As a dignified max-level Celestial Master, who am I supposed to explain this to?

Longhu Mountain Gate.

It is called a mountain gate, but it is actually a stone archway, about three zhang high, made of bluestone.

The front is engraved with the three large characters "Longhu Mountain", and the back is engraved with "Successor of the Celestial Master's Mansion".

On either side of the archway are two stone-carved Qilin statues, weathered and ancient.

At this moment, the situation in front of the mountain gate is not good.

Seven or eight young Taoist priests stood with their backs against the archway, forming a semicircle. Each of them looked tense, and their foreheads were covered in sweat.

The peach wood swords in their hands were trembling slightly, and most of the talismans had been used up and were scattered all over the ground.

Opposite them was a group of zombies.

Roughly counting them, there were about a dozen.

The first few were white zombies, covered in white fur, with blood-red eyes, and nails as black as iron. They made low growling noises.

Behind the white zombie were seven or eight even weaker purple zombies, which moved slowly, but had the advantage of being numerous.

What terrified these young Taoist priests the most was the figure standing at the very back of the zombie horde.

It was a zombie dressed in Qing Dynasty official robes, with a burly build, a livid face, and black, stiff hairs covering its face and hands, each hair resembling a steel needle.

Its eyes weren't red, but a ghostly green, like two will-o'-the-wisps burning in their sockets.

Hairy stiff.

Unlike the white zombies before it, it didn't bar its teeth and claws. It just stood there quietly, its hands hanging at its sides, its fingernails three inches long, jet black and shiny, with a metallic sheen.

It even carried an eerie composure.

It's like a hunter watching a trapped beast struggle.

"Senior brother... what should we do?"

A round-faced young Taoist priest asked in a tearful voice, his peach wood sword trembling like a leaf.

The one called "senior brother" was a young man in his early twenties named Zhang Heng, who was at the second level of the Golden Light Mantra and had the highest cultivation level among the group.

He gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead: "Hold on, wait for Senior Brother to arrive."

"But our senior brother suffered a qi deviation yesterday and hasn't woken up yet, has he?"

Zhang Heng clenched his teeth even tighter.

He knew it, but he had no other choice.

The master and several elders went down the mountain three days ago to deal with a major case.

The one with the highest cultivation level on the mountain right now is Senior Brother Han Xuan.

If Han Xuan doesn't come.

He dared not think.

"Holy crap—!!"

The white zombie at the front seemed to have lost patience, letting out a low growl before lunging forward.

Its speed was astonishing; it covered ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) in just a few steps, and its jet-black fingernails pierced straight into Zhang Heng's face.

Zhang Heng gritted his teeth and drew his sword, unleashing the full power of the Golden Light Mantra. A layer of pale golden light covered the peach wood sword, barely managing to block the claw.

"clang--!!!"

A metallic clang rang out, sending Zhang Heng staggering back three steps. His hand went numb, and a deep scratch appeared on his peach wood sword.

"Attack together!" Zhang Heng roared.

Seven or eight Taoist priests attacked simultaneously, their golden light flashing and talismans flying everywhere.

Several purple zombies were hit by the talisman, screaming and emitting white smoke as they staggered backward.

But the white zombie was extremely fierce and withstood two corpse-fixing talismans.

It swatted a young Taoist priest away with one claw, and then bit off another Taoist priest's peach wood sword.

But the hairy zombie remained motionless.

It simply watched all of this coldly with its eerie green eyes, as if waiting for something.

Or perhaps—it's as if they're wary of something.

Something's not right.

Zhang Heng was panting heavily, his mind racing with alarm bells.

Mao Jiang is not unintelligent, at least equivalent to a seven or eight-year-old child, and it will not stop moving behind for no reason.

What is it waiting for?!

The answer came quickly.

A chilling aura surged from behind Mao Jiang, like a gust of wind blowing from a grave.

The aura was so intense it was almost tangible, causing every Taoist present to feel a shiver from the depths of their soul.

Mao Jiang slightly turned aside, making way for him.

A figure emerged from behind it.

That was... a person?

He was dressed in modern clothes—a black jacket, jeans, and sneakers—and looked to be in his early thirties. He had an average appearance, the kind you wouldn't notice in a crowd.

But no one would treat him like an ordinary person.

Because his eyes are completely black.

There were no whites in their eyes, no pupils, only two bottomless black glooms.

"The Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain".

The man spoke, his voice hoarse and deep, like sandpaper scraping, "Is that all you've got?"

Zhang Heng's pupils suddenly contracted.

This is not a zombie.

Zombies do not possess such consciousness or the ability to speak.

This is... a corpse cultivator.

Cultivators who practice the path of zombies cultivate death energy in the body of a living person, making themselves neither human nor ghost, and controlling zombies to do whatever they want.

In the eyes of righteous cultivators, such people deserve to be killed even more than zombies.

"Who are you?"

Zhang Heng suppressed his fear and asked in a deep voice.

The man tilted his head, as if considering whether to answer the question. Finally, he grinned, revealing a set of yellowed teeth:

"My name is Chen Jiuyin. You may not have heard of me, but that's okay..."

He raised his hand and pointed to the Celestial Master's Mansion behind the mountain gate.

"All you need to know is that I'm here to ask for one thing: the sacred seal of Longhu Mountain—the Yangping Zhidu Gong Seal."

Zhang Heng's expression changed drastically: "Dream on!!"

"dream?"

Chen Jiuyin laughed, his laughter like the hooting of an owl. "Little kids, look at yourselves now. Your master isn't here, your elders aren't here, what can you little brats at the second or third level of the Golden Light Mantra do to stop me?!"

He patted the shoulder of the furry man next to him, as if he were patting a loyal dog.

"My hairy dog ​​was raised on the blood and sweat of thirty-seven living people. With your level of skill, it could take on twenty of you."

Zhang Heng's hands were trembling, but he did not back down.

He is a disciple of Longhu Mountain.

Behind me is the Celestial Master's Mansion, the memorial tablets of the Celestial Masters of all generations, and the thousand-year heritage of Longhu Mountain.

He can die, but he cannot retreat.

"Form ranks!"

Zhang Heng roared hoarsely, "Seven Star Corpse Locking Formation!"

The seven Taoist priests gritted their teeth and stood in their positions, taking the Seven Star Step, their peach wood swords crossed in formation.

Golden rays of light connected at the tip of the sword, outlining the Big Dipper pattern in the air.

Chen Jiuyin raised an eyebrow: "Interesting. But..."

He waved his hand.

"break."

Mao stiffened and moved.

This movement was as fast as lightning.

It covered the three-zhang distance in almost an instant.

The jet-black claws, accompanied by the sound of wind being cut, plunged straight into the eye of the Seven Star Formation, Zhang Heng.

"clang--!!"

Another clang of metal rang out, but this time, Zhang Heng was sent flying, sword and all, crashing heavily into the stone archway, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

The Seven Star Formation collapsed instantly, and the remaining six Taoists were swept away by the Mao Jiang and sent flying backward.

Sold out instantly.

A complete and utter crushing defeat.

Chen Jiuyin shook his head, seemingly somewhat disappointed: "Longhu Mountain is nothing special."

He stepped over the Taoist priests lying on the ground and walked towards the mountain gate.

Mao Jiang followed closely behind him, his eerie green eyes scanning everyone on the ground as if he were examining food.

"stop."

A voice came from above the steps.

It was neither loud nor exciting, and even carried a hint of languor.

But it was this ordinary voice that made Chen Jiuyin stop in his tracks.

The stiff, hairy body stiffened slightly.

Chen Jiuyin raised his head.

At the top of the steps, a young man wearing a faded Taoist robe was slowly walking down.

Two young Taoist priests followed behind him, but Chen Jiuyin's gaze was fixed only on this young man.

very young.

She looked about eighteen or nineteen years old.

He has delicate features and a youthful air about him.

Their walking posture was casual, like taking a stroll after a meal, not like they were coming to meet an enemy.

But his eyes!!

Chen Jiuyin narrowed his eyes slightly.

Those eyes were so calm.

It was abnormally calm.

An eighteen or nineteen-year-old young man, facing a hairy zombie and a corpse cultivator, showed no fear, no tension, and not even excitement in his eyes.

There is only one...

The composure that only the elderly possess, having weathered countless storms.

It's like looking at a trivial little thing.

"Senior Brother!"

Zhang Heng clutched his chest, struggling to his feet. "You...you're healed?"

Han Xuan did not answer Zhang Heng's question.

His gaze passed over Chen Jiuyin and landed on the hairy zombie.

Then it swept over the purple and white zombies lying haphazardly on the ground, finally returning to Chen Jiuyin's face.

"Chen Jiuyin".

Han Xuan read the name aloud, as if recalling something.

He had indeed heard this name in his previous life.

Chen Jiuyin, a corpse cultivator, later caused quite a stir.

Finally, it was...who was it again?

By the way, he was personally suppressed by the leader of the Maoshan Sect.

That was three years later.

But now, Chen Jiuyin has come to Longhu Mountain.