Chapter 263: Chapter 263: Slaughter Corpse Terror
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM...
The ground trembled violently, and large cracks appeared where Luo Feng had just been standing. Eerie red mist billowed from them.
Luo Feng had long since leaped aside, his brows furrowed as he watched the red mist erupt from the cracks.
This red mist had a pungent, bloody odor and exuded an intensely evil aura!
SSS...
As the crimson blood mist shot out, it touched leaves and rubble, which immediately emitted green smoke. It actually possessed potent corrosive properties.
"What terrifying miasma! What on earth could it be?"
Luo Feng gazed down into the depths of the cracks.
At this moment, he sensed a powerful surge of Evil Qi raging furiously underground.
BANG!
The rock Luo Feng had just been sitting on suddenly exploded. A gray figure shot out from the crevice beneath, kicking up Li Feng as it lunged straight towards Luo Feng.
"Scram!"
Luo Feng bellowed, the Tiger Soul Saber whistling as he drew it.
CLANG!
A loud sound echoed, causing Luo Feng’s brow to twitch.
This saber strike felt as if it had landed on a bronze bell, emitting the clang of colliding metal.
BOOM!
The gray shadow was sent flying backward by this powerful blow, snapping a massive tree—so thick it would take several people to encircle it—in half. The entire forest seemed to tremble for a moment.
Seizing this chance, Luo Feng finally got a clear look at the gray figure’s true appearance.
He would have been better off not looking; a single glance left Luo Feng thoroughly startled.
The gray figure had a human form but could hardly be called human. It wore no clothes. Its shriveled skin was a deathly gray, like withered leaves, and had a metallic sheen. Its mouth was full of sharp, beast-like fangs, and its pair of crimson eyes, vibrant as blood, were filled with bloodthirsty brutality.
So, it’s a Slaughter Corpse! Luo Feng realized. No wonder it evaded my Soul Power detection.
He had read about Slaughter Corpses in a book when he was at the academy.
If a Martial Artist inhaled too much Evil Qi and died, the Evil Qi would merge with their Yuan Qi, causing their body to mutate. Although the Martial Artist would be dead, their body would be driven by the malevolent will within the Evil Qi, transforming them into a Slaughter Corpse that knew only bloodlust and slaughter.
A Slaughter Corpse’s body doesn’t decay, possesses immense strength, and is impervious to blades and spears. Their strength would be a whole level higher than when they were alive!
Furthermore, Slaughter Corpses can unleash Corpse Gang, which is not only highly toxic but also intensely corrosive, making them incredibly dangerous!
Slaughter Corpses usually remain dormant, awakened only by the scent of blood, turning into creatures that devour any living thing they see.
Recalling this information about Slaughter Corpses, Luo Feng looked at the one before him, his palms breaking out in a cold sweat.
If he wasn’t mistaken, this Slaughter Corpse had likely been a peak Eighth-Level Hell Realm Martial Artist in life. Its Cultivation having risen by one level, it now possessed the strength of a Ninth-Level Heavenly Court Realm Martial Artist!
Escaping the wolf’s den only to enter the tiger’s lair, Luo Feng thought, looking at the Slaughter Corpse. He couldn’t help but shake his head with a wry smile. Just my luck.
AWOOO!
The Slaughter Corpse staggered upright, its ghoulish pupils fixed on Luo Feng. Without thinking, it charged straight at him.
Its movements were somewhat stiff, yet its speed was incredibly fast, creating visible air currents as it ran.
The Slaughter Corpse’s entire body was covered in potent corpse toxins; even a slight scratch could cause flesh to corrode instantly. Recognizing the danger, Luo Feng didn’t dare to be careless and immediately unleashed a pitch-black Saber Gang.
CLANG!
The Saber Gang struck the Slaughter Corpse’s chest, producing a shower of sparks but leaving only a faint white mark.
The Slaughter Corpse paused momentarily, then slammed its foot into the ground. Opening its terrifyingly vast maw, it lunged for Luo Feng’s neck.
Luo Feng’s brow furrowed. The sound of wind and thunder erupted around him as he unleashed a continuous barrage of powerful fist Gang Qi.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM...
It took four consecutive fist strikes to repel the Slaughter Corpse.
WHOOSH!
The Slaughter Corpse crashed into the ground but immediately sprang back up, letting out a hoarse, fierce roar as it lunged again.
Let’s see how many of my strikes you can take!
Luo Feng’s breathing deepened as Yuan Qi poured into the Tiger Soul Saber. Instantly, an intense tiger’s roar echoed through the forest. The dark red Tiger Soul Saber gradually turned a vibrant crimson, as if it were intensely burning.
"Strike!"
The saber cleaved downwards. A nearly twenty-foot-long blade aura linked together, forming what resembled a mountain of blades pressing down on the Slaughter Corpse.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!
Each wave of blade aura was immensely powerful, as heavy as a thousand jun. After ten such strikes, the Slaughter Corpse’s legs were driven deep into the ground, immobilizing it for a moment. Its claws thrashed at the earth as it howled incessantly.
WHOOSH!
Seizing the opportunity, Luo Feng charged forward. The Tiger Soul Saber, carrying the momentum of a falling mountain, ruthlessly hacked down on the Slaughter Corpse’s left shoulder.
BOOM!
The earth trembled violently, and large cracks spread out like a spiderweb. A half-inch deep gash appeared on the Slaughter Corpse’s shoulder.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM...
This strike had been gathering power for some time, and its force was incredible. The Slaughter Corpse’s body carved a terrifying, deep trench as it was dragged across the ground, sinking several feet deep before it stopped.
"Truly a Slaughter Corpse! Such terrifying defensive power!"
Watching the Slaughter Corpse claw its way out of the earth once more, Luo Feng’s eyebrows were tightly knitted.
He had already used his full strength, yet he still couldn’t inflict serious damage on it.
AWOOO!
The Slaughter Corpse crawled out from underground, letting out a wail like that of ghosts and wolves. It suddenly opened its huge mouth, and a mass of blood-red mist began to surge violently in its throat.
SSS...
The surrounding leaves began to emit white smoke, instantly corroded into char.
"Not good! This Slaughter Corpse has the strength of the Ninth-Level Heavenly Court Realm; it can use Corpse Gang!"
Seeing the bloody glow in the Slaughter Corpse’s throat, Luo Feng’s expression changed.
Corpse Gang was not only highly poisonous but also intensely corrosive; even Dragon Slaughtering Gang Qi might not be able to withstand it.
Luo Feng took a deep breath, preparing to unleash his Grand Momentum to resist the Corpse Gang, when an unexpected change occurred.
The blood-red light in the Slaughter Corpse’s throat surged for a moment before abruptly vanishing without a trace. Only a few scattered specks of bloodlight sprayed out, landing on the ground and instantly corroding several large, blackened holes.
"Hmm?"
Luo Feng’s eyebrows rose, a look of delight immediately appearing in his eyes.
This Slaughter Corpse clearly hadn’t devoured flesh and blood for a very long time. Without the replenishment of blood qi, its strength had diminished, and it currently couldn’t use Corpse Gang!
"Heaven is truly on my side!"
Luo Feng laughed heartily. Since the Slaughter Corpse couldn’t use Corpse Gang, it was merely like a Demon Beast with a thick hide, its danger greatly diminished.
Watching the furiously roaring Slaughter Corpse, a glint flashed in Luo Feng’s eyes. He reined in his aura and abandoned the idea of using Grand Momentum.
The strength of this Slaughter Corpse was somewhere between the peak of the Eighth-Level Hell Realm and the Ninth-Level Heavenly Court Realm, making it a perfect training partner for him.
Moreover, being a Slaughter Corpse, as long as its head remained intact, it would never truly die, making it an ideal training partner.
Luo Feng had heard that some prominent families specifically nurtured Slaughter Corpses to protect vital family locations or for their younger disciples to train against.
If I leave now, I might run into Duanmu Xiong. There are still a few days left before I need to head to Red Maple Lead. I’ll train here for two more days.
Thinking this, Luo Feng fixed his gaze on the Slaughter Corpse. A strong battle intent surged from him as he stepped forward, taking the initiative to attack.
「 」
While Luo Feng was engrossed in his training, thousands of meters away, on a main road leading from the Flowing Cloud Region to Red Maple Lead, two fine horses trotted side by side.
Two women were seated on them.
The woman on the left had eyes like stars and hair like a cascading black waterfall. Her figure was enchanting, and a long, sky-blue dress flowed around her like water waves. She possessed an elegant temperament; it was none other than Zhou Zhiyun, the Dean of Tianlan School.
"Past the valley ahead lies Red Maple Lead," Zhou Zhiyun said slowly, looking towards the valley.
Hearing this, the stunningly beautiful, white-robed young woman on the horse to the right, her Daimei knitted slightly. Her bright eyes glanced subtly westward, towards the Red Chain Mountain Range.
"He Qin, are you worried about Luo Feng?" Zhou Zhiyun asked with a smile.
He Qin bit her red lip, nodded, and said softly, "Duanmu Xiong is a Ninth-Level Heavenly Court Realm Martial Artist. Luo Feng, he..."
Zhou Zhiyun’s Daimei also knitted.
The day she heard that Duanmu Xiong was tracking Luo Feng, she had immediately given chase.
Unfortunately, Luo Feng had long since left the Yunlan Peak area. She found no trace of either of them and, in the end, could only depart for Red Maple Lead with He Qin.
Taking a light breath, Zhou Zhiyun said, "Don’t worry. Luo Feng’s strength far exceeds what you or I imagine. It won’t be easy for Duanmu Xiong to kill him."
Although she said this, Zhou Zhiyun felt no confidence in her heart.
A Ninth-Level Heavenly Court Realm Martial Artist, whose Yuan Qi was imbued with spirit, possessed strength that an Eighth-Level Hell Realm Martial Artist couldn’t possibly compare to. Even comprehending Grand Momentum couldn’t bridge this gap.
After all, strength was strength. Grand Momentum and Sword Intent were merely embellishments; the disparity in cultivation realms could not be ignored.
"Mm."
He Qin’s beautiful eyes flickered. She nodded, praying inwardly that Luo Feng would be safe.
Zhou Zhiyun looked at He Qin’s expression, a helpless smile on her face. "Let’s go," she said. "Perhaps Luo Feng will even arrive before us."
With that, the two spurred their horses into a gallop, vanishing in a cloud of dust.
「 」
In the dimly lit, dense forest, two figures constantly collided.
One was a young man carrying a saber on his back, while the other figure, exuding a terrifying Evil Qi, was a Slaughter Corpse fearsome enough to make anyone who saw it recoil in horror.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM...
Each time the two figures clashed, the powerful impact sent ripples across the ground like water. The forest in a hundred-zhang radius had long been ravaged beyond recognition.
"Breaking Sky Fist!"
BAM!
A massive, blade-shaped fist Gang Qi erupted from the young man with the saber, striking the Slaughter Corpse and sending it flying. It crashed several meters into the ground, immobilized.
Luo Feng watched the Slaughter Corpse struggle to rise, then dusted off his hands with a relaxed expression.
Two days had passed since he entered the core area of the Red Chain Mountain Range.
For these two days, he had been cultivating by fighting the Slaughter Corpse.
Under such intense pressure, the effects of his training were remarkably significant.
He had refined fifty percent of the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi in the Yuan Qi seed, and his Cultivation had smoothly progressed to the peak of the Eighth-Level Hell Realm!
Originally, Luo Feng had thought that even with the Yuan Qi Seed, he would need at least a month to reach the peak of the Eighth-Level Hell Realm.
But this frenzied training, battling the Slaughter Corpse on the edge of life and death, seemed to have stimulated his potential, enabling him to achieve a breakthrough in just two days!
Now, he could send the Slaughter Corpse flying with a single punch. His strength was far greater than before!
If I continue training like this, I might be able to attempt a breakthrough to the Ninth-Level Heavenly Court Realm.
A flicker of excitement rose in Luo Feng’s heart. When a Martial Artist’s Cultivation enters the Ninth-Level Heavenly Court Realm, their Yuan Qi becomes imbued with spirit, and their strength undergoes a qualitative leap. By then, even Duanmu Xiong would be no match for him.
ROAR...
At this moment, a wolf’s howl startled Luo Feng. A Blood Pattern Wolf had appeared from somewhere.
WHOOSH!
Upon seeing the Blood Pattern Wolf, the Slaughter Corpse shrieked fiercely and pounced like a gray shadow.
SPLURT!
Blood splattered. The Blood Pattern Wolf didn’t even have a chance to cry out before the Slaughter Corpse crushed its head.
GNASH, GNASH...
Next, an astonishing scene unfolded. After killing the Blood Pattern Wolf, the Slaughter Corpse actually bent down, buried its head, and began to gulp down the fresh flesh and blood. The violent sounds of it tearing were clearly audible.
"Not good!"
Seeing this, Luo Feng’s expression changed drastically.