Inside the Sword Observation Pavilion, the Hundred Flowers Valley Master saw Mo Hua in this state and felt a sharp pain in her chest. Her eyes grew moist, and she almost couldn't breathe.
Inside the Tianxuan Chamber, the Grand Diviner gazed at Mo Hua—proud, defiant, looking down upon the world—and for a moment, he was stunned, his thoughts thrown into disarray.
He could no longer tell… who exactly Mo Hua resembled in his "youth."
Meanwhile, in the Sword Debate Arena—
Mo Hua's words were wildly arrogant, utterly disdainful of all others.
Even Shen Linshu and the other four, born with natural pride and contempt for the mundane, were thoroughly enraged.
Shen Linshu couldn't help but sneer coldly:
"If you had unleashed this sword earlier and killed the five of us, wouldn't that have been better?"
Mo Hua scoffed, his tone full of contempt. "This sword of mine holds immense power. If I had used it earlier, it would have cut down all those worthless bystanders along with you."
"My sword does not cut down mediocrities. Only the few of you… are worthy of dying by it."
Shen Linshu felt his blood surge.
Even Duanmu Qing, Xiao Wuchen, and Ao Zhan, driven by their growing hatred, had eyes tinged with red.
"Good, good…" Shen Linshu laughed in fury. "Then I would very much like to see how you wield this sword today…"
"I'd like to see how a formation master without even a sword—" his voice turned mocking, "—plans to cut down the five greatest geniuses of Qianxue."
Mo Hua nodded slightly. "Then you'd best open your eyes wide… Watch carefully… Watch very carefully…"
His voice carried an eerie undertone.
"…Do not blink."
Then, without hesitation, his gaze deepened. Slowly, he brought two fingers together and pointed them at the center of his forehead.
...
Outside the Sword Debate Arena, the spectators clearly saw Mo Hua's strange action and instinctively frowned.
"What is Mo Hua… trying to do?"
"What's he planning?"
"Don't tell me he actually intends to take on all five Qianxue geniuses alone?"
"Impossible. Is he out of his mind?"
"His formation is gone. How can he possibly kill them?"
...
Within the Taixu Sect, elders and disciples alike exchanged baffled glances, utterly confused by Mo Hua's actions.
The elders and disciples of the Taixu Sect all looked at each other in confusion, completely at a loss as to what Mo Hua was doing.
Only Xun Ziyou was suddenly startled, as if recalling something. His pupils widened. He remembered this familiar movement of Mo Hua.
Naturally, he also recalled the creature in the Demon Refining Mountain—one without a single wound on its body, yet it had suddenly dropped dead in front of Mo Hua...
A third-grade Golden Core realm demon boar...
Xun Ziyou felt his scalp tingle, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.
In the Sword Observation Tower, within the Grand Hall of Taixu, many of the Taixu Ancestors frowned slightly, equally perplexed.
As Taixu cultivators, they could not interfere with the grand formation of the Fifth-Grade Debate Mountain or disrupt the disciples' duel. However, they could still perceive the auras within the formation.
Mo Hua's physical body was weak, his spiritual power was low, his foundation in the sword path shallow, and he had not a single trace of sword qi on him, nor did he wield a spiritual sword.
How could a disciple like this know any sword techniques?
What kind of trickery was this strange boy playing?
Then, in just an instant, an aura as vast as an abyss emerged from Mo Hua's body. An ancient and profound sword intent slowly began to rise.
Sensing this sword intent, all the Taixu cultivators were stunned.
"This aura is..."
Some of the Taixu Ancestors well-versed in the sword path carefully perceived it, and their expressions instantly changed. They shot to their feet in shock, their gazes fixed on Elder Xun in disbelief.
"This is the Taixu Sect's... Divine Will Sword Manifestation?!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of all the Taixu Ancestors present shifted drastically.
As cultivators of the Taixu realm who had lived for countless years, how could they not have heard of this world-shaking name?
The forbidden sword technique of the Taixu Sect— The True Art of Divine Will Sword Manifestation!
This boy from the Taixu Sect was using a sword art that belonged to the Taixu lineage—one that was nearly lost, sealed away, and so powerful it could shake the heavens and terrify ghosts?!
How was this possible?!
This sword technique was an advanced, sect-defining art.
It was difficult to learn, difficult to master, and difficult to pass down. A single mistake could result in death by spiritual disintegration.
How could a mere Foundation Establishment disciple have possibly learned it?!
Who dared to allow a Foundation Establishment disciple to study this technique?
Even these deeply composed Taixu Ancestors could not suppress the waves of shock in their hearts.
Even Elder Xun furrowed his brows, his thoughts in turmoil.
His greatest fear had come true.
Mo Hua had truly learned the True Art of Divine Will Sword Manifestation.
That meant the technique must have been passed down by his senior brother— the one who had taken half a step into demonic cultivation, whose fate was unknown, whose very nature was uncertain, whether he was man or demon.
And Mo Hua had actually mastered this sword art.
He had become the sole surviving inheritor of the Taixu Sect's forbidden sword technique.
Elder Xun felt a deep chill in his heart, unsure whether he should feel sorrow or joy. But soon, an even graver problem dawned upon the other Ancestors.
An elder suddenly leaped to his feet, his face filled with horror. "This is bad! The Fifth-Grade Debate Mountain Formation does not guard against divine will attacks!"
"Stop him!"
"We absolutely cannot let him unleash this sword!"
Before the True Art of Divine Will Sword Manifestation, all flesh and blood, all spiritual power, were meaningless.
No matter how great one's spiritual roots were or how strong their body was, if their Dao heart was not firm and their divine will was not solid, they could not withstand the erasure of Taixu Sword Intent.
In other words, his sword could truly "kill" within the Debate Mountain Formation.
And the ones he intended to kill…
All the Taixu Ancestors were struck with terror.
Immediately, several Taixu Ancestors moved to intervene, trying to bypass the Fifth-Grade Formation and stop Mo Hua from releasing his sword strike. But the moment their Taixu powers touched the formation, the profound and intricate formation patterns woven into the void dissolved their efforts completely.
The Fifth-Grade Debate Mountain Formation prohibited anyone from interfering in the duel.
Not even the Taixu Ancestors.
Within the dueling arena, as Mo Hua's sword intent surged, Shen Linshu and his group instantly sensed that something was terribly wrong. A primal fear from deep within their bloodlines warned them.
No!
Kill Mo Hua first!
The five of them acted on instinct, moving to strike first and eliminate Mo Hua—at the very least, to disrupt his sword technique.
But it was already too late. They had already seen Mo Hua's eyes.
Those were not human eyes.
They were dazzling golden, filled with immaculate divinity.
Within that divinity was a sorrowful compassion for all beings.
And within that humanity, a chilling ruthlessness capable of slaughtering everything.
A blood-red sword dao inferno was reflected in Mo Hua's pupils, shaking the very souls of Shen Linshu and the others, paralyzing them with fear.
Mo Hua seized the moment, calming his mind and discarding all distractions. In his sea of consciousness, he gathered all his divine sense. The profound sword formations of Severing Gold, Mountain-Splitting, Gui Water, and Li Fire revolved ceaselessly within his vision.
The ancient and boundless Taixu Sword Intent fused into them.
A sword intent far surpassing the Foundation Establishment realm, sharp beyond belief, erupted from Mo Hua's frail frame.
Like a divine will storm, it surged in all directions, unseen yet overwhelming.
Mo Hua's gaze grew even more radiant.
The sword intent, catalyzed by his pure golden divine will, reached its peak, becoming condensed and unimaginably sharp.
He raised two fingers to his brow.
At his fingertips, spiritual energy intertwined, bypassing his forehead, connecting the tangible and intangible. Through his self-devised method of "divine will projection," he carefully guided forth the profound Taixu Sword Intent infused with the Five Elements Sword Formation.
The colossal Divine Severance Technique— the terrifying sword intent— once again manifested in the world.
Then, with icy determination, Mo Hua pointed forward.
His fingertips traced a surge of boundless sword intent— The divine will sword, sweeping through the void.
Mo Hua's gaze turned icy. He raised two fingers and pointed forward. At his fingertips, a surge of sword intent erupted—vast and boundless. The Divine Will Sword materialized, sweeping across the void.
Slash!
This was a sword formed purely of divine will.
It was an existence infused with the essence of the divine, transformed into pure gold through the Dao, transcending the comprehension of ordinary cultivators.
Countless Foundation Establishment cultivators present could barely perceive anything. They only saw Mo Hua extend his fingers, pointing forward. In the air, there was a faint golden light, indistinct and wavering between reality and illusion.
Golden Core cultivators could vaguely see the sword's shadow, with golden threads of sword intent occasionally flickering across it.
Nascent Soul cultivators could perceive the magnificent, glass-like golden sword body.
Only Void Refinement cultivators could see the complete Divine Severance Sword— the intertwining laws of the Five Elements, the intricate sword formations, and the ancient, profound Taixu Sword Dao flowing within it.
The higher one's cultivation, the clearer the vision—and the more terrifying it appeared.
And this dreadful sword, in full view of all the cultivators, descended upon the five greatest prodigies of Qianxue with the brilliance of the morning sun breaking through the heavens.
It ignored flesh and blood, disregarded spiritual energy, and rendered all armor and Daoist robes meaningless.
It bypassed even the Dao Debate Jade, surpassing the defensive laws of the Fifth-Grade Dao Debate Mountain Formation, piercing directly into their eyes— Cutting into their seas of consciousness, erasing their divine senses.
Shen Linshu and the others— Their physical strength, spiritual power, cultivation, and Dao techniques were all far superior to Mo Hua.
Yet their divine will, their Dao hearts— Compared to Mo Hua, who was akin to a "god"— Were utterly fragile.
The moment they were struck by the Divine Severance Sword, signs of collapse appeared within their seas of consciousness. Their divine senses wavered on the brink of obliteration.
Then, a layer of golden light suddenly descended, enveloping them.
A brilliant, sacred talisman mark emerged on each of their foreheads.
This golden light— Mo Hua was no stranger to it. This talisman— Mo Hua had seen it before. The Life-Bound Longevity Talisman!
Formed by a Void Refinement ancestor whose lifespan was nearing its end, who had lost hope of ascending the Grand Dao.
Using their own lifeblood essence, they forged this talisman, embedding it into the life fate of their direct descendants.
When faced with mortal peril, it would automatically activate— Capable of annihilating all external threats and ensuring the survival of their lineage.
Mo Hua's Divine Severance Sword truly possessed the power to annihilate Shen Linshu and the others' divine senses— And it had indeed struck their very souls.
Naturally, it also shattered the five Life-Bound Longevity Talismans embedded in their beings.
Five Void Refinement manifestations emerged!
In that instant, a deafening roar erupted, shaking the heavens.
The sky darkened, the earth trembled.
An immense golden radiance surged into the sky. The winds howled, clouds churned atop the Dao Debate Mountain.
Five incomparably powerful Void Refinement manifestations appeared simultaneously, their vast spiritual power obscuring the heavens and blotting out the earth.
Such an overwhelming presence was enough to make all who witnessed it tremble in soul-crushing fear.
The residual shockwaves shook the world.
Not only the Dao Debate Mountain— But the entire Qianxue Province quaked.
The sheer force of five Void Refinement manifestations appearing at once was beyond terrifying. The golden light from the mountain extended outward, spreading across almost the entire province.
Across Qianxue Province and even the surrounding mid-sized and small provinces, every cultivator witnessed this earth-shattering phenomenon.
Even in remote places— In Gushan City, along the Yan River, in small fishing villages—wandering cultivators and common folk alike stared at the sky, their faces filled with shock.
The golden radiance was as dazzling as a scorching sun.
And within that golden light— Five immense Void Refinement silhouettes loomed faintly.
Five shattered Longevity Talismans.
Five Void Refinement manifestations unleashed.
This was a spectacle so grand that most cultivators would never witness such a thing in their entire lifetimes.
At the same time, deep within the forbidden grounds of the Four Great Sects and the Da Luo Sect— Five Void Refinement ancestors simultaneously coughed up blood.
…
And the turmoil had yet to subside. Within the Sword Debate Arena, Mo Hua unleashed this sword.
One sword shattered five Longevity Talismans. One sword cut down five Nascent Soul Avatars. One sword changed the color of heaven and earth.
One sword forced five Nascent Soul Patriarchs to spit blood. Mo Hua's sword was simply too shocking.
What followed was an overwhelming, boundless killing intent surging like a tidal wave.
The five Nascent Soul Avatars, along with the terrifying killing intent that filled the sky, simultaneously locked onto Mo Hua.
Mo Hua was the "culprit" behind the deaths of their disciples.
Mo Hua was the source of this crisis. He was the "instigator" of everything.
"Die!"
The five Nascent Soul Avatars, bathed in golden light with imposing expressions and murderous intent, attacked. One controlled a divine flying sword, another wielded a heavy sword single-handedly, one cleaved the heavens with a long blade, another's fist transformed into a dragon, while the last wielded a dust whisk containing a myriad of techniques—all descending upon Mo Hua, this mere Foundation Establishment cultivator.
They wanted to crush him completely, to eradicate his soul and body! Yet, Mo Hua remained standing calmly, his gaze steady, his fair face showing not a trace of fear.
At the very moment when the five terrifying Nascent Soul Avatars were about to crush Mo Hua— The entire Grade Five Dao Discussion Mountain Grand Formation suddenly erupted in a dazzling light.
Vast spiritual energy, like the celestial river of the nine heavens, was devoured by the Grade Five formation runes, flowing through the formation core and driving the entire grand formation into full operation.
It was as if an ancient beast had awakened. A massive humming sound resonated across heaven and earth—the unique spiritual roar of a large-scale formation activating and consuming immense amounts of energy.
Above Dao Discussion Mountain, the void expanded endlessly, resembling a vast galaxy.
A majestic force of the Grade Five Void Grand Formation suddenly descended from the heavens, enveloping Mo Hua entirely, shielding him from the impending slaughter of the five Nascent Soul Avatars.
Nascent Soul Avatars were derived from one's life-bound Longevity Talisman, created to protect their sect's prodigies.
Mo Hua intended to kill five such prodigies.
Thus, the Nascent Soul Avatars had to obliterate Mo Hua.
However, when the Dao Discussion Mountain Grade Five Grand Formation was originally constructed, its purpose was to protect disciples participating in the Sword Debate.
Mo Hua was a Sword Debate disciple.
Therefore, the Grade Five Dao Discussion Mountain Grand Formation would never allow these five Nascent Soul Avatars to harm Mo Hua within its boundaries.
This was a battle on the Nascent Soul level.
The power of the Grade Five Grand Formation clashed fiercely with the five Nascent Soul Avatars atop Dao Discussion Mountain.
Once more, the heavens and earth changed color. The vast starlight and the golden radiance of the avatars interwove and tore at each other, immense spiritual power surging in all directions, colliding and entangling, forming a terrifying tide of energy that spread outward.
In an instant, all the Sword Debate arenas across Dao Discussion Mountain were leveled by this overwhelming spiritual tide.
Every mountain and forest turned to dust.
Even the aftershocks could not be contained, surging along the edges of the grand formation, attempting to break free—like a savage ancient dragon, seeking to devour everything in the world.
Yet, this battle of Nascent Soul-level spiritual power was occurring entirely within the Grade Five Grand Formation.
Naturally, it was also restricted by the grand formation.
The formation roared at full strength, its "spiritual howl" piercingly sharp, forcibly restraining the devastating tide of power generated by the Nascent Soul battle, preventing it from spreading beyond.
Otherwise, the entire Dao Discussion Mountain would be utterly destroyed.
Any cultivator below the Nascent Soul level would be completely obliterated by the energy tide born from the clash between the Grade Five Grand Formation and the five Nascent Soul Avatars— leaving not even bones behind.
At this moment, all the cultivators stood outside the formation, pale-faced and horrified, witnessing the terrifying scene unfold.
They watched as Nascent Soul-level energy, like a sky-covering tsunami, surged violently toward them, only to be blocked by the formation at the last moment.
Their lives hung by a thread, yet they were utterly powerless.
Before such overwhelming and terrifying power, all living beings were like ants— life and death beyond their control.
Above Dao Discussion Mountain, the sky was split—half void, half golden light.
The struggle between the Grade Five Grand Formation and the Nascent Soul Avatars continued.
The spiritual tides surged wave after wave.
And this was the Grade Five Region—Nascent Soul cultivators could fully exert their strength. The Nascent Soul Avatars, born from shattered Longevity Talismans, carried immense resentment and would not dissipate so easily.
As long as Mo Hua, the "instigator," remained alive, as long as the source of karma was not erased, the Nascent Soul Avatars would persist.
The Grade Five Grand Formation protected Mo Hua, enduring wave after wave of their frenzied assaults. But this relentless Nascent Soul killing intent seemed endless.
They would not stop until Mo Hua was dead.
Finally, it seemed that even the Dao Discussion Mountain Grand Formation had become "furious."
It would not allow anyone or any force to violate the rules of the Sword Debate or harm Mo Hua.
A deep, ancient sword cry erupted into the sky.
Atop Dao Discussion Mountain, within the White Jade Platform, nine towering stone pillars encircled it, each carved with mighty divine beasts and auspicious cloud patterns.
At the center of the jade platform, a massive white jade ancient sword over ten zhang long stood like a small mountain.
The sword's body was translucent and crystalline, radiating an aura of ancient majesty and boundless power. This sword was the relic of the Dao Discussion Mountain's ancestor.
Before every Sword Debate, it was customary to pay homage to this sword.
An altar would be set, offerings made, blood oaths sworn, and the seal unbound. All disciples of the Sword Debate would sincerely worship the sword, seeking the ancestor's blessing.
At this moment, the divine beast patterns on the White Jade Platform gleamed brilliantly.
The colossal Dao Discussion Ancient Sword emitted a low hum, its jade-like sword aura soaring into the heavens, resonating with the Grade Five Dao Discussion Mountain Grand Formation.
Above Dao Discussion Mountain, the sky suddenly revealed the apparition of an elder.
This elder's phantom was formed by the power of the grand formation. His face was indistinct, but his presence was vast and profound, like the boundless stars, his aura towering like a giant that reached the heavens.
The giant-like elder stood tall between heaven and earth. With a massive hand condensed from the power of the void, he swept forward, grasping the white jade ancient sword—massive as a mountain—before cleaving it across the sky.
The sword aura was like the celestial river overturning from the nine heavens, unstoppable and absolute, directly slicing all five Nascent Soul Avatars in half at the waist.
With just this one strike, in an instant, the five Nascent Soul Avatars were completely annihilated, their spiritual power vanishing without a trace.
The elder then returned the sword to the White Jade Platform, his figure gradually dissipating into the heavens and earth.
The Grade Five Dao Discussion Mountain Grand Formation also began to settle, its piercing spiritual howl fading away.
The terrifying spiritual tides gradually ebbed, diminished, and were ultimately absorbed and refined by the grand formation.
Silence returned between heaven and earth.
Before the grand formation, all the cultivators who had been watching—including the honored guests atop the Sword Observation Tower—still had lingering fear on their faces, their hearts numb and dazed.
In just half a day, they had witnessed one terrifying scene after another.
For a moment, they almost thought they were not watching a simple Sword Debate among geniuses but a battle of Nascent Soul-level destruction…
(End of this Chapter)