In the instant of the explosion, Lu Chuan withdrew his consciousness from the two Corpse Puppets in time, so he wasn't particularly affected.
The fierce fire inside the shop continued to burn intensely, illuminating the surrounding area brightly even during the night.
The explosive power of these two gas tanks made Lu Chuan jump.
Lu Chuan breathed a sigh of relief, fortunately, he had chosen a spot a bit further from the residential buildings, otherwise, he might have been caught by the blast wave.
The most critical aspect is the loud noise created by the explosion, along with the very conspicuous blazing fire.
A few zombies nearby were attracted by the commotion, but maybe the oppressive aura of this massive zombie was too overwhelming.
So average low-level zombies only lingered in the distance, not daring to approach for the time being.
Lu Chuan didn't rush out directly but continued to remain in the shadows, waiting.
The impact brought by the earlier battle with this massive zombie was so shocking that Lu Chuan didn't dare to go forward immediately.
After all, a centipede dies but never falls down, what if this zombie wasn't fully dead and punched him directly... that would be the end for him...
Perhaps some fat still remained on the zombie, so the flames continued to burn this massive zombie relentlessly.
After a good ten minutes, with the zombie immobile despite being burned, Lu Chuan finally confirmed it was likely truly dead and dared to approach cautiously.
Upon closer inspection, the zombie had been burned beyond recognition by the fierce fire, and coupled with the massive impact of the gas tank explosion, its body suffered severe damage.
The pungent stench of burning flesh pervaded the air, and thick black smoke continuously wafted from the zombie's body.
If a human came close and inhaled such smoke, they might feel dizzy, but fortunately, Lu Chuan, as a zombie, was unaffected by all this.
The appearance of the zombie at this moment was rather unflattering.
Without a word, Lu Chuan swung the machete to break open the zombie's skull.
Lu Chuan discovered that after the zombie's evolution, its surface defense was significantly strengthened compared to ordinary low-level zombies.
Even for this charred corpse, he had to exert a lot of effort to break open the back of its head.
With a slashing sound!
As the blade forcefully split the other's skull in two, Lu Chuan indeed found a unique Crystal Core amidst the bloody brain matter.
However, this Crystal Core was different from the one he saw during the day; instead of pure white, it had some red in it.
Moreover, Lu Chuan noticed that the temptation from this Crystal Core was even stronger than during the day!
Although Lu Chuan didn't know what these things exactly were, the zombie instincts told him that this red-tinted Crystal Core was definitely more beneficial to zombies than this morning's pure white one!
"It's possible that the pure white Crystal Cores are the basic Crystal Cores born after these zombies evolve."
"And when these zombies complete their mutual devouring and further enhance their powers, the Crystal Cores become tinged with red, and if all of them turn red... wouldn't it make them even stronger?!"
Although Lu Chuan didn't understand the rules of zombie evolution in the apocalypse, he could speculate some basic patterns after observation.
What surprised Lu Chuan more was that this massive zombie was already so formidable; how terrifying would it become if it continued to evolve?!
As he watched more and more zombies being drawn by the flames, Lu Chuan quickly stashed away the Crystal Core.
Then he chose two fully intact limbed zombies from the ones wandering over, made them his new underlings, and after reconnecting two Corpse Puppets, Lu Chuan swiftly returned to the neighborhood.
He assigned these two new Corpse Puppets to guard the entrance downstairs while Lu Chuan went alone to the third floor.
Holding the unique Crystal Core in his hand, Lu Chuan increasingly felt the desire to devour it. His body craved this Crystal Core instinctively!
After ensuring the safety of his surroundings, Lu Chuan no longer suppressed his inner desire and swallowed it down in one go.
The next second, Lu Chuan felt the Crystal Core dissolve instantly within him, and a surge of powerful energy flooded into his entire being!
This energy constantly tempered Lu Chuan's body, gradually transforming his decomposed skin towards a more human-like form.
However, Lu Chuan noticed that after devouring the Crystal Core, he didn't gain any special abilities like the two zombies he had observed in battle previously.
He didn't develop blade-like claws similar to the agile zombie.
Nor did he possess the robust muscles or defenses of the giant zombie.
If viewed from the outside, his appearance was less grotesque and fearsome than before; his physical strength, agility, and stamina had improved slightly compared to previously.
Yet Lu Chuan felt his brain was akin to having a massive explosion.
Vast energies surged into his mind, briefly causing a period of dizziness.
Undergoing the Crystal Core evolution, Lu Chuan couldn't help but let out a few roars.
Downstairs, the wandering zombies trembled slightly upon hearing Lu Chuan's roar, then slowly retreated into the distance.
After the evolution, Lu Chuan felt his mind had become extremely clear, and his five senses seemed sharper than before.
The most crucial aspect was that Lu Chuan found controlling zombies was now even easier.
With just a bit of thought, Lu Chuan understood the specific reason.
It was likely that different zombies would awaken different Talent Powers, and it was obvious that he had primarily enhanced his mental abilities.
The two zombies he saw today were melee combat types, one enhancing strength and defense, the other enhancing agility.
Excitedly, Lu Chuan ran to the street for a trial, discovering his telekinetic powers had doubled, allowing him to control up to five zombies simultaneously!
Most importantly, Lu Chuan discovered he gained a new ability, enabling him to share the vision of Corpse Puppets!
Before advancing, Lu Chuan could only control these Corpse Puppets within his sight, but now he could control them remotely after evolution.
Lu Chuan was extremely excited; with this ability, he no longer needed to venture out personally to accomplish tasks, as his henchmen could be remotely commanded to do so.
This method was extremely convenient and greatly enhanced his survival capability.
However, there remained a distance limitation for Corpse Puppet control; after testing, Lu Chuan's telekinetic range now extended to a maximum of 1000 meters.
It meant that within a radius of 1000 meters, Lu Chuan wouldn't need to act personally; he could complete tasks simply by remotely controlling these Corpse Puppets.
In that moment, Lu Chuan suddenly felt a bit like a command system from his past life, with a gaggle of unmanned robots at his disposal.
"Hehehe, since I don't need to show up, then killing, arson, robbery, and looting would be much easier!"