While Ni Bo was healing in the magma pool and Ye Jingyu was desperately cultivating, deep beneath Medicine City, Liang Xiaoke was also ceaselessly training. He unhesitatingly swallowed the energy from six Saint Beast Core Pellets—all of them self-evolved, making their essence far purer than those of pseudo-Saint Beasts. While none matched the thousand-year cultivation of the giant Flood Dragon Ye Jingyu had slain, the combined energy of the six Saint Beast Core Pellets was equivalent to that single entity.

Moreover, these six Saint Beasts possessed different elemental attributes. As a result, six distinct streams of energy violently surged within Liang Xiaoke’s body. If he hadn't reached the third stage of the Corpse Emperor realm, granting his physical body extreme resilience, he would have been instantly shredded. Even so, the agony was immense. He had to channel all his Corpse Qi and Netherworld Qi just to control the chaotic influx. If anyone had tried to assassinate him at that moment, he would have been utterly defenseless. Fortunately, he was deep underground, a place no one in this world had yet mastered the art of earth-burrowing, thus his safety was momentarily guaranteed.

More than ten days had passed since he began absorbing that energy, and Liang Xiaoke had only managed to integrate half of it. This pace was far slower than when he absorbed the Violent Ape King’s Core Pellet. The primary reason, aside from the sheer magnitude of the power, was the divergence in attributes, including a surge of pure Yang energy that alone required seven full days of focused absorption.

At this moment, if an observer had been present, they would have noticed Liang Xiaoke's body radiating a faint golden sheen, making him appear less like a bloodless zombie and more akin to a gilded statue of Buddha placed within a temple hall.

As he continuously drew in the energy, the golden radiance emanating from him grew ever brighter.

Another seven days elapsed, and finally, Liang Xiaoke completely assimilated that overwhelmingly massive power. His very being underwent a seismic transformation. Though he had not yet breached the fourth stage of the Corpse Emperor realm, both his physical strength and inherent power had increased by more than a factor of two. Most notably, the Corpse Pellet within him had now transmuted into a dark gold color, three times larger than before.

Sensing the surging power coursing through him, Liang Xiaoke slowly opened his eyes, unleashing two beams of golden light.

"Exquisite! With just a few more Core Pellets of this caliber, I shall step into the fourth stage of the Corpse Emperor realm. Then, countless spells will become available to me. Heh heh, what are Martial Saints or Soul Immortals? To me, they will only become sacrifices!" he murmured softly, yet he did not depart immediately. Instead, he moved toward the location of the Bloodwood Corpse. Upon reaching Gongsun Lu, he found her floating naked within the Grand Array of the Five Elements Blood Corpses. Her skin remained as supple as ever, perhaps even smoother by several degrees. Despite being a corpse, Liang Xiaoke perceived a vigorous vitality emanating from her, as if a living person stood before him.

"Wood Spirit Qi, truly brimming with life. Heh heh, as my very first Blood Corpse, I shall certainly cherish you dearly from now on!" Liang Xiaoke declared, roughly kneading her breast with his right hand before phasing away. To fully refine a Blood Corpse required forty-nine days; barely twenty had passed.

Shortly after Liang Xiaoke departed from Gongsun Lu, two spectral figures materialized before her. Observing her as she absorbed the Wood Spirit Qi with closed eyes, one phantom flickered.

"What a magnificent physical form—a Innate Wood Spirit Body, further enhanced by this formation. And the soul is critically weak. If we could only seize this body, wouldn't our strength immediately increase by a level?" a faint, ethereal voice drifted out.

"Indeed, but this restraint is too bizarre. We have studied it for so long, yet we cannot breach the formation; we can’t even penetrate it!" the second phantom flickered, its voice equally wispy.

"This appears to be an ancient immortal formation passed down through the ages. If the Master were here, with his knowledge, he could surely break this array with ease!" the first voice continued.

"Heh heh, if the Master were here, do you think he would leave this body untouched?" the other phantom offered with a chilling sneer.

"That’s true. So, what shall we do now?" the first phantom asked flatly.

"Let's try thinking of another way. I refuse to believe that the two of us combined cannot overcome this formation!" the second phantom declared with resolve.

"Gentlemen, perhaps you would like me to assist you in entering?" At that moment, a mocking voice materialized out of thin air.

The two phantoms jolted in alarm, attempting to flee, but a massive hand shot out and grasped them directly, holding both specters captive.

"Merely two petty sprites at the Manifestation stage, yet you dare attempt to break my Grand Array of the Five Elements Blood Corpses. How utterly laughable," Liang Xiaoke chuckled lightly as he examined the struggling figures in his grip.

"Who are you? Release us at once! Otherwise, if our Master arrives, he will not spare you!" one of the phantoms shrieked, acutely aware of the colossal power emanating from Liang Xiaoke.

"Release you? That’s easy. Just tell me where you come from, and I shall let you go instantly!" Liang Xiaoke responded, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips at the sprite’s threat.

He had long sensed something observing his Blood Corpse, but he couldn't discern who it was. Logically, so deep underground, only peak Soul Immortal experts could infiltrate, but the souls of Soul Immortals were immensely vast; these two phantoms possessed soul strength barely equivalent to the Manifest Soul realm.

A Soul Master, before reaching the Soul Immortal stage, could not allow their soul to completely leave their body, or it would dissipate over time. Yet, these two little ghosts were different; their souls weren't powerful, but they could remain here for an extended duration.

This fact piqued Liang Xiaoke’s curiosity greatly. He had deliberately left to lure these sprites out, wanting desperately to discover how they managed this, or more precisely, where they originated.

As a zombie himself, Liang Xiaoke held no fear of ghosts or spirits; in fact, such entities were prime sustenance for him.

Of course, for these two spirits now, beyond revealing secrets, they held an even greater utility.

"Impossible! We won't tell you even if you kill us. We advise you to release us immediately, or once our Master discovers we are missing, he will surely come looking. By then, you won't even know how you died!" one of the sprites asserted with defiant spirit.