Very soon.
Over a dozen Corpse Buriers were taken into the Night Patrol Department's jail overnight.
Wang Nian rushed over upon hearing the news, hoping to stop them. However, since Li Ye and the other had the Night Patrol Steward's Token of Authority, he had no power to interfere.
After the Corpse Buriers were taken to the Night Patrol Department jail, Li Ye and his partner swiftly conducted an overnight surprise interrogation.
They initially planned to use torture for confessions, but Wang Nian arrived to stand in their way.
"Li Ye, if you dare use torture, I'll directly escalate this to the Elder of the Night Patrol Department. From now on, you'll be the one burying the bodies in the Corpse Remains Death Land!"
Helplessly.
Li Ye had to relent.
"Brother Chen, let's use the Illusionary Pill then!"
Illusionary Pill.
A Tier One Lower Grade Pill.
Designed specifically to bewilder prisoners, induce them to reveal the truth.
Unable to use torture, there's no other choice.
Steward Chen helplessly remarked, "An Illusionary Pill costs one Low-grade Spirit Stone, Brother Li, you're truly willing to spend."
"I don't believe they didn't hear any unusual commotion at all." After speaking, Li Ye gritted his teeth and spent these dozen low-grade Spirit Stones.
However.
The interrogation.
Yielded little information.
Among those living around Fang Zheng, they only heard the brief sounds of killing, aside from any unusual noises.
Corpse Buriers living around Wen Jiu did hear Wen Jiu leaving, but Wen Jiu went out every night to nurture corpses.
This was a well-known fact.
Wang Nian knew as well.
Only occasionally he wouldn't go out.
Steward Chen sighed, saying, "Though knowing he went out at night, I'm afraid this can't be a reason to interrogate him. We can't report this to Steward Mu. Moreover, Corpse Nurturing and Ghost Law are contrary, and he only got the Yinzhou Corpse Nurturing Technique from the Dharma Transmission Tower... Brother Li, maybe we should drop this."
Steward Chen now felt that investigating spies and murders was more reliable than probing Wen Jiu.
Although he found it hard to believe the coincidence of Li Ye pressuring the three with Fang Zheng, only for Fang Zheng and the others to die immediately, he had to admit that it seemed to be the truth.
Li Ye didn't nod.
He fell into deep thought.
Just then.
A disciple from the Night Patrol Department hurried into the dungeon.
In a state of panic.
"Steward Li, Steward Chen... Steward Sikong has gotten out. He's very dissatisfied with your investigation's progress on the spies, so he's preparing to personally perform soul searching on the Night Patrol Department spy caught that night!"
As the words fell.
Both their faces changed.
Lately, they spent too much time investigating if Fang Zheng and the others' deaths were related to Wen Jiu.
Unexpectedly, it provoked Steward Sikong's displeasure.
"Send these Corpse Buriers away!"
Steward Chen quickly instructed the nearby Night Patrol disciples.
Though Li Ye was unwilling, he dared not delay.
The current priority indeed should be investigating the spies.
Recently, Night Patrol Department disciples killed by those spies numbered no less than twenty if not thirty.
...
Next day.
Wen Jiu learned about last night's incident from Wang Nian.
Also aware that Li Ye took away Corpse Buriers living beside him.
Yet Wen Jiu remained calm.
Because Ghost Law and Corpse Nurturing are incompatible.
That was the essence.
Only Li Ye would associate him with that.
But even as much as Li Ye might associate and target him, he couldn't do much because Wen Jiu now had backing.
He wasn't just a Corpse Burier to be taken lightly anymore.
Setting aside those thoughts, after stepping into the Corpse Remains Death Land, Wen Jiu intended to delve into the central area today.
That was where the core of the battle lay.
Cultivators who fell there ranked higher, thus the Yin Qi and Blood Qi generated post-death were more refined.
And more likely to spawn Yin Soul.
Taking the Black Corpse into the center of the Corpse Remains Death Land, the surrounding Yin Qi grew thicker and colder. Though it was daytime, it was as cold as winter, a scene of pale white stretched as far as the eye can see.
The places they passed were all filled with remains.
Yet not as scattered as the outskirts.
Occasionally visible were one or two Death Cultivator corpses missing only limbs.
However, Wen Jiu did not proceed further but paused after venturing a hundred yards, beginning to extract Blood Qi using Corpse Eye.
As the Corpse Eye opened, copious Blood Qi surged from a hundred yards underground like a tide, rushing into the Corpse Eye.
The quantity.
Was three or four times that of the outskirts.
The purity.
Was several-fold higher.
As Blood Qi surged in, the originally single fleck of scarlet Blood Essence visibly began to form. Before an hour was up, it took the shape of a blood spot, only the size of a fingernail.
But even so, once possessing this single blood spot, the aura of the Corpse Eye abruptly changed, and sinister blood threads gradually crawled over its already heavy eyes. With their appearance, the absorption speed of Blood Qi increased substantially.
At this moment, the Corpse Eye resembled a greedy zombie, perpetually sucking blood, seemingly eager to devour everything around it.
The Black Corpse standing nearby, feeling the overwhelming Blood Qi, also stirred, but Wen Jiu restrained it.
An occasional feast doesn't guarantee every meal is full.
Wen Jiu still distinguished perfectly.
At this time letting the Black Corpse snatch Blood Qi, should it lack Blood Qi resulting in the failure to condense Blood Essence later.
That would be a huge loss.
After all, the development of Blood Transformation Body requires a large amount of blood.
He couldn't go slaughter Cultivators or mortals genuinely.
Very soon.
Several hours swiftly passed.
Once Wen Jiu extracted all Blood Qi from two or three hundred yards beneath him, the fingernail-sized blood spot abruptly increased by a third, meanwhile becoming more refined.
Yet, whether it qualified as Blood Essence or just high-purity Essence Blood remained unknown to Wen Jiu.
Nevertheless, even if unable to determine correctly, Wen Jiu could distinctly feel that its appearance took the Corpse Eye to a new level of quality and capability.
Just then, that drop of Essence Blood suddenly emitted a huge amount of Blood Qi, uncontrollably forcing its way into the Black Corpse's body.
The aura of Black Corpse's Blood Transformation Body escalated rapidly!
This process lasted a quarter of an hour, Wen Jiu unable to control anything, could only stand quietly by and watch.
A quarter of an hour later.
Black Corpse's Blood Transformation Body aura reached an unprecedented peak.
As if nurturing corpses by absorbing Blood Qi in the Corpse Remains Death Land for tens of days.
Furthermore.
Wen Jiu sensed signs of the Black Corpse's imminent breakthrough in Blood Transformation Body.
"This..."
In haste, Wen Jiu gazed at Corpse Eye.
Only upon confirming its Essence Blood hadn't dissipated did he breathe a sigh of relief.
It was good that the Blood Essence remained.
What was that situation just now?
"Looks like only after daily settlement can complete clarity be gained." After burying the Black Corpse underground, Wen Jiu swiftly departed.
Awaiting midnight all along.
Wen Jiu finally understood the day's anomaly.
This day's settlement included a new calculation.
[Absorbed a large amount of Blood Qi to replenish Corpse Eye, Corpse Eye's Blood Essence has been repaired completely, merging with Corpse Eye, within ten days will return to Tier One Middle Grade quality, resulting in Corpse Eye reversing feed Cultivator's Essence Blood +1375, Black Corpse's Blood Transformation Body experience +300 (reached daily absorption limit)]
[Black Corpse Skill: Blood Transformation Body Second Layer (828/1000)]
"So it's already successful!"
This surprise came suddenly.
Luckily it was in the Corpse Remains Death Land.
Had it been elsewhere.
Who knows how long this repair would have taken.
"Turns out today's anomaly was reciprocation."
Wen Jiu rejoiced again.
Seems like the Corpse Eye's repair only needed Blood Essence, not absorbing all Essence Blood.
"It's at 828, without tapping into Cultivator's Essence Blood Balance, just seven days are needed to reach Blood Transformation Body Third Layer."
Wen Jiu fell into thought.
Should he wait seven days?
Or directly utilize Cultivator's Essence Blood Balance.
After a moment of contemplation.
Wen Jiu decided against using it.
Cultivator's Essence Blood Balance, keep it saved because in the future Yin Evil Blood Curse Body cultivation will need Essence Blood.
Corpse Blood definitely can't assist in cultivating Yin Evil Blood Curse Body.
Thinking of this.
Wen Jiu glanced at Cultivator's Essence Blood Balance.
[Cultivator's Essence Blood Balance: 2368]
"Keep saving."
Once the turmoil subsides, I'll start using this Essence Blood to cultivate Yin Evil Blood Curse Body.
After establishing a strategy, Wen Jiu closed the personal panel.
Very soon.
Seven days swiftly passed.
The Blood Transformation Body progressed to the Third Layer as expected.
[Black Corpse Skill: Blood Transformation Body Third Layer (0/2000)]
Yet Wen Jiu didn't foresee that upon the Blood Transformation Body stepping into the Third Layer, a new Blood Transformation Body skill evolved.
[Black Corpse Skill: Blood Corpse Escape]
[Seeking recommendation votes, monthly votes!
Thank you all for following along!
The support is incredible, currently ranked sixty-eight on the overall signing chart, thanks to everyone's votes! Much appreciated!]