Chapter 90: The Ancient Human Race

The vast army of corpses on the ground had already reached the second defensive line and was preparing to cross the river for an assault. Suddenly, several blazing dragons of fire erupted from afar, their speed astonishing. The flat terrain erupted continuously in explosions and flames. The densely packed corpse soldiers hadn’t even realized what was happening before they were once again engulfed in a sea of fire. This was Ma Yi’s contingency plan. After Tie Zhu and the others had retreated to the second line, the gasoline from dozens of tankers was pumped into the underground tunnels, waiting for the corpse horde to arrive at the second line before being ignited. The warriors who completed the task quickly drove away from the battlefield, heading toward the human migration zone—their mission was complete, and the rest would be left to Ma Yi’s peerless legion.

The density of the corpse horde was so high that, within a few square kilometers, the sea of fire erupted in an instant, so intense that even the two corpse kings battling in the air could feel the scorching heat. The Dragon Corpse King remained composed, but Ma Yi felt unbearably hot.

The zombie warriors ignited by the fire pressed and shoved, spreading the flames even to those who had, by chance, managed to escape the initial blaze. In a matter of moments, not a single zombie warrior within several square kilometers was free from the fire. The most formidable fighters at the front reacted first, leaping straight into the water. Those behind followed suit, jumping into the moat at the second line of defense. Yet, as soon as they hit the water, giant waves surged beneath the surface—mutant fish and aquatic mutant insects, startled by the splashes, rushed toward the landing spots. In an instant, blood of various colors exploded in the water.

Seeing his minions suffer yet another loss, the Dragon Corpse King grew even more irritable and furious, determined to win before defeat overtook his side. The pace of battle between the two sides intensified once more.

Ma Yi noticed the Dragon Corpse King’s speed increase and quickened his own pace as well. Until now, he’d been holding back, for the sensation of being watched had become even more acute. He still couldn’t discern what was spying on him, but to guard against unexpected events, he decided it was best not to draw too much attention.

The battle in the sky was fiercely deadlocked. By rights, among warriors of the same level, beast forms were stronger than humanoids—this was why the Dragon Corpse King was so arrogant. Yet, the humanoid before him was a tough nut to crack: the Dragon Corpse King was already battered and bruised, while his opponent only grew stronger as the fight dragged on, much to the dragon’s frustration.

The chaos above was matched by the struggle below. Many of the terrifying level-eight zombie warriors were held back by the mutant creatures in the moat, but more pressed forward, relying on their formidable strength to make their way across.

Witnessing this, Tie Zhu and Erha both leapt onto the river, weapons in hand. With their massive clubs, they struck down at the skulls protruding from the water, slaughtering the helpless enemies one-sidedly. Using the air-shock technique Ma Yi had taught them, a single blow could bash a foe’s head to pieces in the water where retaliation was impossible; one more strike would leave them torn open, and with all their strength, they could even crush skulls entirely.

The level-eight horror-class zombie warriors in the water died with deep resentment, but there was nothing they could do—their foes could fly while they themselves were stuck in the river, unable to reach their enemies at all.

Just as the battle was at its most intense, Ma Yi suddenly stopped, his eyes fixed gravely on the eastern sky. Ma Yi was momentarily lost in thought, but the Dragon Corpse King didn’t stop, nor did he notice Ma Yi’s sudden pause. The dragon’s tail whipped Ma Yi’s body, sending him hurtling dozens of meters away.

The brutal force of the dragon’s tail left Ma Yi in excruciating pain—he’d let his guard down. That dragon was truly shameless, ambushing him while his thoughts wandered. Yet, Ma Yi failed to realize that, in the midst of battle, it was he who had stopped abruptly; the Dragon Corpse King could hardly be blamed for taking advantage.

“Stop right there!” Ma Yi coughed up blood and shouted at the Dragon Corpse King, unwilling to be ambushed again after already suffering once.

“Trying to run? No way.” The Dragon Corpse King ignored him and attacked even more ferociously.

“Damn you, beast, since you won't listen, I’ll beat you to death!” Enraged, Ma Yi no longer cared what was approaching. With a flash, he charged back and pummeled the dragon with his fists. The two corpse kings wrestled once again, but this time Ma Yi was even more ruthless. After enduring two blasts of the dragon’s breath, he suddenly seized the Dragon Corpse King in a bear hug. Though the pose was awkward, Ma Yi had no intention of mere embrace.

The Dragon Corpse King sensed his body constrict—this shameless humanoid had wrapped himself around him. The dragon’s four legs kicked desperately at Ma Yi, but Ma Yi took advantage of the leverage and fiercely grabbed one of the dragon’s wings. With a sickening crack and a gush of molten blood, he tore a wing clean off the dragon’s back, though his own abdomen was shredded by four dragon claws in the process.

Losing a wing, the Dragon Corpse King instantly lost balance and spiraled toward the ground.

Strike while the iron is hot—this was Ma Yi’s creed. Now, with the dragon missing a wing, he had to finish it off before anything else could happen.

Just as Ma Yi, crackling with lightning, dove toward the fallen dragon, a thunderous shout echoed from the sky.

“Boy, stop!” The voice rolled across the heavens like thunder, startling everyone—human and zombie alike—into halting.

“Damn, not in time,” Ma Yi cursed inwardly, pushing himself to move even faster.

“Stop, now!” The voice rang out again, and suddenly, a gigantic arm, wreathed in flames and trailing meteor-like brilliance, swept down from the sky toward Ma Yi.

“What the hell?” The colossal hand seemed to descend from the highest heavens, carrying the force of wind and thunder, moving with terrifying speed. Unable to dodge in time, Ma Yi was slapped by the heavenly palm and flung several miles away.

Ma Yi crawled from the icy, snowy debris, now restored to human size and coughing up clots of silvery blood. He checked himself: at least seven or eight ribs broken. Thankfully, his body healed rapidly; otherwise, such injuries would have left him bedridden for weeks.

Struggling to his feet, Ma Yi looked into the distance. Three figures had arrived above the battlefield.

One was a middle-aged man in ancient robes. With a wave to the ground, a blade-like slash—or sword energy—swept across the field, so powerful that even Ma Yi’s legs felt weak.

Mustering his strength, Ma Yi flew toward the three airborne figures. His body was already halfway healed.

“Who are you?” he asked, surveying them. One looked like a swordsman from ancient times, another resembled an old-time butcher, and the last carried a folding fan and had the air of a refined scholar.

“Hmph.” Unexpectedly, the scholar, far from displaying the courtesy and humility his appearance suggested, wore an expression of sheer arrogance, making a mockery of his genteel facade.

“Heh, are you alright, little brother? My companion acted too hastily. Here, take this recovery medicine,” the butcher said good-naturedly, tossing Ma Yi a small bottle.

“Damn, so it was this guy who hit me, not the arrogant scholar,” Ma Yi cursed inwardly. Nonetheless, he caught the proffered bottle, opened it, and was greeted by a fragrant, soothing medicinal aroma.

“These fellows are immensely strong. If they wanted to harm me, they wouldn’t need such underhanded tricks,” Ma Yi thought, and without hesitation, swallowed a black pill from the bottle. It melted instantly, spreading a warm current through his body.

“What a marvelous thing!” Ma Yi, who already healed quickly, felt his remaining injuries vanish in an instant as the medicine took effect.

“Old Wu, you’re being very generous!” the swordsman remarked in surprise at the butcher’s gesture.

“I have a good feeling about this young man,” the butcher replied warmly, his demeanor free-spirited yet amiable.

“You, over here,” the swordsman called to the Dragon Corpse King, who was preparing to flee.

“Yes, sir.” Having witnessed the terrifying sword energy that gouged a trench dozens of meters deep in the earth, the Dragon Corpse King was deeply unsettled. He tried to slip away unnoticed, but was caught and had no choice but to slink over obediently.

“We are the Ancient Human Clan. You should have heard of us,” the swordsman began. At his words, Ma Yi’s heart pounded fiercely.

“So this is one of the so-called Eight Ancient Clans that the little shell mentioned?” Ma Yi thought, his expression darkening. “Judging by their strength, each of these three is at least a Calamity-level being. No wonder General Shell said that with Ma Yi’s power, he was nothing before the Eight Ancient Clans.”

“What’s the Ancient Human Clan?” the Dragon Corpse King asked in confusion. He knew nothing of such things; to him, if not for their superior strength, these would be nothing but food.

“In fact, on this planet—Earth, as you call it—humans have existed for millions, even tens of millions of years. According to our records, we are the Fifth Generation of humanity, while modern humans are the Sixth. Of course, many other races emerged during humanity’s evolution. Over time, these gradually merged into eight mighty clans, now known as the Eight Ancient Clans,” the swordsman explained.

Ma Yi listened, his heart thundering, as if the mysteries he’d long pondered were finally about to be revealed.