Chapter 225: Shaman Zhen

The underground palace was vast, and the powerful flashlight could only illuminate a corner of it.

Yet Guo Ming and the others could clearly see the scattered dragon bones lying haphazardly across the floor.

Some were nearly intact, while others were fragmented.

The dragon bones were not composed of human remains—they were truly another form of life.

This meant the Corpse-Jiao was not an original feng shui technique, but a mimicry.

It also indirectly confirmed one thing: these mythic creatures had once truly existed.

But how ancient “ancient times” truly were, Chu Danqing had no idea.

Guo Ming had never seen such a sight; though the dragons were now mere bones, the faint aura radiating from them allowed him to glimpse a trace of their former might.

Had they not died so long ago, even a single breath left would have crushed him beneath their pressure.

“They’re all dead, no need to worry,” Chu Danqing said, feigning calmness—he wouldn’t provoke death, and the Paradise wouldn’t assign him a mission guaranteed to kill him.

So though his heart raced, it didn’t quite terrify him.

Guo Ming nodded in agreement and followed Chu Danqing into the underground palace.

The dragon corpses were too massive, making them seem insignificant as they moved among them.

As they walked toward the center of the palace, they encountered no reanimated corpses or other disturbances.

Instead, they had gradually grown accustomed to the pressure emanating from the dragon bones.

When they finally reached the center—the so-called Dragon-Skinning Platform—it was neither grand nor luxurious.

It was merely a crude platform, resembling a simple slaughterhouse.

Beside it sat a rough wicker chair, upon which lay a dried corpse.

The body wore clothing resembling ancient shamanic robes, adorned with countless ornaments.

“This… is the Dragon-Skinning Platform?” Guo Ming’s voice held uncertainty.

The contrast between the massive dragon bones and this tiny slaughterhouse was too stark.

Chu Danqing glanced around on both sides, then sighed: “I don’t know either.”

He had never been here before.

“It is the Dragon-Skinning Platform,” a hoarse voice answered their confusion.

This startled them both; they looked around but found no source of the voice, so their eyes immediately fixed on the dried corpse.

Sure enough, the corpse slowly rose from the wicker chair.

“Finally, someone with some skill has arrived,” the corpse said, its eyes glowing a sickly green: “Is the Kan Dynasty still out there?”

“No, the Kan Dynasty vanished a thousand years ago,” Chu Danqing replied.

The figure clearly harbored no ill intent.

“So I’ve lain here another thousand years,” the corpse said, voice heavy with sorrow. “Then why are you here?”

Chu Danqing pulled out the Ziwei Jade Seal and the Imperial Purple Qi: “I intend to refine the Ziwei Jade Seal with the Imperial Purple Qi.”

First, he didn’t know how.

So it was highly likely this shaman-like figure would have to do it.

“Oh, the last one who did this was a brat from the Kan Dynasty.”

“I helped him refine it, and in return, he built a wall outside this palace and sought someone who could grant me peace.”

“It seems he succeeded only halfway,” the corpse said gravely.

He felt no disappointment over failure—he had made this request many times before.

“My name is Zhen. I am a shaman. You may call me Shaman Zhen.” The corpse’s gaze drifted to the dragon bones. “I should have rested in peace after death.”

“But my soul is trapped within this corpse, eternally tormented.”

“I can help you, but you must agree to two things.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Danqing immediately agreed: “Master, please speak.”

“First, kill me. Let me rest.” Shaman Zhen’s first demand was no surprise to Chu Danqing.

“The second is more complicated, but you must accomplish it if you wish to refine the Ziwei Jade Seal with the Imperial Purple Qi.”

Shaman Zhen pointed to the crude Dragon-Skinning Platform: “Too many dragons have died upon this platform; some of their lingering dragon souls suffer endlessly, unable to transcend, and have become malevolent spirits.”

“When I refined the seal for the Kan Dynasty brat, my soul could suppress them, so I ignored the dragon spirits.”

“Now I cannot. To refine the seal, you must first eliminate these dragon spirits.”

“Of course, to eliminate them, you must first draw them out.”

“With my decaying body holding them down, these dragon spirits dare not surface—so you must kill me first.”

Hearing this, Chu Danqing felt his limbs go numb.

“Master, you need to speak logically,” Chu Danqing said, diplomatically—less diplomatically, he was wondering if the old man was senile.

With your strength, you expect us to kill you? That’s absurd.

Even if we could kill you, how could you help him refine the seal after you’re dead?

“Don’t worry,” Shaman Zhen said slowly. “All these years have passed—the dragon spirits’ power is now less than one percent of what it was. With the strength of the man beside you, killing them won’t be difficult.”

Chu Danqing’s eye twitched. Was this about the dragon spirits?

“As for me? My condition is even worse.”

“I’m left with nothing but this broken shell—I can’t exert any real power.”

“If you agree, my soul will leave this body, and then you may act,” Shaman Zhen said.

At the same time, the hidden quest appeared.

【Hidden Quest: Kill Corpse-Shaman Zhen before returning】

【Trial Difficulty: S-Class (Nightmare）】

【Trial Reward: Paradise Points ×20,000, Attribute Points +5】

【Trial Failure: Paradise Points -40,000, Random Attribute -2】

Chu Danqing now understood where the S-Class in his innate quest came from.

To refine the Ziwei Jade Seal with the Imperial Purple Qi, he must first kill Shaman Zhen and the dragon spirits.

Otherwise, even if he knew the refinement method, he lacked the proper environment and conditions to perform it.

He immediately accepted the hidden quest and said: “Fine!”

At this point, he had no choice but to agree.

He’d come this far in his innate quest—there was no quitting now.

Hearing this, Shaman Zhen’s withered face broke into a rare smile.

“But I have one question,” Chu Danqing said. “Why don’t you end your own life?”

“Sigh,” Shaman Zhen said, his good mood vanishing instantly. “I don’t want to? No—I can’t.”

“All these years, I’ve used my soul to weaken the dragon spirits while gradually eroding the malevolence of this corpse.”

“If I were to kill myself without finding someone capable of suppressing and destroying both this corpse and the dragon spirits, this corpse would become a monstrous force and bring devastation to all life.”

“That’s the best-case scenario. The corpse and the dragon spirits have coexisted for so long, both being malevolent—they could merge into something far worse.”

“In my own era, this wouldn’t have mattered. But from the Kan Dynasty brat’s words, I learned that humanity has now declined.”

“Who could stand against such a monstrous force if it appeared?”

“That’s why I’ve held onto my last breath—until I finally met you, the one destined to help me,” Shaman Zhen said honestly.

As for why he didn’t act himself? He had been suppressing and weakening them all along.

Otherwise, a complete Corpse-Shaman Zhen and the dragon spirits together—how could Chu Danqing possibly stand a chance?

He’d likely have been consumed by the malevolent aura the moment he stepped into this palace.

“It’s possible,” Chu Danqing said. “But may I ask—can you turn this place into water?”

Since it was an S-Class quest, Chu Danqing needed to maximize his advantage.

The Face-Eater, Hundred-Legged Corpse-Wasp, and Ghost-Faced Dragon-Teng reached S-Class because they could only reach S-Class.

But Shaman Zhen and the dragon spirits’ hidden quest reached S-Class because the upper limit of Level 1 is S-Class.

As for something like the Cave God—only a fully restored Shaman Zhen could handle that.

“Water? What do you intend to do?” Shaman Zhen asked, puzzled.

“Of course, to strengthen our combat power,” Chu Danqing said confidently. “Fighting in water doubles our strength.”

Upon hearing this, Shaman Zhen didn’t seem surprised—he paused, then asked: “How much water do you need?”

The question revealed he could indeed do it—but couldn’t provide a vast enough body of water as aid.

“Well, it might require a fair amount,” Chu Danqing admitted—he wasn’t sure of the exact water volume required by the Pao-Long offspring, having always used the Ba-Xia offspring before.

In truth, he’d only mentioned it casually—he hadn’t truly expected Shaman Zhen to manage it.

“Very well,” Shaman Zhen said, seeing Chu Danqing’s vague answer. “I’ll do my best.”

“But you must assist me,” Shaman Zhen continued. “The trench I carved here when I slew the Yellow Dragon has since become a river.”

“I’ll give you a direction, and I’ll help you open a passage from above and below to draw the river water down.”

“Once the water is in place, you can seal the passage,” Shaman Zhen provided the solution.

Chu Danqing had just heard an astonishing revelation.

He’d heard this from Zhong Ting, but Zhong Ting said it was merely folklore—not to be taken seriously.

Chu Danqing had always believed the same.

Yet now he realized this wild legend was true.

And the one who had done it still lay beneath the Yellow Dragon River—in this underground palace.

Having finished speaking, Wu Zhen gave Chu Danqing a detailed explanation of the directions and plan.

Wu Zhen had not known these details originally; they came from the blueprints and positional records left over from the construction of Yuanping Wang’s tomb.

During its construction, he personally oversaw every detail—otherwise, how could Kan Chao have kept control over this ferocious corpse and the dragon’s corruption?

This also revealed to Wu Zhen many things about Kan Chao, the Huanglong River, and the Cangmang Ancient Ridge.

His plan was extremely thorough, with a very high chance of success.

Chu Danqing could only admit that Jiang was indeed seasoned and sharp.

Even after being trapped in this underground palace for so long, he remained this formidable.

As for why Wu Zhen had been trapped in the underground palace, Chu Danqing did not ask.

The other seemed unwilling to speak on it—there must be hidden reasons behind it.

It had little to do with Chu Danqing; after all, it was the other’s affair.

He only needed to ensure their deal was honored; there was no need to dig into the past.

Just as Wu Zhen had not asked about his origins either.

(End of Chapter)