"Of course not, refining corpses with Corpse Sealing Nails is convenient, but it requires a very long time of waiting, at least a century. Speaking of which, it's not considered a top-notch method for refining corpses. For those from the Corpse Chasing Sect, the main use of Corpse Sealing Nails is actually to seal some rampaging refined corpses," Elder Gu Tu shook his head and said as much.

The black-clad girl and others, upon hearing this, suddenly understood.

Elder Gu Tu stopped talking, muttering words under his breath as his fingertip touched the black iron nail, both simultaneously bursting into black light.

His finger slowly moved outward, and the black iron nail seemed to stick to his fingertip, slowly being pulled out, bit by bit detaching from the green-haired corpse's head.

The black-clad girl and the others held their breath and watched intently, not even daring to breathe heavily.

Boom!

The moment the black iron nail left the green-haired corpse's skull, a sinister and dreadful aura burst forth from the corpse, instantly filling the entire hall, outmatching the pressure of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Everyone's clothes rustled loudly, and breathing became difficult, their faces filled with great alarm.

"Indeed, I am correct, this is undoubtedly the corpse of the Heavenly Snake Master, only its power has been sealed by the Corpse Sealing Nail. Quick, implant the Corpse Control Talisman into the corpse's Sea of Consciousness!" Elder Gu Tu announced excitedly, urging Sang Yan.

Sang Yan immediately took out a black jade talisman from her Storage Bag, affixed it to the forehead of the green-haired corpse, and quickly chanted a spell.

The black talisman silently dissolved, turning into black runes that entered the green-haired corpse's head.

As she continuously formed hand seals, streams of spells entered various parts of the green-haired corpse, and the violent Corpse Qi began to show signs of being reined in.

Immediately afterward, Sang Yan took out nine white talismans, and with a wave of her hands, slapped the talismans "pop pop pop" onto the top of the green-haired corpse's head, Dantian, and limbs. Only then did the green-haired corpse finally return to complete calm.

"Since you discovered this place and in accordance with the agreement between me and your master, this corpse will belong to you. Take it away first," Elder Gu Tu said.

Upon hearing this, the black-clad girl's gaze shot towards Sang Yan like a venomous snake, her fingers tightly clenched.

"Many thanks to Elder Gu Tu!" Sang Yan expressed her joy and gratitude, taking out a small black bag and activating it with her hand seals.

A beam of black light shot out from the bag, enveloping the corpse and the black coffin, slowly drawing them into the bag.

"Now that this matter has concluded. Elder Gu Tu, should we check out the Snake King Cave? Since Bai Ye and Huan Shi have come here with such careful planning, there must be significant benefits there. With our capabilities, we should be able to get a share," suggested the black-clad girl, who hadn't been able to gain anything just now.

The young man with sword-like eyebrows and the others also had little to show for their efforts, and were somewhat tempted.

Elder Gu Tu, being a Cultivator from a Sect, naturally looked down upon Loose Cultivators like Bai Ye and Huan Shi. He was also aware of the mission of the White Night Alliance to hunt down a Second Level Snake King Fierce Beast. They were likely already heavily injured from the battle, so he had nothing to fear.

"Alright, let's go have a look," Elder Gu Tu nodded and said.

Sang Yan had just joyfully acquired a mid-stage Core Formation corpse and wanted to return to the Sect as soon as possible to refine and control it. She didn't wish to further complicate matters, but seeing the other fellow disciples inclined to go, she didn't object.

...

Meanwhile.

Yuan Ming arrived at the depths of Snake King Cave and, after searching around, extracted the poison fangs and snake skin from two Snake Kings, as well as the single horn from the Single-Horned Snake King, among other useful spiritual materials, and stored them away.

After hesitating for a moment, Yuan Ming didn't feed the Snake Pearl to the Black Toad but instead placed it into his Storage Ring.

This Snake Pearl was quite precious, and selling it could exchange for quite a few Spirit Stones. He was currently strapped for cash due to the upcoming gathering at White Deer Hill, so he decided not to use it for the Black Toad's advancement.

"Quack!" The Black Toad did not demand the Snake Pearl, but instead headed deeper into the Snake Cave.

Yuan Ming had already called back the soul crow that was possessing the Black Toad and was slightly surprised to see this. He quickly followed suit.

It wasn't long before the end of the Snake Cave was reached.

There was a large stone cave, and at its center was a pit about ten meters in size. The soil was flattened and smooth like a mirror, which seemed to be the nest of the two Snake Kings.

In the center of the pit stood a black stone pillar about four to five meters tall and as thick as a millstone, with ancient patterns inscribed on it. It looked extraordinary, and being in a place with such dense miasma for years, its surface was not at all corroded.

The Black Toad headed straight for the pillar, pressing its body against it, showing an extremely comfortable expression on its face.

"Eh, what exactly is this stone pillar? The two Snake Kings made their nest here, and the Black Toad likes it too..." Yuan Ming approached the pillar and began to probe inside with his Divine Sense.

An invisible force emerged suddenly, easily repelling his Divine Sense.

He frowned slightly and flicked his finger.

A green wooden thorn struck the stone pillar, shattering the thorn, but leaving no mark on the pillar.

Yuan Ming then drew his Cold Star Sword, a swath of frost Sword Qi striking the pillar, shattering the Qi but leaving the pillar undamaged.

"Even the Cold Star Sword can't leave a scratch!" He was truly shocked and, after a brief moment of contemplation, extended his Divine Sense once more.

This time, he didn't delve into the depths of the pillar but instead carefully sensed the Black Toad, searching for the reason why it clung to the pillar.

Yuan Ming did not waste his efforts this time and quickly discovered the reason. As the Black Toad drew close to the pillar, a mysterious aura seeped out from within the pillar and merged into its body.

This aura was neither the power of the Five Elements: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth nor the force of extreme yang, Yin Qi, or even Divine Soul Power. It was a kind of unfamiliar force he had never encountered before.

If he had to describe it, this force had some similarities with Yin Qi, but it was not exactly the same, giving him a faint sensation of malice and foreboding.

After absorbing this aura, the demonic power of the Black Toad did not increase significantly, but the aura it emitted became much more active.

Yuan Ming couldn't figure out the origin of the stone pillar in front of him, but since the aura within it was harmless to the Black Toad, he decided not to bother with it and looked around.

Nearby, on the ground of the Snake King's nest, grew about a dozen black Spirit Grasses. The leaves were shaped like snakes and emanated a strong surge of cold, Yin force.

"Could this be Yin Snake Grass?" Yuan Ming had read about this black grass in the classics. It was said to be a companion spiritual material that grew near snake-like Fierce Beasts.

Yuan Ming hurriedly stepped forward, carefully harvested these Spirit Grasses, and collected them.

Yin Snake Grass was an excellent material for refining yin attribute elixirs; it could be sold for a good amount of Spirit Stones and could also be mixed into Black Incense to test its effects.

In the time that followed, Yuan Ming searched the vicinity but found no more treasures. He, along with the somewhat reluctant Black Toad, made his way back to where Bai Ye and Huan Shi lay.

The two were still unconscious with their breath frighteningly weak.

After a brief examination, Yuan Ming frowned.

The injuries of Bai Ye and Huan Shi were severe but not fatal. However, the poison in their bodies was so deep it had infiltrated their internal organs, beyond the point of remedy.

It dawned on Yuan Ming why the Single-Horned Snake King didn't deliver a fatal blow to Bai Ye and his companion; instead, it attacked him.

He sighed with regret, intending to take the two out of the Snake Cave and find a place to lay them to rest, but then he stopped suddenly.

Yuan Ming thought of the Black Toad's Absorb Poison Divine Ability. This Divine Skill could draw in snake poison from the air, but could it also directly extract the severe poison within the two individuals?

He beckoned the Black Toad, shot out two Purple-black Vines, and gently pierced them into the bodies of the two, activating the inner core to extract the snake poison.

A miraculous scene unfolded!

The green tinge on the body surfaces of Bai Ye and Huan Shi quickly receded, moving along the vines into the body of the Black Toad.

"It's effective, who would have thought the Black Toad's ability to Absorb Poison would be so exquisite!" Yuan Ming secretly rejoiced, encouraging the Black Toad to keep drawing out the poison.

After a moment, the intense poison inside the two had completely disappeared, and their skin returned to its normal color.

Yuan Ming took out two Healing Pills and stuffed them into their mouths, then used his Mana to help them refine the medicine.

As the medicinal power dispersed, the breathing of the two stabilized.

Bai Ye, with profound cultivation but severe external wounds and lighter internal injuries, soon awoke.

"Fellow Daoist Hagon, it's you..." Bai Ye looked at Yuan Ming in surprise, then quickly scanned the surroundings in fear, remembering the Single-Horned Snake King.

"The Snake King is dead, it's safe now. Rest assured, Alliance Leader Bai Ye," said Yuan Ming as he helped Bai Ye to set his arm bone straight.

Bai Ye saw the corpses of the Single-Horned Snake King and another Golden Flower Snake King and noticed the traces of battle on the ground, which allowed him to roughly understand what had happened while he was unconscious.

"So it was Fellow Daoist Hagon who saved me and Huan Shi? I am deeply grateful!" Bai Ye sincerely thanked him.

"It was nothing, Alliance Leader Bai Ye. Now that you are awake, I need not worry about Senior Huan Shi's injuries. I have matters to attend to and must take my leave," said Yuan Ming, standing up and ready to leave.

Bai Ye wanted to express more gratitude, but seeing Yuan Ming's demeanor, he swallowed his words.

Just as Yuan Ming had taken a few steps, he suddenly stopped and looked ahead.

Since entering the Snake Cave, he had positioned a soul crow at the entrance to the cave for safety. Now, the people from the Black Fire Sect had arrived at the entrance of the Snake Cave.

With a moment's thought, Yuan Ming guessed the purpose of the Black Fire Sect group's arrival, yet he was not alarmed.

The spiritual power in that Earth Travel Talisman had not been exhausted; it could still be used, and he could leave the place at any moment through Earth Tunneling.

"What has Fellow Daoist Hagon noticed?" Having become very jumpy, Bai Ye sensed Yuan Ming's perturbation and quickly asked.

"Someone is coming, five people in total. Bai Rong is among them, along with four other Loose Cultivators who answered the call for this mission. One of them has concealed their cultivation and is a Foundation Establishment Cultivator," Yuan Ming turned to look at Bai Ye and cautioned.

"We are trapped here!" Bai Ye's expression changed drastically with each word Yuan Ming spoke. Those words felt like heavy hammers striking his heart.

If he and Huan Shi weren't injured, they would naturally not be afraid, but now with Huan Shi still unconscious and himself too wounded to move, they would be no match even for a mere Qi Refining Stage Cultivator.

"I am afraid I can do no more; Alliance Leader Bai Ye must look after himself," Yuan Ming finished cautioning and took out an Earth Travel Talisman, preparing to leave.

"Fellow Daoist Hagon, please wait! Huan Shi and I are gravely injured. If those people harbor evil intents, we are utterly defenseless. Please, Fellow Daoist Hagon, lend us your noble assistance. I have more than a thousand Spirit Stones on me, and Huan Shi's Storage Bag should also contain about five to six hundred. You can take them all as a reward for saving our lives," Bai Ye, regaining his senses, spoke quickly.

Yuan Ming was somewhat tempted by the offer, but after careful consideration of the consequences, he still shook his head.

The Black Fire Sect was a mighty power, even superior to Biluo Cave. Killing Sang Yan and the others would be different from the Loose Cultivators he had previously slain—it might draw the Black Fire Sect's pursuit. He had no desire to offend the Black Fire Sect, and alerting Bai Ye was already the limit of his benevolence.

As for whether Bai Ye would harbor resentment for being refused, Yuan Ming didn't care. His current appearance and identity were both fictitious, so naturally, he wasn't concerned about being betrayed.

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