495 Chapter 481 Corpse Studies_1 ``` Mo Hua stealthily slipped out of the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar. Before leaving, he painstakingly checked over everything again to confirm he hadn't left any traces that would be discovered by Lu Chengyun or Zhang Quan… The little zombie lay nicely in the coffin. Big Tiger remained well hidden within the hall. The Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, the Golden Altar, the Bronze Coffin, there were no evident traces. Mo Hua relaxed his mind, then concealed his form and quietly departed. The next day, Mo Hua returned to following Lu Chengyun as if nothing had happened, entering the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar to finalize the Formation eye of the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation. After entering the altar, Mo Hua observed closely and noticed that Lu Chengyun was as usual, seemingly unaware of anything, which secretly relieved him. Lu Chengyun was the Family Head, entangled in mundane affairs and beset with numerous issues. He had to secretly construct the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, control the progress of the formation's setup, coordinate with Corpse cultivators, and personally draw the Corpse Gate Evil Formation. Indeed, he was very busy. And these days, being occupied with his own matters, he hardly paid any attention to Mo Hua anymore. It seemed as though Mo Hua had vanished from his view. Sometimes when Mo Hua spoke to him, he would be lost in thought, paying little to no attention. Mo Hua appeared somewhat unhappy on the surface, feeling slighted, but inside he was overjoyed. He wished for nothing more than for Lu Chengyun to disregard him… Besides Lu Chengyun, there was Zhang Quan. Zhang Quan hated him. But he was Formation Blind, not understanding formations, and his Divine Sense wasn't strong. He was very easy to deceive. Mo Hua could be invisible right beside him, and he wouldn't notice. As for formations, it went without saying—Mo Hua could make mistakes right in front of him, mess them up, draw them in complete disarray and error-filled… He could even sketch a completely different formation, and with Zhang Quan's knowledge of formations, he might not be able to detect any problems. Mo Hua shook his head slightly. Really, one must read more books, learn more about Tao Cultivation knowledge. Otherwise, you could be played for a fool without ever realizing... Having gone unnoticed, Mo Hua felt at ease. In the days that followed, Mo Hua turned his attention to the Corpse cultivators in the Corpse Mine. He wanted to know exactly what kind of corpse was sealed within the Bronze Coffin. But being an amateur with insufficient knowledge of Corpse Refinement, he found it difficult to determine. He could only start with those who were "experts" on the subject. These Corpse cultivators were clearly the "experts." Mo Hua used a small trick and stole some books on Corpse Refinement from several Corpse cultivators. For example: "Basic Necromancy Method", "Corpse Blood Cultivation Method", "Detailed Explanation of Corpse Refinement", "General Discussion on Corpse Refinement", "Heavenly Craft of Necromancy", "Origin and Flow of the Corpse Gate", "Corpse Classification Theory"… The categories were diverse, including cultivation techniques, general discussions, miscellaneous essays, historical records, anecdotes… Mo Hua's eyes were opened wide. To think that these Corpse cultivators could research so many aspects out of merely Refining Corpses. The Cultivation World was truly vast and complex. Mo Hua took the time to start reading these Corpse Path books. But after just a few days, he felt uncomfortable in body and mind. The books were filled with bloody and strange content; the accompanying illustrations were cruel and ugly, nauseating to behold. Mo Hua felt somewhat helpless. "Corpse Refinement is really not something for normal people to study..." "Which normal cultivator would be interested in Corpse Refinement?" Mo Hua couldn't help shaking his head. But he still had to endure the disgust and continue reading. However, after reading quite a bit, he was still only halfway enlightened, with many parts being confusing and unclear to him. "It seems I lack talent in the art of Corpse Refinement..." Mo Hua accepted this fact with some resignation and a trace of relief. He skimmed over these books for an overview and no longer forced himself to study further. Instead, he wrote down some of his questions, preparing to "consult" a Corpse cultivator. This Corpse cultivator needed to be honest, obedient, and somewhat dim-witted. Otherwise, it wouldn't be easy to get information out of him. Mo Hua "scouted" among the Corpse cultivators in the Corpse Mine for several days and suddenly recognized a familiar face. A young member of the Lu Family with a somewhat harsh face, Lu Ming. Mo Hua's expression shifted slightly. Lu Ming… He was the one who, when the disappearance of the five Mining Cultivators was first investigated, accompanied Mo Hua to the Lu Family Mine to show the way, encountered horrific corpses, vomited until he was dizzy, and under Mo Hua's "intimidation", divulged some of the Lu Family's secrets—that Lu Family Cultivator—Lu Ming. Lu Ming had lost the arrogant demeanor he once had. His complexion, like other Corpse cultivators', was pale as paper, his expression lifeless and hollow with not a hint of vitality. He didn't talk much, blindly following orders given by others and acting like a living Walking Corpse. Mo Hua observed Lu Ming for a few days. It seemed he'd only recently arrived and was a newcomer here, one of the lower-level Corpse cultivators. He spent his days learning to Refine Corpses and performing menial tasks, obeying orders from others. At night, he would "lie down like a corpse" on his bed, his expression dull, not knowing what he was thinking about. Lu Ming was still quite approachable for questioning. Mo Hua had asked him several questions before. After nightfall, Mo Hua stealthily left his room and went to Lu Ming's stone chamber, silently watching him. The stone chamber was quiet, with no one else around. Lu Ming lay on the bed with a numb expression that suddenly twisted into one of pain. He clasped his head with both hands, coiled up on the bed, and muttered to himself: "...Why am I so unlucky?" "To think it's Corpse Refinement… I'm done for..." "I'll never get married in this lifetime..." … After wallowing in misery for a while, he then fiercely pounded the wall, complaining: "It's all because of that brat!" "All his fault!" "His fault..." "What are you blaming me for?" Mo Hua asked aloud. In the silent stone chamber, a voice suddenly emerged, eerie and childlike. Lu Ming was scared out of his wits. He flurried about in a panic and sat up, only to see on the chair by the wall, a small figure gradually becoming visible. ```