Wang Xuan and Li Yuanba examined the area carefully with some skepticism, and sure enough, they found that after they entered, most of the zombies remained frozen in place, as if they had been frozen in place.
Only two zombies began to tremble, as if trying to break free of their shackles.
The next moment, the two zombies suddenly roared, and a huge force was poured into their feet, like two cannonballs being fired, and they smashed directly towards Wang Xuan and his group!
"We still have a fighting chance against just two hairy zombies!" Yuan Tiangang roared to the sky, his feet stepping on the Seven Star Step, and the thousand-year-old peach wood sword in his hand emitted a dazzling light, extremely fierce.
In the past two weeks, he has received a lot of world origin infusion every day. Although he failed to break through to the third level of martial arts due to the nature of his cultivation technique, he still has combat power comparable to the early stage of the Dao! With the addition of the thousand-year-old peach wood sword in his hand, he actually fought a hairy zombie to a standstill.
Seeing this, Li Yuanba finally felt relieved and picked up the Golden Hammer of the Drum, smashing it towards another hairy zombie.
As the number one hero of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Li Yuanba was born with superhuman strength. Recently, he has also received ample nourishment from the world's source, making his strength now far greater than before. He is no weaker than Yuan Tiangang.
He swung his pair of golden hammers, creating gusts of wind that collided directly with the zombie's claws, sending the zombie flying backward.
Chapter Seventy-Eight Fellow Daoist, Your Death Was So Tragic!
It is truly remarkable that Yuan Tiangang and Li Yuanba were both able to defeat enemies of higher levels. With their cultivation at the peak of the Innate Realm, they fought to a standstill against two zombies that were only at the third level of martial arts.
However, after observing them, Wang Xuan discovered that both of these hairy zombies were only at the early stage of the third rank, and after dozens of rounds of fighting, both Yuan Tiangang and Li Yuanba gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.
"Fellow Daoist, what are you standing by and doing? Come and help!" Yuan Tiangang was slightly weaker than Li Yuanba and was the first to be unable to hold on, so he hurriedly called for Wang Xuan to come and help.
"Very well, now that I've deduced the Profound Yin Refining Form Technique, I might as well capture a few zombies and refine them into external avatars." Wang Xuan didn't linger, and with a step of the Void Step, he instantly rushed to Yuan Tiangang's side. While Yuan Tiangang was entangled with the zombie, he punched the zombie on the back.
"Boom!" Wang Xuan had used all his strength in this punch, but it only made the zombie stagger back a dozen steps, without causing it any injury at all.
Zombies are born by absorbing the malevolent energy of heaven and earth. When they evolve to the level of hairy zombies, they are already impervious to swords and spears and water and fire. Only the thousand-year-old peach wood sword in Yuan Tiangang's hand can kill them. Even the Thunder Drum Golden Hammer in Li Yuanba's hand is somewhat lacking, let alone Wang Xuan who is unarmed.
After being knocked back more than ten steps by Wang Xuan, the zombie's hatred instantly shifted, and it abandoned Yuan Tiangang to attack Wang Xuan instead!
Although Wang Xuan was alarmed, he remained calm. Protected by the Heavenly Silkworm Armor, he was already in an invincible position. Moreover, he possessed the top-tier movement technique, the Soaring Void Step. With deliberate dodging, the zombie couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes.
Yuan Tiangang did not distance himself from the matter. Taking advantage of the zombie's distraction, he thrust his thousand-year-old peach wood sword at the zombie.
Although the zombie dodged at the crucial moment, avoiding its heart, the sword still pierced its shoulder. The blade went in a full two inches, leaving a large hole that looked like it had been corroded by sulfuric acid.
"Fellow Daoist, with the two of us working together, slaying this zombie won't be difficult!" Having just wounded the zombie, Yuan Tiangang clearly had enough confidence. He raised his thousand-year-old peach wood sword, ready to attack again, while simultaneously calling for Wang Xuan to come and help.
Wang Xuan was indeed preparing to go and help, but at that moment, an unexpected change occurred.
Among the zombies beneath the bronze coffin, one suddenly opened its eyes, emanating a chilling aura, and pounced towards them with lightning speed!
This zombie is no ordinary hairy zombie, but a powerful zombie with half of its hair gone, comparable to the peak of the Daoist realm!
"Not good! Better to die than see my friend die! I'd better get out of here!" Wang Xuan had no intention of fighting this zombie head-on. He used the Lingxu Step to retreat far away.
Wang Xuan was naturally fast, but Yuan Tiangang was caught off guard. By the time he reacted, the zombie had already pounced on him, its claw reaching out to grab him.
Yuan Tiangang hurriedly brandished his thousand-year-old peach wood sword to defend himself, attempting to use the power of this magical artifact to block the zombie's attack.
However, this zombie was far superior to the previous one. It actually grabbed the thousand-year-old peach wood sword with one claw, and with a burst of fierce energy, it broke the thousand-year-old peach wood sword into two pieces!
Wang Xuan stared in disbelief. He knew that the thousand-year-old peach wood sword in Yuan Tiangang's hand was a treasure blessed by the will of heaven, comparable to a mid-grade magic weapon, yet it was destroyed by that zombie.
Such strength is undoubtedly at the peak of the Dao, and even among those at the peak of the Dao, they are among the most powerful!
With the thousand-year-old peach wood sword destroyed, Yuan Tiangang was filled with despair. Before he could even dodge, he was struck in the chest by a zombie's palm, spitting out a mouthful of blood and flying backward.
"What a fierce zombie!" Wang Xuan exclaimed from the side, without going over to help.
In fact, if he wanted to, he could easily use the power of the Heavenly Dao Talisman to kill that zombie.
However, Wang Xuan clearly had no intention of making a move. Yuan Tiangang was the representative of the will of heaven in this world, and could be considered Wang Xuan's enemy. It was a good opportunity to use him as a tool to kill Yuan Tiangang.
Yuan Tiangang was already seriously injured and lay on the ground unable to get up, while Li Yuanba was entangled by other zombies. How could he possibly escape unscathed?
After a ferocious howl, the zombie pounced and bit Yuan Tiangang's neck, sucking his blood!
In just two or three breaths, Yuan Tiangang's eyes dimmed, and his body rapidly withered, leaving only an empty shell.
Yuan Tiangang, the spokesperson for the will of Heaven, has passed away!
Wang Xuan watched this scene from afar and feigned sorrow, saying, "Fellow Daoist, you died a terrible death!"
In fact, Yuan Tiangang's death was like the severing of one arm of destiny, and Wang Xuan was overjoyed.
However, joy can sometimes turn to sorrow, and Wang Xuan's feigned sigh actually attracted the zombie's attention.
The blood of a pre-heaven martial artist already contains extremely powerful energy, not to mention that Yuan Tiangang still had much of the world's origin within him that he hadn't fully digested. After absorbing all of Yuan Tiangang's essence, the zombie lost a lot of its fur again, clearly indicating that its cultivation had improved once more!
What surprised Wang Xuan even more was that a glint of wisdom flashed in his eyes, and he actually developed divine consciousness!
"Oh no, this zombie is probably on the verge of evolution!"
Once it breaks through, this zombie will be comparable to a fourth-level martial arts master. Even if Wang Xuan has the Heavenly Dao Talisman, he may not be able to suppress it.
An alarm bell rang in Wang Xuan's mind. The Heavenly Dao Talisman flew out from his arms, and strands of blue light descended and merged into his body.
With the blessing of this azure light, Wang Xuan's power was now comparable to that of a fourth-tier early-stage Transcendent Realm expert. He flicked his finger at the zombie that had bitten Yuan Tiangang to death, and a bolt of purple lightning roared out.
This is the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Orthodox Method! As one of the top supernatural powers in the ancient world of Water Margin, although Wang Xuan has only cultivated it to the entry level, with the blessing of the Heavenly Dao Talisman, its destructive power is beyond doubt.
Almost at the same instant Wang Xuan unleashed the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Orthodox Technique, the zombie sensed it, quickly leaped forward, lifted up another zombie, and used it as a shield in front of itself.
The zombie it used as a shield was the same one that Yuan Tiangang had injured before.
"Boom!" Purple lightning struck the zombie shield, shattering it into pieces!
As for the zombie on the verge of breaking through, it turned tail and ran without looking back, hiding under the bronze coffin in a few leaps.
Wang Xuan also wanted to give chase, but even with the blessing of the Heavenly Dao Talisman, he still felt a deadly threat when he looked at the bronze coffin, which made him dare not act rashly, so he had to give up the pursuit of the zombie.
Chapter 79 Yuanba, your master is coming to save you!
A zombie on the verge of breaking through to the fourth rank—this was the perfect target for Wang Xuan to cultivate the Profound Yin Refining Form Technique.
If it were any stronger, even with the blessing of the Heavenly Dao Talisman, Wang Xuan wouldn't be able to refine it. And if he chose an ordinary third-tier zombie, he would need to spend a great deal of time and effort to cultivate it.
It can be said that Wang Xuan was determined to get those two zombies that were at the peak of the third tier and on the verge of advancing!
Wang Xuan stared intently at the ancient bronze coffin. He couldn't detect anything unusual with his own spiritual sense, but the nascent form of the Heavenly Dao within the Heavenly Dao Talisman kept warning him.
If Wang Xuan dares to walk next to the bronze coffin, he will surely be in big trouble!
Wang Xuan didn't dare to gamble; he could only try to lure the two zombies over. As for the bait, Li Yuanba was naturally the perfect choice.
Li Yuanba was locked in a fierce battle with an ordinary level 3 zombie, but the sudden turn of events took him by surprise.
Whether it was the sudden attack by a level 3 perfected zombie, the killing and blood-sucking of Yuan Tiangang, or Wang Xuan's sudden outburst of power, all of these shocked him.
Shocked, he was inevitably distracted and ended up getting his arm grabbed by a zombie's claw.
The sound of tearing cloth rang out as one of Li Yuanba's sleeves was ripped off, leaving five deep, bloody gashes on his arm, so deep that the bone was visible!
This was a wound left by a zombie, accompanied by corpse poison, which instantly turned half of his arm black.
"Yuanba, you're too careless! I'm coming to save you!" Wang Xuan shouted, unleashing the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Orthodox Technique once more. A bolt of purple lightning flew from his palm and struck the third-tier zombie with lightning speed.
With the blessing of the Heavenly Dao Talisman, Wang Xuan's strength is already comparable to the early stage of the fourth-order Transcendent Realm. How could a mere early stage third-order zombie withstand a single divine lightning strike?
The zombie was blasted to pieces, and the residual force of the thunder swept in all directions, even sending Li Yuanba flying and spitting out several mouthfuls of blood.
It can be said that the injuries Wang Xuan inflicted on Li Yuanba with this divine lightning were no less severe than those left by the zombie.
By this time, even though Li Yuanba was a rough and impulsive man, he had already guessed Wang Xuan's identity. This terrified him: the dignified Xuan Tian Dao Ancestor had actually infiltrated their ranks in black robes and a mask—this was definitely not without ulterior motives.
At this moment, in Li Yuanba's mind, whether it was Wang Xuan or those zombies, they were all ferocious beasts! Without saying a word, he picked up a pair of golden hammers and ran away, attempting to escape the Changping battlefield.
"Sigh, Yuanba, where are you going?" Wang Xuan said with a deep look in his eyes, "We came here to rid the world of a major scourge, how can you desert your post?"
"You have truly disappointed your teacher!"
As Li Yuanba fled, he said in a muffled voice, "The zombies here are ferocious. I'm just here to scout ahead. I'll leave the rest of the zombies to you, Dao Ancestor!"
Wang Xuan shook his head and sighed. The world is going to the dogs and people's hearts are no longer what they used to be. Even a rough man like Li Yuanba has learned to be cunning. He doesn't know how to be public-spirited and kind-hearted. What's wrong with sacrificing one's life for the common people?
Since Li Yuanba had heard Wang Xuan preach and impart his teachings, then Wang Xuan was Li Yuanba's master, and he could not tolerate his disciple deserting in the face of battle...
Okay, these are all excuses. In the end, Wang Xuan just needs to use Li Yuanba as bait to lure out those two perfect third-tier zombies.
He reached out and grabbed at Li Yuanba's back. Instantly, a large cyan hand materialized, pulling Li Yuanba into its palm and lifting him back.
This cyan hand was formed by Wang Xuan activating the power of the Heavenly Dao Talisman. No matter how Li Yuanba struggled, he could not break free of its restraints.
Li Yuanba was on the verge of tears, looking pitifully at Wang Xuan, and pleaded, "Dao Ancestor, you are a magnanimous old man. For the sake of our master-disciple relationship, please release me!"
Wang Xuan thought about it and agreed. Unlike Yuan Tiangang, who had ulterior motives, Li Yuanba could barely be considered his nominal disciple. He couldn't just ruin his own disciple; he should just entice him with benefits.
Thinking of this, he smiled kindly and said to Li Yuanba, "Yuanba, I'm doing this for your own good."
Li Yuanba cursed inwardly; he had never seen such a shameless person.
"Don't disbelieve me. If you don't believe me, look at your right hand. It's already infected with the corpse poison."
Since Wang Xuan tried to reason with Li Yuanba but Li Yuanba wouldn't listen, he could only resort to intimidation: "If you don't get treatment in time, once the corpse poison enters your brain, you'll eventually turn into a zombie!"
Li Yuanba's expression changed drastically. He looked down at his right hand and saw that the spot where he had been scratched by the zombie had lost all sensation, and instead, a deathly aura permeated it.
In fact, these corpse poisons are not as terrible as Wang Xuan said. If it were Yuan Tiangang, he would naturally have a way to remove them.
But Li Yuanba is not Yuan Tiangang after all. He has little knowledge of zombies, so how could he know how to remove the zombie poison? If the wound is not treated, Li Yuanba might actually be infected and turn into a zombie.
"I don't want to be a zombie!" Li Yuanba was scared half to death. Wang Xuan became his last straw. He patted his chest and said righteously, "Dao Ancestor, just tell me what you want. As long as you help me heal, I, Li Yuanba, will go through fire and water without hesitation!"
"That's what a good disciple should be like!" Wang Xuan nodded with satisfaction, pointed to the bronze coffin in front of him, and said, "Take a hundred steps forward!"
Upon hearing this, Li Yuanba hesitated at first. However, after tentatively taking a few steps forward and seeing nothing amiss, he gradually relaxed and continued walking.
The core of the ancient battlefield of Changping, surrounded by a seven-colored light curtain, was not large. Wang Xuan and his group were only about five or six hundred steps away from the bronze coffin. After Li Yuanba took a hundred steps forward, he felt a faint pressure on him, making him feel somewhat uncomfortable.
"Oh? It seems we're still a bit too far to lure those two zombies out. Yuanba, take another hundred steps forward!" Wang Xuan urged from behind.
Li Yuanba's face turned pale as he cautiously took a hundred steps forward.
At this moment, he was only two or three hundred steps away from the bronze coffin. A powerful pressure swept over his entire body, making it difficult for him to breathe. He could only exert seven or eight tenths of his strength at most.
Wang Xuan stared intently at the bronze coffin beneath him; the change he had been waiting for had finally occurred.
All sixteen zombies beneath the ancient coffin opened their eyes and looked toward where Li Yuanba was.