[Life Planting Technique]

Zheng Que's expression changed drastically. He stiffly turned his head and immediately saw a blood-red figure standing bolt upright at the foot of his bed.

The figure was humanoid, but it had no skin at all. Its writhing flesh, blood vessels, and bones... were all exposed, and it reeked of blood.

It was unmistakably a living corpse with no human skin!

What...

How had it found him?

Zheng Que's whole body stiffened in an instant. But just then, the living corpse standing within arm's reach suddenly imitated his movements and climbed out of bed.

"Disciple! You've finally come out!"

"Ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!"

"Disciple, your master is going to eat you now!"

That familiar voice suddenly rang out again.

The next moment...

Crack!

The head of the living corpse that had just climbed out of bed was instantly bitten halfway off by something!

Its grayish-white brain, along with murky blood, immediately poured down over the remaining skull, dripping onto the ground. The living corpse felt no pain at all and continued walking toward the door.

Crack... crack... crack...

Accompanied by a series of crisp chewing sounds, bite marks rapidly appeared all over the living corpse's body.

The living corpse showed no reaction. It walked faster and faster, and by the time it was about to reach the door, half its body had disappeared. Several bones had snapped, and it lost its balance and fell to the ground, struggling toward the exit with its remaining limbs.

Creak!

At last, the living corpse opened the door and crawled out, stumbling along.

A muffled sound of flesh scraping against the stone path outside grew fainter as it moved away. The footsteps that had been circling the bed also gradually receded.

The oppressive chill that had lingered in the room seemed to vanish in an instant.

Watching this scene, Zheng Que couldn't help freezing in astonishment. But he quickly came to his senses: that living corpse had just saved his life!

It might have been sent by his real master!

Thinking this, he didn't dare waste any time and immediately got out of bed.

The floor was strewn with wreckage, furniture and utensils scattered everywhere, knocked down and smashed. But Zheng Que didn't have time to clean up. After straightening his outer robe a little, he hurried out the door.

Outside, beneath the gradually brightening sky, the neighboring homes were utterly silent. There was hardly a trace of cooking smoke anywhere, near or far. Only from somewhere behind the layers of courtyard walls came a few listless crows of roosters and barks of dogs.

Yet in an open space not far away, the children he had seen yesterday evening were still gathered, chatting excitedly about something.

Zheng Que carefully skirted around the children, then quickened his pace toward the ruined temple.

A short while later, he returned to the ruined temple. At this hour, the shadow of the dead tree within the walls did not fall across the threshold of the courtyard gate.

Zheng Que looked closely, confirming that there was nothing unusual about the gate or its surroundings, then went inside. He crossed the abandoned courtyard and entered the temple.

Nothing here had changed since he left yesterday. The gray-robed elder sat cross-legged on the cushion before the shrine, his eyes slightly closed and his expression indifferent.

A dark, heavy coffin lay across the corner, radiating a cold, chilling aura.

Zheng Que hurried forward and bowed with utmost respect. "Your disciple Zheng Que pays his respects to Master!"

At this, Daoist Qu slowly opened his eyes, glanced at him, and spoke calmly. "When mortals embark on the path, they all face a life tribulation."

"Last night's 'Call-Sound Ghost' was your life tribulation."

"It was also your tribulation upon embarking on the path."

"Just now, your master used a Corpse Puppet to lure that 'Call-Sound Ghost' away for you."

"But that was only temporary."

"Each person must face their own life tribulation."

As he spoke, he raised a hand and lightly pointed at Zheng Que.

The next moment, a concentrated streak of purple light flashed by and plunged straight into Zheng Que's brow.

Zheng Que suddenly heard a buzzing in his head, followed by a wave of intense pain. At the same time, a vast amount of unfamiliar text appeared out of nowhere in his mind!

"The Great Dao has fifty; Heaven's way of derivation has forty-nine."

"From this moment on, your master can only remain here for forty-nine hours. How much you can learn during that time will depend on your own talent."

"This is the [Life Planting Technique], a cultivation method that brings quick results."

"You can start cultivating it now."

"If you want to live, you must embark on the path before nightfall."

"The 'Call-Sound Ghost' will come looking for you again tonight."

"Although you and I are master and disciple, the karmic ties between us here are enough for your master to help you once. There won't be a second time!"

Daoist Qu's indifferent voice rang in Zheng Que's ears.

As he listened, Zheng Que quickly calmed down.

The living corpse that had suddenly appeared really had been sent by his master to save him!

From what his master had said, the thing that wanted his life was called the "Call-Sound Ghost," and it would come looking for him again tonight.

He would only have a chance to survive if he embarked on the path before sunset...

Thinking this, Zheng Que immediately bowed to Daoist Qu again and said solemnly, "Thank you, Master, for bestowing the technique!"

Daoist Qu nodded slightly.

Seeing this, Zheng Que immediately began studying the cultivation method that had appeared in his mind.

The first step of the [Life Planting Technique] was to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, draw it into the body, break open the Qi Sea, and store a wisp of essential spiritual breath within it. Then one could become a Qi Refining Realm cultivator.

According to the technique, cultivators in this world were divided into realms, from low to high: Qi Refining Realm, Foundation Establishment Realm, Golden Core Realm, Nascent Soul Realm...

The Qi Refining Realm was further divided into nine minor stages, from the first to the ninth level.

The realms after Foundation Establishment Realm were each divided into three minor stages: early, middle, and late.

This [Life Planting Technique] could help a mortal embark on the path and cultivate all the way from the Qi Refining Realm to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

As Zheng Que studied the technique, he asked several questions about cultivation, and Daoist Qu patiently answered every one.

Soon, Zheng Que had a basic understanding of how to cultivate. He moved to an empty spot nearby and sat cross-legged. Closing his eyes, he silently recited the technique's incantation and focused intently on sensing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth described in it...

Gradually, he felt the temperature around him dropping rapidly. The shrine, the temple, the courtyard... even his master seemed to fade away. He felt as if he were suspended in a void, surrounded on all sides by hazy gray energy. It was clear and lively, and seemed to exert a powerful pull on him.

Yet strands of chill were mixed into the hazy gray energy. They were streams of icy air, drifting unpredictably like plankton in water, filling heaven and earth.

According to what his master had just explained, these cold streams of air were one form of spiritual energy.

But in this world, the cycle of reincarnation no longer existed, and the souls of the dead lingered among mortals. Yin energy therefore weighed heavily upon the world, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was mixed with a dense concentration of it.

Spiritual energy could increase one's cultivation and strength; yin energy, on the other hand, would affect one's mind and lifespan.

Because something had gone wrong with heaven and earth, spiritual energy and yin energy had fused together. Cultivators in this world could only absorb both at once as they cultivated.

Thus, the higher a cultivator's realm, the more yin energy they accumulated within their body, and the more often their temperament became abnormal...

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Zheng Que immediately used the incantation to pluck a thread-thin wisp from among the spiritual energy he sensed and guide it toward his body...