The Soul-Driving Bell can command ghostly spirits, while the Corpse-Driving Whip can command corporeal phantoms. These two artifacts complement each other well and can both grow in power.
Xu Qing thought that if he could master the Soul-Driving Bell in one hand and the Corpse-Driving Whip in the other, wouldn't he be unstoppable in the underworld?
Suppressing these seemingly unrealistic thoughts, Xu Qing directed his attention elsewhere.
The following rewards were similar to the passionate scholar's "Scripture of Books", consisting mostly of Technique Skill Scriptures.
The first book, "Thirty-Six Corpse-Driving Spells", recorded all the spells a Corpse Driver might use during their journey. For example, the Corpse Awakening Spell could make a dead body sit up suddenly or stand up stiffly.
The Corpse Walking Spell could command a corpse to walk on its own. There were also other spells like the Turning Spell, Downhill Spell, Bridge Crossing Spell, and the Mute Dog Spell.
After digesting this information, Xu Qing formed his own understanding. These basic control spells for walking corpses were like the commands a rider uses for a donkey or horse, guiding them to move quickly or slowly, turn, or jump, each with its own way to drive them.
The only rare spell among them was the last spell of the Thirty-Six Corpse-Driving Spells—the Rebirth Spell.
Though called a spell, it was more like an independent cultivation technique. Practicing it could allow a dead body's spirit to possess it. The deeper the mastery of the Rebirth Spell by a Corpse Driver, the more the spirit could return, making it easier to drive the corpse.
Next, Xu Qing looked at the second book, "Funeral and Mourning Scripture". This was a discipline concerning the relocation of spirits for burial and worship rituals. Corpse Drivers often dealt with the dead, so they had some knowledge of these practices.
As for the "Yin Track Acupoint Technique", traditional Corpse Drivers usually didn't delve into it deeply. After all, they drove corpses and didn't look for dragon veins to dig up ancestors' graves.
That work was too unethical!
In truth, Liu Youdao learned it in private to enhance himself and expand his corpse-driving business, aiming to steal more graves and find better "resources".
For Xu Qing, these were just icing on the cake.
The real lifeline was "Corpse Talk" and the "Corpse Nourishing Scripture".
Corpse Talk contained methods to identify and deal with various types of zombies, along with detailed classifications of zombie species and levels by cultivators. For example, Xu Qing belonged to the lowest level of Wandering Corpses, but uniquely, he retained full consciousness.
According to Corpse Talk, zombie cultivation evolves in five stages: Wandering Corpse, Hidden Corpse, Undying Bone, Flying Corpse, and the legendary Corpse Immortal.
The Wandering Corpse and Hidden Corpse each have three types and three transformations. The three types of Wandering Corpses are the Iron Armored Wandering Corpses, Silver Armored Wandering Corpses, and Golden Armored Wandering Corpses.
The Three Corpse Transformations of Hidden Corpse are Fur Corpse, Fire Corpse, and Black Corpse.
Reaching the third major stage results in the Undying Bone, a transformative phase where the zombie attains human-like wisdom, akin to rebirth.
So, my current state has the wisdom of the Undying Bone stage and the physical strength of the Wandering Corpse stage?
Isn't that like Lv Bu riding a dog?
After pondering for a moment, Xu Qing focused on the last two stages.
The Flying Corpse, also known as Black Evil or Flying Yaksha, can soar through the skies and traverse the earth, possessing unfathomable power and few earthly threats.
As for the legendary Corpse Immortal, it has reached an undying and ascended stage.
Corpse Talk records that in recent antiquity, a loyal and righteous man named Yan Qingping was a government official captured and executed by hanging while suppressing rebel forces. After his death, his body did not decay and remained lifelike. Fortunately, a high cultivator, moved by his loyalty, taught him the Corpse Dao.
Yan Qingping practiced for nearly a hundred years and eventually ascended to immortality on Luling Mountain.
Can one ascended to immortality through Corpse Dao?
Xu Qing's heart raced. Living people are still moved by the word "immortality". As a Wandering Corpse, knowing that he had a chance to touch immortality stirred great waves in his heart.
As for the method to cultivate as a zombie...
Xu Qing's thoughts involuntarily turned to the final reward, the "Corpse Nourishing Scripture".
In theory, the Corpse Nourishing Scripture was Liu Youdao's manual for nurturing zombies and improving their quality. But in practice, it could elevate a regular Wandering Corpse to the level of a Golden Armored Wandering Corpse, given ample resources and environment.
Unfortunately, the Golden Armored Wandering Corpse was the upper limit for nurturing through the Corpse Nourishing Scripture, not the ultimate limit for zombie cultivation.
"The materials in the Corpse Nourishing Scripture are mostly related to corpse-driving. If I simply lay in a graveyard, it would take forever to reach the golden corpse stage."
"Moreover, even graveyards might not be safe."
Recalling the strange events encountered after leaving the Linhe District, Xu Qing fell into deep thought.
People are subject to the law of the jungle; who can guarantee that ghosts and zombies don't have hierarchies?
Staring at Liu Youdao's still-warm corpse, Xu Qing suddenly had an idea.
Liu Youdao's death wasn't just due to bad luck. He didn't follow the rules passed down by older Corpse Drivers, offending too many people and forcing him to move here. Even without running into the Celestial Heart Sect's demons, he would have died sooner or later.
In other words, if Liu Youdao had followed the rules of the Corpse Drivers, it would be hard to provoke powerful figures just based on the status of a Corpse Driver in the martial world.
The business of relocating the spirit for burial and corpse-driving was despised by cultivators and feared by ordinary people. In both prospering and chaotic times, this profession could remain self-preserved.