[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-journey-to-become-the-zenith":3,"chapter-journey-to-become-the-zenith-journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-74":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Journey to Become the Zenith",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1828611,2432,"Chapter 74: The Price of Resurrection","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-74",74,"\u003Cp>The Price of Resurrection\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba laughed softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t a loud laugh. It was the kind of quiet, amused sound a man might make when someone asks the exact question he had been waiting for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is your question... young lady?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara almost let out a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she caught herself just in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good. He’s talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant time—time to gather information before things spiraled into violence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her purple eyes shifted briefly toward Victor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first glance he looked completely calm. Relaxed, even. Standing there with his arms loose at his sides as if he were simply observing a conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Clara had spent enough time around him to notice the small details others missed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers were trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just enough to betray what was really going on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was itching to fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the conversation stalled, he would attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara felt a flicker of irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Idiot...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She needed to move this along before Victor’s patience ran out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stepped forward slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What have you done with the villagers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the question left her lips—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba burst into laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deep, delighted laugh that echoed through the underground chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was waiting for you to ask that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The masked man took a few slow steps forward. His grey cloak brushed the stone floor as he approached. He didn’t move aggressively—if anything, he looked like a scholar preparing to explain a fascinating discovery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he stopped at a comfortable distance, he folded his hands behind his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was an experiment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Measured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was trying to revive them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara’s brows furrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Revive...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You mean... resurrect them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside her, Victor’s expression changed almost imperceptibly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word revive made something tighten deep inside his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his previous life, the concept of immortality had been almost ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ancient monarchs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immortal cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eternal bloodlines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had always been ways to extend life—or return from death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in this world...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Things were different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, only humans existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no immortal races.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No ancient demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No divine bloodlines walking the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Powerful individuals could delay death through mana refinement, through discipline and knowledge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no one escaped death entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Resurrection?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was something even the greatest scholars dismissed as myth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this man...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s golden eyes sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How do you know a way to revive them?\" he asked quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba turned his masked face toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the mask, Victor could almost feel the man smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Interesting question.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara and Lane both looked at Alibaba more carefully now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tilted his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I believe it was... seven years ago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tapped his chin thoughtfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. Seven years.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was traveling through the Red Cliff Mountain range.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name alone made Clara stiffen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Red Cliff Mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the most forbidden places in the known world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mountain range stretched for hundreds of kilometers—jagged crimson cliffs and endless forests crawling with powerful demonic beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Human explorers rarely dared venture more than seven kilometers inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond that point...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People simply disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some claimed there were ancient ruins deeper inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others believed the mountains themselves were cursed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, no one who ventured too far ever returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba continued calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was attacked by a furious demonic beast while passing through the outer range.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone remained casual, as if describing an inconvenient rainstorm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was a particularly aggressive creature.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So I ran.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane blinked slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ran?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I fled deeper into the mountains to escape it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba gave a soft chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I traveled... more than fifteen kilometers into the Red Cliff range before I finally found shelter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara’s eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifteen kilometers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even elite adventurer parties rarely survived that deep inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this man stood here casually telling the story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I found refuge inside a mountain cave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And there... I discovered something fascinating.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A stone tablet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted a finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Carved into that stone were ancient writings.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Instructions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Knowledge.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The method for reviving the dead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence fell over the chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the torches seemed to flicker more slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s mind was already racing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Red Cliff Mountains...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifteen kilometers inside...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a stone tablet with forbidden knowledge truly existed there—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the mountains might hold far more secrets than people realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s golden eyes glinted faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I should go there someday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara’s voice cut through the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you really went fifteen kilometers inside that mountain range...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tone carried clear disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How did you come back alive?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone knows that anyone who travels more than seven kilometers into Red Cliff dies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba chuckled softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spread his hands slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I suppose my luck is simply superb.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane narrowed her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all knew that wasn’t the real answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was obvious he had no intention of explaining further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba clapped his hands lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where were we?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tapped his chin dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The resurrection.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded as if remembering a pleasant conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, I did succeed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You succeeded?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze swept across the silent villagers standing in the chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then what about the bodies we saw in the graves?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who were those people?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba answered without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Those were the original bodies of the villagers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three adventurers exchanged confused looks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing their expressions, Alibaba decided to elaborate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You see,\" he said calmly, \"I killed the villagers of this place for my experiment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara’s breath caught.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane’s expression hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once they were dead, I attempted to raise them from the dead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba sighed lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unfortunately, the result was disappointing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They became nothing more than walking corpses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mindless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Empty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That was not true resurrection.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor remained silent, listening carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So I tried other methods,\" Alibaba continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But the bodies began to deteriorate. Some of them were destroyed entirely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara’s hands slowly clenched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I realized the original bodies were too weak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So I created stronger ones.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"New bodies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perfect replicas of the villagers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane’s eyes darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creating a human body from scratch required horrific materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Living flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba continued as if lecturing students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, I initially thought replacing the body meant it would no longer be true resurrection.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But then I had a realization.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The problem was never the body.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was the soul.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if I recreated their bodies perfectly, I could not retrieve their original souls.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So they remained mindless undead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba’s voice grew slightly excited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So I changed my approach.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I summoned evil spirits.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And allowed them to inhabit the bodies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara’s eyes flashed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That confirmed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forbidden arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was a practitioner of necromancy—someone who manipulated corrupt mana and death energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in this world where only humans and demonic beasts existed...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such practices were even more abhorrent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba continued happily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re probably thinking that this would create completely different individuals.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What makes two identical bodies different?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised a finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Memories.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I extracted the memories from the dead villagers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And placed them into the new bodies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gestured toward the silent figures around the chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And the result...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is what you see before you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The revelation was horrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To create even a single artificial human body required human materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This village had at least forty people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba hadn’t only killed the villagers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had killed every traveler who had passed through this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara felt her blood boil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster behind the mask had slaughtered countless innocents for his twisted experiments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She remembered Soren.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The frightened boy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strange marks on his neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her rage burned even hotter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside her, Lane remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the killing intent leaking from her body had begun to rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was subtle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But deadly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba didn’t care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued speaking proudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I believed my experiment had succeeded.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But unfortunately...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The new villagers still possessed traces of the wild evil spirits that inhabited them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They were no longer human.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And as you can see...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They have no free will.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spread his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A failure again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice filled with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am closer than ever to achieving true resurrection.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His masked face tilted upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn’t that wonderful?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am about to achieve something only the hateful gods could accomplish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Victor finally opened his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For what reason...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...do you do this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1396,"2026-06-09T06:06:36.927Z",1,"novelbin.me","0279ff02533ddcf71e22a9ec753dccbf1d65a74ba4e42a8359a75a3f230c454d","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-75","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-73",253,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fjourney-to-become-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]