Chen Yang shouted anxiously, "Stop! All of you, stop!"
But no one paid him any heed; they all ran as fast as they could. Chen Yang stomped his feet, his face turning an ashen blue with rage. Damn it, without these people to serve as sacrifices, how was he supposed to continue the ritual? And this corpse—how did it catch fire?
He turned to look, only to find a flaming human figure standing right before his eyes.
"Ah!"
Terrified, Chen Yang stumbled backward. He quickly pinched a piece of talisman paper between his fingertips, recited an Incantation, and flung it at the burning figure. Instead of having any effect, the talisman was instantly reduced to ash.
"Could it really have turned into a vengeful corpse?" Chen Yang’s eyes widened in shock, and he turned to bolt. But after only a few steps, he felt as if he had slammed into an invisible wall. Reaching out to touch it, he gasped, "A formation!"
Could the Locust Tree Immortal be angry?
"Master, save me!" Zhang Dahai came running over, his flaming hands reaching out to grab Chen Yang.
Chen Yang scrambled back in fear. "Stand still! I’ll find a way to save you!"
On the other side, Zhang Cuilan stumbled toward them. "Master, didn’t you say you could bring my son back to life? He’s covered in flames—can he still live?"
Watching her burning hands reach for him, Chen Yang hurriedly threw out another talisman. "Freeze!"
Dammit, if he couldn't freeze a corpse, he could at least freeze a person. Sure enough, Zhang Cuilan stood frozen in place. Chen Yang quickly immobilized Zhang Dahai as well, then turned to see the corpse had also stopped moving.
It had stopped just as he finished freezing the other two? He glared at Zhang Cuilan. "Was this the two of you playing tricks?"
Zhang Cuilan sobbed, "Master, I don’t understand what you’re talking about! I followed your instructions for raising the corpse to the letter. Please, hurry and bring my son back to life!"
"Bah!" Chen Yang cursed. "You old hag, you must have added something on the sly! Otherwise, why would the corpse have burst into flames for no reason? Not only have you ruined my plan, but you’ve gotten me trapped here too! You’re useless, more trouble than you’re worth!"
He turned toward the massive locust tree, cupped his hands in a bow, and pleaded, "Tree Immortal, please spare me! I was truly dedicated to helping you; it was these two idiots who destroyed your vessel!"
"And just how were you planning to help me?" A cold, feminine voice rang out slowly.
Why had the locust tree spirit's voice become a woman's? Chen Yang didn't dare dwell on it, terrified that a slow response would provoke her. He stammered, "I—I—I was planning to sacrifice everyone in the village to you, but when your vessel caught fire, it scared them all away..."
The female voice scolded sharply, "You lie!"
The flaming corpse suddenly began walking toward Chen Yang, accompanied by that eerie voice: "Chen Yang, if you don't tell me your true plan, I’ll make you burn, too!"
"I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you!" Chen Yang knocked his head against the ground in terror. "I planned to lure you out, then use a Yin-Ultimate Body to trap you, refine you, and boost my own cultivation! Please, Tree Immortal, spare my life in exchange for the fact that I haven't done anything yet!"
Chen Yang kept kowtowing, but he heard no more from the voice. Feeling something was off, he suddenly lifted his head and scanned his surroundings. "Where did that girl go? Tree Immortal, that girl has a Yin-Ultimate Body! She’s a great tonic for you! I’ll offer her to you—just spare me!"
A rustling sound came from behind the trunk. Chen Yang’s eyes widened, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard. A young girl in a red jacket stepped out, a faint smile on her delicate, fair face. She said languidly, "Are you looking for me?"
It was the exact same clear, cold voice as before!
Furious, Chen Yang scrambled to his feet. "You brat! It was you playing god all along!"
Shen Mingshu’s eyes turned icy. "Evil practitioner, I have no patience for your nonsense. I’ll send you on your way now."
Flames ignited at her fingertips as she whispered an Incantation. The burning corpse lunged at Chen Yang. He scrambled to escape, but Shen Mingshu blocked his path, and the flaming figure tackled him to the ground. His clothes ignited instantly, and his screams pierced the night air.
Shen Mingshu watched calmly as he was consumed by the flames, then walked slowly over to Zhang Cuilan. "Zhang Cuilan, you heard it yourself. That evil practitioner had no intention of reviving your son—he only wanted to use your son's corpse for the sake of the creature he called the Tree Immortal."
Zhang Cuilan’s face was streaked with tears. "My son... Mother has failed you..."
Shen Mingshu flicked her fingers, drawing the flames back from Zhang Cuilan’s hands. They had already been burned to charred husks. She turned and withdrew the fire from Zhang Dahai as well, saying in a low voice, "You two sought to take my life, but since I am unharmed, I will spare you. I only require your hands."
Chen Yang had been burned to death, his soul reduced to nothingness. However, a black object remained on the ground. Shen Mingshu walked over, and as she saw what it was, her pupils constricted. She picked it up and wiped it clean: it was a black flag, embroidered with intricate Spirit Patterns in red thread.
A Hundred Ghost Banner!
Orthodox Xuan Sect practitioners studied the five arts of metaphysics, while those on the crooked path had developed their own evil arts. The Hundred Ghost Banner was one such tool; once refined, it could command a hundred ghosts to wreak havoc. How could a half-baked hack like Chen Yang possess such a powerful Dharma Artifact? Furthermore, the Chiyang Gold Fire hadn't been able to damage it, which meant the person who forged it possessed Mystic Power far exceeding her own.
Shen Mingshu pondered for a moment and decided to store the banner away for now. She regretted not having captured Chen Yang’s soul to interrogate him.
She looked at the burning corpse, which was still standing frozen in place, then turned to the giant locust tree. "Are you not coming out? You’ve ruined your own family, haven't you?"
A dark shadow drifted out from the tree trunk. As the black mist slowly dissipated, it revealed a face that bore a striking resemblance to Zhang Dahai.
"Dashan!" Zhang Cuilan gasped in shock.
Zhang Dashan stared at Shen Mingshu with a sinister gaze. "Who exactly are you, and why must you ruin my plans?"
Shen Mingshu snapped her fingers, and the giant locust tree instantly erupted into flames. Zhang Dashan panicked, "How dare you burn my tree vessel!"
Shen Mingshu glared at him coldly. "Without a vessel, let's see where you can hide. Zhang Dashan, you stole a hundred years of the locust tree spirit's cultivation and demanded the entire village be sacrificed to revive you. You are truly wicked."
Black markings crawled across Zhang Dashan’s face. He hissed, "Others simply didn't have my good fortune. If everyone had the chance to resurrect themselves, they would all do exactly as I have!"
Shen Mingshu raised her hand, and the nearby burning corpse shattered into dust. She chuckled lightly. "The body is gone, too. Are you angry?"
Zhang Dashan roared, his eyes blood-red. "If it's gone, so be it! With you here and your Yin-Ultimate Body, I can still be resurrected!"
Even if he had to come back as a woman, he would live!