Midnight.
The hour when lunar yin energy was at its peak.
Wang Yu sat cross-legged before the corpse, casting one corpse-refining incantation after another. Each seal etched deep into the undead flesh. His tongue flicked across the sharp cusp of his upper fang, releasing a mist of blood.
"Refine the form with lunar yin, temper the soul with moonfiend essence."
"Earth's foul curse, return to the corpse."
"Heaven's yin, earth's spirit—life's fate distant, souls hard to descend, all spirits turn to evil, bind the corpse and release the body."
"I command—rise!"
In an instant, the Moonfiend energy surged like boiling white smoke, drawn into the corpse's belly. The last flicker of life was devoured, replaced by overwhelming corpse qi.
"ROAR—!"
The beast-like howl pierced the air, rattling Wang Yu's ears. He felt a backlash in his spiritual sense. Even with full effort, he couldn't perfectly restore the corpse's original strength. By his estimate, it was at most early tier-three.
That was expected.
But its ferocity exceeded the records of the [Yinfiend Corpse Refinement Art]. Even with spiritual sense rivaling peak Foundation Establishment, suppressing it was barely manageable.
"This isn't right. The corpse seal should control undead one tier above the caster. Could this Moonfiend corpse be a variant?"
Wang Yu stepped forward, planting his foot on the corpse's chest, forcing it back down just as it tried to rise.
He sat atop it, right hand pressing its brow, left hand bracing its armpit. His spiritual sense surged.
Perfected-level soul technique—[Soul-Shattering Finger].
Brutal and direct, the move shredded the newborn bloodlust into pulp. His spiritual sense churned like a blade, then he embedded a fresh corpse seal.
Finally, the struggling corpse calmed.
Wang Yu exhaled, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow, and examined his creation.
According to corpse classifications—Hair Zombie, Green Zombie, Flying Zombie, Yaksha—corresponding to Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, and Nascent Soul.
This was a Flying Zombie.
It lacked the golden armor of a Gold-Armored Corpse, but still possessed immense strength, iron skin, flight, evasion, and immunity to sunlight—standard traits of its grade.
More importantly, Flying Zombies had innate corpse-path abilities, akin to the Gold-Armored Corpse's armor. These were fundamental powers, determined by the corpse's nature.
The Moonfiend corpse's innate ability was—
"Yin Corpse Curse of Calamity."
Wang Yu murmured the name. If Gold-Armored Corpses were brutal body cultivators, then Moonfiend corpses were spellcasters.
Their bodies were strong, but they excelled in corpse-path sorcery.
The [Yin Corpse Curse of Calamity] was akin to a curse. Once targeted, it was nearly impossible to dodge. It inflicted lunar yin energy upon the victim—
Draining true essence, disrupting magical artifacts, weakening techniques, and corrupting the body.
A versatile, devastating ability. Without elite defenses, anyone struck would lose at least half their combat power.
"A fine corpse. A fine technique."
Wang Yu grinned. With this corpse and one ally, he could take on those two rogue Core Formation cultivators alone.
And thanks to the high-grade Moonfiend energy, the corpse's other abilities—blood siphoning, curse control, corpse stomp—were all enhanced.
Among early tier-three corpses, this was top-tier. Even the elite of Heaven Corpse Peak would covet it.
"You ugly thing… let's fix that face."
Wang Yu activated a corpse-refining technique. The shriveled, elderly corpse's skin plumped with corpse qi, smoothing out its wrinkles.
He reshaped the face, leaving only a pair of eerie green eyes. No one could recognize the original identity—essential for avoiding awkward encounters with the corpse's former kin.
Such concealment was standard practice. Corpse-path cultivators were masters of disguise, born from hard-earned lessons.
Wang Yu retrieved a tier-one artifact robe with aura-concealing properties and dressed the corpse. With that, the initial refinement was complete.
He then pulled out a jade vial—
Inside was Snow Jade's demon blood. A newborn corpse needed blood. His own was inauspicious. The three-tailed snow fox's blood was potent and plentiful.
After feeding the corpse, Wang Yu sealed it with a corpse-suppressing talisman and placed it beneath the moonlight streaming through the chamber's starry ceiling.
"You'll need a coffin."
He didn't own a corpse pouch. And storing a tier-three corpse required a tier-three pouch. Better to buy a coffin with spatial compression.
Fill it with Moonfiend energy, shrink it, and wear it on his waist—or hang it like an ornament.
—
The next day—
Wang Yu sent someone to Goldfull Pavilion to request a suitable coffin. If unavailable, they'd source it from another city.
Spatial interior, compression, aura concealment—those were the basics. The more features, the better. Tier-three preferred, tier-two high-grade minimum.
The City Lord's purse was always full.
He didn't mind spending.
Just then—
Xu Ruzhou hurried over. "City Lord, Master Qingyang has come to visit."
"Master?" Wang Yu's eyes sharpened. He'd been planning to invite Master Goldenflower from the Fragrance Sect—but Qingyang might be even better.
It had been four years since they last met. Had he already broken through?
Wang Yu recalled that Wei Zhong took ten years to reach Core Formation—plus two years to stabilize.
Qingyang's speed was astonishing.
"Yes, City Lord. Master Qingyang recently succeeded in forming his core. He's likely here to invite you to his celebration. He came alone from Inkveil Sect."
"Where is he?"
"I've escorted him to the guest hall."
"Understood. You may go."
"Yes."
—
Wang Yu entered the guest hall. Master Qingyang rose to greet him—unlike other Inkveil cultivators, he showed no hostility.
After all, Wang Yu hadn't harmed his interests. And judging by his demeanor, he'd gained much. Breaking through from Foundation Establishment to Core Formation was a major leap.
Many cultivators never crossed that threshold.
"Brother Qingyang, congratulations!"
The youthful, refined painter-cultivator smiled brightly.
"I owe it all to you, Brother Wang. Goldfull Pavilion's intelligence was invaluable.
"Not only did I recover my sect founder's remains and relics, I also obtained a Core Formation treasure from the ancient royal ruins. I'm truly blessed!"
"I see—
"Then it was your destiny. I merely didn't hinder it. No need to credit me."
Wang Yu's smile grew more genuine. The shift in address reflected their growing closeness.
He asked curiously:
"It's been four years. You must've endured many trials to break through so quickly. Would you share your journey?"
"I'd be glad to."
Qingyang's expression turned wistful.
After leaving the City Lord's Manor, he'd planned to enter Eastern Polaris directly. At the time, the phenomena had just begun—no major sects had arrived to claim the spoils.
But as soon as he entered, he was hunted by a corpse demon. He barely escaped with his life. Returning to Spiritridge, he saw Wang Yu's name carved into the eastern plaza's stone tablet.
Reading it stirred both resentment and gratitude.
Using intel from three sources, he quickly charted a new path.
He found the Core Formation treasure in the royal ruins—thanks to Goldfull Pavilion's intelligence. That site had originally been targeted by Jin Miaoshan.
But she was tied up with other affairs, giving Qingyang the opening.
The treasure, along with other gains, turned his resentment into appreciation. Wang Yu had revealed much—but withheld key details. Qingyang had simply moved faster.
He also recovered the remains of Inkveil's founder, claiming all relics.
Among them was a rare tribulation-evading treasure:
"Heavenly Thunderfall Diagram."
It had been used by the founder to survive Core Formation lightning tribulation—perfect for Qingyang.
Such treasures were crafted solely for tribulation. They had no other function, but during the lightning strike, they were invaluable.
Some blocked. Some dispersed. Some enhanced resistance.
The Thunderfall Diagram was rare—it absorbed tribulation lightning until full, then transformed into a "lightning bomb."
Its blast radius was massive. Once triggered, it was a mutual destruction tool—having absorbed countless tribulations.
That was Qingyang's secret.
He'd been stuck at peak Foundation Establishment for years. His cultivation was already perfected—he only lacked the breakthrough treasure.
This time, everything aligned.
He rented a tier-three cultivation chamber in another city and broke through smoothly. The lightning was absorbed by the diagram.
After a year of stabilization, he returned to Inkveil Sect.
Compared to Wei Zhong, the difference was clear.
Wei Zhong had rushed his breakthrough—finding a compatible treasure by chance, requesting a chamber and tribulation tool, and closing himself off.
His foundation wasn't ready. It took him over ten years to succeed.
Now—
As Qingyang recounted his tale, Wang Yu's envy was evident.
"Brother Qingyang, your fortune was destined. May I ask about the diagram…"
"Haha, no need to flatter me." Qingyang instinctively reached for his beard—
Only to realize that with his lifespan extended by 500 years, even the hallmark beard of middle age had vanished. He chuckled with a touch of nostalgia.
"Eight hundred years of life as a Core Formation cultivator… it takes some getting used to."
"As for the Thunderfall Diagram, no need to worry, Brother Wang. It's far from reaching its limit. If you ever need it, just ask—I'll lend it without hesitation."
"You're too generous, Brother Qingyang!"
Wang Yu's admiration was sincere. Qingyang's breakthrough had been swift, his fortune enviable, and his attitude gracious. The Thunderfall Diagram was a rare treasure—one that could absorb tribulation lightning and transform into a devastating weapon. Lending it out was no small favor.
But Qingyang had always been pragmatic. He understood that cultivating relationships was just as important as cultivating qi.
Their conversation continued for some time, touching on cultivation insights, corpse refinement, and the shifting dynamics of Yunling Province. Wang Yu subtly probed for information about other Core Formation cultivators and their recent movements, while Qingyang shared what he could without overstepping sect boundaries.
Eventually, the visit concluded.
Wang Yu escorted Qingyang to the gates of the City Lord's Manor, watching him depart with a sense of satisfaction.
The Moonfiend corpse was complete.
The Fragrance Gathering had succeeded.
And now, with Qingyang's goodwill and the Thunderfall Diagram as a potential trump card, Wang Yu's preparations for confronting the rogue cultivators were nearly in place.
The next chapter of Spiritridge's rise was about to begin.
(End of Chapter)
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