Chapter 520: The Immortal Child
Chapter 520: The Immortal Child
"Do not pry, nor seek to peer into that which is forbidden."
The frail old man recalled the words his master had once imparted to him.
Forbidden...
His thoughts turned to Mr. Zhuang, and the shroud of mist that veiled him.
Perhaps the mist that shrouded Mr. Zhuang served not only to conceal secrets but also to protect all those who dared to peer into the young master's karma.
For within that karma lay great peril.
However, he could not fathom why a young array master, barely in his teens, would be entangled in such profound and sinister karma.
What exactly had transpired?
The old man furrowed his brows, perplexed and unable to find an answer.
"Never mind, ignorance is bliss... It's not a good thing to be entangled in such perilous matters..."
The old man sighed, still shaken by the memory.
Everything related to Mo Hua gradually faded from his mind, leaving only a vague impression.
He could barely recall a small, unwavering figure amidst the blood-red tide of corpses.
Young Master Yun's memories were equally hazy.
He remembered the Spirit Pivot Array and the fact that he had made a friend who was a young array master.
But the person's identity eluded him, remaining obscure and indistinct.
Only a clear and cheerful smile lingered in his memory...
...
Meanwhile, Yang Jishan, the commander of the Daoist soldiers, was composing a report to the Dao Court.
He intended to commend Mo Hua for his achievements.
During the battle at the Corpse Mine, Mo Hua had played a pivotal role in suppressing the tide of corpses, subduing the Corpse King, executing Lu Chengyun, quelling the corpse calamity, and improving the livelihood of the cultivators in Nanyue City.
However, as he wrote, the details began to blur in his mind.
Yang Jishan intended to write Mo Hua's name, but as soon as his brush touched the paper, he froze.
The names "Mo Hua" were obscured by a misty veil.
Try as he might, he couldn't recall the young master's surname or given name.
"What's going on?"
Yang Jishan's heart trembled with shock.
How could I have forgotten his name? Soon, he realized that it wasn't just the name that had slipped his mind; even the young master's appearance and voice were becoming vague and indistinct, as if shrouded in mist.
The events at the Corpse Mine were also fragmented in his memory.
What exactly had transpired in the depths of the Corpse Mine and atop the burial mound?
Yang Jishan furrowed his brows, struggling to recall.
Only two scenes remained clear in his mind:
One was the Corpse King roaring skyward amidst a sea of blood, with countless corpses bowing before him.
The other was the Corpse King's angry howl as he was consumed by flames, turning into flying ashes.
But the details of what had transpired in between were a complete blur.
Yang Jishan had forgotten everything.
How had such a powerful and ferocious Corpse King been subdued and turned into ashes?
Yang Jishan couldn't remember.
In his consciousness, there was only a vague recollection of a small figure that had caused the heavens and earth to change color and made countless corpses submit...
"Who was that young cultivator?"
Yang Jishan murmured, his brows knitted in confusion.
...
As time passed, the dust settled on the events.
The karma surrounding the incident gradually faded into obscurity, veiled by a misty shroud.
The various cultivators in Nanyue City also dispersed, returning to their respective paths.
However, half a month later, a group of uninvited guests arrived.
They were four peculiarly shaped cultivators.
One was a pale-faced youth with exquisite features, as if he wore a meticulously carved, flawless death mask.
The second was an elderly man carrying a sword case, his expression wooden, with only the whites of his eyes visible.
The third was a burly man with sharp fingertips and bloodshot eyes.
And the fourth was a decrepit old woman, muttering to herself.
They stood atop a desolate mountain, gazing at Nanyue City and the surrounding mines from a distance.
The elderly man with the sword case spoke in a hoarse voice, "Quite a bold move, but what a waste!"
The pale youth sneered, "It's just a matter of nurturing a first-grade Dao Calamity. It's not like it had fully matured yet..."
The burly man with sharp teeth revealed two fangs and a wolfish grin, his face resembling that of a savage wolf. "Your father has wanted to nurture one for half his life, and he still hasn't succeeded."
The pale youth arrogantly replied, "It's pointless to nurture anything below third or fourth grade. Only true monsters, great corpses, and true calamities are worth the effort. First and second-grade Dao Calamities aren't that impressive."
The elderly man with the sword case had a voice as dry and indifferent as shifting sand, "You don't understand the nature of Dao Calamities... They are anomalies, not measured by grades."
The pale youth scoffed, clearly dismissive.
The sharp-toothed man, with the eyes of a wolf, surveyed their surroundings, inhaling the pungent scent of decay in the air. He sighed, "What a pity. If we had arrived earlier, we could have had a feast."
He extended his tongue, which had barbs on it, and licked his lips.
The elderly man with the sword case nodded in agreement, "Indeed, it's a shame. If this Dao Calamity had come to fruition, the entire state could have become a breeding ground for the Demon Path."
"Whose doing was this?" The sharp-toothed man asked.
"Who else could it be?" The elderly man with the sword case countered with a question of his own.
A flicker of wariness flashed in the sharp-toothed man's eyes as he hesitated to speak the Daoist's name.
The pale youth snorted derisively, "Who knows? Someone must have ruined the Eccentric Daoist's plans..."
A hint of disdain curled his pallid lips.
The elderly man with the sword case spoke in a low voice, "You should show some respect. Don't assume that just because you have your father's backing, that Daoist won't dare to touch you."
The pale youth's eyes narrowed, "My father's cultivation surpasses his."
The elderly man shook his head, "You still don't understand what the title 'Daoist' signifies..."
The pale youth remained scornful.
The elderly man's eyes, devoid of irises, fixed on the youth with an icy gaze, "If that Daoist wants you dead, your father won't be able to save you."
"Whether you live or die is of no consequence to us, but don't drag us into your mess, or we won't let you off easily either..."
The pale youth seethed with anger but refrained from arguing.
His teeth bit into his lips, but instead of drawing blood, it seemed as if he had only pierced a layer of skin, revealing no hint of crimson.
None of the other three present paid him any heed.
The sharp-toothed man, wild as a beast, sniffed the air once more, his gaze turning pensive. "There were many zombies, cultivators, and the aura of a Dao Calamity was heavy. It seemed to be on the verge of maturation, but something unexpected happened..."
"It must have been that person's doing."
The elderly man with the sword case nodded, "Aside from him, no one could have disrupted the Daoist's plan."
The sharp-toothed man furrowed his brows, "What exactly is that person hiding?"
The burly man with sharp teeth paused, taken aback.
"Unless you reach the Golden Core or Ascension to Immortality realm, even if you're given this opportunity, what can you do with it?" The old man with the sword case continued, his words cutting. "Can you withstand the suppression of the Dao Court or the pursuit of the Demon Sect?"
"Since you're a pawn, just do what a pawn should do."
"With our current cultivation levels, we're far from being able to consider taking on the black or white pieces..." The old man with the sword case spoke with thinly veiled contempt.
The burly man with sharp teeth, however, didn't seem offended. Instead, he stuck out his bright red tongue and licked his lips, baring his sharp teeth in a sinister grin. "I'm a demon cultivator. When I see meat, it's only natural that I'd want to take a bite or two."
The old man with the sword case's eyes were hollow, his expression enigmatic as he said, "The meat of immortality—eat it, and your life will be forfeit."
The meat of immortality...
The burly man's eyes glinted with a cunning light at those words.
Even the pale-faced youth's usually pallid cheeks were tinged with an abnormal flush.
For a moment, the three of them harbored their own secret thoughts.
The old woman, who had been silent from the start, suddenly opened her eyes wide, a manic look in her eyes as she exclaimed, "My child, my child!"
"What's she raving about now?" The burly man with sharp teeth frowned.
But the old woman paid him no heed. With a strange laugh, she said, "I've found him... My own flesh and blood, my child isn't dead..."
She flashed through the air, her figure like the wind, heading towards a distant mountain peak to the south.
The old man with the sword case and the other two had no choice but to follow her.
The four of them eventually came to a stop on a small hill.
The hill was secluded and desolate, yet the scenery was tranquil, bathed in the glow of the setting sun.
On the hill was a small burial mound.
The old woman was focused, her hands as hard as steel as she dug through the earth and stones, uncovering the mound to reveal a coffin within.
With her fingers, the old woman gently scraped away a corner of the coffin, then forcefully lifted it, shattering the coffin lid into four pieces.
Inside the coffin lay a small zombie.
The old woman tremblingly lifted the little zombie and cradled it in her arms.
"My child, my child..."
"A zombie?" The pale-faced youth frowned. "Didn't the Corpse Burning Array burn all the zombies in this area? How did this one escape?"
The burly man with sharp teeth scanned the surroundings, his eyebrows raised. "It seems someone deliberately left this zombie here and buried it."
"Was it a relative of this zombie?"
"Why bury it here?"
"Who knows..."
"Could it be for corpse refinement?"
"This zombie is too small and too weak. What's the point of refining it? To make it fetch tea and water?"
...
The old man with the sword case, however, had a solemn expression on his face. "This little zombie is a good candidate for corpse refinement. It only has corpse energy and no vital energy, pure and clean."
"What's so good about it?"
"Jade Corpse..."
"What?"
The old man with the sword case didn't elaborate further. "You don't practice corpse refinement, so you wouldn't understand even if I told you."
The pale-faced youth's face twisted in displeasure.
The burly man with sharp teeth, on the other hand, looked enlightened. "So this old woman is a corpse cultivator?"
Among the group, he knew the origins of the old man with the sword case and the pale-faced youth, but this old woman was unfamiliar to him.
The old man with the sword case nodded slightly. "Her son died early. To resurrect him, she learned corpse refinement and turned her own son into a zombie."
"But she made a mistake and refined him into a special kind of blood zombie."
"It needs to feed on human flesh and blood every day."
"She killed people to feed her son, but eventually, the Dao Court found out. Her blood zombie son was executed right before her eyes, driving her completely insane and causing her to fully degenerate into a corpse cultivator."
"Over the years, she's been killing unfaithful men as well as cultivators from the Dao Court."
"She's also been enthusiastic about turning children into zombies."
"All the zombies she's refined are her children..."
"However..."
The old man with the sword case's eyes narrowed slightly. "...this little zombie might be a bit special."
The old woman also held the little zombie close, cherishing it as if it were her own flesh and blood.
The pale-faced youth clicked his tongue, then suddenly exclaimed, "Hey, there seems to be an array on this little zombie's chest!"
"An array?" The burly man with sharp teeth was taken aback.
"And it's not an ordinary array, either," the pale-faced youth added curiously.
He raised his voice and said, "Old woman, let me take a look at this little zombie."
The old woman acted as if she hadn't heard him.
The pale-faced youth repeated himself.
Still, the old woman didn't react.
Enraged, the pale-faced youth snapped, "You old hag, how dare you ignore me..."
He reached out to grab the little zombie from the old woman, but as he did so, he seemed to have touched a nerve.
The old woman's aura changed abruptly, her face contorting with a sinister look as her pupils turned vertical. Her withered yellow skin transformed into an ancient bronze color, and she turned into a copper zombie.
With her right hand, she tore through the air, a cold wind blowing as she ripped apart the pale-faced youth's arm.
Blood flowed from the wound.
The sinister corpse poison seeped in.
The pale-faced youth's face turned even paler, but his cheeks were tinged with a strange crimson due to his shame and anger.
"You old thing, you're asking to die!" the old woman snarled, baring her two long fangs as she held the little zombie close.
The pale-faced youth's face darkened, and he was about to make a move when the old man with the sword case stopped him.
"Don't provoke her."
The pale-faced youth seemed to have some fear of the old man with the sword case, as he coldly huffed and restrained his aura.
The old woman's zombie form faded, and she turned back into an ordinary old woman, holding the child in her arms with a serene and peaceful expression.
The old man with the sword case looked up at the sky and said, "It's getting late. We should be on our way."
He turned his head to look at the others, his expression wooden but his tone grave. "Do what we need to do, and don't meddle in anything else."
The old man adjusted the sword case on his back.
The sword case trembled slightly, as if thirsting for blood.
"Not yet..." the old man murmured to himself.
"Once we find that person, the real storm will arrive..."
That would be a terrifying storm of blood and carnage...
...
The four of them gradually left.
The old woman also took the little zombie with her.
Nanyue City had already become entangled in cause and effect.
If they involved themselves, there was a high chance that their secrets would be exposed, putting themselves at risk.
Beneath the calm surface, dangerous undercurrents stirred.
Yet, these perilous currents bypassed Nanyue City, flowing towards distant places.
The cultivators of Nanyue City, after much turmoil, finally welcomed a long-awaited peace...
The cultivators resumed their daily lives.
In Elder Su's cave abode...
Shui Sheng lay on a small stone table, drawing array formations, while Elder Su lectured him incessantly by his side:
"Why are you using your brush like that? You're wasting too much spiritual sense..."
"I've taught you this array pattern so many times, and you still don't get it..."
"Hey, don't draw it like that..."
...
Shui Sheng ignored the old man's nagging, focusing solely on drawing the array.
When he encountered something he didn't understand, he would ask, but after getting an answer, he would tune out Elder Su's remaining complaints and grumblings.
He devoted his entire being to the study of arrays.
Even though he learned slowly and struggled to draw well, he persisted.
If he failed once, he would try again.
If he failed twice, he would try a third time.
Eventually, with practice, he would succeed...
This was what the young master had taught him, and Shui Sheng remembered it well.
Elder Su continued to grumble, but suddenly, he paused in the middle of his lecture.
Shui Sheng's appearance resembled Shui Xian's, and his current focused expression reminded the old man of himself in his younger days...
Elder Su fell silent for a moment, then his expression softened, and he smiled with satisfaction. The look in his eyes as he gazed at Shui Sheng was filled with warmth.
"I owe that young master a great debt of gratitude..." Elder Su sighed inwardly.
...
The lives of the mine cultivators also improved significantly.
They could eat their fill, support their families, and gradually accumulate some extra spirit stones for themselves or their children's cultivation.
The once-oppressive Lu family had now collapsed and was no longer a threat.
The mine cultivators had also heard the rumors about the Corpse Mine.
"It's said that Lu Chengyun, that bastard, killed people and used their bodies for corpse refinement, making them work in the mines. In the end, he got his comeuppance and was devoured alive by the zombies he created."
"That zombie wasn't just an ordinary one. It was Lu Boshi, the Lu family's ancestor!"
"That son of a bitch, Lu Boshi, just wouldn't let us off even in death. He turned into a zombie and came back to plague Nanyue City..."
"Those zombies were so terrifying."
"Just thinking about it now makes my hair stand on end."
"During the zombie siege, I was standing on the city wall, and when I looked down, I saw a sea of zombies with bared fangs and claws..."
Someone exclaimed in fear, "Do you think there might still be zombies in the mines?"
"It's possible. There were so many zombies; they couldn't have been eliminated all at once."
"What should we do?"
"I haven't even gotten married yet. What if I get bitten by a zombie? I'll be doomed!"
"I have elderly parents and young children to take care of..."
Anxiety spread among the group.
"How about this," suggested one of the cultivators, "let's worship that little immortal child in the mines..."
"Who's the immortal child?" someone asked, confused.
"He's a child who was a servant of an immortal."
"Who?"
"The one who suppressed the corpse tide, subdued the Corpse King, and helped us draw the array formations and build the mines."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course. I've seen him."
"You've seen him?"
The miner nodded. "This immortal child had six arms, was impervious to blades and guns, and with just one punch, he knocked the Corpse King down..."
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
"Yeah, who has six arms?"
"Exactly, and that immortal child was so handsome, with fair skin and sparkling eyes. His smile was adorable..."
"You're just making things up. How could a young cultivator like that defeat the Corpse King?"
"Of course, I've seen him. On that day, on the city wall, amidst the corpse tide, I saw the immortal child. He was nine feet tall, with broad shoulders and a sturdy waist. His strength was unparalleled, and his fists created gusts of wind. Tens of thousands of zombies couldn't get close to him!"
"Are you talking about a 'strongman' and not an 'immortal child'?"
"Yeah, if you're going to brag, at least make it believable."
...
The discussion went back and forth, but they couldn't come to a conclusion.
Finally, an elderly miner made a decision: "Since he's an immortal child, he's probably not that old. We don't know his appearance, so let's not draw it specifically. We'll just use brush and ink to depict a human silhouette."
"Since he suppressed the corpse tide, it means the zombies must be afraid of him. We'll hang this immortal child's portrait in the mines to suppress evil spirits and prevent the zombies from causing trouble..."
After he finished speaking, the elderly miner sighed, "That young master helped us tremendously. He gave us mine cultivators a new lease of life. Even if this portrait can't suppress the zombies, we should still pay our respects to him, wish him a smooth journey ahead, success in his cultivation, and a long life that rivals the heavens. May he bring blessings to all beings!"
"Exactly!"
The miners nodded in agreement.
They commissioned someone to draw several brush and ink portraits of the immortal child, which they hung in the mines.
From then on, before entering the mines, the mine cultivators of Nanyue City would pay their respects to the immortal child's portrait.
The portrait depicted a small human silhouette in black and white, shrouded in a mysterious aura.
Worshipping the immortal child's portrait could dispel evil spirits and ward off zombies.
They prayed for their own safety and, at the same time, wished for the immortal child's well-being.
In this place where a Dao calamity had occurred, the cultivators' devotion and faith, combined with the mysterious connection to the portrait, created a subtle balance.
However, the immortal child in the portrait, Mo Hua, remained unaware of all this.
Hundreds of miles away, on a mountain path...
Mo Hua rode on Dabaizi, enjoying the scenery of the mountains and rivers, cloaked in mist, as he embarked on his journey to the Foundation Establishment...
(End of Chapter)
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