Chapter 117: The Hidden Yin and Yang (5)

Shi Pengpeng’s sudden declaration left everyone momentarily stunned.

Xu Qin’s first reaction was that she must realize she couldn’t win, so she was simply telling Yan Jing to give up resisting and surrender. 

But that clearly wasn’t her style.

This little Daoist was always cunning—there was no way she would give in so easily.

Xu Qin’s instincts screamed that something was wrong, and he subconsciously tried to intervene.

But Yan Jing was even quicker, immediately dropping his defenses. 

He didn’t understand Shi Pengpeng’s intentions, but his trust in her was absolute.

So, the moment she finished speaking, he obeyed without hesitation.

Yan Jing stopped struggling, allowing the Youshi to grip his throat. 

Ominous corpse energy kept invading his blood.

Then, it seeped into his bones.

The Unwithering Bone could connect yin and yang, reversing death into life.

In that instant, the Youshi seemed to open a superhighway within his body. 

The Essence of Moonlight surged in ceaselessly through this passage.

The Youshi’s shriveled body rapidly swelled, the white hair fading to reveal cracked skin underneath. 

Soon, even the skin gained a healthy sheen, and sunken, pit-like eyes grew flesh and blood.

A living aura began to emanate from it.

A strange light burst from the Youshi’s blood-red eyes, and even Xu Qin’s own eyes widened in disbelief.

As legend said, the Unwithering Bone could truly reverse yin and yang—even a Jiangshi, a walking corpse abandoned by the Six Paths of Reincarnation, could have its life force restored.

This thousand-year-old Youshi, after Xu Qin’s blood sacrifice and sword refining, had already reached the peak of its kind—just a step away from breaking its limits.

The Unwithering Bone bridged that gap.

“Hahaha—!” The now gigantic Jiangshi suddenly threw back its head and laughed.

Its laughter boomed like thunder, shaking everyone to their core.

Jiangshi could not speak like humans; only after reaching their ultimate form, straddling the line between life and death, man and corpse, could they utter human words.

This meant the Youshi had finally broken through the last barrier—it was about to become a true Zombie King—

Hanba.

“The Unwithering Bone, so this is the Unwithering Bone…” Xu Qin muttered, his heart pounding wildly. 

Amidst his shock and delight, he shot Shi Pengpeng a cold, smug smile. 

“Shi Pengpeng, is this your plan? Helping me out, refining the Youshi into a Hanba?”

He’d thought Shi Pengpeng asked Yan Jing to give up because she had some even more devious trick to deal with the Youshi.

But in the end, she just stood by and watched as the Youshi rapidly evolved through the Unwithering Bone, on the verge of becoming a Zombie King.

Xu Qin felt certain this wasn’t what Shi Pengpeng intended at first—she must have been tangled up by him, unable to free herself to deal with the Youshi.

In the end, she’d only shot herself in the middle and helped him greatly.

So it seemed Shi Pengpeng wasn’t as formidable as the legends claimed—he’d managed to suppress her with just the Zigan Sword and a Wangxiang.

Xu Qin was suddenly struck by a crucial realization—he’d overlooked something extremely important!

Shi Pengpeng smiled slightly, “That’s right.”

As her words fell, the moisture in the air rapidly vanished, and the surroundings grew parched and dry.

Xu Qin:!!

Hanba, the Drought Ghost.

Where the sun and moon do not shine, Hanba brings calamity. 

Born of resentment, its fury burns all.

The Hanba was regarded as the Zombie King, feared by all—not just for its terrifying power and brutality, but for something even graver—

Hanba brought disaster wherever it went.

Wherever the Hanba appeared, all water within several miles would rapidly evaporate. 

The land would become parched, even turn to desert—a “thousand miles of scorched earth.” 

In ancient times, when farmers relied on the sky for rain, this was as catastrophic as the end of the world.

The thousand-year-old Youshi before them had not yet fully become Hanba, but was already displaying the power of a Zombie King.

It dispersed wind, rain, and fog, evaporating all moisture.

And right now, the greatest source of water in this place was the Wangxiang under Xu Qin’s control.

Wangxiang was too skilled at hiding, and Shi Pengpeng, held back by Xu Qin, couldn’t locate it in time.

But for the Hanba, this was no issue at all.

Hanba’s burning wrath was a domain skill—no matter how the Wangxiang hid, as long as it was within the Hanba’s aura, the water would inevitably evaporate.

Xu Qin had been so focused on using the Wangxiang to suppress Shi Pengpeng—seeing her at a loss, he grew complacent and overconfident. 

The Unwithering Bone’s allure further distracted him; he was only thinking about how the Youshi would be reborn, and how a newly refined Zombie King could deal with those arrogant Daoists.

He had too many plans, but missed the most critical point.

Hanba and Wangxiang were natural enemies.

By the time he realized this, it was already too late. 

A faint moan echoed through the mountain hollow.

“Wuu—save me, save me—”

With that pitiful cry for help, a pure, glass-like shallow river appeared out of thin air on the ground ahead—it was the Wangxiang that had tried to escape.

But now, the river was clearly much narrower and shallower than before. 

Its body twisted in pain, and mist rose from its surface as the water kept evaporating.

If Xu Qin hadn’t been controlling it, the Wangxiang would have fled far, far away by now.

“Useless thing!” Xu Qin cursed, hurriedly manipulating the Wang Xiang Eye Bead to try to recall the Wangxiang.

But just then, a sharp clang rang out in the air. 

Xu Qin’s ears twitched, and out of the corner of his eye he saw a Talisman Soldier flying toward him. 

With the Wangxiang no longer interfering, the Talisman Soldier’s aura was as biting as frost, sending a chill down his spine even from dozens of meters away.

Still, this wasn’t enough to threaten Xu Qin. 

“You think this is enough to deal with me? Too naive………………”

He turned his wrist, about to activate the Zigan Sword. 

But that sharp aura was suddenly right in front of his face.

Xu Qin: ?!!

Fortunately, his reflexes were quick. 

In a flash, he twisted aside, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.

Even so, his shoulder was slashed, a wave of pain erupting as blood spurted out.

His hand went weak, and the Wang Xiang Eye Bead tumbled to the ground.

Xu Qin was aghast: “How is this possible?!”

“Hehe, didn’t you know? My Talisman Soldier can reach thirty meters long.” Shi Pengpeng beamed with innocent delight.

Xu Qin: “….”

Who would know that?!

The last person to see her Talisman Soldier, Zhao Xiwen, had already been cut to pieces, and the Underworld Registrar was detained by the Underworld for questioning—he was probably already thrown into the Ghost Domain Sea of Suffering!

While Xu Qin was still in shock, Shi Pengpeng darted forward like lightning, swinging her iron fist at him.

She was strong, and with her Manna infused into her fist, her momentum was fierce—just the aura was even more intimidating than the Talisman Soldier.

Normally, Xu Qin wouldn’t fear hand-to-hand combat with her, but after just suffering a setback, and with his arm still bleeding, he was wary of more tricks and instinctively retreated a few steps.

But Shi Pengpeng didn’t pursue. 

Instead, she bent low and, with lightning speed, scooped up the Wang Xiang Eye Bead rolling on the ground.

Xu Qin: “….”

‘Damn it!’

“Heehee.” Shi Pengpeng ignored his curses, too lazy to bicker, and quickly began casting a spell on the bead.

The bead looked like a crystal, but felt icy cold to the touch, actually condensed from Water Jing. 

Now, after being steamed by the Hanba, it had shrunk significantly, and its golden pupil was scorched red at the edges, wrinkled like a fried egg.

“Wandering spirit, where do you hide your form… Command!”

As the incantation fell, the bead emitted a faint glow. 

“Awoo—” 

The river twisted a few more times, unable to hold out any longer. 

Mist rose up, and the river vanished on the spot, transforming into a toddler of about two years old.

The child was pitch black, with red eyes, large ears, long arms, and a pair of crimson claws.

This was the true form of the Wangxiang.

Normally, the Wangxiang would be the size of a three-year-old child, but this one had been steamed by the evolving Hanba and was much smaller.

“Waaah—waaah—I’m dying, I’m dying—” The Wangxiang rolled on the ground.

Shi Pengpeng tossed out a yellow talisman, trying to subdue the Wangxiang.

“Not so easy!” Xu Qin cursed, swinging the Zigan Sword to stop her, but just then a Sword Qi swept in from the side.

“Ahhh, Senior Sister, I finally found you!!!” Xiao Lingshu charged over, wielding the Copper Coin Sword and sprinting at full speed. 

“I was scared to death just now, everyone suddenly disappeared, and some old schemer tried to take me out, but luckily my skills are top-notch and I managed a counterattack! Too bad you didn’t see it or you’d be proud!”

He continued: “But how did you suddenly appear again? So mysterious—wait, isn’t that guy the one who almost crossed the line with you? Is he trying to mess with you? Don’t worry, watch me—”

Hearing that familiar racket, Shi Pengpeng’s heart eased a little.

Clearly, the Wangxiang was at its limit and could no longer maintain its concealment, forced to release the people it had hidden.

It was just a bit of a shame—the first one released turned out to be Xiao Lingshu.

Could the Wangxiang not stand his noise either?

“!” Xu Qin felt as if he were suddenly surrounded by eighteen loudspeakers, his head buzzing. 

In a rage, he turned his sword toward Xiao Lingshu. 

“Shut up!”

Xiao Lingshu ignored him. 

“You think you’re Shi Pengpeng or something? Telling me to shut up and I’ll just listen? Where’s my dignity? Take this—!”

Naturally, Xiao Lingshu was no match for Xu Qin, and his Copper Coin Sword was no match for the Zigan Sword.

With a metallic clang, the two swords clashed—the Copper Coin Sword instantly shattered, scattering its 108 precious Five Emperor Coins all over the ground.

“…………” Xiao Lingshu stared, dumbfounded. 

“What the—!”

Shi Pengpeng, for once, gave him a thumbs-up. 

“Well done, junior brother!”

Though Xiao Lingshu hadn’t hurt Xu Qin at all, he’d managed to tie him up for a moment.

Taking advantage of this opening, Shi Pengpeng quickly tossed out a Red Thread, binding the Wangxiang tightly until it shrank to the size of a fist.

She knocked the Wangxiang out with a punch, wrapped it up in her Talisman Pouch, and called out, “Brother, it’s done!”

Using the Youshi’s evolution into Hanba to deal with the Wangxiang was a risky move—she never intended to create a Zombie King for real.

“Mm.” Yan Jing, who had been holding his breath the whole time, now refocused to sever the connection between the Jiangshi and the Unwithering Bone.

The Jiangshi sensed the Essence of Moonlight pouring in and had slowed, its red eyes flashing with displeasure. 

It tightened its claws around Yan Jing’s throat. 

“Haaa—!”

A Talisman Soldier slashed down, severing its wrist in one brutal stroke.

“How dare you bully my boyfriend!” Shi Pengpeng glared fiercely.

Her Talisman Soldier’s sharpness had once scattered the soul of a Corpse Ghost—now, with her spiritual veins reforged by her divine status, she was even stronger.

If not for the Wangxiang concealing its presence earlier, this mere thousand-year-old Youshi would never have been her match.

She was completely confident she could stop the Youshi from becoming a Zombie King.

Shi Pengpeng raised her hand, the Talisman Soldier spinning back to slash at the Jiangshi’s neck. 

“Clang—” 

The blade struck, talismanic power resonating with a metallic ring.

But this time, the Talisman Soldier failed to pierce the Jiangshi’s skin and was instead sent flying.

Shi Pengpeng’s eyelid twitched. 

She instinctively looked at Xu Qin.

Xu Qin’s entire hand was clenched around the Zigan Sword’s blade. 

Blood gushed from his palm, but none of it fell to the ground—it was all absorbed by the sword.

Shi Pengpeng: !!

This was no longer just a blood sacrifice—it was a life sacrifice.

People really didn’t cherish bodies that weren’t their own!

Xu Qin had no choice. 

Without the Wangxiang, the other Daoists would soon catch up. 

The situation was dire—might as well go all in. 

After all, this body wasn’t what he truly wanted…

With life as the offering, the Zigan Sword once again drew in the Essence of Moonlight.

“Roar—!” 

The Jiangshi howled at the sky, its wrathful aura surging like a storm in all directions.

It was as if flames raged in the air, all moisture instantly evaporating.

Even their skin began to crack from dryness, itching from the arid air. 

Xiao Lingshu couldn’t help but touch his nose, only to find it wet. 

He looked and cursed, “I’ve got a nosebleed!”

Immediately, even the blood dried to a crust.

“Hahaha, Shi Pengpeng, so what if you have a Wangxiang!” Xu Qin pointed his sword at her. 

“Now, you’ll have to figure out how to deal with this Zombie King! This is what they call outsmarting yourself!”

High above, the moon quietly slipped behind the clouds.

The Jiangshi ascended to kingship; the sun and moon lost their light.

“Damn, damn, damn!!” Xiao Lingshu frantically gathered his scattered coins. 

“We’re doomed, Senior Sister, what do we do now? This Zombie King looks terrifying—can you handle it? Dao follows nature, the universe is boundless—Command!”

The Breaking Evil Incantation struck the Zombie King, which shuddered, then scratched its shoulder where it was hit. 

“Heh—”

Xiao Lingshu: “….”

Not much damage, but deeply insulting!

“Kill!” Xu Qin ordered.

“Kill—!” The Zombie King answered, its voice thundering like a drum, shaking everyone’s hearts.

Shi Pengpeng did not retreat. 

She formed a sword gesture with her fingers, Talisman Soldier at the ready, about to strike—when suddenly, Yan Jing dashed forward and stood firmly in front of her.

“Brother!” Shi Pengpeng cried in alarm. 

“Get out of the way!”

“No, Pengpeng, let me handle this!” Yan Jing said.

The Zombie King was too fierce. 

Shi Pengpeng might be able to handle it, but who knows how much power she’d have to spend.

If she got hurt, Xu Qin was still waiting for his chance.

He couldn’t let her take such a risk.

Without waiting for Shi Pengpeng’s response, Yan Jing braved the tide of corpse energy and lunged forward.

The Zombie King, still unsatisfied from before, didn’t dodge at all—on the contrary, it took a step forward and seized his wrist.

Yan Jing and the corpse, standing before the headlights of the refrigerated truck, gripped each other’s hands.

Shi Pengpeng’s heart leapt into her throat. 

“Brother!”

Xu Qin burst out laughing. 

“Big Boss Yan, didn’t expect you to be such a romantic—risking your life for your little girlfriend. But have you forgotten? You’re the Unwithering Bone! This will only help the Zombie King evolve even further………………”

But his smile froze.

The Zombie King and Yan Jing’s Unwithering Bone connected, and the surrounding vitality surged into the zombie’s body.

The corpse’s body evolved again at a speed visible to the naked eye.

But this time, the evolution wasn’t into a more powerful walking corpse—it was… growing the flesh and blood of a living human?

Xu Qin: ???

No way—the Zombie King isn’t about to turn human, is it?!!

Xu Qin could hardly believe his eyes. 

“H-How is this happening?!”

Shi Pengpeng also noticed this strange turn and paused, suddenly understanding: 

“Reversing yin and yang…”

A miraculous bone, uncorrupted by death, able to connect yin and yang, reverse life and death, allowing even monsters outside the Six Paths to form a soul.

For a Jiangshi rejected by the Three Realms, this was nothing short of a miracle.

But right now, Xu Qin certainly wasn’t hoping for such a miracle.