CHAPTER 243: CHAPTER 243: 300 STRANDS OF LIGHT OF FORTUNE

"Boom!"

With a loud crash, the zombie had already blasted a large hole into the mountain wall, enduring the attack above its head, its body emitting swirling black smoke and drifting corpse qi as it charged into the mountain’s interior space.

"Corpse army, awaken all three thousand ironclad corpses for me!"

The zombie waved its hand, sending a swirl of corpse qi toward the ritual altar in the center of the mountain space.

Only...

"Where’s the corpse-controlling banner?" The zombie was dumbfounded.

Within the cavern space of the mountain, quietly stood three thousand blue-grey bodies clad in dark iron armor, some holding long spears, some with swords and shields, others drawing strong bows, and even three hundred corpse-riding skeleton horses.

However, these three thousand iron corpses showed no sign of breath or divine soul fluctuation. In front of them stood a half-human-high altar, but the banner supposed to control these iron corpses was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is my corpse-controlling banner?"

Beside the altar, Lu Zheng stood calmly, blinking, looking innocent as he said, "Yeah, where’s the corpse-controlling banner?"

"The banner was nourished on the altar, and its energy is connected to the three thousand iron corpses, you couldn’t possibly take it!"

"You’re right!" Lu Zheng nodded matter-of-factly, "Makes sense!"

"Huff! Huff!"

The zombie was breathing heavily, glaring angrily at Lu Zheng, its cheeks twitching while revealing two fangs in its mouth, eyes turning blood red.

The next moment, the zombie stomped its feet, moving like lightning toward Lu Zheng, "Return my corpse-controlling banner!"

"Sorry, I don’t have it!" Lu Zheng laughed and vanished into the ground.

Meanwhile, Daoist Mingzhang and four others also entered the cavern space from the passage made by the zombie.

"This place is..."

Guangyue was stunned, "There’s such a place in the stomach of the secret realm mountain?"

Daoist Jiu Zhen said, "Forget about those dead things for now, since the zombie has entered the mountain, seeking death, let’s not let it leave again!"

"Attack!"

"Be careful not to damage those iron corpses." Daoist Mingzhang urgently reminded, "Refinement with Daoist techniques can make them excellent Daoist soldiers!"

"Got it!" Yan Hongxia casually replied, and sword light flashed past the side of an iron corpse, creating a notch.

Daoist Mingzhang grimaced, thinking it’s easier said than done, and hurried forward, stepping on Gang and Dou, forming seal technique with his fingers, chanting words, directly aiming at the zombie.

"Supreme Decree, Flowing Cloud Demon Slayer, strike!"

...

In the mountain’s cavern space, Lu Zheng had just emerged from the other side when he saw the zombie charging toward him like mad.

"Goodness, it really is relentless, isn’t it?"

Lu Zheng snarked, as two Red Jade Swords flew out then were knocked back by the zombie, gathered into his hand; seeing the zombie approaching, he executed another Earth Travel Technique to slip away.

"Boom!"

With one claw strike from the zombie, rocks shattered and flew, but Lu Zheng had already tunneled away.

"Die, give me back my corpse-controlling banner!"

Lu Zheng emerged from another side, catching his breath.

No doubt, using Earth Travel Technique within the hard mountain rocks does consume more magical power.

However...

Observing the zombie with its neck half severed, left arm cleaved at the elbow, body covered densely with wounds spewing corpse qi, and with lightning flashes, cloud qi, Buddha light, and sword qi flickering on the wounds...

Results are remarkable indeed!

As the zombie charged at him again, Lu Zheng blinked, having no intention of attacking a fallen foe, instead turning to leave.

...

"Ah ah ah! I won’t accept it!"

"Crack!"

"Bang!"

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

A Red Jade Sword, a stream of white sword qi pierced through the zombie’s eyes, dispersing the remaining corpse qi in its head.

As the corpse qi dissipated, the true spirit and divine soul naturally perished as well.

The previously solid healing steel, now resembled a broken sack as the corpse fell to the ground.

"Finally dead..."

This was the most formidable opponent Lu Zheng had encountered thus far, not only formidable but predictably, if not for Lu Zheng’s appearance, the enemy’s future could have been even more advanced, proven by the Light of Fortune absorbed from the Jade Seal.

A whole two hundred and ninety-two strands, nearly exceeding the three hundred mark—definitely a thousand-year-old monster!

Lu Zheng also breathed a sigh of relief, worried that the zombie’s death might have no connection to him, and the Jade Seal wouldn’t draw any Light of Fortune.

Thank goodness, indicating that indeed the zombie’s death was linked to him.

Hmm...

This statement seems a bit off...but forget it, it’s not important!

"Finally dead..."

The others also breathed a sigh of relief; five people besieged it, fighting almost for a whole day, Guangyue and Yan Hongxia’s true qi was nearly exhausted; if the zombie didn’t die soon, they would have to retreat from battle.

"This zombie, if not for the Nine Yang Transformation Skill unfinished, for sure we wouldn’t have taken it down." Daoist Jiu Zhen shook his head and said, "The zombie must have five hundred years of Dao practice."

Daoist Mingzhang nodded, "Close enough if not exactly."

Then took a regretful look around.

Out of the three thousand iron corpses, estimated four to five hundred were shattered, leaving only two thousand five hundred intact.

However...

That’s still a lot!

"How come there are so many iron corpses in this secret realm mountain?" Guangyue once again raised the previous question, "If the zombie truly was an official from the previous dynasty..."

"These iron corpses are one of the methods the previous dynasty used to counter Great Jing." Daoist Mingzhang explained, "This secret realm was naturally known by the previous dynasty as well, and might have even been sealed by them; after enduring six hundred years of frost, it slowly unsealed, ultimately discovered by Jiming Temple."

"This zombie should indeed have been preparing to command these iron corpses, but for some reason, those soldiers didn’t start, and he buried himself in the tomb, turning into a zombie, and slept for six hundred years." Daoist Jiu Zhen said.

With the zombie’s death, the full truth naturally vanished into history’s river.

Yan Hongxia’s divine thought flickered, the sword light enveloping the sword pill dissipated, leaving only the half-inch-sized silver-white sword pill itself, smooth as if washed, swirling in the air before flying back into her mouth.

Guangyue struck his long staff, asking, "What are we going to do here now?"

"Destroying these iron corpses would be a pity; I can refine them into Daoist soldiers, capable of guarding, nursing home duties, cleaning or moving, exerting some strength." Daoist Mingzhang said.

Looking at Daoist Jiu Zhen and the other three, Daoist Mingzhang asked, "Do you want them?"

Yan Hongxia shook her head repeatedly, saying sword cultivators don’t have such means.

Daoist Jiu Zhen and Guangyue also shook their heads, indicating they don’t need them.

Daoist Mingzhang stroked his beard, smiling, "Then I’ll take advantage of it."

Lu Zheng asked Daoist Mingzhang, "Do we still require the corpse-controlling banner?"

Daoist Mingzhang nodded, "Having it would save some effort."

"I just hid the banner underground, let me go retrieve it."

Lu Zheng stated and tunneled, traveling to... the surface.

Traversing the modern world, retrieving the banner, traversing back, instantly earth-traveling to the cavern space.

"Got it back!"