Chapter 90: Black Corpse Temple

Half a day later, the flying boat’s speed began to decrease.

Moments after, it experienced a sudden jolt as massive tree roots pierced through the rock, securely anchoring it to the ground.

“Let’s move,” Chu Hongye announced and leaped off first.

The other three teams followed suit, splitting up in four different directions to completely block any escape routes for the rogue cultivators.

“Is that a formation?” Upon disembarking, the disciples gazed at the enormous shimmering barrier ahead, their faces filled with astonishment. They had previously wondered if the rogue cultivators might have escaped over these many days. However, it became clear that the immortal sect’s leadership had anticipated this; from the moment of the incident, the protective formation around Xixia Market was activated, trapping all those involved within its confines.

“Every market has its own defensive formation. As our sect’s affiliated market, Xixia naturally possesses a similar safeguard. These rogue cultivators, being ignorant of formations, sealed their own fate.” Chu Hongye led the group towards the entrance of the market.

A group had been awaiting their arrival.

“Greetings, immortal masters!”

Upon seeing Chu Hongye and her companions descend from the flying boat, all the market guards knelt on the ground, respectfully bowing in reverence.

These individuals were ordinary people trained by the market, devoid of spiritual roots but possessing some martial skills.

While capable against regular folk, they paled before cultivators. Without engaging directly, even a first-level Qi Refinement cultivator could effortlessly slaughter them.

“All of them are in the Bone Tempering Realm, with three being Zongshi.”

Following behind Chu Hongye, Chen Luo experienced for the first time the strict hierarchy of this world.

No wonder people went to great lengths to send their children into the Divine Lake Immortal Sect. In this realm, those with spiritual roots lived in a completely different world compared to those without.

“Lead the way.”

Chu Hongye, who led the team, lost her gentle demeanor reserved for fellow sect members. Before these guards, she transformed, becoming cold as ice.

“This way, please.”

At her command, an elderly man swiftly rose and ran ahead, guiding the group along.

With their identity tokens, the group sequentially entered the area protected by the formation. Upon entering, Chen Luo distinctly felt the air becoming significantly hotter, permeated with a faint scent of blood.

Although the residential areas outside had seemingly returned to normal, the lingering aftermath of chaos was still palpable. Unease and fear spread like wildfire.

The survivors hid inside their homes, peering cautiously through gaps in the doors at the newcomers.

“The immortal masters from Divine Lake Immortal Sect have arrived; the problems will be resolved!”

This message had been circulating for several days now.

To the ordinary people living in the market district, the immortal masters from Divine Lake Immortal Sect represented their hope.

The group traversed the deserted streets. The houses on both sides were dilapidated, with several areas completely burned out, leaving behind charred craters that bore witness to the recent unrest.

Suddenly, Chu Hongye, who was leading the way, halted.

“Get out here!” she commanded sharply.

In the next instant, Chu Hongye whirled around, her figure transforming into a streak of purple light as she unleashed a powerful strike towards one of the nearby dwellings.

A dark violet glow flashed momentarily, followed by a deafening explosion.

Boom!

The house exploded, and three figures burst forth.

One casually scattered a handful of lime, while the other two spat fireballs from their mouths, aiming one to the left and one to the right. In the blink of an eye, Chu Hongye found herself transitioning from attacker to being ambushed.

It all happened in a split second.

From Chu Hongye’s initial move until these three launched their assault, no more than a couple of breaths had passed.

“Die!”

Chu Hongye’s expression turned icy, not even shifting her stance as she stood rooted in place.

Her eyes flashed momentarily.

The three assailants convulsed violently, then plummeted from the air one after another.

“Poison?”

With those final words, the last figure coughed up black blood, his face visibly turning dark purple. Their fireballs failed to inflict any harm on Chu Hongye, dissipating instantly due to the spiritual energy surrounding her.

The lime attack was disregarded effortlessly.

Witnessing this scene, the hearts of those following behind Chu Hongye raced with unease.

As expected of Gu Wang Peak’s head disciple, she dispatched the ambushers before they could even reveal their faces, using her eerie poison techniques that sent chills down everyone’s spine.

“Daring to show off such trivial little spells? Truly courting death,” Chu Hongye remarked disdainfully.

She waved her hand over the corpses, summoning a swarm of tiny black and white insects that emerged from them and landed in her palm.

The three bodies rapidly decayed, disintegrating entirely by the time the last insect flew out, leaving no trace but their clothes on the ground.

At this moment, everyone noticed that Chu Hongye now held a jade-green porcelain bottle in her hand, seemingly appearing unnoticed at some point.

“Continue leading the way.” After collecting the insects, she addressed the kneeling old man behind her.

The elderly man had prostrated himself as soon as Chu Hongye took action, his reverence for ‘immortal masters’ deeply ingrained within him.

Crossing the street, they arrived at the inner market district. This area marked the trading zone for cultivators, where the chaos had originated.

Compared to the less damaged outer residential areas inhabited by commoners, the destruction here was far greater. Signs of fierce magical battles were evident everywhere, with unattended corpses strewn across the streets, their deaths likely long forgotten.

Upon entering this district, everyone heightened their vigilance.

Unlike the civilian area outside, this district was where tasks were assigned and executed. The elderly guide voluntarily stepped back at the entrance. For ordinary guards like him, everything beyond this point fell under the responsibility of the immortal masters. As a non-cultivator, entering further would risk his life.

“Use a search talisman,” Chu Hongye instructed one of the Gu Wang Peak disciples beside her.

Upon receiving the command, the disciple swiftly produced a spirit talisman, infused it with spiritual energy, and watched as the paper talisman ignited on its own. An invisible wave rippled outward, scanning the entire vicinity.

“Life signs detected ahead.”

The Gu Wang Peak disciple promptly reported the results of the search.

Earlier, Chen Luo had considered creating such talismans himself, but unfortunately, the mission arrived before he could begin planning. Otherwise, amidst this crisis, he could have made a tidy profit.

“Lian-shidi, you take the lead.”

Chu Hongye nodded and addressed Lian Qiang next to her.

“All right.” With a brief acknowledgment, Lian Qiang stepped forward, heading towards the direction indicated by the search talisman. His aura gradually intensified, and faint cyan mystical patterns began surfacing on his skin.

Positioning himself in the middle of the group, Chen Luo also drew out a magical sword.

This sword, received upon entering the sect, had rarely been used until now, serving as a display of their status. The others also produced various magical artifacts, mostly high-quality and updated ones, clearly showcasing significant power at first glance.

The street was eerily quiet.

Following the location indicated by the search talisman, they walked deep into the market, arriving at a temple.

The temple, known as Black Corpse Temple, served as the residence of an evil cultivator who sold corpse puppets within the market. In this immortal sect’s marketplace, there was no distinction between good or evil; anyone could open a shop if they paid the initial fee and regularly contributed taxes to the sect, allowing them to establish themselves here.

“This is it,” said a disciple from Gu Wang Peak.

Earlier, when using the search talisman, he detected life energies emanating precisely from this place.

Bang!

Lian Qiang, leading the group, kicked open the temple door with force.

The door splintered, sending shards of wood flying in all directions. Inside, darkness prevailed, revealing only vague black silhouettes—whether living beings or corpses remained unclear.

Rolling thunder…

The sky darkened ominously, with turbulent storm clouds gathering above.

Glancing up, the group near the entrance noticed that the once-clear sky had unexpectedly turned gloomy. Within the depths of these dark clouds, lightning gathered, hinting at an imminent downpour.

“How did the weather change so suddenly?” Mowen Jian asked, puzzled.

Chen Luo also gazed at the sky, but unlike others, he harbored some suspicions. He recalled the mummified brain’s warning:

Someone lurks within the clouds!

“Could this thunderstorm be caused by that person hidden amidst the clouds?”

“Everyone, come inside; it’s clear.”

While they were momentarily stunned, Lian Qiang, who had been leading the way, had already inspected the interior. His unharmed appearance suggested that whoever was inside had likely departed.

The group sequentially entered the Black Corpse Temple.

Inside, the temple was barren, devoid of statues or furniture, featuring only a long row of dark coffins.

The master of this Black Corpse Temple was an evil cultivator, specializing in corpse refinement. There was a strong possibility that this individual played a significant role in the chaos at Xixia Market.

“They must have fled not too long ago.”

One of Gu Wang Peak’s disciples, who had consistently stayed close to Chu Hongye, crouched on the ground, touching his index finger to the floor. Black insects gathered around him and flew into his collar.

This disciple, often hunched over and silent, had largely gone unnoticed. However, as soon as he spoke, everyone sensed something amiss. The two Tian Jian Peak disciples nearest to him instinctively took a few steps back.

Toxic Insects—his clothes were teeming with them, densely packed and utterly alarming.

“Can you determine the exact direction they took?” Chu Hongye asked, furrowing his brow.

The rogue cultivators were not mindless fools; they wouldn’t foolishly stay and fight to the death. During their confinement, it was likely they sought ways to escape, and leaving now might indicate they’ve found a clue.

“Not difficult,” replied the disciple covered in venomous insects as he retrieved a small, pitch-black gourd from within his robes.

As soon as the gourd appeared, everyone felt a tickling sensation in their noses, as if something invisible was spreading through the air.

‘Toxic!’

‘Parasitic insect gu - activate Soul Projection to avoid being affected.’

Both Foundation Establishment-level external brains provided immediate feedback, while other Late Stage Qi Refinement minds also suggested various methods. However, the simplest solution came from the Foundation Establishment brains.

“Pursuit Soul Gu, Unescapable Fate.”

The poison-infested disciple removed the black stopper from the gourd, releasing a thin layer of dark mist that swiftly dispersed into the air. The minute parasitic insects circled the Black Corpse Temple before flying out through a window.

“This way.” The disciple quickly stood up, leading the group towards the exit.

As he passed by Lian Qiang, Mowen Jian, and Chen Luo, he deliberately glanced at them. Earlier, the released toxic insects had been instantly neutralized upon approaching these three. While Lian Qiang’s resilience made sense, given Divine Fire Peak disciples primarily cultivate their physical bodies, akin to living furnaces, what surprised him were Mowen Jian and Chen Luo.

They were both newcomers, having entered only half a year ago.

Reaching the fifth layer of Qi Refining already marked them as geniuses, but unexpectedly, they possessed such hidden capabilities that even his venomous insects couldn’t affect them.