Grass Spirit Art, Corpse Control

Emerald spiritual lights drifted and circled like fireflies, carrying a fresh, natural breath that rushed toward him.

"Wood-element spell art..."

Sensing the aura of a spell art, Zhu Yu's eyes immediately lit up. With a thought, he poured in more Spiritual Power.

At once, more emerald spiritual light spilled from the Corpse Seed's palm. After circling for several breaths, it scattered in all directions and merged into the surrounding weeds.

The next moment.

A strange perspective emerged. Zhu Yu felt as though he had gained countless eyes, watching himself—the giant—from the weeds' perspective. It was exceedingly peculiar.

He vaguely sensed that if there were a little more emerald spiritual light merged into the weeds, he could instantly stir all their vitality and control their bodies.

"A spell art capable of scouting and controlling vegetation shall be called the Grass Spirit Art..." Zhu Yu nodded in satisfaction.

The Grass Spirit Art consisted of four Dharma Veins, mainly wood-element Dharma Veins, and was ranked as a lower-grade first-rank art.

In this regard, the Qingping Sect truly had some novel ideas. Their cultivation methods could be practiced together, and were quite similar to the bloodline spell arts of demon beasts.

Zhu Yu withdrew his Spiritual Power and did not hastily take out the Dharma Veins. According to Bai Meng, once spiritualized Dharma Veins were removed, they had to be stored in Spirit Spring water. Otherwise, they would gradually lose their spiritual charm and turn into useless mundane objects.

Moreover, after leaving the body and being constantly nurtured by Spirit Spring water, a Dharma Vein Diagram would gradually evolve into a Dharma Seed. Only then would it be the time to refine it.

"What a fine thing..."

Zhu Yu sighed aloud.

To obtain a spell art without painstaking cultivation—anyone would be tempted. Coupled with the source of Spiritual Power in the dantian, it was no wonder the Heavenly Dao Sect had attacked the Qingping Sect. Were they not walking treasures?

Of course, Heavenly Dao Sect cultivators were the same.

"If everyone is like this, this cultivation world probably won't be peaceful..."

With that thought, a trace of urgency rose in Zhu Yu's heart. He waved a hand and laid a simple Spiritual Power restriction over the Corpse Seed's surface, then carried it toward the wooden house.

After placing it in the main hall, he turned and entered the kitchen.

Not long after.

Crack...

Amid the crisp sounds of chopping vegetables, wisps of cooking smoke curled upward.

After feeding Little Black and finishing his meal, Zhu Yu returned to the second floor. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he drew the jade jar containing Meditation Fluid into his palm. He glanced at the remaining emerald liquid inside, tipped back his head, and drained it in one gulp.

"I hope Senior Brother Xiang succeeds in his alchemy..."

Zhu Yu shook his head slightly, suppressing his stray thoughts. He took out a Soul Dispersing Pill and swallowed it, then closed his eyes, focused his mind, and sank into meditation.

Time slowly passed.

Who knew how long had gone by.

Zhu Yu, immersed in meditation, was suddenly awakened by a disturbance in his Divine Sea. His consciousness entered it, and he saw that the Spiritual Power cocoon inside the ring had vanished. In its place stood a Corpse Beetle, entirely black and covered in gray patterns.

It was the Dharma Seed of the Corpse Control Art!

Wisps of Spiritual Power entered the Dharma Seed, and when they flowed back out, their color had clearly become somewhat darker.

"So this is the Dharma Seed of the Corpse Control Art?"

Zhu Yu stared at the Corpse Beetle. Vaguely, he seemed to see an ancient rune like black-brown glass. At the same time, a realization surfaced in his heart.

The Corpse Control Art could leave a Mark and command Corpse Puppets as easily as moving one's own arms.

"I can finally cultivate the Fierce Tiger Corpse Seed..."

Joy filled Zhu Yu's heart. His consciousness returned to his body, and he raised an arm. A small black-and-gray Corpse Beetle crawled from his palm. It looked physical, but was actually formed from Spiritual Power.

And at the moment the Dharma Seed of the Corpse Control Art appeared.

The gray Corpse Qi permeating the air seemed to be drawn by something. Like weary birds returning to their nests, it gathered from all directions. In only a short while, a dense layer of Corpse Qi enveloped the Corpse Beetle.

"Now I even have the Corpse Qi needed to cultivate the Fierce Tiger Corpse Seed."

Seeing this, Zhu Yu's delight deepened. With a thought, he summoned the information panel.

[Zhu Yu]

[Age: 18/120]

[Spirit Root: Wood Earth "Third Grade"]

[Attributes: Body 1.3, Soul 4.5]

[Cultivation: Early Qi Refining "51%" Trait: Erosion]

[Method: "Basic Visualization Diagram" Greater Mastery "30/10000" Traits: Gathering Spirit, Spirit Condensing]

[Arts: Lower-grade First-rank: Corpse Control Art "Introductory 1/100"

Upper-grade First-rank: Cicada Pact (Incomplete) "Not Started"

Lower-grade First-rank: Gold-Chewing Iron-Eating (Incomplete) "Not Started"

[Innate: Underworld Yin-Nurturing Locust Tree]

More than ten days had passed.

With his Spiritual Power constantly surging through and radiating his body, along with the nourishment of Blood Tooth Spirit Rice, his physique had finally transformed to a strength befitting the Qi Refining Realm. Without using Spiritual Power, one arm alone could lift a thousand jin.

In the mortal world, that was unquestionably inborn divine strength!

After his physique transformed, the panel's attributes had changed according to his will, taking Qi Refining Realm cultivators as the standard. Thus, the values appeared to have shrunk drastically.

Aside from his physique.

Excluding the ring in his Divine Sea, he had accumulated ninety-seven Soul Particles, drawing one step closer to the seven hundred Soul Particles required for Late Qi Refining.

Zhu Yu checked the analysis time for Gold-Chewing Iron-Eating. It would finish being analyzed in three days. He nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze toward the Corpse Control Art.

At the introductory level, the Corpse Control Art could refine and control ten Corpse Puppets, though they could only be lower-grade first-rank. The higher their rank, the fewer he could control.

Its control range was roughly ten times the area covered by his Divine Sense.

If he merely wished to temporarily control or suppress Corpse Puppets, then depending on the strength of his soul, the number could be five to ten times that of refined Corpse Puppets.

As the Dharma Seed of the Corpse Control Art was nurtured by Spiritual Power and grew more complete, he would be able to refine more Corpse Puppets and control higher-ranked ones as well.

"I'll refine the Fierce Tiger Corpse Seed first..."

Having just mastered a spell art, Zhu Yu could not help feeling eager to try it. He rose from the bed and strode quickly toward the stairs.

Not long after.

He arrived at the ridge of the three-mu Corpse Field. Zhu Yu looked around at the increasingly lush Corpse Taro, then stepped into the field.

Just then, his expression shifted. In the blink of an eye, a Spiritual Power barrier with a faint gray tint appeared over his body.

The next moment.

Bang...

A black shadow suddenly shot out from the field and slammed fiercely into the barrier. With a muffled boom, ripples spread across the barrier, while the black shadow was hurled into the air and revealed its form.

It was a fist-sized insect resembling a mantis. Its entire body was black and red, as though carved from jade. Its forelimbs were like sickles, flowing with faint red spiritual light.

"A first-rank insect..."

Zhu Yu retreated beyond the field ridge and frowned as he examined it. With a thought, one black-and-gray Corpse Beetle after another crawled from his palm. Their shells spread into wings, and with a beat, they turned into afterimages that shot toward the first-rank insect.

Once Corpse Puppets controlled by the Corpse Control Art died or could no longer move, the Corpse Control Art itself could also serve as a means of attacking and ambushing enemies.

The ten Corpse Beetles swiftly surrounded the Mantis Demon Insect, baring their vicious fangs as they pounced.

Clang...

Facing ten Corpse Beetles, the Mantis Demon Insect felt no fear whatsoever. Its sickle-like forelimbs danced into afterimages, blade light raging everywhere. While protecting itself, it also sliced the charging Corpse Beetles into several pieces.

"What a ferocious demon insect..."

Zhu Yu was startled for a moment, yet remained utterly calm. At a thought, the fallen remains of the Corpse Beetles exploded with a bang, turning into a mass of Spiritual Power before gathering once more into shape and pouncing toward the Mantis Demon Insect perched upon the Corpse Taro leaves.

"I can wear you to death if nothing else!"

As his words fell.

Blade light flashed, and the Corpse Beetles had no power to resist. They were once more cut into several sections.

The Mantis Demon Insect tilted its head at the Corpse Beetles that had turned into masses of Spiritual Power. Its sickle-like forelimbs rubbed against each other, and the faint red spiritual light grew brighter.

"A mere demon insect—I refuse to believe it..."