The Quest for Immortality

His teeth bit through his lips, but it seemed as though they had merely pierced a layer of skin, and not a single drop of blood flowed out.

The other three present paid him no heed.

The man with wolf-like teeth, like some wild beast, sniffed the air of the mountains once more, his gaze sinking slightly as he spoke,

"Many zombies, many cultivators, the scent of Taoist Demons is heavy, it was on the verge of completion, but then there was an unexpected turn…"

"It must have been that person who acted, right?"

The Sword Box Elder nodded, "Except for that one, nobody could have spoiled the Taoist’s plan."

The man with wolf-like teeth frowned,

"What exactly is that person hiding? The Taoist Court, Heaven Shu Pavilion, all the Noble Clans, Sects, and even us from the Evil Sects and scattered cultivators, Demon Gate, Taoists, everyone is looking for him?"

The Sword Box Elder’s smile hinted at mockery, "Now that you know, what next?"

The Sword Box Elder said, "Without a Golden Core, without Feather Transformation, even if given this opportunity, what can you do with it?"

"Can you withstand the repression of the Taoist Court or the pursuit of the Demon Sect?"

"If you’re a pawn, then do what a pawn must do."

"With our level of cultivation, we’re far from considering whether to control the black or white pieces…"

The Sword Box Elder’s words were cutting.

The man with wolf-like teeth was not offended; instead, he extended his blood-red tongue, licked his upper lip, and sneered,

"I cultivate the demonic arts; if I see flesh, wanting a couple of bites is only natural, isn’t it?"

The Sword Box Elder looked distant, his voice insinuating,

"The flesh of immortality, once eaten, there goes your life."

The flesh of immortality…

A glint passed in the eyes of the man with wolf-like teeth.

The pale-faced youth also showed an abnormal flush.

At that moment, all three harbored their own devious thoughts.

The old crone, who had been silent all along, suddenly opened her eyes wide, her gaze manic as she screamed,

"My child, my child!" Continue your journey on empire

The man with wolf-like teeth frowned, "What madness is she spouting now?"

The old crone, ignoring everything else, laughed strangely,

"I have found it… my own flesh and blood, my child is not dead…"

With a flicker, she swiftly moved toward a mountain peak to the south.

The group of three, including the Sword Box Elder, had no choice but to follow her.

The four eventually stopped atop a small hill.

The hill, secluded and desolate, was nevertheless serene, and as the sunset descended, it bathed the area in a glow of twilight.

Atop the hill, there was a small grave mound.

The old crone, focused, dug through the soil and stone with hands like iron, uncovering a coffin buried within the grave.

With a gentle scratch of her fingers, she broke off a corner of the coffin and then forcefully lifted the lid, which instantly shattered into pieces.

Inside the coffin lay a small zombie.

The old crone, trembling, cradled the small zombie into her arms as if comforting her own child.

"My child, my child…"

The pale-faced youth frowned, "Is this a zombie? Weren’t all the zombies nearby burned by the Corpse Burning Formation? How could there be one that escaped?"

The man with wolf-like teeth looked around and raised an eyebrow, "It seems someone intentionally left this zombie behind, burying it here…"

"Was it the zombie’s kin?"

"Why bury it here, and for what purpose?"

"Who knows…"

"It can’t be for the purpose of Corpse Refinement, can it?"

"This zombie is too small, with weak strength; what use would refining it have? To serve tea and water?"

…

However, the Sword Box Elder looked grave, "This small zombie is a good specimen for Corpse Refinement. It has only Corpse Qi, no Blood Qi, clean and untainted."

"What makes it a good specimen?"

"A Jade Corpse…"

"What?"

The Sword Box Elder did not continue, "You don’t refine corpses; even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand."

The pale-faced youth looked displeased.

But the man with wolf-like teeth had some realization, "Now that you mention it, could this old crone be a Corpse Cultivator?"

Amongst them, he knew the origins of the Sword Box Elder and the pale-faced youth, but he was not familiar with this old crone.

The Sword Box Elder nodded slightly, "Her son died early. To resurrect her son, she learned Corpse Refinement and turned her own son into a zombie."

"But she refined it wrongly, creating a special kind of Blood Zombie."

"It needed to eat human flesh and drink human blood every day."

"She killed people to feed her son. Eventually, the Taoist Court discovered this, and they executed her Blood Zombie son before her eyes. She completely lost her mind and fell into the darkness of Corpse Cultivation."

"For years, she specially hunts men who have been unfaithful, as well as cultivators from the Taoist Court."

"At the same time, she is also keen on turning children into zombies."

"All the zombies she refined are her children…"

"However…"

The Sword Box Elder’s gaze became more focused, "This small zombie might be quite special..."

The old crone also held the small zombie dearly in her arms, as if coaxing her own flesh and bone.

The pale-faced youth clicked his tongue and suddenly made a surprised noise, "It seems like there is a Formation on this small zombie’s chest?"

"A Formation?" the man with wolf-like teeth was slightly startled.

The pale-faced youth curiously said, "It’s not just any ordinary Formation…"

He called out loudly, "Old crone, let me have a look at that small zombie."

The old crone acted as if she heard nothing.

The pale-faced youth repeated his request.

Still, the old crone remained indifferent.

The pale-faced youth grew angry, "Old hag, ungrateful for the kindness shown…"

He reached out to grab the small zombie from the old crone, but this action seemed to have touched a raw nerve in her.

The old crone’s presence abruptly intensified, her features twisting ferociously, her pupils becoming vertical slits. Her withered yellow skin turned a bronze color as she underwent Corpse Transformation into a Copper Corpse.

Her right hand tore through the air, and with an eerie gust, she ripped open the pale-faced youth’s arm.

Bright red blood flowed.

A sinister Corpse Poison seeped in.

The pale-faced youth’s complexion became even paler, but due to shame and anger, his cheeks bore an eerie crimson hue.