"Bang, bang, bang!"
As the Xuan Jiang's claws emerged, its frenzied attacks were unleashed one after another.
The Xuan Jiang was incredibly fast, not at all like a zombie of this realm.
"No, this shouldn't be an ordinary Xuan Jiang. It's likely advanced!"
After clashing with the creature for several moves, Zhang Tian's heart stirred.
He had fought ordinary Xuan Jiangs before; they weren't difficult.
But this one, even when struck, would recover quickly from its wounds.
Furthermore, its strength was considerable, vastly different from those smaller zombies. It was like the difference between a seasoned technician and a novice.
The disparity in strength was immense.
"Could this guy have absorbed the aura of the Mu Chen Bead, causing it to evolve?" Hu Bayi questioned, his peach wood sword thrusting furiously. He threw down a fire talisman, but the creature recovered at an astonishing rate.
"Uncertain, but one thing is for sure: its clothes are suspicious!" Zhang Tian stated, his gaze fixed on the zombie's attire.
[Item: Xuan Tie Yi!]
[Item Level: High-grade magic artifact!]
[Item Abilities: Enhances the wearer's defense. The corpse's recovery rate is accelerated after death.]
[Item Description: A high-grade magic artifact specifically tailored for corpses, used for refining and nurturing them!]
The description echoed in his mind.
Zhang Tian swallowed.
Someone was refining corpses!
No wonder the resentment was so heavy. It turned out someone had specially refined this creature, clad it in armor, and set it to deal with intruders.
"Damn, I get it! Old Hu, let's strip this guy's clothes off first!" Zhang Tian shouted.
Hu Bayi and Zhang Qilin nodded in agreement.
Zhang Qilin was the fastest. His figure blurred, almost a shadow, as he circled the Xuan Jiang.
No matter how fast the Xuan Jiang was, it couldn't outpace Zhang Qilin.
In mere seconds, a tear appeared in the Xuan Jiang's clothing.
Zhang Tian then grappled with the Xuan Jiang's arms.
His whisk proved crucial at this moment.
With its arms bound by Zhang Tian, Hu Bayi and Zhang Qilin desperately tore at the Xuan Jiang's clothes.
"Second Brother and Old Hu are so perverted."
"In the middle of the night, at the entrance of a deep mountain cave, stripping clothes off a zombie. Miss Yang, is this appropriate?" Fatty remarked, watching the scene. He had been sitting on the ground since being thrown by the Xuan Jiang.
"Why aren't you going to help?" Shirley Yang retorted, rolling her eyes.
"Big Brother and Second Brother are enough. If I went up, my size would just be a hindrance. Besides, look how much fun they're having," Fatty said, pointing at Zhang Tian.
The Xuan Jiang's clothing was fixed in a peculiar way, so Zhang Qilin and Hu Bayi, pulling at the tear, struggled for a long time without success. Meanwhile, Zhang Tian strained to hold the Xuan Jiang's arms.
As the Xuan Jiang's strength surged, Zhang Tian found himself in a tug-of-war, mirroring a child squabbling over a toy.
Shirley Yang's lips twitched.
This Fatty was truly carefree.
"However, this clothing must be some kind of armor. It looks like it requires something special to open it. Let's search for a key together," Shirley Yang suggested after a moment's thought.
Fatty nodded and quickly rose, following Shirley Yang.
Shirley Yang and Fatty crept towards the bronze coffin.
"It's no use! This thing seems to be welded onto the Xuan Jiang. We can't remove it at all," Hu Bayi and Zhang Qilin exerted more force, but the Xuan Jiang's armor remained unchanged.
Conversely, the Xuan Jiang, restrained by the three, seemed to be growing increasingly enraged.
"How did they put it on? Or is there a specific key?" Zhang Tian frowned slightly, a surge of immense power emanating from his hand.
The Xuan Jiang suddenly leaped, flinging the three into the air.
Zhang Qilin's Black Gold Ancient Saber flashed, its blade striking the Xuan Jiang's head.
The Xuan Jiang's head was severed by Zhang Qilin's strike.
But in the next instant, the fallen head flew up and reattached itself.
"This has far surpassed the level of a Xuan Jiang. It's likely reached the next tier," Zhang Tian murmured. Suddenly, the Xuan Jiang seemed to go berserk, its claws flailing wildly. Zhang Tian and the others temporarily evaded.
"Conserve your energy. There will definitely be more fighting later. It's not worth wasting our strength on this one," Zhang Tian said, his gaze drifting towards the nearby cliff. He was already contemplating tossing the creature off the cliff if they couldn't kill it. After all, it wasn't a flying zombie and wouldn't be able to fly back up.
"Boss, we found the key!" Fatty's voice suddenly rang out.
Zhang Tian and the other two looked over.
Fatty was pulling out various treasures from the bronze coffin, a jade pendant clenched in his mouth. In his hand, a strange bottle appeared.
"What is this?"
"I suspect it's some kind of lubricating liquid that can help remove the clothing," Shirley Yang replied.
"Old Hu, I'll keep this thing occupied. You guys bring that over," Zhang Tian said. His whisk transformed again, its strands like hair, tightly binding the Xuan Jiang's arms.
Once more ensnared, the Xuan Jiang became noticeably more agitated. It thrashed wildly, but Zhang Tian held firm, securing it.
Hu Bayi swiftly took the bottle from Fatty's hand. He then joined Zhang Qilin in front of the Xuan Jiang.
Sweat beaded on Zhang Tian's forehead. The Xuan Jiang's strength was immense, and as he wasn't a martial cultivator, merely restraining it was a significant feat.
"I should have brought my ancestral master." Zhang Tian muttered, recalling his master. If his master's spirit possessed him, holding this creature would be effortless, even allowing him to give it a good beating. But the ancestral tablet was shattered and still being repaired.
Hu Bayi poured the liquid into the seams of the Xuan Jiang's armor. As the liquid seeped in, a foul odor emanated. Immediately, the armor began to peel off, taking a layer of the Xuan Jiang's skin with it.
"No wonder we couldn't remove it; it was attached to its skin," Zhang Tian realized, looking at the detached corpse skin.
Without the protective armor, the Xuan Jiang seemed to falter, its vacant gaze fixed on Zhang Tian. They stared at each other for about five seconds.
"Crrk!"
The Xuan Jiang made a sound and scrambled in another direction. Clearly, it possessed a certain degree of sentience. The primary difference between a zombie and a corpse ghoul was that zombies could develop intelligence. This refined Xuan Jiang, naturally, possessed an independent consciousness.
"Damn it, you little brat, you think you can run?" Fatty exclaimed as the Xuan Jiang hopped away. With a single hand, he yanked it back.
Stripped of its armor, the creature was now a pathetic wretch.
Zhang Tian picked up the fallen armor. He was tempted to keep it, but looking at the skin that had peeled off with it, he hesitated. The item was rather disgusting and reeked of foul odor. Besides zombies, who would wear such a thing?