Chapter 33: The Man in the Black Robe [Second Update]

Although the zombie was frozen into an icy sculpture, Ji Xiaozhi could not kill it instantly; she could only wear it down slowly. A massive block of ice appeared before her, which she hefted high and smashed down upon the creature.

With a resounding crash, the zombie was struck to the ground, its icy shell shattering and scattering fragments everywhere. Yet the zombie was not dead. She froze it and smashed it repeatedly, over and over, until at last it was slain.

Meanwhile, Ximen Yu stood to the side, wielding his jade flute as he fought another zombie. His flute was crafted from a special type of jade, exceptionally hard. Dodging and striking, he found he could not kill the creature by force, so he began to play the flute instead. At the sound of the music, the zombie turned and began ramming its head into a stone stele, smashing itself to death.

Everyone watched in stunned amazement—so that was possible, too? That flute was rather terrifying.

Luffy approached, speaking calmly, “All right, the zombies are dealt with.”

“Brother Long, you truly hide your strength well. Two strikes and the zombie was destroyed. Your sword seems even stronger than your previous one,” Lei remarked in surprise, eyeing the sword on Luffy’s back, which had a faintly dark sheen.

“Forged from millennium-old ebony struck by lightning. Naturally, it’s formidable,” Luffy replied nonchalantly.

“No wonder. I’ve heard ebony is especially effective against monsters and spirits, especially lightning-struck ebony,” Ximen Yu marveled.

“It’s quite something,” Ji Xiaozhi said coldly, still annoyed at Luffy’s earlier comment about her undergarments.

“Now that the zombies are gone and we’ve all obtained their claws, let’s return for now and strengthen ourselves before coming back. As for the lair of the Fiend Corpse Beast beneath us, I wonder how we’re supposed to get down there?” Ximen Yu frowned, uncertain how to proceed.

“We’ll figure it out then,” Lei nodded.

“Of course,” Luffy concurred.

“Let’s go,” Ji Xiaozhi said, preparing to leave.

Suddenly, a sinister voice echoed from all around, “You think you can destroy our formation and just walk away? You must remain here and become food for the Fiend Corpse Beast!”

A man in a black robe stood atop a nearby villa, his face obscured by his hood. He was about one meter seventy tall and weighed around sixty kilograms. His black robe fluttered in the night wind. In the other three directions, two more black-robed figures stood in each.

In all four directions, there were seven of them, exuding a palpable evil aura.

“Heh… You’re with the Celestial Evil Sect, aren’t you?” Ximen Yu was surprised at how quickly they had arrived.

“So you have some knowledge. We set this formation and of course know when someone tries to break it. Unfortunately for you, while you may have destroyed our zombies, there’s much you do not understand,” the lead black-robed man sneered, looking down on Luffy and his companions as if they were already dead.

“Is there something we don’t know? Have you laid another formation here to trap us?” Luffy asked curiously, gazing at the leader.

“Do you think you’re clever? We didn’t just set a formation; there are even more unexpected techniques awaiting you. Prepare to die,” the leader spoke incessantly, clearly fond of the sound of his own voice.

“You do realize that those who talk too much tend to die quickly?” Lei’s sword crackled with electric arcs.

“Enough talk—go to hell!” Ji Xiaozhi flicked her wrist, sending dozens of tiny ice swords shooting toward the leader atop the building.

They all struck a semi-transparent barrier and were deflected.

“It’s useless. This formation is designed to trap you. Now, let me show you something entertaining,” the leader swiftly formed a hand seal and slammed his palm to the ground.

Countless runes spread from the earth to the four zombie corpses below. In an instant, the symbols split into four streams, enveloping each corpse.

“This is bad,” Ximen Yu realized. He had heard of the Celestial Evil Sect’s sinister technique—transforming dead humans or zombies into berserk monsters driven only to destroy.

Luffy swung his sword at the zombie before him, but it bounced off the green runes with a thud.

The four zombies’ eyes turned blood-red, and they let out ferocious howls as they lunged at Luffy, Ximen Yu, Lei, and Ji Xiaozhi. Their mouths gaped, revealing long, savage fangs.

“Let them play with you. When you’re exhausted, death will come for you all. Without lifting a finger, we can finish you off—such a delightful plan! And we get to watch a beast fight to the death. How thrilling!” The lead black-robed man laughed maniacally.

The other black-robed figures joined in, their laughter bloodthirsty. The moon was obscured by clouds, the sky dark and oppressive. Rain poured down, thunder crackled on the horizon.

The leader frowned, puzzled by the sudden downpour.

Ximen Yu, Lei, Ji Xiaozhi, and Luffy clashed fiercely with the zombies. Luffy, however, remained calm. His Thunderblade flared with flames, and he launched a sword of fire at the zombie charging him, the blade trailing smoke as it pierced the creature’s neck.

With a thud, the zombie was blasted away like a cannonball. But it was no pushover; in its berserk state, it rose again and attacked.

“Go to hell,” Luffy said, slashing again—a cross-shaped burst of flame flew out, splitting the zombie in two.

Millennium-old lightning-struck ebony was the bane of zombies; two blows had destroyed even these raging monsters.

The lead black-robed man sensed things were going awry. The youth called Long was too powerful—dispatching a zombie within moments, even while their own powers were suppressed by the formation. This boy was unexpectedly strong.

Having slain his zombie, Luffy rushed to aid the woman nearby, raising his sword high and bringing it down on the zombie frozen in place. A massive, semi-transparent fire sword cleaved the creature in two.

The falling halves were immediately frozen again.

“Thank you…” Ji Xiaozhi said gratefully. Facing such a frenzied zombie, weakened as she was, she could not have lasted much longer.

“Damn it…” the lead black-robed man cursed furiously. This youth was simply too strong.

“All of you, get him! Don’t let that boy destroy the other zombies—if he does, killing the rest will be difficult. That boy is a variable. I can’t believe he’s this damn powerful!” the leader roared, leaping down from the building with a black blade in hand.

The other black-robed men responded, “Yes!” and surged toward Luffy.