Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit
Chapter 106 - 84 Beast Taming! Corpse Driving! Talisman! [2nd update, asking for monthly passes!]

Chapter 106: Chapter 84 Beast Taming! Corpse Driving! Talisman! [2nd update, asking for monthly passes!]

"Someone just infiltrated Wusheng City, stole the corpses of Wuu Guangquan, Mo Qingdi, Chu Nan, and others, and also abducted Elder Cao. Before leaving, they left a letter, claiming to be Zhou Mingchuan from the Wenyang Zhou Family."

Mu Junxiong spoke as he presented an envelope.

Chen Jichuan took the envelope.

On the envelope, it indeed bore the words, "Zhou Mingchuan of the Wenyang Zhou Family."

Wang Quan and Xue Zhong stretched their necks to take a look, and instantly their gazes met, filled with unease.

To facilitate the alliance of the three factions and dispel all doubts, they had come up with a plan: use external pressure to force a resolution.

Thus.

They had "Ghost Face" Cao Zheng manipulate corpses to steal other corpses, intentionally get discovered, and claim to be a disciple of the Zhou Family, putting the blame on the Wenyang Zhou Family.

It was just borrowing a name.

The Martial Alliance did nothing to the Wenyang Zhou Family afterward. Who would have thought the Zhou Family would follow the trail and truly come knocking?

"Now this is troublesome."

Wang Quan frowned, glancing at Chen Jichuan. "The Wenyang Zhou Family is part of the ’Corpse Chasing Clan.’ Since the founding of Great Chu, they’ve been active in Yongg State and nearby counties and prefectures. The Zhou Family corpse drivers practice secret techniques, capable of bringing the corpses of those who died away from home back to their native land for proper burial. Their origins are mysterious and their power eerie, making them terrifyingly formidable. ’Zhou Family Corpse Chasing Technique,’ Five Immortals Sect’s ’Gu Poison,’ and the Falling Flower Cave Girl of the Barbarian Tribes are collectively called the ’Three Terrors of Yongg State.’ They are not easy to provoke."

However,

The Zhou Family and the Five Immortals Sect have a deep-seated feud. Both sides withdraw into Wenyang County, refusing to venture out and risk exposure to their enemies.

As a result, they rarely interfere in external matters.

Because of this,

Chen Jichuan had made the decision to borrow the Zhou Family’s name to form the Martial Alliance.

Who knew it would end up drawing the attention of the real Zhou Family?

"Corpse Chasing—"

Chen Jichuan had some understanding of the Zhou Family, but it was not in-depth. He only had a superficial grasp of the Corpse Chasing Technique and no clear sense of its mysteries.

He considered for a moment and then looked at Mu Junxiong. "Since that Zhou Mingchuan is from the corpse-chasing Zhou Family, stealing corpses would be natural. But why abduct Cao Zheng? What does that mean?"

Cao Zheng was ostensibly imprisoned, but in reality, he had long been one of Chen Jichuan’s men in secret.

From intentionally exposing himself to Stone Zhen, leading to Wuu Guangquan being ’accidentally’ killed, to impersonating the Zhou Family corpse drivers with refined corpses right before the Martial Alliance’s formation—

Cao Zheng played a key role throughout.

His current imprisonment was nothing but a facade. After a few days, once Wusheng Sect was thoroughly purged and Wuu Guangquan’s loyalists rooted out, a pretext could be fabricated to vindicate Cao Zheng.

At that time, he would seamlessly be promoted to one of the six Vice Alliance Hierarch positions of the Martial Alliance.

For this reason,

Cao Zheng’s detention had been lax.

Who could have expected that someone would exploit this and abduct him?

"That Zhou Mingchuan might think that Cao Zheng is genuinely imprisoned by us and saved him as a gesture to recruit him under the Zhou Family’s banner!"

Xue Zhong speculated.

"Very possible!"

Mu Junxiong and Wang Quan agreed with this guess, turning to look at Chen Jichuan.

Only to find that their Lord Yangg was frowning, tilting his head slightly as though listening to something.

Suddenly, he lowered his gaze to the ground beneath him.

"Something underground?"

Mu Junxiong and the other two were puzzled but wisely refrained from speaking, holding their breath as they waited.

Chen Jichuan stared at the ground, still waiting.

About four or five breaths later, the floor tiles bulged, forming a mound of dirt.

"Waiting long enough!"

Chen Jichuan’s eyebrows shot up as Transforming Strength flowed through him. He stomped hard onto the mound of dirt.

Bang!

A loud noise echoed as the mound exploded, and a shadow lunged at Chen Jichuan.

Instead of retreating, Chen Jichuan advanced, grabbing the assailant’s arm with lightning speed. He pushed forward and slammed his elbow into the person, sending them flying backward.

Chen Jichuan followed relentlessly, stepping in rapid succession. As the figure stumbled, he clasped their head with both hands and gave a violent twist—

Rip!

The head was torn off, rolling to the ground.

Chen Jichuan’s strikes were always swift and ruthless.

Now able to see clearly, the figure was swathed in black cloth, even the face covered. There was no trace of vitality, only an aura of death and a foul stench.

Mu Junxiong pinched his nose, retreating a few steps in disgust.

Xue Zhong stepped forward, unraveling the black cloth from the severed head. A rotting, unrecognizable face crawled with maggots, nauseating to behold.

Xue Zhong, with a strong stomach, inspected the corpse meticulously without flinching.

He found traces of high-grade vermillion on seven specific points—the glabella, the central back, the solar plexus, the palms, and the soles—each sealed with a Yellow Talisman and bound tightly with five-colored cloth.

Even the ears, nostrils, and mouth held vermillion, also sealed by Yellow Talismans.

"This person has been dead for some time."

"Judging by the attire, the culprit behind this is likely someone from the Wenyang Zhou Family, most probably Zhou Mingchuan."

Xue Zhong completed his examination and addressed Chen Jichuan.

"Wenyang Zhou Family."

Hearing this, Chen Jichuan took a piece of decayed flesh from the corpse and retrieved a copper mirror from his robes. Muttering incantations, he pointed at the mirror, where images began to take shape.

A figure appeared, wearing straw sandals, a blue cloth long robe, a black belt, and a blue cloth cap. He held a copper gong and carried a pouch filled with talismans.

This was the unmistakable attire of a corpse driver.

Beside him stood another figure, with a face split into Yin and Yang halves—none other than Wusheng Sect’s Cao Zheng.

With Cao Zheng present, the other person was undoubtedly Zhou Mingchuan.

...

"A skilled practitioner, indeed."

Zhou Mingchuan seemed to sense the destruction of the sent corpse by Chen Jichuan. He paused before turning to Cao Zheng, saying, "Elder Cao, despite your contributions to Wusheng Sect, you’ve been reduced to a prisoner. I see no further reason to remain with the Wusheng Sect. Why not come with me to the Wenyang Zhou Family? We have the Corpse Chasing Technique, and your abnormal skill ’Corpse Control’ perfectly aligns with it. Once you’ve mastered corpse refinement, returning to seek revenge will not be too late."

Zhou Mingchuan truly believed that Cao Zheng was imprisoned unjustly and extended an invitation.

Gratitude gleamed across Cao Zheng’s face. Without hesitation, he replied, "Thank you, Young Master Zhou, for taking me in!"

...

In Mu Hua County Government.

Mu Junxiong watched the scene unfold in the copper mirror, awe bubbling in his chest.

Earlier, this "Yangg Xiu" had already demonstrated exceptional close-combat abilities. Mu Junxiong admitted that if he were to face him, his outcome would fare no better than the corpse lying on the ground.

But even more ominous was this ability to use the copper mirror to spy on anyone, anywhere, at will. It left one defenseless and profoundly uneasy.

Mu Junxiong suppressed his uneasiness, gathering his thoughts. "Elder Cao’s agreement was likely out of necessity. There’s no reason he’d forsake being a Vice Alliance Hierarch of the Martial Alliance to become a mere guest elder of the Zhou Family."

"Exactly."

"Despite the shared bloodline of the Zhou Family, Elder Cao would still be an outsider even if greatly valued."

Wang Quan agreed.

"I understand Elder Cao’s character; he’s not that kind of person."

Chen Jichuan chuckled in reply.

He cared little whether Cao Zheng was that kind of person or not. Whether Cao Zheng sincerely joined the Zhou Family or merely feigned submission under duress was irrelevant to him.

The Corpse Chasing Clan was shrouded in secrecy, their kinship ties too cohesive. Using the same heavy-handed tactics he employed against Wusheng Sect and the other three factions to infiltrate them was hardly feasible.

Cao Zheng entering the Zhou Family was an ideal opportunity to serve as his pawn, gaining vital intelligence on their inner workings.

As for Cao Zheng’s personal intentions?

Chen Jichuan had plenty of ways to ensure he’d have no choice but to comply.

...

Zhou Mingchuan’s sudden appearance hastened the premature conclusion of the meeting.

Chen Jichuan ordered Mu Junxiong and the others to disregard Biqing Cliff’s invitation and not bother spectating at Lying Tiger Ridge on the second of November.

As for himself,

he set out to Mingtang Mountain, just north of Mu Hua County.

Haitang Mountain in Yangshuo County was too far from Mu Hua County, and traveling back and forth wasted valuable time. Over the past few days, Chen Jichuan had been camping near Mingtang Mountain instead, excavating caves and laying traps at strategic points.

One of those caves,

was his meeting point with the Ghost Sparrow.

A month had passed.

The Ghost Sparrow’s wings had fully healed. During its recovery, Chen Jichuan continued to present himself as ’cold on the outside, warm on the inside.’ Outwardly, he seemed indifferent toward the Ghost Sparrow, but he secretly provided it with medicines, even preparing nourishing meals to strengthen its recovery.

Though the Ghost Sparrow was a spirit beast, it lacked complex schemes.

It easily fell for Chen Jichuan’s ploy. After recovering, it showed no intention of leaving.

Chen Jichuan, too, had no reservations about employing it daily, sending it on reconnaissance missions far and wide. Surprisingly, the Ghost Sparrow seemed to enjoy the task and managed to bring back plenty of useful intelligence for him.

For instance——

"Talisman-making."

In the black mist before him, an image began to manifest: atop a mountain peak, a middle-aged man in white robes stood steadfast against the wind. His long hair and flowing garments fluttered as he meticulously wielded a brush, sketching intricate patterns with unwavering focus.

Upon closer inspection, before long, the man completed his work, and a faint glow emanated from the desk.

The middle-aged man let out a sigh, picking up the object he had just meticulously crafted. Upon closer examination, it was a talisman, its intricate symbols barely discernible, but the energy embedded within was palpable.

It was immediately evident —

Unlike his own ’Summoning Soldiers Talisman’ or ’Soul Suppressing Talisman,’ it belonged to an entirely different system of talisman-making.

Chen Jichuan cast his gaze back to the talisman before him and then to the middle-aged man in the vision.

He reached for a scroll painting, unrolling it to reveal the likeness of a white-robed middle-aged man. The figure bore an uncanny resemblance to the individual in the black mist, sharing at least an 80% similarity.

Next to the painting, bold characters identified him: "Iron Leaf Island Master Yangg Qiu."

"Iron Leaf Island’s Yangg Qiu, proficient in the art of talisman making." Chen Jichuan felt a twinge of surprise.

Since leaving the Black Prison, Chen Jichuan had encountered primarily Martial Artists cultivating inner strength. A few rare individuals possessed innate talents, known as ’Abnormal People,’ wielding unique abnormal skills.

But these abnormal skills seemed strictly tied to innate gifts, with no apparent methods for cultivation or progression.

When it came to application,

their users understood what they could do but not why or how it worked.

Take Chen Shaohu, for instance.

He possessed the ’Fire Control Technique,’ yet knew nothing of its principles or how to further develop it.

But Yangg Qiu was different.

"This is no abnormal skill."

"This is a tradition, a discipline—the methodical art of talisman making!"

Chen Jichuan thought back to the individual who had tried to spy on him through manipulation of the Ghost Sparrow. "Could their Beast Taming Technique be something learned and practiced as well?"

And the Zhou Family’s ’Corpse Chasing Technique.’

This pattern emerged clearly now—

"Talisman making."

"Beast taming."

"Corpse chasing."

A realization hit Chen Jichuan hard, his brows furrowed in deep contemplation. "Where are they learning these methods from?!"

This thought naturally brought him back to the climatic event seven years ago—the upheaval in Great Chu that bore uncanny resemblance to legends of a ’Spiritual Energy Recovery.’

"So,"

"is this a prelude to transitioning from the mortal realm of Wuxia to an Immortal Hero realm of Xianxia?"

A sense of urgency gripped Chen Jichuan, mingled with anticipation. "If that’s true, and with the steady debut of various mystical techniques, as per that so-called law of escalation, we’ll inevitably encounter even more extraordinary powers ahead."

As these thoughts churned in his mind,

the swirling mist dispersed. The Ghost Sparrow flew to perch on Chen Jichuan’s shoulder, chirping as if seeking approval.

Chen Jichuan fed it a few specially-prepared pills and, feeling a rising sense of pressure internally, murmured to himself, "If this is the case, my strength is still woefully insufficient. In fact, it might never be enough. The Da Liang World must be conquered as soon as possible!"

Beyond that,

extreme caution must also be employed in the real world.

...