Great Misfortune Tonight

The Corpse Suppressing Incantation was something Zhou Bao had obtained a few years ago from a fortune-telling Taoist he met at the market.

It did not even have a name; Zhou Bao had made up the name of the incantation himself.

The Taoist claimed that sooner or later, he would have a use for it. (That prophecy had now come true, and Zhou Bao firmly believed in the Corpse Suppressing Incantation's power.)

Back then, Zhou Bao had been talked into it by that old Taoist and spent the Wife Fund he had saved for five years to buy it.

"Little Brother Li Bai, this is something that saves lives. There's no way I'm selling it for one copper coin."

Zhou Bao said, startled by Li Ye's bargaining method.

"Since it saves lives, why don't you recite it for me?"

Li Ye smiled.

Zhou Bao was left speechless, but he refused no matter what to sell the Corpse Suppressing Incantation for one copper coin.

He had spent five years' worth of savings on it back then.

After a round of haggling, the two finally settled on five copper coins.

Those who do not heed their elders' words will suffer right before their eyes. Liu Sanshou and the others all shook their heads.

Wouldn't it be better to spend that money on having a good time outside?

After parting with the others, Li Ye went back and studied the Corpse Suppressing Incantation for a while. Only after he had memorized it did he pull the covers over his head and go to sleep.

Night fell.

The courtyard gate opened, and a group of Black-Clad Guards surged inside.

A grim killing intent immediately spread through the small courtyard.

The Corpse Deliverers brought a mysterious corpse covered in Corpse Wrapping Cloth into the Corpse Incineration Room ahead of time.

Li Ye had just finished washing up, eaten the two Steamed Corn Buns sent over by the Corpse Refining Courtyard, and stepped out of his room.

He noticed that the two Corpse Deliverers' steps seemed a little more hurried than yesterday.

Looking again at the Black-Clad Academicians standing around, their expressions were several degrees graver than they had been yesterday.

Li Ye's heart sank, but he gave the Black-Clad Masters a salute without betraying anything on his face.

"Greetings, my lords."

He said.

The leading Black-Clad Guard said expressionlessly, "Begin."

Li Ye answered, "Yes!"

He turned and entered the Corpse Incineration Room, and someone locked the door behind him.

"Have you found a Reserve Corpse Incinerator?"

the leading middle-aged man asked, his tone somewhat low.

"Don't worry, boss. Everything's been arranged."

someone beside him replied.

"Tonight's target is a tough one. Keep your spirits up twelvefold."

the Leader said again.

"Yes!"

the guards responded.

Once inside the Corpse Incineration Room, Li Ye lit the furnace fire and could no longer bother with any rituals or the like.

Judging from those guards' expressions, this corpse was very likely anything but ordinary. Once a corpse completed its Corpse Transformation and sensed the aura of the living, it would erupt and attack.

Delaying any longer for some messy ritual would be courting death.

Even if he burned money for it, it would not spare him.

Li Ye steeled himself, gathering his half-month of Body Tempering cultivation onto his fist. He planned to pound this fellow straight into the Corpse Incineration Furnace and deal with it first.

Boom!

The white Corpse Wrapping Cloth suddenly jolted upward, and a thick wave of Corpse Qi rushed straight at him.

Li Ye was already on guard. The instant he saw the Corpse Wrapping Cloth move, he rolled sideways away.

The icy Corpse Qi brushed past his shoulder and struck the door, forming a thin layer of frost over it. The door shook with a resounding clang-clang.

Li Ye's hairs stood on end as he thought to himself, That was close.

Corpse Qi was no joke. If it struck someone, at best their fortune would weaken and they would suffer bad luck for years; at worst, they would be plagued by severe illness and die within days.

Li Ye fixed his gaze on the stretcher. A corpse giving off icy frost was sitting there.

His eyes glowed red, baleful qi surging wildly.

Every strand of the corpse's Long Hair stood on end, waves of corpse qi spilling from its body, mouth, and nose.

Even from several meters away, Li Ye shivered violently from the cold.

At the sight of the corpse's ferocity, two of his three souls nearly fled; the images were far too stimulating.

A Fierce Corpse—a Fierce Corpse that had completed its Corpse Transformation!

Crack, crack, crack!

After sensing the aura of a living person, the corpse reached its right hand behind its head and twisted its neck from side to side. Finally, it cocked its head and stared at Li Ye as frost cascaded from its face.

This scene was a thousand, ten thousand times more thrilling than any horror movie Li Ye had watched in his previous life.

Li Ye instantly lost his bearings, his mind going blank.

Boom!

The Fierce Corpse leaped high into the air, both hands reaching out to seize Li Ye by the throat.

"Words Manifest Reality!"

At the critical moment, Li Ye steadied himself and used a single thought to activate the skill he had only learned yesterday.

His tongue moved of its own accord, his thoughts incomparably clear. He smoothly recited the forty-nine-character Corpse Suppressing Incantation in less than a second.

As he uttered the final word, a Golden Light formed in Li Ye's mouth and struck the Fierce Corpse in the face.

A miraculous sight unfolded. The charging Fierce Corpse seemed to have been struck by a immobilization spell, solidifying in mid-air.

Then, with a bang, it crashed to the ground.

"It really suppressed it."

Li Ye broke out in a cold sweat, gasping heavily.

Those five coins were well spent.

The next moment, his eyelids became as heavy as mountains. An overwhelming exhaustion swept through his body, as though every ounce of strength had been drained from him.

Why was this happening? Li Ye quickly understood—it was the aftereffect of using the Corpse Suppressing Incantation.

This incantation consumed far too much of one's essence, qi, and spirit.

Li Ye did not dare delay. He hurriedly tossed the immobilized Fierce Corpse into the furnace.

"This!"

The Black-Clad Academicians watched in shock as thick smoke billowed from the enormous chimney.

The smoke was pitch-black, far darker than usual, mixed with a frigid chill that made people's spines go cold.

The Black-Clad Academicians realized something and exchanged looks.

"Something has indeed happened. Send the new Corpse Incinerator in, ready to fill in at any moment. Quickly!"

the Leader said in a deep voice.

Inside the Corpse Incineration Room:

The corpse had already merged with the boiling firelight.

This person's Life Imprint was being rapidly broken down by the power of the Corpse Incineration Furnace.

One image after another bloomed like a revolving lantern.

But how could Li Ye have the energy to watch a dead man's life story now? His head felt heavy and his feet light, and he swayed on the verge of collapse. If not for the Corpse Incineration Furnace's 'reward' supporting him, he would have long since fallen unconscious.

The reward arrived.

A stream of white mist drifted out and poured into Li Ye's body.

It washed through his limbs, bones, and Five Viscera, and bursts of explosive cracks rang from his body.

The next moment, his muscles bulged, his blood and qi surged, and his skin was drawn taut by an invisible force, becoming even firmer.

At the same time, some pitch-black impurities seeped out.

When the white mist completely fused into Li Ye's body, a faint muffled sound came from within him, and a subtle aura burst forth.

—First Layer of the Body Tempering Realm.

Body Tempering, Qi Gathering, and Object Manipulation—each of these three realms was divided into nine minor levels.

Tonight, Li Ye had officially stepped across the threshold of cultivation and obtained the key to the upper echelons of this world.

The strength of his body banished Li Ye's fatigue. A sharp gleam shone in his eyes, and his spirits soared.

Even his entire temperament had changed.

"The first layer of the Body Tempering Realm, huh? This feels great!"

Li Ye was incomparably excited, and the words slipped from his mouth.

He subconsciously clenched his fist, feeling strength more abundant than ever before. A single punch carried at least a hundred jin of force.

So this is the first level of the Body Tempering Realm? It seems pretty good.

"This white mist is far more potent than the day before yesterday. Hmm, it's equivalent to two months of the Holy Son's cultivation results."

Li Ye judged inwardly, then noticed the unpleasant smell on his body.

So he used the cold water in the corner to rinse himself off briefly.

Outside the Room:

A group of Black-Clad Academicians wore incomparably grave expressions.

They did not know what had happened inside.

Was the black smoke that had poured from the chimney just now corpse-chill aura, or something else?

But the chimney had gone out, and by the rules, they had to open the door.

"Open the door!"

the Leader said.

Everyone instinctively placed their right hands on the hilts of the knives at their left hands, ready to draw their blades at any moment and suppress the Monster that might burst out of the room.

The door opened, and every Black-Clad Academician's eyes widened.

A Youth stood with his arms spread, tossing his dripping-wet hair as he danced Solo Ballet from south to north on tiptoe.

"What kind of movement technique is this...?"

one Black-Clad Academician said in astonishment.