Chapter 384: Nightmare

Qin Sang and Yun Youzi held their breath, waiting motionless for a moment. Once certain the swarm of flying horn fish dragons hadn't detected them, they moved deeper into the ice cavern.

As Yun Youzi mentioned the reclusive figure was ahead, Qin Sang couldn't help but feel both nervous and expectant.

His primary reason for accompanying Yun Youzi was, of course, to fulfill his promise and assist him fully in acquiring the spirit medicine.

Secondly, if the reclusive figure truly was an autonomously acting corpse puppet, its master wouldn't abandon such a powerful creation unless something unexpected had happened.

Qin Sang surmised that the master might have perished in this location, allowing the corpse puppet to roam freely nearby.

In such a cold, remote, and rarely visited place, guarded by a corpse puppet, its master's body might still be present!

As they walked, Qin Sang focused his thoughts on how to locate the master's body and retrieve any belongings without alerting the corpse puppet.

The treasures among the belongings were secondary; Qin Sang's greatest anticipation was for the latter half of the *Heavenly Yin Corpse Art*, particularly the secret method for elevating a living corpse into a Flying Yaksha.

The ice cavern contained numerous branching paths. Having been here before, Yun Youzi was familiar with the route. After a disorienting journey through the labyrinthine tunnels, he whispered, "Brother Qin, it's just ahead..."

At the end of the straight passage lay a massive ice hall.

A faint blue light permeated the ice hall, just enough to discern its full expanse.

The ice hall wasn't square; it didn't appear to be man-made. It was vast and empty, with several doorways on either side leading to other areas, which they tentatively referred to as side chambers.

Qin Sang surveyed the ice hall, but from a distance, he couldn't detect anything unusual. It was utterly silent, and there was no sign of the reclusive figure.

The faint blue light emanated from the ice itself.

Then, Qin Sang's gaze shifted to a side chamber on the right side of the ice hall, and he asked, "Is the reclusive figure in that side chamber?"

"That's right!"

Yun Youzi nodded, pointing to the other side. "I need to go to that particular side hall. Once I make a move, it will inevitably alert that reclusive figure. This individual's escape technique is superb, making them unpredictable, and their power is formidable. Brother Qin, you'll need to buy me at least fifteen breaths of time."

Fifteen breaths.

Qin Sang was silent for a moment before stating gravely, "We'll only know by trying."

For a cultivator, fifteen breaths of time can be decisive in a life-or-death battle. However, he was well-prepared, and if the opponent truly was a corpse puppet, there might be a glimmer of hope.

But without seeing the reclusive figure's true form with his own eyes, Qin Sang couldn't be entirely confident.

Yun Youzi summoned his Spirit Bamboo Flying Boat. "I've tested this before," he explained, "for some reason, that reclusive figure won't stray too far from the main hall. After chasing for a certain distance, it will automatically return. However, given its bizarre escape technique, that distance is like an insurmountable chasm. That's how the people who accompanied me here years ago met their end at its hands. Once we enter the ice hall, and the figure appears, Brother Qin, just test it briefly, then immediately board the flying boat..."

Yun Youzi meticulously explained the plan, setting out detailed instructions with Qin Sang, clearly revealing his extreme wariness of the reclusive figure.

Qin Sang noted every detail. Seeing Yun Youzi's extreme caution, he didn't dare to relax even slightly. He immediately summoned his Ebony Sword and remained ready to activate the Nine Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman at any moment.

Should anything go awry, he was prepared to expose the secret talisman if necessary; escape was paramount.

Both prepared, they exchanged a glance, then ceased concealing their auras. Mounting their swords, they swiftly soared straight into the ice hall. In the blink of an eye, Qin Sang and Yun Youzi materialized in the center of the hall.

Qin Sang's gaze darted around, memorizing the ice hall's layout. Simultaneously, he heightened his spiritual perception to its maximum and swept his divine sense across every corner of the hall, his heart pounding with tension.

However, after their entrance, the ice hall remained unchanged, showing no sign of abnormality.

Suddenly, Yun Youzi's expression subtly shifted, and he roared loudly.

"Behind us!"

Qin Sang's heart clenched. Without turning his head, he unleashed a burst of light from his Ebony Sword, thrusting it sharply behind him.

Simultaneously, Yun Youzi twisted his upper body, contorting into an unnatural shape. Gripping his blue-glowing sword tightly, he unleashed a sword aura several *zhang* long, cleaving downwards!

Both sword auras erupted simultaneously, their light reflecting off the layers of ice, creating a dazzling display throughout the hall.

Thanks to their prior preparation, Qin Sang and Yun Youzi remained unpanicked; everything was proceeding according to their plan.

The two treasured swords worked in perfect concert, converging in mid-air to fiercely strike a particular point in the void.

*Bang!*

A deafening crash echoed through the hall.

The sword auras shattered into fragments.

The flying swords were sent hurtling back!

From the void, a figure materialized.

The figure's hands were clenched into fists, their strikes like thunder. With an incredibly forceful posture, it directly countered both sword auras!

Facing the combined force of the two swords, the figure remained unmoving, shattering the sword auras with a single punch.

In contrast, Qin Sang and Yun Youzi's bodies violently shuddered. They felt as though they had been struck by an incredibly terrifying force, both groaning as they were sent sprawling in a disheveled heap.

*Thud! Thud!*

Qin Sang and Yun Youzi slammed hard against the ice hall's walls.

Their combined strength was utterly insufficient to withstand a single punch from the reclusive figure!

Qin Sang's vital energy surged through his body. Ignoring the sharp pain, he managed to stabilize himself just enough to glimpse the figure's appearance from the corner of his eye.

The figure was gaunt, resembling a middle-aged scholar. Its clothes were ragged, and all exposed skin, including its face, was a strange, eerie greenish-black.

Its face was devoid of all expression, and its jet-black eyes seemed to hold an eerie gaze that sent a shiver down Qin Sang's spine.

Suddenly, the reclusive figure vanished from its spot once more.

Yun Youzi's words proved true; after the figure vanished, Qin Sang couldn't sense anything at all.

"Brother Qin!"

Yun Youzi had already summoned the Spirit Bamboo Flying Boat and was shouting urgently.

An intense warning flared in Qin Sang's mind. His figure flickered rapidly as he hastily boarded the flying boat. With a low cry from Yun Youzi, the Spirit Bamboo Flying Boat glowed with a burst of green light and shot forward.

However.

Just as the flying boat was about to exit the ice hall, a ghastly greenish-black hand eerily emerged from the void. Its sharp black fingernails, reeking of nauseating corpse qi, lunged like lightning towards the two.

The ghostly hand was about to tear through the flying boat's barrier and disembowel them. Yet, at this critical moment, Qin Sang surprisingly neither dodged nor retreated. His eyes, fixed on the hand, gleamed with an unusual light.

The next instant, an astonishing sight occurred: the ghostly hand inexplicably paused mid-air.

Seizing this brief hesitation, the Spirit Bamboo Flying Boat flickered, then shot straight out of the main hall, escaping to safety.

On the flying boat, Yun Youzi gazed at Qin Sang, his face filled with surprise and delight.

Qin Sang slowly exhaled and nodded to Yun Youzi.

The exchange had lasted less than a breath, yet they had already faced extreme peril. Despite the brevity of the encounter, Qin Sang had managed to discern the unique aura emanating from the reclusive figure.

Yun Youzi's perception was correct: the reclusive figure's true identity was indeed a living corpse, refined using a Heavenly Corpse Talisman!

Furthermore, it wasn't just any living corpse, but a Flying Yaksha!