Chapter 1061: City of Flesh and Blood
Chapter 1061: City of Flesh and Blood
The blood river flowed, and atop a massive, isolated cliff, Mo Hua, with his divine consciousness, manipulated the spirit ink with an almost monstrous speed, like a "tentacle monster", continuously drawing arrays according to Mr. Tu's intentions.
One array after another was etched into the cliff's foundation.
The cornerstone of the Blood Sacrifice Array was gradually built and refined.
With Mo Hua, who was working tirelessly and efficiently, the internal construction of the array was significantly accelerated.
Mr. Tu could finally free up his manpower, redeploying more Evil Array Masters to the edges of the array, the "frontline" of the confrontation between the righteous and the demonic, to expand the range of the Blood Sacrifice Array and broaden the territory of the Evil Deity.
This time, Mr. Tu had assigned twice as many demon cultivators to guard the Evil Array Masters, learning from past mistakes.
The Qian Study and Dao Court were powerful, and these guards might not be able to truly withstand the assassination and ambushes by Dao Court's Golden Core enforcers.
However, if they could delay the attack and buy time, it would be enough for the Evil Array Masters to complete their array "tasks."
Once the tasks were completed, even if all the Evil Array Masters were killed by Gu Changhuai, it wouldn't matter.
To offer their lives and even their blood to the Deity was their glory, and they should feel honored.
Inside the Blood Sacrifice Array, Mo Hua continued drawing arrays.
The Blood Sacrifice Array kept operating and improving.
At the edges of the array, cultivators of the righteous and demonic paths engaged in countless battles and skirmishes over the Evil Array Masters...
Everything unfolded as Mr. Tu had predicted, and the situation gradually changed.
The progress of the Blood Sacrifice Array, which had been hindered by the suppression from the Qian Study's various forces, was finally overcoming the obstacles and advancing slowly but steadily, step by step, thanks to Mo Hua's efforts...
...
In a secret room to the right of the Blood Sacrifice Array's foundation, Mr. Tu and Shangguan Wang were observing Mo Hua, who was drawing arrays with extraordinary skill and diligence.
"Mr. Tu", Shangguan Wang frowned, "are you really sure about letting this boy draw these arrays?"
Mr. Tu remained silent for a moment before saying, "Only he can do this..."
Within the entire Desolate Heaven Blood Sacrifice Array, there were very few people with a deep understanding of righteous array techniques.
And no one could draw arrays as quickly as Mo Hua.
Mr. Tu himself could, but that was because he relied on his Feather Transformation Realm divine perception and Fourth Rank Array Master skills to draw lower-tier arrays, which was a different matter altogether.
Mo Hua, a Zhu Ji Realm cultivator, could control ink with divine perception and draw High-Rank Second Tier Arrays, making him a unique talent.
Moreover, with the Deity's rebirth imminent, Mr. Tu had more important matters to attend to and couldn't waste his time on such basic tasks.
Shangguan Wang, filled with jealousy and hatred, felt a growing sense of threat and coldly said, "This boy won't be loyal to the Deity."
Mr. Tu glanced at Shangguan Wang with a half-smile and asked, "Elder Wang, are you truly loyal to the Deity?"
Shangguan Wang's face darkened.
Mr. Tu said calmly, "The Deity is strict but also forgiving. As long as you are loyal to the Deity in your actions, the Deity won't mind your minor thoughts or selfish desires."
This was a message for both Mo Hua and Shangguan Wang.
Shangguan Wang's gaze sharpened, and he sneered, "I fear Mr. Tu will be harmed by this treacherous boy."
He was trying to sow discord, and Mr. Tu, of course, understood this, but he remained expressionless and said nothing.
Shangguan Wang looked deeply at Mr. Tu and said in a low voice, "Those who are not of our path must have different hearts."
"This boy is a disciple of Tai Xu Gate. Mr. Tu, are you not afraid that he might turn against us and ruin our grand plan?"
Mr. Tu gave Shangguan Wang a cold glance and knew why Shangguan Wang had lost the competition for the head of the Shangguan family to Shangguan Ce.
Shangguan Wang lacked the broad vision and the capacity to tolerate others.
A great achiever must have the ability to tolerate others, even their mortal enemies.
Only by tolerating can one better utilize others.
However, Shangguan Wang still had his uses, and Mr. Tu had to endure his narrow-mindedness.
Some things needed to be made clear.
"Elder Wang", Mr. Tu said with a stern expression, "cultivators judge actions, not thoughts. Others won't know what you think or care about your thoughts; they will only see what you do."
"The Dao Court punishes based on actions, not thoughts."
"What you do is more important than what you think."
"And now..." Mr. Tu pointed outside, "what is this Mo Hua doing?"
Shangguan Wang frowned.
Mr. Tu smiled sinisterly, "He is drawing... the Desolate Heaven Blood Sacrifice Array!"
"Even though he is drawing Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Arrays, which are righteous arrays, these arrays are part of the Blood Sacrifice Array. Therefore, what he is drawing is undoubtedly an evil array!"
"Tai Xu Gate's Tianjiao, the Qianxue True Dao Champion, is drawing the Blood Sacrifice Array for us. Regardless of what he is drawing or whether he does it willingly, he is violating Tai Xu Gate's rules, the prohibitions of Qian Xue Prefecture, and the laws of the Dao Court. This is an unpardonable sin and a stain on his life that he can never wash away..."
"Let alone when the Blood Sacrifice Array is completed and fully operational, with rivers of blood and cities of flesh, and the demonic scourge causing countless deaths."
"The cultivators and beings who die will ultimately be tied to his karma, and the blood on his hands will never be washed away."
"There is no righteous path, only the entanglement of killing. Tell me", Mr. Tu's eyes glinted with a ghostly light, "what kind of person will this array genius become, and what path will he have to take?"
Shangguan Wang's gaze wavered.
If it really came to that, Mo Hua, the young man, would be shunned by the righteous path, with no way out. He would have to embrace the Desolate Heaven Deity from body to soul, becoming a terrifying demonic array master, with no possibility of redemption.
Shangguan Wang looked at Mr. Tu, a chill running through his heart.
Mr. Tu continued, "So, I am not afraid of him drawing arrays or learning them. On the contrary, I welcome it."
"The more he draws, the more he learns, the more he becomes involved in this matter, the deeper he becomes entangled in the cause and effect, making it harder for him to escape."
"And all these causes and effects lead to only one path..."
That path is to serve the Desolate Heaven Deity, to be a servant or a slave, to brave any danger without hesitation.
Mr. Tu sneered, "I brought this boy to the Ten Thousand Demons Assembly to have all the demonic cultivators from the various sects bear witness."
"To prove that this boy once stood with us, not only participating in the Ten Thousand Demons Assembly but also personally drawing the Desolate Heaven Blood Sacrifice Array."
"Once he does these things, he will undoubtedly be a demonic cultivator!"
"Unless he truly has the ability to slaughter all the countless Golden Core demons in the Evil Deity Temple and erase all traces..."
"Otherwise, with so many demonic cultivators as eyewitnesses, the facts will be undeniable. Even if he is clever, he will have no way to defend himself when the news reaches the righteous path!"
The cultivation world is perilous, and the true dangers lie in these seemingly ordinary interactions.
One misstep on the path of righteousness or evil can lead to eternal damnation.
No matter how young or talented one is, they can fall step by step, tempted by desire and toyed with by fate.
Mr. Tu's gaze grew colder, and a sinister smile curled at the corners of his lips.
Shangguan Wang looked at Mr. Tu, his eyes filled with deep apprehension.
...
On the other side, under Mr. Tu's "temptation", Mo Hua was still diligently drawing arrays, seemingly unaware of what he was truly doing.
The more arrays he drew, the greater his contribution to the Desolate Heaven Blood Sacrifice Array became.
After countless days of tireless effort, Mo Hua finally completed the entire vast cliff face with arrays.
With the final stroke, Mo Hua let out a deep sigh of relief, collapsing onto the ground as if completely drained.
Even as a True Dao Champion, with deep expertise and rapid divine perception recovery, drawing such a large portion of the foundational array was still extraordinarily taxing.
Moreover, he used the method of "divine perception controlling ink", which consumed a great deal of divine perception and placed a heavier burden on his Sea of Consciousness.
Of course, Mo Hua's efforts also brought him considerable gains.
Thanks to the complex and extensive practice of foundational arrays, Mo Hua now had a deeper understanding of the basic structure of the Desolate Heaven Blood Sacrifice Array.
The prolonged use of divine perception to control ink, fully devoted to drawing arrays, increased the burden on his Sea of Consciousness, making it more resilient and his control more precise.
Additionally, while using divine perception to control ink, Mo Hua also employed some techniques of mysterious calculation.
After drawing so many arrays, his divine perception and mysterious calculation skills had been significantly enhanced.
This was a rare opportunity.
Under normal circumstances, Mo Hua wouldn't have so much spirit ink, so many array mediums, or so much free time to use his divine perception to draw so many arrays without restraint.
In a sense, Mr. Tu was "investing" in his array practice.
Not only did he provide the arena, the array diagrams, and the materials, but he also confined himself to ensure Mo Hua had ample time to draw the arrays.
Thinking about it this way, Mo Hua felt he had gained something valuable.
He almost thought Mr. Tu was a "great benefactor."
And Mr. Tu might be an even greater "benefactor" later...
Mo Hua rested for a while, meditated to recover his divine perception, and then checked all the arrays, trying to activate them. The array patterns connected, radiating with light, and the spiritual energy flowed without any obstruction.
Confirming everything was correct, Mo Hua nodded and sat cross-legged, eagerly waiting for Mr. Tu.
After a while, he felt a chill at the back of his neck, as if something sinister was approaching.
Mo Hua's eyes brightened, and he quickly turned around. Sure enough, he saw Mr. Tu, his pale, emaciated face resembling a hanged ghost.
Mo Hua stood up and politely clasped his hands. "Mr. Tu, I have finished drawing the arrays."
Mr. Tu nodded slightly, then raised his head to take in the entire vast cliff face, where the array patterns were intricately woven, each stroke precise and meticulous, like the work of a skilled craftsman, with no errors and radiating with endless beauty.
"Mr. Tu..."
"Mr. Tu?"
Mo Hua called out twice before Mr. Tu snapped out of his trance, slowly turning to look at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua asked, "I have finished all the arrays. Can you teach me about the array pivot?"
Mo Hua's eyes were filled with anticipation and a clear thirst for knowledge.
Mr. Tu's gaze narrowed, and he nodded. "I can."
Then he said, "Follow me", and turned to leave.
Mo Hua couldn't hide his joy and followed Mr. Tu along the three cliff faces, past the river of blood, into a secret chamber, and in front of a wall.
Mr. Tu used the same technique, pressing his palm to the wall, which turned bloody red and melted, revealing a blood-soaked passage.
He was about to continue forward, but just as he took a step, he paused and turned to look at Mo Hua, his gaze tinged with wariness. He waved his hand in front of Mo Hua.
Mo Hua felt a sudden flash before his eyes, and everything turned blood red. He could see nothing and hear nothing.
Mo Hua knew that Mr. Tu was being cautious, afraid that he might remember the way.
"Follow me."
A voice echoed in Mo Hua's mind, but it wasn't really a voice; it was more like a divine perception transmission.
At the same time, a thread of blood appeared before Mo Hua, seemingly guiding him.
Mo Hua could only follow the blood thread, step by step.
As he walked, the surrounding aura suddenly changed.
Mo Hua realized that the ground beneath his feet was soft and sticky, as if he were stepping on fresh flesh. The air was filled with a pungent, metallic smell and a thick, nauseating blood scent.
The atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive as he continued forward. The blood thread eventually disappeared.
The aura of the array grew stronger, and the sense of oppression reached its peak.
In the distance, there was a faint, rhythmic heartbeat, making it hard to breathe.
"We've arrived."
Mr. Tu's cold voice broke the silence, and he released the seal on Mo Hua.
All his senses, which had been blocked, returned at once. A sea of sinister, cold, fearful, desperate, grotesque, pleading, and painful emotions and feelings surged toward Mo Hua, instantly overwhelming him.
Mo Hua slowly opened his eyes, his pupils contracting sharply.
In that moment, he felt as if he had entered the depths of hell.
Yu Er's words from the past echoed in his mind:
"Many people will die..."
"Blood will flow like a river, bones will be piled into tall buildings, and human flesh will form the walls of a city, all connected..."
What he saw before him was the most vivid manifestation of those words.
This was a city of blood and flesh, a place of horror and gore.
Blood flowed like a moat around the city.
The walls were built from piles of white bones and flesh, forming a continuous, grotesque structure.
Ghostly fires flickered on the skulls, and the faces of the dead appeared on the walls, filled with sorrow and despair, creating the backdrop of a blood-soaked hell.
Mo Hua's body turned cold, whether from anger or fear, and his hands trembled slightly.
The concept of an "Evil Deity" gradually took on a more concrete and real form in his mind.
Mr. Tu watched Mo Hua silently, saying nothing, allowing him to process the blood, nausea, shock, and terror before him.
After a long while, Mr. Tu spoke slowly:
"Do you still want to learn the Desolate Heaven Blood Sacrifice Array?"
Mo Hua's face first showed fear, then paleness, followed by a dazed expression. Finally, he looked at the city of blood and flesh, his expression disheartened, and shook his head:
"I... I don't want to learn it anymore..."
Mr. Tu sneered, "Is that all you have in you?"
Mo Hua's face turned white, and he seemed to be angry, his emotions getting out of control:
"You... You have to... kill so many people... I'm an array master; I won't do such immoral things..."
"Then what?" Mr. Tu's gaze was icy, and he stared at Mo Hua, "The Demon Path kills, but doesn't the Righteous Path kill as well?"
"I..."
"Have you been to the burial site on Lonely Mountain? Did you see what was inside?"
Mo Hua bit his lip, his face even paler.
Mr. Tu continued, "Didn't many people die there? In that large mine, tens of thousands of wandering cultivators were buried alive. Isn't that killing?"
"What you saw is just the tip of the iceberg. In places you can't see, the great families and powerful clans monopolize, exploit, oppress, and further crush wandering cultivators. This happens everywhere, continuously and without pause."
"Does anyone care?"
"The exploiters live in luxury, while the suffering die unnoticed."
"If you are lowly, your life is as insignificant as a blade of grass. You, coming from a wandering background, should understand this."
Mo Hua's expression was pained.
Mr. Tu watched Mo Hua, silent for a moment, then his tone softened:
"This world is like this. Success is built on the bones of countless others. If you want to succeed and pursue the Dao, you must step on the corpses of others and climb upward, step by step."
"Any hesitation, weakness, confusion, indecision, or kindness will become your weakness, pulling you into the depths of failure, making you nothing more than a tool for others."
"The path to immortality is paved with corpses."
"Without exploiting others, where would you get the resources to cultivate?"
"Without oppressing others, how can you become a person of high status?"
"In this regard, the Righteous Path and the Demon Path are the same. The Righteous Path is hypocritical, creating false names to hide its true nature. The Demon Path is straightforward, acting openly and honestly, not deceiving itself."
"Right and wrong are not different. Evil is also right, and right is also evil."
"When you truly reach a high position and a lofty realm, you will understand what it means for all beings to be as insignificant as ants. Other people's lives are not really lives; they are merely the foundation for your achievement of the Great Dao."
"The heavens are indifferent, treating all beings as tools. If they are 'tools,' does it matter whether they live or die?"
"If necessary, slaughtering countless beings, what harm is there?"
Mo Hua's expression was shaken, his face changing rapidly, as if his worldview was being overturned and crumbling bit by bit.
Mr. Tu, seeing this, was quite satisfied and said to Mo Hua:
"Follow me. I'll show you the extraordinary and transcendent array that turns flesh and blood into divine power, the truly supreme and mysterious array in this world..."
Mo Hua's once confused and struggling eyes gradually showed a glimmer of desire, his gaze filled with an unusual light. Seemingly enticed by Mr. Tu's words, he instinctively followed, step by step, walking through the blood and flesh of countless beings, deeper into the city of blood and flesh...
(End of Chapter)
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