27: Pick up a zombie princess

The wind had stopped, and even the constantly gurgling corpse-gas bogs seemed to have solidified. All that was left on the ground were tattered scraps of cloth, broken pieces of iron, and sticky black mud. The zombies that had been densely packed in the streets just moments ago were all gone! The choking stench of corpses in the air had faded to the point of being almost imperceptible.

Only that dark, swirling mass of corpse gas on the high platform remained, churning. Two glowing green ghost fires stared fixedly at Lin Xuan, their gaze as if they wanted to devour him alive.

"What exactly are you?!" The Black Fiend Corpse King's raspy voice exploded directly in Lin Xuan and Lie Tian Divine Tiger's minds, its tone distorted, filled with shock, anger, and a hint of tremor. His earlier euphoria of divine assistance had long been replaced by terror from the inexplicable evaporation of the entire city.

The Lie Tian Divine Tiger shook his large head, crimson-gold flames flickering across his fur. "Roar! Old geezer, scared stiff, aren't you? I'm just asking, are you going to lie down and wait to be recycled by my master into flower fertilizer, or should I, Tiger Lord, personally loosen your bones for you? I guarantee I'll break you into pieces so small you can't put them back together!"

Lin Xuan completely ignored the churning black gas. He was currently tilting his head, a look of disdain on his face, as he examined the Zombie Princess next to the throne.

Up close, she was even more unsettling. Her face was quite pale, as if painted with a layer of white, a dead, ghastly white. Her eyes were hollow, staring straight ahead, not even blinking. Only her lips were red, as if she had just bitten a dead child, standing out starkly in this gloomy, ghostly place. The palace dress she wore seemed to be of decent material, but it was dirty and emitted a smell of cheap spices mixed with rotten flesh.

"Tsk," Lin Xuan pouted, muttering softly, "Can this thing even be called a princess? She's far worse than that girl Qing Yao. Maybe only that dress of hers looks like it's worth a couple of coins?" He mused that the only thing of value on this Zombie Princess was probably the fabric of her dress. The recycling system didn't seem to take living things, or rather, half-dead things? A bit of a waste.

Just as Lin Xuan was wondering whether to package this "princess" and take her with him to see if he could salvage some materials.

Buzz!

An extremely subtle, yet unusually icy aura fluctuation suddenly emerged from the dense, impenetrable shadow behind the Zombie Princess! The feeling was like falling into a ten-thousand-year ice cave, a cold that could freeze one's bones! And this cold was different from the chillingcold of corpse gas; corpse gas carried the stench of decay, while this cold air was pure, a dead silence that could extinguish all life!

Lin Xuan's Law-Breaking Sword Eyes instantly locked onto the source of that fluctuation!

In that spot, the shadow was as thick as ink, and even the Law-Breaking Sword Eyes could only barely penetrate it a little. Just behind the Zombie Princess's bone chair, deep within the shadows, it seemed... something was standing upright?

A huge, rectangular outline! It looked like a coffin?

The coffin was pitch black, made of a material that was neither metal nor wood, exuding a heavy and ancient aura. Its surface seemed to be carved with extremely complex and twisted patterns. That deadly, icy aura was seeping out of this black coffin, thread by thread, wisp by wisp!

More importantly! As soon as this cold air emerged, Lin Xuan's mind buzzed!

He instantly thought of the white glowing soul at his home, soaking in the Myriad Realms Spirit Spring Eye! That super treasure labeled by the system as "SSS+ Life Reshaping Incomplete" and "Absolute Purification"! That "taste" of purifying everything, and the icy dead silence emanating from the coffin before him, though one represented life and the other death, in some sense of "origin," they were actually... somewhat similar?!

"Picked up from the Netherworld... purification-type soul... special attack against Zerg..." Lin Xuan's mind quickly flashed through the information from earlier snapshots, "Could the thing in this coffin... also be a 'special product' that drifted out from the Netherworld? And is it related to that white glowing soul?"

His heart suddenly skipped a beat! If it really was related to the white glowing soul, then this detour was truly a huge discovery! This was ten thousand times more valuable than any zombie!

"Roar! Master! There seems to be a treasure in that black coffin!" Lie Tian Divine Tiger also sensed the unusual cold air, his tiger eyes gleaming.

"Junior! How dare you covet this King's possession?! You seek death!!!"

The Black Fiend Corpse King evidently also noticed Lin Xuan's interest in the coffin, and he was utterly enraged! He let out a piercing shriek, like countless fingernails scraping against glass, making one's eardrums ache!

Boom!

The churning mass of dense black corpse gas suddenly exploded! A massive figure emerged from within!

Good heavens! This Corpse King was over three zhang tall, clad in a tattered black bone armor covered in marks from sword slashes and axe blows. His exposed skin was dark blue, his muscles bulging, yet exuding a rock-like stiffness and deadness. His face... could no longer be called a face; it was largely rotted away, revealing stark white cheekbones and a jawbone. In his sole remaining eye socket, the verdant ghost fire flickered wildly, locking onto Lin Xuan!

The terrifying pressure of a Void Refinement peak cultivator descended like a tangible mountain! The entire bone high platform groaned under the unbearable weight!

"Leave your life and the divine beast! Be this King's snack!!" The Corpse King roared, his rotten maw opening, and a thick, inky black torrent of corpse gas, emanating a foul stench, surged towards Lin Xuan and Lie Tian Divine Tiger like a bursting dam! Wherever it passed, even space emitted a sizzling sound as if being corroded!

"Roar! Old geezer, big talk! Tiger Lord will burn you!" Lie Tian Divine Tiger roared defiantly, his entire body erupting in crimson-gold divine flames, transforming into a massive fiery tornado that roared as it met the black torrent of corpse gas!

Boom—!!!

The crimson-gold divine flames and the foul corpse gas collided violently! Dazzling light erupted, and a deafening explosion echoed through the dead city! Energy shockwaves swept out, shattering a large section of the bones at the edge of the high platform!

Divine flames burned, corpse gas corroded, two forces fiercely tore and devoured each other!

Although Lie Tian Divine Tiger was only in his growth stage, the bloodline of an ancient divine beast coupled with Lin Xuan's chaotic primal energy nourishment made his divine flames incredibly overbearing! However, the Black Fiend Corpse King's corpse gas was also extraordinary, containing his Void Refinement peak cultivation and the accumulated decaying primal energy of this deathly realm over ten thousand years! For a time, they were in a stalemate! Crimson-gold and inky black clashed violently in the center of the high platform, neither giving way!

"Hmph! A mere cub, daring to be so arrogant! This King will drain your divine fire essence blood!" The green fire in the Corpse King's single eye intensified, and he stomped his foot violently!

Thump!

The entire bone high platform shook violently!

Countless pale bone spikes, like bamboo shoots after rain, furiously pierced out from the ground of the high platform and the surrounding massive bone structures! Densely packed, like a forest of white bones, they instantly enveloped Lin Xuan and Lie Tian Divine Tiger! Each bone spike glowed with an eerie green light, carrying potent poison and the power of piercing laws, striking fiercely at the man and the tiger! At the same time, the Corpse King's rotten giant claw tore through the air, bringing afishy wind, and grabbed down at Lin Xuan's head! Five pitch-black fingernails, like poisoned hooks, gleamed with an ominous, eerie light!

The fight was truly brutal! Corpse gas, bone spikes, and close combat, all three simultaneously!

Lie Tian Divine Tiger was fully resisting the torrent of corpse gas, and facing the sudden eruption of the bone spike forest, he roared repeatedly. A portion of his crimson-gold divine flames formed a protective shield to defend, and the clanging sounds of impact were incessant! Although the divine flames could incinerate the bone spikes, their sheer number and immense impact force caused Lie Tian Divine Tiger's massive body to retreat slightly.

The foul, rotten giant claw, emitting a stench, was about to grab Lin Xuan's head!

"Noisy."

Lin Xuan finally moved. He didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.

Buzz!

Beneath his feet, an invisible ripple instantly spread out! Like a stone dropped into a calm lake!

Chaos Return to Void Tribulation Light!

There was no earth-shattering commotion, only a black beam of light, so deep it seemed to swallow all light, silently shooting from Lin Xuan's fingertip. The beam was as fine as a hair, moving at a speed beyond thought!

Screech—!

That seemingly fierce and peerless rotten giant claw, carrying the power of a Void Refinement peak cultivator, was instantly annihilated without a trace of resistance the moment it was touched by the black beam of light! It disintegrated! Turning into the most primitive nothingness!

The speed of annihilation was astonishing! It moved up the claw—wrist, forearm, elbow... Wherever it passed, whether it was tough decaying flesh, hard bone, or the laws entwined around it, everything turned to naught!

"Ah—!!!"

The Black Fiend Corpse King let out a bloodcurdling shriek, not sounding human! He watched in horror as his arm, as if erased by an invisible eraser, rapidly disappeared! The terrifying power of annihilation contained within the black beam of light made him feel an unprecedented threat of death! He desperately mobilized the vast corpse gas within his body to resist, the dense black corpse gas boiling like ink, enveloping the point of annihilation, trying to stop it!

However, it was useless!

The Chaos Return to Void Tribulation Light was Lin Xuan's ultimate killing move, derived from his chaotic primal energy! Below the True Immortal level, touching it meant instant death! No matter how strong this Corpse King was, he was merely at the peak of Void Refinement, still a hundred and eight thousand li away from True Immortal!

His resistance was like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot!

Puff!

In just a single breath, the Black Fiend Corpse King's rotten arm, thicker than a pillar, along with the dense corpse gas entwined around it, completely vanished! The severed end was smooth as a mirror, without a trace of blood, leaving only the purest nothingness!

"No... impossible!" The green fire in the Black Fiend Corpse King's single eye flickered wildly, filled with extreme fear and disbelief! His powerful physical body, which he relied on to run rampant in this deathly realm, was so vulnerable before this inconspicuous human?!

"Roar! Master is awesome!" Lie Tian Divine Tiger's body shook as he watched, roaring excitedly. Taking advantage of the Corpse King's intense pain from his severed arm and momentary loss of focus, his crimson-gold divine flames surged, instantly overpowering the black torrent of corpse gas and fiercely striking the Corpse King's massive body!

Boom!

The Corpse King staggered backward from the impact of the divine flames, his tattered bone armor glowing red-hot and sizzling, emitting plumes of black smoke! A smell of burnt flesh, though the flesh was rotten.

Lin Xuan took a step, his figure appearing like a phantom before the Corpse King, whose movements were slightly slowed by intense pain and shock. He was expressionless, his gaze as cold as ten thousand years of ice.

"Now, can we talk properly?" Lin Xuan's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority. "Where did that coffin come from?"

As he spoke, he raised his hand, and that chillingly deep black light began to gather at his fingertip again! His target was directly the Corpse King's rotten head, with its single remaining eye!

The Black Fiend Corpse King looked at the black light that had lit up again, feeling the terrifying power within it that could utterly obliterate him. His kingly dignity and greed for "snacks" were instantly crushed by the fear of death! His massive body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Don't... don't do it! I'll tell you! I'll tell you!" His single eye stared in terror at the black light on Lin Xuan's fingertip, then quickly glanced at the shadow behind the Zombie Princess, speaking as fast as pouring beans. "That coffin drifted over from the Netherworld! It was right at the edge of the Annihilation Storm! This King also spent a great deal of effort to retrieve it!"

"Netherworld? Edge of the Annihilation Storm?" Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed, the black light on his fingertip slightly receding but still poised. "More details! How long ago did you retrieve it? What's inside?"

"About three hundred years ago!" The Corpse King dared not conceal anything. "That storm was too terrifying, this King didn't dare to get close. I only saw from afar that this coffin was swept out by the turbulent currents at the edge of the storm and got stuck on a piece of shattered space! This King used corpse-gas chains and expended immense effort to drag it back!" He gasped for breath, the void wound on his severed arm causing him unbearable pain. "As for what's inside, this King doesn't know! This coffin is very strange! This King used countless methods—corpse gas erosion,Yin fire calcination, and even tried to pry it open by force... all to no avail! Not even a crack could be opened! That cold air even injured several of my capable subordinates!"

“It won’t open?” Lin Xuan frowned slightly, his Law-Breaking Sword Eyes sweeping over the black coffin again. The material of the coffin was indeed peculiar; even his ocular power couldn't fully penetrate it. He could only vaguely sense an extremely powerful and frigid “thing” sealed inside. The purity and foundational sense of its aura were indeed somewhat similar to the white light soul in his home! It was definitely a purification-type existence of the same level! However, one represented the purification of life, while the other leaned towards the annihilation of death?

“What about this Zombie Princess?” Lin Xuan’s gaze shifted to Princess Yu Lin, who was still sitting like an exquisite doll beside him. “What’s her connection? You just mentioned recruiting a son-in-law?”

At the mention of this, the Corpse King’s rotting face seemed to show a hint of embarrassment. “Yu Lin is my only daughter. She actually has some connection with the thing in that coffin.” The Corpse King’s voice dropped. “About a hundred years ago, Yu Lin once approached that coffin. Somehow, a wisp of extremely faint cold energy melted into her body from the coffin. Since then, the corpse aura on Yu Lin has faded a lot, and she can still barely maintain this human appearance, unlike us who are rotting… But she also completely lost her sentience, like a living dead. I thought, perhaps finding a powerful husband, using a special method, could stimulate that wisp of cold energy in her body, or help her open that coffin? What if there’s some treasure inside that can restore her?” The Corpse King’s tone carried a hint of desperate hope and deep uncertainty.

Lin Xuan’s mouth twitched as he listened. Good heavens! This logic was truly bizarre! Recruiting a zombie son-in-law to stimulate the cold poison in his daughter’s body? And wanting to open a blind box? This Corpse King’s thought process was probably ruined by corpse aura!

However, this did explain why this Zombie Princess looked more presentable than other zombies; it turned out that some of her corpse aura had been purified by the cold energy from that coffin. It also explained the faint, elusive sense of connection.

“So, you put on such a grand show to recruit a son-in-law? And the prize is a thousand-year-old brain marrow jelly?” Lin Xuan’s expression was hard to describe.

Corpse King: “Yes.” It also felt a little ashamed.

“Roar! Master, don’t listen to its nonsense! I think it’s just lusting after me and Master’s bodies! It wants to indulge!” Lie Tian Divine Tiger interjected grumpily from the side, its tiger eyes vigilantly staring at the Corpse King.

The Corpse King’s single eye narrowed, not daring to refute. It had indeed been thinking that just now.

Just then!

Zombie Princess Yu Lin, who had been sitting like a statue, her hollow eyes moved ever so slightly, seemingly looking towards Lin Xuan? More precisely, she seemed to be looking in a certain direction on Lin Xuan’s body?

Immediately after, the silent black coffin in the shadows behind her suddenly shook!

Buzz!

A wave of icy, deathly stillness, a hundred times more intense than before, erupted like a sleeping beast awakened! The twisted and complex runes on the surface of the pitch-black coffin instantly glowed with a faint blue light! The temperature of the entire high platform plummeted, and a thick layer of black ice crystals instantly formed on the ground! Even the scarlet-gold divine flames on Lie Tian Divine Tiger were suppressed and dimmed a few points!

“Hm?!” Lin Xuan’s expression changed slightly, and his Law-Breaking Sword Eyes instantly captured an extremely subtle connection!

The erupting cold energy was not an indiscriminate attack. It seemed to have consciousness, with most of its power penetrating space, pointing vaguely towards the direction of the Xuanhuang World! Pointing towards the All Heavens Star Palace! Pointing towards the white light soul enveloped in a cocoon of light within the Myriad Realms Spirit Spring Eye!

At the same time, Lin Xuan clearly sensed that a wisp of his divine sense, which he had left in the sect, had detected an anomaly in the Myriad Realms Spirit Spring Eye! The cocoon of light enveloping the white light soul was now emitting a soft but equally powerful pure white light, as if responding to this icy summons from the distant zombie world?!

The two souls resonated across endless void!

“Roar! Master! What is that coffin doing?!” Lie Tian Divine Tiger’s fur stood on end, startled by the sudden drastic change.

Black Fiend Corpse King was even more terrified, its soul scattering: “No! Don’t come out! Please, don’t come out!” It looked at the black coffin in horror, seemingly fearing the thing inside to the extreme!

“Shut up!” Lin Xuan snapped, his eyes, however, shining astonishingly bright! Resonance! There was indeed a connection! This detour was truly a stroke of luck!

He no longer hesitated, taking a step forward, ignoring the terrifying cold energy that could freeze souls, and instantly appeared before the violently shaking black coffin!

“System! Scan this coffin! Can I collect it?” Lin Xuan urgently asked in his mind.

Ding! Detected high concentration of unknown yin-cold origin!

Detected strong resonance with the white light soul!

Analysis: This item contains absolute purification-annihilation side characteristics, suspected to be of the same origin as the white light soul!

Status: Sealed! Energy active! Extremely dangerous!

Warning: Forced collection requires a large expenditure of fortune points for suppression!

Current fortune points: 35201 points!

Estimated cost: 30000 points!

Proceed with forced collection?

Thirty thousand points?! Lin Xuan looked at his pitiful balance of thirty-five thousand, his heart aching. This broken coffin was really damn expensive! But thinking that it might contain a “great treasure” on the same level as the soul at home, thinking that it might be related to the secrets of the Netherworld, and even the coordinates of the Immortal Realm… “Damn it! Collect it!” Lin Xuan gritted his teeth and chose to confirm! Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Fortune points could be earned again, but missing out on such a treasure would be a true loss!

Ding! Fortune points consumed: 30000 points!

Beginning forced collection of unknown black coffin…

Buzz!

An immensely powerful spatial force, far exceeding that used when recovering zombies earlier, suddenly descended! This force carried an irresistible will, ignoring the erupting yin-cold death energy, like an invisible giant hand, fiercely grabbing at the violently shaking black coffin!

“No! That’s mine!” Black Fiend Corpse King let out a desperate roar, its sole remaining arm wildly flailing, trying to mobilize corpse aura to stop it!

However, in the face of the System’s unreasonable might, its resistance was like an ant trying to shake a tree!

Crack… crack…

The faint blue runes on the surface of the black coffin flickered madly, seemingly resisting the System’s power, emitting groans of unbearable strain! The coffin shook even more violently, as if the thing inside was about to burst out at any moment!

【Suppress!】 The System’s voice was cold and emotionless.

An even more vast and majestic power was injected! The light of the runes on the black coffin’s surface instantly dimmed!

Whoosh!

Space rippled like water, and the massive black coffin, emitting terrifying cold energy, along with the dense shadows around it, instantly vanished without a trace! Only a square, slightly chilling black imprint remained in its place.

Collection successful!

Item: Unknown Black Coffin, sealed state, contains annihilation purification origin. Stored in the sect’s core warehouse, special isolation zone.

Warning: This item is extremely unstable, please host process it as soon as possible!

Current fortune points: 5201 points.

Lin Xuan looked at the System prompt and let out a long sigh. It was done! Although he instantly became a pauper, it was worth it!

“My coffin, my hope…” Black Fiend Corpse King looked at the empty ground, the green fire in its single eye completely dimming. Its massive body, as if its bones had been removed, slumped onto the throne with a crash, leaving only desperate murmurs.

Lie Tian Divine Tiger shook its head, dispelling the lingering cold, and sidled up to Lin Xuan, its tiger eyes gleaming: “Roar? Master, the coffin’s gone, so what about this Zombie Princess?”

Lin Xuan’s gaze shifted to Princess Yu Lin, who was still sitting upright. Her hollow eyes still seemed to be gazing at where the black coffin had disappeared, and her lips, painted with bright red rouge, moved ever so slightly? As if calling out to something? Or perhaps sighing?

The wisp of cold energy in her body, originating from the black coffin, seemed to become extremely faint as the coffin was taken away. The human-like aura around her was also rapidly fading, and a faint bluish-black color was appearing beneath her skin.

“Roar! Master, look! She’s going to rot back!” Lie Tian Divine Tiger reminded.

Lin Xuan frowned slightly. This Zombie Princess, though an extra, had absorbed a wisp of the coffin’s primordial cold energy, making her a key or anIntroduction (catalyst)? Leaving her here like this seemed a bit wasteful. Moreover, that faint wisp of cold energy in her body still seemed to be able to generate a slight resonance with the white light soul in the sect? Keeping her might have some research value?

“Forget it, every little bit helps.” Lin Xuan muttered, waving his hand. “Package her up and take her! She can be a companion for that soul at home!”

Buzz!

Another spatial fluctuation swept through, and Zombie Princess Yu Lin’s stiff body, clad in luxurious palace attire, along with the bone chair beneath her, instantly vanished!

Ding! Recovered special item: Mutated Zombie Princess Yu Lin.

Status: Semi-purified, weak origin, missing sentience.

Value assessment: Low, contains trace amounts of special cold energy, has research value.

Stored in the sect’s research institute, special observation room.

“Roar… Master, you really pick up all sorts of junk, don’t you?” Lie Tian Divine Tiger looked at the empty high platform and grumbled in a low voice.

Lin Xuan ignored it, turning to look at the Black Fiend Corpse King, who was slumped on the throne, barely breathing, and utterly despairing.

“As for you…” Lin Xuan stroked his chin, his gaze sweeping over the Corpse King’s massive body. “A Corpse King at the peak of the Void Refinement stage, its main body should be able to refine quite a bit of Corpse King Essence, right? System, how much can this be recovered for?”

Ding! Scanning target: Black Fiend Corpse King, severely injured, origin damaged.

Extractable: Corpse King Essence (high-grade refining and alchemy material).

Value assessment: High!

Recovery yields: Large amount of pure yin-attribute spiritual energy, Corpse King Essence (1).

Proceed with recovery?

“Recover!” Lin Xuan didn’t hesitate. This old geezer was a menace if left alive; might as well squeeze out the last bit of value!

“No—! I won’t accept this!” Black Fiend Corpse King let out a final, desperate, mournful roar.

Buzz!

Spatial fluctuations swept through again!

The massive figure slumped on the throne, along with the bone throne covered in beast hide beneath it, instantly turned into dust! Only a fist-sized, dark green crystal emitting dense yin energy and pure energy, and a large amount of yin-attribute spiritual energy, remained in its place, instantly absorbed by the System!

Recovery successful!

Obtained: Large amount of pure yin-attribute spiritual energy.

Automatically imported into the sect’s warehouse and medicine garden!

The entire world became completely silent. The stench of corpses was almost imperceptible, leaving only the cold stillness of the skeletal city.

Lie Tian Divine Tiger watched as its master effortlessly packed up and recovered the entire Corpse Kingdom from top to bottom, its tiger face twitching: “Roar… Master, this trip… were we lost, or did we come specifically to raid a home?”

Lin Xuan clapped his hands, as if he had just finished a trivial task. He sensed the black coffin in the sect’s warehouse, suppressed by special power and still emitting faint cold energy, then looked at the Zombie Princess locked up in the research institute, and then thought about the pitiful five thousand-plus fortune points in his account… “Did I lose or gain?” He stroked his chin, pondering, “The coffin is a good thing, but it cost me thirty thousand! Corpse King Essence and yin energy count as breaking even… The Zombie Princess is a bonus, hmm, I shouldn’t have lost out?”

He kicked a few remaining bone fragments on the ground: “There’s no more pickings in this broken place. Lie Tian Divine Tiger, let’s go! Home! To research the coffin!” He tore open space and stepped in.

Lie Tian Divine Tiger quickly followed, not forgetting to look back at the empty, silent skeletal dead city before leaving, muttering: “Roar… This Corpse King really had rotten luck, recruiting a son-in-law who came to raid its home.”

The figures of one person and one tiger disappeared into the spatial rift.

Only this utterly silent, “corpse”-less capital of the Black Fiend Corpse Kingdom remained, silently recounting a sad story of recruiting a son-in-law that brought about utter disaster, under the eternal gray sky.