Chapter 509: Breaking the Array
Chapter 509: Breaking the Array
Is he quite familiar with it?
Yang Jishan was perplexed. How familiar was this "quite familiar"? He probed further: "Then, young friend, do you know how to break this Ten Thousand Corpse Array?"
The cultivators present turned their gazes towards Mo Hua upon hearing this.
Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then glanced at the group and assessed the strength of the cultivators from the Court of Arrays before nodding. "There is a way."
Yang Jishan was elated. "What method?"
"Do you still have the map of the stone palace?" Mo Hua asked.
"Yes!"
Yang Jishan immediately ordered someone to spread the map on the stone table in the hall.
Mo Hua marked several points on the map. These points were located in the depths of the stone palace, in relatively secluded and inconspicuous places. The stone walls there were solid and didn't seem unusual.
Yang Jishan furrowed his brows, confused.
Mo Hua explained, "These are sealed storerooms, containing a large number of spirit stones..."
"Spirit stones?" Yang Jishan frowned.
"Yes," Mo Hua nodded.
"Lu Chengyun enslaved zombies to mine, and a large portion of the spirit stones he earned are hidden in these sealed storerooms in the Corpse Mine."
He had discovered this information during his nocturnal wanderings, eavesdropping here and there.
"Then what?" Yang Jishan asked further.
"Destroying these spirit stones will break the Ten Thousand Corpse Array," Mo Hua replied.
Yang Jishan fell silent.
The expressions of the others also became complicated, and some even showed disappointment.
Mo Hua was a little perplexed.
Instead, an elderly array master kindly reminded him, "Young friend, due to your young age, you may not be aware that evil arrays are different from normal arrays..."
"Normal arrays refine spirit stones, convert spiritual power, and drive the array..."
"...while evil arrays use blood, qi, flesh, souls, life force, resentful spirits, and impure qi of the heaven and earth to drive the array's operation."
"As a result, the array becomes sinister and its power increases significantly, and the pollution to a cultivator's physical body and spiritual power is also greater."
"Lu Chengyun's Ten Thousand Corpse Array is of this type."
"Since this array is not driven by spiritual power, destroying the storerooms and annihilating the spirit stones will be futile. It will only cause him to lose some of his spirit stone wealth at most..."
Mo Hua shook his head. "It's not like that."
The elderly array master was taken aback.
The other array masters present also looked astonished.
Mo Hua explained, "Lu Chengyun's Ten Thousand Corpse Array is derived from the Grand Ten Thousand Corpse Array. It has the framework of the grand array but not its scale, so it's only a derivative array."
"However, even so, the amount of evil power it requires is vast."
"He cannot slaughter the city on a large scale, nor can he refine evil power from blood, flesh, and resentment. So, he used a compromise."
"He created the derivative array's array eye, refined spirit stones, and drove the array with spiritual power. Then, he used the polluted spiritual power mixed with blood and filth to form evil power, driving the entire Ten Thousand Corpse Array."
The elderly array master's expression shook, and the other array masters exchanged glances, their eyes filled with surprise and doubt.
"So..."
Mo Hua continued, "Destroying the storerooms and annihilating the spirit stones will cut off the supply of the Ten Thousand Corpse Array, disabling its array eye, and thus breaking the array."
"Since the array eye has already been formed, it cannot be altered in a short period."
"Once the spirit stones are gone, even if Lu Chengyun wants to restart the slaughter and use the power of blood and flesh to drive the array, it will be impossible."
After Mo Hua finished speaking, everyone's expressions changed, but they remained silent.
Ordinary cultivators either didn't understand arrays at all or only had a basic understanding. They couldn't comprehend what was just explained.
The few array masters who could understand felt that Mo Hua's explanation made sense, but they still weren't entirely sure...
This concerned the orders of the Court of Arrays—to suppress the Corpse Mine, annihilate the Corpse King, and eradicate this evil path cultivator.
This was no trivial matter.
They dared not be negligent in the slightest.
The elderly array master asked cautiously, "Young master... how did you come to know this?"
Mo Hua couldn't very well say that he was the one who drew the array eye...
So, he vaguely replied, "I was imprisoned in the Corpse Mine by Lu Chengyun, and by chance, I happened to see the array diagram of the Ten Thousand Corpse Array..."
The Ten Thousand Corpse Array diagram?
The elderly array master's heart trembled. "Really?"
Knowing the array diagram changed things.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and nodded. "How about I draw it for you to see?"
The elderly array master was taken aback. "Draw..."
You can draw it just from memory?
Yang Jishan immediately ordered, "Bring paper and brush!"
The elderly array master quickly said, "I have them! I have them!"
After he finished speaking, he personally took out the paper and brush, and with the help of the other array masters, they laid out the array paper and ground the spirit ink on the table.
Once everything was ready, everyone stared expectantly at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua felt a little uncomfortable but still took the brush, dipped it in ink, and began to draw the array patterns on the paper.
His brushstrokes were skilled and controlled, each stroke flowing naturally and forming its own unique style.
The array masters present were astonished and exchanged glances, whispering, "Despite his young age, he already possesses the demeanor of a grandmaster!"
"Without years of diligent practice, one cannot achieve such skilled brushwork..."
"Remarkable, truly remarkable..."
Even Yun Lang, standing by, looked at Mo Hua with admiration in his clear eyes.
Of course, Mo Hua didn't draw the complete diagram of the Ten Thousand Corpse Array.
He only roughly sketched the trend of the array's hub to help them understand the flow of spiritual power.
He also drew the central hub of the array eye to show them how the spiritual power interacted with the Ten Thousand Corpse Array and how it mixed with blood and filth to form evil power...
Before Mo Hua could finish drawing, he put down his brush.
The group of array masters looked intrigued, but when they saw that he had stopped, they urged, "Continue drawing. Why did you stop?"
Mo Hua scratched his head, feeling guilty.
"I only remember this much..."
He couldn't continue drawing, or he would end up drawing the entire array eye...
Everyone looked at the simple diagram of the Ten Thousand Corpse Array that Mo Hua had drawn, their brows furrowed.
"I never said he wasn't..."
"Talent without virtue is mediocrity, but talent without morality often leads to great calamity."
"Anyone with a corrupt character, no matter how talented, should be despised by all!"
"It's a pity that Lu Chengyun didn't use his talents for good. The way he constructed this array eye is truly ingenious..."
The old array master shook his head. "This array eye might not have been created by Lu Chengyun..."
"Not Lu Chengyun?" The group was taken aback.
The old array master nodded:
"Although it's a first-rate array eye, it uses the framework of a grand array, with a fundamental structure that employs the five elements in a harmonious order. This is a well-established and orthodox array technique..."
"With such an understanding of arrays, one should scorn learning evil arrays and would not stoop to Lu Chengyun's level."
"So, this Ten Thousand Corpse Array might have been set up by Lu Chengyun, but the array eye could have been crafted by someone else..."
Mo Hua listened, his heart pounding with surprise.
This bearded old man, despite also being just a first-rate Array Master, had incredibly sharp insight.
For him to see through this...
The other array masters nodded in agreement.
Someone else asked, "Then, who drew this array eye? Could there be another array master behind Lu Chengyun?"
"Is this other array master also a first-rate one?"
"No, this array eye uses grand array techniques. I estimate it's a second-rate one..."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned solemn.
It was already challenging enough dealing with the absolute array and the Ten Thousand Corpse Array.
If there was another array master backing Lu Chengyun, the situation would become even more dire.
Suddenly, the old array master turned to Mo Hua and asked:
"Little mister, do you know who drew this array eye, or perhaps, do you know the identity of this array master?"
Mo Hua kept a straight face and shook his head seriously, "I don't know."
I can't very well say that I drew it myself...
Even if I did, they probably wouldn't believe me.
Seeing that everyone was still puzzled, their faces filled with worry, Mo Hua said, "When I was in the Corpse Mine, I didn't see any other array masters..."
"It's possible that Lu Chengyun threatened this array master, and after he finished drawing the array, Lu Chengyun got rid of him."
Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both glanced at Mo Hua quietly.
The old array master paused, then nodded.
Given Lu Chengyun's suspicious nature, this scenario was entirely possible.
He sighed, "If that's the case, it's truly a shame..."
Yang Jishan saw that they had been discussing and drawing for a while, but he still looked perplexed. So, he asked straightforwardly, "Everyone, can this Ten Thousand Corpse Array be broken?"
The old array master hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "If the array eye is indeed as described, then this plan will work."
"So, is this array eye real?" Yang Jishan asked again.
The old array master hesitated, not saying a word.
The other array masters also frowned, remaining silent.
They believed it was real, but the array knowledge involved far exceeded their own understanding of arrays, and they dared not make a definitive conclusion.
If they were wrong, they would bear a heavy responsibility.
Yang Jishan turned to Yun Lang.
Yun Lang was still hesitating, but after some thought, he slowly nodded:
"It should be correct."
He thought for a moment, then explained, "This array is consistent with what we currently know about the Corpse Mine, and the array technique is very advanced. Lu Chengyun couldn't have fabricated it."
Yang Jishan breathed a sigh of relief.
He patted Mo Hua's shoulder and smiled, "Little brother, you've helped us a lot again!"
Mo Hua also smiled happily.
"Since the array is real, then it's manageable. Let's discuss how to destroy those spirit stones and cut off the supply to the Ten Thousand Corpse Array..."
After that, Yang Jishan discussed the specifics with everyone.
How to deploy the cultivators, when and where, who would lead the attack, who would provide cover, and how to destroy those spirit stone storerooms...
Those spirit stones couldn't be moved.
They could only think of a way to destroy them.
Let them turn into spiritual energy and disperse back into the heavens and the earth, so Lu Chengyun couldn't use them for evil.
After the discussion was over, Mo Hua left.
Yun Lang stared at Mo Hua's departing back for a long time, lost in thought. After a while, his eyes shone with a subtle light.
...
Mo Hua was taken to a quiet stone room.
The room was simply furnished, with only a stone table, stone stools, and a stone bed, obviously a temporary arrangement due to the urgency of the situation.
Mo Hua didn't mind. What he cared about was the table full of food.
There were spirit fruits, as well as poultry and spiritual meat.
He had been locked in a coffin and starved for many days, and he was now ravenously hungry. He happily dug in, holding a fruit in one hand and a chicken leg in the other.
Cultivators could go for long periods without eating, but they would still get hungry and deplete their blood energy.
If one didn't eat for too long, they would starve to death.
Bai Zisheng sat to one side, his legs crossed, as he tapped his foot and seemed lost in thought.
Bai Zixi quietly read a book, occasionally lifting her eyes to watch Mo Hua eat with a peaceful expression, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly.
Mo Hua looked up and asked, "Aren't you two going to eat?"
"You eat," Bai Zixi replied.
"Oh," Mo Hua mumbled, not minding their manners. After finishing his meal, he lay comfortably on the bed, patting his full little belly.
Bai Zisheng said, "You need to aid digestion after eating. Don't lie down right away."
"Oh," Mo Hua replied lazily, his voice sounding drowsy. But he still didn't move from his lying position.
Bai Zisheng shook his head. After a moment, he seemed to remember something and asked, "Do you want to go back and see your master?"
He had little tolerance for those who hid behind a virtuous facade, bullied others with their power, practiced demonic cultivation, killed without remorse, and dared to bully his sister and little junior brother.
And Lu Chengyun ticked almost all of those boxes.
"Mhm," Mo Hua nodded.
Bai Zisheng thought for a moment and then frowned. "It won't be easy. There are so many zombies, iron zombies, and even the Zombie King..."
Mo Hua sat up and lowered his voice. "We'll take it one step at a time. First, we weaken Lu Chengyun's forces, push him into a desperate situation, and then we'll deal with the Zombie King... He'll be doomed!"
"The Zombie King?" Bai Zisheng was taken aback. "Did you do something to his Zombie King?"
Mo Hua shook his finger and corrected him. "Not 'his' Zombie King..."
"What do you mean?" Bai Zisheng didn't understand.
Mo Hua teased, "It's a secret for now, but you'll find out soon enough."
Bai Zisheng didn't look too pleased.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and then took a step back. "Don't worry, I promise you'll get to take care of Lu Chengyun when the time comes."
"Really?" Bai Zisheng was skeptical.
"Mhm," Mo Hua nodded. "You're my senior martial brother, I wouldn't lie to you!"
Bai Zisheng immediately brightened up again.
Bai Zixi glanced at her brother and shook her head slightly, feeling helpless.
...
The next morning, at the Mao hour (5-7 am)
, the Dao soldiers began their attack on the stone palace.
Yang Jishan led the charge head-on, engaging most of the iron zombies, but this was just a diversion.
Two other elite squads of cultivators, following Mo Hua's instructions, took an indirect route, broke through the defensive formations guarding the storerooms, pierced through the stone walls, and indeed found a storeroom filled with azure and dazzling spirit stones.
With their military orders in hand, they didn't hesitate. They unleashed their spiritual artifacts, talismans, and Daoist spells, destroying the vast number of spirit stones stored within.
After the spirit stones were destroyed, they transformed into a vast amount of spiritual energy that overflowed from the Corpse Mine, returning to the heavens and the earth.
Even outside the Corpse Mine, Mo Hua could sense this dense spiritual energy.
"So this is spiritual energy..."
Mo Hua murmured, his thoughts stirring.
Legend had it that over twenty thousand years ago, the heavens and the earth were filled with abundant spiritual energy.
However, after the unification of the Dao Court and the rapid development of the cultivation world, spiritual energy was extracted indiscriminately, leading to the gradual depletion of natural spiritual energy in the world.
The only remaining sources of spiritual energy were the spirit mines buried deep underground, from which spirit stones were extracted.
Cultivators relied on these spirit stones to cultivate.
There were still some mountain ranges and secret realms with residual spiritual energy, but they were extremely rare, like phoenix feathers and qilin horns, and were occupied by the major powers of the cultivation world.
The same was true for spirit stones.
Over the course of more than twenty thousand years of the Dao Calendar, almost all of the spirit mines in the cultivation world had been divided and occupied by the Dao Court, the aristocratic clans, and the major sects.
The vast majority of spirit stones were also in their possession.
Most low-level cultivators had very limited access to spirit stones.
Not to mention the opportunity to breathe the true spiritual energy of the heavens and the earth...
Now, the spiritual energy overflowing from the Corpse Mine was indeed dense, but it was also short-lived, dissipating after just a moment.
While this was spiritual energy, it couldn't be considered true spiritual energy.
After it dissipated, the heavens and the earth returned to their original state of spiritual dryness.
Mo Hua couldn't help but sigh.
He looked up at the sky and silently thought to himself, "I wonder if there will ever be a day when spiritual energy will revive in this world..."
...
When the storerooms were blown up and the spirit stones destroyed, releasing spiritual energy that filled and then dispersed into the heavens and the earth, Lu Chengyun also sensed it.
His heart felt like it was being pricked by needles—a painful sensation.
Those were spirit stones! He had worked so hard, enslaving mine cultivators, controlling zombies, and mining spirit stones.
With these spirit stones, he could buy his way into the Dao Court, curry favor with various factions, expand the Lu family's influence, acquire various cultivation resources, and improve his own cultivation!
But now, they were all destroyed! What made it even harder for him to accept was that it was the Ten Thousand Corpse Array!
With the destruction of the spirit stones, the array eye of the Ten Thousand Corpse Array would be cut off from its supply.
Although the array could still barely function with the remaining evil energy, without a new supply, the array would grind to a halt within ten days.
If he couldn't operate the Ten Thousand Corpse Array, how could he continuously produce zombies and stand against the Dao soldiers? Lu Chengyun's eyes turned cold. "Looks like I need to come up with another plan..."
But then, he became puzzled again.
How did the Dao Court know that his evil array was powered by spiritual energy?
And how did they know that his spirit stones were hidden in those secret storerooms?
Could there be a traitor among the zombies in the Corpse Mine who leaked all the secrets?
"Impossible..."
Lu Chengyun shook his head.
Those who knew about it were either killed by him or sacrificed to the array.
The rest were all zombie cultivators who had followed him for a long time, with blood-stained hands from killing and refining zombies.
Once one practiced the zombie cultivation techniques and fell into the demonic path, there was no turning back. They wouldn't betray him and join the Dao Court.
Even if they did, they would be guilty of a capital offense.
They wouldn't leak the secret...
"Then, does it mean that someone in the Dao Court saw through the Corpse Mine's secrets and also saw through the array I set up?"
A cultivator with such ability and understanding of formations must be an extraordinary person.
But who was this person? When did they start paying attention to him? Lu Chengyun furrowed his brows, feeling perplexed.
Suddenly, a premonition arose in his heart.
It was as if someone had cast a net over him long ago, trapping him tightly, and was now slowly closing in...
Who was this person?
What was this net? Lu Chengyun was filled with confusion.
Behind him, the ferocious and loyal Zombie King remained silent as well.
(End of Chapter)
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