What the heck are corpse puppets? Dai Mubai arrives!

With a crisp snap of fingers in mid-air.

Within the scene, that heavy, black wooden coffin suddenly emitted a teeth-grating grinding sound.

The thick coffin lid slowly slid backward, opening a gap two fingers wide.

Immediately following, a withered, blue-black hand—nothing but skin and bone, with fingernails several inches long—slammed out from the gap and gripped the edge of the coffin.

A dense, visible miasma of corpse aura surged out through the opening in an instant.

This corpse aura, a murky, grayish-black, forcibly pushed back the surrounding toxic white fog for several meters.

Everything happened too quickly.

The Human-Faced Demon Spider in mid-air could not halt its downward momentum, and that massive, grayish-white venomous web had already descended upon its target.

A dull "thud" echoed out.

The blue-black hand exerted sudden force, flipping the heavy coffin lid away; it smashed into a nearby rock, shattering it into pieces.

A bizarre figure, wrapped in rusted iron chains and wearing tattered hemp robes, sprang from the coffin like a cheetah.

This figure had no breath and no heartbeat, radiating a nauseating stench of rotting earth.

The signature technique of the Corpse Yin Sect from the Renegade Immortal World: a Refined Corpse!

The highly toxic web, capable of corroding even solid rock, landed squarely on the Refined Corpse.

As the venom touched the corpse's skin, it hissed, emitting plumes of acrid white smoke.

Had this been any creature from the Douluo Continent, it would surely have been rolling on the ground in agony by now.

But this Refined Corpse felt no pain at all.

Without even glancing at the web covering its body, it tore outward with its withered claws as if ripping through scrap cloth.

Accompanied by the sound of tearing fabric, the web—which even Da Ming and Er Ming had praised—was shredded into two halves.

The moment the web was torn, the massive body of the Human-Faced Demon Spider crashed down.

Its eight spear-like legs, carrying the force of a thousand jun, struck fiercely at the Refined Corpse's chest and skull.

A series of deafening metallic clangs echoed through the valley.

Sparks flew in every direction.

The Human-Faced Demon Spider's claws, capable of piercing thick steel plates, failed to leave even a white mark on the Refined Corpse's blue-black skin; instead, the spider's own legs trembled from the recoil.

At this moment, the pale human face growing on the Human-Faced Demon Spider's abdomen finally revealed an expression of human-like terror.

It tried to retreat and flee.

But the Refined Corpse would not grant it the opportunity.

The Refined Corpse thrust out both hands, clamping onto the spider's two front legs like a pair of massive iron pincers.

Then, amidst a bone-chilling sound of tearing flesh and muscle.

The two thick legs of the Human-Faced Demon Spider were ripped clean from its torso by the Refined Corpse.

Dark green bodily fluids sprayed across the ground like a fountain.

The Human-Faced Demon Spider let out a shrill, miserable shriek, its massive body rolling and struggling violently in the mud.

The pale-faced youth in the black robe finally turned around, moving at a leisurely pace.

He pulled a white handkerchief from his robes, covered his mouth, and coughed twice, his eyes filled with disdain.

"A low-level poisonous creature that hasn't even cultivated an inner core dares to ambush me on the road?"

The black-robed youth's voice was hoarse, carrying a bone-chilling coldness.

"However, your venom is barely passable; it will serve well to nourish my Iron-Armored Corpse. You may consider your death a worthy contribution."

As the youth finished speaking.

The Refined Corpse seemed to receive an order; it lunged onto the back of the Human-Faced Demon Spider, opened its fang-filled mouth, and bit into the spider's neck, beginning to frantically suck out its essence blood and venom.

The Human-Faced Demon Spider's struggles grew weaker and weaker.

In just a few breaths, this massive thousand-year-old beast was sucked into a shriveled, empty husk, turning into dust that scattered in the breeze.

Above the sky, blood-red text appeared once more, mercilessly.

[Explorer Thousand-Year Human-Faced Demon Spider, deceased.]

[Cause of death: Encountered a disciple of the Corpse Yin Sect from the Renegade Immortal World; essence blood drained by his controlled Iron-Armored Corpse, resulting in total annihilation.]

With the appearance of this text, the light screen belonging to the Human-Faced Demon Spider gradually turned grayish-white and went completely dark.

With this, the first batch of three explorers to enter the Renegade Immortal World had been wiped out!

Heaven Dou Empire, the base of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

The magnificent Thunder Hall was built atop a precipitous mountain peak, constructed entirely from precious lightning-struck wood, with blue-purple electrical arcs faintly flickering across its surface.

The current clan leader, Yu Yuanzhen, sat upright in the main seat, his hands gripping the armrests of his chair tightly.

The hard, lightning-struck wood of the armrest had been crushed by his grip, leaving ten deep indentations.

The Thunder Douluo, a man whose name shook the world, had his brow furrowed so tightly that the wrinkles on his face seemed to bunch together. His eyes remained fixed, unblinking, upon the dimming light screen in the sky.

On both sides of the great hall sat the core elders of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

The Second Elder, Yu Luomian, swallowed hard, breaking the silence of the hall.

"Big Brother, what kind of evil art was that youth from the Corpse Yin Sect using just now?"

Yu Luomian's voice carried a tremor he could not conceal. "That dried corpse... even the sharp claws of a thousand-year Human-Faced Demon Spider couldn't pierce it."

"The thing our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan prides itself on most is our formidable physical defense after martial soul possession, but compared to that... that Iron-Armored Corpse..."

Yu Luomian did not continue, but every elder present understood his meaning.

While the dragon-transformed parts of a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon were indeed hard, they could never withstand the full-force piercing of a thousand-year demon spider without suffering a single scratch.

Yu Yuanzhen took a deep breath and released the shattered armrest.

"The power system of this Renegade Immortal World is truly bizarre and unfathomable."

Yu Yuanzhen stood up, walked to the entrance of the hall, and gazed into the distance with profound eyes.

"Did you all pay attention to what that youth said earlier?"

"He mentioned the Corpse Yin Sect and the Iron-Armored Corpse."

Yu Yuanzhen turned his head to look at the elders, his tone heavy as he analyzed the situation. "This indicates that in that world, refining human corpses into tools of war is not an isolated incident, but a massive sect with a complete, established heritage!"

Upon hearing this, the faces of the elders turned deathly pale.

On Douluo Continent, when a person dies, the light goes out.

Even if a Title Douluo falls, at most they leave behind a spirit bone; their physical body will eventually turn to dust.

Yet in the Renegade Immortal World, a corpse could be repurposed, becoming even more powerful than it was in life.

"Clan Master, if this method of cultivation were to spread to our Douluo Continent..." The Third Elder stood up, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

"Wouldn't that mean that our ancestors and great masters who have already been laid to rest would become prime targets for others?"

Yu Yuanzhen closed his eyes, a terrifying image surfacing in his mind.

If one day, someone were to dig up the ancestral graves of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and refine the corpses of past clan masters and elders into those emotionless, indestructible monsters, only to have them turn and attack their own descendants...

This unreasonable style of combat completely subverted the tradition of the spirit master world, where status was determined by bloodline and talent.

"Pass down the order: from today on, increase the guard at the family cemetery and dispatch two Spirit Saints to patrol day and night."

Yu Yuanzhen opened his eyes abruptly, a flash of resolve in his gaze.

"Furthermore, send people to all major auction houses and underground black markets immediately. If anyone is selling or researching evil arts related to corpse manipulation, report it to me at once!"

Facing this unknown power capable of breaking the balance, even this Title Douluo felt unprecedented pressure.

Meanwhile, on the vast ocean far from the continent.

Sea God Island.

This island, regarded as a holy land by countless sea spirit masters, was bathed year-round in warm sea breezes and brilliant sunshine.

At the center of the island, atop Sea God Mountain, stood the magnificent, pristine Sea God Temple.

In front of the hall, a massive Sea God Pillar pierced the clouds, emitting a soft, sacred blue light.

The High Priest of Sea God Island, the ninety-nine-level peerless Douluo Bo Saixi, stood quietly beneath the Sea God Pillar, holding her scepter.

She wore a luxurious red robe, her sea-blue hair fluttering in the breeze. Her exquisite face showed no trace of the passing years, exuding a nobility and sanctity untainted by the dust of the world.

Yet, even this peerless powerhouse, who stood only a step away from the divine realm, looked at the sky with eyes filled with deep apprehension.

Behind her stood the seven guardian Douluo of the Sea God Island's holy pillars.

Sea Dragon Douluo frowned, his burly frame leaning slightly forward, his tone filled with intense disgust.

"High Priest, the conduct of that person from the Renegade Immortal World is far too vicious and base."

Sea Dragon Douluo clenched his fists. "Toying with the remains of the dead, forcibly sealing souls or resentment within corpses."

"Such methods completely violate the laws of the cycle of life established by Lord Sea God."

Beside him, Sea Horse Douluo nodded in agreement. "Indeed, that murky corpse energy is nothing short of a desecration of life."

"If such a person dares to set foot on Sea God Island, I shall use the waves to purify him completely."

Listening to the righteous indignation of her subordinates, Bo Saixi merely shook her head gently.

"You are all looking at this too superficially."

Bo Saixi's ethereal voice drifted slowly across Sea God Mountain, causing the restless seven pillar Douluo to fall silent instantly.

"You feel these methods are filthy and base because you stand upon the moral high ground of the Sea God's faith."

Bo Saixi turned around, her deep gaze sweeping over them.

"Setting aside faith, have you considered that the youth who controlled the Iron-Armored Corpse appeared to be only in his early twenties, and looked sickly and frail?"

"He possesses no soul power, nor did he utilize any martial soul."

"What he relied upon was merely a method of corpse refinement passed down through his lineage."

Bo Saixi raised the scepter in her hand and pointed toward the sky.

"This is the most terrifying aspect of the Renegade Immortal World; they have shattered the limitations of innate talent."

"In our world, if you wish to possess formidable strength, you must have a top-tier martial soul, cultivate soul power day and night, and risk your life to hunt high-level soul beasts."

"But in that Corpse Yin Sect, even if you are a physically frail commoner, as long as you master the method and find a sufficiently powerful corpse, you can instantly possess strength rivaling a high-level soul master."

Bo Saixi's words were like a basin of bone-chilling ice water, poured over the seven Title Douluo from head to toe.

Indeed, they had only seen the repulsiveness of corpse refinement, yet they had overlooked the immense benefits such a method brought.

"High Priestess, do you mean..." Sea Dragon Douluo's expression changed drastically, as if he had realized something.

Bo Saixi sighed and cast her gaze back toward the firmament.

"That youth was merely an ordinary disciple, yet he held an Iron-Armored Corpse in his possession."

"Then what of the elders of their sect? What of their Sect Master?"

"Do they possess terrifying ancient corpses capable of rivaling hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, or even peerless Douluo?"

"Since a sect that toys with life and death exists in the Renegade Immortal World, it signifies that the laws of that world are far more cruel and vast than we could ever imagine."

"Their pursuit of power is not bound by any morality or faith whatsoever."

Thinking of this, Bo Saixi could not help but tighten her grip on her scepter, silently praying to the Sea God in her heart.

She had a premonition that the appearance of this celestial screen would plunge the Douluo Continent into an unprecedented catastrophe.

Deep within a range of rugged, snow-capped mountains in the north of the Heaven Dou Empire.

This place is covered in thick ice and snow year-round, and the temperature is extremely low; ordinary people cannot survive here at all.

Between several peaks that pierce the clouds, several archaic stone buildings are connected by thick iron chains.

This is the place of seclusion for the Clear Sky Sect, once the number one sect of the Douluo Continent.

In the spacious stone courtyard, the cold wind howled.

The current Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, Tang Xiao, was draped in a heavy bear-fur coat, sitting around a stone table with five white-haired elders.

Their gazes were likewise focused on the light screen in mid-air.

When they saw that Iron-Armored Corpse tear the Human-Faced Demon Spider apart with its bare hands, the Second Elder, who had the most explosive temper, slammed his palm onto the stone table.

The hard granite tabletop was instantly covered in fine cracks.

"What a tough turtle shell!"

The Second Elder stroked his beard and spoke in a voice like a booming bell: "The body of that Iron-Armored Corpse is simply sturdier than refined iron."

"The legs of the Human-Faced Demon Spider didn't even leave a mark when they stabbed it."

"Third Brother, Fourth Brother, tell me, if it were our Clear Sky Sect disciples who encountered this monster, could they shatter its bones with the weight of the Clear Sky Hammer alone?"

The Third Elder, who had been called upon, frowned and pondered for a moment.

"Second Brother, that is hard to say."

The Third Elder was more cautious, and he analyzed the scene he had just witnessed.

"The Clear Sky Hammer is indeed the world's strongest power-attack system tool martial soul, and its explosive force is unrivaled."

"But that corpse doesn't know pain, nor does it have any vital points."

"Even if we smashed its chest in with one hammer, it could still swing its claws to counterattack."

"This kind of 'life-for-life' fighting style is extremely disadvantageous for us soul masters."

Tang Xiao, sitting in the main seat, wore a stern expression on his square face upon hearing this.

He extended a broad palm, signaling for the elders to be quiet.

"Elders, in truth, what we should really be focusing on is not how tough that corpse is, but the young man carrying the coffin."

Tang Xiao's voice sounded exceptionally low amidst the cold wind.

"I observed carefully just now; that youth's complexion was deathly pale, and his gait was unsteady."

"From any angle, his own physical constitution is extremely poor, perhaps even worse than a commoner who does farm work."

"In the Douluo Continent, such a person wouldn't even have the qualifications to awaken a martial soul and would be destined to be a waste for his entire life."

Tang Xiao stood up, walked to the edge of the courtyard, and looked down at the bottomless abyss of the cliff below.

"Yet in the Renegade Immortal World, such a frail, sickly person can control a monster that can easily tear apart a thousand-year soul beast with its bare hands."

"What does this signify?"

Tang Xiao turned around, his gaze sweeping over the five elders like a torch.

"It signifies that the laws of cultivation in that world do not care at all about how strong your own physical constitution is."

"They understand how to borrow external forces and how to convert other resources into their own combat power!"

Tang Xiao's words plunged the elders present into a long silence.

The Clear Sky Sect had always upheld the principle that strength was supreme, and they took pride in possessing the world's number one tool spirit.

They firmly believed that only by constantly tempering one's body and soul power could one climb to the peak of the martial path.

Yet today, the Corpse Yin Sect from the Renegade Immortal World had taught them a lesson.

There was no need to toil away at physical training, and no need to desperately raise one's soul power.

As long as you found a good corpse and mastered the method of refining it, you could ascend to the heavens in a single step.

This opportunistic yet incredibly powerful method was undoubtedly a massive ideological shock to an ancient sect like the Clear Sky Sect, which had been passed down for hundreds of years.

The Second Elder gritted his teeth tightly and said, word by word, "The Sect Master is right."

"The foundation of this Renegade Immortal World is unfathomable."

"We must prepare for the worst; if this evil art ever spreads here, our Clear Sky Sect must have a countermeasure."

Just as the major powers of the Douluo Continent were plunged into deep shock and suspicion due to the appearance of the Corpse Yin Sect, that grand voice exploded once again from the firmament without any warning.

[The first batch of explorers has been completely wiped out. Data collection progress for the Renegade Immortal World: 0.1%.]

[Initiating selection for the second batch of explorers.]

[This selection quota: three people.]

As this grand voice echoed, countless people who had just breathed a sigh of relief felt their hearts leap into their throats once again.

The first three people hadn't even lasted half a day before they all died.

And now, they were going to select three more to go to their deaths?

[Countdown preparing.]

[Three, two, one.]

[Selection complete!]

Soon, three independent small screens instantly appeared on the sky screen, and three brand-new names lit up alongside the silhouettes of the individuals.

[Heaven Dou Empire, Shrek Academy, Level 37 Battle Soul Grandmaster, Dai Mubai!]

[Spirit Hall, Golden Generation, Level 52 Battle Soul King, Yan!]

[Heaven Dou Empire, Soto City commoner, Cui Hua!]

Seeing these three names, the eyes of the entire continent instantly converged upon them.

On the playground of Shrek Academy, Dai Mubai's entire body stiffened, his pair of evil eyes widening in utter disbelief.

Inside the Pope's Palace in Spirit City, Yan, whose body was wreathed in dark red flames, also suddenly raised his head, his face filled with fighting spirit.

Meanwhile, in an ordinary farmhouse courtyard far away in Soto City, Cui Hua, who had just finished feeding the pigs, stood holding a broken wooden ladle, so terrified that she collapsed right at the entrance of the pigsty.

[Teleportation begins in ten minutes.]