Chapter 85: The Undying Bloodline

"Thunder Dragon?" Lin Qiu was taken aback. Could it be the old man from the Lei family, transformed into a zombie after death, now appearing once more?

"That's right, I am Thunder Dragon!" Thunder Dragon exhaled deeply, his breath slow and heavy. "I was resurrected by someone using a feng shui formation. He killed my nine sons and devoured their life force."

"It was him who wounded me."

"The Nine Stars Embrace the Moon?" Lin Qiu inquired.

"Indeed, it's an unknown feng shui array. He has now absorbed the bloodline of my nine sons, but the life force is incompatible. He will inevitably become a monster." Fury burned in Thunder Dragon's eyes, turning them red.

Nine sons, each had died once, resurrected, only to perish again. Thunder Dragon's body trembled, his complexion growing paler, and even the fangs in his mouth began to lengthen.

Ji Heng, watching from behind, felt her fear dissipate and hurried forward.

"Lin Qiu, don't hurt him. It was he who led eight sons of the Lei family to the battlefield; their whole family are heroes." Ji Heng was anxious, afraid Lin Qiu and the others might harm Thunder Dragon.

Though Thunder Dragon now looked terrifying, with a monstrous face and fangs, she was still frightened. Yet, the Lei family was one of loyalty and valor.

She believed that even if Thunder Dragon had become a monster, he was a good one.

Lin Qiu nodded slightly.

The information displayed in his eyes indicated a safety level.

The ability given by the system allowed him not only to see through everything but also to discern whether a person—or anything—posed a threat or aggression to him.

If there was danger, a warning would be issued.

At this moment, a strange, serpentine force was entwined within Thunder Dragon's body, binding him tightly.

Because of this, during his escape, Thunder Dragon crashed through Ji Heng's door, briefly losing consciousness in the hall, and was instantly subdued by Lin Qiu, his life force cut off.

Having understood the sequence of events, Lin Qiu felt a heaviness settle in his heart.

The mission concerning Lei Manor's peril had begun, but it had nothing to do with Thunder Dragon before him. The true threat was the enigmatic Daoist.

He had never expected such mysterious figures to exist on this planet before mutation occurred. The land of China held countless secrets—could the legends truly hold more truth than mere hearsay?

Lin Qiu began to let his imagination run wild.

"System, do such extraordinary people really exist in this world?"

"If the host believes, they exist. If not, they do not!" The system’s ambiguous reply made Lin Qiu’s eyelids twitch.

"Does this world truly have immortals? Is there a deity three feet above our heads? If so, why have none ever been seen?" Lin Qiu was deeply curious.

"Host, the immortals of Chinese myth are merely those who found the laws of heaven and earth and embarked on cultivation."

"The so-called immortals are simply a group of special people who evolved ahead of others!"

The system’s answer convinced Lin Qiu.

"Exactly, just a group of advanced beings," he mused. "Now that I’ve begun the path of evolution, in the legends, I’d be considered a monster!"

Lin Qiu laughed self-deprecatingly, just as he felt the ground begin to tremble.

"What’s happening?" His eyes widened suddenly, the information within them rapidly shifting.

"Species: Unknown!"

"Bloodline: Level Six!"

"Alert, alert, danger! Danger!"

The information in Lin Qiu’s eyes displayed these warnings, and the words for alert and danger appeared as if written in thick, viscous blood, chilling to behold.

"Lei Manor crisis initiated. Host, please carry out the mission!" The system prompt sounded, making Lin Qiu’s heart tremble once more.

"Just as I thought," he murmured, his thoughts confirmed—a mysterious monster had appeared. Yet he was only a third-tier aquatic beast, while this unknown entity had reached the sixth tier.

What did the sixth tier represent?

It was a watershed. He could challenge the fourth tier, even contend with the fifth, but the sixth was beyond reach.

If this threshold were to be defined in two words, it would be ‘mortal’ and ‘immortal.’

Below the sixth tier, all living beings were mere ants!

"System, this is a disaster. How about you give me another mission, or maybe we part ways and each go our own direction?"

"If the host desires, this system can unbind with you right now and seek another host."

"But a host without the system will return to their original fate—and die again."

"Uh...well...that...the sun is quite nice tonight!" Lin Qiu chuckled awkwardly.

"System’s friendly reminder: this mysterious monster is the result of the Daoist who devoured zombie bloodlines to evolve."

"He has lost all intelligence and is like a fierce beast, knowing only slaughter, driven by instinct."

"So the host still has a chance to win. No matter how formidable, he is nothing but a killing machine."

"Exactly!" Lin Qiu’s spirit surged. "Just a killing machine. Defeating him is a simple matter."

With newfound confidence, Lin Qiu struck Thunder Dragon’s chest, right above his heart.

Thunder Dragon shuddered, the sealed life force breaking free, rapidly coursing through his body.

The sinister aura entwined within him was dissipated by the surging blood, swept away like floodwaters.

Thunder Dragon roared, his eyes instantly reddening, fingernails extending three inches to become black claws. His severed arm, under a surge of dark energy, swiftly rotated and gradually regrew.

A collective gasp echoed as everyone witnessed Thunder Dragon’s limb regenerate.

"System..." Lin Qiu stammered, his eyes covetous.

"No need to be surprised, host. Zombies are a special race—when a person dies and is buried at a convergence of yin and yang in the earth’s veins, nourished by the energy there..."

"This Thunder Dragon is a man of loyalty and valor, his sons all heroic souls."

"Buried in such a special location, their nine bloodlines combined to stimulate the earth’s energy, resurrecting them."

"After becoming zombies, they possess an undying bloodline. Unless their heart is shattered, even a crushed skull can be quickly restored."

"This is incredible! Can I acquire such an ability?" Lin Qiu's heart raced, his breath quickening.

"As long as the host continues to devour and improve cultivation, all such abilities will be granted by the system."

"Also, do not underestimate yourself. Once you reach a certain realm, the power awakened in your bloodline will be far more mysterious than that of a zombie."

Lin Qiu's eyes shone ever brighter upon hearing this.

A zombie! An undying bloodline!

He felt an irrepressible urge stirring within.

Yet at this moment, the system doused him with cold water: "The best defense is offense! Only a powerful force of attack, capable of tearing through everything in this world, ensures that no one can harm you."