Fixated on It

At these words.

Wen Jiu's heart gave a jolt. Even though he had lived two lives, he couldn't help feeling alarmed and nervous.

"Senior, let me think..." Wen Jiu's mind raced. He instinctively thought of that corpse and the Soul Devouring Blood Bead, growing even more uneasy. He could only steel himself and shake his head. "Senior, there really was no sign of anything. I only recite the Corpse Nurturing Incantation and nurture corpses during the Hai hour. There truly was nothing unusual then."

As soon as he finished speaking.

Wen Jiu's heart pounded like a drum.

Could it really be because of that corpse?

However, the Black-armored cultivator didn't seem willing to believe Wen Jiu. His eyes were filled with icy disdain.

The next moment, he turned and addressed the Black-armored cultivator at Qi Refining Fourth Layer. "Steward Mu, should we take him back to the Night Patrol Division for a thorough interrogation? He was the only person at the Dead Corpse Land last night. Surely he must know something."

At these words.

Wen Jiu's expression changed drastically.

Wang Nian beside him reacted the same way.

He hurried forward and explained, "Steward Mu, this young man's older sister is Steward Xu's concubine, and his parents both died serving Corpse Peak. If he really heard or noticed anything, he would surely tell us everything. He'd never dare conceal anything."

"Steward Xu's brother-in-law?" The middle-stage cultivator at Qi Refining Fourth Layer scrutinized Wen Jiu for a few moments, then waved a hand at the Black-armored cultivator who had spoken earlier. "Forget it. We'll give Steward Xu some face."

The Black-armored cultivator from before cupped his fists, then let the matter drop. Yet his gaze remained just as cold as he looked at Wen Jiu.

Seeing this, Wang Nian hurriedly signaled to Wen Jiu with his eyes. "Thank you, Steward Mu."

Wen Jiu followed suit and bowed.

"This junior thanks you, Steward Mu."

The Black-armored cultivator at Qi Refining Fourth Layer waved his hand and let Wang Nian lead Wen Jiu away. "Continue questioning the next one."

After being led away.

Wen Jiu's heart wouldn't stop pounding.

It took a long time for him to calm down.

Soon.

All the hundred-plus corpse buriers had been questioned.

To Wen Jiu's surprise, the Black-armored cultivator from earlier hadn't given anyone else a hard time. He'd only singled Wen Jiu out.

Once the Night Patrol Division cultivators had left, Wen Jiu felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He hurried to thank Wang Nian for speaking up on his behalf.

At the same time, he smiled wryly to himself. He hadn't expected that it was only thanks to Steward Xu's name that he'd managed to protect himself.

For a moment, he truly didn't know what to say.

After smiling wryly, Wen Jiu suddenly realized something. Why had the Black-armored cultivator targeted only him?

Was it because he practiced an Unorthodox Path?

The Unorthodox Path.

Was it really so distrusted?

As he pondered this.

Wang Nian spoke up.

"Don't worry. This has nothing to do with you. Just carry on with your work as usual. I'm here at the Dead Corpse Land!"

"Thank you, Wa... Senior."

Seeing other people nearby.

Wen Jiu immediately changed how he addressed him and offered his thanks.

Then he asked, "Senior, what exactly happened? Why did the Night Patrol Division's stewards come here in person?"

When Wen Jiu asked this, the other corpse buriers also turned curious gazes their way.

"During the Chou hour last night, three Night Patrol Division disciples were killed around the Dead Corpse Land while on patrol." Wang Nian sighed, his eyes carrying a faint hint of worry. But in the blink of an eye, his expression turned impatient. "Get back to work. What good will knowing so much do? This has nothing to do with you."

The corpse buriers were startled and quickly dispersed.

Wang Nian suddenly turned around. His impatience vanished, and he spoke to Wen Jiu with great warmth. "You should get back to work too. If the Night Patrol Division comes looking for you again, have someone send word to me."

"Thank you, Senior."

Wen Jiu bowed again to thank him.

High above the Dead Corpse Land.

The four Night Patrol Division cultivators hovered on their flying swords. The leader, Steward Mu, swept his sharp gaze over the ground below.

It seemed he was searching for something.

After a long while, the Black-armored cultivator at Qi Refining Third Layer spoke again. "Steward Mu, should we send more people to conduct a thorough search of the Dead Corpse Land? Those traitors risked attacking our Night Patrol Division disciples here. They must be searching for something in this place!"

Steward Mu shook his head. "When we first cleaned up the battlefield, the disciples from the side peak searched it three or four times. Our Night Patrol Division brothers also spent all of last night searching. There's no point in combing through the area again."

"Then..."

"There are corpse buriers here during the day, with Wang Nian and the other overseers keeping watch. The traitors shouldn't dare show themselves... We'll step up patrols at night for the time being. Right now, all we can do is hope those people haven't found what they're looking for."

As he finished speaking.

Steward Mu withdrew his gaze.

Then he looked at the Black-armored cultivator who had spoken. "Did that corpse burier, Wen Jiu, offend your Li family?"

"No..."

The Black-armored cultivator's expression stiffened. He hurriedly shook his head.

Steward Mu gave him another glance.

He said nothing more.

Then he flew away on his sword.

Over the next few days.

The Dead Corpse Land was gripped by unease, because word had spread that three Night Patrol Division disciples at Qi Refining Second Layer had been killed.

Some said the remnants of Blood Robe Tower were taking revenge.

Others said there were enemy spies among the side peak's ranks.

In short.

Rumors of every kind were flying.

On several nights when Wen Jiu went to recite the Corpse Nurturing Incantation and nurture corpses, he ran into Night Patrol Division disciples. Fortunately, Wang Nian had already spoken to them on his behalf, so when they saw Wen Jiu really had come to nurture corpses, they didn't give him a hard time.

Still, Wen Jiu remained uneasy for several days, his mind full of the male cultivator's corpse at Qi Refining Perfected Stage.

And the First-grade High-quality Soul Devouring Blood Bead.

The man had hidden his corpse underground and used talismans to conceal its aura. That alone had been suspicious.

Now someone had also killed Night Patrol Division cultivators at the Dead Corpse Land, which made things even more suspicious.

Wen Jiu couldn't believe that two suspicious incidents happening together were mere coincidence. There was a very good chance they were connected.

"Could there be something on that corpse, or inside the Soul Devouring Blood Bead, that I haven't discovered?"

Wen Jiu made a bold guess.

He couldn't help feeling curious.

But no matter how curious he was, he didn't dare investigate.

Even when searching for Yin Souls during the day, he didn't dare go near the burial ground. He kept as far away as possible. Who knew whether someone from the Night Patrol Division was watching?

And so.

A few more days passed.

After ten days and more than four hundred drops of Cultivator's Essence Blood, the White Zombie's Blood Transformation Body broke through to the second level.

[Black Zombie Skill: Blood Transformation Body, Second Level (0/1000)]

Wen Jiu tried using a little Cultivator's Essence Blood.

It still added one experience point.

But Wen Jiu didn't keep adding more.

Because he only had 890 drops of Cultivator's Essence Blood left.

Wen Jiu felt he should save them for now.

He could use them anytime; there was no need to rush.

Meanwhile, after devouring three more newly formed Yin Souls, the White Zombie also successfully transformed into a Black Zombie.

It had truly undergone a metamorphosis.

It was still afraid of sunlight, but it no longer feared anything else. And with the Blood Transformation Body, sunlight did very little harm to it. At most, its combat power would automatically weaken by thirty percent when exposed to the sun.

But that was no big deal.

The Dead Corpse Land was mostly made up of places sunlight couldn't reach.

From this point onward.

Wen Jiu officially became a Corpse Nurturer.

A true practitioner of the Unorthodox Path!

At the same time.

The Black Zombie's status panel had also changed.

It was no longer so simple.

[Wen Jiu]

[Age: 23]

[Lifespan: 23/73]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Layer One]

[Technique: Yin Province Corpse Nurturing Art (Second Layer 61/1000)]+

[Spell: Corpse Nurturing Incantation (Beginner 210/500)]

[Body Refinement: Strengthening the Body (1.7/1000)]

[Lv1 Corpse Nurturer (16/100)]

[Secret Art: Mutate Corpse]

[Black Zombie—Being Nurtured (Newly Formed 0/500) PS: Black Zombies have three stages in total: Newly Formed, Mid-Stage, and High-Stage. Upon reaching High-Stage, they can transform into Walking Corpses and gain the ability to walk. They also cease to fear sunlight.]+

[Black Zombie Skill: Blood Transformation Body, Second Level (1/1000)+]

[Death Qi Remaining: 210]

[Corpse Qi Remaining: 60]

[Cultivator's Essence Blood Remaining: 890]

However.

Neither the White Zombie's transformation into a Black Zombie.

Nor the Blood Transformation Body's breakthrough to the second level.

Was enough to make Wen Jiu very happy, because his thoughts remained fixed on the male cultivator's corpse and the Soul Devouring Blood Bead.

He had a strong intuition.

There really was something he hadn't discovered.

Or perhaps.

The Soul Devouring Blood Bead was extraordinary.

Then, three days later, Wen Jiu finally got his chance. There were no longer so many Night Patrol Division disciples patrolling the Dead Corpse Land at night. But Wen Jiu still didn't think it was safe enough, so he waited four more days.

For four nights in a row, Wen Jiu didn't see any Night Patrol Division disciples.

Then Wen Jiu checked with Wang Nian again. After confirming that the Night Patrol Division had gone to deal with a string of murders elsewhere, Wen Jiu finally came to the Dead Corpse Land under cover of night, bringing the Black Zombie with him as he searched for the burial ground.