Chapter 136: The Spirit Orb of Netherworld

Strictly speaking, there really is a treasure inside a Yin corpse: the blood pill.

The blood pill is the core of a Yin corpse’s power, containing concentrated vital energy. It can be used not only for alchemy but also to heal injuries. However, the blood pill contains potent Yin-煞 (Yin-evil) poison; using it recklessly would lead to dire consequences. Although Lin Yi is capable of purging this poison, he has no intention of doing so. A Yin corpse lacks intelligence, but if controlled, it makes for a powerful assistant. While Lin Yi has little regard for the strength of a Yin corpse, it could serve well to protect his friends.

The Red Skull organization has been quiet lately, but as one of the five major powers, Lin Yi does not believe they would simply surrender. It is better to be safe than sorry. Lin Yi feels it is prudent to prepare some contingencies.

"I still have use for this Yin corpse," Lin Yi said calmly.

"Oh." Zhang Xinyi was not disappointed. She turned to Lin Yi and added, "Mr. Lin, that woman mentioned earlier that the Yin Puppet Sect intends to occupy Shan Province."

The middle-aged woman’s expression shifted dramatically. She glared at Zhang Xinyi with resentment and said in a deep voice, "Mr. Lin, I was in the wrong this time. I am willing to leave immediately with my people and never set foot in Shan Province again." Seeing that Lin Yi remained silent, she continued, "The Yin Puppet Sect is not weak. We have an elder who is a Spirit Venerate, three Yin corpses at the Spirit Venerate level, and over a dozen Grandmasters. As a prodigy yourself, Mr. Lin, you should understand the weight of these words."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xinyi’s eyes widened. She had not expected the Yin Puppet Sect to be so powerful. A Spirit Venerate elder, three Spirit Venerate-level Yin corpses, and dozens of Grandmasters—a force like this could easily sweep through Shan Province.

"Are you threatening me?" Lin Yi asked coolly.

"No, I am merely clarifying the stakes. In this world, there are no absolute enemies. If you let me go, Mr. Lin, I can leave this Yin corpse with you as a token of goodwill," the woman said, regaining her composure.

Lin Yi shook his head. "I don't like trouble."

The woman’s body tensed. She hurriedly said, "Mr. Lin, I swear to the heavens that I will not seek revenge."

"And yet, I prefer to root out future trouble," Lin Yi replied calmly.

He knew of the Yin Puppet Sect; he had crossed paths with them a century ago. Honestly, he had a very poor impression of them. Some of their disciples were so obsessed with refining corpses that they would slaughter entire villages just to harvest the blood needed for their craft.

"Mr. Lin, are you not afraid of our sect’s retaliation? We all carry a curse mark; if we die, the mark will attach itself to the person who killed us," the woman threatened coldly.

"Not afraid. I don't consider the Yin Puppet Sect a threat," Lin Yi said.

The woman’s expression turned vicious. She pulled three thumb-sized clay figures from her storage bag and tossed them. As they hit the ground, they transformed into man-sized Yin corpses. This was a technique of the Yin Puppet Sect, allowing them to shrink corpses for convenient transport and use them as cannon fodder in emergencies. These three corpses were only at the half-step Grandmaster level, but they were as tough as copper and iron, impervious even to bullets.

The woman’s plan was simple: use the corpses to distract Lin Yi so she could escape.

As the three corpses charged, Lin Yi watched with indifference. He raised a hand and struck out with a palm, unleashing a fierce burst of energy that sliced the three corpses in half instantly.

"Retrieve!" Taking advantage of the moment, the woman tapped her finger toward the Spirit Venerate-level Yin corpse. It shrank rapidly, and with a flick of her wrist, she caught it in her palm. Simultaneously, she pulled ten more corpses from her bag and threw them out. These were weaker, roughly at the seventh level of the Innate realm, and smaller than the previous ones.

"Explode!" the woman whispered.

The bodies of the ten corpses began to swell like inflated balloons. Lin Yi remained unperturbed; with a wave of his hand, a gentle breeze carried Zhang Xinyi and Ling Yun out of the mine.

At that moment, the swelling corpses reached their critical limit. A series of thunderous explosions rocked the mine, causing massive boulders to collapse. The blood pills within the corpses released a corrosive Yin-evil poison, instantly shrouding the area within a ten-meter radius.

"Mr. Lin, remember this—this is not over," the woman spat with hatred. She did not believe for a second that Lin Yi would be killed by the explosion. Furthermore, these corpses were difficult to refine, and seeing them destroyed so easily by Lin Yi made her heart bleed. But there was no choice; survival came first.

"Let's go! This Yin-evil poison will obstruct his vision; it should hold even a Spirit Venerate for a while," the woman urged Wei Hao.

"Understood." Wei Hao did not hesitate, and the two fled toward the mine exit.

However, a golden spear suddenly flew out from the haze of poison, piercing straight through Wei Hao’s heart. He died with his eyes wide open in disbelief.

The woman felt a chill run down her spine. She turned back instinctively and paled in terror. Without a word, she desperately threw the Spirit Venerate-level Yin corpse behind her.

*Puff.*

The moment the corpse hit the ground, the spear pierced through its chest, not stopping for even a second before continuing toward the woman.

"No! I don't want to die!" The woman’s calm had evaporated, replaced by raw, desperate survival instinct. She frantically activated every defensive magical artifact she possessed, wrapping herself in over a dozen colorful protective barriers. But the moment the golden spear struck them, they shattered like glass.

"Mr. Lin, please, spare me!" the woman shrieked. She did not want to die; she still had her whole life ahead of her. She had only come here to refine her corpses, never imagining she would lose her life today.

*Puff.*

The golden spear finally pierced her heart. The woman stumbled forward ten paces before collapsing, her eyes filled with bitter resentment. As she died, a small black curse mark flew directly toward Lin Yi, burrowing into his chest.

"Hmph." Lin Yi chuckled. He could feel the mark on his heart. It had no offensive power; its sole purpose was tracking—a locator. If he were ever near a disciple of the Yin Puppet Sect, they would be alerted. Lin Yi analyzed the curse for a moment, then exerted his mental energy, shattering it into nothingness.

*Rumble.*

The mine continued to shake violently, on the verge of total collapse. Lin Yi approached the Spirit Venerate-level Yin corpse and looked down with surprise. Beside the wound in its chest, he saw a black, translucent bead.

"How is there a Yin Spirit Bead inside this corpse?" Lin Yi was astonished. The Yin Spirit Bead, while not part of the Five Spirit Beads, was a type of spirit treasure that only formed in regions of extreme Yin energy and dense spiritual concentration. Yet, as he had walked in, he hadn't felt much spiritual energy at all.

He had been puzzled by this earlier; it was impossible for a place that could produce Yin Soul Stones to be completely devoid of spiritual energy. Now, seeing the Yin Spirit Bead, everything made sense. Likely, the moment the bead formed, it had absorbed all the spiritual energy in the area. Somehow, the Yin corpse had swallowed it. This must have been the "true treasure" Zhang Xinyi had sensed.

"I suppose this is like getting a bonus," Lin Yi mused, rubbing his chin.

The Yin Spirit Bead was incredibly effective for cultivating Yin-attributed techniques and contained a massive amount of spiritual energy, perfect for alchemy. Lin Yi collected the Yin corpse and the bead, then took the woman’s storage bag. Inside, the space was about ten cubic meters, containing some daily items, ancient books, and magical artifacts. There were a few more corpses, but they were all of the acquired variety and held little value.

Lin Yi pulled out an ancient book titled *Blood-Nourishing Corpse Refining Technique*. He skimmed through it without hesitation and then burned it. The technique was flawed and cruel, often requiring the slaughter of over a dozen people to refine a single corpse. Moreover, the resulting corpses had no room for growth; their strength remained static forever. Lin Yi knew his own refining methods, which utilized spirit stones and minerals to continuously enhance a corpse’s strength.

*Rumble!*

The shaking intensified. Having obtained the most valuable items, Lin Yi did not linger. As soon as he stepped out of the mine, the entire structure collapsed into a cloud of dust.

"Mr. Lin, I cannot thank you enough for saving my life," Ling Yun said, bowing deeply. His right leg had fully recovered thanks to the Vitality Pill, leaving him profoundly grateful.

"Think nothing of it," Lin Yi said dismissively. To others, the Vitality Pill was a life-saving treasure, but to him, it was trivial. Xiao Qian could produce hundreds in a single batch, and he had thousands in his possession. To use a common expression, he had more pills than he knew what to do with.

"Mr. Lin, when did you arrive in Shan Province? You should have let me know," Zhang Xinyi said, smiling as she grabbed his arm.

Lin Yi calmly pulled his arm back. "I just arrived today."

"Is there something you're working on?" she asked curiously, hoping to be of assistance. After all, Lin Yi had always been the one helping the Zhang family, while they had done very little for him.

Lin Yi saw no reason to hide it. He took out a piece of Yin Soul Stone and said, "I came to Shan Province for this."

"What is this?" Zhang Xinyi examined the stone.

"A Yin Soul Stone," Lin Yi explained. "Wearing it for a long period can strengthen the soul and offset certain soul-based attacks."

"That’s amazing!" Zhang Xinyi exclaimed.

"However, it is best forged into a magical artifact to maximize its effect," Lin Yi added.

"Mr. Lin, would you like our Zhang family to collect these Yin Soul Stones for you?" Zhang Xinyi’s eyes sparkled.

"That is exactly what I was hoping for," Lin Yi nodded.