496 Chapter 481 Necroscience_2 ``` "Ah—" Lu Ming's shout was abruptly cut off as he quickly covered his mouth with both hands. The cry came to an abrupt halt and was not discovered by other Corpse cultivators. Mo Hua picked up the teapot on the table, poured herself a cup of tea, sniffed it, found that it was of poor quality but devoid of blood or fishy smell, just regular tea, so she took a sip, smacked her lips, and then asked Lu Ming, "What are you blaming me for?" The voice was crisp and familiar. Lu Ming, with his nerves somewhat settled, looked closely and recognized that it was Mo Hua, then slowly relaxed. It was a person, a "familiar face", not a ghost, nor a corpse. Lu Ming leaned back against the wall, gasping for breath. Seeing Mo Hua, Lu Ming was somewhat surprised, but not entirely unexpected. He had seen Mo Hua before in the Corpse Mine. Any Formation Master who had real talent and skill would be wooed by the Lu Family. Mo Hua was no exception. But he still hadn't anticipated that Mo Hua's status could be so high, to the point of being able to enter the Corpse Mine, not be required to engage in Corpse Refinement, be treated extremely well, and even be able to chat and laugh freely with the Lu Family Head. Even many Elders of the Lu Family did not enjoy such treatment. What he didn't understand was why Mo Hua would sneak into his room unnoticed. Lu Ming wanted to ask, but didn't dare. A Cultivator who was favored and well-treated by the Family Head, no matter how young, was not someone he, once a mere disciple of the Lu Family and now a small Corpse cultivator in the Corpse Mine, could question. He also didn't dare not to answer the questions Mo Hua asked him. Lu Ming hesitated, then murmured, "If it weren't for you... I wouldn't have been... sent in here..." Mo Hua took another sip of tea, nodded, and understood. Back in the mines, Lu Ming had told her some affairs of the Lu Family. Even though he later reported this matter to the Lu Family Head, his actions were still considered loose-lipped. Thus, he was punished and sent to the Corpse Mine to become a Corpse cultivator. Lu Ming wasn't too bad as a person, but not too good either. He probably couldn't accept something like Corpse Refinement, but he had no choice but to accept it due to his circumstances. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺 So, he went about his days with a numb expression, like a Walking Corpse, only daring to vent some of his emotions when alone at night. Mo Hua thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, "How is your Corpse Refinement coming along?" Lu Ming was taken aback, not knowing why Mo Hua would ask such a question, but still reluctantly answered, "Average..." "Have you refined a corpse yet?" "Not yet... I've only followed other Corpse cultivators, learning some of the knowledge of Corpse Refinement..." Mo Hua's eyes lit up slightly, "How well have you learned?" "Alright..." Lu Ming said evasively. Mo Hua took out a small piece of paper, coughed, and said seriously, "Then I shall test you." Lu Ming was startled, "Why?" Mo Hua frowned, "I'm testing you to see if you have the desire to improve. If you learn well, I will speak well of you to the Family Head, and maybe get you promoted in the future." Mo Hua bluffed casually. Lu Ming was somewhat baffled by the trickery, but still asked, "Why?" Mo Hua clicked her tongue, "We have met once before, and it's because of me that you entered the mine and became a Corpse cultivator..." "I wouldn't care if I didn't know, but now that I do, I naturally want to find a way to give you some benefits, to compensate you." "Oh..." Lu Ming found it logical, yet it also seemed... illogical. A fleeting acquaintance, speaking well of him for no reason? Lu Ming was still somewhat puzzled. He wanted to ask "Why" again, but before he could, Mo Hua interrupted him. Mo Hua, with a stern face, said imperiously, "You answer when I ask, no need for so much idle talk!" Lu Ming, intimidated by Mo Hua's demeanor, felt a bit guilty and slowly nodded. Mo Hua then began reading from the small piece of paper. The paper listed some Corpse Refinement "knowledge" he hadn't understood, such as: "How are the grades of Zombies classified?" "What is the relationship between grade and rank?" "What types of Zombies are there, and what abilities do they possess?" And so on... Lu Ming, not understanding why, answered honestly, "The grade of Zombies is divided into both grade and rank." "'Grade' refers to First, Second, Third, Fourth Grade, equivalent to Cultivators at the levels of Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core..." ``` "'Rank' is the hierarchy of zombies, which is divided into 'Golden', 'Silver', 'Bronze', 'Iron', and the lowest, the Walking Corpse..." "There is a distinction between the grade and rank of zombies, they are related, yet independent of each other." "Like with Monster Beasts and other categories, a zombie's strength is based on its 'grade'." "First Grade Walking Corpse, Second Grade Walking Corpse, Third Grade Walking Corpse... each possesses strength corresponding to the initial stages of major boundaries." "Above the Walking Corpse is the Iron Corpse, and with each rank ascended, there is a qualitative change in the zombie's abilities." "Their flesh becomes harder, their Corpse Poison more potent, and they even possess some special Corpse Path abilities..." Mo Hua was still somewhat confused and didn't understand very well, so he asked seriously, "Give me an example to simply explain the relationship between a zombie's grade and rank." Lu Ming felt as if he was being quizzed by an Instructor. His heart tightened, and after pondering for a long time, he finally spoke, "A zombie's hierarchy is based on 'grade' as the foundation and 'rank' as the level..." "A First Grade zombie generally only has two ranks, Walking Corpse and Iron Corpse..." "A First Grade Walking Corpse is just a basic Qi Refining zombie." "A First Grade Iron Corpse, in terms of Cultivation, should be comparable to the peak of the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, but with its copper head and iron arms, it can match some Cultivators at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment." "Second Grade zombies start at least as Walking Corpses, typically are refined into Iron Corpses, but at most can become Copper Corpses..." "A Second Grade Walking Corpse has strength comparable to a First Grade Iron Corpse. However, due to their rotting flesh, they are at a disadvantage in actual combat." "A Second Grade Iron Corpse is quite powerful, equivalent to the middle phase of Foundation Establishment, and can easily defeat First Grade Iron Corpses from the initial phase of Foundation Establishment." "And a Second Grade Copper Corpse, with its thick Corpse Qi and body as sturdy as bronze and iron, is equivalent to the late stage of Foundation Establishment and is very strong." Mo Hua suddenly understood. He had previously thought that all Iron Corpses were the same, all possessing Foundation Establishment strength. But Iron Corpses are also divided by grade. A First Grade Iron Corpse is only comparable to Foundation Establishment. A Second Grade Iron Corpse is at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, stronger than the strength of Cultivators at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment. Seen this way, the Iron Corpses in the Corpse Mine cannot be generalized. The two tall Iron Corpses guarding the door must be Second Grade Iron Corpses. The rest of the Iron Corpses are a mix of First and Second Grade. The overall strength of the zombies under Lu Chengyun's command is much stronger than Mo Hua had imagined... Mo Hua frowned. He glanced at Lu Ming, then said, "Continue." Lu Ming nodded, "Furthermore, there's Third Grade, but we haven't been able to refine them, so the records aren't very detailed..." "Third Grade zombies start at Walking Corpse at a minimum, but at most can be refined into Golden Corpses." "Above Fourth Grade, the minimum is still Walking Corpse, and it's said it might even be possible to refine a real Celestial God Zombie..." ... Lu Ming explained in detail to Mo Hua. Mo Hua roughly understood. All zombies are based on 'grade'." The zombies that are refined all start at Walking Corpse, but their limits differ. The higher the 'grade,' the higher the 'rank' limit becomes." For First Grade, the limit is Iron Corpse, Second Grade limit is Copper Corpse, and Third Grade limit is Golden Corpse... The Corpse Refinement methods in the Corpse Mine, derived from the Zhang Family and passed down for hundreds of years, should be more or less accurate even if there were some discrepancies. So, what kind of corpse lies within that bronze coffin? A Copper Corpse, comparable to the late stage of Foundation Establishment? Foundation Establishment middle phase is one thing, but a zombie of the late Foundation Establishment phase, even if refined, couldn't be controlled by Lu Chengyun. This does not quite fit with Mo Hua's previous speculation. "Are there any special kinds of zombies?" Mo Hua asked again. Mo Hua remembered that both "Origin and Flow of the Corpse Gate" and "Corpse Classification Theory" mentioned some specially functioning zombies, which although categorized by 'grade,' do not fall within the usual 'rank' categories. "There are." Lu Ming nodded seriously, "There are some special zombies with unique functions, their use is specific, and their strength is not ranked by 'Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron'." "For example, a Puppet Corpse is essentially a flesh and blood puppet, not human, not considered a corpse, but a puppet made of materials similar to wood or stone." "There are also companion corpses..." "Turning people into human puppets, retaining the appearance, skin, and figure, soaked in the Spirit Water of Flowers and Plants, with no foul smell, skin cold yet tender as if alive." "Many Cultivators would pay a high price for them." "And there are also burial figurine corpses..." "Killing a person and refining them into a burial figurine zombie." "These types of zombies are typically used for accompanying burials." "Not only the Demon Path, but in the past the Righteous Dao also made use of them." "Thousands of years ago, some Sect Leaders or Supreme Elders from the Great Sects or Clans would 'grant death' to some close Cultivators upon their own death, refining them into burial figurine corpses for the purpose of accompaniment." "However, such acts are not very humane and have been gradually phased out by the Taoist Court over the past thousands of years..." ... Mo Hua listened with a frown. Human puppet-like companion corpses? Burial figurine corpses used for accompanying burials? When Cultivators become twisted, they truly become horrifying...