Chapter 508: Escaping
Chapter 508: Escaping
Thirteen meridian peak divine sense!
It was enough to crush most early Qi Refining cultivators.
In terms of spiritual perception, it could rival the very best among early Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Compared to before, Mo Hua's divine sense had become more profound, and his control over it was more agile.
Mo Hua's eyes shone with depth as he unleashed his spiritual perception, his ethereal divine sense expanding ceaselessly...
His range of perception widened, and he could sense more things within his surroundings.
Every tree and rock, every flower and blade of grass, living cultivators, dead zombies, and iron corpses—through their physical forms, he could glimpse their intrinsic nature.
The myriad beings in the world, the inner workings of spiritual energy, corpse energy, and various natural energies, all became clearer to him.
What the eye sees is but a facade.
It is only through the lens of divine sense that one can behold the true essence of all things.
And with each increment in the strength of one's divine sense, one perceives that essence more profoundly...
Additionally, Mo Hua's understanding of the Spirit Pivot Array had deepened.
Within his sea of consciousness, with the aid of the Zhang clan's zombie divine sense, Mo Hua had practiced the Spirit Pivot Array countless times on the Dao stele...
The intricate array patterns were now firmly imprinted in his mind.
Even with his eyes closed, he could visualize the Spirit Pivot Array perfectly.
Manipulating the array, differentiating spiritual power, forming spiritual threads, and controlling mediums were all second nature to him now.
Furthermore, his other skills had naturally improved as well.
Mo Hua's abilities, be it in array formations or spells, were intricately linked to his divine sense.
Now that his divine sense had strengthened, his proficiency in array formations had naturally advanced.
His various spells, including Flowing Water Walk, Fireball Technique, Water Prison Technique, and Concealment Technique, would all be more effective.
However, he was currently trapped in the coffin, unable to leave temporarily, and had no opportunity to test them out.
Mo Hua was overjoyed and couldn't help but narrow his eyes in a smile.
But as he continued to smile, his expression froze.
He had realized something rather embarrassing.
His divine sense was now incredibly strong, comparable to the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage.
However, his physical body was still weak, and his cultivation level had not increased.
At the eighth layer of Qi Refining, his body was frail.
He had no way of escaping this small coffin...
This coffin, neither stone nor iron, was made of a resilient material. It had been sealed shut from the outside with coffin nails, leaving him trapped inside...
Forcibly breaking out with spells would only end up hurting himself.
Mo Hua sighed, feeling helpless.
This issue needed attention.
Even though he had a weak body and couldn't cultivate his physique, he had to find a way to compensate with some body-tempering methods...
But that problem could wait for now.
The pressing matter at hand was to find a way to get out.
Mo Hua released his divine sense once more to observe the situation outside, and something seemed amiss.
It appeared that the Corpse Mine was under lockdown, yet there was an air of chaos within.
And in the distance, countless disorderly auras were clashing and intertwining with each other, their presences flickering.
It seemed that numerous cultivators were engaged in a fierce battle...
"What's going on outside?"
Mo Hua was perplexed.
Someone was attacking the Corpse Mine.
But who could it be?
There shouldn't be any force in Nan Yue City capable of contending with the countless iron corpses and zombies within the mine...
Mo Hua furrowed his brows.
With the outbreak of the battle, the stone palace was now in a dangerous situation.
He had to find a way out soon...
Moreover, Lu Chengyun hadn't shown up until now. Mo Hua wondered if he had been delayed by the battle and simply forgotten about him.
If Lu Chengyun happened to be free and remembered him, coming over to check would spell trouble.
While hiding in the coffin, he might be able to deceive Lu Chengyun, but given the latter's cautious nature, the odds were slim. It would be better not to take that risk.
Mo Hua began to ponder a way to escape.
However, no matter how long he thought about it, he couldn't come up with a good solution.
The little zombie was too far away in the Myriad Corpse Array, and he couldn't control it to come and help him open the coffin.
As for the little tiger, he hadn't left it outside either.
Mo Hua sighed again.
His preparations had been insufficient and lacked thoroughness.
It seemed that he could only wait patiently for an opportunity to present itself.
Days passed, and Mo Hua frequently released his divine sense to sense the situation outside, seeking a chance to escape.
The battle outside the stone palace raged on, and there didn't seem to be any opportune moment...
Until the third day, when Mo Hua suddenly sensed two familiar auras lurking cautiously in the vicinity.
They seemed to be hiding, avoiding others in the midst of the battle, quietly searching for something in the stone palace...
Mo Hua's eyes lit up.
It was his junior male and female cousins!
Were they looking for him?
Mo Hua vigorously released his divine sense, perceiving the two figures, and faintly heard them speaking in lowered voices:
"...We've been searching for so many days... but there's no sign of him..."
"Do you think... where could our junior cousin be?"
Their voices were intermittent, accompanied by Bai Zisheng's sighs.
"Let's keep looking..."
This voice was clear and pleasant, belonging to Bai Zixi.
Bai Zisheng hung his head in dejection. "Zixi, do you think something might have happened to our junior cousin...?"
Bai Zixi remained silent.
Mo Hua's heart warmed.
It seemed that while he had been trapped in the coffin, his junior cousins had been worried about him and had been searching for him all this time.
Mo Hua unleashed his divine sense without restraint, blatantly spying on the two.
Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi sensed this and their hearts skipped a beat.
Had they been discovered? But then, they were filled with joy.
This aura... it's our junior cousin! Bai Zisheng's face lit up with joy, but then he frowned, "Something's not right, junior cousin's divine sense shouldn't be this profound..."
"The aura feels right, though."
"Yes, this aura should be unmistakable..."
"Do you think he's... 'eaten' something again...?"
"No way, how could he be 'eating' things every day? Won't that damage his little brain?"
"...His little brain was already a bit damaged to begin with..."
"Let's go take a look..."
"Okay."
The chamber was narrow but exquisite, with a bizarre altar inside.
Upon the altar lay a set of white bones, white candles burning and corpse oil flowing, casting an eerie light.
Beneath the altar was a white coffin, from which Mo Hua's divine sense emanated.
Seeing the white coffin, Bai Zisheng's expression turned to one of shock, then pain, as he cried out:
"Our little junior cousin, he... he's dead!"
Bai Zixi rolled her eyes at him, "If he's dead, then where is his divine sense coming from?"
Bai Zisheng paused, his expression of pain fading as he scratched his head in embarrassment, "Oh, yeah..."
Bai Zixi's voice rang out crisply, "Open the coffin."
Nodding, Bai Zisheng examined the coffin for a moment, figuring out its construction. Then, with a mighty force, he pulled out the coffin nails at each corner and twisted off the lid's fasteners, slowly prying open the coffin lid.
Inside the coffin lay a familiar figure—their junior cousin, Mo Hua!
Mo Hua's complexion was somewhat pale, his gaze deeper than before, and a faint radiance seemed to be hidden within his eyes. He seemed both familiar and somewhat foreign at the same time.
Bai Zisheng's face first lit up with joy, then turned stern as he asked:
"How do we know it's really you, our junior cousin?"
Mo Hua rolled his eyes at him, "Idiot!"
Bai Zisheng breathed a sigh of relief, his worries melting away.
That demeanor, that familiar tone—it was indeed their little junior cousin...
Bai Zixi asked softly, "Are you alright...?"
Her expression was calm, but her eyes were like a clear stream illuminated by the autumn sun, warm and radiant.
Mo Hua was slightly dazed for a moment before he smiled brightly, "I'm fine."
Bai Zixi blinked and nodded.
Then, Bai Zisheng asked curiously, "How did you end up trapped in there?"
"Lu Chengyun wanted to get rid of me after using me," Mo Hua explained.
Bai Zisheng flew into a rage, "That's outrageous! Bullying our junior cousin is the same as bullying me! Trying to kill our junior cousin is the same as trying to kill me!"
He pounded his chest and assured Mo Hua, "Don't worry, I'll slaughter him for you!"
"But he's a Foundation Establishment cultivator..."
"I'll slaughter him anyway!"
"Alright then..."
Mo Hua didn't know if he was just boasting, but he was still grateful.
"But how exactly did he try to get rid of you?" Bai Zisheng asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"He used me as a sacrifice, intending to feed my divine sense to that visualization chart," Mo Hua explained succinctly.
"What about the chart?"
"I 'ate' it..."
"You 'ate' it again...?"
Bai Zisheng was at a loss for words, then muttered, "So, which is it? Are you the sacrifice for the chart, or is the chart your sacrifice...?"
"So, your divine sense has become even stronger?" Bai Zisheng asked.
"Mhm." Mo Hua nodded, humbly adding, "Just a little stronger, thirteen meridians now..."
Even Bai Zixi was taken aback by this.
Bai Zisheng's mouth hung open, and he said helplessly, "If this keeps up, you really will become a little monster..."
A Qi Refining cultivator at the eighth layer with a divine sense of thirteen meridians...
Even in the records of the Bai family's ancestors, he had never seen anything like this.
Bai Zixi's eyes flickered, and she cautioned, "Don't tell anyone about this..."
Bai Zisheng nodded in realization, "Yeah, you definitely mustn't tell anyone. Otherwise, there will be plenty of people who will want to dissect your brain to see what's inside... People's hearts can be very sinister."
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat, and he nodded vigorously, "Mhm!"
Before Bai Zisheng could say anything else, Bai Zixi interrupted, "Let's leave this place first."
The Corpse Mine was not a place to linger.
She and her brother had come here to find Mo Hua, and now that they had found him, they naturally wanted to leave as soon as possible.
"Okay!"
In the Corpse Mine, cultivators and zombies were locked in fierce combat.
Swords and blades flew without discrimination, spells filled the air, and corpse poison was everywhere... Even Foundation Establishment cultivators were fighting with iron corpses.
It was extremely dangerous to be caught in the crossfire.
The three of them hid their bodies and quietly made their way out of the stone palace, heading towards the exit of the Corpse Mine.
Before leaving, Mo Hua paused to think, then set up a Flame Array around the secret chamber, blowing it up along with the altar and reducing the coffin to smithereens.
Even though he hadn't died, he still wanted to destroy all traces of his presence.
Or rather, because he hadn't died, he wanted to make sure there were no traces left behind, just in case.
At the same time, he also took the blank visualization chart with him.
The chart was now blank, as Mo Hua had 'eaten' all the Zhang family ancestors within it.
It was strange to him that the chart could allow the dead Zhang family members to turn into evil thoughts and manifest as corpses within the chart.
This was clearly something that ordinary cultivation objects couldn't achieve.
Mo Hua kept the blank visualization chart with him.
He planned to study it further or perhaps ask his master about it later.
...
The Daoting forces continued their attack on the stone palace, with the Daobing leading the charge while the other cultivators provided support.
Now that they had a way to restrain the corpse soldiers, the threat had lessened.
Lu Chengyun, on the other hand, was using the Myriad Corpse Array to nurture and refine corpses, constantly replenishing his forces and engaging the Daobing in a war of attrition.
The battle reached a stalemate, and the situation within the stone palace became chaotic.
Foundation Establishment cultivators, Qi Refining Daobing, iron corpses, and walking corpses clashed together...
This situation was not something that three Qi Refining cultivators like Mo Hua and his cousins could resolve.
The most urgent task was to escape from the Corpse Mine and then decide on their next move.
The three of them hid their bodies and moved along the edge of the battlefield, making their way towards the exit of the Corpse Mine.
Despite their caution, the Corpse Mine was in too much disarray, with countless cultivators and even more zombies. They accidentally exposed themselves and were discovered by some Corpse Cultivators.
Several Corpse Cultivators controlled an iron corpse and dozens of walking corpses, surrounding them.
Bai Zisheng took the rear, brandishing his spear to hold off the zombies.
Mo Hua and Bai Zixi restrained them with spells and sword qi respectively, not getting too entangled as they slowly retreated.
During the journey, Mo Hua had inquired about the details and learned that the attack on the Corpse Mine was ordered by the Daoting to suppress the mine and annihilate the Corpse King, which explained the large number of cultivators present.
So, seeing so many people gathered was not a surprise.
One of the Daobing led Mo Hua and the others to stand before Yang Jishan.
Upon seeing Mo Hua, Yang Jishan was visibly shocked as he learned of Mo Hua's identity.
He had heard from Bai Zisheng that this "little junior disciple" had discovered the news about the Corpse Mine and spread it.
Since he was a junior disciple, he was naturally young.
However, Yang Jishan never expected him to be so young.
Mo Hua's fair face still carried a hint of childishness.
He looked barely older than the newly initiated disciples in his family who had just begun their cultivation training.
How could such a child be manipulated by Lu Chengyun? How could he be imprisoned in the Corpse Mine? And how did he manage to gather intelligence and send it out from within the heavily guarded mine?
Yang Jishan's brows furrowed deeply as he pondered these questions.
The other cultivators looked at Mo Hua with equally complicated expressions, unsure of what to say.
For a moment, the cave fell silent...
Mo Hua, however, looked at Yang Jishan, his eyes darting left and right as he tried to place the familiar face. He asked, "Commander, do you know someone named Yang Jiyong?"
"You know my fifth brother?" Yang Jishan asked, surprised.
Mo Hua nodded. "We're somewhat acquainted. Uncle Yang even invited me to visit the Yang family when I have free time..."
Yang Jishan frowned, repeating the name "Mo Hua" to himself. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he exclaimed, "Mo Hua! That name sounds so familiar. My fifth brother mentioned it to me last year, saying he met a young array master with remarkable talent..."
"Remarkable talent..." Yang Jishan continued, deep in thought.
Back then, his fifth brother hadn't elaborated much.
He had spoken with a serious expression, saying that he had encountered a young array master with "extremely terrifying talent."
When asked to explain what he meant by "terrifying," he had simply replied that it was a secret he wanted to keep.
As a result, Yang Jishan hadn't paid much attention to it.
Upon arriving in Nanyue City, he had felt that the name "Mo Hua" sounded familiar.
And now, hearing Mo Hua mention Yang Jiyong, he finally recalled the connection.
Yang Jishan's attitude immediately softened.
While he couldn't gauge Mo Hua's talent in arrays, he remembered his fifth brother mentioning that he wanted to express his gratitude to this young array master and treat him well. He had even hoped to bring him into the Yang family if possible.
His fifth brother had a rather unpleasant temperament and a proud personality, but he was also generous and valued brotherhood. It was rare for him to speak so highly of someone.
For this young cultivator to earn his praise, he must possess exceptional qualities, regardless of his talent.
Moreover, he was already an array master at such a young age.
Even if his talent wasn't "extremely terrifying," it was still impressive.
And to top it off, he had bravely ventured into the Corpse Mine alone, gathering crucial intelligence. This had been a great help.
Yang Jishan's tone immediately became amicable as he said, "I'm sorry for startling you, young brother. I'll have someone prepare wine, as well as spiritual meat. Eat and drink your fill, and rest well."
"Thank you, Commander!" Mo Hua replied with a smile.
Yang Jishan waved his hand. "Don't be so polite. Since you're acquainted with my fifth brother, just call me Uncle Yang."
Mo Hua readily agreed, and his crisp voice rang out, "Uncle Yang!"
Yang Jishan smiled and nodded.
The others looked on in a daze, bewildered by how quickly their relationship had progressed...
In just the time it took to drink a cup of tea, "Commander Yang" had become "Uncle Yang"...
The previously stern and solemn Yang Jishan now wore an amiable expression, which seemed completely out of place.
Who exactly was this young cultivator?
The others whispered among themselves, curious about Mo Hua's identity.
Yang Jishan turned to Mo Hua and said, "Why don't you go down and rest with your senior martial brothers and sisters? We still have some matters to discuss here..."
Mo Hua nodded. "Alright, then I won't disturb you further, Uncle Yang."
Yang Jishan gave a slight nod.
Mo Hua bowed and took his leave.
Yang Jishan watched him depart with a benevolent expression, but when he turned back to face the others, his demeanor became solemn once more. "Let's continue..."
A deputy commander among the Daobing picked up the thread of the previous conversation, saying, "...The number of zombies is increasing, and we don't have enough people. It's a matter of attrition. We need to find a way to break the Myriad Corpse Array..."
"Myriad Corpse Array?"
Mo Hua, who had just reached the cave entrance, pricked up his ears at those three words. He paused, his brows furrowing slightly.
The deputy commander had lowered his voice, but Mo Hua's divine sense was too strong at thirteen meridians. Despite the man's soft tone, Mo Hua still caught his words.
Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, then turned back and asked, "Uncle Yang, are you discussing the Myriad Corpse Array?"
Yang Jishan looked surprised. "Little brother, do you know about the 'Myriad Corpse Array'?"
Mo Hua nodded.
Yang Jishan was taken aback, but then he remembered that Mo Hua had been the one to send out the intelligence, so it made sense that he knew about the array.
"Then... are you familiar with this Myriad Corpse Array?" Yang Jishan asked, his eyes gleaming with a hint of hope.
Mo Hua hesitated and replied, "Somewhat... familiar, I guess."
How could he explain his familiarity with the array?
He certainly couldn't tell them that he was the one who had designed the central formation of the array...
(End of Chapter)
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