Wang Bao was momentarily stunned. He recognized this place.

Several months ago, he had driven Zhao Hong here to this Walmart. Zhao Hong's brother-in-law, Tang Hu, had disappeared right here.

At that time, Zhao Hong had Ling Tao investigate. Ling Tao ultimately concluded that there might be a high-level zombie here.

Later, Zhao Hong ordered them to douse the place in gasoline and set it aflame. The chilling atmosphere of that day contrasted sharply with the outside temperature, which had soared to thirty degrees. The memory was still vivid in his mind.

At this moment, the hulking zombie beside him was unusually docile, completely still. Wang Bao couldn't help but take a closer look. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the zombie's face bore a striking resemblance to someone he knew—Tang Hu!

Though the zombie's body had swollen significantly, its arms and legs massively thickened, it was still discernibly Tang Hu!

Suddenly, he noticed a young man busily working ahead of him.

"Arrived? That was quick," the young man said casually, his back to Wang Bao as he tinkered with something. Hu growled a few times, seemingly a bit proud.

Chu Xuan laughed heartily, "Well done indeed, bringing a live one so quickly. I'll make you a companion shortly."

Hu roared excitedly in response.

Chu Xuan casually took a seat on a chair and waved his hand. Hu then forced Wang Bao to kneel in front of the young man.

"Oh, you've been bitten? Good, killing you won't reduce my merit," Chu Xuan noted Wang Bao's fingers with a nonchalant smile.

Seeing his smile, Wang Bao instinctively felt fear. He somehow felt as though he was facing a ferocious beast, not a person.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Wang Bao asked, "Who are you? Why can you control Brother Hu?"

Chu Xuan chuckled strangely, "You know Hu? Looks like you must be from that Spirit Hounds, huh?" Wang Bao nodded.

Chu Xuan's pupils flashed with a purple light, "Good, you answer my questions now."

At that moment, Wang Bao felt as if his soul had been seized, turning him into a puppet who could only comply. This spell, known as the "Soul Capturing Gaze," was a low-tier Qi Refining stage technique, usable only against those whose realms were far below one's own, possessing no offensive power.

Chu Xuan deployed the Soul Capturing Gaze simply to avoid wasting words and to quickly gather the information he needed.

"Name," he commanded.

"Wang Bao."

"What position do you hold in the Spirit Hounds?"

"Boss Zhao's confidant."

"Who ordered the burning of this place?"

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"Boss Zhao directed us to burn it."

Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow. It was indeed Zhao Hong from the Spirit Hounds. He continued his interrogation, and Wang Bao responded obligatorily. After a while, the effect of the Soul Capturing Gaze ended, and Wang Bao gradually recovered from his dazed state. His head throbbed painfully, unaware of what had just transpired. Worse yet, the virus had already infected his entire body, and bloodthirsty thoughts began to emerge.

"Aaargh!" Wang Bao let out a harsh scream.

Chu Xuan snapped his fingers. Hu immediately stepped forward, lifting Wang Bao and throwing him into a bathtub already filled with corpse-refining elixir. Wang Bao frantically gulped down the liquid, and soon, all noises ceased.

"Ah, the noodles are ready, time to show off," Chu Xuan said, picking up the steaming bowl of instant noodles and beginning to eat. While eating, he contemplated his next moves.

"According to Wang Bao, Zhao Hong seems to have tamed three dogs, each over three meters long and ferociously formidable. Zhao Hong himself appears skinny but possesses muscle strength far beyond ordinary men. Furthermore, there's the existence of high-level zombies, far stronger than regular zombies. Could they have been mutated by the virus?"

"This apocalyptic planet is intriguing; there might be threats that could challenge me, necessitating an organization to gather intelligence for me. Moreover, the number of zombies I can exterminate alone is limited; having a gang at my disposal would greatly enhance efficiency," Chu Xuan nodded slightly.

This Spirit Hounds might be worth bringing under his command. Of course, turning them all into corpse puppets was also an option. It all depended on his whim.

Two days later.

Chu Xuan examined the rigid corpse puppet he had created, nodding in satisfaction. He placed it in the Corpse Nurturing Tower and infused it with Spiritual Qi, performing an identification spell.

"Third-level corpse soldier, medium talent! Its spells are Shadow Walk and Yin Fire Spike, not bad!"

Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow. Both of the corpse puppets he had refined possessed medium talent. Shadow Walk allowed for concealing one's presence and moving almost invisibly at high speeds. Yin Fire Spike involved condensing yin fire in the palm and striking fiercely at an enemy.

"Very good, Shadow Walk combined with Yin Fire Spike makes for an excellent assassin," Chu Xuan chuckled as he nodded. This combination of spells was perfect!

"From now on, you'll be called Bao."

Chu Xuan patted the corpse puppet's shoulder satisfactorily. Bao immediately let out a joyous roar, as if celebrating his rebirth.

"Roar roar," Hu growled disapprovingly nearby.

Bao's voice instantly quieted down, and he shrank his neck, showing great respect towards Hu. Hu then roared a few more times contentedly.

In just that short moment, the two corpse puppets had already established their hierarchy.

Chu Xuan stretched lazily and smiled slightly, "It's time now, let's head to Haotai Hotel."

"Roar roar!" Hu and Bao both roared excitedly, their eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty light.

...At the entrance of Haotai Hotel, there was originally just a security booth. However, under Zhao Hong's command, a watchtower rising three meters above the ground had been constructed. Two men stationed in the tower were supposed to be on alert, but instead, they were engaged in a card game.

Despite the Spirit Hounds' massive strength, boasting over three hundred members known for their bloodthirsty ferocity, in the entirety of East Lake City only Black Blade Security, no other major power could rival them. Lone survivors and smaller groups dared not provoke the Spirit Hounds.

The two men in the watchtower weren't actually keeping watch; they were absorbed in their card game.

Chu Xuan could hear the men shouting from a distance and himself as he approached.

"Having fun, gentlemen?"

The two men instantly became alert, dropped their handmade cards, and hurriedly stood up. They were shocked to find three figures at the gate. The leader was a handsome young man in odd attire that seemed more suited to a fantasy drama than modern times. Behind him stood two towering, burly figures with grim expressions, looking as though they were ready to charge and devour at any moment.

"Who are you?" the guards demanded.

Chu Xuan smiled, "The new boss of the Spirit Hounds."

The two guards looked at each other and burst into laughter, "That's hilarious! You, a kid whose dick hasn't even grown in fully, want to be the new boss?"

After their laughter subsided, their expressions turned cold. "You're interrupting our game, go eat shit!"

They picked up trash from beside them and hurled it towards Chu Xuan.