Undead Mage: I Have a Skeleton Clone

Chapter 693 - 460: Chiguo Plain, Earth Binding Demon Bear, Corpse Knight Battle Group!

He already possessed the Yellow Springs Nightmare Corpse Armor, so he didn’t have much need for a mount himself. But if I could obtain a large number of mounts and transform all of my Corpse Guards into Bronze Tier Corpse Knights... That way, if nothing else, my army’s combat ability and mobility would be greatly enhanced.

The Undead don’t need to eat, drink, or rest, so they naturally don’t have the various troubles of ordinary cavalry. Such a cavalry force could truly be as swift as the wind. The thought of his Undead Cavalry sweeping across the battlefield made Fang Zhou’s own corpse-blood boil with excitement.

Although directly subduing High Tier Undead Knights might be more convenient, I don’t think I have the strength for that yet. It’s better to develop my own power steadily.

Fang Zhou made his decision on the spot. Once he consolidated his newly acquired troops, he would make a trip to the Chiguo Plain and try to secure a large number of mounts. Of course, the more important task at the moment was to properly inherit the massive legacy left by the Zombie Lord: an army of nearly 50,000 Undead. He would thoroughly convert their flesh, bones, and Soul Fire into sustenance for the growth of himself and his troops.

After all, the Energy Concentration of this new undead world was much higher than that of the Corpse Hills. Within this boundless sea of corpses and bones, there were numerous Bronze Tier Undead. Although most of them were the cumbersome and sluggish Plague Zombies he disliked, they were still a source of considerable profit. He could either kill them one by one to absorb their Corpse Essence and Soul Power to improve his Four-dimensional Attributes, or he could throw them into the Undead Transformation Altar to provide ample raw materials.

Taking a deep breath, Fang Zhou gazed up at the Blood Moon.

The mighty pass is like a wall of iron, yet today I will stride over its summit and start anew! Since the Corpse Hills have been fully exploited, and I’ve come to this new world by a stroke of luck, I should give this future long-term foothold a name. Relying on these Undead Lords with only basic intelligence seems hopeless. Fang Zhou’s Soul Fire flickered as a spark of inspiration struck him. In that case, let’s call this place the Wasteland of Strife. The Wasteland of Strife, an age of great contention! Next, I’ll summon my army of Corpse Warriors and start exploring and pioneering this land!

***

In the inn at Beast Fighting City, Fang Zhou opened his eyes, emerging from the Concentration Meditation Array.

The pioneering of the Wasteland of Strife could not be rushed and had to be advanced step by step, with careful planning. While his Clone was out exploring, his main body’s progress could not be allowed to lag behind.

Standing up, he looked at the bright white moonlight outside the window, a stark contrast to the Undead Blood Moon. He took a refreshing deep breath and made a precious holographic call to Su Xinyan, who was a world away. It was already very late on Blue Star, but Instructor Su Xinyan hadn’t returned home. Instead, she was in the laboratory of the Undead Mage Research Group. For her, the laboratory probably feels more like home.

After a moment of tender spiritual communion, a lightly panting Instructor Su Xinyan raised her head to carefully scrutinize Fang Zhou’s handsome face.

"I still find it unbelievable. In less than a year, you’ve reached the Upper Black Iron Tier! Judging by your aura now, it seems you’ve claimed many lives in the Fierce Beast Mountain Range."

In her mind, cultivating to the Black Iron Tier wasn’t difficult. As long as one was willing to spend money, the cultivation speed could be increased significantly. For instance, one could enhance their Mana quickly by holding a Magic Stone while drinking potions that accelerated Meditation. But she had never seen anyone as fast as Fang Zhou.

Fang Zhou just smiled slightly and didn’t answer. His cultivation speed was indeed abnormal. Compared to Bai Xiaochan, Meng Hongzhuang, Ye Fan, and other first-year students who were now at the Upper Apprentice Tier, his pace was simply too fast. Normally, cadets at Sea City Military Academy would advance to the Black Iron Tier in their second year. Yet Fang Zhou was already on the verge of breaking through to the Bronze Tier before his first year was even over.

This can no longer be explained away as mere talent.

No longer dwelling on his cultivation speed, Fang Zhou chatted a little more with Instructor Su Xinyan, consulting her on some questions he had accumulated. He then bid her farewell and began preparing for the upcoming Fierce Beast hunt.

***

The next day, Fang Zhou returned to the outpost base, accepted a mission, and set out for the Fierce Beast Mountain Range. He needed to accumulate more contribution points in preparation for his breakthrough to the Bronze Tier. Fang Zhou estimated that after his Corpse Clone reached the Wasteland of Strife, it would soon experience a huge boost to its Four-dimensional Attributes. Consequently, his main body’s cultivation level would also grow with extraordinary speed.

It’s time to prepare for a rainy day and accumulate some resources for the next stage.

Delving deeper into the mountains and feeling the denser Energy here, Fang Zhou couldn’t help but nod in approval. In the Mythical World, every location had a different Energy Concentration, and high-energy areas were typically occupied by stronger races. The concentration in the several-hundred-kilometer radius around Beast Fighting City was actually considered mid-to-low tier, not even comparable to the energy within this mountain range.

The reason was simply that there were too many things consuming energy. This included the many cadets and social Professionals cultivating in the city, the large energy-absorbing devices built by the military academy, and even the extensive Spirit Material plantations and Fierce Beast farms outside the city. The demand for energy from all these sources was high, which in turn lowered the region’s Energy Concentration.

He had heard that many universities for Professionals, led by Sea City Military Academy, had plans to expand Beast Fighting City’s sphere of influence, as the current area was more or less fully developed. Pioneering new territories would undoubtedly give rise to more industries and lead more people to wealth. However, developing new territories also required more manpower for the struggle against the native inhabitants of the Fierce Beast Mountain Range. Neither the seemingly endless Fierce Beasts nor the bloodthirsty Beastmen were to be trifled with.

Setting these thoughts aside, Fang Zhou continued his search for Fierce Beasts. Within the mountains, every Fierce Beast had its own territory. After each successful hunt, Fang Zhou had to travel even farther to find a new one. Sometimes, I just wish I could run into one suitable Fierce Beast after another. Maybe then I could go back and rest sooner.

After several days deep in the mountains, Fang Zhou’s wish finally came true. He encountered a large pack of Fierce Beasts: Earth Demon Bears. This was a large clan of Demon Bears that occupied a treacherous mountain as its lair.

The height of an Earth Demon Bear was comparable to its distant relatives on Blue Star; their bodies were generally around two meters tall and powerfully built. They were omnivorous Fierce Beasts, not only eating vegetation but also occasionally hunting other Fierce Beasts to satisfy their cravings for meat. The elite among the Earth Demon Bears possessed an innate Magic ability: Earth Binding. This was a fairly decent Black Iron Tier Magic capable of immobilizing enemies with weak Magic Resistance or poor immunity to Negative States.

Earth Binding was a Negative State controlled by the Earth Element, often manifesting as petrification, sluggishness, immense pressure, or the inability to stand. Furthermore, enemies afflicted with Earth Binding were not spared by these Demon Bears; they could even devour this earth-wrapped flesh, which was as hard as rock.

Of course, not every Demon Bear possessed the ability to cast this innate Magic; most were ordinary Fierce Beasts. But their enormous strength and considerable intelligence made Fang Zhou hesitate before attacking. If he could take down this clan and kill all these Demon Bears, it would earn him at least ten thousand contribution points or Magic Stones.

After a brief contemplation, Fang Zhou decided to stay and observe the strength of this Earth Demon Bear clan. After a day of observation, he determined that the clan consisted of about one hundred and twenty Earth Demon Bears, with a total of five possessing the innate Magic ability. These few Demon Bears were certain to have Magic Crystals, and the others were also physically powerful Fierce Beasts. After the battle, Fang Zhou could choose to revive some of them and turn them into Corpse Warriors. For him, killing this type of Fierce Beast offered a high return.

Maybe I can ambush the entire group of Demon Bears and kill them all stealthily.

Suppressing the thought, Fang Zhou began searching for a suitable battlefield.