Chapter 141: The Powerful Zombie

The sword energy cut through the void, causing the air to ripple. In an instant, it struck the high-level zombie in the back. To my utter shock, not only did the energy fail to wound the creature, but it actually propelled the zombie forward by over a dozen meters.

With the boost from my attack, the zombie widened the gap between us. In that split second of bewilderment, our distance stretched from 500 to 800 meters. It made sense; even Qin Tian’s ultimate killing blow earlier couldn't damage this thing. Clearly, this was no ordinary zombie.

Regardless, I had to destroy it. To leave such a threat alive would invite endless disaster, and I had no desire to face another zombie horde. If Qin Tian hadn't stepped in to help, those hundred thousand zombies would have been nearly impossible to deal with. That said, what kind of opportunity had Qin Tian encountered to increase his strength by half in just two days?

I didn't have time to ponder that now. Once this high-level zombie was dealt with, I would look into it. My speed while flying with the wind was still slightly inferior to the zombie ahead, and I felt as though I were about to lose it. Suddenly, I remembered the dozen or so explosive arrows I still had—why not use them to play with it?

I pulled an explosive arrow from my back, drew my black iron bow from my space ring, nocked the arrow, and took aim. The arrow spun through the air, covering the thousand-meter distance in a blink, striking the fleeing zombie. An explosion followed, and the high-level zombie, caught off guard, was blasted to the ground, leaving a massive crater in the earth.

The creature lay motionless for a long time. I wondered if it had finally perished, but my intuition told me it wouldn't be that simple. It had neutralized my Frost Sword’s energy; it wouldn't fall so easily to an explosive arrow. I descended from the sky and walked to a spot not far from the corpse, determined to see just how high the intelligence of this creature truly was.

I stowed the black iron bow and gripped the Frost Sword. The blade was covered in frost and thin ice. Since my awakening, this ability had improved; the ice was no longer white but a pale blue, and the sword was wreathed in white mist—the aura of the cold itself. I didn't attack immediately, choosing to wait. The zombie remained motionless, but I knew it was likely a trap. A creature capable of controlling a hundred thousand zombies, including other high-level ones, would not be easily defeated.

I couldn't afford to waste time in a stalemate. Pushing my protective barrier to its limit, I lunged forward, channeling all my demonic energy into my right arm and thrusting the sword in under a tenth of a second. I expected the blade to pierce through effortlessly, but it hit the zombie like a sheet of steel. It was a trap.

The moment the blade struck, the zombie moved. A blur vanished before me, and in the next heartbeat, a fierce gust of wind descended from above. I knew it was playing games, but I hadn't expected an aerial ambush. Caught off guard and unable to dodge, I instinctively held the Frost Sword high, hoping the hardened blade would deflect the strike.

Instead, a crushing force slammed down from above, buckling my legs until I collapsed to my knees. The pressure didn't ease; it intensified, making my arms tremble.

I couldn't lose to this thing—never! I gritted my teeth and held on as the force grew heavier. "Damn it! I'll fight you to the death!" I quickly abandoned the sword, rolled along the ground, and as the zombie lunged, I channeled my demonic energy into my right leg and kicked hard at its waist.

The force sent the zombie flying. My foot throbbed with pain; I had even torn a hole in my sneakers, brought all the way from the twenty-first century. The zombie scrambled back up, and I clearly heard the sound of bones snapping. If I wasn't mistaken, I had broken at least two of its ribs, yet it seemed unfazed.

I didn't have time to overthink. These things didn't feel pain; no matter how evolved it was, it was still a zombie. It wouldn't hurt even if I sliced it to pieces. As I picked up my sword, the zombie moved. Even though I was crouching, my eyes were locked on its movements. It charged like an arrow released from a string.

A cunning, intelligent beast indeed. I tracked its silhouette through my bangs, feigning ignorance as I reached for my sword. The timing had to be perfect. As it closed in, I decided to pull an explosive arrow from my back and drive it into its eye socket. It was close—now. I lunged forward with the arrow, striking true. Thick, black liquid oozed from the creature's socket.

I retreated instantly. The zombie’s remaining crimson eye stared at me, and its mouth twitched into what looked like a smile. It grabbed the end of the arrow and yanked it out, black fluid spraying everywhere. In an instant, I watched its eye rapidly regenerate. Within three seconds, a new crimson pupil appeared in the dark socket, glowing with an eerie light.

It was still smiling, a smile that made my skin crawl. I backed away, a sudden, inexplicable sense of despair washing over me. The Frost Sword clattered to the ground from my numb hand. The zombie continued to watch me, smiling even more broadly. My will evaporated; I didn't want to think or act anymore, and I collapsed weakly to my knees.

"Old Li!" A shout came from afar. I snapped back to reality, but instead of the zombie's eyes, I saw a black claw embedded in my left shoulder. The creature’s massive hand had pierced through me, and with a violent jerk, it tore my left arm clean off. A searing, agonizing pain flooded my brain. As my vision blurred and I began to fall, the last thing I saw was Qin Tian rushing toward me.