Chapter 37: Fengyang!!

"I haven't mastered everything yet, but I've grasped a portion of it. The knowledge left by the Wuji Celestial Master is too vast and fragmented; I can't digest it all at once. I suppose the Wuji Celestial Master anticipated this, which is why the subsequent techniques were all sealed. Only after I fully assimilate what I have now will I be able to extract the remaining content from the golden lotus mark on my forehead."

At this point, Mu Ruxue grinned, giving Qin Feng a reassuring look. "I estimate it will take me about two or three days to fully digest everything and master all of the Wuji Celestial Master's techniques. Once that's done, I'll teach all of these skills to you."

"So soon? I thought it would take a long time." Qin Feng breathed a sigh of relief. He could hardly wait to start learning. The mystical arts were secondary; the real treasures were the top-tier footwork and martial arts. As for physiognomy, fortune-telling, and geomancy—learning those wouldn't hurt either; one can never have too many skills. Since it would only take two or three days, he could afford to wait. If it had taken decades, he wouldn't have had the patience.

"How could it take that long? The techniques are already in my mind; I just need to process them. I don't even have to memorize them by rote; the content appears directly in my memory, so it's very fast. I won't keep you any longer, Qin Feng. I need to focus on fully digesting this. The sooner I finish, the sooner I can pass it on to you," Mu Ruxue said.

"Alright." Qin Feng nodded and stopped bothering her. Instead, he walked outside the cave, looked up at the moon, and began absorbing the essence of the moonlight.

Meanwhile, in the downtown area of Songshan City, at the Neutrino Research Base, an elderly man named Elder Liu stood in a spacious, brightly lit hall, leading a large group of Taoist practitioners. They appeared to be waiting for someone of great importance. None of the other scientists from the base were present, as this reception was strictly for members of the Taoist community. The scientists felt that their time was better spent researching neutrinos than greeting guests.

"Elder Liu, it's been an hour. Didn't you say Senior Fengyang would arrive in Songshan City ahead of schedule? Why isn't he here yet?" Wufeng, standing beside Elder Liu, asked with a hint of anxiety.

"Don't be impatient. He should be here soon. Let's wait a little longer," Elder Liu replied.

"Ding!"

Just then, the elevator chimed. The doors opened, and a young man in a yellow Taoist robe, with his hair tied in a topknot and an imposing, noble air, stepped out. His eyes were sharp as blades, his brow resolute as a sword, and his aura was piercing and formidable. As he walked out, an invisible pressure descended, making it difficult for those present to breathe.

"Young friend Fengyang, I thought you weren't arriving until tomorrow. Why are you here today?" Elder Liu stepped forward with a smile.

"We respectfully welcome Senior Fengyang!" Wufeng and the others bowed deeply in reverence. Although Fengyang was young, in the world of Taoism, merit and cultivation rank come before age.

Fengyang was a master of the Soul-Wandering Realm, capable of astral projection and wandering beyond the physical body. Moreover, as the successor to the Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, he held a position of great prestige. Thus, despite his youth, he was rightfully considered their senior.

Ignoring the others, Fengyang looked at Elder Liu and said, "My master chased me down the mountain ahead of schedule. He told me to go out and gain some experience, but since I had nowhere to go, I came to you first."

"It couldn't have worked out better. Since you're looking for experience, a monstrous zombie has appeared in our city recently. It's the perfect challenge for you," Elder Liu said with a smile. He held the successor of Longhu Mountain in high regard and made sure to show him proper respect. Besides, dealing with that zombie would ultimately require Fengyang's intervention.

"A Flying Zombie? Or a Bronze-Armored Zombie? A zombie of that level is indeed a monster. Even I only have a seventy or eighty percent chance of success," Fengyang remarked.

"Seventy or eighty percent?" Wufeng and the others gasped. These were Flying and Bronze-Armored Zombies. A Flying Zombie possessed intelligence and could take to the air, while a Bronze-Armored Zombie was encased in impenetrable armor and possessed overwhelming strength. If they were to encounter such creatures, they wouldn't even be able to put up a fight. Yet, Fengyang claimed to have a high chance of victory. Truly, the successor of Longhu Mountain was formidable.

"Well..." Elder Liu hesitated, then gave a sheepish smile. "It's not a Flying Zombie, nor a Bronze-Armored Zombie. It's a Furry Zombie."

"A Furry Zombie?" Fengyang arched his sword-like brows, looking displeased. "A Furry Zombie? Forget it. Let someone else deal with it; I have no interest." To him, using his skills on a Furry Zombie was like using a cannon to kill a mosquito. There was no challenge, and it was a complete waste of his time.

"This Furry Zombie is incredibly powerful and uses monstrous methods. It is immune to talismans, can walk and talk, and has mastered advanced footwork..." Elder Liu recounted everything about Qin Feng to Fengyang.

"Oh? To think such a monstrous zombie exists in this world!" Fengyang's interest was immediately piqued. "There is no time to lose. Take me to it now."

"Wufeng, Baihe, you two take Daoist Fengyang there," Elder Liu said, looking at the two men at the front of the group. The other disciples looked on with envy; being able to join the Celestial Master's successor in hunting demons was a great honor.

"Understood!" Wufeng and Baihe nodded and stepped forward.

Wufeng then turned to Fengyang and said respectfully, "Senior Fengyang, the Furry Zombie has gone into hiding, and we don't currently know its exact location."

"It doesn't matter. Just take me to the last place it was spotted," Fengyang said dismissively. Hiding? In front of him, there was nowhere to run—not to heaven, nor into the earth. Even if it masked its corpse aura, it would be useless. He had plenty of ways to flush it out.

"Very well." The two nodded, led Fengyang into the elevator, and left the research base.

Half an hour later, Wufeng and Daoist Baihe brought Fengyang to the cave where Qin Feng had been staying.

"Senior Fengyang, this is the place," Daoist Baihe said.

"The residual corpse aura here is indeed thick. It seems there were quite a few zombies," Fengyang noted after sensing the area.

"There were dozens of them—all disciples and deacons from various sects in Songshan City who had been turned. That monstrous zombie disguised itself as a deacon of the Yiyang Sect..." Daoist Baihe recounted the previous events to Fengyang in full.

"It seems truly cunning. And to think that after biting and feeding on blood, it could turn corpses so quickly and even command them—such a monstrous ability is beyond even a Golden-Armored Zombie," Fengyang remarked, clicking his tongue. Even he felt a chill at Qin Feng's capabilities. It was fortunate that it was only at the level of a Furry Zombie; if it had reached the level of a Flying or Bronze-Armored Zombie, they would likely have to beg a True Master or the Celestial Master himself to come and exterminate it.

As they spoke, Fengyang produced three yellow talismans from his robes. He folded them together with precision to create a paper crane. He placed the crane on the ground and then took out three sticks of incense, lit them, and planted them in front of the crane.

He then formed a seal with his hands, performed intricate footwork, and began to chant: "Incense as a guide, paper crane as the vessel. Heaven is clear, Earth is spiritual, the mysterious image is illuminated. The Xun wind carries the message, the Kan water serves as proof. The stars of the universe, reveal its form... The wood of the East, detect its life force. The metal of the West, hear its sound and shape. The fire of the South, observe its spirit and light... A thousand miles is no obstacle, ten thousand miles is like a courtyard. I summon the Six Ding and Six Jia, open the Heavenly Gates at once. Decree: Track the trail for a thousand miles, reveal your true form immediately! By the command of the Nine Heavens Responding Thunder Universal Transformation Celestial Venerable!"

"Obey!" Fengyang shouted, pointing his right hand like a sword toward the paper crane.

"Whoosh!" A surge of potent spiritual power shot from his fingers into the crane.

Instantly, the paper crane seemed to come to life. It flapped its wings and took flight. The three sticks of incense burned rapidly, and the wisps of smoke were drawn into the crane's body. The lingering corpse aura in the air swirled like moths to a flame, diving into the paper crane as well.

"It's the Thousand-Mile Tracking Curse!"

"The successor of the Celestial Master is truly something else!" Wufeng and Daoist Baihe muttered in awe. The Thousand-Mile Tracking Curse was a top-tier Taoist technique. It could lock onto a target's aura and track them across a thousand miles. As long as the source of the aura remained, no matter where it hid, the curse would find it.

But the next second, the paper crane fluttered its wings and plummeted from the air.