“ lǎo zǔ ， sūn ér yǒu yī shì bù jiě ， hái wàng nín lǎo jiě huò 。” níng jiā shǎo zhǔ tū rán yǎn zhū yī zhuǎn de kāi kǒu le 。
“老祖，孙儿有一事不解，还望您老解惑。”宁家少主突然眼珠一转的开口了。
"Grand Ancestor, I have a question that I do not understand. I hope you can enlighten me," the head of the Ning family suddenly said with his eyes rolling.
“ shuō 。” shī mó suī rán dǎi dú xié è ， dàn duì yú běn jiā dì zǐ ， tài dù hái shì pǒ wèi cí hé 。
“说。”尸魔虽然歹毒邪恶，但对于本家弟子，态度还是颇为慈和。
"Speak." The Corpse Demon, though vicious and evil, was still rather kind to his own disciples.
“ wǒ níng jiā jì rán yǒu tiān shī huà shēn jué zhè zhǒng nì tiān mó gōng ， wèi shén me què bù ràng dì zǐ men xiū liàn ne ， rú guǒ wǒ men dōu néng gòu zhuǎn huà wèi shī mó zhī tǐ ， chēng bà xuán kōng dǎo bù guò shì qīng ér yì jǔ 。”
“我宁家既然有天尸化身诀这种逆天魔功，为什么却不让弟子们修炼呢，如果我们都能够转化为尸魔之体，称霸旋崆岛不过是轻而易举。”
"Why does our Ning Family allow us to practice the Heaven Corpse Transformation Art when we have such a powerful demonic technique? If all of us could transform into Corpse Demons, dominating Spiral Peak Island would be as easy as turning over one's palm."
“ hēng ， nǐ yǐ wéi tiān shī huà shēn jué shì rén rén dōu kě yǐ xiū liàn de ？” guài wù de shēng yīn tīng shàng qù pǒ wèi xiōng è ， dàn hái shì xú xú de jiě shì qǐ lái le ：“ xiū liàn zhī rén ， tiáo jiàn kē kè ， shǒu xiān bì xū shì yīn shǔ xìng de yì líng gēn yōng yǒu zhě ”
“哼，你以为天尸化身诀是人人都可以修炼的？”怪物的声音听上去颇为凶恶，但还是徐徐的解释起来了：“修炼之人，条件苛刻，首先必须是阴属性的异灵根拥有者”
"Humph. Do you think that anyone can practice the Heaven Corpse Transformation Art?" The monster's voice sounded quite fierce, but it continued to explain: "The conditions for cultivation are strict. First and foremost, one must possess an odd Yin attribute Spirit Root."
yīn shǔ xìng de yì líng gēn ？
阴属性的异灵根？
"An odd Yin attribute Spirit Root?"
níng jiā shǎo zhǔ liǎn sè yī bái ， zhè zhǒng zī zhì ， wàn zhōng wú yī ， nǎi shì yóu tǔ shǔ xìng fā shēng biàn yì 。 bǐ shèng líng gēn de tiān cái dōu hái yào gèng jiā xī yǒu yī xiē 。
宁家少主脸色一白，这种资质，万中无一，乃是由土属性发生变异。比圣灵根的天才都还要更加稀有一些。
The head of the Ning family's face paled. Such a talent was virtually nonexistent—only one in ten thousand—and was caused by a mutation from Earth attributes, even rarer than a Saintly Spirit Root.
“ chú cǐ yǐ wài ， xiū liàn zhě de jìng jiè ， bì xū hái yào dá dào níng dān qī dǐng jiē ， ér qiě zài shī qì nóng zhòng de jí pǐn yīn mài zhī dì wán chéng zhuǎn huà ， jí biàn zhè yàng ， chéng gōng lǜ yě bù guò yì chéng ér yǐ ， nǎ yǒu nà me róng yì chéng wéi shī mó zhī tǐ 。
“除此以外，修炼者的境界，必须还要达到凝丹期顶阶，而且在尸气浓重的极品阴脉之地完成转化，即便这样，成功率嘢不过一成而已，哪有那么容易成为尸魔之体。
"Besides that, the cultivator must reach the peak stage of Condensation Core and complete the transformation in an extremely Yin-dense top-grade Yin Meridian region. Even then, the success rate is only about one percent. It's not as easy to become a Corpse Demon."
tīng dào zhè xiē ， níng jiā shǎo zhǔ xīn zhōng de ** yǐ wán quán bèi jiāo miè ， nán nán de kāi kǒu le ： jì rán rú cǐ kē kè ， nà lǎo zǔ dāng nián wèi hé “
听到这些，宁家少主心中的**已完全被浇灭，喃喃的开口了：既然如此苛刻，那老祖当年为何“
Hearing this, the head of the Ning family's hopes were completely extinguished. He muttered: "Given such strict conditions, why did Grand Ancestor..."
“ hú tú ， lǎo fū gāng cái bù yǐ shuō le 。 wǒ shì yīn wèi shòu yuán bù zú ， bù dé yǐ cái xiū liàn cǐ mó gōng ， ěr děng hái shì àn zhào píng cháng de xiū xiān zhī fǎ jiào tuǒ ， hé kuàng cǐ mó gōng wēi lì wú qióng 。 yòu yǒu yán shòu de xiào guǒ ， dàn wǒ níng jiā yōng yǒu de bù guò shì cán piān ， yǒu zhòng dà quē xiàn 。”
“糊涂，老夫刚才不已说了。我是因为寿元不足，不得已才修炼此魔功，尔等还是按照平常的修仙之法较妥，何况此魔功威力无穷。又有延寿的效果，但我宁家拥有的不过是残篇，有重大缺陷。”
"Ridiculous! Didn't I just explain that? I practiced this demonic technique because my lifespan was insufficient; it was out of necessity. You should follow the usual cultivation methods. Besides, this technique is incredibly powerful and has a life-extending effect. However, our Ning Family only possesses incomplete fragments with significant flaws."
“ cán piān ？” níng jiā shǎo zhǔ biǎo qíng yī dāi ， liǎn shàng bù yóu de lù chū jǐ fēn bù xìn de shén sè lái 。
“残篇？”宁家少主表情一呆，脸上不由得露出几分不信的神色来。
"Fragments?" The head of the Ning family's expression froze, his face showing disbelief.
“ hēng ， nǐ huái yí lǎo fū de huà me ？”
“哼，你怀疑老夫的话么？”
"Humph, do you doubt my words?"
“ sūn ér bù gǎn ！” tīng duì fāng yǔ qì bù shàn ， níng jiā shǎo zhǔ lián máng qū xī guì le xià lái 。
“孙儿不敢！”听对方语气不善，宁家少主连忙屈膝跪了下来。
"Grandson dares not!" Seeing the other's tone was not favorable, the head of the Ning family quickly knelt down.
“ yě bù guài nǐ ， rèn shuí tīng jiàn zhè nì tiān mó gōng dōu nán miǎn xīn dòng 。” guài wù de liǎn shàng lù chū yī fēn xiào róng ：“ hǎo ba ， lǎo fū jiù jiāng tā de lái lì shuō yǔ nǐ tīng ， zhè jiàn yǐn mì kě shì zhǐ yǒu lì dài jiā zhǔ cái néng zhī xiǎo ， biàn shì rú jīn zài zú nèi zhí zhǎng dà quán de nǐ de èr shū ， yě bù qīng chǔ 。”
“也不怪你，认谁听见这逆天魔功都难免心动。”怪物的脸上露出一分笑容：“好吧，老夫就将它的来历说与你听，这件隐秘可是只有历代家主才能知晓，便是如今在族内执掌大权的你的二叔，也不清楚。”
"It's understandable. Who wouldn't be tempted by such an overpowered technique?" The monster smiled: "Alright, I will tell you about its origin. This secret is known only to历代 heads of the family; even your second uncle doesn't know."
“ duō xiè lǎo zǔ 。” níng jiā shǎo zhǔ dà xǐ 。 lián máng bài le xià qù ， guài wù kǒu zhōng de yì si 。 fēn míng yào lì zì jǐ zuò wèi lái de jiā zhǔ 。
“多谢老祖。”宁家少主大喜。连忙拜了下去，怪物口中的意思。分明要立自己做未来的家主。
"Thank you, Grand Ancestor." The head of the Ning family was delighted and quickly bowed. What the monster said clearly meant he would be named as the future head.
“ wǒ níng jiā lái dào zhè xuán kōng dǎo de yīn líng zhī yuán luò hù ， yǐ yǒu shù qiān nián zhī jiǔ ， lì lái bèi shì wéi wài dào xié mó ， dàn nà xiē rén yòu nǎ lǐ qīng chǔ 。 wǒ men de xiān zǔ ， kě shì chà yì diǎn rù zhǔ tiān shī mén de 。”
“我宁家来到这旋崆岛的阴灵之原落户，已有数千年之久，历来被视为外道邪魔，但那些人又哪里清楚。我们的先祖，可是差一点入主天尸门的。”
"Our Ning Family has been living on Spiral Peak Island for thousands of years. We are often regarded as heretics and demons, but those people don't know that our ancestors almost took over the Heaven Corpse Sect."
níng jiā shǎo zhǔ jīng dāi le ， lǎo zǔ de huà ， yǒu rú qíng tiān pī lì yī yàng luò zài tā de ěr biān ， tiān shī mén ， zài yún hǎi xiū xiān jiè ， nà kě shì wú rén bù zhī ， wú rén bù xiǎo ， wèi liè jiǔ dà shì lì zhī yī 。 yǔ jiàn yōu gōng ， wàn guǐ hú píng qí bù ， zhèng què de shuō ， hái yào gèng shèng yī xiē 。
宁家少主惊呆了，老祖的话，有如晴天霹雳一样落在他的耳边，天尸门，在云海修仙界，那可是无人不知，无人不晓，位列九大势力之一。与剑幽宫，万鬼湖平齐不，正确的说，还要更胜一些。
The head of the Ning family was stunned. Grand Ancestor's words were like a thunderclap in his ears. The Heaven Corpse Sect was well-known throughout the Cloud Sea cultivation world—ranked among the nine major forces, on par with Sword Obscure Palace and Ten Thousand Ghost Lake, if not more.
mén nèi gāo shǒu rú yún ， bié shuō níng dān qī 。 biàn shì yuán yīng qī lǎo guài yě yǒu shù shí ， zōng zhǔ gèng shì hòu qī de dà xiū shì 。
门内高手如云，别说凝丹期。便是元婴期老怪也有数十，宗主更是后期的大修士。
The sect had numerous powerful cultivators; even at the peak stage of Condensation Core, there were dozens of old monsters. The sect leader was a late-stage great cultivator.
zì jǐ de xiān zǔ ， jū rán chà diǎn zhí zhǎng gāi pài mén hù ， zhè zhè zěn me kě néng ne ？
自己的先祖，居然差点执掌该派门户，这这怎么可能呢？
His own ancestors almost took over that sect, which was impossible!
jiǎn zhí gēn tiān fāng yè tán chà bu duō ， rán ér lǎo zǔ chú fēi fēng le ， fǒu zé jué bù kě néng kāi zhè yàng de wán xiào de 。
简直跟天方夜谭差不多，然而老祖除非疯了，否则绝不可能开这样的玩笑的。
It sounded like a fairy tale, but unless Grand Ancestor was mad, he would never make such a joke.
xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， níng jiā shǎo zhǔ tūn le yī shí liù kāi gēng xīn kuài kǒu tuò mò ， kǒu chǐ dōu yǒu xiē bù qīng bù chǔ ：“ nà dāng chū fā shēng le shén me shì ， wèi hé wǒ men níng jiā huì lí kāi tiān shī mén ， piān jū zhì cǐ ：”“ hēng ， hái néng yǒu shén me ， zì rán shì bèi jiān tú suǒ hài ， xiū xiān jiè ruò ròu qiáng shí ， tiān shī mén gèng shì rú cǐ ， wǒ níng jiā xiān zǔ suī rán mó gōng gài shì ， dàn wéi rén què shāo xián pǔ zhì ， chà diǎn zuò shàng dà zhǎng lǎo zhī wèi ， zuì hòu què sǐ yú àn suàn tōu xí 。 tā nà yī xì de xiū shì bèi tú lù yī kōng ， wéi yǒu xiān zǔ de ér zi zài wài yóu lì ， táo dé le xìng mìng ， ér hòu yǐn xìng mái míng ， jǐ jīng qiān tú ， zài zhè xuán kōng dǎo dìng jū ， tiān shī huà shēn jué yě yóu cǐ chuán chéng xià lái ， zhè běn shì tiān shī mén de zhèn pài mó gōng 。”
想到这里，宁家少主吞了一十六开更新快口唾沫，口齿都有些不清不楚：“那当初发生了什么事，为何我们宁家会离开天尸门，偏居至此：”“哼，还能有什么，自然是被奸徒所害，修仙界弱肉强食，天尸门更是如此，我宁家先祖虽然魔功盖世，但为人却稍嫌朴质，差点坐上大长老之位，最后却死于暗算偷袭。他那一系的修士被屠戮一空，唯有先祖的儿子在外游历，逃得了性命，而后隐姓埋名，几经迁徒，在这旋崆岛定居，天尸化身诀也由此传承下来，这本是天尸门的镇派魔功。”
Thinking this, the head of the Ning family swallowed hard, his words unclear: "What happened back then? Why did we leave the Heaven Corpse Sect and settle here?"
“ bú duì a ， lǎo zǔ ， sūn ér suī rán xiū wèi qiǎn bó ， dàn yě tīng shuō guò ， jiǔ shī jù yuán ** cái shì tiān shī mén de dì yī mó gōng a ！” níng jiā shǎo zhǔ miàn lù níng sè de shuō 。
“不对啊，老祖，孙儿虽然修为浅薄，但也听说过，九尸聚元**才是天尸门的第一魔功啊！”宁家少主面露凝色的说。
"Humph. What else could it be? It was due to treachery by a villain. In the cultivation world, survival is the law, and the Heaven Corpse Sect is no exception. My ancestors' magical techniques were unparalleled, but they were somewhat simple-minded. They almost became the Senior Elder but died from an ambush. All of his line were massacred, except for my ancestor's son who was traveling outside and escaped. He then went into hiding and eventually settled on Spiral Peak Island. The Heaven Corpse Transformation Art thus passed down here; it was originally a core sect technique of the Heaven Corpse Sect."
“ hēng ， nǐ xiǎo de shén me jiǔ shī jù yuán ** suī rán wēi lì wú qióng ， dàn bì xū yuán yīng qī de xiū shì cái néng xiū liàn ， ér qiě xiá cī liáng duō ， nà zhǐ bù guò shì bàn bù gōng fǎ bà le 。”
“哼，你晓得什么九尸聚元**虽然威力无穷，但必须元婴期的修士才能修炼，而且瑕疵良多，那只不过是半部功法罢了。”
"That can't be right, Grand Ancestor. Although I am still weak in cultivation, I've heard that Nine Corpse Gathering Core is the first demonic art of the Heaven Corpse Sect!" The head of the Ning family said with a serious expression.
“ bàn bù gōng fǎ ？” níng jiā shǎo zhǔ shì yuè tīng yuè mí hū le a ！
“半部功法？”宁家少主是越听月迷糊了啊！
"Humph. What do you know? While Nine Corpse Gathering Core has immense power, it can only be practiced by late-stage Essence Body cultivators and has many flaws. It's merely half a technique."
“ bù cuò ， xiān zǔ de yí yán zhōng tí dào ， tiān shī huà shēn jué yǔ jiǔ shī jù yuán ** dōu chū zì yú 《 tiān shī zhēn jīng 》， hé zài yì qǐ ， cái shì yī bù wán zhěng de gōng fǎ ， tiān shī huà shēn jué nǎi shì shàng bàn bù 。 yòng yú liàn tǐ ， ér jiǔ shī jù yuán ** lǐ miàn de shén tōng zé yǒu wú qióng miào yòng ”
“不错，先祖的遗言中提到，天尸化身诀与九尸聚元**都出自于《天尸真经》，合在一起，才是一步完整的功法，天尸化身诀乃是上半部。用于炼体，而九尸聚元**里面的神通则有无穷妙用”
"Half a technique?" The head of the Ning family was increasingly confused!
“《 tiān shī zhēn jīng 》 lì lái shì yóu mén nèi dà zhǎng lǎo zhǎng wò ， dāng nián céng luò rù wǒ men xiān zǔ zhī shǒu 。 bèi tóng mén àn suàn zhī hòu ， xiān zǔ lín sǐ zhī qián ， jǐ yú yì fèn ， jiāng zhè wú shàng mó gōng huǐ qù le shàng bàn bù ， suǒ yǐ rú jīn de tiān shī mén ， zhǐ yǒu jiǔ shī jù yuán ** lái chōng mén miàn 。” lǎo guài wù lěng xiào zhe shuō 、
“《天尸真经》历来是由门内大长老掌握，当年曾落入我们先祖之手。被同门暗算之后，先祖临死之前，几于义愤，将这无上魔功毁去了上半部，所以如今的天尸门，只有九尸聚元**来充门面。”老怪物冷笑着说、
"That's right. In my ancestor's will, he mentioned that both the Heaven Corpse Transformation Art and Nine Corpse Gathering Core originated from the True Scripture of the Heaven Corpse Sect. Together, they form a complete technique; the Heaven Corpse Transformation Art is the upper half used for body refinement, while the divine techniques in Nine Corpse Gathering Core have countless uses."
“ shàng bàn bù jì yǐ bèi huǐ le ， nà lǎo zǔ xiū liàn de ” níng jiā shǎo zhǔ hào qí de kāi kǒu 。
“上半部既已被毁了，那老祖修炼的”宁家少主好奇的开口。
"The True Scripture of the Heaven Corpse Sect has always been kept by the Senior Elders within the sect. It once fell into our ancestors' hands but was sabotaged by fellow cultivators before my ancestor's death. In a fit of righteous anger, he destroyed the upper half of this supreme demonic technique. That's why today's Heaven Corpse Sect only has Nine Corpse Gathering Core to maintain its facade," the old monster said coldly.
“ hēng ， wǒ gāng cái bù yǐ shuō le ， xiān zǔ de ér zi zài wài yóu lì ， gù ér táo le chū qù ， tiān shī huà shēn jué nǎi shì tā píng jì yì shū xiě ， zhǐ bù guò xiān zǔ de ér zi bìng fēi yuán yīng qī xiū shì ， zhè mó gōng jǐn jǐn shì zài fù qīn nà lǐ kàn guò jǐ cì ， suǒ jì bù ， chuán chéng xià lái de ， yě jiù shì cán piān 。”
“哼，我刚才不已说了，先祖的儿子在外游历，故而逃了出去，天尸化身诀乃是他凭记忆书写，只不过先祖的儿子并非元婴期修士，这魔功仅仅是在父亲那里看过几次，所记不，传承下来的，也就是残篇。”
"Since the upper half is already destroyed, what did Grand Ancestor practice?" The head of the Ning family asked curiously.
“ yuán lái rú cǐ 。” níng jiā shǎo zhǔ diǎn le diǎn tóu ， ruò fēi lǎo zǔ jiǎng shù ， tā wàn wàn bù céng xiǎng ， níng jiā de lái lì ， jìng huì yǔ tiān shī mén chě shàng guān xì 。
“原来如此。”宁家少主点了点头，若非老祖讲述，他万万不曾想，宁家的来历，竟会与天尸门扯上关系。
"Humph, didn't I just say? My ancestor's son traveled outside and escaped. He wrote down the Heaven Corpse Transformation Art from memory. However, my ancestor's son was not an Essence Body cultivator; he only saw it a few times from his father, so what has been passed down is merely incomplete fragments."
guài bù dé jiā zú lǐ yǒu yán lìng ， mén zhōng dì zǐ ， bù dé qián wǎng qī xīng dǎo ， xiǎng bì shì hài pà yǔ tiān shī mén de xiū shì bù qī ér yù ， cóng gōng fǎ shàng bèi tā men kàn chū duān yì 。
怪不得家族里有严令，门中弟子，不得前往七星岛，想必是害怕与天尸门的修士不期而遇，从功法上被他们看出端逸。
"So that explains it." The head of the Ning family nodded. If not for Grand Ancestor's explanation, he would never have thought that the Ning Family's history had any connection to the Heaven Corpse Sect.
yǐ wǎng de yī xiē yí huò ， dùn shí yíng rèn ér jiě 。
以往的一些疑惑，顿时迎刃而解。
No wonder there were strict orders in the family forbidding disciples from going to Seven Stars Island; they feared encountering Heaven Corpse Sect cultivators and being exposed through their techniques.
“ lǎo zǔ ， nà xiàn zài de dí rén shí gāi liù rú kāi hé gēng xīn kuài yìng fù ， zhōng jiān duō le yí gè yuán yīng qī lǎo guài wù 。 kě jiù yǒu xiē jí shǒu le 。” níng jiā shǎo zhǔ huà fēng yī zhuǎn ， yǒu xiē dān xīn de shuō 。
“老祖，那现在的敌人十该六如开何更新快应付，中间多了一个元婴期老怪物。可就有些棘手了。”宁家少主话锋一转，有些担心的说。
Many of his previous doubts were suddenly resolved.
“ hēng ， pà shén me ！” lǎo guài wù què ào rán yǎng qǐ le tóu ：“ rú jīn wǒ de shén tōng yǐ jīng dào le chū qī de dǐng fēng ， hé kuàng yòu shì shī mó zhī tǐ 。 dāo qiāng bù rù ， zěn me yě yào bǐ nà xiǎo zi shèng shàng yī chóu ， rú guǒ kě yǐ tūn shì tā de yuán yīng ， wǒ yǒu bā chéng de bǎ wò kě yǐ chōng jī píng jǐng 。”
“哼，怕什么！”老怪物却傲然仰起了头：“如今我的神通已经到了初期的顶峰，何况又是尸魔之体。刀枪不入，怎么也要比那小子胜上一筹，如果可以吞噬他的元婴，我有八成的把握可以冲击瓶颈。”
"Grand Ancestor, now that we have an old Essence Body monster as our enemy, how should we deal with him?" The head of the Ning family said worriedly.
“ lǎo zǔ néng gòu jìn jiē ？” níng jiā shǎo zhǔ wén yán xiān shì yī dāi ， suí jí lù chū dà xǐ guò wàng de biǎo qíng ：“ zhè me shuō ， lǎo zǔ yě kě yǐ zhèng tuō jìn zhì le 。”
“老祖能够进阶？”宁家少主闻言先是一呆，随即露出大喜过望的表情：“这么说，老祖也可以挣脱禁制了。”
"Humph. What to fear!" The monster raised his head proudly: "My divine abilities are at their peak; plus, I'm a Corpse Demon—invulnerable to weapons and swords. I will definitely outmatch that brat. If I can devour his Essence Body, I have an 80% chance of breaking through the bottleneck."
“ bù cuò ， dāng chū xiū liàn cǐ mó gōng de shí hòu 。 wǒ suī rán jiǎo xìng chéng gōng ， dàn zhōng jiān yě céng chū le yì diǎn chā cuò ， chà diǎn zǒu huǒ rù mó ， suǒ yǐ bù dé bù dāi zài zhè shī qì nóng zhòng de zhǎo zé ， ér yí dàn jìn jiē yuán yīng zhōng qī ， wǒ jiù kě yǐ bǎi tuō xiàn zhì 。 wài chū huó dòng le .” shuō dào zhè lǐ ， lǎo guài wù yě shì xǐ dòng yán sè ：“ běn yǐ wéi zhè yī guò chéng hái yào huā qù wǒ shù shí nián zhī jiǔ dàn rú jīn yǒu le yuán yīng xiū shì kě yǐ tūn shì ， zì rán shì dà dà tí qián le 。“
“不错，当初修炼此魔功的时候。我虽然侥幸成功，但中间也曾出了一点差错，差点走火入魔，所以不得不呆在这尸气浓重的沼泽，而一旦进阶元婴中期，我就可以摆脱限制。外出活动了.”说到这里，老怪物也是喜动颜色：“本以为这一过程还要花去我数十年之久但如今有了元婴修士可以吞噬，自然是大大提前了。“
"Can Grand Ancestor advance?" The head of the Ning family was stunned before he burst into joy: "So, Grand Ancestor can also break free from the restrictions?"
“ nà sūn ér jiù zài zhè lǐ yù zhù lǎo zǔ mǎ dào chéng gōng ， zài xià yí dìng huì jiàn jī xíng shì ， zhù nín yī bì zhī lì 。“ níng jiā shǎo zhǔ máng jǐn shàng tiān huā de kāi kǒu le 。
“那孙儿就在这里预祝老祖马到成功，在下一定会见机行事，祝您一臂之力。“宁家少主忙锦上添花的开口了。
"That's right. When I first practiced this technique, although I侥幸succeeded, there were some mistakes that almost led to a demonic transformation. Therefore, I had to stay in this heavily Yin-dense swamp. Once I advance to late-stage Essence Body, I will be able to leave and move around freely," the old monster said happily.
"I wish Grand Ancestor success. I will certainly act accordingly and support you." The head of the Ning family quickly added his congratulations.
"Grand Ancestor, I have a question that I do not understand. I hope you can enlighten me," the head of the Ning family suddenly said with his eyes rolling.
"Speak." The Corpse Demon, though vicious and evil, was still rather kind to his own disciples.
"Why does our Ning Family allow us to practice the Heaven Corpse Transformation Art when we have such a powerful demonic technique? If all of us could transform into Corpse Demons, dominating Spiral Peak Island would be as easy as turning over one's palm."
"Humph. Do you think that anyone can practice the Heaven Corpse Transformation Art?" The monster's voice sounded quite fierce, but it continued to explain: "The conditions for cultivation are strict. First and foremost, one must possess an odd Yin attribute Spirit Root."
"An odd Yin attribute Spirit Root?"
The head of the Ning family's face paled. Such a talent was virtually nonexistent—only one in ten thousand—and was caused by a mutation from Earth attributes, even rarer than a Saintly Spirit Root.
"Besides that, the cultivator must reach the peak stage of Condensation Core and complete the transformation in an extremely Yin-dense top-grade Yin Meridian region. Even then, the success rate is only about one percent. It's not as easy to become a Corpse Demon."
Hearing this, the head of the Ning family's hopes were completely extinguished. He muttered: "Given such strict conditions, why did Grand Ancestor..."
"Ridiculous! Didn't I just explain that? I practiced this demonic technique because my lifespan was insufficient; it was out of necessity. You should follow the usual cultivation methods. Besides, this technique is incredibly powerful and has a life-extending effect. However, our Ning Family only possesses incomplete fragments with significant flaws."
"Fragments?" The head of the Ning family's expression froze, his face showing disbelief.
"Humph, do you doubt my words?"
"Grandson dares not!" Seeing the other's tone was not favorable, the head of the Ning family quickly knelt down.
"It's understandable. Who wouldn't be tempted by such an overpowered technique?" The monster smiled: "Alright, I will tell you about its origin. This secret is known only to历代 heads of the family; even your second uncle doesn't know."
"Thank you, Grand Ancestor." The head of the Ning family was delighted and quickly bowed. What the monster said clearly meant he would be named as the future head.
"Our Ning Family has been living on Spiral Peak Island for thousands of years. We are often regarded as heretics and demons, but those people don't know that our ancestors almost took over the Heaven Corpse Sect."
"What?"
The head of the Ning family was stunned. Grand Ancestor's words were like a thunderclap in his ears. The Heaven Corpse Sect was well-known throughout the Cloud Sea cultivation world—ranked among the nine major forces, on par with Sword Obscure Palace and Ten Thousand Ghost Lake, if not more.
The sect had numerous powerful cultivators; even at the peak stage of Condensation Core, there were dozens of old monsters. The sect leader was a late-stage great cultivator.
His own ancestors almost took over that sect, which was impossible!
It sounded like a fairy tale, but unless Grand Ancestor was mad, he would never make such a joke.
Thinking this, the head of the Ning family swallowed hard, his words unclear: "What happened back then? Why did we leave the Heaven Corpse Sect and settle here?"
"Humph. What else could it be? It was due to treachery by a villain. In the cultivation world, survival is the law, and the Heaven Corpse Sect is no exception. My ancestors' magical techniques were unparalleled, but they were somewhat simple-minded. They almost became the Senior Elder but died from an ambush. All of his line were massacred, except for my ancestor's son who was traveling outside and escaped. He then went into hiding and eventually settled on Spiral Peak Island. The Heaven Corpse Transformation Art thus passed down here; it was originally a core sect technique of the Heaven Corpse Sect."
"That can't be right, Grand Ancestor. Although I am still weak in cultivation, I've heard that Nine Corpse Gathering Core is the first demonic art of the Heaven Corpse Sect!" The head of the Ning family said with a serious expression.
"Humph. What do you know? While Nine Corpse Gathering Core has immense power, it can only be practiced by late-stage Essence Body cultivators and has many flaws. It's merely half a technique."
"Half a technique?" The head of the Ning family was increasingly confused!
"That's right. In my ancestor's will, he mentioned that both the Heaven Corpse Transformation Art and Nine Corpse Gathering Core originated from the True Scripture of the Heaven Corpse Sect. Together, they form a complete technique; the Heaven Corpse Transformation Art is the upper half used for body refinement, while the divine techniques in Nine Corpse Gathering Core have countless uses."
"The True Scripture of the Heaven Corpse Sect has always been kept by the Senior Elders within the sect. It once fell into our ancestors' hands but was sabotaged by fellow cultivators before my ancestor's death. In a fit of righteous anger, he destroyed the upper half of this supreme demonic technique. That's why today's Heaven Corpse Sect only has Nine Corpse Gathering Core to maintain its facade," the old monster said coldly.
"Since the upper half is already destroyed, what did Grand Ancestor practice?" The head of the Ning family asked curiously.
"Humph, didn't I just say? My ancestor's son traveled outside and escaped. He wrote down the Heaven Corpse Transformation Art from memory. However, my ancestor's son was not an Essence Body cultivator; he only saw it a few times from his father, so what has been passed down is merely incomplete fragments."
"So that explains it." The head of the Ning family nodded. If not for Grand Ancestor's explanation, he would never have thought that the Ning Family's history had any connection to the Heaven Corpse Sect.
No wonder there were strict orders in the family forbidding disciples from going to Seven Stars Island; they feared encountering Heaven Corpse Sect cultivators and being exposed through their techniques.
Many of his previous doubts were suddenly resolved.
"Grand Ancestor, now that we have an old Essence Body monster as our enemy, how should we deal with him?" The head of the Ning family said worriedly.
"Humph. What to fear!" The monster raised his head proudly: "My divine abilities are at their peak; plus, I'm a Corpse Demon—invulnerable to weapons and swords. I will definitely outmatch that brat. If I can devour his Essence Body, I have an 80% chance of breaking through the bottleneck."
"Can Grand Ancestor advance?" The head of the Ning family was stunned before he burst into joy: "So, Grand Ancestor can also break free from the restrictions?"
"That's right. When I first practiced this technique, although I侥幸succeeded, there were some mistakes that almost led to a demonic transformation. Therefore, I had to stay in this heavily Yin-dense swamp. Once I advance to late-stage Essence Body, I will be able to leave and move around freely," the old monster said happily.
"I wish Grand Ancestor success. I will certainly act accordingly and support you." The head of the Ning family quickly added his congratulations.