<h4>Chapter 723: Let Me Borrow Your Body</h4>


    Xiao Nanfeng didn''t have to wait in the valley for long before a shadowy figure emerged.


    "You''re still alive, Xiao Nanfeng!" the figure eximed.


    Xiao Nanfeng frowned. "Are you cursing me, ck Dog?"


    "No, no. Something strange is going on, and the zombies are killing cultivators everywhere within this hidden realm. You''re rather incredible to have survived being chased by a group of cultivators one moment and zombies the next."


    "Aren''t you doing fine, too?"


    "I was just lucky. Quite a number of us were attacked by zombies. Even Master found himself besieged by them twice."


    "That''s normal."


    "What''s normal?" ck Dog cocked his head, confused.


    "I was just about to mention it. It''s lucky that I managed to encounter you here, too, all things considered. I wasn''t sure if you''d have seen my signal."


    "We might not have. Master left Qilin Cave after acquiring the golden bamboo scroll, but he said that, considering how dangerous the situation was growing and the favor he still owes you, he can''t just leave you here to die. We take turns keeping guard outside of the Qilin Cave in case you ever use that signal re. If you do, we''re to lead you to the rest of our retinue as fulfillment of the favor."


    Xiao Nanfengughed. "Yang Chuan really is an interesting man. He likes to be upfront about his favors, doesn''t he?"


    "Naturally. My master is an honorable gentleman," ck Dog bragged.


    "You don''t carry around the treasures you obtained in the ck coffin hidden realm with you, do you?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.


    "How did you know?" ck Dog eximed. "I don''t need those treasures. Plenty of my fellow cultivators died this time around, so I donated everything I got to help support their families."


    Xiao Nanfeng smiled. "That''s the origin of your luck."


    "Oh?" ck Dog frowned, then seemed toe to a conclusion. "You mean that there''s something wrong with the treasures from this hidden realm?"


    "That''s right. The zombies can sense the location of the treasures that came from within the hidden realm, even if they''re in storage bangles or the like. That''s why the zombies can find you no matter where you go."


    ck Dog nched. "So that''s how it is. Master''s in huge danger, then!"


    "Oh?"


    "I have to report to Master right away!" ck Dog shouted anxiously. "You should join me. There''s safety in numbers, after all."


    "Let''s go."


    The two cultivators shot into the air. ck Dog led the way.


    As they flew, they noticed a lot of zombies headed in a certain direction. A huge rumble came from afar, causing Xiao Nanfeng to frown.


    He hurriedly held ck Dog back.


    "What''re you doing?!" ck Dog eximed.


    "Don''t head over. Hurry up and hide!"


    Xiao Nanfeng pulled ck Dog into the forests right below them. ck Dog didn''t know what was going on, but he followed Xiao Nanfeng''s lead and retracted his aura.


    In the distance, a huge explosion sent Yang Chuan flying into the air. His robes were tattered, and he was in bad shape. Not only that, a cloud of bloody fog had surrounded him. Bloody fangs seemed to manifest from within the fog, piercing his flesh and extracting a stream of blue energy from within. Yang Chuan''s features distorted in pain. He had been pinned in ce and couldn''t escape.


    "Master!" ck Dog made to rush over as Xiao Nanfeng leapt toward him to hold him down. "Are you crazy? Don''t you see how many zombie kings there are over there?!"


    ck Dog turned to see six zombie kings with ck crowns high in the air. They were surrounding Yang Chuan and attacking him together with clouds of bloody fog. Yang Chuan writhed in pain.


    Behind the zombie kings was arger zombie king with a golden crown. No ck smoke drifted out from around its body. It was holding onto a relic—the golden bamboo scroll Yang Chuan had managed to obtain.


    "Six zombie kings all at once? How''s Master going to escape?" ck Dog cried out in panic.


    "Not just six. That golden-crowned zombie king is likely a Boundless Immortal as well. No one can save Yang Chuan but himself now." Xiao Nanfeng shook his head.


    "I''ll head over and attract their attention. That''ll give Master the opportunity he needs to escape!" ck Dog said resolutely.


    Just then, three figures shot into the air from a forest in the distance, trailed by a horde of zombies.


    "Those are the three Great Sages that serve Master! They''re wounded, too?" ck Dog eximed.


    As the three sages closed in on Yang Chuan, the zombies trailing after them attacked and pierced through their chests. Their lives were in the bnce.


    "Flee, Southern Aspect! We''ll be your subordinates again in a future life. Explode!" they shouted.


    The three sages detonated their own bodies in a frightening wave of energy that sent all the ordinary zombies in the vicinity flying. The strength of the explosion carried all the way into the bloody fog that surrounded Yang Chuan, freeing him from the fangs that pierced his body.


    "No!" Yang Chuan shouted.


    He took advantage of the opportunity to release a burst of tremendous force that caused even the six zombie kings to reel.


    He nced back at the location where his three subordinates had sacrificed themselves on his behalf, then turned to flee.


    "Don''t let him escape. Chase after him!" the golden-crowned zombie kingmanded.


    The six zombie kings rushed toward him, and they all quickly vanished from sight.


    The golden-crowned zombie king followed after them, along with a horde of ordinary zombies.


    Xiao Nanfeng remained hidden with ck Dog in the darkness as they reined in their auras until all the zombies had departed.


    ck Dog grimaced. "The three sages don''t have avatars. They..."


    "The dead are dead. Focus on the living. Yang Chuan''s life is on the line. He must have paid a heavy price to free himself just now. Do you know how to find him?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.


    "I can track him with my nose," ck Dog replied. "Follow me."


    Xiao Nanfeng nodded.


    The two cultivators pursued Yang Chuan for an entire day. Yang Chuan had roamed all over in huge circles to prevent the zombies from finding him, weakening himself and exacerbating his injuries in the process. Eventually, the zombies lost track of him after a day.


    When Xiao Nanfeng and ck Dog arrived at a secluded valley to find the exhausted Yang Chuan, he raised his head wearily. "Who''s there?"


    The pursuit he had undergone left him easily spooked. He was almost about to fly away when ck Dog called out, "Master, it''s me!"


    Yang Chuan sighed in relief upon hearing ck Dog''s voice.


    The two cultivators rushed into the valley to see Yang Chuan lying in a pool of blood. He was in an extremely weak state, his robes tattered and his body covered with wounds. His eyes were even having trouble staying open.


    "Master!" ck Dog shot forward.


    He quickly fed Yang Chuan a few pills he had on hand. Yang Chuan clearly trusted ck Dog deeply, swallowing the proffered pills without any hesitation.


    Then, he turned to nce at Xiao Nanfeng with some surprise, though no wariness. He closed his eyes and quickly began to digest the medicinal essence of the pills.


    After some time, once some color returned to his face, he slowly opened his eyes and smiled wryly. "Martial Aspect Xiao, you''ve seen me at my worst."


    "You have my respect for taking on seven zombie kings alone, Southern Aspect Yang. I was just about to ask if you still had more treasures from the ck coffin hidden realm in your possession. If so, hand them over to me immediately. I can deal with them on your behalf."


    Yang Chuan grimaced. "I was careless. If I hadn''t detonated those relics to stop the zombie kings'' advance, I wouldn''t have realized that they were what exposed my whereabouts. I don''t have any more on hand."


    He had clearly guessed how the zombie kings were able to pinpoint his location so urately—but by then, it was already toote.


    "Master, are the generals..." ck Dog trailed off, worried.


    Yang Chuan''s eyes glimmered with tears. He nodded. "I was responsible."


    ck Dog fell silent. He had no further questions; it was obvious everyone in Yang Chuan''s retinue had died. He knew just how close Yang Chuan was to his subordinates, and their deaths were something that would take time and effort to process.


    "What are your next steps, Martial Aspect Yang?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.


    Yang Chuan sighed. "The ck coffin hidden realm doesn''t have an exit—at least, not one we can find. I''ve had my subordinates'' avatars contact the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue in hopes that he''ll lend his assistance."


    "Surely there''s a better option?" Xiao Nanfeng sighed.


    Yang Chuan fell silent, then sighed. "I know. There''s been so many deaths heretely that no cultivators are willing to enter anymore. I suspect the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue is responsible for the entire affair, but what other options do I have?"


    "Can''t you seek help from the Heavenly Emperor?"


    "I didn''t expect thatst fight to have been so brutal. I thought I would have been able to handle it myself, but the zombie kings appeared en masse. My subordinates all perished before I could seek assistance."


    "How are your injuries now?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.


    ck Dog frowned warily, as if thinking that Xiao Nanfeng would take advantage of Yang Chuan in his weakened state, but Yang Chuan didn''t mind. "I haven''t sustained many physical wounds. The issue is that the six zombie kings managed to drain too much of my spiritual power, hindering my ability to fly and move around. If I encounter them again, I doubt I''d be able to handle them."


    Xiao Nanfeng was impressed by Yang Chuan''s honesty despite his circumstances.


    "I''d like to borrow something from you, Southern Aspect Yang," Xiao Nanfeng said.


    "What is it?"


    "Your physical body."


    ck Dog nched. He hurriedly stood in front of Yang Chuan. "Martial Aspect Xiao, what are you intending to do?!"


    "Don''t worry, ck Dog. If Martial Aspect Xiao meant me ill, he wouldn''t have waited until now. Move aside," Yang Chuan said.


    "Understood," ck Dog replied, though aplicated expression flitted across his face.


    "Southern Aspect Yang is right. Considering our ties to one another, I naturally don''t mean you ill. What''s more, we''re both Martial Aspects of the Imperial Court. If the Southern Aspect were to fall in battle, the Heavenly Emperor himself would participate in the investigation. I would only be causing trouble for myself." Xiao Nanfeng smiled.


    "You want to possess my physical body, don''t you? What''s your n?" Yang Chuan asked.


    "I simply want to see what the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue is doing, but my cultivation is too weak. With a Boundless Immortal''s body, I might actually be able to discover something and even make a move of my own."


    Yang Chuan''s eyes shed. He didn''t doubt Xiao Nanfeng''s ability. He took a deep breath. "Very well. My soul and spirit will need some time to recuperate, anyway. You may have the use of my body. If you can ruin the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue''s n, do it to the best of your ability."


    "My thanks, Southern Aspect Yang."


    "Master!" ck Dog eximed.


    Yang Chuan shook his head, motioning for his subordinate not to interfere. He turned to Xiao Nanfeng. "Remember to bring us out once you''re done."


    "What? Has Martial Aspect Xiao already found the exit to the ck coffin hidden realm?" ck Dog eximed.


    Xiao Nanfeng was taken by surprise as well. He had been nning to reveal things to Yang Chuanter. He hadn''t anticipated that Yang Chuan would notice something amiss. Perhaps it was because he had seemed entirely too rxed about the whole affair.


    "Of course. I''d been nning on it. I obtained a talisman to leave the hidden realm just a few days ago, but it''s a single-use item. It''s not the right time to use it just yet."


    "Very well." Yang Chuan nodded.