<h4>Chapter 86: Encounter with the Corpse Master</h4>


    In the depths of a secluded mountain, by the side of a small stream.


    Zhong Shan was applying something to Tian Ling''er''s face. She sat on arge rock, allowing Zhong Shan to smear her face with some sticky tree sap or something simr.


    "Zhong Shan, will this really work?" Tian Ling''er asked, her tone full of doubt as her big eyes widened, unsure of what Zhong Shan was applying to her face.


    Zhong Shan continued his work, meticulouslyparing as he went. "Yes, it will work better this way. This is the final touch. For the next half an hour, don''t touch your face. Let the resin dry."


    "Okay," Tian Ling''er nodded in confusion. She stared at Zhong Shan, her curiosity evident.


    "It''s done," Zhong Shan finally said with satisfaction.


    "Done?" Tian Ling''er eximed with excitement and immediately ran to the stream to see her reflection.


    Upon seeing her reflection in the water, Tian Ling''er''s expression changed drastically.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Tian Ling''er screamed in horror, a scream that seemed to pierce the heavens, while Zhong Shan stood by with a satisfied smile on his face.


    After her initial scream, Tian Ling''er instinctively reached to wipe her face.


    "Don''t move!" Zhong Shan quickly warned.


    "No! This is too ugly! Why did you make me look so ugly?" Tian Ling''er cried out in distress.


    Zhong Shan grabbed her delicate wrist and sighed, "Because you''re too beautiful. If we encounter another expert like Miao Xianren, we might not be lucky enough to escape a second time."


    Tian Ling''er was about to struggle, but when Zhong Shan called her beautiful, she froze, seeming very concerned about his opinion.


    "Really?" she asked, her uncertainty showing, but a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.


    "Of course. Do you want to meet another Miao Xianren?" Zhong Shan released her wrist as he spoke.


    With Zhong Shan''s hand gone, Tian Ling''er felt a slight pang of disappointment.


    "No, I don''t," Tian Ling''er shook her head.


    "Then keep it this way. To me, you''re still beautiful. This ugliness is just for others to see," Zhong Shan reassured her.


    "Okay," Tian Ling''er nodded, no longer struggling with her appearance.


    Three dayster, Zhong Shan and the disguised-as-ugly Tian Ling''er stood at the top of a canyon.


    Below, the canyon was shrouded in thick white mist, making it impossible to see the bottom.


    "Are you sure it''s here?" Zhong Shan asked, looking skeptically into the depths below.


    "Of course. There are even my footprints on that rock," Tian Ling''er pointed to arge stone nearby.


    Moving closer, Zhong Shan saw the indentations in the stone, confirming Tian Ling''er''s words.


    "Let''s go down," Zhong Shan nodded in confirmation. He led Tian Ling''er down the slope into the canyon below.


    The mountain path was steep, but with proper preparation, Zhong Shan quickly descended into the valley.


    The valley was somewhat dim, but there were two peculiar sources of light. At the base of the southern and northern cliffs, there were two strange objects emitting a blue glow, each with a diameter of about two meters, resemblingrge lids.


    These lids seemed to be made of a transparent, membranous material, enclosing some unknown substance within. They looked like giant eggs, with most of their mass embedded in the cliffside, leaving only a small portion exposed.


    On the outer side of these giant eggs, a unique flower grew on each. The flowers were face-basin-sized, with only two emerald-like leaves. The stems split into four roots that prated the giant eggs, as if drawing nutrients from them.


    In the center of the basin-sized flowers, the stamens flickered with arcs of electricity, appearing intermittently, giving off an otherworldly aura.


    Lightning Flowers?


    Zhong Shan didn''t need Tian Ling''er to tell him; he could guess the name of the flower from its mystical appearance. But what were those giant eggs? Although Zhong Shan didn''t know what the giant eggs were, he could tell they contained arge amount of lightning energy. The electricity in the stamens of the flowers wasn''t appearing out of nowhere; it had to be absorbed from the energy within the eggs.


    "They hadn''t bloomedst time I was here. Now they have, and we can pick them," Tian Ling''er said excitedly, preparing to leap towards the flowers.


    "Wait," Zhong Shan quickly grabbed her.


    Frowning slightly, Zhong Shan surveyed the strange surroundings.


    Ruins. There were lots of ruins, shattered rocks everywhere in the valley. It looked like there had been an intense battle here before, but the surrounding cliff walls were unscathed, which was unusual.


    "What''s wrong?" Tian Ling''er asked, puzzled.


    "Was it like thisst time? Is there anything else in this valley?" Zhong Shan asked his concerns.


    "No, it was the same asst time. There were no other living creatures," Tian Ling''er replied.


    Still uncertain, Zhong Shan picked up a small stone from the ground and threw it towards the Lightning Flowers.


    "Snap!" The stone suddenly shattered.


    Zhong Shan saw a whip-like object suddenlysh out from the rubble below, shattering the stone with its tip.


    Seeing this, Zhong Shan''s pupils constricted. What was that?


    As if to answer Zhong Shan''s question, the ground began to tremble after the stone was shattered.


    "Rumble..."


    The earth shook continuously. Zhong Shan retreated swiftly, while Tian Ling''er flew into the air on her red silk ribbon, watching the ruins below with a vignt expression.


    "Crash..."


    From the ruins, numerous shelled creatures slowly emerged.


    Scorpions, a swarm of venomous scorpions. They were pitch ck, the longest measuring about a meter without their tails, and with their tails, reaching up to ten meters. These scorpions quickly crawled out of the ruins, appearing highly antagonistic towards the intruders. The stone that had shattered earlier wasn''t destroyed by a whip, but by a scorpion''s tail stinger.


    Were these scorpions protecting the Lightning Flowers?


    Zhong Shan was astonished as he observed the crimson stingers of the scorpions.


    "Why are there so many scorpions? There weren''t anyst time!" Tian Ling''er eximed anxiously from the air. The long scorpion tails now guarded the area around the Lightning Flowers, creating an imprable defense.


    "That''s because they feared the aura of the sect leader. When the sect leader released his aura, it suppressed all the scorpions, preventing them from moving or daring to emerge," Zhong Shan exined as he cautiously observed the scorpions, holding his broadsword ready.


    Did these scorpions create the ruins by burrowing through the ground, resulting in this heap of debris?


    "Snap!"


    A scorpion tail suddenlyshed out towards Zhong Shan. The crimson stinger seemed poised to pierce and kill him. Zhong Shan swung his broadsword, striking the scorpion''s tail stinger.


    "ng!"


    With full force, Zhong Shan''s strike severed a scorpion''s tail. The momentum carried his de down onto the scorpion''s head, but with a loud ng, the broadsword rebounded from the tough exoskeleton.


    What a sturdy scorpion shell.


    Despite his amazement, Zhong Shan didn''t dare to rx. Several more scorpions lunged at him.


    Zhong Shan brandished his broadsword, while in midair, Tian Ling''er directed her red silk to assist him.


    Zhong Shan and Tian Ling''er were entangled in a fierce battle with the giant scorpions. Meanwhile, at the entrance of the canyon above them, another group of people arrived.


    This group was none other than the followers of Corpse Master, who had recently entered the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation in search of the Nine Dragons Fangtian Jade.


    "Your Majesty, this is the ce. There are two Lightning Flowers in the valley, and they should be mature now. We can take them back to refine the Ascension Pill for the Crown Prince," said a man d in armor, speaking respectfully.


    "Leiting, you spoil the Crown Prince so much that he is now closer to you than to me," the Emperor remarked with a hint of jest.


    "Your Majesty overestimates me. The Crown Prince calls me uncle, so it is natural for me to look after him," the armored man replied, a self-satisfied expression on his face.


    "Haha, well said. We are all family. Let''s go and fetch the Lightning Flowers," the Emperor said with augh, his tone slightly indicating an intention to win over Leiting.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty," Leiting responded, somewhat moved.


    Corpse Master stood silently behind them, observing without a word. After the Emperor gave his orders, the group flew towards the canyon, following him.