Chapter 498: Who Are You Feeding?
Chapter 498: Who Are You Feeding?
Just as Mo Hua expected, Zhang Quan was completely no match for Lu Chengyun.
Lu Chengyun's sword techniques were profound, his sword intent thick and his moves graceful.
Zhang Quan still fought the same way, relying on his corpse-like state and engaging Lu Chengyun head-on in a rigid battle. As a result, he was pierced by sword intent and reduced to a bloody mess, collapsing to the ground.
This strategic deficiency and tactical simplicity left Mo Hua in awe.
Mo Hua had thought that Zhang Quan dared to confront Lu Chengyun because he had some hidden trump card. But he never expected that Zhang Quan was relying solely on his fury and fearlessness.
And now, he was about to die...
Mo Hua shook his head as he watched.
If he were truly Zhang Quan's ancestor, he would be so angry that he would flip the coffin lid.
Having secretly manipulated the Iron Corpse to help Zhang Quan so much, yet this Zhang Quan was still so useless!
Without Zhang Quan as a pawn, he had no way to scheme against Lu Chengyun...
Mo Hua felt helpless.
Inside the altar, Zhang Quan lay on the verge of death.
His face was pale, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Perhaps knowing that death was near, he did not beg for mercy from Lu Chengyun. Instead, he mustered his remaining strength and spoke in a feeble, intermittent voice:
"My... my... portrait?"
Lu Chengyun's eyebrows rose, "Are you talking about your ancestral master portrait?"
Zhang Quan coughed up blood, his voice weak, "Yes..."
Lu Chengyun shook his head, "It now belongs to me."
Zhang Quan's face twisted with anger, and he coughed up a few more mouthfuls of blood before slowly saying:
"Fine... I admit defeat. But... Brother Lu, considering the many things I have done for you over the years, please allow me, before I die... to take one last look at my Zhang family's ancestors..."
Lu Chengyun's gaze turned slightly cold, his emotions indiscernible as he asked calmly:
"What difference would it make to take one last look?"
Zhang Quan's expression was hideous, and he said in a harsh voice:
"I, Zhang Quan, have been unfilial, causing the Zhang family lineage to end and the Zhang family's Corpse Path to be severed. I want to kowtow and atone to my ancestors!"
Lu Chengyun was slightly moved, and he nodded, "Alright!"
He took out a scroll from his storage bag.
The scroll was rolled up, the paper ancient and bearing traces of dust and footprints, left by Mo Hua's stepping on it...
It was indeed the Zhang family's ancestral master portrait.
Zhang Quan's eyes lit up with excitement.
Lu Chengyun slowly unfurled the portrait.
Zhang Quan's gaze was fixed on the portrait in Lu Chengyun's hands.
When Lu Chengyun had unrolled it halfway, his eyes turned cold. Taking advantage of Zhang Quan's momentary distraction, he abruptly drew his sword and pierced Zhang Quan's chest, ending his life instantly!
Zhang Quan looked down at the sword in his chest, then raised his head to look at Lu Chengyun, his face reflecting his disbelief. Gritting his teeth, he said:
"Lu, you thief... You..."
Before he could finish, Zhang Quan's breath left him, and he slowly fell to the ground.
Even in death, Zhang Quan's eyes remained fixed on Lu Chengyun, refusing to close.
Lu Chengyun gazed back at the deceased Zhang Quan, his expression calm. After a moment, he confirmed that Zhang Quan was truly dead, and his tone softened as he said, "Brother Zhang, I'm sorry, but I had to make sure you were truly dead. I feared you might have some tricks up your sleeve..."
"Don't worry about the Zhang family. I will take good care of the ancestral master portrait and carry on your family's Corpse Path."
"In the future, I will adopt a disciple and give him the surname 'Zhang' to continue your family lineage."
"Rest assured, your Zhang family's Corpse Path will flourish under my guidance..."
......
After Lu Chengyun finished speaking, he used Zhang Quan's corpse to wipe the blood off his sword, then sheathed it and walked towards the altar.
In front of the altar stood the nine-foot-tall Corpse King, Yu Yuan, his presence commanding and formidable.
Lu Chengyun extended his spiritual sense and felt that the Corpse King was now completely under his control. The more than twenty Iron Corpses surrounding them were also obedient to his commands.
Lu Chengyun's heart was no longer calm, and he couldn't help but burst into loud laughter:
"From this day forward, this Corpse King who commands an army of corpses will only heed my orders!"
"The cultivators of Nan Yue City, from birth to death, will mine for my Lu family!"
"All of Nan Yue City will be under my control!"
"Even the heavens of this small state will change!"
As Lu Chengyun laughed, he suddenly stopped, remembering Mo Hua.
Now that Zhang Quan was dead, Mo Hua was the only one left who knew about the Ten Thousand Corpse Formation.
Mo Hua had created the core of the formation and had also seen the array he had painted on the bronze coffin.
Aside from himself, Mo Hua knew the most about the array's secrets within the entire Corpse Mine...
Lu Chengyun's eyes flickered with uncertainty, and he released his spiritual sense, his expression changing slightly:
"Where did that little fellow go?"
Mo Hua was startled and quickly calmed himself, suppressing his aura.
Lu Chengyun's spiritual sense swept through the Corpse Mine, and he suddenly realized something, turning to scan the altar. However, after a long while, he still found nothing...
Knitting his brows, he asked, "Where did he go?"
At that moment, Mo Hua, who had been hiding behind Lu Chengyun and spying on him all night, dared not even breathe.
Lu Chengyun thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out, feeling annoyed. He once again released his spiritual sense and carefully scanned the altar.
However, the altar was too large, and he had just been through an intense battle, so it didn't take long for his spiritual sense to weaken.
Lu Chengyun stopped searching.
If he continued, he might exhaust his spiritual sense and lose control of the Corpse King, which would be dangerous...
Lu Chengyun put away the visualization chart, ordered the Corpse King to return to the bronze coffin, and commanded the Iron Corpses to return to their iron coffins. Then, he dragged Zhang Quan's corpse and threw it into an empty coffin nearby.
Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.
It wasn't until Lu Chengyun had walked far away and showed no signs of returning that Mo Hua quietly slipped out of the altar and sneaked back to his room, burrowing under the covers to feign sleep.
If Lu Chengyun came to check on him, he would claim that he had been in his room the whole time and knew nothing about what had transpired.
Lu Chengyun was aware of his ability to conceal himself.
To detect such concealment would require spiritual sense, and Lu Chengyun had just expended a significant amount in his battle with Zhang Quan, so he was likely to assume that his own spiritual sense was depleted, which was why he hadn't detected Mo Hua.
Mo Hua pondered this for a moment, then shook his head.
That excuse might work, but it was still risky.
Moreover, the situation had changed...
Now that Lu Chengyun had killed Zhang Quan, without him as a shield, Lu Chengyun's attention would turn to him.
Mo Hua's thoughts raced.
He had to run!
Escaping through the front was impossible with the massive natural boulder as a door, guarded by two second-grade Iron Corpses.
These Iron Corpses were under Lu Chengyun's control, and Mo Hua, being physically weak, dared not approach them to alter the sequence array patterns on their spirit pivot arrays.
Waiting for the outside cultivators to attack the Corpse Mine and then taking advantage of the chaos to flee would likely be too late as well.
With the early completion of the Corpse King and Lu Chengyun's sudden strike, the crisis had come sooner than expected, leaving no time to wait.
The only option left was to blow it up!
"How should I blow it up?" Mo Hua wondered.
Using a reverse spirit array was out of the question, as its collapse would be too powerful and distinctive, easily exposing his trump card and attracting Lu Chengyun's attention.
A reconstituted earth fire array should suffice.
He could set up an earth fire reconstitution array at the spot where Little Tiger had dug a small hole. The stone wall there was thin, and he should be able to blow up a portion of the Corpse Mine, creating an opportunity for him to escape.
Having made up his mind, Mo Hua decided to give it a try. However, before he could even start drawing the array, he suddenly paused, sensing Lu Chengyun's approaching spiritual sense.
Mo Hua quickly scrambled back into bed, covering himself with the blanket to pretend he was asleep.
Soon, footsteps could be heard outside the stone chamber.
They were soft, but Mo Hua's sharp senses picked them up.
Lu Chengyun paced outside, circling a few times as if hesitating, before finally speaking in a gentle voice, "Little Master..."
Mo Hua ignored him.
Lu Chengyun called out a few more times, his tone warm and gentle, as if he were an amiable old acquaintance.
Mo Hua sensed his sinister spiritual intent, as if he were plotting something, but there was no direct murderous intent, so he got out of bed and opened the door, his heart racing.
Before opening the door, Mo Hua ruffled his hair to make himself look disheveled, and when he saw Lu Chengyun, he feigned surprise and asked, "Lord Lu, what brings you here?"
Mo Hua rubbed his eyes and yawned, acting as if he had just woken up.
Lu Chengyun was taken aback, asking, "Little Master, have you been in your room this whole time?"
"In the middle of the night, where else could I be but in my room?" Mo Hua replied with a puzzled expression.
Then, he added in a slightly annoyed tone, "There's nothing interesting here anyway..."
Lu Chengyun hesitated.
For a moment, he couldn't tell if Mo Hua was putting on an act or if a child so young could truly possess such profound scheming and innocent acting skills. Lu Chengyun furrowed his brows, deep in thought.
Mo Hua took the opportunity to ask, "Lord Lu, what brings you here at this late hour? Is there something you need from me?"
Lu Chengyun snapped out of his reverie and smiled, "I came to fulfill my promise to you, Little Master."
"Promise?"
Lu Chengyun nodded, "Didn't I tell you before? As long as you help me construct the array eye, I will teach you... that array..."
Mo Hua's sleepiness vanished, and his eyes lit up, "Really?"
Lu Chengyun smiled, "As the leader of my clan, I naturally keep my word."
I keep my word...
Mo Hua's mind flashed back to the scene where Lu Chengyun had promised to show Zhang Quan the ancestral master portrait, only to stab him with a sword before he could even open it.
"I believe you, my foot!" Mo Hua cursed inwardly.
However, he maintained his facade of innocence, "Can I learn it now?"
Lu Chengyun shook his head, "Some preparations are still needed."
"Preparations?" Mo Hua asked, confused.
Lu Chengyun sighed, "This array is... extremely difficult. I myself have studied it for decades and have only achieved minor success."
"The most challenging part of this array lies in the spiritual sense."
"The threshold for spiritual sense is just too high..."
"Little Master, you have extraordinary talent, but you are still young. With your current spiritual sense, you might not be able to learn it yet. So, before learning this array, we need to find a way to enhance your spiritual sense."
Mo Hua was taken aback, then exclaimed in a feigned "shock," "Enhance spiritual sense? Could it be...?"
"Indeed!" Lu Chengyun nodded, "Little Master has a keen eye. You must know about... the Visualization Chart!"
Mo Hua gasped, unable to hide his astonishment, "Lord Lu actually has a Visualization Chart in his possession?
"The portrait of Zhang Quan's ancestor?" Lu Chengyun clarified.
Mo Hua's eyes widened, and he feigned a look of surprise. His expression was a bit exaggerated, but Lu Chengyun, intent on luring Mo Hua into his trap, didn't suspect anything at that moment.
Mo Hua furrowed his brows and blinked, then asked, "But when I looked at the portrait, I didn't feel any enhancement in my spiritual sense..."
A mysterious smile appeared on Lu Chengyun's face as he replied, "That, Little Master, was because your method was incorrect."
"There's another method?" Mo Hua asked.
Lu Chengyun nodded and gently said, "Little Master, follow me..."
Puzzled, Mo Hua obediently followed Lu Chengyun.
Lu Chengyun led him to a secret chamber where another altar was located. The altar here was simpler, with only three dishes on it.
One dish held hand bones, another held foot bones, and the middle one held a skull.
There were also candles burning on the altar. The candles were white, but the flame was a sinister green. The melting wax dripped down, resembling tears that pooled at the base of the candles.
In addition, there were some oddly shaped objects and a white coffin.
The setup was very familiar to Mo Hua, resembling the altar in the Corpse Tribe where Zhang Quan had used human spiritual sense as an offering to worship the ancestor portrait.
Mo Hua put on a scared expression and asked, "House Lord, what is this...?"
"This is an altar," Lu Chengyun replied.
Noticing Mo Hua's unease, he smiled faintly and explained, "This ancestor portrait is a bit special. It requires incense offerings to open the divine eye, allowing one to see the true form within the portrait and comprehend the grand dao principles it contains, thus enhancing one's spiritual sense."
Lu Chengyun pointed to the white coffin beside the altar and said, "I've already lit the incense and prepared the offerings..."
"Next, I will place the visualization chart on the altar."
"Before that, Little Master, you just need to lie in that coffin, free your mind, and put life and death out of your thoughts. This will allow you to contemplate the true meaning of the chart and enhance your spiritual sense."
Lu Chengyun's tone was gentle, and he wore a mild smile, but his eyes reflected the eerie green candlelight.
Mo Hua looked scared. "Is... is this really true?"
Lu Chengyun's voice turned low, "Of course it's true..."
"But..." Mo Hua glanced at the coffin.
This coffin was similar in design to the one in the Corpse Tribe, but it was more exquisite and smaller.
It seemed to be custom-made for him...
Mo Hua hesitated, "I... I don't want to go in..."
Lu Chengyun's expression turned fierce, and he said coldly,
"Go!"
Mo Hua jumped in fright.
Lu Chengyun's smile was sinister, "Little Master, don't disappoint my good intentions."
Mo Hua's brows furrowed, and after much hesitation, he slowly lay down in the small coffin under Lu Chengyun's cold gaze.
Lu Chengyun gave a cold laugh, took out coffin nails, and sealed the coffin shut. Then, with great reverence, he took out Zhang Quan's ancestor portrait and placed it on the altar.
As the incense curled and the candle flames flickered, Lu Chengyun performed a ritualistic bow and began to chant:
"Today, we open the chart, offering incense in reverence..."
"...Using white bones to worship the ancestor, and spiritual sense as a sacrificial feast."
"Oh great ancestor of the Zhang family, I, Lu Chengyun, your descendant, pay my respects!"
Lying in the coffin, Mo Hua immediately started screaming in pain upon hearing these words.
He remembered that when Zhang Quan had used a person to offer sacrifices to the portrait, the coffin had echoed with similar cries.
Of course, one would also have to scratch the coffin with their fingernails, creating a heart-wrenching, desperate, and agonizing sound of struggle.
But Mo Hua was afraid of pain...
His small hands probably wouldn't make much noise anyway.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then released Xiao Hu, letting the little tiger scratch the coffin board for him.
Xiao Hu's claws scrabbled, and the coffin board indeed emitted a piercing, heart-wrenching sound.
Mo Hua joined in, crying out:
"It's so uncomfortable!"
"Ah!"
"It's so painful! Let me out!"
...
Lu Chengyun remained unmoved.
The cries from the coffin gradually ceased, followed by silence.
Lu Chengyun stood there for a long time before finally sighing and regretting,
"What a waste of talent. It's truly a pity that even with such natural talent, one can still meet an early end in the treacherous cultivation world."
Lu Chengyun shook his head and left the altar.
Mo Hua lay quietly in the small coffin, and after confirming that Lu Chengyun had left, he gently patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, he thought of the Zhang family ancestor portrait on the altar at that moment and couldn't help but lick his lips, muttering:
"I wonder if he's using me to feed the portrait or using the portrait to feed me?"
(End of Chapter)
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