Chapter 1049: The Leading Brother
Chapter 1049: The Leading Brother
Mo Hua's "influence" was immense, with thirty disciples from the Tai Xu Gate under his command. The Gui Shui Gate, Duanshen Door, and Jin Gang Sect seemed to follow his orders as well.
Fighting him was out of the question.
This Blood Swamp in the Withered Forest was filled with malevolent forces, and there was no clear direction to run.
Unable to fight and unable to flee, Feng Zichen had no choice but to join them.
During the journey, Feng Zichen observed the disciples from the Gui Shui Gate, Duanshen Door, and Jin Gang Sect. They appeared normal, showing no signs of being brainwashed or turned into puppets by Mo Hua, the "evil demon." This reassured him.
As for why they would ally with Mo Hua, their "great enemy", Feng Zichen couldn't understand and didn't dare ask.
Mo Hua was too terrifying.
The scenes from the Asura Battle were still fresh in his mind.
Mo Hua's divine perception and ink manipulation, creating arrays that acted like dark magic, led the Tai Xu Gate to slaughter the Tianjiao of his seven major gates. He then used a bizarre array to self-destruct, killing the Tianjiao of the Four Great Sects. After that, he used some horrifying Dao technique to slay five of the strongest Tianjiao from the Qian Study, even shattering their life-prolonging talismans.
Five Cavernous Void Dharma Manifestations emerged simultaneously to counter the Fifth Rank Lundao Mountain Great Array, causing a seismic upheaval.
Despite all this, Mo Hua survived.
Given the current situation, it was impossible to stand against Mo Hua. Feng Zichen could only bury his old grudges and follow Mo Hua obediently.
The group continued on their journey and soon encountered a group of disciples from the Lingxiao Gate.
The enmity between the Lingxiao Gate and Mo Hua wasn't significant. They understood the wisdom of adapting to circumstances. Seeing Mo Hua's overwhelming power, they could only "follow the flow" and submit to him.
Next came the Zixia Gate.
The Zixia Gate was more problematic.
Within the Zixia Gate, there was Lu Zhenlong, the first beauty, whose beauty could captivate a city.
Ordinary people might assess the situation, but not women, especially those who are beautiful and favored.
Lu Zhenlong would remember forever that Mo Hua had scorched her face with a Fireball. She would never willingly ally with him.
The other disciples of the Zixia Gate followed her lead.
It wasn't that they were blinded by her beauty and flattered her endlessly. Rather, Lu Zhenlong was the legitimate daughter of the Lu family, one of the prominent households in Kunzhou, which meant wealth.
The wealthy Lu family had donated a large amount of spirit stones and spiritual items to the Zixia Gate.
Moreover, many talented disciples with humble backgrounds but excellent aptitudes were supported by Lu Zhenlong. Once they graduated to the Jie Dan stage, they would serve the Lu family in Kunzhou.
With the support of the Lu family, these talented disciples had a solid backing, and the Lu family had gathered many cultivation geniuses for their own use, creating a mutually beneficial relationship.
Thus, Lu Zhenlong held a unique position within the Zixia Gate.
Her spiritual roots were excellent, but her upbringing in luxury and indulgence meant she didn't practice diligently, so her strength was average.
Despite this, her background and the resources she could provide made her a "core" disciple of the Zixia Gate, a true "star among stars."
When she saw Mo Hua, Lu Zhenlong, protected by the Zixia Gate disciples, frowned and pointed at Mo Hua with her pale finger, saying angrily:
"Whoever kills Mo Hua, I will have my father provide money and resources to nurture him to the Yu Hua stage!"
The seventeen Zixia Gate disciples around her immediately looked hesitant.
They weren't afraid that Miss Lu would break her promise.
Although the young lady of the Lu family was capricious and willful, she was always true to her word. If she promised something, she would deliver.
No matter how precious the heavenly treasures, she would not hesitate to give them.
She had already distributed countless riches within the Zixia Gate, which is why she could command such loyalty.
The idea of the Lu family providing resources to nurture someone to the Yu Hua stage might sound far-fetched.
After all, reaching the Yu Hua stage was as difficult as ascending to the heavens, not something that could be achieved merely with spirit stones and heavenly treasures.
However, having the Lu family's support would certainly make the journey easier and reduce many obstacles.
None of the Zixia Gate disciples present could remain unmoved.
"But... killing Mo Hua..."
They glanced at Mo Hua.
To kill Mo Hua, the first obstacle would be the eighteen towering, iron-clad warriors of the Jin Gang Sect.
The eighteen Tianjiao of the Jin Gang Sect stood before Mo Hua like an impenetrable wall of steel.
Among these eighteen warriors was Shi Tiangang, the eldest disciple of the Jin Gang Sect.
Forget killing Mo Hua; just breaking through this "Iron Wall of Vajra" and reaching him was a daunting task.
Around Mo Hua were also the disciples of the Duanshen Door, Gui Shui Gate, Xiao Yao Gate, and Tai Xu Gate.
Ironically, the most terrifying among them might be Mo Hua himself...
The disciples of Zixia Gate felt a bitter taste in their mouths.
The young miss could act on impulse, but they couldn’t.
Someone whispered to Lu Zhenlong:
"Miss, Mo Hua is too ruthless. We’re no match for him. It’s better to retreat and think of a better plan..."
Lu Zhenlong's face was filled with anger.
Though she was headstrong, she wasn’t stupid.
She knew that the people of Zixia Gate were no match for this "big thug." They wouldn’t really risk their lives to fight Mo Hua to the death.
Her initial impulse to confront Mo Hua had been a knee-jerk reaction.
Now, as she calmed down, Lu Zhenlong understood the situation but was still furious.
Especially with the Jin Gang Sect, Xiao Yao Gate, Duanshen Door, and Gui Shui Gate.
What about the "Alliance to Slay Mo"?
What about the "Eradication of Ink for the Sake of the Dao"?
What about the promise that Mo Hua would die?
How could they suddenly turn and side with Mo Hua?
Men’s words, as they say, are as deceptive as devils...
She had even considered giving them spirit stones to help them fight Mo Hua.
Lu Zhenlong’s face was cold as frost as she glared at Mo Hua and then said, "Let’s go!"
"Wait", Mo Hua called out to them.
Lu Zhenlong turned around and looked at Mo Hua coldly.
Mo Hua said, "Don’t say I didn’t warn you. You might not make it out alive if you leave."
Lu Zhenlong sneered, "Whether we live or die is none of your concern."
Mo Hua shook his head and sighed, "You’re thinking too simply. Death isn’t that easy."
Lu Zhenlong frowned, "What do you mean?"
Mo Hua said, "Did you see the scenes along the way?"
Lu Zhenlong’s face paled, and she nodded slightly.
Mo Hua sighed, "Staying in this grand array for too long will corrupt you with evil thoughts. Your mind will gradually lose its clarity, and your humanity will be slowly eroded. In the end, you will turn on each other, driven by greed and bloodlust, becoming neither human nor demon..."
"You are no exception."
Mo Hua’s expression was one of regret, but there was a hint of a strange smile on his lips. "The dozen or so of you from Zixia Gate might seem fine now, but it won’t be long before some of you start to succumb to the evil influence and begin killing each other."
"By the time the killing ends, your humanity will be lost, and you will become demons."
"Demons eat people."
"Your flesh will be torn and devoured by your own fellow disciples..."
"You will be gutted, your intestines spilling out..."
"Your organs will be picked clean..."
"Your face will be ripped off, covered in bite marks, a grotesque, bloody mess..."
Each word from Mo Hua’s mouth was like a poison, making Lu Zhenlong’s face paler with each sentence.
Finally, Lu Zhenlong’s face turned ashen, and she screamed in terror, covering her ears:
"Enough! Stop talking!"
Mo Hua still had more gruesome and cruel words to say, but seeing that Lu Zhenlong couldn’t take it, he reluctantly stopped and asked:
"Do you want to come with us?"
Lu Zhenlong’s face was deathly pale, and she covered her ears without speaking.
Mo Hua continued, "Inside the Lunjian Arena, we are enemies. But this is outside the arena, where the eight sects should stand together."
"We’re going to find a way out. If you want to come, bring the disciples of Zixia Gate with you."
"If you don’t want to come, that’s fine too, but remember, the ones who die will be you and the people of Zixia Gate."
"And the way you die might be quite brutal and tragic, so you should be prepared for that..."
With that, Mo Hua led everyone away.
After a while, they indeed noticed that Lu Zhenlong, along with the disciples of Zixia Gate, was slowly following behind.
Lu Zhenlong’s mouth might have been reluctant, but her body was honest.
Mo Hua nodded slightly.
Though he had a minor grudge with Lu Zhenlong, he wouldn’t leave her to die.
Besides, Lu Zhenlong was the direct descendant of the Lu family, a prominent family in Kunzhou.
And the vast Dizong was located in Kunzhou.
The Thick Earth Absolute Formation, ranked first with eleven patterns, is a legacy of the Earth Sect.
In the solitary mountain tomb, the tomb raider known as "Mr. Pi" who was killed by Mo Hua also seemed to possess the Earth Sect's array techniques.
The "Grave Robber's Talisman" on his person was a token of the Earth Sect's covert operations.
And the ancient visualization diagram, the "Heaven and Earth Map", which has been passed down for ten thousand years, is also hidden within the Earth Sect, serving as one of their greatest treasures.
This visualization diagram, named "Heaven and Earth", was deemed unacceptable by the Daoist Court and had to be split into two. The "Heaven Map" was taken by the Daoist Court, leaving only the "Earth Map" in the possession of the Earth Sect.
Even so, the "Earth Map" remains a crucial and invaluable treasure of the Earth Sect, highlighting its extraordinary nature.
Mo Hua always felt that he still had many unresolved connections with the Earth Sect.
At the very least, he truly wanted to take a look at the "Earth Map."
However, he didn't know anyone in Kunzhou.
By helping Lu Zhenlong, he had at least established some rapport.
If he were to visit Kunzhou in the future, Lu Zhenlong, the young lady of the Lu family, would be a familiar face.
Having more acquaintances makes things easier to handle.
"Only if she doesn't bear a grudge and remember this for a long time…"
Mo Hua mused to himself.
But it was just a favor he did on the spur of the moment, so he didn't dwell on it too much.
After bringing Lu Zhenlong from Zixia Gate into the fold and laying down some rules, the team grew even larger.
With this, apart from Daluomen, Mo Hua had gathered the majority of the Eight Great Gates and most of the Tianjiao.
Before long, Mo Hua followed the trail of fate and found the Tianjiao of Daluomen.
Yezhiyuan, the former top sword-wielding genius of Daluomen.
Yezhiyuan was the one most deeply hurt by Mo Hua.
When he saw Mo Hua, he was truly filled with red-hot fury at the sight of his enemy.
But he didn't act rashly. Instead, he looked at the other seven Tianjiao of the Great Gates under Mo Hua's command, feeling both shocked and enraged.
"These traitors!"
They had shouted their oaths to kill Mo Hua with great fervor, but in the blink of an eye, they were all following Mo Hua.
It was truly laughable.
Yezhiyuan felt disdain for them.
But when Mo Hua asked him whether he would die here or follow him out, Yezhiyuan fell silent.
He struggled with his inner turmoil for a long time before making the painful decision:
A true man can bend but not break.
A rigid man is not a true hero.
Being able to endure humiliation and seek an opportunity to strike back is the mark of a true hero.
First, he would preserve his life and use Mo Hua's strength to escape the perilous situation. Later, when he was stronger, he would take his revenge on Mo Hua.
"It's not that Mo Hua is forcing me to obey his orders; I am using Mo Hua to achieve my own goals!"
With this thought, Yezhiyuan joined Mo Hua.
With this, Mo Hua had effectively "unified" the Eight Great Gates.
After the Eight Great Gates, came the Four Major Sects.
Mo Hua led the disciples of the Eight Great Gates, rampaging through the evil formation, continuously absorbing scattered disciples from various sects, and rescuing those who were not deeply corrupted and could still be saved.
Those whose hearts were weak, invaded by external forces, and had completely fallen, had to be killed with great reluctance.
Along the way, Mo Hua also gathered some scattered disciples from the Twelve Streams.
With the Eight Great Gates united, the Twelve Streams naturally could not ignore the trend. They were eager to follow Mo Hua.
Thus, the number of Tianjiao gathered by Mo Hua continued to grow.
By the time they met the disciples of the Four Major Sects, Mo Hua's group had grown to over two hundred, a formidable and imposing force.
Xiaorohan, Ao Zheng, and Shen Cangfeng, among others, from the Four Major Sects, felt their scalps tingle just by looking at them.
Since they had been trapped in the evil formation, they had also sensed something was amiss and started gathering people, combining the disciples of the Four Major Sects.
However, the disciples of the Four Major Sects were all exceptionally talented and had strong, independent minds.
Shen Cangfeng and the others were not like Shen Linshu, who possessed bloodline power and was a top-tier Tianjiao. Although they were very strong, they were not so overwhelmingly powerful that they could command absolute respect.
Therefore, they had only managed to gather about fifty disciples from the Four Major Sects.
These fifty Tianjiao, no matter how strong they were, seemed insignificant compared to Mo Hua's two hundred.
Not to mention, there was Mo Hua himself.
In the Lunjian Arena, their fifty Tianjiao were all wiped out by Mo Hua in a single strike.
Mo Hua alone was enough to make them wary.
Now, with two hundred people surrounding Mo Hua, Shen Cangfeng and everyone else could not help but feel a chill run down their spines, their faces grim and tense as they watched Mo Hua.
"Mo Hua, you want to fight?" Ao Zheng's gaze was stern.
Mo Hua shook his head. "No fight."
Hearing Mo Hua's words, the Tianjiao from the Four Great Sects all heaved a deep sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from their shoulders.
The pressure Mo Hua exerted on them was truly immense.
Xiao Ruohan said calmly, "Since that's the case, let's each go our own way and avoid crossing paths."
But Mo Hua still shook his head. "No."
Xiao Ruohan and the others felt a chill. "What do you mean?"
Mo Hua said directly, "We can work together."
Xiao Ruohan and the others were taken aback, and then Ao Zheng sneered, "What do you mean by 'work together'? You just want us to follow your orders and do your bidding, don't you?"
Mo Hua nodded. "If that's what you think, then fine."
Ao Zheng was furious. "Dream on!"
Shen Cangfeng also sneered, "Mo Hua, your array skills are indeed remarkable, and your abilities are profound. But do you really think that alone will make the disciples of the Four Great Sects follow your every command? That's a bit too far-fetched, isn't it?"
Xiao Ruohan's eyes flashed with a sharp gaze. "You're from the Eight Great Gates, and we're from the Four Great Sects. Do you think you can control the affairs of the Four Great Sects? Isn't that a bit too much?"
Mo Hua sighed slightly and shook his head. "I don't want to control you, but this is a great evil array. We're all trapped here, and we're like ants on the same string."
"If I don't manage you now, when one of you falls to evil, goes mad, or succumbs to demonic influence, you'll become a threat to me, and I'll have to kill you."
"And not only will I kill you, you'll also kill each other..."
Mo Hua looked at the bloodstains on Shen Cangfeng and the others' robes, his expression indifferent. "You should already have a taste of what it's like to kill your fellow disciples."
At this, Shen Cangfeng and the others' faces were filled with grief and pain.
Not long ago, in this bizarre Yanluo Mountain, they had witnessed their fellow disciples suddenly go mad and fall to demonic influence.
After a fierce battle, despite their reluctance, they had to painfully slay these possessed comrades.
Mo Hua had anticipated this.
The disciples of the Four Great Sects came from better backgrounds, had greater talent, and were more driven by fame and profit, but their resolve was weaker.
Under normal circumstances, this might not be a problem, but in this evil-infested array, a weak resolve made them easy targets for evil desires, leading them step by step into madness.
Even Shen Cangfeng, Ao Zheng, and Xiao Ruohan were currently not in the right state.
If left unchecked, they might soon fall completely and become pawns or sacrifices for the evil deity.
But the higher the Tianjiao, the stronger the pride.
Even though they knew following Mo Hua might be the best choice, their strong sense of pride made Ao Zheng and the others unwilling to ally with Mo Hua.
"Life and death are our affairs, and we don't need your concern. If you want us to obey you, it's impossible."
Ao Zheng sneered.
"Fine", Mo Hua nodded and asked them, "Do you have a Life-Extending Talisman implanted in you?"
Ao Zheng and the others frowned. "What do you mean?"
"If you have a Life-Extending Talisman, that's good. If not..." Mo Hua's gaze turned cold. "I'm afraid I might kill you all with a single move."
"Your Life-Extending Talismans will shatter along with your lives."
His words were cold and calm, but they carried an overwhelming arrogance.
Ao Zheng and the others were seething with anger, but when they met Mo Hua's gaze, they were overwhelmed by fear.
Because Mo Hua indeed had that power.
Not long ago, he had shattered five Life-Extending Talismans, and they belonged to the strongest Tianjiao from the Four Great Sects and the Great Luomen.
Fear brought clarity.
Ao Zheng and the others gradually calmed down.
They realized that Mo Hua was not joking. If they didn't follow his lead, they might really be wiped out by him.
Shen Cangfeng sighed and asked Mo Hua, "Can you really... get us out of here?"
Mo Hua's expression was calm. "Don't forget, I am the True Dao Champion. With my array skills, it doesn't matter if it's just you few, even if Shen Linshu and Xiao Wuchen were here, they would have to follow my orders."
True Dao Champion...
In the previous Lunjian Arena, he had been directly killed by this True Dao Champion.
Twice...
Shen Cangfeng's expression was serious, and he nodded. "Fine, I'll follow you."
With Shen Cangfeng's agreement, the others no longer resisted.
Xiao Ruohan and Ao Zheng also nodded reluctantly.
Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.
Thus, the Four Great Sects, the Eight Great Gates, and some scattered Twelve Streams were all "unified" under him.
He was now the true "big brother" of the Four Sects, Eight Gates, and Twelve Streams.
(End of Chapter)
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