After Jiang Dao sent him flying with a single palm strike, Du Feng's body crashed viciously into the distance, a horrifying sight. Black fluid streamed from every part of him; he looked like a pile of wreckage and could no longer rise.
At this moment, he no longer resembled Du Feng. His entire body was black, shriveled, and reeked of decay. He was clearly a bizarre dried corpse that had been dead for who knew how long. His chest had been blasted through, and countless maggots writhed within.
Jiang Dao held his breath and casually flicked the foul-smelling slime from his palm.
Was this the thing causing trouble?
But it looked like nothing more than a dried corpse.
More importantly, when he opened his panel, the various ultimate arts on it still showed no reaction whatsoever.
That meant this dried corpse was definitely not the "real culprit"!
Something even more terrifying existed!
That more terrifying "thing" must have been controlling the dried corpse!
Boom!
Suddenly, a deep rumble came from within the pitch-black temple.
Jiang Dao's eyes flashed. He abruptly spun around, his brawny body charging out in an instant with a fierce, overbearing aura, like a cannonball.
He quickly rushed into a courtyard.
Two identical figures were fighting fiercely in the yard, their blade techniques clanging together as gusts of force swept outward.
Jiang Dao's gaze tightened.
Two Li Sans!
They were exactly alike!
"Brother Jiang, kill him quickly! He's the fake one!"
One Li San cried out in alarm.
"Brother Jiang, he's the fake one! Kill him! I found the missing people—they're beneath the Buddha statue in the main hall. Kill this man quickly!"
The other Li San also shouted in alarm.
"Brother Jiang, don't let him beguile you! He's the fake one! I found the people beneath the Buddha statue first!"
The first Li San hurriedly shouted again.
A broad smile spread across Jiang Dao's face as he stared at them. "Interesting. Since there are two Li Sans, then both of you can die!"
Whoosh!
His body shot forward with savage force, fast beyond compare. In an instant, he appeared behind one Li San, and his Wind Thunder Palm swept out wildly.
That Li San's face changed drastically. Then a venomous look surfaced, followed by a sinister expression. He suddenly transformed into a terrifying dried corpse, spun around, and lunged swiftly at Jiang Dao.
Boom!
Jiang Dao swatted out with a palm, wielding strength beyond measure. Like swatting a mosquito, he sent the dried corpse flying on the spot. Its arm snapped, its body caved in, and it was a ghastly sight.
With just one palm, Jiang Dao had blasted him until he lost all combat strength. His body went limp and crashed into the distance, utterly shattered.
The other Li San finally let out a breath of relief, his face full of shock. He hurried over and said, "Brother Jiang, hurry to the Buddha statue in the main hall! There's a hidden chamber there. Our people are all inside!"
"Brother Li, you should die too!"
Jiang Dao's voice was icy. He suddenly turned, and his five fingers shot toward Li San's face.
Splat!
His head exploded, and foul blood sprayed everywhere.
Li San's headless body toppled to the ground. His hands twitched feebly, and in the blink of an eye, he turned into a rotting corpse. Countless maggots writhed densely within it, enough to turn one's stomach.
Jiang Dao casually shook off his hand and headed toward the main hall.
In truth, he could not tell which one had been real and which one had been fake.
So he simply followed the principle of killing by mistake rather than letting one slip through the net.
Besides, he and Li San had merely met by chance and had no friendship whatsoever. So what if he killed the wrong one?
Jiang Dao's burly body entered the main hall. The Buddha statue had already been shoved aside, revealing a pitch-black opening beneath where it had stood.
A vile stench wafted from within, making one nauseous.
It was as though who knew how many corpses had died down there.
Jiang Dao took out a fire starter, gently blew it alight, crouched down, and shone it below.
Inside lay endless darkness. A cold wind howled with a piercing moan. It seemed to contain another space, yet also seemed connected to a bottomless hell.
Even with the fire starter's light, it was difficult to see clearly.
He frowned, deep in thought, preparing to find a torch.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded again from afar.
Jiang Dao turned to look and saw a figure approaching rapidly with a torch raised high.
It was Li San again!
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Brother Jiang, you came back too?"
Li San exclaimed in surprise.
"That's right, Brother Li. Did you find anything?"
Jiang Dao asked calmly.
"No. I heard fighting earlier, so I rushed over. Did you find anything here?"
Li San asked.
"I killed a few petty scoundrels and found an underground cave. I don't know what it's for."
Jiang Dao gestured toward it, his tone indifferent.
"You killed a few petty scoundrels?"
As Li San rushed over and saw the bizarre dried corpses in the courtyard, his expression changed. "These are Corpse Slaves?"
"Corpse Slaves? What are those?"
Jiang Dao frowned.
"Brother Jiang, you don't know?"
Li San looked astonished and explained, "Corpse Slaves are things formed after people die. They are filled with resentment and have no consciousness. Some terrifying creatures can control them. They possess immense strength all over their bodies, have no weaknesses, and are difficult to kill!"
"Is that so?"
Jiang Dao watched him.
This Li San seemed like he might be real?
Li San quickly walked over to Jiang Dao. When he saw the underground cave, he immediately bent down cautiously and shone his torch below. Beneath was an expanse of blackness, eerie and sinister, leading to who knew where.
"Brother Jiang, should we go down and take a look?"
Li San asked uncertainly.
"Fine. Let's take a look."
Jiang Dao replied calmly.
The two immediately jumped down.
The entire cave was nearly three meters deep and utterly without light.
After landing, they found themselves on a dark and gloomy passageway. It emitted rolling waves of stench, while cold winds howled through it, making them nauseous.
Both held their breath and vigilantly surveyed their surroundings before walking forward along the passage.
The passage was roughly the height of a person, just enough for them to walk side by side. The deeper they went, the thicker that indescribable stench became.
Nearly five minutes later, the space ahead finally began to widen.
It seemed they had reached an enormous underground palace.
The place was densely packed with corpses sitting everywhere. There were men and women, old and young, as well as many monks, Taoist priests, and martial wanderers.
Li San hurried to the nearest woman, grabbed her shoulder, and called, "Miss, miss, how are you?"
Suddenly, the woman's body went limp and collapsed to the ground.
Li San's expression changed drastically.
The skin on the woman's back had split open. All the flesh and internal organs within had vanished, leaving behind only an outer layer of skin.
There were even countless white maggots writhing inside the skin, disgusting beyond words.
"Her flesh and blood are gone?"
A look of shock crossed his face as he hurriedly looked toward the others.
Jiang Dao's gaze rapidly swept over the area.
Soon, he spotted Du Feng and the others ahead of him.
They sat there motionlessly, pale-faced as statues.
Jiang Dao hurried over and checked Du Feng and the others' breathing.
They were still breathing!
"Brother Li, get the people out first!"
Jiang Dao said.
"Alright!"
Li San nodded. At the same time, he also found his own companions.
The two immediately began grabbing the people and preparing to carry them outside.
But just then, a bewitching, ghostly laugh suddenly rang out.
"Hehehe... you think you can leave just like that?"
A chilling sensation swiftly seeped into their hearts.
Jiang Dao's heart sank. He casually dropped Du Feng and the others to the ground, immediately drew his long blade, and went on full guard as he looked ahead.
Li San was also greatly startled and immediately drew his long blade.
From the gloomy, bizarre darkness, a blurry black shadow slowly emerged.
By the faint light of the torch, they could vaguely see that he wore a black robe, had a pale face and scarlet lips, and approached them with a trace of eerie laughter.
His eyes in particular were emerald green, gleaming brightly in the darkness and seizing one's soul.
"I thought the Corpse Slaves would be enough to deal with you. I didn't expect you to have some skill. But that works out nicely—your flesh and blood must be even more delicious..."
The bizarre figure extended his scarlet tongue, licked his lips, and smiled seductively.
"A monstrous fiend!"
Jiang Dao's voice was low.
Li San's scalp went numb, and he quickly retreated.
They had actually encountered a monstrous fiend!
"Brother Jiang, monstrous fiends are nearly impossible to kill. Find a way to break out!"
Li San whispered gravely.
"Break out? The moment you came here, your ending was already set. Hehehe..."
The bizarre figure laughed.
Whoosh!
Amid that eerie laughter, he suddenly charged over, moving so fast he became a blur. His sharp nails clawed viciously toward Jiang Dao's body.
Before you continue