The Ninth Disciple of the Corpse Refining Lineage

Zhao Hao stared at the small line of text in his status bar, and his heart gave the slightest stutter.

[Status: Qi Gathering Pill Pill Toxin (extremely mild)]

This thing... could count as a "status" too?

With a thought, he tried to touch and drag this newly appeared status bar with his mind.

In the next instant, that gray line of text—[Qi Gathering Pill Pill Toxin]—was actually dragged into the [Main Inventory] by him!

It worked!

Zhao Hao's train of thought was instantly thrown wide open.

A thought flashed through his mind like lightning, and he remembered an unorthodox cultivation method he had "downloaded" in the Scripture Pavilion—Hundred Poisons Body Tempering Art.

To cultivate this art, one needed to actively absorb toxins to temper the flesh. The more ferocious the poison and the greater the variety, the stronger the effect.

Although he had already treated that cultivation method as material and fed it to the Mysterious Yin Breath Concealment Art, leaving him with no memory of exactly how to cultivate it, he only needed to make another trip to the Scripture Pavilion and "download" it again!

Pill toxin was trouble that others avoided like the plague, but for him, it had become a precious resource that could be recycled. After all, he could treat pill toxin as material to strengthen other poisons!

Just as Zhao Hao was calculating how to turn this pill toxin from waste into treasure, the defensive restriction at the entrance to his cave dwelling was suddenly touched, letting out a faint hum.

Zhao Hao's brows lifted slightly. He rose and walked behind the stone door, and through the restriction's senses, he clearly "saw" an unfamiliar disciple standing outside.

The newcomer wore the black Daoist robe of the corpse-refining lineage. His aura was around the eighth level of Qi Refining, and his expression carried a trace of arrogance.

"Is Junior Brother Zhao Hao inside the cave dwelling?"

The voice outside carried obvious impatience.

Zhao Hao gathered his thoughts, opened the stone door, and switched his face to the bewilderment and caution a ten-year-old boy ought to have.

"I'm Zhao Hao. May I ask who Senior Brother is?"

That eighth-level Qi Refining disciple swept him a glance from the corner of his eye, his chin raised high.

"My name is Wang Mang. I've come under the lineage master's orders to notify you."

He paused, as if savoring the expression Zhao Hao might show after hearing this.

"Our corpse-refining lineage's lineage master, True Person Corpse Heart, wishes to take you as his ninth direct disciple. He orders you to go at once to Ten Thousand Corpse Mountain to pay your respects."

True Person Corpse Heart?

The lineage master? A mighty Golden Core cultivator!

Zhao Hao's heart gave a violent leap, but on his face he revealed just the right amount of wild joy from unexpected favor.

Wang Mang watched his reaction, the corner of his mouth pulling into a contemptuous curve, then leisurely added another sentence:

"This is an opportunity as vast as the heavens. If not for Steward Jia Ren strongly recommending you before the lineage master, such a good thing would never have fallen to a disciple who'd only just entered the sect."

Jia Ren!

Those two words exploded in Zhao Hao's mind.

That old dog who had taken away his natal essence blood had actually "sold" him to the lineage master like a gift!

What was that old thing plotting? Was placing him in the corpse-refining lineage meant to make his scheme more convenient, or did he have some other purpose?

Countless thoughts churned, yet the expression on Zhao Hao's face only seemed increasingly excited and muddled, even carrying a bit of helplessness.

"Thank you for informing me, Senior Brother! I... I'll follow Senior Brother there right away!"

He respectfully bowed to Wang Mang.

Wang Mang nodded in satisfaction and turned to lead the way.

Along the way, the deeper they went into the sect, the denser the surrounding yin, Baleful Intent, and corpse qi became.

As they set foot on the mountain path leading to Ten Thousand Corpse Mountain, a rank stench mingled with the smell of rotten meat and soil rushed into their faces.

In the forests by the path, they could even see several low-level walking corpses moving stiffly, wandering aimlessly. Their hollow eye sockets would occasionally turn toward the two people passing by.

Wang Mang glanced contemptuously at Zhao Hao behind him, wanting to see his ugly state of being scared witless.

But Zhao Hao merely lowered his head and followed step by step. Apart from a little curiosity toward the surrounding environment, there was no extra expression on his face.

Wang Mang curled his lip in some boredom.

Before long, the two arrived before a grand black hall halfway up the mountain.

The hall doors stood open, and inside, yin energy was dense and eerie.

Wang Mang stopped. "Go in. Master and several of your senior brothers and senior sisters are all inside."

Zhao Hao drew a deep breath and stepped into the grand hall.

The space inside the hall was extremely large, and the light was dim. Only phosphorescent stones embedded in the walls gave off a ghostly green glow.

The moment he stepped inside, several gazes landed on him in unison—some curious, some appraising, and some cold without the slightest attempt to hide it.

Four people already stood inside the hall.

Just then, a little girl who looked no more than fourteen or fifteen, with twin ponytails and an exquisite black dress, came bouncing over to greet him.

"You're the new little junior brother? You're pretty cute!"

She circled Zhao Hao once, then introduced herself with a grin. "My name is Lin Yaoyao. I'm Master's eighth disciple. You can call me Eighth Senior Sister."

Zhao Hao hurriedly bowed. "Greetings, Senior Sister."

"No need to be so polite." Lin Yaoyao waved a hand, then pointed at the others inside the hall and began introducing them to him.

"Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother are away all year round, so they're not in the sect. That cold-faced one over there is your Third Senior Brother. His name is Shi Lei. The one beside him, the one like a block of ice, is your Fourth Senior Sister. Her name is Han Shuang. They're both at Foundation Establishment Early Stage."

Zhao Hao looked in the direction she was pointing. Those two merely glanced at him coldly, then paid him no more attention.

"We originally had a Fifth Senior Brother too, but he went out on a mission the year before last and died."

There was not the slightest trace of sorrow in Lin Yaoyao's tone, as if she were talking about some trivial matter that had nothing to do with her.

"That silent gourd over there who doesn't talk is your Sixth Senior Brother. His name is Chen Mo, and he's at Qi Refining Perfection. As for that one..."

She pointed at a slightly plump young man who was sizing Zhao Hao up with the gaze of someone appraising goods, and a trace of undisguised disgust flashed across her face.

"That's your Seventh Senior Brother, Wu De. He's also at Foundation Establishment Early Stage."

Zhao Hao's heart stirred slightly.

Sixth Senior Brother was still at Qi Refining Perfection, yet Seventh Senior Brother was already at Foundation Establishment Early Stage? This ranking did not seem to be based on cultivation.

Outwardly, he remained perfectly composed and greeted them one by one.

Just then, that Third Senior Brother, Shi Lei, suddenly spoke. His voice was like two stones grinding against each other, stiff and cold.

"Master, in his venerable age, has yet to arrive, and idling is still idling. Little Junior Brother, let me test on Master's behalf whether you're qualified to be our Ninth Junior Brother!"

Before his words had even fallen, he swept his sleeve.

Whoosh—!

From the shadows on both sides of the great hall, two rows of figures suddenly stood up.

There were ten refined corpses in total, each one exuding a suffocating, terrifying aura. The weakest among them were all at first-rank perfection, equivalent to ninth-level Qi Refining cultivators!

And the two standing at the very end had corpse qi on their bodies that had even condensed into tangible black mist. They were unmistakably early second-rank refined corpses, comparable to Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivators!

"Walk from here to the center of the hall."

Shi Lei pointed toward the space before the main seat at the far end of the great hall, his tone carrying an unquestionable command.

"If you can't even withstand this bit of pressure, you aren't qualified to be Master's disciple."

This naked display of authority instantly froze the air inside the great hall.

Zhao Hao knew very well that if he shrank back even a single step now, he would immediately be branded as "trash."

It might even directly cause True Person Corpse Heart to refuse to take him as a disciple.

He did not hesitate. He circulated the hundred or so wisps of spiritual power that had just condensed in his body after his breakthrough, covering the surface of his body and forming a thin layer of protection.

Then he lifted his foot and, step by step, walked toward the group of refined corpses amid the roiling corpse qi and the howls of the refined corpses.