As expected.
When Zhang Yang and his group approached the stronghold at a leisurely pace, they reached the mass of corpses. The members of the Black Sha Association, surrounded and trapped, had still failed to break through. In fact, their encirclement was tightening, and their numbers were dwindling.
The Corpse King arrived.
The moment the undead halted their hunt, they bowed their heads to Zhang Yang and parted, leaving a gap for him and his group to enter the circle.
Zhang Yang smiled.
He glanced at the Black Sha Association members, who were breathless and covered in wounds.
Though both sides stood, Zhang Yang's gaze was as if from a higher vantage point, making Li Meng and the others tremble, unable to meet his eyes.
"Oh? You didn't scream. It seems you're braver than those before. I quite admire that," Zhang Yang remarked, his eyes sweeping over them, offering a compliment.
Li Meng sneered, "Heh, will this Corpse King spare us then?"
Though his words were a pleading request, the tone was cold and mocking, clearly a jest.
"Do you think that's possible?" Zhang Yang replied with a light chuckle, "A hunter never lets go of prey already trapped in its snare."
"However, you may try to struggle. If I find it entertaining, I might end your suffering sooner."
It was clear that Zhang Yang had entered a playful mood. Li Meng and his group were as good as dead, but Zhang Yang planned to have some fun before ending them.
Coincidentally, he had recently gained a new subordinate.
Now, he would test the strength and potential of the Blood Princess.
Zhang Yang waved his hand, signaling for the undead to maintain their positions, keeping the encirclement intact. He then turned his gaze to the Blood Princess.
"Let me see your debut."
"Yes."
"I won't disappoint you, Boss," the Blood Princess nodded, then slowly walked toward the Black Sha Association members.
Her beautiful face remained as striking as ever, even after transforming into a zombie. In fact, her skin had grown even more pale, and her figure remained as alluring as before, draped in a gown made of coagulated blood.
She was truly a breathtaking beauty, worthy of the name "Blood Princess."
Even Li Meng and the others, regardless of gender, were momentarily stunned.
Shaking their heads violently, they steeled themselves for battle against the Corpse King.
"She's only one, and we are many. Don't be afraid, attack together!" Li Meng rallied his men.
This time, his group responded without hesitation. No one slacked off; everyone charged forward, wielding weapons or using their abilities.
A myriad of attacks surged toward the Blood Princess.
Li Meng and his team were confident in their sudden outburst of force. After all, there were more than a dozen of them, including several second-tier evolvers like Li Meng.
With such a lineup, a coordinated assault should be enough to take down an ordinary second-tier Corpse King.
This Blood Princess seemed newly evolved and wasn't particularly strong.
Confident that numbers would prevail, Li Meng and his team believed they stood a decent chance of victory.
However…
As beautiful as their dream was, reality was far more brutal.
The Blood Princess was no ordinary Corpse King like the Fire or Ghost-faced ones.
She possessed a rare blood attribute and had mutated from consuming Zhang Yang's own undead blood essence, giving her a natural edge over regular zombies.
Her strength was far beyond that of an average second-tier Corpse King.
Even against third-tier opponents, the Blood Princess was confident she would remain undefeated.
As for Li Meng and his exhausted Black Sha Association members, the Blood Princess was certain they stood no chance.
Amidst the relentless barrage of attacks, the Blood Princess moved with agile grace, avoiding each strike with minimal effort. She even had enough time to release the blood flowing through her veins, forming sharp blood needles that shot out with blinding speed.
Her counterattack was lightning-quick, with a flick of her wrist sending a flurry of blood needles that passed through her foes before they could even react.
Many Black Sha Association members were unable to react in time and were struck.
The blood needles burrowed deep into their bodies, and with each passing second, they siphoned away the blood, growing larger.
From hair-thin needles to iron spikes, and eventually, steel rods that pierced through their bodies.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
The heart-wrenching screams echoed as several Black Sha members tried to pull out the blood needles, but to no avail. Before they could call for help from their only healer, Zhou Wei'er, their fate had already been sealed.
The Blood Princess had appeared beside the unfortunate few, controlling their blood and causing it to reverse, gathering towards their hearts, and then exploding in a violent burst.
They exploded into blood-soaked corpses, dying instantly.
Their energy crystals were extracted from their remains.
The scene was one of utter despair and gruesome death.
It was clear that Zhang Yang had made the right choice in selecting the Blood Princess. Her strength was overwhelming, a force that utterly dominated the Black Sha Association members.
"Third! Xiao Ma! Lao Ma!" Li Meng's voice cracked in shock.
Seeing the gruesome deaths of his comrades, Li Meng and the others finally understood the vast disparity in power between themselves and the Blood Princess.
It was an insurmountable mountain.
All remnants of their fighting spirit vanished in an instant.
The thirty-six stratagems were useless; the best option was to flee.
With their morale shattered, the Black Sha members immediately abandoned their comrades, fleeing in every direction.
Their efforts to break through the undead encirclement were futile, like ants attempting to shake a tree. The undead circle remained impenetrable, unyielding.
The Blood Princess's debut had only just begun.
She had already vowed to impress Zhang Yang and would not disappoint him.
With renewed vigor, she moved faster than ever, leaving behind a trail of crimson afterimages. In the blink of an eye, she was on the heels of the nearest Black Sha member, silently appearing behind him.
Before he could react, she struck again.
Having killed several already, there was plenty of blood for her to control.
This time, she conjured a blood sword, a deep crimson blade that shot forward, plunging straight into his back.
Swift, precise, and deadly—one strike, one kill.
"Four kills! Three remain!"
Her voice was soft, but her killing intent was more pronounced than ever, as she charged toward her next target…