147: Chapter 147 Corpse Puppet

Liu Xianglan did not dare to delay and hurriedly led Ye Jing toward the back rooms.

Inside the room, the movements of the Corpse People cleaning up the medicinal ash became increasingly stiff, and the corpse qi around them grew faintly restless, seemingly disturbed by the flesh-colored Medicinal Pill in Ye Jing's hand.

Fortunately, Liu Xianglan's corpse-controlling techniques were already quite sophisticated; they remained strictly obedient to their orders without the slightest transgression.

The roars coming from the back grew more shrill, mixed with the ear-piercing sound of iron chains scraping against stone walls.

As they reached the doorway, a dense wave of corpse qi intertwined with the eerie aura emitted by the Medicinal Pill rushed toward them.

“Father, it’s right here.” Liu Xianglan pushed open the heavy wooden door. The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by a single faint candle in the corner.

Three dark iron chains, soaked in cinnabar and covered with evil-warding Talismanic Incantations, were wrapped around a stone pillar. The other ends of the chains were tightly bound around a tall Corpse Person.

This Corpse Person was covered in scars and no longer looked human; its features were distorted, and a pair of fangs protruded from its mouth.

Its cloudy white eyes were filled with violence.

Ye Jing paused, his spiritual power condensing slightly as he lifted the wooden box a little higher.

The flesh-colored Medicinal Pill seemed able to sense the Corpse Person's aura; the distorted human face on its surface actually began to squirm slowly, emitting a faint 'sizzling' sound.

Seeing this, the Corpse Person struggled even more violently. The dark iron chains bit deep into its rotting flesh, yet it showed no sign of backing down. Its corpse qi continued to spread outward along the chains, echoing the eerie aura of the Medicinal Pill.

“This Corpse Person and this Medicinal Pill seem to be resonating,” Ye Jing observed.

Beside him, Liu Xianglan suddenly had an epiphany: “Father, I understand what’s happening!”

She hurriedly explained, “This Corpse Person has no soul, while this Medicinal Pill is filled with souls, so the two are attracting each other!”

“There’s such a thing?” Ye Jing asked in surprise.

Liu Xianglan quickly continued, “Father, I read in the Corpse Puppet Refining manual that Corpse People have no soul or spirit. They can be tamed, but without a soul, there is a risk of them losing control, and they cannot grow stronger like Yao Beasts.”

“Only by using a soul as a guide can a Corpse Person break through its shackles, perhaps even gaining intelligence to become a true Corpse Puppet General. However, this method is too sinister; it requires hundreds of souls at every turn and needs to be refined using special Artifact Refining techniques. One slight mistake could lead to a backlash.”

Hearing this, Ye Jing's eyes brightened slightly. This pill was called a soul-devouring pill; he only knew it was bizarre and could control ghosts to attack, but he hadn't expected it to have such a wonderful use.

“Xianglan, according to what you’re saying, this pill can exactly fill what this Corpse Person lacks?”

“In theory, yes!” Liu Xianglan took half a step forward, her gaze fixed on the Corpse Person.

“Father, look. This Corpse Person had immense resentment before death, its soul had already dissipated, and it has been continuously steeped in that place full of Devilish Qi. Its body is extremely powerful.”

“It’s an excellent material for refining a Corpse Puppet General! If successful, it might even possess a powerful cultivation level above Foundation Establishment!”

Ye Jing felt a surge of anticipation upon hearing this. He immediately asked, “Xianglan, can this be done?”

Liu Xianglan frowned slightly, looking somewhat helpless.

“Father, my cultivation is insufficient, and my Spiritual Artifact has not yet advanced, so I cannot control this Corpse Person.”

“Furthermore, the souls within this pill are too chaotic. Merging them directly might only make the Corpse Person's consciousness more violent and difficult to control! Also, I do not know how to refine artifacts.”

Artifact Refining and Alchemy are not the same; the difficulty of the former is by no means small. Relying on Liu Xianglan's strength alone would likely be impossible.

Ye Jing naturally understood this and said, “Xianglan, it’s fine. As long as I find metal-attribute Ores, I can certainly help your Spiritual Artifact advance! As for the refining method, I will find a way for you!”

It seemed that the matter of going to other regions of the Yan State to search for Ores could no longer be delayed.

Ye Jing immediately prepared to head out alone, this time intending to visit the peripheral areas of the Yan State.

When it came to Heaven And Earth Treasures, traveling alone was more flexible, and it was best not to let too many people know.

With this in mind, Ye Jing made his decision and turned to instruct Liu Xianglan: “Xianglan, I’ve decided to help upgrade your and Gui Yun's weapons. General Spiritual Artifacts require metal-attribute spiritual items as support, so I plan to leave home for a while.”

“After I leave, I will call Ye Yi back home. You are to announce to the outside that I am in secluded Cultivation. Do not let outsiders see any flaws.”

Liu Xianglan nodded quickly: “Don’t worry, Father. Xianglan and Sister-in-law will look after the Family affairs. Please be careful while you are out!”

Ye Jing properly stored the box containing the soul-devouring pill, and after arranging the Family's affairs, he prepared to set out.

—

Ten days later.

The southwest of the Yan State was mostly wasteland. The wind whipped sand and grit against one's face, causing a stinging pain. Looking out, there were only jagged rocks; not even a decent piece of vegetation could be found.

Ye Jing suppressed every trace of his spiritual power, hunching his back and leaning on a walking stick against the gravelly ground.

He looked exactly like a wandering old man in his twilight years. Anyone who saw him would never associate him with a Cultivator.

He walked slowly, his gaze constantly scanning the surrounding mountain rocks.

This place was most likely to yield mineral resources. Being sparsely populated, it was convenient for Ye Jing to summon the Poisonous Variant Bees to investigate.

The Demon Insect race was extremely sensitive to mineral deposits and Spiritual Veins that contained spiritual power.

However, although these southwestern wastelands were rich in minerals, they were also full of danger. Many Loose Cultivators and bandits roamed here, specifically targeting lone Cultivators.

Although Ye Jing was not afraid, he did not want to cause unnecessary trouble or expose his identity, which is why he feigned old age and concealed his Qi.

Ye Jing found a large rock shielded from the wind to lean against. He raised a hand to wipe the dust from his face, looking toward the direction the Poisonous Variant Bees had flown, calculating in his mind.

On this trip, it would be best to find a location full of metal-attribute spiritual Ores. Sufficient deposits could also be used to nurture metal-attribute Yao Beasts, which would benefit the Family's future forging of other Spiritual Artifacts.

About an hour later, a Poisonous Variant Bee suddenly flew back from a distance and landed on Ye Jing's walking stick. Its wings vibrated rapidly, and its stinger pointed toward the southwest.

A sharp glint flashed in Ye Jing's eyes. Knowing this meant a trace of a spiritual mine had been found, he immediately stood up.

He kept an eye on his surroundings, leaning on his stick as he hurried Hei Feng—who had transformed into a black dog—along, walking slowly toward the direction indicated by the bee.

The further southwest they went, the denser the jagged rocks became, gradually turning into a rocky mound. A faint metallic scent began to waft through the air.

That was precisely the smell of metallic Ore.

Ye Jing lightened his steps, using a small amount of spiritual power to listen to the surroundings. Besides the wind and the chirping of insects, there were also the faint low growls of Yao Beasts coming from this rocky mound.

Following the Poisonous Variant Bee's guidance, he bypassed several steep cliffs and finally saw an exposed mineral vein deep within the rocky mound.

The vein was dark silver, with specks of silver light shimmering between the stone patterns. Spiritual power slowly leaked out along those patterns. Judging by the scale of the vein, the underground reserves were likely very abundant.

Ye Jing looked closely and saw a Tier 1 Early Stage Yao Beast—a rather large black snake—guarding the entrance of the cave.

He patted Hei Feng and ordered, “Hei Feng, go!”