Chapter 852: The Fishbone Token
In Mo Hua's eyes, there was only the altar.
After a while, he came back to his senses and looked at the vast, boundless blood lake—like a sea of blood with no rafts or paths in sight. His brows furrowed.
"How do we get across?"
Mo Hua asked Mister Wu.
Mister Wu replied, "There is a White Bone Boat. It can cross the blood sea and reach the other shore."
"White Bone Boat?"
"Come with me," Mister Wu nodded.
Ever since they entered the inner hall and got closer to the blood pool and altar—and seemingly also closer to the "Divine Master"—Mister Wu's expression had shed much of its timidity. Instead, he now wore a calm and devout look.
He led the group to the edge of the blood pool, where a massive fish-bodied demon statue stood. With a hand seal of unknown nature, they heard a rumble as the statue's head separated from its body.
The statue, made entirely of white bone, had a fish-like body that slid into the blood pool—perfectly transforming into the shape of a "White Bone Boat."
Mister Wu said, "Please."
The group hesitated briefly, about to step forward, when Mo Hua suddenly said, "Wait."
Mister Wu turned to look at him.
Mo Hua asked, "When was this blood pool built?"
Mister Wu pressed his palms together. "When the Dragon King Temple was first constructed, this blood pool was already here."
"What's it used for?"
"Of course… for offerings to the Divine Master…"
Mo Hua sneered. "Don't lie to me. My cultivation may not be high, and I might not be a master of formations, but I come from a major sect. I know a thing or two about formation theory…"
When Mo Hua said he wasn't good at formations, Gu Changhuai's eyelid twitched.
This brat… always playing innocent.
"Don't think I can't tell. This blood pool is surging with evil power and lies at the very center of the Dragon King Temple. It must be the core of a formation. Driven by sinister blood, it's undoubtedly an evil formation."
"You agreed far too easily to let us use this White Bone Boat. You must be plotting something—probably planning to flip the boat midway and dump us into the pool."
"Or maybe… you're planning to activate some evil formation against us…"
Evil formation…
As soon as Mo Hua said this, everyone felt a chill run down their spine.
Even Magistrate Xiao's expression grew guarded.
Mister Wu's face twitched, but he forced a chuckle.
"Young Master must be joking. Since you've studied formations, you should know—all formations need a medium. Without a medium, there can be no formation."
"This vast blood pool offers nothing to anchor to—no base, no medium. You can't draw formation lines or place formation nodes, let alone form a formation core."
"Moreover, the blood in this pool has accumulated evil power over the years. Flesh melts on contact, metal corrodes at the slightest touch. Even if a formation medium were placed, it would've long since rotted. Even if a formation were drawn, it couldn't be activated…"
Finishing his explanation, Mister Wu suppressed his anxiety and looked at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua frowned slightly, as if genuinely puzzled. After a moment, he nodded and murmured, "Sounds about right. I don't see any formation lines nearby either…"
Mister Wu remained calm, but quietly let out a sigh of relief.
So the brat hadn't really figured it out…
Just a false alarm.
Fortunately, this little brat was only a half-baked formation user—seems like he just learned a few tricks from his elders and was eager to show off.
Sure, he was sharp and cautious, with good instincts, but still too young, too inexperienced. If he'd really seen through everything, their plans would've been ruined.
Mister Wu spoke plainly, "The Fishbone Token is enshrined on the altar. If you trust me, come with me. If you don't… then there's nothing more I can do. Kill me or spare me, it's your choice."
Magistrate Xiao stared at him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Board the boat."
At this point, even if Mister Wu harbored ill intent, they had no choice but to press forward.
There was no turning back.
But thanks to Mo Hua's warning, Magistrate Xiao had grown suspicious and instructed Xie Liu, "Watch him closely. Don't let him make a single move."
Xie Liu disliked being ordered around, but before Magistrate Xiao, he swallowed his pride, drew his longsword, and held it to Mister Wu's neck.
"Apologies, Mister Wu," he said coldly.
Mister Wu gave him a frosty look, silently noting this slight.
You are but insects, unworthy even to serve as the Divine Master's slaves… and you dare threaten me?
Mister Wu, under Xie Liu's guard, boarded the White Bone Boat.
The others followed.
Then the boat set off—Mister Wu steering it through the vast sea of blood, cutting through the waves toward the altar in the center of the pool.
The stench of the blood pool was unbearable, thick with evil energy.
Sitting in the White Bone Boat and seeing nothing but endless blood all around, everyone felt a bit uneasy.
Thankfully, the journey went smoothly.
Whether Mister Wu truly had no other plans or simply had no chance to act under Xie Liu's sword, the voyage—though seemingly dangerous—was surprisingly uneventful.
In about half an hour, they reached the shore.
Bones lined the bank, forming stairs. The steps led up to grotesque demon statues that surrounded the altar.
Mo Hua stared at the altar and nearly couldn't move.
Were it not for the presence of others and the poor timing, he would've already rushed up, kicked that twisted goat-skull aside, and planted himself on the throne-like altar—feasting on a banquet of demonic power.
That way, his divine sense with nineteen spiritual patterns could advance even further.
And once it advanced, there would be practically no barrier to learning any formation below the second-grade absolute arrays.
Mo Hua was salivating.
"What a shame…"
The shame being: wrong time, too many nuisances. He had to be patient… and slowly "clear the field."
His eyes narrowed slightly, feigning composure as he quietly blended into the group.
The group approached the altar. Upon seeing the horned goat skull atop the offering table, they all stopped instinctively.
An eerie, dreadful aura pervaded the altar—like some terrifying will had once descended here, stirring a primal fear that made them hesitate.
Even Magistrate Xia—who didn't believe in this "Divine Master" nonsense and thought the Dragon King Temple's cultivators were madmen hiding behind religious dogma—felt uneasy, sensing something was very wrong.
Magistrate Xiao asked Mister Wu, "Where is the Fishbone Token?"
Mister Wu pointed at the offering table. "Underneath the center prayer cushion, there's a hidden compartment."
Magistrate Xiao glanced at the altar, especially the ferocious horned skull placed atop the table. A twinge of dread made him unwilling to approach.
So he ordered, "You go get it. Behave yourself. My sword aura is locked onto your heart meridian—try anything, and I'll end you."
Mister Wu bowed submissively. "As you command."
He walked toward the altar, but even before arriving, he started kowtowing and chanting strange prayers like, "This humble one was disrespectful, may the Divine Master forgive…"
Three steps, a bow. Nine steps, a prostration. Over and over.
Finally, at the altar, he knocked his head against the ground eight or nine more times before lifting the cushion and retrieving a wooden box from the hidden compartment.
Cradling the box with his head bowed, he retreated thirty steps before turning around and returning to the group.
"The Token, I've retrieved it."
Mister Wu spoke, then, in front of everyone, opened the wooden box.
Sure enough, inside was a token—crafted from fishbone, with a strange appearance, identical to the one Water Yama had used before.
Magistrate Xiao turned to look at Water Yama.
Water Yama examined the fishbone token closely for a moment, then nodded. "It's definitely the key to open the door. No mistake."
Only then did Magistrate Xiao relax.
Mister Wu placed the wooden box containing the token on the ground and slowly stepped back, gazing at the group with a calm expression.
But none of those present moved.
The atmosphere turned heavy.
Moments ago, the group may have shown a fleeting sense of unity—but that was then.
Now that the token was right in front of them, the temporary alliance shattered on its own.
"This token…" Magistrate Xiao looked at Magistrate Xia and Gu Changhuai and said gravely, "Who will take it?"
Gu Changhuai narrowed his eyes. "Definitely not you."
Magistrate Xiao sighed. "After all these years working together, Magistrate Gu, you still don't trust me?"
Gu Changhuai sneered, "It's because we've worked together for years that I don't trust you."
Magistrate Xiao's gaze darkened slightly, but his tone was sincere:
"I won't hide it from you two—this Dragon King Temple is filled with eerie danger. Fighting amongst ourselves here would be foolish. How about we hold off for now? Whatever grudges we have, settle them after we leave this place."
Gu Changhuai frowned slightly. "What are you suggesting?"
Magistrate Xiao pointed to the fishbone token on the ground. "To show my sincerity, I'm willing to let you two keep the token."
"As long as you promise to open the temple doors and let me leave here safely."
"As for what happens afterward—we can deal with that outside this damned place…"
Gu Changhuai and Magistrate Xia exchanged a glance, both a little surprised.
But given how far Magistrate Xiao had gone to show goodwill, they had no reason to refuse.
Magistrate Xia nodded. "Fine."
She then slowly stepped up to the box and bent down to pick up the fishbone token.
Gu Changhuai, meanwhile, held his Azure Luan Feather Fan, circulating his spiritual power, eyes locked on Magistrate Xiao. He subtly turned his body, shielding Magistrate Xia behind him.
And at the exact moment Magistrate Xia's fingers touched the fishbone token—
Magistrate Xiao's eyes turned cold. His figure flickered and vanished, splitting into numerous overlapping water shadows, each wreathed in chilling Yin energy.
"Watch out!" Gu Changhuai warned in a low voice.
Magistrate Xia had just taken the token and couldn't dodge in time.
Seeing this, Gu Changhuai instantly unleashed several wind blades, sweeping them across the water shadows.
The wind blades shredded them one by one.
But as the illusions shattered, none of them revealed Magistrate Xiao's true body.
Gu Changhuai froze for a second—then his face changed dramatically as he shouted:
"Mo Hua!"
He turned his head—and realized with a jolt that Mo Hua was gone.
In the very moment Magistrate Xia had reached for the fishbone token, Mo Hua had sensed something wrong. He had already slipped away, hiding himself at a distance.
He knew that old snake, Magistrate Xiao, was going to come for him.
Along the way, he'd sensed the subtle, restrained killing intent that targeted him, lurking behind Magistrate Xiao's smiling eyes.
That fake-friendly fox thought he'd hidden it well, but had no clue—Mo Hua's attainments in divine sense were far beyond what most cultivators could detect.
Mo Hua, cloaked in stealth, had backed away nearly ten zhang before he finally let out a breath of relief.
But he hadn't even finished exhaling when a sharp killing intent suddenly locked onto him.
Mo Hua's pupils shrank. He immediately activated Flowing Water Steps, dodging to the side—only to catch sight, from the corner of his eye, of a deep blue cage of water spiritual power forming right where he'd just stood.
"Water Prison Technique!"
A spell Mo Hua himself often used to trap others—now being cast on him.
And this version of Water Prison had eight spiritual chains coiled around it.
Mo Hua could only ever form six.
This version… was stronger than his!
His expression turned serious.
He knew the Water Prison's effects all too well.
If he got caught, he'd be a fish in a barrel—no escape.
Moments later, a cold and cruel divine sense locked onto him once again.
Mo Hua, face grim, activated Flowing Water Steps a second time, narrowly dodging the strike.
At the same time, from one of the water shadows in the distance, Magistrate Xiao revealed himself, holding a mirror in his hands. His gaze toward Mo Hua was full of surprise and admiration:
"In terms of quick thinking and agility, young master, you rank among the top three cultivators I've ever encountered."
"And if we consider cultivation realm as well, you're undeniably number one."
"To catch you, I specially brought this Shadow-Piercing Mirror, just to break your concealment; I even gave up the fishbone token to lull Brother Gu and the others."
"Then I used Water Shadow Step to mask my movements and struck without warning—and still you evaded…"
"Two Water Prison Techniques, fired back to back, and neither caught you…"
The more Magistrate Xiao thought about it, the more stunned he became.
Forget some early Foundation Establishment junior—even against an early-stage Golden Core cultivator, all this planning and preparation should've been enough to capture them.
But this little brat… was something else entirely.
Mo Hua scowled. "Magistrate Xiao, we have no old grudge, no recent enmity. Why target me, a mere low-ranked cultivator?"
Magistrate Xiao's expression turned solemn. "You really don't know?"
Mo Hua shook his head.
Magistrate Xiao let out a chilling laugh. "That thing… is it in your hands?"
Mo Hua's face was full of confusion. "What thing?"
"That…" Magistrate Xiao's gaze sharpened, but he didn't name it directly. Instead, he said, "The thing you stole from Water Yama."
The moment those words landed, everyone was stunned.
Even Gu Changhuai and Magistrate Xia looked surprised—completely caught off guard.
Mo Hua stole something from Water Yama? When did that happen?
But Mo Hua just shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
A vein pulsed on Magistrate Xiao's forehead.
Mo Hua pressed further, confidently, "How do you know I stole something from Water Yama?"
Magistrate Xiao turned to glance at Water Yama.
Mo Hua understood instantly, and his tone turned annoyed. "Water Yama is a cunning snake—nothing that comes out of his mouth can be trusted!"
"That thing? Maybe he just hid it himself and now he's trying to pin it on me. He wants to borrow your hand, Magistrate Xiao, to kill me."
"I'm so weak—one blow from you and I'd be dead. And once I'm dead, with no one left to speak the truth, Water Yama could keep the item all for himself."
"Truly malicious…"
Mo Hua said all this with righteous indignation.
Hearing him, Magistrate Xiao began to hesitate. What Mo Hua said… made some sense.
That the item was with Mo Hua was based solely on Water Yama's claim. Aside from him, no one could confirm the true whereabouts of the Water Prison Forbidden Box.
Magistrate Xiao looked at Water Yama again.
Water Yama, by now, was fuming with rage and blurted, "Brother Xiao, don't believe that brat's nonsense! He's deceitful, cunning, shameless—don't trust a single word from his mouth!"
Magistrate Xiao gave him a cold stare, a stare so chilling that Water Yama felt a chill run down his spine, and only then did Xiao look away.
He turned to Mo Hua and said flatly, "Let's not beat around the bush. The item is in your hands—even if Water Yama never said a word."
Mo Hua still wouldn't admit it. "What item?"
Magistrate Xiao's expression turned cold. "Still pretending?"
Without another word, he suddenly activated Water Shadow Step, trying to use the technique to close the distance. With his superior cultivation level, even a moment of restraint would allow him to cast Water Prison—and as long as he trapped Mo Hua for even a second, Mo Hua would be as good as his.
But just as Magistrate Xiao moved, two figures flashed in front of him—Gu Changhuai and Magistrate Xia.
Gu Changhuai's feather fan whirled with slicing wind blades, while Magistrate Xia's short sword gleamed with icy light.
They stood between Mo Hua and Magistrate Xiao, eyes full of wariness.
Magistrate Xiao's face twitched. He sighed. "I didn't want to become enemies with you both. But you keep blocking my way again and again. Since that's how it is, don't blame me for disregarding our years of working together."
Gu Changhuai sneered—but then suddenly felt something wrong.
Magistrate Xiao's entire body was now wreathed in intense murderous aura.
At the same time, a cold, immense spiritual force surged through his meridians.
"This is…" Gu Changhuai's expression changed. Then he realized: "…a high-grade Dao technique?!"
He immediately unleashed all his wind blades, turning them into a violent green storm that surged toward Magistrate Xiao.
At nearly the same instant, Magistrate Xia transformed into a flash of icy light, darting up to Magistrate Xiao. Her short sword shimmered with a biting chill.
High-grade techniques had massive power—but the cost was casting time.
Against common cultivators, you could charge one up and decide a battle in a single move.
But Gu Changhuai and Magistrate Xia were no novices. They both knew: attack before the technique completes! Even if they couldn't interrupt it, they could at least severely injure the caster.
Only… they misjudged one thing.
Magistrate Xiao's casting time… was far shorter than they had anticipated.
The very moment their attacks landed, Magistrate Xiao's aura surged. A deep blue force of water exploded outward, forming countless chains that wrapped tightly around him.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the chains burst outward, spreading in all directions like a net.
All around, dark prisons erupted from the ground.
These countless chains, intertwined with the layered prison cells, merged into a single vast and terrifying construct:
The Deathwater Dao Prison!
A technique that could bind and suppress all cultivators within its range.
Gu Changhuai was instantly ensnared by a mass of chains—unable to move.
Magistrate Xia, being even closer to Xiao, was crushed under multiple prisons, completely immobilized.
Within the Dao Prison, stagnant water filled the air, making it nearly impossible to breathe.
Mo Hua, who had sensed danger and fled far away the moment Xiao started casting, still gasped sharply when he saw it form.
This technique… Gu Changhuai and Xia might not recognize it, but Mo Hua did—better than anyone.
It was the Water Prison Sect's ultimate legacy—a rare high-grade control-type Dao technique:
Water Prison Technique!
He remembered that Elder Yu Canghai of the Water Prison Sect once said:
"The Water Prison Technique is the pinnacle of our sect's control spells. It suppresses all who cultivate the Water Prison Sect's techniques and movement arts."
But that wasn't all—it was a true strong control technique, capable of bypassing even body-protection spells like Golden Body Arts or Golden Body Talismans. It forcibly bound cultivators regardless of their defenses.
The sect's core legacy. A high-grade Dao technique. A pure control spell. Immunity-bypassing.
Mo Hua's heart thumped wildly.
He never imagined that this technique had actually fallen into Magistrate Xiao's hands!
(End of this Chapter)