Gateway of Immortality
Chapter 448: On Corpse Refinement

Chapter 448: On Corpse Refinement

Qin Sang had not deceived the fat man.

From the three stalks of Soul-Guiding Grass, he had refined a total of seven Heavenly Corpse Talismans.

Before entering the Yuncang Marshlands, he had already used five of them.

One was used on Yu Dayue, but the attempt to refine a living corpse had failed. Another was used on Liang Yan, and though the living corpse was successfully refined, it was ultimately destroyed by Yu Hua in the Endless Valley.

One was given to Tan Jie to keep his soul from dissipating, while Qin Sang used another one to preserve his own life.

The last was used to seal Yu Hua's primordial spirit, but since Qin Sang was never entirely confident in his control over it, he had refrained from attempting corpse refinement, keeping Yu Hua sealed in the Corpse Puppet Pouch to this day.

Since Soul-Guiding Grass was rare and difficult to find, Qin Sang had to keep one talisman in reserve, just in case. As a result, over the past three years, he had only refined a single living corpse, which he later sold.

Manager Bao did not believe Qin Sang’s nonsense. He continued speaking to himself, "Daoist, your corpse refinement technique is truly unique. Those refined corpses you create are incredibly powerful. If you have any of higher quality that you’re willing to part with, my shop will certainly offer you a satisfying price. However, while my knowledge may be limited, I’ve been a manager for many years and have developed a certain eye for these things. Based on what I can tell, among the two types of corpses that you have refined, your living corpses are clearly far superior to these other refined corpses. No, they’re simply incomparable! The higher the cultivation level, the greater the gap!"

Qin Sang chuckled. Turning his head slightly, he glanced at the nine malevolent corpses standing nearby. They had just been belittled to their faces, yet remained as oblivious as ever.

"To you, these malevolent corpses of mine are utterly worthless?"

Manager Bao immediately shook his head. "Daoist, please don’t joke with me. I don’t speak without reason. I’m certain you understand what I just said..."

Qin Sang feigned interest, appearing willing to hear more.

"In that case, I shall speak frankly. I hope you won’t take offense."

Manager Bao shot a glance at the malevolent corpses before continuing.

"Just now, I heard you refer to these nine refined corpses as malevolent corpses."

"Malevolent corpses are undoubtedly powerful, stronger than those produced by other corpse refinement techniques. However, they have two major flaws."

"First, malevolent corpses cannot be improved!"

"Other corpse refinement methods can enhance their refined corpses through means such as nourishing them in yin veins or employing other secret arts. Some ghost cultivators[1] even refine their refined corpses into their lifebound corpses, allowing them to grow alongside their own cultivation, with limitless future potential."

"To be honest, when I first saw your malevolent corpses, I was deeply intrigued. I even kept one for further study, only to realize just how peculiar your corpse refinement technique truly is."

"It seems that from the moment they are refined, malevolent corpses are already set in stone."

"I have tried applying various corpse refinement techniques to them, yet none could improve their strength in the slightest. Even placing them in a yin vein for nourishment resulted in no visible changes."

"At first, I suspected it might be due to the influence of Earth Malevolent Qi, so I went to great lengths to acquire some. Yet, it still made no difference."

"As a cultivator's strength continues to grow, these malevolent corpses will remain stagnant, unable to keep pace. Before long, they’ll become obsolete. Wouldn’t you agree this is their greatest flaw?""

Manager Bao’s eyes gleamed with confidence as he posed the question to Qin Sang.

Under his black robes, Qin Sang’s gaze flickered. He was truly surprised by Manager Bao’s words.

He had not expected the man to be so knowledgeable in corpse refinement, and his deductions were entirely correct.

In the Heavenly Yin Corpse Art, the method for refining malevolent corpses was indeed as Manager Bao had described—it was limited to the strength the corpse had in life. Once refined, it reached its peak and could never be improved, remaining that way until its eventual destruction.

The same applied to living corpses, though it was only through Wu Shang’s notes that Qin Sang had learned a secret art to elevate a living corpse into a flying yaksha.

However, the Heavenly Yin Corpse Art had one key advantage: it allowed for the rapid completion of corpse refinement, without the need for lengthy nurturing.

Of course, the Heavenly Corpse Sect also had conventional corpse-nurturing methods.

For instance, the method for refining zombies was similar to other sects' corpse refinement techniques. Their strength could gradually increase alongside their master’s cultivation and even absorb a strand of Earth Malevolent Qi to temper their bodies, making them far stronger than other corpse refinement techniques.

However, Qin Sang had no interest in staying in malevolent yin lands forever, living alongside a refined corpse day and night. Nor was he inclined to invest the time and energy required to nurture a lifebound corpse. To him, corpse refinement was merely a tool for combat and self-defense.

Seeing Qin Sang remain silent in contemplation, Manager Bao did not mind and continued speaking.

"I did gain some insights, however. I discovered that the dantian of a malevolent corpse is distinct from other refined corpses, likely due to a secret art used by you in its refinement."

"And that dantian is precisely what I consider to be the second flaw!"

"In addition to sharing the same weaknesses as other refined corpses, malevolent corpses also possess a fatal weakness—their dantian!"

"I don’t know what secret art you used to fortify the malevolent corpses' dantian, allowing them to withstand the impact of Earth Malevolent Qi."

"But Earth Malevolent Qi is not so easily tamed. If their dantian is destroyed, the malevolent qi within them will surge uncontrollably, setting off a chain reaction that will lead to the complete collapse of the malevolent corpse, leaving no room for recovery."

"Furthermore, malevolent corpses possess extremely low spiritual intelligence, driven only by their killing instincts. In the ever-changing flow of battle, if their master is unable to control them at a critical moment, an opponent need only exploit a single weakness to easily destroy them."

"This might not be an issue when facing weaker opponents, who may not immediately notice. But the stronger the adversary, the sharper their insight. A battle-hardened expert could likely see through the weakness of a malevolent corpse at a glance, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they capitalized on it."

"However, this is not the case for living corpses!"

"I only caught a brief glimpse of that living corpse’s master before they left, so I was unable to study it in detail. I do not know if living corpses can be enhanced through corpse-nurturing or if they have other abilities. But one thing I can say for certain—the living corpse exhibited remarkable spiritual intelligence! It instinctively knew how to avoid danger and protect its weak points. In battles between high-level cultivators, this trait makes a living corpse vastly more useful!"

Manager Bao finished his lengthy analysis in one breath, then drained his cup of tea in a single gulp. Smacking his lips with lingering satisfaction, he asked, "Daoist, did I miss anything?"

Qin Sang straightened up and cupped his hands. "Manager Bao, your keen insight is truly remarkable. You deduced so much from a single malevolent corpse—I feel as if you’ve nearly seen through all my secrets. Impressive, truly impressive! However, I was not deceiving you. Though living corpses are indeed powerful, their refinement is extraordinarily difficult, with requirements so stringent that even if I wished to refine one, I simply lack the ability. If there is nothing else, I would appreciate it if you could appraise these for me. I must return to my cultivation and will not trouble you further."

Hearing the sincerity in Qin Sang’s words, Manager Bao couldn’t help but look disappointed. However, he was unwilling to give up and pressed on persistently. "No need to rush, Daoist! Just because you don’t have a living corpse now doesn’t mean you won’t in the future. Let me ask you just one thing—given enough time, is there any possibility you could refine a living corpse comparable to a Fake Core Realm expert?"

Qin Sang gave Manager Bao a deep look, hesitated for a moment, and then replied, "It’s impossible for a living corpse to match the Fake Core Realm... But perhaps, a late-stage Foundation Building living corpse is possible. However, don’t compare living corpses to other refined corpses. Their abilities far exceed what you might imagine."

Upon hearing this, Manager Bao’s expression lit up with joy, and he asked eagerly, "What would it take for you to sell a living corpse? I might not be able to afford it myself, but I can certainly help connect you with the right buyers."

Qin Sang’s heart stirred slightly, and he spoke with deep meaning, "If you can truly help me find a buyer, I only need three things. First, a spiritual object that aids in Core Formation; second, a natural treasure capable of restoring one’s foundation; third, a demonic core no more than ten years removed from its body, or..."

Halfway through his sentence, Qin Sang suddenly stopped speaking.

Manager Bao’s face instantly darkened.

1. These are cultivators who cultivate the path of ghosts. ☜