Chapter 536: Ice Corpse

As the figure turned and our eyes met, I felt as if I had fallen into an ice cavern that chilled heaven and earth. What kind of eyes were those? I couldn't describe them; I could only say I saw a pair of eyes glowing with white light, exuding a cold aura. In that instant of eye contact, an indescribable cold seeped into my body and soul.

What is this thing? Why have I never heard of it? My whole body shuddered; after that brief eye contact, I was certain this person was not human—most likely a walking corpse from ancient legend.

Just as I was about to ask Han Duo, she leapt up, whipping her fierce long lash with all her strength at the figure. When the whip touched the corpse, friction sent a long string of beautiful sparks flying through the air.

The whip technique Han Duo used seemed to be a school of ancient martial arts, combined with Daoist power, making her movements as dazzling as a fairy's. Yet even under such fierce attacks, the bulky figure remained unmoving. On the contrary, after just a few minutes Han Duo was panting, her face pale.

Han Duo's body is weak now, but that doesn't mean she can't handle ordinary wandering souls; it's just that this corpse is too strange and too strong, so her brief burst of effort was like a bull entering the sea—unable to raise even a ripple.

"Let me help you..." I shouted, grabbed and charged at the corpse. The corpse stood like a log; even when my palm struck his chest, he didn't budge.

At the moment my palm touched his chest, a chill ran up my arm and invaded my whole body, making me shiver involuntarily; I hastily stepped back in fright.

After stepping back, I looked down and saw a layer of white frost already forming on my hands.

"Come... remove this layer of frost." Han Duo snapped her fingers, igniting a talisman with her sword finger, then tossed it onto a stick on the ground, which burst into fierce flames. She picked up the stick and handed it to me; I took it without hesitation and rubbed it hard with both hands. It's hard to believe, but as soon as I rubbed the stick, the fire on it vanished as if it had met its nemesis, disappearing at an astonishing speed.

By the time I wiped the frost from my hands, the stick was coated with a layer of white granules that looked terrifying.

"Mili, what is this thing? How can it freeze so absurdly?" I shivered, chattering, and asked Han Duo: "Even if it's the zombies of ancient legend, I've never heard of an ice corpse."

Han Duo shook her head solemnly, biting her lip, her tone resolute: "No matter what he is, we must take him down; only then can we avenge the several brothers and sisters who died at the orphanage."

As soon as she finished speaking, she prepared to charge at the corpse again, but I timely stopped her, anxiously shouting: "Don't rush; even if we want to take him down, we need to plan carefully."

The corpse's intelligence seems low, its demeanor dull; even if Han Duo and I took turns beating it, it neither fought back nor resisted, just stood there blankly. Yet its strength is absolutely uncanny and formidable, not to be underestimated.

"Got it, Mili—we'll attack its neck; the corpse's weak point is there. I'll flank you front and back, seize the chance to first rescue the child in its hands..."

No sooner had I finished speaking than Han Duo transformed her Wushen Whip into a spear, pointed her sword finger, and thrust straight at the ice corpse's neck. Her spear lodged in his neck, locking in a stalemate; meanwhile I slipped behind him, blew on my fist, gathered all my strength, and struck fiercely.

With a crack, damn it, my hand dislocated—but the ice corpse finally twitched twice. Under our combined assault, it shook off two shards of frost, and at the same moment its clenched right hand loosened, dropping the child it had been holding by the neck.

Almost instantly, seeing the child fall, I immediately crouched, arms outstretched, and hurriedly reached forward. As I caught the child, the previously stiff corpse finally moved—almost as I lowered my head, it raised a hand and swept it sideways.

It was fate, really; if I hadn't crouched to save the child, that sweeping blow would have hit me, and the outcome would surely be like a broken kite's string—I escaped disaster, but Han Duo was not so lucky.

As the corpse's hand swept backward like thunder, its neck also shifted rightward. Han Duo's spear, already piercing the center of his neck, caused her body to lurch forward as he twisted; the spear scraped his neck, sending up a string of sparks, and in that instant she lunged forward to confront the soldier corpse.

I saw Han Duo's eyes flash with shock, then she flew backward like a broken kite.

At the critical moment, Han Duo raised her spear to block the soldier corpse's incoming palm strike to her chest; otherwise that blow wouldn't have just knocked her away—it could have pierced her heart.

Even though the Wushen Spear deflected some of the force, Han Duo inevitably froze into an ice sculpture. No, she was becoming a block of ice.

Frost spread rapidly from her feet, nearly covering her hips; I dared not hesitate, chanting the Three Flavors True Fire incantation and rubbing it over her whole body. Damn, this layer of ice—whatever it is—made my whole body feel cold, and the Three Flavors True Fire had no effect at all.

Worse still, the ice corpse that had previously stood like a log began to move. After enduring constant blows, it now stepped toward me.

I don't know whether my earlier attack angered him, or if he approached only for the child beside me. Now I can't think of any useful plan. With frost on Han Duo and an unconscious child nearby, how can I free my hands to deal with this strange corpse?

How many times have I fallen into such danger? I can't count, but this time I am the most anxious and desperate ever. I don't want an innocent child to die, nor do I want Han Duo to die because of this. Unlike me, she still bears many unfinished tasks and responsibilities she cannot shirk—she must not die.

Heavy footsteps sounded on the rock-strewn slope, each step a thud. The icy corpse drew nearer step by step; when it was about three meters away, it suddenly leapt up, and in midair I saw a frost-covered claw reaching for me.

Am I desperate? Have I given up? Shall I just die here?

No, I haven't. At this moment I chose to push Han Duo and the unconscious child aside, clenched my fist with one hand, and fearlessly went forward.

Just as our fists were about to collide, a black shadow flashed across the air, followed by a loud shout; a figure in gray robes stepped in front of me.

Speak of the devil—before I could react, the gray-robed figure had already blocked my front, and in that brief moment had already clashed with the corpse once. What's more astonishing is that this gray-robed person fought the corpse to a standstill, evenly matched.

But why does that back look so familiar?

Before I could think, another person burst from the woods, sprinted to my side, helped Han Duo up; when I came to and saw him, I couldn't help but gasp in delighted surprise.

"Pangzi, how did you come here!" I exclaimed, nearly tearing up; the newcomer was none other than Wang Pang, who had gone into seclusion with Master Yang Qi.

Wang Pang was dusty from travel; aside from his prominent belly unchanged, he seemed to have slimmed a bit, his face angular, his eyes' light restrained, looking more mature and steady.

"You weren't supposed to be cultivating in the mountains with Master Seven, so why are you here?" I wondered, then asked: "Where is Master Seven? Why didn't he come with you?"

Pangzi pointed at the gray-clad old man grappling with the ice corpse, indicating that was Master Seven, and gave me a glance: "Do you think now is the time to ask this?"

I also felt it wasn't the right moment, silently breaking into a sweat, and hurriedly helped Han Duo, who was frostbitten. Pangzi merely touched her foot, frowned, and urged anxiously: "Hurry, help her up—this isn't ordinary cold; it's cold poison. Once it reaches the chest, it's as if it's reached the heart, and there's no saving her."

Pangzi's outburst made me flustered; I asked him what to do while hastily helping Han Duo up.

Pangzi didn't answer me; after I helped Han Duo up, he immediately pulled a gourd of wine from his waist pouch, took a big swig, then chanted the Fire Technique. After a low roar, his palms ignited with roaring flames.

With his flaming hands he roamed over her body, rubbing everywhere; under the fire's heat, the frost on Han Duo gradually faded.

But fading doesn't mean it's over, because Han Duo's body has been invaded by cold poison; if the poison isn't expelled, the frost will keep spreading, so a complete cure requires both internal and external treatment.

Pangzi produced thirteen needles, inserting the silver ones into five of Han Duo's acupoints, gently twisting the tips to dispel her cold poison.

Meanwhile, Master Seven and the ice corpse were fighting fiercely. To be honest, this is the first time I've seen Master Seven strike; the old man is incredibly strong, like a fighting machine. He traded blows fist to fist with the corpse, knocked it down, then kept pummeling it with his fists.

Over and over, the blows continued without end; Master Seven showed no sign of breathlessness, instead growing fiercer, his spirit high, his face bearing a look of great enjoyment and accomplishment.

I admit… that description is a bit off, but honestly, watching Master Seven thrash the ice corpse, I couldn't help picturing: a weird old man cracking a whip at a pitifully pretty girl, laughing 'ge ge' with mad light in his eyes—perverted, yet enjoying it…

But… could this merciless ice corpse be that pitiful pretty girl? Comparing the two images, I involuntarily shivered.