Several days passed.
Wang Yu had already prepared a wide array of yin-aligned spiritual materials, which he arranged into a spirit-gathering formation—modified to gather yin instead of general energy. He himself became part of the formation.
His eyes served as the formation's core.
The spirit-gathering became a yin-gathering array. Threads of Lunar Essence filled the sealed chamber. Wang Yu didn't absorb them directly; instead, he used the formation to trap the energy inside.
Bit by bit, night after night, the dark chamber shimmered with moonlight. Even during the day, faint traces of Lunar Essence continued to seep in.
As time passed, the chamber became shrouded in moon mist.
Meanwhile, the contents of the [Yinfiend Corpse Refinement Art] began to take shape in Wang Yu's mind. He murmured:
"Lunar power is key—but not the only piece."
"Corpse control talismans must be mastered. Spiritual sense must be strong enough to suppress a tier-three Fiend corpse. Otherwise, losing control would be catastrophic."
"And then comes the core—refining the fiend energy."
The type of fiend energy used determines the type of corpse created.
For example, refining with Metal Fiend energy produces a zombie with metal-elemental powers—naturally countering metallic artifacts.
Refining with Fire Fiend energy yields fire-elemental powers. Ordinary flames won't harm it; they may even empower it.
Of course—
This applies to tier-three Fiend corpses, also known as flying zombies. Beyond their innate zombie traits, the infused fiend energy grants them spell-like powers on par with Core Formation cultivators.
Otherwise, how could they compete at tier-three?
The [Yinfiend Corpse Refinement Art] includes methods for crafting elemental fiend zombies and even techniques for forging corpse treasures.
As for dual-fiend or triple-fiend refinement—
It's theoretically possible, but demands exceptional skill and high-quality corpse materials.
For example, matching spiritual roots, naturally strong physiques, innate divine strength… The more unique the creature, the stronger the resulting corpse. Sometimes, this produces a variant.
These hybrids combine traits of Fiend and Grade-A corpses, with unique abilities that make them nearly unbeatable at their level.
The Corpse King of Corpse Demon Peak's Jiang True Disciple is one such variant. If he reaches Nascent Soul, he'll start with formidable power.
Wang Yu was a latecomer to corpse refinement.
He had no way to harvest fiend energy himself—only purchase it. But he didn't want Jin Miaoshan to know, so he decided to try using his [Lunar Nether Eyes].
Fiend energy…
The elder Liu's qualifications barely reached dual spiritual roots—earth and metal. Not ideal for yinfiend refinement.
But—he was a living corpse.
Did they not understand the value of premium materials?!
Wang Yu poured spiritual sense into his eyes. True essence surged as he entered moon-gazing mode, staring through the starry aperture in the chamber ceiling at the Lunar Star.
The Lunar Star symbolized all yin-aligned power.
So, in theory—
As it showered the world with moonlight, its hidden side also emitted high-grade yinfiend energy, mingling with the light and merging into the world.
It accumulated in some unknown, mystical place.
But it existed—and its quality was supreme.
When Wang Yu tried to draw it in—
His eyes burned with pain. His body ignited with translucent gray flames, scorching his flesh and soul—far more terrifying than the Soul-Eating Curse.
Thankfully, his [Lunar Nether Eyes] were perfected. He could retract them at will.
Once he sealed a strand of supreme yinfiend into a jade token, the torment ceased. All that remained was Wang Yu gasping in agony.
It hurt more than anything he'd ever endured. He was even lightly injured. His vision blurred.
He could only draw three strands per day—then rest.
To begin corpse refinement, he needed at least a hundred strands. That meant a month of preparation before he could even start.
But Wang Yu had to persist. He urgently needed a Core Formation-level combat asset he could fully control. A little pain was worth it.
The days that followed—
Were as torturous as his time as a spiritual slave. This time, the suffering was physical, not mental.
Gradually, he realized that the [Lunar Moonfiend] energy he was drawing differed from the yinfiend described in the corpse refinement manual.
This wasn't just supreme yinfiend.
In just a few months—
His eyes had been tempered, undergoing a deeper transformation. But the breakthrough hadn't arrived yet. The change lay dormant, waiting to erupt.
The dragon-blood elixirs buried in his body were once again refined and absorbed, merging into his flesh and becoming a stronger foundation.
Though he lacked a proper body-tempering technique and couldn't break through to mid-tier two, his physique and blood vitality kept rising. Within the [Dark Serpent Spine], he condensed tangible essence blood.
In the body-tempering path, cultivators fuse spiritual energy into their flesh, using techniques and elixirs to break human limits and grow stronger.
The result is surging blood vitality.
At tier two, essence blood begins to form—becoming the source of blood power. It grants greater strength and longevity.
The [Dark Serpent Spine] was the core of his body-tempering progress. Due to its interaction with the Corpse Demon technique, it mutated positively.
His blood vitality, which should've been fiery and masculine, became cold and shadowy. He wasn't sure if that was good or bad.
The newly formed essence blood was blue-black.
His punches and kicks summoned the Dark Serpent phantom, which had grown from one meter to nearly seven meters—far beyond his understanding of body-tempering.
This was the result of using his eye technique to draw [Lunar Moonfiend] energy.
Such power was still too mysterious.
"I'm an idiot… truly…"
In the chamber—
Wang Yu lowered his head in thought. He should've realized earlier: yinfiend and moonfiend were not the same.
In the past, he'd absorbed yin energy where moonlight was strongest. That led to a shallow understanding of yinfiend.
He'd never trained at Corpse Demon Peak. He hadn't studied corpse or fiend arts. Jumping straight into high-grade materials was reckless.
Still, few could draw such dense moonlight and moonfiend energy.
"Since I've already collected it, not using it would be a waste."
He looked at the living corpse that had soaked in moonfiend for sixty days. Its appearance had changed drastically.
Skin taut, gray-white complexion, nails three inches long.
Zombie fangs had emerged. Its face bore a unique moon-shadow pattern. A black moon mark, like Judge Bao's, sat on its brow.
Now, Wang Yu no longer needed to act as the formation's core. The creature had developed a natural ability to absorb moonlight—though less efficient than the [Lunar Nether Eyes].
A zombie that worships the moon is a sign of high intelligence.
No doubt—this was premium corpse material. Its growth potential was immense.
Only one step remained before activation.
—Corpse Qi.
Normally, one would introduce a strand from outside. But a living corpse is special—its body still alive.
Corpse Qi is the essence emitted by a dead body.
So the best method is to extinguish its vitality, allowing it to generate corpse qi from its own life source.
A zombie with innate corpse qi—
Is terrifying. Iron-headed, steel-bodied, immensely strong. Except for lightning, fire, and yang techniques, it fears little.
Of course—
That's just elemental restraint, not immunity.
By chance, Wang Yu had crafted a corpse embryo with potential to evolve into a Yaksha—not just any Yaksha.
Silver-winged, blood-winged, gold-winged… all possible. Yakshas are tier-four—equal to Nascent Soul elders.
After careful thought, Wang Yu didn't proceed with the final step.
Since he could use moonfiend to temper himself, he'd wait—refine his body to the limit first. He'd barely used any of the tier-three Blood Dragon Essence.
His body couldn't absorb more of the new dragon-blood elixirs. But now he had a new method of tempering. Painful, yes—but absolutely worth it.
He'd suffered enough from poor aptitude. With this chance to enhance his physical potential, there was no need to rush. No Soul Formation elder was chasing him.
Besides, the corpse refinement technique should be placed longer in the panel—to avoid mishaps.
With that in mind—
Wang Yu sliced his finger, drawing thick blood. His plan had changed.
Ordinary corpse-control talismans might not restrain this monster. He needed multiple layers of control.
He stripped the corpse embryo, used his finger as a brush, and inscribed control talismans. Blood rituals infused them deep into the body. He kept casting seals, pouring blood like it was free.
This refinement would take many days.
He still had to practice the [Ancient Soul Chant] at specific times, continue daily cultivation, and refine the Ice Spirit Pill in his body.
Even the feedback from the placement panel required mental focus to absorb.
Wang Yu's presence in Spiritridge City all but vanished.
Until—
In the 17th year, third month of his steward career, a wave of information from a completed secret art surged into his mind. The [Yin Blood Pill] hidden in his marrow split in two.
And then everything began to shift.
The [Corpse Demon Bone] trait advanced.
His physical strength surged to a new tier. The copper-armored corpse skin evolved into iron-armored corpse skin. Without true essence or spell support, even tier-two low-grade magical weapons could barely scratch him.
The [Heavenly Yin Blood] trait advanced.
His blood grew colder. His innate affinity for yin and ice attributes spiked. Even his soul began to exhibit increasingly pronounced yin characteristics—so much so that it felt like his soul was trying to slip free from his body.
Technically, he shouldn't be able to sense his own soul. Only the spiritual sense born from the Niwan Palace could be consciously manipulated.
But the transformation brought by the Nascent Soul-level secret art was truly unique.
And with the partial completion of the technique, his physical mutations began to recede. Though some abnormal traits remained, the sinister aura had faded.
At least his fingernails returned to flesh tone. The fangs in his upper jaw shrank. His skin looked more human again…
Everything was improving.
Most importantly, his true essence had reached 500 drops.
The moment for breakthrough had arrived.
Just as he prepared to push forward—
Wang Yu's expression changed.
His spine began to twist.
The [Dark Serpent Spine]… was undergoing its second mutation.
(End of Chapter)