The Terror of the Heavens Begins with Gu

Chapter 264 Meeting the Celestial Master from the North

Zhou Le'an said happily, "Yes, he's not dead, he's still alive! I just dug him out of his grave!"

The images of rain and electricity appeared in his mind at the same time, which seemed a bit eerie no matter how you looked at it.

They exchanged a glance and then walked toward Li Zhen and Zhou Le'an.

Taking advantage of Zhou Le'an's inattention, Yu grabbed Zhou Le'an and caught the torch that fell from his hand, then dragged the dazed Zhou Le'an backward.

Dian stood defensively in front of Li Zhen, saying, "What kind of demon are you?! You can fool Zhou Le'an, but you definitely can't fool us!"

Li Zhen chuckled and said, "I'm only alive because I didn't die back then..."

He interrupted, "You think I'd believe you? You were crippled back then, how could you possibly survive?"

Li Zhen explained, "I have a secret method that allows me to forcibly seal my soul within my body. After burial, I take the opportunity to initiate a ritual to regenerate my physical body."

Dian observed Li Zhen and hesitated, saying, "Then what you're like now... doesn't seem like physical regeneration."

Li Zhen sighed: "The secret technique I used is not simple. Once it is used, it will definitely not be so smooth."

"According to my original estimate, I should have woken up in more than ten days, but I didn't expect to wake up in just a few days. There wasn't enough time, and my decaying body hadn't recovered, so I ended up looking like the two of you are now."

Rain and Lightning were still somewhat hesitant, but their doubts had lessened considerably compared to before.

Although Li Zhen's words were somewhat bizarre, upon closer examination, they could be considered to make some sense.

The question is, is there really such a magical secret method?

They were born in Maoshan and had seen a lot, but they had never heard of such a heaven-defying skill.

In their view, once a person dies, they are dead. The only way to be reborn is in the underworld. Even if someone goes astray, they can only transform themselves into evil beings; it is impossible for them to be resurrected directly.

However, according to Li Zhen, he simply restored his physical body, thus bringing himself back to life.

Zhou Le'an shouted, "It's true! I was almost bitten by a zombie just now, and he saved me."

After putting down Zhou Le'an, Dian and Yu exchanged a glance. The two cautiously walked to Li Zhen's side, circled around him, and found that Li Zhen's condition was very strange.

Although Li Zhen's body showed signs of decay everywhere, some parts of his body still remained active, and he did not have the ferocity of evil spirits. He was almost no different from when he was "alive".

"It actually survived! This is truly eye-opening..."

Dian scratched his head: "Don't even mention that we don't believe it. Even if Master saw it, he definitely wouldn't believe it right away."

The more composed Yu bowed to Li Zhen and apologized, saying, "My master and fellow disciples were deeply saddened to see you die in battle, and we are very grateful for your life-saving grace. However, we suddenly saw you come back to life, which is why we had some doubts. Please do not take offense."

Dian couldn't help but add, "The magic you're talking about sounds a lot like evil magic. Righteous magic isn't that bizarre."

Yu glared at him and scolded, "Shut up if you're so ignorant. Didn't your master teach you not to talk nonsense?"

He scolded me, then apologized to Li Zhen.

Li Zhen said indifferently, "It's not your fault. No matter who saw me like this, they wouldn't consider me a living person. But, with so many Maoshan magic techniques, don't you have any similar ones?"

Yu said, “The magic of Maoshan is diverse. My junior brother Dian and I have only come into contact with some superficial aspects and have little knowledge of it. We have never heard of similar magic. Taoists emphasize following the will of Heaven and obeying destiny, but your methods seem to go against the will of Heaven. You are not on the same path as us.”

At this point, he immediately added, "My master traveled all over the country and had connections with many famous sects, so he probably knows some things."

Li Zhen nodded, then asked, "Did that zombie run this way?"

Electric's eyes lit up: "You want to take back that zombie? That's great! That zombie was chasing us, but it suddenly stopped just now. If I'm not mistaken, judging from the direction of the surging fog, it should have gone north."

It was difficult to discern directions in the fog, so Li Zhen asked Yu and Dian, "Could you two lead the way for me? Zhou Le'an and I have been following your movements to get here, and now we have to find our own way..."

Before the rain could speak, the electricity eagerly replied, "No problem! I'll take you!"

Li Zhen thanked him again.

Without further ado, Yu and Dian used readily available materials, crafting two torches from oily dry wood, before heading north with Li Zhen and Zhou Le'an in pursuit.

This corpse aura was far inferior to the corpse aura that enveloped the Jiang family's area, but after staying in the corpse aura for a long time, Yu and Dian also felt uncomfortable.

The torches they carried were not for lighting; although the sky was somewhat gloomy, it was not yet time to need torches.

The torch wasn't for lighting, but rather to help Yu, Dian, and Zhou Le'an ward off the adverse effects of the corpse energy on their bodies.

Rain added some powder to the torch, and the flames emitted a special fragrance that made Rain and Electricity feel much more comfortable.

While discerning the direction, Yu reminded Li Zhen, "Although that zombie was created by you, it has changed a lot. We suspect... we suspect that the Corpse King didn't die at all, but possessed this zombie in a special way. Therefore, if you encounter that zombie, you should be careful."

Li Zhen said, "Now it is that Corpse King that is controlling the zombie body I created."

Rain and light turned their heads at the same time, looking at Li Zhen in surprise.

Li Zhen explained what had happened again, and finally said: "The two female ghosts that I sealed in the zombie's body to enhance the zombie's resentment looked fierce, but they hadn't done anything evil. I had promised a senior that I would find a master to help them pass on, and I didn't want to see them be beaten to a pulp. Therefore, at the last moment, I went with the flow and threw the zombie's body out."

Rain and Lightning both initially believed that the Corpse King was actually more skilled, which allowed it to be resurrected in the body of a zombie.

In retrospect, this seems to be entirely the result of Detective Li's plan.

The resurrection technique and Li Zhen's plan have shrouded him in mystery, making him even more enigmatic in their eyes.

How could the corpse-driving people of western Hunan possibly possess such profound knowledge?

Both Yu and Dian simultaneously came to the idea that Li Zhen came from a special, secluded sect.

“So it was all part of your plan,” Yu said. “If Master knew you were alive, he would be very happy.”

“My master has been mentioning you a lot these past few days, saying that you seem to have a sinister aura and that you are somewhat… extreme, but you are a person with a strong sense of righteousness.”

Li Zhen looked helplessly at his body: "If it were part of my plan, I wouldn't be in such a sorry state."

The telegram asked, "Can your body recover? I mean, can new flesh grow from these wounds? Or will your entire body be replaced?"

Li Zhen frankly admitted, "I should be able to recover, but since it was dug out too early, it might be a bit troublesome. In the end, I should be able to recover to my peak physical condition."

Electric couldn't help but say, "This magic is truly amazing. Could you teach it to me? If I learn it, wouldn't I be able to..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yu interrupted him: "Shut up! Didn't your master teach you manners?"

Whether it's a sect or an individual, they all take their own magical techniques very seriously.

This concern isn't just about the techniques being stolen, but also about them being deciphered by someone who knows them inside and out, especially certain mystical arts. These kinds of techniques are naturally mysterious and unpredictable until their secrets are revealed, at which point they become worthless.

Yu was worried that Li Zhen would be angry, but Li Zhen said nonchalantly, "If you want to learn, you can try, but I don't know if you can learn it or if you will pay the price someday."

Upon hearing the word "price," Dian instinctively thought of many "evil spells" that required a price to be paid, and shook his head repeatedly, saying, "I was just joking, don't take it seriously."

Changing the subject, he asked, "That zombie king was able to maintain its sanity for a period of time, and its actions seemed purposeful. I wonder what it wanted to do?"

Li Zhen guessed, "He probably wants to find a suitable place, or something he can use, to restore himself to his peak."

Yu then asked, "Do you know the origin of that Corpse King?"

Li Zhen countered, "Do you know about the Xuanxu Temple?"

“Maoshan and Xuanxu Temple have always had connections. My master had a good relationship with Zhao Tianshi, the previous head of Xuanxu Temple. However, after that Tianshi passed away, my master was busy slaying demons and monsters everywhere, so his relationship with them faded.” Yu asked curiously, “Then is the Corpse King related to Xuanxu Temple?”

Li Zhen remembered that the Xuanxu Temple was set in the Ming Dynasty, but he didn't expect it to actually be moved to this background.

However, merging Xuanxu Temple into the fold didn't cause too much chaos. It's just that he doesn't know if the current head of Xuanxu Temple is the bald man he remembers.

Without hiding anything, Li Zhen recounted the origins of the Corpse King.

He recounted everything from the poisoning of the wife of the former head of Xuanxu Temple to the feud between his son Zhao Jun and the current Xuanxu Temple Celestial Master Zhou You. Finally, he told the two how Zhao Jun opposed Zhou You, how he was invaded by corpse poison, and how he ended up as a terrifying half-human, half-corpse being.

After hearing what Li Zhen said, Yu and Dian took quite a while to process it.

After a long while, Dian muttered, "I knew that Corpse King was no ordinary creature; even after turning into a zombie, it still knew Taoist magic..."

Yu nodded: "So that's how it came about. No wonder that zombie was so difficult to deal with."

He looked at Li Zhen: "That zombie is not simple now either. In your current state, can you suppress that zombie?"

Li Zhen said frankly, "I don't know either, but that zombie was created by me. My connection with that zombie has not been completely severed. As long as I see it, I can find a way to influence it, and even suppress it, to prevent it from returning to its peak."

"Since I left this loose end, it's my responsibility to put an end to it."

Dian said, "Then we need to hurry! If he recovers, we're finished. That zombie is too terrifying. I've lived for so many years and seen many zombies, but this is the first time I've seen one that's so terrifying."

Li Zhen suddenly stopped and looked up at the front.

Something happened in that direction, and an aura that made Li Zhen wary surge forth.

After he looked in that direction, the surging corpse energy brought some special auras to this area.

Rain and electricity then realized that something was wrong.

Yu used a special method to capture some of the corpse's aura, sniffed it, and exclaimed in surprise, "Someone is fighting. This aura is that of the righteous path, and the corpse's aura is dissipating. Could it be that someone is blocking that zombie?"

Dian nodded in agreement: "There are people fighting. Although that zombie is not at its peak, it is still remarkable that someone can stop it. Could it be... Master has arrived?"

“No,” Yu denied. “This couldn’t be Master. If Master were here, he would have notified us. Besides, Master’s injuries are quite severe; he couldn’t have made such a commotion.”

Li Zhen took a breath and felt somewhat uncomfortable.

His yang energy had not yet been generated, and at this time the yin energy was too strong. The yang energy in the air that surged with the corpse energy was too strong. Even after being weakened by the corpse energy, it still affected his body.

The person in front of you is definitely not an ordinary person.

Worried about unforeseen circumstances, Li Zhen quickened his pace and walked forward.

In less than a quarter of an hour, they walked out of the area shrouded in corpse energy.

This was a flat area overgrown with weeds, shrouded in the aura of death. All the weeds looked sickly and dehydrated, while the grass outside the aura of death was perfectly normal and full of vitality, creating a stark contrast.

Seeing the lush green grass, Yu and Dian immediately felt physically and mentally comfortable.

After extinguishing the torch, the two quickly followed behind Li Zhen.

After leaving the area shrouded in corpses, even though it was late, Li Zhen still felt somewhat unwell.

The numerous insects on his body also became restless, wriggling continuously within his flesh and blood, causing Li Zhen to experience an unprecedented itching sensation.

Perhaps influenced by the itching sensation, Li Zhen's irritability grew stronger.

Li Zhen knew that the reason he had this feeling was probably partly due to the backlash caused by the interruption of the spell.

The more you practice the Nine Deaths and Rebirth Technique, the more difficult it becomes.

Li Zhen became even more wary of this method.

"Master, something terrible has happened! A demon is coming! It's terrifying!" A voice suddenly cried out from ahead, attracting Li Zhen's attention.

His gaze shifted, and he spotted a child in the weeds a few feet ahead.

The child looked to be only eight or nine years old, wearing a straw hat woven from dried hay, and staring at him with wide eyes.

Clearly, the demon the other party was referring to was him.

Seeing Li Zhen looking over, the child cried out again, "Wow, Master, Master, come quick! This demon is terrifying!"

He ducked his head into the weeds, disappearing like an eel.

The wild grass rustled, making a "whoosh" sound.

Zhou Le'an complained, "This kid has no manners."

Li Zhen said dismissively, "I do look a little scary."

Upon seeing the child, Li Zhen already had a guess as to who the person in front of him was.

Following the shouting children, they hadn't gone far when they bumped into a bald man.

The bald man was thin, but strong and well-proportioned, exuding a sense of power.

His face was long and thin with distinct features, thick eyebrows, and deep-set, sharp eyes. He had a strong, masculine presence and exuded righteousness, making him a typical righteous person.

When Li Zhen saw the bald man, the bald man also saw him, and his expression became serious.

(End of this chapter)