Chapter 285 - 112: A Stand-up Guy, Part 2

Chapter 285: Chapter 112: A Stand-up Guy, Part 2

However, when a faint cyan light flickered in his eyes, allowing him to see through the dark cloud, he instantly understood.

Within the dark cloud, there was... a corpse!

It was no ordinary body, but a Yin Corpse, grayish-cyan from head to toe. A moon-white, walnut-sized orb was embedded in its forehead. Aside from its color and the aura it emanated, it was identical to Fang Rui’s own Yang Attribute Dragon Pearl.

If that wasn’t a Yin Attribute Dragon Pearl, then what was it?!

However, compared to Fang Rui’s Yang Attribute Dragon Pearl, this Yin Attribute Dragon Pearl was far dimmer—its brightness was only about half that of his own.

’A minuscule fraction of the Dragon Pearl Origin was enough to let members of the Zheng Family break into the Upper Three Grades. Have they now drained half of the Dragon Pearl’s Origin, no matter the cost, to forcibly create a First Grade Yin Corpse?!’

In reality, it was far more complicated than Fang Rui imagined.

The Zheng Family Patriarchs, for generations, had harvested the extreme resentment from Nanshan Garden, condensing it into vast quantities of Grievance Pearls to strengthen the family’s ultimate trump card—the Ancient Corpse Refining Array.

It could be said that only by combining the vast resentment accumulated over generations, half of the Dragon Pearl Origin, the live sacrifice of the Third Grade Martial Artist Zheng Shaoguang, and the power of the Ancient Corpse Refining Array could this First Grade Yin Corpse have been created so quickly!

’No! It’s not as simple as just being First Grade! The Yin Attribute Dragon Pearl’s Barrier, suffused with boundless, terrifying Yin Qi, has formed that horrifying dark cloud.’

’What’s more, this Yin Corpse... it’s constantly unleashing its ultimate attack! Powered by the Dragon Pearl, it has no cooldowns on its Skills. It’s like a super First Grade with a period of infinite mana!’

Fang Rui was astounded. ’Dragon Pearls can be used like this? This is a real eye-opener!’

’The only drawback is that it has no intelligence.’

’Still, even without intelligence, it’s a First Grade Yin Corpse with a killing instinct, a domain formed from the dark cloud, and a limitless supply of energy.’

Fang Rui reckoned even he couldn’t face it head-on.

"Fall back! Fall back now!"

As he led his men in retreat, he grumbled to himself, ’Is Zhen Daoji going to do something or not? If he doesn’t make a move soon, I’m bailing.’

Indeed, Fang Rui wasn’t too worried for now. He couldn’t defeat the Yin Corpse, true, but escaping was another matter entirely.

’Creatures like Yin Corpses are heavy and relatively slow. Of course, that’s only in comparison to a Second Grade Martial Artist like me, who has reached Perfection in Body Technique. No one else here has the right to make that claim.’

Besides, since the Yin Corpse had no intelligence, shaking it off would be simple enough.

...

「A short while earlier.」

"A draw?!"

Zhen Daoji shook his head and placed a stone. "Take another look, Second Uncle."

"Oh?"

Zhen Yi narrowed his eyes, his expression growing slightly more solemn as he placed a stone in response.

A dozen moves later.

Zhen Daoji linked together his various formations, creating a fatal encirclement that thwarted Zhen Yi’s gambit for mutual destruction.

"I’ve lost!"

Zhen Yi conceded readily. Looking at Zhen Daoji, he stroked his beard and nodded. "The new generation is truly something to be feared!"

The two rose and looked in the direction of the Zheng Family estate. At that exact moment, amid a violent, earth-shaking tremor, the First Grade Yin Corpse shrouded in the dark cloud shot forth.

"Impressive. The Zheng Family actually managed to create a First Grade Yin Corpse!" A hint of surprise touched Zhen Yi’s face.

"A First Grade Yin Corpse is indeed powerful, but it’s a pity it lacks intelligence. Against the many plans I’ve laid, it won’t amount to much."

Zhen Daoji gave an order. "Someone, execute the third protocol."

"Oh, and,"

he said, pausing before adding, "have the Southeast Branch withdraw. They will be responsible for treating the wounded."

He had finally found an interesting friend, and Zhen Daoji had no desire to see him lost to some accident.

It was true he wouldn’t bend the Rules for personal reasons, but that didn’t mean he was inflexible. As long as it was within the Rules, a certain amount of special consideration was permissible.

...

"Silver Seal Fang, I’m heading to the front!"

The speaker was another Golden Seal Renowned Hunter he’d met during the retreat. Having just received his orders, he was immediately heading to his designated position—clearly, he was being sent to the front lines.

Even if the man felt a pang of jealousy, he didn’t let it show in the slightest. After all, if he really got injured, he’d end up in their care!

"Godspeed," Fang Rui said, cupping his hands in a farewell gesture.

Xun Buhe and Niu Bajin stood to one side, calling out their farewells to the Chief Constables who served under this Golden Seal Renowned Hunter.

"Off to the front, boys? Fare thee well."

"Do take care of yourselves. Try not to come back and end up in our hands."

This snide, passive-aggressive tone made each of the Chief Constables scowl, but none of them dared to retort.

The most any of them did was mutter under their breath, ’It’s just ’cause they got a good boss, that’s all.’

Once the men were gone, Fang Rui finally spoke. "Alright, Old Gou, Bajin. So they took a few jabs at you earlier. That’s enough."

He paused, then added, "At worst, just be a little rougher with them when you’re treating their injuries later."

HISS!

Xun Buhe and Niu Bajin had been wearing expressions as if they were learning a valuable lesson. But upon hearing the second half of his sentence, they both sucked in a sharp breath. The same thought occurred to them simultaneously: ’When it comes to being thick-skinned and black-hearted, you’ve got to hand it to the Chief!’

"Learn from me, you two. A man should talk less and do more."

Shaking his head, Fang Rui walked to a high vantage point and gazed into the distance.

"Hm?!"

Just then, his nose twitched. He had caught a peculiar fragrance on the wind.

...

In the distance, the dark cloud enveloping the Yin Corpse abruptly paused, then shot off in a specific direction.

After it arrived at a certain location, a voice rang out, seeming to drift from beyond the heavens—ethereal and untraceable. "Array, arise!"

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

On the ground, one after another, the array’s foundational nodes flared to life like starlight. Using them as connection points, pillars of golden light crisscrossed and interlinked, forming a massive, rotating, nine-sided pattern.

At that moment.

The great sun in the sky seemed to brighten abruptly, sending out ripples as if across water. An endless torrent of scorching sunlight was drawn down from above, transforming into a raging inferno of light and flame. The entire region was turned into what looked like a fiery purgatory.