"It seems your master doesn't care much about whether you live or die."
Yan Shouyi sighed lightly and lowered the Zanpakuto he had held at Luo Ning's throat.
Luo Ning's face was filled with disappointment. Her earlier confidence stemmed from the belief that her master would surely save her, but reality was cold and harsh.
"Officer Xia Zhi, please escort her back. We might not be able to protect you both once the fight starts," Yan Shouyi reminded her.
Xia Zhi nodded, drew her pistol, and retreated with Luo Ning.
Bullets couldn't harm ghosts, but they were effective against these corpses. The corpses felt no pain, but if their limbs were severed, they couldn't harm Xia Zhi.
Facing hundreds of trembling coffins, Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong exchanged glances, then charged forward instead of retreating!
"You little brat, my grandfather said that to enter our Yan family, one must be skilled in Go, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting, capable of hosting guests and managing the kitchen, be dignified, elegant, and virtuous..."
Lin Zitong retorted angrily, "What, you think this young lady isn't good enough for you? I, the esteemed eldest daughter of the Lin family, am deigning to marry you, a big fool, and you're still not satisfied?"
Yan Shouyi chuckled, shaking his head, "What I meant to say is, what my grandfather says isn't always reliable. I don't need you to have so many virtues. I just need you to know how to protect yourself."
Hearing this, Lin Zitong couldn't help but smile:
"Alright, I'll show you what I've learned all these years!"
"I'll be looking forward to it."
Seeing the two still flirting even with death approaching, Zhong Qi's anger flared.
With a roar, as if igniting a powder keg, the coffins that had fallen to the ground and been corrupted by malevolent energy all creaked open!
From within the coffins, corpses that had died countless years ago emerged!
Their bodies were rotten, swarming with maggots, some even missing limbs, but without exception, they all possessed fangs and claws like beasts!
These zombies were immensely strong, fierce as jackals and tigers; even a dozen strong men might struggle to subdue one.
And Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong were facing hundreds of them!
"Roar!!"
One of the zombies let out an enraged roar and, sensing the presence of the living, charged towards Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong.
"Let me."
Lin Zitong stepped forward, two Taoist talismans appearing in her hand.
She tossed the talismans. The thin paper flew like daggers, slicing through the air with speed, heading for the zombie at the forefront!
Swish!
As the talismans passed, the zombie fell. Its legs were cleanly severed, the cuts as smooth as mirrors!
After cutting off the zombie's legs, the pair of talismans flew back into Lin Zitong's hands. Yan Shouyi then realized that the talismans held thin, cicada-wing-like golden blades!
"Lushan Sect's Golden Blade Talismans?" Yan Shouyi was greatly surprised. "Your master is willing to give you such a treasure?"
"In the entire Lushan Sect, there's nothing I want that I can't take," Lin Zitong said proudly.
The Golden Blade Talismans were one of the Lushan Sect's prized treasures. They were as fast as lightning, swift as the wind, and incredibly sharp, capable of slicing through metal. Most importantly, the golden blades, once thrown, would be brought back to the user by the talismans.
These items were practically as useful as flying swords in fantasy novels.
Lin Zitong receiving such a treasure truly demonstrated the importance the Lushan Sect's sect leader placed on her. In other words, if she could take the Golden Blade Talismans, there was indeed little left in the Lushan Sect that Lin Zitong desired and could not obtain.
"Don't get too pleased with yourself yet. There are many more zombies behind them."
Yan Shouyi's gaze swept further. Hundreds of zombies, a dark mass, roared and rushed towards them like a tide.
The zombie whose legs Lin Zitong had just severed was still crawling towards them on its hands, but it was immediately submerged by the zombies behind it, likely crushed into a pulp.
Lin Zitong threw the Golden Blade Talismans again. Wherever they passed, the zombies' heads were cleanly severed like leeks. Their heads fell to the ground, only to be trampled into mush by the following zombies.
Seeing Lin Zitong's prowess, Yan Shouyi was no longer worried. He flicked his Zanpakuto and said,
"You handle the horde for now. I'll go find Zhong Qi. As long as we control him, we can control these hordes!"
"Alright!"
Lin Zitong didn't waste words. Although she couldn't completely eliminate these zombies, she could fight and retreat, holding them off.
With no further worries, Yan Shouyi charged into the zombie horde without hesitation!
The Zanpakuto in his hand transformed into a reaping sickle. His footwork was uncanny, his techniques decisive. He carved a bloody path through the horde!
Some zombies attempting to attack Yan Shouyi were repelled by the Golden Light Divine Spell he cast.
From the rear, Zhong Qi was shaken by Yan Shouyi's strength. His understanding of the Lu Ban successor was shallow; he only knew that Lu Ban successors mastered various skills, but he hadn't expected Yan Shouyi's footwork to be so formidable, nor his Zanpakuto to be so swift and decisive when hacking at zombies.
Zombies lacked fear, felt no pain, and were ferocious as beasts, making them formidable weapons. However, before Yan Shouyi, they were merely mobile chunks of rotting flesh.
"Left and Right Guardians, attack!" Zhong Qi commanded sternly.
The sturdy zombies standing like stakes on Zhong Qi's left and right immediately acted upon receiving the order.
The two charged forward, their feet thudding on the ground. Zombies blocking their path were forcefully shoved aside!
Soon, the Left and Right Guardians reached Yan Shouyi and raised their large sabers to strike at his head!
Yan Shouyi's speed did not diminish. He planted a foot on the chest of one guardian, then executed a backflip to distance himself from them. After dodging a fierce saber strike, Yan Shouyi immediately swung his Zanpakuto, intending to sever the arm of one of the guardians.
However, the Zanpakuto, which had always been invincible, suffered a setback for the first time!
Although the blade of the Zanpakuto penetrated the guardian's arm, it only went in halfway. The other half simply refused to be cut off.
Yan Shouyi tried to pull his sword free several times with no effect. The guardian's muscles, like steel, clamped onto the Zanpakuto, preventing it from moving even an inch.
"These two zombies are Red-Eyed Zombies left by my ancestor. Not only are their bodies stronger and harder than ordinary zombies, but their joints are also more flexible than other zombies. Most importantly, their intelligence is considerably higher than ordinary zombies. Yan Shouyi, let's see what other tricks you have!" Zhong Qi sneered from behind.
Yan Shouyi looked closely; the eyes of both zombies were indeed crimson.
Red-Eyed Zombies were a more formidable type of zombie. Ordinary zombies had stiff joints, unable to even bend their knees, moving only by hopping. Red-Eyed Zombies, however, had flexible joints. If it weren't for the decay that allowed one to see Zhong Qi behind them through their bellies, they would have looked no different from living humans.
The two guardians coordinated their attacks. The other guardian, noticing Yan Shouyi had lost his weapon, reached out to grab him.
Yan Shouyi decisively abandoned the Zanpakuto and dodged the other guardian's grasp.
As soon as he landed, he ducked and swept a leg, intending to knock over the guardian before him!
But when his lower leg kicked the guardian's lower leg, Yan Shouyi felt as if he had kicked a steel pipe. The opponent was completely unaffected, while he himself was in so much pain he wanted to curse.
The two guardians sneered, seemingly disdainful of Yan Shouyi's overestimation of his abilities.
Yan Shouyi narrowed his eyes, "Underestimating a Lu Ban successor will cost you dearly."
Zhong Qi mocked, "You've lost your weapon. What skills do you have left to defeat me?"
"Is that so?"
Suddenly, Yan Shouyi leaped into the air, a Taoist talisman appearing in his hand once more!
The talisman burned, and the Zanpakuto stuck in the guardian's arm abruptly dissolved into red smoke, then reappeared in Yan Shouyi's hand!
"What?!" Zhong Qi's face changed drastically.
Yan Shouyi sneered, "You, a corpse driver, need to brush up on your knowledge. What I'm using is a supreme technique of the Lushan Sect called 'Burning Talisman Summoning.' The weapon obtained through this technique is not the true body of the weapon!"
This meant that the Zanpakuto Yan Shouyi had been using all along was merely its manifestation; the true Zanpakuto had never been carried by Yan Shouyi.
The Zanpakuto's malevolent aura was too strong and had to be suppressed within the dragon veins. If its true form were to appear, the surrounding ten miles would be barren.
Yan Shouyi, merely by using Burning Talisman Summoning to borrow a fraction of the Zanpakuto's power, had become so formidable!
It was evident how terrifying the true Zanpakuto must be!
Re-gripping the Zanpakuto, Yan Shouyi gave the two Red-Eyed Zombies no further opportunities.
With this strike, he aimed for the neck of one of the guardians!
"I possess a Zanpakuto that can overturn heaven and earth, make mountains and rivers flow backward, and invert yin and yang!"