PCJ – Chapter 438 Regaining Consciousness

The Corpse King had been nurtured in the corpse-rearing grounds for over a millennium, accumulating an immense amount of Yin energy. Without the assistance of dozens of mountain-driving dogs, black cats, and a dozen monkey leaders channeling their spiritual power together, Zhang Jiaohua wouldn’t have lasted more than a few rounds before being defeated.

However, even with such combined efforts, it still wasn’t enough. Zhang Jiaohua’s cultivation journey had been short, and the spiritual beasts under his control had even less training. Without his guidance and cultivation techniques, these animals would likely have remained ordinary creatures, far from becoming spiritual beasts.

Despite their combined efforts, Zhang Jiaohua felt his spiritual power draining rapidly. Both he and the beasts could not sustain this for much longer.

Chen Dianzi, who was attempting to recover his spiritual energy, finally gathered enough to cast the Five-Thunder Oil Fire Incantation again. With a heavy heart, he unleashed the incantation, exhausting all the spiritual power he had just regained.

The Five-Thunder Oil Fire erupted, fiercely burning the Corpse King. Zhang Jiaohua immediately intensified his efforts, pushing his spiritual energy to its limits. The spiritual beasts followed suit, escalating their attacks. The Corpse King, unable to keep up with the overwhelming assault, began to falter as its body sizzled under the flames. The tomb was filled with the acrid stench of burning flesh. If the Corpse King couldn’t shroud itself in Yin energy soon, it would be reduced to ashes.

Feeling the searing pain, the Corpse King let out agonized howls, drawing forth massive reserves of Yin energy to encase itself in a dense white mist. The immense expenditure of Yin energy this time was several times greater than before, leaving the creature visibly weakened.

“Such a pity!” Chen Dianzi sighed. If this had been an ordinary ghostly entity, it would have been incinerated into ashes long ago. Yet this Corpse King, having absorbed pure Yin energy for centuries, possessed a reserve so vast and pure that even this level of assault was insufficient to subdue it.

Zhang Jiaohua also sighed, realizing that their situation was dire. Although the Corpse King’s strength had diminished, they were running out of options to continue the fight.

Suddenly, Zhang Jiaohua’s eyes fell on the bell in his hand, and he recalled a scene from his dreams.

“The bell can suppress the Corpse King!” His eyes lit up as he infused the bell with spiritual power and gave it a vigorous shake.

“Ding-dang-dang…”

The sound of the bell resonated, instantly breaking the Iron Enclosure formation. To his surprise, the Corpse King trembled and froze, staring blankly at Zhang Jiaohua with hollow, dark eyes. It seemed responsive to the bell’s sound.

“Ding-dang-dang…”

Zhang Jiaohua shook the bell again.

Hearing the sound, Chen Dianzi felt an inexplicable clarity wash over him. “Is this a spiritual treasure?” he asked, puzzled.

Zhang Jiaohua didn’t respond, his focus entirely on the Corpse King’s reaction. The creature’s expression grew complex, a trace of pain appearing on its ghastly pale face.

Taking advantage of the moment, Zhang Jiaohua poured more power into the bell.

Meanwhile, the Mountain-Sweeping Dogs, Black Fat Cats, and Big Fat Monkeys seized the opportunity to recover their drained spiritual energy. Astonished, they found that the bell’s sound seemed to enhance their recovery rate.

Each ring of the bell gave Zhang Jiaohua a brief respite to recover some of his spiritual power, enough to prolong the fight.

The bell appeared to stabilize the Corpse King temporarily, giving everyone a much-needed break. Zhang Jiaohua didn’t know how long this reprieve would last, but it was their only option for now.

Then, the spirit leopard opened its eyes and noticed another bell hanging from the Corpse King’s waist, attached by a fine chain. Seizing the moment, the leopard lunged forward, biting down on the chain to tear it away. The clever beast seemed to realize that this bell might be linked to the one in Zhang Jiaohua’s hand. If Zhang Jiaohua could control it, it might grant them complete control over the Corpse King.

“Ding-dang-dang…”

The bell on the Corpse King emitted a series of sharp chimes. However, the chain was made of an extraordinary material. Despite the leopard’s immense effort, it couldn’t damage the chain, nearly breaking its teeth in the process.

Disappointed, the spirit leopard released its bite.

Fortunately, the Corpse King remained disoriented. Hearing the sound from its waist, it glanced down at the bell, its movements slow and exaggerated.

“Jiaohua, keep using the bell! The Corpse King seems to have some remnants of its original consciousness. Do you recognize who it was?” Chen Dianzi asked.

Zhang Jiaohua, fully focused on the bell, had no energy to answer.

“Ding-dang-dang…”

The Corpse King suddenly tugged at its own bell. Its movements were clumsy but distinctly out of character for its usual behavior.

Its expression grew increasingly tormented, as if two opposing forces were battling within its body. One consciousness—the original owner of the corpse—was fighting to resurface, while the other, born from the Yin energy it had absorbed, was trying to maintain control.

Every chime of Zhang Jiaohua’s bell gave the original consciousness a fleeting moment of dominance. However, the newer, more sinister consciousness remained far stronger, making it difficult to completely expel.

Zhang Jiaohua became increasingly convinced that the Corpse King was Chengdao. But how could this be? He vividly remembered dreaming of Chengdao and the old Taoist master escaping the tomb. How did Chengdao end up back here, entombed in the main burial chamber, and transformed into the Corpse King?

Zhang Jiaohua’s spiritual power was nearly depleted, yet he was the only one capable of controlling this treasure. Despite being exhausted, he persevered.

Suddenly, the Corpse King let out a violent, rage-filled roar, its internal struggle reaching a boiling point.