Is this what a zombie is?

100. Another way of resurrection

When Jiang Chen awoke from his deep sleep, the first thing he felt upon regaining consciousness was pain.

My head hurts like I'm hungover; it's splitting, and I can't even open my eyes.

My body aches all over, as if I had participated in a super high-intensity marathon, the kind that runs 100 kilometers, to the point that every muscle and every fascia is protesting, and even moving my fingers has become a luxury.

Amidst this pain, Jiang Chen heard an incredibly clear sound, resounding in his chest cavity, transmitted through his eardrums to his brain, causing his cerebral cortex to throb as well.

dong... dong... dong...

Calm and powerful—this is the rhythm of life.

The heartbeat, the sound of the heartbeat, is the melody of life.

After lying down for a few minutes to recover, Jiang Chen's brain was finally able to think, and his first thought was...

How could he have a heartbeat?

His original heart had long been ripped out by the Seven Soul Corpses, but he was kept half-dead and unable to die only because of the Resurrection Incense.

If he hadn't drawn upon the heavenly lightning and absorbed its power to form a plasma heart, using it as a new power source, he might not have been able to continue moving.

So what is a perfectly normal thing for ordinary people, such as a heartbeat, is an abnormality for him.

Jiang Chen forced himself to open his eyes.

What comes into view is a dimly lit room with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, emitting a warm yellow glow, and a faint sandalwood scent in the air.

He struggled to sit up, raised one hand, and when he clenched his fist, he could feel the warmth of his palm.

Body temperature, for a normal person, is around 37 degrees Celsius.

A heart made of flesh and blood beats at a steady pace, delivering blood and oxygen to the whole body, providing the body with normal breathing and body temperature support.

But these were things he hadn't felt in a long time, so the first thing he felt now was a strong sense of unreality.

So Jiang Chen immediately examined his body. He placed his palm on his left chest, where his flesh and blood heart was beating firmly and powerfully, each contraction and relaxation filled with the power of life.

The examination revealed that he was alive, living like a normal person.

Could it be the effect of the Resurrection Incense that restored his body to a living state?

No, that's not right, that's not how it works.

Upon deeper and more careful sensing, Jiang Chen discovered that within the atrium of that beating, fleshy heart, there was a plasma core.

The massive plasma still exists, only much smaller, and it continues to shrink with each heartbeat.

However, it does not shrink because of discharge or leakage, but because electrical energy is absorbed and converted into other forms of energy.

Jiang Chen doesn't know exactly what kind of energy it's transformed into, but he thinks it should be related to the Blood Coral Tai Sui and the Zombie Fungus mother.

The reason I've come back to life seems to be due to some kind of change they caused, which restored me to a physical body, the state a living person should be in.

In a sense, this is another form of resurrection, although it is not entirely contrary to the resurrection that Jiang Chen wanted to achieve, but it is certainly unrelated.

Jiang Chen didn't know whether this change was a good thing or a bad thing, but since it had already happened, he should think about what to do next.

However, there are still two problems to be solved.

Where is this place?

And who saved him?

Jiang Chen's first thought was naturally Cat Master. Although Cat Master said it wouldn't interfere in other people's affairs, its cold exterior and warm interior, proud and arrogant personality would eventually lead it to take action.

Lost in thought, Jiang Chen got up, pushed open the wooden door, and went outside.

Outside the door is a retro-style bar.

Soothing vinyl records were playing laid-back jazz music, but the bar and dance floor were completely empty, indicating that the bar wasn't open yet.

A tall, burly bartender, dressed in a white shirt and black vest, was wiping a crystal-clear glass.

Hearing the door open, the bartender turned around and asked naturally.

"You're awake. Would you like something to eat?"

Jiang Chen didn't move, carefully examining his surroundings and the unfamiliar man in front of him.

He always felt that this place was too peaceful, eerily peaceful.

"Excuse me, where is this place, and why am I here?"

"This is a bar, and I'm the bartender. As for you, you were brought back by Lord Tai Sui."

Upon hearing the term "Tai Sui," Jiang Chen instinctively thought of Li Lianying and the Blood Coral Tai Sui.

Despite his poor condition, he tensed all his muscles, secretly gathering his strength in preparation.

The bartender paid no attention to Jiang Chen's actions, and simply added, "The Tai Sui I'm talking about knows Nine Lives Cat. You should be very familiar with Nine Lives, so you can rest assured."

"Seven days have passed since the incident with the Dog Leader. The Foundation and the Four Spirits Family should have dealt with that mess by now."

Nine Lives, that's the name of Cat Lord, and it actually knows Tai Sui.

Seven days have passed.

Unexpectedly, he had been unconscious for so long. After receiving this information, the first thing he blurted out was what he cared about most.

"How's Ai Yi?"

This was his only weakness.

The bartender seemed to have anticipated his question and answered calmly, "Your friend, Ai Yi, who possesses the destiny of the Purple Star Emperor, has been taken away by the Four Spirits Clan. Jiu Ming believes that letting the Four Spirits Clan take him away and nurture him is the best choice."

Yes, this is in line with Cat Master's approach, and in fact, Jiang Chen agrees with it.

Although he did not witness Ai Yi inheriting the core of the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon totem, which led to the creation of the Nine Sons of the Dragon totem, he knew that the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon totem held extraordinary significance for China.

Upon receiving this information, Jiang Chen's tense nerves gradually relaxed, and a huge weight was finally lifted from his heart. Immediately afterward, a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him.

Will the two of them ever see each other again?

Perhaps, we'll have to go our separate ways from now on.

A chosen one who can summon a five-clawed golden dragon totem, born with the destiny of an emperor, and now ascends the throne, is a highly sought-after person wherever he goes.

Unlike himself, although he now appears to be a living person, Jiang Chen feels himself drifting further and further away from humanity.

Having confirmed that his brother was safe and sound, Jiang Chen calmed down completely and was able to focus on dealing with the situation at hand.

After staring at the bartender for a few seconds, he suddenly said this.

"My eyes tell me you're standing right in front of me, but..." he changed the subject, "my senses tell me you're actually over there."