CHAPTER 241: CHAPTER 241 FINALLY MEET THE ZOMBIE

Yan Hongxia’s eyes lit up, "Zombie?"

Daoist Mingzhang frowned, "Nine male children?"

Daoist Jiu Zhen mused, "The zombie’s divine techniques are incomplete, and it was startled awake, its divine soul scattered. Is it planning to temporarily suppress it with Nine Yang Essence Blood?"

Guangyue blinked, momentarily dumbfounded. How did Brother Lu suddenly acquire so many experts by his side?

"No wonder his tracks couldn’t be found around Tonglin County; he went straight to Pingtan County," Lu Zheng nodded, "But how did he know about the secret realm at Jiming Temple?"

Guangyue shook his head, "No idea. I was doing my tasks in the temple when suddenly a black cloud loomed, corpse qi spread, and as soon as I came out, I saw the zombie carrying nine male children. With a single blow, it broke the secret realm barrier and went inside.

Then I tried to follow and found that the entrance to the secret realm was sealed by corpse qi. Even with the Light Relics, I couldn’t get in, so I came to ask for your help."

Daoist Jiu Zhen squinted, "The matter is urgent; he didn’t have time to kill Fellow Daoist Yuan Jing nor tangle with you. There’s no time to lose, let’s hurry; maybe we can save those nine children!"

"What are you standing there for? Let’s go!" Lu Zheng urged.

"Let’s go!" Guangyue, jolted to action, grabbed a stick and dashed out the door.

Lu Zheng, Yan Hongxia, Daoist Jiu Zhen, and Daoist Mingzhang followed one after another, quickly exiting the courtyard and heading toward the west gate.

Lu Zheng felt a gaze, turned around, and saw Liu Qingyan standing on the wall. The two exchanged a glance, Liu Qingyan waved, and Lu Zheng nodded.

...

In no time, the five arrived at Jiming Temple.

Since the last incident at Jiming Temple, this was Lu Zheng’s first return. The temple had been rebuilt, though not as magnificent as the glazed Buddha had manifested, and it wasn’t large, but it had all facilities like the mountain gate, Celestial King Hall, Bell and Drum Tower, Arhat Hall, Bodhisattva Hall, and Great Hero Hall.

Guangyue hadn’t set the Abbot’s Chamber at the entrance to the secret realm, but instead placed the entrance in the temple’s backyard.

After all, half of this secret realm belonged to White Cloud Temple.

Daoist Mingzhang knew this as well, so he asked, "Has the demonic qi in the secret realm not yet been purged?"

"Not yet," Guangyue shook his head, "I still need to use the Light Relics and Cloud Purification Talisman to purge it for an hour daily, it will probably take another six months."

On the other side, Daoist Jiu Zhen sensed the disturbance not far ahead, extended a hand, and released Palm Thunder.

"Crack!"

"Buzz!"

"Such heavy corpse qi!" Daoist Jiu Zhen’s eyes narrowed, forming a seal with his hands, "Celestial Venerable Decree, Nine Heavens Responding Thunder, break!"

"Boom!"

Thunder arose from the ground, purple light flickered, as a wave of corpse qi suddenly filled the space, rippling then disappearing once more, the entrance to the secret realm still did not open.

"Let me lend you a hand, Fellow Daoist."

Now wasn’t the time for courtesy, Daoist Mingzhang decisively stepped in, pinching a seal with his fingers while chanting, "Sanqing Decree, Flying Cloud Breaks Evil, swift!"

Daoist Jiu Zhen also immediately cast Thunder Technique again; together, they finally dissipated the zombie’s sealing corpse qi, opening the gateway to adversity.

"I’ll go in first!"

As Yan Hongxia was about to speak, Guangyue stepped in front of them, holding his wooden staff across his chest, golden light flickering, a relic hovering over his head, releasing thousands of rays of light, making him appear like a Golden Body Arhat.

With one step, he entered the secret realm.

Then Daoist Mingzhang and Daoist Jiu Zhen followed one after the other.

Lu Zheng and Yan Hongxia also immediately followed.

...

With one step forward, the world changed.

Inside the secret realm, on a mountain peak, golden light shimmered on the left, white clouds drifted on the right, but in the middle...

The entrance to the secret realm was located on the mountainside. As soon as Lu Zheng entered, he saw black clouds swirling in the sky, dense corpse qi in the air, and at the mountain’s peak, a ferocious and terrifying presence was wantonly releasing its pressure.

As soon as he entered the secret realm, Lu Zheng even felt his breath slightly halted by the forceful aura.

"It is indeed casting a spell, up the mountain!" Daoist Jiu Zhen shouted, unfolding his body, leading the charge up the mountain.

Lu Zheng and the others followed closely and reached the mountaintop in moments.

They saw nine boys aged four to five sitting cross-legged around a circle about a meter in diameter, all with their eyes closed and expressions of pain on their faces.

In the center, a figure with dark greenish-black skin stood stiffly, also with eyes closed, shrouded in corpse qi, nine strands of qi chains extended, entangling the nine boys.

As they arrived, a drop of essence blood emerged between each boy’s brows, transforming into a blood light that merged into the central figure.

In an instant, the zombie opened its eyes.

Black smoke gathered, corpse qi skyrocketed.

The next moment...

"Celestial Venerable Decree, Nine Heavens Responding Thunder, break!"

"Sanqing Decree, Flowing Cloud Demon Slayer, swift!"

"Great Sun Golden Light, descend!"

Yan Hongxia opened her mouth, and a sword pill half an inch in size flew out, transforming into a white sword light, shooting at the zombie.

Lu Zheng flicked his fingers, launching three Red Jade Swords, but they weren’t aimed at the zombie, instead targeting the qi chains binding the zombie and the nine boys.

"Boom!"

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

"Thud!"

"Ding!"

"Crunch crunch—"

...

Thunder, flowing clouds, Buddha light, sword qi!

All kinds of attacks fell, scattering the black smoke corpse qi.

"Woo woo woo!!!"

As the zombie was attacked, Lu Zheng took the opportunity to sever the qi chains between it and the nine boys, circling the zombie, grabbing rapidly, using the Transportation Technique, he pulled all nine boys behind them.

"Howl howl howl!!!"

The presence within the black smoke abruptly waned, but suddenly, it surged again with renewed intensity.

"What’s happening?"

As Lu Zheng thought this, a figure charged out of the black smoke, appearing right in front of him in an instant.

The blood-red eyes almost paralyzed him with shock, an iron palm reaching for his throat.

"Lu Zheng!"

"Brother Lu!"

"Swish!"

The zombie grabbed empty air.

"Whoosh!"

The next moment, Lu Zheng emerged from the ground beside Daoist Mingzhang.

"Earth Travel Technique!" everyone exclaimed in surprise.

"Earth Travel Technique?" Daoist Mingzhang also looked at Lu Zheng with bewilderment.

The Earth Travel Technique isn’t easy to master, and the technique isn’t widely circulated; even White Cloud Temple doesn’t have its inheritance. Where did he learn it?

Lu Zheng had mentioned the stalactite spirit to Daoist Mingzhang, but only that the other side gifted him with stalactite essence, not about playing chess or learning the Earth Travel Technique from it.

Fearing it might seem boastful, Lu Zheng hadn’t flaunted it.

"Such speed!" Lu Zheng marveled, "This isn’t like the zombies in the usual tales. No wonder Yuan Jing got hit without reacting, nearly going over."