Chapter 1038: Ink Mastery
Chapter 1038: Ink Mastery
The Five Brothers of Ta'e Mountain: Ouyang Fu, Ouyang Lu, Ouyang Shou, Ouyang Xi, and Ouyang Cai.
These five brothers were once unknown on Ta'e Mountain, but under Mo Hua's guidance with array formations, spiritual equipment, and tactical coordination, they formed the "Chopper Squad." With their relentless and fearless spirit, they gradually began to stand out at the Sword Discussion Congress.
Mo Hua, having inherited the Three Mountains Legacy, refined their cultivation techniques and sword skills. He also equipped them with fine armor and greatswords.
The five brothers were now more formidable than ever.
And they were deeply grateful to Mo Hua.
They remembered the kindness of this young senior brother. Without his support, providing them with complete spiritual equipment, array formations, and tactics, and instilling in them a burning determination, they would never have been able to shine at the Sword Discussion Congress and earn the recognition of their sect.
Now, their young senior brother was right behind them, leading the charge.
The four major sects and seven major schools' Tianjiao were trying to breach their defenses and kill their young senior brother.
This was absolutely unacceptable.
The Five Brothers of Ta'e Mountain were seething with rage, their eyes bloodshot, and their aura of killing intent even more intense.
"Anyone who wants to kill our young senior brother will die!"
In this moment, their minds were in perfect harmony.
Normally, they might have played a game of cat and mouse with these large opponents. But this was a defensive battle, and the narrow pass of the valley meant that anyone who wanted to break through had to face the five brothers' greatswords.
The five greatswords were like the executioner's blades of hell, powerful and sharp, ruthlessly reaping lives.
The audience outside was amazed.
The disciples of the four major sects and seven major schools frowned.
They now remembered that Tai Xu Gate was not just about Mo Hua; the other disciples were also formidable.
Individually, they might be manageable, but now they were gathered around Mo Hua, coordinated and directed by him.
The difficulty of dealing with them had increased significantly.
"Keep pushing!" someone gritted their teeth.
"Physical cultivators, hold the line! The rest, attack!"
Several disciples of the Jin Gang Sect stepped forward, their bodies as hard as metal, while a few other physical cultivators raised long shields to block the greatswords of the Five Brothers.
The greatswords cut deep into the bodies of the Jin Gang Sect disciples, leaving deep gashes.
Even the long shields were cracked by the force of the greatswords.
The might of the five greatswords was terrifying.
But the power of the greatswords was momentarily halted.
The other disciples used this opportunity to charge into the valley.
However, as soon as they entered, a brilliant, moon-like, and razor-sharp Chongxu Sword Qi greeted them.
This Sword Qi was incredibly powerful, instantly slaughtering all the disciples who had entered the valley, including the Jin Gang Sect disciples.
The Sword Qi broke through their diamond-hard bodies.
The Five Brothers of Ta'e Mountain swung their greatswords, chopping them to pieces.
The valley entrance was cleared.
Three more disciples of Duanshen Door stepped up to take their place.
But they were quickly wiped out by the Five Brothers and Linghu Xiao's Sword Qi.
The remaining disciples, fearing the killing power of Tai Xu Gate, hesitated and retreated.
As they retreated, Hao Xuan and others, following Mo Hua's orders, immediately began to set up the array at the valley entrance again.
The broken array was restored, and the hateful array light once again illuminated the valley entrance.
"Damn it."
"All for nothing..."
The disciples of the four major sects and seven major schools cursed inwardly.
But despite everything, Tai Xu Gate had managed to hold off the first wave of the attack.
Outside the valley, Qin Cangliu's eyes flickered as he asked everyone:
"What do we do now?"
He had a plan in mind, but he didn't say it outright.
There were too many Tianjiao present, and although he had a distinguished background, with ties to Daozhou and a lineage of service in the Dao Court, and was favored by his ancestors, the others were not to be underestimated.
Who among the top Tianjiao of the Qian study didn't have an influential ancestor backing them?
Taking the lead was not something he could do.
The other Tianjiao from the four major sects and seven major schools also remained silent.
Ye Qingfeng of the Great Luo Sect stood up after a moment of contemplation.
In this situation, only he could speak.
The Great Luo Sect was the second strongest among the eight major sects, after Tai Xu Gate.
And he was considered the top among the four Tianjiao of the Qian study.
Shen Linsu, Xiao Wuchen, Ao Zhan, and Duanmu Qing, the four top-tier Tianjiao, were detached and had the mission of securing the top spot for their respective sects.
They kept each other in check and would not easily engage in combat.
In fact, they were content to see the seven major sects and Tai Xu Gate fight to the death.
Once Tai Xu Gate was eliminated, the true battle would begin.
But in the current situation, Tai Xu Gate had to be eliminated.
Especially with Mo Hua's advantage of terrain and the support of array formations, along with the deadly force of Linghu Xiao and the Five Brothers of Ta'e Mountain, Tai Xu Gate was now the undisputed strongest among the eight major sects.
The four major sects might not take Tai Xu Gate seriously.
But the other seven sects, if they wanted to rise, had to unite and eliminate this formidable rival.
This task could only be led by him. Some harsh words would have to come from him.
Ye Qingfeng said, "The biggest problem right now is Mo Hua's array formation."
"With the array formation, Tai Xu Gate can easily defend. Even if we manage to break through the array and enter the valley, we will face the ambush of Tai Xu Gate and Linghu Xiao."
"And once we retreat, Mo Hua will set up the array formation again."
"But..." Ye Qingfeng's gaze sharpened, "In the Tai Xu Gate camp, there's only Mo Hua, a high-ranking array master. Only he can draw high-level arrays."
"Drawing high-level arrays is extremely time-consuming and exhausting."
"As long as our attacks are relentless, Mo Hua will be too busy to keep up, and he'll eventually be worn down."
"Once his divine perception is depleted, or he starts drawing arrays more slowly, there will be a gap, and the defenses will falter."
"Without the arrays, Ling Hu Xiao and the Ta'e Five Brothers, no matter how strong they are, won't be able to hold us back."
"The total annihilation of Tai Xu Gate is only a matter of time."
Some of the disciples present had already understood this logic, but many were only now realizing it.
They had been too intimidated by Mo Hua's "Zhen Dao Kui Shou" status, and the shadow it cast on their minds almost made them forget that this was the Sword Discussion Congress.
At the Sword Discussion Congress, only mid-rank second-grade arrays are allowed.
All of Mo Hua's high-level arrays are drawn by him alone, on the spot.
In a cultivator melee, time and divine perception are limited.
Even if he is the Zhen Dao Kui Shou, how many arrays can he draw by himself?
No matter how fast he draws, can he keep up with how fast we can break them?
Understanding this is one thing, but putting it into action is another.
Maintaining a relentless assault to pressure Tai Xu Gate's defenses is not an easy task.
The five greatswords of Tai Xu Gate, like decapitation blades, are not to be underestimated.
Not to mention Ling Hu Xiao and the others behind them.
This is a tough nut to crack.
To truly pressure them, sacrifices must be made.
In other words, lives must be used to wear them down.
It's a harsh reality.
This method also carries the risk of betraying fellow disciples, using them as cannon fodder.
But someone has to take on this role.
Ye Qingfeng said solemnly, "This is a necessary sacrifice for the benefit of the sect, to destroy Tai Xu."
The atmosphere grew silent.
Then, a disciple from Daluomen stepped forward, "Brother Ye, I'll go."
Among the Tianjiao, his cultivation was average, and he was relatively unknown.
With his strength, even if he survived, he wouldn't make it to the end. It was better to volunteer as cannon fodder now to give his fellow disciples a chance.
It would also leave a good impression of loyalty in front of the sect's elders.
With his lead, a few other ordinary Tianjiao from Daluomen also understood and immediately bowed, "We will do our best for the sect, ready to face any danger, no matter the cost."
With Daluomen taking the lead, disciples from the other seven sects also responded.
They knew their own strength and realized they couldn't compete with the true Tianjiao.
Since that was the case, it was better to voluntarily "sacrifice" themselves to gain favor with the sect leaders and demonstrate their value.
This was just the Sword Discussion Congress, not a real death.
If they weren't willing to risk their lives for the sect in such a situation, they couldn't expect the elders to value them.
Thus, the seven major sects agreed to take turns sending people to attack the mountain.
The four major sects also contributed some manpower.
After all, they couldn't just sit idly by while attacking Tai Xu Gate.
And among the four major sects, there were many who harbored a grudge against Mo Hua.
The situation, which had just calmed, quickly turned chaotic again.
The four sects and seven gates began to use ordinary Tianjiao as the vanguard to launch a strong attack on the valley entrance where Tai Xu Gate was hiding.
Shouts and cries of battle filled the air.
Array lights surged, and spells and swords clashed.
The Ta'e Five Brothers guarded the valley entrance, their five greatswords like meat grinders, ready to decimate anyone who dared to show their face.
Mo Hua's arrays, like a barrier, blocked the valley entrance, slowing down the advance of the four sects and seven gates.
They were let in one by one, to be slaughtered by the Ta'e Five Brothers.
The battle became increasingly brutal.
Mo Hua's arrays shattered one by one.
The strength of the Tai Xu Gate defenders was gradually being worn down.
But the disciples of the four sects and seven gates were also being cut down one by one.
The valley entrance became a death trap.
Tai Xu Gate was trading lives for arrays.
Outside the Lunjian Arena, in the spectator seats, the elders of Wanzhenmen nodded in approval.
"In a large-scale cultivator melee, using terrain to their advantage, with arrays providing support, and all sect members united in resistance against strong enemies—this is the role of an array master in a cultivator war!"
"What you expend are arrays; what others lose are lives."
"The disciples of the four major sects and eight gates, blind to the value of arrays, cut the bridge after crossing it—now they are suffering for it."
They clearly resented the other sects for killing their Wanzhenmen disciples after using them.
Now, seeing Mo Hua using arrays to harvest the lives of these sect disciples, they felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
An elder of Wanzhenmen pointed to Mo Hua, who was meditating with his eyes closed on Fangtian Huayin, and said to the disciples behind him:
"This is Mo Hua, the Qianxue Zhen Dao Champion."
"Once, he was almost a disciple of our Wanzhenmen, and he would have been your senior."
"Unfortunately, our Wanzhenmen's good fortune was shallow, and we missed this opportunity."
"Today, you have the chance to observe and learn from him. He is your role model for the future..."
Most of the disciples nodded.
One disciple, with a good memory, asked hesitantly:
"Elder, didn't you say before that Mo Hua was a target for all, and we should kick him when he's down?"
The elder's face darkened, "Times change. Don't mention that again."
"Oh..." the disciple said weakly.
"However..."
Another elder of Wanzhenmen sighed, "Arrays need to be prepared in advance. Drawing them in the heat of battle is too rushed..."
"Mo Hua, after all, is just one person. A single person’s array can’t hold back the combined assault of so many disciples from the four sects and seven gates."
The array elders all felt a touch of regret.
Many cultivators in the area had already noticed this.
The arrays of Tai Xu Gate were about to run out.
After all, Mo Hua had already set up quite a few arrays by now.
The attacks from the four sects and seven gates had almost depleted the arrays he had set up.
The few arrays he had left wouldn’t last much longer.
...
Inside the Lunjian Arena, Mo Hua was well aware of the situation.
Outside the valley, Dao techniques crisscrossed, and the arrays trembled, with the rumbling sounds echoing continuously.
Mo Hua, however, sat calmly on a large rock inside the valley.
This rock was unremarkable, but Mo Hua had been sitting on it since he entered the valley, not moving an inch.
Since entering the valley, he had been drawing arrays.
Using the time bought by the illusory and invisibility arrays, he had taken breaks, but in total, he had drawn twenty high-tier arrays.
Most of these arrays had been consumed in the previous attacks.
Now, only three or four remained.
These few arrays were still being consumed and wouldn’t last much longer.
With the arrays about to run out, the situation was becoming increasingly dire.
"Since that’s the case, I won’t hold back anymore..."
Mo Hua calmly took out his ink and brush, laid out the array medium, and began drawing arrays.
This time, he didn’t cover them with a small blanket or hide them.
He was going all out, drawing arrays as fast as he could.
Mo Hua’s gaze was deep and focused, his divine perception flowing out, and his hand holding the brush almost appeared as a blur.
The brush moved swiftly, and intricate array patterns flowed like water onto the paper and jade medium, forming precise and beautiful arrays without a single flaw.
The speed was truly astonishing.
Outside the arena, the cultivators who had been watching Mo Hua constantly were immediately in an uproar.
"This..."
"Can someone really draw arrays like this?"
"Is this speed even possible? It seems to be more than twice as fast as before."
"So, the kid wasn’t just putting on a show before; he was really just hiding his true abilities?"
"Unbelievable, how can someone draw so fast?"
"And to draw so fast without a single mistake? Just how familiar is he with these arrays?"
Everyone was more and more amazed the more they thought about it.
The cultivators of Wanzhenmen were also in shock.
A disciple whispered, "Elder, how do we learn this?"
The elder of Wanzhenmen was speechless, unable to respond.
The cultivators of Tai Xu Gate, on the other hand, felt a surge of energy.
Especially the fellow disciples who knew Mo Hua well, their eyes were bright.
They knew that their little senior brother was no longer holding back; he was revealing his true strength...
...
Inside the valley of Lundao Mountain.
Mo Hua was completely focused, silent, and continued to draw arrays.
One by one, high-tier arrays with nineteen patterns were formed under his brush, etched onto the array medium.
He was like a cold and emotionless "array machine."
The arrays he drew were then taken by Hao Xuan and his agile disciples to set up at the valley entrance.
Outside, people were risking their lives to attack.
Inside, Mo Hua was drawing arrays to defend.
Gradually, everyone realized that the speed at which the four sects and seven gates were consuming the arrays couldn’t keep up with Mo Hua’s drawing speed.
And Mo Hua was just one person.
Despite the narrow gorge and the limited range, and the intimidation from the Ta'e Five Brothers, this was still quite extraordinary.
Cheers of amazement echoed outside the arena.
No one had expected that someone could draw arrays so fast.
Even elders from array-focused sects and families found it hard to believe.
At this rate, even if the top cultivators didn’t intervene, the four sects and seven gates would run out of people before they could deplete Mo Hua’s arrays.
"This is the weight of a Qianxue Zhen Dao Champion..."
All the array masters and their disciples, who had dedicated their lives to arrays, felt a heavy weight in their hearts, struggling to breathe.
In Wanzhenmen, after the initial shock, the elders began to frown and shake their heads.
"Tai Xu Gate... won’t hold out much longer."
A disciple asked in confusion, "But aren’t they holding it?"
Mo Hua was drawing arrays incredibly fast, and Tai Xu Gate was defending tightly.
The elder of Wanzhenmen shook his head, regretfully saying:
"He is indeed drawing arrays fast, but the array medium is limited. A skilled woman can’t cook without ingredients. Once the array medium runs out, how useful will his speed be?"
Mo Hua was dismantling the array medium and redrawing arrays.
However, the Lun Jian Conference had a limit on the number of arrays, which meant Mo Hua’s array medium was also limited.
Tai Xu Gate had its own arrays, and the dismantled array medium, plus some captured, totaled only about thirty.
Nearly twenty were used in the initial defense of the valley.
Now, at most, he had less than ten array mediums left.
Even if Mo Hua’s divine perception was abundant, and he drew arrays quickly, he didn’t have many array mediums left.
In other words, the valley’s defenses wouldn’t hold much longer.
These array elders of Wanzhenmen, experienced in array details, noticed this early.
Other cultivators, amazed by Mo Hua’s drawing speed, didn’t think much about it at first.
But as the situation developed, they all gradually realized the truth.
"Tai Xu Gate... is finished."
No matter how fast Mo Hua drew arrays, it wouldn’t matter.
Sure enough, as the attacks and defenses continued, the disciples of the four sects and seven gates, risking their lives, slowly depleted Mo Hua’s array medium.
Once the array medium was used up, there were no more arrays to draw.
Mo Hua remained calm, neither proud nor discouraged, and began to meditate, closing his eyes to recover his divine perception.
It was as if everything around him was irrelevant.
He didn't really care whether they could hold the valley entrance or not.
Ling Hu Xiao and the Ta'e Five Brothers were still doing their best to support, but the situation was gradually deteriorating, becoming increasingly difficult to control.
In the end, Ling Hu Xiao and the Ta'e Five Brothers had to retreat, replaced by Yang Qianjun, Ouyang Xuan, and the others.
Ling Hu Xiao and his group also began to sit in meditation, restoring their spiritual energy.
It seemed they understood that the valley entrance could not be held, and they needed to conserve their strength for the upcoming battle.
After less than half an hour of intense fighting, the light at the valley entrance dimmed.
The final array set up by the Tai Xu Gate was finally broken.
The moment the array was breached, Ye Qingfeng's eyes turned cold. "Mo Hua has no more arrays to draw. Kill!"
The disciples of the other four sects and seven gates also drew their weapons, shouting in unison:
"Kill!"
As the elder of the Wanzhenmen had said, the prolonged offensive and defensive battle had cost Mo Hua his arrays, but it had cost them human lives.
This was a humiliation for the disciples of these major sects.
Everyone was seething with anger.
"Destroy the Tai Xu Gate!"
"Rip Mo Hua to shreds!"
"Kill!"
A disciple of the Xiao Yao Gate, relying on his Wind Walking technique, flashed past the narrow pass and rushed into the valley.
In the next instant, he was intercepted by Yang Qianjun's long spear, repelled by Ouyang Xuan's Sword Qi, and then cleaved in two by Cheng Mo's twin axes.
However, more and more disciples of the four sects and seven gates found an opening and rushed into the valley.
The situation was dire. After a brief respite, the Ta'e Five Brothers swung their greatswords and continued to fight.
Two more enemies were killed immediately.
But without the support of the array, the valley entrance became unstable, and the defense weakened. Even though the five of them fought bravely, they could not hold the entrance and could only try to intercept the attackers.
At this moment, Shi Tiangang of the Jin Gang Sect charged forward, facing the Ta'e Five Brothers.
The greatswords clashed against his indestructible body, creating sparks, but they could not harm him at all.
Shi Tiangang's body-strengthening techniques were among the best in the entire Qianxue Prefecture.
The Ta'e Five Brothers could not break through his defenses in a single exchange.
With the time Shi Tiangang bought, more and more Tianjiao of the four sects and seven gates rushed into the valley.
Ling Hu Xiao wanted to draw his sword to support and attack Shi Tiangang.
But a flash of white light, and Feng Zichen of the Xiao Yao Gate, using the Wind Walking technique, was already in front of him, thrusting his fast sword at Ling Hu Xiao's face.
Ling Hu Xiao had to withdraw his attack to defend.
Behind Feng Zichen, Qin Cangliu of the Gui Shui Men, Song Kui of the Duanshen Door, and Tianjiao from the Lingxiao Gate and Zi Xia Gate also rushed in one after another.
These were not cannon fodder but truly powerful Tianjiao of the sects.
The cannon fodder were responsible for wearing down the defenders, while the Tianjiao were responsible for the final kill.
Behind them, Ye Zhiyuan and Ye Qingfeng of the Daluomen, Longding Gate's Ao Zheng, Qian Dao Sect's Shen Cangfeng, and Tianjian Gate's Xiao Rihan—these top-tier Tianjiao who had personal grudges against Mo Hua—also held their long swords and advanced into the valley, intent on killing Mo Hua and destroying the Tai Xu Gate.
The four sects and seven gates surged forward like a flood.
All the spectators outside felt a chill in their hearts.
"The Tai Xu Gate... is finished."
This was a terrifying force...
Once these people rushed into the valley, every last person of the Tai Xu Gate would be slaughtered, with no one left alive.
The elders of the Tai Xu Gate felt a sudden chill in their hearts.
"We can't hold them back..."
But at this moment, they could do nothing. They could only watch helplessly as the Tianjiao of the four sects and seven gates, like a tidal wave, continuously poured into the valley, raising their weapons to slaughter the Tai Xu Gate disciples.
Inside the valley, the Tianjiao of the four sects and seven gates grew in number...
The situation was about to become completely hopeless.
Just then, Mo Hua, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, slowly opened his eyes.
His divine perception swept over the valley, counting the heads of the four sects and seven gates. He murmured to himself:
"Almost there..."
In front of him lay dozens of bottles of spirit ink.
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly, hiding the strange black light in them. He then extended his hands, pushing his divine perception to its limit, and began to control the spirit ink.
The spirit ink seemed to respond to Mo Hua's "call", resonating with his divine perception, merging into one, then gradually boiling and rising into the air, dancing in the sky.
"Go!"
Mo Hua whispered.
Hundreds of threads of spirit ink, as if they had come to life, instantly flew forward, winding along the ground, forming a denser array with an even more astonishing speed. In just a few breaths, the valley entrance was completely sealed.
The light of the array began to flicker once more.
More, stronger, and nearly instantaneously formed arrays isolated the valley entrance.
These arrays resonated with the earth and mountains, becoming one with them.
The flow of attackers from the four sects and seven gates was instantly cut off.
Outside the Sword Discussion Congress arena.
A wave of shock rippled through the crowd.
The cultivators who had previously been amazed by Mo Hua's speed in drawing arrays were now even more stunned, their scalps tingling and their minds blank.
The elders of the Wanzhenmen all stood up, their eyes wide with shock, exclaiming in disbelief:
"Divine perception controlling spirit ink!"
"Is he using divine perception to control the ink and form arrays?!"
(End of Chapter)
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