Several Months Later

He sensed again, estimating the growth data of his strength after the surgery.

"Three months have passed since the Zombie was discovered."

"There are still six months before the Hundred Beasts Sect is expected to arrive."

In the blink of an eye, nearly half a year had passed since Zhang Ming had taken action against the Mighty Bull Martial Arts School and "occupied" Yang City.

After sensing it briefly, Zhang Ming said confidently,

"Six months is plenty of time."

Within his senses, the Cycle Devouring Art inside his body was like a self-operating factory.

It continuously inhaled and expelled energy, replenishing and strengthening his physique.

Every second and every minute, his body grew stronger.

After a preliminary estimate, Zhang Ming felt that,

"With only normal meals, my physique will reach the level of an Innate Martial Artist in three months."

"If I use the New Mighty Bull Great Medicine, that time will shrink to less than a month."

"A stronger physique will passively drive rapid growth in Vital Energy."

"With my current Postnatal Realm cultivation at 44%, I can become an Innate Martial Artist within two months."

"Six months from now, as long as I do not lack Mighty Bull Great Medicine, my cultivation and strength should reach the Innate Apex."

"With the Cycle Devouring Art, this cultivation method derived from a Zombie's body, together with the top-tier Innate body-tempering technique [Mighty Bull Cultivation Method]..."

"By then, I will be capable of fighting a Grandmaster."

While in the [Ignite Comprehension] state, his thoughts were clearer than ever before.

In one second, he could recall the memories of babbling as a child; in the next, he could review the entire Cycle Devouring Art surgery experiment.

Yet the very next second after saying, "I will be capable of fighting a Grandmaster," Zhang Ming automatically dismissed the thought.

"I am a scholar. I am a scientist."

Nine years of compulsory education = scholar?

Inventing [Mighty Bull Cultivation Method] and [Cycle Devouring Art] = scientist?

"How can I compete in strength with martial brutes who rely on brute force?"

With the slightest turn of thought, Zhang Ming had countless methods he was confident could deal with a Grandmaster without using force.

The method at the very top of the list was nothing else.

Poison!

The super invincible, repeatedly enhanced [Ignite Comprehension] version of Corpse Poison!

Yes, poison again.

After poisoning multiple martial arts hall masters and Gang leaders to death,

how could Zhang Ming forget such a deadly weapon?

During his spare time over the past few months, Zhang Ming had conveniently developed the super invincible, repeatedly enhanced [Ignite Comprehension] version of Corpse Poison!

Its abbreviation: Super Corpse Poison.

Compared to the original version, the current Super Corpse Poison incorporated many toxins, including medicinal toxins, biological toxins, metallic toxins, and more.

Its potency was so powerful that even diluted a thousandfold, it could poison cattle and sheep to death in a second.

It also acted quickly, was colorless and odorless, could spread through the air, possessed a certain degree of infectivity, and had many other combined effects.

It was simply an essential item for home life, travel, murder, and arson.

Zhang Ming knew Grandmasters were powerful.

But before this super poison, which could kill cattle and sheep instantly even when diluted a thousandfold,

would they not still die with bitter resentment on the spot?

And that was not all.

In the [Ignite Comprehension] state, with only the slightest movement of his thoughts, countless plans capable of killing Grandmaster-level experts created new folders in his mind.

Technological development, schemes and stratagems, guiding factions into mutual crushing, economic and cultural warfare—countless methods flashed through his mind.

But in the end, they were merely newly created folders.

After being distracted for only a moment, he returned to the main thread: optimizing various response strategies for the Hundred Beasts Sect's attack and the Hundred Beasts Sect's Grandmasters.

A few minutes later.

[Ignite Comprehension] vanished, and his rapidly operating brain slowly came to rest.

Intense pain spread through both his soul and body.

This was not the first time Zhang Ming had experienced such pain. He had long since mastered proficient methods of dealing with it.

He was no longer as miserable as he had been the first few times.

After only a short while, he gritted his teeth and endured several waves of impact. The pain slowly receded.

He wiped away the sweat on his forehead. His Vital Energy evaporated the dampness from his clothes, the bulging veins gradually settled, and Zhang Ming let out a long breath.

Thinking of the gains from this [Ignite Comprehension], joy crept across his face.

"It succeeded. The Cycle Devouring Art succeeded."

"Within one month, my physique will not be inferior to an Innate Martial Artist. Within two months, I will break through to the Innate Realm. In six months, I will reach the Innate Apex."

"And I have further improved my plans concerning the Hundred Beasts Sect."

He sensed the gains in his mind.

At this moment, Zhang Ming no longer took the so-called Hundred Beasts Sect seriously at all.

As long as he lay low for several months, the so-called crisis could be shattered with a flick of his fingers.

"Right. Just now, while in the [Ignite Comprehension] state, I only thought about how to deal with the Hundred Beasts Sect. I forgot to plan what I should do over the next six months."

What Zhang Ming meant by what he should do was not what he himself needed to do.

He was asking what he should use [Ignite Comprehension] for.

Six months meant thirty-six uses of [Ignite Comprehension], once every five days.

Theoretically, if he were given research materials, it might not be impossible to replicate two more miracles on the level of the Cycle Devouring Art.

"Research materials..."

"I still have Demon Beasts and Dragon Blood Grass."

The thought lingered for only an instant before Zhang Ming shook his head and swept the thoughts from his mind.

"No matter what, Zombies still fall within the category of 'human' subjects."

"Demon Beasts and Dragon Blood Grass are both nonhuman. Producing results from researching them will probably be several times harder than researching Zombies."

"And..."

"And Zombies have not been thoroughly researched yet. There are still many unknowns."

"For example, Rapid Recovery, Life Sense, the Zombie Birth Mechanism, and so on."

The Cycle Devouring Art could constantly inhale and expel energy, strengthening the body and physique.

Naturally, it also had the ability to halt strengthening when its host was severely injured and instead rapidly restore the host's wounds.

But it was ultimately only a replica. Compared with a Zombie's Rapid Recovery, it was much weaker.

There was also the ability of Life Sense.

During Zhang Ming's experiments, he was surprised to discover that Zombies possessed an instinct-like ability. They could keenly sense the intensity of life energy within a certain range.

Even from dozens, nearly a hundred meters away, they could sense it clearly.

This also allowed Zhang Ming to infer why the Zombie had attacked the Zhang Family.

Perhaps it was because, in its senses, the Zhang Family possessed the most abundant Vital Energy, making them a great tonic if eaten.

And finally, there was the Zombie Birth Mechanism.

This was also a direction that needed research.

How had an entirely ordinary Old Steward suddenly mutated into a Zombie?

Had he occupied the right time, place, and people? Or had some combination of factors come together?

Could it be replicated? Altered? Used by him?

It could be said that, in Zhang Ming's estimation, researching the Zombie Birth Mechanism was far more important than the Cycle Devouring Art.

Whether it was the right time, the right place, or the right people, since it could give birth to a Zombie, it should also be able to give birth to something else, should it not?

If it could give birth to a Zombie at the Postnatal Realm, then with a little alteration and enhancement, it should be able to give birth to an Innate Realm existence, or even a Grandmaster, should it not?

He could even alter the birth mechanism, allowing Zombies to avoid the penalties of losing their intelligence and having their bodies rot.

Then why would it still be called the Zombie Birth Mechanism?

It should be called the Immortality Mechanism!

Endless lifespan, self-growth, powerful recovery, Life Sense, and so many other traits.

How could such a being not be called an "immortal" in the eyes of the world?

Zhang Ming took a deep breath and suppressed the stirring in his heart.

"One step at a time. You have to eat your rice one bite at a time."

With a plan in mind, Zhang Ming rested briefly, then swallowed a bowl of Mighty Bull Great Medicine as fuel for the Cycle Devouring Art.

As he sensed the Cycle Devouring Art operating, continuously inhaling and expelling energy and strengthening his body without requiring any concern from him, a smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

"A cultivation method that can cultivate by itself is truly wonderful."

"From now on, when I research other things, I will never have to worry about falling behind in cultivation again!"

Coming back to himself, Zhang Ming burst into laughter.

"Haha, my precious birth mechanism, here I come!"

"The first step: the Cemetery!"