"Have everyone back off. We absolutely cannot let it suck human blood. Otherwise, we might not be able to keep it alive today. Once it enters the mortal world, it will be a monstrous calamity."
What would happen if a zombie king with consciousness entered the human world? In modern society, a socialist country with its mobilization power would either teach him to be human or to become a zombie. But in this era of warlordism and chaos, allowing such a thing into the mortal realm would likely result in a flying zombie or even a drought demon within a few years. If the development of the times cannot keep up with its growth, the consequences are unimaginable.
"Chen Yulou, lend me your Little Divine Blade." The Little Divine Blade is a short sword, a heirloom of the leader of the Unloading Ridge faction. It can cut through gold and jade, and sever hair with a breath. It can be considered a divine weapon.
At this moment, Lu Xuan actually wished he had a heavy-duty machete or axe. Unfortunately, even among the members of the Unloading Ridge Clan, none of them knew how to use such heavy-duty cold weapons.
Without a word, Chen Yulou took out his Little Divine Sword and tossed it to Lu Xuan. At that moment, a faint tremor emanated from the pile of rubble below. Chen Yulou immediately shouted.
"Everyone, leave." This adventure has progressed beyond simple tomb raiding. Chen Yulou knows the Xieling brothers are no match for this zombie king-level creature. He has no choice but to send them away.
The three disciples of the Mountain Moving Sect were prepared to stay and join forces with Lu Xuan. However, Lu Xuan waved for them to leave.
"You won't be of any use staying here. Go find Commander Luo and ask him for weapons. The most enthusiastic kind."
Partridge Whistle glanced at Lu Xuan, stopping his junior sister from saying anything more.
"Understood, take care, senior."
Seeing that everyone had almost retreated, Lu Xuan lit all the remaining gunpowder and threw it all at once. He didn't care if it was effective or not; he just wanted to kill them first. Although he cultivated immortality, he believed in scientific methods. Gunpowder was a good thing; if it could be used, he would use it.
The horribly battered and mangled corpse king finally broke free of the rubble. But what came towards him was a basket of explosives. This time, however, he casually picked up a slab of stone from the ground and hurled the basket of explosives through the air.
"It truly has regained its senses." Lu Xuan stepped back, showing no intention of engaging in a direct confrontation. He had only dared to attack the Flying Centipede because of its low intelligence. But this creature before him possessed astonishingly high intelligence. Moreover, it hadn't been killed by so much gunpowder, and its physical strength was simply unmatched.
Lu Xuan felt that his current strength was unlikely to pose a fatal threat to the other party. Most importantly, he didn't want to risk his life against this thing.
There was only Lu Xuan alive before him. And he was the kind of exquisitely delicious, top-tier feast. The Corpse King immediately locked onto Lu Xuan. His towering body, like a bulldozer, smashed through the pile of rocks and charged straight towards the mountaintop.
Without a second thought, Lu Xuan turned and ran, his body darting into the forest. The Corpse King followed closely behind. But the next second, Lu Xuan suddenly turned back. The Ape Strike Technique excels at navigating and climbing complex terrain. In the forest, Lu Xuan's body swung and glided like an ape. The small divine blade in his hand left numerous wounds on the Corpse King's exposed body.
The previous bombs were actually effective. They at least completely destroyed the creature's armor and caused some damage to its body. Lu Xuan's Little Divine Blade, a rare and powerful weapon, was enough to slice through its body, resulting in continuous and devastating wounds. However, the creature knew how to protect itself and could even use some instinctive combat techniques, preventing Lu Xuan from inflicting fatal damage.
The key point, according to Lu Xuan, is that the Corpse King's body is becoming increasingly agile over time. Initially, it was completely stiff, giving off a zombie-like feel. But now, it looks no different from a normal person. Keep in mind, this creature has never drunk a single person's blood since its birth.
Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, a major battle had just ended. Commander Luo, having anticipated the enemy's attack and knowing their route, had laid an ambush and easily annihilated Ma Zhenbang's invading forces. They were currently clearing out the spoils of war.
"Ma Zhenbang has quite a few good things. This mortar is brand new. These shells are all foreign imports, tsk tsk. Not bad, not bad. Keep them all safe, this will be your family fortune from now on."
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Chapter 198 Capturing the Corpse King (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Lu Xuan began to feel tired. There was nothing he could do; the Corpse King before him seemed tireless. No matter how many wounds Lu Xuan inflicted on it, it had absolutely no effect on its movements.
Lu Xuan, who had been using the Ape Strike Technique to continuously circulate his internal energy, was beginning to feel fatigued. He had only completed a small cycle. His internal energy was far from being inexhaustible. After continuous battles, it was starting to run out of supply.
On the other hand, the Corpse King opposite him not only possessed agility comparable to that of an ordinary human, but had even begun to employ various combat techniques of battle formations. He might not have memories of his past life, but those combat skills etched into his flesh were indeed starting to manifest.
Moreover, Lu Xuan noticed this as well. This thing had no blood, and its flesh was almost entirely flawless; the wounds he had made were actually of little significance. The Corpse King's ability to move stemmed from the Yin energy gathered within its body. However, this Yin energy was inevitably hidden within its body; if its flesh couldn't be broken, it was utterly useless.
Thinking of this, Lu Xuan couldn't help but mention the Ape Strike Technique, a Qi cultivation method that surprisingly lacked a matching spell. Lu Xuan could only rely on his martial arts experience from his previous life to fight his enemies.
However, at this moment, he vaguely heard some chaotic sounds coming from afar. Lu Xuan's heart stirred, and he immediately disengaged from the battle, heading towards the sound. But the Corpse King also sensed the presence of life.
Partridge Whistle understood Lu Xuan's meaning perfectly. Their group had managed to procure a mortar and two boxes of ammunition. However, hitting the Corpse King, who was now almost as fast as Lu Xuan, with the mortar was virtually impossible. The ammunition, on the other hand, was something they could use.
Seeing the Corpse King rampaging through the forest, the Mountain Moving Trio finally revealed their true skill. They simultaneously used three Sky-Reaching Ropes to create traps in the surrounding bushes. As the Corpse King charged towards them, the three pulled at the same time, attempting to use the ropes to hoist it up.
However, the three underestimated the fact that the Corpse King's power far surpassed that of the zombies they had encountered before. Even with their combined strength, they couldn't hold back the Corpse King. Instead, the immense impact sent them flying.
However, the Heavenly Rope of the Mountain Moving Secret Technique remained intact, successfully halting the Corpse King's advance. Once the Corpse King had broken free of the binding ropes, Lu Xuan had already grabbed a mortar shell.
Early mortar shells used inertial detonation fuses. To ensure a high detonation rate, these fuses were typically very sensitive. Even a slight impact would cause them to detach, allowing the shell to detonate upon throwing. In modern times, this design has largely been abandoned, replaced by double or even triple fuses, significantly improving safety.
Lu Xuan slammed his right hand down on the bottom of the mortar, sending the shell flying like a projectile.
The Corpse King, thirty meters away, had just broken free of the Heavenly Rope when he was struck head-on by a mortar shell. The next second, a violent explosion accompanied by a burst of flames shot into the sky. American-made mortar shells do inflict considerable damage. At least the Corpse King was instantly blasted away by the shockwave.
Lu Xuan could even feel the condensed Yin energy trembling violently, but it didn't actually dissipate.
Lu Xuan pursed his lips. He picked up another mortar shell. Then another... After six mortar shells in a row, the Corpse King lay motionless on the ground.
Almost all of its bones were shattered. Its skin was torn and bleeding, and in many places, the bone was even visible. A large amount of yin energy had been lost from its body, rendering it unable to move. But it was still not dead. Lu Xuan had no doubt that given enough blood, this thing would immediately become lively and energetic again.
Dozens of kilograms of explosives, plus the direct impact of six mortar shells, couldn't kill this thing. Whoever cultivated this zombie king must have been thinking. If Lu Xuan hadn't been here today, this thing might have actually escaped.
At this moment, Commander Luo and his group finally returned.
"Damn it, there really is a zombie king. Even cannonballs can't kill it?"
"This is only its weakest form. If the others hadn't retreated back then and had their blood sucked, we probably wouldn't be able to hold it back today. This thing has just awakened, and although it has some consciousness, it's not clear enough. It didn't know how to escape, which is why we were able to defeat it. Find some chains, tie this thing up, and then transport it back."
"Send it back, but don't kill it. This thing is terrifying to me."
"It's not that simple. As I said before, the feng shui of Ping Mountain has been manipulated. This corpse king was raised by someone. Only by keeping it can we find the people behind it."
"Guanshan Taibao?" Partridge Whistle seemed to understand Lu Xuan's meaning.
"It's probably these guys. From what I know, the Guanshan Taibao's real research direction has never been the elixir of immortality. They're on a different path: corpse liberation and ascension to immortality."
"Corpse dissolution and ascension to immortality? A heretical method in the legends of Taoism."
"Many things in Taoism cannot be described simply as good or evil. For example, raising ghosts, driving corpses, and creating zombies may sound like evil practices, but they are actually orthodox practices of Maoshan. There are also many different ways to achieve immortality through corpse liberation."
The Taoist text *Wushang Biyao* records that *corpse liberation* is the transformation of form, the refinement and shedding of one's true nature, and the metamorphosis of the physical body. The *corpse liberation* and ascension to immortality described here is a form of transformation, like a cicada shedding its skin. Death is merely the beginning; shedding the mortal body achieves another kind of transcendence. Ancient Taoism contains legends of immortals leaving behind their remains, which is similar to this process.