Chapter 141: Returning To The City (II)

The yin force carried by living corpses was infamous for its corruption. According to Qiu Gaoxuan, once it invaded the body, paralysis would set in instantly, followed by the corrosion of the flesh; it was a sign of corpse poison. But in Lin Zheyu's case, his powerful blood qi overwhelmed the invading force before it could take hold.

He looked down at his palm. A faint purple-black hue stained the skin, but when he brushed it with his other hand, there was no numbness and no damage.

I see now. Once one's blood qi reaches the third transformation, when it becomes as fierce as a tiger, it can resist the corrosion of yin force. No wonder Senior Brother Han Mo said that only warriors of this level could handle a living corpse.

Understanding dawned in Lin Zheyu's heart; he had roughly gauged the living corpse's power. As his thoughts raced, a thunderous crack came from the wall. The living corpse burst free, roaring as it lunged toward him once more. Now that he was certain its yin force could no longer harm him, Lin Zheyu cast aside all hesitation.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sound of the Mountain Shattering Palm echoed thunderously through the cave. The living corpse was flung about like a ragged sack, slamming into the wall over and over again, only to roar and charge forward once more before the process repeated itself.

He unleashed thirty palms in succession, his blood qi rapidly depleting. The technique itself demanded tremendous blood qi, but even more was spent fending off the yin force that seeped into him with every clash. Roughly twenty-three parts of blood qi power were needed to neutralize a single part of that sinister power. Thankfully, the amount that entered him each time was minimal; otherwise, even he would have been overwhelmed.

I'm done with this. It's like hitting an iron lump—no, it's even tougher than iron. Even a solid block of steel would've shown deep imprints after thirty Mountain Shattering Palms in the same spot, yet this thing's chest only caved in by a single centimeter. Its defense is absurd.

He watched as the living corpse lunged at him again, then turned on his heel and sprinted out of the cave. The living corpse was too troublesome. It was not particularly strong, but its defense bordered on the impossible.

Even with a Mountain Shattering Palm capable of tripling his blood qi output, Lin Zheyu hadn't managed to inflict any real damage. He could only knock it away. For an ordinary third transformation martial artist, such a foe would be practically unbeatable, impervious even in defeat.

He burst forth at full speed, channeling his blood qi burst technique into the Golden Goose Technique. Each step he took left a deep footprint in the earth. The living corpse roared in pursuit, but within moments, Lin Zheyu's figure had vanished from sight.

Behind him, loud crashes echoed as the living corpse pounded on nearby trees, venting its fury. Its earth-shaking roars sent the surrounding beasts fleeing into the forest in terror.

"It's too bad I didn't bring strong enough chains. Otherwise, I might've tried capturing it alive," muttered Lin Zheyu, halting several hundred meters away as the noise behind him continued to rumble.

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

If he could capture a living corpse and harness the yin force within its body to make corpse poison, it would surely fetch a fortune. But the thought remained just that, as catching such a creature alive was no simple task.

Without using the Mountain Shattering Palm, Lin Zheyu's attacks were little more than a tickle to the creature. To subdue and capture one would require at least several experts of the third transformation working together.

It's time to head back. I'll come again once I'm stronger. After I advance to the fourth transformation, I'll see whether I can exhaust all the yin force in a living corpse. What would happen then? Would it still be able to move?

With the thought lingering in his mind, Lin Zheyu sped toward Songyi City. He had already tested it, though more than half his blood qi was spent while the corpse's yin force remained thick and potent. At his current level, he could not drain it completely. He resolved to return only after reaching the fourth transformation, when his blood qi would be powerful enough to try again.

He moved swiftly through the forest, his figure flickering like a shadow. Once he left the boundaries of Daba Mountain and entered within 15 kilometers of Songyi City, he activated the Tortoise Breath Grand Method at full strength. The surging force of his blood qi instantly calmed as his aura sank until it matched that of a Bone Forging Realm martial artist at peak stage.

He circled around through Beast Roar Mountain, following its winding paths back toward Songyi City. Suddenly, his expression shifted as he had sensed someone lurking in the shadows. In a flash, he darted into the thicket and came upon a young man whose face went pale with panic.

The youth barely had time to gasp before a strong hand closed around his throat, lifting him off the ground.

"A man of the Xing Family?" murmured Lin Zheyu coldly.

The young man's terror peaked, and his face flushed red. His voice was strangled by the grip on his neck. He could only nod frantically, begging for mercy with his eyes. There was a sharp crack as Lin Zheyu's fingers tightened slightly, snapping his neck with ease.

So the Xing Family really has grown suspicious of me. But with my current strength, there's likely no one in Songyi City capable of threatening me.

With that quiet thought, Lin Zheyu's gaze turned calm again. He felt no trace of worry.

Ever since mastering the Mountain Shattering Palm, Lin Zheyu's strength had reached unprecedented heights. Even martial artists of the sixth transformation of blood qi would struggle to pose any threat to him. And even if he were outmatched, he could still rely on the blood qi burst technique combined with the Golden Goose Technique to retreat safely.

After disposing of the scout, he continued toward Songyi City. Along the way, he encountered several more members of the Xing Family and eliminated them all without hesitation.

"Senior brother, it's your turn on guard duty again today?"

Upon returning to Songyi City, Lin Zheyu spotted Han Mo at the city gates, armored and leading a patrol. Diligent as ever, Han Mo never shirked his duties. Whenever it was his shift, he would personally patrol outside the walls.

Seeing Lin Zheyu unharmed, Han Mo let out a sigh of relief and asked, "Where have you been these past days? You disappeared so long that I thought something had happened to you."

"I was just out on a mission! It was nothing dangerous, just time-consuming. I'll head back first. I haven't bathed in over 10 days, so I probably stink like stinky tofu. Let's meet tonight and talk properly then," replied Lin Zheyu with a smile.

As he stepped back into Songyi City from the wild mountain forests, Lin Zheyu felt a strange sense of lightness; it was as though he was returning from a long journey. His heart eased, filled with quiet contentment.

A few informants from the Wuding Gang, stationed at the gate, immediately hurried off toward the Xing residence upon seeing Lin Zheyu return. He glanced at them but paid no mind. Even with the City Lord absent, the Xing Family wouldn't dare act recklessly inside Songyi City. The City Guard wasn't under their sole control, after all. Any rash move from them would unite the other factions against them.