With a sharp crack, the whip struck a zombie beast's thigh, sending it flying sideways to the ground. "Xuehui, quick!" Ding Longyun chuckled. Emboldened by prior experience, Xu Xuehui no longer feared these zombie beasts. She grabbed her hammer and dashed toward the one Ding Longyun had knocked away.
Su Li joined in immediately, mimicking Ding Longyun by targeting only the limbs of the zombie beasts, leaving the final blow for Xu Xuehui. Though these were all low-level zombie beasts, they varied in strength—the weak were sluggish and easily crushed, while the stronger ones could nearly match a first-level spirit source beast. Yet against Su Li and Ding Longyun in their current state, they were still no match, effortlessly knocked down, with the finishing strike reserved for Xu Xuehui.
Soon, Xu Xuehui had killed five zombie beasts, collecting five spirit sources. She now needed only four more to advance and become a level-2 spirit source user. As Ding Longyun slammed the sixth zombie beast, which had climbed to the rooftop, to the ground, a dark shadow suddenly flashed before him. Another zombie beast yanked a rope and leaped up.
This one moved with startling speed, completely unlike the previous six. Ding Longyun's heart jolted, and he instinctively stepped back, but the zombie beast had already kicked him squarely in the chest. With a muffled grunt, Ding Longyun was sent flying backward. Startled, Su Li raised his iron rod and swung it down at the beast.
A vertical slit-like mark appeared on Su Li's brow as he activated his "Peeking Rune." He sensed something unusual about this zombie beast. Just as his iron rod was about to strike its head, the beast's chest split open, and a pale arm emerged from the gap, raising to shield its skull. The rod landed solidly on that arm.
At the same moment, a message flashed in Su Li's mind, detailing the creature before him. "Name: Advanced Zombie Beast. A powerful evolution from low-level zombie beasts. Beyond basic instincts, it possesses some intelligence. Each advanced zombie beast has a unique evolved ability and a chance to evolve into a higher intelligent being: an Undead."
Over the past few days, Su Li had encountered countless zombie beasts and knew they were slowly evolving like humans. Now, he finally saw the first one to reach an advanced stage. Compared to ordinary zombie beasts, this one boasted vastly superior strength, speed, and reflexes, along with a special ability. A third hand had grown from its chest, serving as its weapon. Even Su Li's iron rod couldn't break it.
Startled, Su Li recalled Xu Xuehui's earlier warning about a zombie beast with a third hand below. It seemed her choice to enhance her eyes had granted her an extraordinary ability. The advanced zombie beast's third hand blocked his rod, then grabbed it, trying to wrench it away. Instead of resisting the pull, Su Li let the rod slide forward, closing in on the beast. He swung his left fist, with four "Gluttony Fangs" extending from his knuckles, aiming to slice off its head.
Meanwhile, Ding Longyun had gotten back up, a flicker of anger on his face. He had been careless, dismissing it as an ordinary beast, only to be caught off guard by its speed and kicked down. Xu Xuehui, having just killed the sixth zombie beast, looked up and saw Su Li launching his attack with the "Gluttony Fangs." She cried out, "Watch out!"
Hearing her warning, Su Li tensed. The advanced zombie beast reacted almost as fast as he did. Its third hand released the iron rod and shot toward his face. The arm from its chest was longer than Su Li's, meaning it could strike his face before his "Gluttony Fangs" reached it. "This thing!" The beast's strength was immense—its arm had even blocked the iron rod. Su Li couldn't risk letting it hit his face. He quickly adjusted, lowering his left arm to slash the "Gluttony Fangs" across the pale arm.
Even the razor-sharp "Gluttony Fangs" couldn't fully sever the arm, only cutting through the surface skin. By then, Ding Longyun had charged in, gripping his steel shovel and swinging it at the beast's head. The third arm, still recovering from Su Li's strike, couldn't block in time. The beast twisted its head aside, but the shovel grazed its cheek, scraping off flesh and exposing bone before smashing into its left shoulder. Bones cracked, and the shoulder collapsed.
Su Li seized the moment, kicking the beast hard in the stomach, sending it tumbling backward. Ding Longyun roared, swinging the bloodied shovel down again. The advanced zombie beast, possessing some intelligence unlike its dull low-level counterparts, rolled on the ground to dodge. Ding Longyun's next two strikes missed. The third was blocked by the beast's third arm, which grabbed the shovel and yanked, using the momentum to spring upright.
Ding Longyun grunted, pulling back to reclaim the shovel. Meanwhile, Su Li had silently moved behind the beast. His iron rod struck with precision. The advanced zombie beast froze, a soft "pop" sounding in its head as it caved in, red and white matter oozing out. The single blow had destroyed its skull. A spirit source appeared and flew into Su Li.
"Level-2 Spirit Source User: Spirit Sources 7/20"
Having gained a spirit source, Su Li watched the advanced zombie beast crash to the ground and let out a long breath. This kind of beast was truly fearsome; killing it alone would have been no easy feat. With the advanced zombie beast dead, no new ones appeared for now, though sounds still echoed from below.