[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete":3,"chapter-starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-86":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Starting from the Apocalypse, I Alone Severed Eternity",{"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},2312468,4518,"Chapter 86: Yi Gao Cemetery, Owl Tree","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-86",86,"\u003Cp>(PS: Written poorly; might revise if the opportunity arises, but this will do for now.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Water flowed along the wooden board toward the rear; Fang Shi stood atop it, gripping a wooden oar, occasionally sliding it backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For an ordinary person, making a wooden board and oar in the primal forest without proper tools would be extremely difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for Fang Shi, it was utterly simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sword was sharper than a chainsaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coupled with golden spiritual power, it unleashed over a ton of force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He effortlessly felled thick trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could not walk on a single reed across a river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But crossing a river on a wooden board was effortless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This speed far exceeded swimming through water, and was far safer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the crossing, he saw no trace of any river-dwelling dragon beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had been terrified out of their wits and fled to some other river region long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Fang Shi reached the opposite shore of the reservoir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance, mountain ranges rose in layered peaks; Yi Gao Cemetery lay hidden among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Fang Shi’s destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A century ago, Yi Gao Cemetery had been the ancestral graveyard of the local Yang clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But during that century, the Yang family fled overseas, and the graveyard naturally fell into ruin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually, local residents began burying their dead there, and others followed suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most believed the Yang family had prospered\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>because their ancestral tomb had exceptional feng shui; burying their own ancestors there would grant them blessings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was later proven baseless, as war broke out and the local population was slaughtered by invaders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the 1980s, the population had grown dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Demand for burial space rose, so the authorities took control, renovated the site, and named it Yi Gao Cemetery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From then on, Yi Gao Cemetery became an official public graveyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, a graveyard was just a graveyard—nothing unusual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after the Collapse, when spiritual energy began appearing across Blue Star,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>most burial grounds did experience corpse reanimation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But time was too short and spiritual energy too scarce to produce powerful zombies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most could barely produce an iron corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And humans would easily wipe them out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet during the late stage of the Fourth Shock,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yi Gao Cemetery produced a golden corpse—its emergence brought rolling black clouds that blotted out the sky, and malevolent energy surged straight into the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a legendary-level monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the golden corpse was bloodthirsty, brutal, and hateful toward the living; upon emerging, it slaughtered indiscriminately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With every strike, the earth shook and mountains trembled; the surrounding hills were plowed clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This naturally alarmed the legendary experts of Ancheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They did not hesitate, immediately gathering forces to besiege and exterminate it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The outcome was obvious: a lone golden corpse stood no chance against so many legendary experts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t a Rakshasa or some such monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its day of emergence was its day of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After eliminating the golden corpse, the legendary experts grew curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yi Gao Cemetery had such a shallow history—how could it possibly have nurtured a golden corpse?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their investigation revealed something shocking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The legendary experts discovered that the Yang family’s ancestral tomb had been built atop an ancient tomb complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The complex was deep—nearly a hundred meters below ground—and had a passage connecting directly to the Yang family’s tomb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone suddenly understood: no wonder the Yang family had risen to prominence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had stolen treasures from the ancient tomb to earn their first fortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ancient tomb contained vast quantities of gold and jewels; even without antique value, it was immense wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the legendary experts had no interest in these things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Collapse, unless it was magical material, value was negligible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even gold might need soaking in the blood of powerful creatures,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>infused with spiritual power to become blood-patterned gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or refined with aether to transform into crimson gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only such gold was truly valuable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The legendary experts were far more interested in why this golden corpse had been born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, they found nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No Nine Yin Earth Vein, no legendary artifact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire ancient tomb was ordinary—only deeper and larger than usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No trace of supernatural power remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a Grand Master had used divination magic and gained no useful information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The legendary experts left, empty-handed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their time was precious; they needed to cultivate urgently for the Fifth Shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confirmed no gain—return immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, since Blue Star’s transformation, such strange places had become countless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cases yielding rewards were rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ancheng’s authorities didn’t even want to waste manpower on sealing it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The government abandoned it, but the people would not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumors spread everywhere: someone went to such-and-such place, gained a miraculous fortune, skyrocketed in rank, and became legendary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These stories ignited humanity’s thirst for exploration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some bold souls would rush into any unknown, mysterious place,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>hoping Fortune’s Lady might favor them one day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi was one such person—and his luck was exceptional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others came to the cemetery and found nothing; he alone gained immense benefit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That benefit extended even after his rebirth; the current Fang Shi still reaps its rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dilapidated imitation-ancient building glowed golden in the setting sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi stepped inside and, unsurprisingly, saw the corpses of walking dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cemetery had staff living there, so naturally, it was affected by the Collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few walking dead corpses were not unusual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Fang Shi suspected that even if survivors had existed at first, none remained now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple: the moment he entered the building, he sensed a terrifying, chilling aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It carried profound death energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is there a second-rank creature inside?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi mused; his spiritual sense told him the creatures within the cemetery were no ordinary beings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wind rose, sweeping through the halls, emitting a mournful wail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a melancholy flutist, or a sorrowful singer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind’s cry was heart-wrenching, steeped in despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more Fang Shi listened, the more uneasy he felt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swung his sword—sharp sword qi erupted, shooting toward the ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The roof beam split cleanly in two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword qi’s momentum continued, piercing through the roof; streams of golden light poured in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dim interior brightened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even after damaging the structure, the throughwind did not weaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, it grew louder, swirling around his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi grew increasingly agitated; the sonic resonance continuously stimulated him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unconsciously, he recalled the scene before his rebirth—being devoured alive by the Crawling Night Shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wave of despair began to take root in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi had a feeling that his own future fate would be no better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of divine light flashed in Fang Shi’s eyes, and invisible magic power rippled through his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thunder rang from his mouth, cutting through the howling wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You hear the voice of despair.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are affected by the voice of despair.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Willpower resists…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your willpower resists the voice of despair.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The voice of despair has no effect on you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi realized he had unknowingly fallen into the enemy’s trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, it had begun when he stepped into the graveyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second-rank creatures living within had sensed his arrival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They immediately activated their magic to influence him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi sneered. How bold of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t even sought them out, yet they dared strike first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly ignorant of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his rank was only first-rank, his strength could no longer be judged by rank alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi sped through the buildings and soon reached the graveyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the center of the dense graves stood an unsettling giant tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its entire body was pitch black, nearly leafless, radiating a gloomy, despairing, nightmare-like aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the second-rank creature living in the graveyard—the source of the voice of despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His longsword drew, and Fang Shi slashed directly at the black tree in the graveyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had recognized its origin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was called the Owlwood, a monster that fed on fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Owlwood’s shriek directly affected the mind, awakening the most terrifying and despairing emotions within a creature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who failed their willpower save would willingly seek out the Owlwood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would be killed by it, becoming nourishment to sustain it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the victim was physically restrained and unable to move toward it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each subsequent night, they would lose 1d10 hit points until death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This effect could not be removed by dispel magic or anti-evil spells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only limited wish or stronger spells could lift it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But limited wish was a seventh-circle spell, and each use consumed experience points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was equivalent to a permanent loss of some levels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, no mage would pay such a price for a stranger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there was a simpler method: kill the Owlwood casting the spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Fang Shi was about to do now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, his willpower was extremely strong, and he possessed the feats Iron Will II and Force Resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, even if he were powerful, without allies he would have faced death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Fang Shi drew closer, the Owlwood’s shriek grew sharper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fear! Phantom Assassin!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two more spells requiring a willpower save were cast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Fang Shi had already resisted the voice of despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why fear these weaker illusions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless branches whipped through the air, exploding with thunderous cracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each tip broke the sound barrier by more than three times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Owlwood finally abandoned using magic to kill Fang Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned instead to the most primal, most violent means.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi was utterly unfazed; his superhuman reflexes kicked in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He moved effortlessly between the branches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any single branch striking him would mean instant death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Fang Shi remained calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For no matter how fierce the Owlwood’s attacks, if they couldn’t land, they were meaningless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty meters!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Owlwood’s aura grew colder; magical light flared again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entangle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless vines erupted from the ground, reaching for Fang Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These ground-covering vines completely blocked his path forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coupled with the swirling branches around him, the Owlwood truly believed Fang Shi could not dodge endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, as Fang Shi drew nearer, his evasion space shrank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It favored the Owlwood’s offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten meters!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why should Fang Shi dodge?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White Crane Sword Art!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi transformed into a whirlwind and surged straight beside the Owlwood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fierce attacks erupted; sword cuts appeared across the Owlwood’s massive body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each wound spurted crimson branches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thick and slick, like biological blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ang! Ang! Ang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shriek rose higher; a violent storm burst from the Owlwood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, it blew Fang Shi away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the move was useless—he instantly lunged back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless sword cuts reappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Slashing attack initiated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You dealt 6 damage to the target.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Slashing attack initiated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You dealt 4 damage to the target.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Slashing attack initiated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You dealt 7 damage to the target.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Target dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Soul energy extracted from target: 2028 experience points, 202.8 survival points gained.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As the first player to kill an 11th-level creature,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You received a Silver Chest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black branches hung lifelessly to the ground; the Owlwood was dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was not the end—a silent black light shot from the Owlwood’s corpse toward Fang Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are afflicted by a death curse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Willpower resists…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your willpower resists the death curse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One who kills the Owlwood must bear its death curse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The curse’s power matched that of the voice of despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who fail their save suffer 1d10 damage each night in sleep, as if affected by Nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, the cursed individual feels extreme fatigue for the next 24 hours and cannot prepare spells during this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The curse persists until removed or the victim dies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if removed, the victim remains fatigued for the next 24 hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only limited wish magic or stronger spells can remove this owlwood’s death curse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a victim dies because of it, a new owlwood will grow on the victim’s corpse after one month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sapling appears like an ordinary plant during its growth, only revealing its true owlwood form once mature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the horror of owlwood, but Fang Shi is even more formidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The longer Fang Shi used Bai He Sword Art, the more he felt its power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merged with the wind, he is immune to harm except from extreme physical environments or supernatural forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if owlwood’s strikes carry a hundred tons of force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if you can’t hit him, it’s the same as not hitting at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the strength of magic, and the limitation of physical classes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how strong your power, a punch cannot shatter an atomic nucleus to trigger a nuclear explosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You simply cannot harm Fang Shi when he is merged with the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owlwood is not weak—its chorus of despair ensures it is ineffective in group battles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you cannot resist the chorus of despair, it is merely collective suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention its terrifying physical attacks and magical power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even ordinary level-two creatures that come here only die in vain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before his rebirth, Fang Shi could not survive a single strike from it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in this life, he is no longer the same as before—only owlwood fears him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi hopes more such creatures appear, to give him more experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next came the treasure-hunting time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could hardly wait to see whether the treasure was still there.\u003C\u002Fp>",2211,"2026-06-20T12:43:33.559Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","68a399dcd695bf95aeca6dcd8787a9aa63d1ae4604267304185126ced39d3268","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-87","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-85",109,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-cover.jpg"]