The primary way to distinguish between a Corpse Transformation and a Zombie God was through the aura of their Cultivation Level.

An opponent with a higher Cultivation Level, but still within the Corpse Transformation realm, wouldn't give Yang An such an intense sense of danger.

Only when facing a Zombie God would the feeling of crisis be so suffocating, like a hand gripping his throat.

It was an innate suppression from a higher Cultivation Level, like a warning light glowing brighter and redder as the voltage overloaded the measuring instrument.

The pursuer's aura was unfathomably deep, and their speed was incredible. He had no idea when they had caught up.

Yang An was sure no one had been following them when they left Dingbo City.

'This is trouble!'

They hadn't gotten far from Dingbo City, and it was still hundreds of miles before they could leave Huazhou and enter the Treasure Temple Domain.

Even if they managed to shake their pursuer and enter the Treasure Temple Domain, there was no guarantee they wouldn't be followed.

'If I were alone, this might be manageable. The Light and Shadow Escape Technique is fast enough that I might be able to lose them.'

'But I have two people weighing me down. The Light and Shadow Escape Technique only works for me; I can't bring them along.'

'Dropping them wouldn't buy much time, and the loss would far outweigh the gain.'

"Senior Brother, what is that?"

Zhou Quan asked, confused. His Cultivation Level was the lowest, so he couldn't make out any details.

"A pursuer!"

Wen Yin answered. She couldn't discern the pursuer's true nature either, only that they were incredibly strong.

"It's a Zombie God."

Yang An's voice was flat, betraying no emotion.

But at Yang An's words, Zhou Quan couldn't help but tremble.

"Zom... Zombie God?"

Wen Yin also immediately realized the gravity of the situation, her expression growing grim.

"Senior Brother, leave me behind. I might be able to buy you some time."

If all three of them couldn't make it to the Treasure Temple Domain, it was better to sacrifice one to create that chance. Wen Yin made her decision instantly.

As he flew at top speed, keeping an eye on the strange, blood-red tide on the ground below, Yang An shook his head.

"I'm not leaving you. If I were to leave anyone, it would be Zhou Quan."

Zhou Quan: "???"

"But there's no point. He's too weak; it wouldn't help at all."

Zhou Quan opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Yang An continued. Zhou Quan let out a silent sigh of relief, feeling as if he'd just taken a stroll through the Ghost Gate.

"Then what should we..."

Wen Yin trailed off, unable to think of any viable plan.

"Listen to me. I'm going to take you down. Once you're on the ground, don't look back. Just head west and get as far away as you can, in case there are others behind this one."

Yang An made his decision instantly.

"What about you?"

Wen Yin hadn't expected such a plan. It was obvious he intended to stay behind and stop their pursuer himself.

"Without me, you can't possibly complete the mission Master gave us. If I die, you'll most likely fail even if you make it to the Treasure Temple Domain."

"So don't worry. I'll catch up."

Yang An said with absolute finality.

Wen Yin was a rational person who knew when to make the right choice. She nodded immediately, choosing to follow Yang An's plan.

If they didn't, it was possible none of them would survive.

Yang An appreciated that about her. She wasn't driven by emotion. 'As long as she doesn't cause trouble, she's a good junior sister.'

As for the relentless enemy below, Yang An took a deep breath.

'Since I can't escape, I might as well face them head-on. This is a good chance to see if my true strength can stand up to a Zombie God.'

'Worst case, I still have the Unidentified Arrow—an unknown weapon I've yet to use. More importantly, I have the Mora Buddha's Acupoint from the Workshop Master. It should keep me from dying at a critical moment.'

'As long as those two get far enough away, even if I can't win, I should be able to escape on my own.'

FWOOSH!

Yang An suddenly accelerated, pushing his speed even faster, but this was his absolute limit.

The strange thing below kept pace, refusing to fall behind.

And then, Yang An suddenly dove toward the ground with his two companions. In mid-air, Wen Yin grabbed Zhou Quan and flew off, while Yang An landed smoothly on the ground.

"Friend, why do you pursue us so relentlessly?"

Yang An asked, feigning ignorance. He did his best to hide his true intentions. 'What if I can bluff my way out of this?' he thought, though he knew the chances were slim.

Seeing Yang An stop, the strange, crimson, clay-like liquid didn't pursue the fleeing Wen Yin and Zhou Quan. It stopped about a hundred feet away from Yang An.

The liquid on the ground twisted and squirmed, rapidly coalescing into a human figure. The substance then formed into his clothing.

The figure was a man who didn't look quite middle-aged. He was surprisingly young, with an almost scholarly air about him.

He wore a long, bright red robe, though his hair was slightly disheveled.

"I received an order from an Elder. Wu Yun, the State Lord of Fei State, is dead. I was sent to investigate. I went to Huang Yao and found traces of you there. Then I went to Tianmu Mountain, and my investigation eventually led me here."

BAM!

The man's right hand suddenly shot up and smacked him on the head.

The man seemed momentarily stunned before giving an embarrassed laugh.

"Oh, right. I'm not supposed to tell you that."

"..."

"I should have just asked: you killed Wu Yun, didn't you?"

"..."

Yang An paused.

"It wasn't me. My Cultivation Level is too low."

"Then why were you running?"

The man looked puzzled.

"Because you were chasing me."

"Then why did you stop?"

"Because I can't outrun you."

The man sank into thought, then nodded.

"That seems logical."

He rubbed his forehead, looking a little sheepish.

"Alright, you can go."

"Okay."

Yang An replied without expression. He turned and lifted his foot as if to leave.

But before his foot touched the ground, his body flashed with light. He instantly entered the Qi Guang Technique's Light Absorption Form, spun around, and threw a punch.

At that exact moment, the man behind him had already extended a hand, aiming a finger at the back of his head.

Almost simultaneously, a knowing smile appeared on both their faces.

Fist and finger met and instantly recoiled. For a split second, it was as if a vacuum had formed between them. A deafening crack echoed through the air as both figures were thrown backward.

Yang An retreated forty feet, and the man was pushed back the same distance.

'This guy... he's not a Body Cultivator?'

A glint appeared in Yang An's eyes. That last exchange had been a probe.

If the man had been focused on Refining the Physical Body, with a Zombie God's Physical Power, Yang An shouldn't have been able to block that attack so easily.

'And...'

CRACKLE—

The man shook his broken arm. The bones within had been shattered, with fragments piercing through his charred flesh.

Yang An's strike had injured him, but with a mere shake of his arm, it instantly returned to normal.

"What kind of Technique was that? How strange!"

The man asked, frowning. He had sensed a potent aura from the Technique and also knew that Yang An was not a Body Cultivator.

"But Yang An's Cultivation Level is only at the Early Stage of Corpse Transformation. The Power of Rules should have suppressed his Technique's might. How could it be so strong?"

Yang An didn't answer. Instead, a sense of confidence grew within him.

'Since he's not a Body Cultivator, this will be much easier!'

'A Great Power at the Zombie God level who specializes in Techniques... It's rare to find such a suitable opponent.'

'In my painless state, I can use the Light Absorption Form of all my Light Magic to counter his regular attacks.'

'If I enter my painful state, I might actually be able to put up a real fight.'

"Not going to answer? Fine. It looks like you're not going to say anything at all."

The man's face showed his disappointment. His fingers began to twitch, rapidly and erratically.

A sense of crisis instantly gripped Yang An. His senses told him that everything around him was changing rapidly, even though his eyes could see nothing different.

A streak of black energy flashed behind Yang An. The ground beneath him seemed to turn into a swamp, and his legs began to sink as if caught in a mire.

SHIIINK—

The black energy instantly sliced across Yang An's neck. His head went flying, blood gushing from the stump as a look of horror flashed across his face.

'When?!'

"How beautiful."

The man's face held a look of utter fascination as he watched the spray of blood, as if it were a blooming flower.

The next second, a headless mud-golem materialized, raising a long blade to cleave Yang An's flying head in two.

But at that moment, a blinding light erupted from Yang An's radiant head, instantly engulfing the mud-golem and the man a hundred feet away.

The light lasted for two breaths before fading. Yang An's body was fully restored, and the mud-golem with the blade had vanished.

The man, however, had reappeared several hundred meters away, his entire body coated in a layer of red liquid that steamed with intense heat.

The red liquid slowly dripped away, reforming into the man's clothes. He was completely unharmed, but his face was a mask of utter shock.

"That's Light Magic?! You're practicing a Forbidden Technique?!

Are you trying to take me down with you?!"

'Take him down with me?'

Hearing the man's words, Yang An seemed to realize something. He suddenly dropped to his knees.

Brilliant light began to pour out of his body. Uncontrollable cracks spread across his flesh.

Prismatic light shone from the fissures. His face contorted in agony, veins bulging on his forehead as his body began to disintegrate, inch by inch.

The man froze for a moment. Seeing Yang An's state, he immediately understood and burst out laughing.

"How can someone so stupid exist in this world? To actually practice a Forbidden Technique?"

"This is the price for using a Forbidden Technique! You're only at the Corpse Transformation level. Even the most powerful Technique will be suppressed. You can't even get close to me. In the end, you're the only one who will die!"

Despite seeing Yang An clearly suffering from the technique's backlash, the man remained wary and didn't approach, content to stand in the distance and laugh.

"I probably don't even have to do anything. I just have to watch, and you'll die on your own soon enough."

"But just to be safe, I think I'll help you on your way."

He raised his hand and abruptly ripped off one of his own fingers. Blood gushed from the wound.

At the same time, Yang An's face remained twisted in pain. He could only watch the man's actions, completely helpless.

'That's right, I'm dying. I'm about to die from the backlash of the technique's price.'

'And then...'

A faint smile touched the corners of his mouth.