Chapter 447: Seized

The next question was, how to break through this screen?

Mo Hua pondered silently.

Generally speaking, a screen is a spiritual artifact, and spiritual artifacts bear arrays.

If you unravel the array, you can dismantle the spiritual artifact and render this screen inert.

But Mo Hua did not know what array was painted on this screen, nor what the generating and overcoming array patterns were, so naturally he could not unravel it.

Since it couldn't be unraveled, why not just destroy it?

Use the Inverse Spirit Array to break the array's structure, cripple the array core, and cause the array to self-destruct?

Mo Hua mused.

At this point, there was no need to worry about being discovered; whether he kept the screen or not didn't matter, and a crude method was acceptable.

Once the array self-destructed, the screen would be ruined.

The entrance hole on the screen might open.

Or it might seal the secret chamber shut, barring everyone from entering.

The best outcome would be: destroy the array, remove its enhancement, render the screen inert, and reveal the secret chamber's entrance.

He could then slip inside and take everything away.

The worst outcome would simply be: the screen self-destructs, and no one can enter.

He couldn't enter, and Zhang Quan couldn't enter either.

That way, the Corpse-Control Bell and the Visualization Map would be sealed inside.

It didn't matter if he couldn't enter.

But if Zhang Quan couldn't enter, he'd lose the Corpse-Control Bell; without the Corpse-Control Bell, he couldn't control the Iron Corpse, and his power would plummet.

Without the Iron Corpse, the Corpse Village would lose its Foundation Establishment combat strength and become defenseless.

No matter how you looked at it, it posed no harm to him.

Mo Hua no longer hesitated and began targeting the array on the screen.

The moment he painted the first Inverse Spirit Array, the screen's array flashed blue, its spiritual energy spiraled into chaos, emitting a piercing screech, the array collapsed, and the screen dimmed slightly.

Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he continued painting Inverse Spirit Arrays.

Each Inverse Spirit Array he painted destroyed one array.

The ink on the screen gradually faded.

When Mo Hua had destroyed all the arrays, all the ink on the entire screen faded away, leaving only a hazy gray expanse.

Mo Hua frowned.

Had he unraveled it—or destroyed it?

Mo Hua scanned with his spiritual sense and confirmed the screen was indeed inert; the barrier at the entrance was gone.

But the illusionary ink remained.

Mo Hua simply pulled out the Thousand-Pound Rod and smashed the screen repeatedly.

He battered the ancient screen into tatters.

The screen let out a creaking groan, as if wailing, then completely dissolved, the ink imagery vanished, revealing the secret chamber's entrance and the altar within.

Mo Hua exhaled in relief, his heart swelling with joy, and stepped inside.

The air inside the secret chamber grew even more oppressive.

On the golden silk-draped altar, green flames flickered.

The blood bell, white bones, and coffin—all were present.

And on the altar, the portrait of the Zhang family's ancestral master, being worshipped with incense.

Mo Hua lowered his gaze, avoiding the ancestral portrait, and swiftly snatched the copper bells, consecrated with blood in the iron basin, one by one, and tossed them into his storage bag.

Then he ransacked the entire secret chamber.

Spirit stones, offerings, spiritual artifacts—anything that looked valuable, bore an array, had a mysterious origin, or seemed strange or incomprehensible—he stripped it all away like plucking wool.

Finally, it was the ancestral portrait's turn.

Mo Hua squinted, deliberately avoiding direct gaze, planning to carefully remove the painting and toss it into his storage bag.

But the instant his fingers touched the painting.

A chilling spiritual thought surged into Mo Hua's mind.

A voice, ancient yet clear, seemed to whisper beside his ear:

"Boy… your bones are extraordinary…"

"Your talent is unparalleled…"

"I grant you fortune… aid you in becoming immortal…"

"Look here…"

"You…"

The voice, real and illusory, lured Mo Hua to gaze upon the painting.

At the same time, something within the painting seemed to change—its skin began to rot, about to burst free from the canvas.

Mo Hua sensed his spiritual sense falter, instantly entered meditation, calmed his mind, and in an instant discarded all distractions, his spiritual awareness clear and bright.

Regaining his composure, Mo Hua swept his left hand and overturned the altar.

He casually tore the Zhang family's ancestral portrait from the wall and let it fall to the ground.

Then he grabbed the incense burner, iron basin, candlesticks, and other objects, and hurled them all onto the portrait, stomping on it twice after smashing it.

The portrait immediately fell silent…

Mo Hua snorted coldly in his heart.

"Still trying to trick me?"

"Same trick twice? I won't fall for it again!"

Seeing the portrait grow still, Mo Hua folded it together, crumpled it carelessly, and shoved it into his storage bag.

In just a few breaths, he had both the corpse-controlling bell and the portrait.

Mo Hua's storage bag was now packed full.

No time to waste—time to make a run for it!

Mo Hua moved without hesitation, leaping several strides away from the altar, then vaulting onto the rafters, dismantling the array, and slipping out of Zhang Quan's secret chamber with ease…

At this very moment, Zhang Quan remained completely unaware.

He stood atop the outer wall of the Corpse Village, staring at the arrays before him, his eyes filled with disbelief.

The arrays were all destroyed!

Some had simply failed, some had been shattered, and some had exploded from spiritual energy short-circuiting during activation.

Why? Why had they broken?

Just two days ago, every single array had still been intact.

Yet in less than two days, every array in the Corpse Village had been ruined—as if the entire place had been skinned alive?

Who did this?

Who could possibly have the power to destroy every array in the Corpse Village in such a short time?

Was it an array master?

But in Nan Yue City, which array master possessed such skill?

Zhang Quan, both terrified and enraged, shouted:

"Go fetch Mr. Yan!"

A corpse cultivator stammered:

"Mr. Yan… we can't get him…"

Zhang Quan glared, his voice icy: "Where is he?"

"Mr. Yan's room is sealed shut—we… we can't break in…" the corpse cultivator stammered.

Zhang Quan's gaze turned cold. "Take me there."

Soon, Zhang Quan arrived at Mr. Yan's room.

The room was scarred with signs of impact, yet the door remained tightly shut.

Someone had reinforced the array from within, hardening the walls so they could not be breached from outside.

Zhang Quan's eyes darkened, and he struck without hesitation, slamming his palm against the door.

The door cracked—but Zhang Quan's palm also tingled with numbness from the recoil.

Zhang Quan looked solemn.

Who had set this array?

How could a mere Grade-One array be this resilient?

Zhang Quan poured all his strength into his spiritual energy, unleashing a furious palm wind, relentless and continuous, and spent a full half-teacup's worth of time before finally shattering the door.

The door shattered. Zhang Quan stared inside.

There was no one in the room.

Worse still, everything had been cleaned out.

That Yan fellow had actually fled?

"Array masters are all rotten to the core!"

Zhang Quan gnashed his teeth in fury, his mind a chaotic tangle of thoughts.

How exactly had that Yan fellow escaped?

Had he fled on his own—or had someone come to rescue him?

Who had rescued him? And how?

Had that Yan fellow tampered with the Corpse Village's arrays?

Had he colluded with outsiders, plotting to destroy the Corpse Village?

And now that it had been exposed, he had fled in fear of punishment.

Or was it… someone secretly…

Zhang Quan suddenly froze.

Secretly…

Concealment technique?

According to what he knew, only one person could slip into the Corpse Village unseen, evading Foundation Establishment spiritual senses.

That little brat who knew the Concealment Technique?!

Zhang Quan frowned tightly, then felt something was off.

The Corpse Village had the Dust-Display Array—how could that brat have slipped in?

"No," Zhang Quan suddenly shook his head, his thoughts racing:

"That Yan fellow has treacherous intentions—his Dust-Display Array must be flawed, and it certainly couldn't stop that brat!"

In fact, they might even be partners!

Zhang Quan's rage surged—but then his heart lurched violently.

Concealment… concealment…

His face paled. "The altar!"

Zhang Quan suddenly remembered: if Mo Hua had truly infiltrated, then everything he had done might have been seen clearly.

Even including just now, when he opened the altar to sacrifice the bell!

Zhang Quan pushed his body technique to its limit, and in but a moment, he returned to his room.

The lock on the door was undamaged, the formation intact.

Zhang Quan exhaled in relief—but as he unlocked the door and stepped inside, he saw the screen shattered into ruins.

Zhang Quan's legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed.

It's over!

He staggered inside the secret chamber, stared—and his scalp went numb.

Inside the secret chamber, everything was in chaos.

The altar had been overturned, incense ash scattered across the floor.

The candles were extinguished, the iron bowl overturned.

Zhang Quan's hands trembled as he frantically searched the ground—but no matter how hard he looked, he could not find it.

The corpse-controlling bell was gone…

Zhang Quan looked up again.

The ancestral portrait was gone too…

Zhang Quan, enraged, his qi and blood surging into his heart, screamed hoarsely:

"Where is my Corpse-Control Bell?!"

"Where is my Laozu?!!"

(End of Chapter)