Chapter 721: The Origin of the Corpse Cultists

Compared to other cultivators, corpse cultivators must bury themselves in geomantically auspicious locations, making them difficult to move.

For this very reason, among the various demonic sects, corpse cultivators are the easiest to target and fall victim to collateral damage. Geomancers often search for spiritual ley lines, inadvertently stumbling upon a corpse cultivator's lair.

For instance, there was Dragon Horn Gully, which Chen Mobai found when he transplanted the Green Cicada Spirit Tree. And Ghost Ridge, unearthed by Yan Jinye during his recent Foundation Establishment treasure hunt.

The Five Elements Sect had ample personnel, and Chunyu Su was an excellent geomancer and formation master, quickly locating the corpse cultivator's lair.

Upon receiving the news, Chen Mobai did not proceed to open it himself.

After all, Ye Qing, the Holy Land's Dao Child, was the primary leader of this expedition. After surveying the ground from mid-air, he sent for the two cultivators from the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect.

A corpse cultivator's lair could only be underground.

The three Core Formation cultivators wasted no time and directly broke in.

Corpse cultivators naturally possess earth-burrowing abilities, so all three forcibly burrowed into the ground. At this point, their varying cultivation levels became apparent.

Yuan Zhen was surprisingly also a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, no wonder she could become a Saintess candidate accompanying Ye Qing.

When the three rushed underground, they discovered it was a third-tier Yin-Sha Spiritual Acupoint. No wonder that corpse cultivator was able to transform into a Golden Armored Corpse.

With a loud crash, the three had completely breached the surface and entered an underground cavern.

In the center of the cavern lay an open jade coffin. In front of it was a Soul-Guiding Lamp emitting a soft glow. Around the jade coffin, a patch of ink-jade colored bamboo grew, surrounded by some glowing spirit grasses. Their light illuminated the surrounding walls, revealing a series of murals that seemed to depict the corpse cultivator's life.

"Sect Master Chen, we need to destroy this Soul-Guiding Lamp."

It was Yuan Zhen who spoke. Those who used such Dharma Artifacts were typically from demonic sects, a constant target for suppression by the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect.

"You two may decide."

Chen Mobai nodded lightly. For this expedition, he had accepted a million spirit stones from Ye Qing, considering himself hired by the latter. Any gains along the way should rightfully belong to Ye Qing.

However, watching Yuan Zhen take out a spirit talisman, affix it to the Soul-Guiding Lamp, and then activate it to burn the artifact into jade liquid, Chen Mobai still felt it was a bit wasteful.

If this third-tier Soul-Guiding Lamp were sold on the black market, it could fetch an exorbitant price.

At this moment, Ye Qing had already approached the jade coffin and, with a subtle movement, retrieved two silk scrolls from within. He unrolled them and began to read; they likely contained corpse cultivation methods.

To demonstrate his unwavering opposition to demonic cultivators, Chen Mobai did not go closer but instead walked towards the patch of ink-jade-like bamboo.

He had diligently studied this area of knowledge when he sought spiritual materials in the Celestial River Realm that corresponded to those of the Immortal Sect. He quickly recognized these as Yin-Void Bamboo, a mutated form of Pure Bamboo that grew in Yin-Sha locations.

Since they grew by absorbing Yin-aligned earth energy, they were most beneficial for those practicing Yin-attributed cultivation techniques. Additionally, cultivators of water and earth element techniques could also use them.

For some reason, Chen Mobai thought of Xiao Hei, the Pure Yin Physique from the Immortal Sect.

He wondered how her studies in the sea region were progressing.

Chen Mobai inspected further and found that seven of the Yin-Void Bamboo were of third-tier quality, while the rest were second-tier, making them excellent materials for refining Dharma Artifacts.

Luo Yixuan's natal Dharma Artifact, the Fiery Jade Heart Lotus, like Chen Mobai's Morning Bell, could only protect the mind and suppress the Violet Palace. After forming her Core in the future, in an environment like the Celestial River Realm, she would still need powerful combat artifacts.

Chen Mobai felt he could use this Yin-Void Bamboo to refine a set for her.

He then looked at the spirit grasses near the bamboo roots. These were also rare, growing only in Yin-Sha locations. Named Yinluo Grass, they came in both first and second-tier varieties and could be used to refine elixirs for strengthening the foundation, nourishing vitality, and calming the Violet Palace.

After his assessment, Chen Mobai looked towards Ye Qing, only to find that the latter was already standing before the murals, examining them.

He walked over, intending to discuss with Ye Qing how to handle the items in the lair.

"This corpse cultivator was an elder of a sect in life," Ye Qing said, pointing to the mural content as Chen Mobai approached. "She cultivated to the Core Formation stage and, just before her lifespan ended and she was to pass away, she set up this place and buried herself within, seeking rebirth through corpse cultivation."

Ye Qing, seeing Chen Mobai approach, pointed to the content on the murals as he spoke. Chen Mobai's expression shifted slightly upon hearing this.

"According to the ways of our Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect, we'd need to interrogate the sect this corpse cultivator belonged to in her lifetime, to ensure no demonic cultivation techniques were left behind, before we can let them go," Ye Qing said.

Before Chen Mobai could speak, Ye Qing seemed to know what he was thinking and asked pointedly.

"Since this person buried herself in the Desolate Ruins near the East Barrens, she must be a cultivator from the vicinity. Sect Master Chen, as the overlord of the East Barrens, do you have any clues to provide?"

Chen Mobai calmly finished examining the surrounding murals, then gently shook his head.

"I have never left the East Barrens in my life, and my cultivation years are few. However, I can assure you that there has been no Core Formation cultivator matching this description in the East Barrens within the last few centuries."

The East Barrens was considered the most remote countryside of the Eastern Region. One could count all the Core Formation cultivators from the past few centuries on one's fingers.

Compared to the mural's content, not a single one matched.

A thought did cross his mind, wondering if he could pin this on Returning Heaven Valley or Snow Blowing Palace.

But Chen Mobai was a straightforward person, and this thought was merely a fleeting consideration, not acted upon.

"If not from the East Barrens, then it could be from Eastern Wu or Eastern Yi..."

Ye Qing nodded upon hearing this, then sent a message to those above. Soon after, Shen Shanqing and Yu Hai came down. Upon hearing the news, they immediately began examining the murals.

"This looks a bit like Empty Mulberry Valley!"

Shen Shanqing shook his head, but Yu Hai spoke of one of the three major sects of Eastern Yi.

Hearing this, Chen Mobai looked at him, wondering if this fellow, seeing Empty Mulberry Valley's power in Eastern Yi, wanted to leverage the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect to suppress them.

"Can you confirm?"

"I can't be entirely certain, but three hundred years ago, an Empty Mulberry Valley Core Formation elder did mysteriously disappear before the end of his lifespan. Venerable Ye will be returning to Eastern Yi via the teleportation array after demon eradication anyway, so you could inquire with Venerable Kuzu then."

Yu Hai stated what he knew, then pointed to some patterns on the murals, indicating they strongly resembled scenes from Empty Mulberry Valley.

"I understand."

Ye Qing nodded, then with a wave of his five fingers through the air, sharp and clear sword energy crisscrossed, neatly cutting down all the murals, which he then stored in his spatial storage bag.

"Senior Brother, I've checked everything. Besides the Sky Crystal Sand inside the jade coffin, only those few third-tier spiritual bamboos have any value."

By this time, Yuan Zhen had completely melted the Soul-Guiding Lamp into jade liquid. She quickly swept through the underground cavern, checking all the items left by the corpse cultivator.

Sky Crystal Sand is a very precious earth-gold attributed material. Corpse cultivators can keep it near them during their growth to facilitate their transformation into Golden Armored Corpses.

It is also a high-grade material for sword refining. Originally, the jade coffin should have been full of it, but now only one-third remains.

"That spiritual bamboo is called Yin-Void Bamboo..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai began to explain the origin of the ink-jade-like bamboo. When he mentioned it was a variant of Pure Bamboo, Yu Hai's eyes lit up slightly.

Ye Qing recalled the contents of the two silk scrolls, also nodded gently, and made a mental note of Empty Mulberry Valley.

"The Sky Crystal Sand is useful for my Junior Sister's Azure Kite Sword, so we'll take it. We'll also take two stalks of Yin-Void Bamboo. As for the rest, we'll trouble you all to collect it."

Naturally, no one present had any objections to Ye Qing's distribution.

After all, it would have been perfectly acceptable even if he had taken everything.

After Ye Qing and his junior sister took what they needed, the remaining items were for Chen Mobai, Shen Shanqing, and Yu Hai to discuss.

"Sect Master Chen, we only require one stalk each of the third-tier Yin-Void Bamboo. What do you think?"

Shen Shanqing boldly made his request.

Chen Mobai simply nodded in agreement.

Shen Shanqing and Yu Hai immediately cut one stalk of Yin-Void Bamboo each and, after a simple spirit-sealing, placed them into their spatial storage bags.

Chen Mobai, however, was not so crude. Instead, he carefully dug up the soil along with the bamboo.

Seeing this, Shen Shanqing and Yu Hai found it a bit strange.

Once separated from the Yin-Sha Spiritual Acupoint, the Yin-Void Bamboo's growth would cease, and its spiritual efficacy would even weaken over time. Directly cutting and sealing them, as they had done, was the proper method.

They were unaware of Zhuo Ming's Mother Qi of All Things, which could cultivate spiritual soil of third-tier quality and below.

After taking the most valuable items, Chen Mobai called down Liu Wenbai and others, instructing them to collect the remaining second-tier Yin-Void Bamboo and Yinluo Grass.

Finally, after ensuring all valuable items had been taken, the group left the underground cavern.

"This place has been contaminated by corpse qi," Yuan Zhen asked Ye Qing after everyone had emerged. "To prevent other corpse cultivators from occupying it in the future, should we destroy this Yin-Sha Spiritual Acupoint?"

Chen Mobai's mouth twitched upon hearing such a wasteful suggestion.

"Let's focus on eradicating demons first. If we have time when we return, we can deal with this place then."

Ye Qing, however, remained very calm and had no intention of wasting more time here.

"Venerable Ye speaks wisely. We've only just entered the dangerous zone of the Desolate Ruins. We might encounter more formidable ancient beasts and demonic creatures ahead, so it's best not to waste our spiritual power here."

The main objective this time was to kill an elder of the Beast Gathering Demonic Sect, who was suspected of possessing the inheritance of a Nine-Headed Great Sage. Compared to that, this corpse cultivator's lair was merely a minor skirmish.

Although the gains were decent, almost a huge fortune for Foundation Establishment cultivators, for Core Formation cultivators, it was just a small windfall.

Nevertheless, this expedition showed that the Desolate Ruins were quite rich in resources.

No wonder cultivators who struggled elsewhere would choose to try their luck in the Desolate Ruins.

After reaching a consensus, Chen Mobai immediately directed the Five Elements Sect's flying boats to continue deeper into the Desolate Ruins.

The deeper they ventured, the more dangers and difficulties they encountered.

The Desolate Ruins were teeming with various demonic beasts. Unlike solitary demonic cultivators or rogue cultivators, those capable of occupying a territory either had vast populations, immense power, or both.

Even with Ye Qing's strength, encountering certain exceptionally talented demonic beasts would give him a headache. This was precisely why he spared no expense in hiring cultivators from the East Barrens for escort.

While Chen Mobai intended to train his disciples and practice with the Five Elements Dao Soldiers, he would not intentionally choose to traverse territories guarded by demonic beasts.

Along the way, they avoided dangers whenever possible, only taking action when passage was unavoidable.

Chen Mobai had also brought Gu Yan along this time. Besides training her, he instructed her to record all the demonic beasts encountered, geographical features, spiritual ley lines, and so forth, as preliminary preparation for the future development of the Desolate Ruins.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

Chen Mobai and Yuan Zhen jointly breached a valley occupied by mountain giant apes. After ensuring the six flying boats had departed far away, they each used their escape techniques to leave the battlefield.

After their escape, the two third-tier giant apes roared in fury, running across the ground, climbing mountains and crossing ridges, trying to pursue. But those on foot could never catch up to those flying.

Chen Mobai and Yuan Zhen flew for dozens of miles, finally shaking them off completely.

But soon, both their expressions changed, as a clear and sharp sword light shot into the sky in the distance.

This meant Ye Qing had made his move!

Had they encountered another powerful demonic beast?

Chen Mobai and Yuan Zhen immediately rushed over, only to find a vast expanse of dense, impenetrable fog stretching across the landscape.

The fog covered a massive area, making it impossible to circumvent, so their six flying boats had clearly entered it.

Fortunately, Ye Qing's sword light was sharp and clear, guiding them through the fog; otherwise, they truly wouldn't have been able to rendezvous.

As soon as Chen Mobai entered, a six-legged, wolf-dog-like demonic beast charged out of the mist.

It continuously let out roars from its mouth, causing his head to spin slightly. What was terrifying was that the sounds came in waves, indicating a very large number of them within the fog.

Amidst the roars, Chen Mobai felt a buzzing in his ears; this was actually a sonic attack.

He immediately activated the Morning Bell. After a deep, resonant chime, his spiritual sense cleared!

As faint white light crisscrossed, the six-legged demonic beast charging at him from the mist was sliced into pieces, which then burned away into ashes.

Chen Mobai didn't know how many demonic beasts he had slain along the way. Finally, following Ye Qing's sword light, he arrived at the flying boat, where Ye Qing was engaged in combat with a gray shadow.

"Sect Master Chen, these are Six-Legged Gray Wolves, adept at both earth and wind demonic powers!"

Shen Shanqing immediately spoke to Chen Mobai. His team consisted of rogue cultivators familiar with the Desolate Ruins, who recognized the origin of these demonic beasts.

They saw the six flying boats' spiritual lights continuously flickering, clearly indicating that their defensive formations had been pushed to their limit.

However, from within the fog, demonic beasts charged out one after another. Some broke through the flying boats' light shields and entered, and although they were quickly slain by the focused cultivators, the sheer number of beasts seemed endless, causing everyone's hearts to sink further.

Soon, a gap appeared in the formation's light shield on one of the rogue cultivators' flying boats, where coordination was lacking. Several Six-Legged Gray Wolves swiftly surged in, pouncing on two nearby rogue cultivators and devouring them.

The bloody scene instantly threw the group into chaos.

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