Cultivating Immortality in Two Realms: Sunflower Lord

Ji Ruchang stepped out from the edge of the pale golden light curtain.

Almost the instant his figure appeared in the gray mist, the stiff and malicious figure that had been lingering a few feet in front of him suddenly stopped, then let out a low growl, like a hyena smelling blood, and pounced on him with all four limbs!

It was that novice zombie that slipped through the net.

The charred marks from the ancient bronze mirror still lingered on its body, and its movements were even slower and stiffer than before, but its ferocity remained undiminished.

However, this time, facing the onrushing zombies, Ji Ruchang felt no ripples in his heart, and was even somewhat... eager to try.

Within the dantian, five strands of true essence, shimmering with pale silver starlight, slowly rotated and coiled, like miniature nebulae, radiating a calm and restrained power.

These five strands of spiritual energy are the result of his arduous cultivation over the past few days (with the assistance of the sunflower and the ancient mirror), as well as the further transformation and accumulation during his recovery.

If he hadn't temporarily modified the "Star Scripture," according to the standards of the "Longevity Manual," the five solidified spiritual threads in his dantian alone would have been enough to allow him to steadily advance to the mid-to-late stage of the fourth level of Qi Refining.

At this moment, his aura was calm and his true essence was abundant, far surpassing any previous moment.

Furthermore, with experience from numerous battles against zombies and expertise in using ancient bronze mirrors, coupled with the absolute safety of the protective aura behind them, their confidence was naturally different.

"Well done!" Ji Ruchang shouted in a low voice, neither dodging nor avoiding, his feet firmly planted on the ground, his hands tightly gripping the Flaming Blade, the crimson-gold blade light suddenly shining brightly in the gray mist!

His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, instantly locked onto the bone seam at the zombie's neck, made even more vulnerable by the scorching light of the mirror, as the zombie lunged forward.

The blade flashed like lightning!

It was not the kind of sweeping slash that pursued extreme speed, but a more powerful and explosive diagonal slash!

Beyond the crimson-gold flames on the blade, a faint, almost invisible layer of silvery-white starlight clung to it, giving the blade a colder, sharper, and more penetrating feel!

"Pfft!"

The blade cut precisely into the predicted spot, and the familiar resistance came through, but it was much easier than before.

The Flaming Blade's inherent fire elemental advantage, combined with the unique "barrier-breaking" characteristic of the Star Scripture's true essence, amplifies the power of this strike!

The zombie's charge came to an abrupt halt, its head split open, black blood and brain matter splattering everywhere!

It let out a half-sounding mournful howl, its forward lunge still not exhausted, but due to the head injury, it lost its balance and staggered forward, missing Ji Ruchang's side.

It's now!

Ji Ruchang shifted her feet, her body twisting slightly to the side and behind the zombie. Her right leg, imbued with true energy, lashed out like an iron whip, striking the zombie squarely in the lower back!

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, the already unbalanced and severely injured body was kicked off the ground by this powerful kick, flying like a tattered sandbag, tracing an arc, and then crashing into the pale golden light curtain behind it with a "thud"!

The light was scorching, and black smoke rose!

The zombie let out an even more painful roar, struggling to get up.

Ji Ruchang followed closely behind and stepped into the circle of light without pausing for a moment.

Kill it while it's sick!

The Blazing Blade transformed into a crimson-gold curtain of blades, trailing a chilling starlight tail, mercilessly slashing at the necks and vital joints of the zombies rolling on the ground!

"Snap! Sizzle! Pfft!"

With a few more strikes, the already severely wounded zombie fell completely silent. Its remains rapidly disintegrated in the light, turning into black mist that surged toward the Golden Sunflower.

[Tier 1 Sunflower: Golden Sunflower (Growth: 84/100)]

Become!

Only sixteen points remain to achieve perfection!

After slaying the last South Alley zombie, Ji Ruchang was not blinded by victory.

He returned to the bottom of the dry well, sat cross-legged, and first circulated the "Star Scripture" to fully restore the true energy he had consumed in the brief battle.

The newly generated Starshine True Essence seems to recover faster than the "Longevity Formula," and its efficiency is astonishing in the environment created by the sunflower and the ancient mirror.

Then, he switched perspectives, looking around through the "eyes" of the golden sunflower.

The three-foot-long flower plate was raised, and a pale golden sensation spread outwards like ripples on water.

However, this perception was greatly suppressed and distorted in the gray fog.

He could "sense" that the distinct, chilling aura, like a dark beacon, had disappeared from a radius of about seven or eight zhang to the south and east of the dry well—meaning that the evil spirits active within this area had been eliminated.

But further away, the gray fog, like a thick curtain, blocked perception.

They could only vaguely perceive some blurry, shifting clumps of yin energy, unable to discern their specific shape, quantity, or strength.

"It seems that the sunflower's perception range is limited, and it cannot penetrate too thick a gray fog or too far away," Ji Ruchang realized.

This kind of vague perception is acceptable as an early warning, but it is far from enough to rely on for precise exploration.

True essence restored, state adjusted to optimal.

Ji Ruchang carefully removed the ancient bronze mirror, which was still bathed in the light of the sunflower, and put it into her storage bag—this treasure was too conspicuous, and activating it consumed a lot of energy, so it was not advisable to use it unless it was absolutely necessary.

He gripped the Flaming Blade tightly in his right hand, while his left hand unconsciously touched the storage bag at his waist. Feeling its heavy weight and the ancient mirror inside, he felt much more at ease.

This time, his target was the alleyway that extended eastward from the northwest corner of the courtyard.

The passage was only ten feet wide, with towering blue brick walls on both sides, and the top was blocked by a thick gray fog, like a deep and oppressive canyon.

The ground was paved with ancient stone slabs, with dark green moss growing in the cracks, making it damp, slippery, and cold.

Ji Ruchang concealed her aura, channeled her true energy to her legs and eyes to enhance her stability and night vision, and cautiously made her way deeper into the wall step by step.

After stepping out of the circle of light for about five or six zhang, the surroundings remained deathly silent except for the sound of my deliberately light footsteps and breathing.

The gray fog churned, visibility was extremely low, and the flaming blade in his hand became the only source of light, its crimson-gold halo illuminating only a few feet in front of him.

They walked another two or three zhang (approximately 6.6-7.3 meters) forward.

Sudden--

"Click...click...click..."

A very faint yet exceptionally clear sound came from the deeper fog ahead.

That wasn't the sound of wind or water; it was more like... the stiff collision and friction of some hard object (like bone joints), or the sound of claws gently scraping against a stone slab!

The sound was intermittent, carrying a mechanical stiffness and numbness.

Ji Ruchang's hair stood on end instantly!

My heart clenched suddenly, as if gripped by an icy hand!

There's something there!

And it's just a short distance ahead!

He immediately stopped, crouched slightly, tightened his grip on the knife, tensed all his muscles, and focused all his senses on the direction from which the sound came.

The next moment—

"call!"

A chilling wind, carrying a strong stench of decay and blood, suddenly swept in from the gray fog ahead without warning!

The wind was strong, making Ji Ruchang's robes flutter and his face sting. He also felt a chilling malice lock onto him instantly!

It was discovered!

That thing's perception range might far exceed that of an ordinary zombie!

Almost at the same time the cold wind swept in, Ji Ruchang made the right choice—retreat!

He did not hesitate at all, nor did he have the slightest thought of "testing the waters".

In situations where the enemy situation is unclear and the environment is unfavorable, retreating to a safe zone is the best strategy.

Facing the direction from which the cold wind was blowing, his body moved backward like an arrow released from a bow, retreating rapidly along the path he had come from!

The true essence of the Star Scripture flowed into his legs, making his steps fast and steady, leaving faint afterimages on the slippery stone slabs.

He retreated extremely quickly, but the pursuers seemed to be moving even faster!

Behind them, the gray mist churned violently, accompanied by the heavy, rapid sound of running, the low panting of some wild beast, and the scraping of claws on the ground, rapidly approaching!

Fortunately, he hadn't gone too far in the first place.

In just a few breaths, the warm and familiar pale golden halo could be seen ahead!

Ji Ruchang's spirits lifted, and she sped up even more, leaping across the edge of the light barrier and returning to the safe zone enveloped by the golden sunflower's light.

He immediately turned around, blade pointing forward, ready for battle.

Almost the instant he turned around—

"roar!!!"

A furious and bloodthirsty roar shook the gray mist!

A massive, dark shadow burst out of the gray mist and slammed into the edge of the light barrier!

"Hiss hiss hiss—!"

The light was scorching, and black smoke rose!

The shadowy creature, in pain, let out an even more furious roar, took a few steps back, and hovered outside the light barrier, revealing its full form.

Ji Ruchang's pupils suddenly contracted.

That was... a zombie dog!

But this was no ordinary case of a stray dog ​​turning into a corpse.

It was as big as a calf, its fur had long since rotted away, revealing its dark, shriveled, and muscular body underneath.

Most horrifyingly, it has two hideous dog heads growing from its neck!

Its head was also rotting, with fangs protruding and four eerie green flames burning in its eye sockets. It stared intently at Ji Ruchang within the circle of light, filled with greed, rage, and a trace of... an instinctive fear of the light.

Two-headed Corpse Dog!

Judging from its size, speed, and the intensity of the malevolent aura it exudes, it far surpasses those novice-level humanoid zombies!

It has probably approached, or even reached, the level of elite monsters below the armored corpses and blood corpses!

Ji Ruchang's palms were sweating as he gripped the knife, but a strong sense of vigilance and a lingering fear welled up inside him.

Luckily, I withdrew decisively!

If you were to get entangled in this thing in a narrow passage, the consequences would be unimaginable.

His gaze sharpened as he looked at the two-headed corpse dog that lingered and growled outside the light screen, yet dared not easily step inside.

A new rival has emerged!