The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

"An outsider?" Lei Heng asked gravely, looking at Wei Wushuang.

Wei Wushuang nodded slightly, walking over to Lei Kun's corpse. Staring at the black blood on the ground, he solemnly explained, "Lei Kun didn't come back to life. He was turned into a 'blood-nurtured corpse' by the Black Blood Tribe, used to feed and empower them."

"Master, are you saying that apart from humans, there are other races?" Lin Qian quickly stepped forward, his curiosity piqued.

Seeing Lin Qian's eagerness, Wei Wushuang nodded and pointed to the black blood. "From the description Lei Qian gave earlier, I had a hunch, but seeing this black blood confirms it. This is the work of the Black Blood Tribe."

"The Black Blood Tribe, as their name suggests, has black blood. This race can inject their black blood into the hearts of corpses and use their secret techniques to control the bodies."

"Once they control a corpse, the Black Blood Tribe uses it to consume the hearts of its kin and drink their essence blood, which allows the corpse to regain some vitality."

"The corpses controlled and nurtured by black blood are called 'blood-nurtured corpses.' These corpses can be commanded in battle, and after being nurtured to a certain point, they can even feed their power back to the Black Blood Tribe, enhancing their cultivation."

"Because they need complete corpses, and the stronger the body, the better the feedback, the Black Blood Tribe often steals corpses from other races."

"That's why they are also known as 'corpse thieves.'"

After hearing this, Lin Qian stared in astonishment at Lei Kun's body, frowning as he asked, "Master, what exactly do you mean by 'feeding back'?"

"They consume the corpse," Wei Wushuang answered simply.

Lin Qian's expression soured, and he shook his head in disbelief. "How can such a disgusting race exist in this world?"

"The Black Blood Tribe is indeed an unsavory race. The blood-nurtured corpses they create are incredibly strong and resilient, but they have one major weakness—the heart," Wei Wushuang continued, pointing to Lei Kun's body on the ground. "Elder Lei Heng, I hope you don't blame my disciple for putting a hole in your grandson's body."

Lei Heng sighed deeply, shaking his head. "On the contrary, I should thank Lin Qian. If not for him, my grandson's body might have been devoured by that Black Blood Tribe creature."

Wei Wushuang muttered to himself, "Linhai Province is a remote area, but it's still within the heart of human territory near the southern coast. How did the Black Blood Tribe get here?"

Qin Wushuang surveyed the surroundings, his expression serious. "Could it be that one of those repulsive outsiders is lurking near our Wanxiang Sect?"

"Not necessarily," Wei Wushuang replied, shaking his head. "It's possible that someone acted on behalf of the Black Blood Tribe, injecting their black blood into Lei Kun's heart to control his body and create a blood-nurtured corpse. However, the process isn't guaranteed to succeed."

"From what I've heard during my travels, the Black Blood Tribe usually uses various materials and prepares thoroughly to increase the chances of success. If someone else attempted it, the success rate would be much lower."

Qin Wushuang pondered this for a moment before saying, "If that's the case, then Lei Kun likely wasn't turned into a blood-nurtured corpse by the Black Blood Tribe directly."

"It's possible that whoever helped the Black Blood Tribe injected the black blood into Lei Kun, saw no immediate reaction, and decided to cover their tracks."

"With our sect's disciples patrolling outside the gates, burning the body wasn't an option, so they chose to bury it on the spot."

"But that person probably never imagined that after all these days, Lei Kun's body would still successfully transform."

Qin Wushuang's deduction seemed reasonable, and the others nodded in agreement.

At that moment, Lin Qian spoke up, "I developed a special potion that forces the truth out of anyone who drinks it. When Lei Qian and I questioned the disciple guarding the gate, we learned..."

Lei Heng was especially surprised by this revelation, as he had personally interrogated the disciple but had been swayed by Liu Ming's testimony.

Qin Wushuang looked at Lin Qian skeptically. "You made that potion yourself? I find that hard to believe."

"Why not, Uncle?" Lin Qian asked.

"Everyone in the sect knows that aside from cultivating, you're hopeless at everything else. When it comes to alchemy, your concoctions do nothing but fill bellies, which infuriates the alchemy masters so much that they avoid you like the plague."

"And don't get me started on forging. Elder Qi once told me that in all his years, he's never seen a disciple create a soul weapon that actively repels soul power."

"Your formation skills are even worse. You managed to set up a Spirit Gathering Formation that actually slowed down cultivation speed tenfold. Elder Fu still talks about how he's never seen such a 'gifted' disciple."

"And then there's your infamous explosions. Alchemy cauldrons, forging furnaces, formations—you manage to blow up everything you touch. So no, I can't believe you came up with such a miraculous potion."

Lei Qian, listening nearby, suddenly realized something. "Wait, so you're the infamous Explosion King of the outer sect?"

Wei Wushuang couldn't help but laugh, recalling how Lin Qian used to return from his attempts at alchemy, forging, and formation setting—clean when he left, but always charred and covered in soot when he returned.

Eventually, the sect elders had barred Lin Qian from attending their classes, unable to tolerate the constant explosions any longer.

Lin Qian's face twitched with annoyance as he watched his uncle mock him so freely. He wanted nothing more than to punch him right then and there.

"In Ba Mountain, there's a ruin with many treasures. I got this potion from there," Lin Qian lied, trying to cover his tracks.

Despite his doubts, Qin Wushuang believed Lin Qian's account of the gatekeeper's testimony.

If Lei Qian's cousin, Lei Kuo, was involved, it would explain why the body wasn't taken away. Being a disciple of the sect, Lei Kuo wouldn't have had the freedom to leave for long periods, making it impossible to dispose of the corpse elsewhere.

"If that's the case, then Lei Kuo must have conspired with Liu Ming to deceive me!" Lei Heng's fury erupted. "Let's return to the sect and interrogate Lei Kuo thoroughly!"

"Uncle, I'm afraid you won't be able to do that," Qin Wushuang said with a wry smile.

Lei Heng frowned in confusion. "Why not?"

"Because Lei Kuo is already dead. Lin Qian here killed him."

"What?" Lei Heng turned to Lin Qian, wide-eyed.

Lin Qian spread his hands in mock innocence. "I had no idea Lei Kuo was involved at the time. He practically begged me to stab him in the heart, shouting for me to do it, so I obliged. How could I refuse such a heartfelt request?"

"Lei Kuo is gone, but Liu Ming is still around. We'll have to get answers from him," Wei Wushuang said, shaking his head with a mix of amusement and exasperation.