Chapter 13：Group extinction

Within the mountain's depths, the stench of blood and decay permeated the air. The blood pool, bathed in moonlight, appeared even more sinister, exuding a bone-chilling coldness.

"Damn it, how are we supposed to survive this?"

Li Yunyang cursed upon arrival. Surrounding the blood pool were countless zombies, their numbers too great to discern. These creatures were covered in thick, matted fur—white, green, and even red. Unlike the ones from the village, these zombies showed no signs of decay; their bodies appeared as if encased in iron.

Hearing the commotion, the zombies turned, snarling at the intruders, and lunged towards them. One skeletal, fur-covered claw stretched out, aiming for the group. Li Yunyang drew his sword with all his strength, slashing at the nearest zombie.

"Slash!"

The zombie was cleaved in two, dark blood splattering everywhere, its twitching corpse soon crumbling into dust. The legends were true—zombies left no trace of their bodies once killed, as their souls were bound to their flesh. Once the body was destroyed, the soul would be obliterated, vanishing from the world entirely.

Li Yunyang, his hand numb from the blow, marveled at the zombie's toughness. He gritted his teeth and warned, "Xiaofan, Yueying, be careful—these things are tough as hell!"

Just as he spoke, a red-furred zombie lunged at him again, its hideous claws reaching for his head. But before it could strike, a sword flashed, cutting through its chest, narrowly saving Li Yunyang.

"Watch out, these zombies are more than we expected," Sun Yueying whispered, her sword dancing through the air, slicing down one zombie after another. With each fluid strike, she obliterated them entirely, her mastery and grace a testament to her strength as the third most powerful disciple of the Taifu Sect.

"Wow, Little Sister is amazing! She's so beautiful!" Li Yunyang stared in awe at Sun Yueying's graceful combat, mesmerized.

"Stop gawking and fight!"

Tianfan slapped him on the back and plunged into the fray. He had also taken a sword from the Taifu Sect before descending the mountain, though it was a simple iron sword, far sturdier and sharper than any weapon of the mortal world, as it had been forged by the sect.

With swift and precise strikes, Tianfan decapitated three white-furred zombies in one move. Li Yunyang cheered, leaping into the battle with renewed vigor, his sword cutting through the nearest zombie. Blood sprayed across the cavern floor as the battle raged on for two hours, leaving only a handful of red and green-furred zombies still standing.

Now, the three stood back to back, exhausted. Li Yunyang's breath came in ragged gasps, his forehead slick with sweat. Sun Yueying was similarly fatigued, while Tianfan, though feigning breathlessness, was still fresh. From the start, his attention had not been on these minor zombies. His instincts told him there was something far more powerful lurking, something far beyond the strength of these lesser creatures. He had been on high alert the entire time.

"Brother Li, you and Xiaofan deal with the green-furred zombies. I'll handle the red-furred ones. Once you're done, come help me!" Sun Yueying ordered in a low voice as the zombies closed in.

"No way, Little Sister! These red-furred ones are tough, their strength comparable to mid-stage cultivators. We should face them together. If anything happens to you, how will I explain it to the Master?"

Li Yunyang immediately objected. From the fight, he had observed that the white-furred zombies were the weakest, easily dealt with even by ordinary mortals. The green-furred ones were stronger, nearing the power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. But the red-furred zombies, with their mid-stage cultivation and nearly impenetrable bodies, were fearsome opponents.

"No more talking—attack!"

Sun Yueying didn't give him a chance to argue. Seeing the red-furred zombies rushing at them, she charged forward, her sword glowing with a faint purple light. With a powerful downward slash, she struck the nearest zombie. Though it instinctively raised its arms to protect its head, Sun Yueying's sword was far too powerful, severing its arms before slicing through its neck in a clean arc.

Meanwhile, Tianfan and Li Yunyang made quick work of the green-furred zombies, which stood no chance against their coordinated attacks. As the remaining red-furred zombies saw their comrade fall, they let out guttural roars, their mouths opening wide in a putrid stench, and rushed towards Sun Yueying, claws slashing wildly. The pressure on her mounted, but with her mid-stage cultivation, she held her ground, her sword cutting down one zombie after another.

Just then, a few drops of zombie blood splashed into her eyes, blurring her vision. She quickly activated her inner energy, purging the poisonous blood from her body, but two red-furred zombies were already upon her, too close for her to counterattack.

"No!"

Li Yunyang's heart raced at the sight, and with a desperate roar, he charged forward, but it was too late. As the red-furred zombie's claws reached for Sun Yueying's beautiful face, Tianfan's eyes blazed with determination. A powerful mental force surged forth, imbued with his lethal intent, arriving in a flash.

"Ugh!"

A heart-wrenching scream echoed as the two red-furred zombies howled in agony. Tianfan's overwhelming mental energy pierced their bodies, obliterating the souls within. In their torment, the zombies perished, for the soul is the essence of all living beings. Once harmed, the consequences are unimaginable; even in their mindless state, the zombies expressed their suffering.

Li Yunyang rushed to Sun Yueying's side, shielding her protectively. The earlier events had been so bizarre—those two red-furred zombies had inexplicably vanished, leaving him bewildered. He turned to glance at Tianfan, who was fiercely battling the green-furred zombies.

A look of confusion crossed Li Yunyang's face. What had just happened? No one had attacked those two zombies. Yet, after a moment of contemplation, he let it go; the important thing was that Sun Yueying was unharmed, which was the best outcome he could hope for. Since he faced away from Tianfan, he failed to notice any strange behavior from him.

Meanwhile, Sun Yueying had already purified the zombie blood from her eyes, and Tianfan had completely eliminated the green-furred zombies. The three of them joined forces and quickly overwhelmed the remaining red-furred zombies, leaving just one, which now wore a fearful expression, retreating step by step.

Behind it, the blood pool glowed with an eerie light, exuding a strong metallic odor. Just as the red-furred zombie was mere inches away from the pool, a massive, pitch-black hand suddenly emerged, covered in short, bristly hair, seizing the zombie and dragging it into the depths of the blood pool.