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Chapter 1028: The Demon Slaying Codex
Chapter 1028: The Demon Slaying Codex
"Why can't I figure it out..."
"Is there another path of the Evil God hidden here? Does Mr. Tu have even deeper plans?"
Mo Hua pondered for a long time.
But the clues were too few, and he had no clear leads for now.
The revival of the Evil God and Mr. Tu's grand scheme had been ongoing for countless years.
Without concrete evidence, he couldn't possibly uncover anything just by sitting and speculating.
However, there was another question that piqued Mo Hua's curiosity.
Mo Hua rested his chin in his hand, frowning as he muttered to himself:
"If Du Mu Qing really did go to the Lipstick Boat..."
"What would she do there?"
"Play?"
"Play what?"
From what he knew, the Lipstick Boat was a high-end pleasure establishment.
It used beauty as a medium, wealth as a lure, and power as a stepping stone to attract and unite the Tianjiao, forming a network of allies.
In simpler terms, the Tianjiao went to the Lipstick Boat to indulge in women.
But what about Du Mu Qing?
She was a woman herself; it was unlikely that she would "play" with other women...
So, did she... play with men?
Did she have her own "harem", keep handsome young men, and indulge in a life of luxury and debauchery?
"Tsk tsk~"
Mo Hua shook his head, feeling a mix of emotions.
You can know a person's face, but not their heart...
That seemingly cold and aloof fairy could be indulging in such frivolous and decadent activities behind closed doors...
The more polished and refined a person appeared on the surface, the more corrupt they might be in private.
But this was just a wild guess.
He couldn't be certain.
This world was too chaotic, and the elite of these noble families played their games too intricately.
An innocent person like himself couldn't even imagine what these young nobles did in the Lipstick Boat's private chambers...
Now, it was too late to find out.
Because he had already blown up the Lipstick Boat.
Thinking about it, Mo Hua suddenly shivered, realizing a problem:
"By blowing up the Lipstick Boat, did I also kill the young men she kept?"
"Is that why she wants to kill me?"
"But that doesn't make sense..."
"At first, she didn't want to kill me. It was only after I said she had a 'corrupted heart' that she lost her composure..."
"But why did she react so strongly to that statement?"
Mo Hua frowned, thinking for a long time but still couldn't understand.
Du Mu Qing was a beautiful woman, but she was also fierce, mysterious, and somewhat neurotic, making her hard to figure out.
"I'll keep an eye on her..."
"Du Mu Qing... and the other three Tianjiao from Qianxue Prefecture, as well as..."
"Mr. Tu..."
Mo Hua nodded, his eyes deep and burning with a spark of determination.
He then cleared his mind, focused, and continued his studies of array techniques.
The issues were complex and needed to be unraveled step by step.
Learning array techniques required persistence, just like water wearing away stone, and he couldn't neglect it.
With many things still unclear, the more he learned about array techniques, the better prepared he would be...
Mo Hua concentrated, starting his research on array techniques.
Currently, he was following his previous plan in studying array techniques.
First was the Four Symbols Dragon Diagram.
Using the scattered Four Symbols demonic patterns he had obtained from his adventure in the Myriad Demon Valley, he was piecing together the array patterns to trace back to their origin, aiming to restore a complete "dragon pattern."
This process was highly challenging and time-consuming, not something that could be achieved quickly.
But it greatly deepened his understanding and practical application of the Four Symbols array technique.
If he could successfully trace back to a "dragon" on his own, it would mean he had far surpassed ordinary array masters, reaching the level of a Four Symbols array grandmaster.
Therefore, in Mo Hua's eyes, this process of tracing back was both a form of learning and a way to deepen his understanding and improve his skills.
In addition, there was the Reverse Spirit Array.
Mo Hua had already learned the basics of the Reverse Spirit Array and had been pondering its principles.
So, the real "hurdles" he faced in mastering the second-rank Reverse Spirit Array were few but significant.
However, there were many smaller challenges.
After all, this was a second-rank supreme array, not something easy to learn.
It required persistent practice and deep contemplation.
He had to put in enough effort before he could achieve mastery.
Mo Hua was eager.
Once he fully mastered the Reverse Spirit Array, he would truly wield the power of a second-rank "supreme array."
He could use his Reverse Spirit Array as a "fire" and others' arrays as "fuel" to create a grander "firework."
Of course, this "firework" might not actually be set off.
But the ability to set it off was essential.
Mo Hua nodded, then suppressed his distractions, calmed his mind, and began his focused study of array techniques.
The Four Symbols Dragon Array and the Reverse Spirit Array were the two supreme arrays Mo Hua was currently focusing on.
Both belonged to the category of supreme arrays.
Learning them was arduous, and practicing them was challenging.
The entire process was long, obscure, and monotonous.
It involved repeated depletion and recovery of divine perception, endless failures, and setbacks, followed by moments of enlightenment...
But Mo Hua found it sweet.
There were no shortcuts in array techniques; this was the path an array master had to walk.
And it was the road to higher realms of array mastery.
Precisely because it was extremely difficult, it was also extremely valuable...
...
The next day, the Sword Debate Tournament continued.
Mo Hua kept an eye on Du Mu Qing's affairs and continued his studies of the two supreme arrays.
However, the situation in the tournament became increasingly tense.
Especially after losing to Du Mu Qing of Wanxiao Sect in the previous round, the slight advantage Tai Xu Sect had previously held vanished instantly.
The margin for error continued to shrink.
The Daluo Sect surged forward, relentlessly pursuing.
With only a few victories separating them, the ranking of the Taixu Sect was on the verge of slipping, threatening to drop from the top position among the Eight Great Sects.
Naturally, the Taixu Sect was not willing to accept this.
Not only Mo Hua, but the other teams of Taixu Sect disciples also fought with all their might, nearly exhausting themselves in every battle, making the competition incredibly fierce.
During this period, the Taiyi Five Brothers, Yang Qianjun, and a few other teams also managed to secure a few victories.
These victories were hard-fought, but in the grand scheme of things, they seemed like a drop in the bucket.
The overall gap between the Taixu Sect and the Daluo Sect remained close.
This made it even more crucial for Mo Hua not to lose.
The Dao Discussion continued, with the list of participants being updated.
Mo Hua faced two more Earth Rank Sword Debates, one against a top disciple of the Lingxiao Sect and another against a mid-tier team from the Qian Dao Sect.
While these teams were not the strongest, they were far from weak and could not be taken lightly.
Mo Hua’s strategy still revolved primarily around "array techniques", assisting Linghu Xiao and the others in their battles.
He knew an incredible variety of array techniques.
Within the second rank, he was proficient in all aspects of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams.
Whether it was offensive, defensive, or trapping arrays, he excelled in them all.
Before the battles, he would cover his array drawings with a small blanket, ensuring no one knew which arrays he would secretly use.
Any array was a possibility.
Combined with the terrain and competition rules, his strategies were adaptable and unpredictable, making it difficult for opponents to counter.
Linghu Xiao and the others, having been through numerous Sword Debates, had significantly improved both in strength and mindset.
With Mo Hua’s array techniques as support, the Taixu Sect’s team had indeed reached a level that was almost "top-tier."
Therefore, despite some challenges, they managed to win both battles against the Lingxiao Sect and the Qian Dao Sect.
However, while the Sword Debates were won, Mo Hua had a nagging feeling.
Through these two battles, he sensed that his usual array techniques might have been figured out.
Despite his restraint in previous Debates, avoiding overuse of arrays and covering his drawings, these measures seemed ineffective.
Mo Hua could vaguely feel that the other teams were developing a set of guidelines when dealing with his arrays.
This set of guidelines, subtle and organized, did not escape the keen mind and sharp divine perception of Mo Hua.
Such a structured approach could not have been created by the disciples themselves, as their array skills were far from that level.
After much contemplation, Mo Hua suspected that it was likely a single array elder, or perhaps a group of array elders, who had collaborated to analyze his array techniques and styles.
They used the terrain and competition rules to simulate combat scenarios, predicting which arrays he would use in different situations.
Mo Hua took a deep breath.
"Surely not..."
"Is it really necessary for them to go to such lengths against a mere Sword Debate disciple?"
But his experience and intuition told him otherwise.
There was definitely a set of guidelines in the behavior of his opponents.
As for the origin of these guidelines, who set them, and what they entailed...
Mo Hua could not guess, nor was it easy to speculate.
But he wouldn’t have to guess for long.
Two days later, someone personally handed him the guidelines.
In the dining hall, Mo Hua held a white jade Yu Jian, lost in deep thought.
The name of the Yu Jian was:
"Guidelines for Dealing with Mo Hua."
Full title: "Guidelines for Dealing with Mo Hua's Various Underhanded Tactics in the Sword Debate Tournament."
Song Jian gave him this set of guidelines.
According to Song Jian, "All sects that are hostile towards the Taixu Sect, or have been defeated by you in the Sword Debate Tournament, have these guidelines."
"Ordinary disciples do not have them."
"But among the four major sects and the eight great sects, any Tianjiao disciple who can participate in the Sword Debate Tournament and advance to the Earth Rank now has one."
The Dujin Sect, due to Mo Hua’s actions, had deep-seated enmity against the Taixu Sect.
In this year’s Sword Debate Tournament, the Dujin Sect had lost many matches to the Taixu Sect, suffering a significant defeat.
Also because of Mo Hua’s behind-the-scenes maneuvers, Song Jian had become a top-ranking Tianjiao in the Dujin Sect.
Thus, these "Guidelines for Dealing with Mo Hua" were issued to Song Jian, who then forwarded them to Mo Hua.
Karma had come full circle in a rather intricate way.
Of course, Mo Hua’s feelings as he read the guidelines targeting himself were quite complex.
In the dining hall, it wasn't just Mo Hua who was looking.
Cheng Mo, Situ Jian, Hao Xuan, and the other junior disciples were also leaning in, peering at the Guidelines for Dealing with Mo Hua in Mo Hua's hands.
Even Linghu Xiao, who happened to be at Taixu Mountain for a free meal, couldn't help but sneak a peek.
The core purpose of the Guidelines for Dealing with Mo Hua was to target Mo Hua.
The content was divided into several sections: Spells Section, Body Techniques Section, Array Techniques Section, and a page for Strategies Section.
The Strategies Section had the fewest words, mainly consisting of anonymous disciples recounting their experiences of being "fooled" by Mo Hua, serving as warnings.
It included statements like: "Don't talk to Mo Hua before a battle",
"Don't believe Mo Hua's smooth talk",
"Mo Hua is extremely devious; every word he says is for tactical purposes, and not a single word is true",
"Be wary of all his schemes and tricks", and so on.
Mo Hua was not happy.
Prejudices in people's hearts truly were a heavy burden.
He, who was so sincere, was being called "devious." It was outrageous...
Fortunately, the Strategies Section was brief, indicating that these were just the opinions of a few people, biases that shouldn't be taken too seriously.
Mo Hua continued to read on.
The Spells Section was highly detailed, listing all the low-tier Wu Xing Fa Shu (Five Elements Spells) Mo Hua had used in the Sword Debate Tournament so far.
Even some extremely obscure and rare spells that Mo Hua had only casually used once, and had almost forgotten about, were meticulously recorded in the guidelines.
Each spell was followed by a note on how to counter it.
Since they were minor spells, they didn't require too much attention, so most notes were just one sentence.
The truly special ones were the Fireball Spell and the Water Cage Spell.
Especially the Fireball Spell.
The pages were filled with warnings like "Beware of the Fireball!" "Be alert for the Fireball to finish you off!" "Better to die than be humiliated, remember!"
The notes on the Water Cage Spell were also extensive, listing various precautions and methods to counter it, including talismans, spiritual equipment, and techniques.
There were also statements like "The Water Cage Spell is nasty", "Better to be caught ten times by the Earth Cage Spell than once by the Water Cage Spell."
Although he didn't know who had compiled these notes, Mo Hua could sense the deep-seated resentment and pain in the words.
The Spells Section was followed by the Body Techniques Section.
This section was much more "professional."
Someone had meticulously broken down Mo Hua's body techniques, move by move, and illustrated them in the document.
Each move was dissected in detail.
It even included some of the vulnerabilities in his techniques.
These were likely derived from the Mo Ying Tu (Mo's Shadow Diagram), carefully studied and illustrated.
Every gesture and movement in his body techniques had been scrutinized down to the finest detail.
It must have been an exhausting process.
Mo Hua sighed but wasn't overly concerned.
Body techniques were a part of one's strength.
Even if someone knew his moves and their vulnerabilities, if they couldn't match his speed, precision, and finesse, they couldn't catch him.
Moreover, Mo Hua's true strength lay in his powerful and precise spiritual perception.
Breaking just some of his "techniques" wasn't significant.
Thus, while the Body Techniques Section appeared comprehensive, it was merely "armchair analysis" and not a real threat.
However, the Array Techniques Section, which had the most content, was problematic.
Mo Hua furrowed his brow after just a glance at the first two lines.
As he had expected, this section was indeed a detailed strategy for countering his array techniques, based on specific combat scenarios in the Sword Debate Tournament.
So far, he had used high-tier array techniques in only a few battles.
He had kept many of his methods hidden.
In theory, there wasn't much reference material.
But this was Ganxue State, where numerous sects stood, and there were many experienced elders with vast cultivation knowledge.
Among them, there were undoubtedly many skilled array technique experts.
Mo Hua's array technique battles were limited in number.
So, these elders used their knowledge and experience to simulate and deduce possible scenarios.
They outlined the tournament rules, defined the terrain, matched opponents, and, based on their extensive array technique experience and the patterns of second-tier arrays, as well as Mo Hua's tendencies, they "deduced" the potential combat scenarios.
This deduction was filled with numerous possibilities.
First, Mo Hua knew too many types of array techniques.
Second, different tournament rules, terrains, and opponents would lead to different battle developments and array applications.
In a specific Sword Debate, when and where Mo Hua would use a particular array, and what signs to look for.
How to be vigilant, how to detect, how to probe, and how to counter... and so on.
The situation here is truly too complicated.
And the time for the Sword Debate Tournament is tight.
Therefore, it's simply impossible for a few array elders to complete such a massive amount of simulations and predictions within a short period.
It must have been a large group of elders, working day and night, expending a great deal of divine perception and pouring in a lot of effort. They must have listed various battle scenarios and formulated various strategies, condensing all their essence into this densely written scroll:
The Guidelines for Dealing with Mo Hua: Array Techniques Section.
Mo Hua was genuinely amazed.
These array elders are truly formidable.
At the same time, he was also quite speechless.
Do these array elders, as the array masters of the major sects in Ganxue State, really need to target a mere Foundation Establishment Disciple like him so intensely?
Is their divine perception so worthless?
Even if divine perception isn't valuable, they should still take care of their hair...
Divine perception can be restored when depleted.
But once hair is lost, it might not grow back.
Flesh, bones, and hair are gifts from one's parents, and they are in harmony with the Dao.
Even for cultivators, hair doesn't grow back easily; otherwise, there would be no bald people in the world...
Mo Hua felt a headache and couldn't help but sigh.
The fellow disciples watching this densely written, clearly organized "guidelines", which must have required a tremendous amount of effort, were also deeply impressed.
Cheng Mo exclaimed, "Senior Brother, you really have the face."
"I’ve never heard of a ‘guideline’ being created just to target a disciple in all the previous Sword Debate Tournaments."
Others nodded in agreement. "Senior Brother, you are truly the ‘First of the Sword Debate Tournament.’”
"Unprecedented..."
"I doubt there will be anyone like you in the future..."
Mo Hua's face darkened.
People fear fame as pigs fear growing fat.
Fame brings trouble, and a fat pig is destined for the slaughter.
This is not a good thing.
Mo Hua looked unconvinced, "No one has ever been targeted like this before?"
"From what I know", Hao Xuan shook his head, "no..."
Mo Hua was puzzled, "Then why are they targeting me so intensely?"
"Probably because you are too annoying..."
The young disciples of Taixu Sect silently thought to themselves.
Apart from his other abilities, Senior Brother Mo Hua's talent for annoying people is absolutely top-notch.
It even surpasses his prowess in array techniques.
If he were to annoy people on purpose, that would be one thing.
But the real issue is that he can annoy people unintentionally.
Unintentionally annoying people is the most annoying.
Especially when he does it with an innocent and pure look, which is even more infuriating.
This was particularly evident during this Sword Debate Tournament.
Of course, they couldn't say this out loud.
After all, in Taixu Sect, Senior Brother is still respected and beloved.
"Probably because Senior Brother is different from other Tianjiao..."
"What do you mean?"
"Other Tianjiao are strong in cultivation, which is hard power."
"But Senior Brother, you are strong in Dao techniques and array techniques, which is skill power."
"Hard power is hard to counter; strength is strength, and weakness is weakness. But skills can be countered with various methods..."
Another disciple speculated, "Maybe it's because of a woman..."
"You offended Lu Zhenlong, indirectly offending many of her admirers..."
For ordinary people, offending someone is one thing, but it's different with women, especially beautiful women.
Cheng Mo quickly added, "And Du Mu Qing..."
During the Sword Debate Tournament, Du Mu Qing chased after Senior Brother with a "to the death" attitude.
Someone sighed, "Being pursued by two great fairies of the Sword Debate Tournament, Senior Brother truly has a ‘peach blossom curse’..."
Mo Hua's face darkened even more.
...
After finishing his meal, Mo Hua returned to the disciples' quarters.
He needed to draw arrays and think of ways to deal with the next round of the Sword Debate Tournament.
With this Guidelines for Dealing with Mo Hua, his skills, especially his conventional array techniques, have been thoroughly researched. The next round of the Sword Debate Tournament would not be as easy.
But he also had some doubts.
The array techniques section of this Guidelines should have been written by the array elders of various sects.
Because it requires experienced array masters to simulate and predict array combat.
But what about the other sections?
Who created them?
Mo Hua frowned.
Meanwhile, in the Demon Slaying Alliance, the mysterious figure, blurred like magnetic ink, sent a message with bold ink strokes:
"Various methods to target Mo Hua have been compiled and recorded in the Guidelines."
"Each member will receive a copy of this Guidelines."
"Further updates and improvements will be made to the Guidelines for future Sword Debate Tournaments."
"Our motto: Mo Hua must die!"
"Our goal: To slay Mo Hua!"
Below, a group of people echoed, "Mo Hua must die!"
This Guidelines for Dealing with Mo Hua continued to circulate and improve among the members of the Demon Slaying Alliance...
For the next few hundred years, based on this Guidelines born from the Sword Debate Tournament, a renowned cultivation manual gradually emerged:
The Demon Slaying Manual.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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