Chapter 208: The Wolf Mask Zombie

The Wolf Mask Zombie

Though Seana had spoken softly, Gong Sihe heard her.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Oh? So you’re not unfamiliar with them."

The others didn’t understand the meaning of Demonic Qi, but the words stirred something in their memories. It felt like a name they had heard long ago, though none of them could remember where.

Gong Sihe offered no explanation.

"Enjoy my gifts, mortals."

He turned back toward the ritual.

Elder Rowan’s expression darkened. Cold Qi erupted from his body as he tightened his grip on his staff.

"Don’t let him continue!"

He shot forward.

The ground froze beneath his feet as he rushed toward Gong Sihe, his staff raised and cold Qi gathering at its tip.

Before he crossed half the distance, Gong Sihe flicked his wrist.

An invisible force struck Rowan.

BOOM!

The elder flew backward and smashed into a large boulder. The impact shattered it, but his momentum carried him through the debris and into another boulder.

CRACK!

That one broke as well.

Rowan struck a third, then a fourth, before finally coming to a stop. Dust and broken stone filled the air.

"Ugh..."

Nyren’s expression changed. Oren’s eyes widened.

They had witnessed Rowan’s strength. Yet Gong Sihe had sent him flying with one casual movement.

What kind of cultivation did that require?

And why had they never heard of someone like him in Country B?

Before anyone could react, Asher stepped forward.

His attention was fixed on the wolf-masked zombie.

The creature lowered its body. Its claws dug into the ground.

Then it charged.

Black Corpse Qi trailed behind its limbs as it crossed the clearing.

Asher raised Myriad Forge. Golden metallic Qi spread along the blade.

[Myriad Sword Technique—First Form: One Blade Principle!]

His sword moved in a straight, decisive line.

CLANG!

The golden blade met the zombie’s claws. The impact cracked the ground beneath them.

Asher’s sword arm trembled slightly. The creature’s strength was greater than he expected.

The moment their weapons separated, the zombie twisted and swung its other claw toward his head.

Asher leaned aside. The claws passed close enough to tear a strand of his hair.

He stepped forward and thrust toward the creature’s chest.

The zombie twisted, causing the blade to pierce its side instead. Dark blood spilled across its robes.

Rather than retreat, it grabbed the sword with its free hand. Corpse Qi surged from its palm, trying to corrode the golden energy around the blade.

The zombie pulled while driving its knee toward Asher’s abdomen.

Asher released one hand from Myriad Forge and struck the knee with his palm, redirecting it. He then twisted his wrist and pulled the sword free.

The zombie’s knee slammed into the ground, creating a shallow crater.

A furious growl came from beneath its mask.

Its body blurred.

Asher’s pupils contracted. He rotated his sword.

[Metal Art: Golden Edge!]

A sharp golden arc swept across the clearing.

The wolf-masked zombie crossed its arms.

SHING!

The golden arc cut through its Corpse Qi, leaving deep wounds across its forearms. Yet the creature continued forward.

Its claws extended as dense Corpse Qi gathered around them.

Asher’s expression hardened.

"Then let’s end this."

Golden Qi surged from his body. It spread beyond his sword, causing the metal fragments scattered across the clearing to tremble.

Myriad Forge hummed.

[Myriad Sword Technique—Second Form: Heaven-Splitting Edge!]

Asher raised his sword.

A massive golden sword projection formed above him. Its blade descended toward the wolf-masked zombie.

The zombie roared.

Corpse Qi erupted from its body, forming a huge spectral wolf behind it. Several layers of dark energy gathered around its arms.

The golden sword fell.

BOOOOOOM!

The impact shook the clearing.

The ground cracked beneath the zombie, and the surrounding trees bent from the shockwave. Its defensive layers shattered one after another before the golden blade struck its arms.

Dark blood sprayed.

The zombie dropped to one knee, but it didn’t fall.

The spectral wolf behind it opened its jaws.

A concentrated torrent of Corpse Qi shot toward Asher.

He drew Myriad Forge across his body. Golden metallic Qi formed a curved barrier.

BOOM!

The torrent struck.

Cracks spread across the barrier as Asher’s boots slid backward. He twisted his sword, causing the barrier to rotate and redirect the attack into the ground.

The explosion swallowed the wolf-masked zombie in dust.

Asher didn’t wait.

He stepped forward and thrust Myriad Forge through the dust.

The blade pierced the zombie’s chest.

But before he could withdraw it, the creature’s hand clamped around his forearm.

Asher’s expression changed.

The dark veins beneath the zombie’s skin lit up.

BOOM!

A burst of stored force erupted from its chest.

Asher was thrown backward. His sword tore free, leaving a deep wound across the zombie’s torso, but he crashed onto the ground and rolled several times before stopping.

Blood trickled from his mouth.

Before he could rise, the spectral wolf lunged at him.

Asher thrust Myriad Forge into the ground and pushed himself aside.

BOOM!

The wolf’s jaws crushed the place where he had been lying. Stone fragments flew through the clearing.

Asher landed several feet away, his left arm hanging slightly.

The wolf-masked zombie slowly stood.

Its chest wound remained open, but Corpse Qi continued flowing around its body. Torn flesh began pulling together.

The spectral wolf moved behind it.

Asher stared at both creatures.

The wolf wasn’t simply an attack released once. It could continue fighting alongside the zombie.

That meant he was facing two opponents.

The zombie tilted its head.

Then both creatures moved.

The spectral wolf charged from the front, its claws tearing through the ground. At the same time, the wolf-masked zombie vanished from Asher’s sight.

Asher swung toward the spectral wolf.

CLANG!

His golden blade met its claws.

Before he could follow up, the zombie appeared beside him. Its claws swept toward his neck.

Asher bent backward. The claws grazed his shoulder, tearing through his robes and leaving a bloody wound.

He pivoted and thrust toward the zombie’s abdomen.

The creature caught the blade between its claws.

Corpse Qi surged around the weapon.

Asher’s golden Qi resisted the corrosion, but the zombie’s grip tightened.

The spectral wolf opened its jaws. Corpse Qi gathered inside its mouth.

Asher’s expression hardened.

He released a burst of metallic Qi through Myriad Forge.

BOOM!

The force tore the sword from the zombie’s grip and sent it staggering backward.

Asher used the opening to leap away.

The spectral wolf released its attack.

The torrent struck the ground.

BOOOOOOM!

Dust and debris swallowed the area where Asher had stood.

When the dust cleared, blood marked his shoulder and side. His breathing had grown heavier, but his gaze remained fixed on the two enemies.

The wolf-masked zombie was badly injured. Its arms were torn open, its chest was exposed, and cracks spread across its mask.

Yet it still stood.

The spectral wolf was weakening as well. Its body flickered, struggling to maintain its form.

Asher raised Myriad Forge.

He understood now.

Destroying the zombie’s body would not be enough while the spectral wolf remained active. But allowing the wolf to attack freely would give the zombie more chances to strike.

He needed to deal with both at the same time.?