Chapter 123: The Jade Phosphorus Poison Fire

The night was clear with sparse stars, and Qingxi County lay draped in the pale moonlight, enveloped in profound silence.

Liuchuan Valley, where the spring water trickled with a faint, shimmering spiritual glow, had originally been the ancestral land of the An family. After the fall of the An clan and a series of fierce contests, the ownership of the valley ultimately fell into the hands of the Gao family. Because the valley contained a first-rank spiritual spring and a hundred acres of spiritual fields cultivated by the An family over several generations, the Gao family placed great importance on this territory, stationing several family cultivators here, including one who had attained the Qi Refining stage.

"It is indeed the Liuzhu Great Array," Jiang Chen murmured. His figure emerged slowly from the darkness before the valley entrance. Clad in a coarse hemp robe and holding a corpse-controlling bell, his aged face was masked in cold indifference. "When the An family fell, this array was destroyed, yet the Gao family is truly wealthy; they managed to restore this formation so quickly."

With his Yin-Spirit Eyes activated, Jiang Chen scrutinized the invisible barrier before him. "With a Qi Refining cultivator in charge and several spirit-sensitive cultivators assisting, an ordinary, novice Qi Refining practitioner would find no way in. Even if I were to strike with all my might, it would take considerable time to shatter this formation. The only reason the An family fell so easily back then was that their own Qi Refining cultivator had fallen elsewhere."

As thoughts raced through his mind, he used his Yin-Spirit Eyes to locate a critical node of the formation and activated a secret technique. The once-stable barrier suddenly rippled. Seeing this, Jiang Chen knew his plan would proceed without a hitch. "It seems the Gao family never discovered the hidden backdoor left by the An family. That is to be expected; the Liuzhu Great Array was laid by the Ans, and the Gao family merely performed simple repairs."

With a thought, black corpse-fire flickered in his hand as he reached toward the barrier. The An family, knowing they could not hold the valley after their master died, had left a secret passage to facilitate the eventual reclamation of their legacy.

*Hum.* The corpse-fire raged, and as time passed, a large void appeared in the barrier. The Gao family cultivators responsible for guarding the valley remained entirely unaware.

"I hope for a fruitful harvest this time." Stepping through the barrier, Jiang Chen entered Liuchuan Valley.

Guided by the memories left behind by An Yuxuan, Jiang Chen navigated the valley with ease, quickly locating the spiritual spring hidden in its depths. Grasping a peach wood branch and using a sealing technique to mask his aura, he turned his gaze toward the spring. Under the moonlight, it was bathed in a silvery mist. Beside the spring stood a small courtyard filled with flowers and trees, possessing an air of elegance.

Inside the courtyard, Gao Siling, a Qi Refining cultivator of the Gao family, was bathing. Looking to be in her thirties, her skin was fair and delicate, and she radiated a mature charm as she reclined in the specially built pool. Although the valley’s cultivation conditions were inferior to those of Green Bamboo Mountain, she had chosen to guard this place specifically for the first-rank spiritual spring.

Suddenly, a foul, fishy Yin wind swept into the courtyard, making her shudder.

"Who’s there?" she cried out. Looking through the doorway, she scrambled from the pool without hesitation. A low roar was her only answer.

*Roar!* A figure expanded—a Combat Corpse, wreathed in black lightning with four arms outstretched, lunged forward like a cannonball into the room.

"A zombie?" Seeing the intruder, Gao Siling’s expression shifted. She immediately thought of the "Corpse Taoist" currently wanted by her family. "Green Phosphorus Poison Fire!"

With goosebumps rising on her skin from the lingering Yin energy, she waved her hand, casting a sheet of emerald toxic flames to block the attacker. The Gao family’s primary cultivation method, the Green Wood Green Phosphorus Art, focused on wood-based toxicity. This poisonous fire was its core technique—highly corrosive and nearly impossible to shake off once contaminated.

However, the next instant, a massive shadow fell. The Combat Corpse ignored the searing flames and tore through the wall of fire.

"You..." Gao Siling’s face was filled with shock; she had not expected the attacker to break through her defenses with such brutal force. Before she could react further, the Combat Corpse’s fists rained down, one after another, offering her no chance to breathe.

Moments later, as the house collapsed, Gao Siling fell silent, leaving behind only a mangled heap of flesh that no longer resembled a human. Though she had attempted to protect herself with a Vine Armor spell at the last second, it was no match for the Combat Corpse.

"The timing was perfect; it took even less time than expected," Jiang Chen remarked, finding Gao Siling’s storage bag and glancing at her remains. Had she been better prepared, she might have held out longer—provided he hadn't revealed his full strength.

"Go and finish off the others outside," Jiang Chen commanded.

The Combat Corpse let out a low growl and turned to leave. Soon, the sounds of screams echoed through the valley. While the others had been alerted by the commotion, they were utterly powerless against the Combat Corpse.

As the slaughter continued, Jiang Chen turned his attention to the spiritual spring—the true purpose of his visit. "Spirit-Drawing Technique!"

He tossed the peach wood branch into the spring. As it touched the water, the severed branch took root, bursting with new life. *Hum.* The leaves unfurled, and a small peach tree wreathed in spiritual light appeared. It looked and felt identical to the spirit Tao Yao, only much smaller.

Jiang Chen watched with interest; he had never seen such a transformation before. The power contained within this branch was even more wondrous than he had anticipated.

*Hum.* With the Spirit-Drawing and Spirit-Sealing techniques working in tandem, the small tree began to siphon the energy of the spring water. As time passed, the light on the tree grew more vibrant, while the spiritual essence of the spring began to fade.