No, or rather...
His physical body was dead, but his Divine Thought was still alive, just like the ancestral spirits of the Zhang Family, his Divine Thought turned into an evil spirit, inhabiting the Contemplation Map...
Mo Hua gradually came to understand. Discover hidden content at empire
No wonder Zhang Quan wanted to see the Ancestral Master Picture of his family before he died.
It was not as he claimed, feeling guilty for failing his ancestors and wanting to kowtow for forgiveness.
Instead, he wished for his Divine Thought to enter the picture after death, to live on as a ghostly retainer in the Contemplation Map.
Whether or not Lu Chengyun activated the picture didn't really matter, as long as he took the Contemplation Map out of the storage bag, it already gave Zhang Quan a chance.
Mo Hua had to admit.
He really underestimated Zhang Quan.
Zhang Quan wasn't as dumb as he thought.
And obviously, Lu Chengyun had not anticipated that Zhang Quan could be so cunning, nor that the Zhang Family could possess such mysterious and unfathomable methods.
Mo Hua frowned again.
"However... surely not every Cultivator who dies can receive this kind of 'treatment'..."
The terror of a dead body and lost path is immense.
Many Cultivators on the brink of death, in their desperation to survive, will resort to any means necessary.
The Old Ancestor of the Qian Family refining Human Life Pills, the Old Ancestor of the Lu Family turning himself into a Corpse, all out of the fear of death, the desire to continue living.
If this picture can truly harbor evil spirits...
Even without a physical body, old scoundrels like the Elder of the Qian Family and the Lu Family Old Ancestor, who have done many evil deeds, would certainly be willing to turn into wraiths and possess the picture...
Mo Hua didn't have much knowledge about the Cultivation of Dao related to paintings, but it surely wasn't this simple...
"Is it the special bloodline of the Zhang Family, or is this Contemplation Map itself somewhat special?"
Mo Hua mused silently to himself.
After pondering for a moment, he remembered now was not the time to consider these matters, for he still had to prepare a "Hongmen Banquet" to entertain his "guests."
And at this very moment, members of the Zhang Family had already entered Mo Hua's Sea of Consciousness.
Five people in total.
Two Elders and three disciples, among whom was Zhang Quan.
Zhang Quan was the most junior in the hierarchy but possessed considerable Cultivation, already at the Foundation Establishment Realm, making him the most prestigious among the disciples.
However, facing his own ancestors, he kept a very low profile and spoke with great respect.
After entering Mo Hua's Sea of Consciousness, Zhang Quan cautiously asked:
"Elder Song, Elder Si, should we enter first? Shouldn't our Ancestral Master have the honor first?"
"It matters not."
The Iron Corpse Elder known as "Elder Song" calmly said, "The Ancestral Master relies on the Divine Thought offerings connected by our bloodline. The stronger we descendants are, the stronger the Ancestral Master becomes. He doesn't need to personally involve himself in such acts of feeding and enhancing..."
Zhang Quan expressed his admiration, "Such is the glory of our Ancestral Master!"
Elder Song nodded and said, "The methods of the Ancestral Master are not something we later generations can fathom."
He looked at Zhang Quan and praised him, "To Cultivate to Foundation Establishment and advance the Corpse Path is a great achievement indeed... Even if you die in the process, your contribution is significant..."
"Talent, temperament, methods; in our Zhang Family disciples, you can certainly rank among the top."
"Most importantly, your profound filial piety to the Ancestral Master is admirable."
"The Ancestral Master holds you in high regard."
"So, this offering is for you to consume first."
"After you devour the Divine Sense and heal your injuries, gaining strength by leaps and bounds, you must serve the Ancestral Master and the Zhang Family even better!"
With excited expression, Zhang Quan clasped his hands and said:
"Disciple Zhang Quan will certainly not fail the expectations of the Elders and our Ancestral Master!"
Elder Song nodded in satisfaction.
Zhang Quan looked up, his face now that of a zombie.
Glancing at Mo Hua's Sea of Consciousness, with saliva on his sharp teeth, he greedily murmured:
"Kid, I never thought you'd have your day..."
The usually silent Elder Si asked upon hearing this:
"Do you know this offering?"
Zhang Quan nodded with resentment and said:
"Truth be told, I have suffered countless losses at the hands of this brat! I've always wanted to kill him quickly, but couldn't!"
Elder Si frowned, "Just a little Cultivator and you can't kill him?"