Chapter 433: Corpse Snatching

The pitch-black coffin was slowly pried open.

From inside the coffin, the corpses crawled out one by one.

Their eyes were hollow and empty, their skin decayed and rotting, dozens of them standing densely and grimly on the mine hill.

Corpse Alchemy!

Mo Hua's gaze turned icy as he looked at Zhang Quan and said coldly:

"You've fallen to darkness?"

Corpse Alchemy is a true demonic art, forbidden in the cultivation world, in direct violation of the Dao's laws.

Cultivators who practice Corpse Alchemy are hunted down and executed by the Dao Court.

The sects or families that practice Corpse Alchemy are also wiped out and their estates seized by the Dao Court.

Thinking of these walking corpses, most of them were once miners from this mine.

They lived their whole lives in poverty, died unjustly, and now their corpses were turned into zombies to commit evil deeds.

In his heart, Mo Hua added another mark against Zhang Quan.

Once this matter was settled, he would find a way to make Zhang Quan die a miserable death.

Zhang Quan sneered, "So what? I'm alone with no family or clan—so long as I can attain the Dao, what does it matter if I fall to darkness?"

Mo Hua scoffed, "You've already fallen to darkness and still dream of attaining the Dao? Dream on."

"What do you, a little brat, even understand?"

"You're running around like a rat, chased by a little brat—do you understand now?"

A mouthful of blood surged up Zhang Quan's throat, but he swallowed it back.

He roared, "Fine, fine! You've got a sharp tongue—I can't outargue you. But when I kill you, I'll tear out your mouth and feed you to these walking corpses. See how tough you are then!"

Mo Hua snorted:

"Save your breath. Even if you turned into a corpse yourself, you couldn't catch me—do you really think these dumb, sluggish walking corpses can?"

Then Mo Hua quietly asked Bai Zi Xi, "Sister, what are walking corpses?"

Bai Zi Xi said, "They're low-grade zombies."

"Oh, okay."

Mo Hua's heart settled completely; he nodded repeatedly, then lifted his head and adopted a look of utter disdain:

"Just low-grade zombies? You, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, have nothing else? Go crawl back into your mother's womb and drink amniotic fluid—don't come out and embarrass yourself..."

Mo Hua shouted loudly.

Mo Hua was a Demon Hunter, trained by Elder Yu; even if he couldn't come up with insults himself, he could recite the ones Elder Yu used.

But since Little Brother and Little Sister were here, he didn't dare say the nastier ones.

Afraid it would damage his image.

So he picked some relatively "friendly" insults and tested them on Zhang Quan.

But Zhang Quan was starting to crack.

Most little brats, no matter how much they insulted him, he'd ignore—

because he could kill them with a flick of his wrist.

But Mo Hua—he couldn't kill him.

No matter how much Mo Hua insulted him, Zhang Quan could only endure it, powerless to retaliate.

And every one of his techniques had been blocked perfectly; now he truly had nothing left but these walking corpses.

Zhang Quan stared fixedly at Mo Hua.

If looks could kill, Mo Hua would have been dead ten times over.

Mo Hua remained utterly unfazed, hands on his hips, looking at Zhang Quan:

"You little squinty eyes—what are you glaring at? You think staring with your tiny eyes will scare me?"

Zhang Quan's scalp prickled with rage.

His right hand trembled as he shook the blood-etched bronze bell, screaming hoarsely:

"I'll kill you!"

Dozens of walking corpses, drawn by the bell's chime, bared their fangs, fingers like claws, eyes wild, breathing heavily, lunging toward Mo Hua and the others.

Bai Zi Xi flicked her slender hand; several streaks of sword light shot out, severing the legs of a few walking corpses.

But more walking corpses kept surging forward.

The ones with severed legs, even fallen, crawled blindly toward Mo Hua.

Mo Hua formed a fireball with two fingers.

One fireball after another flew out, burning the arms of several walking corpses to charcoal and ash.

But as long as any limb remained, the walking corpses still struggled to crawl toward Mo Hua.

Mo Hua frowned.

First-rank walking corpses had only Qi Condensation-level power—not dangerous—but there were too many of them, and they were fearless—they were already dead.

As long as any body part remained, they would hunger for flesh and obey orders to kill.

This was genuinely annoying.

The zombies were now close enough to reach Mo Hua.

Zhang Quan's eyes gleamed with excitement.

He wanted to see the walking corpses tear Mo Hua apart and devour him.

But Mo Hua stepped calmly aside, slipping past the zombies' claws with effortless grace.

Several other walking corpses appeared behind Mo Hua, leaning in to bite.

But all were narrowly dodged by Mo Hua.

Zhang Quan frowned.

He can also use body techniques…

This brat is damn hard to kill!

Zhang Quan sneered, "Fine, keep dodging. Let's see how long your body technique can save you."

The Qi of a Qi Condensation cultivator will eventually run out; once he slips or exhausts his Qi, he'll become food for these walking corpses.

Zhang Quan chuckled coldly, when suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, another Jin Guang appeared.

He startled, quickly shaking the bronze bell.

Several walking corpses blocked before him, only to be pierced through by Bai Zisheng's spear.

Zhang Quan hastily retreated.

Bai Zisheng flung the corpses aside, then took a large step forward and thrust his spear again.

Zhang Quan had no choice but to retreat again, summoning more corpses to block the spear.

Bai Zisheng flung them aside again—and thrust again!

Repeating this several times, Zhang Quan was forced into constant retreat, too occupied to shake the bell; the walking corpses' movements slowed.

Some even stood motionless before Mo Hua.

The walking corpses stood still; Mo Hua stood still too, curiously studying the corpses before him.

He wanted to understand how these corpses were controlled.

Meanwhile, pressured step by step by Bai Zisheng, Zhang Quan, with no other option, summoned all his Qi and used Earth Submersion to flee beneath a dilapidated shack in the mine.

Beneath the shack was empty.

Zhang Quan stomped his foot; the mountain rocks trembled, dust rising.

Then, a iron coffin materialized before him.

Mo Hua sensed something amiss and called out:

"Senior Brother!"

Without Mo Hua's reminder, Bai Zisheng already channeled his Qi and thrust his spear toward Zhang Quan.

At that moment, the iron coffin lid flew open—a stiff hand shot out and seized the tip of Bai Zisheng's spear.

Bai Zisheng raised an eyebrow, unleashing his Qi; Jin Guang blazed fiercely, twisting and shredding the hand.

The iron-blue palm cracked under the golden Qi, its grip loosening slightly.

Bai Zisheng's spear broke free.

After the spear escaped, Bai Zisheng did not strike again; instead, his gaze sharpened as he fixed it on the iron coffin.

Moments later, a corpse crawled out from within the iron coffin.

This corpse differed from the others.

Its skin had not decayed; instead, it was black-blue, hard as iron.

Its fangs were longer, its fingers sharper, and its aura far more formidable.

Mo Hua quickly whispered to Bai Zi Xi, "Little Sister, what is this?"

If you don't understand, ask.

And asking your little sister isn't shameful.

Mo Hua's cultivation knowledge was mostly concentrated in arrays; his understanding of everything else was far inferior to Bai Zi Xi's.

Even inferior to Bai Zisheng's.

Bai Zi Xi said, "It's a Iron Corpse—one level above the walking corpse."

Mo Hua nodded quickly, then lifted his head and sneered at Zhang Quan:

"Just an Iron Corpse? If you've got guts, bring out a Copper Corpse or a Gold Corpse!"

After speaking, Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and quietly asked Bai Zi Xi again:

"Little Sister… do Copper Corpses and Gold Corpses even exist…?"

Copper Corpse and Gold Corpse were just something he made up on the spot.

He didn't even know if they existed.

Mo Hua feared his shallow knowledge would expose him, making Zhang Quan look down on him.

Bai Zi Xi nodded, "They exist."

Mo Hua relaxed.

Hearing this, Zhang Quan was shaken to his core.

This brat knows so much—he must be from a great clan or major sect.

The way he talks, Copper Corpses and Gold Corpses are just ordinary?

To produce even this half-step Iron Corpse, comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had already expended tremendous effort.

So far, everyone who saw this Iron Corpse turned pale with terror.

Few cultivators who saw this Iron Corpse survived.

Zhang Quan never imagined this brat not only wasn't afraid, but actually looked down on him.

Zhang Quan was intimidated.

Meanwhile, Bai Zisheng, his hunter's instinct ignited, was already locked in battle with the Iron Corpse.

This Iron Corpse hadn't been fully refined, so it was only a half-step Iron Corpse.

Its strength was slightly weaker than a typical early Foundation Establishment cultivator, but its flesh and skin were as hard as iron; in actual combat, it was slightly stronger than an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

At least stronger than Zhang Quan without pills.

Bai Zisheng was slightly at a disadvantage, yet he grew more fierce with each strike.

Previously, under Snow Aunt's watchful eye and strict orders not to fight, Bai Zisheng had been forced to suppress his full abilities, left with nothing but sparring with Mo Hua.

Now, traveling abroad and having endured several battles, Bai Zisheng's Dao techniques had grown increasingly refined, and his experience in mortal combat had steadily increased.

But as the fighting continued, Bai Zisheng gradually began to feel the strain.

Because not only the Iron Corpse, but all the other walking corpses, were now rushing at him in desperate attacks.

Even when pierced through by spears or having limbs severed, these walking corpses still ignored all damage, clinging to Bai Zisheng.

Bai Zisheng couldn't help muttering:

"So annoying."

Just then, Bai Zisheng dodged the Iron Corpse's strike and thrust his spear through another corpse's chest—suddenly his eyes lit up as he shouted:

"Mo Hua, the walking corpses have array patterns on them!"

Mo Hua paused slightly, then clenched his palm in midair and cast the Water Prison Technique to immobilize one of the corpses.

Bai Zi Xi swept her sword qi across the corpse's chest, shredding its clothing.

The corpse's chest was decayed and blotched with death marks, but showed no trace of array patterns.

Mo Hua said: "Sister, peel the skin!"

Bai Zi Xi nodded, her slender hand slicing through the air—sword qi rippled, tearing open the corpse's outer skin.

Beneath the skin, the dead flesh was rigid, and within it faint blood lines pulsed, releasing the hidden aura of an array.

Mo Hua froze, then his expression turned to shock, followed by overwhelming joy—his eyes gleamed as he shouted to Bai Zisheng:

"Brother, help me capture the corpses!!"

The blood array carved onto this corpse was an Absolute Array!

And it was at least an eleven-stroke, first-grade Absolute Array!

Capture the corpses?

Zhang Quan heard this, first blinked in surprise, then realized something—his face turned ashen.

This brat is an array master?!

He figured it out?!

(End of Chapter)