Chapter 792 – The Situation
"Sir…"
Mo Hua spoke in a low voice, hoarse from dryness—likely a lingering side effect from the strain on his divine sense, which had even impacted his physical body.
"Mm." Old Sir Xun continued marking something on a formation diagram with his cinnabar brush. He raised his head slightly, glanced at Mo Hua, and asked:
"How are you feeling?"
Mo Hua examined his divine sense and scanned his own sea of consciousness. He found that the "evil thoughts" from the demonic taint still lingered and were gradually corroding his Dao heart—but they had grown significantly weaker.
It seemed that even while unconscious, his sea of consciousness had been constantly "digesting" those fractured, bloodthirsty impulses on its own.
"Much better," Mo Hua replied.
Old Sir Xun nodded.
Mo Hua glanced at the diagrams in his hands. "Sir, these are…"
Old Sir Xun sighed slightly.
"You've been on leave for so long, and then unconscious for two days. So I had no choice but to grade all these formation assignments myself…"
Even if I wanted to slack off, I couldn't.
Mo Hua scratched his head awkwardly and gave a sheepish smile.
Old Sir Xun looked at him again, a tangle of thoughts flashing through his eyes—but he kept them buried deep.
"Ziyou told me about what happened in the Ten Thousand Demon Valley."
"You did well."
"But not a word of this is to be mentioned outside. I've already warned all the inner sect elders and disciples involved—no one is to speak your name."
"I've also made arrangements with the Tai'a Sect and Chongxu Sect."
"Not just you—Linghu Xiao, Ouyang Mu, and Song Jian's names won't be mentioned either."
Mo Hua frowned. "To keep it secret?"
Old Sir Xun sighed. "Not entirely. Secrecy is part of it."
"What happened in the Ten Thousand Demon Valley is an enormous scandal. But precisely because it is a scandal, the more it's exposed, the more unpredictable the consequences."
"There could be… effects we can't foresee—whether blessings or disasters."
"More importantly, it's for your own good."
"You're disciples of the sect. Focusing on cultivation is what matters. There's no need to get pulled into blood-soaked schemes and conspiracies."
"Especially when demonic cults and unorthodox forces are involved."
"Once you're stained by these things, rumors will spread. Idle gossip can tarnish your future cultivation path. It's not worth it…"
His tone had grown a bit heavy.
He only gave a vague explanation.
But Mo Hua understood.
If word of the Ten Thousand Demon Valley got out, there'd be no way to explain it cleanly.
How could three mid-stage Foundation Establishment disciples, surrounded by mid-to-peak Foundation monsters, survive—let alone escape—thanks to the help of another mid-stage Foundation cultivator?
It sounded like sheer fantasy.
No one in their right mind would believe it.
And once it was known they'd spent time in a demonic stronghold—living among demon cultivators—who could say whether they were coerced, tempted, had taken evil pills, eaten human flesh, practiced demonic arts, or forged evil weapons?
All of it would breed suspicion.
And suspicion… kills reputations.
If someone maliciously spread rumors, fanned the flames, and smeared their names—once enough people repeated it, they'd never clear their names.
Even if they were innocent.
Because by then, the mob wouldn't care if it was true or not.
Mo Hua himself wasn't too worried. He was a rogue cultivator, had good rapport with his fellow disciples, and wasn't afraid of gossip.
He didn't care much what other sects thought either.
But the others—were different.
Linghu Xiao was a sword genius of the Chongxu Sect.
Ouyang Mu may not stand out, but he was a direct descendant of the Ouyang family—and had an exceptional older brother.
Both had aloof or reserved personalities, poor communication skills, and didn't get along well with their peers. If accused, they probably wouldn't even know how to defend themselves.
And as for Song Jian…
Well, Song Jian didn't really care either way.
Mo Hua suddenly realized something.
He'd always thought of himself as just some obscure junior disciple—unremarkable and easily overlooked—so he never thought this sort of thing could affect him.
But now that Sir Xun brought it up, he understood:
Sometimes, harming someone doesn't require a sword or a spear.
A well-placed rumor is all it takes.
Mo Hua nodded solemnly.
"Sir, I understand. Thank you for your concern."
Old Sir Xun nodded back.
Smart kids are the best.
Give them a hint, and they'll figure the rest out on their own.
Mo Hua then quietly asked:
"Sir… how will the Ten Thousand Demon Valley situation end?"
He was deeply curious.
Establishing a base in a province filled with thriving sects and rigorous scholarly cultivation, raising demon cultivators, and luring disciples into evil paths…
Surely the Broken Gold Sect couldn't cover up a scandal this big?
Old Sir Xun hesitated. Then, after a pause, he looked at Mo Hua and asked:
"What do you think?"
Mo Hua blinked. "Me?"
Sir Xun nodded.
"Let's say you were one of the Patriarchs of Qianxue Province. How would you handle it? And if you were a high official in the Dao Court?"
Mo Hua frowned, then followed his train of thought.
"If I were one of the Patriarchs in Qianxue Province…"
He thought for a moment, then reluctantly admitted:
"Then… I would probably do my best to cover it up."
"Even though it was the Broken Gold Sect that messed up, this scandal would damage the entire province."
"If outsiders learned that there was a secret demon valley here, luring disciples into the demonic path—every sect in Qianxue would suffer the consequences."
"If the Broken Gold Sect is tainted, then none of the other sects will look clean either."
"Because from an outsider's view, Qianxue Province is just one big block. They don't understand the internal rivalries. All they'll see is a corrupted region—and stop sending their disciples here."
"So in that sense, this is a 'family scandal.' And family scandals… should not be made public."
Old Sir Xun nodded.
"Now, if I were a high official in the Dao Court…" Mo Hua continued. "And if I didn't know about it, fine—but once I did…"
Mo Hua's brows arched, and his tone sharpened.
"Then I'd squeeze them dry."
"Use Dao law as the pretext, treat it as leverage, and blackmail all the involved sects in Qianxue. Squeeze out every benefit I can—then play magnanimous and let it slide."
"Upholding justice is hard. It offends everyone."
"But this way, I gain face, and profit."
"And if the Broken Gold Sect realizes there's no way out, they'll fight to the death."
"But if the Dao Court just shows a greedy face and asks for 'favors'—then they'll see a chance to survive. They'll grit their teeth, pay up, and quietly submit."
Mo Hua laid it out plainly.
Old Sir Xun looked at him with a complicated expression.
Mo Hua noticed his stare, hesitated, then asked softly:
"Sir… was I wrong?"
Old Sir Xun sighed.
"No. You're right."
That was more or less exactly how it would go.
That's how a competent Patriarch would think.
Then he asked again:
"But from your own perspective—how did you initially think this should end?"
Mo Hua froze, then chuckled a little awkwardly.
"I was thinking kind of simply… just blow the whole thing wide open and get the Broken Gold Sect completely wrecked!"
Old Sir Xun asked, "And why would you do that?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment and frowned. "Because the Broken Gold Sect can't distinguish between good and evil. Their actions go against the Dao's principles…"
Old Sir Xun nodded. "Then your thinking isn't wrong at all."
Mo Hua was a little surprised. "It's not?"
Old Sir Xun spoke solemnly, "A sect that can't distinguish between righteousness and evil, and acts against the Dao—what's the point of letting it continue to exist?"
Mo Hua's expression grew serious.
Old Sir Xun continued,
"You're neither a Patriarch of Qianxue Province, nor a high-ranking member of the Dao Court. Why concern yourself with their interests?"
"You have your own view—and if that view is sound, then naturally you should act according to it."
Mo Hua looked a little conflicted. "Then…"
Old Sir Xun said,
"I asked you to put yourself in a Patriarch's shoes so you'd learn to consider things from a broader perspective—not just from your own."
"If you only ever rely on what you think, your view becomes narrow. In time, you'll be nothing more than someone else's pawn."
"To understand others is wisdom.
The more you understand others, the more control you'll have over a situation."
"But don't invalidate your own perspective, either."
"If your view aligns with righteousness and the Dao, then you're the one in the right—and the others are wrong."
"It's just that you're too weak. And those 'realist' Patriarchs—are too strong. So events won't play out the way you want, but according to their plans."
"You must understand this."
"Sometimes, it's not that you're wrong—
It's just that you're too weak."
"If one day, you reach the Void-Fusion Realm… or even ascend beyond it and attain supreme power, then the world will naturally begin to bend toward your will."
"But right now, you're not strong. The course of events is dictated by others. So when things happen, you need to think more:
'What are they thinking?' That's how you predict what will happen—and how you figure out what you should do."
Old Sir Xun gave Mo Hua a deep, meaningful look.
"You need to learn to see from a Patriarch's perspective—to look downward from above."
"But that doesn't mean I want you to become the kind of Patriarch who only looks down from a lofty perch…"
Mo Hua's eyes trembled slightly. He slowly nodded.
"All right," Old Sir Xun lightened his tone with a sigh. "Old age makes me long-winded."
But Mo Hua said sincerely,
"Thank you, Sir, for your guidance."
Sir Xun's brow moved slightly. His gaze softened.
"Oh, right, Sir," Mo Hua suddenly blinked playfully. "About the Broken Gold Sect… aren't we going to 'squeeze' any benefits out of them?"
Old Sir Xun blinked—then gave a half-smile.
"I'm a Patriarch too. If there's oil to be squeezed, how could I possibly miss out?"
After saying that, he glanced at Mo Hua and said calmly:
"From now on, those Broken Gold Sect techniques in your hands—be they sword techniques or sword formations—you're free to use them openly."
Mo Hua paused, realizing that Sir Xun likely knew everything.
Though honestly, that wasn't surprising.
With Elder Xun Ziyou keeping an eye on him, all those methods Mo Hua regularly used were surely no secret.
And if he knew, then Sir Xun naturally knew too.
Still, Mo Hua was a little unsure:
"I can really use them…? The Broken Gold Sect is awfully stingy…"
"Just use them with peace of mind," said Sir Xun.
"The Broken Gold Sect and our Great Void Sect, in the spirit of 'abandoning sectarian prejudice and exchanging cultivation methods,' have officially shared some legacies with each other."
"Some of their basic Tier-One and Tier-Two sword techniques and formations are now stored in our sect's library."
"Exchanged legacies?" Mo Hua was dumbfounded.
Then he asked, "So what did we give the Broken Gold Sect in return?"
Old Sir Xun snorted dismissively.
"A bunch of dime-a-dozen, worn-out spells. Who even remembers…"
Mo Hua blinked.
…Right. So that's how "exchange" works.
"Wait… so just the entry-level sword techniques?"
Mo Hua asked cautiously.
Because frankly, the Broken Gold techniques and formations he had… didn't feel entry-level.
If anything, they seemed more core than what some of the sect's own direct disciples had.
"Entry-level is enough," Sir Xun said confidently.
"Even if you only studied their entry-level stuff, you'd still surpass them."
"No matter how good their legacies are—if their people are useless, and can't learn them properly—then that's their problem."
Mo Hua scratched his head in embarrassment, but he understood.
This was just a cover story.
Those Broken Gold techniques he had—so long as there was a reason for them to exist on paper—then no one would question him. The truth didn't really matter.
Sir Xun thought for a moment, then added a warning:
"This situation involves a lot of players.
Outwardly, everything seems calm—but beneath the surface, undercurrents are churning."
"The Dao Court, the Four Great Sects, and numerous others—especially the Broken Gold Sect, and even our Great Void, Tai'a, and Chongxu Sects—are all scheming in the shadows. Until things settle, there will be no peace."
"So for now, lay low. Don't let anything slip."
"If your fellow disciples ask why you took leave, just say I gave you a task and sent you far away to work on array formations for seven or eight days."
"As for the specific reason…" Sir Xun gave Mo Hua a meaningful look.
"Just make something up. You're good at that."
"…I'm… not that good at it…"
Mo Hua mumbled guiltily.
Sir Xun raised an eyebrow but didn't press the point. His expression turned serious again as he asked one last question:
"Did your divine sense get tainted with anything demonic… in the Demon Refining Diagram?"
"…Yes," Mo Hua nodded slowly.
To be precise—it didn't get tainted, it ate the demonic influence.
But even someone like Sir Xun couldn't imagine that.
"Tainted," was already the worst-case scenario in his mind.
He had never witnessed it firsthand, so he couldn't have known just how savage Mo Hua's divine sense became during that time.
"Tainted with evil…" Sir Xun frowned.
"It's okay," Mo Hua said.
"Sir, I can purify those evil thoughts through meditation and quiet cultivation."
"Meditation?" Sir Xun blinked, something stirring in his heart.
Could it be… the meditation technique that person passed down?
Sir Xun fell silent for a moment, then nodded:
"…Very well."
Still, he wasn't entirely at ease. He reached into his storage pouch and retrieved a stick of sandalwood incense with golden trim, along with an ancient scroll housed in a jade box.
"This calming incense is top-grade. Light it while meditating—it will help you concentrate and dispel distractions."
"As for this scroll…"
When Mo Hua caught sight of it, his heart skipped a beat and he blurted out:
"A Visualization Diagram?!"
Old Sir Xun raised an eyebrow—surprised, but not entirely.
"Oh? You've seen a visualization diagram before?"
"Yes, I've seen a few," Mo Hua replied honestly.
Sir Xun was visibly startled.
A few?
Not just one?
"At such a young age, and already with so much experience…"
Sir Xun couldn't help but think to himself.
"Well, since you already know what it is, I won't explain further.
This visualization diagram is a divine relic of our Great Void Sect.
Don't open it lightly—especially not in front of outsiders."
"When you return to the disciples' quarters, light that incense stick, open this scroll, and meditate upon it. It will benefit your divine sense."
"In this world, truly pure visualization diagrams are few and far between. Treasure this one while you can."
Mo Hua was surprised and honored.
"Sir… something this valuable, you're just going to give it to me?"
Sir Xun was momentarily speechless. He shot Mo Hua a glare.
"What do you mean 'give' it to you? I'm lending it to you. Once you've finished with it—once your divine sense recovers—return it."
"Oh…" Mo Hua nodded.
A loan was fine. Having it was better than not having it.
Sir Xun handed him the scroll.
Mo Hua accepted it solemnly, holding it with great care.
But the moment Mo Hua touched it, Sir Xun suddenly felt a jolt in his heart—an eerie, involuntary reaction, as if he were sending a lamb into a tiger's den.
His hand froze. He didn't let go.
Mo Hua, holding both ends of the scroll, looked confused when he saw Sir Xun still gripping it.
"Sir?"
Sir Xun snapped back to awareness, glanced at Mo Hua with a strange expression, and after a moment of hesitation, spoke earnestly:
"Just… make sure you return it."
"For heaven's sake, don't ruin it…"
"Of course!" Mo Hua promised earnestly. "You can count on me."
Although… So far, every visualization diagram he'd ever looked at—or even just touched—had ended up not quite… intact.
But those were other people's.
And full of ghosts, ghouls, and all sorts of nastiness. Not like this one.
This was his sect's. That had to be different.
With Mo Hua's promise, Sir Xun no longer hesitated and let him take the scroll.
Mo Hua carefully tucked it away like a treasured artifact.
Sir Xun gave a few more instructions, then stood up to leave. Before he left, he added:
"Take this time to rest and recover. Once you're well, return to your classes. But make sure you catch up on the material you've missed."
"Cultivation is like rowing upstream—if you don't move forward, you fall back. Never grow lax."
"Yes, Sir," Mo Hua said obediently.
"Oh, right…"
Sir Xun had already turned to go, but looked back with a sudden thought. After hesitating a few times, he finally confirmed:
"Your divine sense… it's gotten stronger again, hasn't it?"
When Mo Hua had been lying in bed, weakened and plagued by demonic residue, his spiritual aura had been quite faint.
But now, after speaking for a while, Sir Xun could clearly sense it—Mo Hua's divine sense had become noticeably more profound and refined.
"…Yeah, I accidentally had another breakthrough," Mo Hua admitted.
Even though he'd half expected it, Sir Xun still felt his heart lurch.
Another breakthrough.
His cultivation hadn't grown much, but his divine sense had taken another leap?
As expected…
"Good, good." Sir Xun nodded happily.
This brought him one step closer to the plans he'd laid out.
What once felt impossible… was now starting to seem within reach.
Sir Xun felt deeply comforted. Full of hope, he said warmly:
"Get some rest. Once your divine sense is stable, come see me. I'll start teaching you the Eighteen-Pattern formations…"
"…Not eighteen," Mo Hua interrupted, shaking his head.
Sir Xun blinked.
"I sort of… broke through a bit too much," Mo Hua said quietly.
"I'm at nineteen patterns now…"
Nineteen—?!
Sir Xun felt like he'd been punched in the chest, momentarily breathless.
Divine Sense: Nineteen Patterns?
From seventeen straight to nineteen—he'd skipped an entire stage in one go?!
Sir Xun took a deep breath, his eyes full of disbelief.
His cultivation was barely mid-stage Foundation Establishment…
But his divine sense had already reached a level nearing the peak of Foundation Establishment?
That kid from the Zhuang family…
Where on earth did he find someone like this?
So low-key, so unassuming—but with absolutely monstrous talent in divine sense?!
(End of Chapter)