At the mention, Ma Bi was the first to respond, fuming. “Damn it, I was *this* close to taking out Cang Shang, but the bastard slipped away!”
Niu Bi shook his head, blunt as ever. “Not even close. With Cang Shang’s strength, we couldn’t kill him.”
“Damn you, ugly! Can you not contradict me?” Ma Bi snapped at Niu Bi.
“You’re uglier,” Niu Bi shot back.
“Son of a…” Ma Bi looked ready to throw punches.
Gu Xuanyuan stepped in, addressing Lin Xiao honestly. “Cang Shang retreated, injured. But Chu Tianling, heavily wounded from an explosion, was killed by Fire Spirit Rabbit. Cai Dan was also taken down by us, and many of their disciples were killed or injured.”
“That’s a significant haul,” Lin Xiao nodded. Killing the second and fifth-ranked prodigies of the Heavenly Demon List would surely shake Youtian Demon Palace.
“As for Cang Shang, I’ll deal with him myself one day,” Lin Xiao added, a glint of cold resolve in his eyes. For nearly killing Hu Yue, Cang Shang would pay.
The group nodded. Lin Xiao had the strength to back his words.
“By the way, besides killing Chu Tianling and the others, we gained something else,” Gu Xuanyuan said. “In Yinwind Ridge, we found an item that might greatly benefit your corpse puppet.”
“What is it?” Lin Xiao’s eyes lit up.
“What, what is it?” Ma Bi blinked, turning to Gu Xuanyuan.
Gu Xuanyuan gave him a withering look, as did the others.
“Hey, why’re you all staring at me like that?” Ma Bi grumbled, uncomfortable.
“Hand it over,” Niu Bi said, dripping with disdain.
“What’re you talking about, fatty? I didn’t take anything!” Ma Bi retorted.
“It’s useless to you,” Niu Bi pressed.
“Who says it’s useless? This thing—damn it…” Ma Bi cursed, realizing he’d slipped up. Under the group’s scornful gazes, he reluctantly produced the item.
“It’s a rare treasure…” Ma Bi muttered, holding a cushion-like object, swirling with yin energy.
Seeing it, Lin Xiao’s eyes widened. “What? A Yin Corpse Cushion?”
The Yin Corpse Cushion was formed from countless corpse energies condensed over eons, imbued with a trace of sentience. Over centuries, its dense yin energy could birth a corpse infant, which could grow into a corpse fiend—a sinister, deathly evil cultivator from ancient lore.
No wonder Yinwind Ridge was steeped in eerie winds; it was likely an ancient corpse pit, a mass grave from ages past.
Lin Xiao knew of it only through the Swallowing Heaven Spirit Emperor’s ancient texts. The others likely had no clue.
He had no intention of waiting centuries for a corpse infant, and even if it formed, controlling such a fiend would be impossible.
But the Yin Corpse Cushion shared origins with his Azure Corpse Puppet. For a yin-devouring puppet, it was a supreme tonic. Refining it could trigger a massive transformation.
“What’s a Yin Corpse Cushion?” Ma Bi asked, curious at Lin Xiao’s shock.
“A big boost for the corpse puppet,” Lin Xiao replied vaguely, wary of Ma Bi’s reluctance if he knew the truth.
“Looks like a treasure. Shame, but Ma’s got a big heart, sacrificing for a brother…” Ma Bi handed it over, still skeptical and reluctant.
Taking the cushion, Lin Xiao felt its chilling yin aura. After inspecting it, he summoned the Azure Corpse Puppet from his storage ring.
The puppet emerged, exuding a wave of yin energy.
Lin Xiao noticed its skin was darker than a year ago, suggesting slight progress. With a mental command, the puppet’s eerie azure face stirred, its deathly eyes opening. Spotting the cushion, it seemed to quiver with excitement, its mouth gaping as corpse energy billowed out.
The group instinctively stepped back.
“Chi!” Lin Xiao tossed the cushion into the puppet’s mouth. It swallowed, and dense yin energy erupted, flooding the hall, forcing the group to cough.
As time passed, the yin energy thickened, threatening to spill beyond Tianmen.
Lin Xiao was surprised but pleased. The denser the yin, the greater the cushion’s effect on the puppet.
It might even push the puppet to the Blue Corpse Puppet realm, rivaling a Martial Monarch.
If so, bringing it back for revenge was feasible.
But Lin Xiao faced a dilemma: where to store the puppet during its transformation?
The yin energy made storage rings unsuitable, and refining the cushion would take time.
“Gate Master, Tianmen has a sealed chamber!” Wang Long reported, stepping forward.
Lin Xiao nodded. “Perfect. Place it in the chamber for now. Prepare more Drunken Dream Spirit Wine. It’s been a year since I’ve seen you all—tonight, we drink together. Tomorrow, I’ll enter seclusion for a while.”
“Seclusion again?” The group was taken aback.
“Such a cultivation maniac,” Gu Xuanyuan sighed.
After settling the puppet, Tianmen hosted another day of feasting, everyone indulging.
Baili He had instructed secrecy regarding the Martial Emperor blood refinement to avoid complications, so Lin Xiao kept it quiet.
The next morning, Baili He took Lin Xiao to the cultivation zone’s depths, a restricted valley surrounded by lush peaks, highly secluded. A small array platform stood among the ridges.
Lin Xiao, the Vice Dean, the Eight Directions Tower Master, the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion Master, and Baili He gathered on the platform. Seeing Lin Xiao’s excitement, the Vice Dean explained the essentials of refining the Martial Emperor blood, then cautioned, “Refining this blood is highly dangerous. Are you ready, Lin Xiao?”
