Chapter 272 - 114: Corpse Hair Wind! A Qi Cultivator Sect’s Secret Treasure

Chapter 272: Chapter 114: Corpse Hair Wind! A Qi Cultivator Sect’s Secret Treasure

Lei Gang’s voice was laced with ragged gasps.

He had met the earlier charge head-on. Although he’d successfully blocked it, he was still forced back three steps—STOMP, STOMP, STOMP—before he could steady himself. His shield arm was slightly numb, and the web of his thumb throbbed with a dull pain.

’Lei Gang, the one with the most strength and highest defense in the group, was actually forced back?!’

The realization hit them like a splash of ice water, snapping everyone to their senses.

There was no room for hesitation or wishful thinking.

"Attack!"

"Kill!"

Amidst the battle cries, a myriad of colored lights flared to life.

Brimming with killing intent, the group charged the zombie dog as it struggled back to its feet.

Lei Gang roared, his body suddenly erupting in a dazzling golden light, as if he were clad in a suit of golden armor!

He raised his giant shield again, becoming an indestructible golden bastion at the front of the line. He weathered every one of the zombie dog’s frenzied bites and slashes while constantly seeking openings to smash it with the shield’s edge or a powerful bash. The dull thuds—THUD, THUD, THUD—rang out as he tried to disrupt its rhythm.

Liu Mei’s movements were ghostly and unpredictable. Her scimitar traced arcs of cyan light that coiled around the zombie dog’s leg joints like living things. Her goal wasn’t to kill but to restrict its movements as much as possible, neutralizing its terrifying speed.

Du Qi was as slippery as an eel, darting around the periphery at high speed. With constant flicks of his wrists, he sent flurries of throwing knives shimmering with an eerie blue light. Like a sudden storm, they flew with vicious precision toward the zombie dog’s eye sockets, joints, and other weak points. The impacts rang out—CLINK, CLANK, CLINK. While most of the blades bounced off its tough hide and bones, the constant barrage clearly agitated the beast.

Zhao Zhuo, wielding a longspear, and Zhou Tiankuo, gripping his Longsword, also joined the fray.

Naturally, Lin Yi didn’t stand on the sidelines; he too joined the fight with his Star Spear.

For a moment, light and shadow intertwined as streams of Gang Qi crisscrossed the battlefield.

The clang of steel against bone and the zombie dog’s snarls became a single, chaotic din.

Under the team’s coordinated assault, the ferocious zombie dog was hopelessly outnumbered. Its movements quickly grew sluggish and stiff.

Finally, Lei Gang seized an opening. He planted his shield firmly to block a lunge, and at almost the same instant, Zhao Zhuo’s longspear and Zhou Tiankuo’s Longsword plunged into the creature’s skull and heart.

SQUELCH! CRACK!

Accompanied by the sickening sound of splintering bone and spraying ichor, the spectral fire in the zombie dog’s eyes flickered violently before it let out a final, unwilling howl.

Its massive body crashed to the ground, finally still.

It left behind nothing but a ruinous mess and a thick, putrid stench.

"Hah... Hah... Damn it, this third level is no joke! Gave me a hell of a welcoming party right as I stepped in!"

Lei Gang gasped for breath, his chest heaving. He had borne the brunt of the zombie dog’s frontal assault. Despite his formidable physique, he could feel his Qi and Blood churning, and his arm was aching and numb.

Several deep claw marks were now gouged into the face of his shield.

Lin Yi’s gaze swept over the others, watching the colored lights surrounding them gradually fade.

Awe stirred within him.

’So this is the Gang Qi that only a Fourth-Grade Martial Artist can cultivate? It’s as mysterious as it is powerful!’

He had seen it clearly. It was this Gang Qi, each with its unique properties, that had massively boosted the group’s attack power, Defense Power, and speed.

Lin Yi couldn’t help but feel a surge of envy.

He was currently at the Third Grade Perfection realm.

Although his Qi and Blood foundation was exceptionally deep, far surpassing his peers, he could ultimately only use the most primitive form of Qi and Blood Power for his attacks and defenses.

Martial Artists of the Fourth Realm, however, could condense and transform their vast Qi and Blood Power, evolving it into Gang Qi—an energy with special properties and exponentially greater power!

In terms of energy density, destructive force, and defensive capability, it was leagues beyond simple Qi and Blood Power.

’No wonder they say the Fourth Realm is a major watershed in the Martial Dao. This Gang Qi isn’t just a few times stronger than Qi and Blood Power—it’s an entirely different level!’

Lin Yi tightened his grip on his Star Spear, his gaze growing firmer.

’I hope on this trip to the tomb, I can find enough of that longevity substance to break through to the Fourth Realm in one fell swoop!’

Once he broke through, he too would be able to cultivate his own Gang Qi.

His power would take a qualitative leap!

At this moment, Lei Gang had caught his breath.

He drew a sharp dagger from his waist, walked over to the zombie dog’s corpse, and, ignoring the overpowering stench, expertly sliced open its hardened chest cavity.

After a moment of nauseating rummaging, he dug out a crystal. It was about the size of an egg, pitch-black, and radiated a cold, deathly aura.

"This zombie dog’s power was definitely at the late stage of the Fourth Grade!"

Lei Gang weighed the black Crystal Core in his hand and spoke to the others, his expression grave.

"We can barely manage one or two of these if we work together, but if all the zombies on this third level are this powerful, we’re in real danger."

He shook the viscous black fluid from his hand and tossed the Crystal Core to Zhou Tiankuo.

The faces of the others turned grim.

No one had expected the zombies on the third level of the tomb to be so terrifyingly powerful, far beyond those on the first two floors.

Zhou Tiankuo nodded. He placed the zombie Crystal Core into his bulging backpack and said in a low voice,

"Lei Gang is right. This third level is treacherous. Everyone needs to be on high alert and exercise extreme caution. If we see more zombies, we avoid them if at all possible."

"These zombie Crystal Cores might fetch a good price on the outside, but they offer no direct benefit to our Cultivation."

"Our primary objective is still to find treasures that contain the longevity substance. That’s what will truly increase our power!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Hunting zombies for Crystal Cores was just a secondary objective, something to do if the opportunity arose.

Outside, these things could only be exchanged for money.

But no amount of money could ever compare to the value of a treasure with the longevity substance, which could directly advance one’s Cultivation Realm.

That was the core reason they were willing to risk their lives in this ancient tomb.

After a brief rest, the team pressed on through the dim, oppressive, death-choked third level of the tomb.

As Lin Yi followed the team, he pulled up his Mosquito Avatar’s [Tracking] map.

As his consciousness sank into the map, Lin Yi’s heart plummeted.

The map was densely packed with innumerable black dots of light.

Each dot represented a zombie emanating the energy fluctuations of the Fourth Grade Realm!

’This third level... It’s enormous.’ Lin Yi was stunned. ’The forty-kilometer radius covered by my Mosquito Avatar hasn’t even reached the edge of this floor.’

’Just how big is this level?!’

What made him frown, however, was that within the scanned area, there were no other points of light indicating special energy fluctuations—only the black dots representing zombies.

’Looks like this area is just full of wandering zombies, with no valuable treasures to be found.’

’Go!’

With a single thought, the Mosquito Avatar on Lin Yi’s shoulder lifted off without a sound. It flew swiftly and silently toward the deeper parts of the tomb, heading for the unexplored regions on his map.

Lin Yi continued to follow the team, remaining vigilant.

A small part of his consciousness, however, remained focused on controlling the Mosquito Avatar. He used its [Tracking] ability like an invisible radar, constantly scanning for energy fluctuations within a forty-kilometer radius.

He meticulously searched for any unique signal that could indicate the presence of the longevity substance or other treasures.