Chapter 794: Sinister Shadow
"Under Mo Hua's name?"
Xun Ziyou was stunned.
Venerable Elder Xun gave him a calm glance and asked mildly,
"What? Is that a problem?"
"No, not exactly…" Xun Ziyou gave a sheepish smile. "It's true that discovering the Ten Thousand Demon Valley, exterminating the demon cultivators, and rescuing Linghu Xiao's three children were all thanks to Mo Hua. But…"
He looked a little troubled.
"Still, it's against protocol. It may be hard to justify to others…"
Elder Xun's expression darkened slightly.
"Justify to who? Those who do more, get more. The only reason our Great Void Sect is able to carve off a fat slice from the Broken Gold Sect is thanks to that boy, Mo Hua. If anyone has objections, they can come see me. I'd love to hear what excuse they'll come up with."
Xun Ziyou gave a wry smile.
"Yes, Patriarch…"
Elder Xun continued,
"When the time comes, you decide which properties to allocate. Pick clean ones, less entangled. For now, list them under me. Later, we'll transfer them to Mo Hua."
"If people ask, say it was my decision. If they don't, don't go around announcing it. The fewer complications, the better…"
After speaking, Elder Xun sighed quietly, musing aloud:
"It's not easy for rogue cultivators to survive—especially when it comes to spirit stones. Without spirit stones, you can't move forward even half a step."
"Right now, his cultivation is still low, so it doesn't feel like much. But in the future, every breath he takes will burn through spirit stones like water. Without some reserves, how will he manage?"
"You're right, Patriarch," Xun Ziyou said.
But inwardly, he couldn't help muttering to himself:
If anyone heard you talk like that, they'd think Mo Hua was your actual grandson...
Still, Mo Hua had earned great merit for the sect during the Demon Valley incident. It was reasonable for him to be rewarded.
Xun Ziyou cupped his hands and said,
"Then after we finalize things with the Broken Gold Sect, I'll choose a few industries and assign them under Mo Hua's name. The annual profits in spirit stones—"
Before he could finish, Elder Xun interrupted:
"Don't give them to him yet."
"Don't give them?" Xun Ziyou blinked.
Elder Xun nodded.
"Store them for now. He doesn't need them."
"He's still young. Too many spirit stones too early will only spoil him. It'll make him lazy, and he won't know how to work hard."
"One day, when he truly lacks spirit stones for cultivation, then we'll give them to him."
"Giving coal in the snow is always better than adding flowers to brocade."
A kindness offered in times of hardship is remembered.
A kindness offered when all is well? Not always.
This was one of Elder Xun's small, personal intentions.
He wanted Mo Hua to remember the sect's grace.
Of course, he had another concern—
The Sinister Daoist.
Mo Hua's talent in divine sense was too strong. He might even surpass that terrifying figure. If he ever strayed from his path…
The consequences would be unimaginable.
He could become someone even more terrifying than the Sinister Daoist.
So these spirit stones—this wealth—would only be handed over once Mo Hua had truly matured, when his Dao Heart was steady.
Otherwise, it would be a great sin.
Elder Xun didn't speak these thoughts aloud.
Xun Ziyou, unaware of the deeper truth, simply nodded.
"Patriarch's judgment is wise."
The two of them talked for a while longer.
Once everything was discussed, Xun Ziyou cupped his hands and said,
"It's getting late. I'll take my leave now."
"Mhm." Elder Xun nodded.
Xun Ziyou hesitated for a moment. A question lingered on his mind, but after some internal struggle, he chose not to ask.
The Fifth-Rank Void Array...
He didn't ask, and Elder Xun didn't mention it.
It was as if both had forgotten.
But deep down, Xun Ziyou knew—that was the most critical part.
Only, fifth-rank formations, and the realm of Nascent Void-level cultivators, were far beyond his reach.
Even if the patriarch had discovered something, he wouldn't speak of it.
What concerned him more… was Mo Hua.
"Patriarch," Xun Ziyou finally asked, "That child Mo Hua… the path he's walking… is it different from that of ordinary cultivators?"
Elder Xun's face remained calm.
"What's different about it?"
Xun Ziyou frowned.
"His divine sense seems far stronger than other cultivators at his stage. And he can even use it to intrude into some kinds of visualization artifacts. He also seems unusually familiar with matters involving evil spirits…"
"These… couldn't have been taught by you, could they?"
He looked uneasy.
"Just what is that child's background? Where did he get these inheritances?"
Elder Xun neither confirmed nor denied anything.
He only said:
"Don't ask too much. Just be aware of it in your heart. And don't mention this to anyone else."
"Patriarch…" Xun Ziyou still looked puzzled.
Elder Xun said meaningfully:
"If you don't ask, you won't know.
And if you don't know… there's no karmic link."
"Sometimes, having no karma… is the best kind of karma."
Xun Ziyou stood frozen for a moment, then solemnly nodded.
Elder Xun waved him off.
"Go on."
"Yes." Xun Ziyou bowed.
"Disciple takes his leave."
After he left, Elder Xun sat in silence, expression unreadable.
There were many things about Mo Hua that he understood…
But he never asked.
That man surnamed Zhuang—his calculations of fate were near perfection.
Before his death, he had surely done something to Mo Hua, casting a veil of fate to obscure any dangerous karma.
As long as the secrets within Mo Hua remained unspoken, they were safe.
But the moment they were spoken aloud, even to himself…
They might no longer be safe.
Elder Xun's eyes grew deep. He sighed slowly.
Deep in the night.
Inside a secret chamber of a certain grand hall—
Mr. Tu was being punished.
The Ten Thousand Demon Valley had been annihilated.
Years of raised demon cultivators—wiped out.
All the nurtured evil spirits—devoured.
Even one of his soul fragments had been destroyed, leaving him gravely injured.
He had nearly lost "the Young Master's" soul to eternal torment within the nightmare realm.
It was the worst loss to date.
With the destruction of the Demon Refining Mountain's secret valley, he had lost a bottomless treasure trove.
All the demon slaves under the Divine Lord's command—
The beast materials, demonic blood, evil thoughts—
Gone.
Even though it had reasons, a divine punishment was unavoidable.
And this was the most brutal torment Mr. Tu had ever endured.
He personally witnessed—and endured—the three thousand tortures of the Great Wilderness.
Hell on Earth, carved into his soul.
When it was over, Mr. Tu lay collapsed on the ground, skin in tatters, bones showing, barely human—like a lump of abused flesh.
And worse than the pain of flesh—was the pain of soul.
After an indeterminate time, he finally clawed his mind back from the abyss of suffering.
The torment was now seared into his spirit.
His flesh began to regenerate slowly, returning to human form.
He trembled as he knelt before the pale-white Ram Bone God Idol, voice quivering:
"This… lowly sinner… thanks the Divine Lord… for His mercy…"
Yes, the Divine Lord had tortured him.
Yes, the divine punishment had been harsher than ever before.
But Mr. Tu knew—deep down— The Divine Lord had still shown mercy.
The Divine Lord… had spared him.
The root cause of this defeat lay not in Mr. Tu's failure—but in the strength of their opponent:
A "Ferocious God."
How could a mortal hope to contend with a god?
It wasn't that he was too weak—it was that the opponent was simply too strong.
Before a divine being, no matter how meticulous the planning or preparation, all might still be for naught.
And though this battle ended in a catastrophic loss, the gains… were considerable.
Mr. Tu prostrated completely, trembling in fear, and whispered:
"My Lord's true enemy… has revealed their face to this sinner…"
"It is a newly hatched, juvenile Ferocious God!"
"This deity's divine power manifests as a golden divine sword—ancient in shape, crude in form. It resembles a sword, but is not quite one."
"To wield a sword as a divine power—it speaks to an extreme nature of slaughter!"
"All the myriad evil spirits within the Demon Refining Diagram were slaughtered without exception… That speaks to how terrifyingly bloodthirsty this being is!"
"This deity… must be a Ferocious God among the ranks of Evil Gods."
"And those aiding and abetting this Ferocious God? Chief among them is… the Great Void Sect!"
"Even the Chongxu Sect and Tai'a Sect cannot be ruled out!"
"Within these three branches, there must be high-ranking cultivators secretly worshipping this Ferocious God, aiding its rise, ensuring its safety, helping it grow into dominance."
"And the goal of this Ferocious God…"
Mr. Tu kowtowed, teeth chattering:
"Is none other than… the Divine Lord Himself!"
Suddenly, the chamber darkened ominously.
Mr. Tu's heart seized with fear as he spoke faster:
"The Divine Lord slumbers. His divine sense is silent. His divine might is hidden…"
"So this Ferocious God dared to act—coveting the Divine Lord, scheming to seize His divine authority, to usurp His throne, even…"
"…to lay hands upon the Divine Lord's divine marrow!"
A cold wind howled. The chamber flooded with a blood-red hue.
A crushing divine pressure descended.
The Divine Lord… was enraged!
Mr. Tu pressed his face to the ground, not daring to lift his head.
After a moment, the oppressive aura faded.
But deep in Mr. Tu's heart, he felt a "divine omen."
A revelation… from the Divine Lord Himself.
For just a moment, a chilling, cruel gleam flickered in Mr. Tu's eyes. A wicked divine authority shimmered faintly—before vanishing.
Then, joy bloomed on his face.
He calmed his breathing, suppressed his terror, and prostrated again, voice trembling with devotion:
"By the Divine Lord's grace, this lowly one shall spare no effort. I will weave an inescapable net to hunt this Ferocious God…"
"And offer Him up as the most glorious sacrificial offering for the Divine Lord's awakening ceremony!"
"Let Him know—those who challenge my Lord's divine might, even gods… shall die without question!"
As he finished, the blood-red aura in the room slowly faded.
The suffocating pressure lifted completely.
Mr. Tu rose, but his face remained solemn.
Hunting a Ferocious God…
Would be unimaginably difficult.
The price? Unknown.
The casualties? Countless.
How many demons and monsters would be reduced to ash?
But—it was worth it.
That Ferocious God… was still in its infancy.
It was only Second Grade in divine rank. Its divine powers hadn't yet fully matured.
No matter how strong—it had limits.
If they didn't kill it now, it would surely become a nightmare later.
That Ferocious God…
In Mr. Tu's mind, an image surfaced once more—what his soul fragment had seen before being destroyed.
Golden light flooding the sky.
A youthful divine figure.
A crude, terrifying "divine sword."
That image—he had "calculated" it himself.
After a soul fragment is destroyed, all its memories should vanish with it.
He shouldn't have known anything.
But by borrowing the Divine Lord's divine thought, he divined into himself—and thus glimpsed what his own dying fragment had seen.
He only dared to divine his own soul.
Even if you gave him eighteen lives, he wouldn't dare divine a Ferocious God directly.
And what he saw from his soul's last moment—was this scene.
Beyond that—nothing. No further clues.
He could not see the god's face.
He could not perceive its form.
That wasn't surprising.
What did bother Mr. Tu… was that, vaguely—he seemed to see the Ferocious God's eyes.
Those eyes were like icy pools, flowing with light. Complex. Twisted.
They held layers of power.
And within them, the most terrifying—was a shadow.
This was no ordinary shadow.
Within that shadow in the Ferocious God's eyes, he sensed… something akin to a twisted divine thought algorithm.
A name surfaced in his mind.
Instantly, his whole body turned cold.
Mr. Tu shook his head at once:
"Impossible. That man's Dao, no matter how bizarre or dreadful, could never stretch so far…"
"Let alone… right under the Divine Lord's nose."
"Impossible…"
He muttered to himself.
But in the unseen flow of karma—something stirred.
And Mr. Tu… forgot.
Whether it was a willing forgetting, or something forced upon him—
He didn't know.
In Qianxue Prefecture, dark currents moved beneath the surface.
But Mo Hua's days… became peaceful.
Each day, he lit incense to calm his mind, and meditated on the "Great Void Diagram" given to him by Elder Xun.
(Mo Hua didn't actually know what the diagram was called—so he simply named it himself.)
He meditated on the Great Void Diagram, refining his Dao Heart.
Besides that, it was the same routine as ever—classes, cultivation, studying formations.
After several days, the chaotic remnants of evil thoughts in his sea of consciousness had mostly been purified.
Mo Hua took some time to further stabilize his spiritual sea.
With that—his divine sense realm was now fully solidified.
Nineteen Runes!
Mo Hua was elated.
For Foundation Establishment cultivators, that was already the peak of what was achievable.
Even senior disciples a stage above him didn't have divine sense this strong.
Some inner sect disciples at the peak of Foundation Establishment—even if they didn't practice formations or walk the divine sense path—couldn't compare to him.
Mo Hua was very pleased.
And although his cultivation hadn't improved…
Thanks to his divine sense breaking through two realms, his spiritual power had strengthened, and so had most of his techniques—array arts, spells, and even the crude form of Divine Thought Sword Manifestation.
However…
The moment he thought of that technique, Mo Hua frowned slightly.
His Divine Thought Sword was… crippled.
It could only be used within the realm of spiritual thought—such as visualizations, illusions, dreamscapes, or nightmares.
In the real world?
Useless.
Not Usable in Reality.
But the orthodox Great Void Divine Thought Sword Technique shouldn't be like this...
Mo Hua once again recalled that sword cultivator senior from the fishing village.
That senior could use Divine Thought Sword in reality—using a sword art as the foundation, projecting divine thought outward to condense Sword Intent, merging it with Sword Qi to slay flesh-and-blood demons as well as ghosts and evil spirits.
But he couldn't.
Mo Hua had tried many times, all to no avail.
Foundation Establishment cultivators could indeed project divine thought externally—but it was only useful for passive sensing, not for active combat.
At most, one could control objects.
But even that wasn't divine thought doing the killing; it was the object being controlled—like a spirit sword or spiritual tool—that did the offense and defense.
Mo Hua sighed.
"So how do I actually learn true Divine Thought Sword Control?"
"Is my divine sense… still not strong enough?"
He paused, suddenly recalling something Huang Shanjun had said long ago:
"To use divine thought to control a sword… you need at least a Golden Core, and twenty runes on your divine sense."
"And even with Golden Core, you still might not manage it…"
"After all, Divine Thought Sword isn't just 'project divine thought = get sword qi.' It's Sword Qi giving rise to Sword Intent, and Sword Intent manifesting Sword Qi."
Mo Hua scratched his head.
Twenty runes, Golden Core realm divine sense... who knew how many lifetimes that would take?
Any cultivator who practiced divine sense as their main path knew that every rune past a major realm was exponentially harder.
From nine to ten runes, Mo Hua had already struggled for ages.
Nineteen to twenty? That gap was like the sea.
Then he thought:
"But my divine sense is unusual. Maybe I don't have to reach twenty runes. If I strengthen it a bit further beyond nineteen, maybe I can try again?"
Which raised a new problem—
How do I go beyond nineteen runes?
Even reaching nineteen was, in part, luck.
Mr. Tu had raised a vast swarm of evil spirits in Ten Thousand Demons Valley for who knew how long, only for Mo Hua to swallow them all in one go.
Refining so many demons had finally satisfied the Heavenly Dao's seal, letting him blast past the eighteenth rune into the nineteenth.
But there was only one Ten Thousand Demons Valley.
Not even a miracle worker like Mr. Tu could raise a second such place within Qianxue Prefecture.
So... he'd have to leave the province.
Except he was still under travel restrictions…
Mo Hua's thoughts stirred:
"Maybe I should find time to ask Venerable Elder Xun if I can get those lifted?"
"But what excuse do I use…?"
He was pondering this dilemma, trying to come up with a "legit-sounding reason" to convince the elder, when—
Venerable Elder Xun came to him first.
"Here's the Eighteen-Rune array diagram."
The elder handed him a thick stack of formation diagrams—some involving Five Elements, others Bagua—and instructed:
"Even though your divine sense has reached nineteen runes, you still need to learn formations step-by-step. Start with eighteen-rune diagrams. Learn solidly. Don't reach for the sky too fast."
"Yes, Elder," Mo Hua replied respectfully.
Elder Xun looked at him, then suddenly asked:
"Can your divine sense get even stronger?"
Mo Hua was stunned.
Nineteen runes isn't strong enough?!
"You mean… twenty?" he asked quietly.
Elder Xun snorted:
"As if. I don't care how lucky or freakishly talented you are, you're still Foundation Establishment. You're not reaching twenty."
Foundation mid-stage with late-stage divine sense was one thing.
But Foundation Establishment with Golden Core level divine sense?
Totally different level.
Between Foundation and Golden Core, there was a massive chasm—both in cultivation and divine sense.
"Oh… got it," Mo Hua nodded.
Elder Xun's gaze softened slightly, a veiled longing in his eyes:
"Just a little stronger than now would be enough."
Stronger meant safer. And this was about the future of the sect—the safer, the better.
"Stronger, huh?" Mo Hua's eyes lit up. He nodded. "Sure!"
Then he feigned hesitation and added softly:
"But probably not doable within Qianxue Province. I'll need to go out… seek some 'opportunities'… maybe undergo some 'tempering'…"
He didn't specify what that "opportunity" was, nor what kind of "tempering" he meant.
Elder Xun didn't ask.
He just looked at Mo Hua with a cryptic, meaningful gaze and nodded:
"Alright. I won't hold you back. After the new year, you're free to travel."
Now he'd see just how far this kid's divine sense could be "tempered"… once he was let loose.
(Chapter End)