Chapter 1081: Corpse King (Part 1)
The location where the Corpse Ghoul was hidden was known only to the Door Master of the Corpse Sect; no one else knew, not even his two deceased confidantes.
Naturally, Wan Wu Yi certainly didn't know either. From the current situation, it was clear that Wan Wu Yi had rescued him from Yang Haoran's clutches and brought him here today precisely because he was after this Corpse Ghoul. If Wan Wu Yi had known the Corpse Ghoul's hiding place, he would have simply gone straight to the destination, without needing to save him, much less bring him here. That would have been a complete waste of time. Since Wan Wu Yi went through all this, it meant he had no idea where the Corpse Ghoul was hidden.
While "Corpse Ghoul" and "Corpse King" differed by only a single character, their power gap was like heaven and earth. As Gu Mo City's foremost Corpse Refiner, the Door Master of the Corpse Sect naturally understood the disparity between the two, and what it would mean to possess an additional Corpse King. Therefore, he had begun cultivating this Corpse Ghoul long ago, hoping that one day he could elevate it to a Corpse King, thereby fulfilling his ambitions. To that end, he had expended vast resources on this Corpse Ghoul. Yet, just as he was on the verge of success, an accident inexplicably occurred: the Corpse Ghoul he had nurtured strangely developed a wisp of a soul. Though merely a wisp, not a complete soul, it was enough for the Corpse Ghoul, once a controlled tool, to learn how to resist.
The soul governs mental thought, while the `pò` governs physical activity. If, during the process of a soul and `pò` becoming a spirit after death, an accident occurs, causing the soul and `pò` to separate, with the `pò` remaining in the corpse while the soul dissipates, then it will become a zombie, whether human or animal. Corpse Refiners utilize this very principle when refining Corpse Ghouls. Therefore, whether naturally formed zombies or those refined by Corpse Refiners, as long as they haven't reached the Corpse King realm, it's generally impossible for them to possess a soul, even a wisp of one. In the Door Master of the Corpse Sect's understanding, this was indeed the case. Thus, when the Corpse Ghoul he had been cultivating prematurely formed a wisp of a soul, he was both shocked and confused, unable to comprehend where the problem lay.
As a Corpse Refiner, even if a zombie he cultivated ascended to the Corpse King realm, he would still have methods to control it, but that was contingent on it reaching the Corpse King realm, possessing a complete soul, and developing full consciousness. A being that had only developed a wisp of a soul, incapable of thought or fear, knowing only how to resist—it was like a madman among ordinary people. Such an existence, let alone controlling it, would likely tear you apart if you merely got close. It was precisely because of this that the Door Master of the Corpse Sect was severely wounded several times by this Corpse Ghoul. Ultimately, he had no choice but to exhaust every possible method, expending immense effort, before he finally succeeded in sealing the Corpse Ghoul and secretly hiding it away.
The power of this Corpse Ghoul was formidable, and sealing it away like this, the Door Master of the Corpse Sect was naturally very unwilling. He wanted this Corpse Ghoul to serve him, not be sealed. So, after hiding the Corpse Ghoul, he had secretly continued searching for a solution. However, resolving the issues with the Corpse Ghoul was no easy feat. He had thought of many methods, one after another, but in the end, he discarded them all himself because they simply wouldn't work. He even considered taking out more resources to first allow the Corpse Ghoul to ascend to the Corpse King realm. Once it broke through to the Corpse King realm, that wisp of a soul within the Corpse Ghoul would become complete and robust, and perhaps then, the Corpse Ghoul's consciousness might normalize. This possibility existed, but after much deliberation, he ultimately abandoned the idea, because doing so also presented another possibility: that the Corpse Ghoul would remain insane and uncontrollable even after breaking through to the Corpse King realm. After all, an anomaly had already occurred with this Corpse Ghoul; who could guarantee it would return to normal after becoming a Corpse King? If the Corpse Ghoul remained insane after ascending to the Corpse King realm, the first to suffer would be him, its master. Before it broke through to the Corpse King realm, he could still find a way to seal it, but once it ascended, sealing it would become even more troublesome. He didn't believe he possessed that level of strength.
It was precisely this consideration that led him to abandon the idea, and he also refrained from casually unsealing the Corpse Ghoul. Instead, he decided to wait until he devised an effective solution before dealing with it. However, to this day, he still hadn't conceived of a viable solution, so the Corpse Ghoul naturally remained quietly within its sealed location. His current hesitation stemmed from whether or not he should reveal the Corpse Ghoul's hiding place to Wan Wu Yi. If he didn't tell Wan Wu Yi, he knew without a doubt that he would suffer unimaginable torment. Based on his understanding of Wan Wu Yi, the man would absolutely not give up until he achieved his goal, and would pry open his mouth even if it meant resorting to every torturous method conceivable. His left hand was still throbbing with excruciating pain; this was merely a small trick from Wan Wu Yi, yet it was already unbearable. If Wan Wu Yi were to get serious, he dared not imagine how terrifying the torment he would endure would be. But if he revealed the Corpse Ghoul's hiding place to Wan Wu Yi, would he truly be safe?
The Door Master of the Corpse Sect was not foolish, so he concluded that the answer was no. Even if he disclosed the Corpse Ghoul's hiding place to Wan Wu Yi, his ultimate fate would certainly not be what he hoped for. Given Wan Wu Yi's ruthless nature, he believed Wan Wu Yi would still strike him down; his cooperation might only reduce the torment he suffered.
Wan Wu Yi's words carried a clear threat. The Door Master of the Corpse Sect's brows furrowed, and his eyes glinted with a cold light. Though seething with fury, at that moment, a sinister idea suddenly sparked in his mind.
"The Corpse Ghoul's hiding place is not only concealed, but also protected by the restrictive barrier I set up. If you truly wish to obtain this Corpse Ghoul, you can only find it if I personally lead you there. I can give this Corpse Ghoul to you, but I have one condition."
The Door Master of the Corpse Sect said in a deep voice. His words only intensified the cold smirk on Wan Wu Yi's face. "You must still be dreaming, aren't you? You're negotiating with me?"
The Door Master of the Corpse Sect didn't flinch at Wan Wu Yi's words. Showing no intention of backing down, he continued, "This matter concerns my life, so of course, I must negotiate with you. I cannot bear to lose both my life and my prize."
Seeing that the Door Master of the Corpse Sect had no intention of yielding, a hint of interest appeared on Wan Wu Yi's face. He smiled and said, "What's your condition? Tell me, but be prepared, for I may not agree to it."
The Door Master of the Corpse Sect's expression grew serious, then he spoke in a deep voice, "I can give you the Corpse Ghoul, as a token of gratitude for saving me this time. But you must promise to let me go. Don't try to take my life after you've obtained the Corpse Ghoul."
Upon hearing the Door Master of the Corpse Sect's demand, Wan Wu Yi agreed with a cold laugh, without even a moment's hesitation. "Don't worry, I won't take your life. My purpose in seeking you out today is solely for that Corpse Ghoul; I have no interest in you."
Wan Wu Yi answered readily, but the Door Master of the Corpse Sect didn't believe a word of his nonsense. He couldn't discern an ounce of sincerity in Wan Wu Yi's statement. However, he didn't expose it. Instead, he simply nodded at Wan Wu Yi and said, "Open a spatial rift, and I will take you there."
Wan Wu Yi wasted no more words. He tore open space on the spot, and the two stepped into the spatial rift one after another. When they emerged from the rift, they were already above a lake.
"I've hidden it at the bottom of the lake. Follow me," the Door Master of the Corpse Sect said, then released his power to shroud his body and plunged down towards the lake below.
"Heh, quite adept at hiding things," Wan Wu Yi sneered, a burst of blood energy emanating from him as he closely followed the Door Master of the Corpse Sect.
A short while later, the two reached the bottom of the lake. There, another restrictive barrier existed. Once the Door Master of the Corpse Sect opened it, they stepped into a unique underground area.
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