There was nothing. No sound, no sight, no smell. It was an absolute void where all but one thing existed. Only one thing that mattered to Han Bei. An emerald orb that, like a sun, stained the void green. Unlike a sun, however, the orb's light wasn't a brilliant one that blinded people, but a murky dark green that radiated silent power.
From time to time ghostly human-like visages broke into the void but they quickly broke down to mist and surrounded the murky orb. Slowly the mist changed color and seeped into the green orb which in turn filled with more dark power. It was a fantastical experience to a cultivator, but to any outside observer, it looked like Han Bei sat on a builder cross-legged and slept while ghosts approached him like moths drawn to the flame.
Right now Han Bei attempted to break into the 1st realm. A process that took weeks or even months for a novice, but Han Bei once already walked these first steps on the great path and for him, it should take only several days. He hoped to make a breakthrough in a single session if possible. He felt a pressure on his shoulders, one that will only disappear when he finally became a proper cultivator again... If he can become a proper cultivator again. That was a grim prospect Han Bei didn't want to even entertain, so he concentrated on his aperture instead.
Currently, one-fourth of it was filled with gloomy green Qi. Once the aperture was filled to the brim Han Bei will reach the initial heaven of the 1st realm. He felt a desperate need for power caused by more reasons than he wanted to count. Once more Han Bei needed to remind himself, " Haste makes waste." Already he found ways to cut corners and maybe he would have taken them if it were not for his greatest weapon and his greatest source of worry, the undying physique. It's unknown what kind of backlash he would suffer. Maybe he would suffer a minor mutation like his hair changing color or just as likely his aperture will explode and his body will turn to paste. It was not a risk Han Bei wanted to take.
With patience and diligence Han Bei continued to cultivate, he didn't know how much time had passed but his aperture was half-filled. He made good progress when suddenly something disturbed his concentration. He heard footsteps. A bit annoyed he thought," Great, the old thing is probably back. " He kept his eyes closed in hopes that the old monk had enough common sense not to disturb him, yet he suddenly felt uneasy. As the footsteps came closer Han Bei figured out what made him uneasy. " Wait, how come I can sense that he is coming? " Han Bei felt the wind shift in front of him and his instincts screamed at him to move.
As Han Bei evaded small pebbles collided with his face propelled by an attack that cracked the ground. Han Bei opened his eyes and saw the assailant and a part of him wished he had kept his eyes closed instead. He, or rather, it was 2 meters tall parody of a human body. It had black hair that reached it's waist and grey skin. Its upper body was bare of cloth and in many places bare of skin as well. Pitch black muscles bulged so much they tore dead skin apart. To Han Bei, it looked like the undead creature wanted to escape the prison of its own skin.
Han Bei's cloak shrank until it covered only the upper part of his chest. He took a fighting stance and shouted at the unsightly thing, " And from which hell-hole did you crawl out off? " The zombie bellowed, enraged and Han Bei wondered if the thing was enraged by his words or simply by his gall to be alive.
The zombie moved quickly and in mere moments was upon Han Bei. It wound up for a swipe and Han Bei planned to duck underneath and attack before the cursed thing had a chance for another attack. " Now! " he internally thought, but his body reacted too slowly. The attack connected with his shoulder and he stumbled backward, another blow came a second later.
Han Bei smashed against the rock wall and loose rocks rained down upon him. There was a red cut from his shoulder to his chest and his neck creaked with every movement that he made. Han Bei wasn't sure how much damage he would have received if not for the undying physique. He sourly thought, " This thing is probably in the 1st realm. " Before the next attack landed he manifested a ghost and attempted to stagger the zombie.
As the ghost invaded the zombie's body, the creature roared while corrosive blood leaked from its muscles. Han Bei instinctively covered his face and missed the opening, while the unsightly zombie attacked with even more fury.
Strike after savage strike Han Bei felt that his bones creaked and broke but his guard still held. The fiend's unrelenting flurry of attacks continued with no signs of stopping, pushing Han Bei deeper into the wall by the second. Han Bei snorted, " Do I look like a damn punching bag to you? " His back slid against the wall until he hit the floor, the fiends next attack missed its mark and sent shards of stone flying. Han Bei had enough of an opening for a nice kick in the gut that pushed the fiend far enough that Han Bei could roll aside. Without his back against the wall, he had a moment to think. " This thing's definitely 1st realm, I can hold on for a while but its attack power is no joke."
*ROOOOAR*
Han Bei didn't get much time to strategize as the unsightly fiend was once again sent into a violent frenzy. Han Bei calmy breathed out and concentrated on his cultivation art [Yang Breath art]. His gaze sharpened and his mind focused as he felt increased control over his own body. The zombie extended its hand but Han Bei confidently swatted it aside, the fiend followed up with another attack, but Han Bei took a step backward centimeters outside its range. As ruined claws passed a hair's breadth away Han Bei launched an attack of his own. It was a straight punch that sent the fiend a single step back and tore apart what little skin was left on its face. The unsightly fiend's gaze locked with Han Bei and the hatred in its eyes almost seemed human, but all it could do was roar like a wild animal. Han Bei sneered," Roar all you like but once I dig past your skin, past your muscle, past your bone, and crush what's beneath you'll finally stop flailing around. "
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Han Bei doubted the zombie understood what he said yet the intent might have drilled through the dead things rotten brain since it attacked with increased ferocity. Han Bei saw the zombie as it readied its vicious claws and he used each second, each moment the zombie needed to prepare to move outside the fiend's range. Just so that he could close in afterward for an attack of his own. Han Bei punished the fiend for every strike it missed, with a moderately qi infused punch, each one deliberately aimed at the zombie's face. Han Bei wanted to rip the stupid things head off.
Injuries piled on the zombie's body and its face was torn up until it lost all resemblance to anything human, but let it be known that the single-tracked nature of an undead monster has perks of its own. Despite the damage it received, its speed only increased and as Corpse and the zombie continued the fight Han Bei gradually felt that pendulum swing to the other side.
Han Bei managed to execute his art but the effort it took was greatly increased, something was still wrong with his body. And as the zombie increased the pace of battle he struggled to keep up. The amount of opening he could exploit decreased and his attacks weakened as he was forced to concentrate more on the defense.
A savage strike headed for Han Be that he barely managed to avoid at the last second and even then he felt that there was a cut on his cheek. Next, a slash came that left four deep wounds on his chest that crossed with the injury he received previously, a strike that carved out a part of his side, an attack that he blocked but still ripped apart his flesh until his bones were visible. Han Bei judged in a grim manner, " I'm going to be taken apart piece by bloody piece at this rate. "
It wasn't the enormous amount of mental pressure that he was under, or the myriad of attacks that tore flesh from his bones but a single misstep that sent the pale man to the ground. While Han Bei retreated he stepped on uneven footing and fell, an opportunity that the fiend certainly couldn't miss. It immediately pounced on Han Bei and dug it's broken claws deeply into his shoulders. Han Bei used all his strength to push it away, but the creaturs broken mouth inched close and closer. Han Bei smelt death and decay and his eyes turned ruthless as understanding dawned upon him. " You're trying to eat me. You miserable piece of rotten flesh, you think you can devour THIS HAN BEI! "
Han Bei leaned his head back before he delivered a decisive headbutt, he felt rotten teeth stuck in his forehead. He saw that the fiend was staggered for a moment so he desperately channeled as much power as possible from his half-full aperture into his right arm. Eerie green qi surrounded his fist as it turned grey. He bashed the unsightly thing in the face and with a green flash, he sent it flying. The right side of the zombie's face was caved in and one of its eyes popped out of its socket.
The damage Han Bei received was much tamer in comparison. 2 of his fingers were directly blown off and the rest were broken, not even that bad of an exchange taking in mind how reckless the attack was. After that the rampaging zombie finally came to a stop, it was still on the ground and supported its weight with trembling arms. While not so effective against refined corpses, against wild undead, head injuries can be very lethal. The fiend could still deal with this level of injury if it had a just bit of time, but unfortunately for it, Han Bei was not a patient man. He used his intact arm and grabbed one of the fiend's legs and lifted it up just high enough so that its head rested against the ground. The unsightly thing tried to form a vague resemblance of resistance but Han Bei looked for the spot where its spine connected to its skull. " How about you try eating dirt instead. "
He mercilessly stomped on the fiend's exposed neck and with crisp crack, its spine broke and filthy blood spilled from its head wound and half-empty eye socket. Ferocious growls turned to whimpers but Han Bei wasn't done yet. He stomped on its neck again and again until he heard another crack.
It was a crisp sound, like one you would hear from a tree branch breaking. Whatever bones held the fiend's skull to the rest of its body were now shattered into pieces. Han Bei's fingers dug into its leg and he rested his foot against its head, then he pulled with all his might. With a shower of red filth and a smell of a rotten graveyard, he detached the zombie's head from its body, and with one last mournful wail, the zombie's unlife came to an end.
Han Bei spat at the detached head and tossed the broken carcass into the little yellow spring. " Of with you to the yellow springs, you bastard."
Han Bei let out an exhausted breath and finally dared to relax. He didn't even want to look at the injuries he sustained, so he allowed his cloak to extend and sat down. He inspected his aperture and just as expected it was almost empty. The effort of several days gone with the wind. " Well better that than being dead."
As Han Bei replayed the battle in his head he inevitably came to the conclusion that he had to reevaluate the way he fought and the techniques he used." but not now, " Han Bei silently thought. For the moment he was just content watching the dead carcass float down the little yellow spring. Thankfully Han Bei felt no craving for rotten flesh after he won, but as Han Bei watched his vanquished foe his face gradually turned unsightly. The zombie's body rapidly decomposed and its tough body broke down to the bone. All of it soon rotted away to a noxious black liquid that sank to the bottom of the spring. As Han Bei pulled shards of teeth out of his forehead he couldn't help but wonder, " Maybe I really did die and fall down to the abyss. "