Mo Hua hid on the side, manipulating Elder Song and engaging in combat with this newly-arrived Elder of the Zombies. Elder Song should have been stronger, but controlled by the Spiritual Pivot Formation cast by Mo Hua, he could not act as he wished and seemed only able to exert seventy to eighty percent of his strength, which is why after dozens of exchanges he gradually began to be overpowered. If one wasn’t enough, then use two. Mo Hua had no honor in combat, as he took control of Zhang Quan as well, the two launching a pincer attack. With this, the newly-arrived Elder of the Zombies found himself in a difficult position. Mo Hua then observed its techniques. The Elders of Zombies from the Zhang Family passed down their methods through generations, all knowing only how to transform using Divine Thought into a Corpse, engaging in close combat. If they couldn’t win that way, they would transform again with Divine Thought into a Corpse, their stature swelling, their skin turning to bronze and bone to iron, their faces ghoulish with lashing fangs. During such times, their speed increased, their strength amplified, and their fangs even more lethal. But this was hardly interesting. The first time Mo Hua saw it, he found it novel, but after watching it repeatedly, it became tedious. Apart from Elder Song, who knew how to shrink his skin and bones to escape, the other zombies were all quite similar. Mo Hua wondered if it was because they were uneducated and incompetent, or if their ancestors had been secretive and hadn’t taught them other skills. This Elder of the Zombies had no new tricks either. Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed. With limited time, he wasted no more, exerting full control over Zhang Quan and Elder Song, the two launching a joint assault that caused the Elder of the Zombies to retreat in defeat. The Elder of the Zombies became enraged, fighting with all his might, yet unable to prevail. Even after transforming into a stronger form, he still couldn’t win. Furthermore, his injuries worsened bit by bit; continuing like this, his death was certain. The Elder of the Zombies’ gaze flash darkly as he swallowed a mouthful of blood, his aura surging as he punched, driving Zhang Quan back, then repelled Elder Song, attempting to escape. But Mo Hua would not let him get away. With a light tap of Mo Hua’s finger, water prison swiftly formed. The Elder of the Zombies, just as he thought to flee, was instantaneously shackled by spiritual chains, bound where he stood. The Elder of the Zombies was shocked. From a corner, Mo Hua’s figure also gradually became visible. Though young, his Divine Thought was focused, his aura robust, and his depths unfathomable. The Elder of the Zombies glared with wide eyes, filled with terror as he asked: "Who are you?" Mo Hua, feeling it beneath him to waste words with such an ordinary elder, directly greeted him with a Fireball Technique. A Fireball Technique whistled out, smashing onto his face. The Elder of the Zombies fell at the sound. Mo Hua, still not reassured, cast several more Fireball Techniques, booming loud, blasting the Elder of the Zombies into a state of near-collapse, lying on the ground, unable to move. Zhang Quan and Elder Song, looking on, had their eyelids twitching. Before they could pity each other, an even more startling scene took place. In front of Zhang Quan and the other man, Mo Hua began to deploy the Spiritual Pivot Formation. With a discard of concentration, he pointed his finger at the heart meridian of the zombie Elder, whose consciousness was nearing collapse, his body immobilized. Using the heart meridian as the Formation eye, pale blue Formation Patterns unfolded, blossoming like a rare and beautiful orchid on the chest of the Elder of the Zombies, then spreading outward, rooting and proliferating throughout the flesh, layer upon layer, until there was a perfect integration... This Elder at the Iron Corpse Realm had thus become a living puppet. Zhang Quan and Elder Song watched with eyes wide with fright. What kind of Formation was this? Could this little devil be controlling the bodies through such a Formation? Had they too been implanted with such a Formation? What exactly was this Formation? This Formation was sophisticated, its technique so close to the Way, and that Way bordered on the sinister. It was beyond their comprehension, utterly bizarre. Zhang Quan was suddenly struck by a thought. This Formation, it somewhat resembled the Corpse Control Formation that Lu Chengyun treasured as though it was a priceless treasure... Except it wasn’t as malevolent, and it appeared more complex, more mystical, and more profound. But wasn’t that Formation said to be extremely difficult by Lu Chengyun? Didn’t he say it had a high threshold? Wasn’t the Formation principle incredibly intricate? Zhang Quan still remembered Lu Chengyun’s words: "...Without intense and solitary dedication, decades of study, no understanding of Evil Formation, no merging the sinister intention into consciousness, no using bone as the brush, no using blood as ink, no using corpses as a medium, how could he possibly learn it?" So when did this youngster learn it? Zhang Quan wanted to ask, but he couldn’t open his mouth at all. He was already a Divine Thought puppet manipulated by others, without the autonomy of his own body... After Mo Hua had drawn the Spiritual Pivot Formation on the Elder of the Zombies, he refined the two zombie disciples he had just killed into blue smoke, and then fed it to the Elder to restore some of his strength. Moments later, the once vague form of the Elder of the Zombies gradually stabilized and he slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was lost, confused. What lingered in his memory was the fierce Fireball Technique from Mo Hua. It soon realized that its body was no longer under its control. It was manipulated by Mo Hua, standing together with Zhang Quan and Elder Song. Its mouth was also sewn shut with threads of spiritual power, so it could not speak but only exchange a simple glance with Elder Song. The emotions conveyed in that glance were extremely complex. It had finally understood Elder Song’s dilemma. Their fate was no longer in their own hands. Instead, it lay in the hands of the cute-looking yet terrifying young monk beside them... With three Iron Corpses in hand, Mo Hua continued to lie in wait. He remembered Elder Song saying that the Zhang Family’s ancestral zombie was sustained by the divine thoughts and bloodlines of its descendants and would not consume them directly. Although Mo Hua was unclear about the specifics of this sustenance, logically, the Zhang Family’s ancestor should not enter his Sea of Consciousness. Unless he captured all the Zhang Family elders in one swoop... Before long, two more Iron Corpse Elders from the Zhang Family entered Mo Hua’s Sea of Consciousness. Mo Hua followed suit. This time it was three against two, a chaotic melee. Once they had exhausted their tricks and the fight was nearly over, Mo Hua would make his move. Using the Fireball Technique, Water Prison Technique, and Earth Fire Formation concurrently, he would quickly resolve the two elders. Then he would repeat the old trick. Laying out the Spiritual Pivot Formation, he took control over the Zhang Family elders. As a result, the Zhang Family lost two more elders, while Mo Hua’s hands were graced with two more Iron Corpses. Mo Hua fished as if he were angling. One by one. Each time he caught one, his basket held one more fish, and the river one less. In the Ancestral Master Picture of the Zhang Family, all elders at the Iron Corpse Realm were Mo Hua’s fish... ... Meanwhile, as Mo Hua "fished," there was also an undercurrent flowing through South Yue City. All kinds of cultivating forces were converging in the city. The streets were filled with many new faces. Unaware Qi Refinement cultivators still toiled for their daily bread, exhausting themselves for mere Spirit Stones. Those cultivators in the thick of things, however, bore a grave expression. A storm was brewing, and the tension was palpable. Yet, they only sensed the wind, the exact nature of the impending storm unknown to them. Situ Family. They gathered in a room that was modestly decorated, refined yet concealed. Find exclusive stories on empire Powers from various factions came together. These included the Taoist Soldiers’ leaders mobilized by the Taoist Court, the Foundation Establishment Elders from the nearby Tao cultivating powers under the Court’s command, and the clans and Sects associated with Heaven Shu Pavilion that followed Mr. Zhuang, including a gaunt old man, a youth in white, and a middle-aged cultivator. ... These clan forces arrived in secret, and the Taoist Soldiers were stationed in an abandoned mine outside the city to stay unseen, to deceive the Lu Family. At the same time, they also circumvented South Yue City’s Taoist Court. The only Supervisor from South Yue City’s Taoist Court present was Situ Fang. But she was there due to her status as a disciple of the Situ Family and her knowledge of many secrets, which allowed her to partake in this meeting. The leader of this gathering was a Taoist Soldiers’ leader with the surname Yang, at the Qi Foundation Middle Stage, a man with a square face, stern brows and eyes, and a steady demeanor. Leader Yang spoke directly, "I am Yang Jishan, serving as a Second Grade leader of the Taoist Soldiers," he said. "By the Taoist Court’s decree, our mission is to suppress the Corpse Mine, arrest Lu Chengyun, seal the Corpse King, and destroy the mass of corpses. We must prevent a Corpse Tide, avoid a catastrophe of zombies, and not let South Yue City’s inhabitants suffer a dire fate..." Leader Yang’s gaze was severe as he looked around and said sternly, "In South Yue City, the Lu Family holds great influence, and there are many zombies in the Corpse Mine." "Therefore, our actions must be cautious, or we’ll surely invite disaster!" "I ask all of you to follow commands. Should there be any lapses leading to misfortune, and the Taoist Court lays blame, none of us can bear the responsibility." After Leader Yang finished speaking and saw no dissatisfaction, he nodded and continued, "For this operation, we will divide into two groups:" "One group will suppress the Lu Family;" "Seal the Lu Estate, capture the Foundation Building Cultivators of the Lu Family, restrain their cultivation with Second Grade Spiritual Locks; confine and watch over common Qi Refinement disciples until the dust settles on the Corpse Mine affair, at which point their fate will be determined." "Innocents must not be killed indiscriminately." "However, should any descendant of the Lu Family resist, show no mercy!" "The other group, the cultivators will assemble and, in conjunction with the Taoist Soldiers outside the city, launch a surprise attack on the Corpse Mine." "Move covertly, strive for a swift resolution, suppress the Corpse Mine, capture Lu Chengyun, and nip the zombie menace in the bud..." "Next are the specific tactical arrangements..."