Outside Three Mountains City:
The Unborn Man gently stepped down, landing on a mountaintop.
Buzz!
Strange changes happened to the mountain, with the Unborn Man as the center. On one side, the vegetation suddenly withered, appearing dead. On the other side, the vegetation proliferated, becoming lush and vibrant.
The two polar opposite changes spread towards the fog, like two earth snakes darting over.
Boom! Boom!
The two earth snakes suddenly struck a large barrier.
The white fog in the surroundings suddenly changed color.
Rumble…!
The white fog turned pitch-black in the blink of an eye. The black energy swirled up, forming a massive tornado. Malicious spirits howled in pain above the black tornado, unable to struggle free. The Unborn Man could see crimson strands within the black energy, and his heart sank.
“Which lifespan cultivator is interfering with my lifespan ritual array?” A shout suddenly came from the surging black fog.
“Who are you? To think you committed such a great sin, refining an entire city of people alive? You plundered their lifespan, turning them into something neither human nor ghost, making them corpse demons? All this so you can provide boundless lifespan for your lifespan ritual array?” the Unborn Man questioned coldly.
Buzz!
A black-robed figure emerged slowly from the nearby sea of black energy.
This figure wore tattered, dusty robes, looking like he had climbed out of a grave. He gave off a deathly aura.
“Neither life nor death, the Unborn Man? I was wondering who it was. Hahahaha! You became the lackey of a nation now? You dare to interfere with my matters?” the black-robed figure sneered.
“Lifespan Chunshen? Hahaha! Two hundred million citizens, fifty billion years of lifespan? Are you not worried about affecting your own lifespan by plundering so much, immediately exploding and dying?” the Unborn Man asked coldly.
“You don’t have to worry about my matters. Scram immediately. Otherwise, don’t blame me for my actions!” Lifespan Chunshen retorted coldly.
“Your actions? You can give it a try. I also want to see how capable your lifespan ritual array is. Humph!” The Unborn Man stomped.
Buzz!
Two whirlwinds suddenly kicked up with the Unborn Man in between—one black and one white. There seemed to be a skeletal figure with an ancient aura of death in the black whirlwind. However, the figure of a huge white baby radiating holy light was within the white whirlwind. The two whirlwinds rushed at Lifespan Chunshen’s ritual array.
“Half life and half death? You are trying to dabble in both? Truly seeking death! Back then, even Fuxi failed to do that. Yet you want to do it? Since you want to die, then don’t blame me! Humph!” Lifespan Chunshen snorted coldly as he waved.
Black energy roiling with malicious ghosts rushed at the Unborn Man.
Boom!
The techniques of the two clashed in the air. The black fog and the white fog encased the surroundings, and ghostly howls rang out within them, sounding incredibly eerie.
Gu Hai stepped into the white fog.
The Corpse Energy within the white fog was practically indiscernible to the physical eye. However, Gu Hai knew that overwhelming Corpse Energy spread out in the surroundings, having seen it with his heavenly eye.
When Gu Hai entered, his heavenly soul reacted. His Worldly Sorrowful Endowment circulated automatically, apparently absorbing the boundless Corpse Energy.
“Oh? It can absorb Corpse Energy too?” Gu Hai’s expression changed.
An Upper Heavenly Palace Realm cultivator cultivated energy. Gu Hai had reached the second layer of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm by absorbing boundless Shaman Energy. Now, this surging Corpse Energy seemed to nourish his heavenly soul greatly, as his heavenly soul continuously absorbed it.
An ordinary Upper Heavenly Palace Realm cultivator could not absorb just any energy willy-nilly. That energy needed to be compatible with their body. Some Upper Heavenly Palace Realm cultivators could cultivate only one kind of energy for all their layers. However, Gu Hai had the Worldly Sorrowful Endowment, which allowed him to take in all kinds of energy, accepting everything.
Although the Corpse Energy was very nourishing and cultivating here would be more efficient, Gu Hai had no time to cultivate. When he entered the city, loud howls came from the surroundings.
Gu Hai lowered his head and looked at the citizens below.
“Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob!”
“Grrgh! Grrgh! Grrgh!”
“Save me! Save me!”
…
Mournful cries rang out after Gu Hai arrived in the city.
Gu Hai saw that all the citizens were already dead, and large amounts of black energy poured out of their facial orifices. However, some citizens moved around, looking demonic as they pounced on their companions.
“Grrgh!”
A man bit another man’s finger and gobbled it down, crying as he did.
These were walking corpses. Gu Hai recalled reading about them in the past. Corpse demons have lost their three spiritual souls, leaving their seven physical souls to take over. They live by eating people. These corpse demons are eating each other? And as they eat each other, more black energy comes out of their facial orifices?
“Save me! Save me!” a corpse demon cried out in pain.
Whoosh!
Gu Hai swung his hand, smashing away the corpse demons in the surroundings as he looked at the corpse demon who retained some intelligence.
“Nascent Soul Realm?” Gu Hai felt slightly startled.
This Nascent Soul Realm cultivator only retained some intelligence.
“Your Reverence, save me! Save me!” that corpse demon cried bitterly as he held himself.
“What happened to you?”
“My three spiritual souls were stripped away. While my nascent souls retain some intelligence, I cannot last much longer. We all turned into corpse demons. It feels unbearable; I feel like eating people. Your Reverence, kill me! Kill me! No, my three spiritual souls were probably refined into evil ghosts too. Your Reverence, save me! Save me!” that corpse demon cried in pain.
However, that corpse demon trembled the next moment, and its eyes gleamed red.
Whoosh!
That corpse demon suddenly lost its intelligence and pounced at Gu Hai, wanting to bite him.
Gu Hai extended his hand to smash the corpse demon to pieces but stopped midway.
“You used to be our citizen. We have failed to keep you safe; we failed in our duty. Although your corpse turned into a demon, we will not damage it!” Gu Hai sighed softly, not attacking the corpse demon.
“Roar!”
That corpse demon took the opportunity to grab Gu Hai’s shoulder, wanting to bite down. However, a powerful suction came from his heavenly soul just as the corpse demon was about to bite.
Whoosh!
The surging black energy burst out of the corpse demon and poured into Gu Hai’s body. His heavenly soul absorbed all the surging Corpse Energy.
After his heavenly soul sucked away the Corpse Energy, the corpse demon slowly slumped to the ground.
Then three malicious spirits emanating black energy approached and merged into one. Gu Hai’s heavenly soul absorbed the evil spirit’s black energy, slowly revealing a soul body with the appearance of the slumped corpse demon.
“Your Reverence, many thanks for purifying me!” that soul cried out in pain as it kneeled on the ground.
“Purify?” Gu Hai’s expression turned solemn.
“Yes. I recovered my consciousness only because Your Reverence purified the Corpse Energy in my corpse and three spiritual souls. Otherwise, I would have turned into a puppet for others forever. Many thanks, Your Reverence,” that soul body said in pain.
“Can you return to your body and come back to life?” Gu Hai asked.
That soul entered its body before coming back out. It shook his head. “The physical body is already damaged. I’m already dead.”
“Since that is the case, we will send you into reincarnation,” Gu Hai sighed.
“Many thanks, Your Reverence.”
Gu Hai waved and sent that soul body into the Gu’s Immortal Firmament as a stop-gap.
“Grrgh! Grrgh! Grrgh!”
The corpse demons detected the aura of life and charged over.
Gu Hai took to the sky, not attacking as he looked at the corpse demons.
“We failed to protect you all. However, we will avenge you!” Gu Hai said ferociously.
Although Gu Hai wanted to purify more people, he needed to save Kong Xuan and the others, so he quickly searched the surroundings.
The lifespan ritual array formed an independent world. After he entered, he could not exit. The interior had expanded significantly, so it took him some time to find Kong Xuan.
When Gu Hai saw Kong Xuan’s appearance, his expression suddenly changed.
Kong Xuan had transformed into a massive peacock. Blood covered its body, and many of its feathers had fallen off, presenting a sorry sight. He was fighting Long Shenwu, who had transformed into a zombie body.
“Die!” Long Shenwu swung his saber down.
Coo!
Kong Xuan cried ferociously and flung out a wing, throwing out a five-colored divine light at Long Shenwu.
Boom!
The five-colored divine light blocked Long Shenwu’s manifested saber.
Even though it blocked Long Shenwu, the five-colored divine light might shatter at any moment.
“You took this long to deal with one Kong Xuan? Hah!” A sneer rang out.
Boom!
A crimson palm landed heavily on Kong Xuan’s back. Long Shenying had attacked without warning.
Blargh!
Kong Xuan immediately spewed a mouthful of blood. The attack had smashed the bones on its back. Simultaneously, Long Shenwu chopped apart the five-colored divine light.
Boom!
Long Shenwu landed a heavy blow on Kong Xuan’s shoulder.
Coo!
Kong Xuan let out a miserable cry as it got sent flying backwards.
“Long Shenying? Why are you here?” Long Shenwu glared at Long Shenying.
“Third Younger Brother, you move too slowly. I just helped the Southern Sea Dragon King deal with Shangguan Hen. To think you can’t kill Kong Xuan even after driving the power of your nation?” Long Shenying said coldly.
“I can kill him very soon. I don’t need your help. Humph!” Long Shenwu’s eyelids twitched wildly.
“However, you have driven the power of your nation. Kill him? To think you took so long and even got injured?” Long Shenying sneered.
“Why are you here?” Long Shenwu demanded coldly.
“It doesn’t matter why I am here. If you want to kill him, you have to move faster. Gu Hai might arrive soon. Hurry!” Long Shenying shouted.
After Long Shenying spoke, he and Long Shenwu looked at Kong Xuan.
Suffering severe injuries, Kong Xuan transformed back into human form, with a massive gash on his shoulder. He vomited blood.
“Hah! Hahahaha! Long Shenying, Long Shenwu, how capable can you be if you have to resort to driving the power of your nation?” Kong Xuan jeered while coughing blood.
“Hah! Kong Xuan, we are aware of your pride. While we don’t know how Gu Hai recruited you, we know it must have taken a long time. I have to kill you today to avoid future trouble. We believe that even if Gu Hai survives this calamity, he will lose Shangguan Hen and you, his right and left arms, and his core strength will suffer significant damage!” Long Shenying extended his hand to attack.
“Humph! Kong Xuan consumed my one-million-bronze-soldier army. If anyone is going to kill him, it should be me!” Long Shenwu glared and swung his saber at Kong Xuan.
The saber carried an overwhelming might, even tearing space. It looked like the attack would chop Kong Xuan in half.
Kong Xuan had weakened while Long Shenwu had grown stronger. Kong Xuan could block Long Shenwu earlier, but he was now severely injured. How could he block? Furthermore, there was Long Shenying.
“Hah! Even if I die, I’ll die with you!” Kong Xuan showed a ferocious expression as he flung out five-colored divine light to meet the manifested saber, ready to go down with his opponent!
“Die!” the Long brothers roared ferociously, simultaneously. It looked like Kong Xuan would die.
“Eighth Cycle!” A thunderous shout came from behind Kong Xuan.
An extremely massive manifested saber suddenly appeared from behind Kong Xuan, moving even faster than Kong Xuan to clash with Long Shenwu’s manifested saber.
Boom!
A loud report rang out as a huge black hole tore open in space. Long Shenwu’s manifested saber shattered, but Gu Hai’s manifested saber did not lose any momentum as it continued towards the Long brothers.
