Chapter 164: Instant Kill

"I wouldn’t say I understand it well, but I did come across the name ‘Heavenly Corpse Sect’ in an ancient text. The book didn’t go into much detail, only giving a general overview."

Hermit Baiyun briefly recounted the original text, explaining, "The Heavenly Corpse Sect was a demonic sect from long ago. It wasn’t a major sect within the demonic path, only gaining some fame at the time. The disciples of the sect were skilled in corpse refinement, and their method was quite unique. Instead of using Yin Qi, they harnessed Earth Malevolent Qi. As a result, the corpses they refined had stronger bodies than those created through other corpse refinement methods. The Heavenly Corpse Sect had many branches in areas rich in Earth Malevolent Qi, where disciples could refine corpses. However, the sect eventually disappeared, and even their corpse refinement techniques were lost. I initially took the story with a grain of salt, but after seeing this black iron token and these unusual malevolent corpses, I now realize the text was true. It seems the Heavenly Corpse Sect provoked a powerful enemy, leading not only to the destruction of their lineage but also to the sealing of their headquarters."

Upon hearing the story of the Heavenly Corpse Sect, Qin Sang suddenly understood. He looked down at the ashes on the ground, thinking to himself that this explained the strange malevolent corpses. He then asked, "Daoist Baiyun, is this place a branch of the Heavenly Corpse Sect or its main headquarters? Could there be a refined corpse inside comparable to a flying yaksha?"

Hermit Baiyun shook his head. "This is probably not the main headquarters. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many low-level zombies on the outskirts. According to the book, the sect master of the Heavenly Corpse Sect was only a Golden Core cultivator, and branches were typically managed by Foundation Building cultivators. At most, we might encounter a stronger malevolent corpse, but it’s unlikely that a flying yaksha exists here."

Hearing this, everyone felt a bit more relieved.

After all, refined corpses were just lifeless entities. Without a cultivator to control them, even the strongest malevolent corpses had limited power. With so many of them gathered, escaping wouldn’t be too difficult, even if they couldn’t win in battle.

However, a flying yaksha was a different story. Such a refined corpse could rival a Golden Core cultivator in strength, possessed deadly corpse poison, and was adept at the five-element evasion techniques, making it elusive and unpredictable. No number of Foundation Building cultivators could withstand it.

Wu Yuesheng furrowed his brow, a little disappointed, and said, "So this is only a branch? There probably aren’t any treasures here. It seems we’ve come all this way for nothing."

Qin Sang glanced at Wu Yuesheng.

Hermit Baiyun tried to console him, "Even if there was a treasure vault, it’s likely been emptied long ago. We were nearly swallowed by Earth Malevolent Qi, so making it out safely is already lucky enough. At worst, we’ve just made a wasted trip. Daoist Qingting and Daoist Yu spent years preparing for this and even brought array-breaking artifacts. Compared to them, we have less to lose."

After Hermit Baiyun’s words, the group didn’t seem as disappointed.

While they talked, the barrier on the heavy black iron doors was finally broken, revealing a crack. The four of them confirmed there were no ambushes on the other side and entered one by one.

Once inside, the four of them were surprised to find that the spiritual power here was several times more concentrated than before. It was comparable to the cave dwellings assigned to Foundation Building disciples on Shaohua Mountain.

Hermit Baiyun and the Liu brothers were relatively well-known among rogue cultivators, and even their cave dwellings couldn’t compare to this place.

"It seems we’re nearing the core of the branch. Everyone, be cautious," Hermit Baiyun reminded them. He added, "I’ll lead the way with Liu Jiang to prevent a malevolent corpse from ambushing us."

Before Wu Yuesheng could speak, Qin Sang interjected, "I’ll take the rear. Senior Brother Wu, you can assist Daoist Baiyun in keeping an eye on Daoist Liu. Any cultivator capable of having a cave dwelling here must be strong, and the refined corpses are not to be underestimated. Two people will be safer."

Qin Sang didn’t trust leaving his back to Wu Yuesheng and would rather bear the risks from behind on his own.

Wu Yuesheng didn’t suspect anything and agreed.

After confirming their formation, the four of them set off. The stone path was narrow, with Hermit Baiyun and Liu Jiang in the front. Wu Yuesheng followed a little behind, guarding Liu Jiang, while Qin Sang took the rear.

At Wu Yuesheng’s insistence, they slowed their pace, carefully inspecting every stone chamber they came across. It seemed that few cultivators had the qualifications to establish cave dwellings here, so there weren’t many chambers, and they didn’t spend much time.

To their surprise, they didn’t encounter a single malevolent corpse along the way.

The stone path sloped downward more and more, but despite their efforts, they hadn’t found anything of value. Wu Yuesheng grew increasingly impatient and asked, "Daoist Liu, why haven’t we found the others yet? Are you even able to sense their location?"

Liu Jiang, afraid to argue, quietly explained himself.

Hermit Baiyun stepped in to smooth things over. "Don’t worry, Daoist Wu. I can vouch for them. These brothers truly do have a psychic sense, and as their cultivation increases, the connection will only grow stronger. It’s just that the terrain here is complicated, and we haven’t yet—"

As he was speaking, Hermit Baiyun suddenly paused, abruptly lifting his head to look deeper into the stone passage, his brow furrowing tightly. Just as the others were starting to wonder what had happened, they saw Hermit Baiyun's expression change drastically. With a sudden shout, he roared:

"Watch out!"

Before his words could even finish, a dark shadow appeared without warning in front of the group, flashing by in an instant with incredible speed. They couldn’t even make out what it looked like, only catching a glimpse of a shadow streaking toward Hermit Baiyun like lightning.

In that split second, Hermit Baiyun hurriedly summoned his artifact, the trapping cloth sack known as the Sky-Trapping Pouch, placing it in front of him. A moment later, a ghostly claw materialized out of thin air, striking the pouch hard.

Bang!

The Sky-Trapping Pouch protected him just in time, and although Hermit Baiyun wasn’t injured, the overwhelming force easily sent him flying backward. He crashed into the stone wall with a grunt, unable to suppress a muffled groan.

Seeing this, Qin Sang was greatly alarmed. He quickly controlled the return of his Five-Elemental Breaking Sword, but just as he did, a scream rang out from ahead. He looked over to see Liu Jiang's entire body floating eerily before disappearing into the depths of the stone passage with a swoosh.

In a fleeting glance, Qin Sang saw a ghostly face emerge from Liu Jiang’s shoulder, staring at them with what seemed to be a sinister smile. The dark shadow clung tightly to Liu Jiang, vanishing together with him.

"A malevolent corpse! Hurry, save Daoist Liu!"

Hermit Baiyun, who had the clearest view from the front, shouted in anguish.

The sudden attack left him with no time to react. He had only managed to summon his Sky-Trapping Pouch to protect himself, leaving Liu Jiang to fall into the hands of the malevolent corpse. Overcome with regret, he let out a sorrowful cry and immediately chased after them.

Qin Sang and Wu Yuesheng exchanged a glance. Without hesitation, they unleashed their movement arts and followed at full speed.

Although this malevolent corpse was disturbingly strange and terrifyingly fast, snatching Liu Jiang away in an instant, they had no other choice. The Earth Malevolent Qi was closing in from behind, leaving no room for retreat. They had to work together to kill the malevolent corpse or find an escape route ahead.

Whether Liu Jiang was alive or dead was uncertain. If something happened to Hermit Baiyun as well, leaving only the two of them, the situation would become even more perilous.

As Qin Sang chased after them, he recalled the terrifying scene just moments ago, deeply shaken by the malevolent corpse’s overwhelming power.

The malevolent corpses they had encountered before had been formidable, but not to this extent. Liu Jiang’s iron lotus had remained out, and Hermit Baiyun and Wu Yuesheng had been guarding him from the front and back. Yet, when the malevolent corpse took him, he hadn’t been able to resist at all.

What troubled Qin Sang even more was the eerie smile he saw on the ghostly face as the malevolent corpse vanished.

He had seen it clearly—there was no way it was an illusion.