Chapter 135: An Unreliable Explanation

*Gulp.*

He swallowed hard. He had also noticed something: ever since meeting Xiao Yang, his saliva seemed to flow more freely. He found himself swallowing constantly.

*Pop!*

The final evil ghost was struck down, and the sword energy came to a halt. At this moment, the sword aura was fully thirty feet long, radiating an incredibly pure and sharp power.

*Whoosh!*

The sword energy flew directly toward the palace at the very top. The next moment, it struck the palace with a thunderous crash. Sparks showered everywhere, yet it failed to leave even a single mark on the structure.

At that same instant, a roar erupted from within the palace. Upon hearing it, the expression of the Profound Ice White Tiger shifted. It couldn't help but look up, whispering a warning, "Young Master, the zombie seems to have awakened."

For countless days and nights, that voice had haunted the Profound Ice White Tiger like a nightmare, making it all too familiar with the creature inside. Xiao Yang’s expression darkened as well. A powerful pressure descended from above—clearly the "great mummy" the tiger had spoken of. Although it wasn't a hundred-thousand-year-old terror, it had existed for thirty thousand years. It could certainly be considered a super-zombie.

Xiao Yang did not hesitate. With a thought, his divine artifact suit manifested over his body, and he prepared for battle. The Profound Ice White Tiger’s pupils turned a deep, piercing blue, and the surrounding mist instantly crystallized into ice. It formed ice arrows, aiming them directly at the palace above.

Just then, a hoarse voice echoed out: "Who dares to disturb my rest?"

Both the man and the tiger paled. Xiao Yang knew that ordinary zombies lacked consciousness, yet the entity above possessed it. A zombie capable of speech was of an exceptionally high rank—perhaps even a sovereign among the undead, a *Hanba*.

"A thirty-thousand-year-old tomb... how could someone be speaking inside?"

Zhao Zhongtian was paralyzed with fear. Having spent four or five years as a grave robber, he had never heard of anyone encountering a tomb owner who could talk. Usually, the occupant would have long since turned to dust, become a mindless zombie, or, in rare cases, an evil ghost. But none of those things were supposed to talk!

"Heh! What kind of skill is hiding behind doors? I’m the one disturbing you—if you’ve got the guts, come out and fight!"

The moment these words left his lips, the zombie inside the palace went silent. The Profound Ice White Tiger looked at Xiao Yang in utter astonishment.

"What are you looking at? That palace is too tough; we’ll be at a disadvantage if we force our way in," Xiao Yang explained casually. Besides, with a full set of divine artifacts on, he had nothing to fear! If push came to shove, he’d just fight.

As he spoke, he raised his hand and unleashed another strike of sword energy.

*Crack!*

This time, a corner of the palace was shattered. Almost immediately, an enraged roar thundered from within. "You little thief, you court death!"

A figure emerged in the air. It was a green-faced, fanged monstrosity, ten feet tall—clearly a long-lived, powerful mummy.

"Young Master, that’s him!" the Profound Ice White Tiger recognized the monster instantly; it was the one who had beaten it years ago.

Xiao Yang raised an eyebrow and looked over. "So, you’re the one who bullied my big cat?"

"Heh! You must be referring to that cowardly tiger beside you," the zombie sneered with disdain.

Xiao Yang blinked, confused. "Cowardly tiger?"

"This creature only exchanged two blows with me. The moment it realized it couldn't win, it turned and ran without a second thought. If I hadn't been at a critical moment of transformation back then, I would have killed it already," the zombie scoffed. "But it's not too late. You shall all become my sustenance."

*Cackle, cackle, cackle!*

A bone-chilling laughter filled the air. The Zombie King’s body suddenly expanded, reaching twenty feet in height in an instant. Simultaneously, his aura became even more terrifying.

"It’s been so long since I tasted human flesh," he said, licking his lips with palpable nostalgia. "So, I’ll be generous and let you reunite inside my stomach."

With that, the Zombie King struck out with a palm, his horrific corpse-qi condensing into a massive hand that lunged toward Xiao Yang.

The Profound Ice White Tiger’s expression grew even grimmer as it watched the handprint. Compared to their last encounter, the Zombie King had grown much stronger; he was only a step away from becoming a true sovereign.

"Domain: Heaven’s Frigid Frost!"

"Don't think I'm made of clay! Profound Ice Great Sword!"

Perhaps feeling humiliated by the insults, the Profound Ice White Tiger snapped. It unleashed its full power, sending a thirty-foot-long, deep-blue ice sword crashing toward the bloody handprint.

*Hiss, hiss, hiss!*

The sound of grating friction filled the air. For a moment, neither side could shatter the other’s technique.

"Little kitty, you've made quite a bit of progress," the Zombie King teased, intentionally trying to provoke the tiger.

There was really no need—the tiger was already furious. *Damn it! Don't hit a man in the face, and don't expose a man's flaws! You’ve painted me as such a coward right to my face—how am I supposed to hold my head up later?*

Fighting for its dignity, the tiger roared, "Die, you monster!"

The Profound Ice White Tiger’s entire body trembled as dozens of two-foot-long ice arrows appeared, flying directly toward the Zombie King’s main body.

"Tricks of a child!" The Zombie King curled his lip in disdain and exhaled a breath of corpse-qi. Instantly, the ice arrows withered and melted into pools of foul water.

"Little kitty, is that all you've got?" he asked, looking at the tiger with a mocking smile.

Being stared at like that, the Profound Ice White Tiger completely lost its composure. "If I don't finish you today, I might as well just be a house cat for the rest of my life!"

In an instant, the surrounding temperature plummeted, nearing absolute zero.

"Ancestors! Lend me your strength!" the tiger shouted at the top of its lungs.

Xiao Yang’s brow twitched, and he couldn't help but roll his eyes. He knew that when he first met this creature, it considered itself an "ancestor-level" being. To think it would call for reinforcements the moment it started losing.

*The ancestors of the Profound Ice White Tiger... that would be the orthodox White Tiger tribe, right?* Xiao Yang thought, watching with interest, ready to enjoy the show.

The Zombie King grew wary. He was well aware that the tiger possessed the bloodline of the Holy White Tiger. If it really summoned a powerful elder of the White Tiger clan, he would be in serious trouble. The warriors of the White Tiger clan were notoriously fierce, all of them ruthless beings who had attained the path through slaughter.

They waited in tension for a moment, but there was no response. The Profound Ice White Tiger looked bewildered. It remembered its mother teaching it that in a life-or-death emergency, one should use their own blood as a catalyst to summon a powerful member of the clan.

*Could it be that there are no White Tiger warriors nearby?*

Although it was a flimsy excuse, it was the only plausible explanation under the circumstances. They were, after all, deep underground—very, very deep. It was understandable that no one could sense its distress signal.

"I'm doomed!"

The Profound Ice White Tiger’s spirit broke on the spot. It knew it was likely finished. Without reinforcements, it was nothing but a small cat waiting to be toyed with by the Zombie King.

"Hahaha! Is that really all you can do? You’re hilarious!" The Zombie King, realizing nothing was happening, couldn't help but laugh.

*Damn it! This is a scam!* The tiger felt utterly depressed but helpless. With its current strength, fighting the Zombie King to the death was no different from suicide.