103 Nine of Diamonds

The black coffin shattered with a deafening crash, and the soul enveloped in black mist instantly entered Feng Qian’s body.

Feng Qian let out a piercing scream, his eyes turning blood-red in an instant as he clawed viciously at my neck.

I swept my leg, trying to block his arm, but when my leg struck Feng Qian’s unusually strong arm—strengthened by possession—it was like hitting a steel plate.

Quickly withdrawing my bruised left leg, I limped back swiftly.

Feng Qian smiled coldly; in a flash, the sleeves of his shirt tore apart explosively, revealing bulging muscles.

His powerful muscles surged forward toward my face. I activated the Ancient Mirror’s phantom and saw black mist swirling around Feng Qian’s entire body.

A direct confrontation would be unwise.

I deftly dodged Feng Qian’s attacks, luring him out of the small courtyard. The immediate priority was to find Lin Xiayue and Chen Hao to help subdue Feng Qian.

Suddenly, Feng Qian’s body accelerated. I felt the blood inside me boil violently, as if it was about to leave my body.

I steadied my mind and suppressed the strange sensation.

Accelerating once more, Feng Qian appeared before me like a ghost. I felt a heavy blow to my chest and abdomen, then my entire body was flung backward, crashing against the shattered courtyard wall.

I felt several bones likely broken. Coughing up blood, I struggled to sit up amid the rubble.

As Feng Qian approached step by step through the yellow mist, I forced a bitter smile and asked, “Who exactly are you?”

Feng Qian’s lips moved with a chilling cadence: “I am a zombie with uncorrupted bones, sealed here for a millennium.”

“This body is just right as my vessel.”

“In that case, you can die.”

A playful smile twisted Feng Qian’s lips. I felt the blood in my body begin to surge uncontrollably.

The blood spilling from my mouth converged toward Feng Qian, transforming into a sanguine energy he absorbed.

Not just the blood at my lips, but all the blood in my body surged toward my orifices connected to the outside world.

Blood flowed from my nostrils, eyes, ears, and mouth—all inevitably drifting toward Feng Qian.

The black mist surrounding Feng Qian grew denser, the oppressive weight upon me increasing gradually.

My blood drained relentlessly; my face turned pale, and my vision blurred.

I could no longer see Feng Qian’s figure clearly, nor muster the strength to rise. I leaned weakly against the wall, gasping for breath.

Just as I was slipping into unconsciousness, a familiar voice reached my ears.

“Corpse Spirit Seal!”

A brilliant white light shattered the yellow mist’s barrier. Feng Qian howled in pain and collapsed amid the dazzling glow.

A vast surge of black mist escaped from Feng Qian’s body, his face filled with terror as he stared at the figure within the white light.

“Who are you?”

His voice trembled as he tried to break through the radiant barrier in vain.

The person in white light said coldly, “I am Zhou Zhenyu, the rightful heir of the Corpse Lineage and the strongest of the Diamonds.”

---

“It’s you!”

The black mist shrieked in fear upon hearing the name “Zhou Zhenyu,” but Carbon Head had already launched his attack.

“As the ancient zombie king, you dare harm your own host? Sleep now.”

Carbon Head unleashed several beams of white light, completely encasing the black mist, shrinking it relentlessly.

I recalled Carbon Head mentioning that Diamond A could naturally counter all Corpse Lineage abilities—seems it’s true.

The black mist could no longer make a sound. When the white light vanished, only a playing card drifted slowly down from the sky.

“Diamond 9.”

Silently, Carbon Head placed the card on Feng Qian’s body. As if sensing it, Feng Qian absorbed the card, and the symbol of Diamond 9 appeared on his arm.

Feng Qian was also a contract bearer; this likely explained why he hadn’t met a grim fate like the other two.

Carbon Head didn’t linger. In a hurry, he left two words and departed.

“Zijian, I won’t be back soon.”

“Don’t trust what I say.”

With the disappearance of the white light, the yellow mist dissipated completely.

Apparently, all of this was caused by Diamond 9.

Now that he was resealed within the playing card, the smoke naturally vanished.

Chen Hao’s distant shouts reached me—probably coming to find me after the fog cleared. Unfortunately, my voice was barely a mosquito’s buzz; they couldn’t hear me at all.

Feng Qian lay unconscious nearby, showing no sign of awakening. My injuries were severe.

Fortunately, my attribute was light energy, granting me some ability to heal.

I felt my hematopoietic stem cells accelerating their work, blood returning to my body.

However, the blood that had flowed from my seven orifices had already clotted, forming gruesome and unsightly scabs.

But I couldn’t care about that now. As my complexion gradually regained color, I returned to a healthy state.

Next, I just needed to repair my broken bones before I could slowly rise.

Night had fallen. Feng Qian still hadn’t woken.

I brushed the dust from my body and shifted into a more comfortable sitting posture. The prolonged stillness had stiffened my muscles, causing cramps.

I began pondering Carbon Head’s two cryptic words.

He wouldn’t return soon—simple enough to understand. This trial might be over for me, and I likely wouldn’t encounter him again.

But what did he mean by “Don’t trust what I say”?

Was the first sentence untrue? Or were both lies?

It seemed Carbon Head was trapped somewhere and could only appear briefly.

Still, even those few seconds showed he cared about me as a brother.

But where was Carbon Head now? Was he bound by some rule, forced to speak only in riddles?

---

I had no energy to contemplate further.

The night was completely dark now, and I had fully recovered.

I approached Feng Qian, who was surprisingly asleep, even snoring softly.

Helpless, I nudged him awake. Feng Qian smacked his lips as if savoring a lingering taste and rubbed his sleepy eyes.

“Brother Jian, what’s up? Why am I here?”

When Feng Qian saw my face, he let out a startled “Ah!” and stumbled back two steps, bumping his head.

“Who are you?”

“It’s me,” I replied helplessly. I hadn’t had time to splash water on my face, so it was no surprise Feng Qian was frightened.

Only when he recognized my voice did he calm down, meekly saying, “We’re still here? When can we go back?”

Feng Qian looked worried. I took his hand, and we sat on the doorway’s frame.

“Feng Qian, look—the night sky is quite beautiful.”

He was puzzled. “What’s up, Brother Jian? You still have the mood to appreciate the moon?”

I spoke seriously. “A Yuan, some things we just have to face. Since we can’t avoid it, why not enjoy the scenery along the way?”

“Brother Jian, you really are an optimist. Aren’t you afraid of dying?”

“Of course I’m afraid. But fear is useless. I’ve faced too many life-and-death trials. Standing on the edge of life and death, I fear death even more.”

“Brother Jian, have you thought about escaping?”

Feng Qian asked softly, still clinging to a glimmer of hope to break free.

“I tried, but it’s useless,” I answered honestly.

“Some of us escaped the D University trial, but what good did it do? We’re still forced into your Foreign Language High School trials.”

My words shattered Feng Qian’s last shred of hope.

“A Yuan, don’t worry—big brother will protect you.”

“You’re a contract bearer now, too. You’ll have your own power.”

Feng Qian looked at me with confusion. I whispered, “Your power—the power of Diamond 9.”

Hearing the name, Feng Qian seemed to sense something. Diamond 9 detached and emerged.

Like a revelation, the shadow of the uncorrupted bones reappeared behind him.

But this time, it lacked its previous fury, quietly enveloping Feng Qian. I felt his strength growing steadily.

It seemed Feng Qian’s power was fully unleashed in this ghost village.

After all, this was the place where the uncorrupted bones were sealed. Perhaps finding the true form of the uncorrupted bones would allow Feng Qian to truly awaken—he would become a formidable force.

At that moment, the sound of synchronized footsteps echoed from outside the courtyard.