Chapter 101: 尸仙教

In the county yamen, a deep voice rang out, sneering, "The Imperial Preceptor of Yankang controls various sects by holding the Emperor hostage. The major sects have suffered under him for too long! Gao Jude, the County Magistrate of Dijiang, has acted as the Imperial Preceptor's lackey, willingly serving as his eyes and ears. His death is well-deserved!"

In the inn, Qin Mu frowned, "The Dijiang County Magistrate died so quickly? This is the first time I've left the Great Ruins, and I run into something like this—what bad luck! Grandma was right; people outside are indeed much fiercer than those in the Great Ruins. Our people in the Great Ruins are still purer. By the way, what rank was the Dijiang County Magistrate, and how does his ability compare to a second-rank Prefect?"

Official ranks in Yankang Kingdom were divided into nine grades and eighteen tiers. These ranks were assigned based on status and cultivation level. Some sect leaders or patriarchs with extremely high cultivation were appointed as high officials, while those with lower cultivation were granted noble titles or managed various prefectures and counties.

For example, Mu Beifeng of Lijiang Sword Sect was the foremost expert in Southern Xinjiang, and thus was appointed as a second-rank Prefect, making him exceptionally powerful.

Hu Ling'er woke up and quickly cast a spell. A demonic wind swirled out through the window lattice. Qin Mu lifted his hand, pulled down a cushion, and tossed it into the air. The demonic wind carried the cushion, and Hu Ling'er immediately leaped onto it, wondering, "Young Master, they wouldn't kill all the common people in the city just for a rebellion, would they? We should be safe."

Qin Mu jumped out the window. Before he landed, a demonic wind propelled his feet. The young man quickly stepped on the wind, rushing towards the city limits. He said swiftly, "My sword is the Junior Protector Sword, a court-issued ceremonial sword for a first-rank official. If these rebels discover it, we'll certainly die! Moreover, a wise man avoids standing under a collapsing wall. These rebels definitely won't allow the city's residents to leave. If we stay, we'll only be trapped here. When Yankang's army arrives, how many people will be left alive in this city? The Corpse Immortal Cult seems to use corpses for cultivation."

Hu Ling'er shivered involuntarily.

Qin Mu's last remark was truly terrifying.

The Corpse Immortal Cult practiced cultivation using corpses, meaning that if Yankang's army came to suppress the rebellion, the city's inhabitants, regardless of their status, would likely be refined into flying zombies by the cult!

By this time, Dijiang County was in complete chaos, filled with shouts of killing. The Corpse Immortal Cult had come prepared this time. They first released their refined flying zombies upstream in Yongjiang River to block Dijiang County's dam, then scattered and infiltrated the city.

By nightfall, the Corpse Immortal Cult's leader, controlling corpses, first broke into the county yamen and killed the magistrate.

Although Dijiang County's magistrate was also an expert with extraordinary divine abilities, he was caught by surprise and could only surrender to death.

Simultaneously, other Corpse Immortal Cult experts rushed to the four city gates to intercept the county's soldiers, while the cult leader took others to eliminate officials such as the county assistant, county lieutenant, and registrar, leaving the government forces leaderless.

Although there were still experts in Dijiang County, they lacked command and fought individually. The Corpse Immortal Cult, however, formed arrays with yellow talismans, creating an intricate network of paths in the air, allowing them to support each other from all directions. This massacre was bound to be a decisive victory for the Corpse Immortal Cult!

"By the cult leader's order, seal off the entire city! Let no one escape!" shouts echoed through the city.

Qin Mu had reacted quickly. Hu Ling'er unleashed the demonic wind, and he rode on it. As the boy and the fox were about to fly out of the county, a sword hum suddenly echoed. Without looking back, Qin Mu executed "Fish Dragon Spits Sword," and the Junior Protector Sword shot out of its sheath, striking backward!

*Clang!* A crisp sound rang out. The flying sword that had pierced from behind Qin Mu shattered down the middle. The Junior Protector Sword, its momentum undiminished, continued to break through the attacking sword's spiritual energy strands, layer by layer, until it plunged into the chest of the black-clad Daoist, pinning him to a flagpole! This Daoist had been walking on a yellow talisman.

That Corpse Immortal Cult disciple had ambushed him from behind. But Qin Mu had learned to discern sounds and positions from the blind man since childhood; neither the direction of the sword nor the attacker's standing position could escape his ears.

The man had intended to kill him. Qin Mu's counterattack, his spiritual connection with the Junior Protector Sword to strike down his opponent, was almost a reflex, a habit he had developed since childhood.

The demonic wind carried the boy and the fox out of the city. Then, a voice called out, "Senior Brother He Yin, someone has escaped the city and killed Junior Brother!"

"Junior Brother?" A voice from the city, filled with surprise and anger, responded, "How could you let Junior Brother put himself in danger? How am I supposed to explain this to the cult leader? You guard the city; I'll go kill him!"

Qin Mu's feet paused, and the demonic wind instantly shattered. Hu Ling'er dropped the cushion and leaped from the air onto the bundle on Qin Mu's back, then burrowed inside it.

"Junior Brother? Could he be the son of the Corpse Immortal Cult leader?" Qin Mu landed and immediately sprinted away, thinking, "Or perhaps just an ordinary disciple..."

While Hu Ling'er's demonic wind was convenient, it couldn't match Qin Mu's running speed. Furthermore, it was difficult to hide their tracks in the air, whereas running on the ground allowed them to use the mountains and forests for cover, making it harder for enemies to pursue.

Suddenly, clusters of fireballs rose, transforming into fiery birds that soared through the air, illuminating the sky in a brilliant white. These were divine abilities unleashed by cultivators.

Qin Mu looked up and saw fiery birds flying, followed by rustling yellow talismans that unfurled and spread across the sky.

These yellow talismans were rectangular strips, about the size of a foot, and people could walk on them.

"Divine Firmament Eye, open!" Spiritual energy patterns rotated in Qin Mu's eyes as the Divine Firmament Eye activated. He looked back and saw flying zombies bouncing and walking in the air, treading on the flying yellow talismans.

The yellow talismans divided into two rows, and the flying zombies also split into two lines. As more talismans appeared in the air, they further divided into four rows, with the flying zombies also splitting into four groups, searching in all directions. Behind the talismans, a young Daoist carried a long sword box with its lid open. From it, yellow talismans continuously flew out, paving the air ahead. This must be the Senior Brother He Yin mentioned by the Corpse Immortal Cult disciples.

He walked in the air, treading on the yellow talismans. When he lifted his foot, the talisman beneath it would fly back into the sword box, and a new talisman would emerge from the box, appearing before him just in time to support his next step.

The reason each talisman had to return to the sword box was likely that after a single use, its spiritual energy would be depleted, requiring it to return to the box for replenishment.

He walked forward, maintaining a swift pace.

Qin Mu's heart sank slightly. This was a divine ability practitioner who had opened the Six Directions divine treasure. It would be very difficult to evade his pursuit!

Between the Six Directions realm and the Spirit Embryo realm lay the Five Luminaries realm, with its Five Luminaries divine treasure.

For the past three years, Qin Mu had cultivated diligently. Shortly after his Spirit Embryo awakened for the fourth time, he had reached the peak of the Spirit Embryo realm, but he still hadn't managed to touch the Five Luminaries divine treasure.

There was a two-realm gap between him and He Yin in the air—two insurmountable chasms.

Judging by the techniques He Yin had displayed, he likely possessed a Vermilion Bird Spirit Body and cultivated fire-based divine abilities. His carrying a sword box suggested he practiced swordsmanship, but given that yellow talismans, not swords, were emerging from the box, he was probably using swordsmanship to control the talismans.

The orderly flight and retrieval of these yellow talismans, sustaining over a dozen flying zombies in the air and allowing the young Daoist to walk on them, demonstrated his exceptional swordsmanship.

Moreover, these yellow talismans were likely more than just for maintaining flight. They were inscribed with talismans written in cinnabar and blood, so the power of each paper was undoubtedly significant!

"If only I had Grandpa Ma's Tathagata Seal or Grandpa Blind's Nine Heavens Divine Eye, I'd be confident in fighting him, but I don't..."

Suddenly, a flying zombie swooped down and rapidly pursued him. Qin Mu sprinted ahead, with more flying zombies constantly giving chase from behind. These zombies didn't actually fly; instead, He Yin's yellow talismans continuously flew beneath their feet, supporting them and enabling them to walk, sprint, and even fight in the air, making them appear as if they could fly.

When these flying zombies landed, they began to sprint at astonishing speeds, even faster than martial artists!

Hu Ling'er poked her head out of the bundle, opened her mouth, and blew. A powerful demonic wind immediately arose, sending invisible wind blade scimitars slicing towards the flying zombies!

*Clang, clang, clang!* A series of collision sounds rang out, startling Hu Ling'er. The flying zombies' bodies were incredibly tough, rendering her spell completely useless.

Qin Mu frowned. The flying zombies' bodies were extraordinarily tough, much stronger than his own, almost like humanoid spirit weapons!

He decisively activated the Rain Calling Art. Clouds immediately filled the air, followed by a gentle drizzle.

"Ling'er, assist with the wind!"

Hu Ling'er understood and immediately cast her spell. Qin Mu turned and waved his hand, sending streams of water backward, transforming into water swords. Simultaneously, a strong wind blew, intensifying the rain and dramatically boosting the power of Qin Mu's spell, as the water swords thrust towards the charging flying zombies!

*Ding, ding!* Collision sounds rang out. With their combined efforts, the spell's power greatly increased. The water swords immediately pierced the flying zombies' incredibly tough skin, riddling the five pursuing zombies with holes!

However, the flying zombies seemed oblivious, continuing their relentless pursuit. They didn't dodge anything in their path; trees and rocks alike were shattered upon impact!

"If riddling you with holes won't kill you, then I'll smash you to pieces!"

Qin Mu continuously activated the Rain Calling Art, and Hu Ling'er ceaselessly summoned strong winds, causing the pursuing flying zombies to become even more tattered, their limbs even beginning to break. Just then, a fiery bird engulfed in scorching flames suddenly flew from behind the zombies, flapping its wings. Flames erupted, filling an area of over ten zhang with intense heat, instantly shattering both their spells!

Qin Mu and Hu Ling'er grunted. With their spells broken, both the boy and the fox felt their blood and qi surge from the backlash of spiritual energy.

"You dared to kill the son of my Corpse Immortal Cult leader? Is smoke rising from your ancestral graves?" He Yin swiftly approached from the air. Flying zombies descended from above to attack Qin Mu, while the five zombies on the ground lunged forward with a roar!