Chapter 511: Ominous Signs
Chapter 511: Ominous Signs
Yang Jishan fell into deep thought for a moment before sighing, "If there are truly over forty Iron Corpses and five thousand Walking Corpses, then this should be Lu Chengyun's last resort..."
Yang Jishan's eyes swept across the crowd, and he said in a low voice, "This is the final battle. Whether we can defeat Lu Chengyun and exterminate the Corpse King depends on this fight. I ask all of you to set aside your personal reservations and join me with all your strength."
Personal reservations?
Mo Hua was taken aback by his words.
The others also reacted with varied expressions.
One of them spoke up with displeasure, "Leader Yang, why would you say that? We have been giving our all in this battle, and our casualties have not been small. How can you accuse us of holding back?"
"Indeed!"
"Your words, Leader, are disheartening..."
However, Yang Jishan remained resolute as he said, "Many of you here come from prominent families and sects of the Dao Province, Qian Province, and Kun Province. Some of you are also affiliated with the Seven Stars Pavilion of the Dao Court, possessing profound heritage and legacies. Naturally, you have some trump cards up your sleeves..."
"These trump cards are either inherited from your families or obtained through personal opportunities. Unless absolutely necessary, you wouldn't use them."
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
It was undeniable that cultivators often had their secrets and hidden cards up their sleeves.
Yang Jishan continued, "Now, we are at a critical juncture in our attempt to defeat the Corpse King."
"If we win this battle, we will all rejoice."
"But if we fail, and Lu Chengyun escapes while the Corpse King survives, the Dao Court will hold us accountable. I, Yang, will naturally take the brunt of the blame and face the consequences. However, those present here..."
Yang Jishan looked around, "will likely not escape responsibility!"
With a slight narrowing of his eyes, Yang Jishan continued, "...When the Dao Court assigns blame, the centennial promotion sequence of the aristocratic families and sects will undoubtedly be significantly delayed."
"Moreover, some of you here who hail from the Dao Province and have connections with the Tianxu Pavilion should understand what the survival of the Corpse King truly implies."
"In the event of failure, the responsibility is immense. Your families will undoubtedly be pursued by the Dao Court!"
"Will your clans blame you for this? Will they demote your elders and reduce your privileges and rights?"
Yang Jishan's eyes turned solemn, and his tone turned cold, "This is not even the worst-case scenario..."
"The worst-case scenario is that Lu Chengyun loses his mind and causes the Corpse King to spiral out of control, triggering a true, large-scale tide of corpses that wipes out Nanyue City and even the entire provincial border."
"When that time comes, the provincial border will become a realm of corpses, and all living beings will suffer."
"Amidst the tide of corpses, if a few Iron Corpses happen to undergo a transformation and evolve into Copper Corpses due to a stroke of luck, I'm afraid not many of you here will be able to escape this small, barren provincial border alive!"
Yang Jishan said coldly, "By then, your trump cards will only be useful for weighing down your coffins..."
"...or what's left of them. You might even be devoured alive, leaving no trace of your existence, or you might fall and become wandering corpses, a fate worse than death."
Yang Jishan's words left the crowd pale-faced.
Although his words seemed a bit exaggerated, the current situation suggested that these events were not entirely impossible...
"Leader Yang, what do you intend to do?" asked an elderly cultivator present.
Though advanced in years, with white hair, he was not concerned about himself but rather the younger generation of his family.
If they won this battle, he would be credited with merit, and his family would have a chance at promotion within a hundred years.
The disciples under him would also be highly regarded.
However, if they lost, the family would face repercussions from the Dao Court, resulting in a lower promotion sequence. In that case, the efforts of three generations of cultivators and hundreds of years of hard work would be in vain.
Consequently, the younger disciples under him would likely lose favor within the family.
Therefore, even if it cost him his life, he had to win this battle!
With a determined expression, Yang Jishan said, "Drawing on the heritage of my family, I will no longer hold anything back. I will reveal my trump card and directly defeat Lu Chengyun, exterminate the Corpse King, and put an end to the corpse calamity!"
As he finished speaking, he took out a long spear from his storage bag.
The spear was dazzling, with a golden luster and intricate golden patterns. As spiritual power condensed around it, an astonishing aura became apparent.
Recognizing the spear, the knowledgeable cultivators present turned pale.
"This is my Yang Family's superior second-grade spiritual artifact, the Sunset Spear!" Yang Jishan introduced.
"This spear is precious, with a unique refining method, and possesses immense power. When combined with the Yang Family's spear techniques, it can unleash the might of a peak late Qi Refining cultivator. However, it is extremely consumptive and can only be used three times."
Yang Jishan looked at the golden spear with a hint of reluctance, but he soon composed himself and said, "This Sunset Spear was bestowed upon me by my grandfather for life-threatening situations. Unless it's a matter of life and death, it must not be used."
"But this battle is crucial, and our lives hang in the balance."
"Since it has come to a life-or-death struggle, I will use this spear to slay Lu Chengyun and ensure the Corpse King's demise!"
Everyone was moved by his determination.
Mo Hua was also surprised, and although he didn't know the origins of the Sunset Spear, he could tell from the others' reactions that it was no ordinary weapon.
It was possible that even if they won this battle, the merit they gained might not be enough to compensate for the value of this spear.
With Yang Jishan setting the example, the other cultivators fell into contemplation.
As a member of the Yang Family, the leader of the Dao soldiers, and an expert in military strategy and cultivator combat, Yang Jishan's decision to use his trump card signaled the severity of the situation.
If they didn't act with lightning speed and overwhelming force, they would undoubtedly face tremendous disaster!
There were times when one shouldn't hold back.
Otherwise, you might end up losing everything, even your life...
After a moment of reflection, one of the cultivators spoke up, "Since Leader Yang has spoken so frankly, I will also put aside my reservations..."
He flipped his palm, and a black jade box appeared. With pride, he said, "I am from the Tang Family, and I possess a second-grade spiritual artifact known as the Torrential Rain Pear Blossom Needles. Once this box is opened, spiritual power will rain down like a storm, and the needles will bloom like pear blossoms. While it may not be sufficient to deal with a powerful enemy, when thrown into the crowd of corpses, its destructive power is immense..."
With someone taking the initiative, the rest of the cultivators followed suit.
"I'm Zhang Zifan from the Zhang family. My ancestor gave me the Fiery Inferno Array..."
"Dough Changbao from the Dough family. I have a second-grade Binding Net that can immobilize four Iron Corpses at once..."
"I come from an insignificant family, but by chance, I obtained a high-grade second-tier Spirit Burst Jade Talisman, which possesses the power of a late Qi Refining cultivator's spell..."
...
"I have a Cleansing Breeze Screen that can dispel the corpse poison of Iron Corpses ranked second-grade and above..."
Someone finally cursed, "Why the hell didn't you take it out earlier?"
"This is my damn life-saving card, how could I bear to use it?"
"You're so damn stingy!"
"I'm not lending it to you now..."
"No, wait... Good brother, big brother, I was wrong. Pretend I was just farting..."
...
Amidst the chaos and bickering, almost all the cultivators present, from different states, aristocratic families, and sects, revealed a trick or two up their sleeves.
Yang Jishan silently took note of each revelation, nodding his head. He knew that they were still holding back, but that was only human nature; it was inevitable that each person would have their own agenda. The tricks they had revealed so far would be enough.
Mo Hua was equally astonished. He had previously thought that these family cultivators were either incompetent or mediocre at best, given their lackluster performance in the battles alongside the Dao soldiers. Now, he understood the reason behind their seemingly mediocre abilities. Firstly, group battles among cultivators were indeed different from individual combat, and many of their abilities were not easily utilized in such situations. Secondly, they all had their own little schemes, and they were reluctant to use their best tricks to eradicate the corpse mine.
Mo Hua's eyes sparkled with newfound understanding. This was like shearing sheep—if you were willing to do it, there would always be wool to shear. If Yang Jishan hadn't brought it up, he never would have known about these hidden tricks.
Mo Hua felt that he had gained a lot of insight...
...
The tricks of the cultivators present varied greatly. Some had spiritual artifacts, others had pills or talismans, and there were also those who had arrays, spells, and the like.
Yang Jishan categorized and organized them, ensuring that these abilities would be used where they would be most effective—a decisive strike to annihilate the horde of corpses and slay the Corpse King!
After making the necessary arrangements, Yang Jishan turned his attention to understanding the topography of the cemetery. Several Qi Refining cultivators from the Dao Court, who possessed powerful spiritual senses, began to sweep the area with their spiritual awareness.
However, even after a long while, they couldn't discern much. Like the mine, the cemetery was shrouded in filthy qi, impeding their spiritual sense. Moreover, there were arrays everywhere, their auras obscure and intertwined with the foul qi of the mountains, making it difficult to distinguish them.
As a result, the map they drew was very crude. It could only roughly outline the terrain, indicate where the corpse qi was concentrated, and make guesses about the possible arrays and their grades.
These vague pieces of information were not very helpful.
Yang Jishan frowned, then suddenly thought of Mo Hua. He took the map and found Mo Hua, asking, "Little brother, can you tell what arrays are in this cemetery?"
"Let me see..."
Mo Hua took the map and looked towards the distant cemetery, which was shrouded in a gloomy, dark aura. He stirred his spiritual sense and began to calculate.
As he calculated, he muttered to himself, and at the same time, he found a piece of paper and started drawing on it, making modifications as he went along.
He drew things that Yang Jishan couldn't understand at all.
Yang Jishan didn't dare to disturb Mo Hua, so he quietly watched from the side.
After an unknown period of time, Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he began to mark the map.
He marked the names of the arrays, their grades, the array patterns, as well as notes about the array eyes, array pivots, and array mediums. He even roughly marked the number of Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses in places where the corpse qi was dense.
The entire cemetery was laid bare before their eyes.
Yang Jishan was stunned.
He really wanted to ask Mo Hua how he had figured it out, but after thinking about it, he felt that constantly asking would make him, as the leader, seem incompetent.
Moreover, even if Mo Hua explained it, would he be able to understand? At least, he hadn't understood Mo Hua's previous explanations...
Forget it. When in doubt, trust but verify.
Yang Jishan sighed and also felt relieved. Fortunately, they had brought this little cultivator along on this trip; otherwise, the progress of eradicating the corpse mine would not have been so smooth.
After Yang Jishan left, Mo Hua furrowed his brows. There was something that puzzled him.
There were many zombies in the cemetery, and aside from the Walking Corpses, how did they get all those Iron Corpses? The nearby states were all second-grade.
In second-grade states, the highest cultivator level was Foundation Establishment.
So how did Lu Chengyun get his hands on these dozens of Iron Corpses, which were refined from Foundation Establishment cultivators' bodies?
Moreover, these Iron Corpses were clearly refined a long time ago.
The older the corpse, the more toxic the corpse poison.
Mo Hua frowned in deep thought, then suddenly paused.
Little Lingyin Sect!
He remembered that Yan Jiaoxi had mentioned that the Little Lingyin Sect used to be a local sect that was quite influential in the field of arrays, and they had produced quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators. However, the sect gradually declined, and eventually, Lu Chengyun betrayed the sect, killed his master, and stole the sect's arrays. After that, the Little Lingyin Sect dispersed.
But even after the sect dispersed, there was still a cemetery where the remains of the sect's Foundation Establishment cultivators were buried.
Mo Hua's heart sank as he made this connection.
Over the past few days, he had observed that the Iron Corpses in the cemetery, apart from having intense corpse poison, didn't seem to have strong bodies. Their arms were evenly proportioned, and their fingers were long, indicating that they were likely scholars or array masters in their previous lives...
Perhaps Lu Chengyun's betrayal wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision but something he had plotted for a long time.
A chilling light gradually appeared in Mo Hua's deep gaze as he thought:
"Lu Chengyun... Asking for death!"
...
After obtaining a detailed map of the burial mountain and the array, Yang Jishan began to make arrangements, aiming to eradicate the Corpse King and put an end to the corpse calamity in one fell swoop.
Once everything was prepared, Mo Hua suddenly approached Yang Jishan and said, "Uncle Yang, I want to go too."
Yang Jishan was taken aback. "What for?"
"I want to help," Mo Hua replied.
Yang Jishan paused before a warm feeling filled his heart.
What a fine child, with exceptional talent and a good heart. No wonder his fifth brother praised him so much.
However, Yang Jishan still shook his head.
"I want you to go too, but this will be a battle of life and death, against the Corpse King and countless Iron Corpses. It's too dangerous, and even I may not come out of it unscathed. I can't guarantee your safety..."
"Uncle Yang, don't worry," Mo Hua assured him. "My senior brother and sister will protect me."
Yang Jishan hesitated. "Your senior brother and sister are only at the Qi Refining stage..."
"Although they are at the Qi Refining stage, their cultivation is very strong," Mo Hua said proudly.
Yang Jishan still disagreed. "This is a battle to the death, a chaotic fight against zombies. It's not the same..."
"If all else fails, I can hide and escape," Mo Hua suggested.
Hide...
Yang Jishan was startled by his words.
No wonder! No wonder he was able to gather information in the corpse mine, taking advantage of the chaos. So he had a way to conceal himself.
Mo Hua hadn't mentioned this before, so Yang Jishan was unaware of it.
Yang Jishan looked at Mo Hua, his eyes sparkling with interest.
Concealment...
He actually knows concealment... How wonderful...
Then he frowned, confused. "You're only at the Qi Refining stage. How did you hide your concealment technique from Lu Chengyun?"
Mo Hua smiled, narrowing his eyes, but he didn't answer.
Yang Jishan realized he had spoken out of turn.
Such secrets about a cultivator's abilities shouldn't be discussed lightly.
"Sorry, I was too forward," Yang Jishan apologized.
"So, can I go?" Mo Hua asked.
"This..." Yang Jishan hesitated again, then paused as a thought occurred to him. "Are there any other reasons why you want to go to the burial mountain?"
Mo Hua didn't hide the truth and nodded. "I have a personal grudge against Lu Chengyun. I want to see him die!"
Yang Jishan was taken aback.
A personal grudge? Is it because of what happened in the corpse mine, or is there another reason? Yang Jishan's gaze turned solemn.
Regardless of the reason, he didn't want to put this young cultivator in such danger.
He was even considering sending Mo Hua out of Nanyue City in case they lost the battle and the city fell, thus ensuring Mo Hua's safety.
Exterminating the undead was a decree from the Dao Court and the duty of the Dao soldiers, but it had nothing to do with Mo Hua.
Mo Hua was talented in array formations and had a good heart. He was a promising cultivator, and Yang Jishan didn't want him to take such a risk!
Yang Jishan nodded, but just as he was about to refuse, his heart suddenly lurched.
A scene appeared in his spiritual sea, a vision of the future.
In the vision, the sky was stained red with blood.
Lu Chengyun was dead.
But all the cultivators present were also dead.
Yang Jishan himself had lost an arm and was being trampled under the foot of a zombie, his eyes filled with despair.
This zombie was massive, its pupils blood-red with a hint of dark gold, and its aura was terrifying.
It roared, and countless zombies across the mountains and plains bowed in submission...
...
In the next instant, everything disappeared.
Yang Jishan's back was drenched in cold sweat, and he felt overwhelming terror.
"What... What was that?"
Was it his intuition born from years of battle experience?
Or an ominous sign from the heavens?
Or did someone show him this vision?
Yang Jishan's face was pale, and his eyes reflected his fear.
"Uncle Yang?"
A childish voice snapped Yang Jishan back to reality.
He looked up and saw Mo Hua looking at him with concern.
"Uncle Yang, what's wrong?" Mo Hua asked, worried.
Yang Jishan thought for a moment and forced a smile. "It's nothing. I'm just a bit tired..."
Mo Hua apologized, "Then I won't disturb you, Uncle Yang. Get some rest."
Yang Jishan nodded slightly. Just as Mo Hua was about to leave, he called out to him again.
"Mo Hua."
Mo Hua turned around, confused.
Yang Jishan's gaze turned firm. "You can go."
Mo Hua was taken aback, then delighted. "Really?"
Yang Jishan nodded. "But be careful. Stay by my side and don't wander off. Even if you see Lu Chengyun, don't act impulsively."
"Okay," Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, smiling. "Thank you, Uncle Yang!"
Mo Hua left happily.
Ever since he had agreed to let Mo Hua join them, the terrifying, bloody, and desperate vision in his spiritual sea had disappeared...
The fear in Yang Jishan's heart gradually subsided, and he no longer felt the chill in his hands.
It was as if a terrible cause and effect had been severed.
However, Yang Jishan's heart remained unsettled.
He watched Mo Hua's departing figure, his eyes filled with shock, and he couldn't help but wonder:
"Mo Hua... What exactly is this young cultivator's background?"
(End of Chapter)
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