Gloomlight Province, Thousand Isles County, Lakeglow Ridge.
A hundred-acre lake lay nestled among the myriad ridges.
Between the water and the shore, hundreds of pitch-black giant snakes slithered, coiled, moved, or rested.
The smaller ones were several yards long, while the larger specimens reached dozens of yards in length.
The largest among them occupied the prime position on a small white jade island in the center of the lake, its massive body coiled as it lazily basked in the sun.
With its flicking tongue, the giant snake spoke in human tongue.
"It has been several days now. Why hasn't Little Nie 76 returned?"
Beside the giant snake, a slightly smaller serpent spoke in a gentle female voice.
"Nie 76 is not yet a hundred years old; he is still young. Perhaps he was feeling playful and got delayed."
The giant snake scoffed. "Spare the rod and spoil the child. You spoil him too much."
"If not for you, how would that rebellious son still be unable to break through to the first-stage at nearly a hundred years of age?"
Mother Snake sighed. "Husband, do not be angry. Nie 76 swallowed over a hundred people from Daliang Village. Once he finishes refining that energy, he should be able to reach the first-stage."
The giant snake didn't pay it much mind. After a pause, he continued.
"Shideng Village near Daliang Village also has over a hundred people. Send Nie 41 there. Tell him to bring back his useless younger brother while he's at it."
"Shideng Village? Isn't that White Jade's territory?" Mother Snake asked with some concern.
"Psh, that old ghost White Jade." The giant snake spoke with disdain, then added: "He can barely take care of himself now. Where would he find the time to hog so many human pens?"
Mother Snake’s eyes flickered. "Could that news be true?"
"Mhm." The giant snake remained noncommittal. "Wait a few more days, and we can take over all of his human pens."
"When that time comes, it might even be possible to seize White Jade City."
"The flesh and blood of cultivators is the ultimate tonic!"
The giant snake's voice was filled with excitement and anticipation.
"Once I swallow White Jade City and break through to the third-stage, even if I truly have to face that old ghost White Jade, what would I have to fear?"
Mother Snake’s gaze softened. "My husband is mighty."
...
Chen Zhou's pioneering efforts were in full swing.
Seven days had passed.
The villagers worked diligently, and the ghost servants were tireless.
They ground out a massive amount of materials!
Everything was categorized and neatly stacked in the warehouse by the two netherflames.
It was a satisfying sight to behold.
【ordinary bone material x4851】
【ordinary flesh x4933】
【ordinary blood x2815】
【ordinary soul x522】
【ordinary iron ore x1038】
【ordinary wood x866】
【ordinary stone x814】
In the Living Dead Secret Realm, most of the native zombies lacked souls.
However, Chen Zhou unexpectedly discovered that a small number of zombies wearing cultivator robes—those who had strayed into the secret realm—retained some fragmented, chaotic souls.
Consequently, over the following days, Chen Zhou gave specific instructions to the Bone Snake to prioritize targeting the robed zombies.
After several days of grinding, the results were remarkable!
With over 500 ordinary souls harvested, the Evil God’s great sacrificial work could continue.
During these days, Chen Zhou also completed the construction of the well, finishing the second task of the newcomer tutorial.
Two glowing, five-colored stones appeared in his hands.
【Sky-Mending Stone】
【8th-stage treasure】
【A divine five-colored stone scattered into the mortal world when Nuwa mended the heavens】
【When constructing a building, it can ignore one material requirement below the 8th-stage. No limit on grade, no limit on quantity】
"Good stuff!"
Chen Zhou’s eyes lit up.
To put it simply, this item was a wildcard that could be treated as any material below the 8th-stage.
For example, to build a Test Immortal Stone now, he would only need 200 stone, 200 bone material, and one Sky-Mending Stone to replace the requirement for 200 low-grade spirit stones.
That was just an example; Chen Zhou certainly wouldn't waste such a good item.
He shifted his gaze to another building.
【Thick Earth Spirit Field】
【Level: Earth Grade】
【Material Requirements: Thick Earth x100, Emerald Tree Pith x1】
【A spirit field containing heavy earth Qi and an appropriate amount of plant vitality. It can accelerate the growth of crops at the 6th-stage and below by a hundredfold. The lower the level, the higher the acceleration efficiency】
【Personnel Requirements: wood spiritual root / earth spiritual root】
This was a blueprint automatically unlocked when he obtained the Emerald Tree Pith, and it was currently Chen Zhou’s highest-level building.
Chen Zhou felt that using one Sky-Mending Stone to replace 100 units of Thick Earth was the most cost-effective option at the moment.
Food was the primary necessity of the people, and Chen Zhou was supporting twelve humans who needed to eat.
Over the past few days, they had been using the flesh of the snake demon he first killed as food. There were only about ten portions in total, and they were being consumed quickly.
As for zombie meat... was that even edible for humans?
With the Thick Earth Spirit Field, most grains could ripen once a day or even multiple times a day under acceleration, directly solving the food problem.
Once food reserves were sufficient, he could also plant other spiritual plants and herbs. Chen Zhou felt it was a worthwhile investment.
Having made up his mind, Chen Zhou clicked to build.
A patch of yellowish-brown land, roughly ten acres in size, appeared out of thin air on the clearing the group had prepared.
To the villagers who had already seen a well appear in an empty space once before, seeing a miracle again was still shocking and fanatical!
Amidst their loud exclamations of wonder, even the hands wielding their axes worked with more vigor.
It was worth mentioning that during these seven days, Li Dazhu had dropped another 3rd-stage 【Blood-Vein Wood】.
Chen Zhou took this very seriously, even though the level of Blood-Vein Wood was inferior to the Emerald Tree Pith.
It was definitive proof that this kid had truly hit a lucky streak.
When Li Dazhu excitedly presented his treasure to Chen Zhou, Chen Zhou made a grand gesture.
He recorded the merit and rewarded him with one Blood-Inducing Pill and one Flesh-Reconstitution Pill.
Li Dazhu was so happy his grin practically reached his ears. After showing them off to the other villagers like precious treasures, he happily swallowed them.
As Chen Zhou expected, the improvement brought by the third consumption of the pills was even smaller.
Li Dazhu’s flesh energy barely broke through to two units, yet he actually reached the level of Qi induction.
He entered the Innate Realm, becoming a first-stage cultivator!
Chen Zhou made a rough estimation.
A normal person’s internal flesh energy was basically equal to 1 unit.
Refugees, due to muscle atrophy, blood deficiency, or missing limbs, would have energy far less than 1 unit.
As long as the accumulated energy broke through to 2 units, they could induce Qi into the body and reach the Qi Induction stage, which this world called the first-stage.
What about the second-stage?
Chen Zhou wasn't quite sure. The strongest ghost servant in his hands was the Bone Snake, and the snake bones consumed during its summoning were roughly equal to ten or so units of ordinary bone material.
In terms of flesh energy, it was likely an equivalent value.
But Chen Zhou still felt the Bone Snake was very weak.
Even before his first sacrifice, when Chen Zhou was only a Confined Grade evil spirit.
Chen Zhou still felt that within his own Ghost Domain, he would have been ten times stronger than the current Bone Snake.
After all, the first sacrifice required a hundred units of various materials.
While Chen Zhou was thinking, the task panel flashed again.
【Side Quest Triggered】
【The great Evil God should maintain human pens, ascending to your divine throne amidst countless mountains of corpses and seas of blood!】
【A demon is coveting the reserve rations you have left to roam free. Please head to Shideng Village to manifest the majesty of the Evil God and punish the meat thief!】
【Task Requirement: Slay the demon】
【0/1】
【Task Reward: To be determined based on completion status】
Rate on N.U.
