"Ruined my plans."

Qin Shi turned to look at the bottomless mountain below, his brows furrowed.

"Brother Kongxing, that female demon..."

"Forget it, if she didn’t die, she’s lucky. The important matters take precedence."

Li Kongxing’s gaze fell on the Black Rat and Shi Shougong lying in the pool of blood.

"Once we find the location of the Dragon Eye, we’ll refine the Inner Core from these two demons."

The Great Demon Inner Core is a rare treasure even for cultivators.

"Brother Kongxing, I heard my grandfather say, twenty years ago, Tusk Mountain was occupied by someone. Can that Dragon Eye still be used?" Qin Shi couldn’t help but ask.

"You’re right, twenty years ago, someone indeed practiced here." Li Kongxing nodded and said.

"However, the mountain’s aura is still present, so that Dragon Eye should still be usable."

"What kind of person could occupy this mountain?" Qin Shi asked impulsively.

He had heard from the clan elders about this past event. Back then, the person contended with their Qin Family for this mountain, and the outcome was unequivocal.

"That person was formidable, indeed a previous generation’s Human Xiao." Li Kongxing said solemnly.

"Human Xiao? From Wuwei Sect?"

"Yes, seeking out the Dragon Eye this time is the Daoist Alliance’s intention. I borrowed the Demon-Revealing Mirror from Qi Yun Mountain for this purpose." Li Kongxing sneered.

"I really want to see what Ren Xiao’s Secluded Place looks like."

As he spoke, a cold gleam flashed in Li Kongxing’s eyes as he looked at the Black Rat and Shi Shougong writhing and twitching in the blood pool.

...

Jiangnan Province, Yujing City.

Hongfu Garden.

"Your Spirit Corpse is truly fascinating, even most masters couldn’t refine such a thing."

Fang Changle sat on the sofa in Zhang Fan’s home, looking at the motionless Zhang Beijiang standing nearby, with a curious look in his eyes, he couldn’t help but exclaim.

As a disciple of Maoshan, his understanding of zombies was far greater than that of other sects.

They were experts in corpse suppression and renowned for corpse refining.

"Spirit Corpse?" Zhang Fan looked at Zhang Beijiang.

This was a treasure he acquired from the Imprisoned Immortal Temple, which he speculated to be refined from the corpse of a Beizhang Zhang Family disciple.

"There are many types of zombies: generally, after ten years of burial, once the body starts to grow hair..."

"This is called a Walking Corpse; the body can still move, so-called White Corpse, Green Zombie, Purple Zombie are all considered Walking Corpses, relatively low-level zombies."

"More formidable are the Iron Armored Corpses, Copper Armored Corpses, and Golden Armored Corpses, which are collectively known as Magic Corpses. Their bodies form armor, impenetrable to blades and bullets, and even ordinary magic has difficulty harming them."

At this point, Fang Changle paused briefly.

"These Magic Corpses really test one’s Dao practice and skill. We used to have qualification examinations at Maoshan and certifications for these sorts..."

"Ah!?" Zhang Fan was stunned.

"Not anymore, with cremations prevalent now, corpses aren’t as readily available as they once were, naturally leading to fewer corpse refiners." Fang Changle sighed.

In the past, when earth burials flourished, the art of corpse refining was in its prime.

It’s no exaggeration to say that corpse refining was a complete industry chain, connecting the upper and lower streams.

From corpse awakening, corpse transportation, corpse forming, corpse refining... including initial processing of corpses, trading of various rare materials, sale of refining grounds, zombie market transactions, and more.

Earlier, when corpse refining was in vogue, annual industry exchange meetings provided a platform for technological exchange and the showcase of the latest achievements for all sects.

On such platforms, many master corpse refiners secured numerous orders.

That was the golden era for the art of corpse refining.

In this field, Maoshan was undoubtedly the industry leader.

But now it’s different, times have changed, and industrial replacement and upgrading are challenges every cultivator must face.

Many Daoists specializing in corpse refining have opted to change professions.

"More powerful still are Spirit Corpses."

Fang Changle looked at Zhang Beijiang and continued: "These Spirit Corpses are already enlightened, capable of cultivation, and if they were cultivators in life, they can even understand the Daoist Divine Techniques they practiced before."

"Spirit Corpses are truly hard to come by."

"Is there anything more powerful than a Spirit Corpse?" Zhang Fan asked casually.

He knew that even as a Spirit Corpse, Zhang Beijiang’s current strength should only be slightly stronger than someone with High Skill, barely able to spar with a Mahasattva.

However, according to Fang Changle, Spirit Corpses can cultivate autonomously, and depending on the quality of the corpse material, their potential could reach the Realm of a Sect Leader.

That’s quite terrifying.

Precisely because of this, Spirit Corpses are extremely difficult to refine and exceedingly valuable.

"More powerful than Spirit Corpses..." Fang Changle’s gaze focused, speaking solemnly.

"That would be the Flying Yaksha."

"Such beings possess combat strength akin to a Celestial Master."

As he spoke, a hint of fear welled up in Fang Changle’s eyes.

"Hmm?"

Zhang Fan saw his expression, felt his heart move, and couldn’t help asking: "Have you seen one?"

"Hehe, my apologies, we have three flying..."

Before he finished speaking, Fang Changle suddenly covered his mouth.

"What... What did I just say?"

"You said you have three Flying Yakshas at Maoshan." Zhang Fan laughed.

He now understood why Brother Yu Hua always wanted to tear Fang Changle’s mouth apart; Maoshan’s secrets would be revealed sooner or later.

"Don’t go spreading this around; this is a big secret of Maoshan, I’ve only told you." Fang Changle warned.

"Hehe..." Zhang Fan laughed.

He hadn’t had a chance to speak when his phone buzzed with a notification from Su Shiyu.

"Hmm!?"

Zhang Fan opened the message, scanned it quickly, and immediately stood up, the smile on his face vanishing completely, replaced by a fierce aura, as he spat out two words through gritted teeth.

"Courting death!"