"I once encountered a masterless flying yaksha. Because of its lingering obsession and instinct, it wouldn’t attack another refined corpse carrying the aura of a Heavenly Corpse Talisman. If this corpse king behaves the same way, then it’ll be much easier to deal with."

Qin Sang recalled what had happened when he met Wu Shang in the Endless Valley. Wu Shang had been devoured by corpse qi inside the ice cavern and transformed into a flying yaksha. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

If nothing had changed, he should still be there now, trapped within that ice cavern, suffering in endless torment.

Wu Shang was different from Mute Girl. After the Heavenly Corpse Talisman was merged into Mute Girl’s body, her flesh and spirit had constantly been nourished by various treasures. Wu Shang, however, had long since fallen beyond salvation.

Qin Sang murmured softly, "I was able to form my core thanks to Wu Shang’s final note. He showed me the path I needed to take. One day, I’ll return to the Endless Valley and let him rest in peace."

As they neared the corpse king’s lair, Qin Sang halted his steps.

Not long after, Bai appeared beside him and sent a voice transmission. "No ghost king nearby. The top-tier ghostly creatures within the Immortal Tomb each seem to have their own territory. I’ve already cleared away most of the weak ghosts around here. When we strike, focus on exterminating the ones close to the corpse king’s lair first. That should keep the other ghost kings from noticing for a while, long enough for us to probe the corpse king’s strength."

Qin Sang released the white crane. "Let this one stay at the perimeter to intercept and kill stray ghosts. You and I will deal with the corpse king together."

Sensing the sinister aura of the Immortal Tomb, the crane shrank its neck and fluffed up its feathers nervously.

Bai glanced at the white crane. He knew this creature was crafty but capable.

"Very well!" he said.

After a brief discussion, Qin Sang ordered the white crane to watch the perimeter while he followed Bai toward the corpse king’s lair.

Bai summoned ghostly mist to conceal their presence.

The ground of the Immortal Tomb was uneven, scattered with broken steles and shattered bones.

As they advanced, the terrain gradually sloped downward until a deep pit came into view.

Within the pit, ghost qi was so dense that not even a faint glimmer of light could be seen.

The instant Qin Sang saw it, a chill ran down his spine. "This place is ominous..."

Then, the Sky Eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of a dark shadow darting through the pit. Its speed was astonishing. That fleeting moment alone made his heart tighten. Only the corpse king could emit such pressure!

"It’s coming!" Qin Sang roared, instantly summoning his ebony sword. The blade transformed into a wheel of sword light that slashed downward toward the pit!

The dazzling light illuminated the surrounding darkness. Ghostly wails echoed all around as the nearby ghosts were startled and turned feral, rushing toward them in a frenzy.

At the same time, Bai struck as well. The freezing ghost qi became docile under his control.

Whoosh! An immense suction force burst from Bai’s body. Ghost qi surged toward him, swirling into a vortex that encircled him.

The ghost qi condensed into streams of black energy that moved at his command like living tendrils.

Swoosh! Swoosh... Webs of ghost qi spread outward, blanketing the area.

Boom! Poof! Two deafening sounds rang out.

Qin Sang’s sword wheel dimmed abruptly, and the ebony sword was knocked back, spinning through the air.

Then, an azure-black claw appeared before them. With a single sweep, it tore through the layers of ghost qi and advanced swiftly toward them.

Qin Sang’s face paled slightly. His heart jolted.

When the ebony sword had struck the corpse king head-on, it had felt like colliding with solid metal. The strike had failed to force the corpse king into view, and his sword wheel had nearly shattered.

He had anticipated this result to some degree. His hand seals changed rapidly, and a new sword technique erupted. However this time, it was not directed at the corpse king.

The sword wheel shot skyward, and countless blades of sword qi burst outward like a peacock spreading its feathers, cascading down like rain.

The ghostly creatures caught in the storm screamed as the sword rain tore through them, sending them fleeing in panic.

The white crane seized the opportunity to reap the stragglers. Meanwhile, Bai unleashed his full strength.

An endless tide of ghost qi surged at his command, and under its pull, the corpse king finally revealed itself!

Its true form was ghastly beyond words. Its flesh was shriveled, face twisted and fanged, eyes glowing with blood-red light, exuding savage brutality.

It stood unnaturally tall, corpse qi surging skyward. Its skin was azure-black, covered with coarse black hair several cun long that bristled like steel needles.

Its claws were jet-black, and each nail was as sharp as a spiritual sword, dripping with corpse poison. No trace of its human origin remained.

If it had been a self-cultivated corpse king, it would by now have mastered transformation techniques. At this level, it could have disguised itself as a normal person, its corpse qi hidden beneath the surface, indistinguishable from an ordinary cultivator.

If its intelligence were high enough, it could have roamed the world in human guise without anyone recognizing what it truly was.

But this corpse king must have once been a refined corpse of a Heavenly Corpse Sect successor. For some reason, it had been abandoned here, unable to break free from the shackles of corpse refinement and the Heavenly Corpse Talisman. Its strength had grown, but not its intelligence, and it had never learned transformation.

For Qin Sang and Bai, this was fortunate. It made their battle a little easier. Still, when they got a clear look at its body, both felt uneasy.

The corpse king’s physique was like forged steel. Its claws had repelled the ebony sword and shredded the ghost qi streams without suffering even the slightest injury.

Roar! The corpse king opened its mouth and let out a thunderous roar.

The corpse king’s blood-red eyes grew even more filled with bloodlust and greed as it stared at Qin Sang and Bai. Its arms suddenly crossed, and with a sound like tearing cloth, it forcefully ripped apart the surrounding ghost qi.

Qin Sang’s expression changed, and he immediately rose on his evasion light, retreating rapidly.

By now, most of the nearby ghostly creatures had already perished under Qin Sang’s sword. The few that remained sensed the corpse king’s aura and scattered in terror, only to be intercepted and slaughtered by the white crane.

The area around the pit became completely empty. Bai stood motionless, his gaze locked on the corpse king’s blood-red eyes. His lips moved slightly as he chanted some unknown secret technique, his expression tense and strained.

Whoosh! A gust of foul wind rushed over, carrying a stench.

Suddenly, corpse qi erupted violently from the corpse king’s body, and it vanished from where it stood. In the blink of an eye, it appeared right before Bai.

Bai, who had been focusing on activating the secret technique, was startled. He hastily shifted sideways several zhang, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike.

Even so, three deep claw marks appeared on his arm, the wounds so deep the bone was visible.

In the blink of an eye, the gashes turned pitch-black as corpse poison seeped in and spread rapidly through his body.

Fortunately, Bai carried the Nine-Life Black Tortoise Shell that Qin Sang had given him. That tortoise shell had been refined by the Nine-Life Black Tortoise over countless years. Its hardness was no less than that of a defensive astra and could easily serve as a sturdy shield.

Yet against the corpse king, Bai had not even had time to raise it in defense.

Had it been an ordinary cultivator, the corpse poison would have already reached the heart, killing them instantly.

Fortunately, Bai’s body was that of a refined corpse. He was far less vulnerable to the corpse king’s poison.

Qin Sang was terrified. He landed far away at the edge of the pit, afraid to draw the corpse king’s attention.

He was no refined corpse. Even with his Heavenly Demon Body Refinement at the third stage, his flesh could never withstand a single strike from the corpse king. If that monster locked onto him and struck once, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Bai continued to retreat rapidly, doing his utmost to evade and resist the corpse king. The fight was perilous beyond words.

Then, an unexpected scene occurred. The corpse king’s murderous aura surged to the heavens, but for some reason, its massive frame suddenly wavered, and the corpse qi around it fluctuated violently.