Mutated beasts were naturally thick-skinned and strong, and the long-armed ape was especially so. Yet in a head-on clash, it couldn't get the better of Lin Chen. Didn't that mean Lin Chen's physical prowess already rivaled that of a mutated beast?
And not just any mutated beast—a beast that knew how to cultivate and use techniques!
"Attack together!"
Wu Hong's expression darkened. The cheetah became a streak of light, its enormous claws swiping at Lin Chen.
Facing the incoming claws, Lin Chen neither dodged nor retreated. He charged straight at them, punching toward the cheetah's claws. Fist met claw, and the cheetah was sent staggering backward.
Compared to the long-armed ape, the cheetah was faster but weaker. So in a head-on clash, it ended up at a disadvantage instead.
The ape and cheetah attacked Lin Chen again. They couldn't gain much of an advantage, but it wouldn't be easy for Lin Chen to defeat two mutated beasts with Dragon Roar Iron Shirt alone.
After all, Dragon Roar Iron Shirt had only been strengthened three times. It still fell short of Phoenix Undying Body, though its physical defense was much stronger.
While the two mutated beasts kept Lin Chen occupied, the gray-robed old man moved in a flash to the center of the cavern. He knew Lin Chen hadn't used Blood Qi True Flame yet. Once he did, the two mutated beasts wouldn't stand a chance!
The gray-robed old man formed a hand seal. Vast waves of ghost qi surged around him, and he slammed his palm against the ground. In an instant, countless wisps of ghost qi poured beneath the earth, and the ground began to tremble.
Boom~
Moments later, an ancient golden coffin burst out of the ground. Ghost qi and corpse qi streamed from it, and the temperature throughout the cavern plunged in an instant.
"Ghost qi and corpse qi?"
Lin Chen raised an eyebrow. This was the first time he'd seen the two strange forces appear together.
Boom~
The gray-robed old man slapped the coffin lid away, revealing a shriveled corpse. It was greedily absorbing the ghost qi the old man released.
Seeing this, Lin Chen couldn't help laughing. "You old bastard. Quit raising ghosts and taken up raising corpses instead?"
"Fool!" The gray-robed old man sneered.
Master Huiming seemed to realize something and cried out, "A Corpse Ghost! That's a Corpse Ghost!"
"At least one of you knows what you're looking at!" The gray-robed old man gave a cold laugh.
"Legend says that to raise a Corpse Ghost, you need a corpse-raising site of extreme yin and nourishment from bloodlines of the same origin. When it emerges, it must devour nine ghosts of the same origin to succeed!" Master Huiming's expression tightened, his face turning grim. "So the Nine Star Coffin was just a smokescreen. The Nine Star Doubt Coffins were meant to conceal the Corpse Ghost Golden Coffin!"
"Exactly!" The gray-robed old man roared with laughter.
Even after the Nine Star Doubt Coffins were destroyed, no one had learned his real purpose. Once the Corpse Ghost emerged, it would surely kill Lin Chen, and then he'd be able to survive!
"No wonder people kept dying in Frost Rock Village. You were using them to feed the Corpse Ghost!" Master Huiming finally understood what had happened to the dead villagers.
They were nourishment for the Corpse Ghost's growth!
"Those ignorant commoners were so easy to fool. We only had to use a few tricks to make them believe the ancient well was blessed with good feng shui, and that sincere prayers would earn them Protection of the Ancient Well!" The gray-robed old man scoffed, then continued, "Once the Corpse Ghost emerged, it would devour those villagers along with all of you. Then its strength would rise to an even higher level!"
"I never expected everything to go smoothly until the final stage, only for the whole plan to fall apart! But once the Corpse Ghost emerges, it'll all be over. Even if it doesn't reach its intended strength, it'll still be more than enough to deal with you!"
"Old bastard, I knew you had another trick up your sleeve!" Lin Chen chuckled, glancing at the gray-robed old man. "You couldn't bring yourself to use it before, but now you can?"
The old man's eyes flooded with murderous intent, his voice icy. "You brat, you've bullied and humiliated me. This time, I'll rip the tendons from your body and strip off your skin, refine you into a ghost, and torment you day and night until you wish you were dead!"
"The sky's cleared and the rain's stopped. You think you're back in business?" Lin Chen laughed.
Vmmm~
Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Chen activated Blood Qi True Flame. He swung both fists, raining blows on the long-armed ape and the cheetah in front of him.
"Roar! Roar!"
Empowered by Blood Qi True Flame, the two mutated beasts shrieked in agony. Moments later, the stench of burning flesh filled the air, and both beasts had become charred corpses.
"Damn it!" Wu Hong's expression turned hideous. Lin Chen had killed two Fourth Order mutated beasts just like that, and it pained him to lose them.
But Lin Chen's display of strength made him afraid to approach. He feared Lin Chen would kill him on the spot, so despite his fury, he didn't attack.
"Wu Hong, have the Mole Rat hold him off. We'll join forces—the Corpse Ghost needs a little more time to revive!" the gray-robed old man hurriedly told Wu Hong.
"Fine!"
Wu Hong gritted his teeth and nodded. He immediately sent the Mole Rat at Lin Chen, then hurried to join forces with the gray-robed old man. He'd heard how powerful the Corpse Ghost was. Once it revived, killing Lin Chen wouldn't be difficult!
Even if all their ghosts and mutated beasts died, as long as they were still alive, there was still hope!
Facing the incoming Mole Rat, Lin Chen showed no mercy. He activated Blood Qi True Flame and brought down a single punch, sending the creature flying.
The terrifying Blood Qi True Flame swallowed the Mole Rat whole. Amid its shrill cries, it died moments later.
"Ah~"
Just then, a piercing scream rang out from the golden coffin. Somehow, Wu Hong had ended up inside it, where the mummy had bitten him.
Wu Hong's body shriveled rapidly, while the mummy's flesh visibly filled out, brimming with vitality.
"Holy crap, he'd even sacrifice his own companion!"
Seeing what had happened, Lin Chen immediately understood. He roared, "You old bastard, you're stealing my essence again!"
A Fourth Order cultivator was worth four thousand essence points! Lin Chen darted forward and reached the golden coffin in an instant, throwing a punch at Wu Hong's head.
Thud~
With a dull thump, Wu Hong's head turned to ash. At the same time, a system notification appeared.
"Killed a Second Order Evil Cultivator. Essence +1000." "Essence:" "Martial Arts Available for Enhancement: Phoenix Undying Body, First Layer (5/9), Dragon Roar Iron Shirt, First Layer (3/9)."
"Killing me? Once the Corpse Ghost revives, you'll be the one who dies!" The gray-robed old man sneered.
At the same time, the Corpse Ghost inside the golden coffin abruptly opened its eyes and punched at Lin Chen. Now that it had revived, under the gray-robed old man's control, it had only one thought: kill Lin Chen before it!
"Get lost!"
Facing the incoming attack, Lin Chen roared and drove Blood Qi True Flame to its limit. The Blood Qi True Dragon inside him stirred, and a high, piercing dragon's roar rang out from within his body.
Boom~
As the dragon's roar echoed, everything around them seemed to freeze. Lin Chen's fist crashed down, its terrifying force carrying the Corpse Ghost straight through the golden coffin. The creature slammed into the cavern wall, and the entire cavern shook with the impact.
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