Mo Hua said, “It wasn’t me who said it, but everyone is spreading it. As the saying goes, flies don’t land on a seamless egg…”

Bai Zisheng rolled his eyes at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua quietly confirmed again, “You two really aren’t involved?”

Although his junior martial brother had said so before, Mo Hua deeply trusted him.

But after all, a decade or two had passed. His junior martial brother had grown up and was no longer that passionate youth. If he were to be experiencing his first love and harboring some secret feelings, it would be entirely understandable for him to conceal it.

Mo Hua could also comprehend that.

Bai Zisheng, exasperated, said, “Don’t be silly. The front line is hundreds of thousands of li away from this royal court. How could I possibly know this great wild demoness?”

Mo Hua looked into Bai Zisheng’s eyes and nodded.

Indeed… his junior martial brother had no need to lie to him.

Bai Zisheng pondered for a moment, then asked Mo Hua, “You said you’re looking for this demoness. Do you know where she is?”

Mo Hua shook his head, “I don’t know, but since she is a goddess who worships a deity, she is likely to be in a place related to the deities, such as a shamanic temple.”

Bai Zisheng asked, “Do you know where the deities are worshipped?”

Mo Hua said, “I can sense it.”

After all, according to the divine lineage of the Great Wilderness, he was now technically half a “Divine Master,” and he could clearly perceive many auras of the divine path through his senses.

Bai Zisheng glanced at Mo Hua with some surprise, but then, remembering that his junior martial brother had always been a bit mystic since childhood, he was relieved.

“Alright, I’ll follow you.”

“Mhm.” Mo Hua nodded.

After that, Mo Hua began to rely on his divine senses to search for the location of the shamanic temple within the royal court of the Great Wilderness.

However, at this time, chaos reigned, and karmic connections were obscured. His divine senses were intertwined with blood and wails of suffering.

There were even various Golden Cores and family elders wantonly slaughtering, which Mo Hua had to avoid.

After much effort, Mo Hua finally found a grand hall that exuded a faint aura of the divine path.

Bai Zisheng looked up at the plaque and saw three large characters written on it:

“Shì Wū Diàn” (Corpse Shaman Hall).

Bai Zisheng asked Mo Hua, “Aren’t we looking for the goddess? Why did we end up in a corpse hall? Is that demoness a female corpse?”

Mo Hua had no idea. He was just blindly stumbling upon places, searching one by one.

“Let’s go in and see. It’s somehow related to shamans…”

“Alright then…”

Mo Hua approached the Shì Wū Diàn, but found the hall tightly shut. Outside, the sounds of battle roared, but inside, it was eerily silent, which made him feel suspicious.

Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng exchanged glances, then climbed over the wall and onto the roof together.

At the top of the hall, there were some formations, which were Sì Xiàng (Four Symbols) demon formations related to the corpse path.

Mo Hua found it novel, but unfortunately, the formation itself was not difficult, and its principles were not profound. He studied it briefly and then broke it open.

After breaking the formation, Mo Hua carefully lifted some roof tiles, and the two of them entered the hall through the roof.

As soon as they entered the hall, a putrid smell of corpses assailed their nostrils.

The two squatted on the rafters, involuntarily covering their noses and mouths.

Bai Zisheng said with disgust, “Is this a divine temple or a corpse hall?”

Mo Hua whispered, “Didn’t the plaque say ‘Shì Wū Diàn’? It’s probably dedicated to a deity of the corpse path in the Great Wilderness, either one who likes to eat corpses, or whose followers are corpses.”

Bai Zisheng was slightly surprised, “You know quite a lot.”

Mo Hua nodded, “I’m an old hand at this.”

After adapting to the smell in the hall and the corpse dust floating in the air, the two finally looked down from the rafters.

In the dim light, many corpses and coffins were displayed.

The skin of these corpses had all been peeled off, and there were various marks of cutting and suturing on their flesh. After being air-dried and mummified, it was impossible to tell who they were or where they came from.

Near the coffins, there were other tools, such as yellow paper, ink lines, carving knives, black blood medicine, copper bells, and so on.

These were common corpse refining tools, and Mo Hua was very familiar with them.

Mo Hua looked around. It was utterly silent. Besides the corpses, there was no one else. Just as he was feeling puzzled, those coffins suddenly moved.

Mo Hua’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he made a “silence” gesture to Bai Zisheng.

Bai Zisheng nodded, and the two senior and junior martial brothers lay down on the rafters.

Inside the hall, the coffins trembled for a moment, then their lids suddenly opened, and figures emerged from the coffins one by one.

Mo Hua squinted and was surprised.

Those who emerged from the coffins were not corpses, but living people, wearing all sorts of clothes. There were barbarian tribesmen, people from Jiǔ Zhōu, and even some robes of aristocratic family disciples.

After these “coffin people” came out, they shed their clothes and uniformly changed into black and gray evil robes.

On the evil robes, there were embroidered patterns of coffins and copper bells.

Mo Hua remembered. These were the demonic sect robes of “Yīn Shī Gǔ” (Yin Corpse Valley).

After these Yin Corpse Valley disciples changed into their sect robes, they began to divide up tasks.

Some retrieved fresh “raw corpses” from a hidden passage, then peeled the skin, cut the flesh, refined the corpses, and sealed the coffins.

This “Shì Wū Diàn” in the Great Wilderness was clearly a secret corpse path stronghold of the Yin Corpse Valley.

Among them, the two highest-cultivated Yin Corpse Valley disciples walked to the largest coffin in the center of the hall.

The two carefully untied the seals on the coffin, respectfully opened the coffin lid, then knelt on the ground on all fours, and respectfully said:

“We respectfully welcome the Holy Son’s arrival.”

“We respectfully welcome the Dharma Protector Elder.”

Other Yin Corpse Valley disciples also stopped their work, knelt on the ground, and shouted:

“Greetings to the Holy Son…”

“We respectfully welcome Elder Yín Shī (Silver Corpse)…”

A gold-inlaid, jade-decorated boot stepped out from the coffin, and then a noble figure emerged from the coffin.

This was a young man, with a face like polished jade, handsome and tall, but his complexion was excessively pale, like that of a dead person.

Mo Hua was slightly alarmed.

He also knew this young man. It was the “Young Master Shī” he had met in Xiǎo Yì Chéng (Small Post Town)…

This Young Master Shī had discussed women with Elder Jī and had led the massacre in Xiǎo Yì Chéng.

And everyone called him “Holy Son,” which meant this Young Master Shī was indeed the Holy Son of Yin Corpse Valley?

After Young Master Shī entered the hall, another person, or more accurately, one person and one corpse, emerged from behind him.

This person’s skin was also waxy pale, and a silver-colored zombie followed behind him.

He appeared to be the “Elder Yín Shī” that everyone had mentioned.

And this Elder Yín Shī exuded a powerful corpse aura, at least at the late stage of Golden Core cultivation, with cold and brutal eyes.

His identity was also that of the “Dharma Protector” Elder for the Yin Corpse Valley Holy Son’s journey.

Elder Yín Shī waved his hand, his voice as cold as ice, “Get to work.”

“Yes.” A group of Yin Corpse Valley disciples bowed their heads, then dispersed to attend to their corpse-refining duties.

Another late-stage Golden Core demonic overlord…

On the rafters, Mo Hua squeezed Bai Zisheng’s arm, gesturing for him to remain absolutely silent and not make any noise.

He himself had powerful spiritual sense and profound stealth techniques, so he wasn’t afraid of being discovered.

But his junior martial brother was different; his reckless nature could easily lead to exposure.

Bai Zisheng nodded slightly.

Fortunately, the entire Shì Wū Diàn was gloomy and enclosed, filled with corpse dust and putrid smells, so the two were not discovered for the time being.

Meanwhile, faint conversations from inside the hall drifted up.

Mo Hua slightly poked his head out and saw that Young Master Shī was whispering to Elder Yín Shī.

“…Elder, that ‘Daoist’ is unpredictable in his moods…”

That Daoist?

Mo Hua’s heart tightened, and then he heard Young Master Shī continue:

“…sinister and unfathomable… We stole his luck, snatched his corpses, and even made a deal with… it’s like snatching meat from his pot. Truly… won’t there be a problem?”

Elder Yín Shī’s expression was cold as he said, “Young Master, you are the Holy Son of the Yin Corpse Sect. If the matter of forming the core in the Dragon Pool proceeds without a hitch, with your core’s quality, you will be eligible to advance further, ascend to the position of Demonic Dao Holy Son, and then strive for that supreme position.”

“Although that person is a Daoist, having entered the Dao through ascension, his foundation is still shallow. He won’t truly disregard all relations.”

“And our Yin Corpse Valley is not like those minor Daoist demonic sects. No matter how unpredictable his moods are, he cannot harm the Holy Son of our Yin Corpse Valley without reason.”

“Furthermore, he may not even have the energy to worry about other things right now…”

Young Master Shī’s heart tightened, “You mean… that Daoist, he…”

Elder Yín Shī nodded slightly, “For cultivators seeking the Dao, the most critical moment is also the most dangerous moment. This is true for everyone, and that Daoist is no exception…”

Young Master Shī frowned, “You’re saying, he can succeed?”

Elder Yín Shī shook his head, “That depends on destiny, fate, and the intentions of the Dao Court…”

“Dao Court…” Young Master Shī murmured.

Elder Yín Shī sneered, “More than twenty thousand years ago, the Dao Court was able to destroy the Great Demonic Palace and unify the cultivation world. After so many years of development, it’s certainly no joke.”

“If it weren’t for our fear of those old monsters in the Dao Court, how could our demonic sects be so timid and hesitant?”

“That person has nurtured too many Daoistic evils and has long been targeted by the Dao Court. Before, the time wasn’t right, and the Dao Court might not have been able to do anything to him. But now, with the situation in the Great Wilderness developing like this… who will prevail is hard to say…”

“And yet, he chose such a ‘great sacrifice’ and caused such a huge commotion…”

Elder Yín Shī shook his head, “Sacrificing the entire royal court, cultivating evil to achieve the Dao, shaping his demonic form, peeking into the Void-Piercing realm—his ambition is truly too great, and the chessboard he’s laid out is too vast.”

“Does he really take others for fools? Does he really think that his tricks of nurturing evil all these years have gone unnoticed by everyone?”

“And… that thing from more than twenty years ago is still in his hands…” Elder Yín Shī’s voice was low, and his eyes were cold.

“That thing?” Young Master Shī frowned.

Mo Hua also pricked up his ears.

That thing… what was it?

Elder Yín Shī, however, shook his head, “That’s not important…”

Mo Hua inwardly wished he could strangle this Elder Yín Shī.

Elder Yín Shī sternly said, “Holy Son, your top priority is still to form your core… The Dragon Pool contains dragon qi and the destiny of the Great Wilderness royal court.”

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that must not be missed.”

Young Master Shī said, “Are those prodigies from the aristocratic families also vying for this destiny?”

Elder Yín Shī nodded, “That is natural. When a dynasty is about to fall, who wouldn’t want to contend for its destiny?”

Young Master Shī’s gaze deepened slightly, “Elder, I still don’t quite understand. How could the Dao Court allow aristocratic families and us demonic sects to meddle with the destiny of this royal court?”

Elder Yín Shī’s gaze was somewhat meaningful as he retorted, “Holy Son, what is the Dao Court?”

Young Master Shī was startled, frowning, “The Dao Court… isn’t it just the Dao Court?”

Elder Yín Shī shook his head and slowly said, “The Dao Court is actually the aristocratic families, and the aristocratic families are also the Dao Court…”

Young Master Shī’s expression showed a sudden realization.

Elder Yín Shī then sneered, “Nowadays, the Qīn Tiān Jiān (Imperial Astronomical Bureau), the Tiān Shū Tiān Quán Qī Gé (Seven Pavilions of Alkaid and Dubhe), the Dao Tíng Sī (Dao Court Bureau), the Zhèn Mó Sī (Demon Suppressing Bureau)… from top to bottom, how many in key positions are not descendants of aristocratic families?”

“The upper ranks have no commoners, and the lower ranks have no aristocratic families… This Dao Court, on the surface, is still the Dao Court of the world, but most of its power is controlled by aristocratic families. Covertly, it has almost become… the Dao Court of the aristocratic families.”

“Since that’s the case…” Elder Yín Shī smiled, “What difference does it make whether the dynasty’s destiny is given to the aristocratic families or the Dao Court?”

Young Master Shī slowly began to understand and couldn’t help but shake his head and smile, “So, in that case, those who do business with us are essentially also the Dao Court?”

Elder Yín Shī nodded with a playful look and added, “Of course, that’s a joke. Right is right, and evil is evil, but I’ve already made arrangements in secret. On the surface, we won’t expose anything. Everything is focused on seeking opportunities; this is a transaction.”

Young Master Shī pondered, “Will these righteous scoundrels truly abide by their agreement?”

Elder Yín Shī whispered, “Holy Son, rest assured. Our Yin Corpse Valley is a demonic sect of ten thousand years. From ancient times till now, we have refined corpses for so many years, dissected countless cultivators, and accumulated untold amounts of corpse path materials and records. There is some knowledge of human dissection that they can only buy from us.”

“Otherwise, even if they were to madly kill and research, it would take thousands of years for them to discover anything…”

Young Master Shī nodded, “Our Yin Corpse Valley is truly great.”

Elder Yín Shī nodded, and just as he was about to say something, his expression suddenly changed, and he closed his mouth…

Mo Hua on the rafters was listening intently, but suddenly noticed that Elder Yín Shī had stopped speaking. He immediately realized something was wrong.

Were they discovered?

Mo Hua thought to himself with regret, “This clumsy junior martial brother is indeed clumsy; we’ve been found out…”

But halfway through his complaint, Mo Hua suddenly froze, realizing a cold spiritual sense had swept over him.

But this spiritual sense did not land on his junior martial brother; instead, it landed on himself.

Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, and quickly realized, “It wasn’t my junior martial brother who was discovered, but me?”

A cold gust of wind swept down his back, and Mo Hua immediately jumped off the rafters.

At the same time, a silver corpse claw flashed across the rafters, grabbing empty air, but its residual force tore half the rafter.

On the other half of the rafter, Bai Zisheng, still unaware of what had happened, saw Mo Hua leaping into the air, gave him a hasty glance, then nodded, not revealing himself rashly.

On the ground below, after Mo Hua landed, he withdrew his stealth and revealed his form.

A group of Yin Corpse Valley disciples, seeing a person suddenly appear in the room, were all greatly alarmed and manipulated various zombies to completely surround Mo Hua.

Elder Yín Shī glanced at Mo Hua, his expression surprised, even somewhat incredulous, “Foundation Establishment?”

Young Master Shī also looked at Mo Hua, his face changing, “It’s you?”

Mo Hua’s expression was calm.

Elder Yín Shī looked at Young Master Shī, his brows slightly furrowed, and asked, “Holy Son, do you know this young man?”

Young Master Shī nodded, his gaze dark, “We’ve met a few times.”

“This child…”

“This kid is not a good person.”

Elder Yín Shī nodded, his gaze coldly fixed on Mo Hua, but he still had a question in his mind, so he said coldly:

“Young man, you are merely at Foundation Establishment, how were you able to evade this old man’s spiritual sense?”

Mo Hua did not answer. He was also puzzled in his heart as to why he, who had been hiding so well, was suddenly discovered.

Just then, his spiritual sense flashed, and he “saw” a faintly familiar figure underground.

It was a half-human-tall, earthy yellow zombie covered in “curse marks,” now staring at Mo Hua with sharp eyes.

Dì Zàng Shī (Earth Treasury Corpse)!

It was Elder Xu of Yin Corpse Valley’s strange and elusive zombie, the Dì Zàng Shī, known for its tracking abilities.

Mo Hua was shocked, then enraged. So it was this damned little thing!

And Elder Yín Shī, seeing that Mo Hua seemed to have noticed the Dì Zàng Shī he had hidden, immediately his face darkened.

At the same time, Young Master Shī also said in a low voice, “Elder, the death of Elder Xu is related to this child…”

The death of Elder Xu…

Elder Yín Shī’s pupils contracted, and he immediately looked at Mo Hua, sharply asking, “Is the Qí Shī Bǎo Diǎn (Rare Corpse Compendium) on you?!”

Mo Hua’s expression was slightly surprised.

The next instant, cold corpse qi erupted, and Elder Yín Shī, controlling his silver corpse with which his life was intertwined, suddenly attacked Mo Hua.

(End of this chapter)