Although he didn't know Houqing's intention, he wouldn't refuse the benefits handed to him. Lin Tian opened up his mind and body, accepting the full onslaught of energy. His roar echoed in the sea space, lingering for a long time.

The energy within Lin Tian's body continuously surged. Under Houqing's formation, his zombie body kept strengthening. This speed of improvement was like playing a game with double experience; his power was climbing rapidly.

Suddenly, the yellow in his pupils began to change, flickering green. Yellow and green pupils alternated, and at the same time, Lin Tian felt the energy within him becoming unstable. He knew he had somehow reached the critical point of upgrading in one go.

A Green-eyed Second-level Zombie, that was a new rank, second only to a Red-eyed Level 1 Zombie, and his strength would step onto a new level. If he could become a Green-eyed Second-level Zombie, defeating Xu Feibai would be without suspense.

"What a pity," Houqing suddenly sighed, then stopped his actions, and the formation under Lin Tian's feet also disappeared.

Immersed in the pleasure of enhancement, Lin Tian suddenly felt the energy within him stop fluctuating, the color in his eyes remaining a bright yellow.

He looked at Houqing in astonishment. Houqing shook his head slightly and said, "Your cultivation is not enough. You can't break through the shackles of upgrading relying on external force. You still need more experience."

Lin Tian was taken aback, and it would be a lie to say he wasn't disappointed. It was like being an Ancient Martial Artist at Postnatal Perfection, one step away from Innate, yet unable to break through the barrier. Such a frustration.

However, Lin Tian quickly came to terms. His main purpose was to come down and get blood from the Zombie Ancestor, and now unexpectedly enhancing his strength is an extra gain—a pleasant surprise.

Lin Tian shrugged casually and said, "I'll take the final step with my own strength."

Seeing Lin Tian so magnanimous, Houqing showed a hint of admiration in his eyes. He smiled faintly and said, "Strength has never been everything for a strong person. Only strong will is true strength, and only with a strong will can you wield stronger power. Your mindset already possesses this quality. I believe that even on your own, you can overcome obstacles."

"Moreover, you still possess..." Houqing looked at Lin Tian's Dantian, but just smiled and didn't continue.

Seeing Houqing's look, Lin Tian was moved and couldn't help but ask, "Houqing Ancestor, do you know the origin of Taiyin Xuan Qi?"

Houqing shook his head and said, "I don't know where it came from, only what it is used for. Taiyin Xuan Qi is the treasure that all zombies dream of obtaining. It's just a pity that it is too domineering, even I find it difficult to control freely, and ordinary zombies can't absorb it at all. However, it appeared on you, which is what puzzles me. How can such a domineering energy be hidden within your rank?"

Even Houqing couldn't completely control it? Lin Tian was amazed, knowing Taiyin Xuan Qi was domineering, but he didn't know it was so domineering that even the Zombie Ancestor couldn't subdue it. No wonder in the Inner energy space, the Taiyin Xuan Qi broke through Houqing's vortex channel.

"Taiyin Xuan Qi on your body is a double-edged sword, if you're not careful, you could hurt yourself, just like how your consciousness was trapped earlier. So, be careful, extremely careful in the future," Houqing solemnly advised.

Lin Tian gratefully bowed, yet still somewhat puzzled he asked, "Why was Houqing Ancestor abroad? And why help me so much?"

Houqing looked at Lin Tian for a while, then turned to the pond, his gaze dreamy. After a long silence he said, "Thousands of years ago, four of us Zombie Ancestors were sealed..."

His first sentence stunned Lin Tian—the four Zombie Ancestors were sealed. If not for knowing the person in front was Houqing, Lin Tian would have thought he was bragging. Lin Tian had never seen the peak state of a Zombie Ancestor, but from the displayed strength of the female zombie and Houqing, even if just the tip of the iceberg, they were invincible.

Yet such invincible beings were sealed, who had such power? Lin Tian couldn't imagine it.

Houqing seemed not to notice Lin Tian's shock and continued, "We four were sealed separately, since then vanishing from the world. I don't know how many years later, I felt the weakening of the seal, so at the cost of consuming my cultivation, I broke through the seal, finally seeing the light of day again."

"But after breaking the seal, I was severely injured. At my most vulnerable, my strength was less than a thousandth of my peak. To find a place to heal, I searched for a long time and finally crossed the sea to come here. I casually saved a foreign race and used some means to make her work for me," Houqing recounted.

Lin Tian frowned slightly and said, "Foreign race? You mean the vampire, Charlotte?"

"Exactly. Vampires, like zombies, feed on human blood but aren't orthodox zombies. If not a foreign race, what are they?" Houqing said seriously, not thinking his view was inappropriate.

Though Houqing's words were somewhat absolute, Lin Tian couldn't refute them. After all, he was Houqing, and the name stood for zombie orthodoxy, represented the Ancestor. If the Ancestor said you were not orthodox, then you were not orthodox.

However, Lin Tian tentatively asked, "Houqing Ancestor, you mentioned using some means. Does that mean Charlotte's memory is...?"

Lin Tian wanted to ask if Charlotte's amnesia was due to Houqing's manipulation. With Houqing's power, making Charlotte lose part of her memory shouldn't be difficult.

Houqing smiled slightly and said, "There's no need for me to use such means on her. She indeed has some brain issues, but not because of me. The methods I mentioned involved giving her some advantages, showing some strength, so she naturally was willing to work for me."

"I see." Lin Tian nodded in understanding, but still pondered who it could be if it wasn't Houqing.

"Though vampires are a foreign race, it must be admitted their kind is extensive, while our zombie race is almost extinct. This is one reason I help you. Our zombie race is already sparse, and encountering someone so potential, why wouldn't I lend a hand?" Houqing said with a bit of emotion.

"Reason two, when freeing you, I absorbed some Taiyin Xuan Qi, which greatly helped my recovery. I dislike owing others, so I would naturally offer equal benefits," Houqing added.

Lin Tian gleaned some implications from his words, asking again tentatively, "Has Houqing Ancestor not fully recovered yet?"

"Of course not. If I were, why would I be sleeping here? This sea eye is the core of this sea area, the source of essence. Surely you've sensed how the underwater space brims with energy, emanating from the sea eye. The sea eye's essence energy aids my recovery, which is why I chose to sleep here," Houqing explained.

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