Super Mutant

Super Mutant

Xiao Liang took a jade slip from his storage bag, pressed it to his brow, and reviewed the steps of the Spirit Zombie Refining Technique once more.

According to the jade slip, one was meant to select the foremost corpse with combat instincts through mutual slaughter.

Then all the mutants in the stadium that had undergone cocooning once should have met this requirement. Creatures such as the Clawed Zombie and Giant Zombie had even far exceeded the basic requirements for refining a Spirit Zombie.

After all, the jade slip's minimum requirement was merely a hundred corpse materials to select one candidate.

Yet Xiao Liang's stadium now contained over a hundred thousand living corpses, all special models infected by the super virus.

The mutants born from such a process should be extraordinary in both combat power and potential.

"However, the method of refining a natal Spirit Zombie follows the path of refinement. It is completely different from ordinary corpse-controlling cultivators, who take the path of commanding hordes of corpses."

Xiao Liang judged that, with his current cultivation at the Qi Refining Stage, he could control at most one Spirit Zombie. This meant that he had to be exceedingly cautious in choosing his target.

If he was choosing, then he naturally had to choose the strongest. These zombies would fight and devour one another, like raising venomous insects.

"The one that survives to the end, having fused the essence of a hundred thousand zombies and unleashed the fiercest potential for evolution, will surely be the king among zombies!"

A trace of madness flickered in Xiao Liang's eyes. His Spirit Root aptitude was poor, and he was not born into a cultivation family. He had no background to support him.

In a place like a demonic sect, he might have been able to stay ahead of his peers for the first few years through the experiences and awareness he had gained before transmigrating.

But that would only be temporary!

Xiao Liang could sense that after breaking through to the Third Level of Qi Refining, the Blood Nightmare Technique's effect of burning blood essence to accelerate cultivation had already begun to weaken drastically.

That was also why Little Ghost Hall held its grand competition starting in the third year.

Because the bonus period granted by the Blood Nightmare Technique was nearly over.

The Ten Thousand Demon Cavern used the grand competition to select disciples with outstanding aptitude or sufficient demonic resolve.

For those disciples whose aptitude was lacking and who refused to strive to improve their cultivation, a demonic sect like the Ten Thousand Demon Cavern would not give them the chance to bloom late.

They would be eliminated in the first batch.

Cruel, yet real.

"My cultivation has stalled, and my only combat spell is Ghost Shadow Step, a basic spell from Little Ghost Hall. Although I have cultivated it to mastery, one tree cannot support a forest!"

"Last time, I defeated Qi Yunkai and Qi Meng with a few tricks involved. If Qi Yunkai breaks through to the Mid Qi Refining Stage before the grand competition, learns other spells, or acquires a magic artifact, that will put me at a disadvantage!"

While keeping watch over the movements of the zombie horde in the stadium, Xiao Liang put away the spell jade slip and silently considered his future affairs within the sect.

As for using this trip down the mountain to flee thousands of miles away and leave the Ten Thousand Demon Cavern for good, Xiao Liang had never even considered that path.

If the sect dared to let you descend the mountain before the grand competition, then it was not worried that you could escape. Every probationary disciple had a Blood Tracing Seal left within the sect.

It was a tracking spell based on the aura of one's bloodline. Even if one fled ten thousand miles away, the sect's law enforcement cultivators would still capture them, and their fate would be miserable beyond compare.

Besides, even if one escaped pursuit, independent cultivators drifted like duckweed. Without wealth, techniques, companions, or a place to cultivate, they simply could not compare to sect cultivators.

Several hours soon passed. Xiao Liang opened his eyes from his light rest, and the vast stadium was now filled with unbearable bloody traces.

It was like an Asura hell. The soaring baleful aura and rotten stench were so thick they nearly suffocated him.

Even Xiao Liang could not help tearing off a strip of silk cloth soaked in medicine and wrapping it over his mouth and nose. Only then did he avoid being knocked unconscious by the smell.

Correspondingly, the stadium's interior, which had once been packed to the brim, now appeared rather empty.

Ordinary zombies no longer existed. They had either become withered bones and bloody sludge scattered everywhere, or successfully undergone cocooning and become stronger hunters.

Xiao Liang swept his gaze across the arena and discovered that even most ordinary mutants lay dead in every corner. Each had a large hole in its body, its mutant core dug out and devoured.

Only three mutants with astonishing auras remained, each occupying one side of the stadium. Like savage beasts, they confronted one another without daring to reveal any openings.

Though those mutants had undergone several more transformations, Xiao Liang could still recognize their original forms.

The first was the most remarkable Clawed Zombie. Thanks to the slight advantage of mutating first, it had devoured the most demon beast flesh of any zombie.

It had then slaughtered several mutant zombies in succession. It had now mutated for the third time, its body becoming more slender and its explosive speed so fast that even Xiao Liang had to strain his eyes to see it clearly.

The claw-blade-like appendages on its arms now produced sparks as they scraped against each other.

They no longer seemed to be made of biological material at all. They were extraordinarily unusual.

Next was the Giant Zombie. Because it had evolved later, it had failed to seize as much demon beast flesh as the Clawed Zombie.

However, it had killed and devoured the most mutants, swallowing the cores of more than twenty mutant creatures. Its ability in direct confrontation was incredibly strong.

This had brought its degree of mutation to an extremely high level. It had grown to five zhang tall, its palms as large as small millstones. With every step, it seemed like a heavy tank rolling past, carrying immense pressure.

Lastly was the Flesh Flower in the northern section. Though bizarre, its main body could not move. Xiao Liang had initially thought it would quickly be torn apart by the zombie horde, yet it had unexpectedly survived until the end.

Blood-vessel-like tissue, resembling spiderwebs and plant roots, extended from it and had nearly occupied the entire ground and walls of the northern section.

The Flesh Flower at its center had grown from the size of a water vat to several times that size. Even two people could not have encircled it with their arms.

Perhaps because there were no more prey for the Flesh Flower to devour, it had shifted from a blooming state to a closed one, becoming a gigantic flower bud.

Several outer petals still bore vicious, ferocious claw marks. Xiao Liang recognized them at a glance as the Clawed Zombie's handiwork.

"Its defense is not weak, and its abilities are strange, but this form truly is not suitable for refining into a natal zombie. What a pity!"

Xiao Liang assessed it silently. The Flesh Flower was the one he found hardest to see through. Though it had merely grown quietly, the Clawed Zombie's failure to accomplish anything and the Giant Zombie's faint wariness showed that its strength could not be underestimated.

Unfortunately, this form seemed more suitable for being placed outside a cave dwelling to defend against enemies.

It was utterly unsuitable for refining into a Spirit Zombie to accompany him in battle across the world.

His attention was focused more on the Giant Zombie mutant and the Clawed Zombie mutant.

Both had their own advantages and no obvious weaknesses. Either one could certainly be refined into an immensely powerful zombie.

According to the records of the Ten Thousand Demon Cavern, zombies were ranked from low to high as Iron Corpses, Copper Corpses, Silver Corpses, Golden Corpses, and the highest-grade Flying Yakshas, also known as Flying Corpses!

Flying Yakshas were no less rare than cultivators with Heavenly Spirit Roots. They were exceedingly scarce existences, so there was no need to mention them for now.

Given the Giant Zombie's and Clawed Zombie's conditions, if properly refined, they would at the very least become Silver Corpses. There was even some hope of directly achieving Golden Corpses.

"The plans I have laid over these past few days all depend on this final result!"

Xiao Liang felt that the time was about right and took out that costly high-grade Corpse Demon Pill.

Then, silently activating the Spirit Zombie Refining Technique, a ruthless gleam flashed through his eyes. He bit the tip of his tongue and sprayed out a mouthful of blood essence, completely merging it with the Corpse Demon Pill, which was the size of a longan.

The Corpse Demon Pill was the most effective spiritual pill for refining zombies. It was made with more than a dozen spiritual herbs of frigid yin attributes, and Xiao Liang's pill was a high-grade one with perfect medicinal potency.

Unlike the vast, mixed medicinal power of those waste pills, the medicinal power of the Corpse Demon Pill would perfectly transform the material into a zombie.

Most importantly, its medicinal power would shape the zombie's unique yin meridians, allowing it to grow stronger by continuously absorbing spiritual energy of frigid yin attributes.

"Go. Begin the final slaughter. The victor shall consume the Corpse Demon Pill and follow me into battle across the cultivation world. The loser shall become nourishment. Dust to dust, earth to earth!"

Xiao Liang flung the Corpse Demon Pill from his hand. It landed between the Giant Zombie and the Clawed Zombie, far from that bizarre Flesh Flower.

But something Xiao Liang had never expected happened. One of the blood vessels extending from the Flesh Flower, which had originally lain on the ground like a plant root—

Suddenly began moving on its own like a shark that had caught the scent of blood. It was incredibly fast, streaking forward in a blur and precisely wrapping around the Corpse Demon Pill that radiated intense spiritual energy!

"Not good!!!"

Xiao Liang's expression changed for the first time. The Flesh Flower had concealed its true strength right before his eyes. Its roots possessed extremely powerful mobility!