Volume 1, Chapter 40 – Run, She’s Back (Part 3)

After the Great Horror erupted, three types of spectral beings crawled out from the graves: malicious ghosts (souls without bodies), jiangshi (bodies without souls), and skeletons (remnants without souls or complete forms).

Zombies are divided into six levels according to their strength: ordinary zombies, iron zombies, bronze zombies, silver zombies, gold zombies, and the strongest flying zombies. Each level’s power corresponds to the six major realms of cultivators.

The jiangshi before Huang Qi now was not particularly tall, but its appearance was horrifying. Its burial shroud was tattered, exposing most of its skin—not the usual deathly gray, but a dull black, thick as forged iron. The corpse spots covering its body were a deep rust-red, like oxidized metal. Its arms were stretched straight forward, its two-inch-long black nails glinting with a metallic sheen, nearly grazing Huang Qi’s face.

Huang Qi remembered his master’s words: “You can identify a zombie’s tier just by its skin.” Without a doubt, this was an iron zombie—equivalent in power to a cultivator in the Body Refining Realm.

And him? Second-level Qi Gathering Realm. A full major realm below.

But that wasn’t the worst part. The true terror lay in the fact that jianshi lacked souls, acting purely on instinct. Only high-tier zombies possessed any semblance of intelligence.

Which meant—Huang Qi’s face would have drastically reduced deterrence against this iron zombie.

Realizing this, Huang Qi panicked completely, his body trembling violently.

As for the iron zombie? It simply stared at him with blood-red eyes, as if hesitating.

“A mere iron zombie dares block Junior Sister’s path? Look how furious she is—she’s shaking!”

“Exactly! Back then, Junior Sister single-handedly purged the Ma Family Graveyard. There weren’t just iron zombies there—there was even a bronze zombie! Everyone in the Huangtian Prefecture’s cultivation world knows this!”

“Not just cultivators—even the spirit realm has heard of it. Rumor has it some spirits commissioned portraits of her to warn their kin to steer clear!”

The dozen or so disciples behind him chattered away, treating the scene like a spectacle.

“Damn these idiots, enjoying the show while I’m about to die!”

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Huang Qi gritted his teeth in frustration, but he couldn’t afford to reprimand them—not with the iron zombie’s oppressive aura suffocating him.

Truthfully, he desperately wanted to turn and flee. But he knew he couldn’t. Showing fear would only get him—and those disciples—killed faster. His only hope was to stand his ground and pray his disguise worked 200% better than usual.

“Junior Sister!”

A male voice suddenly rang out.

Before Huang Qi could react, a dark figure blurred past him—a leg sweeping through the air like a whip, smashing into the iron zombie’s shoulder.

BOOM!

The zombie was sent flying, crashing into a towering tree with enough force to snap it in half. The tree toppled, kicking up a gale that sent Huang Qi’s hair whipping back.

Gasping for air, Huang Qi barely managed to open his eyes—only to see a male disciple standing before him, roughly his own height.

The man appeared to be in his mid-twenties, with a face as sharp as a blade—defined features, an unapproachable aura, and eyes that hid a dangerous edge.

“W-Wang Zong!”

Huang Qi recognized him instantly. Among the Honghua Sect’s male disciples, Wang Zong was one of the most talented. They had started cultivating the same year, yet their fates diverged completely—while Huang Qi left in disgrace, Wang Zong had become a pillar of the sect.

“Senior Brother Wang Zong! So strong!”

A female disciple’s infatuated sigh came from behind.

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“Junior Sister, leave this iron zombie to me. Hurry and assist the Sect Leader—he’s locked in battle with a bronze zombie.”

Wang Zong’s tone was gentle, his gaze lingering as if he wanted to say more.

ROAR!

A furious bellow erupted in the distance, thunderous enough to make their ears ache.

The iron zombie reappeared from the mist, its blood-red eyes burning like embers in the gloom. With a slight crouch, it leaped forward several meters, closing the distance in an instant.

Zombies moved in hops due to burial customs—ropes tied around their feet to prevent resurrection. Even after reanimating, the habit remained. As for their outstretched arms? A result of pushing against coffin lids for years.

Of course, this only applied to low-tier zombies. High-tier ones were said to be indistinguishable from humans.

Wang Zong had no time for further words. He lunged forward, clashing with the iron zombie in a flurry of blows.

“Hah… saved!”

Huang Qi exhaled in relief—then froze.

“Wait… what did he just say?”

His blood ran cold as he turned to the disciples behind him.

“Did he say… bronze zombie?”

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“Yes! A bronze zombie! The Sect Leader needs your help, Junior Sister!”

Someone “helpfully” clarified.

Huang Qi nearly burst into tears on the spot.

‘Wang Zong, you overestimate me! I can’t even handle an iron zombie—how the hell am I supposed to fight a Bronze one?!’

But then—

‘Wait. If it’s a bronze zombie… it must have intelligence!’

Which meant… his face might still work!

Slightly reassured, Huang Qi led the group toward the Honghua Sect’s gates. Their numbers had now swelled to twenty or thirty disciples.

The sight that greeted them made Huang Qi’s legs shake.

Yin energy was so thick that visibility dropped to mere dozens of meters. The mist blotted out the sun, and a thin layer of moisture coated the ground—perfect conditions for ghosts and demons.

Zombies, skeletons, and even living invaders surged into the sect. Some were likely cultivators or martial artists, but their motives were unclear.

One mystery, however, was solved—Meng Gang and his men had claimed they were “lucky to meet Fairy Hongling”. Now it was obvious: they had come to attack the Honghua Sect too.

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Worried for his master, Huang Qi charged forward—then hesitated after two steps.

“No. That iron zombie proved my face doesn’t scare mindless low-tier undead. If I lead the charge, some idiot might kill me by accident!”

So instead, he raised a delicate hand and shouted:

“Charge, brothers and sisters! For the Honghua Sect!”

Inspired by their “genius junior sister”, the previously disorganized disciples surged forward like bloodthirsty warriors. Most were only in the Qi Gathering Realm, but they could handle common zombies and skeletons. As for invisible spirits—basic talismans could ward off weaker ghosts.

Those who encountered stronger ones? Unlucky.

Following behind, Huang Qi found the situation absurd:

He feared weaklings more than actual threats.

Inside the sect, fires raged, and the grounds were in ruins. Ghosts hunted for blood, while invaders specifically targeted women—likely to sell them in the chaos.

“Animals!”

Huang Qi seethed but couldn’t intervene without exposing himself.

After a moment’s thought, he raised his voice:

“I, Cheng Hongling of the Honghua Sect, stand before you! Come and face your doom!”