Heavenly Yin Corpse Art

Wu Yuesheng's "corpse" moved slightly, lifting its head without a sound. Bloodstains still marked his face, and his skin appeared unnaturally pale from blood loss, yet he was not overly weak, showing his injuries were not as severe as they had seemed. Seeing Qin Sang still sitting on the ground seemingly completely unaware, about to perish under the sword, Wu Yuesheng curled his lips in a smug smile. However, when his gaze swept past Qin Sang and landed upon the Ten Directions Yanluo Array, his expression froze. "What a powerful banner array..." Wu Yuesheng murmured, eyes burning with greed. Just as he was about to rise, an abrupt, colossal force slammed him viciously into the ground. A heart-wrenching, tearing agony instantly surged through his back and chest. Filled with profound shock, Wu Yuesheng struggled to look down, only to see a shimmering green spirit sword solidify from translucence, piercing through his heart and pinning him to the ground. "Heh heh..." Wu Yuesheng suddenly understood. Without even looking, he knew his strike must have missed. He let out a self-deprecating laugh as the light in his eyes rapidly faded to gray, his vitality severed. Having struck empty air, the Crimson Flame Sword lost momentum without anyone controlling it. It clattered against the wall with a crisp ding, the red glow along the blade slowly dying down as if mourning its master. *Swish!* The ebony sword moved again, skewering Wu Yuesheng's skull. Only then did Qin Sang's figure slowly materialize beside Wu Yuesheng, his aura somewhat disheveled and his breathing heavy. In such a short time, having to deal with two treacherous companions, controlling several magic tools in succession without revealing a single flaw—even with his formidable spiritual sense and well-ordered coordination, he felt profoundly strained. In truth, Qin Sang hadn't been certain whether Wu Yuesheng was dead or alive. But having personally witnessed Wu Yuesheng's ability to conceal his aura, posing as a corpse would not have been difficult. Furthermore, after Wu Yuesheng had previously stalked him, Qin Sang naturally harbored deep vigilance toward him, lacking even an ounce of trust. Thus, he had taken an extra precaution, never revealing the existence of the ebony sword. He had even suspected that Wu Yuesheng's wounds were not severe, that he might have intentionally pretended to fall into the trap. The cautious manner Wu Yuesheng had shown when tailing him was still fresh in his memory. However, Qin Sang had not moved to test Wu Yuesheng. If Wu Yuesheng was faking it and remained motionless even after Qin Sang turned the tables and killed Baiyun Shanren, he was undeniably harboring evil intentions. Probing recklessly would inevitably force a direct confrontation. Qin Sang's foundation was damaged, and his cultivation was lower than Wu Yuesheng's. Even if he could prevail using his various magic tools, such a powerful enemy could not be resolved quickly. Delaying any further would result in both of them being engulfed by the earth fiend qi—unless he resorted to the Profound Yin Thunder. With the Essence-Devouring Awl spent to slay Baiyun Shanren, the Profound Yin Thunder would be Qin Sang's sole trump card. They had not even reached the core of the Heavenly Corpse Sect's branch altar, yet there was already such a formidable baleful corpse. It was impossible to say what lay ahead; he had to leave a way out. Qin Sang had simply used himself as bait. He used the Essence-Devouring Awl to slay Baiyun Shanren seeking a swift end to the battle, denying Wu Yuesheng any chance to reap the spoils as a bystander. Then, pretending to be anxious, he feigned pouring all his power into channeling the Gui Water Yin Thunder Incantation, leaving his back completely defenseless to Wu Yuesheng. Sure enough, it lured him to strike. Uniting sword and body, dissolving like a shadow without trace—this divine ability was truly a supreme weapon for sneak attacks and assassinations. While Wu Yuesheng rejoiced over Qin Sang's exposed opening, focusing entirely on suppressing the ripples of the Crimson Flame Sword to ambush him, he never could have imagined that an invisible spirit sword was creeping up on him, striking with a lethal bite like a viper in the shadows. Confirming that Wu Yuesheng had drawn his last breath, Qin Sang finally allowed his taut nerves to relax slightly. Overcome with deep exhaustion, he let out a soft sigh. He popped an elixir for restoring spiritual power into his mouth, directed the ebony sword to intercept the baleful corpse, and flashed over to the skeleton in the corner of the hall. The items had been disarranged by Baiyun Shanren. After inspecting the skeleton and finding nothing unusual, Qin Sang picked up the three objects. Unexpectedly, both the black cloth pouch and the cracked iron stake were magic tools, yet neither held anything extraordinary. In particular, the cracks on the iron stake were not inherent to the tool, but the result of prior damage. The iron stake seemed out of the ordinary, but the fissures were so dense that Qin Sang did not dare test it with too much spiritual power, fearing that the slightest jolt would destroy it completely. Thus, only the silver token remained. Qin Sang turned the token over, examining it. When he touched it with spiritual power, it did not react at all, making him frown. Just then, a realization struck him, and he hurriedly probed inside with his spiritual sense. *Boom!* A passage of text surfaced in Qin Sang's mind! As expected, it was an information-storage object similar to a jade slip. Qin Sang cast a pensive glance at Baiyun Shanren's corpse. Had the man risked everything just for this text? Given that it was sealed within a Heavenly Corpse Token, could it be the inheritance of the Heavenly Corpse Sect? Besieged jointly by the ebony sword and the Ten Directions Yanluo Array, the baleful corpse could whip up no significant waves; destroying it was merely a matter of time. Furthermore, Qin Sang's intuition told him that whatever was inside the Heavenly Corpse Token likely pertained to corpse refining. Perhaps there was a method to easily neutralize the baleful corpse. Thus, he studied it closely. Moments later, Qin Sang withdrew his mind from the Heavenly Corpse Token, his expression somewhat strange. The token contained no cultivation method, but rather the Heavenly Corpse Sect's inherited corpse-refining art, titled *Heavenly Yin Corpse Art*, which included complete methods for crafting zombie corpse puppets and baleful corpse puppets. The method for crafting zombie corpse puppets differed little from other corpse-refining methods Qin Sang had heard of, likewise relying primarily on yin baleful qi. However, the Heavenly Corpse Sect's corpse-refining technique could draw a wisp of earth fiend qi to temper the puppet's physical body, making the resulting zombie corpse puppets noticeably stronger than ordinary zombies. The method for crafting baleful corpse puppets, on the other hand, was entirely different from others. It was crafted wholly with earth fiend qi and required the corpse of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, following an exceedingly intricate process. Beyond that, the *Heavenly Yin Corpse Art* even contained a method for refining living corpse puppets! After reading through the method for refining living corpses, Qin Sang could not help but pale. A chill ran down his spine, and he drew a sharp breath. A living corpse was made by taking a living Foundation Establishment cultivator and forcibly refining their origin soul with an esoteric technique called the Heavenly Corpse Talisman, turning them into a "living" corpse puppet. Once a cultivator was refined into a living corpse puppet, their spirituality far exceeded that of other baleful corpses. Not only were they utterly obedient, but their strength was also greater, scarcely weaker than when they had been alive. Moreover, they could cast incantations, making them virtually perfect puppets. *Was this baleful corpse refined as a living corpse?* Qin Sang looked up, quietly studying the baleful corpse trapped within the Ten Directions Yanluo Array. Understanding dawned upon him. No wonder it possessed such rich spirituality and could employ incantations alongside a mysterious evasion technique. Yet these were not the entirety of the *Heavenly Yin Corpse Art*. According to the summary outline, further along were methods capable of refining corpse puppets even more formidable than baleful corpses, as well as a secret art to enhance a living corpse until it could unleash strength rivaling a Flying Yaksha. However, no record of those was preserved within this Heavenly Corpse Token.