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The dried-up well wasn’t big; it was only about ten feet in diameter.
Wisps of bloody mist drifted out of its depths, staining the surrounding air red.
Ying Que stood watch not far away. When he saw Su Yi, he hurriedly warned him, “Master Su, this dried-up well is extremely strange. The bloody mists are corrosive; it’s not safe to touch them.”
Su Yi nodded, took a step forward, and stretched out his hand.
Bloody mist surged toward him and gathered at his palm.
After examining it for a moment, Su Yi said casually, “This is baleful corpse qi, and its appearance suggests that at least one corpse spirit comparable to Spirit Dao cultivators has arisen deep within the well.”
Ying Que and Ning Sihua looked at each other. Both were visibly alarmed.
Corpse spirits!
They were highly terrifying creatures.
When a powerful cultivator was killed, if their vengeful spirit remained within their body, and with sufficient spiritual energy as nourishment, there was a chance that they’d metamorphosize into a corpse spirit.
They were similar to ghosts, except they were born of corpses, not souls.
“You two, keep watch here. I’ll go have a look,” said Su Yi.
These were the ruins of the Immortals’ Sword House, but the depths of the ancient well were permeated with baleful, bloody energy.
This unquestionably implied that cultivators had once died inside!
As he spoke, Su Yi had already arrived before the ancient well.
“Fellow Daoist, might you take me with you?” Ning Sihua couldn’t help but ask.
Su Yi was stunned. “You’re not afraid of the danger?”
Ning Sihua flashed him a radiant smile. “Fellow Daoist, with you at my side, I wouldn’t be afraid even if the skies fell.”
When she put it like that, how could Su Yi possibly refuse?
The two of them promptly ventured into the well.
There was a staircase inside, and it was forged of dense, heavy Profound Iron.
Furthermore, every step was carved with the cloud markings and glyphs of a talisman. However, countless years of erosion had left the markings mottled and indistinct.
However, Su Yi could tell at a glance that this was an extremely powerful defensive formation!
“Why would the Immortals’ Sword House place such a defensive formation here?” Su Yi sensed that something was amiss here.
If danger lurked in the dried-up well’s depths, it was only reasonable that they’d place a formation to keep it sealed.
However, this particular formation was obviously intended to keep trespassers out!
“Be careful.” Su Yi’s eyebrows rose.
The staircase seemed endless. The further down they went, the denser the baleful corpse qi.
In the end, even Su Yi had no choice but to circulate his cultivation base to neutralize the dense waves of baleful crimson energy, one after another.
Kccch!
Suddenly, the unpleasant sound of something streaking through the air rang out further down the staircase.
Su Yi stretched out his hand and took out a bronze lamp shaped like a lotus, with a snakelike wick. It emanated a strange, unsettling blue-green light.
A Ghost Serpent Netherworld Lamp!
This was an extremely powerful Spirit Dao treasure of the ghost path. It was specifically designed to counter and suppress ghosts. Against other opponents, it still had a corrosive influence on their souls.
Su Yi had obtained this treasure back on Sumeru Immortal Island; it was one of the trophies he’d claimed from the Deathbringer’s Netherworld Palace’s monster of the ancient era, Mo Xingzhe.
Whoosh!
As the light of the Ghost Serpent Netherworld Lamp spread out, the waves of baleful corpse qi emanating from the well’s depths dissipated.
At the same time, a miserable shriek rang out.
Upon closer inspection, a few hundred feet below, the light of the lamp swept over something, which immediately burst into eerie blue-green flames and screamed.
“What’s that?” As they drew near, Ning Sihua was surprised to discover a decaying, several dozen foot long beast-like creature. Its head had been smashed, and there were signs of corrosion and damage all over its body, to the point that it was difficult to tell just what kind of beast it had once been.
“A Origin Dao-level yao cultivator. It was originally a terrestrial beast, but it's long since become a corpse spirit. It’d be fitting to call it a corpse yao.”
Su Yi looked it over, then suddenly stretched out his hand and twisted the beast’s head.
“Look there, between its eyes. Although it's severely decayed, if you look closely, it's not hard to see. That wound was dealt by a sword,” said Su Yi. “In other words, this Origin Dao-level yao cultivator died beneath a streak of sword qi.”
Ning Sihua gasped. “This is the Immortals’ Sword House. Thirty thousand years ago, it was one of the world’s three great yao factions. Doesn’t that imply that this corpse spirit was once one of their disciples?”
Su Yi nodded. “Most likely, yes.”
“Then the killer dared barge into the Immortals’ Sword House and commit murder? Isn’t that a bit too brazen?” exclaimed Ning Sihua.
Su Yi’s expression was a bit strange. “You suspect an external enemy killed his way inside?”
“You mean that’s not the case?” Ning Sihua sounded stunned.
“This dried-up well is positioned behind the Immortals’ Sword Palace, and its entrance is covered with an incomparably tight defensive formation. Back then, even Imperial Realm experts would have had to pay an enormous price to break into this place,” said Su Yi.
“But were the killer an Emperor, any casual streak of sword qi would have obliterated this Origin Dao yao cultivator completely, down to his very soul. Nothing would have remained, not even a corpse; he couldn’t possibly have become a corpse spirit then.”
Ning Sihua was vaguely starting to understand, but she found it hard to believe. “Fellow Daoist, you’re saying the killer was an expert of the Immortals’ Sword House too?”
“It’s a possibility,” said Su Yi as he continued his way downward.
The Ghost Serpent Netherworld Lamp floated in front of them, casting its misty light and dispersing the baleful corpse qi along the way.
A few other corpse spirits appeared, and all of them attempted to attack Su Yi and Ning Sihua.
However, without exception, the Ghost Serpent Netherworld Lamp’s power suppressed them with ease.
“These corpse spirits were only Origin Dao cultivators in life, and even now, they’ve yet to develop intelligence or awareness. They’re not much of a threat,” Su Yi said casually. “The interesting thing is, all of them fell beneath the same sword. The marks and application of power are practically identical.”
Ning Sihua was inwardly rueful, and she couldn’t help but admire him.
She had long since entered the Origin Dao herself, and she was at the peak of the Grain Avoidance Realm.
However, there was already a world of difference between her and Su Yi.
Had she come here on her own, the corpse spirits along the way would have presented an enormous threat; she’d have been forced to retreat.
However, all Su Yi had to do was take out one of his trophies, and he could effortlessly suppress them!
Of course, Ning Sihua was used to this sort of thing.
What she admired most was that it seemed like there was nothing Su Yi didn’t know. He didn’t just understand the baleful corpse qi; he could also infer numerous useful leads from tiny, nigh-imperceptible hints!
For instance, how the corpse spirits had died!
A little less than ten minutes later.
Su Yi and Ning Sihua finally arrived at the bottom of the staircase. A vast, underground world lay before them.
The baleful corpse qi was actually less dense down here, and an enormous, ancient palace towered in the distance.
Numerous corpse spirits were clustered near the palace gates!
They were almost all in the shape of various spirit beasts, and their decaying bodies emanated shocking baleful energy.
And there were hundreds of them!
“This
” Ning Sihua’s beautiful eyes were solemn. “Could it be that those corpse spirits were all once disciples of the Immortals’ Sword House?”
“It’s entirely possible,” said Su Yi. His eyes flashed. “Furthermore, long ago, there was a natural spirit vein here. It contained incomparably pure and dense spiritual energy. Otherwise, it couldn’t possibly have given rise to so many corpse spirits.”
As he spoke, he continued ahead. “Come on, let’s go have a look at what’s in that palace.”
He’d noticed that although the corpse spirits had clustered around the gates, and although they were trying to get inside, not one managed to get through.
“Who is it!?” A raspy, explosive shout rang out.
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Amidst the distant group of corpse spirits, an avian beast with rotten, damaged feathers whipped around to look at Su Yi.
Its eyes were bright red, and its entire body emanated a ruthless, bloody aura. However, shockingly, it possessed definite intelligence!
As the avian corpse spirit turned, the corpse spirits near it turned to look too.
Ning Sihua’s delicate frame stiffened, and her hair stood on end.
The corpse spirits came in a wide variety of strange shapes, but all of them were decayed. They looked like malevolent ghosts who’d climbed straight out of hell!
“As expected, there’s a Spirit Dao-level corpse spirit in here.” When Su Yi saw the avian creature, his eyes shone with a strange light.
Corpse spirits like this were extremely rare. Only the corpses of those who’d been in the Spiritual Incarnation Realm or higher had a chance of undergoing the repeated transformations necessary to reach this state. Furthermore, it required the continuous nourishment of spiritual energy and a long, long time.
“The sect leader ordered that all trespassers in the Final Resting Place are to be executed without mercy. Quick! Kill those outsiders!” roared the avian corpse spirit.
Boom!
The densely-clustered corpse spirits took action, charging forth like a bloody tide.
“Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!”
The corpses roared, their eyes bloodshot; they were utterly maddened, and it was obvious that they had little awareness. They were merely following orders on instinct.
When he saw this, Su Yi couldn’t help but sigh.
Since he knew that, in life, these corpses were disciples of the Immortals’ Sword House, how could he possibly get excited about fighting them?
Everyone who’d taken up residence in the ruins had effectively received the Immortals’ Sword House’s benevolence.
And that’s before even considering that during Su Yi’s first trip into the ruins, he obtained the Heavensphere Yao Emperor’s bone seal and the sect’s highest inheritance, the “Allspirit Sword Sutra.”
“Fine. Today, I’ll use the Little Western Paradise’s KáčŁitigarbha Sutra to grant your souls peace and release you from your bitterness and torment. Consider it
 a way of repaying the Immortals’ Sword House for its kindness,” muttered Su Yi.
He took to the skies and sat in a lotus position in mid-air. His hands formed seals in front of him, and his mind cleared. He looked as dignified and serene as a Buddhist statue.
When he circulated his cultivation base, his entire body burst with radiant light.
Ning Sihua was stunned.
Immeasurable Buddhist light spread out around Su Yi, its sheer radiance illuminating the dark, bloody underground world. A solemn, auspicious aura permeated the air.
Ning Sihua felt bewildered; it was as if Su Yi were a legendary Buddha descending upon the human world, his radiance illuminating everything in all directions. Seeing this, anyone would have felt the urge to bow and worship him!
It was then that Su Yi began to chant Sanskrit sutras.
At first, they were so soft that they were barely audible, but they gradually increased in volume until they were as loud and clear as a bell drum. Finally, each syllable boomed like thunder, reverberating throughout the area, grand and immeasurable.
“...Accumulated karma has made me compassionate, and I vow to save all sentient beings. My golden staff forces open the gates to hell, and the radiant pearl in my palm illuminates all worlds
.”