Chapter 610: Heavenly Corpse King's Pendant

Mo Dengqing frowned, looking at Yan Buji: "This pendant of yours is probably best not displayed in front of outsiders; if I'm not mistaken, it should be a funerary object."

"A funerary object?" Yan Buji didn't mind; it was just grave-digging—back when he was a mortal, when he started out, what hadn't he done?

Now he doesn't dig graves because he fears offending those major powers too much, and besides, ordinary cultivators' graves have nothing good—most are just cenotaphs.

Who buries cultivators as lavishly as ordinary people after death, unless their family does that? Still, any usable items would have to be taken, and cultivators also worry about grave robbers, so they'd definitely set up mechanisms, which are hard to deal with.

Mo Dengqing suddenly smiled: "This thing's origin is not trivial."

Its origin is not trivial?

"Could it be related to some ancient demonic cultivator?"

"You could think of that, which is impressive, but this item isn't from an ancient demonic cultivator—it's an ornament of a Heavenly Corpse King."

Yan Buji looked strange: "Heavenly Corpse King? Are there still such strange beings nowadays?"

In ancient times, because the Netherworld operated normally, but there were too many beings in the Nine Heavens and Five Realms, causing many souls to linger in the Yang realm, which is also why soul cultivators and ghost cultivators, etc., arose.

Among them, cultivators who practice corpse-secret arts either control large numbers of corpses by manipulating their divine sense, or they themselves transform, using netherworldly yin energy to erode their flesh and become zombies.

But whether it's the cultivator themselves turning into a zombie or the zombies they control, there are rankings.

Black zombies, white zombies, flying zombies, purple zombies correspond to cultivators from Qi Refining to Nascent Soul. After purple zombies comes the Heavenly Corpse, which should be at the Transformation Spirit stage.

A Heavenly Corpse King is at least at the Refining Void stage.

Yan Buji's surprise lies here: the Netherworld has long been split, endlessly absorbing ghosts and monsters lingering in the Nine Heavens and Five Realms, making it impossible for so many yin-death places to appear, naturally making it impossible to cultivate high-grade zombies.

That's also why the numbers of soul and ghost cultivators are so rare they're even fewer than martial cultivators.

Such a powerful strange being as the Heavenly Corpse King is said to be able to nurture a Heavenly Corpse Pearl, which can be used to refine a special accumulation device for surviving tribulation lightning. So if such a Heavenly Corpse King truly existed, it would have long been discovered.

Mo Dengqing, merely at the Golden Core stage, how would he know this?

Yan Buji curiously looked at her: "Miss Mo, how do you know this item belongs to a certain Heavenly Corpse King?"

Mo Dengqing's expression turned somewhat unnatural; she turned her head and said: "You don't need to worry about this."

Seeing she had no intention to explain, Yan Buji smiled: "I actually hope that Heavenly Corpse King would come find me."

"Are you crazy? Aren't you afraid of dying?!" Mo Dengqing turned her head, glaring at him.

"If the Heavenly Corpse King dared to come to Paolong Sacred Land and attack me, then even if I died at his hands I'd have to praise him for his superb skill and great courage." Yan Buji said.

"Hmph, don't you ever plan to leave Paolong Sacred Land? Spend your whole life here?"

"If I left and encountered a Heavenly Corpse King, only those who know I have this item would spread the word." Yan Buji implied.

Mo Dengqing realized something, immediately frowned: "Are you trying to pump me for information?"

She realized that if she responded to this line, wouldn't it prove she actually knows the whereabouts of a certain Heavenly Corpse King?

"Miss Mo, don't take offense." Yan Buji smiled: "I've wandered south and north for many years, facing countless dangers; it's only by great luck that I've made it here, so I naturally wouldn't easily fall into others' hands."

"Hmph." Mo Dengqing snorted coldly: "The dangers and schemes in this world far exceed your imagination; how can you be sure that you standing here today isn't someone deliberately guiding you here?"

"I certainly know that, but I trust more that my fate must be in my own hands—even if I die, I cannot leave it to others to decide." Yan Buji looked at her.

Mo Dengqing looked at Yan Buji, suddenly realizing this old fellow might not be as simple as she imagined; indeed, the saying "the older, the wiser" holds true.

Just then, someone came to the outside of the Pill Refining Hall, entered, and happened to see the two of them.

"Miss Mo, why are you also here?"

"He Caifei, what are you doing here?" Mo Dengqing frowned.

Yan Buji sent a mental message: "Who is this person?"

"A subordinate of Elder Yao Wen from the Treasure Vault side."

"That would be Feng Yue's rival, right?"

Yan Buji clasped his hands: "I've met you, Dao Friend He; I don't know what important matter brings you here this time."

He Caifei was surprised to see Mo Dengqing here, but after thinking he realized it was probably Feng Yue that old coot deliberately sending her to help Yan Buji as a front, fearing they'd have some rule to act against Yan Buji just the same.

He Caifei glanced away, ignored Mo Dengqing, and returned the salute to Yan Buji: "I am He Caifei; I've met you, Dao Friend Yan."

"Please, both of you, have a seat."

Mo Dengqing raised her eyebrows.

"I've been here so long and you didn't ask me to sit, but when someone else arrives you suddenly remember?"

The three sat down; He Caifei, because Mo Dengqing was present, altered his prepared remarks and said: "Dao Friend Yan, just arrived at the Outer Gate, what do you think of our Paolong Sacred Land?"

"Naturally it's a land of splendid treasures and outstanding people; from afar it seems lofty and unattainable, up close it feels profound and unfathomable." Yan Buji smiled.

"Hahaha." He Caifei laughed loudly: "Dao Friend, you speak well, but do you know the situation at the Pill Refining Hall is not good these days?"

Mo Dengqing heard this and immediately frowned: "He Caifei, what nonsense are you spouting?!"

"Isn't that the case? Nowadays, only Dao Friend Yan has formally entered the Pill Refining Hall; everyone else is just working overtime to produce Unity and Strength Pills. That way, the outer disciples don't care whether the Pill Refining Hall has enough hands—they've long had no one to help them refine pills."

"Wouldn't going to Long Qi City to find people be the same? After all, those in a hurry won't lack someone to refine pills, and those not in a hurry can wait until the Pill Refining Hall has enough staff—no problem." Mo Dengqing said lightly.

He Caifei smiled: "That said, now that Dao Friend Yan has become Hall Master of the Pill Refining Hall, this will naturally attract many disciples' interest. By then, regardless of whether you have enough manpower here, won't others still have to hand over the pills they need for the Pill Refining Hall to make, in order to avoid shortening their cultivation time?"

"Hmph, as long as you don't withhold the disciples' cultivation resources, there wouldn't be so many matters."

"Eh, Miss Mo said that—aren't we currently talking about Pill Refining Hall affairs?"

"You!"

Yan Buji gestured with his hand, signaling Mo Dengqing to hold her tongue.

"Dao Friend He, I have one thing I don't understand; I kindly ask for your guidance." Yan Buji clasped his fists.

"Dao Friend Yan, just say it; no problem."

Yan Buji said: "Since the Pill Refining Hall lacks manpower, why not continue recruiting people to expand its scale?"

He Caifei frowned: "This matter is handled by the Internal Affairs Hall; after approval by the Inner Gate, the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall must register it."

"Oh, so I also have to go through this process?" Yan Buji smiled.

Mo Dengqing glanced at Yan Buji and sent a mental message: "Yan Buji, what are you saying?"

"Don't worry about it!" Yan Buji replied: "I'll handle this person."

Mo Dengqing stayed silent, because he knew Yan Buji's review was still stuck at the Inner Gate, not approved; now he brings it up himself— isn't that just giving He Caifei a reason to go after him?