Chapter 48: The Corpse King's Possession, Deathbird!

Tang Zhen had not told Qian Long that he possessed a lord-level brain orb. It wasn’t a matter of distrust; the time simply hadn’t come yet. He only reminded Qian Long to keep a close watch on any information regarding the cornerstone. At the same time, with the wanderers and wild cultivators gathering in Blackrock City, it was a good opportunity to recruit some reliable hands.

The emergence of these corpse clans only deepened Tang Zhen’s yearning to establish Lou City. Perhaps the appearance of these undead creatures was a great opportunity for him.

“By the way, didn’t I say last time that I’d give you a slingshot? Look, this is exactly the kind of thing!” Tang Zhen said, pulling a slingshot from his pocket and handing it over.

He had bought it in a shop while wandering the streets, spending a hundred coins. Modern slingshots were exquisitely crafted, reportedly made using wire-cutting technology, and looked quite elegant.

Qian Long took it and fiddled with it for a moment before asking, “It looks nice, but how is it supposed to be used?”

Tang Zhen rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a steel ball, placing one in the pouch of the slingshot. He aimed and fired.

“That’s all there is to it. Pretty simple, right?”

Qian Long took the slingshot and mimicked the action. After a while, he said, “This thing is actually quite good. Its power is decent. It’s useless against big prey, but perfect for shooting birds.”

Then he seemed to recall something and turned to Tang Zhen. “By the way, is it difficult to make these? It’s so finely made and metallic; I imagine it must be expensive?”

Tang Zhen shook his head. “It’s not hard to make. Why do you ask?”

“Blackrock City’s procurement centers always buy wild chickens and various birds to make dried meat. Some wanderers make a living by catching wild chickens and birds, but it’s very inefficient. Having this kind of tool could greatly improve their efficiency, since many wanderers can’t afford bows and arrows.”

At these words, Tang Zhen’s eyes lit up. “What’s the purchase price for wild chickens in Blackrock City?”

Qian Long gave the price. It wasn’t very high, far less profitable than trading in weapons or other goods.

Hearing this, Tang Zhen temporarily shelved his plan to trade in white-feathered chickens and fresh meat, deciding to wait for a better time. After all, with the presence of meat worms in Blackrock City, it didn’t seem to be in urgent need of fresh meat.

They chatted for about another hour before Murong Ziyan came to call them to dinner.

While Tang Zhen, Qian Long, and the others discussed how to profit from the current chaos, deep within the eerie, blood-soaked corpse clan’s wild building, a deafening roar shattered the silence.

A corpse monster lord clad in black armor slowly emerged from a concealed chamber. Behind it, within the chamber, hovered a black stone covered in runes above a stone pedestal.

This black floating rune stone was the wild building cornerstone that Tang Zhen had long dreamed of.

The corpse monster lord approached a nearby seat and sat down slowly.

Its aura seemed altered—less murderous, but now exuding a regal presence that inspired a vague, daunting fear.

After a moment of silence, it raised its hands for inspection and sighed softly.

“Only early level seven strength… The laws of this world really are oppressive. But that only proves there are tremendous secrets hidden here, and sooner or later, I will possess them.”

The corpse monster lord muttered to itself, then its eyes darkened with hatred.

“If it weren’t for that damned ant, my cultivated clone wouldn’t have been destroyed. I wouldn’t be limited to level seven, and I wouldn’t have to use this fragile, useless body!”

It roared in fury. From its words, it was clear that the Spiritual Brain Corpse King had taken over this body.

The Spiritual Brain Corpse King growled once before calming, its eyes filled with contemplation.

That cursed ant was loathsome, but his teleportation ability was quite remarkable—so much so that even the mighty Spiritual Brain Corpse King was deeply intrigued.

It longed to capture Tang Zhen now to make him a corpse slave for thorough study.

But the current situation forbade rash action. Its arrival had taken a tremendous toll, even wounding its soul. Another mishap could trap this grand corpse king here forever.

Thinking this, the Spiritual Brain Corpse King’s hatred for Tang Zhen intensified, its fists clenching audibly.

Hidden in the shadows, advancing steadily—this was the plan the Spiritual Brain Corpse King had set for conquest.

This time, the Spiritual Brain Corpse King had personally departed from its soul and arrived in the flesh, bringing with it the corpse clan’s Origin Stone—a wondrous artifact akin to the Lou City cornerstone but far surpassing it.

Only three such Origin Stones existed, and it carried the largest.

Legend had it that this Origin Stone possessed the power to create native beings of the dimension, forming the foundation of the corpse clan’s existence. As long as it remained, the corpse clan would never be completely wiped out.

Once this corpse clan Origin Stone was brought into the Lou City world, the Spiritual Brain Corpse King gained the ability to summon corpse clan creatures from it, though these were soulless shamblers.

But the Spiritual Brain Corpse King cared little for that—corpse clans existed only to kill, so long as they obeyed its commands.

After hours of contemplation, the Spiritual Brain Corpse King finally rose and approached the chamber, spreading its palm to reveal a crystalline stone inside, gleaming with what seemed to be the trajectory of life’s changes.

This dazzling crystal was the corpse clan’s Origin Stone.

The Spiritual Brain Corpse King slowly brought this Origin Stone close to the Lou City cornerstone, and the two miraculous stones gradually fused into a single gray rune stone.

Closing its eyes, the Spiritual Brain Corpse King tried to communicate with the newly fused rune stone through its soul. Soon, a smile appeared at the corner of its mouth.

At the same time, thousands of brain orbs piled around the pedestal vanished instantly.

Outside, the world was thrown into turmoil.

Above the wild building of the corpse clan, the once clear sky darkened abruptly. Countless black mists swirled and gathered, forming a massive, ring-shaped cloud tens of meters across.

Lightning flickered near the cloud, accompanied by deafening thunderclaps.

Then, as if some immense, invisible force tore the sky apart, a deep, shadowy portal appeared in the air, seemingly linking to a terrifying world.

“Caw caw caw…”

A chilling cry echoed from the portal. In an instant, a vast black cloud surged out, blotting out the sky.

As it drew closer, it revealed itself to be countless black evil birds, each about twenty centimeters long.

These black birds had vicious eyes, blood-streaked talons, and eagle-like hooked beaks laced with a dreadful poison. A bite from them infected victims with a strange toxin.

This toxin caused paralysis, gradual stiffening, and death. Corpses killed by it became the sole food source for these death birds.

In the corpse clan’s world, these death birds had become extinct due to environmental changes, but now, the Spiritual Brain Corpse King had summoned them back using the Origin Stone.

These death birds not only retained their terrifying abilities but had also evolved further.

Once tainted by their poison, humans died within a day, and their bodies transformed into mindless monsters that devoured flesh and blood—the lowest tier of the corpse clan’s zombies.

These overwhelming death birds were merely the first step in the Spiritual Brain Corpse King’s plan for conquest.