Chu Xuan's interest was piqued at the mention of a name. "Boss Zhao, who is that?"
Tang Hu, momentarily stunned, quickly responded, "Boss Zhao is the leader of the Spirit Hounds Gang, the largest organization in East Lake City. His name is Zhao Hong."
Chu Xuan nodded. "Tell me everything you know about the area."
With no room to refuse, Tang Hu recounted all the information he knew. Chu Xuan nodded slightly in approval.
Tang Hu, trying to smile, pleaded, "Big brother, considering I've been so cooperative and for my brother-in-law's sake, could you let me go?"
Chu Xuan chuckled, "What I mean is, your physique is excellent, perfect for my corpse refining material."
Tang Hu froze. Corpse refining?
Before he could react, the Blood Steel Wire in Chu Xuan's palm shot out, swiftly binding his limbs. Tang Hu struggled desperately, but the blood-red worm was as hard as steel and impossible to break free from.
"Big brother, what... what are you doing?!" he cried out in horror.
He was using a secret technique known as the "Vajra Corpse Refining Method" from the Corpse Puppet Sect. Unfortunately, the sect hadn't been very formidable and was eliminated early on by an alliance of righteous sects. Most of their heritage fell into the hands of these righteous sects, while a portion was absorbed by the Infinite Sect.
Regardless of the method, the basic product of any corpse refining process was known as a Corpse Soldier. Higher levels included Corpse General, Corpse Commanders, and Corpse King, each corresponding to increasing cultivation stages, mirroring the levels of cultivators, with each tier divided into nine grades.
The Vajra Corpse Refining Method focused on tempering the physical body. Zombie soldiers refined this way were impervious to blades and possessed immense strength, capable of contending with cultivators at the Qi Refining stage.
Previously, Chu Xuan had found it challenging to perform corpse refining due to the lengthy time required and the potential for disruptions. Since he couldn't stay in one place for long, he had been forced to abandon the idea of refining corpses.
Chu Xuan retrieved a large barrel from his storage bag and poured various concoctions into it. He then tossed Tang Hu, who was tightly bound, into the barrel, submerging him completely, including his head.
Tang Hu's voice gradually quieted. Following this, Chu Xuan solemnly slit his palm, squeezing out two drops of his essence blood, and let them fall into the barrel.
His complexion was noticeably paler. Essence blood was not like ordinary blood. Even though his cultivation of the Blood Spirit Technique accelerated the condensation of essence blood, it was not something that could be replenished overnight.
"Now, we just need to wait," Chu Xuan murmured. "According to the 'Vajra Corpse Refining Method,' results should be visible within three days at most."
Chu Xuan reclined on a nearby lounge chair, voraciously devouring cans of tuna he had found while hunting zombies. The cans were still within their expiration date.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
"Damn, modern industrial food is delicious," he exclaimed. "What have I been eating at the Infinite Sect? It was so bland I could cry." He sighed deeply, grateful to finally taste something befitting a human after so many years.
Three days later, Chu Xuan stood before the large barrel with a look of anticipation. He observed the figure inside—now pitch black and rigid all over, its physique noticeably bulkier than before. Bone armor had sprouted densely at the chest, joints, and back, providing formidable defense.
Chu Xuan tested it with a thrown dagger, which left only a superficial mark. Joy surged in his heart, knowing he had succeeded. The corpse puppet before him had attained the rank of corpse soldier, equivalent to a Qi Refining stage cultivator.
"I wonder about the quality of this corpse puppet," Chu Xuan pondered. The quality of corpse puppets was classified into four grades: superior, high, middle, and low. The better the concoction used in the refining process, the higher the quality of the resulting corpse puppet. A superior quality corpse puppet could master four spells upon creation, a high quality three, a middle quality two, and a low quality only one.
Back when Chu Xuan was still with the Infinite Sect, he had heard of a Golden Core elder who, during his Qi Refining stage, had fortuitously refined a superior quality corpse puppet that knew four spells from birth. It was with this corpse puppet's aid that the elder gradually ascended the path of cultivation and eventually reached the Golden Core stage.
Chu Xuan retrieved a small, dark tower known as the Corpse Nurturing Tower. This magic tool was specifically designed for capturing and cultivating corpses. Each Corpse Nurturing Tower came equipped with a spell to assess the quality and level of a corpse.
Chu Xuan's tower, acquired at a low price from a disheartened middle-aged disciple, was merely a low-grade magic tool. It possessed no offensive or defensive capabilities, serving solely to nurture corpses. He had always carried it with him, prepared for any eventuality. Now was the time to use it.
At the thought, Chu Xuan absorbed the newly formed corpse soldier into the Corpse Nurturing Tower. Inside, the abundant Yin Qi invigorated the corpse, which eagerly absorbed it in deep gulps.
Chu Xuan infused a thread of Spiritual Qi to activate the appraisal technique. A beam of black light illuminated the corpse, and a flicker of golden light emerged from its crown.
Chu Xuan was surprised, "A middle-grade second-level corpse soldier? Not bad at all!"
For his first attempt at corpse refining, using rather ordinary concoctions, he had managed to create a middle-grade corpse—a stroke of luck indeed.
He continued using the appraisal technique and quickly learned the two spells the corpse puppet possessed: Bloodthirst Technique and Golden Light Spell.
The Bloodthirst Technique allowed it to enter a berserk state, significantly boosting its combat capabilities but only for a quarter of an hour. Afterward, it would fall into a state of weakness for ten hours. The Golden Light Spell, as its name suggested, coated the user in a protective golden light, enhancing its defenses.
Together, these spells made the zombie a perfect tank. Though it was only a second-level corpse soldier, equivalent to a Qi Refining second stage cultivator, the combined effects of its spells could likely allow it to contend with a fourth-stage Qi Refining cultivator for a short time. Whether used as a decoy to attract enemy fire or as a protective measure in dangerous situations, it was exceedingly useful.
Chu Xuan felt a rush of satisfaction. This apocalyptic planet truly was a splendid place. In just three days, he had already acquired a corpse soldier as his trump card, effectively doubling his strength compared to three days ago.
"Pity the materials for refining corpse puppets are rare, otherwise I would definitely refine another one," Chu Xuan mused, smacking his lips. With a casual wave of his hand, the obedient corpse soldier approached and awaited his commands.
This was the benefit of the two drops of essence blood he had added to the concoction. As long as the corpse puppet was well-fed, it would faithfully follow his commands without turning against him.
"A second-level corpse soldier should have no trouble sweeping through this mall," Chu Xuan declared. "It's all yours."
With a dismissive wave, he reclined comfortably back on the lounge chair. The corpse soldier growled and dashed out. Almost immediately, the mall echoed with terrifying roars and the sound of flesh being torn apart, followed by the clanging of objects being smashed.
Chu Xuan, unfazed, continued enjoying his canned food while leisurely flipping through ancient texts. After all, isn't the essence of being a demonic cultivator to live freely and at ease?