Refining an Escape Corpse

Zhou Yan gazed at the zombie before him. Almost all its black hair had fallen out, with only a thin layer remaining. Its corpse aura was thick and savage.

Nourished by the Yin-Nurturing Coffin, the strength of the Corpse Controlling zombies under his command had been rising rapidly.

This was the first Corpse Controlling zombie he had refined, and the strongest among those under his command. Its Yin-Nurturing Coffin had been made from the heartwood of a locust tree that was several hundred years old, making it roughly two or three times as effective as the other coffins.

Three months ago, under the Yin-Nurturing Coffin's nourishment, this Corpse Controlling zombie had reached the late stage of the Black Zombie level.

Now it was only one step away from becoming a Hopping Zombie.

What he needed to do now was refine this Corpse Controlling zombie for a second time and advance it to the Hopping Zombie level in one go.

When that happened, even if Zhou Yan's cultivation didn't advance, his strength would still rival that of a Qi-Inducing Realm cultivator.

Generally speaking, cultivators at the Essence Blood Realm couldn't refine Hopping Zombies, much less control them.

Trying to control one by force could result in the zombie turning on its master. The cultivator might even end up as a meal for the zombie that had retaliated.

But Zhou Yan was different. With the system's help, he had raised his Corpse Refining skill to Minor Achievement and his Corpse Controlling skill to Great Achievement.

That gave Zhou Yan enough confidence to both refine a Hopping Zombie and control one.

"Hopping Zombie!"

A faint heat flickered in Zhou Yan's eyes.

If he succeeded, he would no longer be at the very bottom of the cultivator ranks. He would have at least some ability to protect himself.

Combined with his other methods, his strength would be enough to rival a Qi-Inducing Realm cultivator.

Even in the great sects, Qi-Inducing Realm cultivators counted as elite disciples. They could leave their masters and travel the world.

Zhou Yan took a deep breath, calming himself down.

He had prepared for this refinement well in advance, starting three months ago.

Three hundred years' worth of Yin Soil, five hundred years' worth of Face-Covering Paper, two bottles of Semi-Spiritual Blood, ten catties of six-hundred-year-old Locust Wood Shavings, a jar of Yin Bone Ash, and thirteen drops of Ghost Tears—all the necessary materials were ready.

Some of these items had been purchased from Jin Mantang, while others came from Zhou Yan's own stock.

A few of the more precious materials, such as Ghost Tears and Semi-Spiritual Blood, weren't available through Jin Mantang.

But after Zhou Yan mentioned them to Steward Yue, they arrived in less than ten days, and their quality was excellent.

Zhou Yan was quietly shaken. Once again, he felt the power of a great clan.

I must have been slacking off when I chose my parents.

With that teasing thought, Zhou Yan focused his gaze on the Corpse Controlling zombie before him.

He couldn't choose where he was born, but he could decide what to make of his future.

[Corpse Refining proficiency +18]

[Corpse Refining proficiency +27]

[Corpse Refining proficiency +23]

As Zhou Yan began the second refinement of the zombie, his Corpse Refining proficiency started to soar.

This was nothing like the initial refinement. A second refinement was far more complex and difficult, and the corresponding gains in proficiency were much greater.

Besides, the refinement materials were all extremely valuable. In effect, he was spending money to raise his skill.

It wasn't easy for a Corpse Controlling zombie to advance.

An ordinary wild zombie needed at least decades of accumulation to advance from Black Zombie to Hopping Zombie. It also had to absorb a great deal of human blood before it might succeed.

Yet these evil creatures defied the natural order, so their chances of advancing were low.

Out of ten Black Zombies, only two or three could usually advance to Hopping Zombies.

To advance from Hopping Zombie to Flying Zombie took at least several hundred years, or even a thousand. Fewer than one in a hundred succeeded; most perished under the tribulations of heaven and earth.

Zhou Yan was confident, but he still wouldn't be careless.

Aside from being difficult, a second refinement also required a longer period of nourishment for the zombie—from forty-nine days to eighty-one.

Fortunately, Zhou Yan was now quite wealthy. The two bottles of Semi-Spiritual Blood could speed up the zombie's growth, while the Ghost Tears could shorten the time needed to gather large amounts of Yin energy.

With those two items and the Yin-Nurturing Coffin, he could save a great deal of time and effort, reducing the nourishment period to just nine days.

[Corpse Refining proficiency +37]

Zhou Yan's mind suddenly jolted as his Corpse Refining skill reached Great Achievement.

His movements, already quick, immediately became more rhythmic, and even the tiny flaws in his technique were corrected.

Now Zhou Yan could be a hundred percent certain that he would refine a Hopping Zombie.

At last, as the zombie entered the Yin-Nurturing Coffin, Zhou Yan let out a long breath of relief.

In just nine days, I'll have a Hopping Zombie under my control—and it'll be an Escape Corpse.

The Profound Yin Corpse Refining Technique contained various methods for refining Corpse Controlling zombies, including Combat Zombies, Escape Corpses, Magic Zombies, and Armored Zombies.

The kind of Corpse Controlling zombie produced depended mainly on the corpse's fate in life, as well as the materials used in its refinement.

Zhou Yan had originally wanted to refine an Armored Zombie. Unfortunately, this Corpse Controlling zombie's fate leaned toward becoming an Escape Corpse. To give himself the best chance of success, he had decided to refine it as an Escape Corpse after all.

He had even used materials specifically suited to refining an Escape Corpse.

After completing the refinement, Zhou Yan felt exhausted all over, and the Profound Yin Essence Blood in his body had fallen into a weakened state.

He was still only at the Essence Blood Realm. His Magic Power flowed entirely through his Essence Blood, making it difficult to circulate and costly to expend.

If Zhou Yan hadn't had a solid foundation, he might have lost a drop of Essence Blood.

He was no longer the clueless novice who used to recklessly try anything.

The Essence Blood Realm was the first stage of cultivation, and the best time to lay a firm foundation.

Using too much Essence Blood would not only damage one's vitality but could also make it impossible to advance to the Qi-Inducing Realm.

Many rogue cultivators didn't understand this. For various reasons, they used large amounts of Essence Blood while in the Essence Blood Realm, suffering irreversible consequences.

Even if they later did everything they could to replenish their Essence Blood, the damage had already been done. They could never break through to the Qi Induction Realm.

That was why disciples of the great sects focused solely on cultivation while in the Essence Blood Realm and never went out to deal with evil spirits. They were afraid of damaging their foundations.

Zhou Yan had originally planned to use another drop of Essence Blood when the second refinement succeeded. But after reading about the risks, he immediately abandoned the idea.

That drop of Profound Yin Essence Blood might have increased the Corpse Controlling zombie's power, but it would have cost him his own potential and future. It simply wasn't worth it.

Zhou Yan sat cross-legged and began cultivating the Mystic Yin Art, quietly recovering.

Moonlight fell upon Zhou Yan's face, making him look even paler and more aloof, like a piece of jade...