Chapter 124: Trance Possession, Spirit Mediums, Illusions, and Slaying the Corpse Demon

Three Wicked Zombies!

At this moment, three wicked zombies burst out all at once.

"A tough fight indeed. One for each of us."

Zhao Yufeng let out a low roar, shook his bell, and swiftly commanded Little Black to lunge at the fattest of the three. The two zombies collided instantly and began to trade blows.

Qi Jichuan’s expression was incomparably grave. Even though he had reached the "Three Incense Sticks" level of cultivation, he felt no confidence facing zombies of this caliber. Yet, there was no turning back now. Gripping his sword with both hands, he charged toward the relatively slender wicked zombie.

*Clang!*

His strike landed with the force of a hammer hitting steel, sending a resonant chime through the air.

Chen Yushu was highly proactive. The moment Zhao Yufeng finished speaking, his hand flickered, and he flung two or three spirit talismans forward.

*Sizzle, sizzle...*

The talismans latched onto the short, wicked zombie, causing its charging form to stagger. However, wicked zombies possess a high resistance to such charms; it instantly overcame the power of the Ghost-Slaying Talismans and lunged forward again.

"Subdue Yin Technique!"

Seeing this, Chen Yushu struck quickly. The oppressive weight of the Yin energy forced the creature to pause once more. But this wicked zombie, despite its small stature, was no weaker in strength than the one he had encountered on Tianmu Mountain. It spat out a cloud of corpse miasma and let out a furious roar, shattering his Subdue Yin Technique.

Chen Yushu seemed prepared for this; he immediately threw another three talismans. This time, they were Lightning-Calling Talismans!

*Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!*

Three bolts of lightning descended in succession, each striking the zombie’s head with precision. The blinding, unnatural light cast by the electricity made the entire chamber look as bright as day.

*ROAR!*

The zombie shrieked. Its head was scorched black, and it was clearly reeling from the heavy damage. After all, any evil entity feels an instinctive fear of lightning. Had this been a common walking corpse or a Yin-corpse, three Lightning-Calling Talismans would have been enough to annihilate it.

The zombie’s speed increased; with a single leap of twenty or thirty feet, it hurtled toward Chen Yushu. Unfazed, Chen Yushu tossed out another spirit talisman.

*Poof!*

A small soldier-armor construct materialized before him, and he utilized his Eight-Step Cicada technique to nimbly dodge aside. As he moved, his gaze remained fixed on the creature. Mental energy swirled within him as the intricate structure of a spell took shape in his mind.

*Bang!*

The zombie collided with the armored soldier. The construct reacted instantly, thrusting its spear forward, but it was like stabbing into thick leather—it caused little damage. Instead, the zombie swung its incredibly hardened arm, shattering the soldier’s head. With a *bang*, the construct dissipated into nothingness. Compared to a wicked zombie, the soldier’s strength was far from sufficient.

But by then, Chen Yushu’s spell was ready.

"Divine Descent!"

This was the Divine Descent technique that Sister Qiao had taught him. He had practiced it alone, never having had an opponent to test it against. Now, facing this wicked zombie, he was eager to see its true power.

As the spell took form, the runic structure resonated with the heavens, manifesting a sphere of divine light. Chen Yushu directed this radiance toward the zombie. The creature, having just destroyed the soldier, could only look up and raise its hands to shield itself.

*BOOM!*

The light swept over it like a tidal wave of daybreak. It struck the zombie, sending it flying. Not only were its arms scorched black, but its aura was significantly dampened. The Divine Descent technique, fueled by mental focus and the power of the heavens, was a high-tier spell that exerted immense suppression over Yin-based evils.

Even so, the zombie was terrifyingly resilient. It scrambled back to its feet and resumed its onslaught. Chen Yushu’s expression remained calm as he continued to throw talismans.

The power of Chen Yushu’s current talismans was formidable. A single Ghost-Slaying Talisman at the Proficient level could severely wound a malicious ghost; two could obliterate one without a trace. Though this wicked zombie was strong, the constant exposure to the talismans' killing power was steadily depleting its Yin-煞 (Yin-miasma) energy.

*BOOM!*

The zombie reached Chen Yushu and delivered a savage palm strike. Had it landed, even an internal-force martial artist would have been crippled. But at that critical moment, a golden light shimmered around Chen Yushu—the Golden Armor Talisman.

Although the golden shield was shattered instantly by the sheer force of the blow, Chen Yushu used the momentum to pivot, employing the force-deflection techniques of his Light-Heavy Saber style. He didn't just use this for swordsmanship; in combat, he could borrow and deflect energy. He "borrowed" the weight of the blow, neutralizing most of the power and leaving the zombie with the jarring sensation of missing its mark.

Of course, he could only do this because he had brought the saber style to the Small Success stage, nearing Grand Success.

While dodging, Chen Yushu threw three more talismans. "Ice Arrow Talismans!"

Three ice arrows stuck to the creature's forehead. *Thump! Thump! Thump!* Each arrow struck like a heavy bolt, forcing the zombie back a full step. By the third strike, a crater had been smashed into its skull, and the creature had been driven back twenty feet.

Chen Yushu shifted from defense to offense. He rushed forward, pulled a basket from his back, and flung a massive net over the zombie, trapping it completely. It was the corpse-catching net Zhao Yufeng had given him. As the creature struggled, Chen Yushu threw more talismans.

"Lightning-Calling Talismans!"

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

The strikes hit home, draining a large portion of the creature's corpse-miasma. The zombie thrashed, but the net was incredibly tough, and its design caused it to tighten the more the victim fought.

Chen Yushu stepped in a seven-star pattern, channeled his energy, and brought his palm down.

*BOOM!*

"煞-Dissolving Technique!"

Most of the remaining Yin-miasma was stripped from the wicked zombie. Only then did Chen Yushu have the spare moment to observe the others.

Zhao Yufeng was doing well, aided by Little Black. With the creature distracted, Zhao Yufeng struck repeatedly, eventually shoving two donkey hooves into the zombie’s mouth. A vast amount of Yin energy vented out, causing the fat zombie to shrivel significantly.

As for Qi Jichuan, Chen Yushu realized the man had discarded his weapons. Yet, he was not losing. He had invoked a Medium-Possession ritual, becoming a spirit-medium. His aura was terrifyingly aggressive, and he was trading blows directly with the wicked zombie. Every punch he landed crushed the zombie's chest, while the zombie’s claws tore through his own flesh.

Zombies carry corpse poison. Once infected, a person’s body would stiffen and turn to dead meat, eventually becoming a zombie themselves. But this poison seemed to have no effect on Qi Jichuan. He fought with reckless abandon, turning his hands into blades and hacking at the zombie’s neck until it snapped at an unnatural angle. One kick sent the zombie flying.

This was the power of the Medium-Possession ritual—a form of "Inviting the Gods." It was wildly ferocious, keeping the zombie pinned down. However, Chen Yushu noticed that as time passed, the "Qi" around Qi Jichuan was fading. Once that energy ran out, he would revert to his normal self and likely fall into a state of extreme weakness. But for now, the zombie was completely suppressed, unable to lift an arm, its head slumped and its skull caved in. It would only take a few more blows to finish it off.

*Thump. Thump. Thump.*

Just then, a rhythmic sound echoed through the chamber.

The expressions of Chen Yushu and the others shifted. They knew. The true master had awakened.

The master of this tomb was undoubtedly the master of Zhao Yufeng and Qi Jichuan—the man known as the "Old Beast," a man of terrifying methods and immense power, the old Yin-walker, Wei Mingyuan.

They instinctively fixed their eyes on the stone coffin. The lid was slowly hovering upward. With a powerful shove, it flipped and crashed to the floor with a thunderous roar.

*Whoosh...*

A terrifying wave of Yin-miasma rolled out, forcing Chen Yushu and the others to take a step back. The sheer pressure made their hearts turn cold in an instant.

*BOOM!*

A figure sprang up like a coiled spring. It was an old man with white hair but a ruddy complexion. He snapped his eyes open—they glowed with a strange, eerie red light, as if that were their natural state.

He seemed confused for a moment, but clarity quickly returned. He surveyed his surroundings, his gaze settling on Chen Yushu and his disciples.

"It is you. Rebellious disciples. You dare ruin my grand design!"

His voice resonated like a psychic wave directly into their minds. Even Qi Jichuan, currently in his trance, paused, his hand faltering on the zombie's head as if the voice were forcing him out of his ritual.

"You old beast," Zhao Yufeng cried out, his voice trembling with excitement and madness as he locked eyes with the figure. "You never thought we’d find you, did you? Since the day you did that thing and caused Yuxiang’s death, we have sworn to kill you. Heaven has finally rewarded us for our persistence. We broke your dual arrays and found your burial ground!"

"Hmph. Did you think I wasn't prepared for you?" the figure sneered. "The transformation into a corpse-demon requires more than just the power of wicked zombies; it requires fresh blood-food. And you—you are the perfect offering. Once I consume you, my demon body will be complete. You were always too naive."

The figure’s eyes flashed red. Suddenly, the entire tomb plunged into total darkness, as if all light had been extinguished. It became impossibly dim.

In the eyes of Zhao Yufeng and Qi Jichuan, the master lunged forward, preparing a thunderous strike. Their faces changed, and they launched their own counter-attacks. Qi Jichuan’s fading ritual flared back to life; his forehead bulged as if a third eye were opening, and he struck out with both palms. Zhao Yufeng shook his bell, and Little Black transformed into a shadow, charging forward to meet the enemy.

*BANG!*

The sounds of a violent battle erupted.

"Hm? What is happening?" Chen Yushu stood his ground, guarding himself, ready to retreat if things went south. He had agreed to this beforehand. The other two wanted revenge, but he was only here to repay a favor. The corpse-demon was too strong and too strange; if it became impossible to win, he would flee.

But as he watched Zhao Yufeng and Qi Jichuan fighting, he was stunned. They were attacking each other as if they were mortal enemies. Little Black clawed a chunk of flesh from Qi Jichuan’s shoulder, and Qi Jichuan punched, shattering Little Black’s arm. Zhao Yufeng swung his wooden sword, leaving a deep, bleeding gash on Qi Jichuan’s body.

The wooden sword had little physical damage, but Qi Jichuan was currently a spirit-medium—in a sense, he was a "god." But in this world, gods were ultimately just ghosts, evil spirits, and calamities. Zhao Yufeng’s sword was attacking the entity possessing Qi Jichuan, causing him to howl in agony.

"It’s an illusion. The corpse-demon's 'Divine Hallucination.' But... it doesn't affect me. Is it because my Meditative State is 'Constant Stillness'?"

Chen Yushu realized it in an instant. The corpse-demon was cunning, using its illusion to trick the two men into fighting each other. It was far more sophisticated than any common ghost-charm.

Fortunately, Chen Yushu’s state was Constant Stillness—everything remains as it is. It granted him immunity to most illusions.

The corpse-demon seemed to notice this. Its calm expression shifted to disbelief. "Constant Stillness? You are in Constant Stillness? How is that possible?"

Constant Stillness was incredibly rare. Even with the master’s vast knowledge, he had never encountered such a thing. Only those in the greatest sects or grandest temples could achieve it. How could such a person be here, and why were they with his two treacherous disciples?

The corpse-demon shifted its illusion, turning Zhao Yufeng and Qi Jichuan toward Chen Yushu. The two men stopped their internal struggle and, despite their heavy injuries, gritted their teeth and charged at Chen Yushu.

Little Black was nearly crippled. Its chest was caved in, and its limbs were mangled. It lay on the ground, barely alive.

"It’s now or never."

Chen Yushu’s expression darkened. He hesitated for only a second before deciding to risk it all. He threw a flurry of talismans and activated the Eight-Step Cicada, sprinting directly toward the corpse-demon.

He knew this was a suicidal move. He could easily escape through the hole in the ceiling. But the two had helped him before; if he left them, they would surely die. And if the demon consumed them, it would complete its transformation. A newly formed corpse-demon was a calamity-level entity. Being hunted by such a thing was not a fate he wanted.

As he charged, he noticed the demon remained perfectly still. A guess dawned on him: *Can it not move?*

Excitement surged through him. Opportunity!

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

His talismans exploded, but the corpse-demon manifested layers of black, solidified evil-aura that blocked every attack. Chen Yushu pushed his throwing skill to the limit, sending talismans fluttering like snow, followed by donkey hooves and the artifacts he’d been given.

*Sizzle... BOOM!*

The aura shattered. Chen Yushu lunged forward, sword in hand, aiming for the creature's head.

Just then, Zhao Yufeng and Qi Jichuan arrived. They ignored Chen Yushu’s soldier-armor talismans, shattering them with ease. Zhao Yufeng struck at Chen Yushu’s back with his wooden sword. A golden light flashed on Chen Yushu, but the sword pierced through, striking his body.

*Clang!*

It felt like hitting leather; it couldn't penetrate. Then Qi Jichuan’s fist slammed into him.

*BOOM!*

Chen Yushu didn't budge. The true force of the blow had not landed on him. Instead, it had been transferred to the short, wicked zombie still trapped in the net nearby. Chen Yushu had prepared a "Plum Blossom Substitution" spell, using the zombie as a surrogate to absorb the attacks.

In that split second, Chen Yushu drove his broken sword into the corpse-demon's head.

"No... No..."

*Squish!*

The creature didn't even try to dodge, confirming Chen Yushu’s theory: it was immobilized. The sword pierced completely through its skull.

Instantly, Zhao Yufeng and Qi Jichuan snapped out of the illusion. Exhaustion washed over them. Zhao Yufeng turned deathly pale, his eyes dimming. Qi Jichuan, unable to maintain the possession ritual, collapsed to the ground, unconscious. He was too tired, and his injuries were too severe.

Chen Yushu let out a long sigh and looked at the corpse-demon, his eyes suddenly narrowing.

"Huh?"