The Giant Zombie struck first, slamming its fist into the ground. Lin Shen and Palace Master Lingyue dodged, but the shockwave from the impact still sent them stumbling back a dozen paces.
Palace Master Lingyue crouched down, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Fearing she might be in danger—and anxious about how he would explain it to Zhao Ling'er—Lin Shen quietly moved behind her. "Forgive me," he whispered, before striking her on the back of the neck.
As she slumped into unconsciousness, Lin Shen used the Dimensional Travel Technique to transport her back to the Time Chamber.
The Giant Zombie let out a roar and hurled a regular zombie corpse at him. Lin Shen dodged and fired a Fireball at the creature's belly, but after the explosion cleared, there wasn't a single scratch on it. He unleashed a barrage of Lightning, yet that too failed to leave a mark.
Panic flickered in Lin Shen’s heart. *It’s too durable,* he thought. *My strength isn't enough. I have to find its weak point, or it’ll wear me down eventually.*
The creature let out a feral shriek and slammed its fist down again. Lin Shen side-stepped the blow, and this time, the zombie’s fist became lodged in the earth. Seeing his chance, Lin Shen leaped onto the creature’s arm and used his ring to conjure a blade, carving a three-foot-long gash into its limb. Green blood sprayed into the air. The zombie ripped its fist free and swung wildly, flinging Lin Shen away. He performed a backflip and landed lightly on his feet.
Back in the Time Chamber, Palace Master Lingyue regained consciousness. She stood up, rubbing her sore neck. Deep down, she understood that Lin Shen had only acted to keep her out of harm's way. "The young man certainly has a heavy hand," she murmured. "He’s still so guarded."
She tried to find a way back to the graveyard, but after a long search, she found nothing. A sharp pain in her chest flared up, so she sat down to circulate her energy and heal, patiently waiting for word from Lin Shen.
Outside, the Giant Zombie lunged again. Lin Shen narrowly avoided the blow, gathered his strength, and stomped on the ground, manifesting two massive Earth-Binding Claws. They clamped down on the zombie’s arms, holding it fast. As the creature struggled, Lin Shen conjured a Thunder-Fire Bead and hurled it at the injured limb. With a deafening blast, the arm was severed clean off.
The Giant Zombie broke free and whipped its severed arm at him like a projectile. Caught off guard, Lin Shen took the full force of the impact and struggled for a long time before he could climb back to his feet.
The monster roared and began a frenzied, storm-like assault. Lin Shen was forced onto the defensive, unable to counterattack, until the zombie seized an opening and slammed him away with a crushing blow.
Once he managed to stand again, Lin Shen pulled out an Invisibility Gu, swallowed it, and fled the immediate vicinity. The Giant Zombie, unable to track him, roared in fury and pounded the ground aimlessly.
Hiding behind a tombstone, Lin Shen hastily consumed some Royal Jelly and meditated for a moment. *Without that arm, it’s actually become faster,* he realized. *I’ll let it burn off some steam first, then move in for the killing blow.*
A short while later, the Invisibility Gu wore off. The Giant Zombie spotted him and began to close the distance. Lin Shen waited, gathering wind energy in his hands until a massive Wind Blade formed. Just as the zombie swung its fist, Lin Shen dodged and threw the blade at the creature’s shoulder. With a sharp whistle through the air, the second arm was severed.
Enraged, the zombie tried to crush him under its foot. Lin Shen dodged, pinned the creature with the Earth-Binding Claws, and tossed a Thunder-Fire Bead directly into its mouth. A violent explosion followed, and the Giant Zombie collapsed. Exhausted, Lin Shen sank to the ground, gasping for air.
The System’s chime echoed in his mind:
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for slaying the boss-level monster: Giant Zombie!
Reward: Spell/Monster Transformation.
Reward: 8,000 System Coins!"
A treasure chest appeared beside him. Opening it, he found 100 taels of silver, some medicine, a pendant shaped like a gold ingot, and a scroll. As he picked up the scroll, it vanished instantly.
The System chimed again:
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for learning Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission!"
*That’s useful,* Lin Shen thought. *Dealing with Xiaoyao and Ling'er later, I might need a way to communicate things discreetly.*
"How do I use this?" he asked.
"Before using this technique, you must form a contract by touching the target's brow," the System replied. "After that, you can transmit your thoughts directly to them."
*A bit different from what I expected, but it’ll do,* he noted.
He picked up the pendant, and a prompt appeared:
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the Treasure Basin. When equipped, you will earn double System Coins from all battles."
Lin Shen immediately put it on. He walked over to the corpse. "System, is there any way for me to summon zombies like this one?"
"Upgrade the Summoning Technique for a cost of 10,000 System Coins," the System replied. "You will then be able to summon any monster you have defeated, including boss-level ones."
*System, you really are a piece of work,* Lin Shen thought. *I haven’t even warmed up my 8,000 coins and you’re already taking them—and asking for 2,000 more on top! You might as well just rob me. Still, to make them stronger, I have no choice. Upgrade!*
A progress bar raced to 100%. "Ding! Congratulations to the Host for upgrading the Summoning Technique!"
Feeling his energy drain away, Lin Shen used the Dimensional Travel Technique to return to the Time Chamber.
Palace Master Lingyue saw him arrive wounded and immediately used a healing spell without a word. After a long while, as his injuries faded, Lin Shen looked at her. "Daoist, thank you."
"Think nothing of it," she replied. "But young man, if you’ll pardon my candor, you were far too reckless. Fighting a beast like that head-on—and you even struck me! I promised to help you, yet you tossed me aside at the first sign of trouble. It seems you still don't truly consider me one of your own."
Lin Shen hung his head in shame. "I was just afraid. I didn't want anyone around me to get hurt."
"I understand your intentions, young man. But teamwork is vital. You cannot carry everything on your own."
"I understand. Daoist, I saw you were injured during the fight. Are you feeling better?"
"I am quite well now."
As they rested, the System’s alarm blared: "Warning! Warning! A powerful demonic energy is approaching! Warning! Warning!"
Lin Shen leaped to his feet. "What is it?" Palace Master Lingyue asked.
"A powerful demonic presence is closing in. I don't know what it is."
She closed her eyes to sense the surroundings. "I feel it, too."
"That shouldn't be possible," Lin Shen said. "No one else should know about this space. What could be coming?"
As they peered into the gloom, a massive fireball slammed into the ground. Through the thick dust, a blurry figure began to emerge...