Chapter 9 - 7: Ancient Cultivator Corpse, Purple Mist Displays Its Might

Chapter 9: Chapter 7: Ancient Cultivator Corpse, Purple Mist Displays Its Might

Knowing full well that unknown dangers lurked behind the stone door, the newly resurrected Lu Chen naturally gathered his wits, remaining on high alert for any sudden attacks.

Sure enough, the moment he stepped through the door, a chilling wind swept down from above. Already prepared, Lu Chen reacted instantly, swinging his sword upward.

CLANG!

The vibrating Magic Sword clashed with the descending claws, striking blinding sparks. Relying on the astonishing power of the Water Dragon Roar, Lu Chen forced the ambusher back in a single exchange. The creature hastily retreated, not daring to advance recklessly.

Now that they had created some distance, Lu Chen finally got a clear look at his attacker. Sparse hair, a withered and rotting body, and crimson eyes—without a doubt, the creature clinging to the wall was a mutated Magic Corpse.

[Qi Cultivation Stage Magic Corpse]

[Cultivation: Qi Cultivation Fifth Level]

[Features: Bloodthirsty Frenzy, Fear of Sunlight]

Looking at the Magic Corpse in the distance, Lu Chen appeared calm on the surface, but he was incredibly tense inside. Even though he had lived two lives, and even though he could infinitely resurrect and had no fear of death, he couldn’t help but feel a sliver of dread when facing such a hideous monster. After all, knowing about something was one thing; experiencing it firsthand was completely different.

He had played many games across his two lives, but horror games were his sole exception. It wasn’t that he was bad at them; he was just absolutely terrified of them. After all, what kind of sane person played horror games? Right now, Lu Chen felt exactly as if he were trapped inside one.

Before Lu Chen could think any further, the Magic Corpse, after a brief hesitation, launched another attack. It suddenly accelerated, turning into a blur of black shadow as it lunged at him. It was so fast that Lu Chen could barely keep track of it. In desperation, he had no choice but to cast the Purple Mist Divine Light Protective technique to defend himself.

This resulted in an entirely unexpected effect!

"ROAR!!!"

The moment the Purple Mist Divine Light appeared, the Magic Corpse, which had been hurtling toward him, reacted as if it had met its natural predator. It contorted its body mid-air, frantically dodging in the opposite direction. It then landed on the Earth Palace tunnel wall over a dozen meters away, glaring at Lu Chen with sheer terror.

Seeing this, Lu Chen suddenly recalled the information on the Magic Corpse’s status panel.

[Bloodthirsty Frenzy, Fear of Sunlight]

As a Protective Divine Light formed by absorbing the first rays of the nascent Purple Mist, the Purple Mist Divine Light Lu Chen was currently displaying was, in a sense, practically identical to real sunlight. And sunlight was exactly what Low Tier Magic Corpses feared most! At the very least, the Magic Corpse before him hadn’t reached a level where it could ignore it.

It was time to kick it while it was down. Not wasting the opportunity, Lu Chen immediately turned from passive to active, charging fiercely at the creature.

However, the Magic Corpse’s next action completely defied his expectations. Seeing Lu Chen charging right at it, the beast actually spun around and fled without looking back. In the blink of an eye, it vanished into the gloomy tunnel.

Staring at the empty space, Lu Chen’s expression turned somewhat ugly.

"Wait, this beast actually has this kind of intelligence?" he thought. "It knows things are going south, so it’s executing a tactical retreat???"

Looking down the deep, dark tunnel before him, Lu Chen was momentarily unsure whether he should continue the pursuit. He had a strong premonition that the Magic Corpse was merely wary of his Purple Mist Divine Light, which was why it didn’t dare engage him rashly. But the moment he dispelled it to give chase, the monster would definitely pop out to ambush him again—just like the first time it had killed him.

"There’s such a thing as being a thief for a thousand days, but no such thing as guarding against a thief for a thousand days," he thought.

He was completely unfamiliar with the Earth Palace’s environment, and his Cultivation hadn’t yet reached the Foundation Establishment Stage to unlock his Divine Sense. Trying to pursue a Magic Corpse that was constantly stalking him in this dim, labyrinthine maze would undoubtedly hand the initiative right back to the enemy. A reckless pursuit was not the best option.

With that in mind, Lu Chen made a bold decision: lure the snake out of its hole!

He dispersed his Purple Mist Divine Light and stood calmly in the exact center of the tunnel. He looked exactly as though he had given up resisting.

The very moment the light vanished, faint rustling echoed from deep within the pitch-black tunnel. Lu Chen didn’t even need to think to know that the Magic Corpse had returned.

Although a Magic Corpse might awaken some memories from its past life, that didn’t mean it remained exactly as it was when alive. They were more like beasts with a certain level of intelligence rather than humans with a concept of self. In addition, a Magic Corpse’s craving for the flesh and blood of the living was an instinct carved deep into its bones. Because of this, they would never easily let prey go. This was exactly what gave Lu Chen the confidence to use himself as bait. That beast would absolutely not leave until it had killed him.

However, Lu Chen had underestimated the Magic Corpse’s patience.

A full five minutes had passed since he deactivated the light. During this time, the Magic Corpse actually managed to keep its composure, holding back from striking. This made Lu Chen feel that things were getting a bit tricky.

"Dragging this out does me no good," he thought. "I need to find a way to lure this guy out."

Magic Corpses were a unique existence. Aside from their fear of sunlight, Low Tier Magic Corpses harbored an overwhelmingly intense bloodthirsty desire. Once they smelled blood, these monsters would swarm like hyenas, fighting until one side was dead.

With a plan in mind, Lu Chen raised his Magic Sword and decisively slashed a shallow cut across the palm of his left hand.

DRIP... DRIP...

Crimson blood welled up from the wound and dripped onto the floor. Slowly, the thick, metallic scent of blood began to permeate the decaying tunnel. Soon after, heavy, ragged breathing echoed through the previously silent passageway. Lu Chen looked in the direction of the sound and quickly spotted a pair of glowing crimson eyes.

In the next second, three piercing shrieks tore through the air. Reacting in an instant, Lu Chen raised his sword, blocking the three sudden Magic Ice Cones in quick succession. The reason a Magic Corpse was called a Magic Corpse was precisely because it could cast Magic.

At the exact moment Lu Chen deflected the Ice Cones, the Magic Corpse—its inner bloodlust now thoroughly triggered—charged right up to him at an astonishing speed.

Lu Chen, his concentration peaked, suddenly broke into a smile. When the prey finally stepped into the trap, how could he, as the Hunter... not be delighted!

Purple Mist Divine Light!

"ROAR!!!"

The dazzling purple radiance illuminated the dark tunnel once more. Driven by its fear of sunlight, the rapidly charging Magic Corpse suddenly clamped its hands over its eyes and let out a miserable shriek. Its body instinctively tried to twist away to escape the accursed light.

But since Lu Chen had deliberately lured it in, there was no way he would let it escape so easily. Seizing the momentary pause, Lu Chen blurred into an afterimage as he dashed forward. Mid-dash, he cast the Great Success Level Sharpness Technique on his Magic Sword, coating the blade in an invisible layer of Sword Qi. This was immediately followed by a familiar, crisp, and vibrating sword hum!

Sword Technique: Water Dragon Roar!

Lu Chen arrived right in front of the Magic Corpse, and a cold light flashed. The vibrating Sword Qi slashed into the Magic Corpse’s neck, effortlessly beheading it with a single strike.

With that, the Magic Corpse finally lost all signs of life and collapsed stiffly to the ground.

With a hint of curiosity, Lu Chen picked up the motes of light scattered around the remains.

[You have killed a Qi Cultivation Stage Magic Corpse. Obtained 70 Experience Points, Soul Crystal Fragment (White) x1]

"A Soul Crystal Fragment? What is this?" he wondered.

Staring at the strange white fragment resting in his palm, Lu Chen’s heart brimmed with curiosity...