Chapter 101: Confrontation

(First, a huge thank you to Yu Li for the tip! It’s my first one ever—I’m so moved, I could cry, I’m weeping, and I offer my deepest thanks!)

Hearing the noise outside the city walls subside, Bai Lian stepped up onto the ramparts, only to immediately duck back down at the sight of a sky-darkening barrage of spells.

"Cultivator zombies?!" Bai Lian sensed the danger, yet she climbed back onto the wall and hurried to Yue Qi’s side.

"Lian’er? Why are you here? Go back down! It’s dangerous!" Seeing her, Yue Qi frowned and tried to shoo her away. But how could Bai Lian listen? She simply pressed the sword in her hand into his, saying, "Don't worry, they cannot break my defense."

Hearing this, Yue Qi felt a bit more at ease, but he still wanted to persuade her otherwise. However, the second wave of spells from the zombies below struck.

*Wind Leaf Slashes!* The power of this wave was perhaps less intense, but clearly more agile. Many people huddled in exposed positions on the ground were struck, their bodies reduced to mangled flesh.

Xin Zi had appeared at Yue Qi’s side at some point. He was alone; the disciples from the Hidden Sword Villa who usually followed him were nowhere to be seen, likely told by Xin Zi to find cover.

"Any good ideas?" Xin Zi asked, getting straight to the point, his eyes betraying an uncharacteristic anxiety. It seemed his luck had been truly abysmal lately; every camp he visited encountered zombies he found difficult to handle, as if these powerful creatures were trailing him.

"We’ll have to start with a formation... let’s see how it goes," Yue Qi replied, feeling slightly relieved by Xin Zi’s arrival. Xin Zi was devious—or rather, resourceful—and surely he would have a better plan.

"I’m not well-versed in these magic-wielding zombies. You decide," Xin Zi said, throwing up his hands in a gesture of indifference, making Yue Qi want to land a few punches on him.

"What do you need me to do?" Qin Luo finally spoke. Since Yue Qi had asked her earlier if she had reached the realm of "Object Manipulation," he must have had a plan in mind.

"Do you have a formation that can trap these zombies? My spiritual power is too weak to lock onto them, and my spells can't hit them," Yue Qi explained. Though his own spells missed, these cultivator zombies lacked intelligence, meaning they couldn't use their own spiritual sense to lock onto targets either. As long as one dodged properly, they shouldn't be hit.

"Trapping them is no problem; Grandfather taught me many things. But, Little Junior Brother, you know we have no opportunity to plant the formation markers. How can we set it up?" Qin Luo asked with a frown.

"That’s easy to solve. With your spiritual power, you should be able to sense these spells quickly. I’ll cast two Wind-Riding Spells on you, which should make it easy to dodge. Once you're in position, I’ll entangle the zombies, and the rest is up to you!" After much thought, this was the best, albeit shaky, plan Yue Qi could come up with.

"That could work, but can you really handle it, Little Junior Brother?" Qin Luo eyed him skeptically, clearly doubting his ability to dance around twenty-some zombies.

"A man's looks are important, but whether he can perform is more important..." Yue Qi boasted, standing tall, only to have a small fireball nearly graze his head, scaring him into an immediate crouch.

"..." Everyone stared at him in silence, though their eyes still betrayed concern. Facing twenty-some cultivator zombies was far more terrifying than facing even mutated zombies.

"How are we getting down?" This was Qin Luo’s biggest concern. Compared to the others, she seemed strangely excited rather than tense at the prospect of facing so many enemies.

"That way..." Yue Qi pointed to a section of the wall near the mountain. It was a natural barrier, difficult to scale up but quite easy to climb down.

Chen Yuanshan watched from nearby, feeling frantic. Their people were retreating from the walls in waves, but already, twenty or so had died in the defense.

"It’s settled then! Qin Luo, watch your safety!" Yue Qi cast two spells on her and led her toward the descent.

The zombies were focused entirely on the crest of the wall and showed no interest in attacking the city gate. If they had, given the gate's structural integrity and the lack of a defensive array, it would have fallen easily, leaving Changzhou City in grave danger for the next wave.

This gave Yue Qi and Qin Luo their chance. Taking advantage of the terrain, Yue Qi slipped onto the battlefield while Qin Luo hid, waiting for him to draw the zombies’ attention before she made her move.

Yue Qi was bold, but seeing the continuous stream of spells from the zombies made his scalp tingle. Fortunately, the spiritual energy within them was finite; if it were infinite, he wouldn't know how to begin.

The zombies had been attacking for a while. The few Qi-Refining stage zombies were clearly not as strong as the Foundation Establishment leaders, and their casting speed was slowing. Every creature had its flaws; if their spiritual energy ran dry, they would be no different from ordinary zombies—not exactly defenseless, but hardly a threat.

"Now!" Seizing the moment, Yue Qi unleashed his ultimate move. The sky darkened as the *Thunder Array Dance* manifested, striking directly at the zombies. While not overwhelmingly powerful, they were significantly stronger than standard zombies. Yue Qi's attack was thrilling, but they dodged most of it, save for two unlucky Qi-Refining zombies that were struck and left charred on the ground.

Yue Qi's appearance drew the attention of the zombies below. They paused, then shrieked and lunged at him. Cultivators possessed superior physical constitution, and these mutated versions were no different. The dozen Qi-Refining zombies were nearly as physically capable as mutated zombies, and the Foundation Establishment ones were likely as strong as Yue Qi had been in life.

"Good grief!" Seeing them attack in unison, Yue Qi knew they wouldn't be easy to handle. A dozen first-tier spells and several second-tier spells raining down simultaneously was a scene that made his skin crawl.

Fortunately, Yue Qi was agile. With the Wind-Riding Spell boosting his speed, he managed to outpace the zombies, beginning a tense dance of evasion.

He wielded the sword Bai Lian had given him. It was excellent—a single swing released a sword aura without consuming spiritual energy. It might struggle against Foundation Establishment zombies, but it was sharp enough to deal with the Qi-Refining ones.

Realizing this opponent was difficult, the zombies grew cautious. They stopped firing spells recklessly and began to aim before striking, increasing the danger for Yue Qi.

"Big Sister, hurry up..." Qin Luo’s movements were well-hidden—even Yue Qi couldn't track her—but he grew increasingly anxious. He had already been clipped by two spells. Although they were only first-tier and hadn't pierced his defenses, it was only through sheer alertness that he hadn't been incinerated.

The zombies were becoming smarter. The five Foundation Establishment zombies were now pinning Yue Qi down, while the remaining Qi-Refining ones stayed on the periphery, bombarding him. It was an effective tactic. Entangled by the stronger ones, Yue Qi had no room to maneuver; he was casting spells with his left hand and swinging his sword with his right, barely keeping up.

*Thwack!* A small fireball struck his back. The five Foundation Establishment zombies lunged immediately, denying him a chance to extinguish the flames.

Fortunately, the Qi-Refining zombies’ spiritual energy was waning, weakening their spells. Yue Qi retreated sharply, and as the zombies pressed forward, he swung his sword in a wide arc, sending a wave of aura crashing into them.

The Foundation Establishment zombies didn't dodge, choosing to tank the blow, but the impact halted their advance. Yue Qi took the opportunity to roll and smother the fire on his back, breathing a sigh of relief.

Seeing the fire extinguished, the zombies displayed a eerily human look of frustration before lunging again. But just then, the Qi-Refining zombies seemed to notice something; they abandoned Yue Qi and rushed toward the side.

Sure enough, not far away, Yue Qi saw Qin Luo holding a formation flag, but she had been spotted by the zombies!

"Oh no!" Panic flared in Yue Qi’s heart, and he tried to rush to her, but the five Foundation Establishment zombies unleashed a barrage of first-tier spells, keeping him pinned.

Qin Luo seemed flustered as the zombies approached, fumbling with the flag and failing to plant it in the right spot—a low-level mistake for a formation master of her caliber.

But at that moment, several small animals charged out from the side! Yue Qi recognized them clearly—these were the creatures Qin Luo usually carried in her arms, including a few fierce beasts he had never seen before.

Seeing this, Qin Luo seemed to relax. She calmly finished planting the formation flag and retreated quickly.