Controlling the Moonfiend corpse consumed a large portion of Wang Yu's spiritual focus. At most, he could operate one additional artifact in combat. Compared to directing Snow Jade, it was far more taxing.
This was largely due to the corpse's strength—it was a full major realm above him, and a rare variant at that.
Corpse-path cultivators typically didn't micromanage their undead. Instead, they unleashed the zombies' innate bloodlust and killing instinct, guiding them only with key commands.
That was how swarm tactics worked.
Wang Yu, however, was self-taught. He lacked formal training in corpse-path combat, but he had a natural talent for it—especially in fine control and tactical precision.
On the other hand—
The [Yin Corpse Curse of Calamity] was his trump card, meant to be used in tandem with Qingyang. With the setup complete, he now had the Moonfiend corpse unleash its [Curse Control Technique].
In an instant, corpse qi surged. Moonfiend energy rolled out in waves.
A thousand-meter radius was engulfed in gray-white mist. The sea of flame erupting from Flame-Spitter's palms was snuffed out completely. His eyes widened in surprise.
"So this is your ace—a tier-three Moonfiend corpse."
Now that he'd confirmed it, his attention focused entirely on Wang Yu and the corpse. His environmental awareness dropped. He shouted:
"City Lord of Spiritridge, perhaps this corpse truly has Core Formation strength—but can you keep up with that level of combat?"
Shing—
The low-grade artifact [Crimson Chain Sword] appeared in his hand. As his life-bound treasure, its power was formidable in his grasp.
With a reverse slash, a crimson arc of flame extended hundreds of meters, carving through the Moonfiend field with ease.
He cleaved away a third of the corpse domain. This was the power of a Core Formation cultivator—undeniably terrifying.
But Flame-Spitter looked even more shocked than Wang Yu.
"A variant corpse?"
He instantly grew cautious. No more taunts. He went all in—full power.
Three crimson pearls flew from his mouth, forming a trinity array behind him. Each orb burned with blood-red flame.
This was his ultimate move—[Three-Core Flame Spit].
But his target wasn't the corpse or the Moonfiend field—it was Wang Yu.
He knew exactly who the real threat was.
His foot shifted. A red serpent flickered beneath him.
This was the tier-three low-grade movement art [Serpent Spirit Escape], cultivated by refining the soul of a serpent demon. The higher the soul's grade, the better the technique.
As a Core Formation cultivator, even at early stage, he outclassed Wang Yu in every way.
Even Wang Yu's prized physique might not surpass his. They were likely evenly matched.
Core Formation was a full-body transformation.
Most cultivators didn't train their bodies deliberately, but the realm itself enhanced the flesh. A long-lived cultivator needed a body capable of containing vast, surging vitality.
Unless Wang Yu pushed his body cultivation to peak tier-two, even his physique would fall short.
Core Formation meant comprehensive power.
If Foundation Establishment could fight 30–40 peak Qi Refining cultivators, then Core Formation could take on 70–80 Foundation Establishment elites. Crossing a major realm gap was nearly impossible.
As Flame-Spitter suddenly appeared before him, Wang Yu—despite his confidence—felt a twinge of tension. Using himself as bait was always risky.
Especially against a veteran.
The fire pearls behind Flame-Spitter spun faster, forming a blazing ring. Sparks gathered at the center.
"Now."
Wang Yu triggered the [Yin Corpse Curse of Calamity], which he'd been holding back. It descended upon Flame-Spitter like a gaze from the abyss.
Flame-Spitter froze.
The terrifying Moonfiend energy invaded his body. His spiritual power went haywire. His divine ability failed to cast. His meridians clogged with corpse qi—only half his power remained.
His flesh was corroded. The Moonfiend energy gnawed at his life force, burrowing toward his bones. He grew weak, gasping for breath.
The pain clouded his mind. His vision dimmed. He could only force his spiritual sense to suppress the curse—but even that cost him half his mental strength.
The [Yin Corpse Curse of Calamity]—
A one-on-one debuff so powerful it defied fairness. It was the reason Wang Yu had identified the Moonfiend corpse as a rare variant.
The opening was brief.
But Wang Yu's battle instincts were sharp. He wouldn't miss it.
The demon spine roared—
He unleashed the full power of the [Dark Serpent Spine]. A 12-meter-long demonic dragon followed his palm strike. His perfected [Profound Yin Palm] condensed into a pinpoint blow.
Boom—!
Flame-Spitter flew backward like a broken kite. A black palm print marred his face. His neck twisted an inch. His head snapped sideways.
Yes—Wang Yu had slapped him across the face.
His already-blurred vision went black. The Profound Yin force invaded his brain. His senses and spiritual awareness went numb for a moment.
Then—
From the edge of the Moonfiend field, Qingyang leapt out, spinning as he hurled a scroll.
High-grade artifact—[Scroll of Splendid Mountains and Rivers].
The Inkveil Sect's founder's life-bound artifact. Only a true inheritor of his path could wield it fully.
Qingyang poured in 90% of his spiritual power.
The scroll burst with light. A painted landscape emerged, expanding into a visible mountain range that spanned nearly ten thousand meters.
It crashed down on the still-falling Flame-Spitter.
From afar—
Wang Yu swallowed hard. The shadow of the mountain loomed overhead. Even knowing he was safe, his heart pounded.
He murmured:
"So this is the power of a peak Core Formation cultivator… a single strike covering ten thousand meters. Destroying a city would be trivial."
Qingyang's case was special. He was just the power source. The true might lay in the artifact.
A cultivator's life-bound artifact grew stronger with each breakthrough—but only if refined with better materials.
Otherwise, it was like a child swinging a warhammer—dangerous to both sides. In artifact terms, it meant the weapon would crack after a full-power strike.
The [Scroll of Splendid Mountains and Rivers] had been refined to its peak by the Inkveil founder. It was one step from becoming tier-four.
As expected—
Flame-Spitter felt no pain when he died. His body was crushed ten meters into the earth. Only a smear of flesh and a shattered golden core remained.
Even the core was broken—its so-called indestructibility meaningless.
One strike.
Soul destroyed. Body annihilated.
Qingyang flew over, panting. He'd spent a long time preparing that attack. He looked regretful.
"The body's ruined. That's worth a lot of spirit stones."
Wang Yu rolled his eyes.
He found the storage ring and tossed it to Qingyang. Then he picked up the golden core fragments. These were the essence of a Core Formation cultivator.
Ground into powder, they were prized by masters of the [Human Pill Art]. A universal premium material. Add a pinch to any pill, and both quality and success rate would soar.
This core alone was worth over 500,000 spirit stones. Flame-Spitter's entire fortune might not be worth as much as his own body.
Qingyang accepted the ring and understood Wang Yu's meaning. Opening loot boxes was fun—there might be something even more valuable than the core.
He said:
"Any books or knowledge, I'll copy for you. The rest—including the ring—is mine."
"Deal."
This was standard practice among cultivators. Shareable knowledge was shared.
Unless it was a sealed inheritance like [Lunar Nether Eye], the strongest or most contributing member got first pick. Details varied by group.
Not wanting to waste anything, Wang Yu summoned the Moonfiend corpse to lick the remains clean. Core Formation flesh was nourishing.
Qingyang stayed behind to meditate and recover. Wang Yu, having spent little energy, rode Snow Jade to handle the mine.
There were 300–400 temporary miners. Most fled during the battle. A few hid in the tunnels.
Wang Yu wouldn't let them go.
The outer agents moved in. Every last one was caught. The benevolent City Lord gave them two choices:
Leave—or join the City Lord's Manor.
The miners knelt and pledged loyalty. Not out of pride—but fear. Rumor had it that those who left too proudly would be commemorated with a monument… for their "heroic sacrifice."
Wang Yu kept the incident quiet. By late afternoon, Qingyang had fully recovered.
"This place's spiritual veins are too weak. I need a tier-three vein for daily cultivation."
Wang Yu's eyes lit up.
"I recall Inkveil Sect only has one tier-three low-grade vein. If Brother Qingyang keeps the founder's relics to himself…"
That was enough.
No need to say more. Wang Yu changed the subject.
"Why not settle in Spiritridge? The manor has several spiritual veins—up to tier-three mid-grade. Enough for seven or eight Core Formation cultivators."
The gap between vein grades was massive. Their range and purity varied wildly. The core zone was a cultivation paradise.
For long-term planning, Wang Yu's offer was worth considering.
But internal politics and sect pressure were real concerns. Qingyang fell silent.
"Let's handle that after this is all settled," Qingyang said at last. "Bringing the experience from this battle into the next should make things much easier."
And indeed—
Compared to the mine, the Jade Thunder Banana Grove was guarded by only one early-stage Core Formation cultivator. With the tactics they'd just tested on Flame-Spitter, the second battle was practically a formality.
Though there was a minor hiccup.
Wang Yu was nearly scorched by a divine flame. His [Bluewater Sword], used defensively, was damaged in the process.
Even so—
The campaign to reclaim both resource sites was a complete success.
Two Core Formation cultivators slain in a single day.
(End of Chapter)
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