Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 352 The Corpse Awakens, the Man Dies, Attacking the Sea and Seizing the Island (5K words delivered, last day, please vote with monthly tickets~)

Just as accumulated soil forms a mountain, where wind and rain arise; accumulated water forms a deep pool, where dragons dwell; accumulated good deeds form virtue, and divine wisdom is naturally attained, and the sage's heart is complete. Therefore, without accumulating small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles; without accumulating small streams, one cannot form a great river or sea.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Neither Taiyin Refining Corpse nor Taiyang Burning Palace are simple matters. It's just that Cheng Xinzhan has studied various schools of thought over the past few decades and integrated them into his knowledge. So when needed, his past accumulation came in handy, making it seem very easy.

More than ten days passed, and each time the bell was rung, the commotion in the sand dunes grew louder and louder, while the true rosy clouds in the Crimson Palace were slowly refined and shrunken under the burning of the heart fire.

On this day, Cheng Xinzhan had just finished ringing the bell when a wisp of smoke suddenly seeped out from the ground in front of him, and then condensed into a small insect out of thin air.

Cheng Xinzhan reached out, and the little insect landed in his palm, which he then tucked into his arms.

A dozen days ago, when Kong Jufu came to the cave to inquire, Cheng Xinzhan flicked Xiao Bao at him. Cheng Xinzhan had acquired Lai Youde's memories and knew quite a bit about the man's background. Although this man's talent was mediocre, he had worked hard on Huangliu Island for decades and had obtained a portion of the Sulfur Fire Miasma bestowed by Huang Laosan. He had also seized a bottle of Abyss Corrupting Spirit Water when he killed the Mo Yuan Sea Serpent Demon. In recent years, he had repeatedly refined these two spiritual items, transforming them into Yin and Yang energies, and was just waiting to form his core.

Cheng Xinzhan knew that even though Kong Jufu had been immersed in the Second Realm for many years, and even with such a simple Golden Core, the chances of him forming it were probably only 60% or 70%. However, if the chances exceeded 50%, it would be enough to make him take the risk.

Because minor demons like Kong Jufu and Lai Youde have shallow foundations and lack precious scriptures and medicines, the life-extending effects of the first and second stages of enlightenment are minimal. By this time, their physical bodies and lifespans are already declining, and the longer they delay, the less likely they are to form their core. Previously, they were suppressed by Huang Laosan and dared not form their core, but now that they can, they naturally want to do so as soon as possible.

So, when Cheng Xinzhan reminded him a dozen days ago that he should form his core, he understood the principle and began his secluded cultivation without hesitation. However, he did not expect that Cheng Xinzhan had secretly left a drowsy substance on him when he turned to leave.

Demon-slaying knows no distinction between small and large. The Red Corpse must be killed, and as for a minor demon like Kong Jufu, if it's easy to kill him, then so be it. Besides, this man knows Lai Youde too well; if we wait too long, he might figure something out, so it's better to kill him.

The fact that Xiao Bao has returned means that Kong Jufu fell asleep at the most crucial moment of combining Yin and Yang to form the elixir. The consequences are self-evident.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Five more days passed.

Cheng Xinzhan sprinkled water and rang the bell again, chanting.

"change!"

This time, the trembling of the sand dune was greater than ever before. After about thirty breaths, dust billowed up, and two enormous claws emerged from the dune.

Immediately afterwards, the sand slid down, and a huge, blue crab emerged.

The blue-faced demon's two dark eyes, no longer cloudy, regained their luster, and it curiously looked around. Then, it saw Cheng Xinzhan, and its entire body froze, staring intently. After a long while, it knelt down, paws shoved, and said...
"Greetings, benefactor."

The demon corpse spoke in a dull and rough male voice, like a simple-minded rascal of about ten years old, which made Cheng Xinzhan frown slightly.

While the new corpse was observing Cheng Xinzhan, Cheng Xinzhan was also observing the new corpse. For a demon corpse that had been at the middle three tribulations in its previous life, the new corpse nurtured by the "Five Elements Spirit Nurturing Technique" would have an initial intelligence level between ten and fifteen years old, similar to that of a human teenager. However, with the addition of his altar techniques and the Taiyin Reincarnation Curse, it should be possible to raise its intelligence to over fifteen years old, or even to adulthood.

However, judging from the way this demonic corpse observed its surroundings and itself, including its tone of voice, it didn't seem to meet its expectations. It looked less than fifteen years old, let alone an adult. Its own magic was certainly not the problem; could it be that this crab demon was never very bright in its previous life?
Cheng Xinzhan then thought about the cause of the crab demon's death and felt it was highly likely.

Then he said,

"According to custom, corpse demons who attain enlightenment take their place of origin as their surname. Since you were born on Fire Dragon Island, I will give you the surname 'Huo'. You were awakened by me using the Primordial Spirit Embryo Technique, so I will take the character 'Yuan' from that. Hmm, since you are after Qingbo, I will take the character 'Zhong' in sequence. However, 'Zhong' doesn't sound good at the end, so I will call you Huo Zhongyuan."

The demon corpse blinked, seemed to understand, and banged its head on the ground, saying...
"Thank you for bestowing this name upon me, my benefactor."

Cheng Xinzhan continued speaking, changing it to his inner thoughts, saying,
"We are in a dangerous place now. Only what I say from the bottom of my heart is the truth. Don't listen to anything outsiders say, understand?"

"Zhongyuan understands!"

"The demon corpse said loudly."

Cheng Xinzhan then added...
"When I communicate with you using my inner voice, you can simply reply with your inner voice."

"Zhongyuan understands!"

"...When communicating with your mind, you don't need to speak so loudly."

"Zhongyuan understands!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Seven more days passed.

The Fire Dragon Island token on Cheng Xinzhan's body vibrated and made a sound on its own.

He knew it was time to leave the island.

Cheng Xinzhan stood up, and in that instant, his aura surged from the peak of the second realm to the early stage of the third realm. Huo Zhongyuan, standing before him, watched this change with wide, darting eyes. Before the corpse could speak, Cheng Xinzhan decisively put this talkative and overly curious corpse servant into a corpse bag, then left the cave and went to the Funiu Guard's Hall.

He wasn't the only one who came; it must have been a small-scale gathering.

"Youde, you've reached the Core Formation stage?"

The old hall master spotted Cheng Xinzhan immediately, looking over with surprise, which also attracted the attention of others.

Cheng Xinzhan clasped his hands in greeting.
"Reporting to the Hall Master, I was fortunate enough to form the Core Formation."

The old hall master was delighted to hear this, and came over to Cheng Xinzhan, patting him on the shoulder.

"A Core Formation is a Core Formation. There's no such thing as luck or chance. Very good. In that case, you will lead the expedition for the new recruits. Besides, you are originally from the sea, you arrived earlier than me, and you are familiar with the maritime forces."

The old hall master smiled and made the appointment.

Cheng Xinzhan naturally wouldn't refuse, and clasped his hands in agreement.

Among the newcomers, besides Cheng Xinzhan, who was pretending to have just formed his core, there was only one person at the third realm. This was a young man, a human, who looked quite young. He was wrapped up quite tightly, but judging from his exposed face and hands, he had frightening, white-haired sores the size of broad beans on his body. There were no other people around him, and they all kept their distance from him.

This person was also in the early stage of the Golden Core realm and had not yet undergone tribulation lightning. He had thought himself to be one of the best among the newcomers, and had even been promised the role of team leader when he arrived early. Now, upon suddenly hearing that the old hall master had changed the arrangements and appointed Cheng Xinzhan as the team leader, his expression immediately changed. However, he managed to control himself well, his expression quickly returning to normal, and he didn't look in Cheng Xinzhan's direction.

However, with a sweep of his divine sense, Cheng Xinzhan had already taken in the expressions of everyone around him, and naturally he also saw the change in the expression of the young man with sores.

Are the two corpses making any movement?

The group was still gathering, and the old master continued talking to Cheng Xinzhan.

Cheng Xinzhan gave a wry smile.
"Not yet. The strange corpse hasn't made a sound, and the green-faced ghost hasn't been able to nurture a true spirit yet. Fortunately, I know some corpse needle techniques. After performing the needles, I can use the walking corpse talisman to at least make the green-faced ghost move. After all, it is also a third-realm Yin corpse."

The old hall master's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
"Not bad, not bad! You also know the Corpse Needle Technique, which is a good thing. Making the Yin Corpse move can help it develop intelligence earlier and adapt to the body more quickly. The General was right about you!"

"This is all thanks to the cultivation of the general and the hall master."

Cheng Xinzhan replied with a smile, then asked,

"Master, you've asked me to lead the team. Where are we headed today?"

The old master handed over a flag.
"You're all newcomers, so your tasks are light. Today, you're responsible for eliminating the eight smaller islands southeast of Huludao, killing or driving out the Jintanghai people from those islands. Then, thoroughly search the area beneath these eight islands to make sure there aren't any hidden thunderbolts like those buried beneath Huangliudao."

"After you've cleared everything, plant our flag, and then you'll stay on the island and hold it. When the time comes, someone will naturally come to relieve you."

Cheng Xinzhan agreed, took the array flag, his expression somewhat solemn, and asked in a low voice,

"Master, is this time the attack on Huludao serious? Are we, the Funiu Guards, really going to help the Great Protector attack Jintanghai?"

Some time ago, after receiving the Yin Corpse, the old hall master said that the Yellow Sulfur Island in Daduhai, which was under the jurisdiction of the Funiu Guard, had been captured. Next, they would support the expansion towards the Black Abyss Sea and the Golden Soup Sea. When asked about Cheng Xinzhan's thoughts, he replied that the Golden Soup Sea was the most important.

The old hall master nodded and said with a smile,
"You're right. Right now, both the Fire Sea and the Evergreen Sea are surrounded by enemies on three sides. If we could occupy the western border of the Golden Soup Sea, connecting the Fire Sea and the Evergreen Sea, we could significantly reduce the pressure. This would also completely connect us to the Earthly Yin Sea. With the three seas converging, we could stand as a tripartite balance, capable of both offense and defense. After you finished speaking, I went to see the General. After listening to him, the General decided to concentrate all the Funiu Guards and head north, and the Grand Protector agreed. The General even praised you as a capable general."

"Today is the day to launch a major attack on Huludao Island in Jintanghai. Not only our Hucong Hall, but the entire Guard will be mobilized. The elders of the hall will be mixed with the people of Zhenyin Hall to form two teams, serving as the vanguard of the Ruyin Guard of the Great Protector. The Faqiu Hall will also be mobilized to collect the corpses. Your group is the first to set off, and they are also gathering."

Cheng Xinzhan immediately understood that his group were actually scouts of the outpost. Then he asked another question.
"What if the King of Ao gets involved?"

Cheng Xinzhan guessed that the Demon King would most likely intervene. Huludao was located in Jintang Sea at a much higher position than Huangliudao in Dadu Sea, so the Demon King would not give up easily.

"You don't need to worry about that. Just do your own thing. There are rules at sea, and you should know them better than I do."

Cheng Xinzhan understood; this meant that as long as the Ao King appeared, the Crimson Corpse would definitely show up as well.

Cheng Xinzhan wasn't quite clear about the rules of the sea that the old master had mentioned before, but he naturally understood them after obtaining Lai Youde's memories.

The dozen or so demon kings of the Azure Sea were fighting over territory, and since they were all under the control of the Great Sage Overturning the Sea, they naturally couldn't really kill each other. Generally speaking, once the sea borders were demarcated, it was not allowed to start wars at will. If anyone was dissatisfied, they could raise it at the Thunderstorm Sea Thunder Appreciation Conference held once every sixty years, using the amount of thunder energy their subordinates had collected as a wager. The loser would have to accept the loss and hand over the territory.

Outside of these situations, it's usually just minor skirmishes along the maritime borders—one day you cross the border to hunt whales, the next day I cross the border to harvest pearls, or there might be disputes over islands that constitute maritime boundaries. In these cases, the Demon King doesn't intervene.

Another special case is when a new Four Realms Demon King appears, and the territory cannot be re-divided before the Thunder Appreciation Conference. In this case, fighting is necessary, and the Demon Saint tacitly approves of it, such as when the Three Corpses enter the East Sea.

In response to this situation, the Demon Saint set three rules.

Firstly, if both demon kings are bored or don't mind losing face, they can arrange to fight in the sky or the open ocean, stopping short of a decisive battle, with islands or sea areas as extras. They shouldn't let their subordinates die needlessly, after all, they are sea creatures, the property of their demon saint.

Secondly, if neither demon king is free or willing to personally lead the charge, or if the battle ends in a draw, then the fight should be left to their subordinates. Whoever seizes the island and can defend it will own it. However, when their subordinates take action, the demon kings are not allowed to use their superior strength to bully or launch sneak attacks.

The third scenario involves a demon king on one side who wants to fight and is willing to personally intervene, while the demon king on the other side doesn't want to fight and is only willing to send his subordinates. In that case, there's nothing that can be done; they don't even dare to make a move, and it's no wonder their subordinates are slaughtered and their territory is seized.

That's the rule, but in reality, these three situations often happen together.

For example, in the early stages of the Three Corpses Takumi, he had no subordinates, which is the first or third situation. The Three Corpses kept fighting outwards and kept winning, and their territory became larger and larger, and their subordinates also increased.

Once the Three Corpses have subordinates, they send their men to fight. If the opposing demon king doesn't make a move, they won't either, letting their subordinates decide the outcome. If the opposing side makes a move, the Three Corpses will accept the challenge. Once the upper levels have reached a conclusion, the lower levels don't need to fight anymore. If the upper levels are deadlocked or declare a draw, then it still depends on the subordinates. Generally, it's agreed that the island will be occupied for six hours, starting from the start of one side's attack on the island.

The two chatted for a few moments, and then most of the people had arrived. At this point, the old hall master glanced around, frowned, and looked at Cheng Xinzhan.
"Why isn't that rich man Kong who was with you here?"

Cheng Xinzhan's expression turned serious, and he returned.

"After registering my name that day, Jufu and I agreed to go into seclusion to break through to the Golden Core stage. Is he still in the Core Formation stage, so he can't spare the time?"

The old hall master's expression also turned serious, and he said...
"Wait here for me, I'll go see for myself."

Less than a quarter of an hour later, the old master returned.

"How about it?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked.

The old hall master shook his head.
"The person is gone, the core formation failed, and the yin and yang energies burned away half of his body. Moreover..."

The old hall master glanced at Cheng Xinzhan before speaking.

"Moreover, that Kong Jufu didn't follow the ancestral rules of your Wuling Lu Gang. He probably didn't treat the Yin Corpse well. His Yin Corpse ate the rest of his body."

"what?"

Cheng Xinzhan really didn't expect this.

The hall master nodded.
"The corpse said it itself: Kong Jufu was distracted at the crucial moment of forming his core, causing his core fire to leak out and his soul to scatter. His resentment surged up, and he couldn't control himself, so he rushed up and tore at the corpse. Now the corpse has been taken away by the people of the True Yin Hall, and from now on it belongs to the people of the True Yin Hall."

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head and sighed.

The old hall master, however, didn't seem to care.
"This kind of person deserves to die."

Cheng Xinzhan could only nod silently.

At this moment, the old hall master leaned closer, his face instantly changing from a kind-hearted demeanor to a gloomy one, and his voice becoming extremely sinister.

"Your previous Yin Corpse must have died to cover your retreat, right? You could do that before, but not in the Sea of ​​Fire. Even if the Yin Corpse couldn't be saved, it would still die after you!"

Cheng Xinzhan's face hardened, and he said in a low voice, "Yes."

Immediately, the old hall master's expression returned to that of a kind-hearted person. He patted Cheng Xinzhan on the shoulder and said,

"Alright, let's set off then. You're the leader, so try to minimize the number of deaths."

Cheng Xinzhan accepted the order, and a total of seventeen people, two at the third realm and fifteen at the second realm, flew away from Fire Dragon Island and headed northeast.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Above the waves, a group of people flew close to the sea, some riding mounts, some riding clouds, and some riding the wind.

Cheng Xinzhan traveled on the wind, and when he arrived next to the disheveled young man, he took the initiative to greet him.

"Lai Youde, fellow Daoist, you are very courteous."

The young man was surprised that Cheng Xinzhan would take the initiative to greet him. He seemed rather shy, and his expression was somewhat unnatural. Moreover, he seemed quite self-conscious about others seeing his face, so he didn't turn to look at Cheng Xinzhan. Instead, he returned the greeting with a cupped hand and said in a low voice,

"Liu Jushui greets fellow Daoist."

"Gathering water and retaining wealth, what a good name! Fellow Daoist, are you also from land? My ancestral home is in Wuling."

The young man seemed reluctant to talk or discuss the past, but he was helpless as Cheng Xinzhan stayed close by and refused to leave. After a brief silence, he replied helplessly,
"A native of Xiangyin, Hunan Province."

Cheng Xinzhan, on the other hand, seemed to be in high spirits.

"Fellow Daoist is from Hunan, then we are practically neighbors! Could it be that you also suffered oppression from the righteous path on land and were unable to establish yourself, which is why you came to the sea? To be honest, I was forced to seek refuge overseas."

Cheng Xinzhan looked over intently. Since Kong Jufu, the only one who knew the real reason why Lai Youde fled Wuling, was gone, she could say whatever she wanted.

However, he wanted to ask, but Liu Jushui refused to speak anymore.

Cheng Xinzhan smiled, not pressing him further, and then inquired about the others. After he had learned the names and origins of all the other people, the "Huludao" that the old hall master had mentioned was finally within reach.

Huludao is located northeast of Huolongdao, slightly larger than Huangliudao, and about the same distance from Huolongdao to Huangliudao. The three islands are basically in a straight line.

As its name suggests, this is a gourd-shaped island belonging to the Jintang Sea. Although it is located on the edge of the Jintang Sea, it is closer to the open sea, so its status in the Jintang Sea is much higher than that of Heishan Island and Hongxia Island in the Dadu Sea, and even higher than that of Huangliu Island.

Therefore, on Fire Dragon Island, it was Grand Protector Wei Liyang who was in charge of the main attack on the island. For the past year or two, the Yin Guards had been attacking Calabash Island and the surrounding islands. However, Calabash Island was naturally not easy to conquer, and it had never been truly breached in the past year or two; both sides were constantly at a loss.

Today, the time has come to see the true test.

At this time, the area around Huludao was still peaceful. Today, the main attack on Huludao was not yet the turn of newcomers like Cheng Xinzhan to join in the fun.

What they need to do now is to take control of the eight small islands southeast of Huludao, capture and hold them, and ideally, lure the enemy out by creating some disturbance.

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