Chapter 24: Refining Corpses

“Be careful!” Zha Yun’er exclaimed when she saw Mu Yuan reaching for the Stone Gu. People in Feilong Village had all been treated with special medicines since childhood, their bodies made immune to Gu insects. She thought Mu Yuan was too young to be a cultivator and feared he might get injured by the Stone Gu, hence her urgent warning.

Zha Ying also said with a serious tone, “Friend, don’t underestimate it! Though the Stone Gu is among the low-tier Gu insects, it’s extremely dangerous. Do not be careless!”

Mu Yuan just smiled, indicating it was fine. Protecting himself with Zhenqi, his palm shimmered with a continuous flow of Zhenqi that faintly resembled the method of Greenwood Divine Radiance, though he couldn’t project it outward yet. He caught the Stone Gu, and as he held it, the stone felt strangely alive, jumping constantly in his palm and emitting sounds like a crying baby.

“This is…” Mu Yuan looked at Zha Ying, his curiosity about the stone’s behavior indescribable! He had already seen a Mountain Elf and knew that plants and rocks could gain wisdom, but this stone seemed too small and lacked superior quality. If it truly could develop intelligence, that was astonishing!

Surprisingly, even Zha Ying looked puzzled, saying in surprise, “Strange. Though Stone Gu can make sounds, they only start chirping and convulsing after entering a living body for three to five days, sucking its vital soul and Primordial Qi. They still aren’t considered true living beings. But just touching your hand, it cried and moved! I’ve never heard of such a thing!”

Hearing this, Mu Yuan understood. His Longevity True Qi revolved around vitality and carried far denser life essence than any ordinary person. The Stone Gu, contacting that vigor, was immediately activated. It made sense.

Understanding the trick, Mu Yuan found himself quite fond of this noisy, wriggling stone, playing with it repeatedly. Though Zha Ying didn’t grasp the reason, he chuckled, “Friend, you truly are extraordinary, handling a Stone Gu unharmed! But please eat first; we can look at other kinds of Gu after the meal!”

Zha Ying was warm and forthright. Seeing Mu Yuan’s interest in Gu insects, he didn’t hold back, thinking the art of raising Gu insects was intricate and complex. Letting an outsider just see them, not sharing the actual breeding methods, caused no harm.

Mu Yuan smiled sheepishly. His fascination with the Stone Gu was too strong, yet he set it aside and focused on eating.

The meal was quite lavish, with both vegetables and meat, featuring lots of bamboo shoots – likely since Feilong Village had abundant bamboo. Though it was deep autumn, and bamboo shoots were best in spring and winter, these were still fresh, fragrant, and delicious. After eating dried meats for days, he found the crisp sweetness of the bamboo incredibly refreshing, ate heartily, and felt immense satisfaction.

After the meal, true to his word, Zha Ying took Mu Yuan to the backyard to see the various Gu insects he raised. There were Snake Gu, Loach Gu, Bamboo Sliver Gu, Madness Gu, Swelling Gu… The sheer variety astonished Mu Yuan!

After browsing them all, Mu Yuan suddenly asked, “On the Central Plains, they speak of a Golden Silkworm Gu, said to be the fiercest. Uncle, do you raise that?”

Hearing this, Zha Ying looked proud and smiled. “The Golden Silkworm Gu is the most powerful Gu insect in Feilong Village! But only the village chief knows how to raise it; I, for one, do not.”

Mu Yuan pondered for a moment, then pressed on, “They say this Golden Silkworm Gu fears neither fire nor water, and is impervious to blades. Is that true?”

Zha Ying laughed heartily. “Naturally! The Golden Silkworm Gu is the King of Gu insects! Few escape once poisoned, not even Qi Refinement cultivators dare easily cross it!”

Mu Yuan smiled without comment. He had already been very curious about the legendary Golden Silkworm Gu. Even more so now, after seeing the power and subtlety of Zha Ying’s collection. His fascination with the one crowned King of Gu deepened!

“The autumn night grows chill and deep. Young friend, stay as our guest tonight! Tomorrow, I’ll show you the sights of Feilong Village!” Zha Ying felt a genuine fondness for this cheerful young man. Seeing Mu Yuan so enamored with his specialty, Gu insects, he grew even more welcoming and swiftly invited him to stay.

Mu Yuan accepted without reserve. He had no fixed destination anyway; staying another day to see the sights sounded fine.

Soon, the moon rose brightly over the eastern hill, round as a jade dish, perfect for the occasion. The family set up tables and chairs in the courtyard for moon-watching, a scene of cozy joy that filled Mu Yuan with envy.

“Earlier, Uncle mentioned the art of corpse refining here. What is that like?” Sipping a cup of hot tea, he felt utterly comfortable against the deepening autumn chill. Feeling chatty, Mu Yuan brought it up.

Before Zha Ying could reply, Zha Yun’er spoke first. “The art of refining corpses is only practiced by a few in the village. It’s the same principle as raising Gu insects, just far more troublesome. The strongest in the village is a Millennial Flying Corpse the chief refined! They say it’s almost reached the state where its body shines like jade and gives off mist in sunlight!”

“Body shines like jade? Gives off mist in sunlight?” Mu Yuan was rather surprised, asking curiously, “What level is that?”

Mu Yuan was young and inexperienced; there was much he hadn’t seen. Artifacts like corpse-refined entities certainly wouldn’t appear in Longevity Palace texts. Even among Demonic Path or heretic sects, corpse refiners were rare. Raising Gu insects or refining flying corpses wasn’t the main path of cultivation; it was simply a means of combat, like forging weapons!

Zha Ying let his daughter intercede, saving himself the effort. Zha Yun’er continued, “Refined Flying Corpses can be divided into six stages. The first four are Gold, Silver, Copper, and Iron. ‘Flying Corpse’ actually just means reaching the Iron Corpse stage – a corpse refined to be immune to weapons! After the Gold Corpse comes the Jade Corpse stage – its body pure white and smooth like warm jade, no longer cold and stiff… sunlight shines on it, stirring flowing multicolored mist! The highest level is Return to the Origin. It returns to the appearance of a normal person, with breathing, a heartbeat, blood flow, and veins – just like a living person! Except it has no soul. That’s why it’s called the living dead!”

Zha Yun’er’s explanation greatly broadened Mu Yuan’s horizons. Unthinkable that this seemingly ordinary Feilong Village harbored such arts! The first-tier corpse was already impervious to weapons; the highest level of the living dead must be incredibly powerful! Crucially, such a body, being soulless, made it the perfect vessel for Soul Seizure!

Mu Yuan hadn’t realized that refining Flying Corpses was precisely a shortcut cultivated by practitioners aiming for eventual Soul Seizure! The formidable physical strength of the highest-tier living dead rivaled ancient divine dragons and kylin. Being essentially dead matter tempered through the five great stages of Gold, Silver, Copper, Iron, and Jade, it became like an indestructible divine weapon, enduring eternally. But each stage advancement was immensely difficult. The mere existence of a Feilong Village Gold Corpse nearing Jade Corpse level undoubtedly stemmed from generations of grueling refinement! Furthermore, reaching the highest tier required starting with the corpse of an exceptionally powerful cultivator; weaker corpses couldn’t withstand the relentless refinement process using medicines and rare minerals and would be ruined!

Choosing the right corpse was paramount in refining Flying Corpses. The Gold Corpse in Feilong Village was actually the remains of an ancient general. Accidentally unearthed from a tomb by an ancestor of Chief Yuan Longtai, it was refined over countless years to the Gold Corpse stage! An ordinary person’s corpse could only reach Copper Corpse at best!

Mu Yuan had no knowledge of these details. Even the Zha family, or the chief of Feilong Village himself, were unaware. Seeing Mu Yuan stare blankly, Zha Yun’er pointed not far northwards and said with a smile, “Look! That golden beam? That’s Chief Yuan Longtai refining his Flying Corpse!”

Mu Yuan turned to look. Indeed, relatively close towards the north, a pillar of golden light pierced upward, exceptionally conspicuous in the darkness. It stood straight and dazzling like a laser beam, illuminating the sky above. Wisps of moonlight aura were slowly drawn into the golden light, like drops of water merging into a stream, continuously strengthening the beam’s power!

“So frustrating!” Zha Yun’er lamented, her face full of regret and longing as she gazed at the sky-piercing golden pillar. “Since childhood, tales of the power of Chief Yuan’s Flying Corpse abounded, yet I’ve never laid eyes on it! Night after night, only this beam of light is visible. Truly grander and mightier than any Gu insect!” she murmured.

Surprised, Mu Yuan asked, “Miss Yun’er has never seen it either?”

Zha Ying chuckled wryly. “Not just Yun’er! My wife and I, over thirty years now, have yet to see the chief’s Gold Corpse! The strongest any other family has achieved is a Silver Corpse; those rarely appear either!”

Mu Yuan grinned and stood up. “Well, I wish to witness the magnificence of this Flying Corpse. Is anyone interested?”

Zha Ying was startled. “Young friend, don’t make rash moves! The chief treasures his Gold Corpse immensely and does not allow others to look at it! How could you possibly see it?”

Mu Yuan just replied playfully, “I have my ways, Uncle Zha. Will you accompany me?”

Zha Ying shook his head. “I’m not like you! If discovered here… I’d lose standing within the village. If the chief catches you, he’ll likely only expel you from Feilong Village. He wouldn’t harm you.”

Zha Yun’er’s eyes sparkled with eagerness. She pleaded with her father, “Father? Can I go see it with Big Brother Mu? If Big Brother Mu says he has a way, then he must!”

Zha Ying scolded instantly. “No! You absolutely cannot go!”

Seeing the crestfallen longing on Zha Yun’er’s face, Mu Yuan addressed Zha Ying reassuringly, “Uncle, rest assured, I have a method!”

With that, he waved his hand. A layer of purplish-black fog emanated – it was Tide True Qi. Fine water vapor wrapped around his entire body. Gradually, Mu Yuan’s figure faded until he completely vanished from their sight.

Zha Ying, his wife, and Zha Yun’er were all shocked. Mu Yuan then reappeared, smiling faintly. This was simply a concealing Divine Ability from the Blackwater Mystic Method, using water vapor to obscure his form. It was a relatively crude technique, somewhat akin to elemental escape tricks.

Zha Yun’er beamed with delight and turned to her father. “Father, see! Big Brother Mu can turn invisible! There’ll surely be no problem!”

Zha Ying, helpless yet intrigued by Mu Yuan’s display and now privately wishing to join, realized he couldn’t backtrack. He smiled reluctantly. “I truly underestimated you, Young Friend Mu! To possess such an unusual skill! Very well! Yun’er, you may go. But be careful! Do not reveal your traces!”