Yaksha

Qin Sang and Yunyouzi held their breath and quieted their movements, waiting in place for a short while. Once they were certain that the school of flying-horned fish-dragons had not detected their presence, they set off, slipping into the depths of the ice cave. Hearing from Yunyouzi that the strange figure was just ahead, Qin Sang could not help but feel a mixture of tension and anticipation. His primary goal in accompanying Yunyouzi was, of course, to fulfill his promise and assist Yunyouzi with all his might in obtaining the spirit herb. Second, if the strange figure truly was an autonomously acting refined corpse, its master would never leave such a powerful refined corpse here unattended unless something unexpected had happened to them. Qin Sang surmised that the person might have died here, which would explain why the refined corpse was free to roam the vicinity. In such a frigid and desolate place, rarely visited by anyone and guarded by a refined corpse, the master's remains might still be right there! As he walked, Qin Sang pondered deeply on how to locate the person's remains and retrieve their relics right under the refined corpse's nose. Any treasures among the relics were secondary; what Qin Sang looked forward to most was the latter half of the Heavenly Yin Corpse Art, especially the secret technique for elevating a living corpse into a Flying Yaksha. The ice cavern was full of branching paths, but Yunyouzi had been here before and was familiar with the route. After a dizzying series of twists and turns, Yunyouzi whispered, "Brother Qin, it's just ahead..." At the end of the straight passage lay a colossal ice hall. Faint blue light lingered within the ice hall, allowing one to barely make out its entire layout. The ice hall was not square, seeming not to have been carved out by human hands. It was completely empty. On both flanks of the hall were several doorways leading elsewhere, which could be tentatively called side chambers. Qin Sang surveyed the ice hall. From a distance, nothing appeared out of the ordinary; it was deathly silent, and there was no sign of the strange figure. The faint blue light was also emitted by the layers of ice. Then, Qin Sang shifted his gaze, fixing his eyes on a side chamber to the right of the hall, and asked, "Is the strange figure in that side chamber?" "That's right!" Yunyouzi nodded, pointing a finger to the other side. "Where I need to go is that side hall. Once I make a move, it will inevitably alert that strange figure. This individual possesses remarkable evasion techniques—unpredictable as ghosts and gods—and his strength is formidable. Brother Qin, you must buy me at least fifteen breaths of time." Fifteen breaths. Qin Sang fell silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "We won't know until we try." To immortal cultivators, fifteen breaths of time were more than enough to decide life and death. However, he had come prepared; if the opponent truly was a refined corpse, there might be some hope. Still, without seeing the strange figure's true face with his own eyes, Qin Sang did not dare to say for certain that it would work. Yunyouzi brought out the spirit bamboo flying boat. "This old Daoist probed him before. For some unknown reason, that strange figure won't stray too far from the hall. After pursuing for a certain distance, he returns on his own. However, in the face of his bizarre evasion techniques, that distance is like an insurmountable chasm. The person who came in with this old Daoist back then died at the strange figure's hands just like that. Once we enter the ice hall and the strange figure appears, Brother Qin, test the waters briefly, then board the flying boat immediately..." Yunyouzi explained tirelessly, establishing a detailed plan with Qin Sang. It was clear that he was exceedingly wary of the strange figure. Qin Sang committed everything to memory. Seeing Yunyouzi act with such caution, he dared not slacken in the slightest; he brought out his ebony sword and stood ready at any moment to activate the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman. If things went awry, he would not hesitate to expose the secret talisman—saving his life took priority. Both men were fully prepared. Exchanging a glance, they no longer concealed their aura, flying on their swords and charging straight into the ice hall. In the blink of an eye, Qin Sang and Yunyouzi appeared in the middle of the ice hall. Qin Sang's eyes darted around, memorizing the surroundings of the ice hall. At the same time, he heightened his spiritual senses to their peak, sweeping his spiritual sense into every corner of the ice hall, his heart wound tight with tension. Yet after they entered, the ice hall remained unchanged, with not the slightest anomaly. Suddenly, Yunyouzi's expression shifted slightly, and he roared loudly. "Behind us!" Qin Sang's heart clenched violently. Without turning his head, the ebony sword's light burst forth, stabbing frantically behind him. At the same time, Yunyouzi twisted his upper torso into a bizarre shape. Gripping the Blue Light Sword with both hands, he unleashed a burst of sword qi dozens of feet long and cleaved downward! Two blasts of sword qi erupted simultaneously, their radiance reflected by the layers of ice, illuminating the ice hall in a dazzling glare. Having prepared in advance, Qin Sang and Yunyouzi were not panicked; everything was proceeding according to plan. The two swords coordinated seamlessly, converging in midair and slashing fiercely toward a certain spot in the void. Bang! A deafening roar resounded. The sword qi shattered into pieces. The flying swords rebounded! In the empty air, a figure materialized. This person gripped both hands into fists, his fist force like thunder, head-on meeting the two blasts of sword qi with overwhelming force! Confronting the combined strike of the two swords, this person stood immovable, smashing the sword qi with a single fist. In contrast, Qin Sang and Yunyouzi both shook violently all over. They felt as if struck by a terrifyingly monstrous impact, groaning in unison as they tumbled backward in utter disarray. Bang! Bang! Qin Sang and Yunyouzi crashed heavily against the ice hall's walls. Combined, the two of them could not even block a single punch from the strange figure! Qin Sang's blood and qi surged violently. Paying no heed to the sharp pain, he barely steadied himself, catching a glimpse of the strange figure's appearance out of the corner of his eye. The person was gaunt, resembling a middle-aged scholar. The clothes on his body were tattered, and the exposed skin all over his body, including his face, was a bizarre greenish-black. There was not the slightest expression on his face, but his pitch-black pupils seemed to hold a strange look that made Qin Sang secretly shudder. Suddenly, the strange figure vanished from the spot once more. Yunyouzi's words had indeed been no exaggeration—after the strange figure vanished, Qin Sang could sense nothing at all. "Brother Qin!" Yunyouzi had already brought out the spirit bamboo flying boat and shouted urgently. Alarm bells blared in Qin Sang's mind. His figure flickered repeatedly as he hurriedly boarded the flying boat. Yunyouzi gave a low shout, and the spirit bamboo flying boat flared with bright azure light, shooting away like an arrow. Yet unexpectedly— The moment the flying boat was about to rush out of the ice hall, a greenish-black hand eerily reached out from the void. Sharp black fingernails carried a sickening stench of corpse qi as it clawed toward the two of them like lightning. Just as that ghostly hand was about to tear through the flying boat's barrier and disembowel the pair, at this critical juncture, Qin Sang neither dodged nor retreated. Fixing his eyes squarely on the ghostly hand, an unusual glint flashed across his gaze. In the next instant, an astonishing scene unfolded—for some unknown reason, the ghostly hand suddenly paused. Taking advantage of this brief pause, the spirit bamboo flying boat flickered and dashed straight out of the hall, escaping to safety. Aboard the flying boat, Yunyouzi looked at Qin Sang with great delight and surprise. Qin Sang let out a slow breath and nodded to Yunyouzi. The clash just now had lasted less than a single breath, yet they had already brushed with death. Brief as it was, Qin Sang had already sensed the distinctive aura emanating from the strange figure. Yunyouzi's perception had been correct: the strange figure's true identity was indeed that of a living corpse refined using a Heavenly Corpse Talisman! Furthermore, it was no ordinary living corpse—it was a Flying Yaksha!