Ye Jingyu stared dumbfounded as Gongsun Lu's body began to shatter, piece by piece. This was the Blood Corpse Liang Xiaoke had cultivated, and now, faced with this anomaly, he had no idea what to do.

The man and the corpse watched the fissures widen. Even in the broad daylight, the sight was deeply unsettling, yet neither was frightened—one being a zombie, the other possessing immense power.

As the splitting intensified, they saw a new physical form gestating within the rift, resembling a husk. With the outer layer peeling away, the new body was gradually revealed.

It was a physique identical to Gongsun Lu's, yet the skin was smoother, fairer, and brimming with elasticity. Even her figure seemed significantly enhanced; she looked less like a corpse and more like a maiden in the bloom of youth.

Moreover, her eyes had shifted to a pale cyan, radiating what seemed like endless vitality. Adorning her skin was a serpentine pattern of pale blue—the very dragon soul that had been sealed within the Azure Dragon Jade Pendant.

"Greetings, Master!" At that moment, the entirely naked Gongsun Lu knelt in homage before Liang Xiaoke...

This brought the stunned pair back to reality. Had the Blood Corpse evolved beyond expectation? At least she remained loyal; that was their greatest relief.

"Rise..." Gazing upon Gongsun Lu’s increasingly lush form, a burning flame ignited in Liang Xiaoke’s eyes. If Ye Jingyu hadn't been present, he would have undoubtedly lunged forward already.

Gongsun Lu rose respectfully, standing quietly beside Liang Xiaoke, her gaze vacant, almost robotic. Yet, her body pulsed with vibrant life, even more potent than that of a living person.

The Wood Spirit Body, truly extraordinary...

"Brother, has your Blood Corpse cultivation succeeded? Is her strength truly equal to yours?" Ye Jingyu asked with evident concern, looking at the delicately yielding Gongsun Lu.

"Of course. Lu, take this brat down for me..." Liang Xiaoke rolled his eyes at Ye Jingyu’s doubt and issued his command.

The instant his words fell, Gongsun Lu materialized before Ye Jingyu. Utterly disregarding the fact that he had just shielded her from the brunt of the lightning tribulation, she obeyed only Liang Xiaoke’s order and threw a direct punch at Ye Jingyu.

Ye Jingyu didn't even look away, meeting her blow with a punch of his own. There was no hint of chivalry in his eyes; this was a Blood Corpse, not a woman.

"Boom..." A deafening crash sounded as their fists collided heavily. Ye Jingyu’s body didn't budge an inch, but Gongsun Lu’s fist shattered upon impact, exposing patches of stark white bone and flesh. Her entire body was sent flying by Ye Jingyu's single strike.

However, the injuries to her fist began to mend at a speed visible to the naked eye. The moment her body hit the ground, she launched another attack on Ye Jingyu, only to be swept away again by his swift leg sweep.

"Stop..." Just as Gongsun Lu was about to initiate her third assault, Liang Xiaoke called her back. His eyes were filled with disbelief as he stared at Ye Jingyu. When had this kid's strength become so immense? Or was his Blood Corpse simply too weak?

"Take one move from me!" To resolve his own confusion, Liang Xiaoke whispered, darting forward and unleashing a punch aimed squarely at Ye Jingyu.

This punch carried his peak strength, causing the very void to fragment and the surrounding earth to crackle and burst under the shockwaves of power.

Facing this formidable strike, Ye Jingyu did not retreat either, throwing out a punch that met Liang Xiaoke’s head-on.

"Rumble..." Several sharp concussions echoed in succession. The void itself was ripped open with a massive fissure, and both figures were blasted backward. Cracks began tracing Ye Jingyu's arm, but before they could fully separate, they sealed themselves instantly, restoring his limb to perfect condition in the blink of an eye. This regenerative capacity seemed even more terrifying than Gongsun Lu's Wood Spirit Body?

Liang Xiaoke’s fist, however, had been pulverized by Ye Jingyu’s blow, and he had to rely on massive surges of Corpse Qi to repair his injury.

"You... you... how is this possible..." Having personally experienced Ye Jingyu’s overwhelming might and his impossibly resilient body, Liang Xiaoke gaped, unable to finish his sentence.

How long had it been since they last met? He thought he had vastly improved, yet he still couldn't match Ye Jingyu. How could this not shock him?

"This is the true cultivation method I practice: The Hegemon Origin Art..." Ye Jingyu then recounted how he obtained the scripture and the incident where his soul was shattered by Xuanyuan Jing. This had been his deepest secret, one he never dared utter, but now he spoke it plainly, assured by the strength he possessed to protect himself.

Yet, to his surprise, when he finished speaking, Liang Xiaoke’s brow furrowed deeply.

"What is it, Brother?" Seeing Liang Xiaoke's profound worry, Ye Jingyu inquired.

"This isn't a martial arts cultivation method; it’s a method for cultivating immortality—no, it’s an absolutely supreme technique for body refinement: the Chaos Body. That is a legendary physique! In the Primordial Era, countless great shamans sought to achieve the Chaos Body but failed. When Taoism arose and Witchcraft declined, such a body became impossible, yet unexpectedly, your ancestor managed to forge such an anomalous body-tempering art. Ah Yu, you must never let anyone know you possess the Chaos Body. Perhaps no one in this world knows yet, but someone in other realms certainly will. If they discover you practice the Chaos Body cultivation method, they will stop at nothing to capture you!" Liang Xiaoke then shared the intelligence he had gleaned from the two small spirits.

Ye Jingyu, who hadn't taken the matter too seriously before, frowned deeply upon hearing about the other realms. Liang Xiaoke was right. Although he possessed the Chaos Body—the most powerful and inherently talented form in existence—it didn't mean he was invincible now. After all, he had only just completed the cultivation of the Chaos Body; he was like a newborn infant. No matter the innate talent, an infant cannot defeat an adult.

At the very least, a seasoned veteran like Dugu Bachan was currently beyond his capacity to confront, let alone the other realms Liang Xiaoke mentioned.