Chapter 1456: The Second Formation Pattern
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Chapter 1454: The Second Formation Pattern
After handing over the “Spiritual Plant Formation Compendium” to Mo Hua, Elder Tian felt a weight lifted from his mind. And after giving Uncle Ping a few instructions, he sank into an even deeper slumber.
He was already half-dead. Although sustained by the Little Ghost Life-Nourishing technique, his lifespan had been exhausted, and his Origin Source was on the brink of collapse. Coupled with the disturbance caused by the tomb raiders, the boundary between life and death had grown even more blurred.
Once he fell asleep this time, no one knew when he would awaken again.
Elder Tian closed his eyes and lay inside the coffin, his face as pale as paper, without a trace of breath.
Uncle Ping personally closed the coffin lid for him.
Mo Hua watched from the side, perhaps reminded of some unpleasant memories he’d rather not recall, his emotions were complex.
“A Heavenly-Dao-Deceiving Tomb-Residence Earth-Ground Formation.”
“Fāngcùn Mountain.”
Mo Hua silently committed these matters to memory.
With Elder Tian’s body sealed back inside the coffin, this tomb-raiding expedition had largely come to an end.
Mo Hua carefully stored the “Spiritual Plant Formation Compendium” given to him by Elder Tian and prepared to take his leave.
But before leaving, there were still some loose ends to tidy up.
These were Iron Mountain Tiger and his two companions, as well as Smiling Face’s corpse.
Iron Mountain Tiger and the other two had been severely injured and left unconscious by Smiling Face, hanging by a thread, but they were not yet dead—they still had a breath of life left.
Uncle Ping, holding his sword, walked up to Iron Mountain Tiger and the others, intending to kill them to eliminate any future trouble, but Mo Hua stopped him.
“Spare their lives,” Mo Hua said.
Uncle Ping shook his head. “They entered this tomb and saw the master. They cannot be allowed to live.”
Mo Hua replied, “It’s fine. I have a way to ensure they won’t speak of it.”
Uncle Ping’s killing intent surged several times as he looked at Iron Mountain Tiger and the others, but he ultimately suppressed it.
This Young Master Mo was no ordinary person—his thoughts and methods were formidable. It was unwise to defy his wishes.
Uncle Ping sheathed his longsword and nodded. “Very well, we’ll do as Young Master Mo says.”
Mo Hua nodded in acknowledgment.
The simplest way to deal with Iron Mountain Tiger and the others was, of course, to kill them outright. Using death to keep secrets was the most straightforward approach.
The problem, however, was that Mo Hua also had to consider his own “reputation.”
This “Entering the Earth” trip really couldn’t have too many casualties.
If Iron Mountain Tiger and his group were all killed, his illustrious reputation as the “Black-Faced Fiend” would be ruined in an instant.
In the future, no one would dare to follow him on such expeditions.
Therefore, he had to save Iron Mountain Tiger and the others from Uncle Ping’s hands to maintain his reputation in the underworld.
As for Smiling Face’s corpse, it didn’t matter. He was originally an assassin from the Earth Sect Shadow Division, so it was only natural to destroy the body and eliminate all evidence as thoroughly as possible.
Uncle Ping prepared to drag Smiling Face’s body to a nearby coffin.
Mo Hua guessed that Uncle Ping probably intended to have the little ghosts devour Smiling Face’s corpse completely, erasing all traces of evidence.
Mo Hua naturally wouldn’t interfere with this.
However, as he looked at Smiling Face’s corpse, a sudden flash of insight struck him.
He remembered that during his confrontation with Smiling Face, he had sensed an unusual aura emanating from within Smiling Face’s body.
That aura seemed to originate from… some kind of array formation.
“Wait a moment,” Mo Hua said.
Uncle Ping was taken aback but obediently set Smiling Face’s body down.
Mo Hua stared silently at Smiling Face’s charred corpse for a long while before extending his hand to Uncle Ping. “Give me the sword.”
Uncle Ping handed the longsword to Mo Hua.
Mo Hua took the longsword and stabbed it repeatedly into Smiling Face’s already riddled body. It was as if he were poking holes.
Uncle Ping frowned, unsure of what Mo Hua intended to do.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of stabbing, Mo Hua pointed the longsword at Smiling Face’s chest and a fang on the right side of his mouth, saying to Uncle Ping: “Help me pry out the things from these two places.”
He was not a body cultivator and lacked the strength to cut through a corpse at the Late Golden Core Stage.
After hearing this, Uncle Ping hesitated for a moment before taking the longsword from Mo Hua’s hands. Following Mo Hua’s instructions, he began a second round of cutting on Smiling Face’s corpse.
Uncle Ping’s cultivation was high, and although he had not fully recovered from his severe injuries, his strength was still formidable.
Before long, he used the longsword to pry two items from Smiling Face’s body:
One was a bone fragment from the heart meridian in the chest, and the other was a fang about the length of a finger.
The bone fragment was engraved with a Formation Pattern, while the fang served as a storage container.
These two items were hidden deep within the body and appeared quite ordinary.
Uncle Ping was somewhat astonished, wondering how this young master Mo had managed to discover them.
Mo Hua wrapped his hand in a cloth strip, picked up the bloodstained bone fragment, and glanced at it, his brow furrowing involuntarily.
On the bone fragment was engraved a Formation Pattern of unclear significance.
And, as if by coincidence, this Formation Pattern was largely identical to the Formation Rune Bone Fragment he had dug out from the Tomb Master Zombie’s abdomen during his first tomb-robbing expedition with Old Mo.
Smiling Face was a member of the Earth Sect Shadow Division.
If that was the case, did it mean the Tomb Master Zombie from before was also part of the Shadow Division?
But what was the purpose of this Formation Pattern inside their bodies?
Mo Hua found it quite peculiar, especially since the Formation Pattern in his hand seemed to follow no “rules” at all—it did not belong to any known type of Formation he was familiar with.
This was the second such seemingly meaningless Formation Pattern.
After some thought, Mo Hua handed the Formation Pattern to Uncle Ping and asked, “Have you seen this Formation Pattern before?”
Uncle Ping glanced at it and shook his head. “I have not.”
Having long served as a guard for Tián Mùshēng, an Earth Sect Array Formation elder, and deeply trusted by him, Uncle Ping had been exposed to many Formations over the years.
While he could not draw them himself, his insight and knowledge were considerable.
This was especially true regarding some of the Earth Sect’s Array Formation legacies.
Uncle Ping examined it a few more times, frowning as he said, “Is this… a Formation Pattern? Could it just be randomly scribbled? It seems somewhat… inexplicable?”
Mo Hua, however, shook his head.
How could it be randomly scribbled?
Every Formation had its own domain, and every Formation Pattern had its purpose.
Since this Formation Pattern appeared inside Smiling Face’s body, it could not possibly be meaningless.
If it seemed meaningless, it was only because its inherent significance had yet to be discovered.
Mo Hua then examined Smiling Face’s fang. As soon as his Divine-Sense probed it, his heart skipped a beat.
An Earth-Ground Formation legacy?
And not just any legacy—it was an entirely different lineage of Earth-Ground Formation.
Although Earth-Ground Formation was a niche “minor category” within Formations, situated between the Five Elements Earth and the Eight Trigrams Kun, this minor category was still sufficiently “vast.” It seemed to encompass numerous branches and included Formations of various functions.
Smiling Face’s Earth-Ground Formation Attainment was clearly higher than Mo Hua’s.
What he mastered was also a category of Earth-Ground Formation that Mo Hua had never encountered before.
As for what exactly it was, he could study it in detail later.
Mo Hua glanced at Uncle Ping. Though he said nothing, Uncle Ping could see a certain longing in Mo Hua’s eyes.
He hurriedly said, “Please accept these two items, Young Master Mo.”
Mo Hua hesitated slightly.
Uncle Ping then said, “There is no way to repay your life-saving grace, Young Master Mo. These two items rightfully belong to you.”
Mo Hua was somewhat surprised. This seemingly sinister Uncle Ping was quite reasonable—he hadn’t even spoken up yet.
Mo Hua nodded, “Then I’ll accept them for now.”
He placed the fang and the second, meaningless Formation Rune Bone Fragment into his storage bag.
Then, as if remembering something, he took out paper and a brush, “re-drew” the meaningless Formation Pattern, and handed it to Uncle Ping: “If Elder Tian wakes up someday, show this to him and ask if he knows the origin of this Formation Pattern.”
Although Mo Hua felt that Elder Tian might not know either, and even if he did, he might not dare to say. This matter likely still had to be investigated by himself.
But asking was still necessary.
Uncle Ping solemnly accepted it and nodded, “Understood.”
The aftermath was largely resolved.
Uncle Ping tossed Smiling Face’s remains into a nearby burial pit, planning to have the Little Ghost “devour” Smiling Face afterward.
He then dragged Iron Mountain Tiger and the other two with a rope, walking ahead and leading Mo Hua out of the tomb.
Along the way, Uncle Ping remained silent, and the tomb passage was eerily quiet.
Mo Hua glanced at Uncle Ping and asked, “Are you going to stay in this tomb with Elder Tian all the time?”
When Mo Hua asked, Uncle Ping dared not ignore him.
He replied with a sense of weariness, “This old man must first settle Master properly, seal this tomb, and fulfill some of Master’s wishes. As for afterward…”
Black blood seeped from the corner of Uncle Ping’s mouth. He coughed lightly and sighed slowly, “My lifespan is nearly exhausted; there may not be much ‘afterward’ for me.”
He was already very old, with little lifespan left. Moreover, he had been Raising Little Ghosts, invoking spirits, and fighting bitterly for a long time. His injuries were critical, and he didn’t have much time left to live.
However, being at the Late Golden Core Stage, he had a solid foundation, which allowed him to walk and move as if nothing were wrong.
But his vitality was nearly depleted, and he suffered from Ghost Art backlash. Unless he achieved Feathered Ascension, advanced to the Great Heavenly Cycle realm, and crossed the first threshold between immortality and mortality, there was ultimately no way to reverse his fate.
Mo Hua asked again, “Do you cultivate the Unorthodox Path?”
Uncle Ping nodded, “Unorthodox Path Ghost Art.”
Mo Hua grew curious again, “What is Ghost Art?”
Uncle Ping was about to explain, but when he turned and saw Mo Hua’s starlit eyes, delicate and flawless features like unblemished white jade, he thought to himself: How could such a pure young master be tainted by the filth of the ghost path? He must not dirty his own cultivation. So he shook his head and said: “Ghost Art is foul, existing between the righteous path and the evil path, hence called ‘Unorthodox Path Arts.’ Even if it isn’t truly evil, it remains unclean and is despised by the righteous path. Young Master, your future is boundless. There’s no need to taint yourself with these filthy methods and risk soiling your cultivation.”
Uncle Ping’s words were sincere.
Mo Hua felt it inappropriate to press further.
He also couldn’t openly say that he had devoured more ghosts in this lifetime than Uncle Ping had ever raised.
Soon, the two reached the tomb entrance.
Uncle Ping bid farewell to Mo Hua: “Thank you, Young Master Mo. I wish you boundless prospects on your path and great success in the immortal way.”
Mo Hua also cupped his hands and said, “Until we meet again.”
Uncle Ping smiled bitterly in his heart. With his remaining lifespan dwindling, he might never leave this graveyard again, nor would he likely see this young master Mo Hua in the future.
Yet he still cupped his hands respectfully and said, “We shall meet again.”
Afterward, Mo Hua parted ways with Uncle Ping and dragged the corpses of Iron Mountain Tiger and his two companions out of the graveyard.
As an Early Golden Core Stage cultivator, even though he was not a Body Refinement practitioner and did not cultivate physical strength, he still had enough strength to drag three people.
However, Mo Hua hadn’t expected that a Golden Core Realm Body Refinement cultivator’s flesh and blood would be so heavy.
Dragging the three like dead corpses, Mo Hua could only manage halfway before he could no longer pull them.
He had no choice but to abandon his three “dead pig”-like teammates on the path, leaning against a large tree as he gasped for breath, thinking to himself:
“Are Body Refinement cultivators really this heavy?”
“This won’t do. I must find some Body Refinement techniques to practice in the future.”
“Though I don’t expect to kill with my fists and feet, I should at least strengthen my body.”
At least then I wouldn’t struggle to drag three half-dead corpses.
Just as Mo Hua was catching his breath, a faint sound of breathing reached his ears. His eyes lit up slightly, knowing that Iron Mountain Tiger and the other two must have awakened.
Mo Hua put on his “Black-Faced Fiend” mask again and fed each of the three a pill.
Many of the pills in his possession were crafted by True Person Rong, and their effects were of the highest quality.
After taking the pills and receiving nourishment from the vital energy and blood, Iron Mountain Tiger and the others gradually regained consciousness.
But as soon as they opened their eyes and saw a hideous ghostly face staring at them, they shuddered, nearly fainting again.
Fortunately, as Tomb Raiders, their mental fortitude was decent.
After a moment, recognizing the familiar ghostly face, Iron Mountain Tiger and the others slowly calmed down.
Yet what followed was deep confusion.
Who am I? Where am I? What happened?
Bit by bit, memories of the tomb gradually resurfaced—the three Ghost Gates, the interior of the tomb…
Iron Mountain Tiger broke into a cold sweat and immediately turned to Mo Hua, asking, “Where is Smiling Face?”
Mo Hua replied, “In the tomb.”
Iron Mountain Tiger was shocked. “In the tomb?”
Mo Hua nodded and asked, “You didn’t know?”
Iron Mountain Tiger looked bewildered. “What… should I know?”
Mo Hua explained, “As soon as you entered the main burial chamber, you all went mad, eyes bloodshot, shouting something about ‘fifty million,’ and then recklessly rushed toward an empty coffin in the chamber.”
Iron Mountain Tiger, Skinny Cicada, and Pangolin all paled, then asked in disbelief: “An… empty coffin?”
Mo Hua nodded, his expression serious. “The coffin was empty, with nothing inside at all. Yet you all rushed toward it like moths to a flame, even fighting desperately to climb inside, breaking each other’s limbs. I didn’t dare stop you.”
As if recalling the eerie scene, Skinny Cicada swallowed nervously and asked, “What happened next?”
Mo Hua continued, “Then… that Smiling Face defeated all of you and climbed into the coffin.”
“And then…”
“What else could happen?” Mo Hua shook his head. “After he climbed in, he let out an extremely shrill scream, and then his breath vanished.”
“That coffin, now with a corpse inside, seemed to have been satiated and even let out a burp—a burp stained with blood.”
While speaking these words, Mo Hua added a subtle hint of Dao Heart Seeding Demon suggestion.
In the minds of Iron Mountain Tiger and the other two, the scenes Mo Hua described seemed to truly materialize, sending chills down their spines.
A moment later, Pangolin suddenly thought of something and said, “This is a ‘Scapegoat Ghost’!”
Mo Hua was somewhat surprised. “Scapegoat Ghost?”
“That’s right,” Pangolin said with a grave expression. “Some masters, after death, in order to extend their lives through evil means, will set up an empty coffin and lay down a soul-confusing technique.”
“Once someone breaks into the tomb, they will fall under the illusion, seeing that coffin as ‘the treasure they most desire,’ and recklessly climb inside, becoming a ‘Scapegoat Ghost,’ unable to find release in the afterlife.”
Mo Hua looked astonished. “Is such a thing really possible?”
Iron Mountain Tiger also nodded. “It’s true. Before I entered this line of work, my grandfather’s uncle told me that one of his own brothers was dragged into a coffin by a ‘Scapegoat Ghost’ beneath the earth, used as a cushion, and died a gruesome death.”
Hearing Iron Mountain Tiger say this, Skinny Cicada and Pangolin grew even more terrified.
The Yin Evil Qi beneath the earth is thick and heavy, and all sorts of sinister and cruel things are possible. Being in this line of work, they had heard many such stories and could easily empathize.
Mo Hua nodded, feeling pleased inside.
These people could fill in the gaps themselves—they were teachable after all.
Otherwise, if they were too clever, he really wouldn’t be able to spare their lives.
Suddenly, Iron Mountain Tiger grew puzzled again and asked, “Then, Black-Faced Fiend… Big Brother, what about you later…”
Mo Hua replied, “I stood at the entrance of the tomb, far away, and luckily didn’t fall for it.”
“To be honest, when I saw you all fighting each other, severely injured and on the brink of death, I didn’t want to get involved.”
“After all, those who are bewitched are unpredictable and extremely dangerous. Saving you would bring me no benefit and only add unnecessary risk.”
“But, since we were companions on this journey, I couldn’t bear to watch you die in the tomb. So, I took the risk and went through great effort to drag you all back from the Ghost Gate.”
“Otherwise… sigh.”
Mo Hua’s expression turned solemn as he let out a sigh.
Hearing this, Iron Mountain Tiger and the others felt a tremor in their hearts.
Most Tomb Raiders are cold-hearted and profit-driven.
The three of them were no exception.
Putting themselves in Mo Hua’s shoes, they realized that if they were in his position, they would most likely have saved themselves and not cared about their companions’ lives.
Better for others to die than oneself—one’s own life is what truly matters.
Yet this Black-Faced Fiend, a stranger they had never met before, had extended a helping hand and saved all three of them.
Otherwise, given their injuries, they would surely have died in the tomb by now.
Thinking this, a warm feeling rose in the cold hearts of Iron Mountain Tiger and the other two.
True compassion exists in this world—even someone wearing a ghost mask could be a genuinely good person.
If not for this Black-Faced Fiend’s moment of mercy, the three of them would likely already be cold corpses by now.
Their bodies would have been left in the tomb to feed whatever Earth Ghosts might wander by.
Iron Mountain Tiger let out a deep sigh, his voice trembling slightly as he cupped his hands toward Mo Hua and said: “Great kindness need not be spoken—this time, thank you, Big Brother, for saving our lives!”
Skinny Cicada and Pangolin also looked ashamed and moved, cupping their hands and saying, “Thank you, Big Brother, for saving our lives!”
Mo Hua, on the other hand, felt a bit embarrassed and began to reflect inwardly—was it somewhat immoral to deceive these Tomb Raiders like this?
But then again, he thought, it wasn’t really deception.
Moreover, he had indeed saved their lives.
Mo Hua accepted their gratitude with composure, nodding and saying, “It was just a small effort, no need to take it to heart.”
His calm and indifferent demeanor, saving lives without seeking reward, and keeping his achievements hidden, left Iron Mountain Tiger and the other two feeling deeply moved and profoundly touched.
Seeing the three of them visibly moved, Mo Hua suddenly thought of something and asked: “By the way, what exactly is this ‘fifty million’ you mentioned?”
Iron Mountain Tiger was taken aback. He exchanged glances with Skinny Cicada and the other man, struggling internally for a long while before finally sighing: “To be honest, big brother, it’s a deal…”