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"...Just follow the route I described, and you can get to Las Vegas first. The zombies there have almost been cleared out, and when you get close, you should find people scrambling to escort you to the base..."
Tao Yu poked his head out of the RV window at the height of the truck, speaking to the driver of a sturdy-looking, modified pickup beside him.
The truck seed to carry a family of five, and Tao Yu didn't sense any hostility, so he took the opportunity to remind them, briefly describing the route he had taken—it was relatively clear, at least.
Because of the height of their vehicles, they hadn't seen Little Black driving; otherwise, they probably wouldn't have remained so calm.
"Thank you, thank you so much," said the weather-beaten, stubble-faced driver, continuously expressing his gratitude to Tao Yu.
"Hmm, I've got to be on my way, safe travels to you," Tao Yu replied.
"I wish you safe travels as well," the driver responded.
After parting ways, the two vehicles crossed paths and Tao Yu continued driving within Canadian territory.
The temperature had already started to drop noticeably.
Las Vegas has a desert environnt with significant temperature differences between day and night, but even in winter, dayti temperatures aren't too low.
But as he drove further north into Canada, the temperature was becoming distinctly colder.
"I hope it doesn't snow. There's no one around here to shovel..."
The weather in the Abyss was sowhat chaotic, so Tao Yu wasn't certain whether it would snow ahead of him. However, considering Alaska is within the Arctic Circle, if the climate hadn't ward up in the past year and was still as it used to be, he reckoned that simply driving an RV would make it difficult to reach his destination.
Even though he was prepared with snow tires and anti-skid chains, and the vehicle had sufficient power, after such a long ti without maintenance, he had no idea what the condition of the snow on the roads would be.
Little Black continued to drive, and Tao Yu once again picked up the map to determine the next landmark.
"The man just now ntioned two strange riders ahead, but due to the language barrier, they couldn't communicate. I wonder if they're from another world. Peach Blossom Island's world doesn't have a clear barrier, and the barrier in Zombie World is one-way. It's uncertain whether the zombie virus would spread over there..."
While flipping through the map, Tao Yu pondered in his mind.
However, if he could encounter them, it might be good to et up and find out the situation—like whether it had snowed on the road or to figure out what ti it was in that world.
After all, Peach Blossom Island spans a long period of ti.
On his journey, Tao Yu hadn't encountered any strange horse riders; perhaps he had missed them, but slowly, both sides of the highway were indeed showing accumulated snow.
But the snow wasn't thick, just a shallow layer on the road, and the sky wasn't continuing to snow.
"It must be due to the weather changes..."
Tao Yu looked out at the snowscape, crossing the area alone, with only aliens and zombies for company—feeling a sense of solitude yet also a sense of relaxation.
"The scenery is quite nice."
However, not long after following the highway, Tao Yu caught a glimpse of smoke in the distance, along with a flicker of firelight.
"There're people; slow down," Tao Yu ordered Little Black. As the vehicle drew closer, his own keen eyesight made out two fine horses tethered by the trees.
In the cooling climate, both horses snorted streams of white breath.
Tao Yu could see a man and a woman by a fire, seemingly roasting squirrels.
The horses carried cloth bundles and hanging swords on their backs, which strongly suggested they were from that other world.
"But that's not right. Isn't it a coastal area? Did they bring their horses on a ship to co here? These don't look like local horses," Tao Yu contemplated, hesitating slightly.
But having seen them, he decided to approach and learn more.
"You stop here; don't move around," Tao Yu reassured Little Black through the space, then opened the car door and stepped out.
Opening the door let in a gust of cold wind; the outside temperature was much lower.
The size of the RV parked here, with no real cover, had not escaped the notice of the man and woman, who now watched Tao Yu getting out of the car with so wariness.
Both the man and the woman were dressed in tight-fitting clothes, with the woman appearing to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a lon seed-shaped face, willow-leaf eyebrows, a fair complexion, and a hint of mature charm at the corners of her eyes, making her incredibly beautiful.
Her white, coarse cloth outfit, combined with a cinched waist, did nothing to hide her graceful figure.
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Though he had the broad back and waist of a bear, and his appearance was rough, one could still discern a hint of immaturity in his features. He was quite young, apparently not over twenty, and his brown, rugged outfit was stretched taught over his muscular fra.
Despite both being dressed like heroines and heroes, Tao Yu didn't feel much of a threat coming from the duo.
To tell the truth, at first glance at the beauty, Tao Yu wondered if it was Huang Rong who had sneaked out of her island abode.
With her stunning beauty, though not surpassing that of the wealthy young lady, she was far superior to the other beauties he had co across. The several from the house of Ao couldn't even compare to her in terms of facial beauty.
Even having experienced the baptism of wealth, Tao Yu took a second look; she must be an important character, he thought, wondering if she might be the Chosen One.
But the man beside her, he didn't quite fit any known identity. Too young for Guo Jing, and not quite the right style for Yang Guo.
"I'm not sure where you two hail from or how much you know about this world."
Seeing the pair on guard, Tao Yu raised his hand in a fist-and-palm salute.
Upon hearing Tao Yu's words, a gleam appeared in their eyes, and the beautiful woman stepped forward to return the salute, saying,
"I am Cheng Lixue of the Snowy Mountain Sect, and this is my fellow disciple Zhang Hao. We were originally ordered by our master to head north to Sichuan to rendezvous with our senior brother and eradicate the Skull Gang that has been rampaging in the area. However, upon leaving our mountain gate, a sudden fog enveloped us.
After losing our way in the fog for half a day, when we erged, we found ourselves lost and without knowledge of our whereabouts..."
Tao Yu looked sowhat puzzled upon hearing Cheng Lixue's words.
In the tal Series, the Snowy Mountain Sect only seems to have a presence in 'The Tale of the Heroic Wanderers'; the match with Peach Blossom Island seems a bit off.
Moreover, they didn't arrive by way of his boat crossing the sea, but instead ca upon this place after encountering a mysterious fog just outside their gate, making the whole affair seem rather strange.
"...Upon arriving here, we discovered odd things like horseless carriages that move on their own and at a startling pace, and we've even co across living corpses that feed on humans. The living people we've t are all from the Western Regions, speaking an incomprehensible language. Sir, since you know the language of the Central Plains, could you please tell us where we are?"
Cheng Lixue, despite her efforts to remain calm, was quite anxious at heart.
Faced with utterly incomprehensible circumstances, and having to look after a younger disciple, she had to show strength. Otherwise, she felt she might collapse.
"This place is known as the Abyss, considered the end of all worlds. You've likely encountered the fall of a world and were randomly cast here."
Tao Yu mused while also briefly explaining the situation.
She's so beautiful, she must be a protagonist from so world, he thought. Falling into the Abyss and erging without a scratch, she seems to be protected by fate. The possibility that she is a Chosen One cannot be dismissed, so it's better to be honest and clear.
However, Tao Yu also needed to gather information, so after dropping the bombshell to ensure the pair were still processing the news, he continued to inquire,
"Do the two of you know of 'Peach Blossom Island'?"
As he spoke, Tao Yu directed his full attention to their expressions.
Sure enough, both looked sowhat baffled.
"Among the seven islands overseas, we have not heard of such a place; it might be an obscure small island," said Cheng Lixue gravely.
Alright, they must have accidentally fallen nearby.
Snowy Mountain Sect, Skull Gang – these nas do seem a bit too conventional. There used to be a Skull Gang in his previous world, but they're long gone now.
"Ahead lies a fragnt of a world that is the territory of Peach Blossom Island. You might find the environnt there more familiar. Would you be willing to travel together? I could also tell you more about the current situation and its changes."
Having gotten this far, Tao Yu wasn't going to let them go without obtaining what he wanted and the journey was not a short one.
What if they were false Chosen Ones? That would be quite the loss.
So why not join forces for the journey?
At the mont, these indigenous people generally seed more trustworthy than the Pioneers. Besides, observing the couple as righteous martial artists, he wondered whether they belonged to the kind of upright sect that fought shoulder to shoulder, or if they were truly virtuous.
In any case, he felt confident that he could suppress them in terms of strength.
He could also eavesdrop and subtly inquire about Inner Strength.
At the very least, during his training, he needed to understand acupuncture points and ridians, or else he might have a Divine Skill without knowing how to practice it.
As for ntal cultivation and techniques, Tao Yu was unconcerned. He felt that these two, who couldn't impose any sense of threat, wouldn't possess any profound martial arts and certainly couldn't compare to those he had his eye on.
Unsure of potential conflicts with different types of Inner Strength, Tao Yu didn't want to waste ti learning any diocre Skills.
Since they were going to reach the other side soon, it would be beneficial to ask for so knowledge about ridians and pressure points along the way.
After a brief discussion, Cheng Lixue and Zhang Hao decided, and Cheng Lixue made the final call to agree.
"Thank you for the trouble, young master."
Cheng Lixue looked Tao Yu over, noting a handso young man similar in age to her junior brother, with a well-proportioned body and a stable stance, likely soone who's undergone training.
However, through her experience roaming the Martial World, she noted from features like his temple that he didn't seem to have cultivated Inner Strength, possessing only external skills, which didn't pose much threat. She could control the situation, so it shouldn't be a problem...
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