Chapter 857: Chapter 857

"Or... shall I go with you?"

Tang Wenrou was worried about Fang Bai venturing into the mountains alone and offered herself eagerly.

Fang Bai smiled, waved his hand, and said, "Let’s not! If you come with me and we encounter a Green Zombie, not only would you be unable to help, but you would also distract me. Stay here and keep Alian company!"

After a pause, he added, "Just wait here with peace of mind! Maybe by tomorrow morning, I’ll bring you some good news!"

"Then you must be careful!"

Tang Wenrou was aware of her own lack of strength and that she might hinder Fang Bai, so she reluctantly gave up the idea.

Fang Bai nodded, turned around, and strode away.

Upon leaving Anxi City, one had to travel dozens of miles north before entering the mountainous area, and Wei Family Village was deep within the mountains, dozens of miles further in.

The journey of nearly a hundred miles, more than half of which was through mountainous terrain, might take a common person a whole day to traverse, but for Fang Bai, it was a piece of cake.

Being night, he didn’t have to worry about causing a stir, so once he left the urban area, he began to employ his movement technique and sped towards Wei Family Village. In about half an hour, he appeared before the village.

The villagers of Wei Family Village had collectively relocated out of the mountains decades ago, leaving only dilapidated, uninhabitable houses behind.

Fang Bai took a look around the vicinity of Wei Family Village, then cast his gaze towards a mountain peak to the northwest of the village.

That mountain peak, resembling a gigantic pine tree from a distance, was called "Pine Tree Peak" by the villagers and was the burial site for the villagers after they died.

Pine Tree Peak, less than ten miles from Wei Family Village and approximately two thousand meters in altitude, was the tallest among the surrounding peaks. It loomed in the night, exerting an invisible pressure.

"This Pine Tree Peak... could it be that there is an Essence Stone Mine inside the mountain?"

Even from such a distance, Fang Bai sensed a faint fluctuation of Essence Energy coming from the direction of Pine Tree Peak, making his heart leap with joy.

If an Essence Stone Mine truly existed within Pine Tree Peak, then it indeed was a rare treasure trove of geomancy, but such a treasure trove was meant for the living, not the dead.

Living people near Pine Tree Peak, nurtured by the Essence Energy, would be robust and enjoy longevity.

However, burying the dead there, if too close to the Essence Stone Mine within the mountain, could easily create zombies.

Though it was less than ten miles from Wei Family Village to Pine Tree Peak, the only mountain path had been blocked by a landslide, leaving no way through and causing ordinary people to merely sigh in despair.

With a leap, Fang Bai surged with agility, reaching the base of Pine Tree Peak in no time.

Upon reaching this area, the Essence Energy felt even more abundant, mainly constituted by the Wood Element Qi that could stimulate vitality.

"It seems that deep inside this Pine Tree Peak, there really is an Essence Stone Mine..."

Although the sky was dark, Fang Bai’s vision was exceptional. Looking up, he saw a great number of low-grade Spiritual Medicines growing along the mountain. Such widespread growth would not be possible if there wasn’t an Essence Stone Mine inside.

Fang Bai’s Divine Sense Diffusion enveloped the entire mountain peak, and suddenly, there was a flash of sharpness in his eyes.

At the top of Pine Tree Peak, a green-haired monster stood there, facing the bright Mingyue, seemingly practicing breath control. On the body of the green-haired monster, there was a familiar aura left by Fang Bai.

Upon sensing that familiar aura, Fang Bai knew that the green-haired monster was indeed the Green Zombie that had fled after being stabbed by his Peach Wood Sword.

What surprised Fang Bai was that the Green Zombie actually knew how to meditate under the moon. It seemed to have gained a certain level of spirituality, using the essence of the moon for cultivation. If not eliminated promptly, it was very possible for it to evolve into a more advanced Flurry Zombie in a short amount of time.

Once the Green Zombie evolved into a Flurry Zombie, its strength would increase remarkably. Even though Fang Bai was confident he could still exterminate it, the difficulty would be many times greater.

"You might have escaped the first day, but don’t think you can escape the fifteenth! Tonight, I will annihilate you!"

Thinking of the many innocent lives the Green Zombie had taken, a chilling glint crossed Fang Bai’s eyes. He took a deep breath, and his figure suddenly shot up, like a cannonball, to a height of over ten meters, then he stomped his right foot against the mountainside and propelled himself another ten or so meters higher.

With repeated leaps, Fang Bai let out a clear whistle and in a moment, he landed on the summit of Pine Tree Peak, which only spanned several tens of meters in diameter.

The Green Zombie atop the peak, hearing Fang Bai’s whistle, abruptly turned around, its eyes shimmering with a green light yet devoid of life, staring intently at Fang Bai.

Of course, zombies couldn’t see anything; they could only distinguish their opponents by sensing their aura. After Fang Bai landed opposite the Green Zombie, it immediately knew that he was the one who had injured it days ago.

Clearly wary of Fang Bai, the Green Zombie, upon recognizing its opponent, turned and leapt down the mountain peak without hesitation.

"Where do you think you’re going?"

Seeing the Green Zombie flee without even engaging in battle, Fang Bai was momentarily taken aback before he shouted out loud and, like Dapeng spreading its wings, followed by jumping down.

Halfway up Pine Tree Peak, there were over a hundred natural caves of various sizes and shapes. After the Green Zombie leaped to the mid-mountain, it darted into one of the caves and disappeared from sight.

"You think you can escape so easily?"

Fang Bai followed the Green Zombie into the cave and saw that it was an interconnected world inside, with over a hundred caves linked to each other. It was unclear if these connections were formed naturally or later carved out by the Green Zombie.

Some of the caves were quite deep, extending dozens of meters into the mountainside, and even some Essence Stones were exposed. Over time, almost all the Essence Energy in these exposed Essence Stones had dissipated.

Tracking the Green Zombie through the scent he had left on it, Fang Bai pursued it through the caves. Just as he was about to catch up, he suddenly heard a strange noise that seemed to come from the Green Zombie. Then, the coffins that were placed quietly around the cave started to shake on their own.

"These Essence Stones have nourished many zombies! And that Green Zombie is not simple at all; it can actually summon these zombies to do its bidding..."

As Fang Bai watched coffin lids being lifted one after another, lifeless zombies began jumping out and pouncing towards him, he knew these were all summoned by the Green Zombie. Even though he was brave and skilled, he couldn’t help but feel a tingle on his scalp.

Fortunately, these zombies were mainly White Zombies and Black Zombies, whose attack power was probably equivalent to that of a Yellow Level Martial Artist from the Ancient Martial World. Although these zombies were weaker, their bodies were just as robust as the Green Zombie, making it challenging for Fang Bai to take them down with his bare hands.

At that moment, the Green Zombie stood at the entrance of a cave, "watching" Fang Bai trapped among the multitudes of zombies. It continued to make strange noises. With each sound it emitted, more zombies were summoned from their coffins, joining the zombie army besieging Fang Bai.

"You think these things are enough to trap me?"

Fang Bai’s gaze pierced through the layers of surround Black and White Zombies, falling on the Green Zombie. With a sneer, he reached into the void with his right hand, and the Blood-Drinking Mad Blade, flickering with bloody light and a stench of blood, was already tightly gripped in his hand.