221: Pure Yin or Pure Yang, the life-giving soul and spiritual root

"Two days."

Hua Shenyou knelt on the ground, shaking like a sieve, unsure if it was from pain or fear.

His originally gentle and handsome face was now swollen like a pig's head, and his speech was muffled and slurred.

"Two more days... and it will be the Night of the Full Moon."

"During these two days, they will confirm the quantity of the tribute through special communication methods.

If the number is incorrect, or if any incident occurs here, they will not show up, but will directly detonate the Corpse Explosion Formation buried beneath the Imperial City to destroy the evidence."

"Corpse Explosion Formation?"

"Placing explosives beneath my Imperial City? Quite a method."

Su Lin held Cold Moon's trembling shoulders, signaling her to calm down.

He looked at Hua Shenyou as if viewing a commodity up for sale.

"In other words, as long as Jile Pavilion operates as usual and the tribute is ready, they will arrive to collect it on time?"

"Yes... yes..."

Hua Shenyou nodded frantically, snot and tears splattering everywhere.

"This subordinate is willing to cooperate! This subordinate is willing to atone for his crimes! Just don't kill me..."

"You want to live?"

Chu Weiwei suddenly leaned in, holding a purplish-black pill that was still wriggling.

"Open your mouth."

"Th-this is what?" Hua Shenyou closed his mouth tightly in terror.

"Be good, swallow it."

Chu Weiwei smiled innocently, "This is an improved version of the Three Corpse Brain God Pill, with a bit of my secret recipe added.

If you eat it, the Restriction in your body will temporarily become ineffective, and they won't detect anything unusual about you.

"But if you dare to play tricks..."

She shook the small bell in her hand.

"Your brain matter will boil and flow out of your ears."

Hua Shenyou looked at the disgusting pill, then at Su Hongling standing beside him, carrying a great sword and sporting an expression that suggested 'if you don't swallow it, I'll help you physically,' and could only open his mouth in despair.

"Gulp."

The pill entered his stomach.

"Very good."

Su Lin stood up and clapped his hands.

"For the next two days, Jile Pavilion will operate as usual."

"However, the manager and the staff here need to be replaced."

...Since they wanted to put on a show, they had to go all the way.

News that Young Master Su had booked out Jile Pavilion spread quickly, but the public story was that a wealthy young man from the Central Continent had taken a liking to the women here and spent a fortune to host a three-day, three-night continuous feast.

In reality, the entire Jile Pavilion had been taken over by Su Lin's disciples.

The first-floor lobby.

The pimps and maids originally responsible for serving tea and water had all been replaced by people Cold Moon brought up from the dungeon.

These burly men, wearing ill-fitting clothes and exposing chests full of chest hair, were rudely pouring wine for the patrons. The scene was truly an eyesore.

"Guest! Drink! Not drinking means looking down on me!"

A miner slammed a wine jar onto the table, startling the wealthy merchant who had intended to seek pleasure so much that he nearly dove under the table.

"I added Soul-Bewitching Powder to the wine. As long as they take a sip, I guarantee they will say whatever we ask."

And in the Pavilion Master (Pavilion Revered Master)'s room on the top floor.

Su Lin was sitting in Hua Shenyou's seat, flipping through a thick ledger in his hand.

Cold Moon stood behind him, giving him a shoulder massage.

"Revered Master, I found out."

Cold Moon's voice was somewhat low.

"Over the past hundred years, Jile Pavilion has supplied that mysterious organization with a total of three thousand Cultivators possessing special Spiritual Roots, and... ninety-nine thousand living souls."

"Moreover, the birth dates of all these people were either Pure Yin or Pure Yang."

Su Lin closed the ledger, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Pure Yin, Pure Yang, living soul Spiritual Root."

"This isn't just for refining Medicinal Pills."

"This is for refining corpses."

"Refining corpses?" Cold Moon paused her movements.

"That's right."

Su Lin stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the streets lit up with dazzling lights.

"Ordinary evil Cultivators only need vital blood and Spiritual Qi to refine Medicinal Pills.

"But if it is to resurrect some extremely powerful existence, or to forge a vessel capable of bearing terrifying power, such extreme Materials are required."

"And the entity behind this Jile Pavilion..."

Su Lin narrowed his eyes.

"It is greed."

"They are coveting the vitality of living people, attempting to reverse life and death."

Just then, the door was pushed open.

Mu Qingxue walked in.

She was dragging a black-clothed man who had been frozen solid.

"Revered Master, I caught a spy."

Mu Qingxue threw the person onto the ground.

"He was acting suspiciously by the back door just now, trying to put something into the well."

Su Lin glanced at the black-clothed man, extended a hand in a grasping motion, and retrieved a talisman paper from his robes.

A strange grey eye was drawn on the talisman paper.

"It's one of their people."

Su Lin rubbed his fingers together, and the talisman paper turned to ash.

"It seems they don't completely trust Hua Shenyou either."

"Then tonight's plan..." Cold Moon sounded worried.

"Proceed as planned."

Su Lin turned around and looked at the moon outside the window.

Although it wasn't yet full, it already emitted a faint, eerie red glow.

"Since they want to play, we will play with them to the very end."

"Qingxue, deal with your person, don't leave any traces."

"Yes."

Mu Qingxue snapped her fingers, and the ice block on the ground instantly shattered into powder, even freezing its Soul to death... Two days passed in a flash.

The Night of the Full Moon finally arrived.

The moon tonight was exceptionally large and exceptionally red.

It hung over the Southern Yu Imperial City like a bloodshot eye, coldly observing the prosperous land.

Inside Jile Pavilion, the lights were bright, but the guests were significantly fewer.

This was because Su Lin had long ago instructed Gu Qing to escort the irrelevant guests out.

What remained were only those lying in ambush.

The underground fighting arena had been transformed into a massive Altar.

The Blood Pool churned, and the thick stench of blood was restrained underground by the Formation, not leaking out in the slightest.

Hua Shenyou, wearing his signature bright red robe, knelt in the center of the Altar, trembling all over.

Gu Qing stood in the shadows, gripping a rusty Iron Sword, staring fixedly at Hua Shenyou's back.

"They're here."

Su Lin's voice echoed in everyone's Sea of Consciousness.

Although there were no fluctuations in aura, Su Lin, relying on his keen perception of the Space Law, sensed an abnormal vibration in Space.

Three grey figures silently walked out from the ripples.

They were wearing loose grey robes and white masks devoid of any facial features. There was not a trace of living aura on them; instead, they exuded a nauseating, putrid smell.

These were the "Grey-Robed Figures" Su Lin had seen in the Rocky Forest before.

But this time, their main bodies had arrived!

"Is the tribute ready?"

The leading Grey-Robed Figure spoke, its voice still that mechanical, monotonous electronic tone.

Hua Shenyou lay prone on the ground, not daring to lift his head.

"R-report to the High Emissary, e-everything... everything is ready."

He pointed towards the Blood Pool.

"It's all inside."

The three Grey-Robed Figures did not act immediately.

They hovered in mid-air, their white masks turning around as if sensing something.

"The aura here... is wrong."

The Grey-Robed Figure on the left suddenly spoke.

"It's too quiet."

"The resentment of the living souls isn't strong enough."

"And..."

The Grey-Robed Figure on the right extended a withered, claw-like hand and snatched at the air.

"There's the smell of rats."

"We've been exposed?!"

Su Hongling, hiding in the shadows, tensed up, her hand already gripping her sword hilt, ready to exert force.

"Don't move," Su Lin stopped her.

"Hua Shenyou, explain."

The leading Grey-Robed Figure stared at Hua Shenyou on the ground. Although it had no eyes, the gaze felt like tangible needles piercing Hua Shenyou.

"This... this..."

Cold sweat poured down Hua Shenyou's face. He knew that if he couldn't explain well, he would lose his life immediately.

Just then, Su Lin's voice sounded in his mind:

"Say that you held a big event a few days ago, killed too many people, and the resentment was scattered before it could gather."

Hua Shenyou clutched this like a lifeline and quickly kowtowed, shouting:

"High Emissary, please examine the situation! It's because... because a Major Patron came a few days ago, booked the entire venue, and killed too many Slaves for amusement! The resentment couldn't gather instantly, it scattered... it scattered!"

"Major Patron?"

The Grey-Robed Figure fell silent for a moment.

It seemed to be judging the truth of the statement.

"Hmph, the entertainment of ants."

Finally, it let out a disdainful cold snort.

"Never mind, as long as the core is still here."

The three Grey-Robed Figures slowly descended and arrived beside the Blood Pool.

They extended their hands, and a ball of grey light illuminated their palms.

As the light appeared, the blood in the pool seemed to boil, churning wildly. Countless faces of wronged Souls surfaced in the blood, emitting silent wails.

"Collect."

The Grey-Robed Figure grunted softly.

The Nascent Form of the myriad spirit blood pearl within the Blood Pool began to converge toward their palms.

"Now is the time!"

Su Lin's eyes sharpened.

"Attack!!"

"Boom!!!"

The four disciples who had been lying in ambush around them erupted simultaneously at this instant!

"Die for this granny!!!"

Su Hongling took the lead. She jumped directly from the ceiling, and her great sword, Wufeng, enveloped by the full power of a Mahayana Stage Body Cultivator, smashed down onto the Grey-Robed Figure on the left like a Massive Mountain.

Luo Ximei rushed out from the bottom of the Blood Pool, and with a sweep of the myriad soul banner, she directly enveloped the Grey-Robed Figure on the right.

Chu Weiwei slapped the ground with both hands, instantly activating the poison Formation she had set up long ago. Countless purple Poisonous Vines burst from the earth, sealing off the retreat path of the central Grey-Robed Figure.

"Freeze!"

Mu Qingxue stood at a high vantage point, and a chilling aura instantly froze the entire Space, causing a slight lag in the movements of the Grey-Robed Figures.

This was a meticulously planned hunt!

"A sneak attack?!"

The three Grey-Robed Figures clearly hadn't expected such a turn of events.

But their reactions were also extremely fast.

Facing Su Hongling's great sword, the Grey-Robed Figure on the left surprisingly neither dodged nor evaded, merely raising one withered arm.

"Clang!!!"

A deafening crash sounded.

Su Hongling's sword strike, capable of smashing mountains, was actually blocked by that arm which looked like it could break with a single touch!

Although the arm was bent and deformed by the impact, and even emitted the sound of cracking bone, it had indeed blocked it!

"What the heck is this thing?! So hard?!"

Su Hongling was shocked.

That Grey-Robed Figure let out a strange laugh, and its mask suddenly cracked open.

It wasn't a human face at all!

It was a face stitched together from countless pieces of flesh, without any facial features, only a massive mouth split to its ears, filled with dense, needle-like teeth.

"Fresh flesh... so fragrant..."

It suddenly opened its mouth and actually bit down on the blade of Wufeng!

"Crack!"

A piece was actually bitten off the great sword forged from divine iron!

"Damn! Does this thing eat iron?!" Su Hongling was so scared she quickly pulled her sword back.

On the other side.

The Grey-Robed Figure enveloped by the myriad soul banner suddenly exploded, transforming into countless black beetles that squeezed through the gaps in the banner, turning around to gnaw on the vengeful Souls adorning the flag.

"My Souls!!"

Luo Ximei cried out in distress. She unleashed Demonic Fire, only to find that the beetles were completely unafraid of fire.

Only the central Grey-Robed Leader appeared most composed against Chu Weiwei's poison Formation and Mu Qingxue's freezing effect.

A grey light flashed across its body, forming a circular Shield.

Whether it was poison gas or freezing air, the moment it touched the Shield, it was corroded and assimilated by a strange power.

"Corrosion Law?"

Su Lin stood on the high platform, watching this scene, his brow tightly furrowed.

“Not ordinary Cultivators.”

“These things... are Corpse Puppets.”

“And high-tier Corpse Puppets.”

The Leader slowly turned its head, looking in Su Lin's direction.

Although hidden by the mask, Su Lin could feel an icy gaze fixed upon him.

“So, it's you.”

“Since you've come, become Materials along with the rest.”

It extended a hand and grabbed toward Su Lin in the air.

“Corpse Burst.”

The ground beneath Su Lin suddenly exploded.

But the power of this explosion wasn't great; it felt more like a signal.

The real danger came from the already dead Materials.

The corpses that had been floating in the Blood Pool suddenly opened their eyes.

Their eyes were a dead gray, and long white hair began to sprout from their bodies.

“Roar!!”

Tens of thousands of corpses roared simultaneously, climbing out of the Blood Pool and surging toward everyone like a tide.

“Zombies?!”

Chu Weiwei kicked away one crawling corpse, only to find that even with its head severed, the body was still moving.

“It's useless! They don't feel pain, nor do they have vital points! Unless you burn them to ash!”

“Then burn them!”

Luo Ximei shouted, unleashing her black and white Demonic Fire that swept across everything.

But the number of corpses was too great, and they carried a decaying aura that could greatly offset spiritual power attacks.

The scene instantly became chaotic.

“Capture the Leader to subdue the followers!”

Su Lin saw the key to the problem.

These corpses were controlled by that Leader.

“You two hold off the small ones; the big one is mine!”

Su Lin flashed, appearing directly in front of the Leader.

“Space, Sever!”

A silver light flickered from his fingertip, and a spatial rift sliced directly toward the Leader's neck.

“Buzz!”

The gray Shield on the Leader lit up again, blocking the attack.

However, a crack appeared on the Shield this time.

“A bit capable.”

The Leader's voice remained flat.

It suddenly unfastened the long robe covering its body.

Revealing a disgusting physique.

Countless human faces were embedded on that body, every face contorted in pain and screaming.

“But you are still too green.”

The vortex on its chest suddenly expanded.

A terrifying suction erupted.

Countless black Tentacles stretched out from the vortex, instantly entangling Su Lin's four limbs.

Su Lin felt the Star Power within his body being frantically drained.

“Trying to suck me dry?”

Su Lin sneered.

“Aren't you afraid of bursting?”

He didn't struggle; instead, he deliberately took a step forward, placing his palm directly onto the vortex.

“Myriad Heavens Star Chart, rotate!”

Boom!

Within Su Lin's body, that vast starry sky began to rotate in reverse.

A devouring force, more tyrannical and grander than the vortex, erupted from Su Lin's palm!

If you want to suck, let's see whose appetite is bigger!

“What?!”

The Leader let out a sound of panic for the first time.

It felt that the decaying power within its body was actually flowing backward!

Not only that.

There seemed to be a bottomless pit inside that man, greedily swallowing the power it had accumulated over thousands of years.

“Let go!!”

It tried to push Su Lin away, but Su Lin's hand felt as if it had fused with its body.

“Too late.”

Starlight shone brilliantly in Su Lin's eyes.

“Tell me, what exactly are you? Who is your Revered Master?”

“Want to know? Ask in Hell!!”

The Leader shrieked.

The faces on its body all opened their eyes simultaneously, opening their mouths to spew countless black Poison Needles at Su Lin.

At such close range, dodging was impossible.

“Clang, clang, clang!”

A sound of metal clashing rang out.

The golden light of the Immovable Wisdom King Body automatically protected its Revered Master, blocking all the Poison Needles.

Su Lin was completely unharmed.

“You...”

The Leader was completely despairing.

He couldn't win in a fight, couldn't win in draining power, and even a sneak attack was useless.

What kind of monster was this?!

“Speak!”

Su Lin increased the suction.

The Leader's body began to shrivel, the faces let out shrill screams, and they withered and fell off one by one.

“It's... it's...”

The Leader's voice became intermittent, as if fighting against some powerful Restriction.

“It's the Myriad Corpse...”

“He is in the Guixu...”

“He is refining an immortal corpse...”

“Bang!”

When speaking the last two words.

The Leader's head suddenly exploded.

A black flame ignited from within its body—another Restriction!

If core secrets were leaked, it would self-destruct immediately!

Su Lin stepped back, avoiding the black flame.

Although he didn't get everything, it was enough.

Myriad Corpse True Person.

North Sea Guixu.

Refining an immortal corpse.

That was sufficient.

“All dealt with?”

Seeing the Leader turn to ash, the surrounding frenzied corpses instantly lost power and collapsed to the ground like wooden logs.

The two Grey-Robed Figures still entangled with Su Hongling and Luo Ximei suddenly stiffened, then burst into flames and died as well.

The battle ended quickly.

But it also exposed an even larger conspiracy.

“Revered Master...”

The disciples gathered around, looking at the ashes on the ground with grim expressions.

“Myriad Corpse True Person... I have heard that name before.”

Cold Moon frowned, recalling the records in the Royal Secret Canon.

“That was an evil Cultivator powerhouse from thirty thousand years ago. Legend says he dug up every Ancient Tomb in the world, attempting to piece together a perfect immortal body for his Immortal Ascension.”