Chapter 146: Corpse Rearing

After a brief moment, that imposing throne turned into a pool of black mud and scattered across the cave. At that very instant, the yin energy throughout the entire cave seemed to lose its pillar of support, rushing frantically toward the black mud.

In the blink of an eye, a small pit appeared. It looked infinitely deep, but was actually only half a man's depth. The entire cave trembled twice, and its previous property of existing between the illusory and the real vanished completely.

Hu San tested it with his hand and found that both the cave floor beneath his feet and the surrounding walls had turned physical.

It seemed as though, in this fleeting second, the space completely independent of this world had been dropped right back down from some unknown location.

"This is?"

With a flick of his hand, Hu San stored the ferocious ox-bone mask away into his hollow stone. He fixed his gaze on the black pit before him, his brow gradually furrowing. Suddenly, the corner of his mouth curved upward into a murmur, "There is no mistake. This must be the Yin-Fiend Corpse-Nurturing Ground mentioned in the Profound Yin Corpse-Refining Grimoire. Judging by this appearance, even if it falls short of a Five-Yin Corpse-Nurturing Ground, it should at least reach the level of a Four-Yin Corpse-Nurturing Ground."

"With a Four-Yin Corpse-Nurturing Ground, refining my natal spirit corpse will require much less effort. I simply never expected one to appear here. Could it be that all Yin-Fiend Corpse-Nurturing Grounds existing in reality are formed this way?"

"If the Profound Yin Corpse-Nurturing Grimoire is not mistaken, I only need to bury Yuning here, and she will naturally absorb the yin-fiend qi of this place. Not only will the probability of cultivating the Profound Yin Corpse Fiend increase dramatically, but as long as the yin energy here does not dry up, theoretically she can continue to ascend, possibly even surpassing the highest level of the grimoire, the Fourth Layer of Gathering Dharma!"

"Of course, if she truly exceeds the grimoire's highest level, I'm afraid it will be very difficult for me to control her. However, although the quality of this Yin-Fiend Corpse-Nurturing Ground is extremely high, the total amount of energy is not massive. I imagine it will be enough at most to push Yuning to the Third Layer of Gathering Dharma realm."

"Instead of keeping her by my side as she becomes increasingly useless, it is better to let her stay here for a while. Who knows, she might truly become a useful helper in the future!"

Having made up his mind, Hu San sprang into action. Now that the cave had materialized, he could no longer travel back through the gaps of yin energy. Therefore, Hu San had to rely on brute force to carve out a passage leading to the outside world.

When he finally emerged, he discovered that, without realizing it, he had arrived at a desolate mountain outside the village. The spot where he appeared was a recessed stone pit at the corner of the barren mountain.

Hu San, who possessed a natal spirit corpse, knew full well the importance of a Yin-Fiend Corpse-Nurturing Ground to a cultivator of the Black Spirit Sect. Its value extended far beyond the mere refining of a natal spirit corpse. He had every reason to believe that once news of even this modest corpse-nurturing ground leaked out, cultivators above the Earth Hole realm would undoubtedly make their moves. Therefore, he dared not let this matter be exposed under any circumstances.

It took Hu San a brief moment to haul the unconscious people out of the pit, scattering them across various locations in the village. He then hurriedly returned to the inn and brought Yuning back to the pit.

After confirming that Yuning had entered a state of cultivation, Hu San completely sealed off the pit from the outside. He believed that unless someone had nothing better to do and decided to split open the mountain, this location would never be discovered.

By this time, the villagers emerging from Liu Jia's home had also discovered the unconscious people lying on the ground, and the entire village was once again in an uproar.

In truth, the moment Hu San put away the ferocious ox-bone mask and the corpse-nurturing ground truly formed, the projection of the grand array enveloping the back garden completely dissipated. All abnormal phenomena around it vanished entirely; not only did the red light disappear, but even the eerie, gloomy atmosphere was gone.

Although the villagers did not understand the ways of the cultivation world, they could deduce through intuition that there was no longer any danger in the back garden.

Unable to find the missing persons anywhere, the villagers had no choice but to disperse. It was then that they happened to stumble upon the few unconscious people Hu San had randomly scattered throughout the village.

After a period of commotion, the last unconscious person—Miss Liu herself—was also found.

Liu Jia hurriedly had the master physician examine her. Aside from her body being so weak that she could barely stand, she had no other major ailments.

Though full of questions, the physician had no choice under the circumstances but to prescribe a few remedies targeted at her symptoms, and the matter thus came to a temporary close.

As for the sordid mess between Young Master Liu and Miss Liu, Hu San had no desire to meddle, nor did he have the time. Let everything take its natural course. As for exposing Young Master Liu's bestial behavior, Hu San lacked even the idle mood for it.

The next day, Miss Liu recovered her ability to speak under the physician's herbal treatments. When everyone finally learned the truth, someone discovered that Young Master Liu had already hanged himself in his own room.

With a face full of bewilderment and rage, Liu Jia instantly turned ashen. No one could have anticipated that things would ultimately develop into such a state, and the joy of Miss Liu's recovery vanished in an instant.

"Perhaps, had he known the truth beforehand, he wouldn't have tried so desperately to find people to rescue his daughter! People, what can one even say about them?"

Hu San sighed inwardly.

Under the circumstances, Liu Jia had no mood to entertain the physician. Offering an apology, he went to prepare his son's funeral, unwilling to cast even a glance at his weak daughter nearby.

Naturally, the physician did not stay either. No matter how one looked at it, this affair was deeply depressing, and if one were to truly calculate it, he somehow seemed to be the one who drove Young Master Liu to his death.

Feeling he had no face to remain and no reason to stay either, the physician offered his farewells, left the residential courtyard, and gathered the others to continue their journey straight toward the direction of the Wucang Kingdom.

As for the disappearance of Yuning, who had been following Hu San, it naturally sparked a wave of curiosity among the group. However, Hu San brushed it off with a few casual words, claiming that the young woman happened to encounter a relative in this place and had temporarily followed them back, intending to rejoin them after some time.

Naturally, these words provoked a burst of laughter from the group, who mocked Hu San for being whimsical. How could a courtesan's words be trusted? This time, his efforts would undoubtedly end in an empty basket, and the matter was subsequently dropped.

Leaving the Liu Family Village meant officially entering the territory of the Qiumu River, for the village was merely a small settlement on its border.

Upon entering this region, the master physician and the other members of the caravan all turned solemn. Daring not travel alone, they waited at an inn along the main road for six or seven days until seven or eight other caravans joined them, bringing their total numbers to two or three hundred people before setting off together.

The Qiumu River lay between the Mingling Kingdom and the Dashan Kingdom, and in terms of sheer area, it was by no means inferior to either. However, the region was mostly rocky terrain. Though devoid of towering peaks, it stubbornly refused to let anything grow, so no kingdom had ever been established here.

Coupled with the rugged mountain roads—where a journey of a mere few miles often required navigating seven or eight winding turns—and the scarcity of flat land for habitation, it had become a lawless zone largely harboring wanted criminals and desperados from various kingdoms.

One could only imagine just how many bandits infested this place!

Yet, as a mandatory thoroughfare connecting the Mingling Kingdom and the Dashan Kingdom, the Qiumu River was not entirely a desolate wasteland. A murky yellow river meandered through its center, and within a hundred-meter radius on both banks grew a species of small trees about as thick as a man's arm. These trees possessed hard wood, straight trunks, and very light weight, making them prime material for crafting long arrows.

These trees could only grow up to the thickness of a thigh, and they flourished exclusively along the banks of the Qiumu River. Once taken out of this region, regardless of the planting method used, they would invariably wither and die immediately. The trees were named Qiumu, and the Qiumu River took its name from them.

Despite being a gathering place for bandits, every autumn during the Qiumu harvesting season, countless merchants flocked here to collect the timber. Their trading partners included both martial arts sects looking to earn money and the bandits of the Qiumu River region.

The timing of Hu San and his group's arrival coincided precisely with the Qiumu harvest. Under normal circumstances, bandits would choose not to set up roadblocks and rob during this period, though exceptions existed, which was why they had to wait for a large crowd before daring to step foot into the Qiumu River territory.

Along the way, although they encountered a few small bandit groups, the members were scattered, poorly dressed, and possessed hardly any forged weapons—they were barely better than beggars.

Facing the caravan of two or three hundred people, these chaotic little bands trailed them for a short while before realizing the futility of an attack and retreating on their own. As for large bandit gangs, they did not encounter a single one.

Hu San later learned that during the late autumn season, the major bandit factions were invariably swarmed with activity, trading timber with representatives dispatched by various kingdoms; how could they possibly have the leisure to raid and pillage?

Had it been any of the other three seasons, it would have been a completely different story. During those times, even the largest mercantile groups had to tread with utmost caution when passing through the Qiumu River.

Riding the favorable winds of the Qiumu trade, the members of the mixed caravan made substantial purchases of timber and safely crossed the region without incident, arriving at another kingdom, the Dashan Kingdom, after a journey of over twenty days.

True to its name, the Dashan Kingdom was characterized by an abundance of mountains. However, unlike the Qiumu River, while mountains were numerous here, patches of fertile basin land could always be found nestled among the ranges. These lands yielded many precious medicinal herbs and abundant grain harvests, making the Dashan Kingdom arguably somewhat more prosperous than the Mingling Kingdom.

Magnificent architectural structures stood proudly among the mountains. Standing atop them, one's robes fluttered in the wind, evoking a sense of carefree detachment akin to an otherworldly master. This made the place a favorite destination for literati and scholars. Throughout the kingdom, it was known as the City of Letters, where shops selling writing brushes, ink, paper, and famous calligraphy or paintings could be seen everywhere.

Even the laborers working hard on the main streets were capable of wielding a brush to write a couple of lines. Whenever the local government offices went on rotational leave, every tavern here would teem with poetry gatherings and literary salons. Not only would local officials attend, but numerous aspiring talents eager to make a name for themselves would also rush over, often giving rise to overnight sensations that resonated throughout the realm.

Yet, to a martial artist like Hu San who could barely recognize a few basic characters, such an elegant place held no attraction whatsoever. In his eyes, everything around him was entirely ordinary; not only were the meals far less varied than those in Mingling City, but the locals always spoke with a pretentious, pedantic tone.