Chapter 507: The Thirteenth Trigram
Chapter 507: The Thirteenth Trigram
Mo Hua had overeaten.
The ancestral master of the Zhang family, who had manifested a copper corpse, still possessed the spiritual consciousness of a mid-Qi Refining stage cultivator, even without the offerings of his descendants.
The elders of the Zhang family, who had manifested iron corpses, also had spiritual consciousness comparable to the early Qi Refining stage.
Although they had suffered losses in the battle within the Mo Hua-controlled Zhang family, with descendants and ancestors slaughtering each other, their spiritual consciousness had been greatly depleted.
However, there was still an abundance of residual consciousness...
Mo Hua had devoured them all in one go, and he now felt stuffed.
His sea of consciousness was filled with a jumble of disparate spiritual consciousnesses.
These consciousnesses were obtained after initially refining the evil thoughts of the copper and iron corpses.
Derived from different divine souls, they carried traces of impurity—some cold, some violent, some sinister, and some deceitful...
Mo Hua felt helpless.
He had indulged in these "bad influences," and now he was worried about corrupting his own mind.
The evil thoughts raged like turbulent waves.
Mo Hua's Dao heart, like a small boat ferrying across the waves, wobbled and drifted unsteadily.
It seemed that at any moment, it would be submerged by the evil thoughts.
If his Dao heart were extinguished and tainted, his entire being would undergo a transformation, turning him into a monstrous corpse with a human body and a corrupt heart.
Fortunately, Mo Hua had consumed a lot of sinister influences and was gradually becoming accustomed to these evil thoughts.
He calmed his mind and meditated, mastering his body and guarding his heart.
He held onto his initial pure intention.
Despite the turmoil of evil thoughts, the sinister influences, and the breeding of evil desires, his heart remained as clear as a mirror, untouched by any impurity.
Time passed, and at midnight, a sudden ancient, profound, and majestic aura rose within his sea of consciousness.
Mo Hua opened his eyes and saw the ethereal monument floating in his sea of consciousness, his eyes lighting up.
He pointed with two fingers, manifesting his spiritual consciousness, and began to draw an array on the monument.
This array was the Ling Shu Array, a supreme array with twelve trigram marks!
This peerless array required an extremely high level of spiritual consciousness.
Mo Hua practiced it from time to time, but his progress was slow due to the limitations of his spiritual consciousness. Often, after drawing one or two arrays, he would need to rest.
Now, his sea of consciousness was overflowing with abundant spiritual consciousness.
Without any hesitation, Mo Hua's fingers moved swiftly, his spiritual consciousness pouring out as trigram marks formed and combined into the Ling Shu array...
At the same time, the aura of the monument became even more profound.
The residual evil souls and thoughts that Mo Hua had devoured whole were refined through meditation, cleansed by the monument, and tempered by the array, gradually becoming pure and eventually completely refined by Mo Hua, who slowly absorbed them...
Practicing the array a hundred times reveals its true meaning.
Mo Hua focused solely on practicing the Ling Shu array.
With each repetition, his understanding of the Ling Shu array deepened, and his originally robust spiritual consciousness grew stronger...
...
At this moment, the battle outside the Corpse Mine continued unabated.
The various factions of the Dao Court launched several more assaults, but they were all repelled by the "corpse soldiers" formed by Lu Chengyun's iron corpses and walking corpses, failing to capture the mine.
Recognizing that brute force would not work, Yang Jishan ordered the elite squads of foundation cultivators to work with the Dao soldiers to launch sneak attacks and harass Lu Chengyun, putting pressure on him.
After these days of clashes, Yang Jishan also understood Lu Chengyun's method of controlling the corpses:
"It's an array!"
"The corpse soldiers are connected through an array, unifying their offense and defense, advancing and retreating as one."
However, Yang Jishan had no idea what kind of array it was.
He could only recognize some basic and commonly used arrays, such as the five-element arrays often employed by the Dao soldiers in battle. As for the array controlling the corpses, he was completely clueless.
So, Yang Jiyong sought out Young Master Yun.
As a second-rank array master from an array-specialized family, Young Master Yun should have some insights.
Young Master Yun furrowed his brows in thought for a moment before asking, "Commander Yang, can you capture a few zombies for me to examine?"
"Iron corpses?"
"Iron corpses would be best, but walking corpses will do as well."
Yang nodded, "Alright."
Half a day later, Yang ordered the Dao soldiers to capture a few zombies, including an iron corpse with a broken arm and several walking corpses.
Chained up, the zombies struggled and let out incomprehensible low roars.
They were bloody and hideous.
Young Master Yun felt uncomfortable looking at them, but he gritted his teeth and examined their skin and limbs thoroughly.
However, he found nothing unusual.
Young Master Yun frowned slightly, puzzled, "That's odd..."
Yang Jishan asked, "What's odd?"
Young Master Yun explained, "There should be an array on these zombies, but I can't find it..."
Yang Jishan's gaze sharpened, "Could it be inside their bodies? Since it's corpse refinement, the method must be more covert and harder to detect."
Young Master Yun nodded, "That's possible."
Yang Jishan thought for a moment, recalling the zombies he had encountered in the battles over the past few days, and suddenly realized,
"During the battle, I saw a zombie whose chest was shattered, and there seemed to be some blood-colored patterns fused with its flesh and blood..."
Young Master Yun also said, "The heart meridian can indeed be used as a medium for an evil array."
Yang Jishan took out a blade and cut open the heart meridian skin of the walking corpses one by one. Sure enough, a few of the walking corpses had blood-colored patterns resembling arrays on their heart meridians.
These array marks were sinister and fused with their flesh and blood, making them extremely hard to detect.
Yang Jishan couldn't help but sigh,
"This Lu Chengyun truly has remarkable means!"
This was the first time Young Master Yun had seen such a use of an evil array, and his expression turned solemn.
Yang Jishan examined the bloody chest of the walking corpse, but couldn't make sense of it, so he asked,
"Young Master Yun, what kind of array is this?"
Young Master Yun shook his head, "The array marks aren't clear enough to make out yet."
"Then let's take a look at the array on the iron corpse."
"Mhm."
Yang Jishan proceeded to open the chest of the iron corpse.
The iron corpse's skin was as tough as iron, making it a tedious task. It took Yang Jishan half an hour to cut open the iron corpse's skin with a second-rank dagger and reveal the array underneath.
By comparing the two, Young Master Yun was able to partially reconstruct the array.
This array was incomplete, with many array patterns missing and errors in the array core and layout, but he could make out a general outline.
Despite this, his eyes widened in shock as he murmured, "An Ultimate Array..."
Yang Jishan frowned, "An Ultimate Array?"
Young Master Yun explained, "It's an array that requires an extremely high level of spiritual consciousness, an excessive number of array marks, and a profound understanding of arrays. Although it's a first-rate array, it surpasses that level. It's an extraordinary array."
Yang Jishan still looked perplexed.
So, Young Master Yun tried to explain it in simpler terms, "It's the most difficult type of first-rate array..."
Upon hearing this, Yang Jishan understood.
But he still had doubts, "How difficult could it be?"
Young Master Yun replied, "This kind of array that surpasses all standards is not even tested for first-rate array masters. And although it's categorized as first-rate, many second-rate array masters can't learn it..."
Yang Jishan was astonished, "You mean, even you might not be able to learn it, Young Master Yun?"
Young Master Yun hesitated.
Being out here, he didn't want to lose face for the Yun family, but since he hadn't studied it before, he honestly didn't know if he could learn it.
After some hesitation, he answered honestly,
"The Ultimate Array requires a profound understanding of the principles of arrays. I haven't studied it, so I'm not sure if I can learn it..."
Yang Jishan nodded.
If even second-rate array masters couldn't learn it, then this array was truly extraordinary.
"So, do you know what kind of array this is?"
Yang Jishan asked further.
Young Master Yun studied the reconstructed array again and shook his head, "The array marks are missing, so I can't tell..."
"We'd have to reconstruct the array marks and then deduce the complete array diagram from them to identify this array..."
"Then let's deduce it," suggested Yang Jishan.
Young Master Yun smiled bitterly, "Deducing the array diagram involves array calculation, which is an extremely profound aspect of array theory. In our Yun family, only the ancestor knows how to do that..."
Ancestor?
Yang Jishan's head started to hurt.
These arrays were truly troublesome.
It was an Ultimate Array, it was super-grade, it required deduction and calculation...
He decided to ask directly, "Is there a way to break this array that controls the corpses?"
After a long silence, Young Master Yun slowly replied, "Directly breaking it... without knowing the array marks and understanding the array, it's unlikely we can break it..."
"We can only use indirect means to interfere with the connection between the arrays, thereby affecting the array's control over the zombies..."
"As for how to do that specifically, I need to research it..."
Yang Jishan was anxious, but he also knew that this matter couldn't be rushed, so he cupped his hands and said,
"Then we're counting on you, Young Master Yun..."
Fortunately, it wasn't long before Young Master Yun found Yang Jishan again:
"I've figured it out..."
"The zombies are guided by corpse qi, which is controlled by the array drawn on their heart meridians. By manipulating the corpse qi with extreme precision, Lu Chengyun controls the iron and walking corpses to kill or eat people..."
"Currently, only Lu Chengyun understands this Ultimate Array, and he's the only one controlling it. There's no way to counter it directly, so we can only find a way to destroy it."
"After the array is destroyed, the corpse qi will scatter, causing the zombies to go berserk. At that point, we just need to cut off their heads or limbs, and once their corpse qi dissipates, they will stop moving..."
Yang Jishan nodded, "So, we attack their heart meridians first to destroy the array, then cut off their limbs and heads to release the corpse qi..."
"That's right." Young Master Yun added,
"The zombies' corpse qi is controlled by the Ultimate Array, so we must destroy the array first, then cut off their limbs. Otherwise, even if the limbs are severed, the corpse qi will still be guided by the Ultimate Array and won't disperse."
"As for the iron corpses, they have tough skin and bones like refined iron. It's not easy to destroy their heart meridians or cut off their heads and limbs..."
Young Master Yun also looked troubled, "I... I'll think of something..."
After pondering for half a day, Young Master Yun found Yang Jishan again, "I thought about it and consulted with several senior array masters. I've come up with a solution..."
"Use the Confusion Spirit Array to interfere with spiritual power fluctuations and thereby affect the Ultimate Array's control over the zombies."
"Confusion Spirit Array..."
Yang Jishan pondered, "Interfering with spiritual power fluctuations... but don't the zombies move based on corpse qi, a kind of evil power? Will it be effective?"
"It will be effective," Young Master Yun nodded, "Although the effect will be weaker, it will work. Whether it's spiritual power or evil power, they are both forms of heavenly power and cultivation power, different yet similar."
Yang Jishan nodded, only partially understanding.
The Yang Family was a lineage of Dao soldiers, focused on battle.
When it came to cultivation, they simply cultivated whatever was strong and practiced whatever Dao techniques were powerful.
They didn't delve into such intricate matters.
Young Master Yun continued, "Draw the Confusion Spirit Array on a sharp spiritual sword, and then use that sword to pierce the iron corpses' heart meridians. Even if we can't destroy the array, we can interfere with the evil power's operation and affect the control over the zombies."
"But this Confusion Spirit Array must be second-rate..."
"I'm drawing it myself, so it's a bit slow..."
Yang Jishan asked, "Won't a first-rate one work?"
"No," Young Master Yun shook his head, "A first-rate Ultimate Array surpasses first-rate arrays and rivals second-rate ones. A first-rate Confusion Spirit Array would have a negligible effect on such an Ultimate Array.
At Lu Chengyun's feet, the Ten Thousand Corpses Formation was operating at full capacity. A torrent of spiritual power surged from the formation eye, transforming into baleful energy as it passed through the blood, qi, and filth, flowing along the formation axis to the formation lines.
The formation lines glowed with an eerie red light, channeling the baleful energy to nurture the coffins and the countless corpses within.
"Truly worthy of the name, Ten Thousand Corpses Formation!" Lu Chengyun's ambition knew no bounds.
He still remembered the words of the person who had given him the formation: "Killing begets sin, and refining humans creates corpses. Attain the Dao within sin, and become a king among corpses."
He did not dwell on the temporary setbacks. As long as he had the Corpse King in his possession, the loss of a few iron and walking corpses was insignificant.
With the Ten Thousand Corpses Formation, he could endlessly refine and nurture corpses, maintaining an unshakeable position!
The more corpses he refined, the stronger the Corpse King became. And with his control over the Corpse King, commanding the reverence of the corpses, his own power grew exponentially.
Lu Chengyun's lips curled into a cold smile, his voice shedding its veneer of warmth to reveal a chilling and sinister tone, akin to a nocturnal owl in the depths of a mountain, piercing and icy...
Meanwhile, in a secret chamber within the stone temple, another altar held a "blank" contemplation diagram.
Below the altar lay a small, white coffin, and within it, a young cultivator slowly opened his eyes.
For a fleeting moment, his eyes shone with dazzling starlight, a kaleidoscope of splendor, before gradually dimming and retreating, hidden within the depths of his eyes.
His irises turned pitch-black and profoundly deep, yet they held an inner radiance—a sign of an exceptionally profound spiritual consciousness.
Mo Hua had successfully refined the immense sinister influences of the Zhang family's zombies, and his spiritual consciousness had broken through its bottleneck, reaching the pinnacle of the early Qi Refining stage: the thirteen-trigram peak!
(End of Chapter)
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