1: A disciple of the Demon Sect, a little corpse breeder!

The zi shi (11 pm - 1 am) has arrived.

You have received a green intelligence report.

Green Intelligence Report: Outside the Corpse Refining Cave, three li to the northeast, under a half-broken ancient locust tree, dig two feet down and you will find a slightly damaged ancient Magical Artifact!

"A green intelligence report, it's a higher Rank than the previous white one."

"Perhaps if I can control a Magical Artifact, then when facing a rampaging Corpse Servants, I won't be empty-handed and die a miserable death on the spot."

Shi Chuan, lying on the straw bed in the stone cave, a hint of joy flashed in his eyes as he looked at the lines of text that appeared in his mind.

Three months ago, fifteen-year-old Shi Chuan was taken from his Family by an immortal elder with a youthful face and white hair, because he was found to possess a Spiritual Root, to the Purple Cloud Sect, but who knew that the immortal elder was ambushed halfway.

After escaping with serious injuries, Shi Chuan was brought to this Yellow Springs Demon Sect by a black-robed Cultivator.

However, according to the black-robed demonic Cultivator, although he possessed a Spiritual Root, it was only a Four Spiritual Root, and his Aptitude was average, so he was thrown into this Corpse Refining Cave, spending his days surrounded by Yin Qi and Corpse Qi.

In just over two months, Shi Chuan, who had practiced martial arts and was originally quite robust, was corroded by Corpse Qi and became emaciated.

If he hadn't achievedgetting Started in the Corpse Raising Art three days ago, allowing him to resist the invasion of Corpse Qi, he might be on his last breath by now.

However, it was precisely because he had Cultivated to Qi Refining First Layer that he not only broke the mystery of the womb, gaining memories of his previous life on Blue Star, but also successfully Awakened the Golden Finger of daily intelligence reports.

Every zi shi (11 pm - 1 am), he would receive an intelligence report, which he could use to foresee the future, pick up leaks, and avoid danger!

At the same time, Shi Chuan naturally learned that the intelligence Ranks currently only had four levels, from low to high: white, green, purple, and gold.

The look of recollection in Shi Chuan's eyes gradually faded, and a feeling of hunger came from his stomach.

He then took out a dusty bigu pill from hisPregnant and put it into his mouth.

This bigu pill was given to him in a bottle every month after he Breakthrough to Qi Refining First Layer and his identity was registered as a Yellow Springs Sect Utility Disciple.

However, there was a faint musty smell on these bigu pills, suggesting they were old pills from years past!

Utility Disciples at Corpse Refining Peak had a pitifully low status and were numerous, all having Five Spiritual Roots and Four Spiritual Roots, with a slim chance of advancing to Foundation Establishment Cultivator, which is why they were thrown into the Corpse Refining Cave.

Not only that, Utility Disciples had to offer two First Rank Iron Corpse Servants every year. First Rank Corpse Servants were comparable to Qi Refining Cultivators, with bodies as hard as profound iron and carrying corrosive poison.

If they failed to complete their quota, they would be beaten to death and thrown into the Yin Qi gathering place in the mountains to raise corpses!

The location of the Corpse Refining Cave was originally a mass grave from a thousand years ago, containing millions of corpses from several Mortal kingdoms' armies that had been buried there.

There were also a few Cultivators who had fallen there.

Therefore, it was an excellent place for raising corpses!

Not long after the old bigu pill was swallowed, a feeling of fullness came over him.

At this moment, Shi Chuan remembered yesterday, when the Iron Corpse Servants of the Utility Disciple in the adjacent cave suddenly went berserk, tearing that Utility Disciple to shreds inside the stone cave dwelling, with his screams echoing incessantly through the cave.

Fortunately, the Iron Corpse Servants were trapped inside the stone cave where the other party lived.

After that Utility Disciple's bone token shattered, a black-robed Outer Sect Disciple from Corpse Refining Peak came and directly took away the rampaging Iron Corpse Servants of that Utility Disciple.

Those screams made Shi Chuan's heart sink to the bottom.

Many Utility Disciples were killed by rampaging Corpse Servants every year.

It was not easy to survive in this Corpse Refining Cave. Utility Disciples needed to advance to Mid-Stage Qi Refining and successfully Cultivate a First Rank Medium Grade Iron Corpse Servants to become Outer Sect Disciples.

However, in this Corpse Refining Cave, one constantly had to resist the invasion of Corpse Qi and offer Iron Corpse Servants every year.

It was incredibly difficult to Cultivate smoothly to Mid-Stage Qi Refining.

Shi Chuan dismissed the memories in his mind, looked at the Magical Artifact information displayed in the intelligence report, and casually took out the hourglass used for timing from his Storage Pouch, placing it on a stone table to the side.

Only then did he feel a little at ease and fell into a light sleep.

...

After a long time, the black sand in the small hourglass disappeared.

Shi Chuan slowly woke from his light sleep, looking around the simply furnished stone cave dwelling, which only had a straw bed and a table.

On the left and right sides of the stone cave were two stone coffins.

Moss had already grown on the stone coffins, and there were no corpses inside now.

If one could find a corpse with potential for Corpse transformation in the corpse pit forest outside the Corpse Refining Cave.

One could use the wooden vine token, a standard issue Magical Artifact for Utility Disciples, to control the corpse with the power of the corpse vine, bring it back to their dwelling, and nourish it with the Corpse Raising Art!

On one side of the stone wall, one could also see carvings left by previous Utility Disciples, each stroke recording the number of days.

However, many of them abruptly stopped when the one-year period arrived.

Shi Chuan, dressed in a grey robe and carrying a palm-sized wooden vine token on his waist, pushed open the stone door and walked out.

"Greetings, Senior Brother!"

"Junior Brother's name is Li Jiang, a newly joined Corpse Servants at Corpse Refining Peak. This is a Corpse Nourishing Pill specifically for Senior Brother!"

As soon as he stepped out, he saw a young man in a brocade robe standing in front of the adjacent cave door. He looked only twelve or thirteen years old, and was respectfully bowing, holding a grey bottle in both hands.

"Corpse Nourishing Pill?"

Shi Chuan glanced at it, but did not take it.

It seemed he had voluntarily joined the Demonic Sect?

Dressed in brocade, full of vigor, and already having Corpse Nourishing Pills upon arrival, this was not something an ordinary servant could access.

Corpse Servants were servants who had not yet entered Qi Refining and become Utility Disciples; such ordinary servants were replenished daily.

A small number were abducted by Demonic Sect Disciples, all for the purpose of contributing to the Sect!

However, the majority were Mortals from the Mortal kingdoms controlled by the Demonic Sect who voluntarily joined the Sect.

"Junior Brother, there's no need to be so polite. I don't need this Corpse Nourishing Pill."

Then, after Shi Chuan calmly said this, he turned and walked towards the end of the narrow passage.

Each excavated cave passage would open into four stone cave dwellings, and each passage housed four people.

All of Shi Chuan's neighbors had died in the past two or three months, leaving only him. Now, only Li Jiang had moved in.

However, currently, this Li Jiang's background was unknown.

As for the Corpse Nourishing Pill, he only learned about it after becoming a Utility Disciple, from a casual Corpse Raising Miscellany book for Utility Disciples.

It was evident that this Li Jiang had some Family background.

He had never seen other Corpse Nourishing Pills before and couldn't distinguish their authenticity, so he naturally wouldn't take it.

Especially now that he had daily intelligence reports, as long as he kept a low profile, he would definitely have the chance to advance to Mid-Stage Qi Refining and become an Outer Sect Disciple to leave this wretched place!

After Shi Chuan exited the passage, the surroundings were perennially filled with Yin Qi and Corpse Qi, with visibility of only a dozen meters.

At the same time, the concentration of Corpse Qi in the air had slightly increased.

Within his Spiritual Vein, a wisp of Spiritual Qi cultivated from the Corpse Raising Art continuously circulated through his meridians, dispelling the biting cold sensation in the air.

"Ancient Magical Artifact."

Shi Chuan took a step, employing the light-body martial art he had Cultivated in the Mortal world, and disappeared into the vast dark fog with a few leaps.

Inside the passage behind him.

Li Jiang, standing in front of the door, looked up at the departing figure and a hint of regret flashed in his eyes.

"This Senior Brother is too cautious; he won't even accept the pill I offered. I'll have to find the next Senior Brother. My Family spent so many Spirit Stones to acquire this pill, it must be given out!"

Li Jiang stared at the grey bottle in his hand, a fierce glint in his eyes.