Final Kill

Qiusheng saw that they couldn't stop Ren Weiyong in time, and that the zombie was about to break through the door and threaten Ren Tingting and Wencai. Just then, a tall figure suddenly appeared in the doorway of the mortuary hall. One heavy punch sent Ren Weiyong, still airborne and unable to brace himself, flying back.

"Qiusheng, use the Ink Marker lines against it."

Seeing Ren Weiyong knocked back by Taoist Four Eyes, Uncle Nine, who had finally caught his breath, immediately tossed an Ink Marker to Qiusheng.

Qiusheng caught it and, together with Uncle Nine, stretched the Ink Marker lines taut. Then he hooked a finger beneath one of the lines and gave it a sharp flick. Ren Weiyong's body was instantly sent stumbling backward several steps.

However, it was clear that the Ink Marker lines did far less damage this time than they had the first time.

"Qiusheng, form the array."

Seeing that the Ink Marker lines still seemed to have some effect on the zombie, Uncle Nine immediately joined Qiusheng in forming an array with them, then cast it over Ren Weiyong.

But Ren Weiyong could see now, and it kept retreating as Uncle Nine and Qiusheng pressed their attack.

Fortunately, Taoist Four Eyes was still there.

Seeing that Ren Weiyong refused to enter the array, Taoist Four Eyes wasn't having it. He leaped into the air and appeared behind the zombie, slamming into him head-on.

The impact sent Taoist Four Eyes flying more than two zhang backward and broke his God-Inviting Technique, but it finally forced Ren Weiyong into the array.

A crackling burst of noise filled the air as baleful energy poured from Ren Weiyong's body.

Seeing black smoke billowing from him, Uncle Nine and Qiusheng had no intention of letting him go.

"Shangqing Dongxuan, glorious might of heaven, divine thunder descends, destroy the evil!"

Uncle Nine cast the Thunder Summoning Technique.

"Lightning Bolt Fist, with Palm Thunder!"

Deep blue arcs of electricity danced across the Jingzhen Sword in Qiusheng's hand as he slashed at Ren Weiyong.

"Roar!"

With thunderous power invading his body, Ren Weiyong threw his head back and roared. The corpse energy within him poured out and dispersed into the world.

It was stripping away the source of his power. Once the corpse energy within him dwindled enough, he would no longer pose any real threat.

"Qiusheng, get out of the way!"

Suddenly, Uncle Nine, who had been sustaining the Thunder Summoning Technique, bellowed.

Qiusheng pulled back his Jingzhen Sword and swiftly leaped backward. The moment he cleared the area within one zhang of Ren Weiyong, a terrifying bolt of lightning, many times thicker than the previous ones, crashed down.

It struck Ren Weiyong squarely on the head, blasting him off the ground and sending him flying toward the mortuary's entrance.

Qiusheng shifted his footing and used the Heavenly Dipper Bagua Steps to dash to where Ren Weiyong had landed. He swung the Jingzhen Sword at him again.

This time, the blade finally pierced his defenses.

"Splurt."

The sound of a blade cutting into flesh rang out. Ren Weiyong's arm flew into the air, accompanied by a spray of black blood and a terrifying rush of corpse energy.

Ignoring the dreadful corpse energy pouring from Ren Weiyong, Qiusheng charged forward again and plunged his sword into the zombie's heart.

"Crackle!"

This time, the corpse energy could no longer suppress the lightning Qiusheng had driven into Ren Weiyong's body. A chain of dazzling electric arcs burst across him.

But just as Uncle Nine's Copper Coin Sword had struck Ren Weiyong right in the heart without killing him, Qiusheng's sword through the zombie's chest still wasn't enough to finish him off. Instead, Ren Weiyong lashed out in one final counterattack and smashed Qiusheng in the chest, sending him staggering backward.

Qiusheng staggered back several steps and barely steadied himself. Then he charged at Ren Weiyong again. He didn't pull the Jingzhen Sword from the zombie's chest to fight. Instead, he began hammering Ren Weiyong's head with his Lightning Bolt Fist.

He kept going until he had smashed the zombie's head into a pulp. Only then did he stop.

"Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have slain a top-grade mutated Bronze-Armored Zombie and earned 1,500 Exorcism Points!"

Hearing the system notification, Qiusheng finally let out a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground. His God-Inviting Technique was automatically canceled.

Inside the mortuary, Uncle Nine had just unleashed his ultimate attack and was now utterly exhausted. When he heard the fighting outside stop, he called out hoarsely,

"Wencai, Tingting, come out quickly and see how Qiusheng is doing!"

The door creaked open as Ren Tingting and Wencai hurried out of the mortuary hall.

Seeing Uncle Nine and Taoist Four Eyes so drained, Wencai was startled. He stepped forward and helped his master to his feet.

Ren Tingting, however, ran straight out through the mortuary's entrance. Seeing Qiusheng covered in filth, she was alarmed and hurriedly called out,

"Uncle Nine! Uncle Nine, come see how Qiusheng is!"

Her voice was unmistakably filled with worry. Uncle Nine and Taoist Four Eyes were both startled, and without another thought, they hurried out of the mortuary and toward Qiusheng.

"Quick, Wencai, get some glutinous rice from the kitchen!"

Seeing Qiusheng covered in filth and corpse energy drifting around him, Uncle Nine immediately gave the order.

Then he flicked his hand, drew a talisman from his waist, and tossed it into the corpse energy beside Qiusheng.

"Whoosh!"

A fireball suddenly erupted, sweeping away all the corpse energy in the area and revealing Qiusheng's face.

His face was deathly pale, a thin line of blood at the corner of his mouth. He lay motionless on the ground.

Seeing her beloved in such a state, Tingting didn't care that he was covered in filth. She grabbed him and began dragging him into the mortuary.

Uncle Nine and Taoist Four Eyes hurried to help. Just after the three of them had dragged Qiusheng inside, Wencai came rushing over with a huge sack of glutinous rice.

"Master, this is all the glutinous rice I swept up from the back courtyard. You used all the rice in the kitchen."

Uncle Nine gave an embarrassed nod.

That was right. There wasn't any glutinous rice left in the kitchen.

Earlier, not knowing where the zombie might emerge, he had spread glutinous rice across the entire mortuary floor. He had used up every last grain in his rice jar.