“Trying to escape?”
Lin Zhao raised an eyebrow. With a thought, a bright flying sword shot out from the Yun Jian Lake, trailing a bright moon as it descended from the sky. It transformed into a dense rain of sword Qi, pattering against Tan Xin and the group of Zhong Wu Jing coffin bearers. Although the damage was negligible, the display was formidable, quite befitting a Sword Immortal.
“Impressive…”
Shu Zhi chuckled softly. My lord’s flying sword divine abilities are so powerful, it’s truly a sight to behold!
“You damn it!”
After blocking a strike from the flying sword moon with an arm, Tan Xin’s face was filled with venom. She leaped up, sat on the shoulder of the flying zombie, and said in a low voice, “Quick, go!”
This flying zombie was still at Eleven Realm, its body exuding a bloody radiance, about to take to the wind!
Lin Zhao stepped forward, and a second flying sword flew out from the Yun Jian Lake, transforming into a small, self-contained world. Instantly, Tan Xin and the flying zombie collided with the “sky ceiling” of this small world, wincing in pain. The next moment, Lin Zhao encompassed Shu Zhi, Mu Zha, and Chen Ben within the small world, stating sternly, “This woman is ruthless. She must die too!”
Tan Xin gritted her teeth in anger, simultaneously casting spells to fight back, and snarled with venom, “Lin Zhao, how am I any more ruthless than you!”
“My apologies.”
Lin Zhao frowned, searching for an opportunity.
Tan Xin, however, steeled her heart, looking at her Star River Realm fur zombie, and gritted out, “Old friend, whether we can leave the Snow Region Heavenly Pool alive depends on you!”
The fur zombie trembled, its ferocious face looking at Lin Zhao and the others. It leaped forward, and a bloody red heart in its chest vibrated intensely, an unimaginable power spreading outwards.
“Not good!”
Shu Zhi gritted her teeth, “This Ten Realm zombie is going to self-destruct! Its power is not inferior to that of a Gui Zhen Realm cultivator’s self-destruction. We might be injured or die, my lord, what do we do?!”
“It’s alright, I’ll block it!”
Lin Zhao raised his eyebrows and said, “You all go out first!”
With that, he waved his hand, sending Shu Zhi, Mu Zha, and Chen Ben out of the small world. Only Lin Zhao faced the self-destruction of the fur zombie. As for Tan Xin, she took the flying zombie and leaped into her own coffin. Once the lid was closed, she paid no further attention. This fur zombie had been nurtured for many years, absorbing countless human flesh and blood. Its energy was immense. Once it self-destructed, it could blow away half a mountainside. Perhaps Lin Zhao, Shu Zhi, and Mu Zha would all die, but she, Tan Xin, would not. The coffin behind her had been refined for many years and shared the same origin as the fur zombie’s aura. At most, the magical artifact would be damaged, but it would certainly not be unable to withstand it.
However, just as the fur zombie detonated.
Lin Zhao smiled slightly, his body coated in a light golden shield, making him invincible.
“Boom—”
The small world of the flying sword Hao Ran trembled violently. Lin Zhao’s 40,000+ health points instantly bottomed out, leaving only 1 point. But under the invincible effect, he still did not die. It was only after the fur zombie self-destructed that he waved his hand and dispersed the small world. Instantly, Shu Zhi, Mu Zha, Chen Ben, and Chu Yu joined forces to attack the coffin where Tan Xin was located.
“Protect the Sect Master!”
An old ghost cultivator at the Nascent Soul Realm roared, shaking his grey robe. As he sent Tan Xin’s coffin away, he unleashed a sky full of ghost shadows towards Shu Zhi and the others. The remaining Zhong Wu Jing coffin bearers all left their zombies to continue fighting, but they themselves, carrying their coffins, pursued Tan Xin’s coffin. All of them left the Snow Region Heavenly Pool.
“Chi!”
After Shu Zhi’s sword severed the head of the old Nascent Soul ghost cultivator, she frowned, “She still got away. Should we chase her to Jiu Zhang Yuan?”
“Do not pursue a cornered enemy. Forget it.”
Lin Zhao smiled faintly, “Killing the Eleven Realm Song Miao has already heavily damaged the Coffin Bearer lineage. Tidy up and go back to sleep!”
“Alright!”
Shu Zhi and Chu Yu both revealed beautiful smiles. Although this battle was short, its intensity was extremely high. The combat power of the Coffin Bearers far exceeded everyone’s imagination, especially the Eleven Realm Song Miao, who was no less formidable than Shu Zhi, the strongest Eleven Realm in the human world. If it were a one-on-one fight, Shu Zhi herself would not be confident. Perhaps her ten demon soul swords could suppress Song Miao, but to kill him would be extremely difficult. She might even lose her own life in exchange. And then there was Tan Xin. Although she was at the Star River Realm, she was extremely cunning and powerful. If it were a Ten Realm one-on-one fight, Chu Yu would definitely not be Tan Xin’s match. Chen Ben might fight to a draw, but it wouldn't be a guaranteed win.
…
Under the moonlight, Shu Zhi retrieved Song Miao’s storage bag. After breaking the seal, she shook it, and a cascade of Jin Zi Qian fell out. They were not just ordinary rich; an astonishing 2400+ Jin Zi Qian dropped out. Lin Zhao’s eyes widened as he collected them one by one, looking quite pleased with himself, and said with a smile, “We’re rich, we’re rich… How could an Eleven Realm cultivator be so wealthy?”
Shu Zhi smiled, “Firstly, the Coffin Bearer lineage are all rogue cultivators. Although they have a nominal sect, this sect does not provide stipends. They rely entirely on their own efforts to earn money in the wilderness. Moreover, the cultivation of Coffin Bearers requires very little consumption. As long as they keep killing, they only need to nourish the zombies with blood Qi and the ghosts with death Qi. Their own consumption of spirit money is very low. Secondly, people like Song Miao are incredibly greedy. He would definitely have plundered a large amount of the Coffin Bearer clan’s Jin Zi Qian and kept it all in his own money bag. He just didn’t expect to meet his end in the Snow Region Heavenly Pool.”
“Serves him right.”
Lin Zhao looked at the light golden coffin beside Song Miao’s corpse and asked, “This is also a magical artifact, isn’t it? What should we do with it?”
“Sell it?”
Shu Zhi said, “This coffin magical artifact can only be sold to ghost cultivators because it is used to nurture death Qi. In the shops on the mountain in Bai Di City, the price of this coffin should not be less than 200 Jin Zi Qian.”
“After selling it, other ghost cultivators will still use this coffin to kill people and nurture death Qi.” Lin Zhao frowned, “I don’t kill people, but others die because of me. This doesn’t seem right, does it? Let’s just destroy it directly?”
“Good.”
Shu Zhi revealed a beautiful smile. This was the Lin Zhao she knew. Although he was greedy, the line in his heart had never wavered.
Taking out Cheng Xin, she unleashed more than ten consecutive aerial slashes. The coffin turned to dust. Although this coffin was a treasure worth 200 Jin Zi Qian, Cheng Xin was undoubtedly more valuable. This Cheng Xin was of Immortal Sword grade and was specifically given to Shu Zhi by Xiao Jiu’er. Its value should be more than 2000 Jin Zi Qian, something that money couldn’t buy.
…
After Lin Zhao and the others left.
In the forest behind the mountain, the disheveled man sitting on a tree branch stretched. In fact, he had wanted to draw his sword several times. Song Miao, the Eleven Realm Coffin Bearer, was a difficult opponent for Shu Zhi and Mu Zha, but killing him was not difficult for Tang Guangjun. An Eleven Realm Coffin Bearer was no match for a Twelve Realm Sword Cultivator; it would probably take only two or three swords. It was not difficult at all.
But he held back, not wanting to interfere with the mountain lord’s plan.
Moreover, as he understood the sect leader’s intentions, as long as Lin Zhao was not in mortal danger, he didn’t need to act. Otherwise, always helping might harm Lin Zhao’s great Dao.
He yawned. It was time to go back to sleep.
But when he thought of the ramshackle, draughty little hut he had built, there was no point going back. He would sleep here. It was the same wherever he slept. Thus, he rested his arms on his chest and truly fell asleep in the tree.
…
Jiu Zhang Yuan.
Beneath a towering mountain cliff, torches were lit in clusters. The Coffin Bearer maiden Tan Xin stood on a flat blue rock, and before her were hundreds of Coffin Bearers, most of them Zhong Wu Jing.
“Everyone knows.”
Tan Xin’s delicate brows were slightly furrowed. “Lin Zhao is cunning and resourceful. He set a trap, faking Chen Ben’s death to lure the Coffin Bearer lineage into it, which led to the death of my master, Song Miao. Before my master died, he passed the position of Sect Master to me. From now on, I will lead the Coffin Bearer lineage to greater heights and avenge our shame, never allowing everyone to be bullied by human cultivators again!”
“Tan Xin.”
An old Nascent Soul cultivator leaned on a cane, squinting and smiling, “Is that true? I heard from those who returned that the Old Sect Master was killed without saying a word. He didn’t really pass the position of Sect Master to you, did he?”
“What, Elder Xu has an objection?”
Tan Xin smiled, suddenly erected the coffin behind her and placed it down. She then slammed open the lid, and a flying zombie exuding a bloody aura leaped out, a golden talisman stuck to its forehead.
Instantly, all the Coffin Bearers were shocked. This zombie was the lifeblood refined by the Old Sect Master Song Miao for many years, the only flying zombie in the Coffin Bearer lineage. Now it was in her hands?
“Master treated me as his own child and passed this flying zombie to me before he died.”
Tan Xin smiled faintly, “I will speed up the process of refining this flying zombie as my own. By then, our Coffin Bearers will still have an Eleven Realm corpse-refining embryo, so we won’t be completely fallen.”
As she spoke, her gaze turned cold, “If anyone here feels I am unworthy of being the Sect Master, step forward. If you can defeat this flying zombie, I will immediately abdicate, how about it?”
For a moment, everyone’s brows were furrowed. Challenging an Eleven Realm flying zombie was akin to seeking death!
“We pay our respects to the Sect Master!”
The Coffin Bearers knelt on one knee, and even the elders with seniority in the clan had no choice but to kneel and submit to this young new Sect Master.
Tan Xin narrowed her beautiful eyes, her smile growing more pronounced. Her master’s death, it seemed, was not necessarily a bad thing!
…
At the Mountain Summit Villa, Lin Zhao had just sat down in his study when a chime sounded in his ear. The delayed plot compensation rewards had finally arrived. He knew it; since leading 1,000 Snow Region cavalry down the mountain, and then ambushing the Eleven Realm ghost cultivator Song Miao in the back mountain, such a major event would surely come with some rewards.
“Ding!”
System prompt: Congratulations on completing the [Intercept Coffin Bearers] plot! You have received plot compensation rewards: Level +2, Charm +3, Gold Coins +15000, Reputation +8000, and an additional reward: [Fire Qilin Breastplate] (Earth Grade)!
…
With a wave of his hand, the attributes of this orange-shimmering armor floated before his eyes, not disappointing him in the slightest—
[Fire Qilin Breastplate] (Earth Grade)
Type: Armor
Defense: 1250
Strength: +129
Stamina: +125
Agility: +122
Effect: Damage Reduction +8%
Effect: Dodge +10%
Effect: Damage Absorption +10%
Effect: Increased Damage, Cause +30% Damage
Effect: Fire Qilin Strength, Increases user’s base attack power by 1000 points
Effect: Toughness, Increases user’s HP cap by 8000 points
Effect: Fire Qilin Resilience, Recovers 2% HP per second and reduces fire attribute damage by 40%
Additional: Increases user’s attack power by 32%
Additional: Increases user’s defense by 31%
Required Strength: 1500
Required Level: 110
…