Chapter 450

Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi, having heard Mo Hua's words and witnessed the miners' hardships, both frowned and fell silent.

The atmosphere grew heavy for a moment.

Mo Hua thought for a while, then suddenly pointed northward and said:

"Let's go to that forest first."

Bai Zisheng exclaimed in surprise: "Why go to the forest?"

Mo Hua said: "Aren't you craving wild boar meat? There's one there—let's catch it and cook it for you."

Bai Zisheng froze, then burst into joy, unable to resist patting Mo Hua on the shoulder:

"You're truly my good younger brother!"

Bai Zi Xi also gave a faint smile.

The three of them went into the forest and caught a wild boar.

A late-stage first-grade wild boar was no match for the three of them.

After catching it, Mo Hua took the boar back and, following his mother's instructions, removed the gamey smell, washed away the blood, added spicy seasonings, and began stewing it.

The pork was tough and chewy, requiring a long cooking time.

It took a full day before the aroma finally spread.

Mo Hua sliced it, placed it on plates, and carried it to Yan Jiaxi and Mr. Zhuang for drinking.

Yan Jiaxi was also temporarily residing in the cave dwelling.

In his spare time, he would visit Mr. Zhuang.

The two sat in the courtyard, feeling the breeze, drinking wine, eating meat, and chatting about the past of the Little Hidden Sect and the rise and fall of the Great Hidden Sect behind it.

Yan Jiaxi praised the wild boar meat endlessly.

He never imagined Mo Hua not only excelled in array formation but also cooked with considerable skill.

Mr. Zhuang took a bite and nodded slightly.

The flavor was slightly inferior to what he'd eaten in Xiancheng, but it warmed his heart.

After all, it was made by his little disciple, for him.

Beneath the large tree in the courtyard, Mo Hua and the other two sat side by side.

Bai Zisheng feasted heartily, as if determined to eat the entire boar.

Bai Zi Xi ate delicately, her movements calm, graceful, and elegant.

Mo Hua ate a few bites and nodded in satisfaction.

The weather was hot, but the shade beneath the tree was cool.

A gentle breeze brushed through the leaves, stirring the dappled shadows.

Mo Hua suddenly felt that days like these weren't so bad…

He had his master, his senior brother, his senior sister.

And even a friend like Yan Jiaxi visiting.

Yet he wondered how long such days could last…

…

After eating and drinking their fill, Mo Hua began attending to his true business.

He intended to deduce the Ling Shu array patterns, comprehend the Ling Shu array, and use this twelve-pattern first-grade array to hone his spiritual sense, pushing it further toward the thirteen-pattern realm.

Thirteen patterns marked the spiritual sense limit of Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivators.

Mo Hua could thus take a crucial step toward Foundation Establishment.

The Ling Shu array required deduction.

The first thing to study was Zhang Quan's Corpse-Control Bell.

The Corpse-Control Bell was a dark-art artifact, appearing seamless on the outside, with its array hidden within.

Mo Hua had little knowledge of artifact forging and had no idea how to disassemble it.

Eventually, Bai Zi Xi consulted several Daoist texts and uncovered the disassembly method.

Disassembling the Corpse-Control Bell was complicated, requiring deep expertise in artifact forging and specialized techniques.

Bai Zi Xi patiently explained to Mo Hua, but he listened in confusion.

Aside from array formation, Mo Hua was largely unskilled in other Daoist arts, far inferior to Bai Zi Xi.

Thus, only Bai Zi Xi could disassemble the Corpse-Control Bell.

Bai Zi Xi retrieved from somewhere a small forging furnace, exquisitely crafted and made of expensive material, its flame condensed like mercury.

Then she took out a set of forging tools from her storage pouch.

Gold shears, silver tweezers, jade needles, and more.

Mo Hua had never seen these forging tools before.

He'd only seen the big hammer…

The massive iron hammer Chen the Craftsman swung when forging.

Bai Zi Xi explained to Mo Hua:

"Different spiritual artifacts require different forging tools; swords, spears, and halberds generally use hammers; rings, pendants, and bells require finer tools."

"Mm-hmm."

Mo Hua looked awestruck, nodding repeatedly.

Then Bai Zi Xi began demonstrating to Mo Hua how to disassemble the Corpse-Control Bell.

She first placed the bell atop the furnace flame, heated it to the right temperature, then removed it and, with her delicate jade hands, used gold shears, silver tweezers, or jade needles to slowly separate the inner and outer layers.

Bai Zi Xi performed the task with effortless ease.

Mo Hua watched, still utterly confused.

He lifted his head, about to ask something, when he saw Bai Zi Xi's eyes like autumn water, focused intently, occasionally blinking, his long eyelashes fluttering slightly.

Mo Hua stared, entranced, and forgot what he had meant to say.

After a while, Bai Zi Xi took apart the Corpse-Control Bell, raised his gaze to Mo Hua, and said softly:

"Understood?"

Mo Hua felt a pang of guilt and averted his eyes:

"Understood…"

Bai Zi Xi nodded, satisfied.

The Corpse-Control Bell had been taken apart by Bai Zi Xi.

Mo Hua gathered his thoughts, calmed his mind, and began studying the array inscribed on the bell.

But soon, Mo Hua frowned.

The array on the Corpse-Control Bell was not a Supreme Array…

It was an array based on the Five Elements' Water system, transforming water into blood, forged from human blood to control Iron Corpses.

Not the Spirit-Pivot Supreme Array, which Mo Hua had previously assumed emphasized spiritual power control.

Mo Hua was deeply disappointed.

"Wrong?" Bai Zi Xi asked.

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded.

Bai Zi Xi suggested, "Would you like to see other arrays from the Corpse Village?"

"Yes."

So Bai Zi Xi opened his storage bag and had Bai Zisheng help him lay out all the array-related objects looted from the Corpse Village—large and small—on the courtyard ground.

Mo Hua exhaled in relief.

Good thing he had prepared in advance.

The complete Spirit-Pivot Supreme Array wasn't in the Corpse-Control Bell—it must be somewhere in the Corpse Village.

Now that he had brought every array object from the Corpse Village, he refused to believe he couldn't find it.

So Mo Hua began searching one by one.

Arrays that were simple and obvious, he tossed back into the storage bag.

For objects with obscure arrays, Mo Hua memorized the array patterns.

For items with deeply hidden, obscure arrays, he marked them separately to dissect and study later.

Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi were helping too.

Their spiritual senses weren't strong enough to learn Supreme Arrays, but they could still tell them apart.

Thus, they searched all day.

Still, they found nothing.

Mo Hua acquired some rare, obscure arrays—but none were Supreme Arrays.

"Strange…"

Mo Hua frowned.

"Could this array not be in the Corpse Village at all?" Bai Zisheng asked.

Mo Hua thought, then shook his head. "Unlikely…"

Arrays must be used somewhere.

The Spirit-Pivot Array on the Corpse Corpses was incomplete; it's impossible for the Corpses to bear an array matching the Corpse-Control method without the same array being used to empower them.

"Did we miss something?"

Mo Hua muttered.

"Didn't you loot everything from the Corpse Village that had even a trace of array?" Bai Zisheng asked, puzzled. "What could we have missed?"

What could we have missed?

Mo Hua replayed his encounter with Zhang Quan in his mind once more.

Hundred Flowers Pavilion, Earth-Digging Technique, Corpse-Blood Pill, Corpse-Nourishing Coffin, Corpse Corpses, Iron Corpses, Corpse-Control Bell, Corpse Village, Zhang Family Ancestor…

After thinking several times, Mo Hua suddenly froze:

"Iron Corpses!"

Bai Zisheng frowned. "Iron Corpses?"

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded quickly.

"The Corpse Corpses bear the Spirit-Pivot Array—so the Iron Corpses must bear it too…"

"I assumed both Corpse Corpses and Iron Corpses were controlled by the Corpse-Control Bell."

"So their array patterns should be identical, differing only in array strength."

"But the Corpse-Control Bell has no Spirit-Pivot Array—so the controlling array is likely painted directly onto the Iron Corpses!"

"Zhang Quan used the Corpse-Control Bell to control the Iron Corpses, then used the Spirit-Pivot Array on the Iron Corpses to radiate outward and control more Corpse Corpses!"

Bai Zi Xi's eyes widened in surprise.

Bai Zisheng's mouth dropped open. "How did you figure that out?"

Mo Hua said, "Array principles are interconnected—study enough arrays, and you'll naturally think of it."

Bai Zisheng pondered. "Very likely."

"Where's the Iron Corpse?" Mo Hua asked.

"At Dao Ting Si."

Mo Hua immediately stood up and said, "We shouldn't delay—let's go find Sister Situ and get a Iron Corpse."

Mo Hua and the other two went to find Situ Fang.

Situ Fang exclaimed in surprise, "What do you want an Iron Corpse for?"

Mo Hua said, "To study it."

Situ Fang was baffled.

Is this even something you can study…

Study what?

It can't possibly be about corpse-alchemy.

Mo Hua then said, "It's related to arrays."

Situ Fang paused, understanding a little, but still frowned and said, "It's dangerous."

"It's fine," Mo Hua assured her. "I'm an array master—I'll draw more arrays to guarantee that even if it goes out of control, it won't cause trouble."

He added, "After I finish studying it, I'll return it."

Situ Fang hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said:

"Fine, but be discreet—don't let anyone know."

Mo Hua smiled. "Thank you, Sister Situ!"

His smile was clear and sincere.

Situ Fang shook her head helplessly—she simply couldn't deal with Mo Hua.

Within the Corpse Village, there were five Iron Corpses altogether.

Situ Fang gave Mo Hua one.

The Iron Corpse was stored in a coffin, and the coffin required a cart to transport.

After much pleading and coaxing, Mo Hua finally persuaded Bai Bai for a long time, secretly hauling the coffin containing the Iron Corpse out of Dao Ting Si and bringing it back to his cave dwelling.

It was the same room as before.

Mo Hua reinforced the arrays once more.

Since he was imprisoning an Iron Corpse, he had to be more cautious—this time, every array he used was at least a Grade-One Compound Array.

The arrays spread like a spiderweb, covering every corner of the room.

After everything was ready, Mo Hua prepared to open the coffin.

(End of Chapter)