In the blink of an eye, five days had passed, and Chu Xuan was heartily devouring a steaming bowl of shrimp and fish cake noodles, thoroughly enjoying the indulgence.
Instant noodles could grow tiresome if eaten daily, yet their unique flavor was missed when not partaken of for a while. For Chu Xuan, who had spent decades in a world of cultivation, these flavors were sorely nostalgic.
At that moment, a fire burned vigorously in front of him. After quickly finishing his noodles, Chu Xuan used two sticks to retrieve an object from the dying embers—the blood mirror, which showed no signs of damage from the flames and seemed even brighter than before.
Chu Xuan glanced at the scene within the mirror—clear skies and beautiful landscapes, exactly where he had first crossed over. Now, the image was a fifth brighter. Once fully illuminated, he should be able to cross back.
He had discovered that the blood mirror could automatically absorb various forms of energy from its surroundings—Spiritual Qi, Evil Qi, Yin Qi, and even mundane energy like biological, thermal, light, and electrical energies. Throwing the mirror into the fire had been a way to harness thermal energy. At this rate, another month should suffice to fully charge it.
Meanwhile, an excited growl sounded nearby—it was the corpse soldier, now named Hu, returning with two gasoline cans. He had been out hunting zombies and had also been tasked with finding fuel. Initially struggling with the task, Hu had gradually come to understand and execute his instructions effectively.
Chu Xuan looked at Hu, now even more formidable and robust than before, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Hu, well done."
At his praise, the corpse puppet humbly lowered its head, allowing Chu Xuan to pat it. The name Hu was the result of deep contemplation by Chu Xuan, certainly not a hasty choice derived from any original name. Absolutely not.
In just two days, Hu had cleared all the zombies from the Walmart Mall. Those that looked healthy and spirited were captured and bled dry. The ones with good meat quality were used as feed for the Blood Steel Wire. The listless, less lively ones became nourishment for Hu himself. From the third day, Hu started clearing the zombies from the surrounding shops and residences, using the mall as his base. Over five days, he had progressed from a second-level to a third-level corpse soldier.
Although still only comparable to a third-stage Qi Refining cultivator in rank, Hu's sheer physical strength and overwhelming resentment meant that any low-level cultivator without many spells who got too close would likely end up dead or severely injured.
"What should I do with you? A bit early for you to be forming cocoons."
Chu Xuan smiled helplessly as he observed the Blood Steel Wire appearing lethargic, perhaps due to consuming too much zombie blood. Just this morning, he had awakened to find it showing signs of cocooning—a process indicating that the Blood Steel Wire was about to learn a natural spell and significantly increase in strength. This was excellent news for him.
The Blood Steel Wire was a type of gu insect relatively easy to obtain, which meant its potential was somewhat limited—it could cocoon only twice. Each cocooning was akin to rebirth, earning it the nickname "Twice-Reborn Gu," capable of learning two inherent spells.
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Naturally, the potential of a gu insect wasn't fixed; given fortuitous encounters with certain rare natural treasures and consuming them could prompt further transformations.
Chu Xuan's frustration stemmed from not yet having started cultivating such rare natural treasures. "Go capture a couple of lively zombies," he commanded with a wave of his hand.
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