Transcription
In the middle of the night, our protagonist suddenly found himself in another world, inhabiting the body of a zombie. With great effort, he pulled himself out of the tomb, complaining about how stiff his body felt, leading him to believe that the previous owner had not eaten well before his death moments ago.
In his original world, he had been in his room downloading a pirated version of Plant versus Zombie synthetic version, a hybrid adaptation of the popular Chinese game mode Plants versus Zombies. Just as he opened the software, his computer screen went black, and upon opening his eyes, he found himself in this strange place. Confused and unsure whether he was still in his own country, he felt deep regret for playing a modified version instead of supporting the official one.
While sitting on the ground, he noticed a tombstone with the name Jang Way inscribed on it. Scattered memories then surfaced, reminding him that his name in this world was also D Jang Way and that he had just emerged from his own grave. This meant that the body he now occupied had already stiffened before he crossed over, making him realize that if he had arrived earlier, he could have seamlessly merged with the original owner. Staring at the hole in his grave, he decided to fill it back up, fearing it would bring bad luck.
At that moment, a small light appeared before him, gradually expanding. Expecting it to be the usual transmigrate-a-portable system, he was instead dumbfounded to see a game interface. The interface displayed a manor with 54 plantable squares and an option to open the plant illustration handbook. Upon opening it, he discovered two types of plants. The first was the spiritual sunflower, which required one unit of spirit Chi to plant and could generate one unit per day. It had three upgrade levels: spiritual sunflower twins, capable of producing two units of spirit Chi, and spiritual sunflower Empress, which could generate 20 units per day, though these upgrades were currently locked. The third upgrade was unknown. According to the system, a single unit of spirit Chi contained as much energy as the total spiritual power of a first-level Chi refiner at great Perfection. This revelation confirmed that he was in a world of cultivators, as even sunflowers had turned into spiritual sunflowers producing spiritual energy.
The second plant was a peashooting counterpart resembling the one in Plants versus Zombies, but here it was called Bean brother. This plant had two known upgrades: Bean brother twins, capable of launching two attacks at once, and Wild Bean Master, capable of launching eight attacks simultaneously; both were currently locked, and the third upgrade remained unknown. Seeing the potential for further evolution, he speculated whether Bean brother could eventually evolve into a bean Emperor. He also considered the possibility that by reaching a high cultivation level, he might find a way back to Earth. Since this was a world of Immortals, spiritual energy was undoubtedly the most valuable resource. A single unit of spirit Chi wasn't much, but his manor alone would produce one unit daily, and with all the fully grown spiritual sunflowers, he calculated that he could generate 55 units per day—an absolute fortune in this world. Without hesitation, he planted the first spiritual sunflower to avoid wasting time.
But before he could proceed further, he heard approaching voices. Alarmed, he quickly ran back to his grave, wondering why anyone would venture into the wilderness at such a late hour. Given his undead status, he knew he must remain hidden and concealed himself as fast as he could. Two figures approached; one was a young girl crying bitterly, while the other was a man standing beside her. The girl knelt on the ground, pleading with the man to do one last thing for her brother. The man coldly reminded her that her brother was already dead, then ordered her to throw the paper she held into the pit and burn the corpse with her Immortal fire. "Burn it and get married; you're lucky to be favored by a cultivator like me," he said arrogantly. Still, the girl continued begging, insisting that her brother deserved a complete corpse. She reminded the man that he and her brother had once been friends. They now stood in front of Way's corpse, and upon hearing her voice, Way suddenly realized that this girl was Jang Chin, his little sister in this world, someone who had always depended on him. His memories then became clearer: the original Jang Way had fallen to his death while gathering medicinal herbs in the mountains to save money for his sister's private school fees. He also recognized the man standing beside Chin as Lin How, a fellow villager who had passed the immortal sect examination and become an Qi refiner. Taking advantage of Jang Way's death, Lin How is now using it to threaten Jang Chin.
Meanwhile, Chin tearfully spoke to her brother's corpse, lamenting that he had never married because he had devoted his life to taking care of her. She desperately wished for him to return, even as a ghost, because she was not afraid, so long as it was her brother. She then revealed that she had secretly woven linen clothes for him, though they were only half finished. "I gave you one teal of silver, enough for food and clothing for a year, but you spent it on these things," Lin How sneered in irritation. "Very well, if you need more money in the future, just serve me obediently." Chin remained silent, but in a sudden act of defiance, she slammed her head against a nearby rock. Lin How was shocked by her unexpected action and immediately grabbed her by the neck. "You've already sold yourself to me," he growled. "You're my property; how dare you attempt suicide." Before Lin How could strike again, he suddenly slapped Jang Chin. Just as he prepared to hit her once more, Jang Way grabbed his feet, his cold zombie hands locking him in place. In a deep voice, he questioned, "After cultivating to become an immortal, does it make you no longer human?"
In his zombie state, he crawled out from his grave, his chilling gaze fixed on Lin How as he demanded to know why he had bullied his sister while he was not around. Lin How scoffed, "What kind of thing are you? Jang Way is dead." However, despite her pain, Jang Chin smiled upon seeing her brother return to life. On the other hand, Lin How was terrified. He had personally examined Jang's corpse and was certain he was dead, but as he processed the situation, a sly grin spread across his face. He concluded that Way's corpse had not dissipated and had instead turned into a zombie, one that had unexpectedly retained its intelligence. He recalled stories of iron corpses—zombies refined with molten iron—possessing extraordinary strength and becoming nearly invulnerable even at the Foundation Building stage. Seizing the opportunity, Lin How felt overjoyed, believing that the gods were favoring him. To him, the brother and sister were his true lucky stars; Chin was his concubine, and now Jang Way would become his powerful bodyguard. "Oh Jang Way, Jang Way, after half a year of separation, let me show you my new swordsmanship, Jade Spring Sword," he declared.
Just as he was about to strike, Jang Chin grabbed his shoulder, urging her brother to run. Enraged, Lin How struck her again, reminding her that her brother was already dead; he was merely a zombie now. Jang Chin collapsed to the ground, helpless and in pain. Jang Way clenched his fists, his cold voice echoing, "Lin How, it seems you haven't tasted my fists in a long time." Lin How laughed mockingly, finding it ridiculous that Way thought he could challenge a cultivator with mere fists. Way quickly analyzed the situation: Lin How had been cultivating for half a year, while his manor system had only produced one spiritual sunflower. He regretted not planting a Bean brother instead, which could have attacked. Still, he refused to back down; now that he had inherited this body, he was determined to fulfill the original owner's final wish and let him rest in peace. He focused on the system, realizing that it was not as simple as it seemed. Curiously, he clicked on the zombie illustration handbook to learn its purpose. To his surprise, he saw an image of a zombie identical to himself. The system described him as an ordinary zombie, one transformed from a recently dead person. Apart from not feeling pain, he had no other advantages. However, there were three upgrade options: Headguard Zombie, which protected its brain for survival; Iron Head Zombie, whose head was as tough as iron; and an unknown third upgrade. Unfortunately, none were currently unlocked. Way wondered what an ordinary zombie could even do against an immortal cultivator, especially since the system had not mentioned any upgrade conditions. As he focused on the system, he failed to notice Lin How charging toward him with killing intent. Suddenly, an idea struck him; he commanded his zombie form in the system to consume the spiritual sunflower. A bright light enveloped him just as Lin How's attack landed. Lin How had used his full strength, yet Way remained completely unharmed, not even reacting. Lin How stood dumbfounded; a newly transformed zombie had just blocked his strongest attack. Meanwhile, Way froze, processing what had just happened. He realized that zombies were meant to consume the plants within the system. The spiritual sunflower's energy had been entirely absorbed by his zombie body, instantly elevating him to the great Perfection of the first level of Chi refining. Smirking, Way declared, "The immortal road is long. Lin How, you've only been practicing for half a year and have just stepped into the Chi refining stage; how can you possibly break through my defense?" His expression turned cold as he continued, "Now it's my turn." He lunged at Lin How, aiming for his neck. Panic filled Lin How's eyes, and he screamed, "No, Jang Way, don't! For your sister, you can't kill me; I'm an immortal!" But before Way could even land his strike, Lin How suddenly collapsed, dead. Way paused in confusion; he hadn't even touched him yet. Lin How had died instantly. It was then that Way realized zombies were terrifying creatures; Lin How had been scared to death. Way recalled that even in childhood, Lin How had never been courageous; now, despite his cultivation, it seemed that achieving immortality had made his cowardice even worse.
A minute later, the system sent a notification: "Dead body detected. Do you want to collect it?" Seeing an opportunity, Way did not hesitate and immediately collected Lin How's corpse. The system then confirmed that Lin How had been transformed into an ordinary zombie and his attributes had been synchronized with Way's. Excitement surged through Way; the zombie illustration handbook could actually collect corpses. If he could find a cemetery of gods and demons, the possibilities would be endless. The system further announced that Way, as the main zombie, had successfully acquired Lin How's Immortal cultivation aptitude and retained his cultivation at the great Perfection of the first level of Chi refining. Jang Way's own attribute was an inferior water spirit route, and his cultivation had reached great Perfection of the first level of the Chi refining stage. At this moment, his body was no longer stiff, and he concluded that his flexibility must have synchronized with Lin How, who had just died. A smirk crossed his face as he pondered what kind of immortality he should cultivate now that he possessed a simply invincible system. Finally, he decided to find a secluded place where he could hide, grow plants, and raise zombies.
Three days later, Way was still walking, searching for a suitable place, with Chin following closely behind. "Jang, you're walking too slowly; try to settle down in Shinja Village tonight," he said. The little girl, teary-eyed, stared at him without uttering a word. Though Way felt pity for her, he turned back around, crossed his arms, and reassured her, "I only faked my death and came back to life." However, Chin looked at him suspiciously and pointed out that he hadn't eaten or drunk anything yet; he never got tired. Way laughed and casually replied, "This is called the final radiance of the Setting Sun. God wouldn't accept me, so he let me continue this afterglow, and now I'm even in better condition." Still unconvinced, Chin took three steps back, annoyed. Way scolded her for not trusting him, even a little. Three days ago, when he had just woken up, he had deliberately lied to her, claiming he had faked his death just to tease her, but Chin was sure he was lying again and took another five steps back. Way had promised her that he wouldn't harm anyone and had even made up a lie saying that Lin How suddenly had to pee and went back to his sect that night. Chin tested him by asking what was the name of the grandma who gave them steamed buns when they were children. Without hesitation, Way answered, "Aunt Yao." Unfortunately, he was wrong. Chin's face turned pale with fear, and she immediately ran away. While fleeing, she kept asking him more questions, but Way kept getting the answers wrong. Each mistake felt like a punch to the gut. It was then that he realized the owner of this body had been dead for a long time. According to modern medicine, all brain cells would have already died, meaning he hadn't inherited any memories from the original Jang Way. That night, Chin was so terrified of him that she hid in a tree, barely holding back her tears. Meanwhile, Way checked his system and discovered something crucial: the only thing he had inherited was the previous life's mission. According to the system, when Jang Way died, the thing he couldn't let go of the most was his sister. His mission was to find a safe place for her to settle down and ensure that she could live a stable life. Once he completed this mission, he could upgrade to a Headguard Zombie, which would allow him to equip an item and improve his main body's attributes.
Back in the present, Chin stood before him, tears in her eyes, and pleaded, "Please don't lie to me anymore. Even if you eat me or kill me, I'm begging you, don't mess with my brother's body; let me bury him in peace." Her words left Way speechless. He was impressed by how deeply she loved her brother. Taking a deep breath, he finally admitted the truth, "I'm not your brother anymore, Chin. I don't even know what I am now, but your brother left me a task: to make you happy." However, Chin pushed him away and screamed, "Let me see my brother!" Way gently placed a hand on her head, feeling nothing but pity for her. The real Jang Way was dead. Even though Lin How's body had helped him remain flexible and warm, he didn't feel hunger, fatigue, or sleep. Watching Chin in such pain made him want to cry, but he couldn't. He questioned himself: had his heart gradually died, or had his emotions simply faded away? He also wondered, would he still be himself if he ever returned to Earth?
At last, Jang Chin stopped struggling, having finally received an answer. In silence, they continued on their way, eventually arriving at Shinja Village. Since returning to his original village was impossible—Lin How had emptied his house, and the villagers wouldn't accept a resurrected Jang Way—he had no choice but to settle down elsewhere. Demonstrating his Chi refining zombie body, he smashed a wall with a single punch. The Village Chief Shin immediately believed he was an immortal cultivator. To earn his place, Way worked hard to rebuild the wall and handed over all the money he had found in Lin How's pockets to the Village Chief. In return, Shin promised to adopt Jang Chin as his adopted daughter. With everything finally settled, Jang Chin was able to rest peacefully. Way stood beside her, watching over her; a sense of relief washed over him. The mission was completed. However, he knew the road to immortality was long; he had only just begun. But his next goal was clear: he would become famous, and when the time was right, he would return for Jang Chin.
With that thought in mind, Way opened his system window. He realized that he had nothing in hand, so he decided to temporarily use Lin How's sword. According to the system, this small piece of iron sheet added a minor amount of metal protection to the surface of his body. However, upon understanding its purpose, Way was disappointed.
Another 3 days passed, and Way had finally gained a substantial amount of spiritual energy. Previously, he had planted five rows totaling 30 spiritual sunflowers. By midnight on the 7th day, he had accumulated 32 units of spiritual energy, so he planned to plant something new. The next day, he collected all 32 units of spiritual energy. Since plants could provide him with both offensive and defensive abilities, achieving balanced development was crucial. In the remaining four rows, he planted two rows of Bean Brothers, one row of nuts, and in the last row, he experimented with four dwarf watermelons and two sweet potato mines. In addition to the iron watermelon, he now had five different types of plants. With three extra spirit Chi, he decided to plant spiritual sunflowers and let his zombies consume them to strengthen themselves. In summary, his plantation now produced 31 units of spirit Chi per day, making his attack power 12 times stronger than the first level of Chi refining Bean brother, feeling significantly stronger, Way believed it was finally time to complete Lin How's unfulfilled missions. Looking at the list, Way smirked. "Lin How, your mission after death is truly your rebirth," he muttered before opening the mission panel. He discovered that Lin How had left behind seven tasks: cause trouble with Jang Way and seize his sister; bring the collected grass branches back to Jade Spring Sect; stay with Senior Sister Lyn Shuer forever; stay with Senior Sister Shiun forever; stay with Senior Sister Siru forever; suggest Senior Sister Learia change her name and stay with her forever; avoid encountering a zombie tide. Among them, Way had no clue about the zombie tide, nor did he know much about this world, so he decided to locate the Jade Spring Sect first and make further plans afterward. As he was contemplating, he noticed a flashing notification in the system. Curious, he pulled out the item and realized that it could be used for positioning within the sect. Pointing the prop in the direction where the flashing frequency was stronger, he switched into Lin How's zombie form to scout the area, hopping towards the target. He soon heard voices; he had arrived. A smile crept across his face as he saw two women battling against a pack of wolves. They were struggling, with one of them running low on spiritual energy. One lady was anxiously waiting for their marshal brother to arrive and rescue them, while the other declared that she could still activate the Jade Sword Technique three more times. Watching their desperate fight, Way was convinced that these ladies must be Lin How's senior sisters. Seeing an opportunity to gain their trust, he decided to step in and rescue them, planning to use this as his way into the sect. With his current strength, he was confident he could deal with the beasts. Revealing himself, Way approached the ladies, knowing that he wouldn't be suspected since he was using Lin How's body. Suddenly, the system window popped up, notifying him that a material suitable for plant absorption had been detected in the manor. Without hesitation, he collected the materials. The two ladies, still locked in battle, were puzzled by his behavior. Seeing him ignore their predicament, they grew irritated and accused him of playing tricks on them, but Way simply brushed off their complaints; he had more important things to check. Turning his attention back to the system, he read the latest notification: the system asked if he wanted to use plant absorption on the spiritual sunflower. Without hesitation, Way absorbed it. A bright light flashed, and to his shock, his spiritual sunflower evolved into a spiritual sunflower twin, doubling the efficiency of producing spiritual energy. A grin spread across Way's face as he drooled in excitement; his system was far more powerful than he had imagined, almost as if it were a synthetic version of something even greater. Jang Way's eyes widened in excitement as he praised this system: "Truly a masterpiece, absolutely incredible!" At that moment, he looked at the number of monsters he had defeated: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9. Two were dead, six were still alive. If each sunflower doubled its efficiency, then he would end up with nine two-headed sunflowers. "From now on, let's start referring to Jang Way as Lin How," Lin How rushed forward, shouting loudly as he ran, "Senior sisters, don't be afraid, I'm coming!" However, just as Lin How closed in, a two-headed wolf lunged at him. One of the girls gasped in panic, "Junior brother Lin How, be careful!" But Lin How didn't seem the least bit concerned; a confident smirk curled on his lips as he clenched his fist, launching a thunderous punch. In an instant, the two-headed wolf was sent flying, dead on the spot. Without stopping, Lin How immediately lunged at the second wolf, grabbing it by the throat and tightening his grip. The beast thrashed wildly, but within moments it went completely still. After taking down both wolves, Lin How turned to the two senior sisters with a slightly awkward expression and casually asked, "Can I take care of these corpses?" The two women hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. Without wasting a second, Lin How dashed toward the remaining wolves, striking mercilessly without hesitation. Meanwhile, the two girls watched anxiously and called out, "Lin How, be careful!" But he only let out a hearty laugh and confidently replied, "Don't worry, these lowly beasts are nothing to me." Watching Lin How fight, one of the girls whispered in suspicion, "Junior sister, something feels off. His movements are wild and unstructured; he's not using any battle techniques, just raw brute force, and why is he shouting so much?" Hearing this, the blonde girl frowned in confusion and...
Defended him, Lin How is risking his life to protect us. Why would you say that? I've always had a bit of a bad impression of him, but when we were in a life-and-death situation, all our senior brothers ran away; he was the only one who showed up.
The blonde girl gazed at Lin How, a strange feeling welling up inside her. Almost unconsciously, she clasped her hands together and whispered, "Do your best. Once we returned to the sect safely, I'll agree to that."
By now, Lin How's attack power had increased twelve-fold compared to a first-layer Chi refinement cultivator—a terrifying force to reckon with. Every punch he threw was enough to instantly kill a monster. Before long, Lin How had slain the ninth wolf, his entire body drenched in blood, though he couldn't tell whether it belonged to the wolves or himself. Yet his eyes still gleamed with exhilaration. Grinning, he turned to the two girls and said, "It's all done. Let's head back to the sect."
At this moment, his face was smeared with streaks of deep red blood, making him look rather intimidating. Lin How noticed the odd expressions on the girls' faces and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that? Are there still monsters left?"
Suddenly, both girls screamed in fear. "Wait, you're not Lin How, are you? There's no need to force yourself anymore; you've done enough. We just have to wait for our senior brothers to come and help."
Hearing this, Lin How was stunned. Did they figure me out? Are cultivators really this alert? Can they tell each other apart by sensing spiritual energy, or is it because I didn't use any of the sex techniques that they're suspicious of me? Damn it, my transmigration is a huge secret. Does this mean I have to silence them?
The thought sent a chill down his spine, but he quickly shook his head. No, I've read too many novels; there's no way I can do that to innocent people.
At that moment, the blonde girl spoke again, her voice filled with concern. "Junior brother, your hand—the two-headed wolf next to you isn't completely dead. If you don't treat that wound, it'll fester."
Lin How's eyes widened in shock as he glanced down, only now realizing that his arm was still clamped in the beast's jaws. Panicked, he swung his arm violently, flinging the two-headed wolf's corpse far away. At that moment, he suddenly realized something. Oh no. He had always thought his body was so powerful that it had an invincible defense, but in reality, it was simply because he could no longer feel pain. The thoughts sent shivers down his spine. No pain? Doesn't that mean I've lost that feeling too?
Lin How's eyes welled up with tears as he silently cursed himself. Is the path of cultivation truly one that severs all ties to love and cuts off all worldly attachments? He quickly tried to reassure himself. It's fine, it's fine. I've just taken one step ahead of others; that's all.
Seeing Lin How's strange state, the two girls grew concerned and asked, "Hey, Lin How, are you okay?"
A moment later, Lin How regained his composure. He grabbed the tail of the two-headed wolf, dragging it behind him as he spoke nonchalantly, "All right, let's get moving. I'll clean this up first."
Hearing this, the blonde girl responded, "It's all your spoils of war; just put them in your storage pouch so the bodies don't attract more beasts."
The black-haired girl nodded in agreement. "Yeah, there are too many monsters in this area. If we hadn't met you, we'd be dead for sure."
Lin How immediately tossed all the two-headed wolf corpses into his garden system. With that, the garden gained nine additional units of spiritual energy each day. Then he suddenly thought, I wonder if they have any friends or relatives nearby.
Just then, the two girls called his name. Lin How turned toward them and asked, "Senior sisters, are we heading back to the sect now?"
The two exchanged awkward glances before hesitantly saying, "Lin How, actually, we've been fighting those two-headed wolves for quite a while now. We've used up all our pills, and we're kind of hungry."
As she spoke, the black-haired girl glanced at the two-headed wolf. "Its meat doesn't seem too bad. Why don't you share half of one with us?"
Although the two girls looked pitiful, Lin How remained firm in his refusal. Being rejected, the black-haired girl looked a little annoyed, while the blonde girl anxiously tried to explain, "We just need to eat a little to regain our strength."
Despite their reasoning, Lin How still stood his ground. Seeing no other option, the black-haired girl pulled out a storage pouch, her eyes flashing with hesitation before she spoke. "A while ago, my senior brothers and I worked together to kill a bear king at the third level of Chi refinement. To welcome you back, I divided it into four parts, just enough for us to enjoy."
As she spoke, she reached into her storage pouch, and a faint light flashed. In the next moment, a massive bear carcass appeared on the ground.
Seeing the storage pouch in her hand, Lin How suddenly realized he also had one, but he had no idea how to use it. Right then, the system unexpectedly sent a notification: Detected suitable materials for absorption by the garden system. Absorb now.
Without thinking, Lin How instinctively chose yes. In an instant, the gigantic bear vanished without a trace. The two girls were utterly stunned. Then, as if finally snapping out of their daze, they panicked and shouted, "Where's my bear?"
They quickly turned to Lin How, their expressions filled with suspicion and anger. "Junior brother, what did you just do? Where did my bear go?"
Only then did Lin How realize his actions might have caused a huge misunderstanding. He hurriedly waved his hands and said, "Senior sisters, please calm down. Let me explain."
Before he could finish, a sudden rumbling erupted from beneath their feet. The ground shook violently, then a massive, gnarled hand burst out from the earth. The horrifying sight sent chills down their spines.
The black-haired girl screamed in panic. "It's a zombie tide! We have to run back to the sect and take refuge inside the grand formation; that's the only way we'll survive!"
Immediately after, a series of explosive booms echoed through the air. The ground around them started cracking apart, revealing countless rotting hands emerging from the depths of the earth. The sheer number was impossible to count; it was as if hell itself had opened, unleashing the most terrifying creatures imaginable.
At the same time, a shadow appeared in the sky, swiftly flying toward them. As it drew closer, they could see it clearly: it was a young girl with long flowing hair, her beautiful face icy cold.
Seeing the sudden appearance of the young girl, Lin How couldn't help but wonder, Who is this kid? However, when he noticed the arrogant look in her eyes, he instinctively raised his middle finger in provocation. But the moment he took a closer look, she was already gone, completely vanished without a trace.
Before he could dwell on it, the panicked screams of the two girls beside him pulled his attention back. "Zombies! What do we do now? Are we going to die here?"
Withered, decaying hands continued emerging from the ground, countless in number. In just a blink, one of those hands had already grabbed onto the blonde girl's ankle, causing her to scream in terror. Seeing this, Lin How immediately rushed forward, shouting, "Don't be afraid! I'm coming to save you!"
Meanwhile, inside the garden system, an unusual fusion was taking place between the bear king and the magic bean tree. However, due to insufficient materials, the process was only halfway complete. Even so, this fusion granted Lin How just enough power to deal with the zombies. Without hesitation, he activated the bear's strength, and a surge of raw power filled his body. In the blink of an eye, he unleashed a powerful kick, sending the zombie flying and successfully rescuing the blonde girl.
However, something unexpected happened: the zombie refused to let go, dragging the blonde girl up into the air along with it. Hearing her terrified scream, Lin How realized his mistake. With no other choice, he bent his knees and leapt into the air, grabbing hold of the blonde girl. Then, with another powerful kick, he sent the zombie hurtling away. But the situation was growing increasingly dire; the number of zombies was multiplying rapidly, surging forward like a tidal wave. At this rate, fighting head-on was not an option.
Lin How made a quick decision. "We need to find a weak point in their formation and break through. We can't let ourselves get completely surrounded."
The black-haired girl anxiously asked, "But which way do we go? If we pick the wrong direction, we might run straight into the heart of the zombie horde."
The blonde girl immediately spoke up. "I know which way. Just now, when I was thrown into the air, I saw a path that had no zombies."
Without hesitation, the three of them sprinted toward that direction. On the way, Lin How easily tore through any zombies blocking their path. However, his strength and attitude only made the two girls increasingly uneasy.
Three hours later, they finally managed to escape the danger zone. The two girls gasped for breath, exhausted, while Lin How still seemed as energetic as ever. At that moment, the black-haired girl's attitude toward him subtly changed; her voice softened as she asked, "Junior brother, are you practicing a body refinement technique?"
The blonde girl nodded in agreement. "That must be it. It's all thanks to you that we survived." Then she gave him an appraising look and added, "You're really strong, Junior brother. Your breath is steady, your stamina is incredible, you're brimming with youthful energy; you're bound to achieve great things in the future."
As they spoke, the two girls subtly moved closer to him, their gazes carrying hints of flirtation. But Lin How paid no attention to them; his mind was consumed by another, far more pressing concern. I might have shown too much strength just now. What if they discover that I'm actually a zombie?
The thought sent a wave of panic through him. Without hesitation, he pretended to be completely exhausted and collapsed onto the ground, his face twisted in pain. "My whole body hurts! Something feels off down there! No, I need to lie down and dispel this evil energy."
He then channeled his internal energy for a moment before wincing dramatically. "This pain is unbearable! What were you two saying just now?"
The two girls' faces instantly darkened. They both thought the same thing: If you didn't want to accept our advances, you could have just said so. Was there really a need to overact this much?
At this moment, Lin How was silently contemplating, feeling somewhat troubled from the remnant of this body's memories. He knew that this zombie tide was caused by the death of a tribulation-transcending Heavenly Lord. However, aside from that title, he had no knowledge of the Heavenly Lord's identity, status, or any other details. Moreover, he had absolutely no understanding of the cultivation realms, Chi refinement techniques, or the rare treasures of this world; that would definitely raise suspicion.
As he was deep in thought, a voice suddenly rang out from the distance. "Junior sisters, seeing you both safe and sound truly brings me relief."
Following the voice, Lin How saw a tall young man with long hair and a handsome face approaching at a steady pace. The two girls immediately lit up with joy upon seeing him. "Senior brother Jong, did you come to save us?"
This young man was Wong Tin Leong, a so-called genius at the third level of Chi refinement. Hearing this, Lin How felt a bit annoyed. He thought to himself, Didn't this guy abandon them to go seek reinforcements? Then why is he here alone?
At that moment, senior brother Wong shifted his gaze to Lin How, his eyes cold, filled with killing intent. "Junior brother Lin How, it's a pleasure to meet you, but I wouldn't mind killing one more person."
The two girls froze, their faces filled with horror. They had no idea why Tin Leong was saying such things. Tin Leong gripped the sword at his waist, his voice dripping with mockery. "Hand over all of your spirit herbs in three days. The inner sect will be recruiting new disciples. As long as I make it into the inner sect, I'll no longer be some lowly outer disciple."
His eyes narrowed as he continued, "Do you have any idea what it means to be an inner disciple? It means vast resources, high-level techniques, and regular teachings from the elders. That is the real path to cultivation."
The moment he finished speaking, Tin Leong suddenly struck, grabbing both girls by the throat and lifting them off the ground. "Hand them over now! Once I enter the inner sect, I might just be merciful enough to take you two as my concubines."
The two girls struggled violently, their faces filled with fear as they pleaded, "Tin Leong, we've always admired you; please don't do this. These herbs are just barely enough to complete our mission; if we lose them, we'll be expelled from the sect."
Observing the situation, Lin How remained completely calm. He saw this as the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the situation rather than interfering. Lin How calmly instructed the system to take out a sunflower. He didn't care about the other three people but leisurely picked up the sunflower and slowly put it in his mouth to enjoy.
Crackle, crackle. The crunchy chewing sound echoed in the tense atmosphere. The three of them were immediately drawn to the sound. Wong Tin Leong suddenly noticed that the sunflower in Lin How's hand was anything but ordinary. His eyes gleamed as he realized it contained an immense amount of spiritual energy, a rare and valuable Heavenly treasure. Something this precious, he had to have it.
Without hesitation, Tin Leong shoved the two girls aside and lunged straight at Lin How, his voice dripping with greed. "Lin How, hand over that flower now!"
But despite Tin Leong charging at him, Lin How remained unfazed. He slowly lifted the sunflower to his mouth and continued savoring it at his own leisurely pace.
Seeing Lin How's calm demeanor, Tin Leong suddenly felt that something wasn't right. Lin How let out a cold chuckle. "And who do you think you are? Where did you even come from, thinking you can just steal my food?"
Knowing full well that he was no match for Tin Leong in a direct fight, Lin How immediately turned and ran. At this point, Tin Leong no longer cared about robbing the two girls; his entire focus was now on chasing down Lin How like a predator hunting its prey.
Watching the two of them disappear into the distance, the two girls were both shocked and relieved. They couldn't believe that the senior brother they once admired had revealed such a greedy and ruthless side. At the same time, their hearts were filled with gratitude toward Lin How, who had helped them twice. They realized that the direction Lin How was fleeing led straight into the raging zombie tide. However, neither of them felt too worried because they believed in Lin How's strength. In the end, they decided to return to the sect and report everything that had happened.
Before long, Lin How's figure completely disappeared from Tin Leong's sight. Still unwilling to give up, Tin Leong continued his pursuit, only to suddenly realize that he was now surrounded by countless zombies. A deep sense of unease began to rise in his chest.
At that moment, Lin How, now disguised as a zombie, watched the scene unfold from the shadows. Seeing Tin Leong desperately searching for him in vain, Lin How couldn't help but feel incredibly smug. Ha, where you looking? I'm here.
At this moment, Lin How found himself facing an even bigger problem. According to his plan, he had disguised himself as a zombie just to deceive Tin Leong. However, what he didn't expect was that the other zombies around him weren't attacking him because they saw him as one of their own.
At the same time, the zombies began to surround Tin Leong. But with his strength, Tin Leong showed no signs of panic. He slowly drew his sword and spoke coldly, "Azure Spring Sword Light!"
Immediately, a blinding blue glow erupted from his blade, illuminating the entire area. Seeing this, Lin How couldn't help but think, Sword light? Well, at least now he won't have to worry about walking in the dark. Too bad I have no idea how to use something like that myself.
At that moment, Tin Leong began his assault. With just a single slash, he effortlessly sliced a zombie clean in half, his momentum as fierce as a general charging through a battlefield. Witnessing this overwhelming power, Lin How started to feel a little uneasy.
As Tin Leong continued cutting down zombies, he shouted loudly, "Lin How, Junior brother, come out! It's safe now; I've taken care of all the zombies."
Lin How felt a rising sense of anxiety. Since the zombies weren't attacking him, if he got too close to Tin Leong, his disguise could be easily exposed. After carefully weighing his options, he decided to play dead, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Lin How thought to himself, A wise man knows when to retreat. This isn't cowardice; it's called respecting this body of mine. I made a promise to Jang Tien; I will make this body famous across the world. I can't die here.
Meanwhile, the zombies kept pouring in. Even though Tin Leong was strong, the pressure was beginning to mount. What annoyed him the most, however, was that ever since he had entered this place, Lin How had completely vanished without a trace.
Not wanting to be surrounded, Tin Leong leapt onto a large tree, scanning for an escape route. At the same time, he focused his senses, trying to pick up the scent of the sunflower from earlier. If he couldn't find it, he'd have no choice but to leave. "Damn it, Lin How, you little bastard, hurry up and hand over that flower!"
Tin Leong felt a deep sense of regret. If he had the sunflower, he might still have a chance to join the Alchemy Pavilion as a servant disciple; that was still a much better fate than being used as zombie fodder in this undead-infested nightmare.
Suddenly, he sensed the sunflower's energy coming from behind him. His eyes immediately lit up with excitement.
From a distance, Lin How smirked with satisfaction. The best defense is offense. Let's see how you handle the power of the twelve spirit beings. Lin How pulled out the sunflower. Although most of its spiritual energy had already been absorbed, its irresistible allure remained as strong as ever.
As expected, Wong Tin Leong's greedy gaze was instantly locked onto it; his lips curled into a triumphant grin. That coward Lin How must have either run away or gotten torn apart by the zombie horde, and he even left behind such a rare medicinal treasure. Looks like today is my lucky day.
Without hesitation, Tin Leong lunged forward, reaching out to grab the flower. All right, now all I have to do is take this back to the Alchemy Pavilion. But just as he thought everything was going smoothly, something felt off. Before he could react, a massive tree trunk smashed straight into his face, sending him flying backward and crashing hard onto the ground.
From the darkness, Lin How stepped forward, sneering coldly. "When disaster struck, you abandoned your fellow disciples. You talk about morality, but in reality, you're nothing more than a beast in human skin—ruthless, selfish, willing to sacrifice others for your own gain. You cultivate the Dao but neglect your heart. I don't think I'm wrong for teaching you a lesson."
However, Tin Leong remained motionless, showing no reaction. Lin How found it strange. As he stepped closer, a chill ran down his spine. He got insta-killed. A flash of light appeared, followed by a notification in front of Lin How: Corpse detected. Collect.
Lin How stood there stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. "So I'm actually this strong, huh? Well, might as well collect. Killing and looting—this is what you call cleaning up the evidence."
Information about senior brother Wong popped up: Name: Wong Tin Leong; Species: Poison zombie; Attribute: Fire; Spiritual route: Low grade; Cultivation level: Chi refining stage, level three; Final mission: Join the inner sect; Survive the corpse tide.
Lin How roared in frustration. "Damn it! The mission isn't even complete, and you're already dead! Dead people can't die twice!"
Suppressing his anger, Lin How rummaged through Wong Tin Leong's storage pouch. It was quite heavy; hopefully, there was something good inside. The contents were rather plentiful: Spirit Stones, cultivation techniques, a strange incense stick, half a large bear, some medicinal herbs, and a map. Lin How was quite satisfied. Now he had an abundant supply of spiritual energy, a cultivation technique in hand, and even a map. As a zombie, he didn't need to eat, sleep, or feel fatigued. He decided to hide within the corpse tide and cultivate until he became a Heavenly Lord, then make his grand return.
Quickly packing up his belongings, Lin How examined the map. The marked location was the cave dwellings of the two-headed wolves, not too far from here. He decided to head there.
After some travel, he arrived at his destination. Without hesitation, Lin How stepped into the pitch-black cave. But something immediately felt off. He reached into his pouch, searching for a sunflower to use as a light source, but instead of pulling out the flower, he mistakenly drew out the strange incense stick.
Lin How lit it. Instantly, countless pairs of blood-red eyes in the darkness all turned to stare at him. A shiver ran down his spine. Lin How let out an awkward chuckle. "Hey there, fellas! Why do you all look so excited to see me?"
After observing for a moment, Lin How noticed something strange. He tried waving the incense; the wolves' eyes followed it. He swung it left; they looked left. He swung it right; they looked right. Lin How threw the incense far away, and the wolves immediately lunged after it. Realization struck him.
This incense was bad news, and Wong Tian Leong must have been the one who lured the Wolves to attack those two girls. Linow drew his sword; with just a few slashes, he wiped out every last wolf in the cave, deciding that this cave was a perfect training spot. Linow settled in to cultivate; he absorbed the spiritual energy from the sunflowers and Chi blossoms, growing stronger by the day. However, he soon encountered a major problem: how to actually start cultivating. The basic cultivation manual lay open in front of him, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make sense of it.
The two-headed sunflower produced a total of 61 units of spiritual energy per day, a rather significant amount. Using Wong Tian Leong's memories, Linow had gained a rough understanding of the Chi refining stage. To cultivate, one first had to refine Chi proficiently and then find a medium to break through to the foundation establishment stage. If one unit of natural spiritual energy was used as a base, then the required amount for each level of the Chi refining stage followed an exponential progression: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64. Linow had absorbed the spiritual energy from a total of five sunflowers, allowing him to surpass Chi refining stage level three; however, he still couldn't fully utilize his newfound power.
To embark on the path of cultivation, one first needed to use their spiritual root to sense the natural flow of Heaven and Earth. The higher the spiritual root's grade, the clearer this perception would be, greatly enhancing one's cultivation potential. Some prodigies were even born with natural phenomena occurring around them, foretelling their destined future as sect leaders of powerful factions. However, Linow's current body couldn't cultivate at all; this was his fatal flaw. Not to mention, he had been dead for so long that even other zombies regarded him as one of their own. If high-ranking cultivators discovered that I've returned from the dead, my fate would be tragic. I could be ground into dust, or worse, refined into a tonic for replenishing vitality. Linow clutched his head, deep in thought.
According to Wang Tian Leong's memories, there were a few techniques that could replace a spiritual root, such as Soul transference, blood rebirth, marrow cleansing pills, or even legendary Divine medicines; but obtaining them was nearly impossible unless he joined a major sect. If I could grow these Divine medicines myself, I'd plant 54 of them and sell them for a fortune. Linow opened the corpse library, immediately spotting Wang Tian Leong's unfinished missions: join the inner sect of Jade Spring Sect, survive the corpse tide. Surprisingly, the second mission had already been marked as completed. Linow was relieved; at least this body wasn't completely useless. If that was the case, his only option was to join the inner sect. Having made up his mind, Linow set out for Jade Spring Sect.
Three days later, a group of three young men was viciously beating a frail-looking boy. One of them barked, "Hurry up and bring out your father's axe! We just want to take a look! Did you hear me? We'll definitely give it back after we're done!" The boy trembled in fear, too scared to resist. At that moment, Linow happened to be passing by. His cold gaze swept across the group. After briefly examining the injured boy, he muttered to himself, "He can't be saved; the wounds are too severe." In my previous world, three scumbags once beat a child to death in this exact way. Back then, I couldn't do anything, but here, they will pay the price. One of the three thugs overheard him and shouted, "Who the hell are you? If you've got guts, stay right here! I'll go call my brother, Truck, to deal with you!" But before he could finish his sentence, Linow had already lunged forward. He grabbed the thug's face and ripped off a large chunk of skin. The man let out an ear-piercing scream of agony as the other two staggered back in terror. Without hesitation, Linow picked up a shovel from the ground and swung it in a sharp horizontal arc. The shovel's blade sliced through the throat of the thug wearing a blue robe; his eyes widened in horror before he collapsed lifelessly. The last remaining thug fell to his knees, repeatedly kowtowing, "Please spare me! I was wrong! Please have mercy!" Linow glared down at him, his voice laced with cold fury, "You don't actually know what you did wrong; you only know that you're about to die." As soon as he finished speaking, Linow swung the shovel, striking the thug's knee. A piercing scream echoed through the air as the man collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony. Linow then turned toward the young boy who had been beaten; his voice was soft and full of concern, "They have been punished, but it's still not enough. Can you still hold on?" But the boy no longer had any breath left in him. Linow silently reached out his hand, gently closing the boy's eyes, allowing his soul to rest in peace. Suddenly, a notification echoed in his mind: Corpse detected. Collect. Without hesitation, Linow chose to collect it. In the blink of an eye, he felt his soul merging into the new body. When he opened his eyes again, he had become the deceased boy. His new identity was Vong Fap. From now on, Linow would be known as Vong Fap. He reached down, touching his left leg; the sensation was incredibly real. He let out a cold chuckle, "It seems I've just found the perfect way to hide my identity."
Over the past 3 days, Vong Fap had encountered many people; if he saw someone in danger, he would secretly help them, but for evil people like these, they did not deserve mercy. At that moment, Vong Fap tied up the three thugs with a rope and began dragging them away. According to Wong Tian Leong's map, there was a ferocious bear's lair nearby. Before long, Vong Fap found it. Without hesitation, Vong Fap threw the three men inside. He didn't have to wait long; the bloodthirsty bear quickly noticed its new prey. It let out a deafening roar before charging forward, its massive jaws snapping viciously. One of the thugs screamed, "No! Please help me! Spare me! I'll be your servant for life!" But no one answered his desperate pleas. The bear opened its massive maw. Terror overwhelmed the man; he couldn't even speak. In utter despair, he managed to cry out one final curse, "Even as a ghost, I won't forgive you!" From the treetops, Vong Fap watched the entire scene unfold, his expression cold and indifferent. At that moment, a status window appeared before his eyes: Name: Vong Fap; Species: Common Zombie; Spiritual Root: Silent Fire Root (Mid-grade); Cultivation Level: None; Missions: None. Before he died, this boy had only managed to complete two missions: escape from the village and learn how to read. As a reward, he had received the ability to revive a dead plant. Vong Fap sighed; he was a kind and gentle person; he didn't even leave behind a mission for revenge. With that, Vong Fap suddenly leaped down from the tree, delivering a powerful kick straight to the bear's head. The bear let out a painful roar before collapsing on the spot. Immediately, a notification appeared before his eyes. Without hesitation, he collected the bear's corpse.
Scene change. At a grand and prestigious sect, a young woman was recording something in a ledger. She looked up at the young man who had just arrived and asked, "Who are you?" The young man clasped his hands together in a respectful greeting and replied, "I am Vong Fap, 13 years old. I have come to join Jade Spring Sect in pursuit of an immortal fate." Behind Vong Fap, there were many others waiting to register; a total of 56 young cultivators had signed up to join Jade Spring Sect this time. After the registration was complete, the young woman coldly addressed the crowd, "Some of you made it here through sheer determination, some came through family connections, others were simply lucky. Among mortals, only three out of every hundred managed to set foot on the path of immortality. As for those with top-tier talent, only one in 10,000 is truly gifted. However, cultivation is not solely reliant on talent; Alchemy, artifact refinement, tempering the mind, comprehending the Dao—these are all righteous paths." She paused, secretly thinking to herself, "Finally, after 3 years as a disciple, I have a chance to establish my authority over these mortals." She had been granted this opportunity only because of the zombie tide, which had forced the elders to leave and handle the situation. Still maintaining her confident demeanor, she stretched out her hand, and a glowing blue ring appeared in her palm. She announced, "To enter the sect, you must pass three rounds of testing." But before she could say anything more, the sky suddenly darkened; a silhouette riding an immortal crane descended from above, shouting loudly, "Wait!" The moment she saw the man, the arrogance on the young woman's face vanished; she immediately clasped her hands and saluted, "Inner Disciple Wong Yeling greets Elder Ma." However, Elder Ma completely ignored her, stroking his beard; his sharp gaze swept over the group of young disciples, frowning. He muttered, "None of these brats have any talent; get rid of them." Hearing this, the young woman hurriedly said, "Elder Ma, our Jade Spring Sect branch is stationed in the 100,000 Great Mountains; every peak is short on manpower, and every year thousands come here to take the entrance exam." Before the girl could finish speaking, the old man waved his hand and interrupted her. He thought that when the situation calmed down, all the disciples would return to the sect; at that time, the inner sect would be full of people with mediocre qualities; who would take responsibility? After he finished speaking, he waved his hand, and a group of young men flew out from his palm. The girl's eyes widened in surprise; she recognized this as a secret technique of a foundation establishment cultivator. Gathering the universe, pointing at the group of children he had just summoned, Elder Ma spoke coldly, "If you want candidates for the exam, take these children instead." Just then, a flying sword shot through the air, carrying with it an overwhelming killing intent. A cold voice followed, "Interfering with the sect's entrance exams, Elder Ma, you have gone too far! How many benefits have you already taken from the mortals?" Elder Ma remained unfazed; he scoffed and said indifferently, "Jang Z, you are the senior disciple of the Sword Pavilion; you and I have no ties, so why are you meddling in my affairs?" Standing gracefully on her flying sword, she radiated an ethereal aura, like an immortal herself. She narrowed her eyes at him, "You were only temporarily assigned to oversee this place, yet you've grown so power hungry; a dignified Elder stooping so low as to make things difficult for juniors." Elder Ma let out a cold snort, his face darkening, "You dare disrespect me just because the Sword Pavilion backs you? How bold! It seems you have no intention of backing down, do you?" Jang Z smiled faintly, "Back down? I am a disciple of the Sword Pavilion, a follower of the righteous path; how could I stand idly by in the face of injustice?" As soon as she finished speaking, Jang Z shot forward, raising her hand; before everyone's eyes, her sword flew straight into her palm. Facing this open challenge, Elder Ma let out a cold chuckle, "Very well. As your master senior, I shall personally test how much your cultivation has improved over the past 6 months."
Meanwhile, at a safe distance, Vong Fap was lounging comfortably, snacking on a melon while eagerly watching the unfolding drama, muttering to himself, "A battle between the personal disciple of the Sword Pavilion and an elder from some remote branch? Fantastic! Fight, fight! Give me something entertaining to watch!" Vong Fap sneaked up beside Wong Yeling and whispered, "Senior sister, senior sister! They're about to fight! Can you explain what's happening?" Wong Yeling looked at him utterly confused, "Explain what? Do you mean...?" Grinning, Vong Fap fired off a barrage of questions, "Think about it; one of them is a sect Elder, the other is a prodigious genius. What's their cultivation level? What are their signature techniques? What are their chances of winning? Is there some deeper grudge behind this fight? What are their past battle records? Any other juicy details?" Hearing his questions, Wong Yeling snapped in irritation, "You little brat, do you think I'm some kind of commentator? Show respect to the Immortals! Do you still want to take the exam?" Vong Fap immediately straightened his posture and defended himself, "You misunderstand; Elder Ma's techniques are profound, and Senior Sister Jang's talent is unmatched; my analysis is merely to strengthen my heart on the path of cultivation." Hearing them, Jang Z felt a little embarrassed, realizing that her actions had drawn unnecessary attention. "People are like drifting clouds; fate is unpredictable. Among the thousands of mortals striving to ascend, who knows if there's a hidden dragon among them? Meddling too much will only invite ridicule." Elder Ma's expression softened, "Jang Z, your heart is broad and magnanimous; it is Jade Spring Sect's fortune to have you. Titles like Holy Son or Holy Daughter are nothing but fleeting clouds." With that, he pointed directly at Vong Fap, "But this brat, he seems to have a wicked nature; if he steps onto the path of immortality, I'm afraid he will cause a bloody storm and become a great detested by the world." Jang Z, however, sensed that Vong Fap possessed some potential; she beckoned him forward, wanting to assess him herself. As Vong Fap slowly stepped forward, a thought crossed his mind, "Wow, she's tall; must be at least 6'1". The food in this sect must be amazing!" Jang Z began examining him, her gaze growing curious, "Mid-grade Silent Fire Spiritual Root, but his steps are steady, and his aura is deep; he has the qualities of a body cultivator; it's just a shame that his meridians are too weak, limiting his full potential." The moment she touched him, Vong Fap flinched, thinking to himself, "This body has already been transformed by me, so its condition is stable; no one should be able to discover my secret." Noticing her slightly suspicious expression, Vong Fap immediately fabricated a story, "Reporting to Senior Sister, when my mother was 7 months pregnant with me, my father was so eager for me to be born that he wanted me to come out early to play cards with him. As a result, I was born prematurely, weak and frail since childhood; a strong gust of wind could send me flying like a plant swaying under sunlight, but thanks to that, I ended up becoming an incredibly strong person here." Hearing this, Elder Ma stroked his beard in astonishment, "Truly a miracle! Sounds just like the fate of a Heaven's chosen; no wonder he speaks so brazenly!" At that moment, Jang Z made a suggestion; she wanted Vong Fap to take a hit from her just to see how strong he really was, but before she could finish speaking, Vong Fap suddenly grabbed her hand, spun around, and flipped her over his shoulder. As a result, her two melons were pressed tightly against Vong Fap's back, causing Jang Z to feel incredibly uncomfortable; shame and anger mixed together, and her face flushed red. Not giving Vong Fap any chance to take advantage of the situation, she immediately kicked him, sending him flying straight toward Elder Ma. Then, with clear irritation in her voice, she muttered, "I'll leave the testing to Elder Ma." Vong Fap, still processing the sudden shift in opponents, barely had time to react. Elder Ma, however, remained calm and said flatly, "Attack me with your full strength; if your performance is good, I might just accept you as a servant disciple." Hearing this request, Vong Fap felt uneasy, "Use my full strength? What if I accidentally hurt the Elder?" Upon hearing this, the two young women scoffed, their voices laced with mockery, "Just go all out! Elder Ma won't even flinch at the likes of you!" Vong Fap didn't bother to explain himself; instead, he decided to use this opportunity to test just how much power he truly possessed. He would unleash the full force of his zombie body at Chi refining stage three; the strength of 10 spirit beasts combined with the king of two-headed bears, enhanced by two sweet potatoes and four melons, all poured into a single punch. This punch would determine his path in the cultivation world. Seeing Vong Fap confidently charging toward him, Elder Ma remained calm and stood in place; his eyes carrying a hint of amusement; he showed no signs of worry; instead, he even admired Vong Fap's bravery. "A young man full of spirit," he thought, his curiosity peaked; he wanted to see just how strong this boy really was. Meanwhile, Vong Lin spoke up anxiously, trying to dissuade him, "Vong Fap, don't be reckless! Elder Ma is an incredibly powerful cultivator; if you offend him, it would be considered disrespectful; even if you join the sect, you'll have a hard time avoiding suppression in the future." However, TW did not agree with Vong Lin; she calmly said, "You don't need to worry; Elder Ma is not someone petty; if you manage to enter my Sword Pavilion, I'll personally take you to apologize to the Elder." Vong Fap nodded in gratitude toward TW, but deep down he felt no fear; that was because he had already arranged for a zombie decoy to act as his stand-in, placing it within the tide; if things went south, he could use it to escape and hide at any moment. More importantly, Vong Fap wanted to use this opportunity to investigate the true cause behind the corpse tide; could it be related to his transmigration and rebirth, or was there some hidden secret within this place? Otherwise, why were so many sects so interested in it? And what about that mysterious girl? With countless thoughts racing through his mind, he clenched his fists tightly, channeling his spiritual energy to the limit; he unleashed a punch with all his strength; he wanted Elder Ma to change his perception of his power. Yet, in the face of this powerful attack, Elder Ma remained at ease; he simply exerted a fraction of his strength to defend himself; to him, Vong Fap was nothing more than an arrogant junior trying to defy the heavens; still too young and inexperienced. As Vong Fap's fist neared Elder Ma, a strange feeling suddenly hit him; and it wasn't just Elder Ma; both TW and Vong Lin widened their eyes in shock. Vong Fap's punch was clearly about to land, yet for some reason, it couldn't touch Elder Ma at all; this left Vong Fap utterly bewildered. Unbeknownst to him, Elder Ma had discreetly placed a small vial at the exact spot where the attack would land, creating an invisible defensive barrier. But in the blink of an eye, the vial shattered under the overwhelming force of Vong Fap's punch; a shock wave of energy erupted, sweeping across the space around them. Seeing this, both TW and Vong Lin were shaken to their core; they realized that this single punch had nearly reached the power of a mid-stage Chi refining cultivator. "No way! Am I seeing things? Did he just destroy Elder Ma's Dao artifact?" Even Vong Fap himself was stunned; he hadn't expected Elder Ma to be this strong; even with his full-power strike, the Elder hadn't moved an inch. Elder Ma, too, was quite surprised by Vong Fap's strength; however, he remained composed, gently stroking his beard as he said with a faint smile, "Not bad; the spiritual medicine you consumed must have quite the extraordinary origins." Elder Ma inwardly marveled, "What a terrifying punch! For a brief moment, I even sensed immense danger! This was merely the Jade flask I had just finished shaping, not yet inscribed with formation patterns or nurtured properly; even so, it should have been able to withstand an attack below the sixth level of Chi refining." Elder Ma gently patted Vong Fap on the shoulder, "Young man, if you wish to join the Jade Spring Sect and ascend, you must first pass three trials: the first is aptitude, the second is character, and the third..." Before he could finish, TW interjected, "The third is one's own Dao-seeking heart." She stepped forward and directly invited Vong Fap to join the Sword Pavilion, explaining that its Elder was her master; she could take Vong Fap under her wing, personally guiding his cultivation. From now on, he would call her Senior Sister. Vong Fap thought to himself, "This is my chance; if I go through the regular assessment, they might inspect my body, and my secret as a corpse might be exposed; but if I display overwhelming talent, they'll just recruit me outright." Seeing him hesitate, Vong Lin grew impatient, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and accept!" Suddenly, a realization struck her, and she gasped in shock, "Wait a second! Is this really Fairy TW? Someone who always remains aloof and untouchable, now personally inviting a mere mortal boy to be her junior disciple?" She looked around at the others, "What are you guys looking at me for? How could a brat like him, who doesn't understand the world, know the weight of this invitation?" Jang TW, a female cultivator with unparalleled talent, was marked from birth by destiny; the moment she was born, a purple star appeared in the sky, signifying her as a natural-born Chi refiner. To solidify her foundation, the sect Elders spent 10 years nurturing her; otherwise, with such talent, she would have become a Heavenly General long ago. Within the cultivation world, her name was revered; even great sect Celestial abodes and sacred lands longed for her presence; countless men admired and pursued her, yet not a single one had ever come close enough to touch even a strand of her hair. For this very reason, she personally requested to be stationed at the stronghold of the corpse tide, venturing deep into the 10,000 Great Mountains to...
Escape the covetous gazes of those people. Some young disciples were confused. Isn't the Chi Refinement Realm the lowest stage of cultivation? Why would someone deliberately suppress their breakthrough for 10 whole years?
Hearing this, Vong Nlin couldn't help but sigh. "You'll understand once you enter the sect. Among cultivators, there's a common saying: a person lives by their breath. That refers to a type of Chi. Chi naturally flows through Heaven and Earth without attributes. To use it, one must convert it into their body using their spiritual root. Ordinary Five Element spiritual Roots can convert five element Chi, while special spiritual Roots can convert unique types of spiritual Chi. But as for our senior sister, her Chi originates from primordial chaos itself. Even Golden Core stage experts crafting weapons would seek her out for a single strand of her purple Chi."
Still lost in her thoughts, Vong Nyet Lin continued explaining. "Using innate purple Chi as a medium to establish one's Foundation…" Before she could finish, Jang TW cut her off. "Enough, Junior sister. I'll personally teach him about cultivation later." She stepped closer to Vong Fap, leaned in, and whispered in his ear, "Junior brother, have you made up your mind yet?"
Hearing this, Vong Fap replied, "I do want to go with senior sister, but the Sword Pavilion specializes in swordsmanship, doesn't it?"
Elder Ma stroked his beard and spoke up. "TW, are you done yet? This is truly reckless behavior. This boy and I share some fate as well." Jang TW took something out from her robes and smiled. "A chance encounter is fate. This is my gift to you." She handed him a jade slip. "You have a fire spiritual root, which makes you very compatible with this high-grade cultivation technique: Flame Rock Devours the Chi."
The moment Elder Ma saw the item, he furiously shouted, "TW, you have some nerve! Even I have coveted that technique! It can increase the chances of forming a Golden Core, yet you're just giving it away like this! It seems the Sword Pavilion is trying to nurture another genius to compete for sect resources."
Vong Fap accepted the technique and chuckled. "Senior sister, you're incredibly generous. Even a high-grade technique is nothing to you. With such an offer, there's no reason to refuse."
Vong Nyet Lin watched Vong Fap with jealousy burning inside her. Why isn't it me who gets the rare spiritual medicine or a transformed physique? Is luck really more important than effort? As these thoughts consumed her, she suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. "Damn it! My jealousy is disturbing my Dao heart!" Her foundation wavered dangerously.
Elder Ma, unwilling to give up, made another offer. He pointed out Vong Fap's tattered clothing and assumed he lived a difficult life. "If you become my disciple, I will ensure you have wealth beyond measure, countless magical treasures, and a cultivation journey free of worries."
Vong Fap, seeing through his empty words, hesitated for a moment before asking, "Elder, which branch of the sect do you belong to?"
Vong Nyet Lin was so shocked that she spat out the water she was drinking. "Are you trying to anger me to death? With everything senior sister is offering you, not to mention how many people would kill for her personal guidance, you… you still have the audacity to bargain?" She grabbed Vong Fap's head in frustration, turned to Jang TW, and shouted, "Hurry up and make him agree already!"
Elder Ma finally answered, "I am from the Artifact Refining Pavilion."
Vong Fap waved his hand dismissively and turned to everyone. "All right, I've made my choice. Elder Ma, please take care of me from now on."
Vong Nyet Lin's face darkened. "You hesitated for so long, yet in the end, you should have chosen senior sister from the start! This decision will affect your entire future!" She ranted for a while before suddenly realizing something was off. "Wait… you actually chose Elder Ma?"
Elder Ma himself looked surprised, while Jang TW frowned and asked coldly, "You rejected me? I want to hear your reason."
Vong Fap held the cultivation manual in his hand and asked, "If I tell you, senior sister, you won't take this technique back, will you?"
Jang TW smirked. "I'm not that petty. Speak."
Vong Fap pointed directly at her and answered seriously, "Because senior sister clearly doesn't know how to teach others."
Hearing Vong Fap say that she didn't know how to teach, TW immediately became furious. To her, those words were utterly ridiculous. However, in contrast to her anger, Vong Fap remained calm, completely indifferent to her reaction. "Why get so worked up? Anger is bad for your health. I will begin cultivating the technique you gave me right now and see how you guide me."
TW let out a cold laugh, her eyes filled with disdain. "There's no need to test me. I said I was giving it to you, so what you do with it is up to you."
Vong Fap nodded. "Very well, then let's practice this introductory technique together."
Hearing this, the people around them became interested, not just the young disciples, but even Elder Ma and Vong Nyet Lin gathered to examine the technique scroll. After studying it for a while, everyone dispersed to begin their cultivation.
At that moment, Vong Fap approached Zu, his tone somewhat provocative. "Senior sister, why don't you try cultivating this technique once yourself?"
Zu scoffed. "You said I don't know how to teach? Do you want to see how I guide you in the introductory stage?" With that, she picked up the scroll, raised her hands slightly, and formed seals with her fingers. Her clear yet cold voice echoed, "In Chi Refinement, the first thing to learn is controlling the flow of Chi within the body. This is the circulation diagram for the technique. The Chi will start from the Dantian, pass through 36 major acupoints and 72 minor acupoints. When it condenses into the form of a Flame Rock, that signifies completion of the introductory stage. I accomplished this in 3 days."
Vong Fap chuckled, admiration flashing in his eyes. "3 days? Senior sister is truly a one in a million genius." Then he turned to the others, including Elder Ma, and asked, "And how long will it take all of you to complete the introductory stage?"
Vong Nyet Lin furrowed her brows and thought before answering, "I'm afraid it would take at least 30 days to condense the Flame Rock."
Elder Ma sighed and spoke slowly, "There are countless talents in this world, but for someone at my Foundation Establishment level, completing the introductory stage would take no less than 7 days."
Hearing this, Zu became even more displeased, her face clearly showing her dissatisfaction. "It doesn't need to take that long. As long as your mind and will are one with intent, forming the Divine, the Divine wandering within the Divine, and the internal world manifesting, if you follow my method, you will surely condense the image of the Flame Rock within 3 days. Only then will you have truly stepped into minor achievement."
Her words echoed through the space, causing everyone to stare at her in disbelief. Some shook their heads, others sighed, and finally someone spoke up, "Senior sister, we don't understand what you're saying at all! Your explanation is too abstract. Some parts are too difficult and can only be grasped slowly through cultivation."
Upon hearing this, Zu's expression darkened further. She couldn't believe these people found something so simple to be difficult. To her, everything was clear and straightforward, so much so that it was impossible not to grasp. Just as she was about to lose her temper, Vong Fap spoke up, cutting her off.
"Senior sister, you are a genius. How could you possibly understand the struggles that ordinary people face when cultivating?" His words were like a sharp blade slicing through Zu's frustration. The people around them nodded in agreement, feeling that Vong Fap had made a valid point. He continued, "Compared to senior sister, Elder Ma is someone much more similar to us. If I take him as my master, I believe it would be more suitable."
Elder Ma stroked his beard and nodded approvingly. "That is indeed the case."
Meanwhile, Vong Fap was deep in thought. This senior sister Zu was an outstanding genius, renowned across the world. If he stayed close to her, he would surely draw the attention of countless powerful figures. On the other hand, Elder Ma was a member of the Artifact Refining Hall, which was located near the Alchemy Hall, the very place he wanted to go. This was without a doubt the most suitable choice.
At that moment, system notifications suddenly appeared. "Congratulations host, you have completed the mission: Join the inner sect of Azure Profound Sect. Reward: A chance to draw a new plant."
Without hesitation, Vong Fap immediately proceeded with the draw. A glowing ring spun in his mind, then gradually came to a stop, revealing his reward. "Congratulations host, you have received Devouring Flow effect. Once per day, it can devour an enemy and digest them. Digestion speed depends on level. Evolution 1: Diamond Devour, digestion speed doubles (locked). Evolution 2: Frenzy Devour, after devouring an enemy, it can still launch attacks (locked). Evolution 3 (locked)."
A satisfied smile appeared on Vong Fap's face. "From today onward, my plant arsenal now consists of seven species." But at that very moment, he suddenly felt a sense of danger surging toward him. The feeling did not originate from himself, but rather from his clone, Vong Way, who was lurking within the corpse tide.
The sky abruptly darkened, and an icy wind sliced through the air. Hovering above in the sky, a spaceship loomed ominously. Vong Fap's eyes flickered with curiosity, but before he could analyze the situation, an even more bizarre scene unfolded. From deep underground, something massive slowly emerged—a colossal corn-like structure. However, this was no ordinary corn. The strange object vibrated and then suddenly launched straight toward the spaceship in the sky, as if attempting an attack.
A massive explosion erupted. The shock wave rippled across the landscape, causing the ground to tremble violently. Dust and debris flew in all directions as the sheer force of the blast tore through the air. Vong Fap's pupils contracted. He sensed imminent danger approaching. Without hesitation, and much to the astonishment of the surrounding zombies, he swiftly swung his arm, channeling spiritual energy to dig a large hole in the ground. Once he had carved out a hole just big enough for himself, Vong Fap immediately summoned 10 sunflowers and 10 walnuts, stacking them atop one another to form a protective barrier overhead.
Just as he finished, the full force of the devastating explosion arrived. The unfortunate zombies nearby were instantly blown away, while the entire forest was leveled in the blink of an eye. Lying still in the pit, Vong Fap trembled. "What the hell was that?" A sudden thought flashed through his mind. "Does this world have nuclear bombs?"
The spaceship in the sky, now critically damaged by the shock wave, slowly descended to the ground. But what shocked Vong Fap even more was that from the wreckage of the ship, a massive phoenix emerged. It crashed to the ground right in front of Vong Fap.
Cautiously, Vong Fap approached and examined the creature. After some time, he confirmed it was truly dead. This was a rare opportunity. Without hesitation, Vong Fap immediately summoned the Devouring Flower. The moment it appeared, the flower lunged forward, its razor-sharp teeth clamping down, consuming the phoenix's corpse in an instant. The system instantly triggered a notification: "Devouring Flower has absorbed the Fire Spirit Bird. Evolution in progress."
Upon seeing the notification, Vong Fap couldn't help but rejoice. This was perhaps one of the most valuable spoils he had ever obtained. Wasting no time, Vong Fap commanded one of his zombies to head toward the center of the explosion to investigate the situation. Following his master's orders, the zombie swiftly darted forward, sharing its vision with Vong Fap through the eyes of the zombie. Vong Fap witnessed an unexpected sight: the cold and aloof woman he had previously seen in the sky was now lying motionless on the ground, her complexion deathly pale, and her entire body seemed to have sustained severe injuries.