Chapter 475: Fighting Diagrams

Chapter 476: Fighting Diagrams

The best practice target, of course, was still Zhang Quan’s Ancestor Diagram—the group of zombie ancestors of the Zhang family.

Mo Hua’s divine-sense combat method had now reached full mastery.

Aside from the Zhang family’s austere old ancestor, none of the “people” in the diagram—whether disciples beneath the seats or elders above—were a match for him.

Even Zhang Quan’s old ancestor probably wasn’t a match.

But according to the Iron Corpse Elder that Mo Hua had “consumed,” the Zhang family ancestor lived long, was cunning, and had many tricks. Mo Hua didn’t dare be too reckless, so he needed to plan carefully and act gradually.

The current problem was: where was the diagram?

Mo Hua propped his small cheeks in thought.

He had returned the diagram to Zhang Quan at the time.

So it should be with Zhang Quan?

Where would Zhang Quan put it? Carry it with him? Build a shrine to keep it?

Or… had he given it to Lu Chengyun?

Mo Hua remembered when he took out the Ancestor Diagram, Zhang Quan looked excited, and Lu Chengyun’s gaze showed a trace of desire.

The Ancestor Diagram was a visualization diagram.

Divine sense was the lifeline of a formation master, and a visualization diagram could strengthen divine sense.

Any visualization diagram, no matter its content—good or evil—was extremely tempting to a formation master.

Lu Chengyun couldn’t have been unmoved.

Moreover, he had been colluding with Zhang Quan for so long; he had probably seen the diagram.

It was just that since corpse refining required Zhang Quan, and this was Zhang Quan’s Ancestor Diagram, Lu Chengyun couldn’t just seize it.

Mo Hua considered and decided the only way now was to follow Zhang Quan.

See if the diagram was still with him.

If it was, where had he hidden it?

If not, who had he given it to?

Mo Hua had mastered the Twelve-Rune Spirit-Pivot Formation. His divine sense was now at the peak of the Twelve Runes, just one step away from the Thirteenth Rune.

But that step was the threshold.

To cross it would require time or some opportunity.

At the peak of the Twelve Runes, divine sense was already very strong.

Stealth became harder to detect.

Following Lu Chengyun would require extra caution.

Following Zhang Quan, however, was basically effortless.

The key was timing: avoid Lu Chengyun’s divine sense and be careful of the Stone Chamber’s Dust-Revealing and Shadow-Revealing Arrays.

The Dust-Revealing and Shadow-Revealing Arrays weren’t a problem; Lu Chengyun was.

Lu Chengyun’s divine sense was strong, he understood formations, and he was suspicious.

Fortunately, after Mo Hua had completed the formation eye of the Ten-Thousand Corpses Formation, Lu Chengyun trusted him a little more.

And since Mo Hua had seen the Spirit-Pivot Formation diagram and acted “shocked,” saying things like “so difficult,” “I don’t understand,” and “I can’t learn it,” Lu Chengyun’s guard had relaxed significantly.

He no longer constantly probed Mo Hua with his divine sense.

Mo Hua’s “free activity” time increased.

For the next four or five days, whenever he had a moment, Mo Hua would hide and observe Zhang Quan, gradually learning his routines.

Zhang Quan’s schedule was very regular, and his actions were straightforward.

Most of his time was spent constructing the Ten-Thousand Corpses Formation.

The formation required many corpse-refining coffins, all made by Zhang Quan himself, then enhanced with evil arrays by other evil formation masters or by Lu Chengyun, and placed within the Ten-Thousand Corpses Formation.

Low-level arrays were drawn by other evil formation masters.

High-level arrays, such as the iron coffins for refining Iron Corpses, were drawn personally by Lu Chengyun.

All coffins, however, were fully Zhang Quan’s responsibility.

It was his original trade—making, refining, and raising coffins was his specialty.

Zhang Quan would also patrol the Stone Chamber periodically.

Checking the wooden and iron coffins, the zombies, whether any had gone rogue, if there was enough corpse energy, or any other abnormalities.

Since he dealt with corpses every day, everything he did involved zombies.

Zhang Quan also had a stone chamber.

It was more spacious but not as well arranged as Mo Hua’s.

Around it were corpse-refining tools.

The air inside smelled faintly of rotting flesh.

Zhang Quan had been refining corpses for so long that he no longer noticed the smell.

In his chamber, he either slept, meditated, or raved as if insane, sometimes muttering to himself, losing his voice in shouts, a truly disturbed mental state.

Mo Hua watched, puzzled.

“Could it be that all this corpse refining ate his brain…” he thought.

But he quickly dismissed it; it wasn’t that simple.

It looked more like demonic possession, a gradual loss of humanity…

Unaware of being human, unaware of what he was doing, only full of evil thoughts and filth in his mind.

Zhang Quan’s mood swung between raving and calm; after several cycles, he would quiet down, but his gaze grew more cruel.

Occasionally, he would take out a diagram to look at.

At first, Mo Hua was excited.

He thought Zhang Quan had taken out the Ancestor Diagram.

But he quickly realized he was wrong.

It wasn’t a single diagram but a picture book.

On it were men and women, unclothed, fighting in various poses.

At first, it was bearable, but Zhang Quan looked at it whenever he had free time.

Mo Hua was disappointed and frustrated.

Where was your visualization diagram?

Where was your ancestor?

Spending all day on this, forgetting even your ancestor.

If he were Zhang Quan’s ancestor, he would have scolded him as an unfilial son and hung him up for punishment.

After finishing these inappropriate pictures, Zhang Quan would sometimes rage, tearing the book apart, ranting like a man possessed:

“No women here in this damn place.”

“Still can’t get out…”

“Damn it…”

His eyes bloodshot, expression grotesque, like a zombie.

Mo Hua frowned, gradually understanding.

A demon cultivator gradually loses humanity.

Zhang Quan cultivated the corpse path, dealing daily with corpse cultivators, corpses, and zombies. His mind twisted, evil thoughts grew, needing human warmth, needing to vent desire.

When alone, these urges spread.

That was why he often frequented brothels.

Not just because he was lustful, but because demonic tendencies compelled him.

And the female cultivators of the Hundred Flowers Brothel naturally fell victim.

According to Qing Lan, many female cultivators were abused to death by Zhang Quan.

The brothel was run by the Lu family, and since Zhang Quan worked for Lu Chengyun, these deaths were ultimately covered up.

Poor women, drifted into misfortune, abused to death, with no proper burial…

Mo Hua glanced at Zhang Quan, coldly thinking:

“Sooner or later, I’ll deal with you!”

Zhang Quan felt a sudden chill in his heart.

He immediately stood up, looking around.

“Who’s there?”

“Who is it?”

He released his divine sense; the chamber was empty.

But the chill and the feeling of being watched were familiar.

“Is it that little ghost?”

Zhang Quan, at Foundation Establishment, looked a little panicked.

He had been spooked by Mo Hua.

Once targeted, it was like a bone-maggot—impossible to shake off.

He checked the arrays; the Shadow-Revealing and Dust-Revealing Arrays hadn’t been triggered. He relaxed.

“Probably just my imagination…”

“This is a corpse mine. With Lu Chengyun here, even that little ghost shouldn’t be able to cause trouble.”

“No matter how capable he is, he can’t treat this corpse mine like his own courtyard.”

“The corpse mine’s arrays were all set by Lu Chengyun—not like the Walking Corpse Village…”

Mentioning the Walking Corpse Village brought Zhang Quan deep pain.

It had been his livelihood for decades, large influence, yet it was wiped out inexplicably.

Later, Zhang Quan faked his death, rescued by Lu Chengyun, and secretly returned once.

He saw every secret room, mechanism, hidden door, and passage discovered, and everything inside plundered.

Completely clean!

Not a single coffin board left, like locusts had eaten everything.

He knew without thinking who could have done this.

Mo Hua’s smiling face flashed in his mind.

Zhang Quan’s blood rushed to his head, and he warned himself:

“Don’t think… don’t think…”

Thinking too much would drive him mad.

He calmed down, regained some reason, but with caution, he did nothing else, just meditating on his bed.

Mo Hua watched a bit longer, shaking his head.

Zhang Quan had a “diagram,” but it wasn’t the one Mo Hua wanted.

Moreover, the Ancestor Diagram might not even be in Zhang Quan’s hands.

If it were, he would at least have a place to display it, offering incense, showing filial piety.

Not like now, just looking at obscene fighting pictures.

So where was the Ancestor Diagram?

In Lu Chengyun’s hands?

Or still with Zhang Quan, just hidden somewhere Mo Hua didn’t know?

Mo Hua suddenly thought of the altar above the Ten-Thousand Corpses Formation.

It wasn’t clear what was placed on it.

Covered with yellow cloth, hiding the details.

Could Zhang Quan have also placed the diagram on that lavish, extravagant altar?

“I need to take a look…”

Mo Hua thought.

Whether the Ancestor Diagram was on that altar or not, he had to find a way to enter the Ten-Thousand Corpses Formation when no one was around.

During the day, Lu Chengyun was watching; he couldn’t make a move.

When no one was there, he could investigate.

Check the formation, deduce the complete patterns of the Ten-Thousand Corpses Formation, inspect corners for hidden items, and see what was actually on the altar…

“But how do I get in?”

Mo Hua frowned, thinking for a while, then his eyes brightened.

Spirit-Pivot Formation…