Sensing a different presence behind her, two mutated horses immediately turned their heads and, out of the blue, saw Jian Yi standing in front of a vine-covered wall. Instantly, a fierce glint flashed in their eyes!
Only a moment later, a passionate neigh filled the air as the two steeds kicked their hind legs restlessly, their bared, white, and menacing teeth aimed directly at the person in front of them.
These were mutated horses, and even before their mutations, a kick from a horse could be lethal. Now, with their various enhancements, their power was even more ferocious.
However, Jian Yi remained motionless, neither dodging nor retreating, standing there as if rooted to the ground.
As the two mutated horses approached her, it seemed like they were about to collide with her, but suddenly, a brief flicker of her black eyes occurred.
In an instant, an immensely strong mental force spread like a spiderweb, rapidly extending outwards, firmly locking onto the two charging mutated horses!
A bizarre scene unfolded as the frenzied horses came to an abrupt stop, kicking up dust and hay. They stumbled and nearly fell right in front of Jian Yi, as if some mysterious force had disrupted their consciousness, compelling them to halt in her presence.
Dust and bits of hay were thrown onto Jian Yi as she casually brushed them off her clothes, her eyes fixed on the two horses without blinking.
"Good, behave, don't move," she said in a soft voice.
Then, the two ferocious horses obediently stood in front of her, no longer making any unruly movements. Their two crimson eyes reflected a sense of blankness, followed by a profound feeling of submission and fear from deep within.
A small smile curled at the corner of Jian Yi's mouth, but she wasn't entirely satisfied with this outcome.
So, she extended her hand again, stroking the horse nearest to her. At first, its fur felt a bit prickly, but she smoothed it out, finding it increasingly soft. Finally, she patted it silently and said, "Lie down!"
The horse in front of her immediately lowered itself to the ground.
Raising an eyebrow, Jian Yi spoke to it, "From now on, your name is 'Good Boy.'"
Then, she turned her attention to the slightly smaller horse behind, saying, "You shall be 'Clever Girl,' 'Good Boy' and 'Clever Girl,' got it?"
As if understanding her, the two mutated horses emitted soft "neighs" in response.
By this time, Jian Yi's back was covered in cold sweat, and even her complexion had become noticeably paler than before.
This was the cost of using her extraordinary ability. But compared to today's gains, this sacrifice was insignificant.
Jian Yi possessed an exceptionally powerful ability to control the minds of others, although she was unsure whether it could be classified as an extraordinary power. After all, she had never heard of people having such mental abilities.
Usually, when extraordinary powers were awakened, an individual's mental strength would naturally increase as their power developed. Therefore, when Jian Yi first discovered her ability to control people or objects, she didn't consider it an extraordinary power.
It wasn't until now that she had a vague sense that this might be a type of extraordinary power. Or perhaps, it was an ability that should remain hidden, as no one would appreciate being controlled by others.
Jian Yi's current level of mental control was limited, and her ability to tame these two mutated horses had exceeded her expectations.
With these mounts, she no longer needed to walk. The saddles and reins on their backs indicated they were domesticated.
Considering the information she had obtained from the villagers earlier, Jian Yi was confident that these two horses were the ones brought up the mountain by the Wu family's son.
She placed the backpack on the smaller Clever Girl and then swung herself onto the back of Good Boy.
The saddle was somewhat oversized, making it a bit uncomfortable to sit on. Jian Yi adjusted her position by shifting her buttocks and took the reins in hand, beginning to ride the sturdy new steed.
She had never ridden a horse before, but this empty field in front of her provided an opportunity to practice.
Relying on her keen sense through mental perception, Jian Yi continually adjusted her posture. As she rode on, she gradually got the hang of it. Her speed increased, and she even attempted more challenging maneuvers, such as leaping, sharp turns, rapid acceleration, and deceleration.
By the time Jian Yi had mastered the basics of horseback riding, her clothes were drenched in sweat. A chilling shiver ran down her spine as the mountain wind blew. Worried about catching a cold, she dared not linger any longer. She called Clever Girl, which was grazing nearby with its head down, commanding it to follow her. Riding her robust new steed, she prepared to descend the mountain.
However, at that moment, Jian Yi suddenly heard rustling noises behind her.
With a "shh," she stopped her mount and turned around to look. A figure had appeared on the grassy slope in the middle of the field. The person had ashen skin, sunken cheeks, disheveled clothing reminiscent of a beggar, and no shoes, revealing muddy and pointed toenails.
This was no ordinary person!
Realizing this, Jian Yi suddenly felt the bone-chilling coldness of the mountain wind!
Hollow, eerie green lights shone in the person's empty eyes, causing Jian Yi to hold her breath. This was at least a Level 2 mutated zombie!
Jian Yi didn't dare to move. The hand holding the reins had gone numb, and her body was as tense as a bowstring. If that mutated zombie made even the slightest movement, she would bolt.
No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't fathom that there would be zombies in these deep, ancient woods, let alone such a formidable one. Looking at its bloodstained hands, she couldn't help but wonder how many mutated animals it had torn apart.
They stood there, human and zombie, staring at each other from a distance, and Jian Yi couldn't understand why the zombie had stopped and why it hadn't immediately charged at her and attacked.
However, her mount was on the brink of collapsing, and if she hadn't continuously suppressed it with her mental power, it would have started running instinctively.
Thinking about how she had been riding around here for so long while the mutated zombie silently watched her every move from who-knows-where, Jian Yi couldn't help but shiver with fear, goosebumps covering her skin.
Time seemed to stretch on endlessly, yet it also felt like only a few seconds had passed. Just when Jian Yi was about to succumb to this soundless torment, the zombie suddenly let out a "roar," as if trying to greet her.
Jian Yi was startled, and her body reacted faster than her mind. She gave the reins a swift pull, and like a gust of wind, she charged down the mountain!
After a frantic gallop, she glanced back with her bow raised, but there was no sign of the mutated zombie.
Her horse was incredibly fast, and the green blur of the landscape rushed past her. However, the mutated zombie was conspicuously absent.
Had it not pursued her?
This didn't make any sense!
Jian Yi, in disbelief, released her mental power to sense again, only to be stunned as she retrieved it.
In her "sight," the mutated zombie was still standing on the grassy slope, mouth gaping wide, as if her reaction had startled it.
Jian Yi suddenly realized that in her previous encounters with zombies, none of them had treated her as prey.
Could it be that they were seeing her as one of their own?
And when the fellow up on the hill had just let out a "roar," it wasn't an attack, but perhaps a way of saying hello?
Jian Yi felt that her mind had become thoroughly muddled by the wind, as these thoughts were utterly ridiculous!
It was truly beyond belief!