Chapter 276: Head of the Clan
Chapter 276: Head of the Clan
Mr. Zhuang had once mentioned the Visualization Charts to Mo Hua, a tool to enhance one's spiritual sense, a rare and closely guarded secret even among the noble clans.
The Third Head, the middle-aged evil array master whom Mo Hua had encountered before, must have had access to array master techniques to reach the level of a First-Grade Array Master with hopes of breaking through to the second grade. It was no surprise that after so many years in Heishan Fortress, with countless cultivators slain and their resources plundered, he might possess one of these charts.
Mo Hua was intrigued. He had long wanted to know what these Visualization Charts were and if they truly enhanced one's spiritual sense through visualization. Mr. Zhuang had warned him of the unknown dangers associated with the charts, advising against deep involvement or reliance, which was why Mo Hua hadn't paid it much heed.
However, even without relying on the charts for enhancement, he was curious to see one and broaden his horizons. Perhaps this Third Head had a Visualization Chart in his possession. If so, and if visualization truly boosted spiritual sense, Mo Hua might be able to hasten his progress towards the spiritual sense required for Foundation Establishment and become a Foundation Establishment cultivator sooner. Otherwise, at his current rate of progress, Foundation Establishment seemed too distant.
Mo Hua's heart raced with excitement, but then he felt a twinge of despair. The Third Head was not only a Foundation Establishment cultivator but also an evil array master. How could he possibly get an opportunity to steal the chart? Forget stealing, even if Mo Hua hid nearby and merely observed it with him, it would likely be extremely dangerous.
"Forget it. If there comes a day when I can raze this Heishan Fortress to the ground, then I'll think of a way to get my hands on that chart," he thought to himself.
Moreover, this was merely his speculation. There was no guarantee that what the Third Head possessed was indeed a Visualization Chart; it could just as well be a rare array chart. For now, gathering information was the priority.
Mo Hua calmed his mind and continued eavesdropping from the side.
After Scars finished speaking, the pale-faced man was also taken aback and asked, "What kind of chart is it?"
Scars was reluctant to answer.
The pale-faced man persisted, and Scars finally snapped, "How the hell would I know? Who do I think I am to go looking at the Third Head's belongings?"
The pale-faced man looked disappointed but then asked, "Since you've been here for a while, have you ever seen the Head of the Clan?"
The pale-faced man had joined the fortress later and knew less, whereas Scars had been here longer and was more senior.
But when it came to the Head of the Clan, Scars shook his head. "The Head of the Clan is like a mythical dragon—rarely seen. Not just me, but even some of the older folks in the fortress might not have ever laid eyes on him."
The pale-faced man asked, "What about the other Heads?"
Scars glanced at him. "Why? You thinking of becoming a Head?"
The pale-faced man forced a smile, but his heart echoed with profanity. Wasn't that obvious? Who in Heishan Fortress didn't want to be a Head? Being a Head meant having absolute power within the fortress, a status far above that of ordinary evil cultivators. With such power, one could do as they pleased.
A glint of greed flashed in the pale-faced man's eyes.
Scars saw right through him and mocked, "Well then, let me tell you about them, and you can consider if you have what it takes."
"If you want to be a Head, you must first be a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
"The current Heads of Heishan Fortress—the Head of the Clan is unfathomable, and the Second Head is cold-blooded with a heavy killing intent."
"The Second Head hasn't been seen these past few days. Apparently, the Head of the Clan ordered him to restrain himself, so he went to another immortal city to indulge his bloodlust."
"The Third Head is an array master. You should understand what that means. All the arrays in Heishan Fortress, from start to finish, were set up by him. Aside from the Head of the Clan, no one dares to offend him."
"As for the Fourth Head, the previous one died, and this one is new. He likes to drink blood, so if you offend him, be prepared to be sucked dry."
Scars sneered, "Which of them do you think you can replace and become a Head?"
The pale-faced man's face twitched, but he still put on a brave front. "Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west. You never know what the future holds."
The two men glared at each other coldly and resumed drinking in silence.
Mo Hua, meanwhile, pondered quietly to himself.
His guess had been correct; there were indeed four Heads in the Black Mountain Fortress.
He had met the Third and Fourth Heads before.
The Second Head was currently away and had not yet returned.
As for the Head of the Clan, he was as elusive as a mythical dragon, either in seclusion or away from the fortress.
In other words, Mo Hua only needed to be wary of the Third and Fourth Heads.
As long as he avoided them, he would be safe.
The only thing that concerned Mo Hua was the Head of the Clan's cultivation base.
As the leader of the Black Mountain Fortress, he must be the oldest and most powerful evil cultivator around.
With so many ruthless subordinates, his cultivation was bound to be formidable.
Mo Hua wondered if he had reached the mid or late stages of the Foundation Establishment.
If he truly was at the mid to late stages, that would be terrifying.
Elder Yu was only at the early stages of Foundation Establishment. If it came to a fight, how could they possibly win...
Mo Hua sighed inwardly.
But that was not something he could worry about right now. For the time being, it was best to focus on drawing the fortress map and gathering more intelligence.
Mo Hua set to work on the map of the Black Mountain Fortress, starting from the mountain gate and meticulously marking roads, houses, residences of the evil cultivators, and the iron cages where they imprisoned cultivators.
He also took note of the locations of the arrays and anything else that required caution.
By studying the arrays, he could deduce the layout of the fortress.
This way, even areas that were tightly sealed off and inaccessible, Mo Hua could guess their purpose.
At night, Mo Hua continued to eavesdrop on Scars and the pale-faced man's conversation.
The evil cultivators in the fortress were generally taciturn.
These two were an exception, perhaps because they had to stand guard at night and needed some form of entertainment to pass the time.
Mo Hua hid nearby, listening intently for any useful information.
Danger lurked everywhere in the Black Mountain Fortress, so Mo Hua dared not practice arrays by the stele at night.
However, he could still take some time to immerse himself in his spiritual sea and meditate briefly before the stele, ensuring he remained energized even without sleep.
Moreover, the Fourth Head was out drinking blood, and the Third Head stayed in his quarters.
For Mo Hua, this was the safest time.
Scars and the pale-faced man chatted for a while before suddenly erupting into another argument.
Mo Hua listened in.
It turned out that despite Scars' fearsome appearance, he cultivated a life-absorbing technique.
On the other hand, the pale-faced man, with his sickly appearance, cultivated a spirit-absorbing technique that borrowed others' spiritual power to replenish his own.
The pale-faced man was lustful and wanted to borrow Scars' life-absorbing technique to replenish his yin and yang.
Scars ignored him.
Insulted, the pale-faced man retorted with scorn, "With your ugly face, who would you absorb life from? Wouldn't women be disgusted?"
Scars fired back, "With your weak constitution that can't absorb spirit, what's the point of learning life-absorbing techniques? Be careful you don't absorb yourself to death."
The two continued to trade insults before eventually coming to blows.
Scars was a body cultivator, while the pale-faced man was a spirit cultivator.
Scars tried to close in on the pale-faced man, relying on his superior body techniques, while the pale-faced man evaded with his own body skills and countered with spells, conjuring fireballs with a wave of his hand.
To Mo Hua's surprise, the pale-faced man also used Fireball Technique.
"What kind of trash is this guy?" Mo Hua thought, annoyed. "He's using the same spell as me?"
He watched a little longer and then let out a soft sound of surprise.
The pale-faced man's Fireball Technique seemed to be more powerful than his own.
Although he was faster and more accurate, the pale-faced man's fireballs had a deeper color and packed a stronger punch.
It didn't seem to be a matter of cultivation level.
A typical spirit cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Refining would not be able to cast fireballs with such force.
Could it be that this pale-faced man had some secret to his Fireball Technique?
(End of Chapter)
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