Chapter 784 – Sacrifice
"Mr. Tu was right after all. Monitoring your own Spirit Vision Arrays… if encountered by an expert in formations, they'll simply become their eyes…"
Jin Yixuan's expression was grim.
He casually investigated a bit further—only to find that most of the surrounding spirit vision arrays had also been stealthily activated.
The Ten Thousand Demon Prison had practically become someone else's territory.
Fury surged in Jin Yixuan's heart. But then, his eyes flashed as he suddenly thought of something and barked a command to the demon cultivators nearby:
"You go after them. Call more men. The rest, follow me."
The demon cultivator obeyed and summoned more of their kin. They split into two groups—one to pursue the escapees, and the other followed Jin Yixuan to the Formation Core Chamber.
That chamber was already completely sealed.
Jin Yixuan and the others channeled their demonic power, attacking with full force to forcibly break the sealed door.
When the dust settled, Jin Yixuan stepped inside, eyes sweeping the chamber. His face darkened further.
As expected—the formation cores had all been tampered with. The arrays had been completely rewritten into someone else's design.
Jin Yixuan frowned for a moment, then sneered coldly:
"Don't think you're the only one who can alter formations."
The Primordial Magnetic Spirit Vision Array was still active, and the core formation plate was right in front of him. As long as he could reverse the modifications, all those "eyes" scattered throughout the Ten Thousand Demon Prison would be his again.
Once he regained control of the core array, a few rats wouldn't be able to hide from him no matter where they ran.
Jin Yixuan placed his hand on the array disk and released his divine sense, preparing to interface with the Primordial Magnetic Array Core.
But the moment his divine sense made contact—his expression changed sharply. Something felt wrong. He leapt back instantly.
In the very instant he pulled away—the formation core exploded.
The explosion wasn't powerful. It didn't injure Jin Yixuan.
But it was strong enough to destroy the formation disk—and with it, most of the key formation nodes.
All the Primordial Magnetic Spirit Vision Arrays—snuffed out.
Jin Yixuan wasn't physically harmed, but his clothes were covered in dust. His appearance was utterly disheveled, and his eyes gleamed with rage.
"A good trick… to even lay such a hidden trap in such short time…"
"Just a single rat… dares toy with me like this?!"
He forcibly swallowed his anger, his expression turning cold.
"Don't let me catch you."
Jin Yixuan glanced again at the damaged formation arrays around him.
The Primordial Magnetic Spirit Vision Network had a centralized control system. With the core destroyed, the entire array became useless.
Even if it could be repaired—it wouldn't be anytime soon.
This array… was finished.
Still—no matter how stealthy the intrusion, some trace always remains.
Cultivators, no matter how skilled, leave marks. And formation masters are no different.
Unless a formation is completely obliterated, it always leaves clues behind.
And just as one can use a formation to observe, others can trace it back the same way.
"Since the Spirit Vision Array served as his 'eyes,' then his movements must have followed the layout of the valley's node arrays… that itself is a trail I can track…"
And as for the Ten Thousand Demon Valley's layout—no one knew it better than him.
Jin Yixuan let out a cold snort, his eyes sharp and dangerous.
"You won't get away…"
At the edge of the Demon Prison, Mo Hua, who had been guiding the group, felt the array disk in his hand spark with a faint crackling sound—"zzt!"—as the primordial magnetism dispersed and the formation failed.
He sighed.
So the Primordial Magnetic Spirit Vision Array had been discovered.
It seemed that among the demon cultivators, there was indeed a skilled formation master.
If his guess was right, that person was most likely the leader of the demon cultivators—and also the senior brother of the Broken Gold Sect:
Jin Yixuan.
Fortunately, Mo Hua had left some fail-safes in place.
If these demon cultivators could self-destruct the Ten Thousand Demon Valley, then he could just as easily self-destruct the Primordial Magnetic Formation.
Still, this sort of trick was only a temporary fix—not a long-term solution.
From here on out, things were going to get rough.
Hiding in the shadows, still watching everything, Mo Hua looked once more at the disguised trio—Linghu Xiao, Ouyang Mu, and Song Jian—now drenched in filthy blood and hiding among the demon cultivator crowds.
His emotions were… complicated.
"Fine. One step at a time."
"If it really doesn't work out… I'll think of something else."
And sure enough, the road ahead became far more difficult.
Along the way, more guards had been posted. Every demon cultivator passing by was stopped and had their hood pulled back to check their face.
There were even "stewards" making patrol rounds.
Some side paths and hidden gates had all been locked shut.
Occasionally, demon hounds were led on leashes, sniffing the ground for the scent of humans.
After carefully sneaking around for a while—at a stone bridge outside the Ten Thousand Demon Prison—the trio was finally intercepted.
At that exact moment, Mo Hua's Great Void Token trembled. Looking down, he saw a message from Elder Xun:
"I've already broken into the valley. Where are you?"
Mo Hua looked up.
Across the bridge stood a tall, pale-faced steward, his eyes sharp and vicious like a beast.
Jin Gui—of the Broken Gold Sect.
They were still less than half an hour away from the main gate.
But Jin Gui was like a ferocious tiger, blocking the road—and from his posture, clearly not planning to let them pass.
Jin Gui sneered coldly at the three:
"At last… I've found you."
With their cover blown, Linghu Xiao's group had no need to pretend any longer.
Song Jian stepped forward and said:
"Jin Gui, we're all disciples of the Broken Gold Sect. Must you really drive us to death?"
Jin Gui snorted.
"Young Master Song, even now, you're this naïve? It's almost funny."
"So what if we're from the same sect?"
"Fathers and sons betray each other, brothers kill one another—for what? Profit."
"Same sect? That's worth nothing."
Born of a noble house and raised under parental protection, Song Jian stubbornly replied:
"If you harm me, my parents won't let you off!"
Jin Gui's gaze held a trace of pity.
"You've been imprisoned here for days, haven't you?"
"Guess why your parents haven't made a move yet?"
"Guess what they're doing?"
Song Jian was stunned.
He didn't know.
Jin Gui smirked.
"What else? They're weighing the cost. Deciding whether it's even worth saving you."
"If the price is too high, they'd rather let you die. One less burden."
Song Jian's face went pale.
"You're lying! They're my parents—they wouldn't abandon me!"
Jin Gui shook his head, voice like frost:
"You clearly don't understand how noble clans work."
"Cultivator clans are bound by blood—but ironically, that makes true affection the most disposable."
"What matters to them is interest."
"If your existence threatens that interest, even your own siblings—your own parents—will wish you dead."
"You're not even their only son. You die, they cry a few tears, move on in a week."
Song Jian shouted in frustration:
"Lies!"
Jin Gui sneered.
Linghu Xiao's eyes turned cold. He warned Song Jian:
"Stop wasting time. He's stalling."
Jin Gui scoffed:
"Stalling? To deal with the likes of you, I need to stall?"
"Yes—I was born low, my talent poor. I was never your equal…"
His tone shifted, eyes flashing with venom:
"But I've changed. I'm not the same Jin Gui you remember. Today—I'll show you what it means to be a king among demons!"
His voice grew deeper, rougher, until it ceased to sound human—replaced by the roar of a tiger.
As demonic tiger runes flared across his body, his form grew in size, sprouting tawny fur, fangs, and claws.
Jin Gui now exuded the terrifying presence of a true tiger demon.
Linghu Xiao and the others' expressions changed instantly as they drew their swords.
"Attack!"
Having fought side-by-side this whole time, the trio had developed a degree of battle rhythm.
Song Jian rushed forward with the Broken Gold Sword Technique, engaging Jin Gui in close combat. Ouyang Mu, with only basic mastery of the Tai'a Sword, supported from the side.
Meanwhile, Linghu Xiao began charging up a piercingly sharp Chongxu Sword Qi.
But Jin Gui, now fully demonized and empowered by his Four Symbols Black Tiger Runes, overwhelmed them almost immediately. In just a few exchanges, he had forced back Song Jian and blasted Ouyang Mu away.
Both coughed up blood on the spot.
Just then, a radiant beam of Chongxu Sword Qi, as clear as moonlight and brimming with killing intent, pierced through and struck Jin Gui's body.
The sword energy tore through his black robe, exposing the demon runes on his back and carving a deep wound, revealing black-red flesh.
Yet in mere moments… the wound began to heal rapidly.
Linghu Xiao gritted his teeth in frustration.
The gap in cultivation was too wide.
And after everything leading up to now, he had already used up much of his spiritual power. Forming sword qi at this point was exhausting.
Even Mo Hua, watching from the shadows, looked shaken.
Mo Hua was also slightly stunned.
That Jin Gui… the demon mark on his body—is that a rare "tiger-type" rune?
This kind of rune, Mo Hua had never seen on any other demon cultivator.
And tigers were the kings of beasts. The amplification from such a tiger rune was clearly a notch above the other Four Symbols demon runes.
The current Jin Gui was like a completely different person compared to before.
On the battlefield, Linghu Xiao's group of three was unsurprisingly plunged into a bitter fight.
Song Jian and Ouyang Mu fought in close quarters, but they were no match for Jin Gui, who now bore the Tiger Rune.
And if Linghu Xiao was forced into melee range, without time to build up sword qi, his attacks barely scratched Jin Gui's now thick-skinned, toughened body.
Jin Gui fought three at once—with ease.
Mo Hua silently reached into his storage pouch, pulling out a Broken Gold Sword, intending to see if he could take Jin Gui out and copy the Four Symbols Tiger Rune from his body.
But the moment that thought arose… he quietly put the sword back.
Someone was approaching.
At the head of the group was the black-clad leader of Ten Thousand Demon Valley—and Senior Brother of the Broken Gold Sect—Jin Yixuan.
Several stewards and seven or eight demon cultivators followed him.
Mo Hua let out a deep sigh.
"Now it's truly hopeless…"
Even if he joined in, there was no way they could win against this many demon cultivators.
At most, he could take out one or two with sword control—but that would expose his position.
Besides, Jin Gui's strength after his transformation was overwhelming.
Mo Hua figured—even if he did launch a sword strike, there was no guarantee he could kill Jin Gui in one blow.
Not to mention the multiple stewards, and the clearly more powerful Jin Yixuan—who had Mr. Tu's residual soul within him.
Even if they could kill them—it would make no difference.
Surrounded by this many enemies, the three companions—Little Wood and the others—would never escape…
At this point, Jin Gui, seeing reinforcements arrive, stopped holding back and went for a quick finish.
In just a dozen exchanges, Song Jian and Ouyang Mu were both struck by Jin Gui's palm, spitting blood from their mouths.
Linghu Xiao was also sent flying by a punch that landed squarely on his spirit sword—his qi and blood churning, unable to continue fighting.
The three remembered Mo Hua's words:
"If someone stops you, don't try to play the hero. Don't talk about fighting to the death or never surrendering. Be smart—surrender."
So none of them resisted. They gave up without a struggle.
Linghu Xiao felt unwilling—but there was simply nothing they could do.
Jin Yixuan, leading the group of demon cultivators, stepped forward and first praised Jin Gui:
"Well done."
Jin Gui's expression lit up with joy.
Jin Yixuan then turned, his gaze sweeping over Linghu Xiao and the others, frowning.
"Where are the rest?"
Where did that damn "rat" go?
Naturally, Linghu Xiao and Ouyang Mu didn't mention Mo Hua.
Song Jian wasn't an idiot either—he stayed silent.
The three of them just sneered and said nothing.
Jin Yixuan was furious. His eyelids twitched as he barked:
"Who's helping you from the shadows?!"
Linghu Xiao scoffed coldly:
"A trifling Ten Thousand Demon Prison—I walk it freely with my sword alone. Why would I need help?"
Jin Yixuan knew it was just bravado and ignored the bluff, but his face turned darker.
Jin Gui, long displeased with Linghu Xiao, chimed in:
"Want me to cripple his hands first? Let him taste some pain?"
Jin Yixuan's gaze turned cold. He thought for a moment, then shook his head:
"These three are still useful to the Young Master…"
He scanned the area again, sweeping his divine sense back and forth repeatedly—still, nothing.
"Hiding quite well…"
"Even now, you haven't slipped up?"
Jin Yixuan snorted coldly and cursed in his heart:
"As expected of a rat—sneaky to the end."
He looked around one last time, unwilling to give up, but eventually said:
"Forget it. Let's report to the Young Master first. We'll handle the rest later."
"Yes, Commander," the other demon cultivators said, bowing.
Then they pulled out chains and shackled the three—dragging them deeper into the Ten Thousand Demon Prison.
Mo Hua had watched the whole thing unfold from the shadows.
"So in the end… they still got caught."
He frowned.
He had originally planned to follow them—but on second thought, realized that would be pointless.
There were just too many demon cultivators—most of them at late Foundation Establishment, even Peak level.
And then there was the mysterious "Young Master."
He couldn't beat them—not now.
Besides, judging by what Jin Yixuan had just said, they already suspected someone was helping the three from the shadows.
Which meant they'd be on high alert from now on.
If he followed them now and got spotted—game over.
Mo Hua thought long and hard and realized he needed backup.
The deeper areas of the Ten Thousand Demon Valley were full of danger—this wasn't something he could handle alone.
So he sent a message to Elder Xun Ziyou:
"Elder Xun, where are you right now?"
"Linghu and the others have been caught again. I can't help them—I need your support."
In just a moment, the Great Void Token vibrated with a reply from Elder Xun:
"We've entered the valley, passed the main path, and are pressing deeper. We're currently… in front of a place called Wolf Fang Ravine."
Wolf Fang Ravine?
Mo Hua recalled the topography of Ten Thousand Demon Valley and quickly replied:
"Don't move. Stay where you are. I'll come get you."
The valley's layout was complicated and maze-like. He was worried they'd take a wrong turn and they'd miss each other.
Elder Xun replied:
"Got it!"
So the elders stayed put and continued slaying demon cultivators at their location.
Meanwhile, Mo Hua concealed his presence and rushed toward Wolf Fang Ravine.
In less than half an hour, he arrived.
From afar, he saw Elder Xun and several other elders slaying demons with sword control.
All of them were Golden Core cultivators—each time they summoned sword qi, a Foundation Establishment demon would be slain instantly.
The surrounding demons were so terrified they didn't dare approach.
Seeing how strong the elders were, Mo Hua felt a sense of relief.
And the moment he appeared, Xun Ziyou and the others spotted him.
They turned into streaks of light and rushed over.
"Mo Hua, what about Xiao'er?!"
The one who spoke was an elder in Chongxu Sect robes.
Mo Hua guessed this was the Elder Shangguan, whom Elder Xun had mentioned before—the one secretly protecting Linghu Xiao.
Mo Hua quickly explained:
"No time to waste. Linghu's been captured. Let's talk as we move."
The elders nodded.
Most of the two sects' main forces were still fighting their way in. Right now, there weren't many people.
But having Golden Core elders was enough.
Elder Xun Ziyou, Elder Xun Zixian, and Elder Shangguan Xuanjian—three Golden Core elders—were led by Mo Hua and rushed into the inner parts of Ten Thousand Demon Valley.
Their movement technique was fast—Mo Hua couldn't keep up.
So the tall and elegant Elder Xun Ziyou grabbed Mo Hua by the sleeve and took him along using flight techniques.
With three Golden Core bodyguards, Mo Hua finally felt at ease.
The group advanced like a hot knife through butter.
Any obstacle—one sword strike shattered it.
Any demon cultivator—one sword strike killed them.
No hesitation, no delays. Their pace was frighteningly fast.
Very soon, they arrived at the stone bridge where Linghu Xiao and the others had been taken.
Mo Hua paused briefly, sensing the lingering traces of blood qi and karmic clues. He pointed to the right.
"This way."
Xun Ziyou and the other two elders didn't hesitate for even a breath. They turned into three streams of light and pursued in the direction Mo Hua indicated.
From that point on, Mo Hua led the way.
He occasionally paused in uncertainty, but after a brief moment of thought, always managed to point out the correct path.
The three Golden Core Elders couldn't help feeling surprised and puzzled.
But now wasn't the time for questions.
And after everything they'd been through, they found themselves placing a quiet but absolute trust in Mo Hua—almost as if it were the most natural thing.
…Not that they had a choice right now.
Still, no matter how correct the direction, time was slipping away.
The deeper they chased, the more complex the terrain became—and the more time they lost.
All around was chaos: collapsed cliffs, stampeding spirit beasts, the corpses of demon cultivators in all kinds of grotesque death poses.
But nowhere—not a trace of Linghu Xiao and the others.
The three elders' expressions grew more solemn.
And Mo Hua himself felt a growing sense of dread.
Finally, after a full hour of pursuit, they passed through a Demon Refining Cauldron Hall, an Alchemy Room, and a Formation Stone Palace, arriving at the final destination…
…And the bad feeling in Mo Hua's heart surged even stronger.
They arrived at a grand mural.
On the mural were towering mountains, treacherous cliffs, and twisting rivers, filled with rampaging, ferocious monsters and demons.
It was the very image of the "Demon Refining Diagram"!
At the moment, several demon cultivators were standing guard outside the mural.
And just nearby, three coffins had been laid out.
Each coffin was pitch black, carved with demonic runes, emitting a chilling and eerie aura.
In front of each one burned a ghost-green candle, surrounded by chunks of flesh, bones, and twisted fruits as sacrificial offerings.
In the center of the Demon Refining Diagram, a witch-like steward was shivering all over, chanting something in an eerie mutter.
Clearly, some kind of ritual was being held.
Mo Hua took one glance and immediately realized—
"They're performing a sacrificial ritual!"
At the same time, the demon cultivators noticed their approach—especially seeing Xun Ziyou and the others in their sect robes—
Their eyes went wide with disbelief.
"Golden Core cultivators?!"
Xun Ziyou's expression went ice-cold. He didn't hesitate.
"Kill!"
At his command, he and Shangguan Xuanjian unleashed a fearsome sword intent—controlling flying swords or condensing sword qi, cutting down the surrounding demon cultivators one by one.
Before late-stage Golden Core sword cultivators, the demons had zero chance to fight back.
The witch-like steward seemed to realize things were going south and tried to overturn the altar to destroy the ritual.
But Elder Xun Zixian struck preemptively—sealing her in place with a spirit rope inscribed with formation runes, binding her completely.
The witch couldn't move.
Elder Xun Zixian coldly interrogated:
"What is this sacrificial ritual? How do we reverse it? How do we recover the 'sacrifices'?"
The witch grinned, exposing rows of blackened, ink-like teeth, and then—
Her eyes flashed with a wicked light, and in the next moment—
Her seven orifices exploded, her sea of consciousness shattered, and she dropped dead on the spot.
Elder Xun Zixian didn't even have time to stop it. His face turned ashen.
By now, the surrounding demon cultivators were all dead.
The outer ring guards, unaware of what was happening inside, had been obliterated by sword qi.
This ritual-hosting witch clearly knew something—but her consciousness had been destroyed by an evil will, causing her to self-destruct.
Now only three coffins remained in the eerie silence.
Even Mo Hua wasn't the only one with a bad feeling—Xun Ziyou and the other two elders also looked increasingly grim.
A few breaths later, Xun Ziyou sighed:
"Let's open them…"
Xun Zixian hesitated, but eventually moved to break the formations on the coffins and opened them one by one.
Inside lay three boys.
It was indeed Linghu Xiao, Ouyang Mu, and Song Jian.
All three were pale as paper, not a trace of blood on their faces. Their auras had vanished—as if their souls had been extracted.
Shangguan Xuanjian trembled violently. His face turned white as chalk, despair welling in his eyes.
Xun Ziyou and Xun Zixian were silent. They didn't know what to say, nor how to offer comfort.
A dead stillness settled over them.
Just then, Mo Hua, off to the side, let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness…"
Xun Ziyou and Xun Zixian were stunned.
Shangguan Xuanjian's head shot up like he'd just grabbed a life-saving straw. He stared at Mo Hua, eyes brimming with hope.
"Mo…"
His voice was hoarse.
Mo Hua nodded.
"Their souls have been sacrificed… but thankfully, it hasn't been long. We can still get them back."
This kind of thing—he was no stranger to it.
The three elders all looked surprised.
They were righteous cultivators. They knew next to nothing about soul-based techniques.
Xun Zixian knew a bit—but barely enough to scratch the surface.
"Then… how do we save them?"
Mo Hua looked up at the austere and vast Demon Refining Diagram, filled with echoes of monstrous roars.
He spoke casually:
"I just need to go in."
His eyes sparkled faintly—an excited gleam hiding beneath.
He had almost escaped this valley…
And yet this bunch of demon cultivators, by sheer coincidence, had managed to "lure" him right back here.
If he didn't go in and take a proper look at this Demon Refining Diagram…
Wouldn't that be letting down their heartfelt effort in… "inviting the wolf into their house"?
(End of this Chapter)