Chapter 294: I Make a Promise When I Speak

The mysterious figure, who had arrived on the wind with his people, was clearly the "Venerable One" mentioned by the Golden Armored Giant General. Yet, at this moment, he appeared to be an ordinary mortal.

It was obvious that this absurd perception couldn't be true; either his concealment method was extraordinary, or the disparity in their cultivation levels was too vast to perceive his true form.

Unlike the Golden Armored Giant General's disdainful gaze, the green-robed man's vision was highly focused, or rather, it was directly fixed on the very spot where the giant corpse was hidden.

The giant corpse was concealed underground, having also suppressed all its aura. It naturally couldn't see what was happening above ground, but it had a powerful sensation, an undeniable feeling of being seen.

At this moment, Ji Yuan, dressed in white, stood before the well outside the ruined house. The Golden Armored Warrior followed his movements, standing two paces behind him.

Although Ji Yuan appeared small and the warrior hulking, after experiencing this crisis, Huang Zhixian and the others inexplicably felt that Ji Yuan's figure was the more imposing one.

Ji Yuan had already slain enough evil corpses that night. On Ainanshan, the peak where Nanwang Stronghold was located had partially collapsed from the qi of his Azure Vine Sword. In total, he had eliminated nine evil corpses, making it ten when counting the one still in his sleeve.

These creatures were bloodthirsty, immensely strong, and had tough hides. They also possessed some intelligence and could burrow underground, making them significantly more formidable than the zombies Ji Yuan had envisioned.

Furthermore, these types of corpse-demons were practically natural predators of living beings, born with an insatiable hunger for their vital essence and souls. Records showed no instance of them being benevolent; they were among the rare evil creatures that Ji Yuan truly detested.

Even though the giant corpse had suppressed its aura, the stench of decay from afar was still overwhelmingly strong to Ji Yuan's senses. This odor stemmed not only from the corpse itself but also from countless victims.

"Presumably, you are the source of these corpse monsters?"

Ji Yuan spoke, his voice calm, yet the Daoist resonance within it was profound, resonant, and far-reaching. To those inside the ruined house behind him, it was merely clear, not loud, but to the giant corpse beneath the earth outside the village, it sounded like rolling thunder.

The giant corpse no longer harbored any hope of evading detection. Its corpse qi churned, and it desperately wanted to burrow deep and flee, but an intense sense of peril instinctively warned it against doing so.

Ji Yuan looked in the direction of the giant corpse, slightly surprised that it hadn't immediately fled. After a brief consideration, he understood that there were only two possibilities for this situation.

Either the giant corpse had powerful countermeasures and was fearless, or it simply dared not run.

For now, the second possibility seemed more likely. Given this, Ji Yuan saw no point in further discourse and spoke again with extreme directness.

"Come out and face me within three breaths."

The voice remained utterly calm, yet it carried an undeniable sense of authority. It didn't specify whether "three breaths" meant long or short breaths, nor did it mention the consequences of not emerging.

Yet, just this single statement made not only the giant corpse hidden underground outside the village but also Huang Zhixian, Han Ming, and the others inside the ruined house realize that if they didn't comply with Mr. Ji's words, the next moment would certainly not be peaceful.

Observing the Golden Armored Warrior standing silently behind Ji Yuan further amplified this strong persuasive power.

"Three breaths" was merely a figure of speech for Ji Yuan; he didn't even bother to count. Soon after he spoke, his left hand had already risen.

The Azure Vine Sword, trailing brilliant light, appeared in Ji Yuan's hand.

The moment the immortal sword appeared, the giant corpse beneath the earth outside the village felt as if plunged into extreme cold, its heart piercing with needle-like pain.

Without time for any thought, it hastily pushed through the earth and moved towards the surface.

With a "thud," the giant corpse burst out of the earth, bringing with it loose soil and mud.

"I'm coming out! I'm coming out!"

It was the first time the giant corpse truly saw Ji Yuan: a figure in white, standing in the rain, with a sword in his left hand and the warrior behind him.

Ji Yuan, too, was slightly surprised by the evil corpse's bulk. He instinctively glanced back at the Golden Armored Warrior behind him. He had some mental preparation for an evil corpse that could speak, as the previous ones had only snarled, but this one was clearly different.

Since it was cooperating, that was good.

"Come here."

Hearing Ji Yuan's words, the giant corpse hesitated for a moment, then quickly returned from outside the village to within it. Soon, it stood on the small village path, dozens of feet away from Ji Yuan.

The giant corpse was entirely withered and brown, its horny skin resembling a full body of scales. Its eyes glowed with black qi. The heavy rain pattering on its body made faint sounds, revealing the hardness of its form.

Even though it looked at Ji Yuan with fear, its sheer appearance remained highly intimidating.

"I will ask you a few questions. If you answer them, you may choose between enduring a sword strike or being seared by a breath of my fire before you leave. If you do not answer, I will instantly obliterate your body and soul. Do you understand?"

Ji Yuan's words remained exceptionally calm, as if stating something entirely self-evident.

The giant corpse looked at the white-robed man nearby. His eyes were pale, devoid of any spirit, calm and expressionless, regarding it with indifference, as if it were no different from a blade of grass by the roadside.

The rainwater was not drawn elsewhere; it simply slid naturally off the white-robed man, leaving his clothes dry and his hair untouched.

"I understand, please ask!"

"Quite intelligent, indeed..."

After making this remark, Ji Yuan continued to question it.

"What kind of corpse-demon are you? Are you a type of zombie? And how many such servants do you have left?"

The term "corpse-demon" was quite insulting, but it depended on who said it. An ordinary person daring to utter it would surely be devoured instantly. However, coming from Ji Yuan, the giant corpse didn't dare utter a sound and could only answer truthfully.

"By proper classification, I should be called a Corpse Fiend. As you said, I can also be considered a type of zombie. As for my thralls..."

The giant corpse glanced at the headless body not far away.

"My thralls require my own blood to be formed. There were thirteen in total. It seems one is still alive, though I currently don't know where it went..."

Ji Yuan glanced at his right sleeve, then looked back at the giant corpse and asked,

"If they are your thralls, why do you not know their whereabouts? Can you not control them?"

After careful consideration, the giant corpse replied cautiously.

"About that... I truly do not know, sir. I am not deceiving you. In the past, I would indeed know their locations. But now, I only know that one is still alive..."

"Hmm."

Ji Yuan nodded. After learning about the thralls, another thought flashed through his mind. Under these circumstances, the other party was highly unlikely to lie, but he still wanted to test the giant corpse.

So, after a brief silence, Ji Yuan suddenly widened his eyes, staring coldly at the giant corpse. His words were no longer casual questions but a Daoist decree, brimming with power and dread for evil creatures.

"Where is your master, and why did he send you here?"

This voice exploded like a spring thunderclap, resonating in the giant corpse's mind like crashing gongs and drums.

"I... I have no master!"

The giant corpse's words clearly stuttered, causing Ji Yuan to narrow his eyes. He meticulously observed its entire body with his spiritual sight before asking again.

"One last question: What is your name, and why is your fated soul incomplete, even though your spirit and soul are intact?"

The giant corpse quickly answered again.

"My name is Wu Chu. As a Corpse Fiend, I am detested by heaven and earth. Many of us originate from corpses that, after many years, naturally conceive corpse qi. It is normal for our bodies and souls to be somewhat incomplete."

Ji Yuan drew out a long "Oh...", nodding with a smile.

"The cultivation world is full of strange people and strange occurrences. To some beings, certain individuals particularly enjoy meddling in affairs. Unfortunately, while I, Ji, believe I act on my own principles, in the eyes of outsiders, I am precisely one of those who likes to meddle."

As Ji Yuan spoke, the giant corpse grew increasingly nervous. Fortunately, his subsequent words brought it some relief.

"However, I am a practitioner of immortal cultivation and will never break my word. You may choose between enduring a sword strike or being seared by fierce fire once. You still have three breaths to consider."

After speaking, Ji Yuan stood still and waited. While appearing calm, he was actually concentrating his mind, circulating his spiritual energy between his body and will, and brewing a wisp of Samadhi True Fire.

The Azure Vine Sword was in his hand. Even though no sharp aura emanated from it at the moment, the inscription on its scabbard was clear. Especially when Ji Yuan gripped the sword earlier, he genuinely intended to draw it and slay the corpse. That must have triggered its sense of crisis, prompting the giant corpse to appear.

It might have even guessed that it was an immortal sword.

As long as it wasn't foolish, the giant corpse would surely choose to be burned once. Indeed, the Corpse Fiend thought the same. After all, while there were many divine fires in the world, its own corpse qi was exceedingly potent, being an extremely yin and cold substance. As long as the burning wasn't continuous, it had a high chance of enduring it, especially since it was a rainy day.

Ji Yuan had anticipated the Corpse Fiend's mindset and was preparing a surprise for it.

"I choose to be seared by fire! I hope, sir, you will keep your word and release me after I have endured the burning!"

To avoid displeasing Ji Yuan, the giant corpse now suppressed its dense corpse qi within its body. It even mimicked humans by bowing, ensuring all superficial gestures were perfectly executed.

"Heh heh, rest assured, I, Ji, keep my word. Stand firm, it's just one breath of fire!"

Having said that, Ji Yuan held his breath for a moment, then opened his mouth again.

This time, it was not the aura of True Fire, but a cluster of reddish-grey flames expelled from Ji Yuan's mouth. There was almost no temperature change in the surroundings, yet the night seemed to distort wherever the flames passed.

The giant corpse, having just finished its bow, looked up to see the ball of fire already before it. It forcefully resisted the urge to dodge and stood its ground.

*Swoosh—*

Though it merely touched the giant corpse's chest, the reddish-grey flames instantly engulfed its entire body.

"Ah————"

Almost instantly, the Corpse Fiend's original color vanished, its entire body turning fiery red, with greyish-white ash glowing from its mouth, eyes, nose, ears, and other orifices.

"Thud..." "Thud..." "Thud..."

Its body had lost all control, stumbling outwards three steps while shaking, a movement that also lasted for three breaths. Then, its screams and movements ceased.

*Boom...*

The corpse toppled, instantly crumbling into a pile of charcoal dust.