The zombified cultivator portrayed its cultivation of three buffalo silhouettes but all of the buffaloes were being infected and gave a crazed look in them.
“No! We cannot leave you alone here!” Both ladies argued that Bin Yong could not win this alone. The injuries they received from the zombified cultivator was not grave but it posed a concern to Bin Yong.
“Get the gem up to the top floor and we will win the objective of this dungeon!” Bin Yong was insistent.
“No! This is a matter of principle. I will not abandon a comrade to die.” Jia Le shoved the gem to Luo Bo and glanced at her as if she was looking for approval.
While Luo Bo had the urge to stay with Bin Yong to provide some assistance, she realised that it was a chance for Jia Le to prove herself in front of Bin Yong and provide them with some personal space.
In addition, she was a cultivator specialised in long ranged attacks and her presence might inadvertently hinder them.
“No! What if there is another zombified cultivator on the next floor, at least one of you will still be able to complete the objective.” Bin Yong reasoned as he defended himself from the attack by the zombified cultivator.
They did not encounter the cultivator until they cleared the entire 3rd floor of the watchtower. It slowly walked down from the top floor when there were no other zombies to interfere with their duel.
During the ascent of Squad A, Jia Le managed to block each and every stair with her cultivation technique Root Barrier of Bellflowers, which allowed her to create a physical barrier made up of roots that entrapped and slowly drained any zombie that wished to pass through it.
“Jia Le, Bin Yong is in your care!” Luo Bo placed her hand on Jia Le’s shoulders and subtly nodded at her. Jia Le knew where Luo Bo was coming from and in return, she passed her a kunai with a small white talisman attached to it.
“This kunai of mine was inscribed with a one-time chi technique. Use this to trap and kill your opponent if needed.” Jia Le explained to Luo Bo the use of her kunai. Without turning back, Jia Le headed forth and assisted Bin Yong to the best of her ability while Luo Bo changed her short bow to an automatic hand crossbow from her storage ring.
Jia Le practised the Breathtaking Bellflower style for her cultivation. It gave her control of her chi to cast limited earth elemental spells. Unfortunately, she mostly used it for art practices as she was growing up. However, she did learn some cultivation techniques to protect herself from danger and to participate in dungeon instances with her friends but most of it was defensive and support spells.
“Why did you come back?” Bin Yong was a little disappointed and angry at the same time when he saw Jia Le running towards him.
“As I said, I really can’t leave you alone.” Jia Le took out another Kunai from her pack that she strapped on her leg.
“I..” Bin Yong became conflicted. He does not want Jia Le to get hurt from this zombified cultivator again but he was also happy she stayed to help him despite what he had said.
After a minor clash with the zombified cultivator, Bin Yong noticed the zombified cultivator was lacking in speed for a Grade 3 but its strength and accuracy were heightened by at least two fold. Not only that, the cultivator seemed to have an intent to kill Bin Yong and Jia Le as compared to the mindless zombies who just wanted to fulfil their hunger pangs for chi.
“Then let’s defeat this quickly.” Bin Yong took out the Black Talisman which Captain Hei said to use during a pinch. As he was in the watchtower, he did not know of the situation outside of the watchtower.
“Activate!” Bin Yong shouted and he experienced the same magic circle which Bu Dong had witnessed.
“Ke ke ke ke!” Three small greenish figures appeared right in front of Bin Yong and he had the same shock which Squad B perceived. Instead of words to convince Bin Yong, the spear goblin took the initiative to strike the zombie cultivator with his spear but the zombie deflected the strike with its sword.
The dagger goblin gave no quarters for the zombie after it deflected the spear goblin’s strike and went straight for its vitals. The zombified cultivator was not able to escape quickly and the dagger was pierced into its neck. However, being an undead, the cultivator turned its head and tried to bite the dagger goblin but the goblin had quick enough reflex to move away. The poison on the dagger which the goblin usually coated it with had no effect to the zombie as well.
With a few simple hand signals. the sword goblin signalled Bin Yong to cooperate with it and Bin Yong agreed with some hesitation. “I guessed the goblins are really helping me instead of attacking me this time around. Does that mean the black talisman summoned creatures from other dungeons to aid me? Guess my enemy then is my ally now.” Bin Yong charged forth with his buckler raised.
“Bin Yong, I will help too! Kunai Art! Entrapping Fields of Bellflower!” Jia Le did the same technique she used helping Luo Bo. The roots appearing from her kunai raced towards the zombified cultivator and grabbed its legs and hands.
Regrettably, they were not strong against the Grade 3 zombie and it ripped one of the roots apart before it could be entrapped. However, the distraction was sufficient for Bin Yong and the sword goblin. Suddenly, two goblin silhouettes appeared above the sword goblin and its sword was infused with its own chi.
“The Goblin is actually a Grade 2?!” Bin Yong felt that he should not be beaten by a goblin. “Shield Art, Ramming Blast of the Beetle!” Bin Yong’s shield was infused with his chi and he slammed his shield to the zombified cultivator. As the shield touches the zombie, it automatically released a minor gas explosion which caused the zombie to lose its right sword arm and part of its right shoulder too.
Bin Yong then rolled forward after his attack to give the sword goblin some space to execute its attack. The sword goblin slashed downwards furiously before picking up the zombie’s sword that fell to the floor a second ago. After which, the goblin spun and slashed upwards, creating a long slash wound starting from the abdominal area and exited from the left side of its chest.
As organs and blood gushed out from its wound, Jia Le threw a kunai at the zombie, hitting it right in its mouth. The kunai activated and roots and branches sprouted from its mouth and subsequently into the body and out from the zombie’s wounds again.
After a minute, the zombie stood there lifeless in a sort of artwork meshed with flesh and plants. Subsequently, a few bellflowers started to bloom from it and it was bizarrely beautiful yet enchanting. Bin Yong panted and thanked the three goblins before they disappeared into thin air while Jia Le fell to her knees feeling exhausted.
Bin Yong’s heart raced a little but he took out his phone and snapped a few pictures of the zombie artwork. Bin Yong then turned his head to peek at Jia Le but realised too late that she was already staring at him.
They stared at each other a while longer without breaking any eye contact before Bin Yong decided to open his mouth. “It’s…actually quite pretty.” Jia Le immediately giggled at his comment followed by a series of laughter which both of them shared.
Separately, Luo Bo found some resistance on the top floor and coincidentally cleared the entire floor at the same time Bin Yong and Jia Le defeated the zombified cultivator. She took out the white gem of Turn Undead and placed it on a pedestal with the handwritten A4 paper sign attached on it.
“PLACE WHITE GEM HERE.” There was even a panda pawprint to sign it off.
