Translator: _Dark_Angel_ Editor: Kurisu
Ling Han almost stumbled. What did this guy see that caused him to arrive at that conclusion?
“When did you become blind?” he asked in annoyance.
Yue Kai Yu laughed lightly, and said, “If you hadn’t conned the little girl, why would Hu Niu keep chattering to me and say that you are Niu’s?”
Ling Han was dumbstruck. Hu Niu was a really mischievous child, plus she was clever! She knew that Yue Kai Yu was his cousin, so she switched her strategy to getting on good terms with his family. If they managed to find his mother, then with this little girl’s skill, wouldn’t she be perfectly capable of charming Yue Hong Chang so much that she would recognize her as her little daughter-in-law?
And after another ten or so years, this little girl would have grown up to become a young girl, and for a genius like Ling Han, it was practically a definite fact that he would break through to the Flower Blossom Tier. Then compared to a lifespan of at least a few hundred years, wouldn’t ten years pass in what might seem to be the blink of an eye?
Ling Han could not help but shake his head as he wondered what thoughts were flying around in Hu Niu’s little head.
“Since you like the little girl, then just yield the other two beautiful girls to me!” Yue Kai Yu said, slinging an arm around Ling Han’s shoulder.
“Ha, ha!” Ling Han laughed dryly, and said, “One of them is my little female attendant, and the other is my alchemist apprentice. Just think, if you marry either one of them, what are you going to address me as?”
“Pei, you are really too devious, just holding onto them and not doing anything but not letting anyone take over, either. I look down on you!” Yue Kai Yu exclaimed, filled with righteous indignation.
“Speak less nonsense. We’ve arrived at the Duan Residence.” Ling Han lowered his hand. They had arrived in front of the Duan Residence.
“Yi, isn’t this Duan Zheng Zhi’s house?” Yue Kai Yu looked confused.
“You know him?” Ling Han asked.
“Kind of. He came to pay a visit to the sect before. After all, he is in the Spiritual Pedestal Tier, and is quite a strong martial artist. Furthermore, the Sea Breeze City is located right below the sect, so we are very closely linked together. Now that an elite of this level has appeared, he would naturally have to report to the sect and make his stand clear so that we can ensure that he would not break the rules of the sect,” Yue Kai Yu pointed out.
He paused, then continued, “What are we doing here? You couldn’t have possibly fallen for his daughter who’s just a few years old, right?”
“F*** you!” Ling Han rolled his eyes. As he dismantled the alarm array, he said, “You’ll see later, but I hope you won’t yell crazily with your big mouth.”
“Who do you think I am, you think that I don’t even have that little bit of self-control?” Yue Kai Yu humphed.
Ten minutes later.
“Ghost! Ghost!” Yue Kai Yu looked a little pale. “Is this f******* place really the home of living people? Why isn’t there any single living person inside?”
Ling Han and Guang Yuan exchanged a grin. They had deliberately brought Yue Kai Yu around the manor on a tour, resulting in this empty manor and eerie surroundings causing Yue Kai Yu to feel his hair stand on end.
“Come on!” As they advanced, Ling Han explained the disputes between Guang Yuan and Duan Zheng Zhi for Yue Kai Yu’s benefit.
It was only now that Yue Kai Yu understood why they had come here. However, he was curious himself by now. What was going on with this Duan Residence? Why had everyone disappeared in the middle of the night?
They arrived at the hall that they had seen at daytime and began to search carefully throughout it.
However, this secret passage seemed to be extraordinarily well-hidden. They had searched for about an hour, but still had not managed to find it.
Ling Han stopped and activated the Eye of Truth.
‘Ow ow ow ow!’
Previously, when he had battled the Seven Sons of Ao Family successively, he had overused the Eye of Truth. Even now, it had not fully recovered. Thus, the moment he activated the Eye of Truth, bloody tears streamed out of his right eye; the sight was very chilling.
He quickly withdrew the Mystical Power. The sweeping glance just now was enough for him to discover the location of the secret passage. It was really easy.
However, the secret passage was easy to find, but it might not be that way to find the mechanism to reveal it. Because they still did not want to alert anyone, they naturally could not cause too much damage and use the most direct and violent method to directly crash in.
Thankfully, the three of them were all in the Spiritual Ocean Tier, and had a very sensitive divine sense. After confirming the location of the secret passage, it would be much easier to look for the mechanism to open it. After over another ten minutes, they found the secret on one of the walls. They moved a painting slightly, and ka, ka, ka , a dark, cold cave opening had appeared on the floor tiles.
“Are we really going in?” Yue Kai Yu asked with a bit of hesitation.
He was not the slightest bit foolish. There were so many places inside the Duan Residence, yet it appeared to be like a ghostly manor. Furthermore, there was a secret passage here, and it was possible that everyone had hidden within. Choosing to stay underground when they had perfectly comfortable rooms to sleep in… there was definitely something strange going on.
Moreover, Duan Zheng Zhi was in the Spiritual Pedestal Tier, and if he discovered them… would they be killed to ensure that the secret was not leaked out?
“Of course!” Ling Han nodded. His curiosity was completely ignited.
“Aren’t you scared that we won’t be able to come back out?” Yue Kai Yu asked sullenly, feeling like he really had boarded a ship of thieves.
“It’s fine. I’m here,” Ling Han said with full confidence. This was not an exaggeration on his part. With the Black Tower for them to hide themselves in, they need not worry about anything that will threaten their lives, at least in a “small place” like this world.
How would Yue Kai Yu know what Ling Han was thinking? However, he was also certain he could not convince Ling Han otherwise, what more when he himself was curious as well, as well as slightly alert—under the eyes of the Winter Moon Sect, what was Duan Zheng Zhi planning to do?
They entered the secret passage and went downwards all the way. It was very dark, and after they had walked for about a hundred metres, the stairs stopped. Instead, a long corridor had appeared in front of them; there were doors on both sides of the corridor, which likely meant that there were many rooms behind these doors.
Ling Han stuck close to one of the doors and listened for a while. He made a gesture of pushing the door open, and Guang Yuan and Yue Kai Yu nodded, signalling that they were prepared. If there was anyone inside, they would swiftly subdue him.
Ling Han pressed his hands against the doors, used a bit of force, and the doors were opened. The doors were not locked.
“Wu!” The three of them immediately covered their noses. There was a powerful stench wafting out from inside the room.
Xiu, xiu, xiu . However, they still instantly leaped in. When their eyes swept over the inside of the room, shock filled their expressions.
This room was very small, so small that it could only contain a large bed. What was shocking was the fact that it was not a bed that was set inside, but rather a coffin.
“Unlucky! Unlucky!” Yue Kai Yu hurriedly retreated. No wonder there was a powerful stench. This was a tomb and the corpse had all rotted, so of course there would be a strong stench coming from inside.
Guang Yuan was right behind him, whereas Ling Han was the last.
“We don’t have to look anymore, right? This should be an underground tomb,” Yue Kai Yu said.
Ling Han shook his head, and said, “If this is an underground tomb, then where have all the living people gone to?”
This was indeed somet
hing they could not figure out.
“Let’s go and take another look.” The three of them continued to advance, and a crossroads appeared in front of them, where even more doors could be seen ahead.
“Let’s continue on.” Ling Han was determined to get to the bottom of this matter.
They continued to advance, and suddenly, they could smell an overwhelming stench, as if there was a mountain of corpses ahead of them. The smell was strong enough to cause someone to pass out from suffocation.
The three of them wore very ugly expression, and disgust had turned their faces pale.
They held their breaths. With the ability of the Spiritual Ocean Tier, it was definitely not a problem for them to hold their breaths for about an hour.
An underground river appeared in front of them, and there were multiple corpses floating in it!
Chapter 362
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.
Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao c1-1294 Page 196