Chapter 595: Chapter 278: Yin Yang Blood, Horizontal Bone_3

“Thank you, Daluo Tian, for your guidance.”

“The Tattoo Clan’s resolve is wavering and needs suppression. It’s inconvenient for us to appear, so you all head to the village. If anyone refuses to obey our orders, just kill them.”

After Daluo Tian finished speaking, he waved his hand to extinguish the Netherworld Stone and retreated into Peng Sheng’s corpse along with Wuxiang Prison, transforming into two tattoos.

…

Zhou Xuan, Lady Hong Guan, Peng Sheng, and Yun Ziliang had already reached a vast plain at the border between the mountain range and Mingjiang.

Having arrived, there was no need for Peng Sheng to explain; Zhou Xuan could already sense they were at the destination. This plain, three hundred years ago, bore the weight of Peng Town.

It was also at the banks of Mingjiang where Zhou Xuan encountered Peng Sheng.

“We’ve reached the Tattoo Forbidden Land,” Peng Sheng said.

Zhou Xuan nodded and replied, “I will first break the Forbidden Land barrier. Once it’s shattered, I will summon Mingjiang’s Traveling God to gather.”

After all, using Sister Cui’s power was essential. However, given that Sister Cui belonged to the Four-tailed Fox Clan and commanded laws of four realms, it wasn’t appropriate for her to appear in crowded places.

Zhou Xuan first connected with Zhou Lingyi. “Elder Sister, I’ve arrived at the Tattoo Forbidden Land.”

“I am sending Third Senior Brother over to you.”

“Third Senior Brother? Isn’t that Liu Jiaotian? Why send him over?”

Zhou Xuan asked.

Since Li Shuangyi’s death, Liu Jiaotian had assumed the mantle of the Zhou Family’s Troupe’s Third Senior Brother. She was renowned for her stellar singing in Ping Shui Prefecture, both in beauty and vocal talent. However, he’d never heard of her being a Lao Jiang.

Could it be… Zhou Xuan instantly realized: “Third Senior Brother isn’t truly dead?”

“Yes, I’m sending him to you now.”

…

Under the Zhou Family Ancestor Tree.

Yu Zhengyuan and Zheng Jiujang, the two senior brothers from the Zhou Family’s Troupe, were summoned to the willow tree nearby.

Under the willow tree, a figure wrapped in black cloth stood.

Zhou Lingyi addressed the two senior brothers, “After today, Liu Jiaotian and Third Senior Brother will leave the Zhou Family’s Troupe to head for Yellow Field Prefecture. I called you both here because you share a good bond with Third Senior Brother; this is your chance to see him one last time.

Also, don’t resent Liu Jiaotian. It’s not that she couldn’t endure hardship; her recent detachment from the troupe has its reasons.”

After finishing speaking,

Zhou Lingyi peeled away the black cloth covering Li Shuangyi.

Li Shuangyi wore his favorite cyan long robe from childhood, with a copper coin mask on his face. Through the mask’s cracks, two tusks protruded and his face bore short, black hair.

Years of acting in spirit plays had left Yu Zhengyuan and Zheng Jiujang knowing, even without practicing the Incense Fire Divine Dao, what had happened to Li Shuangyi.

When their gaze shifted to the scars shaped like worms on Liu Jiaotian’s arm, they immediately understood: Li Shuangyi, this zombie, had been raised using Liu Jiaotian’s blood.

Suddenly, they were filled with profound respect for Liu Jiaotian.

Liu Jiaotian was the star of the troupe, wealthy beyond measure. She could have led a carefree life, avoiding all hardship and filth.

But the love she bore for Li Shuangyi was undeniably genuine. Even though they were divided by life and death, even though it meant raising a zombie with her blood, she had never given up on him.

“Senior Sister Liu, we were too shallow in the past.”

Yu Zhengyuan and Zheng Jiujang solemnly bowed deeply to Liu Jiaotian and said, “When you head for Yellow Field Prefecture, we wish you safe journeys.”

Liu Jiaotian’s eyes brimmed with tears. She returned their bow and said, “First Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, I hope we meet again someday.”

After the three rose, Yu Zhengyuan and Zheng Jiujang bowed deeply again, this time to Li Shuangyi: “Third Brother, whether you are human or ghost, you are our brother. Keep safe in Yellow Field Prefecture.”

The copper coin mask on Li Shuangyi jingled as he tried to bow back but, due to his stiffened body, he could only manage small motions.

Yet, the heartfelt bond shared among these three brothers since childhood remained undeniably true.

“Third Senior Brother, after meeting the eldest and second brothers, you must visit the youngest brother.”

Zhou Lingyi painted a Witch Talisman from thin air and gently pushed it forward. The Ancestor Tree extended a chain that latched onto Li Shuangyi’s wrist; with a firm tug, his figure disappeared.

Standing under the Ancestor Tree was a tall man clad in white – Lord Jian.

Lord Jian had been summoned by Zhou Lingyi’s secret message today to help guard the Zhou Family Ancestor Tree.

Seeing that Li Shuangyi had already passed through the Tree Gate to Yellow Field Prefecture’s Yunluo Mountain, he asked Zhou Lingyi, “Lord Hua, aren’t you headed to the Tattoo Forbidden Land to resolve past ties? Why don’t you go?”

“The Tree Gate time is limited, and I don’t know how long today’s battle will last. If I delay a bit, we can conserve the gate’s time.”

Zhou Lingyi replied with a smile.

Lord Jian nodded, his Divine Bow and Arrows hovering around him in a defensive stance…

…

Before Yunluo Mountain Range, Zhou Xuan sensed someone behind him and pulled the figure forward—it was the zombified Li Shuangyi.

“Brother… Brother…”

Li Shuangyi’s mind was severely sluggish, but he recognized Zhou Xuan. Yet, when he tried to speak the second syllable of his greeting, it refused to be uttered.

“Third Senior Brother, it’s been a while… Today, I need to borrow your zombie powers to break this Forbidden Land. As brothers, there’s no need for formal thanks.”

Zhou Xuan’s nonchalant demeanor made Li Shuangyi laugh, though his rigid body rendered the laughter as a chilling “huh-huh-huh,” devoid of warmth and instead adding an eerie layer of terror.

After his laughter subsided, Li Shuangyi strained to open his mouth slightly and released a drop of Yin Yang Blood.

Zhou Xuan recalled Lv Mingkun’s teachings: “A zombie raised by humans is encapsulated in one drop of Yin Yang Blood, sealing a lifetime of love, hatred, obsession.”

When a person dies and their soul hasn’t yet departed, their most beloved smears blood on the deceased’s lips, transforming them into a zombie.

The blood, imbued with the living’s Yang energy while staining with the dead’s Yin energy, is known as Yin Yang Blood.

Yin Yang Blood not only nurtures a zombie but, should the zombie later become a vessel, that drop serves as its source power, akin to a human’s incense fire.

Li Shuangyi expelling his Yin Yang Blood was equivalent to offering his “zombie life” to Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan grasped the Yin Yang Blood, weighed it in his hand, and turned to Sister Cui, saying, “Four-tailed Fox, lend me your spirit monster powers.”

As his words fell,

The Four-tailed Fox stepped forth from the mountain winds, opening its mouth to reveal a fragment of jade-like bone.

“The horizontal bone of the Four-tailed Fox.”

Yun Ziliang, knowledgeable about Demon Clan matters, chimed in. “The Demon Clan’s throat contains a horizontal bone. Before it’s refined, they cannot speak. Only after refining it can a spirit monster utter words.”

Once refined, the horizontal bone becomes lustrous as jade, hidden within the creature’s body, akin to incense fire.

“To harness the power of spirit monsters and zombies, one must obtain Yin Yang Blood and the horizontal bone. These are no trivial tokens. To ask for them, you must have extraordinary bonds; others may dare not request, but they willingly give them to Xuanzi. That speaks volumes.”

Yun Ziliang grinned brilliantly, deeply impressed with Zhou Xuan, the newcomer to Dragon Seeking Hall…