Volume 1 Volume 6 Chapter 53

Volume 6 Chapter 53: Alone in Battle (Part 3)

After Dongfang Qingling regained her ability to move, Xu Qingfan told her to stay behind while he went alone to face the zombie master and the three newly appeared black-clothed cultivators.

At the same time, after a brief pause, the zombie master and the three black-clothed cultivators quickly flew towards Xu Qingfan.

Like Dongfang Qingling, the three black-clothed cultivators were shocked to see Xu Qingfan dare to face them alone. After all, Xu Qingfan’s strength was only equal to theirs, but they could not tell if Xu Qingfan was being reckless or had too much confidence in himself.

Because of this, the three black-clothed cultivators could not see Xu Qingfan’s true abilities. As they got closer to him, they gradually slowed down, their eyes filled with caution.

It must be said that after fighting Feng Qingtian to a draw, Xu Qingfan’s confidence rose greatly. Otherwise, with Xu Qingfan’s cautious nature, he would never face four opponents with equal strength by himself.

Finally, both sides stopped when they were about ten paces apart. The Zhong family members didn’t know what Xu Qingfan was relying on, while Xu Qingfan wanted to ask about Jin Qinghan’s whereabouts, so neither side attacked right away.

Since Jin Qinghan might have already died at the hands of the zombie master, Xu Qingfan looked at the zombie master with a cold and fierce gaze. After silently sizing up the four in front of him for a moment, Xu Qingfan was about to ask something when the zombie master suddenly roared and lunged at Xu Qing.

"Is he crazy?"

Seeing the zombie master lunge at Xu Qingfan, that was the shared thought of Xu Qingfan and the three black-clothed cultivators.

First, he was looked down upon by his relatives, then criticized as worthless by his ancestor. After that, his true form was destroyed, and he had to reside in the body of a zombie, making it hard for him to regain his strength in this life. Once a proud Mahayana Stage master, now Zhong Ling was like a living dead, no different from a zombie. This huge contrast turned Zhong Ling’s pride into shame and inferiority. The calmness he once had as a Mahayana Stage master had completely vanished, and he was now easily stirred to anger more than anyone else.

In Zhong Ling’s eyes, everyone looked at him with scorn and mockery. Xu Qingfan’s cold gaze was no different to him, but the three black-clothed individuals were from the Zhong family, so he couldn’t do much about them. Xu Qingfan, however, was different.

"I have become like this all because of you. How dare you mock and look down on me before I get my revenge on you?"

This was all that Zhong Ling could think of at that moment. He had planned to join the other three disciples of the Zhong family to surround their enemy, but now he could no longer hold himself back.

Watching Zhong Ling rush towards Xu Qingfan, the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family, who had intended to test Xu Qingfan’s strength, let out a sigh. Just as he was about to join Zhong Ling, he paused, realizing it would be better to let Zhong Ling scout Xu Qingfan’s power first. So instead of attacking, he stopped the other two with a look and stood by, smiling as he watched.

Meanwhile, the irrational Zhong Ling saw nothing but the hated Xu Qingfan and was unaware that he was being used by his own clan.

On the other side, seeing the zombie master rushing towards him, Xu Qingfan snorted and decided to pause his plan to ask questions. He figured he could interrogate them after capturing them.

Facing Zhong Ling, who was surrounded by dark, ominous clouds, Xu Qingfan showed no fear. He flicked his fingers, unleashing his special move, "Life and Death Finger." Countless beams of black and white light shot from his fingertips towards Zhong Ling.

At the same time, Little Black, perched on Xu Qingfan’s shoulder, spread his wings and transformed into a streak of black light, dashing quickly towards Zhong Ling.

After becoming a zombie, Zhong Ling not only experienced a huge drop in his power, but most of the magical skills he mastered in life could not be used due to the limitations of his new body. Although he gained the formidable strength of a zombie, overall, he had lost much more than he had gained. Furthermore, as a cultivator who relied on control and ranged attacks, suddenly having to fight up close as a zombie was very uncomfortable, making Xu Qingfan’s battle against him surprisingly easy.

Xu Qingfan stepped on "Flying Satin," turning into a bright yellow light that moved swiftly through the air. He continuously unleashed his "Life and Death Finger," filling the sky with swirling columns of black and white light, and the sound of the beams cutting through the air filled his ears, giving him a clear advantage.

And that Zhong Ling, nearly ten feet tall, was wrapped in black shadows, appearing fierce and terrifying. He roared continuously, swinging his hand and sending thick waves of death energy towards Xu Qingfan, changing the colors of the sky and earth wherever he went, like a Demon God breaking free from the ground. However, his speed was slightly slow; although his attacks were wild, most of them missed Xu Qingfan, who moved quickly. Occasionally, a few attacks posed a threat to Xu Qingfan, but under the counterattack of "Life and Death Finger," they were destroyed before reaching him. Instead, it was Xu Qingfan’s "Life and Death Finger" that made Zhong Ling look awkward while dodging. When it hit, even Zhong Ling’s powerful zombie body shattered instantly, causing him to roar in pain.

On the other side, Little Black, known as the zombie’s nemesis, followed behind Zhong Ling like a shadow while he attacked Xu Qingfan. He did not attack but kept absorbing the death energy Zhong Ling released, causing Zhong Ling’s energy to be used up much faster than usual.

At the back, Dongfang Qingling watched Xu Qingfan and Zhong Ling fight, looking somewhat dazed. She did not expect Xu Qingfan to be so effortless against Zhong Ling. She recalled that she had been easily captured by Zhong Ling twice before and suddenly realized how much the gap between her and Xu Qingfan had widened without her noticing.

"Finish!"

In the battlefield, sensing that the time was right, Xu Qingfan’s eyes flashed with light. He suddenly shouted.

As Xu Qingfan shouted, the pillars of black and white light suddenly changed direction, connecting together to form a Tianluo web that enveloped Zhong Ling.

This was another technique from Xu Qingfan’s "Formula of Life and Death," called "Web of Life and Death." Once it closed in, the energies of life and death would explode uncontrollably, and anyone trapped inside would be severely injured, even if they did not die.

Watching the black and white Tianluo web wrapping around him, Zhong Ling, who had nowhere to hide, realized that he had been at a disadvantage against Xu Qingfan the whole time. His normally numb zombie face was filled with shame and anger. Then a hint of hesitation crossed his eyes, followed by a look of determination, as if he had made an important decision.

Just then, the other three members of the Zhong family suddenly made their move.

Seeing Xu Qingfan gaining the upper hand in the fight with Zhong Ling, the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family felt relieved. He was not afraid of Xu Qingfan’s strength but worried about unknown tricks Xu Qingfan might have.

Thinking he understood Xu Qingfan’s strengths and weaknesses, the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family nodded slightly at the other two and then made his move as Zhong Ling was about to be captured.

The Zhong family has existed in the cultivation world for thousands of years, even longer than several Holy Lands. Among them was their ancestor, a remarkable talent, and the cultivation methods they passed down are very profound and exquisite.

People believe that the Zhong family only excels in controlling zombies, but that is an old story from many years ago. After their ancestor took charge, the Zhong family greatly developed and enriched their cultivation techniques. After three thousand years, the Zhong family has evolved from solely controlling zombies to many unimaginable methods.

Basically, the methods currently popular in the Zhong family are categorized into five main groups, "Corpse," "Death," "Dark," "Ritual," and "Fusion."

Among these, "Corpse" refers to the methods of refining and controlling zombies. This is the Zhong family’s traditional skill, and they excel in it, with the most disciples practicing this technique.

"Death" involves directly using death energy to attack. Due to the nature of death energy, this method is the most powerful among the five, but it is also the hardest to master. Among the thousands of Zhong family disciples, only a few can wield this technique.

"Dark" is a unique method created by the Zhong family ancestor based on the corrosive power of death energy and the potent toxicity of corpse poison, as well as the covert nature of their application. It can strike silently, leaving the opponent unaware until it is too late, with corpse poison and death energy already deeply embedded in their bones and soul.

"Ritual" is the Zhong family’s most unique method, combining popular formations in the cultivation world with obscure evil ceremonies like "Blood Ritual," "Life Ritual," and "Spirit Ritual," while incorporating the unique characteristics of death energy. This method is the most mysterious, and aside from the ancestor, only Zhong Ling and the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family have mastered it, even fewer than those who grasp the "Death" technique.

"The ‘Merge’ is the only one of the five great schools that was not created by the ancestor of the Zhong family. Instead, it was the act of Little Thirteen from the Zhong family, who was killed by Xu Qingfan in his youth. Back then, the ‘Spirit Purging Cult’ sought refuge with the Zhong family in the East Sea. However, unlike the Zhong family, by the time they escaped to the East Sea, the ‘Spirit Purging Cult’ was already weak. One day, Little Thirteen had a sudden idea and single-handedly destroyed the ‘Spirit Purging Cult,’ obtaining their highest cultivation method, the ‘Spirit Purging Sutra.’ He created the merging method with corpses, which is also the reason why the ancestor of the Zhong family was so angry when he learned that Little Thirteen had been killed by Xu Qingfan. In the ancestor’s eyes, whether in talent or character, Little Thirteen was more suitable to inherit the Zhong family than Zhong Ling."

Without further ado, let’s speak about the three disciples of the Zhong family, each of whom was among the strongest in the family. Zhong family Fifth Brother excelled in the methods of "Corpse," Eleventh Brother specialized in "Darkness," while Zhong family Fourth Brother was particularly skilled in all methods except "Merge," among which he was most proficient in "Ritual."

After the three members of the Zhong family took action, Xu Qingfan, who had been watching them closely, was suddenly shocked and became wary.

Zhong family Fifth Brother murmured softly, continuously making hand signs. In front of him, a thick black mist suddenly arose. Within the black mist, terrifying howls could be faintly heard, and a dangerous aura spread out from the mist, filling the entire world in an instant.

Moments later, the faint howls became clear, and more than ten shadowy figures suddenly darted out of the black mist, rushing towards Xu Qingfan like lightning.

The shadows moved extremely fast, but their speed only slowed down when they encountered Xu Qingfan’s "Life and Death Finger" technique, allowing Xu Qingfan to finally see their true forms.

These shadows resembled ordinary Corpse Kings, but unlike the usual strong yet somewhat clumsy physique of a Corpse King, their bodies were longer and more agile. They had wings on their backs, horns on their heads, long sharp red nails on their fingers, and their eyes shone with an astonishing red light. They were the ‘Ecstasy Corpse,’ which ranked high in power among corpses!

It is said that each Ecstasy Corpse has strength above the peak of the Real Golden Core Stage, so it was surprising that this Zhong family Fifth Brother could summon more than ten at once. No wonder he wore such an arrogant expression; he indeed had reasons to be proud.

At that moment, the ‘Ecstasy Corpse’ were fiercely attacking the ‘Web of Life and Death’ that was blocking their way to Xu Qingfan. Although the ‘Web of Life and Death’ was powerful, it was not known for its sturdiness. Even though the ‘Ecstasy Corpse’ suffered from the destructive backlash created by the clash of life and death energies while breaking through the web, they ultimately managed to destroy it and rushed towards Xu Qingfan without hesitation.

After the "Ecstasy Corpses" broke the "Web of Life and Death," they indirectly helped Zhong Ling escape. Once Zhong Ling was free, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and then roared loudly, charging towards Xu Qingfan again with the "Ecstasy Corpses."

On the other side, compared to the loud call to attack by Zhong family Fifth Brother, Zhong family Eleventh Brother, with a grim expression, was much more low-key. He only slightly moved his fingers to create a faint black mist that gently pointed towards Xu Qingfan’s location, and then the mist suddenly disappeared.

Although it was silent, for some reason, Xu Qingfan immediately felt a sense of danger and secretly raised his guard, but strangely, nothing happened.

Unlike the other two, Zhong family Fourth Brother did not act; he simply stood with his hands behind his back, watching the battlefield as if waiting for something. However, a subtle air of danger around him was even stronger than that of the other two combined.

"During this time, as my strength has grown, things have gone smoothly, and the opponents I faced were not as strong as before. Especially after fighting with Feng Qingtian, my confidence in my own power has greatly increased. Now that I think about it, I have unconsciously become arrogant. Every golden core cultivator is not so simple, especially since they are from the Zhong family. This time, not carefully observing their strength and thinking I could take on four of them was reckless of me."

Xu Qingfan thought to himself.

Although he regretted his arrogance and rashness, Xu Qingfan remained calm. While the strength of the three Zhong family members exceeded his expectations, it did not mean he was without the ability to protect himself.

Suddenly, Xu Qingfan’s body swayed, and the space around him rippled. Then, two identical figures appeared beside him, joining Little Black to charge at Zhong Ling and the "Ecstasy Corpses." These were Xu Qingfan’s two clones, Xu Ying and Xu Zhiyuan.

"Indeed, there is hidden strength. The technique of creating clones is interesting."

The Fourth Brother of the Zhong family mumbled.

As he spoke, the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family waved his hands, and suddenly, more than ten flags filled with dark energy appeared, surrounding the entire battlefield. A mysterious and powerful wave of energy began to rise between the heavens and the earth.

At that moment, Xu Ying, Xu Zhiyuan, and Little Black were already engaged in battle with the "Ecstasy Corpse" and Zhong Ling.

Xu Ying stood firmly in front of Xu Qingfan, with his fists clenched, swinging them continuously. His overwhelming power sent out waves of energy. Within a radius of three yards, neither the "Ecstasy Corpse" nor Zhong Ling could approach him. Every time they attacked, he would knock them back with a punch.

However, the strength of the "Ecstasy Corpse" and Zhong Ling was also formidable. While Xu Ying pushed them back, he too was forced to retreat.

Meanwhile, Xu Zhiyuan pushed his speed to the limit, darting in and out among the "Ecstasy Corpse" and Zhong Ling. Each time he appeared, he unleashed torrents of water, fire, and stone, continuously attacking the surroundings. Though these attacks didn’t cause much harm, they distracted the "Ecstasy Corpse" and Xu Ying from their fight.

In comparison to the two clones, Little Black posed the greatest threat to the "Ecstasy Corpse" and Xu Ying. Little Black rarely attacked, instead flying swiftly around the battlefield to evade, but whenever it did strike, it always landed a hit. Even the powerful "Ecstasy Corpse" would shatter after being pecked three or four times by Little Black, with all their energy absorbed.

At that moment, among the four defeated Ecstasy Corpses, three were killed by Little Black.

On the other side, Xu Qingfan did not pay attention to the fierce battle before him; instead, his focus was on the Fourth Brother and the Eleventh Brother of the Zhong family.

The dangers we can see are never the true dangers. Compared to the many "Ecstasy Corpses" and Zhong Ling’s attacks, Xu Qingfan is much more cautious and concerned about the Zhong family’s Eleventh Brother, whose attacks seem ineffective, and the mysterious Zhong family’s Fourth Brother.

Xu Qingfan took out the "Rainbow Ruler" and the "Five Spirit Bell." The "Five Spirit Bell" turned into a colorful shield that protected him, while the "Rainbow Ruler" became seven beams of rainbow light, striking towards the Zhong family’s Fourth Brother and Eleventh Brother like lightning.

"Pounce…"

However, just at that moment, before the "Rainbow Ruler" reached the two of them, an unexpected change occurred.

Xu Qingfan suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest and abdomen, as if flames were burning inside him, and he couldn’t help but violently spit out a mouthful of blood.

The Zhong family’s Eleventh Brother’s attack finally had an effect.

The moment that the Zhong family’s Fourth Brother had been waiting for had arrived; seeing Xu Qingfan spit blood, he began his own attack.