Chapter 332

Since this secret art for synthesizing corpse-ghouls was developed by the Tong sect's demonic cultivator, this Yin Corpse Rat was most likely bred later by the "Tong Family," but somehow ended up in the hands of the green-robed dwarf, who was then wiped out along with his entire clan, the Yin Corpse Rat seized as spoils.

Wang Yu removed the jade slip from his forehead, a flicker of understanding crossing his mind.

This secret art for crafting corpse-ghouls could cultivate a second-rank synthetic corpse-ghoul from a first-rank beast corpse—he naturally felt some interest, and planned to study it further when he had time.

But how should he handle this strange talisman?

Wang Yu put the jade slip into his storage bag, then glanced at the silver vial's phantom in his hand, falling into deep thought.

…

After a stick of incense had burned, high in the air over another location more than ten li away, Wang Yu stared silently at the silver talisman still floating in his spiritual sense sea.

Strange—it seemed to have become an inescapable curse.

Though injecting spiritual energy allowed it to freely shift between talisman and vial forms, any contact with his spiritual sense would cause it to instantly burrow into his spiritual sense sea.

Neither the talisman nor the silver vial form could be stored in his storage bag, as if utterly unaffected by spatial forces.

Even stranger, no matter its form, it could not remain outside his body for long—after roughly four or five minutes, it would inevitably return to his spiritual sense sea in talisman form.

During this time, he even tried placing it inside an iron box covered entirely in sealing talismans, burying the box deep underground, then flying more than ten li away in one go.

Yet the moment time ran out, the talisman teleported directly back into his spiritual sense sea—no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake it off.

This left Wang Yu utterly speechless.

Though the object showed no obvious ill effects and even offered an extra storage method, his spiritual sense sea was a cultivator's most private domain—how could he allow an unknown artifact to remain there indefinitely?

In the time that followed, Wang Yu tried every method he could think of.

Whether forcing it with cultivation techniques, moving it with spiritual sense, or even forming arrays of spells within his spiritual sense sea to trap the talisman—none worked.

The silver talisman had become like a long-stray mangy dog that had finally found a warm kennel, clinging stubbornly to his spiritual sense sea, refusing to leave for even a moment.

Enough!

After all his efforts, he hadn't expelled the strange talisman—instead, he'd wasted most of his remaining spiritual energy, and could only reluctantly cease.

If all else failed, he'd have to wait until returning to the Four Symbols Sect and ask his master, the Celestial Toad Ancestor, for help.

He refused to believe that a Jin Dan elder's power couldn't remove a mere talisman.

Wang Yu gritted his teeth, thinking this.

But then again, this talisman was so mysterious, able to freely enter and exit his spiritual sense sea—it was almost certainly of extraordinary origin, likely a treasure tied to the soul.

This made him hesitate inwardly.

But no matter what, an external object he couldn't fully control must never be allowed to remain permanently in his spiritual sense sea.

Thinking this, Wang Yu turned and flew back, soon returning above the ruins of the Tong family estate.

At that moment, Da Lv and Xiao Bai were piling up the corpse-rat skeletons in a heap, waiting eagerly below for their master to return.

"Well done."

Wang Yu praised the two beasts, then shook his sleeve—a fireball the size of a human head plummeted from the sky, crashing onto the pile of corpse-rat remains.

With a "boom," roaring flames surged skyward.

These corpse-rats were a kind of small semi-corpse-ghoul, their flesh and bones nearly depleted, their bodies tainted with corpse poison—worthless to sell, but they couldn't be left unattended, or an epidemic might break out.

Wang Yu gestured again.

White clouds sprouted beneath the feet of the two beasts, lifting them to his side.

He examined their wounds, then pulled two white pills from his person, slipping one into each beast's mouth before storing them in his spirit beast bag. He then circled once more above the site of the Tong family's self-destruction, retrieving something from the ground before blasting off into the sky.

Not long after.

Wang Yu stood atop his flying green wooden boat, now holding a fragment of a black jade pendant sealed with a talisman.

This was the object the dwarf had used to flee with his soul, still sealed with the residual aura of a demonic Foundation Establishment cultivator.

With this item, plus the dried corpse-rats, he should be able to satisfy the Sunset Sect's requirements.

But unfortunately, the dwarf's body had been self-destroyed—he couldn't find any personal token of the man, which would have made things easier.

Wang Yu still felt regretful; he spurred his spiritual energy, and the wooden boat transformed into a green light, streaking toward the Sunset Sect.

It was said the Sunset Sect's mountain gate lay in Tianyang Valley, one of the Three Great Firelands of Wu State, perpetually scorching hot—a sacred ground for fire-attribute cultivation techniques.

Thus, the Sunset Sect was often called the Sunset Valley.

This filled Wang Yu with anticipation for his journey.

…

Twenty days later.

Wang Yu, riding his wooden boat, saw ahead a vast expanse of crimson clouds on the horizon, while below, the gray-white mountain peaks rose and fell, mostly barren, with only occasional patches of green trees, their leaves sparse.

As he flew further forward, he felt the heat pressing against his face, growing fiercer with every step.

Fortunately, Wang Yu was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and paid no mind to such heat.

As he barely entered this mountain range, two figures shot skyward from a peak below with a "whoosh" and "whoosh," blocking his path, standing atop white clouds.

"Esteemed elder, ahead lies our sect's mountain gate—outsiders are forbidden to enter." The two bowed to Wang Yu—they were a young man and woman dressed in Sunset Sect robes, their cultivation aura clearly at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining.

They sensed Wang Yu's aura surpassed Qi Refining, hence addressing him as "esteemed elder," yet their demeanor was neither subservient nor arrogant, showing no fear.

Wang Yu wasted no words; he shook his sleeve and tossed the Sunset Sect's temporary True Disciple token to the male disciple, saying coolly:

"I am Wang Yu of the Four Symbols Sect, here as a True Disciple for exchange. I have completed the assessment task assigned by your sect and have come to submit it."

The young man caught the token, startled, then his expression changed further upon hearing Wang Yu's words. After checking the token, he bowed deeply and replied:

"So you are Master Wang from the Four Symbols Sect! We received word not long ago that you might arrive soon. I shall immediately notify Senior Brother Xin, who oversees this matter—please wait a moment, Master."

The young woman beside him also bowed respectfully again.

Wang Yu nodded, then stood silently atop his boat.

The Sunset Sect disciple took a communication array plate from his storage bag and swiftly input a spiritual incantation.

Not long after, a sound of tearing air came from the other side of the mountains—a streak of red light rushed toward them.

Within the red light, a middle-aged bald monk stood atop a giant crimson sword.