Chapter 856: Blood Corpse

Mo Hua feigned being controlled by the pupil technique, rolling on the ground several times, rubbing his eyes red, struggling weakly, then slumping sideways as if fainting.

His acting was slightly overdone.

Xiao Diansi was slightly suspicious.

Mo Hua's reaction to the pupil technique was odd, almost delayed…

But he did not doubt for long.

Because so far, no one had resisted his Blood Prison pupil technique.

Gu Changhuai of the Gu family and Xia Diansi of the Xia family—both Jin Dan—could not resist it, let alone a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Perhaps this boy's talent was extraordinary, his spiritual sense unusually unique, hence his reaction to the pupil technique differed from others'.

He was already a strange little brat.

After being affected by the pupil technique, some odd reactions seemed perfectly normal.

Because he had always been strange, Xiao Diansi now found nothing strange about it.

He stepped forward, checked Mo Hua's breath—still present—but his spiritual sense was utterly suppressed, nearly undetectable; clearly, his spirit sea had suffered serious damage.

Only then did Xiao Diansi nod, pulled out the Dao Ting Si's Spirit-Binding Chains, bound Mo Hua, and tossed him to Shui Yanluo.

"Watch him closely."

Shui Yanluo's face darkened: "Aren't you going to kill him?"

Xiao Diansi sneered, "Kill him? Use your head. This brat's useful—I've got big plans for him."

Shui Yanluo dared not defy him, nodding: "Yes."

At this moment, the jade pendants on Gu Changhuai and Xia Diansi's chests glowed with a soft luster, dispelling the malevolent aura.

Both barely recovered from the shock of the Blood Prison pupil technique.

Xiao Diansi was slightly surprised, but remembered they were both from noble families, protected by spiritual artifacts—nothing unusual.

"Mo Hua!"

Xia Diansi saw Mo Hua, bound by Spirit-Binding Chains, unconscious and dazed in Xiao Diansi's grasp, his expression solemn.

Gu Changhuai's gaze turned grim, fixed on Xiao Diansi, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.

"Xiao Zhenhai, release Mo Hua," Gu Changhuai said coldly.

Xiao Diansi chuckled lightly, "I went through hell to capture this young master—why would I let him go so easily?"

Xia Diansi also said coldly, "Xiao Diansi, didn't you say we'd join forces? Is this your idea of 'joining forces'?"

Xiao Diansi shook his head. "Joining forces with you two is genuine. But I've always been cautious—I won't work with anyone without leverage. Besides, this brat is slippery, unpredictable. Letting him roam free unsettles me. Now it's settled…"

Xiao Diansi gripped Mo Hua's collar and tugged him up. "This brat is in my hands, bound by my chains—I have leverage, and now I'm at ease…"

Xia Diansi frowned. "What do you intend?"

"Give me the Fishbone Token," Xiao Diansi said.

Xia Diansi's eyelid twitched. "If I give it to you, you'll release Mo Hua?"

Xiao Diansi laughed bitterly. "Impossible. I already said—I went through great trouble to capture him. I can only promise: if you hand me the token, I won't harm him. Otherwise…"

Xiao Diansi's pale, icy hand clamped around Mo Hua's throat, his face twisted in a cold sneer.

Xia Diansi hesitated long, but ultimately feared for Mo Hua's safety—he sighed. "Fine. I'll give you the token."

Xiao Diansi's expression brightened, promising: "Rest assured, Xia Diansi—I like this young brother too. As long as you hand me the token, I won't touch him."

He added with a faint smile: "Originally, whether the token was in your hands or mine, it made no difference. But I'm no longer what I was—I'm no longer a Diansi. After leaving the Long Wang Temple, I'm likely a wanted criminal of the Dao Ting Si. I must be cautious…"

Xia Diansi's gaze darkened, pulled out the Fishbone Token, and threw it to Xiao Diansi.

Xiao Diansi nodded. "Perfect. Let's put aside these minor grievances. Please leave this gloomy Bone Land as soon as possible."

He had no real intention of breaking ties—he merely sought a means to control Gu Changhuai and the other.

This Bone Land was strange; no one knew what dangers lay ahead. More people meant more help.

But now his identity was exposed; without leverage to threaten Gu Changhuai and the others, he'd face retaliation.

Xia Diansi was unpredictable, but Gu Changhuai was a man who loathed evil—if given the chance, he'd spare no effort to kill him.

Xiao Diansi had worked with Gu Changhuai for years—he knew his nature, his methods. Even though he'd dominated him on this journey, he never truly underestimated him.

"Let's go," Xiao Diansi said.

Gu Changhuai and Xia Diansi could only nod.

Ouyang Feng and Hua Qianqian wanted to rescue Mo Hua but were powerless—now they could only sigh helplessly.

Xiao Diansi turned back, glanced at the unconscious Mo Hua, and ordered Shui Yanluo:

"Carry him."

Shui Yanluo's face turned as if he'd swallowed a fly.

But in the end, he obediently slung Mo Hua onto his back—though his movements were rough.

Xiao Diansi frowned. "Be careful. If you harm this young master, I'll hold you accountable."

Shui Yanluo's face twitched. "Yes…"

Thus, the group temporarily ceased hostilities and resumed their journey.

But now, the initiative lay entirely in Xiao Diansi's hands.

Xiao Diansi led the way; Shui Yanluo carried Mo Hua behind him.

With Mo Hua as "leverage," Gu Changhuai and the others followed, but dared not move rashly.

Xiao Tianquan kept his distance from Xiao Diansi and walked beside Xia Diansi.

The group proceeded along the bone corridor.

The corridor was a vast expanse of bleached bones, branching endlessly like a labyrinth, directionless.

With no guide, they could only rely on luck—wherever they ended up, that was where they went.

The further they walked, the more they drifted away, yet instead of escaping the maze, they sank deeper into its tangled paths.

The surrounding bones grew thicker, their joints more grotesque, and the atmosphere increasingly oppressive.

Even between the bones, fresh bloodstains had begun to appear.

Xiao Diansi stopped walking and frowned.

Only then did he realize he had underestimated this maze.

The maze's scope was larger than he thought, and its terrain far more convoluted than he had assumed.

And these bone walls…

Xiao Diansi drew his sword and slashed at one of the bone walls.

Where the sword qi struck, the bone wall cracked, leaving behind a fine, fragmented scar.

But Xiao Diansi's frown deepened.

Though the bone walls could be broken, they required extraordinary effort.

Moreover, the bone walls in this maze stood in endless rows—how many there were, no one knew. Trying to force a path with brute strength would likely exhaust them before they ever escaped.

And wandering aimlessly like a fly trapped in a bottle was no solution either.

Xiao Diansi was no foolishly stubborn man; seeing the situation was hopeless, he turned to Gu Changhuai and the other two and asked:

"Do either of you have any means of finding the way?"

Gu Changhuai hesitated a moment, then said nothing, pulling out a south-pointing compass. Xia Diansi withdrew a suspended magnetic needle.

Both were spirit tools designed for navigation.

Yet when activated, the compass spun erratically and the needle wavered—clearly, all navigation spirit tools had failed within the maze.

Gu Changhuai frowned and said: "With navigation tools useless, we can only rely on memory—step by step, as we go."

Xiao Diansi said nothing more.

The group continued forward.

But the further they went, the heavier the crimson hue around them, the stronger the stench of blood, and the more pervasive the malevolent qi spreading through the maze.

Everyone's expressions turned grim.

Just then, Xiao Diansi halted again, his body surging with murderous qi, as if drawn by some unseen force. He said solemnly:

"Everyone, be careful."

No sooner had he spoken than the surrounding bones trembled.

One by one, blood-red corpses—flesh rotted, faces unrecognizable—emerged from nowhere, crawling forth.

"What… are these?"

Everyone paled.

Xiao Diansi frowned, drew his long sword, and prepared his sword qi.

Gu Changhuai pulled out his feather fan, Xia Diansi gripped her ice blade horizontally, and the others all retrieved their spirit tools.

Then the blood corpses shrieked, blood qi spreading thickly—the battle was about to erupt.

The shambling blood corpses, limbs twisted, surged through the forest of bones, lunging straight at the group.

Sword qi crisscrossed, wind blades swept, spirit needles and tools flew through the air.

Before the blood corpses could reach them, their arms and legs were severed, and they crashed to the ground—but moments later, they reattached themselves using the grotesque blood seeping from the ground and charged forward again.

The blood on their bodies reeked foully and corroded spiritual qi.

The group could only fight while retreating.

Some of the blood corpses still bore fragments of monk robes.

Shui Yanluo, seeing this, felt a chill run through him: "They're the temple guardians…"

All the temple guardians, except those killed outside the Yecha Hall or devoured by the "Mr. Wu," had been discarded beneath this blood pool, within the bone maze, and transformed into these neither-man-nor-ghost "blood corpses."

The blood corpses kept multiplying. Though their combat power was pitiful—one sword could sever an arm or decapitate them—they refused to die, and carried corrupting blood.

This couldn't go on…

Xiao Diansi's expression turned grim: "Fall back."

With the situation as it was, no one hesitated. They used spirit tools and cast spells to cut down the charging blood corpses while retreating in unison.

And the blood corpses' pursuit seemed limited in range.

Once they fell far enough behind, most ceased chasing—only a few, whose blood qi remained violently uncontrollable, kept pursuing the group.

The group fought as they retreated, finally reaching a secluded spot where no more blood corpses followed. They breathed a slight sigh of relief, though exhaustion from prolonged combat was inevitable.

Along this path, they had first hunted the monster that was Mr. Wu, then endured repeated internal battles, with no time to rest, and now faced this tidal wave of blood corpses.

Even with a Jin Dan foundation, such depletion was unsustainable.

Especially Xia Diansi.

She cultivated ice-based arts and Dao methods, relying on swift mobility and quick strikes—direct, prolonged combat put her at a disadvantage.

Added to that, she had previously been struck by Xiao Diansi's Blood Prison Eye Technique; murderous qi had invaded her brain, startling her soul. Now, after this grueling battle, her face was pale and her breath unsteady.

Xiao Tianquan had remained beside her the whole time. Seeing this, he asked:

"Xia Diansi, are you alright?"

Xia Diansi was about to reply when suddenly, a sharp pain pierced her mind-sea—as if vengeful spirits wailed and hungry ghosts demanded her life.

She had held on by sheer will until now, but she could no longer bear it. Her face turned deathly white, her body swayed, and she lost her balance.

Xiao Tianquan reached out to support her.

But halfway, a shadow flickered before his eyes—Gu Changhuai had already moved ahead and caught Xia Diansi's arm.

Xiao Tianquan froze.

Gu Changhuai's own face, for an instant, showed a flicker of bewilderment.

He instinctively supported Xia Diansi, even himself not realizing why he did it.

Perhaps out of kinship as fellow Gu Diansi.

Or perhaps because seeing Xiao Tianquan nearly approach Xia Diansi triggered an inexplicable pang of jealousy.

But since he had already held him, he didn't let go.

Xia Diansi's spiritual sea throbbed with pain, his stance unsteady; he felt a man suddenly support him and instinctively pushed away a few times.

Yet this aura felt strangely familiar.

Not so unpleasant…

Xia Diansi came to his senses, slowly opening his eyes to find Gu Changhuai standing beside him—he froze, forgetting to push away.

Gu Changhuai saw her haggard expression and turned to Xiao Dian: "Find a place to rest for now."

Xiao Dian, too, was running low on spiritual energy, and nodded: "Alright."

Thus, the group selected a relatively safe and defensible bone alley within the labyrinth for temporary rest.

Gu Changhuai supported Xia Diansi as they walked into the alley.

Xiao Tianquan's expression remained calm as he passed them, but when he glanced at the backs of Gu Changhuai and Xia Diansi, a flicker of envy darkened his gaze.

As if something of his own had been tainted by another…

All of this was seen by Xiao Dian, who merely gave a cold smile and said nothing.

The bone alley was shaped like the character "工," with two dead ends.

Xiao Dian's group and Gu Changhuai's group each occupied one end, mutually wary.

But there were exceptions.

Xiao Tianquan, of the same clan as Xiao Dian, now stood with Gu Changhuai.

Mo Hua, who should have been allied with Gu Changhuai, was now "held captive" alongside Xiao Dian and Shui Yanluo.

Mo Hua was still "unconscious."

Even as the group fought the blood corpses in relentless combat, he did not awaken.

This made Xiao Dian's pupil technique seem all the more formidable.

It also made his own injuries appear severe.

Xiao Dian was a Jin Dan cultivator; Mo Hua was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Logically, being struck by a Jin Dan-level pupil technique and remaining unconscious this long was perfectly reasonable.

Thus, while the others were exhausted from battling the blood corpses, Mo Hua comfortably slacked off.

Mo Hua had no real injuries.

Yet he could not deny to himself that this smiling tiger's Blood Prison pupil technique was indeed powerful.

It even made him feel a strong sense of oppression.

But this oppression was not strong enough.

To Mo Hua, it felt less threatening than the giant white dog guarding the Grand Void Gate's patriarch.

Mo Hua began to doubt inwardly.

Only now did he realize he had likely overestimated Xiao Dian's pupil technique—and underestimated that giant white dog of the Grand Void Gate.

That dog might not be an ordinary dog at all.

Xiao Dian was less than a dog.

And since he had bested that dog, it meant… his own pupil technique was likely no weaker than Xiao Dian's.

Mo Hua's heart steadied; he felt more confident about what lay ahead.

But these were merely his own estimates—only actual combat would reveal the true situation.

Mo Hua closed his eyes, calculating silently in his mind.

Shui Yanluo stared at Mo Hua's handsome face, growing angrier with each glance, and said to Xiao Dian: "Big brother, this brat is faking unconsciousness."

Xiao Dian ignored him entirely.

Shui Yanluo's icy hand reached for Mo Hua's throat, intending to wake him and humiliate him to vent his rage.

He had suffered repeated defeats at Mo Hua's hands and hated him with a fury bordering on madness.

But before he could act, Xiao Dian's cold gaze turned upon him: "Don't touch him."

Shui Yanluo frowned: "Big brother…"

"I said, this boy is still useful. Don't lay a finger on him until we leave the Long Wang Temple. Don't make me repeat myself," Xiao Dian said coldly.

Shui Yanluo could only mutter reluctantly: "Yes…"

Xiao Dian fell silent for a moment, then pulled the Water Prison Forbidden Casket from his storage pouch and tossed it to Shui Yanluo.

Shui Yanluo froze, then beamed with joy.

Xiao Dian said: "You've already reached the fourth level of that technique. That's enough. For the next two days, do nothing else—nourish this casket with your essence blood and find a way to open it…"

Open the forbidden casket?!

Mo Hua, still pretending to be unconscious, felt his heart thump hard inside.

Could Xiao Dian actually know how to open the Water Prison Forbidden Casket?

Even Yu Canghai, the elder of the Water Prison Sect, didn't know…

Mo Hua seethed inwardly.

This Xiao Dian knew Water Shadow Step, Water Prison techniques, Blood Prison pupil technique, and now the method to open the Water Prison Forbidden Casket.

He seemed more like the last heir of the Water Prison Sect than Yu Canghai himself…

And to open the Water Prison Forbidden Casket…

Xiao Dian's sudden words stirred Mo Hua's emotions; moments later, he seemed to realize something and quickly held his breath, forcing himself back into unconsciousness.

But it was too late—his fleeting emotional fluctuation had already been sensed by Xiao Dian.

Xiao Diansi suddenly turned his head, his eyes narrowing as he silently stared at Mo Hua's face.

Mo Hua, feeling embarrassed under his gaze, decided since they were both smart men, continuing the act was impolite—he murmured softly, opened his eyes with a haggard expression, his gaze blurred, as if just awakening.

Xiao Diansi's eyelid twitched, his tone indifferent: "Young man, you're awake?"

Mo Hua frowned, feigning confusion and pain: "Xiao Diansi… where are we…?"

Xiao Diansi's face remained expressionless: "When did you wake up?"

Hearing him ask that, Mo Hua stopped pretending—it wasn't worth wasting his acting.

Acting was tiring too.

Mo Hua said: "I just woke up a moment ago…"

"Then that means," Xiao Diansi's expression darkened, "you heard everything I just said?"

"Heard what?" Mo Hua looked utterly bewildered.

Water Yama immediately wanted to choke Mo Hua, snarling:

"Big Brother, this brat is treacherous beyond measure—keeping him alive is a dire threat. Let's strangle him now!"

Xiao Diansi coldly said: "I told you, don't touch him!"

Mo Hua nodded vigorously, agreeing:

"Exactly, exactly—my body is weak. If you use even a little force, I might die, and then I can't be used as a hostage anymore."

Water Yama was furious, teeth grinding.

Xiao Diansi's gaze grew deep as he studied Mo Hua, his thoughts churning.

He truly couldn't kill Mo Hua now.

This Bone Labyrinth was brimming with peril; alone as a Jin Dan, he wasn't certain he could escape—he needed the strength of Gu Changhuai and Xia Diansi.

And if he killed Mo Hua, it would mean completely burning the bridges.

Both sides would be locked in mortal enmity, and in the end, all would die in this land of bones.

This brat clearly understood the stakes, which was why he remained so composed.

But…

Xiao Diansi's gaze sharpened: "My Eye Technique… seems to have no effect on you, Young Master?"

"How could it have no effect?" Mo Hua clearly disagreed: "Xiao Diansi's Eye Technique is incredibly powerful—far beyond Water Yama's. I only looked once and passed out for half a day…"

"Then why are you perfectly fine now?" Xiao Diansi frowned.

Logically, even if you truly passed out for half a day and your soul was damaged, you should still bear significant aftereffects.

Mo Hua's mind shifted slightly, then he said: "One of my sect's elders taught me a meditation technique—it lets me cast aside distractions and calm my spirit."

But upon hearing this, Xiao Diansi's pupils contracted sharply.

"Meditation Technique?!"