Start with push-ups to gain experience

Click, click—

Accompanied by a harsh grinding sound, another hand covered in dark brown lividity also touched the edge of the well.

The large stone slabs could not withstand the enormous force and cracked and peeled off, crashing into the deep well.

The well water churned violently, and black smoke rose continuously.

A head enveloped in black smoke slowly emerged from the well.

Immediately afterwards, a towering body nearly two meters tall emerged from the water.

He was clad in a full set of armor, the plates of which were covered in mottled patina from the erosion of time, yet still fit snugly against the contours of his rock-hard muscles.

That fierce and ruthless aura, forged in the crucible of battle, pierced the hearts of everyone like a sword saturated with blood.

The moment he stepped out of the dark well and his feet touched the ground, the temperature in the entire ancestral hall courtyard plummeted.

The water vapor floating in the air condensed directly into fine ice crystals, which fell down in a soft rustling sound.

The villagers kneeling on the ground all shivered.

They felt their blood vessels constricting, and their blood flow becoming extremely slow.

Every breath felt like swallowing ice scalpels, cutting painfully into my lungs.

The black smoke gradually dissipated, revealing the general's grayish-blue face.

Sparse, grayish-white hair clung to his dry scalp, and his facial skin pressed tightly against the contours of his skull.

A ghostly light shone from its deep-set eyes, like two lanterns, casting a ghastly green glow on the surrounding mist.

This terrifying monster, dressed in military armor, was none other than Jiang Chen.

He raised his chin, and his shrunken chest suddenly expanded outward.

Then he opened his mouth and a deafening roar erupted from deep within his throat.

"Roar--"

The sound was not human at all, but rather like the roar of some ferocious beast, with a highly penetrating frequency.

Visible sonic ripples swept outwards from his body.

The bluestone slabs on the ground were blown away in pieces, and the gravel hit the surrounding walls with a crackling sound.

The thick black mist barrier shrouding the ancestral hall was also torn open by this sound wave, revealing the eerie blood moon behind it.

As the roar subsided, a muffled thud came from Jiang Chen's back, as if bones were dislocating.

The ashen flesh rolled back to the sides, and four pale bone spurs pierced through the body.

This bone spur is two meters long, shaped like a giant arthropod, hollow, and covered with sharp barbs.

Like the claws of hell, they bared their fangs and gleamed with a chilling luster under the dark red moonlight.

"Ho-"

He let out a soft breath, then lowered his head, his eerie green gaze sweeping over the villagers in the front row.

Whoosh!
Four bone spurs shot out like taut springs, instantly piercing the chests of four strong men nearby.

The person who was stabbed didn't even have time to cry out in pain before their body convulsed violently.

The vigorous essence and blood of the living person flowed through the hollow bone spurs like a dammed water pipe, frantically pouring into Jiang Chen's body.

Not only that, but as their vital energy was drained, grayish-white phantoms were forcibly ripped out from the tops of their heads.

That is the soul of the guardian of Guhuai Village.

These phantoms twisted and struggled in mid-air, their mouths agape as they let out silent wails.

Jiang Chen flared his nostrils, took a deep breath, and the illusory image instantly transformed into several wisps of gray-white air, all of which were drawn into his mouth and stomach.

The villagers nearby witnessed their companion turn into a skeleton covered with skin in seconds, but not one of them got up and fled.

Under the absolute pressure emanating from this high-dimensional predator, their nervous systems completely shut down.

The physiological reaction was completely out of control, and the foul-smelling urine spread on the bluestone slab.

The brain resisted all survival commands, leaving only the instinct to slam its forehead against the ground.

"Holy crap..."

Xu Hao was tied to a pillar, staring dumbfounded at the legendary King of Zombies, his stomach churning.

That old monster is really ruthless. The first thing he did after being unearthed was to have a buffet, and he even killed his own people.

Thankfully, he wasn't actually there to apply for the job of guarding the village; otherwise, he would have been sucked dry sooner or later if he had been kept in the dark.

After absorbing the life essence of more than a dozen villagers, Jiang Chen's withered body became slightly plumper, as if inflated, and a layer of blood light faintly shone through his bluish-gray skin.

He retracted the bone spur, turned his head, and his gaze fell on Xu Hao.

Those deep green eyes were like hooks, instantly locking onto him.

Xu Hao suddenly felt the air around him tighten, as if he were being choked, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, and he couldn't breathe.

He bit his tongue hard, using the stinging pain to force himself to straighten his back, widen his eyes to look back, and forcefully suppress the panic in his heart.

Jiang Chen twitched his nostrils slightly, and the green flames in his eye sockets flickered faintly:

"Why does the aura emanating from you feel so familiar?"

His tone was questioning as he examined it carefully for a moment, then shook his head.

"It still doesn't quite look like it; it has an unpleasant, gamey smell."

The words were laced with contempt, like someone picking at smelly pork bones and beef at a butcher shop.

Upon hearing this, Xu Hao's tense shoulders slumped slightly, and he secretly let out a long breath.

But inside, he was frantic, screaming incessantly:
"Boss, if you don't come soon, my muscles will really become this old zombie's snack..."

Seeing this, Manager Wu crawled forward two steps on his knees and respectfully explained:

"Your Majesty, this is a sacrificial offering that I specially sought out. He is a martial artist who practices internal martial arts, and his qi and blood are far superior to ordinary people. I was thinking of having you enjoy it when you come out of seclusion, so I specially kept it."

Jiang Chen stared at Xu Hao for a while.

This person does exude a strong masculine aura, but his soul has not undergone long-term assimilation by the underground formation of the Ancient Locust Village.

In his dream, a wisp of his main soul was burned away by the domineering and unparalleled true fire of the sun. If he were to forcibly devour this soul, which is filled with impurities, it would not only fail to heal his body but would also worsen the injury to his soul.

"Lock him up first, and feed him with the cold, damp well water from the village every day."

Jiang Chen shifted his gaze and ordered in a deep voice:

"I'll eat after he's completely smothered in this murky aura."

"Yes, I understand."

Supervisor Wu bowed his head and accepted the order.

Jiang Chen twisted his neck to look at Manager Wu and Qian Dongming:

What is the situation in the outside world?

Supervisor Wu quickly bowed and replied:
"Your Majesty, Chairman Qian's biomedical company is transferring funds as planned and starting to build a blood bank. Once completed, it will be able to continuously supply large quantities of blood for your health maintenance."

"As for the special search team, they have been searching for your whereabouts all over Dongdu, but so far they have not found any clues."

He gave a brief report on the organization's recent operations and the movements of the special search team.

Jiang Chen nodded after hearing this, and then said:
"My soul has not yet returned to its peak state and needs to slumber for several more months to fully merge with my physical body. Effective immediately, seal off the roads leading into the mountains. Cease recruiting all village guards, and all operations will cease."

Upon hearing "slept for months," Qian Dongming jerked his upper body upright. He coughed violently, his cloudy eyes filled with terror and anxiety.
"My king! I fear I cannot live more than a few months! The cancer has spread throughout my body... I beg you to grant me eternal life now!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed sharply.

The air pressure around them suddenly increased.

As if struck by a heavy hammer in the chest, Qian Dongming collapsed to the ground, vomiting a mouthful of dark red blood.

"Are you teaching me what to do?"

Jiang Chen looked down at him coldly and said indifferently:

"Considering your contributions to supplying the organization with blood and maintaining its operation over the years, we will forgive your offense of disrespecting us here, but this will not be a repeat of it."

Qian Dongming felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He didn't even bother to wipe the blood from his chin, and quickly slammed his forehead against the cold bluestone slab, making a loud thud.

"Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty! I deserve to die. I was blinded by illness and will never dare to do it again!"

Jiang Chen looked down at this groveling ant with a disdainful gaze, his withered lips curving into a mocking arc.

The four prominent bone spurs on his back also slowed their rhythm, slowly retracting in mid-air and returning to their original positions on both sides of his back.

After a moment, his expression softened slightly.

"If you truly cannot wait, I can bestow upon you a drop of the Corpse Ancestor's true blood right now, but..."

Jiang Chen abruptly changed the subject, his tone revealing a hint of cruelty:
"My soul is damaged right now, and I can't protect your intelligence. Once the true blood enters your body, you will most likely become a mindless, low-level zombie that only knows how to tear raw flesh. Which do you choose?"

Qian Dongming shuddered, his gaze sweeping over the dozen or so drained corpses of villagers not far away.

He swallowed hard, swallowing a mouthful of bloody saliva, and slammed his head heavily against the frosted stone slab:

"We wait...we wait for Wang Chenggong to emerge from seclusion!"

Jiang Chen nodded slightly, ignoring him, and extended his right hand to Manager Wu:
"Bring me paper and pen."

Manager Wu dared not delay and immediately strode into the side room of the ancestral hall.

Half a minute later, he brought out a stack of yellowed Xuan paper and a charcoal pencil.
Jiang Chen did not take it, but instead extended his sharp fingernail and touched Manager Wu's forehead.

A wisp of black energy burrowed into his brain from his fingertips.

“Draw it according to the image I sent you.”

Manager Wu's body trembled, and his previously dull eyes brightened, revealing a strange green light.

He laid the Xuan paper flat on the stone slab next to the well, then held the charcoal pencil and quickly sketched on the paper.

The scratching sound of charcoal pencils against paper was particularly clear in the quiet ancestral hall.

Xu Hao craned his neck and looked towards the well platform.

Manager Wu seemed to have studied painting; his brushstrokes were extremely fast, his wrist moving with a combination of trembling and sweeping motions.

Toner lines of varying thicknesses intertwine and crisscross on the paper.

With just a few strokes, the outline is precisely drawn, and then a slight shading with the fingertip creates a three-dimensional effect of light and shadow.

A few minutes later, a lifelike portrait appeared on the paper.

The painting depicts a young man with short, neat hair, defined features, deep-set eyes, and a gentle smile on his lips.

The most expressive feature is that pair of dark eyes, which faintly exude a restrained yet extremely oppressive killing intent.

Xu Hao peeked out and saw that face. His heart skipped a beat, and his eyes widened instantly.

Jiang Chen also stared intently at the portrait, the bone spurs on his back contracting and expanding restlessly, revealing his inner anxiety and hatred.

"You must use every means to find out his background and address. Remember, do not alert him. When I wake up, I want to know all his information."

"Yes, I will use the networks of external companies to find out everything about him."

Manager Wu picked up the portrait and responded respectfully.

"hehe."

Suddenly, a cold laugh rang out from the side.

Jiang Chen, Manager Wu, and Qian Dongming all turned their heads at the same time to look at Xu Hao, who was tied to the wooden stake.

The guy looked nonchalant and carefree, no longer as timid and frightened as before, as if he had become a completely different person.

"You little beast, you're about to die, what are you laughing at? Is it so funny?"

Qian Dongming wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, pointed his cane at Xu Hao and cursed him angrily, as if venting all his disappointment on him.

Xu Hao suppressed his smile, met the gazes of the three men, and raised an eyebrow:
“I laugh at you for going to such lengths to find this person, not realizing that this person is both far away and right in front of you.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chen's eyes flickered slightly. He stepped forward, his massive body blocking most of the moonlight.

"What do you mean by that? Do you know him?"

Xu Hao grinned, his lips chapped, and instead of answering, asked a question:

"Old monster, you just said you were going into seclusion to recuperate, but looking at you half-dead, your previous injuries were probably inflicted by him, weren't they?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Dongming and Manager Wu's expressions changed drastically.

A surge of rage flashed in Jiang Chen's eyes, and his bones cracked as his four bone spikes whistled through the air.
"A mere mortal, he took advantage of my distraction to succeed."

"Hmph, once I reconstruct my true form, I will crush every single bone in his body! I will extract his soul, seal it in a century-old corpse oil lamp, and refine it day and night, so that he can neither live nor die!"

After speaking, his gaze fixed intently on Xu Hao, and his tone suddenly turned gloomy:
"Since you recognize that guy, I'll extract your soul first, and then I can personally search your memories..."

Xu Hao completely ignored Jiang Chen's threat.

He looked up, his gaze passing over the high eaves of the ancestral hall and up at the night sky above.

Qian Dongming and Supervisor Wu were drawn to his actions and subconsciously followed his gaze.

All that could be seen was the rolling thick fog and the dark red moon.

But Jiang Chen, who was standing by the well, suddenly sensed something.

His withered ear twitched slightly, and the green flame in his eye sockets flickered for a moment.

He suddenly raised his head, his gaze piercing through the thick fog.

High above the clouds, a golden light illuminated the night sky.

The point of light was initially tiny, but it expanded rapidly at a terrifying speed, tearing through the air.

With a booming sonic boom, the light, like a shooting star trailing flames, flew straight toward the ancestral hall.

Boom—

A sharp, piercing sound tore through the clouds and was soon right above everyone's heads.

The crimson flames left a trail tens of meters long, and the air along the way was violently distorted by the terrifying heat.

The thick black mist that shrouded the ancestral hall boiled violently like boiling oil being poured into water the moment it touched this fierce and unparalleled power.

The barrier couldn't even last half a second before it was burned through, leaving a hole several meters in diameter.

The yin energy at the edge was ignited by the flames, hissing and spreading outwards.

The golden light continued its relentless advance, plummeting straight to the center of the courtyard.

"Boom!"

The ground suddenly sank, and the entire ancient locust village seemed to shake for a moment. (End of Chapter)