Heavenly Corpse Art

In the ancient era, when the world was rich with spiritual energy, a myriad of cultivation methods flourished across the Divine Land. The Spirit Guiding Technique, inherited from Maoshan—one of the nine great ancient sects—was rumored to have been created by a Maoshan disciple and was considered an exceptionally powerful cultivation method at the time. Of course, the Spirit Guiding Technique of that era was incomparable to the one currently in Chu Xiaotian's hands.

Back then, practitioners of the Spirit Guiding Technique not only mastered the art of talismans that Chu Xiaotian now possessed, but also practiced a true cultivation method called the Heavenly Corpse Art. This technique was specifically designed to absorb the baleful yin energy between heaven and earth to strengthen the physical body. Since these practitioners spent their lives dealing with corpses, they inevitably encountered powerful entities like millennium-old zombies. For them, the Heavenly Corpse Art could not only absorb the baleful yin energy of the world, but the corpse poison within a zombie was also considered an excellent source of cultivation energy. After all, one could tell from the very name "Heavenly Corpse Art" that this technique had a profound connection to zombies.

Practitioners of the Spirit Guiding Technique in the ancient era did not avoid zombies; rather, they sought them out with all their might. They used the Heavenly Corpse Art to draw out the corpse energy within the zombies for their own use, and they could also manipulate the zombies to fight for them. These practitioners usually relied on their talisman arts to dominate, but once a great battle broke out, they would transform into a zombie-like state, using their terrifyingly resilient bodies and the potent corpse poison within them to slaughter in all directions, striking fear into the hearts of all their enemies.

However, because their cultivation path was unorthodox, the practitioners were often eccentric and prone to becoming possessed by the baleful yin energy during their training. Many would lose their consciousness and turn into mindless killing machines, while others were completely destroyed by the cold corpse energy within them, resulting in the total annihilation of both body and soul. Consequently, the Spirit Guiding lineage was not well-regarded in that era. Many stubborn, traditional sects viewed them as demonic heretics, constantly clamoring to "slay demons and eliminate devils," making it difficult for the Spirit Guiding lineage to truly integrate into that world. Had it not been for the many powerhouses within their ranks, they might have faced extinction. With no other choice, the practitioners of the Spirit Guiding lineage were forced to retreat into deep mountains and ancient forests, living lives of seclusion.

The village where Chu Xiaotian and his people lived was the site where that lineage's powerhouses had once hidden, and the Spirit Guiding Technique had been passed down through the generations in that region. Yet, with the great changes in the world and the massive loss of spiritual energy, the Spirit Guiding Technique, like all other cultivation methods, fell into complete decline, leaving only superficial scraps behind.

Chu Xiaotian's ancestors had also obtained the Spirit Guiding Technique from others, and it had been passed down ever since. However, lacking the true cultivation method and the necessary spiritual energy, they could only rely on the superficial aspects of the technique to scrape by.

The jade pendant around Chu Xiaotian's neck contained the history of the Spirit Guiding lineage and the cultivation method of the Heavenly Corpse Art. Because the pendant had been an accidental find, none of Chu Xiaotian's ancestors had ever truly understood its purpose throughout the many years it had been passed down. It was not until it reached Chu Xiaotian that a series of accidents finally unlocked the mysteries within. Moreover, the pendant contained runes inscribed by a master of the ancient Spirit Guiding lineage, which was why it possessed the ability to suppress the corpse poison within Chu Xiaotian's body.

Upon learning that the pendant contained a cultivation method that used corpse poison as a catalyst, Chu Xiaotian nearly fainted from excitement. In this world filled with countless experts, what Chu Xiaotian desired most was a true cultivation method. Yet, under the ravages of the corpse poison, he had been unable to practice any other techniques. At the moment he was nearing despair, finding a method tailored specifically for him left his feelings beyond description.

With almost no hesitation, Chu Xiaotian suppressed his inner agitation and began to carefully study the Heavenly Corpse Art.

Cultivating the Heavenly Corpse Art was far more difficult than the Mad Battle Blade Art Chu Xiaotian had seen before; one careless mistake could cost him his life.

At the very beginning of this cultivation method, one had to absorb a wisp of cold corpse poison into the body and then control it so it would not cause harm. Afterward, one would continuously absorb the cold energy of heaven and earth to strengthen this wisp of poison. For a beginner, even a single wisp of corpse poison could send them to the grave. Furthermore, obtaining that initial wisp was incredibly difficult; if one were careless and encountered something like a millennium-old zombie, everything would be lost. Zombies were not easy to deal with.

However, for Chu Xiaotian, the corpse poison was not a problem at all. His body was already saturated with it. Now, all he had to do was control the poison within him so it could no longer harm him, at which point he could absorb the cold spiritual energy of heaven and earth to bolster the corpse poison in his body.

The mere thought that he could soon control the corpse poison made Chu Xiaotian tremble with uncontrollable excitement. This had been a source of deep anxiety for him. Without reading further into the Heavenly Corpse Art, he put the jade pendant away after a cursory glance and, without a word, began to practice the first layer of the technique as recorded.

The Heavenly Corpse Art was divided into nine layers: Purple Corpse, Green Corpse, White Corpse, Black Corpse, Flying Corpse, Armored Corpse, Pill Corpse, Heavenly Corpse, and Undying Heavenly Corpse. Upon reaching each realm, the practitioner could transform into a zombie of that level and possess the corresponding abilities. Although they transformed into zombies, they were not truly zombies; they remained human, as their consciousness remained entirely clear.

Chu Xiaotian had not even controlled the poison in his body yet, so he could not even be considered an initiate of the Heavenly Corpse Art, let alone transform into the zombies described. However, the purple-black zombie form he took when his corpse poison flared up was already incredibly powerful. Of course, if he could master the first layer of the Heavenly Corpse Art and transform into a true Purple Corpse, his strength would be even greater.

The cultivation of the Heavenly Corpse Art was similar to other methods on the Moon-Refining Continent; the first layer, the Purple Corpse realm, also involved using the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to temper the physical body. However, the spiritual energy used for this tempering had to be the cold energy of heaven and earth.

Chu Xiaotian pulled himself out of his excitement and focused his mind inward, searching for the corpse poison hidden within his body. Although those things were lurking inside him, Chu Xiaotian had never known where they were hiding. Now, to practice the Heavenly Corpse Art, the first step was to locate that corpse energy and bring it under control.

A person's body might not seem large, but searching for that corpse energy with one's mind was no simple task. However, the Heavenly Corpse Art, being a technique specifically for cultivating corpse energy, had a special method to draw out the energy hidden deep within the body. Following the instructions in the text, Chu Xiaotian took a deep breath and held it, while his body began to rhythmically pulse according to a special technique recorded in the art.

Holding one's breath was something anyone could do for a short time. But the rhythmic pulsing of the body was extremely difficult; it was not easy for an ordinary person to achieve. To hold one's breath while simultaneously pulsing the body made the difficulty even greater. The first time Chu Xiaotian tried, he merely took a deep breath and pulsed his body once before he was unable to perform the next movement.

This was normal, and Chu Xiaotian did not mind; he tried again without hesitation. But this time, the result was no different; he still failed to achieve anything. The third time, the result remained the same, and by the tenth time, it was still unchanged. At this point, Chu Xiaotian felt a hint of discouragement.

"Heavens, don't tell me I'm fated never to cultivate in this life," Chu Xiaotian muttered to himself, frowning. He felt deeply anxious about his lack of progress after so many attempts. The heavens were busy and had no intention of answering him; there was no response from the world around him.

"I don't believe it. With my intelligence, there must be a way to succeed." After worrying for a moment, Chu Xiaotian regained his fighting spirit and began to practice according to the method once more.

Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, an hour had gone by. In that hour, Chu Xiaotian had practiced the method over two hundred times, but he had not succeeded even once, leaving him so frustrated he wanted to bang his head against a wall. But the thought that controlling the corpse poison would grant him great power forced him to calm down and continue practicing the Heavenly Corpse Art.

Another half-hour passed, and Chu Xiaotian finally made a little progress; he was able to complete half of the movements. At the same time, he could feel the corpse poison within him beginning to stir. This reaction made Chu Xiaotian incredibly excited; he was in such a good mood that he was practically humming a tune while he practiced.

Two hours flashed by, and now, a look of relief finally appeared on Chu Xiaotian's face; he was finally able to perform the movements perfectly.

As for the corpse poison that had been suppressed within his body, Chu Xiaotian could finally sense it. However, when he tried to control it, the cold, vicious corpse energy nearly caused his mind to collapse. The baleful intent hidden within it made his breathing turn ragged. Fortunately, with the jade pendant on his person, the corpse poison was suppressed at the critical moment, saving him from the disaster of being consumed.