Chapter 805: Vengeful Spirit
"A man... in Hundred Flowers Valley?"
The cold expression on the woman's face gradually deepened, frost gathering in her gaze.
Though the figure looked like a delicate and porcelain-carved little junior sister— To a cultivator like her, who had not only reached an advanced realm but had also studied the art of fate and calculation, the distinction of yin and yang, male and female, could not be concealed.
She raised a pale and slender hand, intending to immediately seize this little bastard sneaking into Hundred Flowers Valley disguised as a woman.
But the next moment, she suddenly paused.
Amid the blooming, radiant spiritual energy of the surrounding female disciples— Mo Hua's karmic aura stood out.
It was pure white, like clouds drifting across the sky. Crisp, like a clear spring. And even… faintly familiar.
Familiar?
Her expression turned momentarily dazed.
There was a trace of sorrow hidden in that daze.
After a moment of silent contemplation, she slowly lowered her hand. Her dazzling eyes—radiant like blooming flowers—remained locked on Mo Hua.
"Let's see… just what this little bastard came to do, sneaking into my Hundred Flowers Valley…"
Back on the mountain path, Mo Hua suddenly felt something— He instinctively looked up at the sky, then glanced around cautiously.
Hua Qianqian noticed and looked confused,
"What's wrong?"
Mo Hua scanned the surroundings, frowning.
Just now, he'd had the strange sensation that a cold gaze had locked onto him.
But when he carefully extended his senses, he found nothing unusual.
"Was I discovered?"
His heart skipped a beat.
But after thinking it over again, he felt something was off. If he had been discovered, it would have to be by one of the senior cultivators of Hundred Flowers Valley—or even a Realmaster.
And if that were the case, he would've been subdued on the spot and dragged off for questioning.
There was no way they'd just… let him be.
Was it just an illusion?
Still unsure, Mo Hua said,
"Senior Sister, let's hurry. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave."
If he was discovered, the consequences would be huge. Not only would he lose face as the "Little Senior Brother" of the Great Void Sect— Even Qianqian and Senior Sister Murong could be implicated.
Hua Qianqian understood the stakes and nodded.
"Alright."
So the two quickened their pace.
Hundred Flowers Valley, true to its name, bloomed in endless splendor.
On either side of the mountain path, within the pavilions, courtyards, and towers, flowers of every color and variety—bright red, pink, yellow, green, elegant white—competed in dazzling displays of beauty.
The air was fragrant with flower petals, powder and rouge, and even rich pill-scent.
But Mo Hua had come here on a stealth mission, and with serious matters ahead, he had no mood to appreciate the scenery.
He simply followed Hua Qianqian closely, arm in arm.
They passed flower gardens, flower courtyards, flower towers, mountains of flowers and seas of blossoms—who knew how long they walked—until they reached a particular residence.
Even the design of the disciple dwellings followed a floral theme. From the outside, the whole building resembled a blooming flower.
Inside the residence, flowers lined the paths, and even the walls, floors, tables, chairs, and screens were adorned with floral carvings or colorful flower patterns.
There were many people here— And all of them were beautiful female disciples, each with their own charm.
Hua Qianqian exchanged a few greetings with some familiar faces, but before they could ask much, she dragged Mo Hua upstairs.
Once they reached a quiet corridor and saw no one around, Hua Qianqian turned and gave him serious instructions:
"This is the female disciples' residence. No looking around!"
"Don't touch anything."
"If any of the sisters try to talk to you, ignore them. And if they try to take advantage of you—you must protect yourself! Don't let them get the better of you!"
Mo Hua nodded slowly.
He understood the first part— This was the girls' quarters. Looking around randomly was rude.
But the second half… was a little confusing.
"Take advantage of me"? "Protect myself"?
This was Hundred Flowers Valley. Who would take advantage of him?
Still, he didn't want to ask too much. He simply lowered his head and followed behind her closely, eyes fixed on his toes, doing his best not to let his gaze wander—just in case he saw something improper.
Eventually, after who knows how long, Hua Qianqian said:
"We're here."
Mo Hua raised his head slightly. Sure enough, it was much quieter here, and ahead was a residence marked with black scorch marks.
Hua Qianqian sighed,
"Because Junior Sister Jin burned herself alive, all the nearby disciples moved out. So this place is safe. No one's around."
Mo Hua finally let out a breath and relaxed a bit.
Now able to focus, he looked toward the scorched building ahead.
It was here that Senior Sister Ye Jin had set herself on fire and died horribly.
Though the door was tightly shut, faint icy yin energy leaked out from the gap.
Despite the morning sunshine, Hua Qianqian felt a chill.
Mo Hua spoke softly:
"Let's go take a look."
Hua Qianqian nodded.
This time, Mo Hua took the lead. Unconsciously, Qianqian followed behind him— And walking behind him, she felt… oddly reassured.
The corridor was eerily silent.
Step by step, the two crept forward. Fortunately, no strange phenomena occurred.
When they reached the sealed door, Mo Hua narrowed his eyes and noticed—
"It's sealed with a formation."
"A formation?" Hua Qianqian echoed.
"Don't worry. It's only a Tier Two formation," Mo Hua said casually.
Only… a Tier Two formation...
Qianqian was stunned. Before she could even react, Mo Hua had already unraveled it.
Her beautiful eyes widened.
"So fast..."
These few years apart—his formation skills had become even more incredible...
She couldn't help but look at him a few more times.
Once the formation was undone, Mo Hua prepared to open the door— But just before he did, he suddenly turned back and said seriously:
"Senior Sister, once we're inside, be very careful. If you feel unwell, tell me immediately. Matters involving spirits are no joke—you mustn't try to tough it out."
He was absolutely solemn.
Hua Qianqian gripped her sleeve tightly. Cold sweat formed in her palm. She nodded seriously.
Then Mo Hua gently pushed the door open.
A surge of sinister, chilling energy swept over them.
And oddly enough, mixed into that chill—was a scorched, fiery heat. It was eerily unnatural.
Mo Hua and Qianqian endured the discomfort and stepped inside.
Sure enough, the entire room was blackened. Almost everything had been burned to ashes.
At the place where the bed had once been, faint black residue remained.
Though he didn't want to think about it, Mo Hua knew—this was what remained of Senior Sister Ye Jin after she burned to death.
Ashes that lingered like her grievances, refusing to scatter.
"But…" Mo Hua looked around, frowning.
There was nothing.
No signs of evil spirits.
No sign of a vengeful ghost.
This was just… a gloomy room where someone had died. Nothing else felt off.
What's going on?
He was puzzled.
Just then, he suddenly felt a chill spread across the back of his neck.
A pair of pale, delicate hands slowly extended— Reaching toward his throat.
Mo Hua's pupils contracted. He instantly activated Flowing Water Step, dodging the murderous cold behind him.
As he spun around, he saw— Hua Qianqian's eyes were empty and lifeless.
She stared at him dead-on, arms outstretched—trying to strangle him.
"Possessed?!"
A chill ran down Mo Hua's spine.
When did it happen?
How could he not have sensed it at all?
The possessed "Hua Qianqian," seeing she had failed to strangle him, flew into a rage. Her pale claws spread wide as she lunged toward him again.
Mo Hua had no choice but to evade for now, dodging her attacks with Flowing Water Step.
So the two of them—one possessed, the other dodging—began chasing each other in the scorched, fire-blasted room.
Hua Qianqian was at the late Foundation Establishment stage, significantly stronger than Mo Hua.
But her cultivation leaned toward spiritual techniques, especially Hundred Flowers Needle Arts.
Now that she was possessed, only brute instincts remained—charging at him like a body cultivator. Against Mo Hua, who excelled in movement techniques, she wasn't much of a threat.
Still, things couldn't go on like this.
If they made too much noise and others discovered them, the situation would spiral out of control.
After a moment of thought, Mo Hua whispered,
"Forgive me, Senior Sister."
Just as the ghost-controlled "Hua Qianqian" lunged again, Mo Hua's body moved like water, fluid and elusive.
He slipped behind her and swiftly drew his Thousand-Jin Rod, activating the formation embedded within, and brought it down on the back of her head.
Though she had trained her body somewhat, her physique wasn't particularly tough.
The blow shook her divine sense, and her body slowly collapsed.
Mo Hua quickly caught her, laying her flat on the floor.
But not even a second later—"Hua Qianqian" opened her eyes again.
And in those eyes, the presence of a vengeful spirit glared—menacing, twisted.
Acting quickly, Mo Hua pulled out a strip of black cloth and pressed it over her forehead.
That cloth had a divine sealing array Mo Hua had drawn himself.
The black cloth, wrapped around her head, sealed the vengeful spirit inside her sea of consciousness—temporarily suppressing its power.
"Hua Qianqian" struggled, her face contorted. But her body was immobilized.
Still, this wasn't a long-term solution.
Vengeful spirits devour divine sense.
If it stayed inside Qianqian's sea of consciousness, her mind would eventually be consumed.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then coldly threatened:
"I'm going to lift the seal in a moment.
If you don't come out… I'll seal you in there forever.
You'll rot with that body, forgotten, erased from the world."
Then, cautiously, he lifted a corner of the black cloth.
The "possessed" Qianqian still reached for his throat.
Sighing, Mo Hua resealed her, then tried a different tactic, sneering coldly:
"Don't say I didn't warn you—
If you die with this body, your lingering regrets will be completely wiped out.
All the wishes you had in life will vanish into the Yellow Springs.
You'll never achieve them again, in this life or any other."
This time, Mo Hua clearly sensed a tremble within Qianqian's sea of consciousness.
His eyes sharpened.
Slowly, he lifted the seal once more.
As expected—
A freezing, sinister will burst out from her sea of consciousness, like ice water in the dead of winter.
The moment it emerged, Mo Hua immediately placed another black cloth on Qianqian's forehead.
This cloth was inscribed with a Divine Gate Formation.
A mental barrier, built from divine sense, locking the spirit out of her sea of consciousness.
Now, the vengeful spirit wouldn't be able to re-enter Qianqian's mind for the time being.
But the room had become colder. The air was now thick with ghostly presence.
Mo Hua's gaze shone with golden light as he peered into the room.
He saw it—
In the seemingly empty air, a dark, almost translucent figure loomed.
It radiated overwhelming resentment, pure hatred toward all living things.
It was the envy of the dead toward the living.
The loathing of one who died unjustly, turned toward the lucky souls still breathing.
This ghostly figure was nothing like any corpse-spirit, wandering soul, or malicious being Mo Hua had encountered before.
It didn't even feel entirely like a spirit.
It was more like… a condensed manifestation of resentment and hatred.
It had no coherent will.
Only residual feelings from its past life—
And it moved on sheer instinct.
It reminded him somewhat of…
Dao Sin (道孽)?
Mo Hua's pupils quivered. He had a sense of what this thing might be, but couldn't fully piece it together just yet.
"Whatever it is, I can't let it linger—
It'll become a calamity."
But Mo Hua also felt powerless.
He couldn't send his divine sense outside his body.
He couldn't form a sword from his spiritual will in the real world.
If he could, a single strike would've destroyed the ghost on the spot.
Unable to destroy it externally—he had only one choice left:
Draw it into his own sea of consciousness.
Mo Hua's gaze gleamed. He raised his arms and taunted:
"Didn't you want to 'feed'?
Come on—let's see if you've got the guts to eat me."
But the ghost didn't budge.
Despite Mo Hua's appearance—wearing the Hundred Flowers Valley robe, looking like an innocent and delicate junior sister— The spirit could instinctively sense the terrifying aura hiding inside him.
It hesitated.
But it also needed a vessel.
And in this room, the only possible host left— Was Mo Hua himself.
Its hunger for living divine sense finally outweighed its fear.
After a long hesitation, the ghost turned into a gust of frigid wind— And surged straight into Mo Hua's sea of consciousness.
At that moment—its fate was sealed.
...
Within the sea of consciousness— Mo Hua's divine sense avatar opened his golden eyes. Before him loomed the cold, violent phantom of the vengeful spirit.
Gold-veined markings flowed across Mo Hua's figure, emanating majestic pressure.
The ghost trembled.
It now knew— This human was someone even ghosts should fear. But it hadn't expected the "inside" of Mo Hua to be a godlike being.
Panicking, the ghost tried to flee, turning back into shadowy wind.
But there was no escape.
Mo Hua reached out— Golden array patterns bloomed from his palm, forming chains of divine light.
They wrapped tightly around the phantom, completely sealing it.
No matter how it howled or struggled, it couldn't break free.
Eventually, the vengeful spirit quieted down.
But Mo Hua's brows furrowed.
The next moment— A bloodcurdling shriek tore through the sea of consciousness.
Like a tortured woman screaming moments before death.
The phantom suddenly glowed crimson.
Mo Hua's pupils contracted.
"This is… the sign of a transformation into a true vengeful ghost?"
It was mutating—preparing to evolve into a Fierce Ghost.
At the same time, a corrupting aura began to emanate from it.
One that warped the natural laws, corroded divine sense— A twisted, mutated force of chaos.
The golden chains Mo Hua forged with his divine will began to corrode, snap by snap.
Mo Hua's expression darkened.
It really was the aura of a Dao Sin.
Faint, but undeniably real.
"I can't let it transform. If it becomes a true Fierce Ghost…"
Mo Hua sighed.
A golden sword formed in his hand.
With a single strike— He pierced through the ghost's forehead.
It didn't resist.
It seemed to know— Before someone who stood close to divinity like Mo Hua, all struggle was meaningless.
It simply didn't want to die with regret.
In its final moment, its figure became more solid— And revealed its true appearance.
It was a woman, her face twisted and burned beyond recognition by karmic fire.
Grotesque. Terrifying.
But Mo Hua knew— In life, she must have been beautiful.
"Why?"
The ghostly woman's voice was hoarse—
as though countless threads of resentment twisted together, writhing in anguish.
"Why…
I died such a wretched death…
I became a vengeful ghost…
Yet I still can't kill them?"
"Why was I the one who suffered?
Why am I the one who deserves to die?"
"Just because I had a pretty face?"
"Why—
Even after turning into a ghost,
I still can't take my revenge?"
"Why, when I was alive, I died—
And now that I'm dead, I'm still the one marked for death?"
"They say the Heavenly Dao is just—
But where is this Heavenly Dao?!"
She let out a sharp, harrowing laugh—like a night owl wailing under the moon.
Mo Hua could hardly associate this tormented soul with the delicate, gentle-faced Senior Sister Ye Jin—the quiet one with the soft smile and refined demeanor.
A wave of sympathy stirred in his heart.
And yet, she had already crossed the threshold—halfway to becoming a Fierce Ghost.
Her evil spirit could no longer be spared.
Mo Hua sighed deeply. His eyes firm, he spoke slowly:
"If you remain in this world, you'll only kill the innocent.
Let go. Rest in peace…"
"The people you wanted to kill—
I'll kill them for you."
"The Heavenly Dao may not be fair…
But since your resentment ended in my hands,
then your enemies will die by them too."
His voice was both cold and compassionate.
The ghostly woman froze.
She stood there in a daze, allowing Mo Hua's sword-light to slice through her spirit, shredding her to pieces.
But at the same time, her grotesque face began to fade.
The burns that once scarred her slowly faded.
She looked once again like the quiet, elegant "Senior Sister Ye."
She looked into Mo Hua's eyes, her own gaze clear and gentle—just like when she was alive.
Her voice was soft, almost serene:
"Okay."
And with a final flash of sword light—
Her form, her resentment, and the twisted evolution into a Fierce Ghost all vanished together.
Yet at that same moment, Mo Hua felt it—
A thread of karma had wrapped around him.
An unseen, inevitable bond.
It was a karmic oath.
A promise made to a ghost on the verge of turning into a monster.
"The net of heaven is vast and loose… but not a single sin escapes."
"Good will be rewarded, evil punished."
"Perhaps the righteous die… but the wicked must not live."
Mo Hua's eyes gleamed—sharp as blades.
He looked around once more, spreading out his divine sense to inspect his sea of consciousness.
No abnormalities.
Only then did he fully withdraw from the inner world of his mind.
—
As his divine sense returned, Mo Hua opened his eyes.
The room was still scorched black…
But the oppressive chill, the haunting cold—that ghostly air—had thinned.
As if a long-held grudge had finally been released.
Or perhaps…
That grudge had simply shifted—to become part of his karma now.
Looking around, Mo Hua spotted Hua Qianqian still lying on the floor.
He quickly rushed to her side, lifted her gently, and checked her breath.
Only then did he exhale in relief.
Nothing serious.
That blow he'd struck earlier hadn't caused much injury.
After all, he wasn't a body cultivator.
She was probably still unconscious due to the brief possession—
Her divine sense having taken a hit, suffering some damage, putting her into a temporary coma.
But what happens in another person's sea of consciousness…
Mo Hua couldn't interfere.
He could only deal with his own.
Even if it were an avatar of an evil god,
as long as it entered his mind—
he'd skin it, purify it, and grill it like teppanyaki.
But for other people's seas of consciousness?
Yeah, no dice.
Even in the real world, if a ghost didn't enter his own mind, he could barely do anything about it.
Mo Hua sighed lightly and gently shook Hua Qianqian's body.
"Senior Sister…"
"Hey, wake up…"
Just as he was about to shake her awake—
Mo Hua's expression changed sharply.
Someone was approaching.
A female cultivator—
Perhaps sensing the earlier disturbance—was slowly making her way toward them.
Not good.
Mo Hua quickly ran through his options and immediately cast a concealment technique.
But to his surprise… he didn't disappear.
"What the…"
"Why isn't it working?"
He reached out with his senses—
And was stunned to realize that the entire Hundred Flowers Valley disciple quarters…
had been covered by an advanced Revealing Formation.
At least a third-grade formation.
When he arrived earlier, fearing exposure, he hadn't dared release his divine sense to scout the area.
So he hadn't noticed.
Now his head throbbed.
"No choice then…"
He thought for a moment and rummaged through Hua Qianqian's storage ring,
pulling out a few flowers—some of them just happened to be magnolias.
Mo Hua gently placed the magnolias on the ground—
Right where Ye Jin had burned herself to death.
Then he returned to Hua Qianqian's side, feigning a worried expression.
He shook her urgently, voice low and anxious:
"Senior Sister, what's wrong?"
"Wake up! Please…"
The approaching cultivator's presence grew clearer.
Her footsteps were now faintly audible.
Moments later—
A woman wearing the robes of the Hundred Flowers Valley appeared at the door, heavily made-up and full of suspicion.
She glanced into the room— Her gaze falling on the unconscious Hua Qianqian… and the worried Mo Hua at her side.
At that very moment, as the woman looked at him— Mo Hua, without moving his head, cast a subtle glance at her from the corner of his eye.
And his heart skipped a beat.
He knew her.
During the New Year celebration at the Gu family residence, when Elder Gu Hong was showing potential marriage prospects to Uncle Gu,
she had presented a portrait.
Mo Hua had seen that portrait too.
And the woman standing in the doorway now… was the exact same person from that painting.
(End of this Chapter)