Chapter 485: Stealing a

"Lu the Flayer" was guilty of countless crimes; he had chosen a fine son-in-law and appointed a fine family head, yet after his own death he could not rest in peace, and was refined into a zombie.

One could say it was just deserts, purely what he had coming to him…

Mo Hua thought to himself.

After Lu Chengyun finished cursing the Lu family's Laozu Sect, he sat off to one side meditating and regulating his breath.

Mo Hua had no way to sneak out, so he could only hide behind the altar and wait patiently; once Lu Chengyun went out, he would look for a chance to slip away himself.

But Lu Chengyun had been meditating for ages, and his divine sense still hadn't recovered…

Mo Hua was getting anxious on his behalf.

"Does recovering divine sense really take this long?"

A short meditation would do it for himself, but this Lu Chengyun, meditating like a turtle, had been sitting for half a day and his divine sense still hadn't recovered much — far too slow…

Could it be a problem with the meditation method?

Mo Hua frowned again as he thought.

He had learned the meditation method from Mr. Zhuang; sitting in meditation with an empty, clear mind was why his divine sense recovered so quickly.

Lu Chengyun didn't know how to meditate, was full of schemes, and had a filthy mind — was that why his divine sense recovered so slowly?

Was it Lu Chengyun being this slow, or did other formation masters also recover their divine sense this slowly?

Mo Hua had never really compared this before.

"Looks like the meditation method Master taught really is a good thing…"

Mo Hua felt grateful to Mr. Zhuang once more in his heart.

After regulating his breath a while longer, Lu Chengyun opened his eyes, seeming a bit restless and irritable.

Yet his divine sense had only recovered a small portion.

Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled.

"What is Lu Chengyun trying to do?"

His divine sense hadn't even fully recovered — how could he draw formations?

Contrary to Mo Hua's expectations, Lu Chengyun did not draw formations, but took out a painting from the storage bag he wore close to his body.

The painting was a bit wrinkled, bore fold marks, and still had footprints that hadn't been wiped clean.

Mo Hua recognized it at a glance.

Because the footprints on the painting were the ones he had stepped in.

This was Zhang Quan's ancestral master painting!

It was a painting of a zombie, and also a visualization painting!

The painting really was in Lu Chengyun's hands!

Zhang Quan, that "forgetting his ancestors" bastard, had actually given his own Laozu Sect away to someone else, causing Mo Hua a long search.

Mo Hua muttered inwardly, then quietly speculated again.

Zhang Quan treasured this ancestral master painting like a jewel; he probably wasn't willing to give it, only lend it.

There was likely some deal between him and Lu Chengyun.

And in that deal, Zhang Quan must have profited handsomely, otherwise he definitely wouldn't have lent the painting out.

This was a visualization painting — it could strengthen divine sense.

Zhang Quan might not know its use, but Lu Chengyun certainly did.

Mo Hua was then Sun Yi Leng again.

The use of a visualization painting was to strengthen divine sense…

But how exactly did one strengthen it?

He himself "ate" it directly, because if he didn't "eat" it, he would be "eaten"…

But other cultivators had no Dao stele in their consciousness sea, no divine-thought slaying, so they probably couldn't "eat" it.

If they couldn't "eat" it, how were they supposed to do it?

Wouldn't they be "eaten"?

Or rather, what was the orthodox way to use a visualization painting?

How did other cultivators use a visualization painting to strengthen their divine sense?

……

Mo Hua's head was suddenly full of questions, so he quietly poked his head out to observe Lu Chengyun, to see exactly how he did it so he could have a reference.

Outside the altar, within the Ten Thousand Corpse Formation.

Lu Chengyun first took out an incense burner and offered three sticks of incense.

Then, with great reverence, he unfolded the Zhang family's ancestral master painting, pressed his palms together in a bow, hung the painting up, and amid the curling incense smoke, sat cross-legged with an upright posture, gazing at the image, his spirit wandering free of all things, calming his mind to visualize.

The auras of man and painting gradually merged into one.

Lu Chengyun seemed to have fallen into a mysterious realm — something that could only be grasped intuitively, not put into words — a state of gradual enlightenment.

His divine sense was also gradually nourished, slowly recovering, slowly growing.

"Strange…"

Mo Hua frowned.

This painting really did seem to allow visualization, and after visualizing, it really could nourish divine sense.

This was different from his own experience…

Mo Hua thought back for a moment.

The first time, he saw the Mountain-Water Dao Child Painting; the Dao Child turned into a little ghost, burrowed into his consciousness sea, and tried to eat him.

The second time, he saw the Zhang family's ancestral master painting; the ancestor turned into a zombie, lunged into his Heavenly Court, and still tried to eat him…

He didn't even give himself a chance to visualize and comprehend…

Why?

Why is it that Lu Chengyun can properly burn incense, pay his respects, and use the visualization chart to strengthen his divine sense?

While he himself can only choose between "eat" and "be eaten"?

And there's another question:

This Lu Chengyun—when he visualizes this chart, didn't he notice that these sanctimonious ancestors and patriarchs of the Zhang family are actually all zombies?

Did he see it, but not care?

Or is it that he never saw through it at all, so he had no idea from the start?

In his eyes, this is simply a solemn, majestic, doctrine-explaining patriarch-teaching chart?

Something's fishy…

Mo Hua pondered carefully again:

The evil thoughts in the visualization chart want to "eat" him, but not "eat" Lu Chengyun…

Is it because he saw through their true nature?

Or because his innate divine sense is powerful, making him a great tonic?

Or is it simply bullying the weak and fearing the strong—seeing that he's young, they want to "eat" him?

Mo Hua furrowed his brow, feeling all three reasons might be at play…

Seeing through their true nature, a divine sense great tonic, and easy to bully.

Putting himself in their shoes, if he were one of these evil ghosts, he'd also pick a kid like himself to "eat"…

The kind get bullied by "ghosts."

Mo Hua sighed helplessly.

…

On the other side, Lu Chengyun was still single-mindedly comprehending the visualization chart, seemingly oblivious to anything outside it.

Mo Hua then thought: should he slip away now, or later?

But as he thought about it, he paused again.

The visualization chart is right before his eyes—why would he slip away?

Lu Chengyun carries this chart on his person.

If he doesn't find a way to snatch it this time, the next chance probably won't come until the Year of the Monkey and the Month of the Horse.

But how to snatch it?

Snatching it by force won't work.

He can't beat Lu Chengyun.

Stealing… probably won't work either.

Lu Chengyun is no fool, no block of wood.

His concealment art can fool him, but sneaking up to steal something off him would be a bit too disrespectful.

"What to do?"

Mo Hua thought and thought, but couldn't come up with a good plan, and in the end could only give up helplessly.

Suddenly, an idea flashed through Mo Hua's mind.

Can't snatch, can't steal… but he can "steal" a bite!

The chart is in Lu Chengyun's hands—he can't take it back for now—but collecting some interest, grabbing a few zombies for a snack, should be no problem.

Mo Hua peeked out his little head again.

His position was blocked by Lu Chengyun, so he couldn't see the full visualization chart, only part of it.

But Mo Hua was very familiar with this chart.

Even with just this part, he could roughly infer the scene depicted in the visualization chart.

A lofty pavilion, solemn and majestic.

The patriarch expounded the Dao, suffused with immortal air.

Disciples received his teachings and passed them down from mouth to mouth.

And Lu Chengyun looked utterly focused, as if from these teachings he had grasped profound mysteries, sensed the Great Dao, and silently comprehended, strengthening his divine sense.

But Mo Hua heard it clearly.

This wasn't any "sage teachings"—just some pompous, empty dogshit.

Casually spouting "Dao," "fate," "truth"…

Seeming profound upon profound, but in reality empty and formless, nothing at all.

Lu Chengyun was merely indulging himself.

But Mo Hua couldn't be bothered to care—the deeper Lu Chengyun was immersed, the better; best if he got brainwashed by the Zhang family's zombie ancestors and never came out for the rest of his life.

Mo Hua went about his own business.

His gaze swept quickly over the visualization chart, picking and choosing, and finally selected a Zhang family elder.

This elder sat in a corner; while the Zhang family patriarch preached the Dao and the other "people" all chanted in praise, he seemed a bit absent-minded, merely mumbling something half-heartedly to get by.

Even without him, it wouldn't draw any "people's" attention.

"You're the one!"

Mo Hua gazed at him with bright, eager eyes.

The elder was reciting his sutra when he suddenly froze, as if sensing something, and slowly turned his head; in his turbid gaze, he also saw Mo Hua.

Just as Mo Hua had expected, something was about to happen.

Under Mo Hua's gaze, the elder gradually revealed its true form.

Mo Hua's gaze was clear and bright, like sunlight, burning the elder's face, causing its skin to peel away and reveal the true form of a zombie.

The zombie elder was both furious and delighted.

It was furious that some little brat was so ungrateful as to dare gaze upon its true appearance.

It was delighted because this little brat's divine sense was so deep and rich — it would surely be delicious beyond compare!

A Qi-Refining little brat with a babyish face — wouldn't it be completely at its mercy?

The zombie elder's face drooled with greed, unable to restrain its hunger. It immediately leapt up, jumping out of the painting and plunging into Mo Hua's sea of consciousness.

It was overjoyed in its heart, expecting a feast of divine sense to lie before it.

Little did it know that what it was leaping toward was an abyss of no return…

Originally I was going to add extra chapters this month, but my condition really isn't great — I'm a bit tired, can't write too much, and the more I write the slower I get…

I'll try my best to adjust. This month is almost over, so I'll strive to add one or two extra chapters.

(End of this chapter)