Chapter 156: A Senior from Two Hundred Years Ago

Chapter 156: A Senior from Two Hundred Years Ago

Ning Xiaochuan activated the Cloud and Sunset Returning Qi, forming a spherical barrier around himself. Golden light radiated from his body, and the Profound Qi barrier took on the appearance of a sunset, displaying visions of war chariots soaring through the sky, celestial maidens scattering flowers, and iron chains stretching across the horizon—all woven into dazzling, mist-like formations.

Boom!

A golden beam shot from between Ning Xiaochuan’s brows, shattering Elder Wu’s Profound Qi Cloud.

Elder Wu’s eyes bulged, his expression twisted with fury as he raised his Black Wooden Staff once more and struck out with a devastating blow.

"Watch this—Sky Pillar!" Yue Mingsong brandished a long, thick rod and swung it with full force, shattering Elder Wu’s Protective Profound Qi Armor yet again.

Boom!

The rod smashed into Elder Wu’s head, splitting it open and sending blood gushing. The elder glared at Yue Mingsong with furious eyes before finally collapsing backward, unconscious, his body stiff as a board as he hit the ground.

Ning Xiaochuan was taken aback, eyeing the long, thick rod in Yue Mingsong’s hand. This guy’s cultivation doesn’t seem weak at all—he just knocked out a martial artist at the Ninth Level of the Divine Body Realm with a single strike.

Yue Mingsong chuckled. "Don’t look at me like that. It’s all thanks to the might of the Sky Pillar. I infused it with Earth Core Fire Essence and engraved Spirit Gathering Runes into it. After reforging, its power increased dramatically. Now, a single strike from it is equivalent to five strikes from before—enough to take down a warrior at the Ninth Level of the Divine Body Realm."

"But the Sky Pillar has one drawback—it can only be used once a day. After that, it has to be stored away to replenish its energy."

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "What grade of Mystic Artifact is it?"

"Ungraded. The artifacts I forge never have clear rankings. As long as it’s easy to use, even a low-grade Mystic Artifact is a good one." Yue Mingsong stowed away the long, thick rod. It was useless now—he’d have to wait a full day before he could use it again.

Ning Xiaochuan casually flicked out a bolt of Lightning, striking Elder Wu’s body and reducing it to a charred corpse.

Howl! Howl!

The intense battle had drawn the attention of many Nether Knights.

Mounted on skeletal steeds, they emerged from the darkness, their cold, ghostly cries filling the air. The knights rhythmically struck their swords against their mounts, producing the eerie clang of metal against bone.

"Judging by the density of the Yin energy here, I’d guess at least ten Nether Knights have surrounded us," Yue Mingsong cursed under his breath. Just escaped the wolf’s den, only to fall into the tiger’s lair.

Ning Xiaochuan, however, remained composed. "I told you to run earlier, but you insisted on following that Female Corpse. Now, escaping alive is as difficult as climbing to the heavens."

"Did I? What Female Corpse? Even if there was one, she must’ve been a seductive corpse, luring men’s souls. Otherwise, with my unshakable will, how could I have been bewitched?" Yue Mingsong looked indignant, as if he were the embodiment of righteousness—a saint impervious to feminine charms.

From the darkness came the soft sound of footsteps.

A barefoot Female Corpse emerged from between the ten Nether Knights, clad in tattered robes, her ample bosom half-exposed. Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, her skin pale as snow, resembling a lost maiden as she slowly approached Ning Xiaochuan and Yue Mingsong.

"This female corpse is clearly not easy to deal with," Yue Mingsong muttered, his gaze fixed tightly on the corpse's chest. Beneath the tattered clothing, two jade-bowl-shaped curves were faintly visible, nearly making his eyes pop out of their sockets.

His expression turned grave as he patted Ning Xiaochuan’s shoulder meaningfully. "Junior, you’re a first-year student. As your senior, it’s my duty to protect you. Leave this tough opponent to me—you handle those ten Nether Knights instead."

With an air of heroic determination, Yue Mingsong charged toward the female corpse.

Ning Xiaochuan also sensed the corpse’s formidable aura and was about to warn Yue Mingsong to be careful when—thud!—a dark figure came flying back, crashing at his feet. The figure coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth.

It was Yue Mingsong, who had just rushed forward moments ago.

Clutching Ning Xiaochuan’s pant leg, he slowly pulled himself up. "Junior… I think you should handle that female corpse instead. You’re much more handsome than me—should be easy for you. Cough..."

As he spoke, two more mouthfuls of blood spilled out. He had clearly suffered heavy injuries at the hands of the female corpse.

The corpse’s figure was eerily alluring. In life, she must have been a breathtaking beauty, and even in death, her charm remained irresistible, stirring wild imaginations. Unlike other Corpse Fiends, her flesh hadn’t decayed—except for a rusted dagger embedded in her chest, piercing straight through her heart.

This was her fatal wound. Blood still occasionally seeped from it, staining her snow-white skin and soaking her rotting robes crimson. If not for the unmistakable Corpse Energy emanating from her body, many might have mistaken her for a living woman gravely wounded.

Ning Xiaochuan felt an overwhelming sense of danger, his expression turning even more solemn. Lightning crackled in his palms as he observed, "Her clothes aren’t ordinary fabric—they’ve decayed to threads, meaning she’s been dead for at least two hundred years. Yet her flesh remains intact. She must have been incredibly powerful in life."

"Could she have been a female Martial Venerable?" Yue Mingsong licked his lips, his gaze lingering on the corpse’s chest.

Though her robes had rotted away, the faint outline of an Emperor's Martial Palace uniform could still be discerned. This suggested she might have once been a student there, venturing into the Emperor's Tomb only to meet a terrible foe who stabbed her through the heart, leaving her to perish in the Emperor's Tomb Forest.

The female corpse’s eyes burned with sinister light, her aura growing increasingly oppressive. Even the dagger embedded in her trembled, emitting a metallic hum as if struggling to break free.

That dagger was no ordinary weapon—it was a powerful Mystic Artifact, exuding a bone-chilling cold.

"Senior Sister, calm down! Two hundred years ago, we were on the same side!" Yue Mingsong pleaded, sweat pouring down his face, though he was anything but calm himself.

Swoosh!

The female corpse extended two slender fingers, transforming into a streak of white light as they shot toward Yue Mingsong’s throat.

A surge of Corpse Energy erupted from the female corpse, forming a dark cloud accompanied by a fierce howling sound, with streaks of lightning flashing within it.

Yue Mingsong’s legs turned to jelly in terror, and he collapsed onto the ground.

Ning Xiaochuan summoned the Double-headed Stone Beast, hoisted Yue Mingsong onto its back, and attempted to break through in another direction.

The female corpse pursued closely, her face deathly pale, blood dripping from her heart as she sang a mournful tune.

A wave of light shot from her fingertips, carrying a freezing energy capable of icing over a thousand kilometers.

Yue Mingsong hastily wrapped himself in the Yin-Yang Diagram. The light wave struck the diagram, sending ripples across its surface as it absorbed a large amount of Chilling and Desolate Energy.

However, some of the force still penetrated the Yin-Yang Diagram, slamming into Yue Mingsong’s back and causing him to vomit blood.

Standing atop the Double-headed Stone Beast’s head, Ning Xiaochuan was enveloped in lightning, gripping the Profound Qi Sword as he tried to break free—only to be blocked by ten Nether Knights.

The Double-headed Stone Beast charged recklessly, its left head spewing freezing energy while its right head unleashed flames, roaring furiously.

Ordinary mystic beasts that fell into the Corpse Cave would inevitably be corrupted by the Chilling and Desolate Energy, losing their nature. But the Double-headed Stone Beast’s body was made of stone, allowing it to naturally resist the energy without being affected in the slightest.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Ning Xiaochuan fought alone against the ten Nether Knights, his sword clashing against theirs in a storm of sparks and Sword Qi.

These Nether Knights were undying—even when Ning Xiaochuan’s blade pierced their bodies, they remained fiercely aggressive, growing even more enraged as they attacked him.

"Hurry up and break through! I can’t hold on much longer!" Yue Mingsong’s Yin-Yang Diagram had already been cracked five times by the female corpse and was on the verge of shattering.

Blood spilled repeatedly from Yue Mingsong’s mouth, his eyes bloodshot as he teetered on the brink of collapse, still gritting his teeth in desperation.

Boom!

The female corpse caught up to the Double-headed Stone Beast, landing a blow that shattered the Yin-Yang Diagram on Yue Mingsong’s back. He vomited another mouthful of blood before his vision darkened, and he passed out.

The female corpse’s tattered robes tore further, revealing large patches of pale skin as she landed on the Double-headed Stone Beast’s back. A faint gray Corpse Energy radiated from her, corroding flesh and blood, making the beast beneath her restless and agitated.

Crouched on the right head of the Double-headed Stone Beast, Ning Xiaochuan felt the overwhelming pressure emanating from the female corpse. His bones seemed frozen stiff, and his grip on his sword nearly faltered.

Her gaze was sinister, as if two ghostly flames flickered within, fixed on Ning Xiaochuan’s heart. The Chilling and Desolate Energy around her grew even denser.

"What do I do now?" Ning Xiaochuan sensed an immense crisis—this female corpse was like an immovable mountain, with ten Nether Knights sealing off all escape routes.

The female corpse naturally gave him no time to think. She stretched out her slender jade-like arms, her fingertips sprouting five razor-sharp nails as she slashed toward him.

"Demonic Sword!"

Ning Xiaochuan gritted his teeth and extended his arm. Strands of Blood Qi flowed from his heart, condensing in his palm to form a blood-red Demonic Sword. A trace of Annihilation Qi coiled around the Sword Body of the Demonic Sword. This was the true form of the Demonic Sword. A terrifying and overwhelming aura emanated from the Sword Body of the Demonic Sword.

"Whoosh!"

Ning Xiaochuan swung the sword, unleashing a surge of Sword Qi like raging waves. It left a bloody wound on the forehead of the Female Corpse, splitting her body in two. Blood splattered from the Female Corpse's body.

Just as Ning Xiaochuan let out a sigh of relief, he suddenly sensed something amiss—a faint warmth emanating from his chest. The Mystic Beast Manual had undergone a change.

The blood of the Female Corpse had accidentally dripped onto the Mystic Beast Manual and was unexpectedly absorbed by it.