Refining Zombies

The corpse before Zhou Yan, while not possessing any special destiny, had a birth date and time that were perfectly compatible with the requirements for corpse refining.

"No missing parts, the birth date is correct, no issues."

Zhou Yan let out a soft breath, his eyes gleaming with restless anticipation.

The greatest aspect of the Profound Yin Corpse Refining Technique was the refining of corpses; once successful, it would be immensely beneficial for both combat and cultivation.

Only once the refining was complete could Zhou Yan be considered a true practitioner, one who possessed extraordinary abilities.

Before this, he was at most an ordinary man with a bit more strength than the average person.

This was because Zhou Yan only possessed the methods for refining and controlling corpses, lacking any other spells or means.

Upon hearing Zhou Yan's words, Ma Yan felt a weight lift from his heart.

As a common constable, he had spent a great deal of time and energy securing this corpse, even exhausting nearly half of his silver dollars to grease the palms of various people.

If something had gone wrong, he would have been frantic with worry.

"Brother-in-law, you should head out."

Zhou Yan's expression was grave as he spoke without looking back: "Do not enter unless I call for you. Furthermore, if you notice anything amiss, leave this place immediately and run as far as you can."

His stern demeanor startled Ma Yan, who couldn't help but ask: "Ah Yan, if you aren't certain, why not wait a while longer?"

Zhou Yan shook his head: "Time waits for no man."

Given his current circumstances, he had no capital to hesitate; all he could do was charge forward recklessly.

If he missed this opportunity, not only would his confidence be shattered, but his external circumstances would not allow for it either.

Ma Yan currently had less than twenty silver dollars left.

Combined with what Zhou Yan had, they could indeed afford to try one more time.

However, both Zhou Yan's cultivation and the corpse refining process required financial support.

The Five Animal Frolics only reduced recovery time and some consumption, but the majority of his progress still required purchasing medicinal herbs to boost his vital energy and expel yin energy—all indispensable elements of his cultivation.

To achieve success in the Dao was far more costly than practicing martial arts; it was a bottomless pit.

Of course, one could choose not to spend so much money on herbs.

But in that case, only someone with exceptional talent could hope to achieve anything.

Otherwise, most would end up like those local shamans and spirit mediums, achieving almost nothing throughout their entire lives.

After Ma Yan left, Zhou Yan looked at the corpse and took a deep, silent breath.

According to the records in the Profound Yin Corpse Refining Technique, even if everything went smoothly, refining a zombie would take forty-nine days.

During this period, Zhou Yan had to cast spells and nurture the corpse every single day.

If the refining failed, not only would all the consumed materials be wasted, but the time and energy invested would also be a total loss.

Therefore, Zhou Yan needed to be on high alert, allowing himself no room for error.

Because he simply did not have the capital to waste...

Zhou Yan first lit the ritual incense, then stripped away the corpse's outer coverings. Using a talisman brush, he painted runes mixed with cinnabar and fresh blood onto the body, covering a large portion of its surface with intricate seals.

As he finished the final stroke, Zhou Yan watched as the bright red runes on the corpse flickered with a faint crimson light before gradually sinking into its flesh.

Only then did he exhale, knowing the first step of the refining process had been successfully completed.

He then placed the corpse into the coffin he had prepared in advance.

The interior had already been filled with a large amount of yin soil. He ensured the corpse was completely buried within, leaving no part exposed, before sealing the lid.

That yin soil had been dug from the Chaos Burial Mound, taken from within ten meters of graves that were at least three years old.

Such soil, having gathered a vast amount of yin energy, was a necessary material for corpse refining.

This was merely due to Zhou Yan's limited resources; if he could obtain century-old or even millennium-old yin soil, or perhaps soil from an imperial tomb, the resulting zombie would be far more powerful.

[Corpse Refining Proficiency +1]

[Corpse Refining Proficiency +7]

[Corpse Refining Proficiency +3]

Zhou Yan glanced at his corpse refining proficiency; seeing it jump by eleven points, he couldn't help but reveal a look of joy.

At this rate, by the time he finished refining his first zombie, his proficiency would likely rise from beginner to intermediate.

He took one last look, then picked up the candle holder and walked out of the room, closing the door securely behind him.

Ma Yan had been waiting outside in a state of anxiety; seeing Zhou Yan emerge safely, he immediately let out a sigh of relief.

"Is it done?" he couldn't help but ask.

His eyes held both worry and a glimmer of hope.

Zhou Yan nodded slightly: "The initial refining is successful, but it requires forty-nine days of nurturing and constant catalysis. During this time, I cannot leave this place for even a single step. Everything else is in your hands."

Ma Yan nodded heavily. "Rest assured, I will never let your eldest sister or Mother come over, and I will ensure your supplies of firewood, rice, oil, and salt are replenished in a timely manner."

After the two spoke for a while longer, Ma Yan took his leave.

Zhou Yan gave almost all of his silver dollars to Ma Yan, instructing him to purchase medicinal herbs and other necessary materials.

This was a desperate gamble for both of them.

Success would offer a chance to turn their fate around, while failure would likely shatter their confidence entirely.

Zhou Yan glanced toward the spot in the inner room where the corpse was being nurtured, a look of firm resolve in his eyes.

He would succeed!

In the days that followed, Zhou Yan cultivated even more diligently.

He would rise every morning to practice the Mystic Yin Art, as the yang energy became too intense once the sun emerged, making it unsuitable for his cultivation.

Once the sun began to rise, he would force his seemingly stiff body to practice the Five Animal Frolics, aiming to shorten the time needed to recover his vitality and blood.

After that, he would pore over the Profound Yin Corpse Refining Technique.

He had practically worn the booklet thin, studying every word and sentence with extreme care, terrified of missing or overlooking anything.

Next, he would focus on nurturing and catalyzing the corpse, followed by further cultivation.

The environment in the inner room was already heavy with yin energy, and as the corpse was refined, the yin and corpse aura grew stronger with each passing day, making it perfectly suited for Zhou Yan's cultivation.

However, the consequence of this was that Zhou Yan's body felt increasingly frail; the vitality and blood within him were squeezed to their absolute limit, and signs of invasion by corpse aura and yin energy had already begun to appear.

Even though he constantly strove to refine the corpse aura and yin energy, and utilized the Five Animal Frolics to nourish his health, he still could not purge them entirely.

There was always a stubborn portion of that energy lingering within Zhou Yan's body, impossible to refine or expel no matter what he tried.

Furthermore, as his cultivation progressed, this situation became increasingly frequent and severe...