Chapter 270: Great Perfection-Level Zombie
Chu Feifei's Hundred Flowers Sacred Body always entered a burst period with each breakthrough. This time, she had transcended the Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation, a massive breakthrough, and it was foreseeable that her Hundred Flowers Sacred Body was about to undergo an immense metamorphosis. The exotic fragrance released from this transformation was, without a doubt, a great opportunity for others.
"Buzz!"
Just as Gu Mo and the others reached Chu Feifei's side, they were enveloped by a mass of pink mist. That was the rapidly expanding Smoke Beast. With Chu Feifei stepping into the Nascent Soul True Lord realm, the most direct manifestation of her cultivation foundation was the growth of her Smoke Beast, which naturally swelled alongside her.
"Huh? Smells so nice."
As the Smoke Beast expanded, a faint fragrance spread outward. Even the cultivators who had come from afar to watch Chu Feifei's tribulation felt their spiritual power circulate faster within their bodies.
Immediately, some cultivators sat cross-legged and began cultivating.
Others moved closer to where the Smoke Beast was, because the closer they were, the stronger the fragrance became, and the faster their spiritual energy circulated.
Gu Mo did not drive them away. The opportunity brought by Chu Feifei's breakthrough existed only within the Smoke Beast's domain. Outside, one could only enjoy the scattered remnants of fragrance.
Yet even that scattered fragrance already carried the power to accelerate cultivation—enough to show just how great an enhancement Chu Feifei's breakthrough had produced.
To enter the Smoke Beast and obtain the true fortune, however, one had to be someone Chu Feifei trusted, because opening the Smoke Beast was equivalent to laying bare all her defenses.
If she did not trust someone completely, she would never let them in.
Thus, the only ones she permitted within the Smoke Beast were Gu Mo, Yuan Niya, and little Ruanruan. Everyone else was rejected.
Still, for the cultivators outside, simply being near the Smoke Beast and enjoying the speed-boosting effect on their cultivation was already a cause for joy.
One day of cultivation near the Smoke Beast equaled several, even a dozen days of ordinary bitter cultivation. The exact effect varied from person to person.
Chu Feifei's Hundred Flowers Sacred Body continued its elevation for a full month, giving the gathered cultivators an entire month of skyrocketing cultivation speed.
Quite a few seized the chance to break through, stepping smoothly into higher realms.
Of course, the ones who benefited most were Yuan Niya and Ruanruan, who remained inside the Smoke Beast. Yuan Niya, who had just entered Golden Core Great Perfection, completely consolidated her foundation this time. It was no exaggeration to say that she could now directly attempt the Nascent Soul realm.
As for Ruanruan, she smoothly completed Foundation Establishment. From the moment she began cultivating until now, only about a hundred days had passed. She had truly achieved the legendary "Hundred Days Foundation Establishment."
As for Gu Mo, he had long since left the Smoke Beast—because news had reached him: another group of zombies was approaching Qinghe Immortal Realm.
—
Unknown Ruins.
The remnant soul pressed its mouth to a hairline crack on the seal and inhaled sharply. Instantly, the soul power consumed in its previous move was restored.
"Not bad!"
The restored remnant soul nodded in satisfaction at Yao Shifeng. Now that Yao Shifeng had refined the zombie essence he'd given him, his cultivation had already reached Golden Core Great Perfection. With his cultivation improved, his rate of eroding the seal naturally became much faster.
At this moment, Yao Shifeng had worn a crack into the seal. Through this tiny gap, the remnant soul could absorb the sealed power to strengthen itself.
It could even employ some methods to tear the crack wider. But the remnant soul restrained the impulse. Once it did so, the seal would react violently.
If that happened, the place would be exposed. If the summoned zombies had arrived smoothly, exposure wouldn't matter—he would not fear discovery.
Unfortunately, last time the plan had failed. Now, apart from Yao Shifeng, he had no one else usable. Under such circumstances, if this place were discovered, and that terrifying Nascent Soul cultivator arrived, things would become extremely troublesome.
Other Nascent Soul True Lords or demon kings didn't frighten him—but Gu Mo did. Gu Mo's combat power was simply too monstrous.
Last time, even while controlling a Nascent Soul-realm zombie, he could do nothing to Gu Mo. And now, without even one Nascent Soul zombie left, what chance did he have?
So, the remnant soul planned to summon another wave of zombies. Compared to this stifling stalemate here, in the Tianyuan Immortal Realm there were three Soul Transformation-level zombies helping, and the seal there was being eroded rapidly.
As that continued, the power of the headless corpse kept leaking, manifesting as endless zombie tides that pressed the Tianyuan Immortal Realm cultivators' defenses back again and again.
—
Tianyuan Immortal Realm.
"We cannot retreat any further."
The sect masters of the three top sects gathered once more. Facing the current situation, all three felt deeply troubled. The sheer number of zombies was overwhelming. If it were only a matter of numbers, that would not be too alarming. The real issue was the Nascent Soul-level zombies.
From the beginning, there had been only early Nascent Soul zombies. Now, Great Perfection Nascent Soul zombies had appeared—and not just one or two.
"If we stand and fight, do you realize how many casualties we'll suffer?" said the Shennong Valley Master helplessly. Fighting zombies by attrition was the most unwise choice.
"But we cannot keep retreating. We have already lost too much territory. If this continues, the space left for us to survive will only shrink further," sighed the Taiqing Sect Master.
"I wonder if the Ancestors have found a solution. If they don't show themselves soon, we won't be able to hold on," said the Yin-Yang Sword Sect Master as he rose and walked out of the chamber, ready to meet a desperate battle.
At that moment, several transmission talismans flew in and were caught by the three sect masters.
"This is…"
With a sweep of divine sense, they quickly finished reading. Their faces then showed stunned expressions.
A batch of Nascent Soul zombies had suddenly disappeared from the zombie tide—including several Great Perfection-level ones.
"What are those zombies up to?"
To give up such an advantageous position so suddenly left the three sect masters baffled.
"The last time, didn't a batch of zombies also suddenly leave? Could it be the same thing again?" said the Shennong Valley Master, recalling the previous situation.
"Were there any clues about the ones that left last time?" asked the Yin-Yang Sword Sect Master. With how tense the war had been, they had long set that matter aside.
Since he had raised the question, the related intelligence was quickly brought forward.
"The zombies that left last time… landed in Qinghe Immortal Realm," the Yin-Yang Sword Sect Master said as he read the jade slip. Quite some time had passed since then, so the news had naturally already reached Tianyuan.
"What! Then Qinghe Immortal Realm must be in danger," exclaimed both the Shennong Valley and Taiqing sect masters. They knew very well the situation there.
That realm would never be able to withstand such a zombie tide.
"No… that zombie tide was wiped out. Hm? See for yourself." The Yin-Yang Sword Sect Master suddenly let out a startled sound and tossed the jade slip to the Shennong Valley Master.
"Gu Mo!"
The Shennong Valley Master caught the jade slip and quickly saw a familiar name. Only, the contents described there didn't quite match the Gu Mo he remembered.
"Not right, Gu Mo has broken through!"
All of a sudden, the Valley Master of Shennong Valley reacted.
If Gu Mo were still only at the Golden Core stage, he could never possibly be as strong as the information described. The only explanation was that Gu Mo had already become a Nascent Soul True Lord.
"Good lad, to have broken through without a sound!" The Shennong Valley Master put down the jade slip, his heart carrying a touch of joy.
Although the true inheritors of every sect were now cultivating with all their strength to strive for higher realms, breaking through was never that easy.
Gu Mo could definitely be counted among the very first handful who had managed it.
"In my view, Gu Mo has achieved more than just a breakthrough."
The Sect Master of the Yin-Yang Sword Sect spoke up. "Don't you think that zombie which developed wisdom had extremely strong combat power? The technique it used to turn its whole body golden—if my guess isn't wrong, that should be the legendary Vajra Indestructible divine ability. And to kill such a zombie, what level of power would be required?"
"This…"
Reminded by the Yin-Yang Sword Sect Master, the Shennong Valley Master suddenly realized that Gu Mo's displayed combat strength was indeed somewhat unreasonable.
"He is Qi Chunde's disciple. With such strength, it shouldn't be too surprising." The Shennong Valley Master suddenly said.
At these words, the Yin-Yang Sword Sect Master fell briefly silent. Indeed, in this recent period, the name of Qi Chunde, the Myriad Arts True Lord, had been on countless lips.
Qi Chunde wasn't only powerful in battle—his methods were ever-changing. Many late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators weren't his match. During the great battles against the zombie tide, Qi Chunde had played critical roles several times.
This naturally led many cultivators to take interest in the new cultivation method he had created.
"Since the last wave of zombies was wiped out, then this time the ones who disappeared are very likely heading toward the Qinghe Immortal Realm." The Sect Master of Taiqing Sect shifted the discussion to the vanished zombies.
"Then I will have Gu Mo return."
At these words, the Shennong Valley Master's face changed. The last zombie tide, Gu Mo had been able to cut down. But this time, the zombies' power was on a completely different level—especially those few great perfection Nascent Soul zombies. Even they themselves would need to tread carefully against such foes.
"No. Have Qi Chunde go provide support. The Qinghe Immortal Realm must not fall." The Taiqing Sect Master shook his head. After all, in the worst case, should the Tianyuan Immortal Realm be completely overrun, the Qinghe Immortal Realm would serve as their fallback.
So safeguarding Qinghe Immortal Realm was equivalent to preserving their retreat.
"Send some others along with Qi Chunde as support." At this thought, the Taiqing Sect Master added further. Since the zombies had left, this respite gave them time—they could spare some strength without much problem.
"Very well!"
The Shennong Valley Master also understood the meaning, and at once began to gather people.
"Young man, halt for now."
Within the ruins, the remnant soul once again stopped Yao Shifeng, because he had already sensed that the zombies they had summoned were nearing the Qinghe Immortal Realm.
This time, the remnant soul was determined to kill that brat who had ruined his plans before. Last time, he had only controlled an early Nascent Soul zombie. But this time, with great perfection Nascent Soul zombies, he did not believe he could fail to kill the boy.
Sensing the remnant soul's departure, Yao Shifeng's eyes grew heavy. He knew he had to think of a way, otherwise once the seal was broken and he lost his value, the consequences would be dire.
At the same seashore where they had clashed with the zombies last time—
Gu Mo, along with local Nascent Soul True Lords and demon kings, once again gathered. Behind them, a grand formation was set up by Golden Core cultivators and third-rank great demons. Based on the gathered intelligence, the zombies' landing point this time would be the same.
Thus, Gu Mo had come early to wait.
Of course, Gu Mo knew that this wave of zombies would likely be far harder to deal with than before. But when he thought of the plants inside his cave-heaven space, his heart grew calm.
His sword cultivation techniques were not his true trump card—the plant front was.
"All resources these years… I've poured into the plant front."
"They're here!"
Suddenly, the distant sea instantly turned pitch-black as ink. A suffocating deathly aura spread swiftly toward them.
"So fast… looks like there's no time to wait for Master's reinforcements." Gu Mo already knew earlier that his master Qi Chunde was on the way, but now it was clear—the zombies had arrived quicker.
Splash!
With the black waters surging closer, countless sea demons eroded by death qi rushed ashore. Immediately, the Golden Core cultivators and great demons at the rear made their moves. But Gu Mo and the other Nascent Soul True Lords did not. Their targets were the source of the death qi—the zombies.
Very soon, the first zombie leapt out of the water. Seeing it, the faces of the Nascent Soul True Lords and demon kings all shifted slightly, because it was a Nascent Soul-level zombie.
According to their information, the ones at the front were always the weakest. But now, the very first zombie was already Nascent Soul-level. Then the ones behind…
Just as this thought rose, one zombie after another broke the surface, without exception all at the Nascent Soul stage. Some were even at mid-Nascent Soul, and some at late stage.
When the late-stage Nascent Soul zombies appeared, despair showed on many faces. Against mindless mid-Nascent Soul zombies, they could still barely manage a fight. But against late-stage ones—wisdom or not—sheer power would crush all technique.
Yet despair did not stop there. When at last three figures emerged, their auras all at great perfection Nascent Soul, every heart turned cold.
Especially one among them—whose eyes were not lifeless, but brimming with intelligence.
"This time, how will you stop me?"
The remnant soul stared at Gu Mo at the forefront. He had expected to see terror and despair on Gu Mo's face, but was disappointed. Though Gu Mo's gaze was solemn, there was no panic.
This infuriated the remnant soul.
At once, he directed the great perfection Nascent Soul zombie to attack Gu Mo, intent on slaying him then and there to avenge his previous defeat.
"So strong!"
Feeling the zombie's aura, Gu Mo couldn't help but exclaim. The gap between early Nascent Soul and great perfection Nascent Soul was enormous.
So enormous that Gu Mo never even considered confronting it head-on. He knew he wasn't a match. If it were a mindless great perfection Nascent Soul zombie, he could still fight—and with a fair chance of victory.
But against one that possessed wisdom, there was no need to even try. He would simply unleash the plant front.
For years, the bulk of Gu Mo's resources had been invested in it.
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