35: Chapter 35: A Mutual Destruction Approach

"Roar!!!"

The Corpse King, unable to secure a victory after a prolonged assault, grew increasingly irritable.

It opened its mouth wide and spewed out a cloud of toxic corpse miasma, thick as ink!

Wherever the toxic mist passed, the ground corroded with a hissing white smoke, and even the rocks melted!

Xiao Ran dared not take it head-on. He pushed his Blood Shadow Escape to the limit, his figure splitting into nine afterimages that scattered and fled.

His true body had actually appeared three zhang to the left of the Corpse King, his hands forming Seals.

"Soul Suppressing Tower, Suppress!"

The phantom of the black tower hovering above his head slammed down, and streaks of black light curtains coiled around the Corpse King like chains!

The Corpse King's body stiffened; its Divine Soul was suppressed momentarily, causing its movements to slow by a beat.

Xiao Ran seized the opportunity, blood-colored light illuminating his fingertips!

"Blood Soul Spike!"

Three invisible blood spikes shot through the air, aiming straight for the Corpse King's three vital points: the center of its brow, its throat, and its heart!

But just as the spikes were about to strike,

a palm-sized bronze heart-protecting mirror suddenly appeared on the Corpse King's chest!

The mirror flashed with a faint light, actually reflecting all three blood spikes back!

Xiao Ran's expression shifted slightly, and he hurriedly dodged.

The blood spikes grazed past his ear and sank into the rock wall behind him, leaving behind three bottomless holes.

"A defensive Magic Treasure?"

Xiao Ran's eyes were grave.

This Corpse King must have held a high status when it was alive; to think it still had a Magic Treasure protecting its body even after death.

This was becoming troublesome!

Meanwhile, Wu Yuan made his move.

He formed hand Seals while chanting incantations.

The five Golden Core corpse puppets simultaneously pounced on the Scar-faced Man and the other two. Their attacks were fierce and well-coordinated, clearly the result of special refinement.

The Scar-faced Man and his companions were already injured; facing the five corpse puppets, they were immediately in dire straits.

In less than ten breaths,

a Foundation Establishment Peak Cultivator was torn apart by the corpse puppets, blood spraying everywhere.

"Fourth Brother!"

The Scar-faced Man's eyes were split with rage, but he was powerless to save him.

The other female Cultivator was also grabbed by the shoulder by a corpse puppet; as the corpse poison entered her body, her face rapidly turned blue-black, and her movements grew slower and slower.

It looked like they were on the verge of total annihilation.

Xiao Ran took a deep breath, knowing he could not delay any longer.

His gaze swept over the ghost-faced fruit on the rock wall, then looked toward Wu Yuan, a decision forming in his mind.

"Wu Yuan, you want my body?"

Xiao Ran spoke suddenly, his tone calm.

Wu Yuan was stunned, then laughed.

"Fellow Daoist is truly clever."

"Indeed. You possess a special Physique. If refined into a corpse puppet, you could at least become a Nascent Soul Corpse King! Then, the revival of my Shiyin Sect will be within reach!"

Shiyin Sect?

Xiao Ran hadn't heard of this Sect, but judging by the name, he knew it was a Demonic Cultivation Sect that specialized in refining corpses.

"So that's how it is."

"And that ghost-faced fruit was the bait you intentionally released news about to lure Cultivators here?"

Xiao Ran nodded, as if everything had clicked into place.

"Precisely."

Wu Yuan admitted it frankly.

"The Netherworld Ancient Path is rich in Yin Qi, making it the most suitable place to Cultivate corpse puppets."

"But high-level corpse puppets require fresh blood-food and Divine Souls... These Cultivators who delivered themselves to my doorstep are the best Materials."

He looked at Xiao Ran, his eyes filled with even greater greed.

"However, your value is higher than all of them combined."

"Surrender obediently, and I can spare you some suffering."

Xiao Ran laughed.

His laugh was somewhat mocking.

"Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

Before the words had even faded, his figure vanished abruptly!

When he reappeared, he was already in front of the ghost-faced fruit tree!

With a grab of his right hand, all three purple, glowing fruits fell into his palm and were instantly stored in his Storage Pouch!

"You're courting death!"

Wu Yuan's expression darkened.

He changed the hand Seals in his hands, and the five corpse puppets abandoned the Scar-faced Man and pounced on Xiao Ran in unison!

Meanwhile, the Corpse King also shook off the suppression of the Soul Suppressing Tower and roared as it charged over!

With the Corpse King in front and the corpse puppets behind,

Xiao Ran seemed to be trapped in a desperate situation.

But there was no fear on his face; instead, he revealed a smile of a plan successfully executed.

"Want my body? Then let's see if you... can handle it!"

Xiao Ran slammed his hands together!

Inside his Dantian, his demonic core trembled wildly, and the twelve golden patterns erupted with blinding light!

He opened his mouth and spat out an object.

It was precisely the yinming pearl he had just obtained from the Storage Pouch of the Xuan Yin Master!

The pearl hovered in mid-air, its surface spiral patterns spinning at high speed!

The next moment, Xiao Ran bit the tip of his tongue and sprayed a mouthful of vital blood onto the pearl!

"With my vital blood, I draw the Yin Ming Qi... Netherworld Rift, Open!"

"What?"

"Are you f***ing crazy? Do you know what will happen if you open the rift?"

Wu Yuan's expression changed drastically, and he shouted in anger.

I just wanted to refine you into a corpse puppet; what do you mean by trying to die together with me?

"I don't know what will happen, but I know you are going to die."

Xiao Ran sneered.

Before his words had even finished, the entire cave began to shake violently!

The rock walls cracked, and the ground collapsed!

A surge of Yin Sha Qi, ten times, a hundred times thicker than that on the Corpse King, gushed out from the depths of the earth!

That Netherworld Rift, which had been sealed by the Xuan Yin Master, had actually... loosened under the influence of the yinming pearl and Xiao Ran's vital blood!

"Roar!!!"

From the depths of the rift came countless shrill, sharp howls!

Those were the ghosts of the Netherworld, sensing the aura of the human realm and surging over frantically!

The Corpse King's movements stalled, and a trace of... fear actually appeared in its scarlet pupils?

It instinctively wanted to retreat.

But it was already too late.

The moment Xiao Ran spat out the yinming pearl, he had already utilized Blood Shadow Escape and shot toward the cave entrance!

When passing by the Scar-faced Man, he grabbed the dying female Cultivator with his left hand.

With his right hand, he unleashed a streak of Guixu Demonic Light, forcing back the corpse puppets blocking his path.

"If you don't want to die, follow me!"

The Scar-faced Man had long since been scared out of his wits; hearing this, he didn't even think, following Xiao Ran as he rushed out.

Wu Yuan was both shocked and furious.

He never imagined that Xiao Ran would dare to use such a mutually destructive method to break the situation!

"Stop him!"

Wu Yuan shrieked.

The five corpse puppets pounced frantically.

But at this moment, the cave was filled with Yin Sha Qi, and the aura surging from the rift interfered with Wu Yuan's control over the corpse puppets.

Their movements were noticeably much slower.

Xiao Ran didn't even look back, tossing out three Talismans with his backhand.

These were Explosive Flame Talismans he had previously looted from the Blood Fiend Sect; although they were only Foundation Establishment Stage Talismans, their power was not to be underestimated when all three were detonated simultaneously.

"Boom, boom, boom!!!"

Firelight exploded, and airwaves surged.

The corpse puppets were temporarily blocked.

The three of them seized the opportunity to rush out of the cave, sprinting toward the exit of the canyon without looking back.

Behind them came Wu Yuan's exasperated roar, as well as the increasingly close shrieks of ghosts from the rift.

"Xiao Ran! I will kill you!"

The voice echoed in the canyon, filled with resentment.

Xiao Ran turned a deaf ear.

While sprinting, he took out a message-transmitting jade Talisman and injected demonic essence into it.

"Deep within the Netherworld Ancient Path, the Netherworld Rift has loosened, and Netherworld ghosts are about to surge out! Report to the Sect immediately!"

The other end of the jade Talisman was silent for a moment, then a hurried voice came through.

"Location?"

"The core area of the Netherworld Ancient Path, specific coordinates..."

Xiao Ran quickly reported the location, then put away the jade Talisman.