Ryu was fond of Hecate's corpse refinement method, but he didn't like being restricted to Grave Qi. The only solution in this case was to create his own Death Seal.
This wasn't as difficult as a task as it seemed. After all, Hecate was only of the Path Extinction Realm, a level above the Immortal Ring Realm, yet she forged a new path of Necromancy all on her own.
Of course, if others heard Ryu's thoughts, they'd probably lash out in anger. It might be easy to him who modified Mental Realm techniques on a whim, but not just anyone could do it.
Still, it took Ryu over three years of research to succeed. He had to cross reference many Death Seals and decide what could most appropriately replace Grave Qi, but he eventually succeeded.
The Qi he had decided on was Weeping Willow Qi. It was a Death Qi that was especially fond of slowly corroding high grade Spiritual Herbs. Many descendants of the Immortal Sakura found it to be their archenemy.
Of course, as a Higher Mystic Grade Qi, Weeping Willow Qi had no business threatening the true Immortal Sakura. However, for Ryu's current purposes, it was the best suited.
'Hecate's specialty is in allowing corpse puppets to retain a minor amount of intelligence. This allows them to follow commands even if they're imprecise. This ability is invaluable to me who will need to fight many opponents at once often in the future… I can't continuously drain my Focus Qi on small matters even if the prayer mat has greatly helped me in this regard.
'Still, Hecate's methods are far too lacking in many aspects. Though she gains this advantage, she lost out in too many other areas. Because her corpse puppets are more like the living than the dead, their death qi is far less potent. As a result, it's nearly impossible for corpses refined by her method to evolve. They're mostly locked into their current strength…'
This was just one of the weaknesses Ryu had come to understand. Obviously, every Death Seal had their own specialties, but they ultimately served the same function. Unfortunately, Hecate's was so unique that it lost much of the expected functionalities.
However, at the end of the day, Ryu might have been a novice in Necromancy, but he was also a genius Herbologist. Of the two main branches of corpse refinement, the Herb Method and the Ore Method, he was the most suited to the former. As a result, he managed to meld his understandings together, slowly building his own path.
'The first step of your refinement method is quite cruel.' Though Ailsa said this, she made no attempt to stop Ryu.
"She'll be tempered by the poisons I've concocted for thirty days. It will feel as though her flesh is being eaten from the inside out continuously over the month-long span. Not only is this what she deserves, but it is necessary.
"The process will completely destroy her path in living cultivation methods. But, in terms of corpses, she will become a genius amongst geniuses."
Ailsa smiled lightly. 'To turn her body into that of a Spiritual Herb, then corroding her with Weeping Willow Qi… She truly would become a genius in death qi refinement.'
Weeping Willow didn't just kill Spiritual Herbs, but rather turned them into vessels that in turn assaulted other Spiritual Herbs, causing an infestation. Some of the most sought-after death type Spiritual Herbs Necromancers would kill over were the result of Weeping Willow Qi's influence.
Ryu was using poison to change the composition of Esme's body into that of a Spiritual Herb. The forceful rearrangement of her meridians, the drying out of her blood, the changing of her fundamental biology… These were things that would be so painful that she could only wish for death.
Of course, Ryu took inspiration for this after reading a Death Herb encyclopedia within the Zu Clan Library. He stumbled upon a Spiritual Herb known as the Screaming Blood Root. It only grew from the corpses of absolute experts.
Ryu took its foundations as the basis for Esme's transformation.
Without much more thought, the black jade bed Esme was strapped to was slowly lowered into a foul-smelling pool below. Her screams became more agitated and rabid, but Ryu only blankly stared.
The moment the liquid touched her skin, the bindings Ryu had placed over her mouth ripped apart, causing the full force of her screams to fill the otherwise quiet Immortal Cave. It was unfortunate for her that they were several miles underground. Plus, even if they weren't, this was an Immortal Cave. Sound wouldn't leak so easily.
Ryu only lowered Esme just enough for the liquid to cover the bottom layer on her skin, but the sight was still gruesome to behold. She screamed so horridly that the blood vessels in her eyes immediately ruptured. Without the bindings over her mouth, she bit her tongue off in her rabid frenzy, causing it to flip up and into the air, falling with a plop into the grim sludge below.
Ryu extended a finger, sending a stream of fire forward that seared the wound on her tongue closed. He couldn't have her dying now. After all, this was a live refinement method for a reason. Luckily for Esme, she was in so much pain she didn't even notice.
Unfortunately, with how cruel this method was, Ryu only had to heart to use it on his enemies. But, on the bright side, if he could call it that, he would sure he would have many of those in the future.
'You were quite decisive about this.' Ailsa said lightly. 'Not many would sacrifice two Half-Step Immortal Ring corpses for the sake of one Lower Connecting Heaven Realm one.'
"Any new method requires some sacrifices. Using Youkai and First Grand Elder Basteel's corpses to complete my Screaming Blood method will be well worth it. This Esme, though she's a vile woman, is still very talented. Her bone age isn't over one hundred fifty years old, but she was on the verge of entering the Middle Connection Heaven Realm. That's more than decent. I have a feeling she was very important to the Zu Clan if even their First Grand Elder called her by her first name."
'You're right. It's very likely that the Zu Clan that appears on the Pedestal Plane is just the tip of the iceberg. I wouldn't be surprised if they have many hidden members elsewhere…'
Ryu nodded seriously. "When this is complete, this corpse puppet will have an easy path to becoming an Eighth Order Puppet. Whether I can evolve her beyond that level will depend on my ability to improve my methods… For Nemesis' sake, I have to become the best Necromancer I can be."