Chapter 109: Corpse Refinement
Chapter 109: Corpse Refinement
The Autumn Forest Range was not too far from Yu Prefecture, but it wasn't very close either. By the time Chen Mu followed Xu Hongyu across the region, the sun had already passed noon and was gradually setting in the west.
"It looks like we'll have to spend the night in the mountains today."
Xu Hongyu glanced at the sun and estimated the group's stamina.
Xiao He hesitated slightly, "Is it a bit... dangerous to spend the night in the mountains?"
"It's fine," Xu Hongyu shook her head. "The Autumn Forest Range doesn't have any dangerous demons. We can hunt for some meat while we're in the mountains. It's not a problem to travel through the night, but if we do that, we'll have to rest in the city for a night when we reach Anyu County."
For a Sinew Transformation Realm warrior, going without sleep or food for a couple of days was not an issue as long as they had meat and water. However, as they were on a mission to deal with demons, it was natural to maintain a state of abundant energy and vitality before reaching their destination.
Chen Mu had no objections to Xu Hongyu's proposal.
Although spending the night in the wild might seem a bit shabby, with two captivating women by his side, it didn't matter much. He had grown tired of his life in the city over the years.
Seeing that Chen Mu and Xiao He had no further objections, Xu Hongyu set off into the Autumn Forest Range, with Chen Mu and Xiao He following closely behind.
As their figures disappeared into the mountains, something stirred in the bushes.
Gray worms perched on dry, decaying logs silently took flight, vanishing into the forest.
...
The sky gradually darkened.
The group had ventured deep into the heart of the Autumn Forest Range.
Along the way, they hadn't encountered any demons or even many wild animals. Chen Mu, however, had an eerie feeling of being watched, but when he leaped onto a tree to survey the surroundings, he found no trace of any humans or demons. It seemed like just a trick of the dense forest.
"Let's stop here," Xu Hongyu said, gauging the fading light. She slowed her pace, drew her sword, and casually swung it a few times, cutting down several thick trees with a loud crash.
Chen Mu watched as Xu Hongyu skillfully began setting up a temporary shelter. "I'll go hunt for some meat," he offered.
With that, he leaped into the forest, disappearing from view.
After Chen Mu left, Xiao He turned to Xu Hongyu with a slight smile. "He's still as obedient as ever to your commands, Miss. He hasn't made any other suggestions all day."
Xu Hongyu remained calm. "This is his first time outside the city, so he doesn't know much about the outside world or have any experience dealing with demons. It's natural for him not to interfere with things he's unfamiliar with. He knows how to act appropriately."
Chen Mu had never shown any signs of youthful recklessness.
This was one of the reasons Xu Hongyu had brought only Xiao He and Chen Mu on this mission. Xiao He would unquestionably follow her orders, and Chen Mu knew his place and wouldn't cause any trouble or slow down the team.
...
Far from where Xu Hongyu was, Chen Mu looked up and spotted the tallest tree. He leaped onto it and scanned the forest below. Despite the dense foliage blocking his view, he could still detect some movement.
Soon, his gaze locked onto something in the distance. He leaped from the tree, swiftly crossing the forest, and reached out with his right hand, pulling out a stone and tossing it downward.
A loud crack! echoed through the forest as the stone struck the head of a grizzly bear foraging for food, shattering its skull.
"It's not a demon..." Chen Mu muttered as he descended from the tree and examined the bear's corpse, shaking his head slightly.
Demons were a scourge to humanity, but they were also a treasure trove of resources. Even lower-ranked demons had valuable skin and bones, and their flesh contained far more vital energy than ordinary animals.
Consuming fresh demon meat regularly would enhance one's vital energy, making it easier to break through the Sinew Transformation and even the Bone Forging realms when cultivating body-tempering arts.
Xu Hongyu's previous demon-hunting trips and subsequent seclusion had allowed her to reach the perfection of Sinew Transformation, thanks to the frequent demon appearances during that time, which provided both a trial and a source of vital energy.
However, demons were not commonly seen.
While less intelligent than humans, they were smarter than ordinary beasts and adept at hiding. They only appeared frequently when celestial phenomena caused them to become agitated.
The harsh winter, for instance, was due to celestial changes that affected many demons.
This grizzly bear weighed around seven to eight hundred jin.
Chen Mu easily lifted it with one hand; his strength had increased significantly after reaching the limit of Sinew Transformation. "What's that?" he wondered aloud as he prepared to carry the bear back.
At that moment, he sensed a feeling of decay and corruption in the air, causing him discomfort. He frowned slightly and, after a moment's hesitation, put down the bear and headed in the direction of the sensation.
A moment later, he came upon a marshland emitting a thick, putrid odor. Strange gray insects buzzed above it, making Chen Mu even more uncomfortable. He turned to leave but then paused, took a few steps back, and drew his fine iron sword.
Swish! His sword sliced through the air, tearing apart several gray insects. Simultaneously, the marsh exploded, spraying foul mud and water.
Chen Mu leaped onto a tree branch, avoiding the filth, and looked down at the marsh, his eyes narrowing.
"As I suspected..."
His expression turned grim.
In the midst of the exploding mud and putrid stench, a corpse emerged, standing upright in the sludge rather than lying horizontally. It was covered in filth and mud from head to toe.
No wonder he felt so uncomfortable; the stench seemed peculiar, and now he realized it was the smell of a decaying body! He reacted instinctively, recognizing the strange gray worms as a type of insect called 'Corpse Worms' that he had read about in a book called 'The Insect Record'. These worms were associated with low-level demons, often lurking near corpses.
Having served as a patrolman for many years, he was no stranger to the smell of decaying bodies, and with his recent advancement in cultivation and abundant vital energy, his senses had become even sharper. Even the stench of decay mixed with the muck and sludge couldn't escape his heightened perception.
It was odd to find a body buried in the swamp deep in these mountains, and it didn't seem to have decomposed at all.
Chen Mu examined the corpse carefully and then shook his head.
Ordinary people rarely ventured into the heart of the Autumn Forest Range, and he was no longer a patrolman or chief patrolman. There was no need to start an investigation based on a single corpse; hunting demons was a more pressing matter.
A book, a glance, a mistake, and a look.
With this thought, Chen Mu prepared to leave the tree.
But suddenly, he remembered something amiss and turned back, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the body slowly being submerged in the swamp. He reached out with his right hand and grabbed a pebble, throwing it with force.
Clang!!!
The pebble struck the corpse's head, but instead of the expected explosion, a strange chiming sound rang out, as if he had hit not a corpse but a statue made of copper and iron!
Chen Mu squinted at this bizarre sight.
For a corpse to be as hard as copper and iron, it reminded him of a demonic art mentioned in the Great Xuan Taboo Manual called the 'Corpse Refinement Technique'. It was said that this technique could make a corpse impervious to blades and spears, granting it immense strength. However, this art was considered a taboo in the Great Xuan, and anyone involved in its practice would be guilty of a grave crime, punishable by decapitation.
"Corpse Refinement Technique..."
Chen Mu murmured to himself, and a passage from a text flashed through his mind.
"In the year 458 of the Great Xuan calendar, the demonic sect 'Heavenly Corpse Sect' emerged, and its disciples wreaked havoc across the land with their corpse refinement techniques. The Great Xuan court was shaken, and they ordered the Azure Dragon Army and White Tiger Army to mobilize and exterminate the sect. A decree was issued throughout the realm, stating that anyone practicing corpse refinement would be guilty of a grave crime and could be executed on the spot without trial..."
This was a record he had come across in the Great Xuan Annals.
Although it was just a brief mention, every event recorded in the Great Xuan Annals was a major occurrence that shook the realm. The phrase 'wreaking havoc across the land' was not to be taken lightly; it likely referred to genuine chaos and significant incidents that had shaken the entire Great Xuan, eventually leading to the court sending a massive army to eradicate the sect.
Even after hundreds of years since the sect's eradication, some remnants have resurfaced, further indicating that the Great Xuan court's deterrence has long faded. In the coming turbulent times, various forbidden items from the past may resurface.
"I wonder if Xu Hongyu is aware of this."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Chen Mu decided not to retrieve the hunted grizzly bear. Instead, he quickly determined the direction and headed back the way he came.
...
The sky grew dark.
Amidst the dense forest, a clearing appeared, where thick tree trunks supported a crude yet spacious shelter.
A fire blazed in front of the shelter, and Xu Hongyu stood silently before it.
Behind her, Xiao He was busy covering the shelter with leaves, putting the finishing touches on their temporary home.
Suddenly, Xu Hongyu's gaze shifted, and she heard faint sounds from the side.
"Are you back... Wait, that's not right."
Initially calm, her expression changed as she placed a hand on the hilt of her sword, which was fastened to her waist. She called out to the forest, "Who's there? Show yourself!"
Chen Mu was alone, but the approaching footsteps from the forest were numerous and heavy.
(End of Chapter)
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