Chapter 104: The Elixir’s Hope Dims

"Retreat!"

The cultivators at the eighth level of the Nascent Soul stage, seeing their companions' disadvantage becoming increasingly apparent, could only shout the order to withdraw.

The situation was now very clear: the disciples of the Corpse Refining Sect who had employed the secret corpse-refining technique were overwhelmingly powerful to an almost absurd degree. As long as Chen Shangyi could hold back the leader among the eighth-level Nascent Soul cultivators, the remaining disciples of the Corpse Refining Sect had more than enough strength to slay the rest.

Upon hearing the leader's order to retreat, those who had long wanted to withdraw did so without hesitation, instantly disappearing into the distance.

"Don't run! Let's fight another eight hundred rounds!" Zhang Cunzong roared, clearly unwilling to let these people off so easily.

They dared to impersonate disciples of the Corpse Refining Sect and even forced them to use the secret corpse-refining technique—this was absolutely unforgivable!

"Do not pursue a cornered enemy!" Chen Shangyi said at that moment, as the bone sword in his hand vanished.

Zhang Cunzong and the others could only stop in midair, filled with resentment.

"Shangyi!"

"Senior Brother Chen!"

"Senior Brother Shangyi!"

...

The attacking cultivators had already fled far away. Chen Shangyi sheathed the bone sword, a faint smile appearing on his face before he suddenly lay down in midair, unable to hold on any longer, and began to fall toward the ground.

Zhang Cunzong was quick to react and immediately caught Chen Shangyi, who was barely clinging to life, and returned to the Cloud Vessel.

"Shangyi! Shangyi!" Wang Changsheng rushed to Chen Shangyi's side, seeing him lying in Zhang Cunzong's arms and let out a roar of grief.

At this moment, Chen Shangyi was exhaling more than inhaling. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked at Wang Changsheng and said weakly, "Steward Wang, you must... bring these senior brothers... back with you!"

"Yes, yes, Shangyi!" Wang Changsheng nodded, watching as Chen Shangyi closed his eyes again. Unable to hold back any longer, he burst into loud sobs.

"Ah!"

Wang Changsheng roared, his eyes bloodshot.

With his Nascent Soul cultivation at the third level, Chen Shangyi had employed the secret corpse-refining technique and managed to hold his own against an eighth-level Nascent Soul cultivator for so long—it was truly formidable. Being struck in the lower abdomen had already left him at his limits.

If not for a strong will supporting him, Chen Shangyi would have passed out long ago.

After enduring such a fierce battle, bleeding from both his shoulder and lower abdomen, seeing the attackers retreat, he finally lost consciousness.

At the same time, the bone sword Zhang Cunzong had set aside slowly dissipated. Holding Chen Shangyi, Zhang Cunzong himself collapsed straight down, unable to hold on any longer.

"Cunzong!"

"Zhang Cunzong, wake up!" Wang Changsheng panicked as he saw Zhang Cunzong suddenly fall. He caught him and discovered Zhang Cunzong was also barely alive, blood continuously seeping from the wound in his lower abdomen.

"Li Song, how are you?"

"Li Song, hold on! You'll be fine!"

"Li Song! Li Song..."

Suddenly, the voices of several Corpse Refining Sect disciples rang out again. Wang Changsheng saw Li Song, who had been standing guard against the Li family cultivators nearby, also collapse.

Li Song fell with his eyes still open, staring vigilantly at the people from the Upper Yang Li family.

---

"How could this be? How could this happen?"

"Roar!"

Wang Changsheng looked at the three fallen comrades and roared in frustration. He had thought they had won the battle—why had it ended like this?

"Shangyi... Shangyi..."

Wang Changsheng cried, looking at the barely alive Chen Shangyi. "It's my fault, all my fault... I brought disaster upon everyone..."

Surrounded by the approaching disciples of the Corpse Refining Sect, Wang Changsheng felt utterly helpless.

If he had not insisted on first searching for his second uncle in the Southern Domain, they would never have come here and met such a fate.

If they had listened to Chen Shangyi and first gone to the Cloud Palace Peak, none of this would have happened.

...

"Shangyi!"

"When we went out for training this time, what was the cultivation level of the other senior brothers? Tell me, so I can prepare myself!"

"Steward Wang, I was at the third level of Nascent Soul!"

"Besides me, among the other ten senior brothers, three were at the second level, and seven were at the first level of Nascent Soul!"

"Impressive."

"Steward Wang, don't worry. Though the Corpse Refining Sect has been sealed for many years, their disciples generally have high cultivation!"

"Even with limited cultivation resources, with careful saving, it’s enough to train!"

"What about the strength of the Corpse Refining Sect disciples?"

"They are also quite formidable. Among peers, they have few rivals. With corpse refining, even when challenging beyond their level, it's not a big problem!"

"Rest assured, Steward Wang, Corpse Refining Sect cultivators can at least fight two opponents of the same level!"

...

Wang Changsheng still remembered the conversation with Chen Shangyi when they left the Corpse Refining Sect. Chen Shangyi's honesty and confidence deeply moved him. The truth was, Chen Shangyi had not lied—the disciples of the Corpse Refining Sect were indeed powerful, with few peers who could challenge them.

Especially Chen Shangyi, who, after unleashing the secret corpse-refining technique, was able to evenly match an eighth-level Nascent Soul cultivator.

Since leaving the Corpse Refining Sect, Chen Shangyi had kept his word and protected Wang Changsheng and the other senior brothers.

This time, he fought bloodily and stubbornly, even when nearly exhausted, he kept holding off the eighth-level opponent without the slightest slack.

"Shangyi!"

Wang Changsheng said resolutely, "Rest assured, I will safely bring the senior brothers back!"

"Cough... cough..."

Just as Wang Changsheng was overcome with grief, a sudden coughing interrupted him.

His expression instantly brightened, for the sound came from Chen Shangyi himself.

"Cough, cough..."

The coughing continued, and Wang Changsheng saw blood spewing from Chen Shangyi's mouth.

"Steward Wang, I'm not dead yet... why are you crying?" Chen Shangyi slowly opened his eyes and looked weakly at Wang Changsheng. "I was just taking a nap. What's wrong with you?"

"Shangyi... you're not dead?" Wang Changsheng asked, filled with joy.

"Cough, cough..." Chen Shangyi coughed twice more, then forced a smile. "If you don't bring my coffin soon, I really will die!"

"Quick, quick! Where's Shangyi's coffin?"

Wang Changsheng shouted immediately.

Right after speaking, he felt that the words sounded somewhat off.

Another Corpse Refining Sect disciple with lighter injuries quickly flew onto the Cloud Vessel and returned with Chen Shangyi’s coffin.

"Put me inside!" Chen Shangyi weakly commanded.

After placing Chen Shangyi into the coffin, Wang Changsheng watched as it slowly closed on its own.

"What about Cunzong's coffin?" Wang Changsheng asked urgently.

Looking over, he saw Zhang Cunzong had long been carried into a coffin by other disciples, and the lid was already shut.

As for Li Song’s magical artifact coffin, it had been shattered. They had to place Li Song inside another disciple’s coffin.

"Zhang Yi, what happened here?"

Wang Changsheng asked immediately.

"Steward Wang, Zhang Cunzong and Li Song are in slightly better condition. They only used the secret technique; this is the consequence of that!" Zhang Yi replied promptly. "That's why we put both Zhang Cunzong and Li Song inside their coffins just now!"

The coffins of the Corpse Refining Sect were far more than mere magical artifacts.

From the beginning of their cultivation, disciples would choose a coffin for ritual refinement. As their cultivation improved, the coffin’s ritual power grew stronger, even becoming a weapon.

In truth, these artifact coffins were originally not meant as weapons but as places for disciples to recuperate.

Due to their unique life traits, Corpse Refining Sect disciples differed from ordinary cultivators. No matter how severe their injuries, as long as they rested inside their artifact coffin, they could slowly recover.

In other words, as long as there was a breath of life remaining, recovery was possible.

Of course, the time required varied according to cultivation and injury severity. The higher the cultivation and the more serious the wounds, the longer the recuperation.

"This time, Zhang Cunzong and Li Song's corpses were refined and suffered heavy injuries," Zhang Yi said gravely. "It will take at least three to five years for them to recover!"

"Moreover, even after recovery, their strength will be somewhat impaired due to the corpse refinement..."

This was why Corpse Refining Sect cultivators rarely used the secret technique lightly.

If the secret technique only required three to five years of recovery, it might be acceptable. For cultivators, time was not scarce.

Wang Changsheng, however, was an exception. What he lacked most now was time; his body and skills were aging, and death loomed ever closer. Training and refining his cultivation still required time.

Corpse Refining Sect disciples, due to their altered life traits, could live longer than cultivators of the same level and thus cared less about this recovery time.

The crucial point was that the destruction of the corpse was nothing less than a catastrophic disaster for Corpse Refining Sect disciples.

From the moment they began practicing the sect’s techniques, the corpse had been inseparable from the cultivator’s progress and was the key to breaking through to the Golden Core stage.

Once the corpse was destroyed, it became nearly impossible for a disciple to reach Golden Core cultivation. Without spending time to refine a new corpse, breakthrough to Golden Core was simply unattainable!

Golden Core was now out of reach!

The corpses of Chen Shangyi and the others had accompanied them throughout their cultivation.

This corpse had been refined for hundreds of years.

To refine such a powerful corpse again would take at least hundreds of years!

"What about Shangyi? How is he now?" Wang Changsheng asked anxiously.