Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies

Chapter 531: The Assault on the Followers of the Snow God

Snow blanketed the land, and the Followers of the Snow God’s camp lay in ruins.

Once a bustling settlement akin to a small town, it had been home to over ten thousand devotees, all united in resisting the apocalyptic cold. But after a massive zombie horde swept through, more than ninety percent of them had perished, devoured by the undead.

The only survivors were a handful of superhumans and their families.

In the distant sky, a figure flew toward the camp at great speed.

Zheng Yixian's face was deathly pale—paler even than the snow-covered land around him.

But his blood was bright red. A massive wound had bloomed on his chest like a crimson flower, and blood dripped from the corners of his mouth.

Zhang Yi’s blade had not struck his heart, but it had pierced clean through his torso.

Had he received immediate treatment, he might have survived.

He had to return—to warn Yuan Kongye. Only by doing so could Yuan Kongye prepare for what was coming.

He could die, but Yuan Kongye must not.

Zheng Yixian landed in front of the cathedral. Several superhumans stationed at the camp saw his injuries and gasped in shock.

"High Priest, you—"

Zheng Yixian ignored them and staggered past, heading straight for the cathedral doors.

His time was running out. He had to see Yuan Kongye—immediately!

The superhumans instinctively reached out to support him, but a sharp glare from Zheng Yixian stopped them in their tracks.

Creak!

He pushed open the cathedral doors.

Yuan Kongye sensed something and snapped her head around.

She saw Zheng Yixian, gravely wounded.

Her pupils shrank sharply, and she rushed to his side.

Seeing the woman he loved, the last of Zheng Yixian’s strength gave out, and he collapsed.

If not for sheer willpower, he would have died on the way back.

Yuan Kongye caught him in her arms.

"Zheng Yixian, what happened to you?"

For the first time, unease flickered in her usually cold voice.

She reached out to heal him, but Zheng Yixian grabbed her wrist.

"Don't... waste your energy on me. My injuries are too severe. Saving me... would drain you too much."

"Danger... is coming. Our secret has been exposed. They will kill you. You... must survive."

Yuan Kongye’s hand froze mid-air.

Zheng Yixian, however, smiled weakly.

Looking into her cold gaze, he saw something unexpected—reluctance.

He chuckled.

In the end, he finally understood—Yuan Kongye did care for him, after all.

"You must live on... for our dream."

He breathed his last in her arms, eyes slowly closing.

To die in the embrace of the one he loved—this was not a regret, but a form of happiness.

Before long, Zhang Yi and his group arrived at the Followers of the Snow God’s camp.

The remaining followers, unaware of Zheng Yixian’s battle with Zhang Yi, eyed them warily.

"Our High Priest—what happened to him?"

Zhang Yi ignored them. His gaze locked onto the slightly open doors of St. John’s Cathedral.

Zheng Yixian must have gone to see Yuan Kongye.

Now that she was alert, ambushing her would be difficult.

Not that Zhang Yi had planned to.

Because at this moment, no one knew just how many superhuman abilities Yuan Kongye possessed—or how powerful she truly was.

Attacking recklessly would be suicidal.

Baili Changqing and his group arrived soon after.

Instead of heading to the cathedral, they made their way toward a nearby abandoned building.

The zombie crisis needed an answer.

Had the Followers of the Snow God caused it?

A simple look would reveal the truth.

Zhang Yi led them. "Follow me. I’ll show you proof."

They reached the abandoned building.

A lone superhuman stood guard outside and immediately stepped forward.

"Gentlemen, this is a restricted area of the Followers of the Snow God. You must not—"

Before he could finish, Kong Sheng appeared like a ghost before him, seized his throat, and slammed him against the wall.

"Shut up."

The guard’s eyes rolled back, and he passed out instantly.

Zhang Yi and the others entered the abandoned building.

Inside, the eerie red glow of the blood vines remained.

Their tendrils and leaves spread across every corner, suffocating the space.

This time, they had arrived in daylight.

The sight before them was even clearer—more overwhelming.

Corpses hung from the ceiling and walls, even more than before.

After all, nearly ten thousand had died in the last battle. Their bodies had become the blood vines’ perfect nourishment.

The chilling, almost ritualistic atmosphere made even seasoned warriors uneasy.

Even those who had been here before felt their scalps tingle, sweat breaking out on their backs.

It wasn’t the dead that frightened them.

It was this grotesque, sacrificial scene.

Xiao Honglian couldn’t help but ask, "Where’s the evidence you mentioned?"

They had already taken samples from the bodies and vines.

They were nothing more than shriveled corpses, drained of all nutrients.

None of them contained the zombie virus.

Zhang Yi walked forward and said calmly, "At first, I had my doubts, too."

"We studied these corpses, analyzed the blood vines—and found no traces of the zombie virus."

His gaze swept over them. "But then I realized—it was exactly what they wanted us to believe."

"After all, you’ve all sneaked in here before, haven’t you?"

"If there were a major secret, would they leave it so unguarded?"

The group exchanged glances but said nothing.

They had all, at some point, infiltrated this place under the guise of cooperation, secretly taking samples for research.

They now stood before the blood vines’ main body.

A massive, crimson plant—like a twisted World Tree—pierced through the building’s roof, its roots burrowing deep underground, its branches sprawling to cover every inch of space.

Zhang Yi spoke coldly.

"Zombies thrive in dark, damp underground environments. Their bodies play host to a parasitic virus that prefers such conditions."

"So, the virus must have been cultivated somewhere similar. And in all of Tianhai City, every facility that fit that description has long been destroyed."

"That leaves only one possibility."

He pointed at the blood vines’ roots, his gaze turning sharp.

"This place."

His theory wasn’t just a wild guess.

After piecing together scattered clues, it was the only logical conclusion.

And today, he was here to prove it.

Author's Note