The clang of a gong pierced the night. Uncle Nine rushed into the morgue like a gust of wind, just in time to see black-furred claws tear through the bottom of the coffin as dense corpse miasma surged forth. His expression turned exceedingly grave.
"Vile creature! How dare you!"
With a furious shout, Uncle Nine formed a sword seal with his fingers. The Peach Wood Sword instantly flew from its sheath, streaking toward the protruding claws with golden evil-breaking light! At the same time, the improved Corpse Suppression Talisman Mo Yuan had thrown had already flown before Uncle Nine.
Uncle Nine caught it instinctively. The instant the talisman landed in his hand, he sensed that the spiritual power within was not only pure, but also carried a peculiar harmonious quality, as though it had drawn out the Corpse Suppression Talisman's fundamental power to the utmost limit! Though startled, he had no time to hesitate and flicked the talisman out with two fingers!
"Whoosh!"
Though launched later, the talisman arrived first, moving even faster than the Peach Wood Sword and landing precisely on the wrist of the claw struggling to emerge!
"Buzz—!"
Spiritual light flashed explosively as a force of pure yang suppression, several times stronger than an ordinary Corpse Suppression Talisman, erupted. The black-furred claw recoiled as if burned by red-hot iron, letting out a sizzling, corrosive sound. Even the pounding from inside the coffin abruptly stalled!
Uncle Nine's Peach Wood Sword followed close behind. Its tip struck the crack in the coffin, and golden light spread along the web of inked lines, temporarily reinforcing the seal.
"Excellent talisman!" Uncle Nine could not help but mutter. He shot Mo Yuan a surprised look. Not only had this kid succeeded on his first attempt, he had even improved the talisman's effectiveness?! Such talent was unheard of!
Just then, Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng stumbled into the room, their faces drained of color.
"M-Master! The zombie... the zombie's coming out?!"
"It has not fully emerged yet, but the coffin bottom has been broken, and the net of inked lines has been damaged. Ordinary methods may not be enough to suppress it for long!" Uncle Nine said quickly, his brows tightly furrowed. "Wen Cai, Qiu Sheng, fetch my Bagua Mirror and Corpse Binding Rope! Mo Yuan, your cultivation is still shallow. Fall back and support us from afar with talismans. Do not let the corpse miasma get near you!"
"Yes, Master!" Mo Yuan answered. Though his heart surged with excitement, he remained exceptionally calm. He swiftly retreated several steps, clutching several more talismans he had drawn himself as his gaze remained fixed on the coffin, which continued to tremble and emit low growls.
He could sense the yin baleful energy inside the coffin frantically gathering. The zombie formed from Ren Weiyong was accumulating power, preparing for an even fiercer impact. The intensity of that baleful aura far surpassed any wandering ghost he had encountered before.
System, sign in! Mo Yuan silently said to himself, taking advantage of the brief opening. He was currently inside the morgue of the funeral home, facing a zombie about to break free from its coffin. Danger and opportunity coexisted here—it was the perfect moment to sign in!
[Ding! Sign-in successful! Congratulations, Host. You have obtained at "Maoshan Funeral Home · Core of the Corpse Transformation": Low-Grade Spirit Stone x10, one Core of Hundred-Year Lightning Struck Wood, Detailed Explanation of Basic Artifact Refining x1, <Minor Five Elements Spells · Gengjin Sword Qi Secret Arts> x1, and a remnant aura from the Primordial World: one wisp of Innate Spiritual Energy!]
A string of notification chimes rang out in his mind. The rewards were far more generous than before! Especially the final reward, [one wisp of Innate Spiritual Energy]. Though it was only a trace, the ancient, pure, primordial aura it contained made even Mo Yuan's soul tremble! It was utterly incomparable to the thin acquired spiritual energy of this age of declining Dharma!
The rewards were instantly stored in the system space. Mo Yuan's thoughts raced. He could not inspect them now, but the aura of that Innate Spiritual Energy gave him sudden inspiration. He tried guiding that infinitesimal wisp of Innate Spiritual Energy into his own spiritual power with his mind, while drawing another Evil-Breaking Talisman.
At that moment, a thunderous boom rang out! The entire coffin lid was blasted away by tremendous force, and the zombie formed from Ren Weiyong rose upright!
Its face was blue-black, its eyes blood-red, and fangs protruded from its mouth. Black fur covered its entire body as corpse miasma spread around it like tangible black fog, cold enough to pierce the bone!
"Roar—!" The zombie let out a roar and lunged straight at Uncle Nine, who was closest to it!
"Die, fiend!" Uncle Nine remained calm in the face of danger. The Bagua Mirror reflected the moonlight, casting a cold beam onto the zombie and making its movements falter. At the same time, Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai gathered their courage and threw out the Corpse Binding Rope, trying to bind it.
But the zombie possessed immense strength. With a violent struggle, the Corpse Binding Rope creaked under the strain! Ignoring Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng, it lunged at Uncle Nine again, its claws carrying a foul wind as they went straight for his face!
"Master, watch out!" Mo Yuan saw it clearly and, without hesitation, threw the Evil-Breaking Talisman infused with a trace of Innate Spiritual Energy!
This time, the instant the talisman left his hand, it seemed to carry an almost imperceptible glimmer of chaotic-colored light. It flew even faster, while its aura became more restrained and profound!
The Evil-Breaking Talisman struck the zombie squarely in the back!
Bang!
There was no violent explosion. Instead, a strange purifying radiance rippled outward, as if capable of cleansing everything! When the dense black baleful energy met that clear light, it rapidly dissolved like snow beneath the sun! The zombie let out a shrill scream. A charred mark appeared where the talisman had struck its back, searing deep into the bone!
Its forward charge came to an abrupt halt, and its body shook violently. It had clearly suffered severe damage!
Uncle Nine seized the opportunity. His Peach Wood Sword shot forward and struck the zombie between the brows. He rapidly chanted an incantation, while his other hand swiftly slapped several Corpse Suppression Talismans onto the major acupoints around the zombie's body!
The zombie finally stood rigid and motionless, temporarily subdued.
Uncle Nine let out a long breath, cold sweat already beading on his forehead. He turned to Mo Yuan, his eyes filled with incredulous shock. The power of that Evil-Breaking Talisman just now had been beyond imagination! What exactly was that trace of utterly pure, utterly cleansing aura within it, that seemed capable of restraining every evil under heaven? It was absolutely not spiritual power that someone at the third level of Qi Refinement should possess!
"Mo Yuan... that talisman you used just now..." Uncle Nine's voice was slightly hoarse.
Mo Yuan's thoughts raced. He knew the matter of Innate Spiritual Energy was too shocking to reveal, so he scratched his head and feigned confusion. "Master, I just drew it according to the method you taught me. Maybe... maybe I performed beyond my usual limits in the heat of the moment?"
Uncle Nine stared deeply at him, as if trying to see through him completely. Performed beyond his usual limits? What kind of exceptional performance could contain a trace of primordial power that even made his heart palpitate? The secrets this kid carried were likely far greater than what he could currently see.
In the end, he did not press further. He merely said solemnly, "If not for the sharp power of your talismans this time, the consequences would have been unthinkable. Your talent... truly is one in ten thousand. But remember: the greater your power, the more firmly you must guard your heart. Never rely on your skills to act recklessly!"
"This disciple will remember Master's teachings!" Mo Yuan replied respectfully.
Looking at the zombie that had been suppressed once more, Uncle Nine's worries deepened. The zombie formed from Ren Weiyong was exceptionally vicious, far stronger than ordinary zombies. There seemed to be another hidden truth behind it. And this newly accepted young disciple of his was like a fog-shrouded mystery, possessing monstrous talent frightening enough to inspire fear.
In this age of declining Dharma, monsters emerged one after another, and geniuses appeared in the world... This world was likely truly about to fall into turmoil.
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