Promise!

Chapter 268, Two Corpses

November 12th, the 64th year of the Qianyuan era.

Cangzhou, the first ring road, Shangguan family.

"I have finally reached the pinnacle of the One Corpse Severing Realm."

When Zhuang Jin entered the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm and severed the Upper Corpse Worm, he entered a stage of improvement. Now, his Innate Qi is strong and pure, reaching a limit. To break through the shackles and surpass the limit, he must slay the corpse again.

"Waiting any longer is pointless. The day is the day to eliminate the second corpse worm—the middle corpse worm, the white worm."

He sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, and a dark silver light appeared between his brows. He easily broke through a barrier that seemed to have vanished, entering the same mysterious state he had when breaking through to the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm.

At this moment, through introspection and self-examination, his spiritual power instantly broke through the tiny units of skin, blood vessels, and internal organs, entering the subtle depths, and 'saw' two white and red worms, like a bone-deep carbuncle, lurking and emitting faint black mist, drawing on the essence of the human body, within the space between the mustard seed and the Sumeru.

Since one of the three corpse worms had been killed, the remaining two worms were more vigilant and perceptive. They seemed to sense the arrival and observation of Zhuang Jin's spiritual power. The middle corpse worm, the white worm, which was closest to the upper corpse worm, the green worm, that had been killed, was wriggling slightly, about to wake up.

If the corpse worms awaken, it will be even more difficult to eliminate them. If they become entangled, it will cause a huge problem. If you have a Corpse-Subduing Pill, it will be fine. If you don't, you might suffer a backlash from the corpse worms, just like Zhan Shengchu.

—The corpse worms and white worms in the middle of the body mainly attack the five internal organs, causing people to lose heart and breath, become forgetful and anxious. Under the rebellious backlash of these corpse worms, people's five internal organs will fail, their heart and strength will be exhausted, and they will become forgetful in old age. This is simply a disaster.

'cut!'

Zhuang Jin was extremely decisive. In the instant the white worm in the corpse worm was about to move and awaken, his spiritual power and martial will merged and transformed into a sword of divine intent that fell down. The white worm shattered instantly and turned into wisps of black mist that drifted away.

—This may seem easy and carefree, but it is actually extremely dangerous. If the strength of that divine sword is not strong enough, it will severely injure the corpse worms but not kill them, which will arouse their ferocity and cause them to rebel and devour you. If the strength is too strong, after killing the corpse worms, the residual force will not be exhausted, which will damage some kind of human genes. There are records of people who died on the spot, and there are also people who developed various strange diseases. Not to mention the severing of martial arts, it is difficult to become a normal person from then on.

It is because his soul is strong and he has precise control over his mental power that he can kill the corpse worms in one fell swoop without harming the human genes, just right.

After the white corpse worms in the middle were cut down, the last remaining red corpse worm seemed to sense it and began to wriggle, about to awaken.

'My divine soul is powerful, so slaying the corpse worms is not difficult. However, my body cannot withstand slaying two corpse worms in succession. The two consecutive transformations of my innate spiritual energy will also deplete my accumulated foundation.'

'Fine, I'll kill you next time.'

With a thought, Zhuang Jin withdrew from this state of inner observation. The corpse worm that was about to wake up—the lower corpse worm, the red worm—returned to calm after being undisturbed and continued to absorb essence in its slumber.

Meanwhile, outside, with the white worms and corpse worms slain, the innate vital energy, which had reached its limit, began to transform upwards once again.

hum!
In the blink of an eye, the Holy Spirit Pearl flew out and hovered behind the head, radiating light, which was absorbed into the body to provide energy.

Compared to absorbing external spiritual energy, the energy stored in the Holy Spirit Pearl is more in line with its own attributes, easier to refine, and purer, giving it more foundation. It will not be stingy in such a critical moment.

As the innate vital energy breaks through its limits and absorbs pure ice-attribute energy, it is further sublimated, becoming increasingly pure and gentle, giving people a sense of flawless crystal.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The dark silver light between Zhuang Jin's brows disappeared. He opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning. He severed another corpse, and his surging spiritual power caused a storm to rage in the room, creating a constant buzzing sound.

'The second corpse worm has been slain, and now I've taken another step forward in the Corpse Slaying Realm.'

He felt a warm sensation in his body, and the innate vital energy in his dantian was so refined and pure that it was elevated to a new level. With a slight circulation, his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys resonated together, and his qi and blood moved freely and powerfully, like a raging storm, enough to support a stronger and more sustained burst of power.

'Excellent. This time, having eliminated the corpse worms and white worms, my internal organs will remain strong and my physical strength will not wane before my lifespan ends.'

The nearly 100-year-old elder of the Shangguan family, the former dean of the Bailu Martial Academy, only had physical problems after severing one corpse, but this will not be a problem for Zhuang Jin in the future.

"Now that I am at the second stage of the Innate Corpse-Severing Realm, within the three great families of Cangzhou, excluding the three family heads and the Yin God Realm Grand Venerables, there are only two or three whose realm surpasses mine; outside the three great families, after the death of Mai Yinghuang, who was at the peak of the Innate Corpse-Severing Realm, only four people remain at the Innate Corpse-Severing Realm. Li Shicong and Ao Zhiqi have only severed two corpses each, and the latter still has problems with his soul; Ge Zhaoqing and Bian Zhihao have only severed one corpse each."

Of course, there may be some hidden among these people who have kept their information from the Xuantian Division, but on the surface, Zhuang Jin has already entered the first tier.

"My attributes are even more extreme; I could even put up a fight against a martial artist who has severed three corpses, not to mention my trump cards like the Holy Spirit Pearl shield and the Jade Token that grants a strike at the half-step Yin God realm, which further increases my sense of security."

'Next, I need to continue accumulating strength and strive to achieve the Three Corpses Perfection as soon as possible, breaking through to the Yin Spirit realm.'

Upon realizing this, Zhuang Jin thought of Mai Yinghuang: 'Those who rely on external means to cheat, like Mai Yinghuang, are like castles built of sand and gravel; they crumble at the first sign of trouble. One must be strong oneself to forge iron; strengthening one's own foundation is the right path.'

"My spiritual power is twice that of an ordinary person, and my innate vital energy is of the highest attribute. My relative weakness lies in my physical body, but the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique, once it reaches the ninth revolution, can compensate for this."

'However, this secret technique becomes increasingly slow after reaching the seventh stage, and it hasn't even reached the eighth stage yet.'

Zhuang Jin frowned slightly. This was not because he was intentionally slowing down, or because he was tired or lazy, but because the further he progressed in this technique, the more difficult it became.

'I don't have any bottlenecks, and I'm not afraid of being stuck at each stage of the process. It's just that, as the dean of the White Deer Martial Academy, the conventional resources I acquire are a bit slow in accumulating power for this secret technique.'

'At this rate, by the time I reach the peak of the Three Corpses Realm in the Innate Corpse-Severing Realm, the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique will most likely not even reach the ninth revolution.'

Such a secret physical technique naturally has a way to speed up the process, which is to consume the flesh of exotic beasts of a high level.

—Everyone has their own expertise. In this respect, the energy stored in the Holy Spirit Pearl, or precious medicines and rare treasures, because they contain more of the primordial energy of heaven and earth, which is considered pure energy, are not as effective as the meat of high-level exotic beasts, which is a kind of blood and qi substance.

'To put it more bluntly, at my current level, it's like the flesh of a beast in the Blood Exchange Realm.'

"This is a bit of a dilemma. Most of the Blood Transformation Realm beasts are located deep within the Funiu Mountains, near the second level of the pass, defined by a line connecting Tianmen Mountain, Thousand Cliffs, Wangyue Marsh, and Yunchi Mountain. They are close to the third level of the deadly zone. In normal times, venturing deep into the mountains for hunting would cause a commotion, potentially attracting even more powerful Vajra Realm beasts from further inland."

Zhuang Jin hadn't forgotten that Ao Zhiqi's soul was injured because he had unfortunately encountered a Vajra Realm beast in his early years and suffered collateral damage. Therefore, although the possibility was very small, and with trump cards such as the Half-Step Yin God Realm Jade Token, he didn't want to take the risk.

'It won't work under normal circumstances, but it's possible during the tidal season in the Funiu Mountains.'

'During the primordial energy tide, the Vajra Realm beasts are drawn to the opportunities within the Triple Dead Zone and won't emerge. This presents an opportunity to fish in troubled waters; perhaps we can snag a few in the Second Dead Zone when we see them.'

He secretly planned to emerge from seclusion in the quiet room.

……

The warm afternoon sun in winter rippled across the stream, and a firebird preened its feathers by the water's edge.

In the nearby white jade pavilion, Shangguan Yunchang and Ji Tongxiu were playing chess.

"This round, my sister won again."

"My sister is being too modest."

Shangguan Yunchang held Ji Tongxiu's hand and whispered some private words, making plans to go shopping together sometime.

As the next head of a prestigious family, she possessed her own methods. Now, Ji Tongxiu showed more respect for Shangguan Yunchang than for Zhuang Jin. Not to mention Chu Jing and Miao Yunzhen, they were completely obedient, with no hint of any 'battle for power' in the harem. This made things extremely easy for Zhuang Jin, who could simply enjoy the situation.

When Zhuang Jin arrived, Ji Tongxiu knew that the two had something to discuss, so she took her leave to avoid suspicion.

"Congratulations on your breakthrough, my husband."

"As expected, I couldn't hide it from Yun Chang."

Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yunchang had been practicing the Yin-Yang Union Technique for a long time, and it seemed that a connection had gradually been established between their souls, making their practice of this dual cultivation secret method more efficient. In addition, with the authority of the Three-Part Suspended Mirror, it was not surprising that Shangguan Yunchang could perceive it.

He paused, then added, "In the end, I'm still a bit slower than you."

Shangguan Yunchang severed her two corpses two months earlier. After obtaining the three-part Suspended Heaven Mirror authority, she was aided by the Suspended Heaven Mirror's original energy, making her speed in the Innate Corpse Severing Realm simply unreasonable.

However, this is before the Yin God realm. To truly break through to the Yin God realm, it seems to involve the transfer of authority between Shangguan Jinfeng and her, so Shangguan Yunchang might not be able to do it as quickly as Zhuang Jin.

"There are two things I need to tell my husband."

Shangguan Yunchang said, "Husband, do you still remember Cui Pangui, who was in the Innate Qi Realm when you were in the Innate Qi Realm? This person defected to the Suspended Heaven Division, or more accurately, to my Shangguan family. This person is related to Ao Zhiqi..."

Back then, during the roundtable meeting, Cui Pangui betrayed Li Tingguan, causing Li Tingguan's blood to splatter all over Xi Guiling's face. Afterwards, he also threatened Xi Guiling.

Now that Zhan Shengchu and Mai Yinghuang have died one after another, this man, in order to show his loyalty, has charged into battle and set his sights on Ao Zhiqi. Ao Zhiqi's son has a congenital deficiency in his soul and needs high-age soul-nourishing herbs, so he uses this weakness to make things difficult for him.

— This person probably didn't want Ao Zhiqi, who was half-controlled by the Xuantian Division, to live comfortably and happily, so that they would make things difficult for each other.

When Shangguan Yunchang brought this up, she meant that she knew Zhuang Jin had connections with both parties and asked if they should stop it.

"Yun Chang, you don't need to consider me in this matter. Just do what needs to be done."

Zhuang Jin was only a casual acquaintance with Cui Pangui, but he was certain that if he hadn't been a half-married-in-law of the Shangguan family, Cui Pangui would have bitten him after becoming a dog of the Xuantian Division.

As for Ao Zhiqi, the threat of force he received regarding the secret technique of the divine soul that day left him feeling uneasy, and he still held a grudge. Naturally, he lacked the sentiment of repaying evil with kindness.

Therefore, I really don't want to interfere in this dog-eat-dog situation.

"I see."

Shangguan Yunchang nodded slightly and did not speak of this matter again, but brought up another matter: "Yunchi Mountain, the second pass of the Funiu Mountains, has an underground ice lake at its foot. The immortal ruins are the core of the region beneath the illusory ice flow. My husband, you used the Holy Spirit Pearl to absorb all the Xuanbing Marrow, which seems to have caused some reaction. There are occasional tremors there, accompanied by the surging ice flow. In the future, it may erupt and submerge the ruins. I intend to take out the cultivation techniques and secret methods from it and transfer them."

Zhuang Jin felt a pang of regret upon hearing this, as that place was a treasure trove for those with ice-attribute physiques and martial arts techniques. However, since things had come to this, there was nothing that could be done: "In that case, Yun Chang, you shall make the decision!"

……

Zhuang Jin broke through the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm and the Second Corpse-Slaying Realm in mid-November, nearing the end of the year. Ten days later, it was December of that year, the end-of-year energy tide.

boom!
On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, the vital energy tide of the year arrived on time.

In the direction of the Funiu Mountains, the primordial energy of heaven and earth gathered and swirled like a nebula. At the center, it suddenly spread out like a fountain, gradually growing stronger and stronger, until finally it was like a volcanic eruption, with a massive amount of primordial energy of heaven and earth churning and spreading outwards.

Unlike previous years, this time, as a massive amount of spiritual energy spread outwards, passing through the area of ​​Yunchi Mountain, it was as if a spark had ignited a bomb. Amidst the violent tremors, vortexes of spiritual energy rose and fell here.

The mountains trembled, ice flow erupted, and a huge shockwave traveled along the earth's veins, which was clearly felt throughout the city of Cangzhou. Some of the weaker houses collapsed.

Returning to the Funiu Mountains, after this earthquake, other areas still experienced small-scale energy tides. Only near the Yunchi Mountain, a double-layered forbidden zone, did the scale and intensity approach that of a large-scale energy tide.

Such a peculiar sight caused a stir among the martial artists in Cangzhou City, who were eager to venture into Yunchi Mountain, with some even risking their lives to go deeper. However, Yunchi Mountain is located at the second pass, on the edge of the second forbidden zone, and most of these people never returned.

Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yunchang guessed that this was a chain reaction triggered by the riot in the underground ice lake, which caused this situation.

Although this phenomenon is rare, it has been recorded in the past eight hundred years. There was a time when a similar situation occurred during an earthquake, and the three great families were not surprised.

……

The year-end test of Bailu Martial Academy was held in the Funiu Mountains, where teams hunted exotic beasts and engaged in real combat.

This area is a dangerous place, with innate instructors watching over and controlling it.

Compared to independent martial artists, one unexpected factor is the life-or-death situation. These students of Bailu Martial Academy have the academy's instructors to back them up, allowing them to gradually adapt and accumulate experience. It's like having food delivered to their mouths.

Which martial arts academy or even the first, second, or third-rate families in the state capital has such conditions? This is one of the reasons why Bailu Martial Arts Academy has a high success rate.

"Dean Zhuang, Ji Tongwei is truly a talented and promising student. I like him very much."

"That's right, I think the first place in this advanced class is definitely his."

"This is due to our family's scholarly tradition..."

……

All the instructors and directors were praising Ji Tongwei, which was a roundabout way of flattering him.

"Ok!"

Zhuang Jin nodded slightly.

As the dean of Bailu Martial Arts Academy, Ji Tongwei received considerable attention due to his relationship with Ji Tongxiu. The grade director and instructors often gave him special tutoring. This kid was quite promising; he had good aptitude and had also acquired a lot of good things from him and Shangguan Yunchang. It would be strange if he hadn't achieved this.

"Xiao Zi, go and keep an eye on things. If they're in mortal danger, rescue them. Under normal circumstances, don't show your face or help them."

Purple Kangaroo has now reached the perfect state of the Five Internal Organs. If it were to show itself, Ji Tongyi's single word "Rat, come!" would be enough to slaughter it indiscriminately, making a contest pointless.

Shangguan Yunhong stood to the side, opened his mouth and then closed it again. He felt that he couldn't beat this purple kangaroo without external help. He had originally been tempted to borrow it to do some private work and search for treasures, but after hearing Zhuang Jin's words, he swallowed his words.

Zhuang Jin pretended not to see it, so as not to let his brother-in-law go out and get into trouble and take the blame.

As the dean, he wasn't a hapless instructor, nor was he a director or vice dean in charge of assessments who would just come and take a look before leaving to venture deep into the Funiu Mountains.

……

(End of this chapter)