Dragon Transformation in the Apocalypse

Chapter 13 Getting Back on Track

Li Chenglong and his group returned to the hospital, met up with Zheng Yong and a few others, and then went back to their assigned rooms. Jinghai City First People's Hospital has three buildings: a newly built 17-story multi-functional hospital building in front, an older 6-story building behind, and a 4-story office building to the left. The total area is quite large, so there are plenty of rooms. It could accommodate not only 600-plus people, but even 6000. Moreover, because the hospital has two of its own self-dug wells in the middle, the water supply has been problem-free so far. Li Chenglong returned to his room, quickly took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and washed his dirty clothes as well. Half an hour later, Li Chenglong suddenly remembered something, went to the room next door belonging to Li Xue and Yun Lan, and knocked on the door: "Yun Lan, I packed some clothes. I was thinking that you and Xue'er might not have any clothes to change into. I was wondering if it would be convenient for you to come and pick out a few."

Yunlan lifted the curtain and pretended to be stern, saying, "Then come in, but don't look around." Li Chenglong went in and found a candle lit in their room, so he took out a rechargeable lamp from his storage space and placed it on the cabinet. The room lit up when he turned it on. At that moment, Li Xue came out of the bathroom and playfully said, "Brother, why are you here so late? Do you want me to make room for you and sister-in-law?" Yunlan ran over and gently pinched Li Xue's waist, saying, "Little girl, what nonsense are you talking about?" The two then started teasing each other again. Li Chenglong felt a bit exasperated and quickly took out a lot of clothes from his storage space, including down jackets, thermal underwear, women's underwear, coats, pants, and so on. After taking everything, Li Chenglong left, saying, "Okay, you guys take your time choosing. I'm leaving now. Remember to close the curtain properly." Yunlan smiled and said, "Aren't you going to stay and look around?" Li Chenglong said seriously, "What are you talking about? We meet at seven tomorrow morning, don't oversleep. Change your clothes and get some rest." He then left. As soon as he stepped outside, he heard two people laughing as they picked out clothes. Li Chenglong smiled, shook his head, and went back to his room.

After returning to his room, Li Chenglong took out the yellow crystal that Yunlan had collected. It was a level four crystal, which he also possessed, making it suitable for consumption. However, considering that Yunlan was about to reach level four, consuming the crystal might allow her to level up immediately. Li Xue, on the other hand, was still far from meeting the level requirement, so he decided to postpone the idea. After thinking for a moment, Li Chenglong put the crystal away, checked his watch—it was 9:20 PM—and went next door to knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Li Xue asked. Li Chenglong replied, "Xue'er, see if your sister Yunlan is asleep. I need to talk to her." At that moment, the curtain was lifted, and Yunlan came out and opened the door. Li Chenglong took out the yellow crystal: "You're just one step away from leveling up. I want you to use this crystal to level up tonight. Everyone's asleep now, so leveling up won't attract too much attention." Yunlan looked back at Li Xue's direction: "What about Xue'er? She needs to level up too." Li Chenglong said, "I've already thought about that. Xue'er doesn't even have half the experience yet, so I feel we should level you up first. If our team has two level fours, it will greatly enhance our strength and reduce our losses."

Yunlan was still hesitating when Li Xue came out and hugged her from behind, saying, "Sister Yun, don't worry about me. I need to level up a long time, and I'll be happy if you and my brother get stronger." Yunlan finally made up her mind and said, "Okay, but let's help Li Xue more tomorrow so she can gain more experience and level up quickly." Li Chenglong then told Xue'er to rest well and be careful, and then took Yunlan downstairs. Yunlan asked, "I remember that among the crystals provided by Company Commander Zheng, there were 10 orange crystals. Why didn't you give them to Xue'er?" Li Chenglong replied, "It's not the right time yet. Although Xue'er has learned a lot of military combat skills from Grandpa and me, both her mindset and technique need further refinement. So I don't want her to level up too quickly and become someone with a high level but no real combat power. Secondly, I calculated that even if I gave all 10 crystals to Li Xue, it wouldn't guarantee she would level up. So I'll wait until her experience increases a bit more before giving her those crystals. I believe she'll understand." Yunlan nodded, "You're very thoughtful. I'll take Xue'er to level up tomorrow."

Li Chenglong slowly continued, "Xue'er is only twenty-one this year. Our father sacrificed his life early, and our mother passed away from illness due to excessive grief. I was eight years old then, and she was only two, so she never experienced fatherly or motherly love. Although she's usually a bit carefree, she's actually a very sensitive girl. Many times, she tries to bear everything alone and doesn't want to talk to me. I can give her some fatherly love, but I can't help with her motherly love. You're two years younger than me and four years older than her, so please help me out and take good care of her, especially since I'm a man and there are many things I can't do." Yun Lan couldn't help but shed tears after hearing this, and hugged Li Chenglong from behind, sobbing, "Okay, I will definitely do it, don't worry. Let's work together to protect Xue'er." Li Chenglong held Yun Lan's hand, "Thank you for your help. It's getting late, let's go."

The two arrived at the hospital parking lot and greeted the guards. Yun Lan then took out the yellow crystal and swallowed it in one gulp. Li Chenglong watched Yun Lan's condition, noticing a red light slowly emanating from her body, quickly reaching its peak. Five minutes later, Yun Lan opened her eyes, shouted, and instantly a fire phoenix shot out from her body with a cry. It then circled Yun Lan twice before soaring into the sky. Li Chenglong felt as if the area where the fire phoenix flew was plunged into a fiery hell; the temperature was so high that even he had to retreat. The fire phoenix flew in the sky for a while before returning to Yun Lan's shoulder, nuzzling her affectionately before disappearing. The soldiers guarding the area, witnessing this astonishing scene, exclaimed in surprise. Liu Dongliang, leading a patrol, also saw the strange phenomenon and rushed over with his men. After discovering it was Li Chenglong and Yun Lan, he spoke a few words with Li Chenglong before leaving.

Yun Lan withdrew her imposing aura, and Li Chenglong activated his True Eye to scan her: Yun Lan, S-rank Flame Phoenix Spirit Body Level 4 Awakener, Constitution 110, Strength 110, Agility 115, Spirit 112. Meteor Shower Level 4 (Max Level 7), Flame Slash Level 3 (Max Level 6), Balanced Development Level 4, Flame Phoenix Body (Activated), Flame Phoenix Spear Level 1, Storage Space Level 4 (Max Level 8), Explosive Flame Phoenix Rush Level 1. Li Chenglong clapped and said, "Congratulations, Yun Lan, on successfully awakening to Level 4. This will make us even stronger." Yun Lan smiled and said, "Little Phoenix told me that the Flame Phoenix Body I obtained at Level 3 would greatly enhance me after awakening. I didn't believe it at first, but now that I've awakened, I really feel the difference." Yun Lan clenched her fist as she spoke, feeling her own power. Li Chenglong said, "Now you've awakened your storage space too. When we get back, I'll give you all the women's clothes and sanitary products." Yun Lan was about to ask how he knew, but then she remembered Li Chenglong's Eye of Truth and understood.

Yunlan summoned the Flaming Phoenix Spear, which was about 1.6 meters long with a fire phoenix pattern on the hilt. Energy flowed through the spear, emanating a faint red glow, and a wave of intense heat swept across its surface. Yunlan pointed the spear at Li Chenglong: "Brother Long, want to spar?" Li Chenglong checked the time: "Just five minutes. It's almost ten o'clock; it's time to rest. Besides, Xue'er can't be left alone forever." He then summoned the Dragon Emperor Sword: "Young Miss, please give me your guidance." The guards, seeing the two about to spar, gathered around, and even some survivors who hadn't yet fallen asleep watched from their balconies.

Yunlan infused the Flaming Phoenix Spear with energy and thrust it forward, the spear's shadow flashing like a phantom as it pierced towards Li Chenglong. The faint cry of a fiery phoenix echoed wherever the spear's shadow passed. Li Chenglong immediately countered with his Dragon Emperor Sword, blocking every spear thrust. The two exchanged fifty blows, still seemingly evenly matched. Seeing that a victor was unlikely in the short term, Yunlan retreated several steps and leaped away, then gathered all her strength and shouted, "Exploding Flaming Phoenix Charge!" Instantly, a fiery phoenix-shaped energy wave was released from the tip of the Flaming Phoenix Spear, flying directly towards Li Chenglong, shattering the cement brick ground in its wake. Li Chenglong, wielding his sword with both hands, shouted, "Star Dragon Slash!" He also released a blue dragon-shaped energy wave, which blasted away the cement bricks in its path. The energy waves of Star Dragon Slash and Exploding Flaming Phoenix Charge collided, unleashing a tremendous light that illuminated the parking lot as if it were daytime, even though it was already ten o'clock at night. However, within seconds, Yan Feng could not withstand the attack and shattered, disappearing completely. Li Chenglong also seized the opportunity to withdraw his energy, and the Azure Dragon immediately dissipated as well.

The crowd, witnessing this terrifying scene, was speechless with astonishment. A full minute passed before a thunderous roar of cheers and applause erupted. Li Chenglong sheathed his Dragon Emperor Sword and walked over to Yun Lan, asking, "Are you alright?" Yun Lan, already panting, saw that Li Chenglong's breathing was steady. She retorted defiantly, "Come again next time! Humph, you always bully me! I'll tell Xue'er tonight!" Li Chenglong's forehead immediately creased with annoyance. He glanced around and coughed a few times, saying, "Let's hurry up and leave. You don't want to be watched like this forever, do you?" Yun Lan, seeing her battle being watched by nearly two hundred people, blushed slightly and quickly pulled Li Chenglong away.

As soon as the two arrived in front of the hospital's main building, they saw Li Xue standing there, smiling at them. Zheng Yong, Wang Yousheng, Liu Dongliang, Wu Gang, and Zheng Aiguo were also standing nearby. Upon seeing Li Chenglong and Yun Lan approach, they immediately went to greet them. Actually, the hospital did have lighting at night, as it had two backup generators, and the Second Company also had a small generator. Thanks to the efforts of the Second Company's logistics personnel, the power supply was successfully connected. However, due to fuel shortages, only a few places, such as the canteen, the hospital lobby, and the garrison positions, had electricity. Even where Zheng Yong and the other leaders lived, they could only use candles or flashlights. Li Xue rushed over and hugged Yun Lan: "Sister Lan, congratulations on successfully breaking through to level four!" Yun Lan teased, "Didn't I tell you to guard the dormitory? Why did you come down?" Li Xue said, "You two made too much noise. Anyone could see, so I came downstairs to check."

At this moment, Zheng Yong stepped forward: "Don't even mention Li Xue, we in the old building also saw that soaring red light and the roar of energy, so we all came to see what happened." Li Chenglong scratched his head: "Actually, choosing this time for Yunlan's breakthrough was to minimize the disturbance to you, but I didn't expect the commotion to be so big." Zheng Yong and the others chatted with Li Chenglong for a few more minutes before returning to the temporary dormitory arranged in the old building. Li Chenglong conjured an energy ball to use as a light, leading Yunlan and Li Xue up the dark stairs, while Yunlan whispered something to Li Xue.

Upon reaching the 8th floor, Li Chenglong told Li Xue to rest well, while he took Yun Lan to his dormitory. He then piled up all the women's clothes, shoes, bags, cosmetics, and other items he had stored in his storage space the night before, and gave them to Yun Lan to take. Yun Lan didn't hesitate and put everything into her storage space. After chatting with Li Chenglong about tomorrow's plans, she went back to her room to sleep.

On January 6, 2024, Li Chenglong got up early, opened Yunlan's door, and brought each of them a glass of milk, a piece of bread, and a bowl of eight-treasure porridge. Then he went to the hospital cafeteria. He found that yesterday's meeting had been effective; the cafeteria wasn't as chaotic as it had been the day before. Almost everyone was able to line up for food and then eat in the cafeteria or at their own places. This morning, each person received a bowl of hot porridge, a serving of vegetables, and a steamed bun. Although it wasn't much, it was the best they could do. Li Chenglong then went to the back parking lot and saw Wu Gang leading nearly a hundred people in training. Among them were soldiers and police officers, mostly ordinary survivors, and a few superhumans learning combat techniques. Wu Gang was about to speak when he saw Li Chenglong, but Li Chenglong immediately gestured for them to continue training and then left.

At 8:30 a.m., Li Chenglong arrived at the square in front of the hospital building. Eleven members of the supply search team and eight volunteers from the survivors were already waiting there. Two minutes later, Li Xue arrived with ten other ability users. Yesterday, Li Chenglong and Zheng Yong had decided that, including Li Chenglong, there would be a total of 25 ability users. To ensure the safety of the search team, Li Chenglong and Yun Lan would each lead half of the ability users to join the supply search team in the mornings and afternoons. This would allow the ability users to train and improve their abilities while also protecting the supply search team as much as possible. Because Wu Gang was helping with training, Zheng Aiguo led the morning team, while in the afternoons, Zheng Aiguo led training while Wu Gang joined the search team.

At this moment, Zheng Aiguo rushed over excitedly and reported, "Boss, I've broken through to level 2! Hahaha!" Li Chenglong wasn't that surprised. Zheng Aiguo had killed quite a few zombies yesterday, and with the white crystal he used back home, it wasn't surprising that he had reached level 2. Li Chenglong asked, "Who else has reached level 2?" Yun Qian, Liu Dongliang, and Hao Dahai, a fire-type ability user from the Second Company, stepped forward. Li Chenglong scanned them with his True Eye and found that their highest attribute at level 2 had reached 35. He himself had only reached around 30 in all attributes at level 2. However, their high growth in only one attribute was significant, while the growth in others was not obvious. For example, Zheng Aiguo, an earth-type strength-type awakener, had 25 constitution, 25 strength, 10 agility, and 13 spirit at level 1. Now at level 2, his attributes were 33 constitution, 35 strength, 15 agility, and 17 spirit.

Li Chenglong was very satisfied with the four ability users who had already awakened to level two. He also said to the others, "Don't be discouraged if you haven't leveled up yet. As long as you kill more zombies, you'll level up sooner or later. I'll do my best to help you." Then he led the ability users and the supply scavenging team out of the hospital. The supply scavenging team currently had several electric tricycles and a small van, and for safety reasons, they were moving very slowly. Because they had few vehicles, the amount of supplies they could carry at one time was limited, and the supplies nearby were becoming increasingly scarce, forcing them to travel further each time. Li Chenglong discussed with Captain Zhao of the supply scavenging team and decided to go to the mall that Li Chenglong had visited yesterday, and then they slowly set off.