https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-953-The-Flesh-and-Blood-Corpse-Statue/12984424/
Chapter 954: Appearance
Chapter 954: Appearance
Mo Hua's face changed, and without hesitation, he tapped his feet lightly and used his agility technique to dash to Uncle Ash's side.
The blood-soaked Rat, with trembling hands, pointed at Mo Hua, "You little brat, I'll kill you..."
Everyone turned to look at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua's face was filled with fear.
Uncle Ash frowned, "What did he do to you?"
Rat tried to say something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he choked and spat out a mouthful of blood. He couldn't speak, but his eyes were filled with bloodshot rage and resentment, as if he wanted to kill Mo Hua.
Mo Hua whispered to Uncle Ash, "Was he bitten by a zombie? Has the corpse poison reached his brain, making him unable to speak?"
Uncle Ash looked at Rat's pitiful state, his expression grave.
Stone, feeling sympathetic, said, "Uncle Ash, we're all brothers. Let's save Rat."
Uncle Ash hesitated.
"Uncle Ash!"
With a sigh, Uncle Ash took out a bottle of pills and a calming spirit talisman.
These pills and talismans seemed extraordinary, and Uncle Ash winced as he took them out, feeling the pain of their value.
He wanted to save Rat, but Rat seemed to have lost his senses, his forehead turning dark and his eyes growing redder. He stared at Mo Hua with murderous intent.
"Has the evil poison fully taken effect...?" Mo Hua thought to himself.
Just as Rat was about to roar and pounce on Mo Hua, Uncle Ash quickly said, "Stone, restrain him."
"Alright." Stone rushed forward and blocked Rat.
Rat's consciousness became more and more unclear, and he attacked Stone. However, with his severe injuries and inability to use his divine perception to direct his spirit energy, his Golden Core strength was greatly diminished, and he was quickly subdued by Stone.
Stone, considering their friendship, did not use excessive force.
Uncle Ash took out spirit liquid to clean Rat's wounds and then fed him the pill. He also burned a calming spirit incense.
Amidst the fragrant smoke, Uncle Ash placed the calming spirit jade talisman on Rat's forehead.
A clear light dispersed, and Rat calmed down.
"Restrain your desires and guard your heart, forget everything, and let nothing linger in your thoughts," Uncle Ash said solemnly.
Rat seemed to listen, as the dark color on his forehead faded, and the bloodshot in his eyes diminished.
Mo Hua glanced at Uncle Ash, thinking that he indeed knew a lot about the secrets of tombs.
While he might not fully understand the evil poison, he seemed knowledgeable about dispelling evil and suppressing the malevolent entities within the tomb. These tomb raiders likely had some ancient traditions for this.
Under the suppression of the jade talisman, Rat's greed diminished.
Mo Hua frowned.
If Rat truly woke up, he would be a nuisance.
The gold-snatching talisman was indeed on Mo Hua's body.
Rat's guess was spot on.
If Rat revived, driven by greed, he would be like a mad dog, fixated on Mo Hua.
Moreover, during the chase by the corpse fiends, Mo Hua had already revealed the Shocking Spirit Sword Technique to him.
Regardless of whether Rat understood the intricacies of this sword technique, he couldn't be allowed to live.
Mo Hua surveyed his surroundings.
Among this group, he was the only one who wasn't at the Golden Core stage. Standing among them, he felt like a lamb among wolves.
Therefore, his trump card that threatened the Golden Core cultivators had to be kept hidden, and he couldn't let Rat reveal it.
However, Rat not only didn't die, but he gradually recovered, both physically and mentally.
Mo Hua frowned.
"Golden Core cultivators are indeed different... not so easy to trick into death..."
To kill a Golden Core cultivator, it was best to have another Golden Core cultivator do it.
At his current cultivation level, whether it was divine perception or spirit energy, he hadn't surpassed the Foundation Establishment stage. His idea of using the Shocking Spirit Eye Technique to kill a Golden Core cultivator with a glance was indeed too optimistic...
Uncle Ash continued to use the jade talisman to suppress the evil thoughts and corpse poison within Rat.
Rat's consciousness became clearer.
However, the jade talisman was too basic and couldn't truly eradicate the evil entity in Rat's sea of consciousness.
Evil entities were not benevolent and were never easy to dispel.
Moreover, after being bitten by the countless corpse fiends within the brass casket, the evil thoughts in Rat's mind had already taken root.
Uncle Ash could only suppress them temporarily.
As Mo Hua had expected, Rat's face changed, and his expression gradually became hideous.
"Don't think too much. Guard your mind," Uncle Ash said sternly. "If your mind falters, the corpse poison will reach your brain, and even the Heavenly King won't be able to save you."
Rat understood the consequences and clenched his teeth, trying not to think about anything.
But his mind was filled with various desires.
There was even a bloodthirsty desire, like that of a corpse fiend, slowly growing within him.
Mo Hua looked at Rat and then around.
Uncle Ash and Stone were focused on Rat, while the four black-robed cultivators meditated to restore their strength, seemingly unconcerned about a tomb raider's life or death.
Mo Hua's thoughts stirred, and he rubbed his thumb. He took out the gold-snatching talisman from his storage bag, held it in his hand, and played with it for a while.
Rat, as if guided by some force, looked at Mo Hua and saw the talisman in his hand—a tooth engraved in gold and silver, with a glossy sheen.
Rat's pupils suddenly widened, and his heart pounded.
He looked up at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua smiled at him, a smile that was both innocent and mischievous, like a cat playing with a mouse.
This smile stirred up evil thoughts.
Rat's mental defenses shattered instantly.
"You... it's you..."
Rat clenched his teeth, almost grinding them to pieces.
He knew he had been tricked and played by this young man.
But at the same time, a stronger desire overwhelmed his reason, and his eyes turned completely red.
A malevolent aura enveloped his face.
"Not good!"
Uncle Ash saw the cracks on his calming spirit talisman and shouted, "Stone, get the chains!"
Stone took out chains to restrain Rat, whose eyes were bloodshot, and he seemed to have gone mad.
In the next instant, Rat let out a shrill cry, and a stream of black blood coursed through his body, causing his arms to swell and break free from Stone's chains. He lunged towards Mo Hua.
But before Rat could reach Mo Hua, Gray Second Young Master drew his knife and slashed Rat's leg.
Rat stumbled and fell to the ground, trying to crawl again.
Gray Second Young Master immediately stepped forward and pinned Rat down with his own body, while Stone seized the opportunity to bind Rat with chains, locking him tightly.
Rat struggled, unable to break free, and hissed like a zombie.
Gray Second Young Master sighed, "The 'Corpse Transformation' has begun. There's no other way."
Stone frowned, "Does that mean...?"
Reluctantly, Gray Second Young Master explained, "According to custom, once a tomb raider is poisoned by the 'Corpse Poison' and begins to transform, they must be killed to prevent further trouble."
Stone understood this rule.
However, out of their shared brotherhood, he didn't want Rat to die.
"Second Young Master, how about we..." Stone hesitated, "tie Rat up and lock him aside for a while? We can observe him later."
"If he shows signs of improvement, we can still take him out and find a pill master to dispel the poison and exorcise the evil. Maybe he can even regain his sanity. Even if his cultivation is ruined, at least he'll survive."
Upon hearing this, Gray Second Young Master fell into deep thought.
He didn't have any good feelings towards Rat.
Furthermore, when they were in front of the Golden Brass Casket, the Flesh Corpse Statue had tried to kill him, and everyone had come to his aid, except for Rat, who had acted selfishly and watched from the sidelines.
But Gray Second Young Master didn't want to kill Rat either.
After all, they had worked together for so many years, and there was a bond between them.
Just as Gray Second Young Master was about to nod in agreement, he heard Mo Hua's muttering, "Why kill me to silence me when the item is clearly in his hands?"
The voice was low, with a hint of strangeness that was difficult to detect.
The item... was in his hands.
Gray Second Young Master felt a little dazed, and in his unawareness, a hidden evil thought began to slowly grow within him.
Gray Second Young Master struggled internally for a moment, then shook his head, "In tomb raiding, rules are rules. Keeping him alive could lead to big trouble if he fully transforms."
"Life and death are fated, wealth is in the heavens."
"This is the ancestral teaching. If we choose to make a living from this, we should be prepared for such situations."
Meanwhile, Rat's transformation became more severe. His flesh began to rot and fester, his pupils constricted, and the whites of his eyes became more prominent, making him look increasingly hideous.
Stone had nothing more to say.
Gray Second Young Master sighed, "Rat, I'm sorry."
He took out a long knife, dipped it in chicken blood, wiped it with a yellow talisman, and raised it high. With a single stroke, he beheaded Rat.
Rat's eyes were wide open, as if he couldn't rest in peace.
His body, however, continued to twitch like a zombie.
Gray Second Young Master took out some fire talismans and ignited them, burning Rat's body.
He discreetly slipped Rat's storage bag into his own pocket.
The Tier Three Inferno reduced Rat's corpse to charcoal.
Rat was dead.
Gray Second Young Master glanced at Rat's severed head and offered a cup of wine, whispering, "Forgive me, brother."
Stone also looked at Rat's "charcoal" remains and turned to Gray Second Young Master with an unfamiliar gaze.
Mo Hua observed Rat's remains and then silently shifted his gaze to Gray Second Young Master, deep in thought.
First, he didn't have any ideas about planting evil entities.
However, he had gained some experience in hatching, triggering, and manipulating people's evil thoughts.
Evil thoughts, it seemed, stemmed from one's own desires.
A person without desires stood firm, but once greed took hold, they became weak, foolish, and prone to self-destruction.
In this world, there were no truly intelligent people.
In the face of desire, everyone was a fool.
"Learning to understand and manipulate others' desires, causing their own downfall..."
By understanding others' desires, one could "control" them.
In a way, it was similar to his grand-uncle's "Dao Heart Cultivation of Evil."
But Mo Hua wasn't entirely clear on the specific methods.
Additionally, his experience in "manipulating hearts" was still rudimentary, and the results weren't perfect.
Next time, he would need to be more discreet and better planned...
Mo Hua silently made calculations in his mind.
For a moment, everyone had their own thoughts.
...
Rat's death brought a temporary resolution, but the tomb raid wasn't over yet.
Greed drove men to their deaths, just as birds died for food.
They had come this far, and they couldn't return empty-handed.
Gray Second Young Master considered the situation and spoke to the four black-robed cultivators, "Everyone, according to our previous agreement, if there are treasures in this tomb, we'll split them fifty-fifty. If there aren't any treasures, the commission will be doubled."
Now that Mr. Pi and Rat were dead, the commission would be doubled again.
Even with just the commission, Gray Second Young Master and Mo Hua would receive a substantial amount.
The condition was that these black-robed cultivators would keep their word and not renege on the deal.
The black-robed elder nodded, "Gray Second Young Master, rest assured. We will honor our agreement."
Gray Second Young Master felt slightly relieved and continued, "Currently, we have three choices."
"First, we can leave now. Although this means you'll have to pay double the commission, we've also lost two companions who risked their lives with us."
"Both sides have suffered losses, but ours are greater. After all, spirit stones can be earned again, but once a companion is gone, they're truly gone."
"Second, we can search for treasures elsewhere. The Flesh Corpse Statue is too cruel, so we can avoid its edge and look for treasures in other places. This way, we might find some valuables and won't become food for the corpse fiends."
"The third option is to find a way to kill the Flesh Corpse Statue."
"The Flesh Corpse Statue hatched from the brass casket, so killing it will allow us to search the bottom of the casket."
"The best treasures are usually hidden at the bottom of the casket. The greater the risk, the greater the reward."
(End of Chapter 1)
"
"However, as you can see, this flesh corpse statue is too powerful, and we might not be its match. It's not worth taking such a huge risk..."
Gray Second Young Master clearly stated the benefits and drawbacks, then turned to the black-robed cultivators, "I wonder what you all think?"
The four black-robed cultivators fell silent for a moment.
Mo Hua's throat twitched, but he didn't speak.
He really wanted to kill this flesh corpse statue.
If left unchecked, it might truly cultivate into a Dao nuisance.
If that happened, everyone in Solitary Mountain City would likely face death.
Moreover, after thinking for a long time, Mo Hua sensed a familiar aura from the flesh corpse statue on Solitary Mountain.
This aura was very similar to the chaotic, evil, deformed, and hideous energy he had perceived at the node of the Divine Right Tree.
There must be a connection between the two.
The nodes of the Divine Right Tree were crucial to the malevolent deity worship system.
Therefore, the core of this flesh corpse statue was likely an evil embryo.
Killing the statue might even reveal the evil embryo.
But he couldn't make that decision alone.
Furthermore, if this flesh corpse statue was indeed an unhatched third-grade Dao nuisance, it would possess the power of immortality and perpetual regeneration to some extent.
Killing it would likely require more than the few Golden Core cultivators present...
Just as Mo Hua had this thought, the black-robed elder spoke:
"Kill this flesh corpse statue and dig up its coffin."
Gray Second Young Master frowned, "Old sir, this might be difficult..."
"It can be killed," the black-robed elder's eyes flashed with determination, "Within this corpse statue, a strand of twin spirit energy has emerged. As long as this energy remains, the statue won't perish, and it will continuously regenerate."
"Therefore, if we can find a way to suppress this twin spirit energy, we can avoid its regenerative power and slay this flesh corpse statue!"
"Twin spirit energy..." Gray Second Young Master frowned in confusion.
This was the first time he had heard this term.
Mo Hua's heart trembled; this old cultivator was definitely not an ordinary person...
"How do we suppress... this so-called 'twin spirit energy'?" Gray Second Young Master asked.
"I have my own methods," the black-robed elder said, "Please, Gray Second Young Master, use your family's Maoshan array formation and talismans to help us suppress and kill this flesh corpse statue."
Gray Second Young Master pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Alright."
After further discussion, they began their mission to slay the massive and hideous flesh corpse statue within the Golden Brass Casket in the Solitary Mountain tomb.
Mo Hua had no part in this.
This was a third-grade battle, not a matter of pathfinding or deciphering formations, which were beyond Mo Hua's current cultivation level and abilities.
Moreover, the target was not an ordinary corpse fiend but a powerful zombie with the potential to become a Dao nuisance.
No one expected anything from him.
Even when the black-robed elder and Gray Second Young Master discussed their plans, they didn't include Mo Hua.
Mo Hua could only watch from a distance.
The Golden Core cultivators present were efficient and decisive. After finalizing their tactics, they began their assault.
Shi Tou, a body cultivator, could only provide brute force, engaging in direct attacks and defense.
Gray Second Young Master, relying on his hidden Maoshan Dao heritage, used various techniques, including Daoist talismans and yellow jade blood talismans, to suppress the evil energy.
These methods seemed to inherently counteract the corpse's sinister power.
Soon, with a roar that contained the grievances of countless souls, a heart-wrenching battle with the flesh corpse statue commenced.
A faint golden light illuminated the scene, revealing Daoist talismans and yellow jade blood talismans. Everyone exerted their full strength to combat the flesh corpse statue.
The situation remained unchanged from the beginning.
The mountain-like corpse statue raised its decaying, blood-stained arm, unleashing a shower of crimson blood mixed with corrosive Yin energy, attempting to devour the cultivators before it.
Gray Second Young Master and his companions employed various methods to counter the statue.
After the Daoist light flickered and dimmed, the flesh corpse statue was struck but quickly re-condensed, its anger and killing intent intensifying with each iteration, its overall energy growing stronger each time.
With each resurrection, the flesh corpse statue became more formidable.
Gray Second Young Master gritted his teeth and held his ground.
On the other side, after the flesh corpse statue was struck and re-condensed three times, the black-robed elder finally made his move.
From a distance, Mo Hua couldn't see clearly.
He could vaguely make out the elder taking out a bone, performing a ritual, and then with a pinch of his fingers, a strand of energy, like a chain, seemed to lock onto the statue's heart.
"A bone?"
Mo Hua was startled, but before he could ponder its significance, another heart-shaking roar echoed.
The roar resembled a dragon's cry.
Mo Hua's pupils trembled, and he immediately turned to look. He saw a black-robed giant standing before the enormous flesh corpse statue.
This man was tall and robust, and his aura was no weaker than that of the massive statue.
With a roar, the giant punched out.
The sound of the punch reverberated under Mo Hua's eyelids, and the force of the punch was so powerful that it created a dragon shadow.
A dragon?!
Mo Hua's heart trembled.
As the giant roared and punched, the dragon shadow accompanied the punch, enhancing its might.
The residual force shook his black robe, revealing his bronze-cast body and the intricate dragon pattern on his back, woven from three colors: dark blue, black, and red.
It was him!
Mo Hua's pupils constricted.
This silent giant was none other than the leader of the Demon Sect, the one who had bred the blood pool, committed heinous crimes, escaped the encirclement of Tai Xu Gate and the Qianxue State Realm's pursuit, and was now a wanted fugitive.
The dragon pattern on his back was precisely what Mo Hua had been searching for...
The Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array Diagram!
Mo Hua's face still showed shock, but his hands had already started sketching the array pattern, and his mind was calculating, seizing this once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity to decipher the Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array Diagram, stroke by stroke...
(End of Chapter)
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