For thirty years, he has roamed the Northeast, his divine might overwhelming all immortals under hea

With a muffled thud, the old woman's chest was kicked open, and her swollen body flew out like a tattered sack, crashing heavily into the broken water vat. Shards of the vat pierced her body, and black water and rotten flesh spilled all over the ground. She struggled a couple of times, then lay still.

It took no more than three seconds.

The two waterlogged zombies, impervious to blades and bullets, were instantly and cleanly killed by Old Dog, without a single unnecessary movement.

Old Dog stood there, his black fur vest stained with a lot of dark red blood, and a few drops on his face. He raised his hand and wiped it with his sleeve, which immediately became covered in blood, but he didn't care. His bright yellow vertical pupils swept over the two pools of rotten flesh on the ground, and his voice, like sandpaper grinding stone, slowly opened his mouth.

"With such meager skills, you dare to embarrass yourself?"

I was panting heavily, leaning against the wall, staring at the mangled flesh on the ground, my stomach still churning, unable to speak for a long time.

The thrilling battle I just witnessed still sends shivers down my spine. If it weren't for Old Dog's intervention, I probably would have been killed by those two zombies today.

The old dog turned to look at me, walked to my side, looked down at the scratches on my body caused by the zombie's fingernails, and said in a deep voice.

"You're lucky you didn't break the skin. If you get too much of the yin energy from a water-soaked corpse, even a shaman would have half their soul stolen."

I swallowed hard, and after a long pause, I finally asked.

"Old Dog, how... how were these walking corpses raised? How are they so powerful?"

The old dog bent down, poked at the rotten flesh on the ground with its foot, looked at the pool of black, murky sewage, a hint of disdain flashing in its vertical pupils, and slowly said.

"The conditions for raising these water-soaked corpses are extremely demanding; if any one of them is missing, it won't work."

He paused, then held up a finger and began to count, his voice echoing in the empty cave, carrying a chilling undertone.

"First, you need to find someone who has been dead for no more than three hours, preferably someone who died a violent death, as they have a lot of resentment and are easily controlled by evil magic. If someone has been dead for too long, their flesh will stiffen and they won't be able to develop that plump, bloated appearance; they'll be too brittle and crumble at the slightest touch."

"Second, it must be soaked in yin water. Not ordinary river or well water, but dead water from the Yellow Springs buried in the yin underground. The water must be mixed with corpse oil, bone ash, and the poison of the five poisons. Soak it for forty-nine days, not a single day less. If it is less than one day, the corpse will harden and will not become a walking corpse."

"Third, you must nourish the corpse with a living soul. Every night, you must catch a live creature, chicken, duck, goose, or dog will do, extract its living soul, and inject it into the corpse. The corpse will absorb the life energy of the living soul so that it can move and have strength. The two corpses just now must have absorbed a lot of living souls, otherwise they wouldn't have such great strength."

"Fourth, seal the soul. Seal the three souls and seven spirits of the corpse within the body, preventing them from dissipating. Lock them in with evil magic, turning them into walking corpses that only know how to attack, without consciousness, without pain, impervious to swords and spears, and immune to water and fire. Unless you crush their skull or sever their corpse roots, they will never die."

"Finally, we need a place to raise corpses. This cave, located in the yin eye of the old forest in the western mountains, is an excellent place to raise corpses. It is full of yin energy and never sees the sun, making it most suitable for raising such evil things. That old man raised his corpse here, and your Brother Sanlv was just a half-finished product he raised."

After the old dog finished speaking, he stepped on the black water on the ground. The black water hissed and steamed, forced back by the yang energy emanating from his body.

"This method of raising corpses is the most insidious of all evil arts. It damages one's virtue and shortens one's lifespan. Anyone who uses this method is a madman who will go to the eighteenth level of hell after death and never be reincarnated."

Listening to the old dog's words, I felt a chill run down my spine, and my heart was filled with both shock and anger.

That old man hiding in the shadows actually used such a vicious method to raise corpses and even stole the souls of my family members. He is utterly depraved!

Huang Dalang gave a cold snort in my mind.

"That old bastard is definitely trying to use the souls of thirteen families to raise something even more powerful! There's definitely something fishy going on in this cave!"

Just then, a rustling sound came from behind the thatched hut.

The old dog and I looked at it almost at the same time.

The originally solid wall had unexpectedly developed into another cave.

I stared at the cave, my fists clenched tightly.

The old dog seemed to read my mind, its vertical pupils gazing into the depths of the cave, where it was pitch black, not even a sliver of light could be seen, and it exuded an even deeper and denser yin energy.

"There's no one hiding inside the house; that old man must be in the cave."

"This thatched hut is just a cover; his real hideout is deep inside this cave."

I looked up at the old dog, my eyes resolute.

"Let's go in!"

The old dog nodded, said nothing more, and turned to walk deeper into the cave. His bright yellow vertical pupils lit up in the darkness, illuminating the endless darkness ahead.

I followed behind him, step by step, into that deeper, colder, and more eerie darkness.

The eerie wind in the cave blew even more fiercely, the candlelight was flung behind, and all that remained was boundless darkness, the slippery bluestone slabs underfoot, and the strange, unknown noises that kept echoing in my ears...

I knew in my heart that what I was about to face was a hundred times more terrifying than the zombies I had just encountered or the bewitching miasma outside.

But I can't back out.

My parents, my Xiulian, are still waiting for me in this darkness.

I am Li Shisan, a shaman. With Huang Dalang by my side and Lao Gou by my side, even if this cave is the underworld, I still have to venture in.

The black moss on the cave walls grew thicker and thicker, the sound of dripping water became more frequent, and a faint smell of burning incense appeared in the stench of decay, but it was not the proper smell of incense; it was a foul, sinister smell of incense ash that made people dizzy.

The old dog walked ahead, stopping every now and then, its vertical pupils scanning the surroundings, its ears twitching as it listened to the sounds in the darkness.

His menacing aura grew stronger, and the muscles in his back tensed, ready to strike at any moment.

I followed him closely, my palms sweating profusely. Huang Dalang was constantly on my mind, reminding me to avoid the sinister patterns on the cave walls and the black puddles on the ground.

After walking for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, a glimmer of light appeared in the darkness ahead.

It wasn't candlelight, but a dark red light, like blood, floating in the darkness, eerily strange.

Along with that red light, a deep, chanting-like sound came from the depths of darkness.

The voice was mumbled and unclear, like an old man muttering something in a strange, eerie tone that sent chills down one's spine and made one's heart pound.

The old dog abruptly stopped, its vertical pupils narrowing into slits, the yellowish light revealing an extreme level of vigilance.

"They're here."

The old dog had already taken half a step forward, its bright yellow vertical pupils shining terrifyingly in the darkness, and its fierce aura was almost tangible, suppressing the surrounding yin winds so much that they dared not approach.

The dark red light drew closer, and the chanting grew clearer, hoarse and dry, like a broken gong rubbing together. Every word was shrouded in an unyielding yin energy, making my temples throb and even causing Huang Dalang in my head to hiss in frustration.

After walking a dozen or so steps, the view suddenly opened up before me.

This is an underground stone chamber several times more spacious than the outside. The walls are covered with crooked, blood-red runes, from which seeps sticky black liquid and emits a strange stench of putridity mixed with incense ash.

In the center of the stone chamber, there was a black bronze coffin about half the height of a person. The coffin was covered with moss and black mold, and a sinister aura kept emanating from the cracks.

In front of the bronze coffin, an old man sat cross-legged.

It was the old man I had been looking for for so long.

He wore a gray cloth jacket, was as thin as a rake, his skin wrinkled like old tree bark, clinging tightly to his bones, and his eyes were cloudy and yellow, yet revealed a sinister, venomous look.

In front of him was a broken incense burner with three blackened incense sticks stuck inside. The incense burned with a dark red light, which was the same light source we had just seen.

He muttered incantations, his withered fingers constantly making strange hand seals. With each seal, the bronze coffin would vibrate slightly, emitting a muffled hum.

Hearing footsteps, the old man slowly stopped chanting and leisurely raised his head.

Those murky eyes fell on me and the old dog without any surprise. Instead, a sinister smile crept across his face, revealing a mouthful of blackened, rotten teeth.

"Li Shisan, you actually made it this far."

"This is a bit beyond my expectations, but it's good. It also proves that I made the right choice in selecting your family."

His voice was even hoarser than an old dog's, as if squeezed out of his throat, carrying a deathly aura.

My heart tightened, and I gritted my teeth and took a step forward.

"It was you! You kept the corpse submerged in water, lured away the souls of my family, and even harmed Brother Sanlv!"

The old man chuckled and slowly pushed himself up from the ground. His body was hunched over, his back bent like a shrimp, yet he stood as steady as Mount Tai. The yin energy emanating from his body was even denser than that of the two water-soaked zombies combined.

"Soul-stealing? Corpse-raising?"

The old man licked his chapped lips, his eyes filled with madness.

"I'm doing something big! Once I've refined this Yin Corpse King, not only will the souls of your Li family members be useless, but all living beings in Zhujiakan will have to become my stepping stones!"

The old dog stepped forward, blocking my way. Its bright yellow vertical pupils stared intently at the old man, and its sandpaper-like voice spoke coldly.

"You dare call your sorcery and crooked practices 'major matters'? The two waterlogged corpses you raised are already rotting flesh; next, it'll be you."

The old man's gaze swept over the old dog, his eyes suddenly narrowing as if he had seen something terrifying, before his sinister expression returned.

"So it was you, you cunning old fool, who ruined my plans! Too bad, it's too late!"

He slammed his hand on the black bronze coffin!

"Clang!"

With a loud bang, the lid of the bronze coffin was blown off by a burst of yin energy. Black water churned inside the coffin, and a putrid stench ten times stronger than that in the cave hit me, almost making me vomit.

The old man pointed at the bronze coffin and laughed maniacally.

"See this! This is the Yin Corpse King that I've nurtured using the souls of Zhu Jiakan over the years! It's just one step away from being born. Once it absorbs your Li Shisan's shamanic soul, it will be ready to be born! At that time, who in heaven or on earth can stop me?"

When I looked into the bronze coffin, my heart clenched instantly, and all the blood in my body seemed to freeze.

Inside the coffin lay a tall, humanoid corpse, its body swollen and blackened, its flesh bulging and about to burst, its fingernails long like sharp claws, and on its chest, a pale white soul fire was embedded, and the soul fire kept changing, and different human faces appeared in the blink of an eye!

They pulsed weakly, as if they might go out at any moment.

"Father! Mother! Xiulian!"

My eyes were bloodshot, and I clenched my fists, ready to rush forward, but Old Dog grabbed me.

"Don't act rashly, he's trying to lure you into a trap."

The old dog's voice was deep, and its ferocity surged.

"This Yin Corpse King has become powerful. Its soul fire is locked up. If we confront it head-on, the soul will dissipate first."

The old man laughed even more triumphantly, and with a wave of his withered hand, a series of muffled footsteps immediately echoed from the shadows surrounding the stone chamber.

Several half-finished, waterlogged zombies emerged from the darkness, surrounding the bronze coffin, their empty eye sockets staring at us, ready to pounce at any moment.

"Li Shisan, so what if you're a shaman? Today, you, your spirit companions, and this old dog will all die here and become nourishment for my Corpse King!"

The old man's eyes sharpened, and he shouted sternly.

"Kill them!"

As soon as I finished speaking, the zombies around me roared and pounced on me. The Yin Corpse King in the bronze coffin also suddenly opened its eyes, its pitch-black eyes locking onto me!

Old Dog leaped forward, his black fur vest fluttering in the cold wind. His bright yellow vertical pupils shone terrifyingly in the dark red incense light. Before the approaching zombies could get close, he had already moved forward first.

The first half-finished, waterlogged corpse to rush in had swollen, blackened arms, and its fingernails, reeking of a foul, sinister aura, were aimed straight at the old dog's face. The old dog neither dodged nor avoided it, but instead raised his hand and grabbed its wrist. In the instant his knuckles exerted force, there was a crisp "crack" sound, and the corpse's arm snapped off like a rotten sugarcane, with blackish-green corpse fluid gushing out from the break.

With a flick of his wrist, the old dog slammed the zombie with the severed arm into another one behind him. The two zombies collided and rolled in the black puddle, convulsing uncontrollably.

Without stopping, he turned and delivered a powerful knee strike to the chest of the third zombie. With another muffled thud, the zombie's swollen chest cavity collapsed, and rotten flesh and black liquid exploded, splattering across the stone chamber walls.

In just two seconds, the three half-formed zombies, without even touching the old dog's clothes, became rotten flesh on the ground.

Upon seeing this, the old man's face darkened, and his withered fingers suddenly formed a hand seal, accompanied by a sharp, strange cry.

"King of the Corpses! Awaken! Tear them to pieces!"

Inside the bronze coffin, the Yin Corpse King, with a ball of soul fire embedded in it, suddenly sat up!

It was nearly seven feet tall, its flesh swollen and black, its skin gleaming like corpse oil. Its pair of pitch-black eyes stared intently at me, making strange "hoarse" sounds in its throat. With its hands bracing against the edge of the coffin, it leaped out of the coffin. The moment it landed, the bluestone floor trembled slightly, and black water spread from its feet. Wherever it passed, the blood-red runes on the stone chamber walls glowed eerily.

"Watch out! Its genitals are on its skull! Just like a waterlogged corpse, but ten times harder!"

The old dog growled and flashed forward, lunging directly at the side of the Yin Corpse King, its hands forming claws as it grabbed at its shoulder.

The Corpse King reacted extremely quickly, turning around and throwing a punch at the old dog. The punch carried a foul-smelling Yin energy, and it even made a whistling sound as it hit the air.

The old dog dodged to the side, the fist flying past his vest, kicking up a patch of black fur. He took the opportunity to raise his hand, his nails growing an inch or more, gleaming coldly, and slashed hard at the Yin Corpse King's neck!

sizzle.

Like red-hot iron cutting into rotten flesh, a deep gash instantly split open at the neck of the Corpse King, exposing the bone. Black fluid and rotten flesh gushed out, but it felt no pain. With a backhand grab, its nails dug fiercely into the old dog's arm, instantly creating five deep, bloody gashes that revealed the flesh!

"Old dog!"

My heart skipped a beat.

The old dog grunted, but instead of retreating, it advanced, enduring the pain to grab the Yin Corpse King's waist. It then channeled all its strength into its legs and slammed the enormous creature to the ground!

Boom!