Yang Jishan pondered for a moment, then sighed, “If there really are forty more iron corpses and five thousand walking corpses, then this should be Lu Chengyun’s last resort…”

Yang Jishan’s gaze swept over everyone, and he said in a heavy voice:

“This is the final battle. Whether we can suppress and kill Lu Chengyun and exterminate the corpse king depends on this one battle. I ask everyone not to hold back any longer.”

Hold back?

Mo Hua was startled when he heard this.

Everyone also had different expressions.

Someone said discontentedly: “Commander Yang, why do you say that? We have also put our hearts and souls into this battle, and the casualties are not small. How can you say we’re holding back?”

“Exactly!”

“Commander, your words make us feel cold…”

Yang Jishan, however, said with a firm expression:

“Among everyone present, many are from large families and sects in Daozhou, Qianzhou, Kunzhou, and other states, or are from the same branch as the Daoting’s Qixing Pavilion. Their family foundations and inheritances are deep and solid, and they naturally have some hidden tricks…”

“These tricks are either obtained from the family foundation or from personal opportunities. They will not be used unless absolutely necessary.”

Once these words were spoken, everyone fell silent.

Cultivators all have opportunities and trump cards, which is undeniable.

Yang Jishan continued: “Now, suppressing and killing the corpse king has reached the most critical stage.”

“If we win this battle, everyone will be greatly rewarded.”

“If we lose, and Lu Chengyun escapes, and the corpse king survives, the Daoting will blame us. I, Yang, will naturally bear the brunt first and have to atone for my sins to the Daoting. As for everyone here…”

Yang Jishan looked around, “it is likely that no one can escape responsibility!”

Yang Jishan’s gaze sank slightly, “…When the Daoting blames us, the promotion sequences of the families and sects will be greatly delayed within a hundred years.”

“And among everyone, some from Daozhou, cultivators with the origin of the Tianshu Pavilion, should know what it means for the corpse king to survive.”

“Once the matter fails, the responsibility is heavy. The families everyone belongs to will inevitably be pursued by the Daoting!”

“Will the family be angry at you, will they dismiss your elders, lower your treatments, and demote your rights?”

Yang Jishan’s gaze became severe, and his tone was icy cold, “This is not the worst situation…”

“The worst situation is that Lu Chengyun loses heart and goes mad, letting the corpse king lose control, triggering a true, large-scale corpse tide, submerging Nanyue City, and even the entire state boundary.”

“At that time, the state boundary will become a corpse boundary, and living beings will be devastated…”

“And in the corpse tide, once several iron corpses are transformed into copper corpses by chance, many people present will probably not be able to leave this Xiaohuang State boundary alive!”

Yang Jishan said coldly: “At that time, everyone’s hidden tricks can only be used to cover their coffins…”

“There won’t even be a coffin. They will either be swallowed alive, with no bones left, or become wandering corpses, which is better than no bones left…”

Yang Jishan’s speech made everyone’s faces turn pale.

Although these words were somewhat alarmist.

But looking at the current situation, these things are not impossible to happen…

“Commander Yang, what do you plan to do?” an old cultivator present asked.

He was very old, with white hair and gray beard, and didn’t care about himself, but about the younger generations in his family.

If they win this battle, he will have rendered meritorious service, and the family’s promotion is hopeful within a hundred years.

Their branch disciples will also be heavily used.

But if they lose, and are held responsible by the Daoting, and the promotion sequence is lowered, then the efforts of the family’s three generations of cultivators and hundreds of years will be in vain.

And the younger generations of their branch will also inevitably not be valued by the family again.

So even if they die, this battle must be won!

Yang Jishan said with a resolute expression:

“Rely on the family’s foundation, no longer hold back, use all trump cards, directly suppress and kill Lu Chengyun, exterminate the corpse king, and quell the corpse plague!”

After speaking, he took out a long spear from his storage bag.

This long spear was golden and bright, with hot gold patterns on it. Spiritual power condensed, faintly revealing a shocking momentum.

As soon as this spear came out, knowledgeable cultivators all changed color.

Yang Jishan said: “This is my Yang family’s second-grade superior spiritual tool, the Falling Sun Spear!”

“This spear is precious, the refining method is special, and the power is extremely great. Coordinated with the Yang family’s spear arts, one strike is enough to have the strength of the late stage peak of Foundation Establishment, but it is extremely easy to consume and can only be used three times.”

Yang Jishan looked at the golden spear, somewhat reluctant, but still said solemnly:

“This Falling Sun Spear was bestowed upon me by my grandfather and is used to protect my life. It is not allowed to be used unless it is a life-and-death juncture.”

“But this battle does not distinguish between victory and defeat, but decides life and death.”

“Since it is a life-and-death battle, I will use this spear to kill Lu Chengyun and let the corpse king perish!”

Everyone was a little moved.

Mo Hua was also a little surprised. Although he didn’t know the background of this Falling Sun Spear, seeing everyone’s expressions, he also knew that this spear was extraordinary.

It is very likely that even if they win this battle and earn merits, they may not be able to offset this long spear.

Yang Jishan set an example, and other cultivators also successively pondered.

Yang Jishan is from the Yang family, commands Dao soldiers, and is proficient in military strategy. He is extremely familiar with cultivators’ combat.

He all has to use his trump card, which means that if they don’t use thunderous means and fight quickly, they will inevitably suffer a great disaster!

There is no time to save, absolutely cannot save.

Otherwise, their lives will not be saved…

After some cultivators pondered, they spoke:

“Since the Commander says so, I will not hold back either…”

He flipped his palm and took out a black jade box, saying proudly:

“I am from the Tang family and have a set of second-grade spiritual tools called Violent Rain Pear Flower Needle. Needles are hidden in the box. Once it explodes, spiritual power is like rain, and needles are like pear flowers. It may be a bit lacking against a strong enemy, but throwing it into the corpse group has extremely great killing power…”

Someone took the lead, and the remaining cultivators all followed suit.

Even the cultivators who said at the beginning that they didn’t hold back all revealed their trump cards.

“I am from the Han family and have an Increasing Spirit Pill. After taking it, my cultivation will rise to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment within the time of a teacup…”

“Zhang family, Zhang Zifan, my ancestor gave me a set of Fierce Flame Burn Heaven Array…”

“Dou family, Dou Changbao, have a second-grade Binding Spirit Net, which can simultaneously fix four iron corpses…”

“My family and sect are not prominent. I only accidentally obtained a second-grade high-grade Spiritual Explosion Jade Talisman, which has the spell power of a Foundation Establishment late stage cultivator…”

“I have a Clear Wind Screen, which can remove… corpse poison from second-grade or higher iron corpses…”

Someone finally couldn’t help but curse: “Why didn’t you take this out earlier, you son of a bitch?”

“I, this son of a bitch, used it to protect my life, how could I be willing?”

“You’re really stingy!”

“I won’t give it to you…”

“No… good brothers, good big brother, I was wrong, just pretend I just farted…”

Amidst the noise.

Basically, all the cultivators present, from different states, different families, and different sects, revealed one or two trump cards.

Yang Jishan silently took note and nodded.

He knew that everyone definitely still had reservations, but this was also human nature. In the overall plan, everyone had different minds, which was inevitable.

These trump cards are enough for now.

Mo Hua’s eyes also widened.

Before the Dao soldiers’ combat, these family and sect cultivators covered, and their performance was ordinary.

He still thought these family cultivators, if not wine sacks and rice bags, were at least somewhat mediocre.

At this time, he finally understood the reason:

One is that cultivator group battles are indeed different from single combat, and many means are not easy to use.

The second is that they all have their own small calculations, holding onto good things and not intending to use them to exterminate the corpse mine.

Mo Hua’s eyes brightened slightly.

This is like plucking wool. As long as you are willing to pluck, you will always get something.

Yang Commander didn’t mention these things, and he fundamentally didn’t know.

Mo Hua felt that he had gained knowledge again…

The trump cards of these cultivators present were various.

There were spiritual tools, pills, talismans, arrays, spells, etc.

Yang Jishan classified and arranged them overall.

These means must be used effectively, with a decisive blow, to exterminate the group of corpses and suppress and kill the corpse king!

After Yang Jishan arranged everything properly, the next step was to understand the terrain of the grave mountain.

On the Daoting side, several Foundation Establishment cultivators with powerful divine senses began to scan the grave mountain with their divine senses.

But after scanning for a long time, they still found nothing.

Like the mine well, the grave mountain was filled with foul qi, obstructing divine sense.

Moreover, arrays were laid everywhere.

These arrays had obscure breaths and were entangled with the mountain’s foul qi, making it difficult to distinguish them clearly.

So the drawn mountain and river map was very crude.

It only simply outlined the mountain and river situation, where the corpse qi was heavy, where there might be arrays, what kind of arrays there probably were, etc…

This information was vague and unclear, and not very helpful.

Yang Jishan frowned, suddenly thought of Mo Hua, held the map, found Mo Hua, and asked:

“Little brother, can you see what arrays are on this grave mountain?”

“Let me take a look…”

Mo Hua took the map, looked at the gloomy gray grave mountain in the distance again, his divine sense moved slightly, and began to deduce.

While calculating, he mumbled something, found a piece of paper, and scribbled and revised on it.

He drew things that Yang Jishan did not understand at all.

Yang Jishan didn’t dare to disturb Mo Hua, and just watched silently from the side.

After an unknown amount of time, Mo Hua’s eyes brightened slightly and he began to mark on the map.

He marked the names of all the arrays, their grades, array patterns, and attention matters for the array eyes, array hubs, and array mediums used.

Even some places with heavy corpse qi, he also roughly marked the number of iron corpses and walking corpses.

The whole grave mountain was clear at a glance.

Yang Jishan was stunned.

He really wanted to ask Mo Hua how he saw it, but then he thought, if he keeps asking like this, it will seem like he, the commander, is very incompetent.

Moreover, even if Mo Hua said it, could he understand?

At least before Mo Hua said it, he didn’t understand…

Forget it, don’t suspect people you use, and don’t use people you suspect.

Yang Jishan sighed, and was somewhat fortunate again.

Fortunately, this little cultivator was on this trip, otherwise the progress of exterminating the corpse mine might not have been so smooth.

After Yang Jishan left, Mo Hua still frowned.

There was one thing that puzzled him greatly.

In this grave mountain, there were many zombies. Leaving aside the walking corpses, where did those iron corpses come from?

The nearby states were all second-grade.

In second-grade states, Foundation Establishment cultivators are the upper limit.

Where did Lu Chengyun get these dozens of Foundation Establishment corpses and refine them into iron corpses?

Moreover, these iron corpses were obviously refined very early.

The longer the years, the more toxic the corpse poison.

Mo Hua frowned and thought hard, suddenly startled.

Xiao Lingyin Sect!

He remembered Instructor Yan saying that the Xiao Lingyin Sect was once a quite influential array sect, and many Foundation Establishment cultivators were produced within the sect, but it gradually declined later.

Until later, Lu Chengyun betrayed the sect, killed his master and stole the array, and the Xiao Lingyin Sect also dispersed.

But after it dispersed, the sect’s cemeteries still existed.

In the cemeteries, there were still the corpses of successive generations of Foundation Establishment cultivators from the sect.

Thinking of this, Mo Hua’s heart was stern.

He had observed in the past few days and found that the iron corpses in the grave mountain, besides their fierce corpse poison, were not very strong in flesh, and their arms were slender and fingers long.

Obviously, in life, most of them were array masters who moved their pens…

Lu Chengyun’s killing of his master was perhaps not a momentary impulse, but a long-planned scheme.

This scheme included not only the Ling Shu Array, but also the corpses of the sect masters and elders of the Xiao Lingyin Sect who were in the cemeteries after the sect fell and the disciples scattered.

Killing his master and exterminating his ancestors, causing the sect to fall, and even using the corpses of the sect’s ancestors to refine corpses…

In Mo Hua’s deep gaze, a cold light gradually condensed:

“Lu Chengyun… seeking death!”

Yang Jishan obtained the detailed grave mountain map and array map, and then began to make overall arrangements, wanting to achieve his goal in one fell swoop, exterminate the corpse king, and quell the corpse plague.

All preparations were proper, Mo Hua suddenly found Yang Jishan, and said:

“Uncle Yang, I’ll go too.”

Yang Jishan was a little astonished, “What are you going to do?”

“I want to help a little.” Mo Hua said.

Yang Jishan was slightly startled, and then his heart warmed.

What a good child, capable and kind-hearted, no wonder Fifth Brother praised him so much.

But Yang Jishan still shook his head:

“I also want you to go, but this time is a life-and-death battle, to deal with the corpse king and so many iron corpses. It’s too dangerous, even for me, it’s possible that there will be more ominous than auspicious outcomes. I can’t guarantee your safety…”

Mo Hua said: “Uncle Yang, don’t worry. My little senior brother and little senior sister will protect me.”

Yang Jishan hesitated and said: “Your little senior brother, little senior sister, are only in the Refining Qi stage…”

“Although they are in the Refining Qi stage, their cultivation is very strong.” Mo Hua said proudly.

Yang Jishan still disagreed, “This is a life-and-death slaughter, and it’s also a mixed battle with zombies, it’s not the same…”

Mo Hua said: “If it really doesn’t work, I’ll hide myself and run away…”

Hide himself…

Yang Jishan was startled when he heard this.

No wonder! No wonder he could muddle through in the corpse mine and scout intelligence. So he had hidden means.

Mo Hua didn’t mention this matter before, so Yang Jishan didn’t know.

Yang Jishan looked at Mo Hua, his eyes shining.

Hidden…

Actually can hide… really good…

Then he was a little doubtful, “Although you are in the Refining Qi cultivation, how can your hidden technique conceal from Lu Chengyun?”

Mo Hua narrowed his eyes and smiled, not answering.

Yang Jishan then realized that he had spoken out of turn.

This kind of secret related to cultivators’ details cannot be easily revealed.

Yang Jishan immediately said: “Sorry, I was abrupt.”

Mo Hua then said: “Then I can go?”

“This…” Yang Jishan was still a little hesitant, he suddenly startled, and said doubtfully:

“You’re going to the grave mountain, isn’t it for other purposes?”

Mo Hua didn’t hide it either, nodded, and said directly:

“Lu Chengyun and I have some personal grudges, and I want to watch him die!”

Yang Jishan was startled.

Personal grudges?

Was it the personal grudges formed when he was locked in the corpse mine before, or for other reasons?

Yang Jishan’s gaze sank slightly.

No matter what the reason, he didn’t want to let Mo Hua, this young cultivator, take risks too much.

He even considered sending people to send Mo Hua out of Nanyue City first, to avoid danger to Mo Hua if this battle is lost and Nanyue City falls.

Suppressing and killing the corpse evils is the Daoting’s decree and the duty of the Dao soldiers, which is actually unrelated to Mo Hua.

Mo Hua knows arrays and is kind-hearted, a good seedling. He cannot be allowed to take this risk!

Yang Jishan nodded.

But just as Yang Jishan made up his mind and was about to refuse, his heart suddenly palpitated fiercely.

In his sea of consciousness, a picture inexplicably emerged:

In the picture, the sky was stained red with blood.

Lu Chengyun was dead.

But all the cultivators present were also dead.

And he, with a broken arm, was being trampled underfoot by a zombie, his eyes filled with despair.

This zombie was huge, its pupils were blood-colored, faintly dark gold, and its breath was terrifying.

It waved its arm and roared.

Throughout the mountains and plains, thousands of zombies submitted…

One instant later, everything disappeared again.

Yang Jishan’s back was already soaked with cold sweat, and great terror surged in his heart:

“Just now… what was that?”

Was it his intuition from being on the battlefield for a long time?

Was it an omen in the darkness?

Or did someone show me this scene…

Yang Jishan’s face was pale, and his gaze was shocked and uncertain.

“Uncle Yang?”

A childish voice brought Yang Jishan back to his senses.

Yang Jishan raised his head and saw Mo Hua with a worried face.

“Uncle Yang, what’s wrong?” Mo Hua said worriedly.

Yang Jishan thought for a moment, and barely smiled: “Nothing, just a little tired…”

Mo Hua then said apologetically:

“Then Uncle Yang, you should rest well, I won’t disturb you.”

Yang Jishan nodded slightly, and just as Mo Hua was about to leave, he suddenly called out to Mo Hua again.

“Mo Hua.”

Mo Hua turned back doubtfully.

Yang Jishan’s gaze slightly condensed and said: “You can go.”

Mo Hua was startled, and then overjoyed, “Really?”

Yang Jishan nodded, “But you must be careful, stay by my side, don’t walk around randomly, even if you see Lu Chengyun, don’t be impulsive.”

“Mhm mhm.” Mo Hua nodded continuously, smiling: “Thank you, Uncle Yang!”

Mo Hua left happily.

And from the moment he promised Mo Hua and let him go together.

The bloody, terrifying, and despairing picture in his sea of consciousness disappeared…

The terror in Yang Jishan’s heart also gradually calmed down, and he no longer felt ice cold in his limbs.

As if some terrible cause and effect had been cut off.

Yang Jishan’s heart was still unable to calm down for a long time.

He looked at Mo Hua’s retreating back, his gaze was shocked, and he thought unbelievably:

“Mo Hua… what is the identity of this little cultivator?”

Thanks to PYHuang, ChanSO, Han Hai Xiaoyao Bookman, Sang Chen for their rewards.

(End of this chapter)