Chapter 458: Turmoil
Chapter 458: Turmoil
In the days that followed, Mo Hua spent time "digesting" the Iron Corpse Elder, purging it of its evil thoughts and purifying its divine sense, which grew significantly in the process.
"As expected of the Iron Corpse Elder, his divine consciousness is comparable to that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator..."
Mo Hua was delighted.
With his enhanced divine sense and the manifestation of his divine thought during their clash, which had condensed spiritual power into spells and formations, Mo Hua's control over his spiritual power became even more refined. His comprehension of the Spirit Pivot Formation had deepened.
However, that was as far as he could go.
No matter how much Mo Hua practiced and pondered from then on, he couldn't seem to gain any further insights.
His understanding of the Spirit Pivot Formation had reached a bottleneck.
Mo Hua thought about it and felt that the issue likely didn't lie with him.
After all, in his learning of the Spirit Pivot Formation, neither his consumption of divine sense nor his comprehension of the Dao had reached a point of utter exhaustion or insurmountable difficulty.
Now that he had encountered a bottleneck, it was probably an issue with the formation itself.
The Spirit Pivot Formation in his possession was incomplete.
And an incomplete formation would not allow one to thoroughly fathom the fundamental principles of spiritual power.
"Looks like I need to find a way to get my hands on the complete Spirit Pivot Formation..."
Mo Hua made up his mind silently.
For the time being, his priority was still to deal with the "zombie" painting of the Zhang family.
He would start by consuming the zombies within the painting, from the weakest to the strongest.
He would strengthen himself through battle, consuming the lesser zombies to bolster his divine sense, before finally taking on the zombie ancestor.
That was Zhang Quan's ancient ancestor.
However, according to the Iron Corpse Elder, this zombie ancestor had numerous tricks up its sleeve.
Knowing oneself and one's enemy guaranteed victory in a hundred battles.
Mo Hua needed to find a way to uncover the zombie ancestor's secrets before formulating a plan to counter it.
Moreover, Mo Hua wasn't yet adept at manifesting his divine thought.
Even though he had clashed with the enemy several times and his manifestations of spells and formations had seemed passable, Mo Hua was still unsatisfied.
The manifested spiritual power lacked substance;
The manifested spells were slightly weaker than expected;
And the manifested formations were still a tad too slow...
This level of skill was more than sufficient to deal with minor zombies.
It could even barely suppress the Iron Corpse Elder.
But when it came to facing the Zhang family's zombie ancestor, Mo Hua didn't feel confident at all.
Even though, in the eyes of ordinary cultivators, the Zhang family's clan, filled with evil thoughts and an entire lineage of zombies, was already extremely powerful, having devoured countless people.
Being able to vanquish the Walking Corpses and the Iron Corpse was already commendable.
Yet, Mo Hua felt that as Master Zhuang's disciple, he had to do better.
His master had taught him the art of manifesting divine thought, so he had to excel at it. Otherwise, he would disgrace his master and fail to live up to his expectations.
Thus, he had to cultivate his divine sense to the utmost level.
And the manifestation of his divine thought had to reach perfection!
Manifesting spells and formations relied on the foundation of manifested spiritual power.
And the manifestation of spiritual power, in turn, depended on one's understanding of its fundamental nature.
The deeper the understanding, the more solid the manifestation, and the more powerful its effects.
Furthermore, comprehending the fundamental nature of spiritual power was intricately linked to the Spirit Pivot Formation.
Hence, as Mo Hua consumed the zombies, he also began planning to search for the complete Spirit Pivot Formation, especially since it was also connected to the traitor of Little Lingyin Sect.
Senior Instructor Yan had spent most of his life seeking to resolve this grudge between the sect and the traitor who had betrayed and annihilated his masters.
The obsession of his life was to retrieve the Spirit Pivot Formation and personally kill that traitor.
Senior Instructor Yan had shown Mo Hua great kindness.
One should repay a drop of water with a gushing spring.
If the mastermind behind the corpse cultivators in the mines was indeed the traitor from Little Lingyin Sect, Mo Hua wouldn't mind letting the guilty party die as they deserved.
...
The clues to the Spirit Pivot Formation lay with Zhang Quan, who was imprisoned in the Dao Court.
Mo Hua had been preoccupied with capturing zombies during these days, but he had also kept an ear out for news from the Dao Court.
When Si Tu Fang and Si Tu Jin came to deliver gifts, Mo Hua took the opportunity to subtly inquire about the situation.
Si Tu Fang's gift was a formation map and some formation books, as previously agreed upon.
It was both a token of her gratitude and a gesture of friendship from the Si Tu family.
One who has merit can receive rewards.
Mo Hua had been of great help regarding the Walking Corpse Fortress, and these gifts were formation-related, so he accepted them without hesitation.
In addition, there were also brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, along with the Si Tu family's specialty spirit fruits and various spiritual meats.
They weren't particularly precious, but they were thoughtful gifts.
Mo Hua accepted them graciously.
The spirit fruits could be made into pastries for Little Sister Shi to enjoy.
As for the spiritual meats, he would stew them for Master and Senior Brother Shi.
There were also some odd-looking fruits, and although Mo Hua didn't know how they tasted, they seemed crisp, so he planned to stir-fry them for Old Puppet to try...
After accepting the gifts, serving tea, and exchanging pleasantries, Mo Hua asked, "How's it going with Zhang Quan?"
Si Tu Jin hesitated for a moment.
Si Tu Fang shook her head after a brief pause, "We haven't gotten anything out of him..."
"Have you used torture?" Mo Hua inquired.
"We have," Si Tu Fang sighed. "We broke five or six sticks on him, but he still refuses to speak. He hasn't uttered a single word."
Mo Hua's confusion grew. "Doesn't he feel pain?"
"What on earth has Zhang Lan been telling you...?" Si Tu Fang muttered to herself, feeling exasperated.
She made a mental note of Mo Hua's words. The next time she went to the Zhang family to lodge a complaint, Zhang Lan's list of "crimes" would grow even longer.
Then, with a resigned expression, she added, "We've tried other methods, but to no avail."
"Alright..." Mo Hua sounded a little disappointed.
"I'll keep trying to find out. If Zhang Quan says anything, I'll let you know," Si Tu Fang assured him.
"Thank you, Sister Si Tu!" Mo Hua nodded.
After Si Tu Fang and Si Tu Jin left, Mo Hua pondered, "How can I make Zhang Quan confess?"
He wondered if arrays could be used for interrogation.
Before Mo Hua could come up with any ideas, two days later, chaos erupted in Nanyue City.
The streets were bustling with people, illuminated by flickering lights. The sounds of clamoring cultivators and the dense fluctuations of spiritual power filled the air.
Mo Hua heard the commotion, but as he was busy capturing zombies in his sea of consciousness, he couldn't spare any attention to it.
The next day, Si Tu Fang arrived, bearing injuries and looking haggard.
Mo Hua asked with concern, "Sister Si Tu, what happened?"
Si Tu Fang replied with a hint of regret, "Zhang Quan is dead."
Mo Hua was taken aback, "Dead?"
Si Tu Fang sighed and explained, "Last night, at midnight, some cultivators launched a prison break. They were dressed in black and acted covertly. By the time the Dao Court realized what was happening, it was too late..."
Indeed, the Dao Court had been lax in their defenses. However, the main reason for the escape was that no one expected someone to be bold enough to attempt a prison break at the Dao Court.
This was an act of defiance against the Dao Court, and if the perpetrators were discovered, they would face severe consequences, including punishment for their entire clan.
Mo Hua's expression turned solemn as he asked, "Was the prison break an attempt to rescue Zhang Quan?"
Si Tu Fang nodded.
Mo Hua furrowed his brows in confusion, "If they were trying to save Zhang Quan, then why is he dead?"
Si Tu Fang replied, "During the chaotic battle, someone stabbed Zhang Quan with a sword, ending his life. Then they set fire to half of the prison, burning Zhang Quan's body along with it..."
"Someone stabbed Zhang Quan with a sword... That person must be at the Foundation Establishment stage," Mo Hua mused.
"Yes." Si Tu Fang's brows furrowed as well, "The escapees included Foundation Establishment cultivators, and the Dao Court also had their own Foundation Establishment cultivators. Other sects and clans joined the fray upon hearing the commotion, including more Foundation Establishment cultivators..."
"In the chaos, it's impossible to tell who killed Zhang Quan or who started the fire."
"This whole situation is... strange," Mo Hua commented.
Si Tu Fang nodded in agreement, "I suspect that the prison break was just a cover, and the real intention was to silence Zhang Quan."
"What happened to the cultivators who attempted the prison break?" Mo Hua asked.
Si Tu Fang replied with frustration, "They all died as well."
Mo Hua's eyes widened in surprise, "All of them?"
"Yes."
"Not a single one survived?"
"That's right." Si Tu Fang sighed helplessly, "In fact, these deceased 'robbers' might not have even been the real culprits."
"What about their identities?"
"We're still investigating, but it might be difficult to uncover anything conclusive," she admitted.
Mo Hua frowned, deep in thought, "So, they all died..."
"The Dao Court should bear a significant responsibility for this incident, right?" Mo Hua asked.
After all, a prison break was a serious matter that warranted a thorough investigation.
Si Tu Fang considered for a moment, then shook her head, "It's hard to say..."
As expected, two days later, the matter was swept under the rug.
Si Tu Fang sought out Mo Hua, her expression a mix of anger and resignation. Through her, Mo Hua learned of the outcome of the incident.
An official report from the Qian Zhangsi of Nanyue City to the Dao Court read:
"In the Dao calendar year 20,025, on the first day of the fourth month...
Unknown black-robed cultivators attempted to rescue prisoners, but were met with swift and decisive action by the Dao Court. The prisoner Zhang Quan perished, and all the culprits were slain.
Half of the prison was damaged, resulting in one death and ten injuries among the prison staff... A compensation of 2,836 spirit stones is requested."
Although there had been a prison break, all the culprits and the prisoner were dead. While the Dao Court had suffered some losses, they had maintained their dignity.
On balance, the matter was considered resolved.
Even if there were inquiries, there was no one left to blame, as everyone involved had perished...
At most, they would receive some mild reprimands.
Mo Hua was shocked.
This was indeed a bold and cunning plan. Despite the audacity of the prison break, those responsible had managed to provide a plausible explanation to both their superiors and subordinates.
In the end, the incident was downplayed and forgotten...
Mo Hua's eyes held a thoughtful gleam.
The big fish behind the scenes had surfaced.
But it had taken the bait, snapped the line, and swum away...
(End of Chapter)
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