Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3252: Baleful Corpse Tar

”Of course not,” Lin Mu said at once. ”There will be no sacrifices. I already have an alternative method in mind, but I cannot attempt it yet. First, we need to collect the other components, especially the wood. Once that’s done, I can work on producing the tar safely.”

The Elder Ice Drake rumbled in approval. ”Then let us waste no time. What must be done, should be done swiftly.”

Lin Mu nodded and turned back toward the marsh. ”I will handle the collection. Stay here and maintain your distance. The Death Obscuring Torch should keep me safe while I gather what we need.”

Before anyone could protest, he stepped forward once more, igniting the torch again. The gray flame shimmered faintly, and as he entered the mist, the darkness flowed aside like water around a stone.

Within moments, he was gone from sight, swallowed by the haze.

Inside the marsh, the atmosphere was suffocating.

The ground squelched beneath his boots, each step sinking into the damp, decaying soil. All around him were remnants of ancient trees, their bark long since corroded by the toxic energies of the place. Their skeletal trunks jutted from the ground like the bones of long-dead giants.

Lin Mu could sense the faint hum of Baleful Energy within the wood.

The energy was neither alive nor dead, but something in between, a twisted echo of vitality. He reached forward and pressed his palm against one of the trunks. The wood was dry, yet it pulsed faintly under his touch.

Thankfully, the energy was a bit inert and did not affect those that touched the wood.

”This should do,” he murmured.

Activating his spatial skill Meld, Lin Mu lifted the entire tree with a wave of his hand, storing it within his ring.

Then he moved to the next, and the next, collecting dozens in quick succession. Though each was drained of life, the unique energy they carried made them valuable beyond measure for his purpose.

Once he had gathered enough, he turned and made his way back toward the edge. As soon as he stepped beyond the threshold, the heavy air lifted from his shoulders. The torch dimmed once more, its work complete.

When Lin Mu appeared before them again, his companions breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Daoist Chu’s eyes went to the faint layer of mist clinging to Lin Mu’s robes. ”You were gone for some time.”

”I found what we need,” Lin Mu said, producing several large fragments of dark wood. ”These should be sufficient for multiple torches. The next step will be to create the Baleful Corpse Tar, and for that...” He hesitated slightly, his gaze shifting toward the twin beasts hovering nearby.

Xiao Yin and Xiao Yang perked up immediately, tilting their heads curiously.

Lin Mu smiled wryly. ”I am going to need your help.”

The two beasts exchanged a glance, then looked back at him with wary expressions. They could tell from his tone that whatever he was about to ask would not be pleasant.

Lin Mu placed the torch gently on the ground and met their eyes. ”Do not worry. No one is going to die for this. But I need your assistance to mimic the process that forms the Baleful Corpse Tar. It will require some of your... unique abilities.”

The twins nodded slowly, their gazes steady. They had followed Lin Mu through too many dangers to question him now.

Lin Mu’s expression softened. ”Good. Then once the preparations are ready, we begin.”

The others could sense the gravity in his voice. The torches were the key to their entry, but also a step into the most dangerous place in the Silent Lotus World. For now, though, there was only quiet determination.

As the cold wind swept across the barren land, Lin Mu looked once more toward the swirling colors of the Marshes of the Silent Skies.

Lin Mu stood silently as the twins hovered in the air before him, their bodies faintly shimmering with the interplay of opposing forces. His expression remained calm, but within, he was completely focused.

The process that he had requested from Xiao Yin and Xiao Yang was no simple feat.

Even though he trusted their abilities more than his own when it came to handling Yin and Yang energies, this was still something that could easily spiral out of control. Baleful Corpse Tar was not a natural creation.

It was born from death, agony, and spiritual corruption. For them to try and artificially recreate such a thing through the balance of Yin and Yang was a venture no sane alchemist or cultivator had ever dared.

Yet, Lin Mu had no choice.

He had spent the past week thinking of ways to avoid the need for human sacrifice. Even if he had long passed the point of mercy for his enemies, the thought of actively creating such a cruel and vile material through deliberate killing was something that gnawed at him.

He needed another way, and the twins, being creatures of pure duality, were his best chance.

Xiao Yin extended her tongue and took a cautious lick of the dark tar that coated the old torch. The viscous substance clung to her tongue for a moment before it sizzled and disappeared into her body.

Xiao Yang followed suit, his expression curious as the strange taste spread across his mouth. Both of them tilted their heads slightly, as if trying to find the right words to describe what they had just experienced.

”It tastes bitter,” Xiao Yin said softly, her eyes flickering faintly with a white light.

”Bitter... but sweet too,” Xiao Yang added with a grin. ”Like honey that’s been burnt and turned dark.”

Lin Mu’s brow lifted. ”Bitter honey?”

The twins nodded in unison, their voices overlapping slightly as Xiao Yin continued, ”It’s made of condensed energy, but it’s unstable. It wants to decay, to dissolve back into nothing.”

”Yet it clings together,” Xiao Yang added. ”Almost like it’s being held by something that shouldn’t exist.”

Lin Mu found that description strangely fitting.