Chapter 1233: Bone Carving Spirit Pivot

Lord Lugu was still torturing Jin Wu, desiring to flay every scrap of his flesh and grind his bones to dust to quench his burning hatred.

Jin Wu merely laughed like a fool, as if he were nothing but a lump of ragged, bleeding meat.

Mo Hua said: "Enough. If you beat him any more, he'll die—and you'll learn nothing."

The voice was quiet, young-sounding, yet coming from Mo Hua's lips, it carried an inexplicable weight.

Lord Lugu gradually suppressed his rage and stopped.

Jin Wu, nearly unrecognizable as a human, froze and could not help but glance at Mo Hua.

This mere Foundation Establishment youth, speaking only one sentence, had actually halted Lord Lugu's fury…

Jin Wu's expression shifted, revealing a flicker of confusion and shock.

Mo Hua gestured and summoned several barbarian soldiers, instructing them:

"Take this 'traitor' to the dungeon. Give him some herbs, treat his wounds—don't let him die."

"Yes."

The barbarian soldiers dragged Jin Wu away.

Lord Lugu stared at Mo Hua with cold eyes.

Mo Hua said calmly: "Haste makes waste; calmness brings harmony. Calm your mind, reconsider how to interrogate him—the more impatient you are, the more likely you are to ruin everything."

Lord Lugu remained silent, gave no verbal response, but also made no further protest—he left without a word.

After Lord Lugu departed, Mo Hua sat in quiet contemplation, pondering how to handle Jin Wu.

Physical punishment probably wouldn't work anymore.

Even if I used array-based torture boards, it wouldn't work.

Jin Wu had been tortured by Lord Lugu until his flesh was shredded and his bones broken countless times, yet he still refused to speak—resigned, as if he'd given up entirely.

Lord Lugu is at the late Jin Dan stage—his methods are certainly harsher than mine. If even he couldn't break Jin Wu's silence, I doubt my array-based tortures would fare any better.

Could this be related to the "skin-shedding" shamanic art that Jin Wu learned?

Viewing flesh and blood as external things, refusing to see himself as human—could such a mindset make all bodily pain disposable?

Mo Hua's brow darkened.

If physical torture won't work, then I must break him mentally.

Mo Hua instinctively decided to try the "Sow Demon Seed" technique.

He spent some time crafting his words, forming the "seed," and as he pondered, walked toward the dungeon until he stood before Jin Wu.

Seeing Jin Wu, chained and drenched in blood within the dungeon, Mo Hua's mind stirred—he was about to speak and activate the Sow Demon Seed, when suddenly his heart jolted.

With that heart-jolt, Mo Hua's mind instantly cleared.

"What am I doing? I'm about to use… Sow Demon Seed on someone else?"

Mo Hua frowned tightly, a strange sense of unease rising within him.

Under these circumstances, Sow Demon Seed seems the best solution.

But Mo Hua quickly realized—it was also the most "dangerous" method.

This is Master's uncle's "chessboard."

Am I to use the Sow Demon Seed, learned from Master's uncle, to manipulate another's thoughts on his own chessboard?

The thought struck Mo Hua like a blow.

This isn't merely a matter of being reckless…

But the problem is…

Haven't I already used a little of the Sow Demon Seed technique in the Great Wilderness? Even if only a little—could Master's uncle have noticed?

It's not impossible…

Mo Hua felt a sudden chill in his heart.

But… the Great Wilderness is vast, meaning the chessboard is enormous.

There are many cultivators in the Great Wilderness, meaning many pieces.

I am merely one among countless pieces in this vast game—Master's uncle is busy with greater matters; he likely won't notice me…

Mo Hua's heart grew heavy.

Either possibility seems plausible—he couldn't decide.

But the prepared "Sow Demon Seed" could no longer be used.

If I didn't know, I'd have no fear—ignorance breeds boldness, and I'd have used it without hesitation.

But now that I know, I can't ignore it—I can't help but feel wary, even fearful.

Even if Master's uncle doesn't know yet, if I grow accustomed to using Sow Demon Seed, if I leave too many traces, he will eventually catch me.

Walk by the river often enough, you'll get your shoes wet.

Those who drown are always the ones who can swim.

Mo Hua took a deep breath and swallowed back the seductive words he'd prepared.

But if not Sow Demon Seed—what else could I use?

What method could shatter Jin Wu's mental defenses and force him to speak the truth?

Mo Hua hid in the shadows, silently watching Jin Wu, his gaze deep, as if trying to pierce through Jin Wu's inner mind.

Jin Wu, imprisoned in the dungeon, had felt nothing until now.

But under Mo Hua's gaze, he suddenly felt a surge of unease and dread—as if something terrible were plotting against him, as if a demon that saw through the soul were watching him.

Jin Wu shut his eyes, determined to think of nothing.

But the more he tried to suppress his thoughts, the more they flooded in.

When the mind reveals a crack, the thing it fears most will inevitably rise to the surface.

Gradually, Jin Wu's forehead broke out in cold sweat; his heart could no longer bear the pressure, and he could only mutter to himself, as if trying to comfort himself:

"It's fine…"

"It's fine… he's already dead, already dead…"

He's already dead?

Mo Hua froze, his gaze flickering, then slowly withdrew the pressure of his spiritual sense, his figure gradually fading.

The moment Mo Hua left, the oppressive feeling inside the prison vanished instantly.

But Jin Wu felt no relief; under the influence of that spiritual sense, he felt the cracks in his heart growing wider, his inner fear deepening.

Physically, there was no additional pain.

Yet the suppression and terror clung to him like a shadow…

Jin Wu's eyes widened, filled with dread.

…

After Mo Hua left, he seriously considered the matter for a full hour before entering the deepest tent in the camp.

Inside the tent stood a massive coffin.

The corpse of Lord Lugu was sealed inside the coffin.

Though he had already made up his mind, Mo Hua still hesitated as the moment arrived.

Standing before Lord Lugu's coffin, Mo Hua remained silent for a long time, torn within, until he finally sighed deeply and his gaze hardened.

In the world of martial cultivation, one is not master of one's own fate.

Before a great calamity, some principles must be compromised.

Mo Hua summoned Chifeng and ordered:

"Lord Lugu's corpse shows strange signs. I must purify it with the power of the Divine Master. Issue orders to seal the surrounding area—no one is to disturb or approach."

Chifeng's expression turned grave as he nodded.

"Yes, Mr. Wu."

After sealing the area, Mo Hua had Chifeng open Lord Lugu's coffin. After a moment of silence, he spoke slowly:

"Cut open Lord Lugu's flesh, expose his meridians and bones…"

Chifeng's face changed. "Mr. Wu, this…"

Mo Hua shook his head calmly. "Do as instructed. It is the Divine Master's will."

Chifeng frowned, hesitated a moment, then decided to trust Mo Hua.

Without further delay, he drew his bone knife and followed Mo Hua's instructions, beginning to dissect Lord Lugu's corpse.

Lord Lugu was at the late Jin Dan stage; even in death, his body remained rigid and exceptionally tough.

But he was dead—without spiritual awareness to control his body, though stiff as iron, Chifeng, a mid-Jin Dan cultivator, could still cut through it, though it would take more effort and multiple incisions.

Beforehand, Mo Hua had drawn several lines and marked several points on Lord Lugu's limb bones.

Chifeng followed Mo Hua's markings, cutting at the nodes and along the inked lines.

Like cutting iron with a dull blade, it took over an hour before he finally opened the corpse, revealing the pale white bones within.

Mo Hua nodded. "That's enough. You may leave."

Chifeng gave Mo Hua a long look, then nodded. "Yes."

After Chifeng left, Mo Hua stared at Lord Lugu's dissected corpse, now exposed to its bones, and sighed softly again.

Then he no longer hesitated. He took out his bone knife, dipped it in spirit ink, and began drawing a formation on Lord Lugu's bones according to his plan.

The method of drawing the formation came from Mr. Tu's bone-carving technique.

The formation he drew was the Minor Pivot Array he had once used to control corpses.

The bone-carving technique must be learned, practiced, mastered, and perfected—no error allowed.

Because it is one of the essential methods for his "Jin Dan" formation.

One day in the future, he would use this bone-carving technique to carve the Twenty-Four Meridian Twelve Jing Taotie Spirit Bone Ultimate Array onto his own bones.

Carving formations onto one's own bones is extremely perilous; not a single mistake can be made.

It must be perfected to absolute mastery, with not the slightest flaw.

But he had never had a good chance to "practice."

Previously, he had ordered Chifeng to break Tie Shu Gu's bones and had once tried drawing on them.

The moment he made a single stroke, the mid-Jin Dan Tie Shu Gu fainted from pain—and lost a great deal of vital energy in the process.

To use Tie Shu Gu as "material" would exhaust his life; he would never get many chances to "practice."

The pain was unbearable, the vital energy drained—so he could not use living people to practice.

If he could not use living people, he must use "dead people."

Dead people feel no pain, and since they are already dead, there is no loss of vital energy.

The deceased Lord Lugu was currently the best "material."

Moreover, Lord Lugu's corpse had to be dealt with.

Lord Lugu, a late Jin Dan general, had been immensely powerful in life; his corpse, post-mortem, resembled a demon and was terrifying—a truly formidable "corpse substrate."

Lord Lugu refused to cremate his elder brother's body.

Thus, Lord Lugu's corpse itself became a great hazard.

If one day in the future, someone else controlled or refined his corpse, it would surely cause a catastrophe with endless consequences.

To prevent such a "disaster," to ensure Lord Lugu's corpse would never be controlled by others, Mo Hua had no choice but to find a way first—to take control of Lord Lugu himself.

Just as he had done in Nan Yue City.

Dangerous elements must be held in one's own hands.

As for techniques involving "corpse control"…

Mo Hua certainly didn't know the orthodox Corpse Yin Valley's unorthodox corpse-refining methods; the only corpse-control method he knew was the Minor Spirit Pivot Absolute Array.

This was a first-grade, twelve-pattern absolute array.

A first-grade absolute array could be regarded as a "quasi second-grade" formation, but used on a late-stage Jin Dan corpse like Shi Gu's, it was still too weak.

It probably couldn't control much at all—at most it could only control Shi Gu's corpse to perform some simple movements, unable to fight, unable to kill.

But for now, this was enough.

Mo Hua had no better methods either; he could only do this.

Inside a sealed, gloomy tent.

Mo Hua, alone, leapt into Shi Gu's coffin and began carving the Minor Spirit Pivot Absolute Array onto Shi Gu's massive corpse using the bone-carving method.

Using this both to practice how to perform "bone-carving" modifications on a human body.

And at the same time to embed the Minor Spirit Pivot Array in advance, avoiding any hidden dangers of further corpse transformation later.

Time slipped away little by little.

Matters outside were naturally left to Seeing Dan Zhu and the others to handle.

Mo Hua himself focused intently on carving the Minor Spirit Pivot Array onto the bones of Shi Gu's corpse.

For Mo Hua, the Minor Spirit Pivot Array itself wasn't difficult.

What was difficult was the bone carving.

Especially performing formation bone-carving on Shi Gu's corpse.

There were many details to attend to, and many issues to consider.

Mo Hua calmed his mind, resolving each problem one by one, pushing the bone-carving progress forward step by step.

As time passed, one Spirit Pivot formation pattern after another was inscribed by Mo Hua within Shi Gu's corpse.

Mo Hua's bone-carving method—especially the method of carving formations on bones within a "human body"—was further refined, gradually maturing…

……

Finally, after a full five days, Mo Hua had only just initially completed the bone-carving of the Minor Spirit Pivot.

Within Shi Gu's body, the Minor Spirit Pivot Array had taken initial shape.

Mo Hua had no time left to construct a more complete and complex Minor Spirit Pivot system.

There wasn't enough time; as long as it worked, that was fine.

Mo Hua took out some Blood Qi Pills, crushed them, and sprinkled the powder over Shi Gu's wounds.

Shi Gu's corpse had once been parasitized by an evil god's thought-force, giving it some innate "flesh-and-blood revival" ability. Now, having absorbed the blood qi, the flesh and blood began to repair themselves, and the wounds started to knit together.

And the formations Mo Hua had carved onto Shi Gu's bones, as the wounds healed, were buried deep within Shi Gu's body.

Afterward, Mo Hua stuffed several spirit stones into Shi Gu's mouth.

The spirit stones were automatically crushed by the formations on Shi Gu's jaw-bones, turning into pale-blue spiritual energy that was absorbed.

Mo Hua pressed a finger onto Shi Gu's forehead, using his divine sense to connect with the array eye and each pivot node of the Minor Spirit Pivot Array within Shi Gu's body, thereby activating the formation.

A moment later, a faint blue light glowed from within Shi Gu's body.

The Minor Spirit Pivot Array Mo Hua had carved began to operate.

And as the formation operated, spiritual energy transformed into Spirit Pivot power, which began to spread through Shi Gu's corpse, gradually covering his already-dead meridians and bones, and seeping bit by bit into the skeleton, merging into one.

Spiritual energy, the Minor Spirit Pivot Array, the skeleton, the corpse's body.

These several layers gradually linked through, and based on the formation, established a certain connection, ultimately coordinated together by Mo Hua's divine sense.

When the medium and the formation, spiritual power and skeleton were all linked through, and divine sense flowed unobstructed, a strange pale-blue light appeared in Mo Hua's eyes.

He murmured softly:

"Rise!"

The moment the words fell, the already-dead, little-giant-like corpse of Shi Gu began to tremble slowly.

First the fingers, then the arms, then the various small bones, limb bones, spine—all began to exert subtle force.

The formation was activating; spiritual power was manipulating Shi Gu.

The blue light within Shi Gu's corpse also gradually brightened, and when it reached its brightest, it began to draw inward, hiding within the bones beneath the flesh and blood.

In the end, the blue light contracted to its utmost, merging into one with the corpse.

The massive "Shi Gu" slowly stood up, like a "ghost-god" standing tall in the darkness.

Mo Hua walked up to Shi Gu, a blue light flashing in his eyes as he looked up at the towering Shi Gu.

The "ghost-god"-like Shi Gu also slowly opened his eyes and looked at Mo Hua.

His eyes were pitch-black and hollow, utterly terrifying.

But deep within that blackness flickered a wisp of blue light, very similar to the Spirit Pivot pattern in Mo Hua's eyes…

(End of this chapter)