Chapter 337: The Living Dead

One of the Tan brothers was severely injured, while the other struggled on the path of cultivation. Both predicaments were caused by the Kuiyin Sect.

"Do you know where Liang Yan's cave abode is? Is he cultivating alone, or with the remaining members of the Kuiyin Sect? Can we contact Senior Sister Shi Hong now?" After some thought, Qin Sang asked a series of questions in a deep voice.

Liang Yan might have already broken through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, but Qin Sang wasn't afraid. He possessed not only six Ten Directional Yama Banners but also a Talisman Treasure. Few cultivators at the same stage could contend with him. Even if Liang Yan also had the Ten Directional Yama Banners, the spectral threads couldn't harm Qin Sang's Nascent Soul, and their power would be greatly diminished. If they could find Liang Yan and catch him off guard, killing him and rescuing Senior Sister Shi Hong wouldn't be difficult.

"Liang Yan killed a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Kuiyin Sect. Fearing exposure, he dared not contact the remaining Kuiyin Sect members again. Also, afraid of being found by the Yuanzhao Sect, he has been cultivating in hiding, rarely showing his face. His whereabouts are erratic, and his cave abode is exceptionally secluded and frequently changed.

"Later, as Liang Yan's cultivation improved, he felt that the scrutiny wasn't as tight, so he gradually relaxed his guard and slowly began to operate around Yinshan Pass and the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. A few years ago, when Senior Sister Shi Hong and I met, it was in the Fengcang Market within the Ancient Immortal Battlefield.

"Over the years, although Senior Sister Shi Hong gained a degree of his trust, this trust was very limited. Liang Yan is naturally cunning, and fearing his detection, Senior Sister contacted me very rarely. Actually, I've always wanted to lure people from the Yuanzhao Sect to kill Liang Yan and rescue Senior Sister Shi Hong, but I've never found the opportunity. Doing so would certainly lead to Senior Sister's death as well, even though she..."

Tan Hao's voice faltered, and he let out a long sigh.

A cold glint flashed in Qin Sang's eyes, and he snorted, "It's good that we can find Liang Yan! Has Senior Sister Shi Hong ever mentioned what magical artifacts or techniques this person usually uses?"

"She did," Tan Hao nodded. "Liang Yan possesses two very powerful high-grade magical artifacts. One is called the Black Dragon Stone; it can change in size and is as heavy as a thousand jun. Most cultivators' bodies are fragile, and a single mistake could result in being crushed into a pulp by the Black Dragon Stone. The other is the Spirit-Binding Rope, which can shackle opponents and seal their spiritual power and Qi Sea. These two artifacts complement each other perfectly. If it weren't for his fear of the Yuanzhao Sect, Liang Yan wouldn't be so low-key in his actions; he would certainly have made a name for himself in Yinshan Pass."

No Yama Banners. Qin Sang secretly nodded; this increased his certainty of killing Liang Yan.

It made sense. Despite the countless lives devoured by the Yinsha Abyss, it wasn't easy to refine even one Ten Directional Yama Banner. Sacrifices had to slowly cultivate to the tenth level of the Qi Refinement stage, which took a long time. Moreover, the Yama King's backlash became increasingly severe, and very few could withstand it and persevere until the end. Sun De's father, a direct disciple's grand-disciple of Patriarch Kuiyin, only managed to help him gather six banners, barely forming a formation. Sun De had to figure out the rest himself. Yue Wu was not a direct disciple of Sect Master Yi, so his status was certainly inferior to Sun De's father. Even though Liang Yan inherited the legacies of two Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators, he might not have been able to gather six Ten Directional Yama Banners either.

Along the way, Qin Sang had Tan Hao elaborate on everything he knew about Liang Yan. Killing Liang Yan was a certainty, but given his erratic movements, they needed to carefully consider how and where to do it. It would be best to first contact Shi Hong for a coordinated inside and outside attack.

Seeing that Qin Sang had agreed to help and had revealed his true strength, Tan Hao was exceptionally pleased. He enthusiastically recounted every detail of his knowledge about Yinshan Pass to Qin Sang, hoping to deepen his understanding. The two discussed the matter as they returned to Yinshan Pass.

Then, they exited Yinshan Pass again and traveled southwest, reaching the edge of a swamp. From there, they entered the Hundred Thousand Mountains, arriving at a remote and desolate snow-capped peak. Two figures quietly landed in a secluded valley at the foot of the mountain. Tan Hao cautiously surveyed his surroundings, then moved an inconspicuous stone in the depths of the valley, revealing a narrow cave entrance. He explained to Qin Sang with a hint of shame.

"The area outside the swamp isn't under the jurisdiction of Yinshan Pass, and it's always been very chaotic. Murders and robberies for treasures happen frequently. Cave abodes controlled by Yinshan Pass are safe, but the rent is too expensive, and I can't afford it. Later, I was fortunate to discover a small spiritual vein here, so I established a cave abode. Although the spiritual energy is a bit thin, its advantage is its extreme concealment..."

Qin Sang nodded in understanding. Most rogue cultivators were as impoverished as Tan Hao, living very difficult lives, constantly striving for cultivation resources. After entering, Tan Hao moved the large stone back into place and carefully erased any traces outside. He hadn't set up any restrictions outside the cave abode, as weak restrictions would be redundant and would only make it easier for other cultivators to discover.

The cave was deep and winding, and their footsteps echoed. Qin Sang followed behind. After walking for a while, he suddenly heard the sound of flowing water ahead, and then felt a hint of warmth. At the same time, the spiritual energy became denser. Lush, sun-less plants grew densely in the rock crevices, forming a continuous green carpet that became thicker the further they went, giving off a feeling of vibrant spring. The cave abode likely contained a hot spring, making the environment quite pleasant. However, the spiritual energy was indeed thin, barely sufficient for Tan Hao's cultivation level.

At the end, a defensive spirit formation appeared. After Tan Hao activated it, a very neatly squared stone chamber came into Qin Sang's view. The stone chamber was quite large, with over a dozen luminous pearls embedded in its ceiling. It was clean and tidy, and a subterranean river carrying warm spring water flowed from within the mountain, a section of it passing directly through the chamber. Flowers and grasses grew along the banks of the subterranean river. There was only a simple stone bed, presumably where Tan Hao cultivated.

Qin Sang didn't see Tan Jie, but he did spot a jade coffin floating motionless in the center of the subterranean river. Seeing this, Qin Sang's heart sank abruptly, and he turned to look at Tan Hao.

Tan Hao lightened his steps, walked to the jade coffin, and rubbed its edge with his palm, smiling self-deprecatingly. "Brother Qin, actually, I'm not afraid of death. If I die, Tan Jie won't be far behind me. In the underworld, we brothers can reunite. By then, his condition will definitely be much, much better than it is now... If there's a next life, I'll definitely persuade him not to cultivate immortals."

The jade coffin was filled with a type of spiritual liquid, and a person lay silently, motionless, within it. It was Tan Jie!

Qin Sang gazed intently at Tan Jie. He was still very young, exactly as Qin Sang remembered him, but he lacked his former vitality. His face was devoid of color, deathly pale, not like a living person. However, Qin Sang could indeed sense a faint breath within Tan Jie, indicating he wasn't dead yet. But he seemed little better than a corpse, his breath so feeble, like a flickering candle in the wind, threatening to extinguish at any moment.

Tan Jie was now a living corpse!

"All these years..." Qin Sang's voice was a bit dry. "Has Brother Tan Jie been like this all this time?"

Tan Hao nodded, sighing softly, "Yes, for over forty years."