Inside the Moon Peak Emperor's treasure chamber,
The vast chamber was filled with countless treasures: precious gems, rare metals, powerful enchantment scrolls, talismans, weapons, and armor once wielded by powerful experts before the beginning of the Age of Darkness. All of them had remained hidden within the treasury for thousands of years.
Until Xue Hui and his group finally discovered it.
Under normal circumstances, the sight of such an unprecedented wealth of treasures would have filled Xue Hui, Chen Zhenlong, and Chen Linlin with excitement.
Yet none of them could afford to celebrate.
Instead, a heavy atmosphere hung over the chamber, pressing down on everyone present.
The reason was simple. The moment they made their move, Xue Hui, Chen Zhenlong, Chen Linlin, and even Silver would have to face a life-and-death battle against Guān Ning, the Corpse Servant.
Before her death, Guān Ning had been one of the few servants to reach Legend Rank as a Demon Spiritualist.
Bound by the Soul Slave Imprint, she had been ordered by the Moon Peak Emperor to protect Lady Suo Leiyue's body at all costs.
The emperor had coveted the unrivaled, heaven-defying treasure hidden within Suo Leiyue's body.
The Glaze Blood.
Unfortunately for him, fate had other plans.
Before the Moon Peak Emperor could obtain the Glaze Blood, the Age of Darkness descended.
Tens of billions of demon beasts swept across the land, destroying empires and kingdoms while slaughtering countless humans.
The Moon Peak Emperor himself was among the casualties.
With their master dead, Guān Ning and the other servants remained trapped inside the treasure chamber.
As the years passed, one servant after another perished from hunger, disease, and the passage of time.
Despite possessing enough cultivation to survive in the outside world, none of them could leave the chamber. The Soul Slave Imprint bound them to their master's final decree, forbidding them from abandoning their posts.
The Moon Peak Emperor's command was absolute.
They were to remain inside the treasure chamber and protect it, no matter what happened.
As the strongest among the servants, Guān Ning survived longer than the rest.
Eventually, however, her time came.
When death finally approached, Guān Ning believed she would at last sink into the endless slumber she had long yearned for.
Instead, her curse continued.
In her final moments, with her body already on the verge of collapse, Guān Ning crawled toward the mountain of treasures. Driven by the lingering command engraved upon her soul, she unknowingly retrieved an artifact she had long forgotten existed.
The Soul Attachment Crystal.
Even in death, the Soul Slave Imprint compelled her to use the artifact to continue fulfilling her master's decree.
The crystal bound her soul to her own corpse, allowing her to remain beside Suo Leiyue's body and continue her eternal vigil.
For thousands of years, Guān Ning guarded the Eternal Tomb, waiting for the day the Moon Peak Emperor would finally release her from her duty.
But as the centuries passed, the Soul Slave Imprint gradually began to weaken.
Guān Ning could already sense that the shackles binding her soul to her master's command were on the verge of breaking.
She suspected it wouldn't be long before she could finally escape her servitude.
Once that happened, she would be able to remove the Soul Attachment Crystal and allow her soul to pass into the afterlife.
She had even intended to take her old acquaintance, Suo Leiyue, with her, burning the entire treasure chamber to ashes so that neither of them would have to remain trapped in this cursed place any longer.
But fate had other plans.
Before the Soul Slave Imprint could finally lose its effect, someone had actually managed to find and enter the treasure chamber.
After listening to their story, Guān Ning had willingly agreed to let the little girl obtain the Glaze Blood.
Unfortunately, she remained bound by the Moon Peak Emperor's decree.
With a heavy heart, Guān Ning had no choice but to fight them to fulfill her duty.
Now, she stepped away from the altar, deliberately allowing the others to reposition themselves and giving them whatever advantage she could.
Far from the Eternal Tomb, Guān Ning stood facing Chen Zhenlong and Silver, the white demon donkey.
The two stood ready to intercept her.
Behind them, Xue Hui and Chen Linlin stood hand in hand, only a few steps away from the Eternal Tomb.
'Xiao Hui, take the Eternal Tomb into the Sacred Jade Room. You and Linlin will be safer inside.'
Facing the Corpse Servant, Chen Zhenlong sent Xue Hui a voice transmission, urging him to retreat into the Sacred Jade Room with his daughter and the Eternal Tomb.
'I will once things get hectic.'
Chen Zhenlong frowned at Xue Hui's response.
He didn't like the idea of the two children remaining exposed while he and Silver fought Guān Ning.
He was about to repeat his instructions when another voice transmission interrupted him.
'Removing the Eternal Tomb from Senior Guān Ning's sight would only trigger the final command imposed upon her by the emperor.'
Chen Zhenlong glanced back at Xue Hui, his expression questioning.
Still holding Chen Linlin's hand, Xue Hui continued approaching the Eternal Tomb while giving the older man a sidelong glance.
'If that happens, the Soul Slave Imprint will overwhelm whatever consciousness Guān Ning has left, forcing her into a berserk state to fulfill her duty.'
Xue Hui's tone grew serious.
'Trust me, Lord Patriarch. You won't want fighting her in that state.'
After hearing his explanation, Chen Zhenlong turned his attention back to Guān Ning.
Gritting his teeth, he clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked.
Fine. He would simply have to ensure that Guān Ning never got the chance to approach the children.
Meanwhile, Guān Ning remained motionless, her eyes following Xue Hui as he approached the altar.
She was waiting.
The moment Xue Hui began refining the Glaze Blood, the Soul Slave Imprint would compel her to attack them.
"Senior, please go easy on us youngsters," Xue Hui said as he finally reached the Eternal Tomb.
Chen Zhenlong noticed that the moment Xue Hui approached the tomb, Guān Ning's body began to twitch.
Her arms, which had previously hung loosely at her sides, slowly rose. Her hands opened, revealing five elongated nails on each hand, each measuring nearly thirteen inches in length.
The razor-sharp nails gleamed with an ominous golden hue.
A dreadful aura radiated from them, immediately putting Chen Zhenlong and Silver on guard.
"I will do my best, little one. I sincerely wish you success," Guān Ning replied.
Her guttural voice trembled more than before, betraying the struggle within her.
Upon hearing her response, Xue Hui's polite expression vanished.
With a casual wave of his arms, the ten Whiskered Water-Attribute Needles appeared before him, hovering in the air like a swarm of tiny insects.
With another flick of his finger, the repaired Liu Jiaren appeared.
It circled Chen Linlin, emitting a soft buzzing sound as it formed a protective barrier around her. The formation would shield her from incoming attacks while also insulating her from the overwhelming spiritual pressure that would soon fill the chamber.
"Lord Patriarch! Silver! Get ready!"
After warning the two, Xue Hui unleashed the aura of a Three-Star Bronze Rank Demon Spiritualist.
He stomped heavily on the ground.
With a loud rumble, the stone lid of the Eternal Tomb shot out of its base and soared into the air.
Xue Hui immediately leaped upward, caught the lid with his foot, and kicked the massive slab toward Guān Ning with tremendous force.
THUD!
WHOOSH!
BOOM!
Watching the incoming slab, Guān Ning charged forward without the slightest hesitation.
Just as her face came within inches of the stone lid, she bent backward and raised one arm, gently placing her hand against its surface.
With a graceful twist of her body, she redirected its momentum, guiding the enormous slab past her before allowing it to crash to the ground in front of her.
THUD!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Using the stone lid as a shield, Guān Ning blocked the combined attacks of Chen Zhenlong and Silver, much to their surprise.
"Mischievous little one," Guān Ning whispered.
A dangerous glint flashed through her sunken eyes.
Chen Zhenlong, still in his demon spirit form, could hardly believe what he had just witnessed.
Despite having lost most of the skin on her face, the Corpse Servant appeared to be smiling.
Before Chen Zhenlong could launch another attack, Guān Ning suddenly seized one of his horns and yanked it with tremendous force.
His massive body flipped through the air before crashing heavily onto the ground.
Before he could recover, Guān Ning stomped down on him, forcing the air from his lungs. Using his body as leverage, she sprang forward toward the Eternal Tomb.
"NO!" Chen Zhenlong roared in horror.
"I can't help it," Guān Ning replied apologetically.
Before she could reach the tomb, however, a white blur shot toward her from the side.
THUD!
Silver slammed into Guān Ning with tremendous force, sending her flying several meters away from the altar.
"RAUL!"
The white demon donkey planted himself firmly in front of the Eternal Tomb, shielding Xue Hui and Chen Linlin.
He let out a loud bray, as though warning Guān Ning that she would have to get past him before she could reach the children.
"What a good demon beast," Guān Ning remarked as she slowly rose to her feet.
The battle between the Corpse Servant, Chen Zhenlong, and Silver erupted once more, their exchanges shaking the entire treasure chamber.
Meanwhile, Xue Hui had already immersed himself in the refining process.
Before him lay Suo Leiyue's body. Despite having been dead for thousands of years, her remains showed no signs of deterioration.
This meant that the Moon Glaze Eternal Lotus Physique had remained perfectly intact.
Using the ten Whiskered Water-Attribute Needles, Xue Hui carefully guided each one into the appropriate meridian points along her body.
He then took out his inscription ink and began drawing several intricate patterns across her skin. Each inscription glowed faintly as soon as he finished laying it down.
Once the preparations were complete, Xue Hui injected his soul force into the inscriptions.
BADUMP!
BADUMP!
BADUMP!
The patterns flared with radiant light, and a powerful, rhythmic thumping echoed throughout the treasure chamber.
It sounded remarkably like a beating heart.
SHRIEKK!
"LORD PATRIARCH, BE CAREFUL! SHE'S GOING BERSERK!"
Xue Hui shouted a warning as he sensed the sudden change in Guān Ning.
The Soul Slave Imprint was beginning to overwhelm her remaining consciousness.
Ignoring the battle raging behind him, Xue Hui continued refining the Glaze Blood.
Using the ten Whiskered Water-Attribute Needles, he slowly extracted the essence blood from Suo Leiyue's body.
Drop by drop, the blood rose from the tips of the needles, gathering above her body. As the droplets converged, they formed a single mass that pulsed like a living heart.
Its color gradually shifted from deep red to a brilliant golden hue.
This was the essence of the Moon Glaze Eternal Lotus Physique, slowly transforming into Glaze Blood.
Chen Linlin watched silently from the side, her watery eyes fixed on the golden blood floating before her.
As she watched it dance in the air, absorbing the droplets emerging from the needles, her own heart began to pound.
The powerful rhythm within her chest seemed to resonate with the beating emanating from the Glaze Blood, as though the two were responding to each other.
Meanwhile, Chen Zhenlong and Silver were locked in a fierce battle against the now-berserk Guān Ning.
Her entire demeanor had changed since the rhythmic thumping began to fill the chamber.
Her attacks grew deadlier, and she became increasingly relentless in her attempts to break through their defenses and reach the altar.
Chen Zhenlong dodged a kick before stepping forward and closing the distance between them. He drove his palm into Guān Ning's chest, sending her sliding backward.
Before she could regain her footing, a white blur crashed into her, hurling her even farther away.
Under the relentless assault of the two and the incessant beating echoing from the altar, the Soul Slave Imprint finally overwhelmed the last remnants of Guān Ning's consciousness.
The Corpse Servant unleashed her full strength.
Although her transformation into a corpse had severely weakened her cultivation, reducing her from the peak of Legend Rank to Five-Star Black Gold Rank, the intensity of her aura remained terrifying.
It was enough to make both Chen Zhenlong and Silver freeze for a brief moment.
That hesitation was all Guān Ning needed.
She lunged at them, striking both with overwhelming force and sending them crashing to the ground.
With her opponents temporarily out of the way, she dashed toward the altar, letting out a piercing shriek as she spotted Xue Hui refining the Glaze Blood.
Her arm shot forward, all five elongated nails aimed directly at the boy, intent on tearing the small intruder apart.
Sensing the incoming threat, Xue Hui refused to take his eyes off the Glaze Blood.
Instead, he swept one arm toward Guān Ning.
As he formed a hand seal, a series of runes appeared above his palm, rotating rapidly.
BOOM!
WHOOSH!
THUD!
The Fuzhuang Box, now glowing with the same runes that covered its surface, suddenly shot toward Guān Ning with tremendous speed.
As it neared her, the box burst apart into numerous fragments, each piece darting toward her body.
GROOONG!
THRRRANK!
KLANG… KLANG…
The fragments latched onto Guān Ning, shifting and interlocking as they rapidly encased her body in a metallic shell.
Her advance came to an abrupt halt, and she crashed heavily to the ground with a resounding clang.
DANG…
Seeing that Guān Ning had been successfully trapped inside the transformed Fuzhuang Box, Xue Hui let out a relieved sigh before immediately returning his attention to the refining process.
Unfortunately, his relief lasted only an instant.
Ten elongated spikes suddenly burst outward from within the metal shell, shattering its inscription locks and causing the entire construct to explode.
BOOM!
"KYAAA!"
Chen Linlin instinctively covered her ears in terror as the explosion shook the chamber.
The violent tremors threw her off balance, causing her to fall backward onto the floor.
Fortunately, Liu Jiaren's protective formation remained intact, shielding her from the blast.
However, worry quickly overwhelmed her when she realized that Xue Hui, unlike herself, had no protective barrier around him.
"Hui-Hui!" she cried anxiously.
Dust and smoke filled the chamber, obscuring Xue Hui's vision. A ringing sound overwhelmed his ears, drowning out everything around him.
Yet he refused to stop.
The refining process was almost complete, and he continued guiding Suo Leiyue's essence toward its final transformation into Glaze Blood.
Caught off guard by how quickly Guān Ning had escaped from the Fuzhuang Prison, Xue Hui had no time to summon the Sacred Jade Room.
a sudden sense of foreboding surged through his body.
He moved without hesitation.
SPLURT!
SPLURT!
SPLURT!
"UAGH!"
"HUI-HUI!"
Chen Linlin's horrified scream echoed throughout the treasure chamber.
With barely a second to react, Xue Hui twisted his small body during the attack. Although Guān Ning's elongated nails pierced through him, he managed to avoid his heart, lungs, and other vital organs.
WOOSH!
BANG!
Before Guān Ning could raise her other arm for another strike, Chen Zhenlong appeared behind her and seized her from the back.
He dragged her away from the children before delivering a powerful punch that sent her flying.
Meanwhile, Silver stood protectively in front of Xue Hui and Chen Linlin, his expression radiating fury as he glared at Guān Ning.
"RAAAUUL!"
After sending the Corpse Servant flying, Chen Zhenlong hurriedly turned toward Xue Hui.
His heart ached at the sight of his daughter kneeling on the ground, tears streaming down her face as she desperately clawed at the protective barrier.
She kept calling Xue Hui's name, unable to reach the boy who had just been wounded while protecting her.
Ignoring the pain, Xue Hui quickly retrieved a Nine Transformation Pill from his interspatial ring and swallowed it.
White steam rose from his body as the pill's medicinal effects took hold, gradually closing his wounds.
"Linlin, I'm fine. See?"
Xue Hui smiled reassuringly at the crying girl before turning his attention back to the Glaze Blood.
"Am I really this useless?"
Chen Zhenlong muttered under his breath.
He couldn't believe he had failed to protect Xue Hui and Chen Linlin.
Throughout their journey, he had repeatedly found himself relying on Xue Hui to keep them safe. Time and again, the boy had been the one to resolve their crises and protect everyone from danger.
Yet when the time came for Xue Hui to rely on him, he had failed.
Because of that failure, the boy had been injured right before his eyes.
"That won't do," Chen Zhenlong muttered.
He was a powerful expert who had spent his entire life climbing the ranks, eventually reaching a level of strength second only to Lord Ye Mo.
How could he, Chen Zhenlong, remain so helpless when it came to protecting his loved ones?
He was Chen Zhenlong, a Black Gold Rank Demon Spiritualist of Glory City, the patriarch of the Divine Family, and a father.
"With my strength, I will protect everyone, or die trying!"
Gritting his teeth, Chen Zhenlong stepped forward.
Each footstep landed with tremendous weight, causing the ground beneath him to tremble. His soul force erupted from his body, surging beyond the limits of his current rank.
"I, Chen Zhenlong, will make sure you never hurt my children again!"
BOOM!
Wave after wave of majestic soul force burst from his body.
His hair and clothes fluttered violently in the turbulent energy, giving him an awe-inspiring presence.
Gradually, his demon spirit form receded.
Yet his aura showed no signs of weakening. On the contrary, it grew denser and more powerful with every passing moment.
The concentrated soul force transformed into lightning, coiling around his body and flickering with brilliant flashes.
Beneath his feet, arcs of lightning gathered, crackling and illuminating the ground.
With a deep breath, Chen Zhenlong stepped forward.
But instead of placing his foot on the ground, he began to rise into the air.
With each step, ripples of soul force formed beneath his feet, allowing him to walk through the air as though an invisible staircase lay before him.
Without realizing it, Chen Zhenlong had crossed the threshold that countless cultivators spent their entire lives striving to reach.
A realm many dreamed of entering, yet only a select few ever managed to attain.
LEGEND RANK DEMON SPIRITUALIST!
Xue Hui glanced at Chen Zhenlong's imposing figure as the older man floated majestically in the air.
A knowing grin spread across his face.
"Finally."
End of Chapter 27