Chapter 114: Li Yinlin

"It is of no consequence; I am already much better. Thank you for your intervention, Senior."

Zhang Shouzheng offered a faint smile. It struck him as curious that this guardian, known as Yin Lin, referred to Qing Yutong as a "little girl." This implied that Yin Lin was significantly older than her, which made Zhang Shouzheng hesitant to be overly familiar. Calling him "Young Master" was likely a gesture of respect toward Li Tagu; otherwise, given Zhang’s current level of cultivation, he doubted a Silver Corpse would show him such deference. He would have been fortunate if the creature hadn't drained him dry.

Yin Lin sighed, his expression complex as he stared at Zhang. Finally, he reached out and gently patted Zhang’s head. "You... you shouldn't call me Senior. My surname is Li. I am Li Yinlin. I was killed by members of the Qian family over two hundred years ago, and my parents used a secret technique to transform me into what I am now."

"You are also a member of the Li family?"

Zhang Shouzheng stared at Li Yinlin, stunned and disbelieving. It was his first time encountering a member of his own clan who was a corpse-servant—no, a zombie, and a Silver Corpse at that. While Li Tagu had lived for a very long time, he was not a zombie, but rather someone who had returned to life by borrowing a corpse; the nature of their existence was fundamentally different.

"Of course I am of the Li family. Tagu is our ancestor. Although I am many generations your senior, I was the same age as you when I died. Since my transformation into a zombie, I have been sealed away in a land of yin and baleful energy. It was only recently that the Ancestor released me. Unlike him, I have not survived continuously since my birth. Though I have existed for a long time, I have only truly awakened in these last few years. You need not call me Senior Yinlin; you may call me Brother Yinlin. By the way, do you know of the Three Volumes of Heavenly Books?"

Li Yinlin stroked his long, silver hair, watching Zhang Shouzheng with a flicker of expectation.

"I have heard the Ancestor mention them. They are said to be the Daoist scriptures of our Li family. During my out-of-body experience, I believe I saw a scripture floating within a lotus above the Ancestor's head. What exactly is the nature of these Li family Heavenly Books?" Zhang asked curiously. Based on the techniques Li Tagu had displayed, he was incredibly powerful—so much so that even after reaching the Sun-Walking realm, Zhang knew he could not resist him.

"What you saw was likely the Three Pure Qi Lotuses. Each lotus gestates one volume of the Heavenly Book. The Ancestor has already gestated one, but he cannot produce the second or third. I am even more unfortunate; I died before I could gestate a single volume, and now that I am a zombie, it is impossible. You, however, have a great chance of condensing all three volumes—even more so than the Ancestor—because you carry the pure bloodline of the Li family."

"Of course, condensing the three volumes depends on one’s fortune and aptitude. It is said that only the Daoist Ancestor could condense all three. Now you understand why the Ancestor holds you in such high regard. It is not merely because the Exorcist Monkey recognized you as its master; the most important thing is that you are the only one capable of cultivating the Li family’s Heavenly Books. The Ancestor, having borrowed a corpse to return, has lost his bloodline and can no longer progress, so he must seek other methods."

Li Yinlin was surprisingly forthright, sharing such vital information with Zhang Shouzheng as if he were venting his own frustrations.

"Three Pure Qi Lotuses? The primordial spirit can actually condense such things? That is quite intriguing." Zhang Shouzheng’s eyes brightened and darted about. If he could condense these lotuses and the Heavenly Books, his strength would surely skyrocket. Yet, the Ancestor’s high expectations brought with them a heavy burden of responsibility. Could he truly comprehend these scriptures?

"Indeed, all Daoist arts under heaven originated from the Li family. Our true ancestor is the Daoist Ancestor himself. By the way, regarding that fellow Xin Quan—I crippled one of his arms and shattered his Dantian and sea of qi. Unless he finds another path, he will never be able to cultivate magic again. Don't blame me for not killing him; the current situation is tense. He is an elder of the Heavenly Demon Sect and holds an important position. While we do not fear them, the Heavenly Demon Sect is colluding with the Qian family. If our Li family were to declare war on them now, others would only stand to benefit."

Li Yinlin smiled faintly, offering the explanation.

"We possess such power? The Heavenly Demon Sect is a major demonic sect comparable to the Heavenly Dao Sect!" Zhang Shouzheng gulped, looking at Li Yinlin in disbelief. As far as he knew, the Ancestor only had four guardians under his command. Even if each guardian could rival the elders of a major sect, the foundation of such sects was immense.

"What does it matter if they are major sects? Before absolute power, a major sect is as fragile as a pane of glass. Even if the sect leaders of the Heavenly Dao Sect or the Heavenly Demon Sect attacked, they might not be the Ancestor’s match. Numbers without true precision are inferior and easily exploited. Though our Li family is small, every one of us is a formidable figure. The Ancestor has more pressing matters to attend to, which is why he sent me personally when he sensed you were in danger."

Li Yinlin rubbed his palms together, stood up, and took a deep breath. "The Ancestor’s strength is something even I cannot fathom. If one were to measure it by the standards of ghosts, he might be at the Ghost Immortal level or even higher."

Zhang Shouzheng felt his hair stand on end. Fortunately, his senior brother had not opposed the Ancestor. Jiang Litian was only a master of the Hidden Yin realm; the Ancestor could crush him with a single finger. The mere thought of his brother seeking revenge against the Ancestor made his heart skip a beat—it was an act of pure suicide.

"I have another question. You are a zombie, yet you possess no magic power. Why does Jiu'er have it? And why hasn't she woken up yet?" Zhang Shouzheng reached out and placed a hand gently on Jiu'er’s shoulder. Her breathing was steady, but there was no sign of her waking.

"I used a small trick. Not everyone is qualified to hear our conversation. Ordinarily, zombies do not possess magic power; they only have zombie strength. Unless, of course, she possesses the bloodline of the Zombie Ancestor. I heard she was bitten by Qian Hao and turned into a zombie. I suspect Qian Hao’s corpse energy merely triggered the bloodline power already hidden within her. Otherwise, zombie strength and magic power cannot coexist."

Li Yinlin stared at Jiu'er with a hint of envy. If he possessed the bloodline of the Zombie Ancestor, he could cultivate magic and, by extension, the Li family’s Heavenly Books. After all, his current body did contain the direct bloodline of the Li family.

"The bloodline of the Zombie Ancestor? Jiu'er has that in her?" Zhang Shouzheng was slightly startled. This was the only logical explanation. If Qian Hao’s corpse poison had simply turned her into a zombie, she wouldn't have magic; it must have activated a latent bloodline.

"Yes, she must possess the bloodline of Nu Ba. There is no other explanation. This girl is truly fortunate. Ba is the ancestor of zombies; any zombie above the Gold Corpse level is considered a Ba. But reaching that level is incredibly difficult. I became a Silver Corpse a hundred years ago, and a century later, I am still at the early stage of the Silver Corpse level, let alone the middle or late stages, or the Gold Corpse level beyond that." Li Yinlin sighed, his expression filled with confusion.

Zhang Shouzheng pressed his lips together, remaining silent. It seemed his own knowledge was far too shallow.

"By the way, you are heading to the Ancestor’s place this weekend. You will be practicing the sect’s 'Taiqing Secret Record.' Only through this secret art can you condense the Three Pure Qi Lotuses, and only then can you gestate the Li family’s Heavenly Books. However, I must warn you: this is a unique technique of the Li family. Fortunately, you have been practicing the Green Dragon lineage techniques—likely a testament to the foresight of your parents. Our Li family’s techniques are also based on the primordial spirit. I suspect the Ancestor will put you through hellish training, and he might even perform an empowerment ritual to jumpstart your progress."

At this, Li Yinlin shivered, looking at Zhang Shouzheng with deep sympathy.