Chapter 202: All Nine Keys Gathered

Chapter 202: Chapter 202: All Nine Keys Gathered

The numerous Yin Corpses on Yin Mist Mountain immediately looked over at Corpse Nineteen, including the Yin Corpse Mountain Master.

"You’re from Yinfeng Valley?"

The Yin Corpse Mountain Master’s gaze flickered before he roared in fury, "Even if your Yinfeng Valley is a notch stronger than my Yin Mist Mountain, wanting to annihilate my Yin Mist Mountain is nothing but a pipe dream!"

Just then, a calm voice sounded out.

"No. I’ve already destroyed Yinfeng Valley. Annihilating your Yin Mist Mountain shouldn’t be too difficult."

As his voice faded, Yi Xiaoyao’s figure emerged from behind Corpse Nineteen.

The crowd of Yin Corpses looked toward the voice, and their eyes lit up when they saw Yi Xiaoyao, only to immediately erupt in raucous laughter.

’A mere human at the Golden Core Sixth Realm dares to claim he’ll annihilate Yin Mist Mountain?’

To them, this was utterly ridiculous!

Only Corpse Nineteen didn’t find this the least bit funny. He had personally witnessed how Yi Xiaoyao annihilated Yinfeng Valley, so there was no question he could do the same to Yin Mist Mountain, which was a notch weaker.

Yi Xiaoyao knew his opponent wouldn’t hand over the Ancient Tomb Key. After all, the Yin Corpse Mountain Master would be obliterated the moment he lost it.

So, he attacked without another word.

Before the Yin Corpse Mountain Master could even speak, a massive, unparalleled palm of flame blasted toward him, followed closely by beams of cold, piercing sword light.

"Courting death!"

The Yin Corpse Mountain Master’s gaze turned frigid. Without moving from his spot, he raised a hand and unleashed a surge of Yin Qi, which coalesced into a giant black palm to meet Yi Xiaoyao’s palm of flame.

The two giant palms collided with terrifying force, sending the surrounding Yin Corpses flying back from the shockwave.

But in the next instant, the palm of flame crushed the black palm with contemptuous ease, scattering it back into dense Yin Qi as it barreled past.

’Hm? This Golden Core Realm brat...’

A look of astonishment crossed the Yin Corpse Mountain Master’s face.

He was, after all, an expert at the Nascent Soul Third Realm. And while he hadn’t used his full strength in that palm strike, not even another Nascent Soul Realm cultivator could have necessarily blocked it.

Yet this Golden Core Realm cultivator before him hadn’t just blocked it; he had shattered the giant palm completely.

The Yin Corpse Mountain Master immediately unleashed another surge of roiling Yin Qi, intending to completely disintegrate the palm of flame before it reached him.

"Hmph. You’ve got a few moves, but with just that—"

Before the Mountain Master could finish his contemptuous snort, Yi Xiaoyao burst through the raging flames and Yin Qi, wreathed in a torrent of Sword Auras, and appeared directly in front of him.

"These ’few moves’ of mine are more than enough to slay you!"

As Yi Xiaoyao’s frigid voice rang out, countless crimson Sword Auras instantly riddled the surrounding Yin Qi with holes. An instant later, they descended upon the Yin Corpse Mountain Master like a torrential storm.

"What!"

The Yin Corpse Mountain Master’s face fell in terror. He could clearly feel the aura of death that had completely enveloped him.

No longer daring to underestimate Yi Xiaoyao in the slightest, he drew a battle saber from his back and began to hack with wide, powerful strokes, unleashing waves of Yin Qi to defend himself.

However, by the time the Yin Corpse Mountain Master realized his opponent’s true strength, it was already too late.

SHK SHK SHK SHK!

Beneath the storm of Sword Auras, the Nascent Soul Realm Yin Corpse’s body was riddled with so many holes he resembled a hornet’s nest.

Yi Xiaoyao gave a cold smirk. The Yin Corpse Mountain Master hadn’t taken him seriously from the very beginning. Even after seeing him attack, he had merely blocked casually, not using his full power at all.

Yi Xiaoyao, on the other hand, had gone all out from the very beginning.

The "few moves" the Yin Corpse Mountain Master had spoken of were actually Yi Xiaoyao’s two strongest killing techniques: the Heaven-Shattering Demon Flame Palm and the sixth stance of the Nine Swords of Slaughter. These were two powerful Spiritual Skills that surpassed the Earth Tier. Even if the Yin Corpse Mountain Master had faced them with his full strength, he might not have survived, let alone when he was so arrogantly underestimating his foe.

And so, a Nascent Soul Third Realm Yin Corpse was instantly killed in a single exchange!

But in the next moment, the Yin Soul that shot out from the corpse actually tried to self-destruct.

Yi Xiaoyao’s expression changed. He had no desire to withstand the force of a self-detonation at such close range. Left with no other choice, he used the Soul-Devouring Forbidden Technique to devour it.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he snatched the Ancient Tomb Key as it flew out.

’The third Ancient Tomb Key is mine.’

Yi Xiaoyao smiled with satisfaction.

"Corpse Nineteen, let’s go."

Yi Xiaoyao turned and left, and Corpse Nineteen hurried to follow.

They left behind only the mutilated corpse of the Yin Corpse Mountain Master and the crowd of dumbfounded low-level Yin Corpses.

"The M-Mountain Master... was killed!"

"Someone at just the Golden Core Sixth Layer killed our Mountain Master, who was at the Nascent Soul Third Realm!"

"It seems what he said before about destroying Yinfeng Valley... was probably true..."

Yi Xiaoyao had no interest in slaughtering these ordinary Yin Corpses. His targets were only the Nascent Soul Realm Yin Corpses who possessed the Ancient Tomb Keys.

And so, Yi Xiaoyao moved on to his next target.

「Several hours later.」

Yi Xiaoyao emerged from a mountain stronghold built by a Yin Corpse faction, now holding two more Ancient Tomb Keys.

「Another few hours passed.」

Yi Xiaoyao departed from a cave, two more Ancient Tomb Keys in his possession.

Finally, after slaying two Nascent Soul Realm Yin Corpses who were sparring on a stone dais, Yi Xiaoyao had gathered all nine keys.

"Corpse Nineteen, do you know the location of the tomb?"

Yi Xiaoyao asked Corpse Nineteen.

"My Lord, I know where you wish to go," Corpse Nineteen replied.

"Lead the way."

Yi Xiaoyao nodded and jumped down from the stone dais.

Around the stone dais, the other Yin Corpses were still stunned by the sight of Yi Xiaoyao slaying their two leaders. None of them dared to make a sound, simply watching as the two figures departed without a backward glance.

Half a day later, Corpse Nineteen led Yi Xiaoyao to an incredibly quiet place known as the Desolate Ridge.

"My Lord, the one place we Yin Souls can never enter is in there. I believe it is the place you’re looking for," Corpse Nineteen said.

Yi Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow. "You can’t go in?"

"It’s not just me. Even our Valley Master couldn’t enter," Corpse Nineteen replied.

Yi Xiaoyao nodded, clearly believing him. It made sense; otherwise, there was no reason for the Yin Corpses who possessed the Ancient Tomb Keys not to enter the Ancient Tomb.

"Alright. You wait for me here."

With that, Yi Xiaoyao stepped into the Desolate Ridge.

The next instant, he felt a scorching hot aura envelop him, a stark contrast to the frigid gloom outside.

Before Yi Xiaoyao could take a second step, an excruciating pain shot through his right arm, as if it were about to explode.

His entire right arm had turned pitch-black. This was the yin poison that had accumulated from devouring all those Nascent Soul Realm Yin Souls.

Now, triggered by the extreme surrounding heat, this yin poison was finally about to erupt!

"Hah!"

Yi Xiaoyao’s face twisted in agony. A massive amount of domineering, wild Dark Spiritual Power erupted from his body to suppress the yin poison in his arm. The blackness was rapidly forced back, compressed until it was all concentrated in his right hand.

Then, with a look of fierce determination, Yi Xiaoyao let out a low growl.

"Heaven and Earth Fire Essence, refine it for me!"

In an instant, a terrifying flame ignited on his right hand. Aided by the searing aura of his surroundings, his pitch-black palm began to rapidly return to its normal color.

Under the combined force of Yi Xiaoyao’s domineering Spiritual Power and the terrifying flame, the yin poison from his entire arm was forcibly suppressed and refined, ultimately condensing onto the tip of his right index finger.

Looking at his now pitch-black index finger, Yi Xiaoyao’s expression turned peculiar.

’This was, after all, the condensed essence of an enormous amount of powerful yin poison. If I were to unleash it all at once, it would be enough to kill a Nascent Soul Realm expert!’

Just like that, Yi Xiaoyao had gained another powerful new technique. It was truly a blessing in disguise.

After a satisfied smile, he continued onward. The greatest fortune of the Ancient Tomb awaited him.

...

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(PS: Update Schedule: One Chapter each at 6 PM, 8 PM, and 10 PM every night, for a total of three Chapters.I don’t know how many times I have to say this, but some people still don’t seem to get it.Let me answer a few FAQs:Why the two-hour gap between Chapters? Because it takes me about two hours to write a Chapter.Why is the update time sometimes early or late? Because my writing speed varies.Why no updates during the day? Because I have a day job.)