Chapter 1097: Corpse King

"Here..." Bai suddenly emerged from the Corpse Puppet Bag, staring blankly at the Immortal Tombs.

He slowly walked towards a severely damaged stone tablet, crouched down, and gently touched the inscription on it.

The stone tablet had long been so damaged that the writing was illegible.

Bai touched the stone tablet, and after a long time, he murmured, "I don't know why, but seeing these tombs, I don't recall any memories, yet I have an indescribable feeling..."

Qin Sang stood silently to the side.

Bai's physical body was a refined corpse, so Qin Sang couldn't see any expression on him. But from his tone, Qin Sang detected a hint of sadness.

The Immortal Tombs were vast and boundless, containing countless graves, strikingly similar to the place where Bai was trapped. It was unknown how many skeletons were sealed within the Purple Mist Forbidden Zone.

A moment later, Bai stood up. Instead of retreating into the Corpse Puppet Bag, he walked forward alongside Qin Sang.

Bai's gaze swept over the tombs, his eyes filled with melancholy.

Qin Sang, however, was in no mood to dwell on the past.

He knew how dangerous the Immortal Tombs were. They harbored Ghost Kings whose strength rivaled that of mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators. There was even a time when a Nascent Soul Grandmaster named Immortal Dongyun was entangled by a Ghost King, allowing Earl Dongyang to enjoy the spectacle.

He summoned the Ebony Sword and the Six Demon Banner Formation. Whenever they encountered specters, he eliminated them as quickly as possible to avoid being surrounded and alerting the Ghost Kings.

In contrast to him, Bai moved with ease, like a fish in water.

After traveling for some time, they had already entered the depths of the Immortal Tombs.

Just then, Bai suddenly paused and turned his head to look to the right.

"What's wrong?" Qin Sang felt a surge of tension; he knew Bai's capabilities.

In such a ghost-infested place, Bai's strength would significantly increase. Even with the aid of his Heavenly Eye divine ability, Qin Sang's spiritual senses couldn't compare to Bai's.

Bai's eyes held an unusual look. "I think I've found a fellow practitioner."

"A fellow practitioner?" Qin Sang was startled, then realized something, asking in surprise, "A Heavenly Corpse Talisman?"

Bai nodded. "Over the years, although I haven't been able to completely decipher the Heavenly Corpse Talisman, I've gained some insights and can convert a portion of its spiritual power for my own use. Just now, I sensed a refined corpse's fluctuation that was very similar to the Heavenly Corpse Talisman."

"I've searched the Minor Cold Domain for many years and haven't found any sects with a lineage similar to the Heavenly Corpse Sect. What you sensed could very well be a refined corpse controlled by a Heavenly Corpse Talisman!"

Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly, and he said joyfully, "I haven't left any refined corpses here, so it's likely left by other Heavenly Corpse Sect cultivators! A refined corpse controlled by a Heavenly Corpse Talisman is very likely a living corpse with high intelligence, so it's not strange for it to have survived in the Immortal Tombs until now. Of course, it would be even better if it were another fellow practitioner from the Heavenly Corpse Sect; capturing him would give us hope of finding clues!"

"I'll go take a look..." Bai nodded, his figure flickered, and he vanished into the ghostly aura, darting in that direction.

"Be careful!" Qin Sang warned.

He lacked the ability to conceal himself within the ghostly aura, so he could only approach slowly.

Not long after, the ghostly aura around Qin Sang rippled, and Bai reappeared from within it, delivering a shocking piece of news: "It's not just a simple living corpse; it's a Corpse King, and it's masterless!"

"A Corpse King? How is that possible!" Qin Sang's face was filled with astonishment.

In the Heavenly Corpse Sect's legacy he acquired, the Heavenly Corpse Talisman could at most control a Fiend Corpse comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and then, through the Corpse Core Art, forcibly elevate it to the Core Formation stage.

He had conducted experiments on the Witch God Continent, attempting to control Core Formation cultivators with the Heavenly Corpse Talisman, but the result was always their souls shattering.

He suspected that the Heavenly Corpse Sect controlled higher-grade refined corpses not with the Heavenly Corpse Talisman, but with other spiritual talismans or treasures. He never expected to encounter a Corpse King controlled by a Heavenly Corpse Talisman here.

"Did I underestimate the Heavenly Corpse Talisman?" Qin Sang frowned in thought.

He had always believed that among cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage, few could surpass him in the art of refining corpses. Yet, it seemed he had misjudged.

Could a Corpse King-level refined corpse have been left behind by a Sect Master of the Heavenly Corpse Sect?

"Since it's a Corpse King, we shouldn't provoke it. If there's an opportunity later, we can capture it and investigate further," Qin Sang said.

He also wanted to decipher the mysteries of the Heavenly Corpse Talisman soon to rescue Mute Maiden.

A Corpse King was a powerful entity that even troubled Nascent Soul Grandmasters, and in the ghost-ridden Immortal Tombs, retreating was the wise choice.

Unexpectedly, just as Qin Sang finished speaking, Bai stopped him with a raised hand.

"Wait! Have you forgotten my abilities? I observe that Corpse King has low intelligence, and with the abundant ghostly aura here, we might as well try to slay it. Even if we can't defeat the Corpse King, it won't be difficult for me to use the ghostly aura to cover us and escape."

"The Corpse King's physical body is tougher than steel. Even with the ghostly aura, you'd struggle to inflict damage on it, let alone slay it," Qin Sang said, shaking his head.

Such a risk was pointless.

The two of them couldn't possibly be a match for the Corpse King.

Bai still refused to give up, earnestly telling Qin Sang, "Although the Corpse King lacks intelligence and is no different from a dead object, if it were any other Corpse King or Ghost King, I would never entertain such thoughts. But this one is different. Since it has a Heavenly Corpse Talisman inside it, I can use the talisman to restrict its power and actions. Furthermore, my strength here is actually somewhat greater than it was in the Purple Mist Forbidden Zone. When you and I combine forces, we might just be its match. Of course, even if we can continuously entangle the Corpse King, it won't benefit us; we'll still need a decisive final blow!"

Before Bai could finish, Qin Sang understood his plan.

The only means to injure the Corpse King was the Twelve Demon Banner Formation.

"Based on my last experience, I can barely activate the Twelve Demon Banner Formation with just one bottle of Soul Cleansing Fluid. However, this is the only bottle I have left, and I originally intended to save it for you. Are you sure you want to use it now? If we fail against the Corpse King, it would be a waste."

Under Yitian Peak, he had taken two bottles of Soul Cleansing Fluid from the Four Sacred Palace successor, only consuming one. The successor hadn't mentioned the remaining bottle, so he naturally kept quiet about it, putting it in his pocket, intending to save it for Bai.

Last time, it was a rushed affair; he had just condensed the Fire Lotus into shape and had to consume two bottles of Soul Cleansing Fluid consecutively to barely wield the Twelve Demon Banner Formation.

Qin Sang felt that consuming one bottle of Soul Cleansing Fluid now should be enough to stabilize the formation.

"I don't think Soul Cleansing Fluid would help me much. Let's take a gamble and try to capture or slay the Corpse King; perhaps we can glimpse the Heavenly Corpse Sect's secrets through it!" Bai said without hesitation, his tone a little eager.

Qin Sang glanced at Bai, understanding Bai's desire to escape his predicament sooner.

He then thought that Bai always carried Soul Nurturing Wood. The nurturing effect of Soul Nurturing Wood was no worse than that of Soul Cleansing Fluid.

"Alright! Since fellow Daoist is willing to take a gamble, I, Qin, will accompany you!" Qin Sang no longer hesitated and agreed.

Capturing or slaying the Corpse King would be beneficial to him!

Bai was overjoyed to hear this.

Without further delay, the two discussed in detail, found a retreat path, and quietly moved towards the Corpse King.

Bai concealed his presence and scanned the surroundings, knowing that if there was another Corpse King-level entity nearby, they would have no choice but to abandon their plan.