What do you mean by saying that the corpses I sew are all ominous creatures?

"Eastern Jia and Yi Wood, guarded by the Azure Dragon!"

"The Southern Fire element (丙丁火) is afflicted by the Vermilion Bird (朱雀)!"

"The metal elements of the West (庚辛金) should be avoided by the White Tiger!"

"Northern Ren and Gui waters, Xuanwu (Black Tortoise) repels the corpse!"

With Li Qing's repeated low shouts, four command flags were planted at the four corners of the shipyard gate.

The moment the last flag fell, I clearly felt the previously restless air around me suddenly freeze.

"call……"

Li Qing let out a long breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Alright, this formation will last for two hours."

Unless they encounter a powerful, ancient monster, ordinary wandering spirits won't be able to escape, and nothing from outside can get in and cause trouble.

Only after doing all this did we officially step into this steel ruin.

For safety reasons, we maintained a standard triangular formation.

I walked at the front to clear the way, relying on my keen senses and excellent skills to deal with unexpected situations.

Zhao Jianguo was caught in the middle. Li Qing, holding a compass, brought up the rear, constantly monitoring the changes in the aura.

The road beneath our feet is very difficult to walk on.

Everywhere was filled with puddles and silt, mixed with sharp scrap metal pieces, which could easily tear the soles of your shoes if you weren't careful.

Watch your step.

I whispered a reminder, but my eyes kept scanning the dark factory windows and shadowy corners around us.

After walking about 200 meters, we passed through an area filled with abandoned shipping containers and arrived at the heart of the factory area—Dock No. 1.

This is a huge sunken dry dock, as big as two football fields, and more than 20 meters deep.

The place, which should have been used to repair massive ships, was now filled with black, stagnant water, resembling a huge, deep well.

"Tick-tock...tick-tock..."

The surroundings were deathly silent, with only the sound of dripping water coming from somewhere, amplified infinitely in this empty space, making people feel uneasy.

"It's right down here."

Li Qing pointed to the patch of black water in the center of the dock, his voice very low.

"That life force ceased here. It was all swallowed up by this water."

Zhao Jianguo stood by the railing at the edge of the dock, peered down, and his body trembled violently.

"What...what is that?"

Following his gaze, I strained my eyes to look.

On the pitch-black water, white objects were floating.

It was too far away, so I couldn't see it clearly at first.

With a thought, the cool sensation between my brows instantly intensified, and my vision was enhanced to its maximum at that moment.

That's not garbage, and it's not foam.

It was a dead fish.

Thousands upon thousands of dead fish, belly up, floated densely on the water's surface, forming a huge circle.

In the center of the circle, the water was surprisingly calm, as calm as a black mirror.

"It's a dead fish worshipping a corpse."

I took a deep breath of the stench-filled air, and my tone became serious.

"There is a monstrous creature underwater that has drained all life from this area."

These fish weren't poisoned; they were killed by evil spirits.

"and……"

I pointed to the gap in the ring, "Look there."

At the edge of the dead fish, a few wooden stakes could be vaguely seen protruding from the water.

The wooden stakes were arranged in a very regular pattern. Although most of them were underwater, the exposed parts still showed signs of being charred black from fire.

"That's a dragon-suppressing stake!"

Li Qing's tone was enigmatic: "This was a setup deliberately set up by someone, using burnt lightning-struck wood as stakes to lock down anything underwater."

It wasn't allowed to float to the surface, nor was it allowed to sink to the bottom; it was simply suspended in mid-air, subjected to the scouring of this immense energy.

"This is fucking corpse refining!"

Li Qing couldn't help but swear.

"Boss Zhao, if your father's body is really down there, it probably won't be your father anymore."

Zhao Jianguo's face trembled violently, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh: "No matter what he's become, he's still my father! Masters, I beg you... you must bring him up!"

I didn't answer immediately, but instead squatted down and picked up a rusty screw from the ground.

"Royal!"

He silently recited a mantra, and a wisp of his malevolent energy instantly separated and wrapped around the screw.

Although I mainly use my Qi manipulation technique in conjunction with bone needles, I can still control inanimate objects for simple throwing.

"go!"

I flicked my finger.

The screw, with a whooshing sound, shot into the calm area in the center of the water.

"Thump."

The screw fell into the water, creating a splash.

However, just as the water splashed up, something unexpected happened!

The once calm water surface suddenly began to churn violently, as if something beneath the surface had been enraged.

Immediately afterwards, a black column of water shot into the sky, reaching a height of three or four meters!

Within that column of water, I clearly saw a pale arm suddenly grab the screw that hadn't yet sunk, and then crush it into a pancake!

"roar--!"

A deep, thunderous roar echoed through the thick layer of water, causing the steel plates beneath their feet to tremble slightly.

"Damn! That murderous aura is fierce!"

Li Qing's expression changed drastically. He put his hands in his canvas bag and stared intently at the water.

I also stood up, holding the willow-leaf dagger horizontally in front of my chest, my inner energy surging wildly.

"Boss Zhao, step back!"

I shouted sternly, "Get behind that container! Don't come out no matter what happens!"

Although Zhao Jianguo was a worldly man, he instinctively chose to obey when faced with such inhuman and terrifying power.

He staggered backward and hid behind a rusty shipping container.

"Li Qing, it seems we'll have to resort to some drastic measures."

I stared at the water, which was gradually calming but still turbulent, a cold glint flashing in my eyes.

"We can't handle this thing in the water. We need to lure it up, or... drain the water."

"Drain those tens of thousands of tons of water? You're dreaming!"

Li Qing cursed, "This dock is connected to the river outside; the water is flowing, it can't be drained! We can only draw it up to fight!"

"Since it's a corpse refining process, it must be most sensitive to blood energy."

Li Qing gritted his teeth and took out a black porcelain bottle from his bag.

"This is the soul-summoning incense I stole from the old man. It was originally meant to summon souls, but now I have no choice but to try it as a last resort."

With the addition of Boss Zhao's blood, we should be able to fish it up!

"But Old Chen, once this thing gets ashore, it'll be like a mad dog unleashed. Can your little razor blade hold up?"

I glanced down at the scalpel in my hand, then touched the black bone needle I kept close to my body.

"Don't worry, I'm here."

After exchanging a glance with me, Li Qing returned to Zhao Jianguo's hiding place and took a drop of his blood before opening the porcelain bottle.

Then, he poured the powder from the black porcelain bottle onto the yellow paper stained with Zhao Jianguo's fingertips.

Li Qing moved his hand slightly, and the yellow paper spontaneously combusted without wind, instantly filling the air with a strange fragrance.