Chapter 497: The Sacrifice

Chapter 499: The Sacrifice

Is it me feeding the diagram, or the diagram feeding me?

Mo Hua licked his lips. In the flickering candlelight, the visualization diagram seemed to tremble slightly.

The coffin was icy cold, yet lying inside felt surprisingly comfortable.

Mo Hua waited inside… and waited…

But after a long while, there was still no movement.

He frowned.

What’s going on?

Weren’t they supposed to use me as the sacrifice? Why is no one “eating” me?

After a bit longer, still no response from inside the coffin.

“Is the coffin broken?”

“Or is it that Lu Chengyun’s incantation is wrong?”

“Or… maybe the visualization diagram is shy, and only Zhang family disciples can feed it?”

No, that doesn’t make sense…

A bunch of zombies—some eat, some don’t—who cares who’s feeding them?

“Then… could it be my problem?”

Mo Hua paused, then focused his divine sense. Sure enough, he detected something unusual in the coffin.

A voice came from inside.

It was faint, drifting and elusive, sometimes near, sometimes far…

Mo Hua concentrated and finally made out an old man speaking, his voice broken and full of persuasion:

“You… have extraordinary bones…”

“…a special constitution, with hidden top-tier spiritual roots in your meridians…”

“We are fated; I will teach you the Way… to help you ascend to Immortality…”

…

Mo Hua curled his lips.

If you could really ascend, why don’t you ascend yourself and instead pass it on to someone else?

The voice was clearly that of Zhang Quan, the ancestral patriarch.

Mo Hua had heard it many times before.

As he thought it over, realization struck him.

Could this voice be the key to the sacrifice?

Believe what it says, and the ritual proceeds?

His own deep divine sense and steadfast Dao heart meant he didn’t trust the nonsense, so it couldn’t enter the coffin to “eat” him.

Mo Hua thought this was plausible…

So he convinced himself, pretending to “believe” the old man’s words.

Sure enough, after a moment, the voice grew clearer, as if directly sounding within Mo Hua’s Sea of Consciousness.

“We are fated; I will help you become Immortal…”

“Help you ascend…”

The voice was old, kind, and compassionate.

At the same time, Mo Hua’s vision blurred, and faintly, a picture appeared.

It was familiar—Zhang family’s Patriarch Diagram, the very one he had coveted for so long!

Unlike the real diagram, this version had swirling clouds, rising incense, and glimmers of golden light; the figures were all lined in gold.

Zhang family ancestors stood like immortals amidst the mist, each radiating otherworldly elegance and ethereal aura.

Mo Hua’s face lit up, but in his heart he thought:

“Just trick others all you want, but don’t put on airs in front of your Zhang family ‘Little Ancestor’…”

“I know perfectly well you’re all a bunch of immortal old zombies…”

As he muttered this, Mo Hua’s eyes widened.

Among the figures, he spotted a familiar face.

It was Zhang Quan!

He was at the end, respectful in demeanor, yet his gaze at Mo Hua held surprise, resentment, and greed.

Mo Hua was astonished.

Zhang Quan isn’t dead?

No—or rather…

His body was dead, but his divine sense remained, like the Zhang family ancestors, becoming a malevolent spirit, inhabiting the visualization diagram…

Mo Hua gradually understood.

No wonder Zhang Quan, before dying, wanted one last glance at the Zhang family Patriarch Diagram.

It wasn’t out of filial guilt, as he claimed.

It was so his divine sense could enter the diagram after death, surviving as a spirit within it.

Whether Lu Chengyun opened the diagram or not didn’t matter—once it was taken out of the storage bag, Zhang Quan had his chance.

Mo Hua had to admit, he had underestimated Zhang Quan.

Zhang Quan wasn’t as foolish as he thought.

And Lu Chengyun clearly hadn’t anticipated Zhang Quan’s cunning, nor the hidden depths of the Zhang family.

Mo Hua frowned again.

“Though… not every cultivator gets this ‘treatment’ after death, right?”

Death and annihilation were terrifying.

Many cultivators, nearing their end, would do anything to survive.

The Qian family patriarch concocted life-extension pills; the Lu family patriarch turned himself into a corpse—both driven by fear of death, desperate to persist.

If this diagram could indeed host malevolent spirits…

Even without a body, old villains like the Qian or Lu patriarchs would surely willingly transform into spirits, inhabiting the diagram…

Mo Hua didn’t know much about cultivation theory, but he suspected it wasn’t that simple…

“Is it Zhang family bloodlines, or is this visualization diagram… special in itself?”

He pondered briefly, then remembered—this wasn’t the time. He still had to stage the “Grand Banquet” for his “guests.”

At this moment, some Zhang family members had already entered Mo Hua’s Sea of Consciousness.

Five in total.

Two elders, three disciples—one of whom was Zhang Quan.

Zhang Quan, youngest in rank, was already Foundation Establishment level, the most prominent disciple present.

But facing ancestors, he kept a low posture and spoke respectfully.

Entering Mo Hua’s consciousness, Zhang Quan cautiously asked:

“Elder Song, Elder Si, shall we enter first? Shouldn’t the patriarch enjoy this before us?”

“No harm.”

Elder Song, the silent iron-corpse elder, replied calmly:

“The patriarch relies on our bloodline-linked divine sense offerings. Our strength makes him stronger; for consuming and absorbing, he need not intervene personally…”

Zhang Quan admired him: “Truly worthy of the patriarch!”

Elder Song nodded: “The patriarch’s methods are beyond our comprehension.”

He glanced at Zhang Quan and praised him:

“To have cultivated to Foundation Establishment, advancing the corpse path, though ultimately dying, is still a great achievement…”

“Your talent, temperament, and methods are among the top in Zhang family disciples.”

“Most importantly, your filial devotion to the patriarch is commendable.”

“The patriarch values you greatly.”

“So for this offering, you shall partake first.”

“Devour the divine sense, recover your wounds, and grow stronger to serve the patriarch and Zhang family even better!”

Zhang Quan, excited, cupped his hands:

“Disciple Zhang Quan will not fail the expectations of the elders and the patriarch!”

Elder Song nodded, satisfied.

Zhang Quan’s face had already become that of a zombie.

He looked at Mo Hua’s Sea of Consciousness; saliva-stained fangs glinting, his gaze greedy, murmuring:

“Little brat, didn’t expect today would come for you too?”

Elder Si, silent until now, asked:

“You know this sacrifice?”

Zhang Quan nodded, scowling:

“To be honest, I suffered countless setbacks at this little brat’s hands! I wanted to kill him many times, but could not!”

Elder Si frowned: “Just a small cultivator, and you couldn’t kill him?”

Zhang Quan immediately explained:

“His cultivation is low, power average. In a direct fight, I could crush him with one hand!”

“But this little brat is skilled in arrays, cunning, deceptive, and resourceful—I cannot land a blow…”

He gritted his teeth.

Elder Song frowned, imagining what kind of little brat could master arrays, be expert in concealment, cunning, and resourceful…

Human or fiend?

But he didn’t care—anyone, no matter how talented, is merely fish on the chopping block before them.

Elder Song comforted Zhang Quan:

“No matter now. You are inside his consciousness; he cannot escape and is at your mercy. In the Sea of Consciousness, we call the shots—no matter his abilities, he cannot turn the tide…”

Zhang Quan felt reassured and smiled:

“Elder’s words are true.”

He paused, then recalled something, sighing:

“No matter how cunning this little brat is, in the end, he will still be disposed by Lu Chengyun, becoming a sacrifice, dying utterly…”

Zhang Quan said cautiously:

“Lu Chengyun’s schemes and methods are truly fearsome!”

Elder Song sneered lightly:

“No need to exalt others and diminish Zhang family’s prestige.”

“To the patriarch, this is nothing.”

“Lu Chengyun is but a pawn of the patriarch.”

“Once he serves the patriarch, visualizing the patriarch’s Dao and borrowing the patriarch’s divine sense to strengthen his own, one day, he will become a puppet of Zhang family’s corpse path.”

“Neither fully human nor fully corpse…”

“He is not of Zhang family; once his body becomes a corpse and his divine sense cannot enter the diagram, he will either lose his mind or become bait.”

Elder Song looked at Zhang Quan calmly:

“You may be dead, yet still alive.”

“He may be alive, yet cannot escape death!”

“No Zhang family descendant shall be bullied by outsiders. Your justice will be upheld by us ancestors!”

Zhang Quan rejoiced, bowing repeatedly:

“Thank you, elder, thank you, patriarch!”

Elder Song helped him up, speaking gently:

“You are a descendant of Zhang family, esteemed by the patriarch. No need for such formality. What matters is to quickly recover and restore your injuries…”

Elder Song looked around, then at the assembled “people,” eyes gleaming with hunger:

“It is time… to eat…”

Hidden nearby, Mo Hua nodded.

He thought the same!