Corpse Burial Ground

Sheng Qinghong had not expected the assassin's blade technique to be so formidable. Cheng Zhi was brimming with killing intent; once his blade was drawn, there was no turning back. A sky full of blade shadows surged forward, leaving Sheng Qinghong unable to parry.

In that instant, everything his eyes perceived, his ears heard, and his skin felt was engulfed by a vast, white expanse of blade-wind and blade-snow. His sword-wielding form was like a lone boat caught in a torrential storm, surrounded by endless, howling, roaring gales.

Sheng Qinghong struggled to raise his sword in defense, his mind a blank slate. The overwhelming pressure of the blade-waves roared as they crushed and tore through him.

"Die!"

The roar he let out was shredded by the whistling wind. As the razor-sharp gusts swept across him, his chest, waist, arms, and wrists were carved with gruesome wounds. The agony made him feel as though his body were being torn asunder.

With a sharp, resonant clang of metal striking metal, only half a broken sword remained in Sheng Qinghong's hand. His eyes lost their focus, and a broken blade pierced through his heart.

"Pfft!"

He opened his mouth, and a great spray of blood erupted from his throat. His hollow pupils gradually lost their focus, blood spilled incessantly from his mouth and nose, and his gaze drifted into the void.

Seizing the opportunity, Cheng Zhi swung the broken blade in his hand, hacking off Sheng Qinghong's head. He then delivered a fierce kick, sending the young master's headless corpse flying out through the pavilion window. With a thunderous crash, the latticed window frames and railings were shattered to pieces.

Without a moment's hesitation, Cheng Zhi rushed forward, clutching Sheng Qinghong's head in his right hand. He pushed off with a powerful kick and leaped from the top floor of the Linjiang Immortal, plunging into the river below. A few bubbles gurgled to the surface, and then he vanished without a trace.

A desolate mountain, under the veil of night.

After the hour of the Rat, a figure appeared outside a valley of deathly shade. This figure was none other than He Ping, and beside him, He Fusheng carried a white lantern.

"Young Master, we have arrived."

He Fusheng spoke in a low voice, "This is Panshi Valley. After extensive surveying of the terrain and reviewing the archives, the estate's map masters finally located this spot that meets your requirements."

He Ping did not respond to his steward, He Fusheng. His deep, dark pupils narrowed as he gazed into the distance by the moonlight, observing the valley below—known as Panshi Valley—from his high vantage point.

Looking through the layers of tree shadows, one could discern that the bottom of the valley was heavy with yin energy; it was a place of ill omen.

The silent moonlight spilled coldly onto the valley floor. The ground was a scorched, muddy brown, devoid of any grass, and only a few stunted trees with withered yellow leaves grew within.

"...In Feng Shui, it is said that any place where not a blade of grass grows is a barren, dangerous land lacking vitality. One can never find a proper burial eye there, for it is a place of death. The burial site of the deceased should ideally be a place of lush vegetation and abundant life."

He Ping's eyes were indifferent as he muttered to himself.

Steward He Fusheng's eyelids twitched. The moment he arrived, he felt a sense of heart-palpitations and heaviness, a suffocating feeling rising incessantly from the depths of his soul.

"Indeed, this place is truly ominous..."

Even without any knowledge of Feng Shui, He Fusheng felt the danger. A cold, yin-filled wind seemed to blow up from the valley floor, scraping his cheeks like a blade. He Fusheng felt the surroundings grow colder, with a chill drilling into his very bones, causing a stinging pain.

He Ping's constitution was weaker than the average person's. His complexion was a sickly pale, his cheeks sunken, and he was wrapped in a heavy cloak to ward off the wind. He scanned the four corners of the valley floor, confirming once more that this was the place he sought.

The Incense Burner Spirit Nourishing Method contained descriptions of corpse refinement, and the first step was to find a suitable burial site.

Ordinary people sought burial sites to bless their descendants and protect their lineage after interment. However, when refining a corpse, one sought a burial site solely to utilize the fierce, baleful energy of the earth to forge an incorruptible, malevolent zombie.

"This place is a suitable location. It should help me better refine Cheng Yujiao's corpse into a baleful zombie."

He Ping made the decision silently in his heart.

"Let's go. Have them bring the coffin over."

"Yes, Young Master."

He Fusheng chuckled and suddenly whistled. Immediately, several figures appeared behind him, carrying a pitch-black coffin.

There were nearly twenty people in total, consisting of He Family guards and servants. The guards were dressed in black, wearing leather armor, bracers, and leggings made of black leather, their hands resting on the hilts of the long blades at their waists.

The men carrying the coffin were loyal servants of the He Mansion, dressed in black clothes and white shoes, wearing conical hats, their steps slightly unsteady.

The coffin was suspended from a large red dragon-pole, carried carefully by eight men.

The lid of the black coffin was nailed shut, bound with iron chains. Both the chains and the coffin were plastered with yellow paper talismans, giving it an eerie appearance.

The corpse inside the coffin was that of Cheng Zhi's sister, Cheng Yujiao. Because she had died in the ancestral hall of the Ghost Village, she had been tainted by intense yin energy. Her skin was tinged with wisps of black, and a layer of white fur was gradually growing on her body, followed by sharpening teeth and lengthening fingernails.

—These were the signs of corpse-transformation.

He Ping had seen it at a glance back then.

However, although Cheng Yujiao's transformation was rapid, she would only become a White Baleful Zombie, which was of little use to him and not worth the effort.

According to the records in the Incense Burner Spirit Nourishing Method, the Death Longevity Incense refined from a White Baleful Zombie could only extend one's life by a hundred days.

He Ping's plan was to refine Cheng Yujiao's corpse into a Black Baleful Zombie, which would allow the resulting Death Longevity Incense to extend his life by two hundred days.

"However, while it is not difficult for a White Baleful Zombie to take form—as long as the yin energy is strong enough to reanimate the corpse—a Black Baleful Zombie requires burial techniques to ensure the corpse comes into contact with the turbid, baleful energy of the earth's veins within the coffin."

He Ping led the procession carrying the coffin down to the valley floor. To find the perfect burial hole, he once again utilized the "Heavenly Gaze" secret technique, meticulously grasping the Feng Shui layout beneath his feet and sensing the flow of a specific, unique power.

In the previous days, he had dispatched his retainers to secretly survey the terrain around Suian City, finally discovering this valley suitable for raising corpses.

"There must be a place of turbid, baleful energy here, perfect for a burial hole."

A flicker of calculation crossed He Ping's eyes.

Upon entering Panshi Valley and sensing the earth's energy, he knew this was the most suitable location.

He Ping's soul was far stronger than an ordinary person's, allowing him to discern the direction of the earth's energy. Combined with his family's secret arts to observe the trends of the earth's veins, he truly found a suitable site for a malevolent burial—a clearing located in the very center of the valley floor.

This place was also devoid of grass; in terms of Feng Shui, it was a site of ill-omened burial, but for He Ping, who wished to refine a corpse, this location was the most ideal burial hole.

"This is the place!"

He Ping lowered his body and reached into the mud, grabbing a handful. The soil between his palms was dark in color, streaked with a faint, crimson blood.

"...Blood mixed with sand; this must be the Red Sheep Land. This type of terrain is a breeding ground for corpses. Any body buried here will inevitably absorb the turbid Sha Qi and transform into a vicious corpse."

He stood up and exhaled.

"Someone, dig down from here."

"What are you still standing there for? Get to work!"

He Fusheng, fully embodying his role as the He Mansion steward, waved his hand forcefully. Several servants from the He Mansion raised their shovels and spades, digging with great effort.

About two hours later, a deep pit had been excavated in the Red Sheep Land, and the steward directed the men to lower the coffin into it together.

The sky grew increasingly dim, and a full moon hung in the night sky.

The cold, clear moonlight spilled down, carrying a ghostly chill.

In the blink of an eye, another half-hour passed before the servants sluggishly filled the earth back in, taking the opportunity to pour crow's blood over the coffin and mix lime into the grave soil as they filled it.

It was at the very moment the coffin was interred that He Ping, standing to the side, keenly sensed it through his formidable soul perception.

As the coffin entered the earth, a special power began to converge continuously toward the grave.

The Red Sheep Land itself was a baleful site, and at this moment, it had transformed into an activated black hole, with the surrounding murky Sha Qi surging into it frantically.

Whoosh!

A chilly, mournful wind picked up.

This caused everyone present to subconsciously tighten their clothing.

They did not know that the coffin in the grave had undergone a change, assuming only that the mountain air was colder late at night.

The only one who knew the truth was He Ping himself.

He remained silent throughout, slowly closing his eyes to sense the female corpse sealed within the coffin.

He had struck the "Eight Element Bone Locking Method" into Cheng Yujiao's corpse, a secret technique that formed a blood talisman hidden within the center of the corpse's brow.

This "Eight Element Bone Locking Method" secret technique is just as effective on zombies. The restrictions of the Immortal Puppet Sect are exceptionally powerful; they might even help me control Cheng Yujiao after her corpse transformation.