Chapter 486: Jiang Fan's Amazing Battle Record

Lei Zhenhai was stunned. "What's going on?" he wondered. "It's just a mere demonic beast; why would it scare the elders so much?" His heart pounded and his pupils contracted sharply when his gaze fell upon the demonic beast in front of Jiang Fan. "What is this?" he exclaimed.

He saw a small, elephant-like demonic beast emitting a putrid stench. Its entire body was decayed. Its fur had long rotted away, revealing a bloody skeleton. A few remaining internal organs hung stickily, threatening to fall off at any moment. This was clearly the corpse of a demonic beast that had died long ago. The eerie thing was that it was still alive and struggling desperately!

Ming Youlian's eyes widened. She quickly backed away, bumping into several disciples, and exclaimed in horror, "What is that thing?"

Li Qingfeng and Zhao Wuji, the two male elders, were also greatly frightened. Their expressions kept changing. "Jiang Fan, what is this thing?" they asked. "Is it dead or alive?"

Jiang Fan cupped his hands and replied, "It's a corpse puppet."

Many disciples were still bewildered, but the elders' expressions all changed simultaneously. "Corpse puppets from the ancient era?" an elder exclaimed in fright.

Wen Hongyao looked at the corpse puppet with extreme apprehension. "Jiang Fan, how many have you found?" she asked. "If there aren't many, a few of us elders can immediately launch an attack to eliminate them for good."

The other elders regained their composure, all showing expressions of fear. These evil creatures, heaven knew how powerful they were. It was best to act preemptively and eradicate them.

Jiang Fan shook his head and took a deep breath. "Relying on just a few elders probably won't be nearly enough," he said. "Because these corpse puppets aren't just a few, or even dozens. They are an entire army of corpses! Their numbers are boundless, innumerable!"

Someone gasped in terror. Fear seemed to be contagious. Almost all the disciples' faces were etched with dread. An army of such immortal evil creatures?

Even among the elders, fear was spreading. "An army of corpses... could it be... could it be that the Demon Clan High Priestess has made her move!" "The Demon Clan High Priestess only appears when the demon race faces extinction." "The demon race is planning a decisive battle with us!" "Can we truly resist them with just ourselves?"

Some elders were the first to show signs of retreat. More elders, however, turned their gazes to Lei Zhenhai. As the commander, he had to make a decision: fight or retreat?

Lei Zhenhai swallowed softly. Even he felt a hint of fear. Relying solely on them for resistance would likely lead to a battle with an unpredictable outcome of life and death!

Seeing his hesitation, Li Qingfeng's heart sank. He feared Lei Zhenhai was also frightened and unwilling to fight.

"Jiang Fan! First, report the military intelligence you've gathered in detail." Li Qingfeng issued the command on Lei Zhenhai's behalf. The elders and disciples all looked over. Indeed, it was best to first understand the specifics of the corpse army before making a decision.

Jiang Fan nodded. "According to what I've detected," he said, "the number of the corpse army is unknown, but it's at least over ten thousand. As expected, the commander is the Demon Clan High Priestess, a girl who appears to be eighteen years old, with a cultivation level of ninth-level Core Formation. She possesses a mount transformed from the corpse of a Nascent Soul-level nine-headed python, whose power lies between peak ninth-level Core Formation and Demon Emperor."

Over ten thousand? Everyone felt suffocated, overwhelmed by deep despair. With barely over two hundred people, how could they possibly contend with an army of over ten thousand corpses? Learning that the Demon Clan High Priestess was a ninth-level Core Formation cultivator plunged them into even greater despair. The strongest among them was Lei Zhenhai, only at eighth-level Core Formation!

When they heard there was also a corpse puppet transformed from a Nascent Soul-level python corpse, they completely gave up hope. Ming Youlian clutched her head, her eyes wide and blank. "It's over," she murmured. "There's no point fighting this battle. Unless all the martial artists from the Nine Sects are mobilized, there won't be a sliver of a chance to win!"

Lei Zhenhai's body swayed. He had finally managed to gain command of Border Mountain through a slight connection between the Righteous Thunder Sect and Ye Cangyuan, allowing him to secure some benefits for the disciples of the Righteous Thunder Sect and also gain some fame and fortune for himself. Yet, of all times, he encountered an army of corpses, something that had only occurred in ancient times. What terrible luck was this?

He looked at Jiang Fan unwillingly, questioning, "Are you sure everything you're saying is true? That Demon Clan High Priestess, how do you know she's at the ninth-level Core Formation? You even know her appearance; did you actually meet her?"

This question made many elders come to their senses. Indeed, how did Jiang Fan know so much about the Demon Clan High Priestess?

"More than just seen her," Jiang Fan said, pointing to the corpse puppet on the ground. "To bring this back, I was discovered by the Demon Clan High Priestess, and she chased me all the way to the foot of Border Mountain. I nearly lost my life to her."

"What?" Not just the disciples, even the elders were utterly astonished. Lei Zhenhai, even more skeptical, questioned, "Are you trying to say you escaped from a ninth-level Core Formation Demon Clan High Priestess who was hunting you?"

"How is that possible?" No elder present could have done that. Even Lei Zhenhai, as a Sect Master with many means, wouldn't dare guarantee his escape. How could Jiang Fan, a mere young disciple, escape after being discovered?

Jiang Fan didn't say much. He took out a delicate necklace strung with crystal bones. Wen Hongyao recognized it at a glance and exclaimed in surprise, "A jade bone necklace worn by the lineage of the Demon Clan High Priestess! Jiang Fan, you really were chased by the Demon Clan High Priestess! Not only did you escape, but you also stole her heirloom!"

At this, the crowd erupted. The way they looked at Jiang Fan was as if they were staring at a monster.

Jiang Fan gave a wry smile. "Don't even mention it; my losses weren't small either," he said. "This necklace can only be said to have recovered a little bit of what I lost."

Wen Hongyao's mouth twitched, and her eyes gleamed as she stared at the jade bone necklace. "You brat, don't pretend to be innocent when you've gotten a good deal!" she scolded. "Do you know what a jade bone necklace is...?"

Her words were interrupted by Lei Zhenhai. His expression was solemn as he said, "If this is the case, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold Border Mountain!"

Even the commander was displaying negative emotions. The mood of the elders and disciples from the various sects was imaginable. The crowd began to stir. Some disciples were already packing their belongings, preparing to retreat first. They were disheartened before the battle even began.

This was Jiang Fan's greatest concern. He quickly shouted, "Everyone, please listen to me! Although the numbers between us are disparate, we are not necessarily without the strength to fight! While these corpses are eerie, their power isn't strong, and as evil creatures, lightning, fire, and similar elements are their natural nemeses."

Upon hearing this, the commotion subsided slightly. Lei Zhenhai's face flushed with irritation. He had made decisions repeatedly, only for this Jiang Fan to always jump out and contradict him. How was he supposed to maintain his authority?

"Easier said than done!" Lei Zhenhai retorted. "Even if we can barely handle ordinary evil creatures, who will deal with that nine-headed python you mentioned? You or me?"

That was a corpse transformed from a Nascent Soul-level being. Just thinking about how terrifying its power must be sent shivers down Lei Zhenhai's spine.

Jiang Fan looked at Lei Zhenhai with disappointment and said impolitely, "If Sect Master Lei lacks confidence, it's fine if I handle this nine-headed python myself. After all, I've already defeated it once. There's no reason I can't defeat it a second time."

"What?" The scene fell silent for a moment. Everyone doubted their own ears. Jiang Fan... defeated a corpse puppet transformed from a Nascent Soul-level body?