Chapter 774 – The Killing Setup
This was far beyond normal.
A swordsmith… drawing array patterns?
If he were drawing sword arrays, that might make some sense—but what he was sketching were Divine Dao Runes, and those were practically extinct!
How did he even learn them?
Were Divine Dao arrays that easy to come by?
Mo Hua's mind was a storm of confusion.
He narrowed his eyes and stared hard at the old demon smith, especially focusing on the runes he was drawing. Gradually, his expression grew solemn.
This old guy kept tracing the same rune over and over.
Which meant… he probably only knew this one.
But this one rune—it was truly bizarre.
It wasn't the kind Mo Hua had found at the well in the fishing village, or in the River God Temple—those were gate-type Divine Dao formations.
Nor was it the same as the fog-patterned Divine Dao arrays he deduced in the Myriad Demon Forest.
It was something entirely new.
"Could this be what Elder Xun Zixian once mentioned? A fully-formed system of Divine Dao arrays hidden deep within the Myriad Demon Valley?"
Mo Hua frowned.
But what exactly was the purpose of this array?
Why draw it on the lifebound sword bone?
His gaze darkened.
"This old fraud... is clearly hiding more than a few secrets."
…
The forging process continued.
While Ouyang Mu was distracted, the old demon had secretly finished inscribing the Divine Dao rune on the sword bone. Then, using blood, he sealed it—acting completely natural as he carried on refining the sword bone with an elaborate process.
Ouyang Mu finished quenching the refined iron, turned around, and resumed learning from the old smith.
Everything seemed normal.
He had no idea what the old demon had done behind his back.
Several complex forging steps followed. After several hours, the old demon finally said:
"That's enough for today. Come back tomorrow."
"Understood, Senior."
Ouyang Mu, who had spent hours working as an assistant, was a little exhausted. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded.
"Then I'll take my leave for now."
After he left—
The old demon took out the sword bone. With a bloodstained, tumor-covered crimson hand, he gently stroked the hidden Divine Dao rune, and whispered hoarsely:
"My life… all depends on you…"
Then, as if his strength had run out, he hugged the sword bone and sank into a deep sleep.
Mo Hua inspected the sword bone again—it was nearly identical in length and shape to the old demon's spine. A chill flickered in his eyes.
He thought for a moment, then silently left.
…
Back in the prison, Mo Hua told Ouyang Mu and Linghu Xiao everything he had seen.
Ouyang Mu was shocked.
"Array runes?!"
Mo Hua nodded.
"Was it a sword array?"
"No. It was a very unusual Divine Dao rune. I've never seen it before, and I'm not sure what it does."
Ouyang Mu and Linghu Xiao both frowned.
Linghu Xiao thought for a moment, then said:
"So this old demon's plan… must be tied to that sword bone."
"Could he be… trying to forge a lifebound sword embryo for himself?"
Mo Hua nodded.
"That's possible…"
That had been his earlier suspicion as well, though he had no proof.
"But…" Mo Hua frowned. "Forging your lifebound sword bone using your own spine—what kind of swordcraft is that?"
Linghu Xiao shook his head.
The two of them turned to look at Ouyang Mu.
Among them, only Ouyang Mu had deep forging knowledge and practical skill.
Ouyang Mu's expression grew serious.
"I'm not exactly sure, but I've read accounts of similar techniques—some obscure forging methods passed down in our clan."
"It's called feeding yourself to your sword—a fusion of person and weapon."
"But there are many branches of this method. Some are simply bloody and self-harming, but not evil… while others are extremely dark, requiring great slaughter and karmic weight."
"As for this old guy… whether he's using a righteous or demonic variant of the method, I can't yet tell."
He shook his head again.
Linghu Xiao frowned and thought for a moment.
"Here's a question…"
He looked at both Mo Hua and Ouyang Mu, and said slowly:
"If he's forging his lifebound sword bone from his own spine… then isn't it likely that he's planning to use that sword to condense his golden core?"
Ouyang Mu's face changed, then he nodded rapidly.
"He said so himself—any demon in the Myriad Demon Prison who forms a golden core can leave the valley and serve the 'young lord' outside."
"Once he forms a core, he gains more years of life. He'd basically be rewriting his fate."
Mo Hua nodded slowly. But then his eyes narrowed.
"But… can he even survive that long?"
Ouyang Mu and Linghu Xiao fell into thoughtful silence.
Mo Hua continued:
"That old demon pulled out his own spine. He hunches over, coughs blood constantly. Sometimes he sits alone in the Evil Artifact Workshop, stuffing pills into his mouth by the handful."
"And I can clearly sense—he's reeking of death aura. It's getting heavier every day."
He looked at Ouyang Mu.
"Forging a lifebound sword bone, refining a demonic lifebound sword—it must take time, right? I don't think he'll live long enough to finish it."
Ouyang Mu nodded.
"True… sounds like he's running out of time. So what's the point of all this effort?"
He frowned, thinking hard. Then suddenly, he froze—his eyes widening.
"Senior Mo! There's one more possibility!"
Mo Hua blinked.
"What possibility?"
"It's just…" Ouyang Mu's face turned pale.
"That sword bone… might already be finished! All this teaching me sword-forging—it's just for show!"
He thought back over the past few days, and nodded slowly.
"Yes… now that I think about it, even though he claimed to be instructing me, he kept me away from anything too bloody or sinister. I thought he was trying to protect me—but in truth, he didn't need me to help at all. That spine… was already forged into a sword bone!"
Mo Hua's eyes sharpened.
"Then the reason he hasn't refined it into a full lifebound sword… is because he's still missing something."
"Missing… something…"
As he said this, he turned to look at Ouyang Mu.
Linghu Xiao also turned to stare at him.
Ouyang Mu froze, then slowly pointed to himself.
"Me?"
"Mm." Mo Hua nodded.
"Before you arrived, that old demon behaved. But the moment you came, he took out the sword bone and started scheming to forge a lifebound demonic sword."
"Clearly, you are the key—you are the missing condition for him to forge that sword and form his golden core."
Linghu Xiao looked anxious.
"Then doesn't that mean Junior Brother Mu is in grave danger?"
"Exactly," Mo Hua sighed, frowning.
"The problem is, we don't know what his actual forging method is—or what tricks he's playing."
"And we have no idea what that array rune on the sword bone is meant to do…"
All three of them wore troubled expressions.
But just standing here guessing wouldn't solve anything.
"We'll have to play it by ear…"
Mo Hua patted Ouyang Mu's shoulder.
"Be extra careful."
"Mm." Ouyang Mu nodded solemnly.
Mo Hua looked at him and, still not at ease, said:
"Wait here a moment."
Mo Hua dashed back to the Formation Nexus Chamber, selected a few formation disks and spiritual tools, quickly sketched out some temporary formations, and returned to the prison. Then, he shoved everything into Ouyang Mu's hands in one go.
"Hide these carefully..."
"This Heartguard Mirror has a Gold-Stone Array on it—it'll protect your heart meridians."
"These few formation disks can be quickly deployed in an emergency. Use them to stall the enemy."
"This black cloth—you must keep it safe. If you ever feel dizzy or your head feels foggy, wrap it around your forehead immediately..."
"And these are some demon-repelling and healing pills. Keep them close. If demonic energy enters your body, or if your blood vitality is severely depleted, take them right away..."
…
Mo Hua gave warning after warning.
Ouyang Mu was deeply moved. He remembered every single instruction and said gratefully,
"Thank you, Senior Brother Mo!"
Mo Hua nodded.
With all these precautions, Little Wood finally had some means of self-defense.
The only thing he didn't know… was when that old demon would actually make his move.
…
The next day, Mo Hua visited the Evil Artifact Chamber ahead of time.
He wanted to see if he could find any more clues.
But when he arrived, he found someone was already there.
It was Jin Gui, now taller, bulkier, and exuding a completely different aura. He was standing there, speaking with the old demon smith.
He seemed to be reprimanding him.
"Too slow..."
"Are you really teaching him how to forge evil artifacts?"
"That brat from the Ouyang family has been studying for days—so why hasn't he shown any signs of demonic aura?"
"Old man, just what are you up to?"
Ever since Jin Gui fell into the demonic path, his temper had grown much more explosive.
A sharp glint flashed through the old demon's eyes, but it quickly faded into a murky haze.
He bowed his head and spoke in a hoarse, aged voice:
"Forging must be done step by step. Whether righteous or evil path, it can't be rushed. Everything follows a method, a progression..."
As he spoke, he coughed several times, blood spewing from his lips involuntarily.
Jin Gui glanced at him with disgust and muttered under his breath:
"Filthy old corpse..."
Then he sneered coldly and said:
"From today onward, I'm assigning someone to watch over you. We'll see if you're really teaching that brat—if he's actually getting stained by blood and sinking into the demonic path..."
The old demon's expression changed slightly and he immediately objected:
"That won't do! Sword forging is a secret—my life's work. I cannot allow outsiders to see it!"
Jin Gui snorted.
"Secrets? At a time like this? You might be a swordsmith, but you're only a second-rank one. Even at your best, you're stuck in the second tier. What's your so-called mastery worth?"
"Besides, this is the young lord's command. In this Myriad Demon Valley, nothing matters more than his plans."
"Are you saying you dare to defy his orders?"
The old demon swallowed the cold glint in his eyes and lowered his head.
"I wouldn't dare..."
Jin Gui gave a slight nod and said indifferently:
"Good. Then get moving. Time is short. Don't delay the young lord's grand design—or your soul will be scattered, and your body ground to dust."
The old demon didn't respond again, only bowed his head silently.
"Understood."
Jin Gui gave him one last cold look, then turned and left.
Once he was gone, only the old demon was left in the chamber, where green bone-fires flickered and the blood pool reeked with stench.
He still kept his head bowed.
His spine was gone. His back hunched. Once he bent over, it was hard for him to stand straight again.
But because of that posture, Mo Hua couldn't see his expression—only heard the old demon murmur:
"Yes… time really is running out..."
Mo Hua's eyes flickered slightly.
After that, the old demon made no unusual movements. He simply laid back in his chair and resumed flipping through his scrap of demon-hide parchment.
Roughly half an hour later, Ouyang Mu was brought in.
But this time—it was different.
This time, two demon cultivators escorted him. Based on Mo Hua's observation, one of them was the dog-headed demon he'd seen before.
The other had piercing hawk-like eyes and was bald—most likely a tattooed hawk demon, similar to the "Vulture" type he'd encountered before.
After bringing Ouyang Mu in, the dog-headed demon took up post outside the door to keep watch.
The hawk-eyed bald demon stayed in the workshop, his eyes sharp as knives as he coldly stated:
"Master Smith, the supervisor has ordered me to keep watch here in case… anything happens."
To "watch" was really just to spy.
The old demon nodded and said mildly:
"Understood…"
After that, he ignored both the hawk-head and dog-head demons, and instead turned calmly to Ouyang Mu.
"Let's continue the forging lessons."
Ouyang Mu's expression held the faintest hint of conflict, but he remembered Mo Hua's warning and kept up the act—pretending nothing had happened, like he was still clueless.
"Alright, Senior."
From there, everything went back to routine.
The old demon patiently taught sword forging.
Ouyang Mu absentmindedly pretended to learn.
The hawk-headed demon monitored them sharply.
The dog-headed demon stood guard by the door, wary and silent.
Some time passed. The old demon seemed to grow tired.
"You work on your own for a bit. I need to rest."
He turned and walked to a nearby chair and slowly sat down.
But the moment he sat, he began coughing uncontrollably—until blood came up again. Helpless, he took out several pills and shakily stuffed them into his mouth.
Then he lay back in the chair, gasping heavily like a dying old dog. Even his breath carried a rancid stench.
The hawk-headed demon frowned at the sight, clearly disgusted, and turned his head slightly away.
The sounds of bubbling furnaces, clanging hammers, and wheezing breaths mingled together.
The room should've been noisy, yet there was a strange kind of dead silence in the air.
After a while, the hawk demon suddenly sensed something… wrong.
The old demon's wheezing—had stopped.
His eyes widened suddenly, and he whipped his head around—only to see that the chair beside him now held only…
A black robe, and some shed demon skin.
"Not good!"
A chill surged through the hawk-marked demon cultivator's heart. He instantly activated his hawk tattoo—demonic patterns flashed above his head, his eyes gleaming with spiritual light as he scanned the room for the old demon.
But before he could catch sight of him—
KILLING INTENT exploded.
A long, dark red tentacle suddenly shot up from the ground, imbued with sinister demonic energy. It swept toward the hawk-marked demon's waist like a blade, trying to cut him clean in half.
His pupils contracted violently. With a burst of power, he leapt back just in time to dodge the ambush.
But despite his hawk tattoo, he was only at the Foundation Establishment Realm—unable to fly or hover. His body hung in the air for just a second…
And that second was fatal.
From the shadows, a volley of evil swords shot out like lightning, each trailing a bloody gleam, piercing deep into his flesh.
The swords weren't just sharp—they were tainted with filthy, poisonous demonic energy.
His body convulsed in agony, blood vessels spasming. Eyes wide with fury and shock, he roared:
"You damned old beast—how dare you?!"
He had only come here to monitor the old thing. Never in a thousand years did he expect the old geezer to suddenly go in for the kill!
Wasn't he afraid of breaking the rules of the Myriad Demon Valley and being devoured alive by its soul-consuming curse?
"You actually—!"
He still wanted to speak, but the old demon—clearly prepared for this moment—gave him no chance.
From the darkness, a monstrous creature slithered forth.
Its body was like a massive centipede, with blade-like limbs lining its sides, a human face at the front, a long tongue flicking out, chittering as it darted across the ground at high speed.
In an instant, it was upon the hawk-marked demon, who was still paralyzed by poison.
It wrapped itself tightly around him.
Its bladed limbs pierced deeply into flesh.
Its serpentine body twisted and squeezed, limbs sawing through him like a writhing meat grinder.
"You—!" he shouted.
But before the words left his mouth, a bladed limb pierced through his skull—blood spraying everywhere. His face was reduced to a mangled pulp.
It was brutal. It was grotesque.
Mo Hua, watching from the shadows, involuntarily sucked in a breath of cold air.
This old thing… he's a centipede demon!
And not just that—he was fast, vicious, and absolutely merciless, nothing like the frail, dying act he'd been putting on.
What a sly old bastard.
And clearly, he was an impulsive one too. No hesitation—he saw a threat and went for the kill.
A few exchanges later, the hawk-marked demon was dead.
The dog-headed demon outside had heard the commotion and rushed in—only to be too late.
All he saw was the eerie, blood-soaked chamber… the shredded corpse… and the terrifying form of the monstrous demon:
Sharp-bladed limbs.
Grotesque insectoid body.
And atop that body, a horrifying human face… staring at him.
Just then, the face twisted its neck around and… smiled at him.
The dog-headed demon's fur stood on end. Without a word, he turned and ran.
But while he was fast, the centipede demon—using dozens of sharp limbs—was even faster.
In moments, he'd caught up to the dog-headed demon and repeated the same process.
Moments later, the dog-headed demon had been wrung like a wet towel.
Blood dripped from his twisted body like water.
And just like that, both demon guards were dead.
The old demon reverted from his monstrous form—once again appearing as the frail, hunched old man. He stretched out a trembling, withered hand and slowly shut the forging chamber's doors.
With a flick, he activated a formation to seal the room from the inside.
Then, step by step, he walked back into the bloodstained chamber.
The heavy scent of blood filled the air.
Ouyang Mu's face had turned slightly pale—but his eyes were resolute.
The old demon looked surprised, then nodded slowly with a faint smile.
"Not bad… Caught off guard and yet you stayed calm."
Ouyang Mu's heart pounded, but he managed to stay composed.
"Senior… what exactly are you trying to do?"
The old demon grinned, revealing sharp fangs, a long tongue, and blood still smeared from devouring the two demons earlier.
"You'll know… soon enough."
Before the words even finished echoing—
A howling demon wind erupted.
Blood-colored mist swept across Ouyang Mu's vision. That old demon had once again transformed into a centipede and lunged toward him with a stinking, crimson wind.
But in the blink of an eye—BOOM!
The bloody mist was engulfed in flames.
A blinding glow erupted around Ouyang Mu. A raging firestorm surged to life, surrounding him and cutting off the charge.
The Earthfire Killing Array exploded into action.
Ferocious spiritual force lashed outward like a storm.
Within seconds, the centipede demon was blown back by the flames, tumbling to the floor in a searing roll.
When the fire died down, the creature had curled up—reverting from demon form once again into the old, hunched man.
He gasped like a wounded beast, eyes sharp as blades, glaring at Ouyang Mu.
"Formation…?"
That brat knows formation arts?!
The old demon's mind raced. But then—his expression darkened.
"No… that's not your trick!"
"Someone's helping you—who?!"
Right then—
A faint sword hum echoed through the air.
The old demon's ears twitched. His eyes widened as a sharp streak of golden light flashed across the room.
A golden thread sliced through the air, icy and merciless, filled with lethal intent.
Sensing the overwhelming killing intent, the old demon's face twisted in shock and disbelief:
"Sword control…?"
(End of this Chapter)