Chapter 91: Ming Yang

Chapter 91: Ming Yang

"Hmph, that was merely my humble way of putting it. I’ve long since devised a method to resurrect the dead—not as Half-Corpse Slaves, absolutely not Half-Corpse Slaves. It’s true resurrection, not Half-Corpse Slaves..." The Old Crone suddenly grew erratic, repeatedly insisting that she had brought people back to life, not turned them into Half-Corpse Slaves.

This seemed terribly important to her.

Muttering "not Half-Corpse Slaves," she took a single step forward, her body dissolving into a gust of eerie wind before vanishing without a trace.

Just like that, she was gone.

Ning Xiaochuan wiped the cold sweat from his brow. If not for Princess Lanfei still standing in the distance, he would have doubted whether everything he’d just witnessed was an illusion.

He approached her, about to press a finger to her nose to check for breath— Was she truly alive? Or merely feigning death?

"Whoosh!"

A cold glint flashed in Princess Lanfei’s eyes as her pupils darted sharply. Martial Arts Profound Qi surged from her body, and she struck out at Ning Xiaochuan with a palm strike.

"Boom!"

Ning Xiaochuan blocked the blow, his arm tingling from the impact as he swiftly retreated, staring at her in shock. She was really alive?

"How did this princess end up here? Who are you?" Princess Lanfei regarded him with icy arrogance, her gaze sharp and regal, befitting a woman of royal blood.

Every part of her seemed perfectly normal—her heartbeat, body temperature, thoughts, and breathing were indistinguishable from a living person.

"Memory loss?" Ning Xiaochuan muttered.

"Tap, tap."

Footsteps approached.

Yu Qianqian and Murong Wushuang, having driven off the six martial artists, hurried over and flanked Ning Xiaochuan, eyeing Princess Lanfei warily.

Murong Wushuang whispered, "Since when is Her Highness this strong? Brother Chuan, even you couldn’t subdue her?"

Princess Lanfei frowned at Yu Qianqian, her phoenix-like eyes glinting coldly. "Yu Qianqian, so you’re here too? The Emperor has long suspected the Golden Roc Prince's Manor of treason. It seems his suspicions were justified. Did you send these two lackeys to abduct me? Where is this place?"

What’s going on?

Yu Qianqian shot Ning Xiaochuan a questioning look, as if to say, What did you do to her?

Ning Xiaochuan spread his hands helplessly, equally baffled, then quietly recounted what had just happened.

After hearing the full story, Murong Wushuang shuddered, his eyes darting around nervously. "Brother Chuan, did you just run into a ghost?"

Yu Qianqian shook her head gravely. "Perhaps that Old Crone truly is an extraordinary Great Heart Nurturer. She might have used some profound medicine to reconnect Princess Lanfei’s severed head. But the time it spent detached caused her consciousness to fade, resulting in memory loss—months, maybe even years. It’s possible her memories are stuck years in the past. She might not even remember coming to take the Emperor's Martial Palace’s entrance exam."

"A Heart Nurturing Technique that can bring the dead back to life? That’s just absurd!" Murong Wushuang exclaimed, his voice jumping between shock and disbelief.

Yu Qianqian said, "I once heard my master say that as long as a person hasn't been dead for long and their bodily functions haven't completely ceased, there's a possibility of revival. However, even a Great Heart Nurturer like my master cannot bring someone back from the dead. Resurrection is a subject all Great Heart Nurturers are researching."

"Even Master Guo cannot resurrect the dead. I doubt anyone in the Jade Orchid Empire has that ability," Ning Xiaochuan said.

"Not necessarily. The Jade Orchid Empire has many reclusive experts. Perhaps..." Yu Qianqian suddenly stopped mid-sentence and turned around, only to find an extremely ugly old crone standing behind her, staring at her with sunken eyes.

The old crone was as hideous as a ghost—no, even uglier than one.

Yu Qianqian's eyes rolled back, and she fainted from fright.

Ning Xiaochuan hadn't noticed when the hideous old crone had returned either. She was like a specter, appearing and disappearing without warning.

Murong Wushuang's legs trembled uncontrollably, his entire body shaking in terror.

The ugly old crone rasped, "Who is this 'Master Guo' you speak of?"

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "The master of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, Guo Shidao."

"No wonder you two youngsters have reached the level of Intermediate Heart Nurturers at such a young age. So you're his disciples. Since that's the case, I'll spare your lives today," the old crone said.

Murong Wushuang let out a sigh of relief. "That's good, that's good! So we're acquainted after all. You scared me to death, granny. You can take your time wandering around these woods. We'll be on our way now."

"Wait. Who said you could leave just yet?" The old crone's tone turned sinister as she fixed her gaze on Ning Xiaochuan. "Go to the Demon Palace on the mountain peak and retrieve something for me. Only then will I spare your lives."

"Me?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

"Yes, you. And her." The old crone's withered finger pointed at Princess Lanfei, who stood motionless in the distance.

The moment the old crone appeared, Princess Lanfei's eyes had turned vacant, her body utterly still, not emitting the slightest trace of vitality.

Ning Xiaochuan also found Princess Lanfei's condition highly unusual—perhaps related to what the old crone had called a "Half-Corpse Slave." He said, "Why should I obey your orders?"

The old crone replied coldly, "Because if you don't, all of you will die. Go to the Demon Palace on the mountain peak and bring me an ancient cauldron. If you don't return with it within five days, I'll refine these two into Corpse Slaves."

With that, the old crone took Yu Qianqian and Murong Wushuang away, vanishing into the dark night.

After the old crone left, Princess Lanfei's eyes regained their spark, her spirit restored. She stared at Ning Xiaochuan and asked, "Who are you? Why did my master order me to accompany you to the Demon Palace to retrieve the ancient cauldron?"

"Ning Xiaochuan."

Without another word, Ning Xiaochuan headed straight for the mountain peak.

Princess Lanfei followed closely behind him, her exquisitely beautiful face filled with confusion. She glanced at Ning Xiaochuan from time to time, as if struggling to recall something.

The Blood Mountain was towering and immense. Traversing through dense forests, crossing mountain streams, scaling cliffs, and navigating precarious plank roads, the mountain path was treacherous, with sheer cliffs beneath their feet. It felt less like climbing a mountain and more like ascending to the heavens.

By noon the next day, Ning Xiaochuan had reached the second highest point of Blood Mountain. Lifting his head, he could already see the majestic Demon Palace—its dark blue walls, crimson divine pillars, and the deathly aura emanating from its grand hall.

Atop the palace, on an ancient bluish-black platform, shadowy figures clad in armor stood like spectral soldiers, gripping halberds as if ready to charge into the heavens and pierce the sky.

Though still a day's journey from the Demon Palace, faint roars could already be heard from within—the wails of vengeful spirits dead for years, and the unyielding souls of Divine Dragons who had perished there long ago.

The closer they got to the summit of Blood Mountain, the more terrifying it became, as if they were descending step by step into hell itself.

"No wonder she didn’t dare retrieve the Ancient Cauldron from the Demon Palace herself. This is no place for the living," Ning Xiaochuan muttered, pressing forward despite his unease. Princess Lanfei followed behind him, her face devoid of fear, as if she had become a mindless corpse slave.

What Ning Xiaochuan didn’t know was that the reason the ugly Old Crone dared not approach the Demon Palace was because it radiated a power foreign to this world. The stronger one’s martial cultivation, the more suppressed they would be by the palace’s force. Only those in the Divine Body Realm could unleash their full strength within. Thus, the higher one’s cultivation, the greater the danger in entering the Demon Palace.

After an unknown length of time trekking along the perilous mountain path, they spotted a young man carrying a heavy black sword. He was slender, wearing a hair crown, his locks stiff as steel wires. The sword on his back was so heavy that each step left deep imprints in the ground.

When Ning Xiaochuan noticed him, the man turned and stared back, speaking plainly, "Did you also cross the Five-Colored Miasma Forest to reach the depths of the Fire Demon Mountain Range?"

Ning Xiaochuan immediately recalled the giant trees he had seen cleaved apart in the forest the day before. Could that terrifying sword strike have come from this man? He must have relied on formidable strength to traverse the Five-Colored Miasma Forest and reach this place.

It was best not to get too close to someone of his caliber.

Ning Xiaochuan offered a friendly smile. "Ning Xiaochuan, of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House."

"Ming Yang," the man replied indifferently before continuing his ascent up Blood Mountain, each step deliberate, as if tempering his body with the weight of the sword.

Ning Xiaochuan regarded him with caution, sensing a dangerous aura. He kept a considerable distance, stopping when Ming Yang stopped, moving when Ming Yang moved.

Ming Yang paid him no mind, occasionally glancing toward the summit before resuming his rigorous training.

By nightfall, they still hadn’t reached the peak.

The man named Ming Yang sat cross-legged on the edge of a steep cliff, gripping his heavy sword and thrusting it repeatedly into the air. Each strike sent rippling sword waves through the atmosphere, distorting the air like shimmering reflections.

From a distance, it looked as if a massive mirror was suspended in front of him. Every time the heavy black sword pierced into the mirror, ripples would spread across its surface.

"What is he doing?" Princess Lanfei asked.

"Practicing swordplay."

Ning Xiaochuan's expression was grave as he said, "This must be some kind of terrifying divine ability. If anyone steps into the range of his Sword Qi, even ten cultivators of our level would likely be torn apart by the shockwaves."

Princess Lanfei appeared completely normal, with no trace of her being a Half-Corpse Slave. Her long, jet-black hair shimmered, her skin was as flawless as jade, and her rosy lips were full and glistening. The curves of her figure were enchanting, and every smile or frown carried a natural grace.

Perhaps she was truly alive, for she still possessed her own thoughts.

A faint, delicate fragrance drifted from her as she fixed her beautiful eyes on Ning Xiaochuan. "Then what should we do now? Are we just going to stand by and watch him enter the Demon Palace first? What if he takes the Ancient Cauldron?"