Chapter 1050: Daoxin
Chapter 1050: Daoxin
Mo Hua had become the "Leader", but being a leader in these times was no easy feat.
Especially since the disciples from the Four Sects, Eight Gates, and Twelve Streams were all outstanding talents from their respective Tianjiao, with good backgrounds, exceptional talents, and high aspirations. Each had their own agenda, and when gathered together, their differing thoughts and ambitions made them difficult to manage.
They were all enemies of Tai Xu Sect, having been defeated by Tai Xu Sect in the Lun Jian Conference.
Moreover, there were rifts among them.
For example, during the Asura War, Duan Shen Sect had ambushed Lingxiao Gate, severely weakening it.
Gui Shui Sect had also ambushed Zi Xia Gate, causing many casualties.
The other sects had also clashed in the chaos, each fighting their own battles.
Their biggest enemy, however, was Mo Hua, the "Leader."
One could say that the majority of the geniuses from the various sects, especially the top-tier Tianjiao, had "died" at least once in Mo Hua's hands.
Some had even "died" more than once.
Now, circumstances forced them to bow to Mo Hua, but they were far from willing to accept it.
They were outwardly obedient but inwardly rebellious.
The Evil Array continuously provoked their evil thoughts, hatred, and murderous intentions.
But with Mo Hua's growing influence, they dared not question him.
However, conflicts and disputes among them were inevitable, with occasional small skirmishes breaking out.
Among them, Ye Zhiyuan stood out the most.
Ye Zhiyuan, once the top sword-wielding genius of Daluomen, was handsome but extremely arrogant and foul-mouthed. He would insult people at every turn, making him extremely unpopular.
Now, with the Four Sects, Eight Gates, and Twelve Streams gathered, his mouth never stopped. He would mock one sect's sword techniques and ridicule another's lineage, as if he believed that only his Daluomen's flying sword techniques were the best in the world.
Everyone was provoked by his remarks, leading to constant arguments and disturbances.
Even a few disciples from Tai Xu Sect were affected.
But with Ye Zhiyuan's foul mouth and shameless nature, no one could out-insult him.
Mo Hua turned to Ye Zhiyuan and asked, "Ye Zhiyuan, did your father name you because he knew you couldn't fly far with a sword, hoping you would fly further?"
This single sentence silenced Ye Zhiyuan.
The once arrogant Ye Zhiyuan was left speechless, as if he had swallowed a fly.
Although Ye Zhiyuan was quiet, the crowd continued to murmur, as hundreds of people with different intentions gathered, making it hard to avoid disputes.
Mo Hua coldly warned, "Don't blame me for not warning you. We are in the Evil Array."
"You all should keep quiet, clear your minds, and focus. Don't say useless things, don't blame or accuse each other, and don't dredge up old grudges."
"Words can bring disaster."
"Unrestrained speech will amplify the evil in your hearts and the hatred in others."
"These are all evil thoughts, karmic fire, and karmic fruit."
"If this continues, the rifts in your hearts will grow, hatred will fester, and murderous intentions will arise. Your minds will gradually become deranged, and you will become bloodthirsty, gradually descending into evil spirits within the Evil Array..."
"Don't think that words are trivial. Often, they are the roots of disaster..."
The Evil Array uses words as a trigger.
Daoxin cultivation also uses words as a seed.
But this seemingly ordinary yet highly profound and sinister technique was unknown to the Tianjiao disciples.
Mo Hua's tone was extremely serious.
The Tianjiao disciples from the Four Sects, Eight Gates, and Twelve Streams all felt a chill, realizing the severity of the situation.
"There is one more thing", Mo Hua warned, "don't lightly entertain thoughts of killing me."
"Any murderous intent you have towards me, no matter how hidden, I will know."
"Having murderous thoughts is one thing, but I kindly advise you not to actually try to kill me. If you do, you will be the ones who die."
Mo Hua's gaze swept over the crowd calmly.
Many people lowered their heads, avoiding Mo Hua's gaze.
Mo Hua nodded, "And one last thing..."
"Don't think I'm a 'good guy' and that I'm forcing myself to help you leave the array."
"If you listen and work together, we can all make it out alive."
"If you don't listen, your life or death is none of my concern."
"Even if someone becomes 'corrupted' due to disobedience, don't blame me for being ruthless..."
"Do you really want to become evil spirits?"
The faces of the Tianjiao disciples turned pale.
The word "evil spirits" sent a chill down their spines.
Not long ago, they had witnessed their fellow disciples, who had been by their side, suddenly have bloodshot eyes, twisted faces, and savage auras, becoming insane and bloodthirsty, even devouring human flesh like beasts.
This completely shattered their common sense.
Previously, when they were caught up in the slaughter, their minds were clouded with evil thoughts and they hadn't thought much about it. But now, as they calmed down and reflected, they were all filled with fear and their backs were cold with sweat.
"Going astray" was no joke.
Once they became evil spirits, their lives were over.
They would fall from being widely admired, promising talents of the righteous path to the depths of despair, becoming monsters who slaughtered their own comrades and feasted on human flesh, shunned by their sects, families, and parents, and cast into the shadows as maggots of the evil path.
All it took was one misstep.
Thinking about this, everyone was drenched in cold sweat.
Some were confused:
"Why would we suddenly... go astray? Is it because of... the Evil Array?"
Mo Hua nodded, "Partly because of the Evil Array..."
"This Evil Array uses human blood as ink, human flesh as a medium, human bones as a pivot, and despair, regret, and killing karma to refine evil power, driving the array's operation."
"Within the array, evil desires overflow, and intangible evil spirits roam freely, lurking within. Once tainted, one will gradually become demonized..."
"But that's only one part. The other reason is Daoxin."
"Daoxin?"
Everyone was taken aback, and then they all frowned.
Almost everyone said that a cultivator should have a firm Daoxin.
But "Daoxin" was just an abstract concept.
A firm Daoxin did not enhance one's spiritual root, did not increase one's talent, did not speed up cultivation, did not reduce the resources needed for cultivation, and was not a requirement for being accepted as a disciple in a sect.
Large sects would not make an exception to accept you as a disciple just because you had a "Daoxin."
Elders of noble families would not look at you differently just because you had a Daoxin.
If your spiritual root was poor, you would still face difficulties in cultivation, no matter how strong your Daoxin was.
If your strength was weak, you would still be at the mercy of others, no matter how strong your Daoxin was.
Therefore, the so-called "Daoxin" had no practical significance.
Large sects and noble families did not consider "Daoxin" in their evaluations.
The so-called "Daoxin" was just a useless concept.
In the past, though they might not say it out loud, they would certainly mock the idea of "Daoxin" in their hearts.
But now, having been ensnared by the evil deity's scheme and trapped in this evil array, seeing the bloodshed around them, they felt differently...
Mo Hua said, "Daoxin is the heart that seeks the Dao."
"A weak Daoxin will make a person be controlled by fame, power, and material desires."
"These mundane desires settle deep in the heart."
"Under normal circumstances, it might not matter, but once an external evil tempts, the desires will be amplified, the Daoxin will be obscured, and eventually extinguished, leading to Spiritual Corruption and transformation into an Evil Demon."
"The weaker the Daoxin, the faster the transformation into a demon."
Mo Hua looked at everyone, "The reason you can still maintain clarity now is, first, because you are lucky and have not encountered great evil spirits, and second, because your Daoxin is relatively stronger compared to other cultivators."
"Those with weak Daoxin have already lost their mental defenses and completely transformed into demons the moment they encountered evil spirits."
A Tianjiao disciple was shaken and found it hard to accept, muttering, "Impossible... We are clearly cultivators of the righteous path..."
Mo Hua looked at him calmly and asked, "Are you truly a cultivator of the righteous path?"
"Is your heart truly 'righteous'?"
"Do you cultivate the Dao to understand the Heavenly Dao and benefit all living beings, or just to seek the power of the heavens, gather it within yourself, and pursue fame, power, and immortality for personal gain and eternal wealth and honor?"
"Is what you seek truly 'immortality'?"
"Haven't you noticed that 'demons' also seek the same?"
Mo Hua recalled the teachings of Elder Zheng and continued slowly:
"You might be disciples of the righteous path, but the righteous and demonic paths are inherently one. The so-called demons are not born, not hatched, but transformed."
"The demonic path is transformed from the righteous path, and from your Daoxin..."
...
These words left all the sects and noble families' Tianjiao pale and shocked.
They had never heard such words before, and no one had ever spoken to them like this.
Although they might not fully understand what Mo Hua was saying at the moment,
His words burned into their hearts like a branding iron, each word deeply etched.
Many of their fates were subtly and profoundly altered...
But they did not realize it yet, and neither did Mo Hua himself...
...
After saying his piece, Mo Hua did not say more.
The hundreds of Tianjiao from the four sects, eight gates, and twelve streams also fell silent, focusing their minds as Mo Hua had instructed, suppressing desires, not harboring murderous intent, not having a competitive spirit, and not engaging in arguments...
Seeing that they had calmed down, Mo Hua felt relieved and began to consider the next steps.
Mo Hua's goal was simple: to save everyone.
The array was still active, the evil energy was intensifying, and the evil spirits were growing stronger.
He himself was fine; he had always been the one who consumed evil spirits, and no evil spirit dared to challenge him, the "Great Year."
If any did, they were quickly consumed by him.
But the others could not withstand it. If they stayed much longer, once the array reached its peak, the evil thoughts would be as deep as the sea, the blood would turn to mist, and the evil spirits would rain down. The divine array would not be able to protect them, and everyone, including his junior brothers from Tai Xu Gate, would die.
Even the best of the sects were still mortal cultivators. The pollution from the evil deity was too deadly for them.
"But how can we leave the array?"
"Is there someone 'monitoring' the inside of this array?"
"Are our every move being watched?"
"Who is operating the array, and where are they?"
"Is it Mr. Tu?"
"But where is Mr. Tu, and why hasn't he shown up yet?"
Mo Hua frowned.
Trapped in the array, he had too few clues. He could only make deductions based on his experience as the chief designer and chief executor of the First-Class Five-Element Demon-Slaying Array.
First, the array was definitely being controlled by someone.
The person controlling the array was certainly an array master, and more specifically, an evil array master.
Mr. Tu was likely the one who constructed the array.
But the person currently operating the array might not be him, as he surely had more important things to do.
This was in Qian Xue Prefecture, under the watchful eyes of noble families and large sects. Once the evil array was activated, the blood and evil energy would attract severe crackdowns from various forces, including the Dao Ting Si.
Even if Mr. Tu could handle it, he would be stretched thin.
Moreover, the purpose of this evil array, Mo Hua knew without a doubt, was related to the resurrection of the Lord of the Great Wasteland.
To resurrect the Lord of the Great Wasteland, a massive evil deity ritual was necessary.
As the chief array master of the evil array and the high priest of the evil deity ritual, Mr. Tu was certainly very busy, and many things might not be under his direct control.
The place they were in was definitely not the entire evil array.
Since it was an evil array, it was certainly not this small. The scene before them, including the withered forest and blood swamp, was at most a part of the entire evil array, a closed sub-array region.
And this region was truly "closed." Otherwise, their actions would have been detected long ago.
The minions of the evil deities should have already made their moves...
This "seclusion" is likely related to the rituals of the evil deities.
The evil deities "feeding" would certainly not want to be seen by others.
However, because it is completely sealed, the array patterns and structures are extremely subtle and difficult to detect, making it hard to know where to start.
Our group isn't in a good position to leave either.
"A bit troublesome..."
Mo Hua calmed himself down and, based on his expertise in array formations, began to think step by step:
"The abnormality is just a surface manifestation; the internal logic of the array formation remains unchanged..."
"The inner array of the grand array cannot be completely sealed; there must be some connection between them..."
"If this composite array is a part of the grand array, there must be a central array node connecting it to the main central node of the grand array..."
"And this central array node must have a corresponding array medium."
"The array medium of the evil array is likely to be..." Mo Hua's heart trembled, "a bony stele?"
The bony steles he and Elder Xun Zixian had seen on Yanluo Mountain?
Mo Hua's eyes lit up.
He sat cross-legged on the ground, released his divine perception, and carefully calculated, sensing the flow of evil energy and pondering the nodes and pathways of the array formation. After a moment, he stood up and walked to a withered forest, pointing to a blood-red withered tree, and said to everyone:
"Cut down the tree, dig up the roots, and dig three feet deep to find a bone stele..."
Everyone was puzzled but followed Mo Hua's instructions.
As for why, they didn't ask Mo Hua to explain, knowing that even if he did, they might not understand.
The cultivators worked together, quickly cutting down the tree, burning the roots, and digging three feet deep, uncovering the bony stele beneath the ground.
The earth vein was blood-red.
The bony stele was immersed in the blood-red earth vein, using the evil energy to conceal itself, making it impossible for ordinary people to detect.
Mo Hua carefully observed the blood-red array patterns on the bony stele, which were constantly writhing. After a moment, his heart skipped a beat when he realized that these evil patterns were derived from the Four Symbols demon patterns, and some were even variations of the Four Symbols "dragon patterns."
This was indeed Mr. Tu's handiwork.
After Mo Hua's recent research on the Dragon Map Regression, the Four Symbols demon patterns, and the Four Symbols dragon patterns had become "old friends" to him. Whether it was deconstructing or tracing their origins, it had become much simpler.
Mo Hua might not be able to draw the evil array, but judging the flow of the central array node based on the array patterns wasn't a big problem.
Mo Hua then walked and calculated as he went, uncovering all the bony steles used to carry the central array nodes along the way.
Finally, after digging up over a dozen bone steles, Mo Hua, who had a clear understanding of the flow of the central array, arrived at the "root" of these bone steles, the node where the evil central array connected.
It was an unremarkable cave.
Mo Hua's divine perception scanned the area, confirming it was safe before entering the cave.
The cave was small, with stone walls on all sides.
Mo Hua sensed for a moment, found the right wall, and marked it with large "X"s before turning to Ao Zheng and the other body cultivators:
"Take it down, but be quiet."
Ao Zheng was reluctant but followed Mo Hua's instructions.
He was the second strongest cultivator in the Dragon Cauldron Sect after Ao Zhan, with a deep foundation in the Dragon Cauldron Body Cultivation Technique. His strength was immense, and the seemingly hard stone wall was as soft as "tofu" in his hands.
The stone wall was dismantled by Ao Zheng and the others.
As the wall broke and rubble fell, a flash of blood-red light appeared, and a terrifying blood-red maw suddenly lunged at everyone.
It was the mouth of a giant evil spirit.
Ao Zheng saw nothing, but a bone-chilling coldness surged in his heart, leaving him uncertain where to retreat.
At that moment, Mo Hua, who was prepared, pointed at his forehead, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, and a divine thought sword slashed through.
A flash of golden light appeared and disappeared, instantly slaying the evil spirit.
The blood-red light dissipated, and the bone-chilling coldness vanished. Ao Zheng slowly turned to look at Mo Hua, his heart still racing with fear and shock.
"I'll go in and take a look", Mo Hua said.
Ao Zheng and the others didn't say anything.
But Ling Hu Xiao and Situ were a bit worried, "Little Senior Brother, we'll go with you."
Mo Hua shook his head, "Don't worry, I'll be safer going alone. Stay here and don't move."
After giving his instructions, Mo Hua's figure gradually faded and disappeared from their sight.
Everyone's expressions were solemn, their hearts uneasy.
On the other side, Mo Hua walked through the passage, which was filled with evil spirits of various sizes, grotesque and terrifying, and extremely vicious.
If it were any other cultivator, their minds would be instantly devoured by the evil spirits.
But the situation was different now.
Mo Hua deliberately concealed his aura, appearing like an ordinary, weak, harmless young cultivator with a full and sweet divine perception.
Countless evil spirits were crazily attracted to him, rushing to his unguarded mind.
Then they were all grabbed by the pure golden body within Mo Hua's mind, instantly crushed, and quickly refined into pure mental energy to nourish his divine perception.
Thus, Mo Hua used himself as bait to "lure and enforce" while moving stealthily toward the end of the passage.
After walking for a long time, Mo Hua finally reached the end of the passage.
The end of the passage was sealed by an array formation.
Mo Hua used his divine perception to control the ink and silently unlocked the array formation. He then looked ahead and saw that the end of the passage connected to an array core hall.
Inside the hall, it was dark and bloody, bustling with evil array masters holding bone pens, dipped in human blood, and using human skin as paper to draw blood-red and grotesque array formations.
(End of Chapter)
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