"Are they using me to feed the picture, or using the picture to feed me?" Mo Hua licked his lips, and under the flickering candlelight, the Contemplation Map seemed to shiver. The coffin was icy cold, yet lying in it was quite comfortable. Mo Hua waited and waited inside... But after a long time, there was still no movement. Mo Hua frowned. What’s the matter? We had an agreement that I’d be the sacrifice, so why has no one come to "eat" me? Waiting a bit more, there was still no response from the coffin. "Is the coffin broken?" "Or did Lu Chengyun chant the wrong spell?" "Or perhaps, this Contemplation Map is picky, only accepting feedings from the Zhang Family’s disciples?" That’s not right either... A bunch of zombies, given something to eat, who would care who fed it to them? "So... could it be my problem?" Mo Hua was startled and then focused his senses, indeed noticing something unusual within the coffin. There was a voice inside the coffin. The voice was faint, drifting and ethereal, fluctuating between distant and near... Concentrating hard, Mo Hua made out that an old man was speaking, his voice intermittent, filled with allure: "You... have an exceptional skeleton..." "... a unique physique, your meridians conceal a top-grade Spiritual Root..." "We share a destiny, I will impart to you the Great Dao... and assist you in becoming an Immortal..." ... Mo Hua sneered. If one could truly become an Immortal, why wouldn’t you do it yourself instead of passing it to others? This voice was clearly that of Zhang Quan, the old ancestor of the Zhang Family. Mo Hua had heard it many times before. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚 He thought it over carefully and suddenly felt a light shock. Could this voice be the key to the sacrifice? You have to believe his words to be included in the sacrifice? Because my Divine Sense is profound, my Taoist Heart steadfast, and I don’t believe in its nonsense, it can’t get into the coffin to "eat" me? Mo Hua thought it might be possible... So he convinced himself to pretend to "believe" the old man’s nonsense. Sure enough, shortly after, the voice became clearer and seemed to resonate directly within Mo Hua’s Sea of Consciousness. "We are fated, I will help you become an Immortal..." "Help you become an Immortal..." The voice was ancient, kind, compassionate. At the same time, Mo Hua’s vision blurred, and an image faintly appeared. It was the Ancestral Master Picture of the Zhang Family, a masterpiece Mo Hua had coveted for a long time! Unlike the real one, the Ancestral Master Picture at this moment was wreathed in clouds and mist, with curling incense smoke, and amidst the fleeting lights and shadows, golden radiance could be seen, with all the figures edged with gold. The historical forebears of the Zhang Family stood like Immortals amidst the clouds, each exceptional and removed from mortal concerns, their immortal aura billowing. Seeing this, Mo Hua’s face lit up with longing, but inwardly he scoffed: "You can fool others, but in front of your Zhang Family’s ’little ancestor,’ drop the act..." "I’m not ignorant that you all are just a bunch of ’never-say-die’ old zombies..." As Mo Hua inwardly sneered, looking at the Ancestral Master Picture of the Zhang Family, he suddenly froze. Among these "people," he spotted a familiar face. This familiar person was none other than Zhang Quan! Standing at the end, his expression respectful, he looked towards Mo Hua with a mix of surprise, resentment, and greed. Mo Hua was somewhat taken aback. Was Zhang Quan not dead? No, or rather... His physical body was dead, but his Divine Thought was still alive, just like the ancestral spirits of the Zhang Family, his Divine Thought turned into an evil spirit, inhabiting the Contemplation Map... Mo Hua gradually came to understand. Discover hidden content at empire No wonder Zhang Quan wanted to see the Ancestral Master Picture of his family before he died. It was not as he claimed, feeling guilty for failing his ancestors and wanting to kowtow for forgiveness. Instead, he wished for his Divine Thought to enter the picture after death, to live on as a ghostly retainer in the Contemplation Map. Whether or not Lu Chengyun activated the picture didn’t really matter, as long as he took the Contemplation Map out of the storage bag, it already gave Zhang Quan a chance. Mo Hua had to admit. He really underestimated Zhang Quan. Zhang Quan wasn’t as dumb as he thought. And obviously, Lu Chengyun had not anticipated that Zhang Quan could be so cunning, nor that the Zhang Family could possess such mysterious and unfathomable methods. Mo Hua frowned again. "However... surely not every Cultivator who dies can receive this kind of ’treatment’..." The terror of a dead body and lost path is immense. Many Cultivators on the brink of death, in their desperation to survive, will resort to any means necessary. The Old Ancestor of the Qian Family refining Human Life Pills, the Old Ancestor of the Lu Family turning himself into a Corpse, all out of the fear of death, the desire to continue living. If this picture can truly harbor evil spirits... Even without a physical body, old scoundrels like the Elder of the Qian Family and the Lu Family Old Ancestor, who have done many evil deeds, would certainly be willing to turn into wraiths and possess the picture... Mo Hua didn’t have much knowledge about the Cultivation of Dao related to paintings, but it surely wasn’t this simple... "Is it the special bloodline of the Zhang Family, or is this Contemplation Map itself somewhat special?" Mo Hua mused silently to himself. After pondering for a moment, he remembered now was not the time to consider these matters, for he still had to prepare a "Hongmen Banquet" to entertain his "guests." And at this very moment, members of the Zhang Family had already entered Mo Hua’s Sea of Consciousness. Five people in total. Two Elders and three disciples, among whom was Zhang Quan. Zhang Quan was the most junior in the hierarchy but possessed considerable Cultivation, already at the Foundation Establishment Realm, making him the most prestigious among the disciples. However, facing his own ancestors, he kept a very low profile and spoke with great respect. After entering Mo Hua’s Sea of Consciousness, Zhang Quan cautiously asked: "Elder Song, Elder Si, should we enter first? Shouldn’t our Ancestral Master have the honor first?" "It matters not." The Iron Corpse Elder known as "Elder Song" calmly said, "The Ancestral Master relies on the Divine Thought offerings connected by our bloodline. The stronger we descendants are, the stronger the Ancestral Master becomes. He doesn’t need to personally involve himself in such acts of feeding and enhancing..." Zhang Quan expressed his admiration, "Such is the glory of our Ancestral Master!" Elder Song nodded and said, "The methods of the Ancestral Master are not something we later generations can fathom." He looked at Zhang Quan and praised him, "To Cultivate to Foundation Establishment and advance the Corpse Path is a great achievement indeed... Even if you die in the process, your contribution is significant..." "Talent, temperament, methods; in our Zhang Family disciples, you can certainly rank among the top." "Most importantly, your profound filial piety to the Ancestral Master is admirable." "The Ancestral Master holds you in high regard." "So, this offering is for you to consume first." "After you devour the Divine Sense and heal your injuries, gaining strength by leaps and bounds, you must serve the Ancestral Master and the Zhang Family even better!" With excited expression, Zhang Quan clasped his hands and said: "Disciple Zhang Quan will certainly not fail the expectations of the Elders and our Ancestral Master!" Elder Song nodded in satisfaction. Zhang Quan looked up, his face now that of a zombie. Glancing at Mo Hua’s Sea of Consciousness, with saliva on his sharp teeth, he greedily murmured: "Kid, I never thought you’d have your day..." The usually silent Elder Si asked upon hearing this: "Do you know this offering?" Zhang Quan nodded with resentment and said: "Truth be told, I have suffered countless losses at the hands of this brat! I’ve always wanted to kill him quickly, but couldn’t!" Elder Si frowned, "Just a little Cultivator and you can’t kill him?" Zhang Quan immediately explained: "His Cultivation isn’t high, his strength is mediocre, in a direct confrontation I could crush him to death with one hand!" "But this brat has a deep understanding of Formations, a devious heart, is full of cunning schemes, and excels at hiding; moreover, he has supporters from all sides, making it impossible for me to lay hands on him..." Zhang Quan ground his teeth in anger. Elder Song frowned, trying to imagine what kind of brat could be so skilled in Formations, so adept at hiding, with such a scheming heart and full of cunning tricks... Was this a person or an Evil Monster? But he didn’t care, for to them, whatever he was, he was merely meat on the chopping board. Elder Song reassured Zhang Quan: "Now you needn’t worry. You’ve entered his Sea of Consciousness, he can’t escape even with wings. He can only be slaughtered by you. In the Sea of Consciousness, we always call the shots. No matter how capable he is, he won’t stir up any trouble..." Zhang Quan felt reassured and laughed: "What Elder says is very true." He paused, as if remembering something, then with a sigh, he added: "But no matter how cunning this brat is, in the end, he was still sacrificed by Lu Chengyun like grinding an old ox—falling to his death, his path extinguished..." Zhang Quan spoke with fear: "Lu Chengyun is truly frightful in both cunning and methods!" Elder Song sneered in disdain: "There’s no need to boost the morale of others and diminish our Zhang Family’s prestige!" "In the eyes of the Ancestral Master, all this counts for nothing." "This Lu Chengyun is but a pawn of the Ancestral Master." "When he makes offerings to the Ancestral Master, contemplating the Dao of our Ancestral Master, drawing on his Divine Sense to enhance his own Divine Sense, one day he will become a puppet of the Zhang Family’s Corpse Path." "Neither alive nor dead..." "Being external to our family, once his body undergoes Corpse Transformation and his Divine Sense can’t enter this picture, he will either lose all awareness or become mere fodder." Elder Song looked at Zhang Quan and said indifferently: "You may have died, but you are still alive." "Though he lives, he can’t avoid his death!" "Descendants of the Zhang Family must not suffer indignities from outsiders. We, your ancestors and Elders, will seek justice for you!" Zhang Quan, elated, hurriedly bowed and thanked: "Thank you, Elder, thank you, Ancestral Master!" Elder Song helped him up, speaking softly: "You are a descendant of our Zhang Family, favored by the Ancestral Master; there’s no need for such formalities. The urgent matter at hand is to replenish yourself and recover from your injuries..." Elder Song looked around, then at all the "people," his gaze hungry: "It’s time... to dine..." Mo Hua, concealed on the side and having listened to their conversation for quite a while, also nodded. He thought so too!