Outside Green River City, Chu Xuan stripped off He Liang's face and casually tossed it into the river.
"These makeshift human skin masks are truly uncomfortable to wear," he muttered. He sifted through He Liang's storage bag, nodding slightly in approval. "Over eighty small spiritual stones, one medium spiritual stone, three Rejuvenation Pills, a vial of Spirit Restoration Water, a large barrel of demonic beast blood, plus all of He Liang's Spiritual Qi—not bad at all."
"Indeed, plundering after murder does make quick gains," Chu Xuan smacked his lips. Earlier, inside the abandoned residence, he had taken He Liang by surprise with a sneak attack, swiftly gaining control.
First, he extracted information about the righteous cultivators from He Liang, then he drained his Spiritual Qi using the Soul Extraction Technique. Finally, he skinned He Liang's face to create a temporary mask and made his escape.
"But can one truly escape forever?" he pondered. "Each minor breakthrough in my cultivation technique requires a substantial amount of lifeblood. The gu insects I nurture also need to consume a significant amount of flesh and blood to evolve. If they aren't fed adequately over time, they'll turn on me. Every quest for flesh and blood is a risk."
"Perhaps I should become a righteous cultivator instead," Chu Xuan smiled wryly. To survive in this world of cultivation, one must switch allegiances and practice the techniques of the righteous path.
However, if he were to train in the ways of the righteous, it would mean starting over from scratch. Given his mediocre talents, he doubted he'd ever reach the Foundation Establishment stage.
It seemed that only demonic techniques, which are low in requirements, quick to show results, and powerful, suited someone of his ordinary capabilities.
"Well, is this mirror one of He Liang's magical tools?" Chu Xuan noticed a dusty, blood-colored mirror in the corner of the storage bag. He retrieved it and channeled his Spiritual Qi into it, but to no avail. Normally, just a small amount of Spiritual Qi should activate a magical tool. This tool was peculiar—could it be of a high grade?
Chu Xuan was taken aback. This world, why did it so closely resemble the zombie-themed movies and shows he had watched before his transmigration?
He frowned, suddenly sensing a thought emanating from within the blood mirror. It seemed he could travel directly to this apocalyptic planet if he so wished.
Intrigued, Chu Xuan reached out and touched the mirror. In the blink of an eye, the world spun around him, filled with chaotic light, bizarre sounds, and distorted visions. When clarity returned, Chu Xuan found himself standing on a city street.
Tall buildings lined the street, and shops stood side by side, while the distance was dominated by towering skyscrapers. The street itself was littered with abandoned cars and overgrown weeds—a desolate scene indeed.
A sudden sound of footsteps caught his attention. A grotesque figure staggered out from the shadow of a car, its eyes hollow and bloodthirsty, drooling foul-smelling saliva—the unmistakable mark of a zombie. It roared upon sensing the scent of the living and lunged towards Chu Xuan.
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Chu Xuan, slightly frowning, swiftly raised his hand. A line of blood shot forth, slicing through the zombie's neck. The creature's head separated from its body, falling to the ground dead, its blood spurting out like a fountain.
After all, Chu Xuan was a Qi Refining stage cultivator. Although he had not yet mastered the abilities to command the wind or control the earth, and could only use his Spiritual Qi in basic ways, his strength and senses far surpassed those of ordinary humans. And the body of a zombie was no different from that of a human. A single cut to kill was nothing unusual.
Shaking his head and about to leave, Chu Xuan suddenly felt a stir within him from his nurtured gu insect, causing him to stop. He extended his palm, and from a split in the skin, a blood-red worm emerged. This worm, as thick as a finger and notably tough, was known as "Blood Steel Wire," a gu renowned for its toughness.
Cultivating the Art of Gu, feeding it over a long period, and developing a bond allowed it to be used against enemies. A Qi Refining stage cultivator had a very limited total amount of Spiritual Qi, usually able to activate a spell only once or twice before exhausting their reserves.
This was why Chu Xuan had chosen Blood Steel Wire as an additional means of defense. It was also his versatility that had solidified his standing among the disciples of the inner sect of the Infinite Sect, ranking tenth.
Currently, Chu Xuan's cultivation was too low to nurture more than one Blood Steel Wire, but as his level increased, he could nurture more, and thus develop more techniques for combat.
At this moment, the Blood Steel Wire, sensing the smell of blood and flesh, appeared quite hungry and kept looking eagerly in that direction. Chu Xuan, observing the corpse of the zombie, suddenly raised an eyebrow.
"Zombies can move... perhaps they too count as living beings?" Chu Xuan pondered. "Could the blood and flesh of zombies be effective for cultivating my techniques and feeding my gu?"
The more he thought about it, the more intrigued he became. In this world, techniques and spells were ranked from lowest to highest in four tiers.
The technique Chu Xuan practiced, the Blood Spirit Technique, was one of the superior Qi Refining techniques within the Infinite Sect, and his primary method of cultivation.
Compared to the top-tier techniques of the Qi Refining stage, it merely required a slower cultivation pace. As long as he could enhance the levels of his Blood Spirit Technique, his own realm would also rise.
Chu Xuan stepped forward and placed his hand on the zombie's corpse. The Blood Steel Wire instantly burrowed into it. Sounds of unnerving munching came from within the body.
Chu Xuan, accustomed to such noises, was indifferent. To him, as long as it was fed, the Blood Steel Wire was no different from a tame cat or dog.
It wasn't long before the Blood Steel Wire returned to the palm of his hand, meticulously clean. It was particular about its food; it preferred the flesh of humans the most, followed by that of demonic beasts.
Thus, it appeared that zombies could indeed serve as feed for his gu. Consequently, their blood should also be viable for his cultivation techniques.
Without hesitation, Chu Xuan began to search for more zombies. Shortly, he found three more unsuspecting zombies—no, passersby. The obedient Blood Steel Wire quickly bound their limbs. Though restrained, the zombies remained spirited, constantly howling.
Chu Xuan fetched a large barrel from his storage bag and slit the zombies' throats to collect their blood. Within moments, the barrel was full. The remaining corpses were not wasted; the Blood Steel Wire dived in and feasted.
Chu Xuan immediately began to practice the Blood Refinement Spell. This spell, learned at the first level of the Blood Spirit Technique, had no offensive power and was solely for refining blood, a mere low-tier spell of the Qi Refining stage. The blood before him was continuously absorbed, its impurities removed and gradually transformed into pure energy.
After purifying the large quantity of zombie blood, all that remained were several thumb-sized blood pearls. Despite being derived from zombie blood, Chu Xuan was unperturbed. Whether it was the blood of demonic beasts, gu, humans, or zombies, there was no distinction of high or low, precious or lowly. Anything that could make him stronger was valuable.
He swallowed a blood pearl and began to assimilate it. Moments later, his expression brightened. It was indeed effective! He could feel his Spiritual Qi growing stronger inside him.
"At this rate, I will soon achieve the fifth level of the Blood Spirit Technique," Chu Xuan said, visibly exhilarated.