Chapter 289: The Eternal Diva

One thousand meters underground from Nantianmen Fortress.

Here lies a massive cavern, hollowed out by an unknown entity.

Under the reflection of blood-red light, a horrifying scene unfolds.

Dark red pools of blood shimmer with a faint, eerie glow amidst the dim blue light of the cavern; it feels like an endless Blood Sea of Hell, permeated with a heavy scent of rust.

Countless tiny streams of blood meander from all directions, converging into this vast Blood Pool; drops of blood coalesce into shocking little beads, trembling gently as they fall below to become part of the Blood River.

An exquisitely crafted coffin lies silently beneath the Blood River, its surface reflecting the blood-red light.

The surface of the coffin is smooth and cold, carved with intricate patterns; under the blood-red light, these patterns appear sinister and mysterious, and prominently displayed upon it are the magic runes for summoning Cain.

Cain is known as the bloody Demon God, the Undying King.

What he loves most is to be soaked in the endless Blood River.

Blood converges from all directions, eventually flowing entirely toward the coffin; it seems as if something powerful is being nurtured inside, as the sound of a heartbeat even emanates from within.

The surrounding air is filled with a thick, suffocating stench of blood.

At the bottom of the Blood River, a large number of magic runes are carved, and these runes are emitting a blood-red light.

At the edge of the Blood River, there is another coffin, this one even more luxurious.

Suddenly, a thumping sound comes from inside this coffin.

The magic runes on the coffin emit a blood-red light.

Drops of fresh blood drip from high above, converging into small scarlet rivers; they carve deep grooves into the stone floor, as if the stone were being corroded.

The corroded stone floor directly forms magic runes, and a large amount of blood pours into the coffin.

After a short while, the coffin explodes with a bang.

A mass of blood emerges from the coffin, coalescing in mid-air to form a man with a pair of bat wings.

His face is pale, his eyes are deep and mysterious, his pitch-black pupils contain magic runes, and sharp fangs protrude from his mouth.

The man's figure is slender and elegant, and every movement exudes a calm and composed aristocratic air.

"Haha, Horn Wood Wolf, you didn't expect this, did you? Doctor Du Bo was merely a Clone I infected."

"I simply placed a portion of my Soul Fragments inside his body."

"But even if my Clone is dead, it doesn't matter."

"The Spores have already been spread by those idiots."

"Humanity has no way to block the erosive nature of the Abyss Spores."

"My plan must absolutely not be ruined by anyone."

"As long as I absorb enough blood of Exotic Beasts, I will be able to summon the Demon God Cain."

"And with the power of the Demon God Cain, I will completely transform into a Blood Demon and live forever."

"Hahaha."

A flash of madness crosses Du Bo's eyes.

"I need more souls, I need more sacrifices; I cannot let the Demon God I serve be dissatisfied with the sacrifices I offer."

"I wonder if Wang Gang will act on his own after I die."

"Ye Bai has been infected by the Spores; he shouldn't be far from death."

"Haha, the Spore army I cultivated will serve as my hidden hand."

"The people from the Death God Society should be arriving here soon."

"I must go and welcome him personally."

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear."

Doctor Du Bo transforms directly into countless streaks of blood and dissipates into the air.

Just at this moment, in a place overgrown with weeds.

The Corpse Speaker is using a large shovel to dig up a grave.

The tombstone reads: In tribute to the Eternal Diva — Miss Zhang Tian'an.

"Little darling, I'm here."

"I can feel that this is a perfect work of art."

Soon, a transparent glass coffin appears, and inside it lies a young girl surrounded by Undying Flowers.

The girl's eyelashes rest gently on her eyelids like butterfly wings, appearing as peaceful as if she were in a deep sleep, yet also as if she were ready to flutter her wings and fly at any moment.

Her eyes are tightly shut, as if resisting the clamor of the outside world.

Her long, pitch-black eyelashes tremble slightly, like a group of little sprites waiting for the morning light.

Sunlight passes through the glass coffin, casting long, slender shadows beneath her eyelids, as if they were the wings left behind by an angel.

Her skin is as white as jade, and her lips are a pale red, like cherry blossoms just beginning to bloom; she looks like a work of art meticulously carved by a master.

A long whip, shaped like a rose, is held tightly in the girl's hand.

"Haha, my guess was correct; this remains are preserved so well."

"The Eternal Diva, Zhang Tian'an, a seventh-rank Plant-type Pet Beast Master, died of exhaustion in the Battle of Nantianmen and was eventually buried here."

"And accompanied in her long sleep by Undying Flowers."

"What a pity, I am going to transform your heroic spirit into my corpse puppet."

The Corpse Speaker grins, revealing teeth as white as jade.

He looks at the Eternal Diva with greed in his eyes.

"Such a fine work of art should be displayed for people to admire."

"Eternal Diva, Zhang Tian'an, awaken; wake up from your slumber and become my little cutie."

Wisps of black energy seep into the glass coffin, and the terrifying black energy, like puppet strings, wraps around Zhang Tian'an's body.

The next second, Zhang Tian'an opened her eyes, which were as dark as ink.

She awakened from a cold grave.

Like a puppet being manipulated by someone, Zhang Tian'an slowly sat up from the coffin.

Although she had been dead for a long time, her body still retained its elasticity.

This made the Corpse Speaker feel greatly curious.

"If I hadn't completely sensed that you no longer have a Soul, I would have thought you were still sleeping."

Her gaze swept across the surroundings; those once-familiar scenes had now become strange and distant.

All around was a long-abandoned cemetery, overgrown with weeds, and the cries of crows pierced the silence.

"Am I not dead?"

Zhang Tian'an felt very strange; she clearly remembered that in order to protect her companions, she had used a legendary forbidden technique, the Extinction Melody.

All of her Pet Beasts had turned to stone along with her.

Yet why had she become like this now?

At this moment, Zhang Tian'an's pupils widened; she was actually able to sense the faint aura of her Pet Beasts.

Her heart also began to beat again.

"Little darling, it's me."

"It was I who awakened you."

"Have you awakened your self-consciousness?"

"Let me introduce you for the first time: you are my corpse puppet, the Eternal Diva Zhang Tian'an."

"And I am a Corpse Speaker of the Death God Society, a manipulator of puppets."

"You are my collection, a perfect collection."

The Corpse Speaker looked greedily at Zhang Tian'an.

"Although I don't know why you have remained incorruptible, it doesn't matter; I only need you to serve me."

Zhang Tian'an smiled coldly, like an ice goddess.

In the very next second, the Rose Long Whip transformed into a slender Thorn Long Sword, shattered the coffin, and slashed across the Corpse Speaker's face. Fresh blood flowed directly from the wound.

"Haha, what a disobedient little wild cat, but I like you like this."

The Corpse Speaker licked his tongue; he took out black Sewing Corpse Thread and began to stitch his face directly.

Before long, an ugly scar resembling a centipede appeared.

"Haha, isn't this beautiful?"

"To be honest, I don't mind my appearance at all."

Countless black threads appeared on the Corpse Speaker's hands.

These threads went straight into the earth, and soon the ground cracked open, and countless corpses emerged from the ground.

These corpses were all Pet Beast Masters who had once died in battle at Nantianmen.

Among them were also the corpses of some Pet Beasts.

"Damn it, now is not the time to confront him."

"I have just awakened, and I am no match for this guy for the time being."

"I hope my Soul Sound talent is still there."

The sun hung high, casting down brilliant light.

But the next second, pitch-black clouds completely obscured the sun, and the wind whipped up sand and stones.

A girl stood above the glass coffin, her long hair falling like a waterfall, and a firm yet gentle light flickered in her eyes.

Her eyes were deep and radiant, revealing a kind of otherworldly spirituality.

As she parted her red lips, a melodious song drifted away with the wind.

This was the Funeral Soul Song, specifically used to ferry the souls of the dead to the paradise of the afterlife; the surrounding spirits seemed to receive comfort, and their Souls were able to rest in peace.

The girl's eyebrows were long and thick, and the slightly raised arc revealed a sense of stubbornness and unyielding spirit.

Whenever the melody rose and fell, her brow revealed an indescribable sorrow; it was a deep remembrance for lost lives, and also endless compassion for the living.

Every note she sang seemed to be filled with magic, capable of soothing the resentment of the dead and guiding them into reincarnation.

After the corpse puppets heard the voice of the Eternal Diva, their bodies decayed one after another and scattered with the wind.

Their Souls also revealed a trace of innocent smiles, turning into tiny specks of light that dissipated in the air.

At this time, the Corpse Speaker's face turned black; these corpse puppets were his prey.

He had already carved Manipulation Runes on these corpses.

These could have become a brave and battle-hardened army in the Corpse Speaker's hands, but as a result, a portion of them had just been wiped out.

This made the Corpse Speaker quite displeased.

"Hmph, I originally wanted you to become my collection."

"As a result, you unexpectedly awakened your consciousness, and I didn't even erase your will."

"But you shouldn't have ruined my plan."

"So, I will manipulate your body to unleash the Extinction Song!"

A look of shock and doubt appeared on Zhang Tian'an's face; how did this guy know she could unleash the Extinction Song? She saw countless threads made of black shadows pierce directly into her body, and she was manipulated by the Corpse Speaker like a marionette.

"No corpse puppet can escape my grasp."

"Even you are no exception, Zhang Tian'an; become my work of art."

Black Qi was gathering between Zhang Tian'an's brows, seemingly wanting to carve out magic patterns.

However, just as the magic patterns were about to take shape, they dissipated with a boom.

The Corpse Speaker suffered a massive backlash, and a look of unwillingness appeared in his pupils.

"Why, you are still alive, why!"

The Corpse Speaker suddenly spat out a large mouthful of black blood; he was extremely annoyed at this moment.

Zhang Tian'an took advantage of this opportunity to sing the Space Displacement Song.

Following the appearance of the melodious melody, Zhang Tian'an directly used teleportation to disappear from here.

Just at this moment, a blood-red radiance appeared.

Professor Du Bo appeared here.

He flapped his bat wings and looked down at the Corpse Speaker from a high position: "Corpse Speaker, what exactly happened here?"

"Why has this entire graveyard been destroyed?"

The Corpse Speaker licked his own parched lips, a look of crazy laughter appearing in his eyes: "Haha, a little wild cat broke through my blockade."

"But it doesn't matter, I will find her very soon."

"She has the mark I left behind on her."

"Du Bo, are you trying to make me launch the Puppet Calamity?"

"What good would that do for me?"

The Corpse Speaker looked up at Du Bo.

"To tell you the truth, you are already transforming into a Blood Demon."

"I want to try and see if I can control you, this Undead Exotic Beast."

A look of wariness flashed in Du Bo's eyes; he knew the Corpse Speaker had this ability.

Moreover, he could sense that the Corpse Speaker was actually a Seven-Tier Peak Pet Beast Master.

Which meant that as long as the Corpse Speaker wanted to, he could completely keep him here.

He did not want to become a corpse puppet and be controlled by someone for a lifetime.

"Corpse Speaker, let's keep it short."

"We both have one single goal: to destroy the Nantianmen Fortress."

"You cannot lay a hand on me, otherwise the Death God Society will be angry."

Watching the Corpse Speaker's increasingly eager gaze, Du Bo could only use his trump card.

"Corpse Speaker, let me help you find the trail of that person from just now."

"As I am currently transforming into a Blood Demon, I can easily track the surrounding spatial coordinates."

"Corpse Speaker, I will help you find the person, and we will join forces to destroy the Nantianmen Fortress, how about that?"

Du Bo offered a suggestion.

The Corpse Speaker smiled, a sickly white color appearing on his face.

That ugly scar, like a centipede, was reminding him that a little wild cat had once attacked him.

"Fine, I will stay here and summon enough corpse puppets."

"I await your good news, Du Bo; otherwise, I will refine you into my corpse puppet."

"Go, I await your good news."

The Corpse Speaker said coldly.

Countless black Qi spread out from the Corpse Speaker's body, and the black Qi gradually submerged into the ground.

"Awaken from your slumber, my servants."

"With hatred for the living, destroy to your heart's content."

The ground shattered directly, and one coffin after another emerged from the ground.

These coffins broke open one after another, revealing corpses with their eyes tightly shut.

Most of the corpses had already rotted into white bones, while some powerful corpses still maintained the combat strength they had in life.

"Little cuties, it is time to revive."

As the black Qi gradually surged into the bodies of the corpses, these people opened their eyes one after another.

"What a pity, your Pet Beasts all died in battle and their bodies could not be found; otherwise, I would have had even more little toys to control."

At the same time, Ye Bai and Wang Gang confronted each other.

(End of this chapter)