22: Corpse refining and ghost marriage.

Hearing the explosions growing closer, Li Yan quickly took the female corpse and left the area.

However, Li Yan soon guessed why Old Daoist Xuan Wang was making such a big commotion.

As the explosions echoed through Broken Sword Valley, countless rotting corpses gathered towards the sound.

The previously scattered corpse horde gradually became denser.

Although the corpse horde was attracted by the sound, it also inadvertently blocked Li Yan's path.

Looking at the groups of two or three rotting corpses ahead, if he were to fight with them now, the sound would inevitably attract Old Ghost Xuanwang.

After a moment of thought, Li Yan had a flash of inspiration.

He formed a hand Seal and pointed forward: “Go, clear the way for me!”

The unconscious female corpse floated directly forward, forcefully crashing through the obstructing corpse horde.

Li Yan also took the Opportunity to follow behind, avoiding the predicament of being surrounded by the corpse horde.

During this process, Li Yan also discovered that the female corpse's body was incredibly tough, far beyond the strength of an ordinary Cultivator.

He couldn't help but speculate: “This Fairy, before her death, might have been a Blood Core Realm powerhouse! What exactly caused her to fall in Broken Sword Valley?”

“Never mind, let's find a place to rest first.”

Li Yan formed hand Seals to control the female corpse, following behind her as she broke through layers of encirclement.

The corpse horde wandered through the mist, heading in Old Daoist Xuanwang's direction.

After escaping the encirclement of the corpse horde, Li Yan saw an Immortal Cave in the mist ahead.

His Minds Eye swept over it, and after confirming there was no danger inside the Immortal Cave, he immediately took the female corpse and entered it.

Then, Li Yan flicked his hand, taking out a Concealment Talisman from his Storage Ring and sticking it at the entrance of the Immortal Cave.

This way, their aura would not dissipate, and the mist of Broken Sword Valley could block the detection of Divine Sense and Minds Eye.

Only then did Li Yan let out a long sigh of relief.

“Finally, I have a chance to sit down and properly examine the contents of the Storage Ring.”

After confirming that there was nothing else in the Immortal Cave and that the Talisman at the entrance had been set up.

Li Yan found a place to sit down and carefully examined the ring on his hand.

His luck was good; there were a large number of Heaven And Earth Treasures in the ring, and with these, he wouldn't starve for now.

He could rest well in the Immortal Cave, slowly refine this female corpse using the Corpse Refining Art, and choose a suitable Secret Manual to Cultivate.

Li Yan, slowly relaxing, flipped through every Secret Manual in the ring.

However, one book quickly caught his attention.

This book had no name on its cover, unlike the other books.

With a thought, the nameless book appeared in Li Yan's hand.

When he turned to the first page, he immediately realized that this was the Fairy's personal diary!

Li Yan, filled with curiosity, began to read its contents carefully.

“First day away from home, I finally escaped the Family's control and don't need to be married to Green Gate Old Ancestor in a ghost marriage.”

“I don't know what promise Green Gate Mountain made to my Clan Grandfather, to actually marry me, his great-granddaughter, to Green Gate Old Ancestor, to accompany that old ghost into his coffin.”

The content of the first page was quite explosive.

Li Yan quickly skimmed through the subsequent content and found that this female corpse was named Su Mo, the Young Miss of the Su Family, a Cultivation Family in Bugui Mountain.

Moreover, page seven of the diary mentioned that Su Mo was a Cultivator who had just broken through to the Blood Core Realm, and was the pride of the Su Family's younger generation.

She was less than a hundred years old, yet her strength was comparable to the Family elders.

But Su Mo couldn't understand why, with her strength, she clearly had boundless prospects.

Yet, she was betrothed to the Old Ancestor of Green Gate Mountain, and it was a ghost marriage!

“Using a Blood Core Realm Cultivator for a ghost marriage? Hiss…”

“Then isn't that Green Gate Old Ancestor a terrifying existence of the Blood Cocoon Realm?”

One must know that a Blood Core Realm Cultivator's lifespan can reach four to five hundred years at most, and this Fairy was not even a hundred years old, with great hope of breaking through to the fourth Realm.

But such a promising female Cultivator was arranged by her Family to be married in a ghost marriage and buried with Green Gate Old Ancestor; it seemed too sinister.

The latter half of the diary basically recorded Su Mo being jointly pursued and hunted by the Su Family and Green Gate Mountain.

After that, there were no more entries, presumably because Su Mo was being pursued too closely, and she had no leisure or mood to record anything further.

After reading this diary, Li Yan looked at the female corpse, who had been dead for an unknown period, and a trace of sympathy flashed in his eyes.

More than that, it was a feeling of shared sorrow.

“Even a Blood Core Realm powerhouse cannot escape a prearranged fate…”

“This Cultivation world is somewhat pathological.”

“However, although you are dead, the body of a Blood Core Realm Cultivator is still a priceless treasure; it would be too regrettable to let it rot.”

Confirming that the female corpse before him was a Blood Core Realm Cultivator, Li Yan picked up the “Heavenly Capital Corpse Refining Art”

“The most basic Corpse Refining Materials: Ten Thousand Gu Saliva, Corrupting Heart Flower, Yin Spirit Water…”

“Corrupting Heart Flower and Yin Spirit Water are commonly found in extremely Yin places; these Materials should be available in Broken Sword Valley!”

“As for the Ten Thousand Gu Saliva, I can only rely on luck and see if any Cultivator's corpse has it.”

Thinking of this, Li Yan summoned his Ebony Sword.

“Shiniang, I trouble you to act personally!”

Forming a hand Seal with two fingers, Li Yan, hidden in the Immortal Cave, used his Minds Eye to detect and control the Ebony Sword to fly out of the Immortal Cave.

Broken Sword Valley had many things, but especially many corpses!

Countless Cultivators throughout history had come here seeking Opportunity.

It was estimated that even Fairy Su Mo came to Broken Sword Valley to seek Immortal Opportunity to escape her Family's pursuit.

And a large number of corpses meant a large number of Materials!

Li Yan controlled the Ebony Sword, releasing Shiniang.

At this moment, Nine-Foot Shiniang was like the sword spirit of this sword, already bound to the Ebony Sword.

Shiniang's long hair fell to the ground, like countless small snakes, beginning to spread in all directions.

The hair strands of Nine-Foot Shiniang were not afraid of triggering traps.

Countless hair strands, like small snakes, began to search for items on the corpses.

Soon, they found Corrupting Heart Flowers in Broken Sword Valley, and Yin Spirit Water in a puddle.

Even the hardest to find Ten Thousand Gu Saliva was found in a dead body's pouch, an entire bottle of it.

“This Broken Sword Valley is simply a treasure trove; too many Cultivators have died here throughout history.”

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Li Yan had gathered all the Materials needed for Corpse Refining; he never dared to dream it would be so fast.

No wonder so many Cultivators risked entering Broken Sword Valley.

If others were like Li Yan, whose side effects turned positive, granting them full vision, then Broken Sword Valley was indeed a treasure trove for scavenging.

With the mist protecting him, Li Yan didn't have to worry about being pursued by Old Daoist Xuanwang.

Soon, under his control, Shiniang returned to the Immortal Cave with the Corpse Refining Materials.

Looking at the three Materials placed before him, Li Yan rubbed his hands.

“I wonder how strong this Blood Core Realm Cultivator will be after being refined into a Corpse Puppet.”

“Fortunately, this corpse is relatively fresh, making the refining process a bit easier.”

Li Yan flicked his finger, summoning the Pill Furnace from his Storage Ring, and put the three Materials into the furnace.

These sinister items could not be refined with ordinary flames, but that was not a problem for Li Yan.

“Shiniang, I'll have to trouble you again.”

He curled his lips, looking at Nine-Foot Shiniang, who was sealed within the Ebony Sword.

Under his control, Shiniang's pale little hands with sharp claws summoned the Death Yin Flame.

The dark purple flame, carrying the aura of Death Yin, began to refine the three Materials in the furnace.

Finally, a dark blue liquid flowed out of the Pill Furnace, dripping into a porcelain bowl.

Li Yan picked up this bowl of Corpse Refining Spirit Liquid and began to evenly apply it to the female corpse's face, hands, and legs.

Just as he finished all these preparations and began Corpse Refining.

“Detecting host is using aWitchcraft (evil technique) with strong Death Yin Qi, triggering the Side Effect Normalization System!”