Ink Painting “ate” his fill.

Ancestor Master Zhang’s manifested copper corpse, even without disciples and grandchildren to offer sacrifices, possessed spirit sense at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

The Zhang family’s elders from generations past, manifested as iron corpses, all had spirit sense strength at the early-Foundation Establishment stage.

Although after a great war, the Zhang family, under Ink Painting’s control, engaged in internal strife, with disciples and grandchildren killing each other and their old ancestors, both sides were injured, and their spirit sense was largely consumed.

But the remaining divine consciousness was still too much…

Ink Painting “stewed” it all in one pot, swallowing it whole, and felt bloated…

Within his Sea of Consciousness, miscellaneous divine consciousness filled the space.

This divine consciousness was obtained after absorbing the evil thoughts of the copper and iron corpses and performing preliminary refinement.

Obtained from different souls, it was stained with foul breaths, some Yin cold, some violent, some evil, some treacherous…

Ink Painting felt somewhat helpless.

He was drinking and eating violently, yet still eating these “bad things,” which would eventually make his brain go bad…

Evil thoughts surged, like crashing waves.

Ink Painting’s Dao heart was like a small boat ferrying passengers amidst the waves, swaying precariously, floating unsteadily.

As if in the next instant, he would be submerged by evil thoughts.

Once his Dao heart was extinguished and became defiled, his whole person would undergo a drastic change in heart and nature, falling into the state of a human body corpse heart monster.

Fortunately, Ink Painting had “eaten” a lot of evil, and gradually became accustomed to this kind of evil thoughts.

He calmed his heart and meditated, restraining himself and guarding his heart.

He guarded the initial thought of his heart.

Let the evil thoughts boil, the evil spirits confuse his heart, and the evil desires grow; his heart was like a bright mirror, unstained by a single speck of dust.

Just like this, he waited and waited until midnight. Within his Sea of Consciousness, a stock of ancient, clumsy, obscure, yet majestic and profound breath suddenly rose.

Ink Painting opened his eyes and saw the void Dao stele floating in his Sea of Consciousness. His eyes brightened.

He pointed with parallel fingers, manifesting his spirit sense, and began to draw arrays on the Dao stele.

This array was a first-grade, twelve-pattern Spirit Pivot Array!

This absolute array required extremely high spirit sense.

Ink Painting usually practiced it, but his practice speed was not fast because his spirit sense was limited, and he often wanted to rest after drawing one or two arrays.

Now, his Sea of Consciousness was filled with abundant to luxurious spirit sense.

Ink Painting, without scruples, moved his fingers like flies, pouring out his spirit sense. Path after path of array patterns generated and knotted into a Spirit Pivot array…

At the same time, the Dao stele’s breath became more profound.

Ink Painting swallowed whole the residual soul evil thoughts. After meditating and precipitating, after being washed by the Dao stele, and then tempered by the array, it gradually became pure. Finally, it was thoroughly refined by Ink Painting and slowly absorbed…

Draw the array a hundred times, and its meaning will become clear.

Ink Painting practiced the Spirit Pivot Array with a focused mind.

He practiced repeatedly, and his understanding of the Spirit Pivot Array deepened bit by bit.

At the same time, his originally deep spirit sense also expanded bit by bit…

Meanwhile, outside the corpse mine, the battle was still ongoing.

The various forces of the Dao Court organized several attacks, but all were blocked by Lu Chengyun’s iron corpses and walking corpses, who formed “corpse soldiers” and were unable to attack the corpse mine.

Strong attacks were not feasible, so Yang Jishan ordered small teams of elite cultivators to cooperate with Dao soldiers, conducting sneak attacks and harassment to put pressure on Lu Chengyun.

And after these days of fighting, Yang Jishan also understood Lu Chengyun’s means of controlling corpses:

“It’s an array!”

“Between the corpse soldiers, they are maintained through an array, their attack and defense are consistent, and they advance and retreat as one.”

But what kind of array this was, Yang Jishan was not clear.

He only recognized some basic, commonly used arrays, such as the Five Elements arrays commonly used in Dao soldier combat. He completely failed to understand the corpse control arrays.

Yang Jishan then found Young Master Yun.

Young Master Yun was a second-grade array master with a background in array formation. He should know some details.

Young Master Yun frowned and thought for a while, then asked:

“Commander Yang, can you catch a few zombies for me to see?”

“Iron corpses?”

“Iron corpses are best, but walking corpses are also okay.”

Commander Yang nodded and said: “Okay.”

Half a day later, Commander Yang ordered the Dao soldiers to catch several zombies, including one iron corpse with a broken arm, and the others were all just walking corpses.

These zombies were locked with iron chains, struggling and emitting meaningless low roars.

The zombies were bloody and ugly.

Young Master Yun looked somewhat uncomfortable, but still gritted his teeth and checked the zombies’ entire bodies, skin, and limbs one by one.

But he did not discover any abnormality.

Young Master Yun’s brows furrowed slightly, and he muttered: “Something’s not right…”

Yang Jishan asked: “What’s not right?”

Young Master Yun explained: “There should be arrays on these zombies’ bodies, but I can’t find them…”

Yang Jishan’s gaze narrowed slightly, “Could they be inside the body? Since it’s corpse refinement, the methods must be more hidden, not easy for people to detect.”

Young Master Yun nodded, “Possibly.”

Yang Jishan thought for a while, recalling the zombies he had seen during the past few days of fighting, and suddenly said:

“Some zombies had their chests broken during the fight, and there seemed to be some flesh-colored patterns fused within the flesh and blood…”

Young Master Yun also said: “The heart pulse can indeed be used as an array medium for evil arrays.”

Yang Jishan took out his blade and cut open the skin of several walking corpses’ heart pulses one by one. Indeed, in the heart pulse areas of several walking corpses, there were blood-colored patterns in the shape of arrays.

These array patterns had an evil and strange aura, and were fused with the flesh, making them fundamentally difficult to detect.

Yang Jishan also had to sigh:

“This Lu Chengyun really has good means!”

Young Master Yun also saw this kind of evil array usage for the first time, and his expression was somewhat solemn.

Yang Jishan faced the blood-dripping chests of the walking corpses and examined them for a while, unable to find a clue. He couldn’t help but ask:

“Young Master Yun, what kind of array is this?”

Young Master Yun shook his head, “The array patterns are not clear, I still can’t make them out.”

“Then let’s look at the iron corpse’s body?”

“Okay.”

Yang Jishan went again to open the iron corpse’s chest.

The iron corpse’s skin was as firm as iron. It took a lot of effort, a full half hour of effort, for Yang Jishan to cut open the iron corpse’s skin with a second-grade dagger and see the array under the skin.

The walking corpses’ flesh was rotten and collapsed, and the array patterns were not clear.

The iron corpse’s skin and flesh were firm, and the array was much clearer.

Comparing the two, Young Master Yun preliminarily restored part of the array.

This array was incomplete, many array patterns were incorrect, and the array hub pattern also had errors, only having a rough outline.

But despite this, Young Master Yun’s gaze was still shocked, and he murmured:

“Absolute array…”

Yang Jishan frowned, “Absolute array?”

Young Master Yun explained: “It’s just that the spirit sense requirement is super grade, the number of array patterns is super grade, and the array knowledge is super outline. Although it’s first-grade, it’s not just first-grade; it’s an absolute learning array.”

Yang Jishan was still completely confused.

Young Master Yun then explained as much as possible in simpler terms:

“It’s just among the first-grade arrays, that kind of most difficult array…”

Hearing this, Yang Jishan finally understood.

But he was also a little doubtful, “How difficult can it be?”

Young Master Yun then said: “This completely super-outline array is not tested in the first-grade array master exam, and although this type of array is classified as first-grade, many second-grade array masters cannot learn it.”

Yang Jishan said in surprise: “Young Master Yun, you also can’t learn it?”

Young Master Yun hesitated a little.

Out in the world, he didn’t want to lose face for the Yun family, but he hadn’t learned it before, and he really didn’t know if he could learn it.

Young Master Yun hesitated for a while, then truthfully said:

“Absolute arrays involve a profound comprehension of array principles. I haven’t learned it before, and I don’t know if I can learn it…”

Yang Jishan nodded.

Even a second-grade array master couldn’t learn it, so this array was truly extraordinary.

“Then do you know what kind of array this is?”

Yang Jishan asked again.

Young Master Yun stared at the restored array again, and said regretfully:

“The array patterns are missing, I can’t make it out…”

“Only by restoring the array patterns and then deducing the complete array diagram from the array patterns can we properly distinguish what kind of array this is…”

Yang Jishan said: “Then deduce it?”

Young Master Yun smiled bitterly and said: “Deducing the array diagram involves array deduction calculation. This is an extremely profound branch of array knowledge. In our Yun family, only the old ancestor knows how…”

The old ancestor knows how?

Yang Jishan felt a headache coming on.

This array thing was really troublesome.

It was an absolute array, and it was super grade, and it required deduction, and it required deduction calculation…

He simply asked directly:

“Does this corpse control array have a method to crack it?”

Young Master Yun thought for a long time, then slowly said:

“Directly cracking it… I don’t know the array patterns and I don’t understand the array, so I probably can’t crack it.”

“We can only use some indirect means to interfere with the contact between the arrays, thereby affecting the array’s control over the zombies…”

“As for how to do it specifically, I need to research it a bit…”

Yang Jishan’s heart was anxious like a fire, but he also knew that this matter could not be rushed, so he cupped his hands and said:

“Then I’ll trouble Young Master Yun…”

Fortunately, it didn’t take too long before Young Master Yun found Yang Jishan:

“I understand…”

“Zombies are attracted and moved by corpse gas.”

“This absolute array drawn on the heart pulse is used to control corpse gas. By meticulously attracting corpse gas, it manipulates iron corpses and walking corpses to kill or eat people…”

“This array is currently only known to Lu Chengyun and controlled by him alone. There is temporarily no solution, we can only find a way to destroy it.”

“After destroying the array, the zombies will lose control due to the dispersion of corpse gas. At this time, as long as we cut off its head or limbs again, and wait for its corpse gas to disperse, it will stop moving…”

Yang Jishan nodded, “That is to say, first attack its heart pulse, destroy its array, then break its limbs and head, and let its corpse gas leak out…”

“Yes.” Young Master Yun added:

“The zombies’ corpse gas is controlled by the absolute array, so the array must be destroyed first, and then the limbs broken.”

“If you break the limbs first, the corpse gas will still be attracted by the absolute array and remain stagnant without dispersing, which is useless…”

Yang Jishan thought about it from a practical combat perspective and said in a deep voice:

“In that case, the walking corpses are easy to deal with, but what about the iron corpses?”

“The iron corpses’ skin and bones are like refined iron. Their heart pulses are difficult to damage, their heads are difficult to cut off, and their limbs are difficult to break…”

Young Master Yun was also a little troubled, “I… I’ll go think about it again…”

Young Master Yun went back to ponder for half a day, then found Yang Jishan and said:

“I’ve thought about it, and consulted several senior array masters, and we’ve come up with a method…”

“Use a Chaos Spirit Array to interfere with spiritual power fluctuations, thereby affecting the absolute array’s control over the zombies.”

“Chaos Spirit Array…”

Yang Jishan said in a deep voice: “Interfering with spiritual power fluctuations… but the zombies’ actions rely on corpse gas, a kind of evil power, right? Will it be useful?”

“It will be useful.” Young Master Yun nodded, “The effect will be weaker, but it will be useful. Whether it’s spiritual power or evil power, they are both a kind of heaven and earth power, and also power for cultivation. They are different but similar.”

Yang Jishan seemed to understand and not understand, and nodded.

The Yang family was a Dao soldier family, only focusing on fighting and killing.

In cultivation, they cultivated whatever was strong and practiced whatever Dao methods were powerful.

They didn’t research this kind of subtle knowledge.

Young Master Yun then said: “Draw the Chaos Spirit Array on a sharp spiritual sword, and then use the spiritual sword to stab into the iron corpse’s heart pulse. This way, even if the array is not destroyed, it will interfere with the operation of the evil power and affect the zombies’ control.”

“It’s just that this Chaos Spirit Array must be second-grade…”

“It will be relatively slow for me to draw it alone…”

Yang Jishan asked: “Is first-grade not okay?”

“Not okay.” Young Master Yun shook his head, “A first-grade absolute array is above a first-grade array, and is sufficient to compare with a second-grade array. A first-grade Chaos Spirit Array’s influence on this kind of absolute array is negligible.”

“A second-grade Chaos Spirit Array must be used to affect a first-grade absolute array.”

Yang Jishan sighed.

Looking at the current situation, the corpse mine would not be taken down in a short time.

“That’s the only way, it’s just a bit slow…”

Afterward, Yang Jishan’s expression remained unchanged, and he continued to apply pressure on Lu Chengyun as always.

The two sides fought many times, with mutual damage, maintaining a subtle balance.

Until Yang Jishan refined dozens of spiritual swords engraved with Chaos Spirit Arrays.

And other Dao soldiers also fought with the walking corpses according to the method he explained.

First shatter its heart pulse, destroy its array, then break its limbs and head, and let the corpse gas leak out. This way, it can be successfully subdued.

To deal with iron corpses, stab its heart pulse with a spiritual sword.

The effect of the Chaos Spirit Array could only interfere with the operation of evil power, not completely isolate it, so Lu Chengyun could still manipulate the iron corpses, but there would be a delay.

Often he would order the iron corpses to kill people.

A thought would move in his heart and be transmitted, and after being affected by the Chaos Spirit Array, it would take several breaths for the iron corpse to react.

Even if it was only these few breaths.

But on the ever-changing battlefield, it was enough to be fatal.

If the corpse soldiers were dispatched several breaths slower, the Dao soldiers’ attack would be several points faster. Under this ebb and flow, a flaw would be grasped.

The walking corpses’ arrays were destroyed, and the iron corpses’ control was blocked.

The situation was not optimistic.

For a time, the corpse soldiers suffered heavy casualties.

Lu Chengyun hurriedly ordered a retreat and shrunk his defenses around the corpse mine.

The results of this battle were obvious. Yang Jishan did not launch a strong attack to avoid giving Lu Chengyun an opportunity, but stayed on guard at the scene and thought of ways to attack again.

But the next day, new iron corpses and walking corpses appeared among the corpse soldiers.

Yang Jishan frowned and said:

“Why are there still more?”

An experienced old array master looked at the stone hall, his expression solemn, and slowly said: “It’s… the Ten Thousand Corpses Array, it has begun to operate…”

“Ten Thousand Corpses Array?”

The old array master said: “The intelligence transmitted by that young friend before mentioned this array.”

“Although it’s just a duplicate array, it already has the prototype of a great array.”

“It borrows evil power to activate, uses the corpse refining coffin as the array medium, and integrates corpse collection, corpse refining, and corpse control into one, it’s an evil Dao array.”

“Opening this array comes at a significant price.”

“And once it’s open, it can quickly and on a large scale produce and refine zombies.”

“If this continues, we will keep dying, but they will keep refining corpses…”

Yang Jishan couldn’t help but curse loudly:

“Arrays again! Where exactly did he get so many troublesome arrays?”

The old array master was slightly stunned. In his turbid eyes, a sharp light was faintly revealed, and he said in a cold voice:

“The Ten Thousand Corpses Great Array… is not an ordinary inheritance.”

“Perhaps, someone deliberately gave it to him, with the purpose of letting him cultivate… Dao Evil…”

The two words “Dao Evil” were spoken very softly by the old array master.

But when they fell into everyone’s ears, they were as heavy as a thousand jin.

A chill surged in Yang Jishan’s heart.

He looked again into the dark corpse mine, at that eerie stone hall.

Within the stone hall, there was a corpse king, a group of corpses, an absolute array, and also the prototype of a magic Dao great array – the Ten Thousand Corpses Array…

These were perhaps all chess pieces laid out by the person behind the scenes.

That person wanted to use the state boundary as the chessboard, arrays as the paths, and human corpses as the chess pieces, to cultivate a large dragon named “Dao Evil”!

And the people in this state boundary, as chess pieces, from birth to death, were perhaps all unaware.

Even Lu Chengyun himself might not be clear.

Yang Jishan’s face was solemn, and his heart was filled with dark clouds.

When this chess game ended, who would win and who would lose, who would live and who would die, and what exactly would be cultivated in the end, no one knew…

Within the stone hall, on the Ten Thousand Corpses altar.

Lu Chengyun’s gaze was slightly cold as he surveyed his surroundings.

The corpse king stood behind him, and the iron corpses protected him on his left and right.

And beneath Lu Chengyun’s feet, the Ten Thousand Corpses duplicate array was already operating at full power.

Majestic spiritual power surged from the array eye, becoming evil power through blood gas, Yin gas, and filth, and flowed along the array hub to the array patterns above.

The array patterns shone with evil and strange red light, infused with evil power, nourishing the corpse coffin, and within the coffin, countless zombies.

“As expected of the Ten Thousand Corpses Array!”

Lu Chengyun’s ambition was wild.

He still remembered the words the person who initially gave him the Ten Thousand Corpses Array had said to him:

“Kill people for evil, refine people for corpses.

Obtain the Dao within evil, and seal the king within corpses.”

He didn’t care about a temporary win or loss.

As long as the corpse king was in hand, losing some iron corpses or walking corpses was completely insignificant.

And as long as he had the Ten Thousand Corpses Array, he could continuously refine corpses, constantly raise corpses, and stand on undefeated ground!

The more corpses he refined, the stronger the corpse king would be.

And his control over the corpse king, ordering the Ten Thousand Corpses to submit, would naturally also be stronger.

Lu Chengyun slowly laughed out loud, his voice shedding its warm shell and becoming Yin cold and treacherous, like a night owl in the deep mountains, ice cold and piercing to the ear…

And at this moment, in a secret room in the stone hall, there was another altar.

On the altar was a “blank” visualization diagram.

Under the altar was placed a white small coffin.

In the coffin lay a young cultivator.

This young cultivator slowly opened his eyes.

In that instant, in his pupils, brilliant starlight condensed, colorful myriad images, radiating light. A moment later, these lights gradually converged and were hidden in the depths of his eyes.

His pupils became darker and deeper.

In the depths, there was still a contained light.

This was a manifestation of extremely deep and thick spirit sense.

Now, Ink Painting had thoroughly refined the immense evil thoughts of the Zhang family’s clan of zombies.

His spirit sense had also successfully broken through the bottleneck and advanced further, reaching the limit for early-Foundation Establishment stage cultivators:

Thirteen patterns peak!

(End of this chapter)