Starting with the consumables of the Demonic Sect, one can barely achieve immortality.

Three nights later, someone discovered a body hanging from a large tree next to an open space.

Number 15, of the Yi class, is in the early stage of Qi Refining. He still has some malevolent energy in his body, but his soul has already vanished without a trace.

A golden paper crane delivered the message to the fourth floor of the Hall of Longevity, shrouded in mist, leaving the unsuspecting corpse cultivators with only doubt and fear.

Rumors spread quickly, and even during the twice-monthly regular lectures, whispers among the corpse cultivators could be heard constantly:

"Another person has died..."

"Does the higher-ups really not care? After all, we are officially recruited disciples, and we pay a registration fee every month."

"Are you stupid? Didn't you get protection money from the town bully in your past life?"

"When they reach out to ask you for money, they're bound to make any kind of guarantee."

"Once we've got the benefits, who cares if you live or die?"

"...Shut up! How dare you say such a thing? Are you out of your mind?"

"It's not that we're reckless, it's that the higher-ups don't even care about our souls anymore, and have no intention of protecting us at all."

"If this continues, the killer's noose will eventually be around our necks, and we'll probably have no choice but to run away."

"Run? Run to where?"

"Beyond this sea of ​​fog..."

Yan Cheng, sitting cross-legged on the futon, had keen senses. Although he didn't deliberately listen, he could still hear the very low voices of the group of corpse cultivators.

His face was expressionless.

run away?

Yan Cheng could only say that these guys were really overthinking things.

Just because the higher-ups can't or don't want to control the actions of the executioners doesn't mean they can let the corpse cultivators escape en masse.

Furthermore, the Unstable Sea of ​​Mist has already affected the Palace Master's important matter of absorbing the essence of the sun and moon.

Even the brief moment when the fog began to peek through the sea of ​​mist did not extend the time that could be extended.

Beyond the Sea of ​​Fog, things might be even more dangerous than this Hall of Eternal Life.

He has now condensed twenty-three strands of Yin Star Qi. With the dual blessing of the Moon Wheel Seal and the Moon Essence Body Tempering, Yan Cheng's cultivation speed far surpasses that of others at the same level.

For him, staying in the palace and steadily advancing in rank was far better than fleeing alone into the unknown dangers outside.

But he also understood where the panic permeating the corpse cultivators came from.

The murder case escalated, but the emperor never showed any reaction to it.

Huang Tong had already gone into seclusion a month ago, seemingly no longer concerned about the continuous loss of his own supplies.

The one sent to temporarily replace Huang Tong in preaching to the cultivators was a female cultivator in the mid-stage of Qi Refining with an ordinary appearance, named Guan Caishun, who was in the same class as Tian Tong and Chen Caimin.

This fellow perfectly inherited Huang Tong's style of preaching with empty rhetoric; after half an hour, he hadn't said a single word, only focusing on ideological work among the practitioners:

"Among the five courts and twelve halls of the Taiyin Immortal Sect, few places can be suppressed by magical treasures like my Hall of Longevity."

"Even if all those self-proclaimed righteous cultivators from the south came out in full force, they couldn't even find our mountain gate in front of the wondrous magic treasures in the hall."

"What trouble could a petty cultivator who relies on stealing a few puppet strings and plotting against his fellow disciples possibly cause?"

"If you can strive to reach the middle stage of cultivation sooner and develop a body that is impervious to water and fire and difficult to be harmed by swords and blades, you won't have to fear a cowardly and secretive assailant."

She gave a cold laugh:

"Some good-for-nothings can't even master the few spells they have, yet they still dream of escaping to the outside of the valley."

"Once we're outside, we'll be at the mercy of the high-ranking officials, and our fate will be a hundred times worse than it was inside the palace!"

Although Guan Caishun intentionally spread anxiety, Yan Cheng believed that her words were not without reason.

Someone timidly raised their hand and asked:

"May I ask, Senior Sister, once you reach the mid-stage of cultivation, aren't you afraid of being strangled by those silk threads?"

Guan Caishun laughed and patted his not-so-plump chest:

"Don't underestimate the value of breaking through the Xuan Guan and stabilizing the middle elixir."

"With a single punch or kick, I can shatter the magic you've painstakingly cultivated over months."

"How can a tiny thread stop me?"

"Focus on your cultivation. Reaching the middle stage will open up a bright future. Just remember not to borrow money on the third level."

Upon hearing this, the cultivators felt somewhat at ease.

Guan Caishun was, after all, a mid-stage cultivator who had broken through to the next level.

Although he doesn't have much of a reputation in magical duels, the fact that Huang Tong appointed him to temporarily preach suggests that he has good judgment.

Moreover, as fellow corpse cultivators, the early-stage cultivators trusted her more than they trusted Huang Tong.

Only Yan Cheng coldly observed the changes in the expressions of the various cultivators, secretly sighing in his heart.

Half a month later, he carried the black coffin and pushed open the palace door. The first thing he saw was Guan Caishun's body hanging from the beam of the main hall, his legs dangling in mid-air.

The Hall of Eternal Life was in complete chaos.

In an instant, nearly dozens of golden cranes flew through the clouds and fog, filling the fog between the first and fourth layers.

Led by Tian Tong, the mid-stage corpse cultivators quickly arrived at the scene and drove Yan Cheng and the other early-stage cultivators out of the house.

Just before the gate closed, Yan Cheng noticed that Tian Tong's smile had disappeared, indicating that he had finally felt a real threat.

The cultivator who had taken over power during Huang Tong's seclusion sighed wearily and waved his hand to the side, saying:

"Summon the Corpse-Eating Yin Puppet."

"Order the Yin Puppet to patrol the second floor tonight, and command early-stage cultivators to keep their doors tightly shut from tonight onwards, and not to step outside."

"Those who violate this rule will bear the consequences, whether by life or death."

Are you willing to take responsibility for your own life and death?

Yan Cheng hadn't heard those words in a long time.

Huang Tong attempted to give the corpse cultivators false promises of safety, making them believe that as long as they cultivated steadily, they could keep their lives safe.

But when the upper cultivators ring a bell, they can summon souls and steal life force. How can the lives of the lower cultivators belong to themselves?

It's merely temporarily residing in a body that can generate malevolent energy.

Tian Tong, being a cultivator born from a living corpse, often speaks with a cynical and straightforward manner, making him much more likable than Huang Tong.

Yan Cheng hated being treated like a fool, and what he found even more unbearable was being reduced to a pawn.

The second floor, under curfew, was quieter than any other night.

Only Yan Cheng, with his exceptional senses, noticed that the surrounding temperature seemed to have dropped.

A strange, indescribable odor permeated the air, like a rotten book that had been stored away for many years suddenly seeing the light of day again, and no amount of cold wind could dispel its putrid smell.

"Ghoul-eating Shadow Puppet..."

Yan Cheng didn't know the origin of this thing, but judging from Tian Tong's expression and tone, it was undoubtedly an extremely dangerous existence for the corpse cultivators.

Guan Caishun, a mid-stage cultivator, still died at the hands of the executioner.

Therefore, the Corpse-Eating Yin Puppet that Tian Tong invited to deal with the Head-Shouting Guest is likely to be stronger than an ordinary mid-stage cultivator.

"And... why did he forbid us from leaving the house, or else we would be responsible for our own lives?"

"A corpse-eating Yin puppet... Could it be that it feeds on corpse cultivators?!"

Yan Cheng's expression was icy, feeling that Guan Caishun, that treacherous scoundrel who tried to cover up the truth, had died a truly wonderful death.

"They say the Hall of Longevity is protected by magical treasures, but that only protects the hall itself and the high-ranking cultivators within, not the corpse cultivators."

"Damn it, they dare to boast about how safe this godforsaken place is!"