Immortality: Grinding Experience Starting as a Paper Craftsman

Chapter 116 The Corpse Puppet's Shocking Turn: Luring the Enemy into the Trap

On the banks of the icy pool, a chilling wind howled.

The seven or eight figures that descended from the sky did not rush to attack. Instead, they spread out in a fan shape, blocking Li Qingge and Gu Yan, along with the bronze giant door that had just opened a crack, firmly blocking their way out.

Their hoods were pulled low, revealing bluish-purple runes tattooed on their chins that moved across their skin with each breath. Embroidered on their grey robes was a black raven with half a wing.

"People from Remnant Crow Ridge?"

Li Qingge stood leaning on her sword, her breathing rapid, her back ramrod straight. Her cold eyes showed no fear, but rather a hint of contempt: "A bunch of vultures who only dare to eat carrion, dare they even try to share this pie?"

"Hehehe, Your Highness is mistaken."

The gray-robed man at the head stepped forward.

This man was extremely tall and thin, like an upright bamboo pole. He held a white bone mourning stick in his hand, and his voice was high-pitched, like scratching glass with fingernails: "This Sunset Valley is an unclaimed land. Treasures belong to the virtuous. Since the princess has already opened the door but is unable to take the treasures, we, as fellow travelers, shall do our part."

When he said the word "substitute," the greed in his cloudy eyes was palpable. His gaze passed over Li Qingge and fixed on the bronze door that was emitting spiritual light.

"Pah! Shameless!"

Gu Yan, hiding behind Li Qingge, poked his head out, brandishing the small dagger he used for self-defense, and shouted with a fierce but weak voice, "You bunch of robbers! This is a treasure trove that the princess risked her life to open! You want to steal the spoils? No way! Where are the Black Armor Guards! Protect the princess!"

However, all that answered him was groans all over the ground.

The remaining twenty-odd black-armored guards were already at their limit. In order to break through the bone crocodile's defense, they had exhausted their life essence. At this point, let alone fighting, it was questionable whether they could even stand up.

"Black-armored guards? Heh heh, such trash?"

The tall, thin man let out a strange laugh, slamming his mourning staff down abruptly: "Third and fourth brothers, send the princess on her way. Hurry up, don't let the spiritual energy in that door escape!"

"yes!"

Two gray-robed cultivators lunged forward with sinister smiles.

Both of them were at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. One wielded a knife, and the other held a claw. They cooperated perfectly, attacking from both sides and giving Li Qingge no chance to breathe.

"court death."

A resolute glint flashed in Li Qingge's eyes.

She suppressed the surging blood and qi within her, about to burn her essence blood again and forcefully activate the Frosty Sword Qi.

"Princess, watch out! I'll fight you to the death!"

At this critical moment, Gu Yan suddenly roared.

He was like a desperate fool, blindfolded, wildly waving the dagger in his hand, his body crashing clumsily into the sword-wielding monk on his left like a cannonball.

"Get out of my way, you ants!"

The sword-wielding cultivator didn't take this lackey, who was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, seriously at all. He casually swung out a sword aura, intending to cleave Gu Yan in two.

However, the stone under Gu Yan's feet suddenly slipped.

"Ouch!"

He lunged forward in a disheveled state, narrowly avoiding the deadly blade energy. However, the seemingly ordinary dagger in his hand, propelled by the momentum of the lunge, unfortunately stabbed into the cultivator's groin.

"Pfft!"

The dagger pierced through the flesh, though it didn't go all the way through, but Gu Yan smeared some substance on it.

The cultivator felt a numbness in his thigh, and his movements slowed down by half a beat.

Although Li Qingge was weak, her fighting instincts remained.

A flash of cold light appeared, and a red line appeared on the cultivator's neck. His head rolled to the ground, his expression still showing disdain and astonishment.

"Third brother!"

The other cultivator, his eyes bloodshot with rage, launched an even fiercer attack, aiming straight for Li Qingge's heart.

Li Qingge had already reached her limit by killing one person with a single sword strike, and could only barely parry with her sword held horizontally.

"clang!"

The immense impact caused her hand to split open, blood flowing down the hilt of her sword. She was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into a boulder beside the icy pool.

"Cough cough..."

Li Qingge spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with ice shards, her breath becoming extremely weak.

"You little wench, die!"

The claw-wielding cultivator pressed his advantage relentlessly, his movements as swift as lightning. His pair of ghostly claws, gleaming with dark light, were only three inches away from Li Qingge's throat.

"It's all over! If the princess dies, we're doomed too!"

Gu Yan lay on the ground, holding his head in his hands, seemingly crying out in despair. But his left hand, hidden in his sleeve, suddenly made a strange hand seal.

Deep within his pupils, a golden line connected to the massive corpse at the edge of the icy pool.

"rise!"

Gu Yan silently shouted in his heart.

The next moment, something completely unexpected happened.

The Xuanming Bone Crocodile, which was clearly dead beyond any doubt and whose brain had been pierced, suddenly convulsed violently.

"roar!!!"

A hoarse roar, filled with a violent aura, burst forth from that gaping maw full of fangs.

The steel whip, as thick as a bucket and covered in bone spurs, lashed out at the claw-wielding cultivator who was about to deliver a finishing blow, relying solely on physical strength without any spiritual energy fluctuations, as if in a final burst of energy.

"What?!"

The cultivator only felt a gust of evil wind coming from behind him. Before he could turn around, his protective spiritual shield was shattered instantly, as if it were made of paper.

"Bang!"

A sound of bone cracking rang out.

The cultivator was sent flying, his body twisted into a bizarre angle, spitting blood as he flew towards the center of the icy pool, splashing water like a dumpling, before being swallowed by the dark, poisonous water in the blink of an eye.

The entire room fell silent.

Even the tall, thin man who was leading the group stared intently at the swaying, upright crocodile corpse, as if he had seen a ghost.

At this moment, the bone crocodile still had Li Qingge's frost sword energy stuck in its right eye hole, with black blood flowing everywhere, making it look ferocious and terrifying.

Inside that enormous skull, a paper figure the size of a palm was attached to the remaining central nervous system of the bone crocodile, emitting a faint spiritual light, like a puppet controlling this massive body.

This is an advanced application of paper crafting: resurrection through possession.

Of course, this is also because the bone crocodile had only recently died and its physical body was still active, and the tricks Gu Yan had used to extract the demon's soul had taken effect.

"How is this possible? Wasn't it dead?"

The tall, thin man's voice trembled, and he instinctively took a step back.

Gu Yan scrambled to his feet, seized the opportunity, and suddenly pointed at Li Qingge, shouting with fanaticism, "Princess, you are mighty! I knew you had a backup plan! This Profound Yin Corpse Control Technique is a closely guarded secret of the Prince's Mansion. You bunch of bumpkins dared to mess with us! You deserve it!"

That shout completely stunned everyone.

Even Li Qingge herself was taken aback.

Corpse control technique? My family only has Righteous Qi and the Frost Sword Technique, where would we get such an evil technique?

But she was incredibly clever. When she looked at the corpse of the bone crocodile that had only attacked the cultivators of Remnant Raven Ridge but had been protecting her, despite her many doubts, she knew this was not the time to undermine it.

She forced herself to stand up straight, her cold gaze sweeping over the group of stunned cultivators. A blood-stained sneer curled at the corner of her lips. She didn't speak, only letting out a contemptuous "humph" from her nostrils.

This cold snort, set off by Gu Yan, became unfathomable.

"Oh no! This woman is playing dumb! She's trying to bait us!"

The tall, thin man's expression changed drastically. He was naturally suspicious, and the more he looked at the bone crocodile's dull and ferocious movements, the more he felt that this was some kind of profound puppetry technique.

"Attack together! Take that puppet apart first!"

He was an old hand at the game, and after the initial shock, he noticed that the corpse puppet's movements were stiff.

The remaining five cultivators from Remnant Crow Ridge gritted their teeth and unleashed their magical artifacts.

In an instant, various colored spiritual lights bombarded the bone crocodile.

"Bang bang bang!"

The magical artifact struck the bone crocodile's armor, which was as hard as metal, sending sparks flying.

Although the bone crocodile is dead and no longer protected by demonic power, its thick skin and tough flesh still provide it with excellent defense.

Under Gu Yan's control, it felt no pain. Even with its bones broken, it fearlessly charged into the crowd, opening its mouth wide to tear and bite indiscriminately.

The scene was chaotic at one point.

"Princess, run! This puppet won't last much longer!"

Taking advantage of the chaos, Gu Yan rushed to Li Qingge's side, supporting her swaying body. His voice was anxious yet loyal: "While they're tied up, let's go inside! Once we're inside, the internal restrictions will surely keep them out!"

Li Qingge gave him a deep look.

She had a premonition that the one controlling the bone crocodile was definitely this seemingly loud and boisterous Gu Changsheng.

Even she couldn't quite understand what this kid was hiding.

But now, there's no choice.

"Walk."

Using Gu Yan's strength, the two stumbled and rushed towards the bronze door.

"Trying to run? Not so easy!"

Seeing the two about to escape, the tall, thin man became anxious. He kicked aside the severed limb of the bone crocodile blocking their way, and his mourning staff transformed into a long white bone snake, lunging straight at Gu Yan's back.

"Xiao Yi!"

Gu Yan suddenly shouted a name into the air.

Just as the long white bone snake was about to bite Gu Yan, the bone crocodile, which was originally being attacked by three cultivators, suddenly made a move that defied the laws of physics.

Its head suddenly spun 180 degrees, and it spat out a round ball that was not fully digested and covered in stomach acid.

That was the second wave of fire bombs that Gu Yan had thrown in earlier. He had wrapped them in paper figures and kept them hidden inside the bone crocodile's belly without detonating them.

"then!"

The sphere struck the long, white-boned snake with pinpoint accuracy.

"boom!!!"

A violent explosion erupted at the edge of the icy pool. Flames, mixed with the stench of stomach acid and bits of flesh, instantly engulfed the tall, thin man.

"Ah! My eyes!"

Taking advantage of this last wave of chaos, Gu Yan and Li Qingge rushed to the bronze gate.

The door gap was small, just enough for one person to pass through sideways.

The light emanating from within was both dazzling and warm, carrying with it a chilling sense of emptiness.

"Go in!"

Gu Yan showed no gentlemanly manners whatsoever, shoving Li Qingge inside before slipping in himself like a slippery eel.

"Rumble..."

The moment the two entered, Gu Yan threw out a Thousand-Pound Drop Talisman that he had prepared beforehand, and stuck it on the inner hinge of the door.

The door, which was originally opening slowly, suddenly began to close in the opposite direction due to the sudden gravitational interference, causing the mechanism to let out a mournful cry!

"No!!!"

The tall, thin man, his face covered in blood, burst out of the smoke and saw the two massive bronze doors that were slowly closing.

He lunged at it frantically, trying to pry open the door with his hands.

"Open it for me!!!"

However, he was met with a perfectly sealed closure.

"Thump!"

The dull thud echoed through the cold pool, like a death knell striking his heart.

The gate was tightly shut, and not a single ray of light could penetrate it. Only the intricate animal-face patterns on the gate seemed to mock the defeated group from the cold wind.

……

Inside the door lies another world.

There were no mountains of gold and seas of silver as imagined, nor were there magical treasures everywhere.

Gu Yan passed through a thick film of water, and the moment his feet touched solid ground, all the surrounding sounds disappeared.

This is a long passageway.

The walls on both sides of the passageway are not bronze or rock, but a translucent jade material.

Within the jade disc, there were eternal lamps sealed, their flames an eerie, ghostly blue that cast long, menacing shadows of the two figures on the ground.

A faint sandalwood scent filled the air, a pleasant aroma that lulled one into a dreamlike state.

"here it is……"

Li Qingge clutched her chest, leaning against the jade wall, her face ashen white. A sense of relief, like she had just escaped a calamity, made her limp.

Gu Yan did not answer immediately.

He cautiously surveyed his surroundings, then walked to the closed door, listened intently for a while, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that no one outside could get in.

"It seems we're safe for now."

He turned around, the fear and humility on his face vanished, leaving only an extremely calm scrutiny.

He looked at the extremely weak Li Qingge, his fingers gently tracing the hilt of the dagger in his sleeve.

Now, it's just the two of them here.

The secrets here are known only to them.

If he were to act now and kill this princess, then everything here would belong to him alone.

Moreover, with the people from Canya Ridge taking the blame, it's practically perfect.

A murderous intent quietly sprouted in Gu Yan's heart, growing wildly like weeds.

Li Qingge seemed to have a feeling.

She raised her head, her eyes still clear and bright, looking directly at Gu Yan, and said calmly, "You want to kill me?"

Gu Yan smiled.

He did not deny it, but slowly took out a handkerchief from his storage bag and wiped the bone crocodile blood stains off his hands.

"The princess is a smart person."

Gu Yu spoke gently, as if chatting with an old friend: "Knowing that I was using corpse control techniques and having witnessed so many of my methods, you were even thinking of using me as bait. Logically and morally, if the princess were to leave alive, my path of cultivation would probably come to an end. Moreover..."

He pointed to the deep, secluded passageway: "Wouldn't it be better if there were one less person to share the opportunities here?"

Li Qingge looked at him and suddenly smiled too.

That smile was like ice and snow melting away, breathtakingly beautiful.

"You don't dare."

Her tone was firm.

"Oh?"

Gu Yan raised an eyebrow, the dagger slipping from his hand into his palm.

"Why do you say that, Princess? You are now so powerful that even a Qi Refining cultivator could bully you."

"Killing me is easy."

Li Qingge slowly raised the jade plate in her hand; it was the key to open the door, and also her only bargaining chip at this moment.

"But this is the outer passageway of the Sunset Palace. Ahead are three Dragon-Slaying Stones and nine Spirit-Suppressing Arrays. Without the guidance of this family heirloom jade plate, you wouldn't last ten steps before being crushed to dust by the restrictions. And this thing, only I know how to use."

"Besides this hard bargaining chip."

Li Qingge paused, her eyes turning playful: "Moreover, you went to great lengths to conceal your strength, your ambitions are far greater. Killing me will immediately shatter the Soul Lamp of the Yong'an Prince's Mansion, transmitting back the scene before your death. Being hunted down by a Nascent Soul True Monarch, is this the result you desired?"

Gu Yan remained silent.

He stared at Li Qingge for a long time, the murderous intent in his eyes receding like the tide.

The next second, he reverted to being the honest and cowardly Gu Changsheng.

"Oh dear, Your Highness, what are you saying? I was just joking to lighten the mood!"

Gu Yan sheathed his dagger and ran over to help Li Qingge up with a fawning expression: "My loyalty to the princess is as clear as day! If it weren't for my quick thinking, we would have been pecked by those crows!"

Li Qingge did not expose his face-changing skill, but simply used the momentum to stand up and tightly grasped the jade plate in her hand.

"Let's go."

She pointed to the end of the passageway, where the outline of a huge palace could be seen.

"The real test has only just begun."

The two walked side by side, each harboring their own secrets.

As Gu Yan walked, he casually asked, "Princess, what treasures are inside that bone crocodile? It doesn't seem like an ordinary demon beast."

"That's a gatekeeper beast; it's a treasure in itself."

Li Qingge said calmly, "However, it is already dead. Its greatest value is its bones, but unfortunately, there was no time to retrieve them."

Gu Yan chuckled inwardly.

No time to pick it up?

In his sea of ​​consciousness, a small golden paper figure, holding a fist-sized bead that exuded a dense aura of death and water elemental power, happily flew back to his body.

That's the inner core of the Xuanming Bone Crocodile, an excellent material for refining third-tier pills.

Just as the two were about to walk out of the passageway.

Gu Yan suddenly stopped in his tracks.

In his view of the paper world, the central hall in front of him was not as magnificent as he had imagined.

There was only one huge pool there.

The pool wasn't filled with water, but with churning blood plasma.

In the center of the blood pool, a transparent crystal coffin floats.

Inside the coffin lay a woman dressed in a magnificent robe, her face lifelike.

And that woman's face actually bore a striking resemblance to Li Qingge beside her, with about 70% similarity!

"This is……"

Gu Yan subconsciously looked at Li Qingge.

When Li Qingge saw the crystal coffin, her body trembled violently. Her eyes revealed not greed, but a deep fear and sorrow.

"Aunt..." she murmured to herself.

Before Gu Yan could even ask what was going on, a sudden change occurred.

The pool of blood around the crystal coffin suddenly began to boil.

A blood-red sword light shot out from the shadows of the main hall, aiming straight for Li Qingge's back!

"Be careful!"

This sword strike was too fast and too ruthless, carrying a murderous aura that Gu Yan was extremely familiar with.

That's the sword technique of the Blood River Sect!

"clang!"

Gu Yan almost instinctively pushed Li Qingge away, and at the same time summoned a tortoise shell shield that he had obtained from picking up corpses earlier.

The shield couldn't withstand the sword light for even three breaths before it shattered instantly.

Gu Yan was thrown back and crashed heavily to the ground.

From the shadows, a figure wearing a bronze mask and a blood-red robe slowly emerged.

In his hand he held a long sword that was still dripping blood, and his eyes, exposed outside the mask, gleamed with a fierce red light.

"The Blood Swordsman?!"

Li Qingge exclaimed in surprise.

Gu Yan lay on the ground, and when he saw the "himself" that had suddenly appeared, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

Oh shit.

That Blood Swordsman is a fake!

Someone is impersonating my alter ego!

This isn't a joke, it's a recommendation for the treasure book "Immortality: Grinding Experience from a Paper Craftsman":