He casually absorbed the Corpse Essence and Soul Power offered by the zombie. Fang Zhou then twirled his spear and looked up at the blood moon.

Tonight's hunt had reached its limit. Continuing any further would only lead to an excessive drain on his body and spirit.

Thus, he decided to stop and try using the Mirror of the Heart he had just obtained from Gu Yueyuan—a Marvel said to nourish the soul.

Fang Zhou closed his eyes, allowing his mind to slowly return to his body. When he reopened them, he took the weathered Mirror of the Heart from his Space Storage Capsule.

Following the Secret Technique taught by Gu Yueyuan, Fang Zhou gently polished the mirror's surface in a specific pattern. As he completed the final wipe, his eyes unfocused, his gaze fixing completely on the mirror's surface. A different light flickered within his pupils.

A warm, delicate power, like the first ray of spring sunlight, pierced the gloom of his mind and reached the deepest part of his soul.

His mental fatigue from the long battle improved significantly at that moment. It felt as if he had drunk the sweet water of the Moonlight Spring, reactivating both body and mind.

The effect was similar to the recovery he had experienced from his previous sip of Moonlight Spring water.

An uncontrollable surge of excitement and joy welled up in Fang Zhou's heart.

Judging from the results, the soul-nourishing effect of the Mirror of the Heart far exceeded his expectations. It was more than enough to support his training and growth during the Apprentice Stage.

However, according to Gu Yueyuan, the mirror was severely damaged and could only be used once a day to activate its soul-nourishing effect. For Fang Zhou, this was both a precious resource and a limitation he had to overcome.

He turned the Mirror of the Heart over in his hand several times, making a silent resolution. When I get the chance, I have to figure out how to repair this nearly shattered Mirror of the Heart. If I can successfully upgrade it from an Apprentice-level resource to one that Black Iron-rank Professionals can use, my deal with Gu Yueyuan will have been a massive profit.

Sighing softly, Fang Zhou carefully put the Mirror of the Heart away and once again immersed his consciousness in his skeleton clone on the Corpse Hill.

Since my soul fatigue has recovered somewhat, it's time to resume the hunt. No opportunity to grow stronger should be wasted.

Squelching and cracking sounds echoed across the Corpse Hill. It was the sound of the skeleton clone swinging its weapon, slaying undead creatures.

Fang Zhou fought for nearly another hour, until he felt a profound exhaustion welling up from the depths of his soul. He knew that tonight's hunt had finally reached its true limit.

It was time to summon back the skeleton minions scattered in all directions.

Fang Zhou rubbed his chin as a new idea surfaced. My skeleton clone has already advanced to the Black Iron Middle Rank. According to the effects of the Skeleton Monarch skill, I can now enslave Skeleton Warriors of the same rank to serve me. This means all forty-five of my skeleton minions, except for that rare mutated Skeleton Warrior Tidamia, can be replaced. In my eyes, these skeleton servants are merely disposable cannon fodder, and I don't intend to invest much energy in cultivating them. Therefore, rather than sharing a significant portion of the spoils to let them evolve, it's far more efficient to explore deeper and directly enslave more powerful Black Iron Middle-Rank Skeleton Warriors.

With his decision made, Fang Zhou closed his eyes in anticipation.

He commanded the skeleton clone to withdraw from combat, protected by its clueless minions. They remained oblivious to their impending "sacrifice" at the hands of their unscrupulous lord, bringing the day's exploration to an end.

...

「In a corner of the Sea City Military Academy, the Concentration Meditation Room.」

Fang Zhou sat quietly on a soft mat and slowly opened his eyes.

He could clearly feel his already formidable Spiritual Power surging even more powerfully within him, like rivers converging into a torrent.

This significant increase in power brought a pleasant surge of surprise.

He immediately turned his attention to his attribute panel to verify his suspicion.

[Name] Fang Zhou

[Profession] Undead Mage

[Tier] Apprentice · Upper Rank

[Titles] Sea City Military Academy's No. 1 Seed, Kobold's Enemy, Undead Chessmaster

[Attributes] Strength 6.1, Agility 5.9, Constitution 5.8, Spirit 8

[Status] Soul Split, World Will's Attention

[Runes] Night Watcher I (Reduces Spiritual Power consumption), Heart Steel I (Control immunity)

[Equipment] Apprentice Set (5 pieces, Refinement +1, Level 1 Gemstone x1), New Star Mage Hat (Refinement +2, Level 2 Sapphire x2), New Star Ring x2 (Refinement +2, Level 2 Obsidian x2)

[Marvels] Moon Orchid Fragrance (Blue), Sealed Bone Bell (Gray), Rock Shield Crystal Stone (Gray), Flower of Sighs (Gray), Regeneration Phylactery (Gray), Ring of Burning Fire (Gray), Charging Scroll (White), Heroic Spirit Battle Banner (Blue), Berserk Mark (Purple), Miniature Space Storage Capsule (Green), Transcendent · Sea City Military Academy's No. 1 Seed Medal (Green), Celestial Curtain Magic Bottle (White), Mirror of the Heart (Gray)

[Skills] Skeleton King Meditation Method (Perfection), Summon Skeleton (Instinct), Skeleton Flying Spear (Perfection), Skeleton Shield (Perfection), Skeleton Shackles (Perfection), Calm and Relaxed (Perfection), Domination Skeleton (Mastery), Resurrection of the Dead (Skilled), Skeleton Wings (Mastery), Brutal Aura (Mastery), Soul Realm (Skilled), Death Ripple (Mastery), Skeleton Blade (Mastery), Crowned with Death (Mastery), Iron Wall Aura (Mastery), Horror Aura (Mastery)

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