Chapter 62

Chapter 62

As Shen Xiuzhe heard the sound of the urn falling, a sudden sense of danger prickled at the back of his neck, and he instinctively sidestepped, narrowly avoiding Lin An's assault.

The urn made of gold, with its tight seal, rolled down the steps without drawing Lin An's attention.

Missing his mark, he fixed his gaze on Shen Xiuzhe, the blood-red eyes calculating where to strike next.

Shocked, Shen Xiuzhe stared back, questioning whether he was still trapped in an illusion—how else could he see Lin An attacking him when just minutes before, everything was fine?

Even during their first meeting in Chuxi City, Lin An’s eyes had shown more life than now: fear when coerced, diligence when cleaning, disgust at dirt, reluctance when forced outside—each emotion vividly expressed.

But now, those crimson eyes held nothing but the cold, bloodthirsty cruelty.

Shen Xiuzhe was all too familiar with this look; he had seen it in the eyes of every zombie he had killed.

"Lin An?" Shen Xiuzhe's voice was hesitant; he couldn't bring himself to believe what he was witnessing.

But the only response from the other was a cold, merciless attack.

Lin An's fangs were much shorter than the average zombie's; usually hidden when he spoke or smiled, now bared in a snarling bite, devoid of any human reason.

The spiral staircase of gold was narrow, forcing Shen Xiuzhe to dodge awkwardly. He didn't want to fight Lin An and was desperate to understand the cause of this sudden transformation.

Despite the ferocity of the attack, Shen Xiuzhe's years of combat experience allowed him to catch Lin An off-guard and seize his arms.

Two backpacks were tossed aside, Shen Xiuzhe pinned a frenzied Lin An against the wall, holding him down with his body, and cried out urgently, "Lin An, what's gotten into you, snap out of it!"

Lin An, who always had little strength, found himself immobilized, unable to move either his wrists or body, as he roared angrily at the other, trying to scare off his adversary with this display of ferocity.

The pale grey skin and inorganic red eyes made it clear to anyone at a glance that this was an utterly lost zombie.

Moreover, this zombie's behavior was exactly the natural response when encountering a human.

No matter what Shen Xiuzhe said, Lin An ignored him, just like the countless zombies they had encountered before, if still mobile, he would continually attempt to bite and devour his prey.

If Shen Xiuzhe had first met Lin An in this current state, he would have killed him without hesitation.

When they left Chu Xi City with Wu Shuangxue, she had said if Lin An lost his humanity and craved human flesh, she would not be merciful, and Shen Xiuzhe had felt the same way at that time.

But now, after all they had been through together, Shen Xiuzhe’s feelings for Lin An had changed drastically; how could he possibly bring himself to harm him?

Why had it come to this?

Shen Xiuzhe was at a loss as he stared at the zombie before him, watching him madly try to break free, to bite him, his blood-red eyes full of predatory greed. Yet, Shen Xiuzhe also saw the moist lashes and the lingering tear stains.

Had Lin An been crying?

Thinking that he knew Lin An wasn't right after seeing his parents' corpses and yet had not kept an eye on him, not even knowing when he had cried.

Was it because he was too sad? So he...

Shen Xiuzhe held Lin An’s hands, his heart crumpled into a knot, his breathing irregular as he closed his eyes, his voice trembling slightly, "I'm sorry, I should have noticed sooner, Lin An, you still have us, don't give up."

Lin An’s struggles grew weaker and finally ceased; he stood there silently, head bowed, utterly still.

Thinking he had understood, Shen Xiuzhe was about to say more when he suddenly felt an icy chill surrounding them.

In an instant, Shen Xiuzhe let go of Lin An and hastily retreated.

The stairs made by Shen Xiuzhe’s abilities had no railings, and as he stepped back, he missed his footing and fell.

Standing against the wall, Lin An was surrounded by sharp, angular icicles at both sides and beneath his feet. Clusters of icicles framed Lin An, and as he slowly lifted his head, the cold air around him condensed into a mist. It highlighted his frosty countenance even more amidst the blood-red eyes that were particularly striking through the swirling white vapor.

Lin An took a step forward, looking down from the stairs, and as he moved, the icicles melted instantaneously, leaving a large orb of transparent water floating behind him.

Shen Xiuzhe landed on a metal plate not far below, a place initially bare, created by his abilities extending the metal from the wall as he fell, forming a rectangular metal plate. There, Shen Xiuzhe stood with a complex expression, and although he had retreated in time, his arm still bore several cuts from the icicles, marked by traces of blood.

The scent of blood wafted through the air, and Lin An, with narrowed eyes, sniffed at the tantalizing aroma of flesh, his red pupils locking onto his prey below.

The large orb of water floating behind him seemed to possess a consciousness, hurtling towards Shen Xiuzhe as if to ensnare him in a gentle, watery cage.

Shen Xiuzhe looked up at Lin An, now fully a zombie, feeling a chill in his heart; Lin An had genuinely tried to kill him, and he didn't know how to bring him back to his senses, his only option was to capture him first.

As the orb of water surged towards him, the metal beneath Shen Xiuzhe extended to the right, dodging the water easily, while flames ignited around it, the intense heat evaporating massive amounts of water and filling the space with steam.

Even with his vision obstructed, Lin An could easily sniff out his opponent's scent, his gaze shifting to a point on the right where his prey was hiding.

The metallic walls around them were advantageous for Shen Xiuzhe, who could morph the walls into any shape at will, and now he had created a long bridge of metal extending from the wall into mid-air.

Just as Lin An knew Shen Xiuzhe's location, Shen Xiuzhe was also aware of Lin An's position; the scalding orb, although significantly reduced, had not vanished and now turned into boiling water that splashed towards Shen Xiuzhe.

Shen Xiuzhe did not dodge but stared directly upwards, and as the scalding water almost reached him, the metal beneath him shot up into a huge shield, blocking the assault.

Lin An, expressionless, tilted his head; he stretched out a hand and the scattered water recondensed into a new form, the water tornado that Lin An often used.

Before he could move the tornado towards his prey, the metal beneath and behind him transformed into long chains, shackling his hands and feet.

The sudden change in the metal caught Lin An off guard, and he was locked in place, the golden chains clanking but impossible to break.

Lin An was bound, yet the water tornado had not dissipated; anger from the sneak attack made it double in size, roaring and swirling in the confined space, heading straight for Shen Xiuzhe.

With a grave expression, Shen Xiuzhe's hair and the corners of his clothes fluttered with the approaching whirlpool; such high-speed water could injure even him, despite his ability to harden his body.

Remembering the way to increase the tornado's power, which he had helped Lin An to test in Mu Ling City, now turned against him.

They couldn't go on like this; the longer they delayed, the harder it would be for Lin An to regain his senses.

With a fierce look, Shen Xiuzhe had been avoiding the fight, thus at a disadvantage; to capture Lin An, he now had to attack.

As the water tornado drew near, a huge flame met it; their collision once again filled the space with steam, the dense mist making it hard even to breathe.

The cobra coiled at the pyramid's apex, its massive body completely obstructing the entrance, lying motionless as if dead, its body wrapped around in tight circles.

Suddenly, the cobra's crimson, vertical pupils snapped open, its head turning towards a certain point; though its scales were as hard as steel, the spot it pressed against the pyramid's entrance was uncomfortable, the damp heat causing an itch, forcing it to slowly twist its body, shifting other parts of its scales over the entrance.

Taking advantage of the clash between water and fire, and with agile movements and malleable metal at his whim, Shen Xiuzhe silently positioned himself right behind Lin An.

His gaze lingered on Lin An’s nape, intending to knock him out. However, Lin An, already sensing his approach, struggled fiercely, emitting a zombie-like growl, furious like a little lion baring its teeth.

Suddenly, sharp icicles emerged all around, aimed straight at Shen Xiuzes, who had anticipated Lin An’s actions the moment the air around them changed.

As the icicles appeared, various sizes of metal plates floated around him, breaking the icicles effortlessly, preventing them from getting close.

Shen Xiuzhe did not delay, reaching out to chop at Lin An's neck. The zombie, bound by chains, seemed to anticipate this move. Its blood-red eyes narrowed, struggling violently with its wrists and feet.

As he chopped down, his hand did not hit solid flesh, but instead cut through a soft mass of water.

Shen Xiuzhe, as if seeing something unbelievable, was more shocked than when he realized Lin An had lost his sanity. In this critical moment, Lin An had astonishingly unleashed a potent potential, transforming himself into a mass of water.

As Shen Xiuzhe's blade came down, Lin An's head dispersed like a burst of water, scattering in all directions, only to then reassemble, taking on Lin An's form once again.

Shen Xiuzhe watched incredulously. In such a moment, Lin An had turned himself into water, a near-cheating ability. Had he not witnessed it himself, he would never have believed someone could achieve this.

Although he himself could harden his body with metal abilities, these had their limits. Attacks beyond a certain strength could still harm him, and the duration of this ability was very short. Yet, in this moment, Lin An had mastered a new skill, completely elementalizing his body.

Under normal circumstances, he might have praised the other's formidable strength after his initial astonishment.

But now, the timing was too poor.

Realizing his newfound ability, Lin An quickly adapted, turning his wrists and ankles into water and escaping the chains.

He then immediately turned, warily eyeing Shen Xiuzhe, with a mix of hunger for fresh flesh and resentment in his eyes.

The pyramid again erupted into battle. Facing Lin An's ruthless assault, Shen Xiuzhe could no longer afford to be complacent and had to fight with all his might.

The cobra raised its head high, the snake body pressing against the entrance alternating between hot and cold, the changing sensations causing extreme discomfort, as if the itch under its scales was spreading throughout its body.

The cobra slowly moved away from the top, planning to rub its scales on the pyramid's stairs. As it left, the sealed entrance was exposed once more.

Blinding light poured down from above. Shen Xiuzhe, realizing the entrance had opened, immediately activated his abilities, using the surrounding metal to escape upwards.

Lin An closely followed his prey.

Ice spikes, water tornadoes, flames, and metal weapons and armor flashed continuously at the top. The cobra, somewhat bewildered, looked up from the stairs below. Seeing two familiar foes, it raised its head high, hissing with fighting spirit as it rushed towards the top.

The battle between Lin An and Shen Xiuzhe continued fiercely. Just minutes after they emerged, the summit was filled with potholes, water puddles, scattered ice, and charred marks.

When the cobra rushed to join the battle, Lin An, full of killing intent, didn't even spare it a glance. He directed a hand towards the cobra, and a water tornado instantly engulfed the entire snake. Before the cobra could react, the surrounding water turned to ice.

The cobra had turned into a massive, elongated block of ice.

Shen Xiuzhe's brows furrowed deeply; after Lin An had completely turned into a zombie, not only had his combat instincts sharply increased, but his abilities had also strengthened significantly, making him a formidable opponent.

With his hands touching the ground, numerous metals from within the pyramid surged out of the entrance, like metal serpents, rushing towards Lin An.

The gold gleamed under the illumination of the sunstone, piercing through Lin An's water tornado and the enormous ice block, enveloping him entirely to form a golden spherical cage.

More gold surged up from beneath the sphere, layering over it to reinforce the cage.

Kneeling on one leg, Shen Xiuzhe controlled the metal to continue reinforcing the structure, his expression growing more intense, his pace of fortification quickening.

The giant golden sphere vibrated intensely as if something inside was expanding forcefully, distorting its shape until it finally burst apart.

Metal shards flew at high speeds in all directions, narrowly missing Shen Xiuzhe, embedding deeply into the walls of the pyramid and the subterranean city.

Water gushed from the remaining half of the sphere, and Lin An stood within, drenched from head to toe.

He appeared bedraggled, yet his gaze remained fierce.

The fight was incredibly fierce; the pyramid and stone houses on the ninth level had suffered considerable damage from their battle, and cracks had formed in the surrounding walls.

Lin An pressed hard, each of Shen Xiuzhe's attacks inciting him to retaliate with even more ferocity.

The entire subterranean city shook continually, with Xu Fang and the others standing in the cave, puzzled, thinking it was an earthquake.

"Should we get out first, or else we'll all be buried here," Xu Fang suggested.

Wu Shuangxue felt the vibrations carefully, "It's not an earthquake; it feels like someone is fighting."

Ouyang Dong had an expression as if to say, "Are you kidding me? How can a fight cause such a disturbance? What kind of fight would that be?"

"Could it be Shen Ge and the others?" Wu Duo wondered if they could be the cause of such commotion.

Upon hearing this, Xu Fang became anxious, "Are the boss and An Ge in danger? Let's hurry and go support them."

The group continued downward, with Xiao Fu sniffing around vigilantly at the forefront.

The tremors grew more intense, and as they entered the cave, small stones and clods of earth occasionally fell. Feeling they were getting closer to the site of the battle, their steps quickened.

Little Fu finally caught the scent of Lin An, his large, glossy eyes staring at the source before suddenly turning to grunt at the others, his tail wagging furiously.

"What's the matter?" asked Ouyang Dong.

Wu Duo immediately realized, "Could it be that it smells Brother An's scent?"

Only Lin An could cause such a distinct reaction in Little Fu.

"Then let's hurry," Xu Fang immediately perked up, almost jogging forward, with the others keeping pace.

Soon, they saw a light ahead.

Before they could wonder why it was so bright underneath, a strong tremor nearly made them lose their footing.

Wu Duo immediately supported her grandmother, looking worriedly towards the source of the light, what on earth was happening there?

Xu Fang couldn't care less, he continued towards the light upon discovery, with Little Fu wagging his tail and stepping into the light.

Once they adjusted to the sudden brightness, they found themselves in a vast expanse, which didn't seem underground at all; the light source above was like the sun, even warm to the touch.

But now, no one had the luxury to wonder about their location because they saw Shen Xiuzhe.

Shen Xiuzhe looked disheveled, leaning against a wall with web-like cracks spreading upwards from his position, clearly having just withstood a fierce attack.

Xu Fang exploded in anger, wondering who had the audacity to attack his boss.

Shen Xiuzhe had been slammed against the wall by a huge ice block suddenly conjured by Lin An. Fortunately, his body was tough enough to avoid being pulverized.

He looked not far off where the massive ice block, like a meteor, hovered midair, hurtling towards him again at an astonishing speed.

Numerous metals converged to form a barrier, the collision between the ice and metal made the whole space tremble.

The cracks behind Shen Xiuzhe in the wall grew larger, spreading upwards. The ceiling, adorned with colorful patterns, also started to crack, with small stones continually falling around him.

But at that moment, he couldn't care less; the ice shattered, the metal morphed into countless chains rushing towards the mist.

As the mist dispersed, a figure was revealed.

Xu Fang, looking at the familiar figure, found his mind struggling to comprehend.

The person fighting the boss, was Brother An?! How could it be!

The group stood frozen for a moment, stunned until they saw Lin An's face, which was like a bucket of cold water had been poured over them, freezing their thoughts in place.

Only Wu Shuangxue's expression darkened as she drew a knife from her side: "Lin An has turned into a zombie, he's attacking Shen Xiuzhe."

"No, what's happening? How could Little An suddenly turn like this?" Ouyang Dong gaped at Lin An, who had reverted to a zombie form, now even more ferocious.

While they were still reeling from the shock of Lin An's transformation, Shen Xiuzhe and Lin An resumed their fight, both wielding tremendous powers, causing the underground city to rumble and the ground to shake incessantly.

Shen Xiuzhe was sent flying again; whenever he gained the upper hand, his movements slowed, unable to bring himself to harm Lin An.

Even though he knew that the best strategy was to beat the opponent into submission, to prevent him from using his powers, faced with Lin An, he hadn't even drawn his knife, let alone deliver a fatal blow; Lin An was still unscathed.

He was not indecisive, but the thought of Lin An as a zombie, not healing from wounds, stayed his hand, allowing him to be hit repeatedly by ruthless attacks.

However, this time he landed close to Xu Fang and the others; as he flew over, Ouyang Dong activated his power to cushion the impact with a flurry of plants behind him.

They hurried over to Shen Xiuzhe, clumsily helping him up.

"Boss, are you alright?"

"What's going on? What happened to Lin An?"

Lin An stood on the other side, his craving intensified by the fresh scent of more flesh, saliva flooding his mouth as he eyed his gathered prey, feeling hungrier by the second.

The entire underground city was carved from a single colossal stone, from the ninth layer up to the palace above, all part of the same mountainous rock, buried deep and chiseled into this marvel by the ancient Mous people with their bare hands.

But even the hardest stone couldn't withstand their relentless assault; a section of the ceiling became loose, wobbling precariously high above.

Even a small fragment of this rock was colossal by human standards.

Lin An, not in his right mind, could only think of eating, oblivious to the falling debris from above.

Shen Xiuzhe and the others, standing far away, were also unaware of the imminent danger from the dislodged stone overhead.

The huge stone broke free and plummeted straight towards Lin An.

When Lin An emerged from the mist, all that remained in Little Fu's innocent eyes was his master; wagging his tail and panting happily, he ran towards where his master was.

Animals sometimes possess a keener sense of danger than humans, and as Little Fu sensed his master in peril, he quickened his pace towards him.

From the joyful bounding on all fours to a mere blur of a dog's silhouette flashing by.

Lin An sensed the danger from above, positioned directly under the falling rock. As a zombie bereft of much reason, he did not flee but instead summoned his power to create a massive block of ice, ready to collide with the descending stone.

But in the final moment, Little Fu dashed like lightning, toppling Lin An to the ground and dragging him away by the collar of his clothes in a frenzy.