Chapter 1417: Death Sentence

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Chapter 1415: Death Sentence

Looking into those decayed, rotten and ferocious eyes, Old Mo felt a chill shoot straight to the crown of his head.

Corpse Reanimation!

In front of him was that neither-human-nor-ghost Young Master Mo, and behind him, a Tomb Master Zombie that had silently crawled out of its coffin. This was a calamity of the highest order!

He was dead for sure!

Old Mo’s pupils trembled, and he immediately flicked his wrist, sending a clump of fire powder from his sleeve.

The powder ignited upon contact with air, exploding instantly.

Using the explosion as cover, Old Mo immediately followed up by tossing several talismans—Third-Grade Blazing Fire Talismans, Third-Grade Golden Light Talismans, Third-Grade Earth Prison Talismans… all blasted onto the Golden Core zombie.

These talismans were all of high grade and part of Old Mo’s treasured reserves, his emergency measures meant to save his life.

Entering tombs often involved encountering dangers, and one never knew what kind of peril might arise. In many cases, when afflicted by evil, neither the physical body, spiritual power, nor Divine-Sense might be of any use.

At times like these, some emergency talismans were practically essential, capable of truly saving one’s life at critical moments.

At the very least, they could buy a sliver of a chance to escape.

And these talismans were quite powerful, unleashing golden light and blazing fire, blasting against the tomb master’s decayed corpse, scorching it black in an instant.

Seizing the brief opportunity, Old Mo didn’t hesitate. He immediately activated his strange, toad-like movement technique and bolted desperately toward the tomb entrance.

The Tomb Master Zombie flew into a rage. As a corpse nurtured by Yin energy, it had mutated and craved a taste of living flesh and blood.

Now, not only had it failed to get its meal, but it had also been suppressed by Old Mo’s talismans. Its violent nature surged as it roared, leaping out of the earthen coffin and charging at Old Mo, its foul corpse aura thick as a sea.

Old Mo grew even more terrified, pushing himself harder to escape the main tomb chamber.

He was at the mid-stage Golden Core realm, and his movement technique was not weak.

Although the Tomb Master Zombie’s aura was extremely ferocious and powerful, it was, after all, a decaying corpse that had been disemboweled, so its speed was naturally far inferior to Old Mo’s.

With his life on the line, Old Mo’s figure flashed as he dashed forward. In just a few steps, he was about to escape the tomb chamber…

Suddenly, a dim blue glow flickered. Old Mo felt his legs grew heavy, as if two ghostly hands had grabbed his ankles—cold, eerie, and unnatural.

Old Mo immediately turned his head, only to see Young Master Mo standing there, watching him with a faint smile, clearly unwilling to let him leave.

Cursing inwardly, Old Mo forced his Golden Core power, breaking free of the restraint on his feet. And just as he was about to continue fleeing again—

A sticky, nauseating sound suddenly rang by his ear, and a foul rotting stench already wafted into his nostrils. Old Mo’s pupils shrank sharply. Without hesitation, he stabbed backward with his dagger.

The dagger pierced into flesh.

But this flesh wasn’t alive, it was dead and decayed.

It was the dead flesh of the Tomb Master Zombie. Even though it was shredded and putrefied by Golden Core power, it felt no pain.

On the contrary, the zombie had already opened its foul, gaping mouth, biting toward Old Mo’s neck.

Old Mo’s soul nearly fled his body. He immediately activated his toad movement technique again, barely evading the bite. Twisting around, he slashed at the zombie’s neck with his dagger.

The dagger sliced through rotten flesh, splattering foul blood everywhere.

The tomb master zombie grew even more enraged, its sharp claws tearing toward Old Mo’s chest.

Thus, one man and one corpse engaged in brutal bloody combat within the dark, narrow tomb chamber.

Old Mo did not want to fight like this, it was not his style.

The Zombie wanted to devour his flesh and blood, while Old Mo only wished to flee for his life.

But he couldn’t… because within this tomb chamber, there was another “insidious and eerie” presence watching.

Every time Old Mo tried to flee, an incredibly precise, exceedingly subtle, almost imperceptibly swift strange spell would abruptly descend, binding him with its cold and eerie restraints.

This strange spell itself was only at the early Golden Core stage, its power not particularly strong.

Old Mo could break free with his full strength, but he could neither evade nor defend against it.

Worse, its timing was flawless.

Amid the deadly struggle, whenever Old Mo had a chance to escape, the spell would hinder him just enough to rob him of that chance.

Even with Old Mo’s deep cunning, a profound sense of disgust rose within him.

He never imagined spells could be used in such a vile and repulsive manner.

Yet, within this disgust, there was also an unsettling fear of being manipulated by another.

Meanwhile, the tomb master zombie continued its savage assault.

Old Mo struggled desperately, sustaining wounds as Corpse Poison began to seep into his body. In utter desperation, he cried out to the side:

“Young Master Mo… Fellow Daoist Mo, I beg you, please… spare me, let me go.”

“Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.”

“If you’re human, I’ll give you the Heavenly Crystals and my storage bag.”

“If you’re a ghost, I’ll sell you my soul and serve you as a slave.”

“I only ask that you grant this old man a chance at life, do not let me die at the hands of this filthy corpse… Young Master Mo…”

Old Mo pleaded bitterly.

He knew that while the most ferocious and powerful being in the chamber was the Corpse Transformed tomb master…

The one who could decide his life or death, whether he could escape or not, was that mysterious Young Master Mo, whose nature—human or ghost—remained unknown..

After a moment of silence, Mo Hua’s voice slowly echoed:

“Just moments ago, you still wanted to kill me…”

Old Mo, still fighting, hurriedly replied:

“That was a misunderstanding! I did not intend to kill you… I was… afraid you were possessed by a ghost, so I stabbed you to test if you were alive…”

“That stab was merely a test. I knew that with my cultivation, I could not possibly harm you…”

Mo Hua seemed to smile without smiling. “Did you learn this skill of talking nonsense from the ghosts in this tomb?”

Seeing Mo Hua unmoved and the zombie growing more violent, its attacks becoming increasingly frenzied, Old Mo panicked:

“Young Master Mo, whether you’re human or ghost, you still rely on a physical body!”

“This tomb master zombie is a Third-Grade high-tier zombie…” Old Mo dodged another bloody bite, trembling as he spoke:

“…extremely savage. Buried underground without flesh and blood to sustain it, its strength has greatly diminished. But if it devours me and unleashes its ferocity, it will recognize no one and will surely devour your physical body as well.”

“Only by joining forces can we escape from the clutches of this Zombie!”

“Young Master Mo, I’ll give you all four Heavenly Crystals. I beg of you, please show mercy and spare my life…”

Old Mo grew more increasingly frantic, his voice tinged with terror.

Mo Hua did not respond, seemingly intent on trapping Old Mo to death.

Grinding his teeth, Old Mo tried once more to escape toward the tomb entrance, but was again blocked by that sinister spell, leaving him with no hope of escape.

Under the relentless pursuit of the Tomb Master Zombie, Old Mo’s heart finally sank into despair.

He knew there was no saving himself now.

A Third-Grade high-tier tomb master zombie was far more powerful than him to begin with.

If not for the fact that this Tomb Master Zombie had been buried underground for a long time, had just awakened, and hadn’t tasted fresh blood—meaning it was not at its full strength—he would have been killed within a dozen exchanges, unable to hold out this long.

Old Mo’s skills lay entirely in ambush and assassination.

His magical artifact, the dagger, was small and short-ranged—lethal against humans, but useless against zombies.

And the Zombie clearly wasn’t giving him any chances either.

The wounds on Old Mo’s body multiplied. His blood began to turn green, a clear sign that corpse poison was spreading.

Old Mo’s face turned ashen. As he struggled once more, the poison flared, slowing him for a split second.

A zombie arm pierced through his chest, its sharp claws digging out his heart.

Then its foul mouth clamped onto his neck, tearing off a chunk of flesh, chewing greedily with wet, sticky sounds.

Old Mo’s face went pale, blood seeping from his lips as he let out a bitter laugh.

He had schemed tirelessly in this tomb, causing Scholar’s death and killing Da Shan.

Yet in the end, he died just like them… in this very tomb.

Truly, karma is a cycle, and retribution never fails.

The tomb master zombie finally obtained fresh “food” and began devouring Old Mo alive, piece by piece, in a utterly brutal manner.

This grave robber, who had plundered tombs his entire life and didn’t hesitate to harm his companions, ultimately ended up like this—being eaten alive by a zombie within a tomb.

His body was torn apart, limbs scattered, head separated.

Even in his final moments, his severed head, laying on the ground, watched as the Tomb Master Zombie ate his limbs.

A grotesquely eerie sight.

Yet a trace of obsession remained in Old Mo’s heart.

With wide-open eyes, he wanted to see…

What fate awaited that Young Master Mo who had trapped him to death in this tomb chamber.

Such a ferocious Third-Grade high-tier zombie, now that it had tasted fresh blood, and was now brimming with savage intent…

What good end could that Young Master Mo possibly have?

In his fading consciousness, with only his head remaining, Old Mo kept his eyes wide open and watched.

He saw that “frail and powerless” Young Master Mo slowly walking toward the tomb-master zombie.

The blood-stained zombie grew enraged, yet within that fury was an inexplicable trace of fear.

At that moment, Young Master Mo extended a slender finger, pointed lightly at the zombie’s eyes, and calmly commanded:

“Die.”

The plain words seemed to carry an irresistible authority, a domineering force that could erase all existence.

A faint flash of invisible golden light flickered. The powerful tomb-owner zombie—who had just brutally killed Old Mo and was building up its ferocity—seemed as if its life had been erased by a “demonic god.” Its sinister energy instantly extinguished.

The massive, decaying corpse collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

This was the final scene Old Mo before his death.

He saw that neither human nor ghost “Young Master Mo,” who with a single finger, had “bestowed death” upon that powerful and savage tomb-master zombie.

Old Mo’s pupils began to disperse as realization dawned in his heart:

“So… the truly terrifying existence in this tomb… had been by my side all along…”

“After years of grave robbing… I’ve truly encountered a great demon…”

Old Mo slowly closed his eyes, not daring to look again.

A lifetime of scheming and calculation, only to end in nothing.

In the face of true terror, everything was meaningless. In his heart, he only wished for a peaceful death, not daring to hope for anything more.

…

As Old Mo closed his eyes and breathed his last, and the tomb-master zombie fell into silence, the once chaotic and blood-soaked chamber instantly returned to deathly stillness.

Only the stench of blood and decay lingered in the air.

Mo Hua first glanced at Old Mo’s severed limbs, feeling a slight pang of emotion passing through his heart.

But it quickly vanished. He turned and walked toward the crude earthen coffin.

Inside the coffin, there was nothing.

After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua found it strange:

“How could there be nothing…”

“Was this tomb already looted before?”

“Or perhaps there were never any burial items from the start, and the tomb master was not obsessed with worldly possessions during his lifetime, thus requiring no funerary goods?”

Mo Hua turned his gaze back to the tomb master’s corpse, feeling even more puzzled.

Who, in their right mind, would disembowel themselves before burial?

Did he perform the incision himself?

Or had another cultivator tampered with the body without the tomb owner’s knowledge?

Mo Hua frowned, his mind filled with doubts, yet he could find no other clues to support or deduce anything for now.

“Forget it…”

Shaking his head, Mo Hua first walked over to Old Mo’s remains, retrieved all the storage bags from the pile of flesh, and picked out the three incomparably precious Heavenly Crystals, also known as supreme-grade spirit stones.

With this, all four Heavenly Crystals from this expedition were now in Mo Hua’s possession.

Mo Hua felt a bit strange inside, silently sighed, then stored all four crystals into his Storage Ring.

What exactly were Heavenly Crystals, what were their uses, and why were they so precious? He would have to study them further.

They likely involved the power and knowledge of the Feathered Ascension realm, which would be crucial for his future cultivation.

Aside from the Heavenly Crystals, Mo Hua also rummaged through the others’ storage bags to see what they contained…

Old Mo’s storage bag was filled with tomb-raiding tools, including many insidious and underhanded items, perfectly matching his personality.

Da Shan’s storage bag mainly contained body-refining techniques, along with the diagram painted on his back.

The Scholar’s storage bag held various tomb mechanisms and blueprints for artifact-crafting mechanisms.

Qian Jin’s storage bag contained only ordinary spirit stones and pills. His true wealth was likely greater, but he hadn’t brought everything with him for the tomb raid.

After some thought, Mo Hua selected a few items of interest from these storage bags and stored them in his own Storage Ring.

The remaining spirit stones, pills, jade slips, and personal belongings were all stuffed into a new storage bag.

After sorting everything, Mo Hua took out paper and brush, and copied down all the formations within the tomb chamber.

These tomb formations were clearly incomplete.

It was unclear whether they were never fully constructed from the start or had been later damaged.

Mo Hua glanced over them briefly, recognizing that most were variations of the Five Elements Earth Formations, while others appeared to be Earth-Ground Formations.

Still inside the ancient tomb chamber, which was dirty, foul-smelling, and bloody, he knew he couldn’t stay for long.

Mo Hua could only copy down all these formations and study them slowly back home.

After finishing the copying, he thoroughly searched the entire chamber inside and out.

Unfortunately, even with Mo Hua’s scavenging skills, he found nothing of real value.

Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed.

He had originally thought that the tomb master’s chamber would hold at least some surprises.

At the very least, a complete formation diagram, or jade slips, or some inheritance of Earth-Ground formations.

But now it seemed he had gotten his hopes up for nothing.

On second thought, however, Mo Hua felt he was being too greedy. Since the Earth Sect’s Earth-Ground Formations were secret, exclusive formations, they definitely wouldn’t be so easily obtained.

Being able to get some fragmented diagrams and formation patterns to study later was already quite good. You couldn’t expect to get rich overnight.

Besides, he had already obtained four Heavenly Crystals.

These four Heavenly Crystals were already extremely precious—enough to be considered a sudden windfall, and entirely an unexpected gain.

One should know contentment and not be overly greedy.

Mo Hua nodded, packed up his things, and looked around once more. Seeing nothing left behind, he prepared to leave.

But after taking just a few steps, he suddenly stopped. His karmic intuition told him he seemed to have overlooked something.

Frowning, Mo Hua turned around and looked everywhere carefully. Then with a serious gaze, he walked up to the tomb master zombie.

The tomb master zombie had already decayed, and having just eaten a person, its appearance was bloody, disgusting, and somewhat terrifying.

Yet Mo Hua’s gaze lingered on its abdomen.

“The tomb master’s belly was cut open…”

“Why was it cut open? Could it be… that something is hidden inside?”

After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua swept it with his Divine Sense, then took out a spare blade from his Storage bag, stabbed it into the tomb master’s belly, and began rummaging through it…