Mapping, Experiment, Birth

More than ten days later.

Zhang Ming looked at the topographical map he had personally surveyed and drawn over the past several days.

He frowned.

"From the surface, the Cemetery's terrain doesn't seem to hold anything unusual."

"But... but why... why... why does it feel comfortable?"

It was a strange feeling.

Even Jiang Gui, whose compatibility with the Cycle Devouring Art was 95%, could not sense it.

But Wang Song, the captain of the guards, whose Cultivation Method compatibility was 96%, and Zhang Ming himself, whose compatibility had now reached 97%—

could clearly feel that the Cemetery's aura gave them an inexplicable sense of peace.

For a control experiment, Zhang Ming had even secretly moved the Zombie, whose face had already been mangled beyond recognition but was still alive, into the Cemetery.

After being moved into the Cemetery, the Zombie's bodily injuries recovered noticeably faster under some unknown influence.

All of this made Zhang Ming realize that the Cemetery possessed some peculiar influence.

What could it be? Was it related to the mechanism behind the birth of Zombies?

Over the past few days, Zhang Ming had carefully investigated and confirmed everything Old Steward had done before his death.

He had wanted to begin from the "human harmony" aspect.

The result, naturally, was that he found nothing.

Who the hell knew whether not eating today, eating corn cakes tomorrow, and sleeping on the streets the day after had anything to do with the mechanism behind a Zombie's birth?

He temporarily abandoned "human harmony."

Of Heaven, Earth, and Man, the first—"heavenly timing"—could naturally only be abandoned as well.

Rain today, clear skies tomorrow, and a Centaur meteor shower breaking out the day after all counted as heavenly timing.

Did any of that have anything to do with the mechanism behind a Zombie's birth?

Who the hell knew.

Helplessly, the only reliable method left was "earthly advantage."

Over the past few days, he had drawn detailed maps of the surrounding area—from hills and buildings down to the species and orientation of every sapling and blade of grass.

Everything was recorded on the maps he had drawn.

There are two possibilities.

The first is that the Cemetery contains something special influencing all this, such as some special Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure.

The second possibility is "Momentum." Or, as cultivation novels would describe it, something like a formation—formed naturally by heaven and earth, or arranged by some unknown existence.

Zhang Ming nodded, agreeing with his own deduction.

The Cemetery cannot be disturbed for now.

If it is the first possibility, then so be it—finding the treasure would be the greatest harvest.

But if there is nothing there, and disturbing the Cemetery causes this "Momentum" to vanish—

then the loss would outweigh the gain.

So... first, a replication experiment!

First, place a corpse filled with resentment into Old Steward's grave and repeat the experiment.

If a Zombie can be born, that will prove the Cemetery truly possesses some unknown influence.

Then I can decide the next step.

Yang City was not large, and its population was neither too great nor too small—several tens of thousands.

With so many people, in ordinary times, finding a freshly dead corpse of someone who had died full of hatred would not have been easy.

But Yang City was different now.

It was in an era of turmoil and transformation.

After the Zhang Family took control of Yang City and used more advanced systems to consolidate resources to the utmost limit, the old order of Yang City—and some petty citizens who had once lived reasonably well under it—were crushed beneath the Zhang Family's rolling wheels.

One could well imagine their hatred for the Zhang Family.

In ordinary times, hatred was merely hatred. Social transformation and progress would inevitably leave some of the old vested interests dissatisfied. That was only natural.

So long as they did not cause trouble, Zhang Ming had no interest in dealing with such little ants.

But things were different now.

He needed Zombie test subjects.

Zhang Ming's gaze naturally fell upon those people being crushed beneath the Zhang Family's wheels.

Thus, with a small scheme, he easily arranged the death of someone who hated the Zhang Family to the bone.

And that man's corpse was switched out under the guise of one thing while replacing another, then delivered before Zhang Ming.

Looking at the middle-aged man's corpse, dead for only several hours and still fairly fresh, Zhang Ming waved his hand.

"Send it to the cemetery."

"Yes, Young Master."

Wang Song, the captain of the guards, did not understand why, but after feeling his strength surge by leaps and bounds over these past days—

he chose to keep his mouth shut.

The Young Master must have his reasons for doing this. He did not understand only because he was a crude man.

Watching Wang Song leave, Zhang Ming silently noted the time.

Old Steward had been buried for only seven days before undergoing Corpse Transformation into a Zombie with strength comparable to a Postnatal Martial Artist.

Now, let me see what happens after seven days.

Seven days later.

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled as rain poured down in sheets. Heaven and earth were shrouded in darkness, while dense black clouds seemed to press the sky down upon them, making it hard to breathe.

The Cemetery outside Yang City.

Zhang Ming watched the encirclement and slaughter in the distance with cold eyes.

Amid the thunder that periodically erupted between heaven and earth, flashes of lightning illuminated the Cemetery's outline. The battle in the distance looked like an exquisite ink-wash painting.

In the distance.

More than ten Armored Soldiers wore heavy armor and iron helmets, their gazes resolute and cold.

They formed a semicircle, their Great Sabers and shields pressed tightly together to create an impregnable line of defense.

Within that line stood Wang Song, captain of the guards, and a Zombie with rotting skin and a purple-black body.

One man and one corpse stood like warriors in an arena, eyeing each other like tigers watching their prey!

Roar—

The Zombie roared like a tiger or leopard, its voice shaking the surrounding rain into ripples.

It raised an arm as hard as refined iron and charged straight at Wang Song.

Facing the Zombie's attack—

Wang Song let out a low shout. Not a trace of fear could be seen in his eyes; his powerful strength gave him boundless confidence.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Wang Song's long saber struck the Zombie's hard body, ringing out with the clash of metal against iron.

Sparks burst forth like lightning across the sky.

At the center of the formation, Wang Song's long saber danced in his hand, always accurately blocking or cleaving aside the Zombie's attacks.

His movements were fluid and swift, as though he were dancing with death itself.

Several months ago, Wang Song had been unable to withstand even a single blow from a Zombie. One strike had left him severely wounded.

Now, several months later, this Zombie was not that Zombie.

But it possessed the same strength—boundless power, thick hide and tough flesh, astonishing speed, no weaker than any Postnatal Martial Artist.

Yet Wang Song was no longer the man he had been.

Three months of cultivating the weakened version of the [Mighty Bull Cultivation Method], coupled with his 96% compatibility with the Cycle Devouring Art—

had made Wang Song at least several times stronger than he had been three months ago.

If he faced that former Zombie now—

Wang Song was confident he could cut it down within a hundred exchanges!

Roar—

The Zombie roared, swinging its arm with terrifying force. The air exploded, and invisible shockwaves swept through the surrounding rain.

But what use was that?

Wang Song swung his long saber and easily withstood the Zombie's attack.

The Zombie had no intelligence, but it possessed instincts akin to those of a beast.

Once it determined that it could not defeat the man before it and could not devour his flesh and blood—

the Zombie tried to flee, to get away from this place.

But the Armored Soldiers around Wang Song were no pushovers either.

Whenever the Zombie tried to break through the encirclement—

the Armored Soldiers blocked it with their Great Sabers and shields, working together with perfect coordination.

Though none of them alone was a match for the Zombie—

relying on their shields and cooperation—

they actually locked the Zombie firmly within the encirclement!

Seeing this, Wang Song grinned, raised the Great Saber in his hand, and charged at the Zombie once more.