Chapter 121: The Path to Enlightenment, the Method of Corpse Demon Transformation, Qiu Heshan

Following this, Chen Yushu saw the water surface shake violently.

Clearly, beneath the water, Xiao Hei was already locked in a fierce battle with the "drowned corpse."

Before long, a severed arm drifted to the surface, carried by the churning currents from below.

"This... this..."

The old boatman turned deathly pale. Looking at Qi Jichuan with a face full of panic, he asked, "That young man, is he alright?"

"Don't worry."

Qi Jichuan waved his hand, his expression calm.

Chen Yushu showed no signs of concern either.

The threat of the drowned corpse was only magnified by the water; however, Xiao Hei was a zombie—a dead object itself—and had no need to breathe underwater. Its strength, even if not quite on par with an evil zombie, was not far behind.

Dealing with a single drowned corpse was naturally no challenge.

Indeed.

The commotion under the water soon ceased. Then, a body, bloated and sodden like a water-logged pig, flipped over and lay motionless on the surface.

It was the corpse of the drowned one.

At this moment, its head was twisted at an unnatural angle, one arm was severed, and a leg was bent completely backward. Even its chest was riddled with several holes—a truly gruesome sight.

Then, with a splash, Xiao Hei emerged from the water.

Zhao Yufeng stood up, grabbed Xiao Hei’s arm, and hauled it directly onto the boat.

"It’s fine now. Boatman, please continue rowing."

Only then did Qi Jichuan speak to the old boatman.

"Ah... ah... right..."

The old boatman let out two startled cries, as if just snapping back to reality. He kept glancing at Xiao Hei; for some reason, he felt that something was deeply wrong with the creature.

When it stood on the boat, despite being soaked through, its body did not shiver once while shaking off the water. And its eyes—he only now saw them clearly—were dull, showing only whites without pupils. Its face was a pale, ghastly blue, not like the complexion of a living person, but rather like... a corpse.

A corpse?

Combined with the fact that it had remained silent the entire journey, only moving when necessary...

He suddenly realized it was not human at all.

Thinking of how he had previously enthusiastically offered to introduce his daughter to the creature, his body trembled.

Thank goodness the other party hadn't agreed; otherwise, what a disaster that would have been!

The old boatman rowed slowly, no longer as relaxed as before, and dared not even glance at the group, acting with extreme caution.

Chen Yushu, for his part, no longer looked around.

The river was full of all sorts of things, and he feared that if he let his eyes wander, he might stumble upon something else.

Especially after using his "Qi Observation Technique," he clearly saw black mist rising from a nearby reed marsh.

Further away, near the center of the river, was a whirlpool that rotated from time to time. Inside that vortex, a distinct green aura swirled, suggesting something was hidden within as well.

"However, this is only because my Qi Observation Technique has reached the 'minor accomplishment' stage and is nearing 'great accomplishment.' Otherwise, it would have been hard to discover these things."

Chen Yushu had long since realized that the higher the level of his technique, the more he could perceive.

When he first started, he could only see the strength of others' incense-based cultivation and their vitality. Upon reaching proficiency, he could see the flow of earth energy in landscapes. Now, at the stage of minor accomplishment, he could see the unique, hidden auras within mountains and rivers—like those of drowned corpses or zombies.

He had been able to discover that evil zombie earlier precisely because his technique was already at the minor accomplishment stage, allowing him to "see" its aura in advance.

Chen Yushu then closed his eyes and began to practice the White Tiger Visualization.

Since he could not engage in martial arts training, he would not waste time.

As he practiced, the lifelike image of a white tiger took shape in his mind. Simultaneously, countless stray spiritual particles were drawn into his body through his visualization.

Once, twice, thrice...

Incense cultivation +1.

As his cultivation increased by a point, Chen Yushu slowly opened his eyes.

"How much further?" Chen Yushu asked.

"After passing this stretch of water and rounding the hill, we'll be there," the old boatman replied hurriedly.

"It’s no wonder you have such cultivation at your young age. Your diligence is truly remarkable. Even while sitting on a boat, you don't waste time and can calm your heart to enter meditation... Could it be that your meditative state has already reached 'Great Stillness'?"

Qi Jichuan spoke up, looking at him with eyes full of surprise.

Chen Yushu remained silent.

"Truly reached Great Stillness? That is... when I was your age, I had only reached 'Shallow Stillness.' It wasn't until my early twenties that I reached 'Minor Stillness.' As for Great Stillness, I only achieved it a few years ago due to a fortuitous encounter..."

Seeing this, Qi Jichuan couldn't help but show a look of envy.

Great Stillness!

While not an extraordinary realm, for any "Yin-Walker," it was an immensely important milestone—a clear dividing line between a genius and a mediocrity.

Only by reaching Great Stillness could a Yin-Walker potentially break through to the "Dao-Entry" level without relying on external forces. Otherwise, one would have to take crooked paths and use external power to force a breakthrough.

Although there were successful cases, the cost was often high.

He himself had only entered the state of Great Stillness a few years ago during a life-or-death crisis. He had always regarded that crisis as a stroke of luck, as it allowed him to turn the tables and solve his troubles. But even now, looking back, the danger still left him with lingering fear.

It could be said that he had pushed his internal cultivation up through countless hardships and life-or-death battles.

Therefore, he was immensely envious that Chen Yushu had reached the state of Great Stillness at such a young age.

"Compared to you, Senior Qi, I still have a long way to go," Chen Yushu shook his head.

"You don't need to comfort me. Only after entering Great Stillness do you truly understand that the difference between Minor Stillness and Great Stillness is vast. Now that I am also in Great Stillness, my cultivation speed is not slow. As long as I follow the steps, entering the Dao is not impossible," Qi Jichuan waved his hand, his eyes filled with confidence.

Although he had wasted much time on martial arts, his cultivation of incense and Dao had reached the fullness of "Three Sticks of Incense," just one step away from entering the Dao.

"However, there is one thing I have never understood. I wonder if you could enlighten me, Senior," Chen Yushu said, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"What is it?" Qi Jichuan asked.

"Why must the two of you insist on raising this corpse?"

Chen Yushu paused, then added, "Since we are acting together this time, I believe I have the right to know."

While he was essentially here to repay a favor, he did not want to dive into this blindly. He had a vague suspicion that the corpse they were raising was unusual—that it belonged to a powerful peer, their former master. The master's techniques would surely be brilliant, and no one knew what kind of traps had been laid for his own tomb.

He naturally needed to understand the situation clearly.

***

"That is something you should indeed know."

On the other side, Zhao Yufeng, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and spoke.

As he spoke, he glanced subtly at the old boatman at the bow.

He thought for a moment, reached into his cloth bag, and quickly pulled out seven small flags, planting them in seven positions on the deck.

He then formed hand seals and tapped one of the flags.

Immediately, a faint flow of light shimmered within the flags, and as it flickered and vanished, it connected the flags together.

Seeing the confusion on Chen Yushu's face, he explained, "This is a sound-isolation array. Once set, the sounds inside will be cut off and cannot be heard by anyone outside the space. Of course, it isn't very sophisticated; it wouldn't work against high-level martial artists or powerful Yin-Walkers. But for an ordinary boatman, it’s not a problem."

"I see." Chen Yushu nodded, looking at the positions of the seven flags. Under his Qi Observation Technique, the surrounding energy was transparent to him.

He then mentally reviewed the hand seals Zhao Yufeng had just used. Though they seemed complex, they held no secrets in his eyes.

With just one look, he could replicate them perfectly.

This was the power of "Constant Stillness"—an eidetic memory and the ability to replicate techniques flawlessly.

*So, I’ve successfully stolen a technique,* Chen Yushu thought to himself, though his face remained expressionless.

"Actually, the corpse we are raising this time is from the tomb of my and Qi Jichuan's master," Zhao Yufeng began. "This master took me, Qi Jichuan, and Qi Jichuan's sister, Qi Yuxiang, as disciples when we were very young, teaching us to walk the Yin path and explore tombs. I studied corpse-raising; Qi Yuxiang studied spirit-calling; and Qi Jichuan followed the path of refining the body through Yin-walking. I must admit, the old bastard was quite capable and had many secret techniques. We helped him with many things as we trained under him."

"However, back then, he hadn't revealed his true nature. It wasn't until I and Qi Yuxiang developed feelings for each other and asked him to officiate our wedding that the old bastard's attitude changed. He agreed on the surface, but the day before the wedding, he sent me and Qi Jichuan away. When we returned the next day, Yuxiang, she..."

As he spoke, Zhao Yufeng’s emotions became agitated, his eyes welling with tears.

Qi Jichuan patted his senior brother's shoulder and took over the story. "My sister was found dead in her room, wearing nothing but a bodice, her body reduced to skin and bone. That old bastard... he had just suffered a serious injury and ended up using a 'harvesting technique' on my sister, draining her to death..."

Chen Yushu remained silent. He could not judge such a matter, but he understood their feelings perfectly.

To leave home and return to find one's sister and fiancée dead, broken, and drained by the very person they trusted most—the trauma was immense. It was no wonder their hatred had festered for so many years.

"After that, we began a desperate search for revenge. But he knew that committing such an act would invite our wrath, and since he was wounded and no match for us, he fled. We tracked him for a long time until, recently, my senior brother discovered his trail and confirmed that he had set his own tomb here," Qi Jichuan said, a fierce glint in his eyes.

"So, I cannot let him rest in peace. This corpse must be raised. Even though our hatred for him is boundless, we have to admit his methods were extraordinary. He mastered many strange techniques, some even secret traditions from the profound schools. We don't know how he learned them, but among them is a 'method for entering the Dao'."

At this mention, Zhao Yufeng’s face showed a hint of longing.

"A method for entering the Dao?" Chen Yushu was stunned.

He had long since discovered that his White Tiger Visualization could only support him up to the 'Three Sticks of Incense' level. The path to Dao-Entry and beyond was completely cut off. He knew that 'Dao-Entry' followed the 'Three Sticks of Incense' stage, but he didn't know how to reach it or what the subsequent path looked like.

He had considered asking Sister Qiaoer for the subsequent cultivation methods, but she had already helped him enough, and he didn't want to seem overly ambitious while still only at the 'Two Sticks of Incense' stage.

Hearing about the 'method for entering the Dao,' his heart couldn't help but stir.

"Yes. A method for entering the Dao. Before he was injured, that old bastard had already reached the fullness of 'Three Sticks of Incense' and was about to enter the Dao. We were helping him prepare for it, which is how we knew he possessed such a method. To be honest, it's shameful—the reason we are raising his corpse, besides avenging Yuxiang, is that we hope to obtain this method from his tomb. We have both been stuck at the 'Three Sticks of Incense' stage for too long."

Zhao Yufeng fell silent for a moment.

"Senior Brother, you don't need to blame yourself," Qi Jichuan consoled him. "While we have our own selfish motives, it's human nature. Our sister is dead; we cannot bring her back. Avenging her and taking back what is ours is perfectly normal. Besides, don't forget, the old bastard planned to refine himself into a 'Corpse Demon.' Once a Corpse Demon is formed, it starts at the 'Calamity' level and retains most of its memories. If we wait for him to grow in power, he will be the one hunting us."

Zhao Yufeng waved his hand. "Don't worry, I've moved past that. That old bastard had a corpse-refining array that was truly formidable. My Xiao Hei is just a product of a fraction of that array, and yet it reached the 'Evil' level in just a few years. That old bastard could set up a double-layered array. Using that century-old tomb as the first layer, he would draw power to fuel his own tomb as the second. So, despite his short burial time, his cultivation is profound. We are in for a hard fight."

"And there's his technique for transforming into a Corpse Demon. I don't know where he got it. That old bastard came from humble beginnings—he was just a charlatan initially, only starting his Yin-walking training in his twenties and taking us on at thirty. Yet, he kept acquiring more and more techniques. I always felt he was hiding a great secret."

"Regardless," Zhao Yufeng said calmly, "once we raise his corpse tonight, we will know."

"Thank you, seniors, for the clarification," Chen Yushu said, bowing.

He felt an inexplicable tension. A Corpse Demon starting at the 'Calamity' level! This was a massive deterrent, and he did not believe his current strength could contend with such an existence.

"Don't worry. Becoming a Corpse Demon is not easy. Any mistake and one will not only fail the transformation but be refined into nothingness. Besides, even if he prepared everything perfectly, he wouldn't be able to fully transform within a mere ten years," Qi Jichuan said, sensing Chen Yushu's hesitation.

As they spoke, the small boat continued along the river. Before long, it pulled up to the side of a reed marsh and stopped.

"Boss, boss..." The old boatman approached cautiously, looking for instructions.

Zhao Yufeng retracted his array, retrieving the small flags one by one.

Qi Jichuan stood up and asked, "Are we there?"

"Yes, Boss. We are still a bit of a distance from Qiuhe Mountain, which you mentioned earlier. However, I just saw official government boats and several merchant vessels from the 'Sea-Swooping Gang.' This boat is my livelihood; I dare not get too close to them. If my boat were confiscated, my family would have no way to survive. So, I took the liberty of stopping here."

"That’s fine. How far is it to Qiuhe Mountain from here?" Qi Jichuan asked.

Chen Yushu immediately realized that the official boats and the Sea-Swooping Gang's vessels were likely the authorities and the many people who had flocked here due to the news of the century-old tomb. If he remembered correctly, the government had set the tomb-opening time for today.

"It's not far, not far at all. If you go ashore here, walk around this mountain to the other side, you'll be there. In fact, it's faster to go this way; if we rowed the boat, we'd have to take a huge detour, which would take even longer," the old boatman explained.

"Oh? Then let's disembark here," Zhao Yufeng said, rising.

Chen Yushu and Qi Jichuan had no objections. They all went ashore.

Finally, Xiao Hei, under Zhao Yufeng's control, gave a hop. With a thud, it landed on the shore.

Seeing this, the old boatman trembled, not daring to ask a word, and hurriedly waved his hand. "Safe travels, bosses."

With that, he pushed off from the bank with his bamboo pole.

"Hey, wait..." Qi Jichuan called out.

The old boatman shuddered and turned back tremblingly. "What is it?" He didn't dare to row away.

"You haven't taken your payment yet," Qi Jichuan said, rolling his eyes.

"Right, right... I forgot, I forgot..." The old boatman breathed a sigh of relief, carefully poled the boat back, took the silver from Qi Jichuan, and then, without daring to linger, rowed away at top speed.

"Senior Brother, it seems your Xiao Hei scared the man," Qi Jichuan laughed.

"He was just in a hurry to get home. Xiao Hei is usually very docile," Zhao Yufeng said calmly.

He then took the lead, heading quickly toward the hill the boatman had pointed out. Behind him, Xiao Hei hopped along—not fast, but with significant strides. Fortunately, the area was deserted, so no one else was there to be terrified by the sight.

Chen Yushu and Qi Jichuan followed.

Half an hour later, the group climbed the mountain and had a hasty lunch by a mountain spring.

Standing on the summit, Qi Jichuan pointed to a spot ahead and said, "Do you see that protruding hill near the river?"

Seeing Chen Yushu nod, he continued, "That is Qiuhe Mountain. And three miles west of Qiuhe Mountain is the Water-Curtain Ravine."

Chen Yushu looked at the positions of the two hills. It was clear that the two hills were linked together like a gourd.

From their vantage point, he also spotted the government boats and the Sea-Swooping Gang's vessels. They were packed with people. Among them were not only many martial artists but also several Yin-Walkers he found somewhat familiar—people he had seen at the market.

For instance, the burly man carrying a coffin was sitting at the bow of a Sea-Swooping Gang vessel, with the coffin placed beside him. People were keeping a wide berth, clearly afraid of the taboo.

Besides him, there was the talisman maker, Master Feng, and on another boat, he even saw the 'Three Heroes of Lingxia'...

"Water-Curtain Ravine is the tomb of that great martial master—the century-old tomb. And Qiuhe Mountain, if we aren't mistaken, is the burial ground that old bastard chose for himself," Qi Jichuan said, his eyes flashing with excitement.

He had prepared for this day for a long time. Now that it was finally time to act, he couldn't help but feel nervous and excited.

"Should we head to Qiuhe Mountain now?" Chen Yushu asked, shifting his gaze away from the boats.