C99 The Green Zombie

In the text, several types of undecayed corpses are described, categorized by their level of danger into Purple Zombie, White Zombie, Black Zombie, Green Zombie, Hairy Zombie, and Flying Zombie.

The Green Zombie, in particular, is noted for its green-hued corpse aura and the green color of its skin. Its body is incredibly hard, virtually impervious to weapons, and its strength and speed are vastly superior to those of humans.

The Green Zombie's Achilles' heel is its fear of sunlight. Yet, in a well that never sees the light of day, this vulnerability is rendered moot.

"Xie Kui, take a break over there. I'll go down and confront this Green Zombie," Zuo Yangchuan announced. Oddly enough, he remained motionless.

But in the blink of an eye, I thought I saw a phantom drift out of Zuo Yangchuan's body and dive into the depths of the well.

Peering down the well with curiosity, I watched as a familiar silhouette was engulfed by the shadows, eventually fading into stillness.

As I stood there, perplexed, Second Master Lei beside me exclaimed, "Taoist Master Zuo truly lives up to his reputation as a direct disciple of the Dragon Gate Sect's leader. His mastery of dual cultivation of life, Qi refinement into divinity, and merging the ethereal with the Dao is nothing short of divine!"

"Second Uncle Lei, could you explain what you mean by dual cultivation of life, Qi refinement, and merging the ethereal with the Dao?" I inquired, eager to understand.

Second Master Lei explained, "Changsheng, Taoism is divided into many schools and sects, but the primary divisions are the Orthodox Unity and the Complete Perfection Sects. The Orthodox Unity Sect further branches into Mao Mountain, Dragon Tiger Mountain, and others. Both Mao Mountain and Dragon Tiger Mountain belong to the Talisman School, with Mao Mountain specializing in formations and Dragon Tiger Mountain in the Tao of exorcising demons. The Complete Perfection Sect differs as it focuses on the Inner Alchemy School, centering on cultivating the Inner Elixir and the Golden Elixir. In essence, dual cultivation of life refers to the Yang Spirit leaving the body."

"Is there really such a thing as a Yang Spirit leaving the body?" I asked, astonished.

Unbeknownst to us, Zuo Yangchuan's spirit had already returned to his body. He explained, "My practice of dual cultivation of life has not yet reached the so-called stage of refining the void and merging the Dao. I merely allowed a type of spiritual essence to break free from the body's constraints."

Second Master Lei quickly inquired, "Taoist Master Zuo, have you eliminated the green zombies down there?"

"The well is temporarily safe, but there are numerous aggrieved souls who perished here. Everyone should proceed with caution when descending," Zuo Yangchuan advised.

We switched on our flashlights and descended into the well one by one. As my feet touched the bottom, a chilling 'crack' echoed. Looking down, I saw a macabre pile of bones, steeped in deep resentment—clearly the remains of those who had met untimely and unjust deaths.

Shining the flashlight around, I discovered a pitch-black tunnel at the well's base. The space within was not too cramped, allowing two people to walk abreast.

Once we had all gathered at the bottom, Xie Kui gestured towards the tunnel and said, "Do you feel that? There's a draft, which means the passage is open! And judging by the carvings on these stone walls, they're at least a thousand years old. It's very likely that this tunnel leads to Murong Chui's tomb!"

"That's fantastic, Xie Kui! Now that the danger is cleared, please lead the way," exclaimed Second Master Lei, elated.

Xie Kui nodded, flashlight in his left hand and a shovel in his right, and took the lead. Deaf Zhang and I followed close behind, with Second Master Lei and Taoist Master Zuo in the middle. Xiaodieh, Lin, and Xiaodao brought up the rear.

As I ran my hand along the icy wall, I sensed a weak ghostly presence. It seemed that Zuo Yangchuan had nearly eradicated the malevolent spirits here in an instant. With such a formidable figure among us, perhaps we truly stood a chance of making it out alive this time.

After trekking for another few minutes, the beam of my flashlight unexpectedly illuminated a ghastly green head, startling me into a shout.

Upon closer inspection, it was just a green zombie with its head detached. Its eyes were wide with rage and malice, and the cut on its neck was eerily clean. It was difficult to fathom the extent of Zuo Yangchuan's power, given that he had just released his Yang Spirit.

Xie Kui, leading the way, let out a snicker. "Changsheng, my brother, to think you're the son of Half Immortal Zhao. Yet, you've got no skills to speak of and such a faint heart."

I let out a cold snort, silently questioning who it was that had just been terrified by the green zombie to the point of panic.

"You grotesque freak, you were trying to snap my neck a moment ago, weren't you? Looks like your head came off first!" Xie Kui taunted as he kicked the green zombie's head like a soccer ball.

But in an instant, the green zombie's eyes blazed with a sinister green glow. Its fang-filled mouth gaped open and viciously clamped down on Xie Kui's calf!