Chapter 111: Chen Mu's Sword
Chapter 111: Chen Mu's Sword
Just as Xu Hongyu and Xiao He dashed past Chen Mu, fleeing into the darkness, a powerful gust of wind suddenly blew towards them. Two nearly identical grayish-white Silver Corpses appeared, lunging at Xu Hongyu and Xiao He.
Xu Hongyu reacted swiftly, and with a flash of her sword, she unleashed a rain of sword strikes, clashing with the attacking Silver Corpses. The impact caused the sword light to explode, forcing the Silver Corpse back, but she also stumbled backward.
On the other side, Xiao He faced a sudden assault from another Silver Corpse. Her soft sword danced, creating a circle of sword light, but when it collided with the Silver Corpse's fist, the sword light was scattered, and she was sent flying backward.
Although neither of them was injured, this collision revealed the disparity in their strengths. Xu Hongyu, having already understood the Silver Corpse's abilities and not holding back, managed to repel one directly with her full force.
Xiao He, however, couldn't match this. Although she blocked and deflected the Silver Corpse's punch, avoiding injury, she was clearly at a disadvantage. If she were to fight it head-on, she would have to rely on her agility to engage in a protracted battle.
Bang! Just as Xiao He was sent flying, another Silver Corpse emerged from the dense forest, pouncing towards her with a ferocious punch. Xiao He, still in mid-air and unable to recover, found herself in a perilous situation.
Xu Hongyu witnessed this but couldn't offer assistance as another Silver Corpse appeared on her left, intercepting her from the side. Including the first Silver Corpse that had initially chased them from behind, there were now five of them!
"Not good..."
Xiao He, facing the approaching Silver Corpse, gripped her soft sword, her heart sinking slightly. Although she was a renowned figure in the Sinew Transformation Realm, this sudden attack still posed a challenge. Judging by the Silver Corpse's momentum, it would be difficult to fully counter it without preparation, and she would likely sustain injuries.
However, her heart remained calm. Despite the consecutive appearances of the Silver Corpses, there was still an ally behind her who hadn't taken action yet.
As expected, a hand reached out from behind, pressing against her back. It first cushioned the impact she had received from the previous collision with the Silver Corpse, then lifted her by the back of her collar and threw her upwards.
Xiao He didn't resist, allowing the hand to toss her into the air. She soared high, landing on a treetop, and looked down. There, she saw Chen Mu taking her previous position, directly facing the attacking Silver Corpse.
Chen Mu's expression was calm, as if he wanted to test the Silver Corpse's abilities. He clenched his right fist and struck it down, colliding directly with the Silver Corpse's fist.
Vibrant!
The impact created visible air ripples that spread in all directions, transforming into a dull bell-like sound that echoed throughout the valley. In the pitch-black night, the sound reverberated, startling flocks of birds.
"Ferocious..."
Xiao He watched this scene, silently mouthing a word.
Chen Mu's body had clearly reached the limit of flesh tempering, and his flesh training had likely reached the peak of a realm. After entering the Sinew Transformation Realm, his cross-training body had become terrifying, allowing him to engage a Silver Corpse in a head-on collision.
Moreover, it seemed that Chen Mu had gained the upper hand in this collision.
At the same time, the first Silver Corpse that had fought Xu Hongyu also rushed over. Xiao He leaped down from the tree, swinging her sword to block this Silver Corpse. Her sword technique barely managed to halt its advance.
It was around this time that a surprised voice echoed from the dimly lit forest.
"Cross-Training Body?"
"He's even entered the Sinew Transformation Realm. Excellent, truly excellent."
In the hazy darkness, a ray of moonlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the forest and revealing a withered figure standing between several ancient trees. He held a baby-like object in his hands, and his eyes, sunken deep in their sockets, almost seemed shriveled. However, his pupils emitted a strange glow, as if he were excitedly observing Chen Mu from a distance, scrutinizing him up and down.
A Corpse Refiner.
For a Flesh Tempering Realm cultivator, out of ten attempts, it was rare to successfully refine an Iron Corpse.
For a Flesh Training Realm cultivator, about seven or eight attempts would yield a successful Bronze Corpse.
Even for those in the Sinew Transformation Realm, refining a Silver Corpse was not guaranteed, and there was still a chance of failure, resulting in the corpse's decay.
But Chen Mu's cross-training body, having reached the Sinew Transformation level, was almost certain to successfully refine a Silver Corpse, and its quality and strength would surpass ordinary ones. There was even a slight chance of refining a Golden Corpse!"
At this moment, five Silver Corpses surrounded Chen Mu, Xu Hongyu, and Xiao He, blocking their escape routes.
Xu Hongyu retreated two steps, moving closer to Chen Mu and Xiao He, and whispered, "These Silver Corpses are difficult to injure, but they're not fast enough. The terrain here favors us. We can find an opportunity to escape from above."
Xiao He's eyes darted around, assessing the situation.
Just then, the withered figure standing among the ancient trees, who had been observing Chen Mu with curiosity as if admiring a new acquisition, suddenly let out a hoarse laugh. "Escape?"
As his words fell, footsteps echoed through the dense forest.
Xu Hongyu and Xiao He's faces paled as they turned towards the source of the sound. In the pitch-black forest, one after another, grayish-white figures emerged—a total of over a dozen Silver Corpses! Including the initial five, there were now twenty Silver Corpses surrounding them from all sides, each emitting a putrid stench of decay. In the moonlight, their skin glowed with an eerie silver radiance!
"Escape?"
The withered figure repeated itself once more.
Then, he raised the infant-like object in his hand and gently shook it.
Buzz!
As if something terrifying had moved, causing the ground to tremble slightly.
Xu Hongyu and Xiao He's gazes, slightly frozen, witnessed a majestic figure over two meters tall stepping out from behind the withered figure, amidst the ancient trees. Its body emanated a faint golden glow.
"Escape?" The withered figure smirked.
His sunken eyes turned towards Xu Hongyu, "It's just too boring, so I decided to play with you. When did you ever think you could escape?"
Xu Hongyu fell silent.
Xiao He's body stiffened slightly.
Both of their gazes now fixed on the slowly approaching figure, a colossal golden corpse puppet resembling a small mountain. Although they didn't directly sense its power, its appearance, size, and the intense oppressive aura were undeniable.
Golden Corpse Puppet!
According to the records, a Golden Corpse Puppet could rival a Bone Forging Realm cultivator. Judging by the strength of Silver Corpse Puppets, a Golden Corpse Puppet would be too much for even a Bone Forging Realm cultivator at the initial stage.
And with twenty Silver Corpse Puppets...
Xiao He couldn't help but sigh. With such a formidable force, even someone like Xue Lin would be cautious. It seemed that the opponent had deliberately revealed their corpse refinement techniques, confident in their ability to capture all three of them.
The mention of boredom and playing was just a ploy. They had intentionally delayed, waiting for Chen Mu's return, to trap all three of them.
The Silver Corpse Puppets had sealed off their escape routes, and the Golden Corpse Puppet likely wasn't fast either. It would be challenging to chase them in the darkness, and unexpected variables might arise.
Silence enveloped the area.
Finally, Chen Mu sighed softly, drew his Fine Iron Sword, and took two steps forward, positioning himself in front of Xu Hongyu and Xiao He.
Xu Hongyu and Xiao He's gazes shifted to Chen Mu. Xu Hongyu bit her lip, aware of Chen Mu's formidable strength, which likely rivaled her own. Earlier, she had suggested escaping to create an opportunity to collaborate with Chen Mu and break free from the encirclement, directly eliminating the corpse controller.
But now...
The twenty Silver Corpse Puppets had formed an impenetrable barrier, and the Golden Corpse Puppet further complicated their escape. Perhaps they should have camped outside the Autumn Forest Range for the night and ventured through the next day, or chosen the official road from the start, as no one expected the remnants of the Heavenly Corpse Sect to be hiding within the range, even during the hunting expeditions of various clans.
It was her momentary lapse in judgment that led them into this abyss.
At that moment, Xu Hongyu recalled something, a memory that made her body tremble slightly. Her father, Xu Yichuan, had mysteriously disappeared outside the city. Despite his Bone Forging Perfection and understanding of Concepts, he was among the top cultivators in Yu City, yet he vanished without a trace, leaving no clues for the Xu Clan to find.
Could it be...
Xu Hongyu's gaze turned vague as she envisioned her father in a similar situation, surrounded by countless powerful corpse puppets, even more formidable and terrifying.
But the next moment, the vision shattered.
A radiant silver arc of light, like a silver moon in the moonlight, sliced through the air, causing the gentle breeze in the forest to pause.
Swish!
The silver light flashed, sweeping across.
Chen Mu's figure appeared before the Silver Corpse Puppets, his right hand gripping the Fine Iron Sword.
Seven or eight Silver Corpse Puppets in front of him froze, and then their necks each had a fine line appear, their heads gently sliding forward and rolling to the ground with a soft thud.
Swoosh.
The momentarily halted breeze resumed, rustling the forest's leaves.
(End of Chapter)
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