The Quest for Immortality

The pitch-black coffin was gradually pried open.

The corpses inside crawled out one by one.

With hollow, lifeless eyes and decaying, festering skin, they stood densely packed on the mining grounds—dozens of them, an ominous presence.

Corpse Refinement!

Mo Hua’s gaze grew cold as he looked at Zhang Quan and said icily,

”Have you turned to Demon Path?”

Corpse Refinement is a truly demonic practice, unacceptable to the Cultivation World and contrary to Taoist Law.

Cultivators who practiced Corpse Refinement would be executed by the Taoist Court.

The Sects or Clans that practiced Corpse Refinement would also be obliterated by the Taoist Court.

Thinking of these Walking Corpses, most of which were Mining Cultivators from the mountain.

After a lifetime of hardship, they had died in vain, only to have their corpses refined into Zombies to be used for evil deeds.

Mo Hua noted this in his mind about Zhang Quan.

Once this affair was settled, he was determined to find a way to ensure that Zhang Quan would meet a horrific end.

Zhang Quan sneered, ”So what if I have? I’m a lone man with nobody to care for me. As long as I can achieve enlightenment, what does turning to Demon Path matter to me?”

Mo Hua looked disdainful, ”You’ve turned to Demon Path and still dream of enlightenment? Keep dreaming.”

”What would a brat like you know?”

”You’re being chased around by a brat like a rat scurrying for cover, and you think you understand better?”

A surge of blood rushed to Zhang Quan’s throat, which he forcefully suppressed to avoid spitting it out.

He raged, ”Fine, fine, you have a glib tongue; I can’t outtalk you. But once I’ve killed you and torn your mouth apart to feed these Walking Corpses, let’s see if you can still be so tough!”

Mo Hua snorted,

”Forget it, you can’t even catch me when you’ve become a corpse yourself, and you’re counting on these stupid Walking Corpses?”

After that, Mo Hua quietly asked Bai Zixi, ”Senior Sister, what’s a Walking Corpse?”

Bai Zixi replied, ”They are low-level Zombies.”

”Oh, oh.”

Mo Hua’s heart settled, and he nodded repeatedly. Then, he lifted his head with an air of disdain,

”Nothing but low-level Zombies. All you, a Foundation Building Cultivator, have are these petty tricks. You’d better crawl back into the womb and avoid embarrassing yourself in the outside world...”

Mo Hua shouted loudly.

Having come from a background of Monster Hunting, and having trained under Elder Yu, even if Mo Hua didn’t know how to curse someone himself, he could recite the curses taught by Elder Yu.

However, since his Junior Brother and Sister were there, he felt embarrassed to utter the more vulgar insults.

Worried about spoiling his own image,

He instead opted for some rather ”friendly” terms to test Zhang Quan.

But Zhang Quan was finding it somewhat intolerable.

He would normally ignore any insults from brats, knowing he could cut them down with a backward swipe.

But Mo Hua, he couldn’t kill.

No matter how Mo Hua insulted him, he had to tolerate it, completely powerless against him.

And all his moves were flawlessly defended against, leaving him indeed with nothing but these Walking Corpses.

Zhang Quan glared at Mo Hua intently.

If stares could kill, Mo Hua would have died by his glance ten times over.

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Mo Hua remained unabashed, hands on his hips, looking at Zhang Quan and saying,

”What’s with the evil eye, little man? You think glaring with those tiny eyes will make me afraid?”

Zhang Quan’s scalp tingled with anger.

His right hand trembled as he shook the Blood Rope Marked Copper Bell, shouting hoarsely,

”I’ll kill you!”

The dozens of Walking Corpses, drawn by the bell, bared their fangs, claws like knives, and lunged madly towards Mo Hua and the others, emitting guttural breaths.

Bai Zixi’s delicate hands waved, and several streaks of Sword Qi flew out, severing the legs of a few Walking Corpses.

Yet more of the Walking Corpses continued to advance relentlessly.

Even those that had fallen, their legs chopped off, continued crawling towards Mo Hua, mindless of their condition.

Mo Hua focused and conjured the Fireball Technique.

One Fireball Technique after another flew out, burning the arms of a few Walking Corpses into charred stumps, turning them to ash.

But as long as any limbs remained, the Walking Corpses would still struggle toward Mo Hua.

Mo Hua furrowed his brows.

A Rank-One Walking Corpse only had the strength of the Qi Refinement Realm, nothing to fear, but in large numbers, they were relentless and fearless of death—for they were already dead.

As long as their limbs were intact, they would voraciously crave flesh and blood and kill on command.

Indeed, they were somewhat bothersome.

Soon the Zombies were upon Mo Hua.

Zhang Quan’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

He wanted to see Mo Hua torn apart and devoured by the Walking Corpses.

But with a few unhurried steps, Mo Hua evaded the Zombies’ claws and drifted back gracefully.

A few more Walking Corpses appeared behind Mo Hua, snapping at him.

But they too were narrowly dodged by Mo Hua.

Zhang Quan’s brows furrowed.

He knows movement technique...

This damn kid is so hard to kill!

Zhang Quan smirked, ”Fine, keep dodging. I want to see how long you can last relying on that movement technique.”

The Spiritual Power of the Qi Refinement Realm will eventually run out. Just one slip or when the Spiritual Power is exhausted, he would become food for these Walking Corpses.

Zhang Quan chuckled sinisterly, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a flash of golden light.

Startled, he hastily shook the copper bell.

A few Walking Corpses positioned themselves in front of him, only to be pierced through by Bai Zisheng’s spear.

Zhang Quan quickly retreated.

Bai Zisheng sent a few Zombies flying with his spear and then stepped forward, thrusting his spear again.

Zhang Quan had no choice but to retreat further, calling for the Zombies to block the spears.

Bai Zisheng fended off another attack, and launched his spear once more!

After several exchanges, Zhang Quan was forced to continuously retreat, without a moment to ring his bell. The movements of the walking corpses also began to slow down.

Some even stood still in front of Mo Hua, motionless.

The walking corpses were stationary, and so was Mo Hua, who curiously eyed the zombies in front of him.

He wanted to discern exactly how these zombies were being controlled.

Pushed into a corner by Bai Zisheng’s relentless assault, Zhang Quan had no choice but to muster all his spiritual power and use the Earth Escape technique to flee beneath a dilapidated shack in the mine.

There was nothing under the shack.

Zhang Quan stamped his foot, causing the rocks and stones to shift and dust to rise gradually.

Afterward, an iron coffin appeared before him.

Feeling that something was not right, Mo Hua shouted:

”Senior Brother!”

Without needing a reminder from Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng harnessed his spiritual power and thrust his spear at Zhang Quan.

Just then, the lid of the iron coffin flipped open, and a stiff hand suddenly shot out, grasping the tip of Bai Zisheng’s spear.

Bai Zisheng raised an eyebrow, his spiritual power surged forth in a burst of golden light, grappling with the hand.

The iron-blue palm, struck by the golden spiritual power, began to crack and its grip loosened slightly.

Bai Zisheng’s spear broke free as well.

After freeing his spear, Bai Zisheng did not strike again, but instead his gaze sharpened, focusing on the iron coffin.

A moment later, a zombie crawled out of the iron coffin.

This zombie was different from the other walking corpses.

Its skin had not rotted away; instead, it was a blackish-green, seeming as hard as iron.

Its fangs were longer, its fingers sharper, and the aura around its body was all the more formidable.

Mo Hua quickly whispered to Bai Zixi, ”Junior Sister, what is this thing?”

When you don’t understand something, you ask.

And asking your junior sister certainly isn’t shameful.

Most of Mo Hua’s knowledge in Taoist cultivation was concentrated on formations; his understanding of other areas was far inferior to Bai Zixi’s.

Even less than Bai Zisheng’s.

Bai Zixi said, ”It’s an Iron Corpse, one rank higher than a walking corpse.”

Mo Hua nodded vigorously, then lifted his head and said disdainfully to Zhang Quan:

”Just an Iron Corpse, do you have the ability to produce a Copper Corpse or a Golden Corpse?”

After he finished talking, Mo Hua suddenly realized something and discreetly asked Bai Zixi:

”Junior Sister, there are Copper Corpses and Golden Corpses, right...”

The Copper Corpse and Golden Corpse were something he had just blurted out.

He didn’t even know if they existed.

Mo Hua was worried he might have exposed his lack of knowledge and be looked down upon by Zhang Quan.

Bai Zixi nodded, ”They exist.”

Mo Hua relaxed.

Zhang Quan, upon hearing this, was greatly shocked.

This kid knew so much, he must be from a Great Clan, a Great Sect.

And from the way he spoke, were Copper Corpses and Golden Corpses nothing remarkable to him?

Zhang Quan had to know, the effort it had taken him to refine this half-step Iron Corpse, capable of matching a Foundation Building Cultivator, was enormous.

Until now, those who had seen this Iron Corpse all changed color in fear.

Not many cultivators who had seen this Iron Corpse lived to tell the tale.

Zhang Quan had not expected that not only was this kid not afraid, he actually looked down upon it.

Zhang Quan was taken aback.

Meanwhile, Bai Zisheng, with great enthusiasm, was already locked in a tight battle with the Iron Corpse.

This Iron Corpse was not yet fully refined, so it could only be considered a half-step Iron Corpse.

Its strength was a bit less than that of an average cultivator in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, but its flesh was as tough as iron, and in a real fight, it was slightly stronger than an average Foundation Building Cultivator.

At least stronger than Zhang Quan, who didn’t rely on drugs.

Bai Zisheng was somewhat at a disadvantage but fought more vigorously as the battle went on.

Previously, Aunt Xue kept close watch, strictly prohibiting him from taking any action, so Bai Zisheng, despite being capable, had no opportunity to show his true abilities, only able to spar with Mo Hua.

Now, after having traveled outside and engaged in several battles, Bai Zisheng’s Taoist skills had become increasingly refined, and his experience in fighting to the death was also growing.

But as the fight continued, Bai Zisheng was gradually becoming exhausted.

Because not only the Iron Corpse, but the other walking corpses as well, were desperately attacking him.

Even if the walking corpses were pierced by his spear or their limbs were cut off, they still disregarded everything, clinging onto Bai Zisheng.

Bai Zisheng couldn’t help mumbling:

”So annoying.”

Just then, as Bai Zisheng dodged a strike from the Iron Corpse and impaled another walking corpse through the chest, his eyes lit up and he yelled:

”Mo Hua, the walking corpses have formation patterns on them!”

Mo Hua was slightly stunned, then his palms moved in a gesture, casting the Water Prison Technique to immobilize a walking corpse.

Bai Zixi’s Sword Qi swept through, shredding the clothes on the chest of the walking corpse.

The chest of the walking corpse was rotten, with patches of decay, but there were no traces of formation patterns.

Mo Hua said, ”Junior Sister, peel off the skin!”

Bai Zixi nodded, her slender hand moving, and Sword Qi swirling, slicing open the skin of the walking corpse.

The flesh underneath the skin was stiffened, within which hidden blood patterns were visible, and the breath of a concealed formation rippled out.

Mo Hua paused, then his expression became shocked, followed by great joy, his eyes sparkling as he said to Bai Zisheng:

”Senior Brother, help me catch zombies!!”

The blood-colored formation carved upon this zombie was an Ultimate Formation!

And at the very least, it was an Ultimate Formation of the first rank with more than eleven patterns!

Catch zombies?

Upon hearing this, Zhang Quan at first was startled, then something dawned on him, and his face turned pale in horror.

This little devil, was he a Formation Master?!

Had he seen through it?!