Chương 1273: Chapter 64: Twin Corpses, Sneak Attack, and Treachery

Although the might of that high-grade Dan Treasure was far from negligible, Yang Dawei's own cultivation base was significantly inferior to that of the female corpse. He was instantly struck by a violent wave of reflexive force, causing a stifled grunt of agony to escape his throat as his complexion turned ashen and drained of vitality in a heartbeat. Witnessing this, Li Zhupu felt a jolt of alarm.

With a swift slap to her storage bag, she retrieved an object that crackled with dancing arcs of electricity, shaped remarkably like a common walnut. This was none other than a Thunderclap Walnut! On that fateful day, to ensure that Qing Huo could decisively execute Reyn, she had entrusted him with one such Thunderclap Walnut. She never anticipated that Qing Huo would be the one slain, nor that the artifact would fall into Reyn's hands.

Yet, no outsider could have fathomed that she possessed a second one in reserve! A Thunderclap Walnut was a marvel of nature; it originated from a thousand-year-old Walnut King tree that had endured ten strikes of heavenly lightning without perishing. The tree would then condense the ferocious power of the heavens into a single fruit. As a consumable magic treasure birthed by the world itself, its explosive potency was enough to make even a Golden Core Sovereign recoil in trepidation.

A flicker of venomous resolve flashed through Li Zhupu's eyes. She understood with absolute clarity that if they did not join forces to annihilate this Golden Core female corpse, none of the three would leave this tomb alive. Consequently, she produced her final life-saving trump card without a shred of hesitation. Crackle! Snap! Sizzle! Once infused with her spiritual essence, the Thunderclap Walnut erupted into a blinding display of lightning, accompanied by the distant, low rumble of celestial thunder.

This artifact contained the very essence of heavenly lightning—pure, masculine, and unyielding—possessing a destructive force that far eclipsed the Thunder-inscribed Jade Plate Yang Dawei had utilized earlier. The female corpse clearly sensed the terrifying primordial lightning within the walnut. A rare trace of dread finally surfaced within her jaundiced, murky eyes. A being of her nature feared the man-made lightning of cultivators to the extreme, let alone this fundamental thunder born of the heavens and earth.

At the very instant the Thunderclap Walnut was triggered, the female corpse let out a piercing, high-pitched shriek. Her pitch-black inner core surged forth once more, hovering above her head as viscous, ink-like miasma billowed out. This dark fog swirled around her, forming a dense, pitch-black cloud several zhang in diameter that shielded her from the world. Boom! Boom! Boom! Enveloped in a sphere of lightning, the Thunderclap Walnut struck the black cloud and detonated instantly.

Torrents of pure, irresistible heavenly lightning erupted from within, flooding the entire area and drowning the obsidian cloud in a sea of white-hot arcs. The collision between the heavenly lightning and the dark miasma was like glacial water plunged into a cauldron of boiling oil; a violent reaction ensued immediately, and the sound of frantic sizzling filled the air. Amidst the flashing thunder, the volume of the black cloud shrank at a visible rate.

Although the remaining lightning was not quite enough to mortally wound the female corpse, both Yang Dawei and Li Zhupu felt a surge of triumphant joy. This was because, not far behind them, Zi Luanxing was suspended in mid-air. His robes fluttered violently against the wind of his own aura, and his long, ink-black hair danced wildly without a breeze. In his hands, the Sharp Gold Breaking Arrow was mere moments away from full activation!

The Sharp Gold Breaking Arrow was a signature artifact of the ancient Yin Luban sect, forged from over a dozen varieties of rare Geng-gold, making it peerlessly sharp. Furthermore, it was inscribed with complex restriction-breaking arrays that allowed it to bypass any spiritual shield below the Nascent Soul stage. If deployed with precision, it could instantly obliterate a Golden Core Sovereign. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Such a lethal weapon, combined with the suppressive power of the Thunderclap Walnut, was more than enough to end the female corpse's existence. However, the trio failed to notice that within the shrinking black cloud, the female corpse showed no sign of panic. Instead, the corners of her mouth curled into a mocking, chilling sneer. At that exact moment, behind Zi Luanxing—who was pouring his entire being into triggering the Sharp Gold Breaking Arrow—a dark shadow slowly materialized from the gloom.

It extended its hand, five fingers splayed like talons, and struck down ruthlessly toward his unprotected back. Pfft! Zi Luanxing's visage underwent a violent transformation. Before he could even twist his neck to identify his assailant, a devastating impact hammered into his spine. A thick spray of gore erupted from his mouth as his frame plummeted toward the jagged earth below, his life-force withering to a mere flicker in an instant.

The Sharp Gold Breaking Arrow, which had been vibrating with lethal intent, was abruptly severed from its source of power; its blinding radiance dimmed and died, the artifact falling silent. Whoosh! The mysterious silhouette that had materialized out of thin air moved with the velocity of a lightning strike. With a sharp crack of displaced air, it descended upon the fallen Zi Luanxing.

As the youth stared up with pupils dilated in sheer terror, a streak of baleful black light hissed from the figure's fingertip, plunging into his forehead and vanishing. The moment that obsidian light permeated his flesh, Zi Luanxing's internal spiritual fluctuations were snuffed out as if by a heavy shroud, his cultivation completely suppressed. The dark shadow hauled him up like a sack of grain and landed a short distance from the female corpse.

"You old ghost, why must you be so heavy-handed? Do not dare injure him to the point of ruin," the female corpse rasped. At that moment, the crackling lightning surrounding her finally dissipated. Though her aura was somewhat ragged and depleted, the sight of Zi Luanxing firmly in their grasp caused a flicker of predatory glee to dance within her jaundiced, sunken eyes.

"Heh heh, rest easy, Junior Sister. I know the limits of my strength. I have merely placed a temporary seal upon the lad; I wouldn't dream of spoiling your feast." This newly arrived shadow was indeed another rotting corpse of the Golden Core stage! As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward Li Zhupu, igniting with a sudden, scorching lust. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed audibly, and his exposed, rotting lower half reacted with a grotesque, turgid surge.

"The flavor of a fresh female cultivator... it has been an eternity since I sampled such a delicacy. Heh heh... heh heh heh!" Under the weight of that lecherous, undead gaze, Li Zhupu's face turned the color of bleached bone.

"Mid-stage Golden Core!" she shrieked, her voice trembling with the realization of their doom. Yang Dawei's face was equally devoid of blood. Confronted by two Golden Core monstrosities, they were left with no path to survival. His eyes darted frantically, a cold light of calculation surfacing. Suddenly, he bellowed, "Junior Sister, hold them for a moment! I shall activate a hidden treasure to whisk us both away from this hell!" Li Zhupu's eyes lit up with a desperate hope.

She slapped her storage bag, retrieving an umbrella-shaped artifact and tossing it skyward. The Burning Heaven Crimson Umbrella (Imitation) expanded instantly, manifesting a brilliant, fiery barrier that crashed down upon the two corpses.

"Move quickly, Senior Brother! This imitation has its limits; it can only restrain them for a dozen breaths!" she screamed. The legendary Burning Heaven Crimson Umbrella was said to be a Spirit Treasure of the ancient era, capable of turning a world into a sea of fire. Though this was but a replica, it was still formidable. Boom! The crimson barrier enveloped the two corpses, and spheres of white-hot flame erupted within, transforming the interior into an inferno.

The two monsters roared in fury, their silhouettes thrashing against the fire, yet for the moment, they could not break free. Li Zhupu saw the monsters contained and felt a surge of relief. She spun around, only to witness Yang Dawei crushing an ancient, weathered jade plate. In a flash of light, his figure vanished into thin air.

"No!! Senior Brother, how could you abandon me like this?!" Li Zhupu stared blankly at the empty space, then let out a piercing, soul-shattering scream. But Yang Dawei was long gone. Her face turned a ghostly white as she looked back at the grinning corpses within the fire. With shaking fingers, she crushed her Trial Stone. But as the teleportation formation began to manifest, a surge of overwhelming, tyrannical power struck it, shattering the runes into dust. Despair finally claimed her.

"No!!!" she wailed, her voice echoing through the tomb.