Woo—
The two zombie companions let out low growls as they turned their gaze toward Cheng He, who was cornered against the wall.
Cheng He's legs were pinned beneath the coffin lid, his body drenched in blood.
The fresh blood stirred the zombies into a frenzy. Their eyes turned red, and with a mindless roar, they pounced on him.
"Help! Senior brother, help! Chong He, help!"
The pitiful little Taoist Cheng He cried out in despair, his hands uselessly reaching out as he tried to push the zombies away. But the zombies, stiff in their movements yet incredibly strong, were impossible to shove off once they grabbed hold.
Crack!
The chilling sound of bones crunching filled the air as both zombies sank their teeth into Cheng He.
Zhang Yang's heart skipped a beat. This was the first time he'd witnessed zombies feeding on a human, and while reason told him he should be disgusted, the bloodshed seemed to possess an irresistible allure, tempting him.
Gulp!
Unable to control himself, Zhang Yang swallowed involuntarily.
"Ah—!"
The chubby little Taoist Chong He, who had been frozen in fear, suddenly screamed and turned to flee.
Whoosh—
Thud!
Zhang Yang leapt forward, blocking the entrance of the cave.
Though his exterior was that of a zombie, his soul was still human, and he couldn't bring himself to kill or eat people just yet. However, he knew that he absolutely couldn't allow this little Taoist to escape.
If he managed to get away and bring others back, things would become much more troublesome.
"Ah—!"
The little Taoist shrieked in shock, stumbling as he fell to the ground, his legs frantically kicking at the ground as he scrambled backward.
He accidentally grabbed the large talisman in the center of the cave, and as if it gave him newfound courage, he stood up and clutched it tightly.
Clang!
The chubby Taoist Chong He took out a basin-sized box from the talisman, lifting the lid with trembling hands. With a shaky voice, he said, "Y-You, don't come any closer! T-This... this is black dog blood, specifically made to restrain zombies! If you... if you come any closer, I'll... I'll pour it on you!"
It was obvious that he was trying to bluff, but his voice was still trembling.
However, when Zhang Yang saw the basin of black dog blood, he couldn't help but feel an instinctive fear rising from deep within his soul.
It was a primal fear, a subconscious reaction.
"Damn it! Could black dog blood really hurt me? Or is it just some reflexive fear? It's just a basin of black dog blood, how could it possibly harm my strong zombie body?"
Zhang Yang cursed inwardly, uncertain. He remembered reading about black dog blood in movies and novels before—supposedly it could restrain zombies.
But deep down, he refused to believe that something so trivial could control such a powerful existence as himself.
Woo!
Zhang Yang let out a low growl, baring his teeth as he hesitated, unsure of what to do.
His hesitation gave Chong He just enough courage to speak up again.
"You... you better back off, or... or I really will throw it at you!"
While speaking, Chong He started moving sideways, as though he was planning to escape.
"Damn it!" Zhang Yang cursed. "My soul isn't a zombie's! It's just a basin of black dog blood, it's all just a scare tactic! I refuse to believe that a zombie's body like mine can be taken down by this!"
With a fierce resolve, Zhang Yang made up his mind to take the risk.
Thud!
Thud!
Without bending his knees, Zhang Yang jumped forward with each step, his body crashing to the ground with a heavy bang, each impact seeming to shake Chong He's very heart.
The little Taoist Chong He finally broke down, closing his eyes and shouting as he flung the basin of black dog blood into the air, covering everything in it.
Fssss—
As the black dog blood touched Zhang Yang's body, it immediately began to sizzle, emitting a foul, burnt smell. His clothes quickly disintegrated, leaving numerous holes, and even the yellowish, armor-like layer of his skin was corroded.
Argh—
Zhang Yang let out a painful howl.
"Shit!"
His once invincible zombie body was truly being affected by the black dog blood?
The chubby Taoist Chong He, seeing this, was overjoyed. He didn't hesitate to flee, ignoring his fallen comrade, and rushed to escape from Zhang Yang's side.
Ugh!
Zhang Yang let out a roar and struck with a palm.
Bang!
Chong He was instantly hit, letting out a terrible scream as he fell to the ground, struggling but unable to get back up.
Zhang Yang, fueled by the black dog blood's influence, unleashed an extremely heavy blow, using the power of a Level One Zombie. How could a mere mortal like Chong He withstand it?
Just as Zhang Feng thought the situation was under control, he suddenly felt a wave of spiritual energy emanating from the overturned coffin.
Scanning with his divine sense, he saw the trapped Yin Mo Daoist lying on the ground, holding a yellow talisman, chanting incantations. He suddenly shouted, "Great General of Strength, as per the order of the law, hurry!"
Bang!
The yellow talisman self-ignited without fire, turning into a hazy yellow light that enveloped the Yin Mo Daoist.
The Daoist extended his hand, and with a "bang!" he lifted the coffin, springing up like a carp.
Roar!
Zhang Yang inwardly cursed, roaring as he rushed forward. He didn't want to give the obviously powerful Daoist any chance to retaliate.
"Monster, die!"
The Yin Mo Daoist's eyes flashed with cold light as his body spun, the yellow light swirling around his leg as he kicked out with astonishing speed and strength.
Bang!
Zhang Yang was struck in the chest, his body flying backward and crashing into the cave wall before bouncing to the ground.
Although a Level One Zombie's body wasn't nearly as tough as iron or steel, it had a yellowish armor-like coating that offered decent resistance to physical attacks.
Zhang Yang crashed to the ground in a disheveled manner but was not injured.
Whoosh—
With a swoosh of wind, Zhang Yang's body stood up straight like a wooden stick.
"Humph!"
The Yin Mo Daoist snorted coldly, ignoring his two injured and dying disciples. He flipped and pounced towards the treasure platform, a compass appearing in his hand.
"A mere Level One Zombie? Watch as I subdue you!"
Saying this, he made a hand sign and flicked his finger.
Whoosh!
Black light flashed, and the ink line slithered like a serpent, heading straight for Zhang Yang's neck.
Hiss!
Zhang Yang had already seen the danger of these ink lines and didn't just stand still waiting for them to hit. He swiftly dodged to the side.
With a leap several meters high, he pushed off the cave wall with both hands, flipping backward and charging toward the Yin Mo Daoist. Zhang Yang's strongest attacks were his claws and teeth, so he had to close the distance to have a chance.
The Yin Mo Daoist, clearly not expecting such a quick reaction from a zombie, gasped and twisted his body backward, performing a "Iron Bridge" stance.
Zhang Yang saw this clearly, but his body was stiff, and being mid-air, he couldn't change direction in time. He could only watch helplessly as his attack missed.
Seizing the opportunity, the Yin Mo Daoist flicked out another ink line and shouted:
"Hurry!"
The ink line flashed and wrapped around Zhang Yang's ankle.
Sizzling—
With a stinky burning smell, the black ink line flickered with yellow light.
Ugh—
Zhang Yang let out a series of agonized roars.
Pain!
This really hurt!
Having landed a successful blow, the Yin Mo Daoist's face showed a look of excitement as he yanked the line, and with the flash of yellow light, Zhang Yang's body was involuntarily dragged toward him.
The Yin Mo Daoist made another hand gesture and muttered incantations. Suddenly, the ink box seemed to erupt, and countless ink lines swirled toward Zhang Yang, ready to bind him.
Roar!
Zhang Yang knew that if he got fully entangled, it would be the end of him.
With a decisive heart, he advanced instead of retreating, risking it all to rush forward while wildly swinging his stiff left arm, cutting through the ink lines.
Sizzling—
All the ink lines tangled around his left arm, flashing with yellow light, corroding his clothes and arm, sending up thick smoke and an awful burnt smell.
The Yin Mo Daoist seemed to have used some technique. Once the ink lines made contact, it felt as though they were directly eroding his soul.
The immense pain made Zhang Yang's face even more terrifying, his already sharp teeth protruding outward. With his other hand, he reached out to grab the Yin Mo Daoist.
The Yin Mo Daoist, clearly not expecting such ferocity from a zombie, cried out in surprise. His left shoulder was grabbed directly.
With a flash of yellow light, Zhang Yang's claw met resistance and barely managed to pierce the flesh.
Zhang Yang was momentarily stunned, realizing that the "Great General of Strength, as per the law" talisman was still working. Its restraining effect had clearly weakened compared to when it was first used, but it still offered significant protection to the Yin Mo Daoist. Otherwise, this strike would have easily torn his shoulder off.
Ah—
The Yin Mo Daoist cried out in pain and kicked out fiercely.
Bang!
Thanks to the talisman's effect, this kick was overwhelmingly powerful, and Zhang Yang heard a "crack!" as his chest caved in. His body flew backward like a broken kite.
Bang!
A loud sound echoed as Zhang Yang's body collided with the previously immobilized zombie, both zombies tumbling to the ground.
Although Zhang Yang didn't feel physical pain from such damage, the broken ribs severely hindered his movement and weakened his combat ability.
Zhang Yang was in pain, but the Yin Mo Daoist wasn't in much better shape. The wound on his shoulder, which had been torn open by Zhang Yang's claws, started to turn dark and purple, with no blood leaking out.
"Corpse poison!"
The Yin Mo Daoist's face twisted in fury.
"You bastard! How dare you grab me! I had planned to capture you alive and take you back to the sect for research! Since you've done this, don't blame me for what comes next!"
The Yin Mo Daoist said as he reached into his robe and pulled out a jade box. Performing a hand gesture, he chanted incantations:
"Summon the divine weapon! As per the law!"
Whoosh!
A streak of light shot out from the jade box, floating in mid-air. Despite no wind, it fluttered, emitting a rapid "pop, pop" sound.
The moment this talisman appeared, it felt like the very forces of nature began to surge, with the lightning above becoming even more violent.
The Yin Mo Daoist raised his hand toward the sky and shouted:
"Five Thunder Generals, rise and strike! Drive the thunder and stir the clouds, sound the flag, and summon without delay! As per the law! Hurry!"
With the incantation, there was a sudden deafening crash.
Crack!
Boom! Boom Boom—
A massive thunderbolt struck down, blasting the cave ceiling apart, huge rocks tumbling, and rain pouring down in torrents.
The yellow talisman floating in the air flashed again, still "pop, pop" as it fluttered.
The Yin Mo Daoist grinned with satisfaction, clearly pleased with the power of the strike. But immediately, he looked regretful. This was an authentic thunder summoning talisman! He wouldn't have used it unless absolutely necessary, as he was reluctant to waste such a valuable item.
But all of this was caused by that damn zombie. The Yin Mo Daoist was enraged just thinking about it.