Chapter 385: The Vital Essence Beads and Demon Corpses
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With a powerful charge from the Divine Earth Ox Beast puppet, Lin Langtian and his group saw the fierce assault of the demonic ants weaken significantly. Large swaths of ants were swept aside, falling like harvested wheat.
Everyone looked on, stunned at how the previously terrifying ant swarm had been effortlessly repelled by this colossal beast, a creature of war in its own right. The sight left them wide-eyed, marveling at how well-matched abilities could turn the tables against even the fiercest adversaries.
"No wonder Senior Brother is so highly regarded—he truly has extraordinary skill," Song Yun muttered with admiration, as did many other Fire Division disciples as they looked toward Lin Langtian, standing tall and steady at the front. As the first member in the Eight Divisions to defeat one of the "Three Princes," Lin Langtian had created a legacy of achievements that left the Fire Division disciples both honored and fiercely loyal.
Even though they were operating as a single division, with Lin Langtian leading, they were convinced they could achieve remarkable success in the Demonic Realm.
"Senior Brother, now that the demonic ants are held back, should we retreat?" Song Yun asked, pleased and relieved.
Lin Langtian nodded slightly, then suddenly paused as he sensed something. With a sweep of his hand, he unleashed a flaming arc that sliced into the ground. To everyone's surprise, it parted the remaining ant swarm, revealing a dark layer of earth below.
The parted ants exposed a large patch of brown rock at the bottom of a crevice. There, seated in meditation, were several figures.
"What… is that?" Fire Division disciples stared in surprise at the figures below, eventually realizing they were looking at dried, mummified corpses.
"Look at those corpses' dantian cores!" Peng Lie called out.
Lin Langtian focused his gaze on them, eyes narrowing. In the center of each corpse's dantian area, a faint white glow shimmered, within which a bead seemed to float and spin slowly, emanating a powerful, vibrant life force.
"These are Vital Essence Beads? Incredible! These corpses must have been peak-stage Profound Life Realm cultivators before their deaths," Peng Lie whispered in astonishment, his voice tinged with awe. "Vital Essence Beads form when a strong Profound Life Realm practitioner dies, leaving behind an undissipated life force. For anyone at the peak of Nine Yuan Nirvana, they're incredibly valuable. It might even help us approach the Profound Life Realm threshold."
Even Lin Langtian's eyes lit up with excitement as he looked at the precious items. Combined with the Profound Vitality Fruit he possessed, these beads could give him an almost certain chance of advancing to the Profound Life Realm.
"No wonder we encountered such a massive ant horde here—it must have been attracted by the Vital Essence Beads," Song Yun said in sudden realization.
"Senior Brother, shall we take them?" Su Qi asked, hopeful. Such treasures could hardly be left untouched.
Lin Langtian nodded, issuing instructions. "Song Yun, Peng Lie, Su Qi—move in quickly!"
Lin Langtian had three strong allies in Song Yun, Peng Lie, and Su Qi, all at the peak of Eight Yuan Nirvana and skilled fighters he had personally empowered with the Vermilion Phoenix Flame, making their strength comparable to that of the division's Spirit Generals. His own prowess aside, these three disciples, skilled in the Fire Division's Flame Emperor Technique, were more than capable of carrying out his orders.
Yet, just as Song Yun, Peng Lie, and Su Qi prepared to advance, a sharp, piercing sword cry rang out from afar. The Fire Division disciples turned to see a flash of dazzling light approach, taking the form of a massive sword.
"A disciple of the Sword Sect?" Lin Langtian's eyes narrowed as he looked at the giant sword, his gaze cold.
"Heh, I was wondering why there was such a large ant swarm here in the Demonic Realm's outer edge—now I see there's a reason."
As the sword light faded, it revealed a group of people. At the front stood a man in gray, smiling as he looked down at Lin Langtian and his group. His gaze quickly shifted to the mummified corpses and Vital Essence Beads on the stone below, his eyes gleaming with desire.
The Fire Division disciples looked warily at the newcomers, their energy swirling protectively.
The gray-robed man's eyes flickered as he addressed Lin Langtian with a courteous smile. "I'm Xue Ling from the Sword Sect. You must be the famed Flame Prince. What do you say to peacefully splitting the Vital Essence Beads?"
Lin Langtian's gaze grew cold as he assessed the Sword Sect disciples. Besides Xue Ling, who was at the peak of the Nine Yuan Nirvana stage, there was another disciple of similar strength. While they weren't exceptionally powerful, they posed a decent challenge.
"Haha, Brother Lin's reputation precedes him. It's impressive to hear of someone challenging even Yuan Cang. Yet, even with your abilities, you have only a single division with you. Were you leading two or three divisions, I wouldn't dare interfere. As it stands, it'd be best to consider avoiding unnecessary losses on both sides," Xue Ling continued, his tone a mix of flattery and veiled threat. Despite his respect for Lin Langtian's power, the lure of the Vital Essence Beads outweighed his caution.
Seeing Xue Ling's calculating demeanor, Lin Langtian's eyes glinted coldly. Just as he prepared to speak, he seemed to sense something, casting a curious glance at Xue Ling, his gaze flickering with restrained aggression.
With the terrifying strike of the Divine Desolation Ox puppet, the attacking swarm of demon ants instantly slowed. In one sweeping motion, the massive beast puppet plowed through the hordes, scattering the ants like wheat under a scythe. Lin Langtian's group, observing the ease with which the puppet overwhelmed their previous threat, watched in awe.
"Truly remarkable, Senior Brother," Song Yun said admiringly, glancing at Lin Langtian. Having single-handedly defeated the Prince Yuan Cang, Lin Langtian had earned his reputation as a formidable figure, a status that inspired his followers and fueled their confidence in his leadership.
"Senior Brother, now that the demonic ants are held back, should we move on?" Song Yun asked, relief evident in his voice.
Lin Langtian nodded. Just as he was about to step forward, he sensed something odd below. Waving his hand, he cast a flame slash that struck the ground, parting the remaining ants and revealing a dark, rocky layer beneath. Below, several mummified figures sat in meditation on the exposed rock.
"Look at their dantian cores!" Peng Lie shouted.
Lin Langtian squinted, his gaze settling on each corpse. He noticed a faint white glow at their dantian, where small beads seemed to hover, brimming with vitality.
"These are Vital Essence Beads!" Peng Lie exclaimed, awestruck. "These corpses must have been Profound Life stage masters in life!"
Vital Essence Beads form within the bodies of deceased Profound Life stage experts, gathering the essence of their life force. For those on the cusp of reaching the Profound Life stage, these beads are immensely valuable and could even aid in crossing into the next stage. Lin Langtian's gaze sharpened with interest; combined with the Profound Life Spirit Fruit he already possessed, these beads would almost guarantee his breakthrough to the Profound Life stage.
"This ant swarm makes sense now," Song Yun muttered, realization dawning on him. "It was drawn by the Vital Essence Beads!"
"Senior Brother, should we go for it?" Su Qi asked, eyes glinting with eagerness. With such valuable treasures before them, it seemed foolish to pass up the opportunity.
Lin Langtian nodded. "Song Yun, Peng Lie, Su Qi—move quickly."
Just as the trio prepared to advance, a piercing sword cry echoed across the field. Everyone turned, watching as a brilliant light formed into a massive sword that sliced through the air, scattering the ants.
"A Sword Sect disciple?" Lin Langtian muttered, squinting in suspicion.
The enormous sword's light dimmed to reveal a large group, led by a gray-robed man who scanned the area before turning his gaze toward Lin Langtian.
"Ah, so it was you who stirred up the ant swarm," he said, flashing a sharp smile. His gaze lingered on the beads.
The Fire Division disciples tensed, wary of the new arrivals.
The gray-robed man raised his hand. "I am Xue Ling from the Sword Sect. If I'm not mistaken, you must be the Flame Prince. Perhaps we could divide these Vital Essence Beads between us?"
Lin Langtian narrowed his eyes, taking in the numbers and strength of the Sword Sect disciples.
"Haha, Lin Langtian, the renowned Fire Division spirit general, defeating even Prince Yuan Cang. However, you only have the one division here. Without backup, I suggest we handle this sensibly. If you were leading two or three divisions, I'd be cautious. But as it stands, let's avoid any unnecessary losses on both sides," Xue Ling offered with a cunning smile, showing respect but clearly unwilling to back down.
Lin Langtian's eyes glinted coldly. Just as he prepared to respond, he noticed something and turned his gaze back to Xue Ling.
"Since Brother Xue insists, I'll concede. There are four beads; we each take two," he said, his tone indifferent.
Song Yun and the others were surprised, but said nothing, trusting Lin Langtian's judgment. Xue Ling, on the other hand, was momentarily caught off guard, though his surprise quickly turned to delight at Lin Langtian's seeming concession.
"Lin Langtian, you're reasonable after all. The Sword Sect will remember your courtesy," he said, extending his hand as a wave of sword energy transformed into a glowing hand that reached for two of the corpses below.
At that moment, Lin Langtian's gaze sharpened, a faint, cold smile curving his lips.
Just as the glowing hand descended, a faint pulse radiated from within the corpses. Lin Langtian's eyes narrowed, and in the next instant, the four corpses' eyes snapped open. Hollow sockets glowed blood-red, devoid of any emotion, filled with a pure, murderous intent.
The corpses raised their skeletal hands, unleashing black energy blasts that instantly shattered Xue Ling's attack. The blasts continued upward, striking the Sword Sect disciples.
The sudden attack shocked Xue Ling's group, but they reacted quickly, their bodies glowing with defensive energy.
"Azure Sword Slash!"
Hundreds of sword lights flared up, colliding with the black energy in midair. Explosions rang out as shockwaves rocked the sky.
The demon corpses' attack was ruthless; although the Sword Sect disciples outnumbered them and managed to defend against the blasts, some were severely injured.
"Those corpses… there's something strange about them!" Song Yun said, his gaze turning to Lin Langtian in admiration. It was now clear that Lin Langtian had anticipated this. If they had attacked first, they would have faced these creatures' wrath.
"Those are demon corpses," Song Yun muttered, staring in shock at the blood-red eyes below.
"Demon corpses?" Mo Tie, one of Lin Langtian's newer disciples, looked on in confusion.
"This place is littered with the remains of ancient warriors. When their bodies are corrupted by the demonic aura here, they transform into demon corpses, retaining a twisted strength that rivals their former power," Song Yun explained, his voice hushed. "Each one of these corpses is as powerful as the Thunder Prince and won't stop fighting until they've killed everything in sight."
The Fire Division disciples were taken aback. Though Lin Langtian had defeated the Thunder Prince in battle, everyone knew that Yuan Cang's close ally was still among the strongest young elites. Now they faced four such entities.
"Brother Xue, these beads are guarded by demon corpses!" A Sword Sect disciple shouted, realization dawning as he glared at Lin Langtian. "This must be Lin Langtian's plan—he set us up!"
Xue Ling turned his angered gaze toward Lin Langtian, cursing his naivety. "Damn it! He tricked us. I thought he was being courteous, but the people of Yuan Gate are just as deceitful as ever!"
"Withdraw!" Xue Ling ordered through gritted teeth. He wasn't about to sacrifice his men against four demon corpses, each as powerful as a Profound Life expert.
As the Sword Sect began retreating, the demon corpses turned their blood-red gazes toward the Fire Division disciples, who remained nearby. Seeing them, the corpses' only response was an unrelenting bloodlust, their intent shifting toward Lin Langtian's group.
"Senior Brother, we've been targeted," Song Yun said, swallowing nervously. Though they trusted Lin Langtian's strength, the eerie sight of four demon corpses was unsettling.
Lin Langtian's expression remained calm as he prepared to claim the beads. Just then, a thunderous sound echoed across the plain. The ground shook as a massive puppet beast crashed down.
A cold, detached voice filled the air: "Master, leave these demon corpses to me. I am certain I can subdue them."
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