C16 He Asked for the will of the Dead but It Was Not Granted

The climate in the valley often took people by surprise. The sky quickly darkened as it filled with ominous clouds, and before long, a heavy downpour began. The raindrops were so intense that they stung the skin upon impact. Big Rain and Little Rain took Yue Yang by the hand, seeking shelter from the storm.

Yue Yang insisted that the two young women return home while he, undeterred by the deluge, made his way step by step toward Yang Anan's gravesite.

As the rain continued to fall in torrents, Yue Yang knelt solemnly before Yang Anan's grave.

"Disciple, have you come to a decision?" the Skull Monster inquired, not having left the site. He was taken aback by Yue Yang's prompt arrival, attributing it to Chu Yunrou's effective persuasion and silently commended her for it.

"Master, do you possess the art of Spiritual Communication?" Yue Yang asked.

Spiritual Communication was a technique that allowed practitioners to perceive and converse with the spirits of all things in the world. Common forms included Beast Spirit Communication, Ghost Spirit Communication, and Demon Spirit Communication. Yue Yang was specifically inquiring about Ghost Spirit Communication.

"You wish to bring her back to life? Resurrection is a feat difficult even for Nascent Infant cultivators, and beyond my capabilities," the Skull Monster responded, shaking his head. This was beyond his reach. Moreover, even if he had the power, life and death were governed by the Heavenly Dao. To reverse death was to defy the natural order, a cost too great even for a Golden Core cultivator to bear.

He would not undertake such a task for a mere cauldron.

"Master, I only wish to see her spirit. If she has any lingering desires, I want to help fulfill them. Only by refining her into a corpse will my heart find some peace," Yue Yang explained, his eyes glistening with moisture, no doubt exacerbated by the relentless rain.

"Disciple, you are a born cultivator. You understand the virtue of repaying kindness far better than I," Old Monster Skull sighed, recognizing Yue Yang's resolve. He could intervene, but he did not wish to become a villain in his own disciple's eyes.

Understanding Yue Yang's wishes, Old Monster Skull immediately began to recite an incantation without hesitation.

For in this world, after living beings pass away, their souls drift about, invisible to the mortal eye. Without a physical vessel, these souls quickly dissipate, and those of ordinary people vanish completely within three days.

"Soul Gathering Technique, manifest!"

As the Old Monster Skull executed his Daoist magic, a sorrowful figure began to take shape amidst the rain, in front of a grave. Yet, with each drop of rain that fell, the figure risked dissipating once again.

"My dear disciple, I can only maintain her form for the duration of half an incense stick. You must act quickly."

Old Monster Skull spoke, struggling to sustain the Soul Gathering without the proper Daoist tool. For him, even half an incense stick was a challenge, and for someone at the Foundation Building stage, the soul they had painstakingly gathered would likely scatter in an instant.

"Can you hear me speaking, Yang Anan?"

Le Yang urgently addressed the woman's soul through the veil of rain.

"Yang Anan, are you speaking to me? Are you my new master?"

The woman's soul pondered, while Le Yang supplemented her recollections.

"So, I have already passed away. Thank you, Master. I've always longed for a name. Anan is so beautiful. Is Yang your surname, Master?"

The woman's soul twirled in the rain, marveling at the newfound lightness of her spectral form.

"Disciple, ask for her final wish quickly. We mustn't lose track of time."

Old Monster Skull was far from relaxed, exerting his cultivation to keep the Soul Gathering Technique active. He considered it might have been easier to simply refine the corpse, regardless of Le Yang's resentment. After all, as a Golden Core elder, did he really need to justify his actions? His disciple would eventually appreciate his intentions.

"Master, your efforts are appreciated. As long as she's content, that's what matters."

Le Yang remarked, feeling a sense of relief as he watched Yang Anan's soul revel in joy.

"The tomb of my sister, Yang Anan?"

Yang Anan's face fell as she caught sight of her own name on the tombstone, and she collapsed to the ground, weeping.

"Why the tears all of a sudden?"

Le Yang inquired, learning that Yang Anan had been orphaned from a young age and was selected by Murong Xuan to be taught the intimate arts, all to prepare her for her future path in cultivation.

"You are my sister, today, tomorrow, and forevermore."

Le Yang consoled Yang Anan.

"Disciple, I can't sustain this much longer. You have only twenty breaths left."

The Skull Elder had reached a point of desperation. If things continued this way, his cultivation would be completely drained by the Soul Gathering Technique.

"Miss, I intend to transform your body into a green-haired zombie for my disciple to use. If you consent, please share any final wishes you have. We will do everything in our power to fulfill them," he declared, beating Liu Yang to the punch, who was too late to intervene.

"Is he telling the truth?" Yang Anan inquired, her spectral form becoming so faint that a mere gust of wind could scatter her.

Liu Yang shut his eyes in anguish, nodding slightly as he listened to a soft murmur.

"Anan is willing. Anan wishes to be with my brother for all eternity, not just this lifetime. If it's possible, Anan would rather be his Dao companion than just a mere furnace."

When Liu Yang opened his eyes again, Yang Anan's soul form was nowhere to be seen.

"Disciple, what did the ghost girl say? Is there anything I can assist with?" the Skull Elder asked, his concern more for whether Yang Anan's last wish would impact Liu Yang's path in the Dao than the near depletion of his own cultivation. He nonchalantly swallowed a Qi Returning Pill, seemingly unaffected by his drained state.

Liu Yang remained silent.

The torrential rain turned the ground around the coffin into a quagmire. Liu Yang dug through the mud, opened the coffin lid, and after cleaning his hands on his clothes, he gently lifted Yang Anan's body from its resting place.

"Master, is there a technique within our sect for dual cultivation with a corpse?" Liu Yang inquired.

"Eh?" The Skull Elder was perplexed, but Liu Yang had already walked far into the downpour.

"Little brother, you've finally returned," Chu Yunrou called out from beneath the shelter of the eaves, her eyes searching until she spotted Liu Yang. She quickly picked up a bamboo umbrella to shield him from the rain.

"What has happened?" she asked, startled to see Liu Yang cradling the body of the girl who had just been buried that morning. Despite her shock, Chu Yunrou's experience with the oddities of cultivators kept her from fleeing. Her grip on the umbrella handle whitened her knuckles.

"Sister, have Ping An prepare the items for a wedding celebration."

"What? You wish to take a corpse as your Dao partner? I cannot condone this!"

Chu Yunrou had initially believed that Yue Yang had experienced a moment of enlightenment, but to her dismay, she realized he was quite confused. Cultivators come in all shapes and sizes, yet she had never encountered one who took a corpse as a Dao companion.

"Little brother, you're destined to become a great Nascent Infant cultivator. How can you let a mere corpse obstruct your path?" she implored.

"I made a promise to her," Yue Yang replied, clutching Yang Anan's body. Regardless of Chu Yunrou's questions, he remained silent, as unresponsive as the pouring rain.

In her frustration, Chu Yunrou slammed a vine whip onto the table.

"Big Sister Chu, why are you crying?" Yue Yang finally snapped out of his daze, noticing Chu Yunrou's tear-swollen eyes.

"Have you forgotten your vengeance? You can't think of marriage or family until your revenge is fulfilled!"

With no other choice, Chu Yunrou resorted to stalling tactics. Despite having heard countless tales of eccentric cultivators, she had never come across one who married a corpse. She couldn't imagine spending her life following a cultivator scorned by the entire cultivation world, so she intervened.

Yue Yang hesitated, but Chu Yunrou swiftly took Yang Anan's body from his arms and laid it on a nearby table.

"Master, the wedding preparations are complete," announced Ping An, the butler, as he entered and bowed.

"Call it off," Chu Yunrou commanded.

Understanding that Chu Yunrou's words often carried the weight of the master's own, Ping An obeyed, and the household sprang into action once more.

"My good disciple, hand over the corpse to me. If it's left out too long, its quality will diminish even after refinement," boomed the voice of the Skull Elder as he stepped into the room.

Yue Yang was still torn, but the Skull Elder had already snatched the body from his grasp.

"What's meant to be yours will be yours. Are you afraid I'll steal it from you?" he heard his master chuckle. Then, the Skull Elder strode into the open space of Ming Lou and, with a flick of his wrist, hurled Yang Anan's body into the air.

Yue Yang stepped outside, his face taut with tension as he watched the suspended corpse.

"Disciple, pay close attention. I'll refine it for you this time. In the future, if you come across a worthy corpse, you'll know how to refine it yourself."

After swallowing a Qi Returning Pill, Old Monster Skull chanted an incantation and raised his hands, from which two dark green ghostly flames emerged.

"Go."

At Old Monster Skull's command, the ghostly flames darted towards the suspended female corpse.

The flames burned intensely, turning Yang Anan's body into a charred black husk. Strangely enough, her clothes remained untouched by the fire.

"This is just the initial stage of the ritual. Next, I'll integrate the natural treasures I've prepared with her. Fortunately, I have some Yin Expelling Wood, which I received from the head senior brother. I intended to craft a magical instrument from it, but using it on her first seems more appropriate."

As he spoke, Old Monster Skull produced a green wooden branch from his sleeve. The moment the branch appeared, the flames on Yang Anan's body subsided as if they feared the wood.

"Such a fine treasure."

Despite the green wooden branch suppressing the dark green flames, Old Monster Skull maintained control, causing a portion of the flames to burn the branch into a black powder that scattered over Yang Anan's body.

The Yin Expelling Wood powder reacted violently upon contact with Yang Anan's body, causing it to convulse. If not for Old Monster Skull's advanced cultivation and masterful control, all his efforts would have been in vain.

"Go."

Once Yang Anan's corpse settled, Old Monster Skull flicked an object towards it—the very blood he had previously extracted from Le Yang.

"It's done."

Moments later, Old Monster Skull ceased his technique and addressed Le Yang.

With his master's guidance, Le Yang started to get the hang of manipulating the green-haired corpse.

With a resounding clang, Yang Anan's fist collided with a nearby pillar, snapping the thick wooden column in two.

"How's that for power? Not too shabby, right? And this is just the beginning. The green-haired corpse's main strength lies in its boundless power and its resilience to damage. In seven days, it will grow green hair, which will grant it some resistance to magical attacks."

Old Monster Skull briefed Le Yang on the green-haired corpse's maintenance, including the need for a drop of blood every hundred days and the importance of avoiding areas with strong Yang energy.

"Will she always look like this?"

Le Yang inquired, eyeing Yang Anan—or more accurately, the newly concocted green-haired zombie—whose charred, coal-black appearance clashed bizarrely with her White Lotus attire.

"Didn't I mention she'll sprout green hair in seven days? There's no need to harbor any ill will; she's merely a magical weapon," the old skeleton explained.

"She's not a magical weapon; she's my sister," Le Yang insisted.

Attempting to telepathically persuade Anan to sit down, he was taken aback when she instead slammed into the ground, creating a half-foot deep crater, sending dust billowing.

"It's simply a matter of practice; you'll get the hang of it with more experience," the Old Monster Skull advised before departing.

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