Chapter 149

Chapter 149: Summoning Lightning to Destroy the Undead

Yun Xi was certain this time—truly certain—not only was she done for, but her three companions likely had no way out either.

The red-robed white zombie, her voice hoarse and frigid, uttered slowly: “Kill me… and him… or you… die.”

Yun Xi understood the meaning hidden in those cold, broken words. If she didn’t destroy the two zombies, death would claim her instead.

“Even without your warning, I know my only hope is to fight,” she growled lowly, and with a flash, her figure disappeared into her inner space. This might be her final chance to survive.

The moment she entered, the chat group marked her as online. Dian Dian had been pacing about in anxiety, and now it leapt into Yun Xi’s arms, squeaking urgently: “Master, did you get forced in here too?”

“This time we’ve truly run into something terrifying. City Lord Li of Twin Peaks City… he must be close.”

“But I thought he vanished? Why would he appear here?” Dian Dian tilted its little head, its eyes full of confusion.

“You wouldn’t know this—but in the second coffin I opened, it was Li Cang Yuan himself.”

Dian Dian squeaked in disbelief: “Ah! But… wasn’t he already dead? Why is he buried here in the mortal realm?”

“Likely entombed by his father. This place is a Corpse Nurturing Ground. Li Cang Yuan has already become a white zombie.”

Though Dian Dian didn’t understand much about zombies, it recognized the foul stench of something demonic. If its master said it was evil, then it must be.

“What should we do now?”

“I honestly don’t know. That’s why I fled here—to ask for help.”

Without wasting another breath, Yun Xi sent a frantic message to Drifting with Immortal Grace:

“Senior, I’m trapped inside a strange formation. It drains my spiritual power to nourish nine buried zombies. I’ve already unearthed two. One of them still has her consciousness… she’s begging me to kill her. What should I do? I’m awaiting your advice!”

Drifting with Immortal Grace responded at once:

“Little girl, your luck is truly unnatural. From what you’ve described, you’ve stumbled into a Yin-extreme Corpse Nurturing Ground. These are man-made formations, designed specifically to accelerate zombie creation.

Whoever created this must be utterly mad. Using living people to refine zombies invites Heaven’s wrath—it’s a path of no return. They will never ascend.”

Yun Xi nearly felt her thoughts collapse. But now, things made sense. Using the living to refine the dead would indeed preserve fragments of consciousness. That explained the red-robed zombie’s tearless pleas. Her fists trembled with rage. [This must be stopped.]

“Senior, how can I destroy this place? If those zombies awaken fully, the mortal world will be thrown into chaos.”

“What is your current cultivation?”

“Late stage Foundation Establishment… right before the peak.”

“Barely enough. Listen carefully—first, break the formation. Then destroy the zombies.”

“Senior… I think there’s a Nascent Soul late-stage cultivator nearby. I unearthed his son’s corpse. He might already be on his way.”

Drifting with Immortal Grace sighed long and deep:

“Why must you always provoke those stronger than yourself?”

Yun Xi quickly typed: “Junior didn’t mean to!”

She added more, her words quick: “Do you remember the Nine Wheel Sacrificial Array I once mentioned? That was their doing. I accidentally interrupted a simpler version of it earlier. If Li finds me here, he’ll settle everything in one blow. I can’t wait.”

“Then don’t. You must break through to Golden Core right now.”

Yun Xi stared at those words in disbelief: “Right now?”

“Of course! Tribulation Lightning is a natural bane to all Yin and evil. Zombies fear it the most. Based on your situation, you might even summon Nine Heavens Mystic Lightning. Just make sure you survive.”

Bitter helplessness welled up in Yun Xi’s heart. Her odds of survival felt far too slim.

Drifting with Immortal Grace continued: “I once gave you an Immortal artifact. Once you’ve formed your Golden Core, you can use it to disguise yourself as a Nascent Soul cultivator. Hold steady. If luck’s on your side, you might frighten him off.”

Yun Xi took a deep breath, tasting the metallic fear at the back of her throat. [It’s time to test my acting skills.]

“Thank you, Senior,” she typed.

“Good luck.”

Her jaw tightened. This was a do-or-die moment. If she succeeded, she’d form her Golden Core. If she failed… perhaps she’d return to her original world.

She sat cross-legged upon the ground, clutching the Immortal Spirit Herb as she whispered, “Spiritling, I’m about to form my core. I need your help.”

“No problem!” The herb’s leaves trembled lightly, scattering countless green lights into the air. They surrounded Yun Xi like fireflies, instantly thickening the spiritual energy around her.

Dian Dian nestled silently beside her foot, breathing in the rich energy that saturated the air.

Two quarters of an hour later, Yun Xi was forcibly ejected from her space.

The instant she emerged, the heavens above darkened. Thunder roared as thick clouds churned violently, and arcs of lightning coiled through the skies.

Outside the formation, Liu Hao Tian and the others had been struggling to break the array. When they saw the darkening sky, all three instinctively looked up. In that moment, they understood Yun Xi’s intent.

Yu Qing Cheng’s face darkened in disbelief: “Has Yun Xi lost her mind? Forcefully breaking through to Golden Core? She’ll cripple her future!”

Liu Hao Tian frowned deeply: “She must’ve taken pills to raise her cultivation. This Corpse Nurturing Ground is too dangerous. She had no other choice.”

“What do we do now?” Xia You asked, anxiety spilling from her eyes.

“We fall back,” Liu Hao Tian said, his voice hard as stone. “If she fails, I’ll go next. Thunder tribulation is our only hope to destroy this formation.”

Yu Qing Cheng paled: “Senior Brother Liu, you too?”

“There’s no other way. My cultivation is stronger than Fellow Daoist Wei’s. I’ll have better odds. Something terrible is happening inside.”

There was no more time to argue. Yu Qing Cheng grit her teeth and began pulling spirit stones from her storage bag. Xia You did the same. Though her cultivation was low, she found a shred of comfort in knowing she had returned two high-grade spirit stones to Yun Xi earlier.

The three retreated. Liu Hao Tian stepped into the heart of a Spirit Gathering Array, fiercely drawing energy into himself as he prepared to break through.

At that moment, the first tribulation struck.

Nine bolts of lightning fell like spears from heaven. The red barrier of the formation shattered in only two breaths. Yun Xi’s figure was revealed—just as the lightning struck again.

The bolts didn’t just target Yun Xi. The red-robed white zombie and Li Cang Yuan were struck as well.

The red-robed zombie let out a muffled cry and fell instantly. Li Cang Yuan, sensing danger, opened his milky-white eyes, struggling to rise. But the red-robed woman seized him with both arms, forcing him to stay.

Yun Xi gritted her teeth and endured the pain. Even as she guided the lightning into her own body, her gaze remained fixed, watching the zombies’ every move. She had drawn this thunder down for one reason only—to destroy them completely.

As soon as she refined the remnants of lightning within her meridians, a second wave descended.

These bolts were thinner—about the width of an infant’s arm—but shone with a piercing violet-white brilliance.

Just as Drifting with Immortal Grace had said… this was the Nine Heavens Mystic Lightning.