Chapter 20

Zhu Ganglie was startled, seeing Masan looking at him with a puzzled expression. He realized that in his moment of triumph, the power of the White Bone Yin Tower had been released, exposing his identity.

Without further concealment, he chuckled and said, "It's indeed this junior. I didn't expect to meet you here again!"

"You're quite slippery, using a concealment technique that even fooled me. If it weren't for the old man recognizing this white tower, I might have thought it was one of the other Daoists."

Masan laughed heartily, his generous nature making Zhu Ganglie relax a bit. He smiled and stepped forward, saying, "I apologize for the inconvenience, Senior. My strength is weak, so I had to use some methods to conceal myself. I wonder why Senior is lingering here?"

"I don't want to linger here either, but the Ying River has already caused a commotion. The sects of the slain cultivators have sent people to collect the remains and search for lost magical artifacts. They are also hunting down the scattered cultivators who picked up these artifacts, leading to many conflicts. If I were discovered with the corpses of those sect disciples, even ten lives wouldn't be enough to save me."

Masan laughed heartily, but there was a hint of worry in his voice. Hearing this, Zhu Ganglie was also startled. He was glad he had hidden in the deep mountains and used the White Bone Yin Tower to refine those corpses, or he would have been in big trouble.

"Senior is right. I will cultivate here for a few days and wait for the situation to calm down before crossing the river."

Zhu Ganglie smiled, lightly pinching the White Bone Yin Tower, which shrunk to the size of a pill in his hand, also as a precaution against Masan.

"The old man has a lot of corpse qi here. If you don't mind, that would be best. I also need to cross the river and return to the Manjiang region, so we can travel together."

Masan laughed and continued to activate the Corpse Refinement Array, drawing in the yin qi of heaven and earth to refine the eight corpses.

Zhu Ganglie walked to the side, shook the White Bone Tower, and Dou Tai's figure flew out, starting to clean the dilapidated temple and tidy up the surroundings. Zhu Ganglie continued to absorb the essence of heaven and earth, strengthening his divine soul, preparing to condense the ninth spirit bead.

When Zhu Ganglie stopped cultivating, he saw Masan still refining the corpses. He took some dry rations and fresh water from the Yangyang Ruler, replenished his energy, and prepared to cultivate again.

At this moment, the eight large coffins that Masan was refining cracked, and eight stiff corpses jumped out, being collected by a gray bag at his waist.

"Finally, I have refined these eight sect disciples into corpses. Their bodies are full of spiritual energy and have excellent physical qualities, with the potential to be refined into Golden Corpses. I am hopeful to refine eight Golden Corpses."

Masan laughed heartily, his eyes filled with joy. Zhu Ganglie understood why Masan was so happy. Once he refined eight Golden Corpses, Masan would have the qualifications to establish a sect.

Actually, just refining Silver Corpses would give Masan a foothold in the Manjiang region and the ability to establish a sect, becoming a master in the area. The True Gang Sect was only founded with half of the Gourd Sword Technique and became a major sect for hundreds of years.

"Hehe, do you want to refine a corpse too? We can exchange insights and perhaps truly refine a Golden Corpse. This method can also quickly enhance your combat power."

Masan looked at Zhu Ganglie and smiled, hoping he would refine a corpse so he could learn the Corpse Refinement Technique of the Hundred Demons Mountain.

"Senior is joking. Refining this White Bone Tower has already cost me a lot of effort. I fear I am incapable."

Zhu Ganglie chuckled. He was now fully focused on refining the Yangyang Ruler and was too lazy to refine the White Bone Tower or the Tianxing Sword Pill, let alone a corpse.

"Boy, what's your name?"

Masan laughed, putting away all his corpses, and asked Zhu Ganglie.

Zhu Ganglie's eyes twinkled, and he chuckled, "My name is Zuofang! Senior, it's been two days. The Ying River should be safe now. I calculated the days, and the ferry will depart tomorrow. Let's set off now."

"Alright, I also need to return to the village to cultivate and refine a Golden Corpse as soon as possible."

Masan thought for a moment, nodded, put on a gray robe, and walked out, taking the iron corpse with him. Zhu Ganglie followed, heading to the ferry.

The next day, the two boarded a large boat and set sail for the opposite shore.

On the boat, Zhu Ganglie admired Masan. Although he cultivated the Corpse Refinement Technique, he was well-versed and broadened Zhu Ganglie's understanding of the cultivation world.

"Senior Masan, the Ying River is indeed vast, but I can't swim, or I would have wanted to establish a water palace here."

Looking at the endless river, Zhu Ganglie felt a great sense of freedom and a heroic spirit.

"You have a narrow view. The Ying River, though large, is just a small river in the Eastern Shengzhou. If you go to the Eastern Land, you will see two great rivers that span the entire Eastern Land. You will be amazed."

Masan laughed heartily.

Zhu Ganglie was interested and asked, "Has Senior been to the Eastern Land?"

"No, the distance from the Qingqiu Kingdom to the Eastern Land is millions of miles, with many demons and dangers along the way. I don't have the strength to go there. However, I once obtained a fragment of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, which gave me some knowledge of the Eastern Land."

Masan seemed proud, speaking with satisfaction.

Suddenly, the entire boat shook violently, and the people on board were thrown around. Moments later, everyone screamed in terror, staring in shock at a huge black dragon, its head as large as a house and its body over ten zhang long, stirring up huge waves.

However, the black dragon seemed to be fleeing from something. After causing the huge waves, it flew into the vast mountains on the opposite side.

"What a huge dragon!"

Zhu Ganglie's face tightened, his eyes cold. This was the first time he had seen a dragon, and he was both terrified and curious.

Masan stroked his beard, deep in thought, "When did the Ying River get this dragon? The black dragon is stirring up the river, as if fleeing from something. But its blood qi is very strong."

After the giant dragon disappeared, the river calmed down. The boatman, terrified, used all his strength to quickly reach the opposite shore, hoping to avoid any more incidents. The people on the boat were silent, praying not to encounter such a monster again.

"Boy, are you willing to help me slay this black dragon? Its flesh is abundant, perfect for nourishing my corpses, and its soul can refine your White Bone Yin Tower!"

Masan thought for a moment, chuckled, and looked at Zhu Ganglie, trying to persuade him.

"Senior, the black dragon is powerful. I don't have the fortune to obtain its flesh!"

Zhu Ganglie laughed. Seeing the black dragon's power, he was cautious and wary of Masan, fearing he might be used as a pawn.

"The black dragon, though powerful, is only at the level of manifesting its form. It relies on its physical strength and blood qi. I saw it fleeing in panic, so it must be injured. Moreover, it is covered in blood qi, having killed many living beings. Our journey can serve to eliminate a menace for the people. You are looking for a yin sha object to refine a talisman, and the black dragon is a yin-cold creature, with excellent scales."

"Since Senior is so confident, let's give it a try!"

Zhu Ganglie chuckled, not taking Masan's words seriously. Having been in the cultivation world for a few years, he understood a lot. Cultivators have no clear distinction between good and evil. For immortality, they can commit murder and arson. Even in major sects, there are those who kill and burn to cultivate and temper their minds, or even extract souls to refine techniques. The only difference is the cultivation methods.

However, many cultivators rarely think of killing, and even fewer argue. But once they do, it's a matter of life and death.

So, when Masan talked about eliminating a menace for the people, Zhu Ganglie took it as a joke. The only thing that interested him was the black dragon's scales, which could help him refine the Summoning God Talisman, making the White Bone Yin Tower fully effective.

The two agreed, and once they crossed the river, they headed straight for the vast mountains.