Disciples of the Yin Yang Grotto descended one by one from above, exerting their strength to haul the wooden crates from this level onto the main deck, destined for the burial ground.

Thirty-two wooden crates, each sealed tight with steel nails, contained cold, lifeless bodies.

Within the boxes, there were slabs of strange, ice-cold stone. These stones were immensely heavy, often requiring two or three disciples of the Yin Yang Grotto to cooperate just to lift a single crate onto the deck.

Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan emerged from their cramped cabin, their faces grim as they stepped onto the deck.

On the deck, Shi Yan squinted and stared into the distance, realizing the iron ship had docked at an island. The island was the size of a small city; the atmosphere was heavy with the scent of death, and it was overgrown with peculiar, bizarre flora.

Beneath this island, an intense miasma of corpse energy swirled. Gazing intently, one could discern hundreds of burial plots scattered across the land. Each plot possessed a cavernous entrance leading into the center of the grave site.

These burial plots varied in size; the largest spanned an area as big as a basketball court, while the smallest was only the size of a small room.

The burial plots were connected to one another by deep, elongated trenches. Within these deep fissures, it seemed exotic materials were packed, causing a faint phosphorescent glow amidst the oppressive silence of death, with wisps of pale, grayish-white smoke curling upwards.

Hundreds of burial plots dotted the island, all linked by these connecting trenches.

At a glance, the island resembled a massive spider’s web: the omnipresent trenches acted like silken threads, the individual burial plots serving as the junction points where the strands intersected. The graves and the trenches saturated every corner of the island.

On the open ground near the burial plots and trenches, countless plants thrived. Their leaves and branches were a dull grayish-brown, seemingly devoid of vitality, lending an eerie, bizarre appearance, as if the avatars of demons, instilling an uncomfortable feeling in all who observed them.

At the absolute center of the island lay the largest burial plot. Above this grave site stood numerous stone structures resembling tombstones. Figures stood atop these structures—disciples of the Corpse God Sect, their faces ashen and their expressions sinister.

Most of these Corpse God Sect adherents were cultivators at the Ren position, Bai Jie, or Di position realms. They moved across the stone towers with expressionless faces, occasionally descending into the grave pits below.

At the entrances of the major burial caverns across the island, Corpse God Sect disciples could be seen coming and going. It appeared that every single plot was guarded by their followers; some even carried various blocks of ice-cold rock and bags of venomous insects saturated with dense corpse energy on their backs. They were observed tossing these peculiar materials into the trenches between the graves, seemingly to nourish the grounds with some unique form of energy.

The entire island was shrouded in a profoundly ominous atmosphere: graves everywhere, uncanny vegetation, and the lethargic, death-infused disciples of the Corpse God Sect.

The disciples of the Yin Yang Grotto worked tirelessly, hauling the wooden crates off the vessel and placing them at the island’s makeshift docking area.

About ten Corpse God Sect cultists approached with wooden expressions to open the crates one by one. One among them held a ledger, head bowed, meticulously recording the information of each corpse, noting the deceased’s cultivation realm before death, the strength of the corpse energy within the body, and the degree of physical integrity.

The Yin Yang Grotto disciples were exceptionally cooperative, suppressing their usual flamboyance and appearing even somewhat constrained as they explained the origin of the bodies to the Corpse God Sect followers.

Several of the female disciples from the Yin Yang Grotto proceeded with extreme caution once they arrived here, their eyes showing apprehension, their expressions decidedly unnatural when addressing the Corpse God Sect members.

Li Zhuang and Sui Yueru, the two Protectors of the Yin Yang Grotto, had already disembarked and stood beside the crates, engaged in hushed conversation with a martial artist from the Corpse God Sect at the Di position.

Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan remained on the deck, their expressions strange.

“Protector Sui holds quite a favorable opinion of you. If you are willing, Protector Sui would still take you on as a disciple…” Xiao Feng whispered softly beside Shi Yan, persuading him again. “Give a nod, and I can inform Protector Sui. What do you say?”

Shi Yan also sensed the danger; frowning, he shot a glance towards Sui Yueru from a distance, but gently shook his head. “My apologies, I have no desire to join the Yin Yang Grotto…”

Xiao Feng’s face chilled, her pretty features turning somewhat sinister as she replied coldly, “You will regret this…”

“You two, are you not getting off the boat? Heh heh, do you expect us to invite you down?,” Li Wei had already disembarked and stood sneering by the island shore. “We will remain at this burial site for one day. Outsiders are not permitted aboard the vessel. If you refuse to come down, don’t blame us for showing no courtesy.” Shi Yan frowned, glanced at Xia Xinyan, and stated flatly, “We will disembark.” When under the eaves of another, one must bow one’s head.

Xia Xinyan maintained a measure of composure. Though disgust flickered in her eyes, she followed Shi Yan off the iron ship and onto the island’s shore.

The two Yin Yang Grotto Protectors, Li Zhuang and Sui Yueru, would occasionally cast a glance toward Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan while speaking with the Corpse God Sect martial artist.

The Corpse God Sect practitioner, whose face was long and thin, occasionally let his unfocused eyes drift toward Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan, nodding slightly, as if an agreement had been reached with Li Zhuang and Sui Yueru.

The three lowered their heads and conferred for a while, finally nodding in apparent satisfaction.

Shortly after, Li Zhuang announced loudly, “We will rest here for three days. We shall depart by ship three days hence…”

“Protector Li, can we—can we remain on the ship?” a female disciple from the Yin Yang Grotto pleaded somewhat pitifully, shivering slightly as she spoke, clearly disliking this burial ground intensely.

“Absolutely not,” Li Zhuang snorted, looking at her coldly. “The path ahead of you is long. If you lack even this much courage, forget about making further breakthroughs in the martial path. We are having you disembark to temper you. Tonight, disciples from the Corpse God Sect will lead you to tour the Corpse Slaves of this burial ground so you may broaden your horizons. You must treasure this opportunity; in the Endless Sea, few powers are qualified to visit the Burial Grounds.”

“Ah!”

Many Yin Yang Grotto disciples’ complexions paled upon hearing this, their lips trembling—they seemed thoroughly frightened.

The Corpse God Sect disciples, their expressions blank, eyed the screaming Yin Yang Grotto members with a hint of disdain. After finishing their inventory of the wooden crates, these individuals retrieved small bells from their waists and shook them gently.

“Ah!”

The Yin Yang Grotto disciples shrieked once more.

With the sound of the shaking bells, streams of white-robed corpses suddenly surged forth from the nearest burial plot.

These bodies possessed no color in their eyes, appearing blind. Their limbs were slightly stiff, and their movements sluggish. Under the pale moonlight, enveloped in an aura of chilling death energy, they began to advance slowly towards the group.

“These are all Human Corpses, refined not long ago. Their joints are still quite rigid; they can only manage manual labor and possess limited combat strength. What are you afraid of?” A Corpse God Sect disciple, with a grim expression, cast a cold glance at the shrieking Yin Yang Grotto disciples. “Corpse Slaves are our best companions. They will never betray us, nor will they stab us in the back. They are more trustworthy than the living and far more useful than living people.”

One by one, the Human Corpses moved slowly, responding to the jingle of the bells. Two Human Corpses lifted a single wooden crate, carrying it gradually toward the closest burial pit.

Under the moonlight, the Corpse Slaves staggered, enveloped in swirling corpse energy. Their ghastly pale faces betrayed no human emotion—they were sinister, terrifying, cold, and bizarre.

Shi Yan frowned, watching the procession of Human Corpses carrying the boxes away under the sound of the bells, watching the Corpse God Sect disciples skillfully maneuvering their slaves. His heart gradually grew heavy.

“You two,” Li Zhuang suddenly pointed at Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan. “You will go to the burial grounds as well.”

Li Zhuang clearly paid Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan no mind. Having delivered his command, he resumed his low conversation with the Corpse God Sect member, seemingly unafraid that Shi Yan might flee, and certain that Shi Yan dared not attempt an escape.

Sui Yueru also glanced toward Shi Yan from afar, knitting her brows slightly, then turned her attention away, joining the discussion with the Corpse God Sect member.

The three seemed to be haggling over the price of the thirty-two corpses; Sui Yueru and Li Zhuang were engaged in bargaining.

Shi Yan suddenly reached out and grabbed Xia Xinyan, whispering urgently, “We need to leave now. The farther we get from the sea, the less safe we become!”

“We can’t get away,” Xia Xinyan quietly shook her head. “There are Water Corpses!”

“How do you know?” Shi Yan’s expression changed; he scanned the surroundings, his eyes sharp.

“There are at least three burial plots here where Water Corpses are refined. Water Corpses have excellent aquatic skills and can travel deep underwater. If we leave now, we will still be captured by them,” Xia Xinyan murmured.

“What should we do?”

“Let’s go to the burial ground first, find an opportunity on the island to eliminate the Water Corpses, and then leave.”

“Good.”

Li Wei maintained a distance from Shi Yan but kept him under constant watch.

“You two, you can set off now. Perhaps you’ll be fortunate enough to witness the Corpse God Sect’s miraculous refinement techniques alongside us. Hmm… The Corpse God Sect not only refines dead bodies but also possesses methods for refining living bodies. Do you know what refining a living body entails? Heh heh, it means taking a living person and forcibly refining them into a corpse. It’s said to be quite interesting; perhaps you two can witness it!” Li Wei’s face was venomous, his words laden with hidden meaning.

Shi Yan’s expression shifted; he finally grasped Li Zhuang’s true intent and understood why Li Zhuang kept glancing at him while speaking with the Corpse God Sect man. Li Zhuang had likely sold him and Xia Xinyan off as cargo to the Corpse God Sect, providing two specimens for the refinement of living corpses.

Xia Xinyan’s eyes turned icy; she bit her teeth lightly, clearly boiling with suppressed rage.

“We must not separate,” Shi Yan gripped her hand tightly, his expression resolute. “There will be a chance. As long as they don’t kill us immediately, we will find an opening!”

At this moment, hearing Shi Yan’s words, Xia Xinyan suddenly felt a measure of peace settle over her.

“En,” Xia Xinyan nodded softly, and for the first time, she squeezed his hand back, murmuring quietly, “Remember, you must live. You absolutely must survive.”

Shi Yan was momentarily stunned, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face even at this moment. He assured her, “Don’t worry, we will definitely survive!”

“If we manage to escape this place, I can forgive… forgive you for your past impudence toward me. I promise not to seek trouble with you afterward,” Xia Xinyan said after a moment of hesitation, her voice soft.

“We will live to leave this place!”

Translator’s Note: Apologies, I had to accompany my wife to the hospital for an examination this morning, so I had no time to write. Well, my wife is nearly three months pregnant, and she has regular check-ups. Please bear with me.