Boom, Boom, Boom

Zhu Jiusi wasn't cut out for investigating causes. It wasn't just a matter of brains.

He knew the real reason behind the corpse uprising in the wasteland: an eruption of subterranean yin energy.

But that wasn't what Journey Survival wanted.

Journey Survival wanted the specific cause behind the outbreak in every village and town.

The corpse uprising was like "the revival of spiritual energy"—just the backdrop. Every village, even every corpse, had its own reason.

Resentment, malevolence, manipulation... that was what this instance demanded.

Investigating the cause in one village would earn a certain number of points. About two villages' worth would be enough to exchange for the points needed to modify one person.

But he couldn't do that. He was a pig. No village would cooperate with his investigation. He might even be mistaken for a monster and beaten to death.

As for teaming up with Monkey Has Iron Rod, the three of them would need to investigate six villages. The workload was too much.

In Journey Survival's Secret Realm Instance, killing was the proper path.

If Journey Survival really was about cultivating the Dao and attaining enlightenment, then at least half the people were following the path of slaughter.

Zhu Jiusi came down from the hill. He spent the day wandering around, seemingly searching for zombies, or perhaps scouting the terrain.

But he didn't come across a single zombie, or even a walking corpse.

This was the first Secret Realm after the beginner period. Zombies capable of moving around in daylight wouldn't appear in an instance at this stage.

To encounter zombies, he'd have to go somewhere the sun never shone, or wait until night.

But they weren't what Zhu Jiusi was looking for.

In the previous cycle, this Secret Realm hadn't been destroyed by an outside force. Someone had detonated the earth veins.

With the earth veins unstable, the area should have been riddled with volcanoes and underground rivers of magma. If he could find an Earth Vein Node and set it off before dark, he wouldn't have to worry about coming up short on points!

But he'd searched all the way without finding one!

Of course, Zhu Jiusi didn't make it look as though he was heading straight for the magma. Instead, he searched for zombies in all directions, familiarizing himself with the terrain.

The sky gradually darkened. Zhu Jiusi was still searching around.

Outside another village, thirty li away, six or seven people had gathered.

A name floated above each person's head.

Two of them were injured, their faces deathly pale.

Bright Moon Illuminating People said, "The place where we came out was a cave. There were zombies inside, and one bit me."

Mountains and Seas Affection said, "It's fine. It's not a fatal wound. We just need to get a couple bottles of healing medicine later."

Bright Moon Illuminating People shook his head. "It's not that simple. We gave all the medicine to that pig!"

As he spoke, he looked up at the livestream Scroll beside him. A relatively old man appeared on it, with "Daoist Number 323" written above his head.

"Brother Number, you didn't keep even one pill?"

The Scroll didn't have video calls or a conference mode, but it could livestream.

By livestreaming directly to one another, they could hold a video conference.

Daoist Number 323 gave a bitter smile. "That pig has a vicious streak. Do you think I dared to hold anything back? We should be burning incense in gratitude that these supplies satisfied him even a little."

The group fell silent for a long while. Then a skinny man said, "Open and Aboveboard is dead. That stupid dog appeared right in the village. He didn't get away and was shot to death."

"But before he died, he messaged me—he saw that pig. The pig and his lackeys tricked their way out."

The skinny man drew a map on the ground and marked several spots. "They're probably somewhere around here. They can't have gotten far. Should we..."

He drew a finger across his throat, a flash of cruelty in his eyes.

That pig was strong, but they'd all only just entered Journey Survival. They'd analyzed the situation too. There was a good chance he'd turned into a Wild Boar, giving him a powerful physique and an absurd amount of health. That was how he'd been able to ram Filial Respect to Mother to death.

Over the past few days, they'd also noticed that turning into a beast affected people. One man had become a vulture and only wanted to eat carrion. Another had turned into a bat and grown bloodthirsty. Someone else had become a tiger, gaining a stronger physique but losing what little sense he had.

That pig must have been affected too. He was probably strong but not too bright. There were six or seven of them. It wasn't impossible for them to team up and kill a Wild Boar.

Their eyes lit up at the same time. They were all itching to get started, ready to sharpen their knives.

Daoist Number 323 said, "Everyone... think carefully before you act. For now, we're only handing over resources. At worst, Journey Survival will be harder for us, but we might not die. If we go after that Wild Boar, things could go wrong..."

The others stared at him as if he'd sprouted horns. Did he hear himself?

He and Heart Without Darkness had been the ones to gather them together and target Master of Cloud Stack Cave in the first place!

The skinny man sprang to his feet. "Brother Number, don't you have a conscience? Can anyone survive in Journey Survival without resources?"

Daoist Number 323 fell silent for a long while. "I've been beaten into submission. I don't dare get involved—but I can't just stand aside when I've offended the same people as all of you."

"I have a bit of status in the instance. I can help you pinpoint Master of Cloud Stack Cave's location. What you do after that is up to you... But I'll still remind you all: it'd be better to let go of this grudge."

Daoist Number 323 stopped talking, his expression earnest. He really was trying to warn them.

Someone beside him sneered. "It doesn't matter. A precise location is enough. There are zombies crawling all over this instance. We'll find a way to lure them over!"

Boom!

Zhu Jiusi shook his head and got back to his feet, facing the Green-Haired Zombie across from him.

What the hell!

He hadn't found an Earth Vein Node, but he'd run into zombies first.

He'd estimated where one node might be and charged straight in, only to discover a zombie nest: one Green-Haired Zombie, two White-Haired Zombies, and four ordinary walking corpses.

Zhu Jiusi had charged right into the middle of them.

This was bad!

He hadn't even had a chance to run. If he hadn't been wearing his newly acquired River Mud Armor, he'd already be dead.

Plop!

Plop!

With life and death hanging in the balance, adrenaline surged. Zhu Jiusi's muscles quivered beneath his bristles and mud, while drool dangled from his tusks.

Huff!

Huff!

The zombies had no reason left in them, yet they formed a loose battle formation and trapped him at the foot of the mountain.

When they were alive, they'd probably been an army.

Zhu Jiusi glanced around. The moon was rising higher and higher, and the moment when yin energy was strongest each day was fast approaching.

He couldn't wait any longer. If he did, the zombies would only grow stronger!

He edged backward, all four legs bending. Then he suddenly charged toward the ten o'clock direction.

A Corpse Howl rang out. The One-Legged Zombie there didn't retreat. It roared and charged straight at Zhu Jiusi.

Zhu Jiusi sent it flying with a headbutt, but the gap he'd expected to open never appeared. Instead, another Green-Haired Zombie came charging right behind the One-Legged Zombie.

Two of them!

There were two Green-Haired Zombies in this nest!

The fresh green hair on this zombie showed that it had only just advanced to Green-Haired Zombie. It had been hiding in the earth vein and hadn't shown itself!

Zhu Jiusi rammed into the Green-Haired Zombie and felt as though he'd hit a stone pillar. His head gave a deep, ringing buzz, and the world spun around him.

His whole body went flying.

Converted into health, the Green-Haired Zombie's physique was at least thirty-five.

Boom!

Zhu Jiusi crashed to the ground, rolled over, and sprang back up. He looked ahead.

Where the new Green-Haired Zombie had appeared, a strange, indescribable light flashed, like blood, like fire.

An Earth Vein Node!

He'd found the right place. The zombies had occupied the node and turned it into a tomb that nurtured the undead!

Zhu Jiusi took two gasping breaths.

The zombies around him were already swarming toward him.

Zhu Jiusi pivoted and escaped beneath a White-Haired Zombie's legs.

But instead of using the chance to break through the encirclement, he charged deeper inside.

He ran, he leaped!

He sprang over the tomb.

The eight zombies howled and gave chase. Just as Zhu Jiusi cleared the tomb—

Boom!

With a tremendous blast, the entire tomb exploded. A tongue of fire shot upward from below and swallowed the eight zombies.

Thunderbolt Fire -1

A tongue of flame licked across Zhu Jiusi's back. The mud there instantly turned red, sizzling like meat in a pan.

A piercing pain flared. Still running, Zhu Jiusi plunged headfirst into the nearby Cold Pool. A cloud of steam billowed upward.

Only when the mud had cooled did he climb out of the pool. He hurriedly poured out all his healing pills and swallowed them.

Feeling the agonizing pain in the flesh on his back as it writhed, he knew his wounds had begun to heal. Only then did he look toward the blast site.

The Earth Vein Node, detonated by Thunderbolt Fire, had sunk back down. It was like a volcanic eruption that had come and gone.

Only the charred remains of the eight zombies—scattered limbs—lay on the ground.

Points +84