Chapter 404: Discussing Cooperation Again

When Yunhe hesitated, the Purple Robe True Lord had already made a decision.

Although this decision, no matter who looks at it, is utterly foolish, for it means she must face two mid‑Fourth Level Abyssal Clan members simultaneously, the pressure being unimaginable, and there may even be danger of falling.

Yet no one fails to admire the Purple Robe True Lord's decision.

"Arrogant!"

Sang Xun, who had been blocked by the Purple Robe True Lord, seeing that he could no longer catch up to Fu Shan Dao Ren, glared angrily at the Purple Robe True Lord and shouted.

Not only him, but Sang Wan, who had originally chosen the Purple Robe True Lord as her opponent, also felt offended again.

Dealing with two angry mid‑Fourth Level Abyssal Clan members would undoubtedly be more difficult.

Yunhe let out a quiet sigh and abandoned the idea of rushing in.

Their original purpose was merely to thwart the Abyssal Clan's scheme, not to seize any treasure; since they did not know what lay inside, there was no need to take reckless risks, for the risk and reward were grossly disproportionate.

Thus all he needed to do now was simply to hold back the Abyssal Clan priest opposite him.

Then a miserable cry from You Lan Ju Shi rang out, causing Yunhe and the struggling Purple Robe True Lord to feel their hearts tighten suddenly.

Yunhe therefore gave up his fierce offensive and switched to a more conservative way of dueling.

But doing so introduced another variable.

"Capital City Gu Corpse!"

Yunhe believed Fu Shan Dao Ren could handle a single Abyssal Clan cultivator without trouble, but now with the Heaven Corpse Gu and that late‑Yuan Ying Capital City Gu Corpse added, Fu Shan Dao Ren was likely in danger as well.

In his view, Fu Shan Dao Ren, being a mid‑Yuan Ying cultivator of the Tai Xuan Zhengyi Sect, the foremost orthodox sect of the Eastern Border, surely possessed great strength; as long as he did not encounter a late‑Yuan Ying cultivator or a late‑Fourth Level Abyssal Clan member, even if he could not slay his opponent, forcing a stalemate so the foe could not succeed would surely be fine.

Meanwhile, Sang Wu on the opposite side, although Fu Shan Dao Ren's breakthrough of their blockade would surely earn him reproach later, he likewise had full confidence in Ling Ya, so he was not in a hurry to subdue the troublesome Yunhe.

Therefore he also made no preparations to change his tactics, intending to delay Yunhe to reduce the chance of accidents.

Sang Wu, who likewise witnessed this scene, furrowed his brows, but soon recovered.

Seek no merit, only avoid fault.

This tacit understanding did not last long before the situation changed.

That is to say.

After their prolonged battle, the black mist within the hall had inevitably thinned considerably, allowing them to see that the Purple Robe True Lord had already collapsed limp on the ground; from her ruined body a Yuan Ying resembling her seven‑to‑eight parts shot out, glared ferociously at the opposite side, then turned and fled outward at great speed.

Heaven Corpse Gu!

But why did his Corpse Soul Gu show no reaction?

Yunhe looked toward the figure still draped in a wide robe, bearing a huge object on his back.

Thus.

Five flying swords instantly formed a sword formation, which under his control struck together at one point!

Boom!!

His heart gave a jolt.

Thus, for You Lan Ju Shi, who had fled after being reduced to just a Yuan Ying, neither Yunhe nor the Purple Robe True Lord was surprised.

Actually, during the time he had been entangled with him, Yunhe had long since found the weak point of the formation trapping him, precisely to prevent any mishap.

All that could be seen was his eyes narrowing as he flicked his sleeve, whereupon three more flying swords shot out from his cuff.

However.

Logically, when the Corpse Soul Gu senses the Heaven Corpse Gu, it ought to exhibit at least some reaction.

"Five Elements Sword Formation, complete!"

After a brief moment of thought, he made his decision.

He saw that he did not pursue You Lan Ju Shi, but instead swept up her corpse with a wave of his hand, glanced at Sang Wu and the two others, then turned and walked into the Holy Palace Passage while carrying the Capital City Gu Corpse.

"Ah!!"

The formation controlled by Sang Wu shattered with a boom.

I don't know why, but Yunhe could sense that he was laughing.

Precisely because the incident happened suddenly, after breaking through the formation's restriction Yunhe ruthlessly drove the sword formation to press down on Sang Wu.

Although the formations inside the Holy Palace were severely damaged, they were not so fragile as to be broken so easily; Sang Wu saw that the point where the Five Elements Sword Formation converged was a weak spot in the Soul Capturing Hall's formation, but he could not tell whether this was coincidence or premeditated design.

Feeling that stern sword qi, especially the heavenly lightning entwined upon it, Sang Wu's expression changed and he hastily waved his staff to defend.

This time.

Then this time he could also be considered to have completed it.

It seemed that, noticing Yunhe's gaze, that person also came and went toward him.

It was actually the Capital City Gu Corpse!

Moreover, judging by the aura emanating from this Capital City Gu Corpse, there is no doubt it is a late‑Yuan Ying Capital City Gu Corpse!

Furthermore, from its attire and the flow of its aura and magical fluctuations, he instantly recognized it as having once been a late‑Yuan Ying cultivator of the Heaven Insect Sect!

The two maintained an astonishing tacit understanding.

When a Yuan Ying cultivator is reduced to merely a Yuan Ying, he can still exert some strength, but the Yuan Ying is so fragile that it cannot withstand any mistake; if he is accidentally struck, that is true death of body and Dao.

After all, the one truly under pressure ought to be the Purple Robe True Lord, for she is simultaneously facing two mid‑Fourth Level Abyssal Clan cultivators, with time on their side.

Thereafter.

What surprised them was that, even though You Lan Ju Shi had previously been wounded by Sang Wan's sneak attack, losing an arm, she was nevertheless a mid‑Yuan Ying cultivator—how could she have been defeated so quickly?

Even though as a formation master she might lack in combat ability,

when Yunhe saw the entity standing before You Lan Ju Shi's corpse, his pupils contracted sharply.

This left Sang Wu somewhat taken aback.

At the same time.

Yunhe glanced at him, then without hesitation performed the hand seal again.

Solitary Sacrifice Formation, gather!

For a moment.

All the corpse refinements, including his Nascent Soul corpse refinement, were covered with strange patterns; tightly, they wanted to continue, but went limp on the ground as he took them back.

And, under the effect of the Solitary Sacrifice Formation, the magical power of all the corpse refinements converged onto the corpse refinement of the Extremely Joyful Old Ancestor.

After concentrating so much corpse refinement power, even including that of a Nascent Soul corpse refinement, the power erupted from this corpse refinement far surpassed what it had been before.

From it came a low growl unlike a human voice; suddenly it arose and directly pressed down on Sangwu's early Fourth Level Abyssal Beast.

Yunhe burst forth a pair of ice phoenix wings from his back with a "pfft" sound, and in a flash appeared beside the restrained Fourth Level Abyssal Beast.

His eyes glittered with five-colored light.

He raised his hand.

In his hand, an ice spear instantly condensed, shimmering with a cold gleam.

The Inverted Five Elements Spirit‑Absorbing Divine Light pierced the beast's sturdy armor.

Immediately after.

The ice spear let out a "puchi" sound as it plunged into its body, eliciting a painful wail.

Having fought the Abyssal Beast before, Yunhe clearly knew its shortcomings and weaknesses.

He struck down with a single blow.

In Yunhe's hand there now appeared an uneven Black Soul Crystal.

His speed was such that Sangwu was caught off guard; when Sangwu blocked the Five Elements Sword Formation, thinking Yunhe would launch a fierce attack at him, he discovered that Yunhe had actually made the Abyssal Beast his first target.

Seeing the Abyssal Beast turn into a black mist and dissipate, Sangwu's face instantly darkened.

However.

Yunhe didn't even glance at him, merely giving the Extremely Joyful Old Ancestor's corpse refinement an order to entangle Sangwu, then he flashed and flew into the holy hall passage.

Seeing this, Sangwu tried to intercept, but the corpse refinement at this moment would not give him such a chance.

After merely a brief pause of a single breath, Yunhe had already vanished inside the great hall.

Damn it!

Sangwu's body suddenly burst with magical power, swatting the corpse refinement away.

But such an attack alone could not affect the corpse refinement much.

After all, the divine sense secret arts that the Abyssal clan excels at greatly reduce the damage they can inflict on corpse refinements.

Moreover, this is a "single-use" corpse refinement, so Yunhe doesn't feel sorry for it.

Flying into the passage, Yunhe wore a solemn expression.

He didn't care about the life or death of the Daoist of Burdened Mountain; whether this mission could be completed had some impact on him, but the impact wasn't great, since he had already obtained the Yuanli Pill.

But the reaction of the Heavenly Corpse Gu made him have to stay vigilant.

The relationship between Yunhe and the Heavenly Corpse Gu is very complicated.

Though one might call them enemies, at present they actually still maintain a so‑called "cooperative" relationship.

According to the agreement, Yunhe must make a trip to the ruins of the Heavenly Insect Sect to retrieve what the Heavenly Corpse Gu needs, while the Heavenly Corpse Gu holds Yunhe's "lever".

But Yunhe had long delayed taking action.

Therefore the Heavenly Corpse Gu lured the Extremely Joyful Old Ancestor.

Yunhe knew this was a "warning" from the Heavenly Corpse Gu.

Since Yunhe could even escape from the grasp of a late Fourth Level Thousand‑Wing Blood Mosquito, an Extremely Joyful Old Ancestor was certainly no problem.

He didn't know whether to speak or not.

Although their relationship is more like enemies, their tacit understanding is complete.

Just like now.

The trembling ice phoenix wings suddenly stalled; Yunhe hovered in the spacious passage, his gaze sweeping over, and he slowly said:

"Are you waiting for me?"

"Ha‑ha." A hoarse laugh rang out, and a figure stepped out from the shadows: "Not bad, junior brother; senior brother, if I'm a little careless with hiding my aura, I have nowhere to hide before you."

Behind the Heavenly Corpse Gu followed the late Nascent Soul stage "Heavenly Capital Gu Corpse".

This "Heavenly Capital Gu Corpse" is indeed a corpse‑formed Nascent Soul.

Therefore, even if its strength does not match that of a true late Nascent Soul cultivator, it is still far stronger than most mid‑Nascent Soul cultivators; moreover, since even the exact strength of the Heavenly Corpse Gu is unknown, Yunhe's pressure can be imagined.

This is not facing an ordinary black crow.

Seeing Yunhe's wary look, the Heavenly Corpse Gu waved a hand and said: "Junior brother, there's no need to be so nervous; senior brother, could I possibly do anything to you? Elder brother is still waiting for you to help me fetch the things."

Upon this, Yunhe inwardly sneered.

Who knows which of the Heavenly Corpse Gu's words are true and which are false?

The appearance of the Extremely Joyful Old Ancestor is the best proof.

Of course, regarding the Extremely Joyful Old Ancestor, they tacitly avoided mentioning it, as if it had never happened.

But Yunhe still asked: "Why aren't you rushing in to help that Abyssal cultivator, and instead waiting here for me?"

The Heavenly Corpse Gu gave a low laugh.

"Help the Abyssal clan?"

His tone carried contempt.

He lowered his voice and countered: "Junior brother, do you know what the Abyssal clan seeks by coming to this secret realm?"

Yunhe narrowed his eyes.

He did not respond, and he had an innate aversion to the Heavenly Corpse Gu's leading style of questioning.

However, the Heavenly Corpse Gu didn't leave him hanging; seeing his lack of reaction, it went on to say on its own:

If the Abyssal Clan's expedition succeeds, there is a relatively high probability that they can be provided with five late Fourth Level Abyssal Beasts.

Having said that, he still gave Yunhe a teasing look, as if expecting some reaction from him.

This time, the Heavenly Corpse Gu succeeded.

Because of what he heard, even though Yunhe had already made mental preparations, he couldn't help but widen his eyes, showing a look of astonishment.

How many?

Five late Fourth Level Abyssal Beasts!

After the Abyssal Beasts learned of their weaknesses, their strength is still considerably lacking compared to cultivators of the same realm, but five late Fourth Level Abyssal Beasts—this strength can already, to a certain extent, sweep away and destroy the human cultivators on the Abyssal Clan's battlefield at this moment.

Moreover, if they possess five late Fourth Level Abyssal Beasts, then the Abyssal Clan's strength can truly, to a certain extent, stand against human cultivators.

"Of course, such produced Abyssal Beasts also have defects; compared to normal Abyssal Beasts they are lacking, but even if a late Nascent Soul cultivator were to face two of them, it would probably be extremely difficult to win." the Heavenly Corpse Gu said lightly.

That is to say, five late Fourth Level Abyssal Beasts can at least hold off two late Nascent Soul cultivators; if we also add the Abyssal Clan's own late Fourth Level cultivators, then at least they can hold off three to four late Nascent Soul cultivators.

How many late Nascent Soul cultivators are there in total among the human cultivators of the entire Eastern Border cultivation world?

As far as Yunhe currently knows.

They are merely the Profound Void Daoist, the Formless Sword King, the Rakshasa True Monarch, the Yellow Spring Old Ancestor, and that person from the Qing Kingdom.

There are certainly others left, but definitely not many.

Then, speaking solely of top-tier combat power, isn't a single Abyssal Clan able to hold off most of the human cultivators' strength?

If the Sea Clan's scheme on the Azure Sky Island also succeeds, and the Sea Clan's strength surges just like the Abyssal Clan's, then the human cultivators will truly be in big trouble.

However.

If we look from another angle, this might not be a bad thing.

Given human nature, in the absence of absolute external pressure or absolute power to maintain order, internal strife and waste are inevitable; perhaps the Abyssal Clan and Sea Clan and other alien races looked down upon by human cultivators could truly unite the human cultivators of the Eastern Border cultivation world.

Of course, in the end the disadvantages surely outweigh the advantages, and this is also true for Yunhe.

"Why tell me such an important matter?"

As thoughts flashed through Yunhe's mind, he again asked in a deep voice.

"Naturally, I want to cooperate with you, my junior brother." the Heavenly Corpse Gu said with a smile, without concealment.

"Cooperation?"

"As far as I know." the Heavenly Corpse Gu said calmly: "In the depths of this holy hall, there is a stalk of 'Ink Crystal Divine Plant'."

Ink Crystal Divine Plant?

Yunhe staggered, his mind quickly recalling information about this thing; he remembered that he seemed to have seen it in some classic before.

Given his current memory, he naturally recalled it quickly and blurted out:

"The 'Black Crystal Divine Plant', a legendary spiritual plant said to be able to change a cultivator's spiritual roots?"

(End of chapter)