A gleaming golden Corpse Puppet suddenly appeared before Song Wen. Dressed in a tattered kasaya, its head bald, it was none other than the Golden Steel Corpse refined from Puxuan's body. Its strength had already reached the mid Lingxu Dao Immortal stage.
The instant Ji Jinglun saw the Golden Steel Corpse, a sharp light flashed in his eyes, betraying a hint of eagerness. He quickly concealed it, leaving only admiration.
"Fellow Daoist Gu Huang, your Corpse Puppet has actually reached the mid Lingxu Dao Immortal stage. That is quite rare. With it scouting ahead, our journey is sure to proceed without a hitch."
"I only managed to refine it through a fortunate coincidence. You flatter me, Fellow Daoist Ji."
With that, Song Wen raised his hand and pointed into the depths of the rift below.
The Golden Steel Corpse immediately plunged down, disappearing into the boundless corpse qi.
The three set off at once, following close behind.
The farther they descended, the denser the corpse qi grew, and the range of their spiritual perception shrank along with it.
Yet the rift was far from lifeless. Many creatures that fed on corpse qi dwelled within it.
There were Corpse Bats, Rot Crows, and Yin Snakes, as well as Gloom Vines clinging to the rock walls.
Song Wen and his companions avoided these vicious creatures whenever possible. When they could not, they sought to kill them in a single blow, lest they draw more.
Even so, they still ran into trouble.
Deeper into the rift, the space began to narrow. The Gloom Vines on either wall grew thicker and denser, with some trailing down from above to hang across the rift.
The Gloom Vines were dull gray all over, their surfaces coated in a sticky liquid that gave off a nauseating stench