Ding Hao hid within a cluster of shrubs, gazing down at the caravan at the foot of the mountain, and couldn't help licking his lips in excitement.
"According to the message left in the cave, as long as I slaughter a thousand people and assemble a zombie army, I can leave this place and head to Swamp Mountain to officially become Master's disciple!"
He had originally been nothing more than a rustic villager, recruited by a passing caravan as labor.
But when the caravan passed through Tombstone Mountain, it had been besieged by a massive horde of zombies. He was abandoned, used as cannon fodder, and left alongside several dozen other household slaves to hold the rearguard.
All the others had died. He fled in panic into the mountains with no destination in mind. Just when he had hit a dead end, he stumbled upon a cave that was inexplicably safe — the surrounding zombies dared not loiter near its entrance.
He entered the cave and discovered a Demonic Path inheritance.
It turned out that a certain Demonic Path Gu Master had once massacred an entire clan, erected a tombstone on the ruins, and left behind a hidden legacy.
This inheritance was buried deep, requiring only a mortal to inherit it.
Ding Hao opened his first aperture in the cave, then cultivated slowly, passing each trial one step at a time.
His original aptitude had been Grade C, but the cave contained rare and precious Gu. After using them, his aptitude was upgraded to Grade B.
Ding Hao devoted himself to secluded cultivation within Tombstone Mountain, spending over eight years to reach the Third Transformation realm. Having met the requirement, he broke through to the final secret chamber.
In that chamber, the Demonic Path Gu Master had left behind only a single stone inscription, in which he called himself the Second Generation Zombie King. If a true descendant ever arrived at this place, it would mean fate had brought them. Should they be willing, they could go to Swamp Mountain to become his disciple and follow him in conquering the Southern Border.
As the final trial, the Second Generation Zombie King required the successor to slay a thousand people while simultaneously amassing a zombie army. There were detailed specifications — for instance, at least a certain number of white-haired zombies, a certain number of black-haired zombies, and several green-haired zombies. But if even a single blue-haired zombie was included, the entry standard would be considered met.
Ding Hao was an honest sort. Honest people often had one virtue: they were steadfast.
He stayed in Tombstone Mountain, cultivating alone for over eight full years. He endured the loneliness and isolation, with only zombies for company, accumulating his strength bit by bit until he reached the Third Transformation.
He had originally been just a household slave. The world of Gu Masters was something he had only observed from the sidelines, and so he knew very little about it.
When he was lost and bewildered, this stone inscription had undoubtedly pointed him toward an entirely new direction in life, giving him a goal to strive for.
The Second Generation Zombie King had also once been a household slave. Their shared origins only deepened Ding Hao's sense of identification with his predecessor.
After reading the inscription, Ding Hao set to work with determination, beginning to kill people while accumulating zombies.
He quickly discovered that the two tasks actually complemented each other.
After killing people, he could use their corpses to create new zombies. And as new zombies joined his ranks, his strength grew, which in turn allowed him to kill even more people.
Tombstone Mountain sat along one of the three most important trade routes in the Southern Border, with caravans passing through every month.
Ding Hao spent nearly three more years on this. By now, he was finally approaching success.
And the caravan at the foot of the mountain would be the final stepping stone to his triumph!
This was the perfect prey!
Caravans came in all sizes. When large caravans passed through, Ding Hao always kept his distance. With medium-sized caravans, he didn't dare challenge them head-on. Only with those small caravans did he dare make his move, secretly directing zombies to hunt them down.
When luck was on his side, the caravans would proactively abandon some livestock or household slaves to buy time.
When luck wasn't, he would run into tough resistance, and his zombies would be slaughtered instead, costing him dearly. He would have to start accumulating all over again.
But the caravan at the foot of the mountain right now was even worse than a small caravan — it was already broken. Like a decrepit old man on his deathbed, gasping out his final breaths, it seemed as though a light push of a finger could topple it.
Ding Hao was confident he could crush this caravan.
He felt this was a grand gift bestowed upon him by the heavens.
Deep into the night, when all was quiet, a dark cloud drifted slowly across the sky, veiling the moonlight.
The area around the camp darkened.
"Kill." Ding Hao's eyes blazed bright as he gave the silent command in his mind. The prearranged zombie army began creeping toward the camp from all directions.
"What was that sound?" The scouting Gu Master outside the caravan camp was highly alert.
"You found something?!" Several Gu Masters beside him tensed up.
Five Gu Masters stared fixedly into the darkness ahead without blinking.
Though the moonlight was blocked by clouds, the camp still had massive bonfires burning.
The bonfires crackled and roared as the mountain wind blew through them.
Amid the shifting firelight, a zombie covered head to toe in white fur came hopping into the scouting Gu Master's field of vision.
The Gu Masters exchanged glances and all burst out laughing.
"Haha, a single white-haired zombie."
"Tch, what a fuss over nothing. Nearly gave me a fright."
"Xiao San, go deal with that sorry-looking zombie..." The leader of the Gu Master team said dismissively.
These white-haired zombies had the weakest combat power — they weren't even as dangerous as ordinary wild beasts.
"Yes, boss." A young Gu Master walked over with a grin.
"Watch out for its corpse poison. That stuff gets on you, it's a real pain. I don't have any Gu for curing it," the team's healing Gu Master warned.
"I know, I know. Do you think I'm three years old?" The young Gu Master waved his hand impatiently as he walked off.
If he really did get afflicted with corpse poison, he'd have to ask another Gu Master for help with the treatment — and that would cost at least half a Yuan Stone.
But these white-haired zombies attacked in a predictable, mechanical way, making them easy to dodge. Since coming to Tombstone Mountain, the young Gu Master had already killed quite a few.
"These things, as long as you watch out and dodge, there's nothing to worr—ugh!" The young Gu Master had been muttering to himself when his voice suddenly cut off, his easy stride freezing in place.
His pupils contracted sharply. His mouth gaped wide, revealing an expression of extreme terror.
"What happened?" The four Gu Masters behind him sensed something was wrong and quickly called out.