In the dwelling of the Mystic Immortal, Englan made a mark known only to Zhongshan, then swiftly departed with Tianling. Time was limited; they had to prepare everything before the Mystic Immortal returned from his injury.
Not far away, Englan chose a place at the foot of a great mountain, surrounded by towering trees, exactly as Englan desired.
Quickly inspecting the items given by Zhongshan: the Eight-Ox Crossbow, specially crafted by Zhongshan, arrows as long as spears, and a remarkably sturdy folding bed.
"What's this?" Tianling asked.
"It's the arrow that killed the intruder at Zhong Manor that day," Englan explained.
"This arrow may work against those at the innate stage, but against those at the Golden Core stage, it might not. Golden Core cultivators have abundant true essence, which forms a protective aura. Though this arrow is strong, it may not penetrate the aura," Tianling worried.
"No matter. Though the aura is strong, Sir can surely weaken it. Besides, don't you still have two jade talismans?" Englan immediately thought of Tianling's jade talismans.
"Those talismans, they might handle no more than a Copper Corpse before. But that villain's cultivation is not as simple as a Copper Corpse. Two talismans might not be enough," Tianling anxiously said.
"No, when the Mystic Immortal returns, he will surely be heavily injured. In his weakened state, we'll act accordingly," Englan said.
"Alright," Tianling could only nod.
Then, with Tianling's help, Englan began assembling the Eight-Ox Crossbow bed. After all, the crossbow's string required great strength.
Zhongshan stood at the forefront of the flying sword, pointing ahead to the location of the zombie horde for the Daoist Miao Xian.
At this moment, Daoist Miao Xian wasn't in a hurry. In his eyes, the two women from before were already as good as his, no need to rush to play with them. Once he obtained the Red Luan Heavenly Scripture, he would have plenty of time to enjoy himself. Moreover, he had just set up the "Soul Pursuit" technique, so naturally, they wouldn't escape his grasp.
Looking at his junior brother ahead, Daoist Miao Xian smirked wickedly. "Treasure? You're just a little treasure."
Zhongshan, standing in front, could feel the pressure of Daoist Miao Xian's gaze, but years of experience had made him steady in the face of danger. Would he reveal a flaw at this critical moment?
"It's right there, senior brother. Let's land the flying sword first and proceed on foot to avoid alerting the enemy. Besides, junior brother is still in the Pre-Natal Stage, with impurities yet to be cleansed from his body. We'll need to wait a while," Zhongshan said with a hint of "embarrassment."
"What else can you do by waiting a while? Go relieve yourself?" Daoist Miao Xian naturally saw through Zhongshan's embarrassment and nodded, then landed the flying sword.
It was a small forest, but within Daoist Miao Xian's line of sight, Zhongshan quickly ran into the woods.
"What are you afraid of? You're not a woman," Daoist Miao Xian smirked wickedly.
"I'm afraid of contaminating senior brother with any unpleasant odor," Zhongshan said before entering the woods.
Watching Zhongshan enter the woods, Daoist Miao Xian narrowed his eyes. Was he trying to escape? Hmph! He wouldn't escape from my grasp.
With Daoist Miao Xian's keen hearing, the sound of rustling came from the woods.
Soon, a relaxed Zhongshan emerged with a smile.
"Senior brother, once we cross over this hill, we'll be there," Zhongshan guided Daoist Miao Xian.
Seeing Zhongshan return, Daoist Miao Xian nodded. Though he still had some doubts, Zhongshan had come back, dispelling any lingering suspicions.
Led by Zhongshan, Daoist Miao Xian took a few light steps and reached the mountaintop. Then, together with Zhongshan, they crossed over the hill and disappeared in an instant.
Just as the two crossed over the mountain, a figure emerged from the woods where Zhongshan had relieved himself earlier, a person who had been hiding behind a large tree.
If Daoist Miao Xian were here, his eyes would surely pop out in astonishment.
Zhongshan, another Zhongshan? How could this be?
Indeed, it was Zhongshan. While the original Zhongshan stayed behind in the woods, his concealed form led Daoist Miao Xian to the zombie valley.
The original Zhongshan glanced at the mountain where Daoist Miao Xian had left, then turned around and sprinted back the way he came.
The concealed Zhongshan possessed extraordinary abilities and naturally stayed behind to face the danger.
Leading Daoist Miao Xian, Zhongshan stopped far outside the valley, pointing towards its center.
A man in black robes still held a beating heart in his hand, muttering incessantly, surrounded by twenty-four bronze corpses.
The altar runes flickered eerily, and a dense gloom pervaded the surroundings. Daoist Miao Xian stopped at a distance, his eyes shining brightly as he stared directly at the object in the black-robed man's hand—the heart.
Though he didn't know what it was, even from afar, he could sense an infinite malevolence emanating from it. As the overwhelming evil approached, a strong sense of greed surged in Daoist Miao Xian's eyes.
Despite his greed, Daoist Miao Xian remained composed, analyzing carefully: Who is this person? How did he come to possess such a treasure? What is his cultivation level? Can I seize it from him?
After pondering with narrowed eyes for a moment, he turned to Zhongshan, clearly wanting to assess the man's strength from Zhongshan's perspective.
Zhongshan had been waiting for this moment. He immediately spoke, "Senior brother, what do you think of the strength of these bronze corpses?"
"Bronze corpses?" Daoist Miao Xian frowned at the twenty-four bronze corpses.
"Yes, bronze corpses. Would they pose a challenge for you, senior brother?" Zhongshan asked.
"Ridiculous. They're just bronze corpses. Although they have bronze skin and bones, they are nothing in my eyes. I'm more concerned about the cultivation level of that man in black robes. Did you see him make a move?" Daoist Miao Xian said solemnly.
"As for the cultivation level of the man in black robes, I did not see it. However, I noticed a few things that I'll share with you for analysis, senior brother," Zhongshan smiled.
"Oh?" Daoist Miao Xian exclaimed in surprise.
"This person is definitely engrossed in some kind of cultivation or activity and cannot be easily distracted. Several hours ago, when I left his vicinity, he didn't even budge. So, I believe he is currently at his weakest or most vulnerable state," Zhongshan explained.
"Hmm," Daoist Miao Xian nodded in agreement.
"Furthermore, there were twenty-five before, now only twenty-four bronze corpse guards. This indicates that he can only subdue ones of this strength. So, his cultivation level..." Zhongshan intentionally left it unsaid.
"He's at most slightly stronger than the bronze corpses," Daoist Miao Xian immediately remarked.
"Senior brother is indeed wise. There's a high probability his cultivation level is lower than yours, and he's currently immobilized. Senior brother, what about that eerie heart? Shall we take it?" Zhongshan's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Observing Zhongshan, Daoist Miao Xian's throat subtly moved, then he glanced at the black-robed figure in the distance with closed eyes, narrowing his eyes. Still, he couldn't make a decision. Though Daoist Miao Xian wasn't at the peak of the Golden Elixir Stage, he possessed the Red Luan Heavenly Scripture. He believed his strength ranked first among those below the Yuanying Stage. However, facing the unknown, even after Zhongshan's analysis, Daoist Miao Xian remained cautious.
Watching from the side, Zhongshan furrowed his brows slightly. He hadn't expected Daoist Miao Xian to be so cunning, not even falling for this. Well, if that's the case, it's time for a stronger approach.
"Senior brother, although my strength is limited, I am willing to scout ahead for you," Zhongshan suddenly spoke up.
"You?" Daoist Miao Xian looked at Zhongshan with surprise.
Daoist Miao Xian could guess Zhongshan's strength. He was merely in the Pre-Natal Stage, far from reaching the Post-Natal Stage. Did he really intend to go? Was he seeking death? Zhongshan's words indeed puzzled Daoist Miao Xian.
Seeing Daoist Miao Xian's confusion, Zhongshan knew his tactic had worked. With a step forward, he headed towards the inner area.
After taking just a few steps, the man in the distance holding the heart suddenly opened his eyes, a hint of killing intent flashing in them.
At such a distance, Zhongshan noticed the eerie green glow in the man's eyes. What sinister thing was he doing?
Regardless of what he was doing, Zhongshan had to charge forward at this moment.
A hint of ferocity appeared in the eyes of the man in black robes. He seemed to be silently chanting something. In the blink of an eye, five bronze corpses rushed towards where Zhongshan was. However, the black-robed man no longer focused on Zhongshan but gazed further away—at Daoist Miao Xian.
As he looked at Daoist Miao Xian, a trace of annoyance flashed in the black-robed man's eyes.
Zhongshan charged forward, and Daoist Miao Xian, who had initially thought Zhongshan was simply seeking death, couldn't bear to watch him perish. In an instant, the five bronze corpses were in front of Zhongshan, their ten arms pointing towards him as if they could impale him at any moment.
"Hoo, hoo~~~~~"
Suddenly, over a hundred sword energies appeared out of thin air in front of Zhongshan, directly aimed at the five bronze corpses.
"Clang, clang, clang...."
A series of impacts caused the movements of the bronze corpses to pause momentarily. Zombies were most proud of their sturdy bodies, followed by their corpse poison. Under the attack of over a hundred sword energies, the bronze corpses hesitated for just a moment before continuing to charge at Zhongshan. However, that momentary pause was enough. In the blink of an eye, Daoist Miao Xian approached.
Zhongshan swiftly dodged to the side.
As Daoist Miao Xian approached, the five bronze corpses charged directly at him. With a gentle wave of his pink sword, over a hundred sword energies suddenly burst forth from it, transforming the pink sword into one ten zhang long.
Ten zhang long? Zhongshan widened his eyes as he watched from the side. No, the sword hadn't lengthened; it was an energy form in the shape of a long sword. Sword Qi!
Zhongshan knew that when he used a sword or a knife, his True Qi attached to it, producing a malevolent aura known as Sword Qi. Although it was stronger than that of a Post-Natal cultivator, the True Qi of a Post-Natal cultivator couldn't be released externally, forming Sword Qi. When True Qi formed into True Essence, the malevolent aura would erupt and leave the sword, which was what people commonly referred to as Sword Qi. A True Essence cultivator could release a Sword Qi from a distance, a skill only achievable by True Essence cultivators.
In the Golden Elixir Stage, one could form Sword Qi, which although attached to the sword, seemed to take on a solid form, like a pure energy attack, incredibly powerful. A ten zhang long Sword Qi; powerful cultivators could even extend it to a hundred zhang.