Chapter 117: Bloodline of the Ancestor of Zombies

"Young Master, you don't understand. Under the Master's command, there are already dozens of Iron Corpses, all of which have reached the late stage and are on the verge of breaking through to Copper Corpses. The pressure on me is immense! If I make any serious mistake, I fear the Master will destroy me, extract my Corpse Pearl, and give it to some other late-stage Iron Corpse to consume, allowing them to advance to a Copper Corpse immediately. Is it easy for me? I have to handle so much every day while trying to improve my own strength. I'm so exhausted; I feel like I've lost the will to love!"

Tie Niu pretended to wipe his eyes, recounting his bitterness with a mix of feigned tears and sighs.

"Big guy, don't try that routine with me. The Old Ancestor has his own principles. The reason you were able to rise to become one of the Four Great Protectors is naturally due to your unique qualities; it's not something I can decide with a few words. Anyway, the Old Ancestor is looking for me, so I’ll be off."

Zhang Shouzhen, carrying Kong Kong'er, glared at the overly dramatic Tie Niu and strode toward the villa.

Tie Niu stood there stunned for a moment, then suddenly chuckled to himself: "The Young Master has his own principles too. That’s good—that is the true lineage of the Li family."

...

"Jiu'er, reveal your zombie form."

Behind the villa was an enclosed courtyard shaded by lush trees. In the center lay a circular pit ten meters in diameter, filled with black soil that radiated a chilling,阴 cold aura, standing in stark contrast to the surroundings.

The pit was completely exposed to the sun. The black soil emitted something resembling mist, but it was actually a form of Earthly Fiendish Qi, which could only manifest under the stimulation of sunlight. Li Yinlin and Jiu'er stood in the center.

"Now?"

Jiu'er frowned, lifting her head slightly to squint at the sun directly overhead. Revealing her zombie essence now would be agonizing for her.

"Yes, right now. Of course, you must also dispel the Light-Avoidance Talisman on your body. If you truly possess the bloodline of a Zombie Ancestor, even at the Flesh Corpse stage, this sunlight cannot truly harm you. If you don't, you will be burned to ashes. Reveal your true form now; when your zombie body is threatened by the sun, the ancestral bloodline will be triggered. I want to see which Zombie Ancestor you are a descendant of."

Li Yinlin stood opposite her, his silver pupils fixed on her delicate features, as if searching for some hidden trace.

"Light-Avoidance Talisman, disperse!"

Though reluctant, Jiu'er complied. She formed a hand seal and tapped her forehead. A silver talisman, several inches long, appeared between her brows, only to shatter the moment it left her skin, dissipating into specks of silver light.

Bereft of the talisman, white smoke began to rise from her entire body, and she let out a piercing scream.

Her eyes turned blood-red, and her mouth gaped open to reveal two razor-sharp fangs. She had transformed into a zombie. Under the harsh sunlight, white smoke billowed from her, her skin hissed, and eventually, her body ignited. Orange flames engulfed her, and she collapsed in agony, rolling on the ground as the white smoke turned into thick, black fog.

"No... I can't... I can't endure the scorching sun. I... I must use the Light-Avoidance Talisman again!"

As she writhed in pain, she began to move her hands to cast the spell once more.

"No! That bit of endurance is not enough to trigger the Zombie Ancestor bloodline within you."

Li Yinlin shook his head. He showed no pity; his expression remained cold and unmoved.

Jiu'er struggled to lower her hands and climbed back up. Her once fair, delicate skin was now charred black, with flickers of flame emitting from within. Finally, her skin began to change. As the sunlight burned away the layers, the skin underneath began to recover, becoming smooth as jade. In the center of her forehead, an archaic character—resembling seal script—suddenly manifested.

Her long hair, which had been burnt away, began to grow back, shimmering with a faint, violet light.

Li Yinlin’s expression grew grave, and he retreated abruptly. A purple light radiated from Jiu'er, even more searing than the sun. He felt the Light-Avoidance Talisman on his own body beginning to disintegrate. Terrified, he backed away several yards. Although a Silver Corpse does not strictly require a talisman, the sunlight was still incredibly uncomfortable for him. As a creature of shadow and evil, he feared pure Yang energy. Only when he felt his body was no longer affected did he carefully observe her.

The Zombie Ancestor bloodline within her had been triggered, but which one? Even Li Yinlin could not tell.

Her blood-red eyes gradually shifted to a pale violet, flashing with a formidable light. The sunlight hitting her could no longer cause any damage. The flames and black fog surrounding her vanished. She stood quietly under the scorching sun, her purple hair dancing in the air, the ancient mark on her forehead fading into her skin, and her sharp fangs retracting.

Jiu'er's clothes had not been burned, as corpse energy is a form of evil, and the sun only incinerates that which is impure.

"I apologize. Although your ancestral bloodline has been awakened, I cannot identify which ancestor it belongs to. It is too mysterious. Your form is not yet complete, but you can already fully withstand sunlight. That is the benefit of the Zombie Ancestor bloodline. Unlike us—ordinary zombies without that lineage—even those at the Iron Corpse stage cannot face the sun and must wait for nightfall."

Li Yinlin sighed softly, the corners of his mouth lifting, his icy face thawing slightly.

"Then what can you teach me now, Mr. Yinlin?" Jiu'er asked with a calm smile.

"I will teach you how to hunt. In truth, you don't have to kill to consume human blood; you only need to control it carefully. Moreover, at higher stages, not all blood is useful. Some low-level spiritual blood can even be harmful and does nothing for our advancement. As for how to distinguish it, for us zombies, high-quality blood emits a scent we perceive as fragrant, while for humans, it is merely a bloody stench. The richer and more fragrant the blood, the higher its quality. Of course, this is relative to your current level. Perhaps the blood of a Night-Roaming cultivator would taste sweet to you now, but to me, it would be quite ordinary, even inferior..."

Li Yinlin explained tirelessly, covering not only feeding but also the application of zombie strength and unique abilities. Hearing his explanation, Jiu'er felt enlightened, her face filled with astonishment.

By noon on Sunday, Zhang Shouzhen emerged from the training room to find Tie Niu rushing toward him. Tie Niu grinned at him and said:

"Young Master, do you remember those Night-Walkers from the Heavenly Demon Sect from a few days ago? I personally verified the address they confessed. A woman named Qingya does indeed live there, but she rarely goes out, appearing only once every few days to purchase food. Fearing I would be discovered, I didn't go inside to investigate."