Chapter 707: Chapter 467: Huge Contribution Point Reward, Capturing the Zombie Bear!

Only a Golden Tier Array Master, after learning to create higher-tier arrays, could produce them. As a result, they were usually scarce and expensive; even when available, the premium was quite high.

After processing the materials from the Fierce Beasts he had hunted, Fang Zhou collected the bounty offered by Beast Fighting City for the Fox Tail Bandit Group. Adding this to all his other earnings, the contribution points and Magic Stones in his possession now totaled nearly fifty thousand.

Money in hand needed to be spent.

Just as Fang Zhou was about to break through his bottleneck and advance to Bronze, this large sum he had saved would be enough to cover his post-breakthrough expenses. The enchanted equipment he currently wore was all of ordinary white quality, which could no longer keep up with the pace of his power progression.

Whether it was the various attribute-boosting items or the shield on his Mage Robe, they had all been quite practical during the Black Iron Tier. But upon reaching the Bronze Tier, they were no longer adequate.

With money in his pocket, Fang Zhou confidently browsed the marketplace in Beast Fighting City, but the results were disappointing.

The main hunting force in Beast Fighting City was still composed primarily of Black Iron Tier Professionals. The few Bronze Tier Professionals in the various hunting teams were pillars and commanders, and they were not lacking for money.

Rarity dictates value.

The Green Excellent-Quality equipment and Marvels that met their standards were all marked up significantly. With Fang Zhou’s current wealth, it wasn’t that he couldn’t afford them, but they simply weren’t worth the price.

After getting a feel for the market, he shook his head. He decided to wait until he broke through to the Bronze Tier. Then, he would use the contribution point system at the Sea City Military Academy’s station in Beast Fighting City to remotely purchase suitable equipment and promptly boost his combat power.

With his status as a Seed Student and the massive discounts from the research project group, his current wealth should be enough to afford a complete basic set of equipment and Marvels.

Then, he would dedicate his Soul Power to Skill Deduction, enhancing all the necessary Summoning Series, Skeleton Series, Corrosive Poison Series, and Soul Series skills to the Bronze level. This way, his Four-dimensional Attributes and combat power would undoubtedly remain at a high level, even among Lower-rank Bronze Tier Professionals.

***

The Blood Moon, like a mist, enveloped the entire Wasteland of Strife.

According to the Zombie Lord’s memory, the next Blood Moon Tide was still some time away. Seizing this opportunity, Fang Zhou decided to explore the Chiguo Plain, which he had long been looking forward to. This was the key to how many Corpse Knights he could transform.

After arranging everything in the Corpse Tomb and leaving all responsibilities to Tidamia, Fang Zhou set out with Sain and over a hundred hand-picked Corpse Knight Guards.

There was a reason for bringing Sain, the leader of the Corrupt Hatreds. Perhaps because he was the first tomb zombie born in the Wasteland of Strife, his Soul Fire memory contained the exact path to the Chiguo Plain. The Undead Realm was vast; without knowing the specific path to a location, one was one hundred percent guaranteed to get lost.

Another important point was that Sain, though as fat as a humanoid pig, was surprisingly fast when he ran. Although he couldn’t keep up with Fang Zhou’s mount, he wasn’t much slower than the Corpse Knights. During a forced march, bringing Sain along would not be a burden. And in a crucial moment, Sain’s strength could hold his own for a time.

As the Blood Moon rose and fell again and again, Fang Zhou’s group traveled for a long time across the vast land of bones before finally reaching their destination, the Chiguo Plain. This was only possible because the undead inherently feel no fatigue or exhaustion. Though the journey was boring, they did encounter a few things along the way to pass the time, such as subduing some Mutated Undead who were also heading to the Chiguo Plain.

On the road, Fang Zhou met some Undead Creatures who were also heading to the Chiguo Plain in search of mounts. These were Mutated Zombies with a high level of intelligence. Encountering them, Fang Zhou certainly wouldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Born as a natural Mutated Corrupt Hatred, Sain possessed greater power compared to Corrupt Hatreds that had evolved into their state. Plus, with over a hundred Corpse Knights on guard, Sain’s iron hook wasn’t just for show. Whenever a Mutated Zombie attempted to flee, a single swing of his iron hook would be enough to snag them and drag them back. This allowed Fang Zhou to fully appreciate the terrifying strength hidden within Sain’s massive frame.

Thus, without Fang Zhou needing to lift a finger, his army of subordinates and servants began to expand. The force gradually grew from its initial one hundred members. Although the Mutated Zombies had higher intelligence and were difficult to subdue, resulting in many casualties along the way, by the time they reached the Chiguo Plain, his army had grown to nearly one hundred and fifty.

These one hundred and fifty were not low-grade Skeleton Zombies, but true, bona fide Mutated Undead. Though they didn’t encounter another Corrupt Hatred variant like Sain, these Mutated Zombies still played a role in expanding Fang Zhou’s own power and knowledge reserves.

As they drew closer to the Chiguo Plain, Sain had also wanted to claim a Skeleton Warhorse as a mount, but his enormous size was a problem...

Fang Zhou personally witnessed what happened when Sain eagerly mounted a scrawny Skeleton Warhorse; the poor creature’s four legs immediately began to tremble. Just as Sain was gloating, the Skeleton Warhorse beneath him collapsed without warning. Its hooves shattered, and it simply fell apart on the ground in a pile of bones.

Sain... unsurprisingly fell flat on his face.

It seems his enormous body and weight are indeed too much for the scrawny Skeleton Warhorses to bear, Fang Zhou thought. I estimate that if Sain wants a mount, his only option will be the Giant Zombie Beasts from the depths of the Chiguo Plain.

Those creatures were massive and powerful. Sain was heavy, but it probably wouldn’t be an issue for the immense power of a Giant Zombie Beast.

Putting this little episode aside, Fang Zhou’s journey proceeded smoothly. The expanded force of over one hundred and fifty strong marched onward toward the Chiguo Plain. It didn’t take much longer for them to arrive at their destination.

Herds of ownerless Skeleton Beasts were scattered across the vast plain. Moreover, the deeper one went into the Chiguo Plain, the more powerful the wandering Undead Beasts became.

At the entrance, Fang Zhou had already spotted some Skeleton Warhorses. They were quite feeble, all at the Lower Rank of the Black Iron Tier. They’re far inferior not only to the Yellow Springs Nightmare I’m riding but also to the Corpse Warhorses of my Corpse Knight Guards. It seems these Skeleton Warhorses are unqualified to be directly synthesized into Corpse Knights.

However, Fang Zhou still used the Corpse Tomb to enslave these Skeleton Beasts, which were a rare sight in the outside world. Even if they were of no use now, he could take them back to study methods for enhancing their power. They would surely be useful eventually.

After enslaving about a dozen Skeleton Warhorses, Fang Zhou let them roam around the periphery of his forces. In a fight, these Lower Black Iron Tier Skeleton Warhorses couldn’t help for now.

The deeper Fang Zhou ventured into the Chiguo Plain, the more powerful the Undead Beasts he encountered. After moving past this herd of Skeleton Warhorses, he found some new targets with just a simple search.

Zombie Bears!

These Zombie Bears generally stood about 1.6 meters tall, meaning they would tower over most humans when standing upright. They had particularly robust physiques, and each of their bones was as thick as a steel column. Their appearance alone was enough to indicate the terrifying power these Zombie Bears possessed.

These Zombie Bears were all around the Bronze Tier, with some at the Lower Rank and others at the Middle Rank. Fortunately, they were all widely scattered and wandered about aimlessly, seemingly indifferent to their surroundings. This gave Fang Zhou the perfect opportunity to strike.