"It seems I'll have to find a way to obtain a few corpse cores for cultivating the Chaos Hegemony Body Art," Zhou Yan thought gleefully.
The Chaos Hegemony Body Art was incredibly powerful. If he could master it, he would be invincible in Tianxing City, with no one able to stand against him.
Unfortunately, corpse kings were rare and difficult to find, almost impossible.
Whoosh—
Suddenly, a black figure flashed by. It was the Iron Armored Corpse.
"This guy's not dead yet?" Zhou Yan frowned, confused.
Logically, corpse kings possessed formidable defenses, rendering them largely immune to ordinary attacks.
After all, corpse kings could expel toxins that corroded everything.
However, Zhou Yan knew that a corpse king's most fatal weakness was its head.
Destroying the head would guarantee its demise.
"But if that's the case, I won't be able to absorb its essence blood," Zhou Yan mused, contemplating a solution.
The essence blood of a corpse king contained immense vital energy. Consuming it would be beneficial to the body.
It was a pity that the essence blood couldn't be absorbed unless he killed the corpse king. Otherwise, he could only sigh in disappointment.
Buzz!
Abruptly, Zhou Yan felt his heart tremble, as if a certain power was surging within. Instantly, his blood boiled, and it felt as if it was being drawn towards his heart.
"Huh? Why is my heart beating for no reason..."
Zhou Yan's face changed drastically, his panic rising. The beating of his heart made him feel suffocated.
Rumble—
Moments later, Zhou Yan's heart gave a violent tremor, erupting with a brilliant light that illuminated the entire valley.
Zhou Yan's heart leaped with joy. "What is this?" he exclaimed.
Within his heart, a drop of crystal-clear essence blood floated, radiant like a silver moon, emitting powerful fluctuations of energy.
"This is my heart?" Zhou Yan was stunned, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
The heart was the most vital organ of a martial artist, connected to the soul. Damage to the heart would inflict severe injuries, possibly even endangering life.
But how did essence blood suddenly appear in his heart? Moreover, the energy fluctuations of this drop of essence blood were so vast and immense, far surpassing his memories from his past life.
It was as if a primordial beast was dormant within this drop of essence blood, carrying a terrifying aura of malevolence.
"This is so strange. I wonder if I can control this drop of essence blood?" Zhou Yan's eyes flickered.
He then bit his fingertip, forcing out a drop of heart's blood and cautiously bringing it closer to the essence blood.
Pop—
The next moment, Zhou Yan's heart's blood collided with the essence blood. The two forces clashed, engaging in a fierce struggle.
Crack—
Suddenly, a crisp sound echoed, sending a shiver of dread through Zhou Yan.
It turned out that his heart's blood couldn't withstand the terrifying power contained within the essence blood and instantly shattered into nothingness.
"What on earth is this essence blood? Why is it so strange?" Zhou Yan pondered, lost in confusion.
Heart's blood was condensed from the vital essence of a martial artist, representing their life. If the essence blood collapsed, it meant the martial artist had died.
"Perhaps, only by completely absorbing and refining it can I understand."
Zhou Yan thought bitterly, feeling helpless. His current strength was too weak; the difficulty of absorbing and refining this drop of essence blood was immense.
Swish—
The next moment, he flicked his wrist, tossing the corpse core towards the Iron Armored Corpse.
Splat—
The Iron Armored Corpse opened its enormous maw and swallowed the corpse core in one gulp.
Instantly, Zhou Yan's mind was wracked with intense pain, his eyes closing tightly in agony.
Moments later, Zhou Yan opened his eyes, a look of astonishment in them.
"I... why did I fall unconscious?" Zhou Yan was bewildered.
Just as he was about to attempt to absorb the power from the corpse core, he had unexpectedly fainted.
"No, my heart has no problems at all. On the contrary, it has become stronger and more robust..."
A moment later, Zhou Yan regained his senses and, upon noticing his physical condition, his eyes widened.
A dazzling golden radiance emanated from his chest, exuding a powerful and substantial aura.
"This trace of golden radiance should be from the power of my bloodline. But why is my bloodline so wild?" Zhou Yan frowned.
This period of unconsciousness had been an absolute opportunity for him, leading to the evolution of his bloodline.
His heart had become stronger, filled with vibrant energy, and his blood flowed like a surging tide through his veins.
"Could this... be the power of my ancestral bloodline?"
Zhou Yan's heart was filled with shock.
In his memories from his past life, the records regarding this drop of essence blood were extremely vague, as if sealed away.
However, he vaguely suspected that the power of his ancestral bloodline might be closely related to this drop of essence blood.
Roar—
The next moment, the Iron Armored Corpse roared and raised its sharp claws, slashing fiercely at Zhou Yan.
Bang!
Zhou Yan's expression shifted slightly, and he quickly dodged.
With a thunderous sound, a three-inch deep gash was left on the solid rock wall, a shocking sight.
"This Iron Armored Corpse's combat awareness and speed have reached their peak..."
Zhou Yan was horrified. Although he possessed a strong physique, he stood no chance against the current Iron Armored Corpse.
The Iron Armored Corpse's physical body far exceeded his imagination; it was impervious to blades and fire, possessing iron-like bones and immense strength, coupled with extreme speed.
"Roar..." The Iron Armored Corpse roared, its eyes scarlet and ferocious, charging at Zhou Yan again.
Thump—
Zhou Yan's feet moved with the wind, his figure flashing like lightning to evade the Iron Armored Corpse's attack. Simultaneously, he threw a punch.
Bang—
The Iron Armored Corpse reacted, raising its sharp claws and colliding with Zhou Yan's fist, generating a tremendous force.
With a "poof," Zhou Yan spat out a mouthful of blood, staggering backward. His right arm felt numb, on the verge of breaking.
"This Iron Armored Corpse's strength is too terrifying, it's not even like a human..."
Zhou Yan trembled uncontrollably, his mind churning with immense shock.
The Iron Armored Corpse, reduced to a mere skeleton, could still crush him. This scene completely shattered his understanding.
"Wait..."
The next moment, Zhou Yan's expression changed. His gaze fell upon the Iron Armored Corpse's left shoulder, where a clear fist print was visible.
"This... this wound on the Iron Armored Corpse..."
Soon, Zhou Yan noticed that the wound on the Iron Armored Corpse's left shoulder had already healed, appearing completely unharmed.
"No wonder its attack power is so formidable," Zhou Yan realized with a sudden understanding.
The Iron Armored Corpse's injuries had completely healed.
Not only that, but after its injuries healed, the Iron Armored Corpse's aura grew even more potent, enveloped in a dense black mist, emanating an eerie dread.
"I understand. This dark power originates from this mysterious drop of essence blood..."
A shrewd glint appeared in Zhou Yan's eyes. He suddenly reached up, gently stroked his forehead, took out a dagger, and, pointing it at his wrist, made a light incision.