Chapter 448: Discussion on Corpse Refining

Qin Sang hadn't lied to the fatty.

Three Soul-Guiding Grasses yielded a total of seven Heavenly Corpse Talismans.

Qin Sang had used five of them before entering the Cloudmist Great Marsh.

One was used on Yu Daiyue, but the attempt to refine a living corpse failed. Another was used on Liang Yan, successfully creating a living corpse, but it was unfortunately destroyed by Yu Hua in Boundless Valley.

One was given to Tan Jie to preserve his soul, and Qin Sang used another for his own survival.

The last one was meant to seal Yu Hua's Nascent Soul, but Qin Sang had never been confident enough to proceed with the corpse refinement, so Yu Hua was still being kept in the Corpse Puppet Bag.

Soul-Guiding Grass is hard to find, and Qin Sang needed to keep one for emergencies. Therefore, he had only refined that one living corpse in the past three years, which he then sold.

Steward Bao didn't believe Qin Sang's words and continued on his own: "Fellow Daoist's corpse refinement technique is unique, and those refined corpses are indeed powerful. If you have higher-quality refined corpses that you're willing to sell, our shop will certainly offer you a satisfactory price. However, although I, Bao, have limited knowledge, having been a steward for many years, I can still discern a thing or two. Of the two types of refined corpses you create, the living corpses are clearly superior to these other refined corpses. No, they can't even be compared! The higher the cultivation level, the greater the disparity!"

Qin Sang chuckled, turning his head to glance at the nine Fiend Corpses, who remained oblivious to being disparaged right in front of them.

"Are these Fiend Corpses of mine so worthless in your eyes, fellow Daoist?"

Steward Bao shook his head repeatedly. "Please don't tease me, Fellow Daoist. I wasn't speaking without reason; you must understand what I just said..."

Qin Sang gestured for him to elaborate.

"Then I will speak plainly, and I hope Fellow Daoist won't take offense."

Steward Bao cast a glance at the Fiend Corpses.

"Just now, I heard you refer to these nine refined corpses as Fiend Corpses.

"Fiend Corpses are indeed powerful, even stronger than refined corpses created by other techniques, but they have two major flaws.

"Firstly, Fiend Corpses cannot be improved!

"Other corpse refinement techniques allow for the cultivation of corpses or other secret methods to advance their realm. Some ghost cultivators even nurture their refined corpses into their Natal Corpses, which can grow alongside them, offering limitless future potential.

"To be frank, Fellow Daoist, the last time I saw your Fiend Corpses, I was very interested. I kept one for thorough study, and only then did I realize how unique your corpse refinement technique is.

"It seems that the Fiend Corpse is finalized the moment it's refined.

"I tried several corpse refinement techniques on it, but couldn't increase its power in the slightest. Even if it were subjected to corpse nurturing, there should be no change whatsoever.

"Initially, I thought it was due to the Earth Fiend Qi, and I went through great trouble to find some, but it still didn't work.

"A cultivator's strength will certainly increase progressively, while Fiend Corpses remain stagnant. They will quickly fall behind their master's pace and become useless. Isn't that their biggest drawback?"

Steward Bao's eyes gleamed, and with a confident expression, he questioned Qin Sang.

Beneath his black robe, Qin Sang's eyes flickered. Hearing Steward Bao's words, he couldn't help but feel a surge of surprise.

He hadn't expected this person to be a master of the Corpse Dao as well; all his conjectures were correct.

In the *Heavenly Yin Corpse Art*, the method for refining Fiend Corpses is indeed as Steward Bao described: their power is limited to their strength in life, reaching their peak upon refinement, and cannot be improved thereafter until destroyed.

The same applies to living corpses; Qin Sang only learned the secret method to elevate them to Flying Yakshas from Wushang's posthumous notes.

However, the *Heavenly Yin Corpse Art* excels in the rapid formation of refined corpses, without requiring lengthy cultivation time.

Of course, the Heavenly Corpse Sect also possesses conventional corpse cultivation methods.

The method for refining zombies, like other sects' corpse refinement techniques, allows for gradual improvement alongside the cultivator. Moreover, it can draw a wisp of Earth Fiend Qi into the body to temper the physical form, still making it superior to other corpse refinement arts.

However, Qin Sang couldn't stay in a Yin Fiend location indefinitely, spending day and night with a refined corpse. Nor did he intend to expend effort nurturing a Natal Corpse, viewing refined corpses merely as tools for combat and self-defense.

Seeing Qin Sang lost in thought, Steward Bao paid it no mind and continued speaking.

"I didn't gain nothing, though. I discovered that the Fiend Corpse's Dantian is distinctly different from other refined corpses; it must have been specially refined by your secret technique, Fellow Daoist.

"The Dantian is the second flaw I mentioned!

"Besides sharing weaknesses with other refined corpses, Fiend Corpses also have a Dantian, which is their biggest vital point!

"I don't know what secret technique you used to strengthen the Fiend Corpse's Dantian to withstand the impact of Earth Fiend Qi.

"But Earth Fiend Qi is clearly not so easily appeased. Once the Dantian is damaged, the fiend qi will surge through the body, causing a chain reaction that leads to the Fiend Corpse's collapse, with no room for recovery.

"Fiend Corpses have extremely low spiritual intelligence, possessing only killing instincts. Battlefields change rapidly, and if the master is preoccupied and unable to focus on controlling them, an opponent can easily exploit a weakness and destroy the Fiend Corpse.

"If the cultivation realm is low, it might be possible to hide this from an opponent.

"However, the higher the opponent's cultivation, the sharper their perception. I wouldn't be surprised if a master experienced in battle could instantly discern the Fiend Corpse's weakness.

"Living corpses, on the other hand, are different!

"The owner of that living corpse was in a hurry, so I, Bao, couldn't observe it closely. I'm unsure if living corpses can be improved through nurturing or if they possess other abilities. However, I can confirm one thing: living corpses are highly intelligent and instinctively know how to seek advantages, avoid dangers, and protect their vital points. They can still play a powerful role in battles between masters!"

Steward Bao spoke at length without pause, then drained the tea on the table, smacking his lips with lingering satisfaction. "Fellow Daoist, did I miss anything, or was anything I said incorrect?"

Qin Sang rose to his feet and cupped his hands. "Steward Bao, your insight is truly profound. To deduce so much from just one Fiend Corpse, you've almost seen through all my secrets! I am truly impressed! However, I wasn't deceiving you, Steward Bao. While living corpses are powerful, their refinement is astonishingly difficult and requires extremely stringent conditions. I lack the ability, even if I wished to. If you have no other pressing matters, please help me appraise these. I need to return to my arduous cultivation and won't trouble you further."

Realizing that Qin Sang wasn't feigning, Steward Bao couldn't help but show a look of disappointment. Yet, he didn't give up, persistently pressing: "Don't be hasty, Fellow Daoist! Just because you don't have living corpses now doesn't mean you won't in the future. I have one question for you: given enough time, is it possible to refine a living corpse comparable to a Pseudo-Core Realm master?"

Qin Sang gazed intently at Steward Bao, hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's impossible to compare to a Pseudo-Core Realm... A living corpse at the late Foundation Establishment stage might be possible. However, Fellow Daoist, don't compare other refined corpses with living corpses. The capabilities of living corpses are much stronger than you imagine, Steward Bao."

Steward Bao was overjoyed at this, eagerly asking, "What would it take for you to sell a living corpse, Fellow Daoist? While I cannot afford one myself, I can certainly help you find a buyer."

Qin Sang's heart stirred, and he said meaningfully, "If Steward Bao can truly find a buyer for me, I would only require three items. Firstly, a spiritual item that can assist in forming a Core; secondly, a rare heavenly treasure capable of repairing foundational damage; and thirdly, a monster core that has been separated from its body for less than ten years, or..."

Qin Sang stopped himself mid-sentence.

Steward Bao's expression turned very grim.