sword and prepared for battle.

The infected sword lunged towards Zuo Feng, The infected sword lunged towards Zuo Feng, its blade glinting in the sunlight. But as it got closer, Zuo Feng could see that this was no ordinary weapon. The virus had given it sentience, and it was fighting with a purpose.

Zuo Feng quickly dodged the sword's attacks, his own sword clashing against it with a loud metallic sound. He could feel the power of the virus coursing through the infected sword, and he knew that he had to end this battle quickly.

He focused all of his energy into his sword, and with one final strike, he was able to disarm the infected sword. It fell to the ground, its blade still glowing with a purple hue.

But he knew it was far from over. Zuo Feng immediately drew his sword, ready for battle. "Stay behind me," he commanded Huang Wanjing.

A hoard of infected swords came into view, their blades glinting in the sunlight. They were each controlled by the virus, their once inanimate forms now imbued with a twisted form of sentience.

"Don't let them get too close," Zuo Feng warned as he stepped forward, his sword at the ready. "These swords have been infected with the virus and they have gained sentience. They're dangerous."

Huang Wanjing watched in awe as Zuo Feng fought off the hoard of swords with ease. His swordsmanship was masterful, each strike precise and deadly. But as the fight progressed, Huang Wanjing could see the uncertainty on Zuo Feng's face. He was outnumbered and the swords were relentless in their attack. But he seemed distracted as though he was thinking of something else.

"Zuo Feng, be careful!" Huang Wanjing shouted, fear creeping into his voice.

The sword lunged at Zuo Feng, who expertly dodged and slashed at the sword with his own weapon. But the attack was not over, as more swords began to appear from the shadows, each one glowing with the same purple light.

"We can't hold them off for long," Zuo Feng replied as he fought off ten swords at once.

"There's too many of them," Huang Wanjing shouted as he fought off a sword with his own weapon.

The swords were relentless in their attacks, their blades slicing through the air with deadly precision. Zuo Feng fought against most of the swords with all his might, his sword clashing against the infected blades in a symphony of metal on metal.

"We can't keep this up," Huang Wanjing shouted as he fell over whilst attempting to dodge an attack.

“I KNOW!” Zuo Feng shouted as he took a few steps back and raised his sword at the incoming horde.

With a burst of energy, Zuo Feng released a powerful cultivation technique, causing a bright light to explode from his body. The swords were caught in the blast, their infected blades shattering into a million pieces.

Huang Wanjing slumped to the ground in exhaustion.

"We did it," he said, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Don't thank me yet," Zuo Feng said, a hint of warning in his voice. "We're not out of danger yet.”

The ground shook beneath their feet, and the air was filled with the sound of a battle cry. Suddenly, the ground began to rumble, and cracks appeared in the pavement. The air twisted and distorted, as if the very fabric of reality was being torn apart.

With his own eyes, Huang Wanjing was witnessing lunacy that he couldn't believe.

He felt his skin crawl and an eerie feeling hit him, as if something evil was lurking just out of sight.

Dark circles slowly began to appear in the sky, and tendrils of dark energy began to seep out of the ground. The tendrils twisted and writhed, as if they were alive, and they seemed to be pulling something out of the earth.