Chapter 362: Secret of the Duan Clan
Translator: _Dark_Angel_ Editor: Kurisu
In one of the large manors in the city, all the residents were living underground in the middle of the night. Furthermore, this place had a horrendous stench to it, and there was even a river that was filled with floating corpses. No matter how they looked at it, there was something very strange going on here.
Where had these corpses come from?
Understanding flashed suddenly through Ling Han’s head, and he exclaimed, “Let’s go back!”
He instantly made a move. When he reached a door, he pushed it open and there was yet another coffin inside.
Yue Kai Yu and Guang Yuan came over as well. One of them asked, “What have you found out?”
“This morning, we obviously saw many people come out of the room above us, which means that they were all here. But we can’t find even one single person now, so why do you think this is the case?” Ling Han countered with a question.
Guang Yuan’s expression instantly changed drastically, and he exclaimed, “It can’t be that you suspect that these people have hidden themselves in those coffins? How could that be? With such a horrible stench here, the mere smell would be enough to suffocate anyone to death!”
“For us, this is a terrible stench, but for some, this is a wonderful place for cultivation,” Ling Han said calmly.
“How could that be!” Yue Kai Yu exclaimed in shock.
Ling Han did not answer. He simply gripped the lid of the coffin and gave it a firm push.
Zhi . The coffin opened, and a man was revealed within. He was wearing brightly colored clothing, with a lifelike expression on his face. He did not look like a corpse at all.
“This is someone of the Duan Residence; I saw him at daytime!” Guang Yuan said, his voice trembling slightly. He was in the Spiritual Ocean Tier, so he would not easily forget anyone he had seen before, what more when it was something so “fresh”—he had just seen him this morning.
But he was still alive at day, yet lay in a coffin at night, and a horrible stench was emanating from all over his body. How could he accept this reality?
“How could this be possible!” Yue Kai Yu whispered.
But the person in the coffin seemed to have really become a corpse, and there was absolutely no signs of him waking up at all.
Ling Han shook his head, and said, “As long as it’s related to a particular sect, then it would be possible.”
“What sect?” Yue Kai Yu asked in shock.
“The Thousand Corpse Sect!” Ling Han answered solemnly.
Yue Kai Yu’s expression changed again. He wanted to refute, but did not have the strength to.
Previously, rumors had indeed spread out from the Falling Moon Gorge, saying that the Thousand Corpse Sect had been revived. However, the benevolent see benevolence, and the wise do not believe in rumors. The Winter Moon Sect did not believe one bit that the Thousand Corpse Sect that had disappeared for millenia would once again see the light of day.
But seeing this scene in front of his eyes, Yue Kai Yu had no option but to believe in those rumors.
Aside from the Thousand Corpse Sect, what other party would be accompanied by corpses? How could any normal person bear to live in such surroundings?
“Has this sect really been revived?” he asked, his face pale.
There have bene uncountable sects that have perished throughout history, but none of them were as notorious as the Thousand Corpse Sect. Furthermore, its notoriety had lasted for millenia; anyone who still remembered it would recall it with gritted teeth.
That showed how despicable and hated the things that the Thousand Corpse Sect had done all those years ago were. True, everyone would die. But to be dug out after their death and manipulated by another, forced to become a Corpse Soldier under their control—who could tolerate that?
“What do you think?” Ling Han gazed at the man lying within the coffin. He had only briefly looked over the coffin just now, but now, upon closer examination, he could detect that there was Corpse Qi encircling the person lying in the coffin.
In the beginning, how could he have imagined that this would be a branch of the Thousand Corpse Sect?
“We must immediately return and bring this news back to the sect!” Yue Kai Yu said hurriedly. If the Thousand Corpse Sect really had made a comeback, then not only did they need to inform their sect, they would even have to announce it to the whole world, and mobilize the whole world to stand against this party.
Otherwise, if the Thousand Corpse Sect was given time to solidify their base, then most probably, about all the graves of the entire world would have been dug out.
Ling Han looked like he was listening closely to something. Then he shook his head and said, “I’m afraid we won’t be able to leave!”
“Ka, ka, ka, that is indeed correct!” A voice suddenly rose up from behind them.
Yue Kai Yu and Guang Yuan turned around at the same time and saw that there was a man who looked to be in his forties standing in the doorway. He was of medium build and had a handsome face. Though he did not look young anymore, he would still be capable of charming the hearts of a large number of aunties.
“Duan Zheng Zhi!” Guang Yuan’s eyes widened.
Duan Zheng Zhi smiled faintly, rubbed his chin, and said, “Guang Yuan, I was just wondering when I should call you over and refine you into my Corpse Soldier. But I never thought that you would actually deliver yourself to my doorstep.”
Guang Yuan’s cultivation level was too low, so he did not have much knowledge about the Thousand Corpse Sect. But merely hearing the phrase Corpse Soldier was enough to make one’s heart shudder, so he knew that it could not be anything good. His heart trembled in his chest, and he exclaimed, “How did Qing Yue die!”
He naturally did not believe that Qing Yue had died from illness now, and could not help but fly into an uncontrollable rage.
“Qing Yue?” Duan Zheng Zhi smiled calmly. “Oh, she objected to my joining our sacred sect, so I could only refine her into my Corpse Soldier so that she would stay by my side eternally.”
“You’re inhumane!” Guang Yuan shouted in fury, flames of rage practically shooting from his eyes.
Duan Zheng Zhi laughed loudly, and answered, “Of course I’m not human. Now that I have entered into this divine sect, our lives have transcended the level of mortals! In my eyes, you all are merely food, and materials to be refined into Corpse Soldiers! Forget it. I can’t be bothered to waste my words on you. Just obediently become my Corpse Soldiers!”
After he was done talking, he actually turned around and left.
“Stop!” Guang Yuan, in his fury, did not care any longer that Duan Zheng Zhi was in the Spiritual Pedestal Tier and was much more powerful than himself. He merely wanted to chase after him. However, he had just reached the doorway when he saw a palm strike shooting towards him. The palm was as thin as withered bones and completely black, emanating a strong repulsive stench.
Guang Yuan quickly halted and delivered a punch. Martial intent encircled his fist, and he shot out two flashes of Fist Qi.
Peng!
With this exchange of blows, Guang Yuan was instantly flung backwards, but his opponent did not get any advantage, either. He was also forced to retreat multiple steps backward, and it was only when he collided with the wall behind him that he finally stopped.
“What is this damn thing!” Yue Kai Yu immediately exclaimed in shock.
It was a half-rotted corpse that had blocked Guang Yuan, but it was as if there were invisible strings moving it around. It was actually capable of moving nimbly and freely by itself, and it immediately attacked again, charging into the room.
This room was already pitifully small in the first place, and now that another “person” had entered, there was practically almost no space left even for movement and it was extremely cramped.
Guang Yuan attacked in his madness. He was extraordinarily furious, and wanted to kill Duan Zheng Zhi at all costs.
“That would be a Corpse Soldier. It’s formed by using some special technique to refine a dead body into something akin to a puppet,” Ling Han said. “If it wasn’t for the fact that the main ingredient to produce it was a human body, such a creation would really deserve to be called genius.”
“You’re impressed by it?” Yue Kai Yu sucked his teeth.
“From a certain aspect, yes. However,”—Ling Han’s eyes iced over—”this Thousand Corpse Sect must be eliminated.”
“I agree with that, but now, it would be difficult for us to even escape!” Yue Kai Yu said.
“Don’t worry. I told you that we would be able to leave safely!” Ling Han smiled calmly. He stretched out his left hand and pressed down on the man in the coffin. Multiple black patterns appeared. This was the Power of Regulation that he had obtained after he had refined the Demonic Qi. In the past, he had merely touched Feng Yan and the latter’s whole left leg was gone.
Pu . He struck out with a palm, and instantly, a large hole appeared in the chest of the man lying in the coffin. However, the man’s eyes snapped open abruptly. He stared at Ling Han with white eyes, but in the next instant, his head tilted, and he was now completely dead.