Chapter 166: Corpse Cultivation Ground

An inn within the Yin Fiend Forest? No sane person would establish one here. However, this being an area frequented by evil cultivators, encountering the unusual was not entirely unexpected.

The two approached the inn, walking single file.

It was a wooden inn with large vermilion doors and blood-red lanterns hanging on either side. The left lantern bore the inscription ‘Past Life,’ while the right lantern read ‘Future Life.’ Above the entrance, a horizontal plaque displayed the words ‘Present Life Inn’ in bold letters.

“Between past life and future fate, this inn asks only of present matters,” Ning Chenye, the scholar beside Chen Luo, enigmatically recited.

Giving him a glance, Chen Luo remained silent and stepped forward to knock on the wooden door. An inn situated deep in such ancient woods must have its peculiarities, making it worth investigating.

Unexpectedly, just as his hand touched the door, it swung open effortlessly.

Creak…

Red candlelight illuminated from within, revealing a lively scene inside the inn. Guests filled the hall, their laughter and conversations echoing. In front of the main hall stood a raised platform draped with sheer curtains, behind which a graceful woman played a zither and sang.

The singing they had heard earlier was indeed coming from the woman on stage.

“So many people?” Instead of immediately entering, Chen Luo paused at the door to scan with his divine sense. The feedback revealed nothing but overwhelming malevolent qi, so dense it felt almost tangible. Every guest emitted this aura; there wasn’t a single normal person among them.

“Immortal elder, should we go inside and take a look?”

Ning Chenye swallowed nervously, eyes fixed on the delectable food covering the tables as his stomach rumbled audibly. After traveling all day, their only meal had been dry provisions washed down with cold water early that morning. Confronted with such a feast now, he couldn’t help but feel tempted. However, the scholar wasn’t foolish; keeping a tight grip on the talisman given by Old Mr. Bai, he ensured it remained unchanged before daring to ask.

“Let’s have a look.”

Chen Luo stepped forward first, genuinely curious about what the evil cultivators in Yin Fiend Forest were up to. Clad in the magical robes contributed by Elder An, he felt remarkably confident.

Upon entering the inn, the chill outside instantly dissipated.

Their entrance went unnoticed; the patrons continued feasting on their meals, drinking and playing drinking games, each one boisterous with flushed faces.

“Sir, are you here for lodging or dining? Would you like to call over some ladies? Our girls at the Present Life Inn are truly exceptional beauties.”

A red-clad woman, exuding worldly charm, emerged from within. With her graceful figure and fair skin, she was unmistakably stunning, except for one discordant feature: her face! The forced smile appeared stiff and unnatural, as if meticulously trained yet insincere.

Chen Luo studied her briefly, finding it peculiar that his divine sense scan revealed her as a seemingly ordinary person.

‘Not human, aberration, undetected by divine sense.’

The Core Formation brain suddenly chimed in, providing feedback:

‘Aberration - Painted Demon, as per the Unusual Creatures chapter. Fearful of Yang thunder, feeds on humans.’

Compared to the Core Formation cultivator’s brain, the mummified brain offered more precise information. Both accessed similar knowledge, but the mummified brain retained virtually everything effortlessly, comprehending instantly as if recalling firsthand experience during its lifetime.

An anomaly?

Chen Luo remained silent.

“Could I get a bowl of hot porridge?” Ning Chenye spoke up beside him, producing some copper coins. Truly famished, he could no longer resist as he watched other guests enjoying their meals so heartily. Strangely, since entering the inn, his hunger had intensified, overshadowing even basic caution for danger.

“Oh, esteemed patrons! Right this way, please.”

The innkeeper guided them to an empty table nearby.

Soon, someone brought over two bowls of white porridge, thoughtfully accompanied by two plates of pickled vegetables.

Picking up the steaming bowl, Ning Chenye couldn’t hold back any longer and was about to dig in with his chopsticks. However, noticing Chen Luo’s lack of movement, he managed to suppress his hunger and asked:

“Elder, why aren’t you eating?”

“Not hungry,” replied Chen Luo, glancing at the bowl of white porridge before him. Both his divine sense and sight confirmed it as ordinary porridge, with no feedback from the external brains either. This exceeded his knowledge base, and the external brains couldn’t conjure information out of nothing.

Pitter-patter.

Outside, the thunder finally subsided as torrential rain poured down. After passing through the barrier of Yin Fiend Forest’s leaves, it transformed into a gentle drizzle. Looking out the window, Chen Luo once again spotted a fleeting black shadow. This time, he clearly saw that it was a hairy, humanoid creature resembling the Corpse-Raising Sect’s black-haired zombies.

Unable to resist any longer, Ning Chenye picked up his bowl and began eating the congee.

As the warm porridge entered his mouth, its comforting sensation reached his stomach, instantly lifting his spirits. The two complimentary plates of pickled vegetables also tasted remarkably good, with their tangy, crisp, and savory flavor.

“It really tastes great. Immortal Elder, are you sure you won’t have some?” Ning Chenye glanced at the untouched bowl of congee before Chen Luo, feeling unsatisfied and ready for more.

“Are there any cultivators in Black Wolf City?”

“Yes! Old Mr. Bai is a cultivator.” Ning Chenye nodded in response.

Seeing that Chen Luo did not decline, he took the bowl of congee from in front of him. After consuming both bowls, his energy surged, leaving him with a warm and satisfying fullness.

“May I take a look at your talisman?” Chen Luo suddenly asked.

“This…”

Ning Chenye hesitated briefly but ultimately nodded in agreement. He took off his sachet, removed the triangular talisman inside, and handed it to Chen Luo.

Chen Luo placed the talisman in his palm, examining it with his divine sense for a moment. His eyes flickered slightly before he expressionlessly returned it to Ning Chenye.

“Unswerving love transcends wealth; scholar wins the heart of nobility.”

The woman playing the guqin on stage began singing again, her voice carrying the same poignant melody. The hauntingly beautiful notes subdued the inn’s clamor, instantly becoming the center of attention. Chen Luo glanced in that direction and then stood up.

“Immortal elder? It’s still raining outside. Won’t you wait until it stops?”

Ning Chenye had no desire to leave; his gaze was captivated by the singer on stage. For some reason, as soon as he saw her, his heart stirred.

It felt like a sensation from his previous life, though forgotten in this one.

“No need. A light rain is inconsequential.”

As Chen Luo approached the entrance of the inn, he looked back at Ning Chenye. Perhaps out of kindness, he offered a word of caution: “This place isn’t entirely clean; be cautious.”

“This place isn’t clean; be careful.”

Chen Luo glanced once more at the other patrons inside the inn before stepping into the rain without looking back.

Inside, the guests continued to eat and drink noisily, oblivious to their surroundings.

“Not clean?”

Watching Chen Luo disappear into the rain, Ning Chenye’s eyes flickered with a peculiar expression. He then looked down at the talisman in his hand, feeling reassured as its faint glow persisted. Compared to this unfamiliar immortal elder, he trusted Old Mr. Bai more.

“Isn’t it quite clean here?”

His gaze scanned the interior of the inn but found nothing untoward. Just then, the white veil on stage billowed in the wind, revealing the face of the zither-playing singer behind it—a sight that struck Ning Chenye like lightning.

“Ping’er.” Unconsciously, he called out her name and began walking toward the stage. In that moment, all the noise in the inn faded away, leaving only the sound of the woman playing intently on her instrument.

Chen Luo stepped outside the inn.

It was not raining.

“As expected,” Chen Luo thought, a realization dawning within him.

Looking back, the inn remained as boisterous as before, with patrons drinking and playing games of dice. The only difference now was the addition of a person—a foolish scholar standing beneath the stage, gazing at the performer with an entranced expression.

‘Neither alive nor dead, bound by past entanglements, souls trapped, unable to depart.’

A thought suddenly emerged within the mummy’s mind.

From the moment he accepted the talisman, Chen Luo sensed something amiss. Ning Chenye had a connection with the woman from the inn, though exactly what it was, he couldn’t discern. However, when he took the talisman, he distinctly felt the scrutiny of the inn’s songstress through her divine sense.

It was his first encounter post-Foundation Establishment where someone matched him in terms of divine sense prowess. This revelation highlighted the limitations of his current strength. Most notably, his realm—early Foundation Establishment was insufficient for navigating territories dominated by evil cultivators. At the very least, the zither-playing woman inside was clearly stronger than him.

“To break through to Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, continuing with my current cultivation of the Xin Mo Art, would likely take at least twenty years, possibly even longer. With bad luck, remaining stuck in early Foundation Establishment for an entire lifetime is not out of the question.”

Chen Luo had a clear understanding of his current cultivation status.

He was not alone; most Foundation Establishment cultivators in the seven nations faced this issue - their techniques became insufficient after reaching Foundation Establishment. Obtaining the ‘Xin Mo Art’ was already considered fortunate for Chen Luo. However, Daoist Wuwei’s Xin Mo Art did not align well with him, resulting in significantly slow progress during cultivation.

“Once I find a suitable place to nurture corpses, I must seek somewhere to enhance my cultivation.”

After leaving the inn, darkness enveloped Chen Luo once again.

He continued along the narrow path for two days straight. Finally, Chen Luo reached the end of Yin Fiend Forest and glimpsed light beyond its boundaries.

The zither-playing woman at the inn targeted only Ning Chenye. Now separated from him, she naturally ceased causing trouble for Chen Luo. As fellow Foundation Establishment cultivators, just as Chen Luo feared her, so too did she fear him.

Upon exiting Yin Fiend Forest, he found himself facing a vast wetland.

Toxic miasma formed bubbles, constantly emerging from within. Approximately three hundred meters ahead lay a pond emitting chilling mist, where concentrated malevolent qi had condensed into water, affecting all life in the surrounding area.

As for venturing further, Chen Luo had no intention of exploring. This wetland was also inhabited by another evil cultivator. While it might be manageable near the outskirts, delving deeper would invite trouble. The purchased information provided detailed descriptions about these risks.

Flying above the pool, Chen Luo tossed a spirit stone into the water.

Zzzt

The spirit stone instantly dissolved upon entering, its minimal spiritual energy negligible to such a potent Fiendish Ground.

“Not bad strength,” Chen Luo assessed. The concentration of malevolent qi here was three times greater than at the Mass Grave Mound outside Woodmount City, making it an excellent location for nurturing corpses.

However, this place harbored numerous dangers and unpredictable factors; there was a high risk of losing control over any corpse nurtured here. Nevertheless, Chen Luo was prepared. He activated the newly acquired array master’s brain to assist his Hanging Elder Brother.

With two powerful array masters’ minds working together, they swiftly identified a suitable position for setting up a formation.

‘Southwest direction, northeast node.’

‘Third quarter of evening, initiate the array!’

“Initiate!”

Chen Luo landed on a tree and with one hand, tapped his bag of holding.

Seven array banners flew out, and placing his index finger on their tips, he infused them with seven streams of black light mixed with spirit stones before embedding them into the ground, quickly merging with the soil.

Buzz!!

A simple first-tier formation was now complete. As it took shape, centered around the cold pond, a shimmering barrier covered the entire area, even containing the malevolent qi within.

Chen Luo entered the formation, standing at its focal point. With his other hand, he retrieved the Core Formation cultivator’s corpse from the corpse-rearing pouch.

As soon as the cultivator’s body appeared, the malevolent qi in the cold pond began to surge wildly. Fortunately, the formation sealed it off; after a brief turmoil, the qi settled down once more.