The Blood-Patterned Ring pulsed with strange ripples, inscribed with ancient runes that drifted within, like small fish swimming in the currents of the sea.
Brilliant rainbow light burst forth from the Blood-Patterned Ring, and an aura of ancient malevolence permeated the entire underground mausoleum.
Countless ancient runes, resembling tiny fish, swam within the ripples inside the Blood-Patterned Ring.
The first ancient rune suddenly made contact with one of the male Tian Shi corpses.
A shocking scene unfolded.
As if suddenly alive, that ancient rune adhered to the body of the Tian Shi, crawling over its surface before rapidly seeping into its skull.
More ancient runes made successive contact with the two corpses.
Each ancient rune seemed to gain life, burrowing into the skulls of the two Tian Shi. They intertwined with the seven Sheng Yin within their brains, forming a miraculous spell that reshaped the Tian Shi’s cerebral regions, imbuing them with a brand new form of existence.
Within the ashen-white pupils of the two Tian Shi, new markings suddenly appeared.
Those markings were precisely the Sheng Yin that Shi Yan had struck out earlier!
The Sheng Yin rotated within the Tian Shi’s eyes, releasing vibrant vitality, causing faint signs of animation and vital fluctuation to gradually appear on their faces.
The two Tian Shi stood motionless, yet a faint luminescence emanated from their craniums.
Subtle human expressions began to dawn on the faces of the Tian Shi... confusion clouded their features, as if they had no idea what had transpired, their gazes filled with bewilderment.
Soon, all anomalies on the Tian Shi bodies vanished, the Sheng Yin no longer flickering in their pupils, nor did the miraculous runes shimmer within their skulls.
Shi Yan watched the two Tian Shi with solemnity, his face etched with astonishment.
The light of the Blood-Patterned Ring dimmed, seemingly returning to normal. However, Shi Yan, as its master, plunged his spiritual energy into it and discovered that through the ring, he could somehow sense the two Tian Shi.
Holding the Blood-Patterned Ring, injecting his spiritual power, he could clearly perceive the Tian Shi's confusion, sensing the faint emotional fluctuations within their minds.
The newly awakened Tian Shi possessed consciousness, yet it was too rudimentary, as if their intellect was still incomplete.
“Shi Yan, what—what is actually happening?” Xia Xinyan, clad in fire-red armor, stared at the bewildered Tian Shi with eyes shimmering with incredible wonder. “There seems to be… a faint vital fluctuation emanating from these two Tian Shi? This—how is this possible?”
“Vital fluctuation? What does that imply?” Shi Yan furrowed his brow deeply.
“Only a Corpse King of ten thousand years can form consciousness, truly possessing extraordinary life and the innate talent to wield the Five Elements!” Xia Xinyan shook her head repeatedly, her beautiful eyes full of incomprehension. “There is no way these two Tian Shi could gain life consciousness in such a short time. Absolutely impossible!”
“Only Corpse Kings can form consciousness? Regain life energy?” Shi Yan was stunned.
Xia Xinyan nodded affirmatively, her face contorted in horror. “We are truly doomed this time. Tian Shi are no longer something we can handle. How terrifying must these Tian Shi possessing life be?” Shi Yan’s expression shifted, his posture becoming wary.
The two Tian Shi remained confused for an indeterminate time. Then, they simultaneously turned their gaze toward Shi Yan, and the palm print of the Sheng Yin quietly flashed within their eyes.
Shi Yan recoiled in alarm.
As the two Tian Shi looked at him, two strange fluctuations suddenly surged from his Blood-Patterned Ring—fluctuations that originated from the two Tian Shi themselves!
The fluctuations from the two Tian Shi were quite friendly, seeming to regard Shi Yan as an intimate companion, carrying an undertone of inquiry.
The two Tian Shi were asking him what to do?
Looking into the eyes of the two Tian Shi and feeling the peculiar surge within the Blood-Patterned Ring, Shi Yan instantly grasped this bizarre reality.
“Control the other Corpse Slaves!”
Shi Yan took a deep breath, condensing the spiritual energy in his mind into a single wave, which flowed into the Blood-Patterned Ring on his finger.
The Sheng Yin in the Tian Shi’s eyes suddenly brightened.
The Tian Shi simultaneously shrieked.
All the Human and Earth Corpses in the mausoleum left the sides of Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan, gathering around the Tian Shi.
The Human and Earth Corpses appeared extremely obedient under the Tian Shi’s shriek, being manipulated by them. As the cries echoed, the subtle vital fluctuations of the Tian Shi suddenly enveloped the entire mausoleum.
In the underground tomb.
Coffins within dozens of stone chambers were opened one after another by the Corpse Slaves. All the Corpse Slaves still inside the chambers crawled out and converged around the two Tian Shi.
Xia Xinyan’s face turned pale, and she sighed, shaking her head. “It seems we are really going to die here.” “Xinyan, if we die together, do you feel it would be a waste?” Shi Yan suddenly turned, flashing a brilliant smile, his demeanor completely relaxed.
Xia Xinyan was slightly taken aback, pausing before letting out an exasperated laugh. “I really don’t know what to say about you, worrying about such things at a time like this?”
“Tell me, would you feel it was a waste to die alongside me?” Shi Yan looked at her stubbornly.
“No. Although you are infuriating, you are also quite interesting.” Within the mausoleum filled with Corpse Slaves, Xia Xinyan pondered for a moment before saying calmly, “Dying with you isn't about being worthwhile or not; I haven't thought that far ahead. It’s just… just a little regrettable.” “Regretful?” Shi Yan smiled. It didn't matter; any regret could be remedied given the chance.
If we live, we can make amends for any regret. I’ll give you a chance—kill them!” Shi Yan suddenly pointed at the two Earth-level martial artists from the Yin-Yang Cave Heaven who were restrained by the Magnetic Purgatory Field. With a gesture, the field vanished, and the two martial artists suddenly tumbled from mid-air.
Xia Xinyan gasped, wondering what madness had seized Shi Yan.
The next moment, the two Tian Shi shrieked again.
Nearly a hundred Corpse Slaves charged forward maniacally, but they swept past Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan, throwing themselves upon the two Yin-Yang Cave Heaven martial artists behind them.
Xia Xinyan covered her mouth, her delicate body trembling with disbelief.
At the headquarters of the Corpse God Sect, within the Corpse God Hall.
On the hall walls, countless varieties of Corpse Slaves were carved. Many of these carvings bore tiny, fly-sized script which emitted white light within the hall, fluttering around the carved figures like fireflies.
Coffins were placed throughout the hall, and an Elder of the Corpse God Sect sat atop each one.
These Elders sat cross-legged on their coffins, from which wisps of strange energy threads arose. The threads slowly drilled into the bodies of the Corpse God Sect Elders. These Elders either meditated or gazed intently at the fly-sized script on the carved Corpse Slaves, committing them silently to memory.
Elders who earned merit within the Corpse God Sect were permitted to stay in the Corpse God Hall for periods of three, five, or seven days, commensurate with the magnitude of their contributions.
Every coffin in the Corpse God Hall contained peculiar energy that greatly benefited the cultivation of the Corpse God Sect Elders. Even three or five days was enough to substantially advance the power within their bodies.
The fly-sized script dancing on the carved Corpse Slaves on the hall walls recorded all the profound and esoteric methods of the Corpse God Sect.
Spending a few days in the Corpse God Hall brought endless benefits to the Elders, which was precisely why they remained so fiercely loyal to the Corpse God Sect, constantly striving to earn merit.
On one of the coffins.
A sinister, white-haired old man, his face deeply furrowed like ravines, suddenly changed expression, violently spitting out a mouthful of blood.
“Elder Yin Hai, what is wrong?” A stern, hoarse voice echoed up from the subterranean depths of the Corpse God Hall.
The aged man, his expression vicious, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. “Reporting to the Sect Master, my two Tian Shi have slipped from my control. The Corpse Soul Seals I left within those two Tian Shi have shattered. Their connection to me is fading, and… and they are emitting feelings of hostility toward me!”
“Elder Yin Hai, have you suffered a cultivation deviation? Tian Shi possess no self-will; how could they feel hostility? Do you think your Tian Shi are Corpse Kings under my control?” A displeased snort came from below ground.
“Sect Master, forgive me, this subordinate would never speak nonsense.” Yin Hai knelt down on the coffin, his head bowed in terror. “It’s true! I can feel it! Those two Tian Shi are genuinely transmitting hostility toward me! Though we are separated by tens of thousands of miles, my intuition cannot be wrong, Sect Master, please investigate!”
“How many years have those two Tian Shi been refined?”
“Two thousand three hundred and fifty years,” Yin Hai replied respectfully. “Twenty years ago, those two Tian Shi were personally bestowed upon me by the Sect Master. Both possess cultivation at the second stage of the Nirvana Nest realm. There is absolutely no possibility for a Tian Shi refined for two thousand three hundred and fifty years to possess life consciousness.” The figure below pondered briefly. “Where did you place them for corpse preservation?” “Burial Ground Number Ninety-three,” Yin Hai answered respectfully.
“Number Ninety-three…” The Sect Master of the Corpse God Sect murmured, then said calmly, “I will send a message now to inquire about the situation over there. If there is truly an issue, you go investigate the circumstances.” “This subordinate understands.” Burial Ground Number Ninety-three.
The low-ranking martial artist of the Corpse God Sect who was discussing details with Li Zhuang and Sui Yueru suddenly heard an urgent jingle from the bell-lock at his waist.
His expression changed, revealing alarm, and he immediately closed his eyes, gripping the bell-lock tightly with both hands.
Ten seconds later, this man suddenly stood up, his face a mask of horror. “There is a change with the Tian Shi below!” “Guo Qi, what is it?” Li Zhuang asked in surprise.
“I just received a message from the Headquarters saying Elder Yin Hai’s two Tian Shi have broken free of his control. Headquarters ordered me to immediately go down and check the situation.” This Corpse God Sect martial artist, named Guo Qi, suddenly brought the bell-lock to his mouth and let out a sharp cry.
The cry spread across the entire island.
All the disciples of the Corpse God Sect, upon hearing the shout, became horrified and rushed toward the central stone tower.
“Let’s go down and see,” Guo Qi dared not hesitate, leaping down from the stone tower, eager to enter the mausoleum immediately.
Li Zhuang and Sui Yueru exchanged a glance, and also descended from the stone tower in astonishment, rushing together toward the underground mausoleum.
“No need to come down; we’ll come up ourselves,” Shi Yan’s lazy voice drifted up from the depths of the mausoleum.