Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Corpse of the Dark Nether

This monster possesses boundless strength; if I keep struggling with it, I won't escape death from exhaustion! Lin Feng gritted his teeth fiercely.

"Go!" Suddenly, he released his grip, swiftly drew the hatchet from his waist, and lunged forward!

The Blackstone Ape, unable to resist its own momentum, staggered back several steps, holding the pear-blossom spear as it fell heavily to the ground.

"Die!" Lin Feng's hatchet slashed fiercely toward the ape's throat!

A screech, as if the blade scraped against solid steel, rang out; sparks flew, and the blade curled into a twisted mess.

Boom! A surge of tremendous force struck. Lin Feng felt the very air shift, the gale slicing painfully past his ears.

"Ah!" Without evading, he summoned his spiritual power, flooding his muscles and bones to the point his clothes threatened to burst. Faint glimmers of red and white shone from his skin. Lin Feng was determined to endure a full-force blow from the Blackstone Ape, risking serious injury, all to destroy the talisman lodged in the monster's throat!

Lightning-fast, his right hand finally pierced the creature's throat and touched the gold paper!

At that moment, a thousand pounds of force crashed upon him. With a roar, Lin Feng spat a stream of blood and was flung backward, slamming into an old birch tree, which trembled violently.

After striking, the Blackstone Ape fell still. Lin Feng, tightly gripping the golden talisman, forced a bitter smile.

Snatching the talisman from the jaws of the beast!

The meridians remodeled by the Manjusha Flower not only proved resilient but, at this moment of life and death, opened a broad pathway for his spiritual energy, just in time to withstand the fatal blow.

"This monster seems like a zombie or some other evil creature. I wonder who used the Blackstone Ape to forge it—better be cautious." With this thought, he watched his surroundings warily.

The wind swept fallen leaves, and another rustle sounded. Lin Feng's eyes widened, sweat pouring from his brow. A low whimper reached his ears, and upon closer look, his black steed had darted out from somewhere, tongue lolling as it galloped madly toward its master.

"You scared me to death... you little rascal." Lin Feng caught the animal and flicked its head lightly.

"We can't stay here; our lives wouldn't be safe." Seeing that it was getting late, he decided to return with Du Songsong tomorrow morning to deal with the corpse.

Staggering, Lin Feng quickly disappeared into the wilds, glancing back every few steps.

...

Dozens of miles away, in a dark cave, a gaunt elder sat cross-legged, his spirit hollow. Beside him, another figure sat motionless. The cave's surroundings were eerily silent; even the grass and trees dared not stir, a deathly pall permeating the air.

After a long while, the frail elder opened his blood-red eyes, murderous intent spilling forth. He let out a cold snort, glanced at the figure next to him, and rasped, "Dare to destroy my ape corpse... In two nights, once I've seized the Soul-devouring Ghostweed, it will be your doom. Then I'll refine all you so-called righteous cultivators into Xuanming Iron Corpses!"

...

Lin Feng did not return home but went up Tianmen Peak to the Treasure Exchange Room.

"Mr. Fei, how much contribution can this talisman earn?" His face was still pale, coughing behind his hand.

Old Fei did not rush to examine the talisman, but looked at Lin Feng with concern. "Your breath is disordered—are you alright? Would you like to go to the Creation Room for a pill to restore your energy?"

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"No need, it's just a minor injury." Lin Feng smiled. "Please, tell me—is this a puppet-controlling talisman?"

"Hmm?" Mr. Fei grew serious, retrieved a golden-rimmed frame from the counter and perched it on his nose. After a few glances, his expression darkened.

"Where did you get this?"

Lin Feng told the truth; he had come precisely to learn the origins of the Blackstone Ape, and among the outer sect leaders and elders, he only trusted Mr. Fei.

"This is a mid-grade Xuanming Corpse-driving Talisman. See, the wild, twisted symbols on it carry a hint of baleful energy. If I am correct, this talisman was crafted by an expert of the demonic path." Mr. Fei pointed to the intricate, chaotic runes on the golden silk, explaining with a grave face.

Lin Feng studied it for a while but saw no trace of baleful energy.

Old Fei continued, "Only two kinds of people possess such strange arts: demonic cultivators and overseas rogue cultivators. Both are not to be trifled with. Among demonic cultivators, the inheritors of the Ten Thousand Demons Ghost Valley are most skilled in corpse refining and controlling. Their zombies possess immense strength and incredible speed, with battle prowess at least a level higher than in life. The Blackstone Ape you described fits these traits. As for overseas rogues, they are said to specialize in puppet arts, even more exquisite and powerful than corpse refining."

Lin Feng nodded. He had narrowly escaped death today and gained much insight. If puppet arts surpass corpse refinement, how formidable might they be?

"Unfortunately, you can't exchange this talisman for contribution points. The righteous sects have always despised such methods—driving corpses is seen as a disgraceful act, so no one cultivates it." Mr. Fei returned the talisman with an apologetic look.

"Understood, Mr. Fei." Lin Feng tucked the talisman away and took his leave.

"Yes, signs of demonic activity—this must be reported to the Sect Master at once." Old Fei pondered, quickly penned a secret letter, summoned a disciple from the back courtyard, handed him the missive, and whispered instructions...

After leaving the Treasure Exchange Room, Lin Feng sought out Du Songsong. They agreed to deal with the Blackstone Ape’s corpse in the birch forest at dawn, hoping to salvage any remaining value. Before departing, Du Songsong produced a pill for Lin Feng—a Returning Essence Pill.

Night fell.

Ten miles south of Tianmen Peak lay a mysterious valley. Even from a distance, one could feel the spiritual energy saturating the air—one of the three major forbidden zones of the outer sect: Western Phoenix Garden.

Western Phoenix Garden’s security was usually overseen by an inner sect master, with other guards recruited from outer sect volunteers, rewarded handsomely with contribution points. Though the perimeter was tightly guarded, within the garden only a single attendant was arranged to minimize human interference with the spiritual herbs. People possess various elemental attributes—some are naturally hot-tempered, reflecting strong fire affinity, and certain rare herbs must avoid fire to preserve their potency. Thus, garden attendants were chosen for their moderate temperament and kindly disposition.

Tonight, as usual, the garden was overseen by the inner sect elder Zhou Kuigang, with dozens of late-stage outer sect disciples rotating their shifts, everything proceeding methodically and orderly.

Outside the western gate, four disciples patrolled with swords and blades, alert and vigilant.

"Huh? Senior Brother Luo?" One rubbed his eyes, surprised.

"Who? Which Senior Brother Luo?" another asked.

"Luo Shangqing! I thought I just saw him."

"Luo... that's impossible. Luo Shangqing disappeared half a month ago. Not good!" The round-faced, burly man with a jeweled saber at his waist turned pale.

None dared to sound the alarm. The newly arrived Elder Zhou Kuigang was notoriously strict—any mistake would earn a severe scolding, even a yawn would provoke his wrath. They dared not report anything uncertain.

"Let's go inside and check!" The horse-faced man suggested entering the garden.

"Nonsense! Stay here. We'll hide and watch the gate. If it really is him, we'll all surround and capture him together—imagine the credit!" The round-faced man proposed.

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"Yes! Senior Brother is right." The others agreed, and the four concealed themselves in the shadows.

Less than half an incense stick later, a dark figure flashed from the garden, leaping dozens of yards into the night.

"It's him! Sound the alarm! Sound the alarm!" The round-faced man reacted first, yelling at his stunned companions.

The bell rang, but the figure had already vanished. The four stood stupefied, faces ashen...

"Haha! Well done! Once I master the Soul-consuming Yin Corpse Art, I'll refine you into a Violet Fiend Corpse." The gaunt, mysterious man muttered to "Luo Shangqing" as he took the Soul-devouring Ghostweed, laughing sinisterly.

"You won't get the chance!" A cold, merciless voice suddenly pierced the air.

"Who’s there?"

"Me! Zhou Kuigang of the Hundred Flowers Sect!" The red-robed man stepped from outside the cave, standing atop gold and silver scepters, his body surrounded by golden light, dignified as a deity descending.

"Insignificant brat! You dare act arrogant before the Soul-calling Master?" The dark figure sneered, and the baleful Luo Shangqing sprang from the cave toward Zhou Kuigang in midair.

Zhou Kuigang's eyes widened. The dragon scepter beneath his feet hummed. Boom! He collided head-on with Luo Shangqing! The zombie was knocked back, smashing a crater into the cliff. The red glow of the scepter faded as Zhou Kuigang calmly retrieved it.

"You blood-refined my sect's disciple and stole our spiritual herbs—I cannot spare you!" Zhou Kuigang thundered angrily.

In their brief clash, he recognized Luo Shangqing—a hard-skill expert of the outer sect whom Zhou had met half a year ago. To see him sacrificed and refined into a blood corpse by the demonic path incited deep fury.

"Heh, heh, don't boast, boy. Watch as I subdue you—perfect for forging a Gold Impervious Flying Zombie. With this Soul-calling Master, I'll surpass the Red-haired Fiend and seize the cave lord's seat!" The Soul-calling Master’s eyes blazed red as he hurled a ball of golden light from the cave!

"Not good! They're Gold-eating Bugs!" Zhou Kuigang's sharp gaze instantly identified the golden light: dozens of swift insects, each three inches long and shaped like golden cicadas—ancient wild species that devour metal and iron!

Besides metal, these spiritual creatures crave human souls. They can be refined into treasures, used to destroy opponents' magical implements and disrupt their minds—a most vicious, evil breed.

Though these Gold-eating Bugs had not yet been refined into spiritual artifacts, their numbers startled Zhou Kuigang.

"Heh, so you recognize them." The figure in the cave remained hidden; even the swarm of bugs forced Zhou Kuigang into disarray.

Gold-eating Bugs ignore metal and iron, rendering the dragon-phoenix scepters useless. Zhou Kuigang had to rely on fire arts, but his spell mastery was poor, and he was soon beset by the swarm.

Meanwhile, the blood corpse Luo Shangqing crawled from the crater to join the fray. Unmatched in life, he was now even more formidable in death, his body reinforced several times by corpse-fire talismans. Both his speed and strength had soared, his punches thunderous, and with the Gold-eating Bugs, Zhou Kuigang was driven to defeat after defeat.

"Don't panic, Fourth Brother. Senior’s here to help!" In the darkness, a richly dressed figure soared in, his massive golden blade like an oar, stirring whirling currents and fiery gold flames in its wake.

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