Daoist Priest Qingfeng's pupils shook. A figure really was slowly approaching along the mountain path.
The figure looked no older than eleven or twelve, holding a Copper-Coin Sword. Judging by the attire, he should have been a fellow Daoist practitioner, but...
But the mountains still barred all living people from entering. How could a Daoist child appear here?
"Master, could it be..."
"Don't speak."
Daoist Priest Qingfeng cut Mingshan off. He took out a talisman and pasted it onto his brow. At once, faint light flickered in his eyes, and the thick fog became clear.
Then, a shocking sight entered his vision.
The Daoist child strolled along as though no one else existed, humming an unknown nursery rhyme. At least two or three hundred evil spirits crawled at his side. He stepped on them one by one, while Head Ghosts hanging upside down from the branches filled the path before him.
"He isn't... human. He absolutely can't be a living person!!"
Daoist Priest Qingfeng had entered Qianyuan Mountain nearly forty years ago, yet this was the first time he had seen something so strange and incomprehensible. For a moment, he panicked.
The Daoist child had already come within a hundred meters.
Daoist Priest Qingfeng sucked in a sharp breath. What Daoist child? He was clearly a corpse!!
Not a trace of yang energy remained in the child's body. Fangs protruded from his mouth, livor spots covered his pallid skin, and his hair bore the crimson hue unique to zombies.
No.
Daoist Priest Qingfeng stared closely. Three blazing yin flames burned above the child's head and shoulders. Could this be the legendary being capable of turning a thousand miles into scorched earth...
A drought demon?!!
Could this evil spirit have been drawn here by Madam Yin?
The Daoist child stopped outside Five Lights Temple, and Daoist Priest Qingfeng retreated again and again.
"Mingshan, Mingshui, I'll use the Paper Horse Technique to try to send you down the mountain. Remember to protect Madam Yin. As for whether we can survive... sigh, that depends on fate."
Mingshui was too frightened to reply, but Mingshan noticed something odd.
"Master, could that person be a fellow practitioner from Qianyuan Mountain?"
Daoist Priest Qingfeng froze halfway through casting his technique. Remembering the rumors surrounding Qianyuan Mountain, he did not know the names of the True Disciples of Golden Light Cave, but nearly everyone knew of the Corpse Daoist.
A smile appeared on the Daoist child's face. The corpse-like traits across his body gradually faded, and the three yin flames transformed into yang flames. A vertical eye opened on his brow.
In an instant, the ghosts caught the sweet scent of yang energy and rushed madly toward the Daoist child.
"Let me borrow your pupils!"
The Daoist child chuckled. A ghostly hand emerged from behind him, gripping the Copper-Coin Sword. As he stepped forward, it stabbed several times with flawless precision.
He smoothly entered the boundaries of Five Lights Temple. The ghosts howled but did not dare pursue him.
Pus and blood dripped from the gaps between the ghost hand's fingers.
Amid the evil spirits' screams, the Daoist child accepted the eyeballs handed over by the ghost hand. "Including the three I obtained earlier, I have enough now."
"If one advancement fails, there are plenty more eyeballs outside the temple anyway."
Daoist Priest Qingfeng examined the Daoist child. After Yang He stopped maintaining the Corpse Liberation Immortal Body, he looked like nothing more than an ordinary, handsome Daoist child.
Mingshan swallowed. "Master, could he be the Corpse Daoist of Golden Light Cave?"
Yang He noticed the flayed corpse outside the main hall and knew the situation was dire. He immediately opened his mouth and spat out the Shoushan Stone Dharma Seal.
"This humble Daoist is Yang He, a True Disciple of Golden Light Cave on Qianyuan Mountain."
"I have come to Five Lights Temple to escort my senior... senior brother to Chaoge City."
Yang He felt that, in terms of status, Nezha was surely above him. Besides, he might need Nezha's help in the future, so he referred to himself as a junior brother.
The moment he said this, the nobles and officials practically wanted to bow their heads to the ground in worship.
When Yang He entered the Lore World, he had appeared in the mountains and nearly suffered a disastrous start.
Fortunately, he had the Corpse Liberation Immortal Body. Transforming into a corpse only consumed a few years of his lifespan. He was not even afraid of dying now; at worst, he could waste Spiritual Vision to revive.
Daoist Priest Qingfeng wore an odd expression. After confirming that the seal's inscription was correct, he hurriedly stepped forward to welcome him.
He saw that Yang He's displayed cultivation was merely in the Acquired Realm. Even he, an Innate Realm cultivator, had been helpless within Five Lights Temple. What difference was there between someone in the Acquired Realm coming here and seeking death?
Could his eyes have deceived him?
The ghost hand Yang He controlled was precisely the Three-Headed, Six-Armed Dharma Body. His ability to transform into something half-human, half-corpse was likely some kind of innate immortal body.
Daoist Priest Qingfeng cast aside his doubts. With Yang He's talent, he was practically destined to become an immortal and attain the Dao. If he lacked some confidence, why would he risk coming here? Immortal Venerable Taiyi would never let his disciple act recklessly.
As expected of the Corpse Daoist!
"Junior Brother Qingfeng greets Senior Brother. Mingshan, Mingshui, why haven't you greeted your martial uncle?"
Daoist Priest Qingfeng was merely a registered disciple. Regardless of his cultivation or how long he had been in the sect, he had to address a True Disciple as senior brother.
Seeing Yang He, who was close to their own age, Mingshan and Mingshui could not help feeling an unusual sense of closeness.
"Martial Uncle!"
"Martial Uncle."
Yang He knew they had no time for pleasantries. Otherwise, he truly would have liked to display some elder's dignity.
He turned to Li Feng. "How should I address you, General?"
Li Feng said somewhat nervously, "Immortal Master, this general is Li Feng, from Chentang Pass. I once witnessed the divine might of Immortal Venerable Taiyi..."
Yang He had not expected Li Feng to have been such a chatterbox in his youth, so he quickly interrupted. "Li Feng, immediately organize everyone to enter the main hall, including the temple keeper. Also, find the temple master, Miaoyin!"
"Yes, this general will do so at once."
It was as though the crowd had found its backbone. They surged into the main hall in orderly fashion.
"Junior Brother Qingfeng."
Yang He did not stand on ceremony. "Can you set up a formation inside the main hall? It is difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood with the Living Immortal. For now, circling around with the evil spirit is our best course."
"This junior brother carries formation flags with him. Setting it up will take only a moment."
"Hurry."
Yang He narrowed his eyes. "I have a feeling that it... is about to kill again."
Mingshan and Mingshui shuddered. The corpses had died right before their eyes, their relatives standing beside them, yet no one had noticed the Living Immortal making its move.
Yang He walked into the main hall. A charred statue stood in the center, surrounded by various altars.
"Someone!"
Two deputy generals hurried over.
"Throw every object in the main hall outside. Leave no blind spots."
Yang He summoned Mingshan and Mingshui as well. Just as he was about to have them explain the Living Immortal's movement pattern, he suddenly heard a heavy object strike the ground outside.
The stench of blood spread through the air.
Four corpses were piled together, their skin already flayed away. Judging from their clothing, they should have been soldiers.
By then, Daoist Priest Qingfeng had finished setting up twelve formation flags. Incantations appeared across the walls, and golden light enveloped the main hall, as if the danger had been cut off.
He clearly knew the Living Immortal's patterns as well. Without needing Yang He's reminder, he gathered the worshippers together and made their gazes cover as much of the main hall as possible.
"Immortal Master, we found Miaoyin. Damn it, everything worshipped at Five Lights Temple is an evil spirit."
Li Feng entered the hall carrying Miaoyin, followed by more than a dozen soldiers. The old temple keeper pointed at the corpses outside the door, screaming madly.
"It has become immortal! It has become immortal!!"
The doors shut, and complete silence fell outside the hall.
Li Feng slapped Miaoyin several times before he regained a little clarity.
"It is about to become immortal. We are all going to die..."
Yang He's expression darkened. "Tell me. How many human skins does it need to flay before becoming immortal?"
"Forty-nine!"
"Seven each time. It has already flayed fourteen human skins. It's too late. If the Living Immortal cannot become immortal within seven days, it will vanish into ashes. It will not spare anyone!!"
Daoist Priest Qingfeng let out a breath of relief. "Fortunately, Senior Brother warned us. Most of the people are gathered in the main hall. Otherwise..."
Miaoyin slammed his head hard against the floor.
"I am the one who brought Five Lights Temple to ruin. Fifteen attendants are locked in the southern side hall. It... has already gone to flay them. The Living Immortal will only grow more terrifying!"
Yang He silently considered whether he should seize the time to advance the Pupil Ghost.
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