CHAPTER 500: CHAPTER 485: SENIOR, DON’T BE LIKE THIS!

"Actually, as long as you agree to genuinely help me in my cultivation, I wouldn’t risk using the [Nine Nether Soul-Stealing Technique] on you. After all, your current cultivation is still low, and even if you could use the [Qianyang True Flame] to assist me, the effect wouldn’t be significant."

"Only when you have formed a Golden Core and achieved a minor achievement with the [Qianyang True Flame] can you truly help me refine my magical power."

"And once you have formed a Golden Core, with your divine soul transforming into a primordial spirit and merging with the core, even if I attempted the [Nine Nether Soul-Stealing Technique] on you, the success rate would be less than one percent. Why would I take such a risk?"

In the cave, seeing that threatening Zhouyang had no effect, the Celestial Killer Corpse King retracted his overwhelming demonic aura and began to reason with him.

But how could Zhouyang be easily persuaded by such words?

With a resolute expression, he shook his head firmly and said decisively, "No need for more words, Senior. If you cannot swear an oath, I absolutely will not dare to engage in such a thing as seeking the skin of a tiger!"

"Are you doing this to force me to kill you after it’s all over?"

The Celestial Killer Corpse King’s eyes flashed with a fierce light, and a chilling murderous intent arose from him, instantly making the hair on Zhouyang’s arms stand on end.

"Hehehe, since knowing I’d fallen into Senior’s hands, I’ve never thought I could survive. With a treasure body like mine, Senior surely wouldn’t let me live!"

Zhouyang chuckled, showing a look of indifference to life and death, clearly unconcerned with such threats from the Celestial Killer Corpse King.

Upon hearing this, the Celestial Killer Corpse King burst into a furious laugh, "Ha, ha, ha, since you said it, after I’ve achieved my goal, I will definitely tear you apart and devour you piece by piece!"

After laughing, he immediately swore an oath before Zhouyang, using his Dao Heart to vow not to use the "Nine Nether Soul-Stealing Technique" on Zhouyang, who cooperates in his cultivation.

The Dao Heart Oath is more binding on those with higher cultivation, especially beings like the Celestial Killer Corpse King, who have extraordinary potential and a promising future, making it impossible to risk breaking the oath for a small Purple Mansion Stage Cultivator like Zhouyang.

Only after the oath was made did Zhouyang dare to truly trust him and began to assist him in cultivation by unleashing the "Qianyang True Flame."

The "Qianyang True Flame," extremely firm and yang, is renowned in the Cultivation Realm as the "Demon Refining Fire."

But Zhouyang’s cultivation is too low while the Celestial Killer Corpse King’s cultivation is too high. The "Qianyang True Flame" he displayed not only couldn’t kill the Celestial Killer Corpse King but instead helped him refine the impurities in his corpse evil qi, aiding in refining magical power and improving cultivation.

Zhouyang didn’t know precisely how high the Celestial Killer Corpse King’s cultivation was, but from the situation where he helped refine magical power, the King’s realm was certainly not as simple as merely early-stage Nascent Soul.

According to what he knew, "Master Heisha" was only mid-stage Nascent Soul before his death.

Calculating this, the Celestial Killer Corpse King’s cultivation should not exceed mid-stage Nascent Soul.

But after less than two years, Zhouyang realized he was gravely mistaken!

Once, nearly two years after helping the Celestial Killer Corpse King refine magical power, the King suddenly said after a session, "Your cultivation is still too low; now this [Qianyang True Flame] is of little help to me. Why not let me release you first, so you can return to your master and have him help you form a Golden Core?"

Upon hearing this, Zhouyang felt a sudden shock, not the slightest hint of relief at possibly escaping, but instead, fearfully looked at the Celestial Killer Corpse King and exclaimed, "Senior, how do you know about these?"

Before the words were fully out, he realized it must have been that the Celestial Killer Corpse King performed soul searches on people like Liu Boyong, extracting this information from them.

Thinking it over, it made sense. The King had been sealed in that coffin for who knows how many years and might have inherited Master Heisha’s lifetime of memories. When encountering a few Golden Core Stage Cultivators, he would surely perform soul searches to understand the outside Cultivation Realm.

Regarding Zhouyang, a cultivator of great use to him, he would certainly want to learn something through his companions.

Understanding this, Zhouyang, full of doubts and uncertainty, looked at the Celestial Killer Corpse King and asked, "It’s not that I doubt you, Senior, but are you truly so kind-hearted? Aren’t you afraid I might tell my master about you once I’m back? Aren’t you afraid I might never return?"

"So of course, I wouldn’t let you go back alone. Instead, I want to follow you back. Your master has a treasure I find quite interesting!"

The Celestial Killer Corpse King’s face, like that of a monkey, flashed with a sinister grin, and the implications in his words chilled Zhouyang to the bone.

He previously thought the Celestial Killer Corpse King was at most mid-stage Nascent Soul, but seeing how the King dared to plot against Guo Jinhong, a sixth-layer Nascent Soul Cultivator, it’s clear the King’s true cultivation might indeed be at late-stage Nascent Soul!

Upon realizing he had been living alongside a demonic old anomaly with late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation for two years, Zhouyang felt a cold shiver from head to toe, his heart turning icy cold.

He said he didn’t care about life and death, but in reality, how could he not care.

In the past two years, while assisting the Celestial Killer Corpse King in cultivation, he was also contemplating an escape plan.

Originally, he had a brilliant escape plan in mind, but now, upon learning that the Celestial Killer Corpse King’s true cultivation might be as high as the Late-Stage Nascent Soul, he wasn’t sure if his escape plan would be effective!

On the other hand, after finding out that the Celestial Killer Corpse King was targeting Guo Jinhong, he couldn’t help but feel a hint of excitement.

The Celestial Killer Corpse King was undoubtedly his mortal enemy, but Guo Jinhong was no good either. If these two fought, no matter who was injured or killed, he would be delighted.

So after a brief moment of shock, his mind turned, and he suddenly said, "Senior, if you plan to target my master, you might be making a mistake. My master’s cultivation is as high as the sixth layer of Nascent Soul, and he is the first cultivator of the Haoyang Sect, possessing the sect’s inherited treasure. His strength ranks in the top five within the Anti-Light Alliance, and there is more than one Nascent Soul Stage cultivator in the Haoyang Sect!"

Hearing this, those unaware of the inside story thought he had deep feelings for his master-disciple relationship with Guo Jinhong and couldn’t bear to see the Celestial Killer Corpse King harm Guo Jinhong, trying to change the Celestial Killer Corpse King’s mind.

However, in reality, when the Celestial Killer Corpse King heard his words, he gave a sinister smile and said, "What you said makes sense, so if I want to succeed, you’ll need to help cover for me!"

Zhouyang’s face changed immediately, and he said with a pale face, "If I don’t want to help, will Senior kill me?"

The Celestial Killer Corpse King snickered and said, "How could I bear to kill you? If you don’t want to help me, then I’ll have to find your Dao companion first. Speaking of which, since I developed spiritual sense, I’ve yet to taste the pleasure of a woman, hehehe..."

Zhouyang’s face truly changed this time; he never expected that someone with the cultivation realm of the Celestial Killer Corpse King would use hostage-taking to threaten him.

Seeing his change in expression, the Celestial Killer Corpse King smiled triumphantly and said, "Well? On one side is your nominal master, and on the other is your wife from your family; which one to choose, I don’t need to teach you, right?"

Zhouyang said with an angry voice, "Trouble should not involve family. If Senior threatens my Dao companion, I will never let it go, even if it means striking a stone with an egg!"

After saying this, he closed his eyes and said helplessly, "I ask Senior, for the sake of my diligent service over the past two years, to spare my Dao companion. I am willing to help you enter the Haoyang Sect!"

"Hehehe, if you had been so sensible earlier, I wouldn’t have had to bother with so many words. Lead the way!"

Immediately, the Celestial Killer Corpse King waved his sleeve and summoned the "Netherworld Iron Wood" coffin that held his form back then, then directly lay into it and closed the lid.

This coffin was equivalent to an exotic treasure; as long as the Celestial Killer Corpse King was inside, even a same-tier Nascent Soul Stage cultivator couldn’t detect any of his aura.

Which meant that as long as Zhouyang didn’t present the coffin in front of Guo Jinhong, Guo Jinhong had no way of knowing that he was carrying such a terrifying existence.

Moreover, the Celestial Killer Corpse King, lying in the coffin, could be included in a spatial treasure by Zhouyang and carried with him.

That spatial treasure was a small pendant, with a space of only a few dozen feet inside. After storing the coffin, there was very little space left.

This spatial treasure was naturally provided by the Celestial Killer Corpse King to Zhouyang, as he inherited "Master Heisha’s" relics and was not lacking in various treasures.

While hiding inside, the Celestial Killer Corpse King could monitor Zhouyang at any time, preventing him from fleeing, and his presence would remain hidden from others.

Over a month later, Zhouyang again set foot on Jinyang Country’s land.

By this time, more than two years had passed since he had gone to the "Black Death Secret Realm," and since all the cultivators in the cave hall were silenced by the Celestial Killer Corpse King, news of his disappearance had long reached Guo Jinhong.

Guo Jinhong, by some means, determined that Zhouyang was only missing and not dead. Therefore, he didn’t spread the news to outsiders but secretly sent people to search for Zhouyang in the Golden Lion Country.

Once Zhouyang appeared in Jinyang Country, the news quickly reached the intelligence personnel of the Haoyang Sect, who then passed it on to him.

Thus, before Zhouyang could decide whether to go to Cyan Origin Mountain to see Han Xiao and collect the "Jade Liquid Golden Pill" or to Haoyang Mountain to meet Guo Jinhong, the "Profound Light Ring" on his hand shone a brilliant silver.

"Could this be destiny?"

Looking at the "Profound Light Ring" on his finger, which was now shining brightly, Zhouyang’s eyes flashed with a strange light, and his mind was made up.

Immediately, with a thought, the "Illusory Cloud Ship" flew toward Haoyang Mountain.