Chapter 953: The Flesh and Blood Corpse Statue
Chapter 953: The Flesh and Blood Corpse Statue
"What exactly... is this thing...?"
Gray Second Young Master's voice trembled.
Before opening the casket, he had expected that such a large brass casket might contain a "big thing."
But he never imagined that it would be so huge and so terrifying, like countless corpses piled up, woven together, and then cast into a flesh and blood corpse statue.
This flesh and blood corpse statue was over ten people tall, and its aura was fully released, emitting a foul stench that was bone-chilling and terrifying.
Corpse fiends craved flesh and blood.
Even this enormous flesh and blood corpse statue was no exception.
Upon sensing the living aura around it, the corpse statue's deformed and massive head split open, revealing two slits like pitch-black and crimson eyes, staring at Gray Second Young Master and his companions.
At the same time, its body began to writhe, and with a wave of its flesh and blood arm, a bloody storm swept towards them.
Gray Second Young Master was shocked but did not flee.
When facing a formidable enemy, the more one tries to run, the faster one dies.
Moreover, he was the closest, and even if he wanted to run, he couldn't escape.
"Everyone, work together to subdue this cursed beast!"
Gray Second Young Master shouted, then gritted his teeth and immediately took out an entire bottle of precious blood wine, pouring it onto the formation. He bit his finger and touched his forehead, forming hand seals and chanting a mysterious mantra, using all his strength to activate the ancient Taoist array disk he had set up earlier, which resembled a formation but was not, and a talisman but was not.
In an instant, the array disk shone brightly.
Ancient and profound seal characters emerged, forming a layer of light.
The bloody storm created by the flesh and blood corpse statue, like a crimson blood tide, collided with the light barrier.
A loud rumbling sound echoed, and powerful vibrations shook the surroundings.
The light barrier dimmed slightly, and the blood tide of the corpse statue was being evaporated.
The first wave of the flesh and blood corpse statue's attack was resolved, but in the blink of an eye, with a roar filled with rotting flesh and foul stench, the corpse statue raised its arm and struck down again.
The massive arm, covered in hideous zombies, came crashing down like a torrential rain towards Gray Second Young Master.
Gray Second Young Master was in the midst of activating the array disk and had nowhere to escape. Seeing the writhing corpse arm and the dark death aura rushing towards him, he gritted his teeth and detonated the yellow jade talisman.
The yellow jade blood talisman exploded, releasing streaks of golden light that soared into the sky, shattering the flesh and blood corpse statue's arm into pieces.
Countless pieces of flesh and blood rained down.
Gray Second Young Master quickly summoned his life-saving treasure, an earth-type shield, to protect himself from the rain of flesh and blood from the corpse statue.
The flesh and blood corpse statue's arm was shattered by Gray Second Young Master's detonated yellow jade talisman.
But in the blink of an eye, countless severed limbs and flesh began to re-coalesce, forming a new corpse arm.
This arm was even thicker, entwined with such darkness, and even dripping with blood.
Before Gray Second Young Master could react, the arm, filled with anger, black aura, and blood, began to press down on him.
Gray Second Young Master had already used up most of his tricks.
If he were to take this attack head-on, his life-saving shield would shatter, and he would lose his life.
"Help me!"
Gray Second Young Master turned his head and roared.
Stone, without hesitation, immediately stood beside Gray Second Young Master, shouting and activating his Golden Core power. His body was covered in an earthstone armor, ready to withstand the corpse statue's attack alongside Gray Second Young Master.
Rat's eyes flickered, and he did not move but instead took a few steps back.
On the other hand, the four black-robed cultivators took action.
It seemed that Gray Second Young Master was still useful, and they didn't want him to die here.
The black-robed young master waved his long sword, slashing out streaks of blood light.
The black-robed elder summoned a strange-looking short dagger, emitting a black glow.
The other two big men, apparently body cultivators, neither used spirit tools nor magical treasures but directly attacked the flesh and blood corpse statue with their physical strength.
A loud explosion shook the air, and flesh and blood were blown away.
Some zombie limbs even flew over Mo Hua's head.
Mo Hua had already drawn a second-rank nineteen-lineage gold stone array on the ground and hid inside it to avoid being affected.
The second-rank nineteen-lineage formation was still one line away from the twentieth, so it couldn't block a Golden Core attack.
However, it was sufficient to block the aftermath of the battle.
Mo Hua knew he was "fragile," so he had already crouched down and hidden inside the formation.
The aftermath of the battle reached him.
Powerful vibrations struck his formation, causing its light to flicker and its lines to show signs of breaking, appearing unstable.
But the gold stone array did not disappoint Mo Hua and eventually held firm.
When the storm subsided, Mo Hua looked up and saw Gray Second Young Master in disarray in front of the massive Golden Brass Casket. His life-saving shield was also dimming.
Stone's earthstone armor was covered in cracks.
Rat stood to the side, his face pale but seemingly unharmed.
The black robes of the two big men were torn, revealing their muscular bodies beneath, but their faces remained hidden.
The black-robed young master and the black-robed elder, who were farther away, were also unaffected.
On the other side, the giant flesh and blood corpse statue's arms had been blown off by the combined efforts of six or seven Golden Core experts.
Mo Hua was secretly shocked.
The flesh and blood corpse statue was powerful, but these Golden Core cultivators, especially the four black-robed cultivators, seemed to be no weaker.
Even Gray Second Young Master was no pushover.
They not only withstood the corpse statue's attacks but also counterattacked, blowing off the statue's arms made of corpses.
Mo Hua looked at the flesh and blood corpse statue that had hatched from the Golden Brass Casket, formed by the collective effort of the corpses, and his brow furrowed slightly.
"Indeed, it has the 'cursed aura'..."
"But the degree of cursed transformation is not deep, only a faint trace, as if it hasn't fully hatched yet, just a prototype..."
If it weren't for this, everyone present would already be dead.
The horror of the Dao Nuisance was all too clear to Mo Hua.
Aside from the six or seven Golden Cores in front of them, even if there were sixty or six hundred more, it would still be of no use.
Either way, the only outcome was death.
A true third-grade Dao Nuisance was enough to bring about the downfall of Solitary Mountain State Realm, and even affect Qianxue State Realm, plunging the entire realm into a calamity."
"Was this Dao Nuisance naturally formed, or is someone nurturing it?"
Nurturing a Dao Nuisance...
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat.
Could it be... that my senior uncle is nurturing it?!"
The Dao Nuisance contained the essence of Heavenly Dao and Earthly Tribulation, and ordinary cultivators would avoid it at all costs. The only one truly qualified and capable of nurturing and raising such a thing, as far as Mo Hua knew, was his senior uncle.
"Senior Uncle..."
Mo Hua furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, and shook his head.
It shouldn't be...
Qianxue State Realm was not comparable to Dahan Mountain State Realm.
Dahan Mountain State Realm be able to withstand this calamity? Will the entire realm be affected?
Dahan Mountain State Realm was a second-rank small realm, with treacherous mountains and impoverished people, making cultivation difficult.
On the other hand, Qianxue State Realm was a fifth-rank major realm, with a thriving cultivation culture, numerous established families, and sects, and guarded by the Void Emptiness Ancestor.
Even the surrounding realms, like Solitary Mountain, were under the influence of these families and sects.
Small-scale disturbances were manageable, but for someone like his senior uncle, a great demon with the title of "Daoist," they would undoubtedly be on guard.
Usually, his senior uncle's influence should not extend to Qianxue State Realm.
And given their "fate," if his senior uncle were to come, Mo Hua should have encountered him by now or at least sensed his presence.
Of course, Mo Hua hoped he would never cross paths with his senior uncle again.
He feared his senior uncle's grudge and believed that if they met, his senior uncle would surely take his life.
Of course, these were all afterthoughts.
The most pressing concern at the moment was the blood-flesh corpse statue, which was emitting the aura of a Dao Nuisance.
This blood-flesh corpse statue, buried deep within Solitary Mountain, was a huge hidden danger.
If this hidden danger was not eliminated, not only would Mo Hua and his companions be in peril, but the entire Solitary Mountain City might be at risk.
Once the blood-flesh corpse statue truly became a Dao Nuisance, the entire Qianxue State Realm might be plunged into a cruel and bloody calamity.
In the midst of the storm, the established families might be able to protect themselves with their deep roots.
But the most vulnerable would be the low-level wandering cultivators.
Mo Hua sighed inwardly.
As he pondered, a strange disturbance arose in the distance, accompanied by a foul wind. The massive blood-flesh corpse statue began to regenerate and reanimate.
Just as Uncle Ash and the others had let their guard down, their hearts sank, and their expressions turned solemn.
The blood-flesh corpse statue roared, its voice filled with resentment, as if countless dying people were struggling and howling.
At the same time, its flesh began to squirm and transform.
The countless severed limbs on its body seemed to come to life, and the corpse fiends reassembled themselves, emerging from its rotting flesh.
"Not good!"
Uncle Ash took out a yellow jade talisman, which had more blood-colored inscriptions.
"Kill!"
Uncle Ash activated the talisman, summoning golden lights that struck the blood-flesh corpse statue.
The others also realized the severity of the situation and joined the attack, using swords, talismans, spells, and martial arts to kill the blood-flesh corpse statue and the smaller corpse fiends it spawned.
The scene became intensely bloody and violent.
After a while, they managed to stop the corpse statue's aberrant transformation.
However, the weak-looking blood-flesh corpse statue seemed immortal, slowly regenerating no matter how much they attacked it.
Uncle Ash's face turned pale. "What is this thing? It's endless..."
His spiritual energy was nearly depleted, and his lifebound treasure was dimming. If they continued fighting, they would surely be exhausted to death.
After some thought, Uncle Ash gritted his teeth and said, "We can't go on like this. Let's retreat and think of another way."
The others also understood the gravity of the situation and nodded in agreement.
They launched their final assault, then quickly retreated while the blood-flesh corpse statue was still recovering.
But as Uncle Ash retreated, the formation was disrupted, and the pressure on the brass casket was lifted.
The yellow jade talisman shattered, and the surrounding Daoist inscriptions were completely erased.
Without these restrictions, the blood-flesh corpse statue's regeneration accelerated. In just a few moments, it squirmed and transformed back into a massive creature.
Seeing the group trying to escape, the blood-flesh corpse statue roared in anger. Its two gigantic deformed arms flailed in the pit, like giant pythons whipping up dust and blood, trying to capture the fleeing Uncle Ash and his companions.
But its arms had a limited reach.
And it seemed unable to leave the brass casket.
Thus, it failed to capture Uncle Ash and the others, who were at the Golden Core stage.
As the group escaped further, the blood-flesh corpse statue raged, its body spawning countless corpse fiends.
These corpse fiends, born from its flesh, carried its corpse poison and death energy, like its "offspring."
The corpse fiend "offspring" separated from its body, baring their fangs and claws, and surged like a tide towards the fleeing group.
The corpse fiends were countless, and the tide seemed endless, making Uncle Ash's scalp tingle.
Even Mo Hua was startled.
He hid at the edge of the pit, safe from the blood-flesh corpse statue.
But these separated corpse fiend "offspring" were like a tide, and if he were to be engulfed, he would surely die without a burial.
Without hesitation, Mo Hua took off running.
Amidst the chaos, Mo Hua's escape caught the attention of someone else—Rat.
Seeing Mo Hua's figure, Rat's greed took over, and he uncontrollably chased after Mo Hua.
In his heart, he was certain that this tomb raiding mission was doomed.
Such a massive corpse statue was simply invincible; it would be a miracle to escape.
Since this trip was destined to be a fruitless endeavor, it might as well be used to capture Mo Hua and interrogate him for the location of the Gold-Snatching Talisman.
Once he had the Gold-Snatching Talisman, he would flee far away.
He would then change his identity and seek a great opportunity elsewhere.
Rat's eyes turned slightly red, and his forehead began to show a bluish tint. With a grim expression, he pursued Mo Hua.
The corpse fiend chased him, and he chased Mo Hua.
This was different from the situation in the forked path.
Previously, in the forked path, Mo Hua could still rely on his agile movements to maneuver and retain some room for escape.
But now, a large group of corpse fiends was chasing them.
Both of them could only run forward. If Mo Hua used the Flowing Water Step to dodge left and right, he would easily be caught by the corpse fiends behind him.
Once engulfed in the corpse tide, with countless zombie hands grabbing and sharp fangs gnawing, there would be no space to dodge, no matter how skilled his movements were.
Therefore, Mo Hua could only run straight ahead.
But the Flowing Water Step was not suited for long-distance sprinting.
He was still at the Foundation Establishment stage, and if he continued running like this, he would only be continually closing the distance with Rat, ultimately falling into Rat's hands.
Mo Hua's brows furrowed slightly.
He had been chased by this rat several times, endlessly, and he was losing his patience.
Mo Hua's expression gradually turned cold.
Rat, oblivious to this, was solely focused on how to catch Mo Hua and where to take him for interrogation.
Finally, they ran for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick.
Rat was almost within arm's reach of Mo Hua, just a stretch away from touching him.
A flash of determination appeared in his eyes, and Rat immediately extended his rough, large hand to grab Mo Hua's shoulder. As expected, he caught him.
Rat's expression turned elated, his eyes gleaming with greed.
But his joy was short-lived. The next moment, the water mist dissipated, and Mo Hua's figure vanished from his grasp.
Rat's expression turned dazed, and he couldn't help but look up.
What he saw was a pair of golden eyes.
In those eyes, a prison loomed, sword qi surged, and a sharp sword intent pierced the air, slicing directly into Rat's eyes.
Intense pain shot through him.
Rat let out a scream, clutching his eyes, his movements momentarily halted. His soul trembled, and fear gripped his heart.
"What kind of evil thing is this...?"
Before he could think further, he felt hands grabbing his shoulders and another pair pulling his legs.
Not only that, but corpse fiends were grabbing him all over, their hands latching onto his body and head.
Some even opened their sharp fangs to gnaw at his head...
Shaken by the Thundering Spirit Sword, Rat's movements paused for a moment, and he was immediately caught up by the dense tide of corpse fiends.
Rat was shocked, struggling fiercely, but the more he shook off the corpse fiends, the more climbed onto him.
In no time, he was engulfed by the corpse tide, alive and thrashing.
Mo Hua didn't look back; he had no time for that.
In this life-or-death situation, being chased by the corpse tide, he could only manage to use the Water Shadow Illusion and the Thundering Spirit Sword Pupil, which was already his limit.
He had only activated the Thundering Spirit Sword for a moment.
Then, without looking back, he ran towards the distance.
He ran until he reached the underground passage they had entered the underground palace from, and only then did he let out a sigh of relief.
This was the path they had taken to get here, and it was their only way out.
Mo Hua immediately entered the passage, and it seemed no corpse fiends were chasing him anymore.
Looking back, Mo Hua saw that the corpse fiends were like water, most of them clustering around the flesh corpse statue, with fewer and fewer as they moved outward.
At the edge of the passage, only a few remained.
The copper casket and the corpse statue shared the same root; the statue couldn't stray far from the casket.
And the hatched corpse fiends, connected to the massive flesh corpse statue like a mother and child, seemed unable to move too far from the statue.
Mo Hua let out a slight sigh of relief.
"Little brother."
Someone called him, and Mo Hua turned to see Gray Second Young Master.
Besides Gray Second Young Master, there were Stone and the black-robed cultivators, all gathered in the passage.
These people were Golden Core cultivators, stronger than Mo Hua, and they had escaped the corpse tide due to their speed during the danger.
However, their aura was weak, clearly exhausted from the battle with the flesh corpse statue and the frantic escape.
Gray Second Young Master looked at Mo Hua and asked, "Little brother... are you alright?"
Mo Hua's face showed relief, and he nodded, "I was lucky and managed to escape."
Gray Second Young Master also let out a sigh of relief, his eyes flashing, "That's good."
Mo Hua walked into the passage. After a few steps, a heavy, dull voice sounded:
"Where's Rat?"
"Rat?" Gray Second Young Master was slightly stunned, only then realizing to look around and noticing Rat was indeed missing.
The one who asked was Stone.
Stone frowned and looked at Mo Hua, saying, "When we were escaping, I saw Rat running with you. There's no reason you escaped but he didn't. Where is Rat?"
Among Gray Second Young Master's group, Mr. Pi was at the Foundation Establishment stage but had a special status.
Gray Second Young Master was the leader, and Stone and Rat were the closest friends.
Therefore, in this critical moment, only he was concerned about Rat.
Mo Hua shook his head, "I only focused on escaping, I don't know what happened to him..."
Stone stared at Mo Hua for a moment, feeling some suspicion, but then dismissed it as impossible.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator trying to kill a Golden Core cultivator was highly unlikely.
Just then, heavy footsteps sounded from the passage entrance.
Mo Hua's heart trembled, and he turned to see Rat, covered in blood, hanging with rotting flesh, and riddled with bite marks, slowly approaching.
His face was filled with resentment, his eyes bloodshot, and he glared at Mo Hua, saying:
"Kid, you... you killed me..."
(End of Chapter)
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