Chapter 241: New Yin Corpse

Chapter 241: The New Yin Corpse

"I haven't even asked about the Killing Dungeon yet, and the meeting's adjourned? Is Elder Ten Steps rushing off to kill someone, or rushing off for a date?"

Zhang Yuanqing grumbled inwardly, closed the conference software, and opened the officially developed internal mailbox, logging into the Yuanshi Tianzun account.

Sure enough, he had received an email from the official internal channels:

#List of Evil Organization Transcendents and Rogue Cultivators#

Zhang Yuanqing clicked to download the two spreadsheet attachments, opening the Evil Organization's Transcendent list first.

1: Ah Yi: Level 3 Witch Gu Master.

2: Liang Chen Ze Zhu Er Shi: Level 3 Illusionist.

3: Wo Ming You Wo Bu You Tian: Level 3 Illusionist.

4: Ren Xing Ben E: Level 3 Illusionist.

5: Bai Wu Jin Ji: Level 3 Bewitching Yaoguai.

6: Ta Sui Ling Xiao: Level 3 Witch Gu Master.

7: ...

"These guys, their Lingjing IDs all reek of a murderous aura." Zhang Yuanqing didn't see any names like 'Shame' or 'Social Death', and felt a slight disappointment.

But then again, it was normal. Evil professions were basically all figures with deep-seated hatreds and grudges; who would have the leisure to pick names exploding with shame?

The list totaled ten people, all seed players cultivated by the three major evil organizations. Every player came with an evaluation and battle record; each and every one was an extremely dangerous figure.

Especially the top three, Ah Yi, Liang Chen Ze Zhu Er Shi, and Wo Ming You Wo Bu You Tian. These three all had experience in trapping and hunting down Level 4 Saints.

Whether it was a designed assassination, the use of artifacts, or coordination with companions... regardless of the methods used, the bottom line was they achieved victory as the weak over the strong, slaying Saints.

One had to know, between Saints and Transcendents, there lay a chasm-like gap. It wasn't something just any Level 3 Walker could overcome by calling a few friends.

"With my current strength, combined with Spirit Servants and artifacts, hunting a Level 4 Saint isn't a problem, but it would have to be a newly advanced Saint. If their experience exceeds 50%, it's dicey. At 90%, even with all my trump cards, victory is impossible."

"These guys cultivated by the evil organizations... are still terrifying..."

Zhang Yuanqing suddenly thought of Li Xianzong. If that guy hadn't died, he'd definitely be top five material.

Back in Yin Yang Town, killing him had been pure opportunism. By the time the two faced off in the final showdown, Li Xianzong had already endured the battles of the first two checkpoints and the torment of the main boss. He was injured, his stamina severely depleted.

And after Zhang Yuanqing deployed the Yin Yang Array, his Water and Fire Avatars didn't possess the concept of stamina; only then did he manage to grind Li Xianzong to death.

One on one I'm not afraid, but if I'm surrounded and killed by them... it's more ominous than auspicious... Zhang Yuanqing proceeded to click open the Rogue Cultivator list.

1: Wei Wo Du Zun: Level 3 Water Ghost.

2: Tian Xia Jie Bai: Level 3 Bewitching Yaoguai.

3: Wang Ling Qi Shi: Level 3 Night Wanderer.

4: Gong Li Zai Dao Zhong: Level 3 Witch Gu Master.

5: Guan Zhong Kui Bao: Level 3 Earth Monster.

6: Nine-Leak Fish: Level 3 Scout.

7: ...

The Independent Cultivators' List made no distinction between lawful and chaotic, good and evil; it gathered all Transcendent experts with great folk renown, illustrious battle records, and official scrutiny into a single register.

Among them, the first-ranked "Sole Venerable" and the sixth-ranked "Nine-Leak Fish" were marked in red, signifying priority surveillance.

Sole Venerable's record stated he had once sparred with a Deacon of the Five Elements Alliance and fought to a draw!

He possessed an artifact called the "Water God Seal," which held the ability to manifest a true body of water; a Water Ghost holding the terrain advantage there could rival any peak-class Professional.

Coupled with Sole Venerable's consummate mastery over water, not even a Saint could kill him before his strength gave out—unless they possessed artifacts or skills specifically designed to counter the water element.

"Manifesting a true water domain... somewhat similar to my Yin-Yang Robe. No matter the ranking, whoever sits at number one has a few tricks up their sleeve. But this Nine-Leak Fish..."

Zhang Yuanqing turned to the man's evaluation and notes, a single, terse sentence: Dual blades, peerless saber art, suspected of possessing strength comparable to a Swordsman, rarely makes a move.

"If memory serves, 'Swordsman' is the advanced class for Scouts. Nine-Leak Fish has strength comparable to a Swordsman? Does that refer to an artifact? But if it were an artifact, the notes should state it directly... Peerless saber art? Is that why he rivals a Swordsman?"

Aside from those two, the rest of the top ten on the Independent List were all top-tier powerhouses, yet they fell far short of seeds like Zhao Chenghuang, nurtured by the establishment.

There remains a gap between the regular army and mercenaries.

"I am already among the very cream of the contestants; they should be the ones fearing me, not the other way around. But the Slaughter Dungeon holds Saint-level crises, and in such a complex environment, actual combat is another matter entirely. After all, I am merely stronger than them, not crushing them..."

Zhang Yuanqing sat at the desk, simulating the myriad scenarios he might face upon entering the dungeon; time flew by.

...

Come morning, Kou Beiyue arrived early at the logistics company run by Renxue Mantou; the two had agreed to meet here last night before heading to Jiangnan Province for the summit.

Kou Beiyue had deliberately donned a black shirt and trousers to project maturity, only to find Renxue Mantou standing at the company gates still wearing his food delivery uniform.

He asked, stunned:

"Aren't you going to change?"

The baby-faced Renxue Mantou countered, "Why should I change?"

Kou Beiyue replied as if it were only natural:

"For such an important occasion, one must mind their attire. A delivery uniform is undignified; wearing it to a formal event invites contempt."

Renxue Mantou laughed:

"Whoever dares look down on me, I'll just kill them. If I can't beat them, being scorned by someone stronger is only right. Besides, a delivery rider is a sacred profession; wearing this uniform makes me feel like I've donned battle robes.

"Beiyue, people like us value following our hearts' desire. Don't bother with so many rules. You don't act like a Demon of Beguilement at all."

Xiao Yuan always tells me to follow rules, to maintain decorum... Kou Beiyue couldn't persuade him, nor did he want to listen to his prattling, so he just said:

"Are we leaving now?"

Renxue Mantou pointed at the black MPV parked outside the company and said:

"We'll take that car, but before we set off..."

He walked up to Kou Beiyue, patting him down from top to bottom, explaining with a smile:

"This is necessary procedure, hmm—take out your phone, power it off, leave it in the company."

After a meticulous inspection confirmed Kou Beiyue possessed only a single phone and no extraneous communication devices, Renxue Mantou waved over a courier and handed the device to him.

"Don't you lose it, hear me? I just bought it, cost me 1,500 yuan."

Kou Beiyue's eyes tracked his beloved phone as it left.

He held no fear of his phone's data being pried into, for prior to arrival, he had erased the contact details of Xiao Yuan, Yuanshi Tianzun, and the other members of Master Wuheng's team.

The pair climbed into the executive sedan, the electric doors sliding shut autonomously, pulling into the drive and fading into the distance.

...

Zhang Yuanqing's morning arrived on the soft knock of a bunny girl.

Good grief, I didn't order a wake-up moaning service—no, a wake-up call... Zhang Yuanqing grumbled in discontent, calling out:

"What is it!"

He reckoned it was likely a summons for breakfast.

The bunny girl beyond the door possessed a voice soft and mellifluous:

"Mr. Yuanshi, the Young Master sent me to fetch you. He awaits you on the first basement level."

The first basement level awaits me... caught the Seductress Demon? Zhang Yuanqing's eyes brightened, sleepiness banished in an instant; he flung back the quilt, dressed, performed a cursory ablution, and hurried off to the first basement level.

With the bunny girl's assistance swiping open the private prison's access control, Zhang Yuanqing found Fu Qingyang in the second cell adjacent to the stairwell.

Clad in a snow-white Centurion's uniform, he stood ramrod straight within the solitary cell.

Upon the bunk lay a woman, tall and curvaceous... a stunning beauty.

Indeed, the Evil Class Fu Qingyang had hunted for him this time was a female; she possessed a sharp, oval face, a straight and delicate nose, lovely lips painted a lush red, long straight eyebrows, eyes closed beneath thick lashes.

The instant he laid eyes on her, a thought flashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind: Which internet celebrity streamer is this?

This Seductress Demon's visage was the quintessential "internet celebrity face"—and a top-tier specimen at that.

Beyond her exquisite features, her figure was mature and sultry; even supine, her ample bosom stood proud, waist slender, lower abdomen flat, below the waist the curve swelled abruptly—round thighs, firm buttocks, pert and upturned.

A body honed in the gym, crafted specifically to ensnare the opposite sex.

Upon seeing him enter, Fu Qingyang nodded in acknowledgment, then turned his gaze to the woman on the bed, recounting her particulars:

"Time was short; this was the only vessel we could secure. Her Spirit Realm ID is 'Blood Rose,' a Level 3 Seductress Demon, experience roughly 40%. She is a female streamer who harbors a pathological hatred of men.

"She specialized in luring men in her livestream to shower her with gifts, then coaxing out their contact information, using her beauty as bait to lure wealthy men offline and murder them. The White Tiger Guards had surveilled her for ages, originally intending to play the long game to land the big catch, to uncover the power behind her..."

Having detailed the woman's background, Fu Qingyang continued:

"I just administered poison; in three minutes she will be thoroughly dead."

Young Master Qian's expression was frigid, his tone even, as though executing a piece of insignificant refuse rather than a woman of breathtaking beauty.

Naturally, given "Blood Rose's" crimes, death was the only equitable sentence.

Fu Qingyang glanced toward the cart in the corner of the room and said:

The materials for refining a Yin Corpse—I’ve had them prepared for you. Additionally, there’s a Bursting Stone and a piece of Spirit Wood. In the Five Elements, Wood begets Fire; the two attributes complement each other, and this represents the very limit of what you can currently refine. Should you fail, I shall provide you with a fresh set.

Fail, and he’ll give me a fresh set… Zhang Yuanqing nearly kowtowed on the spot. Back when he bought the materials for Corpse Walker No. 1, it had cost him a full four million.

Zhang Yuanqing feigned sincerity: “Centurion, how much for the materials? I’ll transfer it to you.”

Fu Qingyang glanced at him, his tone flat: “Use the method you excel at most.”

Zhang Yuanqing kowtowed deeply: “Many thanks for the Centurion’s patronage. The Centurion is wise and mighty, ruling through virtue. I am honored to have joined the White Tiger Guard, and I shall swear eternal loyalty to the Centurion.”

Fu Qingyang let out a satisfied “Hmm.” “She is dead. Begin.”

Zhang Yuanqing delayed no longer. He walked to the cart, expertly compounding the “ink” used to inscribe Spirit Talismans. Cradling a cup brimming with “ink” in one hand and gripping a fine brush in the other, he approached the bedside.

He set the cup and brush on the nightstand, summoned the Bloodthirsty Blade, and ran the edge along the collar of “Blood Rose’s” T-shirt, slicing it open, then slit the skirt. In short order, he had stripped the body bare.

The body still retained warmth, preserved in its most perfect state. Poisoning was the best way to keep a corpse intact; though Zhang Yuanqing hadn't emphasized this to Fu Qingyang, with Young Master Qian’s experience, how could he not know such things?

Zhang Yuanqing lifted the writing brush and began inscribing Spirit Talismans upon Blood Rose’s flesh, guiding the lingering remnant spirit within her to fuse once more with the physical vessel.

Fu Qingyang had spoken true. This female Gu-Seductress Yaomo indeed possessed a severe case of misandry, for her body was flawless, without a single gap or blemish.

With the experience of refining Corpse Walker No. 1, his hand flew this time; in less than half an hour, he had completed the engraving of both the Formation Diagram and the Body Diagram.

Placing Blood Rose’s corpse, the Bursting Stone, and the Spirit Wood into the formation, Zhang Yuanqing’s eye sockets surged with pitch-black darkness as he channeled the Power of Great Yin into the Talisman Array.

Amidst a phantasmagoric flux of shifting light, his second Yin Corpse was successfully refined.

Zhang Yuanqing eagerly stirred the brand within his Sea of Consciousness, inspecting the capabilities of this new Yin Corpse.

First, the Gu-Seductress Yaomo’s passive “Bloodthirsty Berserk” had been retained. Second, the Spirit Wood granted the Yin Corpse enduring stamina—similar to Corpse Walker No. 1’s endurance.

There was no need for the master to continuously supplement it with Great Yin power; the Yin Corpse maintained ultra-high stamina on its own. Even if Zhang Yuanqing were utterly exhausted, the corpse could still fight three hundred rounds.

Next came Fire Resistance. The Yin Corpse could withstand immolation for half an hour; against attacks like fireballs or fire spears, it mitigated fifty percent of the damage.

Finally, the ability born from the fusion of the Spirit Wood and Bursting Stone: the Yin Corpse could use the Wood-attribute spiritual power within its body as fuel to ignite the Bursting Stone’s might, briefly erupting with formidable combat power, akin to the “Enrager” skill of a Saint-realm Pyromancer.

Naturally, the amplification wouldn't reach that magnitude.

The cost, however, was that the eruption lasted only five minutes. Once the time elapsed, the Yin Corpse would enter a weakened state, its combat strength greatly diminished, requiring two hours to recover.

This “Eruption” ability, stacked with the Gu-Seductress Yaomo’s Bloodthirsty Berserk—two buffs layered atop one another—who knew what heights the Yin Corpse could reach? It felt far stronger than Corpse Walker No. 1… Zhang Yuanqing was wild with joy.

He reckoned that with the dual-buff stacking, his Yin Corpse, even if it couldn't match Zhao Chenguang’s Saint-realm Yin Corpse, could at least contend with it for a time.

Fu Qingyang, watching from the sidelines, spoke upon seeing the successful refinement:

“I have other matters!”

Without waiting for Zhang Yuanqing to respond, he turned and left.

“Take your time, Centurion.” Zhang Yuanqing called out to his retreating back.

Once the Centurion’s footsteps faded, Zhang Yuanqing examined his Yin Corpse. A pointed chin, large eyes, features exquisite and flawless—a standard “internet celebrity face.” Only those large, round eyes were dull, lifeless, devoid of spirit.

This greatly diminished her allure.

Wait—I can have the Ghost Bride possess the Yin Corpse. A “living” flesh vessel is the optimal host for a Spirit Servant… A flash of inspiration struck Zhang Yuanqing, and he devised a method to merge the Spirit Servant with the Yin Corpse.

He thought it, and so he did; he immediately spat out the Ghost Bride.

With the appearance of the female ghost clad in a brilliant crimson wedding gown, a gloomy, chilling aura instantly filled the single room.

"Wife, try entering this body."

Upon hearing this, the Ghost Bride immediately drifted toward the Yin Corpse, her crimson-robed form overlapping with the corpse.

In the next moment, deep within Blood Rose’s beautiful eyes, a spark of spirituality slowly coalesced. Her eyelashes trembled, and a pair of lively eyes gazed at Zhang Yuanqing with tender affection.

A melodious voice drifted from her cherry lips:

"Husband, is this the body you found for your concubine?"

She spun around in delight, a gentle, radiant smile blooming on her face.

Her smile, her demeanor, were no different from a living person's.

Though the nature of the Yin Corpse could not be changed, having someone who could speak and laugh by his side was still better than lugging around a cold, stiff corpse... Zhang Yuanqing nodded, going with the flow.

"As long as you like it."

The Ghost Bride’s eyes fluttered, concealing deep affection, as she walked toward Zhang Yuanqing. Her steps were light and graceful, the stride so small it brought the four words "lotus steps, measured and slow" to Zhang Yuanqing's mind.

The Ghost Bride happily nestled into her husband's arms.

Zhang Yuanqing had originally intended to push her away, but considering "Bride" was the setting the Secret Realm had bestowed upon her, forcibly demanding she keep her distance and correct her identity might conflict with the Ghost Bride's character setting, causing adverse effects.

For instance, loyalty dropping, or resentment increasing, making the Yin Qi less pure... so he let her be; there was no one around anyway.

At this moment, the Ghost Bride said bashfully:

"Husband found a body for your concubine... is it so we can consummate the marriage?"

Only because the Yin Corpse had no blood did her face not flush crimson with shame right now.

...Zhang Yuanqing suddenly felt like he had lifted a rock only to drop it on his own foot. When she had no body, he could fob her off with excuses; now that a ready-made body was here, he momentarily couldn't find a reason to refuse.

But I'm not the Demon Lord!

Just then, steady footsteps came from the corridor, followed by Fu Qingyang's figure appearing at the door.

He had probably forgotten to say something, so he had turned back, but that was no longer important. The moment Young Master Qian saw the scene inside, his usually placid gaze abruptly sharpened.

That perpetually cold face flashed with astonishment, surprise, disdain, and a trace of deep, profound pity...

Zhang Yuanqing's expression froze instantly, and he stammered, "Centurion, let me explain..."

Fu Qingyang said coldly, "No need to quibble. Stay away from Guan Ya from now on."

Zhang Yuanqing: "..."

...

Three hours later, the business van arrived in Jiangnan Province, at a place called Copper Town.

This seemed to be a tourist spot; visitors holding umbrellas came and went in a lively bustle. There were no cement roads in the town, only flagstone streets throughout. Clear river water wound its way through, and wupeng boats carried passengers, drifting leisurely beneath the stone bridges.

Wine houses and tea shops lined both banks of the stream; signboards and banners fluttered in the gentle breeze.

Having bought tickets to the scenic area, Kou Beiyue followed Renxue Mantou into the ancient town, traversing a Jiangnan water town redolent of antiquity; as a minor who had scarcely ever traveled, he was quite keen to look around.

But they hadn't walked long before the two arrived outside a teahouse.

Renxue Mantou lowered his voice:

"This is the summit location. Once inside, remember not to speak out of turn."

Kou Beiyue immediately said:

"I need to use the toilet."

The words were true; the three-hour journey from Songhai to Tongzhen had left him desperate to relieve himself long ago.

"I told you to take a leak at the service area just now and you wouldn't go..." Renxue Mantou said impatiently. "There's a toilet inside; I'll accompany you."

The two entered the teahouse, and after asking at the front desk, headed straight for the restroom around the corner.

Kou Beiyue didn't choose a urinal, but entered a stall; with one hand freeing himself, with the other he opened his inventory and withdrew a pitch-black jade talisman.

His deliberate refusal to use the toilet at the service area was precisely to manufacture an opportunity to use the talisman.

Before entering the venue, he would surely be tested; he needed to contact Master Wuheng before the test arrived, to borrow strength from him and bluff his way through.

"Whoosh—"

"Click—"

Masked by the sound of the flushing toilet, Kou Beiyue gently crushed the jade talisman; instantly, an invisible ripple spread out, like a spring breeze cleansing the soul.

Kou Beiyue tossed the talisman fragments into the bowl, letting them flush away with the current, zipped his fly, and pushed open the stall door.

"Let's go!"

He said to Renxue Mantou, who was waiting at the restroom entrance.