Volume 4 Chapter 92

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Volume 4 Chapter 92: Fierce Battle (Part 2)

"Leave these Corpse Kings to me."

As they spoke, Xu Qingfan and Little Black transformed into two beams of black and white light, flying toward the gray mist.

Just as Xu Qingfan flew into the gray mist, the mist became even more turbulent and chaotic, and the roars coming from it grew more fierce. Suddenly, dozens of towering monsters with black skin, green hair, blood-red eyes, sharp fangs, and two bone wings sprang from the mist, flapping their wings as they flew toward the people in the sky. Seeing Xu Qingfan approaching, they made him their first target, growling as they surrounded him with their bloodthirsty eyes glinting.

These monsters were the infamous Corpse Kings, feared throughout the cultivation world.

When Xu Qingfan suddenly darted toward the gray mist, everyone was startled. But remembering his confident demeanor earlier, they didn’t rush to help. Instead, they hovered in the air, closely observing his actions while gathering Spirit Qi, ready to assist him at the first sign of danger.

Yet, Xu Qingfan’s actions took them by surprise.

As Xu Qingfan approached the Corpse Kings, a dense gray mist enveloped his body, expanding over dozens of yards like a vast gray cloud. The desolate aura within the mist was nearly as potent as the deathly aura of the Corpse Kings.

At that moment, Xu Qingfan’s body mainly contained an abundance of "Withered Qi," while his other three Spirit Qi levels were barely recovered, preventing him from using the "Wind of Desolation" power. His newly comprehended second power required extensive preparation, so he released all his "Withered Qi" externally.

Seeing the sudden gray mist rising from Xu Qingfan and sensing its energy similar to their own death aura, the Corpse Kings grew excited. Ignoring Number Two’s command to attack, they dove into the mist, absorbing its deathly essence.

Zombies naturally evolve by absorbing the death aura of the world, similar to the Dark Crow. However, Corpse Kings are not the highest rank among zombies, and the death aura is extremely precious to them.

After the Corpse Kings flew into the withered aura surrounding Xu Qingfan, Little Black, who had been lingering outside the gray mist, suddenly chirped excitedly and transformed into a streak of black light, swiftly entering the fog.

Inside the gray mist, once the dozens of Corpse Kings had rushed in, they became motionless, quietly floating and beginning to absorb the withered energy. For these simple-minded Corpse Kings, absorbing energy to strengthen themselves was the most important task. They did not notice Little Black’s entry at all.

Little Black first stealthily flew to the side of the shortest Corpse King. This Corpse King was surrounded by a thick black aura but did not notice Little Black’s approach.

Suddenly, Little Black darted to the Corpse King’s side, its sharp beak stabbing towards the Corpse King’s heart, which was the concentration point of withered energy within the zombie’s body.

When the Corpse King realized danger was near and attempted to react, it was already too late. Little Black’s sharp beak pierced its heart, continuously absorbing the withered energy within. The Corpse King shook violently in pain but couldn’t roar or scream, as Little Black silently drained its energy until it was reduced to a pile of flesh.

This heap of flesh hadn’t even fallen out of the gray mist before the surrounding withered qi corroded it into nothing.

After absorbing all of the Corpse King’s withered energy, Little Black’s feathers seemed to become slightly darker and shinier. Then, it silently moved towards the next Corpse King.

In this way, before long, the dozens of Corpse Kings who had been attracted by Xu Qingfan’s withered qi into the gray mist and were focused on absorbing energy found themselves becoming food for Little Black instead.

Outside the gray mist, either by the altar stood Number One, Number Two, and Number Three, or in the sky not far away were Chou Xuan, Deng Tianao, and others. They were tensely or curiously watching the gray mist around Xu Qingfan. Since the mist was formed by withered qi, their Divine Sense couldn’t penetrate it, not even with Chou Xuan’s "Great Method of Heaven and Earth." They only saw the mist churn when the Corpse Kings rushed in, then quickly returned to its original calm, not showing any movement for a long time, which gave an eerie feeling.

Then, about half an hour later, the gray mist seemed to slightly thin and shrink, suddenly releasing a tremendous and terrifying wave of energy. It was as if a prehistoric beast had appeared within, ready to devour people, or as if the Grim Reaper had emerged, standing in the mist and coldly watching everyone, making them all tense up.

Next, the gray mist gradually began to shrink and fade, disappearing completely in no time. Once everything returned to clarity, Xu Qingfan reappeared before everyone, holding Little Black, calm and composed as ever, with hair and clothes perfectly neat. Yet, all around Xu Qingfan, the Corpse Kings that had rushed into the mist before had mysteriously vanished.

Seeing such a scene, whether it was Number One, Number Two, or Chou Xuan, Deng Tianao, and others, their faces were full of shock and horror.

Could it be that the fierce Corpse Kings were just killed by Xu Qingfan? Although the battle scenario wasn’t clear before, Xu Qingfan’s current demeanor seemed very relaxed.

Witnessing this, though Xu Qingfan had previously been merely at the peak of the Fake Golden Core Stage, he now appeared unfathomable.

It’s important to know that each Corpse King’s strength is not much less than that of a Condensed Core Stage cultivator. Any one or two could be easily defeated by anyone present, but four or five would require a grueling fight, with seven or eight only ending in a hard-won victory, and anymore would force one to flee. This was why everyone despaired upon seeing dozens of Corpse Kings suddenly appear.

Who would have thought, that so many Corpse Kings could be wiped out by Xu Qingfan alone?

Emerging from the mist, Xu Qingfan’s expression wavered between joy and worry as he gently flew back to his original spot holding Little Black. The eyes of the crowd, when they looked at him, were filled with curiosity and a newfound respect.

When Xu Qingfan returned to his side, Hu Ming sighed, "I had heard how Taoist Friend Ninglingzi praised Taoist Friend Xu, and honestly, I didn’t pay much attention. But now, seeing the Taoist friend’s extraordinary skills, I understand that Taoist Friend Ninglingzi’s praise was not exaggerated at all."

Although the gray mist Xu Qingfan emitted earlier was filled with a sense of desolation and death, and unlike a proper cultivation method, it also lacked the sinister feeling of an evil path cultivator. Because it involved Xu Qingfan’s cultivation method, Hu Ming, although curious about the aura of the gray mist and the frightening aura when it dissipated, did not inquire about it.

Deng Tianao now knew from Hu Ming that Xu Qingfan was the "Palm Spring and Autumn" Xu Qingfan who had once taught at "Qingxu Gate." With a flicker in his eyes, he seemed to be contemplating something but spoke to Xu Qingfan with a friendly tone. He smiled and said, "Taoist friend’s cultivation method is truly remarkable, opening my eyes to new wonders. In the future, perhaps you could honor us with another teaching session at ‘Liuhe Gate.’ With your help this time, I believe our journey will be safe and sound."

Despite his words, when Deng Tianao spoke to Xu Qingfan, most of his attention was still on Number One and the others near the altar, remaining vigilant for any further attacks.

If Xu Qingfan hadn’t known Deng Tianao’s character well, he might have been swayed by his friendly smile. However, hearing Hu Ming and Deng Tianao’s praises, Xu Qingfan said, "You both flatter me; I merely used a clever trick."

Saying this, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but cough twice.

Previously, due to the powerful corrosive force within the "Withered Qi," Xu Qingfan’s internal organs were significantly damaged, causing him to cough. But later, as the "Flourish Qi" in Xu Qingfan’s body grew stronger and began to balance the "Withered Qi," healing the corrosive wounds, Xu Qingfan’s coughing issue gradually improved.

However, now Xu Qingfan’s body was almost entirely filled with "Withered Qi," which was stronger than ever before, while the Spirit Qi that could counter it had only recovered slightly. Xu Qingfan could clearly feel the corrosion as "Withered Qi" circulated within his body. Even though he had deliberately let the Corpse Kings absorb a large amount of "Withered Qi," the effect was still minimal, and the previous coughing symptoms had relapsed.

This time, not only did it relapse, but it also became much stronger. Wanting to heal it, he didn’t know how long it would take.

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s cough, everyone was surprised. Chou Xuan, who had been silent since Deng Tianao appeared, was the first to ask, "Taoist Friend Xu, were you injured in the earlier battle?"

Xu Qingfan shook his head slightly and said slowly, "It’s just an old ailment flaring up, no need to worry everyone."

Deng Tianao turned his gaze towards the slumbering Little Black in Xu Qingfan’s arms and noticed that even though Little Black was asleep, the aura and terrifying presence it emitted were still alarming. It reminded him of the frightening aura when the gray mist had dissipated. He tentatively asked, "Is your pet also hurt?"

Xu Qingfan shook his head again, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes, and said softly, "No, just fell asleep."

If Xu Qingfan gained anything significant from this battle, besides inadvertently comprehending a second magical ability, it was Little Black’s evolution after absorbing a large amount of death energy.

After absorbing the death energy from dozens of Corpse Kings, Little Black finally broke through from Earth level low grade to Earth level middle class demon beast, its strength roughly equivalent to a Real Golden Core Stage cultivator. The terrifying aura released just now from the gray mist was precisely emitted during Little Black’s advancement.

At this moment, Little Black, due to the surge of energy within and the comprehension of a new ability, began to close its eyes and delve into the inherited knowledge among the Dark Crow clan.

Observing the faint, inconspicuous crack on Little Black’s forehead, Xu Qingfan appeared thoughtful.

"It is said that every time a Dark Crow advances, a special ability emerges. After breaking through to the Earth level middle class, the abilities gained should be the ‘Eye of the Death God’ and ‘Call of the Death God’; I wonder about their power."

Seeing Deng Tianao seemingly wanting to ask more questions, Xu Qingfan frowned and said, "They’re going to attack again, everyone be careful."

With Xu Qingfan’s words, everyone couldn’t help but focus all their attention on Number One and his companions.

Just moments ago, as Number Two watched the group of Corpse Kings charge into the gray fog surrounding Xu Qingfan, he lost contact with them, only feeling his Corpse Kings fall one by one, utterly surprised. After all, this move of his had rarely been met with any resistance until now.

When Xu Qingfan reappeared with not the slightest hint of injury, Number Two’s expression changed again. Then, he shifted his gaze to Little Black held by Xu Qingfan, suddenly showing excitement on his previously calm face.

"What’s the matter? Didn’t you just say these guys are easy to deal with? How come your ‘Hundred Corpses March’ was taken down by just one person?"

Number One asked coldly.

Number Two didn’t have any intention to argue, his eyes still fixed on Little Black cradled by Xu Qingfan, murmuring, "This is a Dark Crow! It has advanced! Isn’t it said that after recognizing a master, Dark Crows rarely evolve further?"

Dark Crows were few in the cultivation world, mostly found near the Western Desert, and because they lived in groups with significant strength, acquiring a Dark Crow egg was especially difficult. Number Two had attempted to infiltrate their nests several times, but only ended up severely injured by them, with nothing to show for it. This was a great regret for him, knowing that the Dark Crow’s mastery over death energy could significantly aid his "Art of Refining Corpse". The Dark Crow egg Xu Qingfan acquired came from a senior of Jiuhua Mountain who stumbled upon it by chance.

A look of desire crossed Number Two’s face as he suddenly said to Number One, "I want that Dark Crow."

With those words, Number Two suddenly pressed his hand to the ground and shouted, "Transform the corpse into Death God’s shadow, Twelve Corpse Generals, appear!"

As they spoke, the ground before Number Two suddenly split into twelve cracks, and twelve figures silently appeared in front of Number Two.

Seeing these twelve figures, Number Three’s body trembled slightly, as if he’d suffered greatly at their hands, while Number One looked at the people in the sky as if they were already dead.