“If the Corpse Poison didn't help to form a barrier and isolate me, I would have died,” Yin s.h.i.+li said bitterly.”If the Corpse Poison didn't help to form a barrier and isolate me, I would have died,” Yin s.h.i.+li said bitterly.

Although he was originally a living dead person, this devouring power could steal the Spiritual Power of the Heart of the Heavens and the Earth from within him.

If he hadn't urgently used the Corpse Poison to isolate himself, he would have long become a Yin Corpse with no consciousness left.

“The Corpse Poison can help to isolate the devouring power,” Yun Jiuge secretly noted down. She then helped Yin s.h.i.+li get up from the coc.o.o.n and asked, “By the way, what happened when you went to the Five Poison Sect? How did Chun Sanniang become a stone statue?”

“When Chun Sanniang and I visited the Five Poison Sect, everything seemed normal. The Religious Leader also looked like a normal person…,” said Yin s.h.i.+li, before being interrupted by Yun Jiuge. “What do you mean the Religious Leader looked like a normal person?”

“Let me finish speaking first, there's still more that happened afterward,” Yin s.h.i.+li said helplessly.

“Okay, go ahead!” Yun Jiuge answered while gesturing.

“At first, the Five Poison Sect seemed normal, but afterwards I realized a Hallucinatory Spell had been cast. I was about to run away with Chun Sanniang when the Religious Leader turned into a stone figure and started attacking us.

He turned Chun Sanniang into stone. After I escaped, I wanted to recuperate in this valley of Yin Qi. I didn't expect that there'd be gray silk threads with devouring powers here. When I discovered its presence, it had already surrounded me.

If you hadn't come to rescue me, I wouldn't have been able to hold on for much longer,” Yin s.h.i.+li explained, with some fear still lingering. The Corpse Poison had only been a form of temporary isolation. If Yun Jiuge didn't arrive in time, he might not even be alive now.

“Where are Qiu Sen and the others then?” Yin s.h.i.+li asked, looking around. He only saw Zi Shang and a strange little fat boy.

“They were taken away by the people of Empress Mountain,” Yun Jiuge answered, telling the story of what had happened at the Divine Temple. “We suspect that there's a Nascent Soul Cultivator in that temple.”

“A Nascent Soul Cultivator? Have all these things been caused by him? The cursing power and devouring power complement each other —they're extremely ferocious when combined. If they spread further, everyone in the world would suffer. Who could be so vicious?” Yin s.h.i.+li asked. Although he was the Sect Leader of a devilish sect, he didn't dare to joke about such matters.

“I don't know either. Let's leave this place first and find a solution later,” Yun Jiuge said. She didn't know if the world would suffer, but she knew that if Yin s.h.i.+li did not find a place to recover soon, he would become a Yin Corpse.

“Okay,” Yin s.h.i.+li said and stood up with much difficulty.

Yun Jiuge was about to call Zi Shang and Little Gra.s.s to leave when she heard a low rumble.

A pa.s.sageway appeared behind the swarm of stone insects that they had just killed. Immediately, the gray silks that had tied Yin s.h.i.+li up retreated back into the pa.s.sageway.

Yun Jiuge looked towards the pa.s.sage, but it was pitch black inside.

Zi Shang molded a small purple bug and sent it flying into the depths of the pa.s.sageway. But it was devoured shortly after flying inside.

“This pa.s.sageway is the source of the devouring power and cursing power,” Zi Shang said with a solemn expression. He wanted to explore further but was worried about Yun Jiuge.

“Why don't we…” Yun Jiuge was about to speak when she saw Little Gra.s.s suddenly lying on the ground. He was using his hands and feet to crawl towards the pa.s.sageway with a stunningly fast speed.

“You idiot, come back,” Yun Jiuge said as she rushed over, with Zi Shang quickly following behind.

As Yin s.h.i.+li took a step forward, his entire body felt weak again. He could only sit down near the pa.s.sageway and observe from the side while catching his breath.

“You silly boy, just running away without saying anything. Are you asking to be beaten?” Yun Jiuge hemmed and hawed. Using great strength, she held Little Gra.s.s down and smacked his b.u.t.tocks a few times.

“Master, I was wrong. I only ran in because I smelled a nice fragrance inside,” Little Gra.s.s wailed. He didn't mean to do so on purpose.

“There was a nice smell?” Yun Jiuge felt that this sentence sounded inexplicably familiar.

“Yes, and it smells delicious,” Little Gra.s.s replied as he nodded vigorously.

“I remember Feifei has also said this before,” Zi Shang came over as he heard this.

“In that case, could the pa.s.sageway be leading to Empress Temple?” Yun Jiuge asked in surprise.

“It's very possible,” Zi Shang replied.

“Shall we still go then?” Yun Jiuge said. She hesitated because that woman in Empress Temple always made her feel very uneasy.

“Let's go have a look. If something's not right, we'll retreat,” Zi Shang advised. He knew that all the secrets lay in Empress Temple. They would need to go there sooner or later.

“Okay, let's go then,” Yun Jiuge answered. Since this pa.s.sage was so clandestine, there might be more surprises inside. It was time for Little Gra.s.s to go back into hiding before he caused more trouble.

Disregarding Little Gra.s.s's protests, she tucked him into the Magic Cauldron. Then she set up a small Defense s.h.i.+eld with her Holy Power and entered with Zi Shang.

The pa.s.sageway was intricately covered with gray silk threads. They wavered slightly but didn't dare to lay a finger on Yun Jiuge and Zi Shang due to Yun Jiuge's Holy Power.

After half an hour, Yun Jiuge finally reached the end of the pa.s.sageway. There was a round cave wall with a gray wooden lid as its inlay. Underneath the lid was a walkway paved with white jade. Wisps of smoke and celestial music drifted through the air. In the distance, there were sounds of people devoutly greeting the Empress. This must have been Empress Temple.

“Do we go down now?” Yun Jiuge asked Zi Shang.

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed from a distance. “Luo Tian, how about going for a drink after we end work?”

Luo Tian? Wasn't this Jun Yichen's voice?

Yun Jiuge's eyes widened and she quickly hurried to the wooden lid to take a look.

She saw a tall, handsome lad standing along the white jade walkway. In front of him, there was a dark-skinned, gruff-looking young man. It had to be Luo Tian.

Jun Yichen had grown by a lot. The last she saw him, he was still an arrogant p.r.i.c.k. Now, he had become a strapping young man.

This was not the main point though. The question was, why were they here?

Listening to their conversation, they seemed to be working in Empress Temple.

Yun Jiuge wished that she could go and find out more.

“Shh, there's something wrong with the two of them,” Zi Shang remarked as he tugged at Yun Jiuge. “Pay attention to their eyes.”

Yun Jiuge craned her neck to look. She saw that Jun Yichen's eyes were dull and that he was speaking with a monotonous voice.

Previously, Jun Yichen's eyes were dark, black and full of emotion. Now, they just looked empty and devoid of any feeling.

Luo Tian's eyes also looked very strange. There were no movements as he looked at Jun Yichen, as if he was just looking at a stone.

The conversation between the two people was also as mundane as one that ordinary bodyguards would have.

“Are they bewitched or sealed?” Yun Jiuge asked Zi Shang.

“I'm not sure. Since there's no one around now, why not let Feifei out to take a look?” Zi Shang whispered.

Jun Yichen and Luo Tian both raised Legendary Venomous Insects. If they had become bewitched, their Life's Origin Parasite would definitely be aware.