Chapter 33: Nine Layers of the Spirit Pellet, Art of Corpse Control!

Seeing this, the Old Corpse Controller was completely dumbfounded. He collapsed beside his blood corpse and began to wail frantically.

"My blood corpse! Oh, my blood corpse!"

The old man wept bitterly, tears streaming down his face, looking truly heartbroken. And rightfully so—the blood corpse had been his only hope for a second life, and with a single punch, that hope had been utterly extinguished.

Wan Jianyi pointed at the Old Corpse Controller and chuckled. "Little brother, I didn't lie to you, did I? This guy is a necrophiliac; he’s crying this hard just because one corpse is gone."

"That’s for sure..."

Having lost his second life, how could the Old Corpse Controller not be heartbroken?

The old man suddenly looked up, grinding his teeth in fury. "Wan Jianyi, are you insane? If your hands are itching, hit me! Why did you have to hit *it*?"

Wan Jianyi scratched his head and gave a cheeky grin. "I'm old, and I suppose I’ve gone a bit senile. My brain isn't working right, so I just felt like hitting it. What of it? You going to do something about it?"

The Old Corpse Controller’s face darkened, his anger reaching a breaking point. "Wan Jianyi, I’m going to kill you!"

With a roar, he stomped his foot, his body surging forward like a bolt of lightning as he lunged at Wan Jianyi. He was incredibly fast, reaching his target in the blink of an eye.

"Oh, so you actually dare to attack?"

Before the words had even faded, Wan Jianyi raised his hand and struck out, landing a heavy slap across the old man’s face.

*Smack!*

The sound was crisp and sharp. The Old Corpse Controller’s face twisted violently, and his body flew sideways like a cannonball before slamming into the ground. The slap left him completely dazed, and the flames of rage that had been burning in his heart were extinguished in an instant. He clutched his cheek and looked at Wan Jianyi, his eyes suddenly appearing much clearer.

"Well? Do you want to continue?"

The old man furrowed his brows and asked, "Wan Jianyi, you’ve been missing for so long—what level have you reached exactly?"

Ye Changsheng watched them from the side, curious to know the answer himself.

Wan Jianyi gestured vaguely and replied, "Not much. Just a tiny bit higher than you."

"A tiny bit?"

The Old Corpse Controller looked bewildered. Who would believe a claim like that?

Wan Jianyi smiled and added a clarification, "I mean, I'm a tiny bit away from killing you with a single punch."

"Uh..." Ye Changsheng fell silent.

He truly is my big brother; his sense of humor is something else...

Hearing this, the Old Corpse Controller was thoroughly stunned. What was the point of fighting now? He knelt on the ground and shuffled forward on his knees until he reached Wan Jianyi.

"You old ghost, what are you doing? Are you putting on a circus act for me?"

The Old Corpse Controller opened his arms and hugged Wan Jianyi’s leg tightly. "Brother Wan, Brother Jian, Jian-ge..."

Wan Jianyi shot him a look of utter disgust. "You’re at your age, can you not be so pathetic? If you try to gross me out again, I’ll send you to see the King of Hell right now."

"Jian-ge, back at the Battlefield Beyond the Domain, I was forced by others!"

Wan Jianyi gave a soft "Oh" and asked, "You old ghost have decent strength. How many people in the Northern Region could actually threaten you?"

"Those three old bastards from the Five Great Sects..."

"Them?" Wan Jianyi paused.

The Old Corpse Controller nodded and continued, "They colluded with those old monsters from the Western Region for their own selfish gains. I had no choice but to act against you."

Hearing this, Wan Jianyi clenched his fists, his expression turning icy with rage. Wan Jianyi was always laughing, looking carefree day in and day out; this was the first time Ye Changsheng had seen him look this way.

Standing nearby, Ye Changsheng wondered, "What exactly is that Battlefield Beyond the Domain? And who are these three old bastards from the Five Great Sects?" Although he had lived in this world for over a decade, the first half of his life had been spent as a mortal. He knew nothing of the cultivation world, like a frog at the bottom of a well. He only knew that the Five Great Sects were the top powers in the Northern Region, though they were not allies and often schemed against one another.

The Old Corpse Controller put on a pitiful face, wailing for mercy. "Jian-ge, please spare me! You’ve already destroyed my blood corpse, and my lifespan is nearly up. I don't have long to live. Killing me would only dirty your hands; why not just let Heaven take me?"

"I promised my little brother I would bury you with my own hands. You're making this very difficult for me," Wan Jianyi muttered. He turned to look at Ye Changsheng. "Little brother, what do you suggest?"

"Since this old senior enjoys hiding in a coffin, let’s accommodate him!"

The Old Corpse Controller looked at Ye Changsheng and hurriedly asked, "What do you mean by that? Young friend, I advise you to be kind!"

"Kind? Don't worry, old senior. I’m the type of person who does good deeds without leaving a name."

A short while later, the Old Corpse Controller "voluntarily" climbed into the stone coffin.

"Now that the old geezer is inside, it’s much quieter," Wan Jianyi said, brushing the dust off his hands with a smirk.

"Brother, please help me dig a pit."

"That’s simple." Wan Jianyi flicked his finger, and a massive hole was blasted into the ground.

"Old ghost, time to go to sleep!"

As he spoke, the stone coffin hovered and drifted into the pit. Then, with a wave of Wan Jianyi’s hand, the coffin was buried.

"Alright, little brother, I’ve done what I needed to do. The rest is up to you."

"Understood!"

Ye Changsheng picked up his *suona* (a traditional horn) and began to play. Since the Old Corpse Controller was a long-lived monster, he deserved a grand funeral procession. After finishing the tune, Ye Changsheng’s face was flushed red.

Seeing this, Wan Jianyi couldn't help but chuckle. "Little brother, I didn't realize that for someone so young, not only is your cultivation profound, but you’re also a musician!"

"This *suona* is only for the dead," Ye Changsheng replied. He picked up his soul-pacifying gong, striking it rhythmically while chanting:

"Firecrackers pop, the *suona* wails, the front leads the way, the back follows the trail."

"At first, one doesn't understand the meaning of the *suona*; when one understands, one is already inside the coffin."

Ye Changsheng pulled some paper money from his pocket and burned it before the grave.

"Done!"

As he spoke, the system’s voice echoed in his ears:

【Congratulations to the host for acquiring the Corpse Path secret technique: Corpse Control Art.】

【Corpse Control Art: Can manipulate corpses to fight in battle.】

"This thing might actually be useful. If I get the chance later, I'll collect a few corpses to act as bodyguards..."

【Congratulations to the host for advancing to the Ninth Level of the Spirit Pellet Realm!】

This advancement didn't bring any drastic changes, but Ye Changsheng felt the power within him become significantly more robust and vast.

"Burying people is good! Burying people is wonderful!"

"If things keep going like this..."

"I, Ye Changsheng, might just bury my way to the Emperor Realm..."