Chapter 857: The Slaughter Eye Technique
So many high-grade second-tier formations, hidden in the dark, linked together and exploding in waves—even a Golden Core cultivator like Xiao Zhenhai could barely withstand it.
When the smoke cleared, Xiao Zhenhai's bloodied and battered figure was finally revealed—his body torn open, utterly disheveled, clearly badly injured.
He was, after all, a Golden Core cultivator. Even with his cultivation suppressed, his foundation remained.
Had it not been for that, this many high-grade formations would've killed him several times over.
Xiao Zhenhai coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face twitching.
"It was a trap…"
Someone had laid these formations to ambush him.
And it had completely taken him by surprise.
The study of formations was notoriously difficult.
Even those with exceptional talent in formations usually lagged behind their own cultivation level.
To lay down formations of the eighteenth or even nineteenth rune tier, one typically had to be either a Golden Core cultivator, or a seasoned late Foundation Establishment formation master with over a century of experience.
And clearly, these formations weren't there before—they'd just been set up.
But who in this Dragon King Temple had the skill to lay down this many high-tier second-grade formations, so discreetly, in such a short time, under everyone's nose?
His thoughts raced as he mentally went through everyone present—but he couldn't figure out who the hidden mastermind was.
Gu Changhuai and Magistrate Xia had the cultivation, but not the time.
Xiao Tianquan—his dear nephew—did have late Foundation Establishment cultivation, but nowhere near this level of formation mastery.
The rest were even less likely.
"No—wait!"
Xiao Zhenhai suddenly remembered—there was still one person who'd remained hidden the entire time.
If anyone was behind the scenes, it had to be…
"Mo Hua?!"
Xiao Zhenhai's pupils contracted. He could hardly believe it.
That brat—only mid Foundation Establishment, barely twenty years into cultivation—how could he possibly have laid down such intricate, near-peak Foundation-tier nineteenth-rune formations?
Forget minor sects—even among the Four Great Sects, no such monstrous formation prodigy had appeared in the last thousand years.
But when all impossibilities are ruled out, the only remaining explanation—must be the truth.
The image of Mo Hua floated in Xiao Zhenhai's mind again.
The casual wave of his hand, the nonchalant:
"Just getting by, scraping for a meal…"
Now, recalling that scene sent chills down Xiao Zhenhai's spine.
"What a devious little bastard… hiding his skills so deeply…"
Xiao Zhenhai clenched his teeth.
Just then, Gu Changhuai's green wind blades and Magistrate Xia's icy sword light once again swept toward him.
Strike while the enemy is down.
Wounded by the formation blasts and drained of energy, it was the perfect time to finish Xiao Zhenhai off.
Gu Changhuai wasn't going to let the opportunity pass.
Xiao Zhenhai cursed under his breath, barely dodged a wind blade, then raised his sword and unleashed Yin Water Sword Qi, clashing with Magistrate Xia.
But now injured, where before he could overpower her in head-on clashes, this time his internal organs burned with pain, and even his spiritual energy showed signs of depletion.
Magistrate Xia's icy spiritual force was invading his meridians.
In an instant, Xiao Zhenhai understood—
If this dragged on, he was as good as dead!
"Can't hold back. I must end this quickly!"
Xiao Zhenhai's gaze turned vicious.
Gu Changhuai and Magistrate Xia seemed to realize he was going to fight like a cornered beast, so they pressed their assault, not giving him a moment to breathe.
But Xiao Zhenhai still held the edge in heritage and technique.
After ten or so exchanges, he suddenly executed Water Shadow Step, confusing the two and slipping several zhang away.
Once distanced, Xiao Zhenhai crushed a talisman. A wave of golden light enveloped his body. At the same time, his Yin Water spiritual energy surged, forming chains of water around him.
Golden Body for defense. Water Prison for offense.
He had crushed a Golden Body Talisman to forcibly use the Water Prison Technique.
The first time he used it, he relied on surprise, avoiding the use of the Golden Body to keep Gu Changhuai from getting suspicious.
But having already used it once, Gu Changhuai would surely be on guard.
So if he wanted to use it again, he had to be prepared—no taking chances. The Golden Body was a must.
With golden light shielding him and spiritual power flowing, the Water Prison Technique began forming.
Dark blue water energy swirled and transformed into countless chains, wrapping tightly around Xiao Zhenhai's body, layer upon layer…
But Gu Changhuai had clearly expected this.
He didn't back off—instead, he unleashed more wind blades, sharp and numerous, aimed straight at Xiao Zhenhai.
The blades gradually eroded Xiao Zhenhai's golden body.
Still, Xiao Zhenhai's face remained calm.
He could complete the Water Prison Technique before Gu Changhuai broke through.
But just then—Magistrate Xia pulled out a jade talisman.
She crushed it with her slender fingers and flicked it forward—a blinding red light shot toward Xiao Zhenhai.
And it was this red light that caused Xiao Zhenhai's expression to dramatically change.
"A rare-grade Gold-Breaking Talisman?!"
Before the words even finished leaving his mouth, the red light had struck.
Combined with the wind blades' wear, his golden body shattered instantly.
Gu Changhuai's eyes gleamed. Without hesitation, he unleashed a flurry of sharper wind blades, which howled through the air and struck Xiao Zhenhai's shoulder.
The blades tore through flesh, leaving a deep, bloody gash.
Xiao Zhenhai staggered back, swallowed a healing pill, and barely suppressed his injuries—his expression as black as thunder.
His once-smiling, falsely amiable face was now twisted with rage.
In the last hundred years, lurking in the shadows, he'd never faced such danger.
Ever since acquiring this top-tier legacy, he'd killed whoever he wanted, whenever he wanted—never had he taken such a heavy blow.
But today—he'd been schemed against, outplayed, and pushed to the brink.
A deadly fury burned in Xiao Zhenhai's heart.
"Very good. All of you—are courting death!"
His eyes flew open—completely blood-red now. No longer hiding his killing intent, he unleashed all the slaughter Qi he'd ever cultivated and pushed his Blood Prison Eye Technique to its limit.
Xiao Zhenhai's pupils became abysses of sin.
Within them, countless cultivators he had slain wailed and begged—endless suffering etched into their phantom faces.
"Not good!"
Gu Changhuai's face dropped. He quickly averted his gaze.
But this time, the Blood Prison Eye Technique was far stronger than before.
The killing intent was overwhelming.
The bloodstained Qi now seemed to have a will of its own—slithering like venomous serpents, creeping everywhere, invading every crack.
Even though Gu Changhuai avoided looking directly, the slaughter Qi still seeped into his mind through his spirit senses.
His soul throbbed with pain, and for a moment—he was paralyzed.
Xiao Zhenhai seized the chance—his figure flashed and closed in on Gu Changhuai, long sword raised high.
"Gu Changhuai!"
Magistrate Xia's face turned ghostly pale. She conjured sword Qi to stop him.
But Xiao Zhenhai suddenly turned his blood-red gaze toward her.
Caring too much had made her careless—and she was caught.
A chill stabbed into her soul. Her sea of consciousness throbbed with slicing pain. Blood dripped from the corner of her lips. Her pupils lost focus.
Xiao Zhenhai sneered:
"No rush. I'll kill you all—one by one."
He raised his sword again, Yin Water Sword Qi blazing, ready to slice off Gu Changhuai's head.
Just then—he heard a clear, crisp voice.
Someone was calling his name:
"Xiao Zhenhai!"
Xiao Zhenhai didn't want to respond. The ones who could be killed—should be killed first. That was the safest way.
But this voice… was special.
It belonged to that sneaky little brat who had stayed hidden the entire time.
The same one who had shown no talent or power on the surface—but whose formation mastery was simply unnatural.
And more than that—
"He dares call my name directly…"
Xiao Zhenhai sneered coldly, eyes blood-red, and turned his head to glance at Mo Hua.
What he saw was Mo Hua staring back at him, calm and cold.
Xiao Zhenhai froze for a moment, then chuckled—but the smile on his face turned mocking.
"Ignorant little whelp… You dare meet my gaze?"
But slowly… that mocking smile began to freeze on his face.
He saw a faint golden gleam appear in Mo Hua's eyes—then grow, expanding outward, becoming increasingly blinding.
"That's… an Eye Technique?!"
Xiao Zhenhai instantly understood.
The Water Prison Casket was in Mo Hua's possession!
And before this, Mo Hua had already deciphered the secrets within it.
He had learned the Eye Technique sealed in the casket!
"And… his Eye Technique… is golden?!"
Golden Eye Technique!
At that moment, Xiao Zhenhai felt an unprecedented pressure descend upon him.
He didn't understand why—but he dared not hesitate, dared not slack even a bit.
He swiftly focused his mind on his own secret art: the Blood Dao Prison Diagram, cultivated through years of killing and nourishing slaughter Qi. He condensed all the malevolent energy he had into his eyes, forming a hellish sea of blood to counter Mo Hua's golden gaze.
Eye Technique vs. Eye Technique—a battle more dangerous than any other.
One thought births the soul.
One thought ends the spirit.
Xiao Zhenhai gave everything he had as he locked eyes with Mo Hua.
In the void, blood-red and golden lights clashed—slaughter Qi and golden radiance intertwined, grinding against one another.
But in just a breath of time—a divine sword broke through!
Golden radiance swept through.
Blood Qi collapsed—shattered to pieces.
Only then did Xiao Zhenhai realize in horror—
"Sword intent?!"
This wasn't an Eye Technique—it was a sword technique!
A divine sword born of spiritual will, channeled through the eyes!
"I'm using my eyes… to go head-to-head against a sword?!"
Terror gripped Xiao Zhenhai's heart. Just as he snapped out of it, he felt the golden sword intent pierce his gaze and drill straight into his soul.
A prison woven of pure sword light locked his spirit down completely.
The light was radiant and razor-sharp. Bit by bit, it began dismembering his very soul.
It was as if he were a condemned criminal—sentenced to death by sword execution.
The pain of having his soul sliced and flayed spread slowly through his being. Amidst the agony, Xiao Zhenhai finally understood—
"So… this is what torture feels like…"
He wanted to resist—but he couldn't.
He wanted to struggle—but had no strength left.
Faced with such sharp and oppressive sword intent, Xiao Zhenhai's spirit trembled uncontrollably. He had no idea how to counter it.
All he could do was watch as the sword light cut apart his seven spiritual souls, piece by piece…
Mo Hua's eyes locked tightly onto Xiao Zhenhai.
Within them, golden light blazed with majesty.
But at the corners of his eyes—blood began to drip.
Even with a powerful soul and refined spirit sense, his Foundation Establishment body couldn't bear the strain. Facing a Golden Core cultivator with this much pressure—it was far too much for his physical vessel.
Just then—Gu Changhuai began to regain consciousness.
He saw the blood trailing from Mo Hua's eyes… and also saw Xiao Zhenhai—dazed, in pain, as if under execution, on the verge of losing control.
Gu Changhuai's heart clenched.
Gritting his teeth, he fought through the lingering effects of the Blood Prison Eye, forcing himself to stay awake and regain his clarity.
Once his spiritual sense recovered, Gu Changhuai immediately bit down and poured all his willpower into gathering a spell.
Spiritual energy surged around him, forming a raging storm. On the wind were countless sharp blades—as dense as feathers, glittering with murderous light.
Soaring Plume Wind Technique!
A top-tier Daoist spell of the Gu Clan.
This wind-based spell had immense power—but required a long incantation and massive amounts of spiritual energy.
Until now, Gu Changhuai hadn't had a single chance to use it in battle.
But now, with Xiao Zhenhai crippled in spirit and suffering from Qi backlash, teetering on the edge of collapse—this was his one shot.
The wind gathered into a mighty surge.
Within a few breaths, the Soaring Plume Wind Technique was fully formed.
Gu Changhuai's gaze turned icy. With a point of his finger, the countless wind blades around him fluttered like phoenix feathers, surging forth in a tempest, aimed directly at Xiao Zhenhai.
Even under sword torture, Xiao Zhenhai instinctively sensed the danger to his life. On reflex, he dodged to the side, trying to avoid the fatal blow.
But Magistrate Xia had also recovered. Seeing Xiao Zhenhai trying to flee, she fought through the pain, infused her spiritual energy into her short sword, and—using sword control—conjured an icy-blue sword light and struck.
Her sword techniques were known for being swift and precise.
And this strike—despite coming after—landed first, piercing directly into Xiao Zhenhai's chest.
Ice elemental energy spread, freezing his heart and meridians in an instant.
Xiao Zhenhai's body locked in place—frozen mid-movement.
And then, almost simultaneously—Gu Changhuai's Soaring Plume Wind struck like a sky phoenix flapping its wings.
Countless razor-sharp wind blades engulfed Xiao Zhenhai, shredding his body piece by piece.
The resulting spiritual energy shockwave was so violent that even Mo Hua and the others were forced to retreat.
When the dust finally settled—
Xiao Zhenhai looked like a flayed corpse, his body a ruin of torn flesh and severed meridians.
At the brink of death, barely clinging to life, Xiao Zhenhai raised his head and gave Mo Hua one last look.
He opened his mouth—wanted to speak—but no words came out.
His eyes burned with rage and unwillingness.
For decades, he'd lurked in the shadows, scheming and planning, always one step ahead.
But one misstep—one moment of underestimation—had cost him his life…
Xiao Zhenhai spat out a mouthful of blood in a final burst of fury—and died.
This time, he was truly dead.
Everyone, who had fought until they were completely drained, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Gu Changhuai's spiritual power was nearly exhausted, and Magistrate Xia wasn't in much better shape.
But even so, their first reaction was to look toward Mo Hua, their expressions filled with concern.
Gu Changhuai asked, "Are you alright?"
Mo Hua wiped the blood from the corner of his eyes and shook his head. "I'm fine."
But as he spoke, his face looked unusually pale.
Though he had defeated Xiao Zhenhai in the clash of Eye Techniques, he had suffered backlash.
Soul arts were inherently self-damaging—wound a thousand enemies, lose eight hundred yourself.
Mo Hua's soul was strong, yes, but his physical body was too weak.
Using Eye Techniques through the Eye Orifice to unleash the Sword of Divine Dread was manageable in normal circumstances, but when battling a powerful opponent, the strain on his eyes was far more intense than expected.
And it wasn't just that.
Mo Hua sensed that even his divine soul had taken some damage.
And this damage wasn't merely from the duel with Xiao Zhenhai.
It had accumulated—starting with the battle against the White Dog Demon. Without sufficient rest afterward, he had used the Sword of Divine Dread twice more inside the Dragon King Temple. The wounds to his soul had compounded and finally exploded when he confronted a Golden Core expert head-on…
Off to the side, Magistrate Xia, having finally caught her breath, fell into deep thought. Her heart was full of questions.
How had Xiao Zhenhai's Eye Technique been broken?
Why had his consciousness suddenly begun to collapse, giving them the perfect opening?
Why had Mo Hua's eyes bled?
What exactly… had he done?
She looked quietly toward Mo Hua and opened her mouth. "Mo Hua—"
But Gu Changhuai interrupted, "This place isn't safe. We need to go. Now."
Magistrate Xia paused, then nodded.
Indeed, this wasn't the time for questioning.
She could only push her doubts down for now.
After the intense battle, not only were Gu Changhuai and Magistrate Xia running on fumes—Ouyang Feng, Hua Qianqian, and Xiao Tianquan had also nearly depleted all their spiritual energy.
The area before the gate was in complete ruin.
With Xiao Zhenhai dead, bloodstained corpses littered the ground. Within the white bone labyrinth, a sinister aura began to rise, and the crimson hue that filled the air… seemed to grow darker and more intense.
As if… something was slowly awakening.
Gu Changhuai suddenly felt his eyelids twitch violently, a premonition that something was about to go terribly wrong. "Go! Now!"
Everyone's hearts tightened. They quickly gathered Xiao Zhenhai's storage ring, checked their belongings to ensure nothing was left behind, and rushed toward the crack in the goat-horn-shaped gate, slipping one by one out of the White Bone Labyrinth.
But just as they exited and finally began to relax…
They realized something was wrong.
The White Bone Token was still inside.
This token was needed again to exit the Dragon King Temple, so they couldn't leave it behind.
But once the token was pulled out, the labyrinth's door would immediately begin to close.
Which meant—the person pulling it had to be incredibly fast.
As soon as the fishbone-shaped token was removed, they'd need to slip through the gate before it fully shut.
Before Gu Changhuai could speak, Mo Hua had already said:
"I'll go!"
He was agile and lean—perfect for this kind of task.
Gu Changhuai opened his mouth to stop him—but Mo Hua had already slipped back through the gate before he could say a word.
"Be careful!" Gu Changhuai could only frown and call out after him.
"Yeah." Mo Hua nodded.
Once back in the labyrinth, he didn't waste a second. He went straight to the Demon Statue, observed it briefly, then reached out and pulled the fishbone token from its embedded slot.
The gate began to close slowly.
Mo Hua turned to leave.
But just then—a chilling chewing sound echoed in the air.
Everyone's expressions changed. They looked toward the sound—and saw that at some point, that monstrous Mr. Wu had appeared again, crouched over Xiao Zhenhai's corpse, devouring the flesh.
And with the nourishment of a Golden Core cultivator's body, Mr. Wu's aura was rapidly growing stronger.
Thick blood Qi wrapped around him again. His black scales became even darker and tougher, his form grew more muscular and monstrous, brimming with overwhelming power.
Gu Changhuai was horrified and shouted:
"Mo Hua, RUN!"
Mo Hua, clearly startled, immediately activated his movement technique and bolted toward the gate.
But in the next instant—a terrifying shadow of blood appeared behind him.
A massive body loomed, casting a heavy shadow that completely enveloped him.
Too fast!
After devouring Xiao Zhenhai, Mr. Wu—now transformed into a full-fledged Yaksha—was far stronger than before.
In just a blink, he had appeared behind Mo Hua.
Mo Hua's face turned deathly pale.
He knew—he couldn't escape.
In his final moment, he used all his remaining strength to toss the fishbone token through the shrinking crack in the gate—out to the others.
His lips moved, whispering softly to them:
"Run…"
Gu Changhuai and the others watched, eyes wide with horror, hearts torn to shreds. They wanted to rush back in to save him—but they were already too late.
The slowly closing gate sealed off any chance of return.
All they could do was watch—helpless—as Mr. Wu's grotesque, blood-soaked claws reached for Mo Hua.
And then— The boundless red tide engulfed Mo Hua's small figure completely…
(End of Chapter)