Chapter 603: Annihilating
Chapter 603: Annihilating
Was he being locked down by divine sense...?!
Was there a higher-level cultivator nearby?
How could this be?
Locked by divine sense, then comes the spell.
A sense of foreboding arose in Bald Eagle.
What spell is coming?!
In less than a breath, that familiar, nauseating, drowning sensation of suffocation returned.
Chains bound him, and the Water Prison restrained him.
Bald Eagle's pupils constricted, and he felt incredulous.
Water Prison Technique?!
"Is it that little brat?!"
In a flash, Bald Eagle suddenly realized what had happened.
He had been deceived!
Deceived by that little brat!
His divine sense could lock down Bald Eagle, and his Water Prison Technique should never miss!
But that little brat had held back and gone easy on him!
The previous times he had cast the Water Prison Technique and failed to trap Bald Eagle were all an act to make Bald Eagle complacent, to let his guard down, to make Bald Eagle think...
That his divine sense was inferior to Bald Eagle's and that his spells couldn't lock down Bald Eagle.
Then, at the most critical moment, when the situation was dire and the difference between life and death was a hair's breadth...
He got serious, using his powerful divine sense to lock down Bald Eagle and employing an extremely fast and exceptionally precise Water Prison Technique to control Bald Eagle.
He trapped Bald Eagle within the Five Elements Glow, which contained surging spiritual power and was extremely powerful.
He was like a small venomous snake.
Subdued, hidden, and biding its time, it unknowingly reveals its sinister fangs.
Its bite doesn't hurt, but once it sinks its fangs in, it can take your life!
So despicable!
So shameless!
Rage burned in Bald Eagle's heart, and he felt like spitting blood. At the same time, he was shocked.
Why was this little brat's divine sense so strong?
He had been in Qianzhou for so long, yet this was the first time he had been "tricked" by such a tiny little rabbit using his divine sense.
This was the first time, and very likely, it would also be the last...
Bald Eagle looked at the glow filling the sky, his expression extremely solemn.
He didn't know why this spell had such terrifying power, but he knew that as long as he couldn't escape and was enveloped by the glow, there was no doubt he would die!
The array patterns on Bald Eagle's scalp suddenly lit up, emitting a sinister green light that was blinding.
It seemed like he had stimulated the full power of this Four Symbols Array, and his scalp couldn't bear the burden, starting to crack and bleed, with blood seeping out and flowing down from the top of his head.
Bald Eagle's face was covered in blood, and he looked disheveled and hideous.
He was going to gamble everything on one throw.
When stimulated to the extreme, Bald Eagle's flesh and demonic power fused to the utmost, and his physical body almost twisted and deformed as if the demonic power was raging uncontrollably within his body.
Bald Eagle's entire person no longer looked human or demonic.
But his demonic power had become even more frenzied.
With surging demonic power and his body twisting, the Water Prison Technique was instantly broken, the spiritual power disintegrated, turning into water stains and dissipating without a trace.
Regaining his freedom, Bald Eagle let out a sinister laugh and was about to flee again.
Just then, the mist in Mo Hua's eyes continued to churn eerily, and afterimages appeared in his pupils.
Having pushed his scheming to the limit, his divine sense was also circulating at its peak.
Mo Hua's divine sense once again firmly locked onto Bald Eagle.
And in less than a breath, Mo Hua's spiritual power condensed again, and he cast another Water Prison Technique, once more accurately trapping Bald Eagle in place.
In that instant, Bald Eagle's face turned deathly pale, and his eyes revealed terror.
This time, he clearly felt it.
This divine sense...
Contained a pure and icy killing intent.
Although his realm didn't seem to exceed sixteen patterns, there was a sense of overwhelming dominance.
He could even lock down Bald Eagle across realms, leaving Bald Eagle unable to break free.
Unfathomable, powerful, and resilient, it gave a sense of profound depth and ever-changing strangeness...
This didn't seem like the divine sense of a "human"!
Bald Eagle's pupils trembled violently.
That little brat... what exactly was he, a human or a ghost, or...
An evil god?
Could it be that within his body also dwelled a... god beyond the Dao, just like the God Master?!
Was he not human at all, just a vessel of flesh and blood for a god beyond the Dao?
Bald Eagle turned his head with difficulty, but he couldn't see Mo Hua's figure at all. If he hadn't sensed his divine sense, he might not have known how he died or whose hands he fell to...
The glow drew near, and sharp golden spiritual power cut through Bald Eagle's flesh.
His right limb had already been dissolved by the spiritual power, revealing white bones.
Even the bones were gradually weathering away.
Despair appeared on Bald Eagle's face, followed by a detached calm and devout piety.
His voice was hoarse and low as he silently recited:
"Immortal through countless calamities, the Wild God does not die..."
"Mortal lives are like chaff..."
But before he could finish, he was swallowed by the Five Elements Glow.
Golden light spread, and the spiritual power, like blades, cut his flesh to pieces.
Blood flowed from the tiny wounds, only to be instantly killed and evaporated by the spiritual power.
Bald Eagle instantly lost his life, falling to the ground in a miserable death, too horrible to look at.
The glow filling the sky also fell to the ground, shredding the lush trees into fragments and crushing the stones into powder.
Even the mist and miasma were dispersed.
The golden spiritual power remained in the mountains, like shredded sunlight, beautiful yet containing killing intent.
Ouyang Feng and the others were shocked.
"He actually... really killed him..."
This spell was so powerful!
In just one move, the bald eagle, who was empowered by the demonic array and had a strong physical body, was annihilated...
As everyone was still in a daze, a fireball suddenly flew by them carelessly, landing on Bald Eagle's corpse in the distance.
A loud rumble sounded.
Bald Eagle's corpse was blown into the air, then fell to the ground, rolling in a circle before finally coming to a stop without any further movement.
He was obviously dead.
Everyone opened their mouths but couldn't speak, and they all turned to look at Mo Hua, who had just "abused the corpse" with his fireball.
Mo Hua blinked and said, "This guy was too bad. I'll add another hit to make sure he's really dead."
Although Mo Hua was certain that Bald Eagle was probably dead, he detected no breath from his divine sense, his spiritual power was in disorder, and it was gradually dissipating.
But it was better to be safe than sorry.
It was always right to add a few more fireballs.
And it's better to be safe than sorry.
This Bald Eagle had a lot of tricks up his sleeve, a thick skin, and tough meat. He was quite difficult to deal with.
Mo Hua felt like showing off a bit more, but seeing everyone looking at him silently, he felt a little embarrassed and said, "Or... why don't you guys take a few shots? I've already taken mine..."
...
Shangguan Xu, who was injured, looked at Mo Hua and sighed in his heart.
This Junior Brother Mo was really different from what Auntie had told him.
He still remembered that before he entered the sect, Auntie had repeatedly emphasized that this Junior Brother Mo was naive and well-behaved, kind-hearted, and innocent...
His cultivation wasn't high, his physical body was weak, he only knew a little about formations, he would definitely be at a disadvantage in a fight, and he might be bullied, so she asked Shangguan Xu to take care of him...
Shangguan Xu almost believed it...
But now it seemed that this Junior Brother was so scheming...
No, he was so clever that he could navigate the mid-Foundation Establishment stage battle with ease.
The new disciples who had joined the Great Void Sect from aristocratic families were as tender as lambs.
He didn't believe that any of his fellow disciples had the ability to bully this little junior brother of his.
Or rather, who bullied whom was yet to be determined...
Ouyang Feng and the others looked at Mo Hua with strange expressions, especially Murong Caiyin, who was astonished.
She never expected that this junior brother she had picked up along the way would be so capable.
Skilled in stealth and arrays, sharp senses, and that bizarre ability to create formations on the spot.
Not to mention the extremely rare and formidable Five Elements Amplification Array...
Aside from his weak direct combat abilities, everything else was outrageously strong.
The Water Prison technique was too fast and too precise.
Although Bald Eagle died from Mo Hua's Five Elements Glow technique, it was ultimately those two consecutive Water Prison techniques that had no power but were extremely tricky that did him in...
Seeing everyone staring at him, Mo Hua felt a little guilty and said, "Senior brothers and sisters, it's getting late. We should collect our storage bags, pick up some items, and head back..."
Ouyang Feng and the others were taken aback.
Murong Caiyin looked at Mo Hua with a peculiar expression.
"Junior brother, do you... often do this sort of thing?"
How come he looked so... experienced at looting after killing someone?
Mo Hua nodded habitually, but halfway through, he shook his head and said, "No, not at all. This is the first time I've encountered something so dangerous..."
Murong Caiyin sighed helplessly.
The others also smiled bitterly.
But indeed, it was getting late, and after the intense battle, their spiritual energy had been largely depleted, and some of them were even injured. It was time to wrap things up and head back.
Before leaving, they needed to clear the battlefield and collect the spoils of war.
To avoid missing anything, everyone worked together, although some were more relaxed and a little tired, except for Mo Hua, who was full of energy.
Looting storage bags!
This was something he loved to do!
But first, the arrays took priority.
He began by dismantling the nearby arrays one by one.
He "confiscated" the spirit stones that were supplying the array eyes, then examined the array hubs and patterns to see if there were any array techniques he hadn't learned before. If there were, he carefully memorized them.
Even the wisest can make mistakes.
With so many array masters in the world, there must be some who knew things he didn't.
He needed to learn from others' strengths to make up for his weaknesses and gather the wisdom of the crowd.
Moreover, Bald Eagle's array skills were clearly strong, but he specialized in a limited type of array.
After dismantling the arrays, Mo Hua went into the cave to take a look.
This was obviously a temporary hideout for these rogue cultivators, with some traces of their daily lives and some simple stove arrays, but nothing elaborate.
In addition, there were also some demon beast bones.
They looked small, not like the bones of a large beast, but more like the ulna and radius of a bird of prey.
There were also some brown feathers on the nearby stones.
Demon beast... bird...
Mo Hua frowned.
He thought of the eagle-like pattern on Bald Eagle's head.
"The Four Symbols Array... has something to do with demon beasts..."
"But what is the exact nature of this relationship?"
"How is the Four Symbols Array formed, and how do they use demon beasts to create it?"
"By drawing on the power of demon beasts through the Four Symbols Array to strengthen the physical body... wouldn't that turn one into a demon-human hybrid?"
Just like Bald Eagle did as he was dying...
By over-activating the array, he drew on the power of the demon beast, causing his flesh and blood to be assimilated by that power, losing his humanity and transforming into a half-human, half-demon creature...
If he learned the Four Symbols Array, would he also turn into that?
Mo Hua thought about it and felt a little scared.
He was fine the way he was...
He didn't want to become a "little monster."
Turning into a half-human, half-demon creature would make it hard to face his parents and his little senior sister in the future. He had to be careful.
Mo Hua thought about it and searched the area again but still found no traces of other arrays, books, or array patterns.
He scanned with his spiritual sense and tried to deduce with his calculations, but found nothing.
"Looks like I'll have to search Bald Eagle's body later..."
Soon, everyone had finished searching, and they gathered the storage bags together.
Ouyang Feng and the others, being from aristocratic families, didn't care much for most of the items, so their collection was haphazard, and they only picked out the more noticeable things.
Mo Hua, on the other hand, was very thorough.
Anything that seemed the slightest bit unusual, he collected and piled in front of him, forming a small heap.
The entire cave area was now spotless, as if a swarm of locusts had devoured everything.
Shangguan Xu said, "Junior brother, most of these things... aren't very useful, are they?"
"Better safe than sorry," Mo Hua replied. "Just in case there's an array or an array pattern left, we can inspect them now and make sure we didn't miss anything."
"Alright..."
They realized that this junior brother of theirs was quite obsessed with arrays and didn't let even the tiniest clue slip by...
Next, they began to deal with the spoils of war.
Mo Hua indeed managed to scavenge some fragmented array patterns from these "rubbles."
Although he couldn't tell their origins, Mo Hua carefully memorized each one.
But that was it.
The rest were just spirit stones, spiritual tools, and pills—common items for cultivators.
There were also some books and jade slips, but nothing extraordinary.
Murong Caiyin took charge of distributing these items.
They divided the spirit stones equally among themselves.
These rogue cultivators had committed numerous crimes, and the number of spirit stones they had accumulated was quite substantial.
But this only applied to Mo Hua.
Murong Caiyin and the others were from aristocratic families and didn't lack spirit stones, so when they received their share, their expressions remained unchanged.
Among the group, only Mo Hua was beaming with joy.
Two thousand three hundred spirit stones!
That would last him a long time.
Indeed, in Qianzhou, spirit stones were spent lavishly, and one could also "earn" a lot.
Mo Hua happily put away the spirit stones.
The rest of the items couldn't be divided equally.
Moreover, they were ill-gotten gains and difficult to deal with.
According to the usual practice, they should first be handed over to the Dao Court, registered, and then converted into merit points, after which they could be distributed according to merit.
For sect disciples, merit points were more important than spirit stones.
Soon, they finished sorting through the items.
Especially the array that was painted on Bald Eagle's bald head.
As night fell, the mountain wind grew colder.
Everyone got up to leave, and Mo Hua hesitantly made his request.
"Senior Sister Murong, can I take a look at the array on Bald Eagle's head?"
Bald Eagle's corpse had been placed in a simple coffin for safekeeping.
It was to be handed over to the Dao Court to complete the bounty and claim the merit.
Mo Hua hadn't had a chance to examine the array on his head yet.
Murong Caiyin frowned slightly and hesitated, "You... know what kind of array that is, right?"
Mo Hua nodded, "It should be the Four Symbols Array."
Murong Caiyin sighed, "This probably isn't an ordinary, or rather, not a normal Four Symbols Array..."
"Even if the Four Symbols Array utilizes beast patterns, it shouldn't be this sinister and violent..."
"Otherwise, the entire category of Four Symbols Arrays would be classified as 'evil arrays' or 'demon arrays' and completely banned by the Dao Court."
"This Bald Eagle's Four Symbols Array borrows demonic power and merges with flesh and blood, probably using some unorthodox methods..."
"It's better if you don't learn this, junior brother..."
"Mm-hmm." Mo Hua nodded, but still said, "I'm not planning to learn it, I just want to research it and 'criticize' it..."
Criticize...
This little junior brother's way of speaking was indeed clever and quirky...
Murong Caiyin hesitated for a moment.
Mo Hua then said, "I mainly want to bring it back and show it to Elder Xun."
Mo Hua brought up "Elder Xun" again.
This tactic proved to be effective once more.
Upon hearing "Elder Xun," Murong Caiyin's expression softened, and she eventually nodded, "If that's the case, then go ahead and take a look..."
So, for Mo Hua's sake, everyone opened the coffin containing Bald Eagle's body.
Bald Eagle had excessively absorbed the power of the Four Symbols Array, causing his demonic power to swell and his body to deform. He had been killed by Mo Hua's Five Elements Glow Technique, a supreme technique of the Tai Xu Sect. Even after death, Mo Hua had added another Fireball Technique to ensure he was truly dead.
Thus, his corpse was no longer recognizable.
However, the array patterns on his body remained intact, almost as if they had a...
Mo Hua's heart stirred.
...life of their own? Life...
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat as he focused on examining this array...
This Four Symbols Array didn't seem to be "painted" on; instead, it appeared to be attached and parasitic.
The array itself was extremely stable, and even after excessive use and exposure to powerful spells, it maintained its structure and pattern without any changes.
Mo Hua took out some paper and a brush, made a few quick calculations in his mind, and then began to observe and record the array.
It took him nearly half an hour to completely record the Four Symbols Array on Bald Eagle's head.
Murong Caiyin and the others patiently waited for him to finish.
Only after Mo Hua had finished recording and put away the array diagram did everyone set off, rushing through the night to reach Diancang City.
To avoid any complications, they first went to the Dao Court to hand over Bald Eagle's corpse and briefly explained the sequence of events.
Of course, they only gave a rough description of how they had killed Bald Eagle and the related techniques and array details, as matters concerning a cultivator's techniques and inheritance were not something the Dao Court would inquire about in detail.
After that, it was up to the Dao Court to handle the rest.
They would have to inventory the loot, calculate the merit, and convict Bald Eagle posthumously.
Additionally, although Bald Eagle was dead and his body delivered to the Dao Court, he had a few criminal cultivators under his command who were also wanted and had records with the Dao Court.
These criminal cultivators had died on Diancang Mountain.
The Dao Court would need to send someone to collect their bodies, match them to the wanted list, close the cases, and also calculate the corresponding merit.
These matters were for the Dao Court to handle.
As for Mo Hua and the others, their task was now complete.
After wrapping up this matter, everyone went to an inn in Diancang City to rest for the night, planning to return to the Tai Xu Sect the next morning.
Even though they had been traveling all day, Mo Hua still spent the evening practicing arrays on the Dao Monument.
He practiced ordinary arrays to enhance his spiritual sense.
As for the Four Symbols Array, to avoid any mishaps, Mo Hua intended to study it carefully after returning to the sect.
After all, Elder Xun would be there to help if anything went wrong.
The next day, everyone was in high spirits and decided to stay for half a day to relax.
Mo Hua also felt that this was a rare opportunity, so he tagged along with his senior brothers and sisters, enjoying the treats and sights of Diancang City for half a day and buying some novel items.
In the afternoon, they were ready to set off on their return journey to the sect.
Before leaving, Murong Caiyin and Ouyang Feng went to the Dao Court one more time to handle some paperwork and provide additional details about their mission.
When they returned, Murong Caiyin was carrying a storage bag with the seal of the Dao Court on it.
Murong Caiyin opened the storage bag, "These are the items returned by the Dao Court..."
"...belonging to Bald Eagle and his criminal cultivators. But they aren't very useful, so they couldn't be exchanged for merit points, and the Dao Court returned them to us..."
"Feel free to take whatever you want..."
Murong Caiyin took out the items one by one: some ordinary pills, some damaged spiritual tools, and some paintings...
Indeed, none of them were particularly valuable.
Suddenly, Mo Hua's sharp eyes spotted a token.
He asked, "Senior Sister Murong, what is this token?"
Murong Caiyin took a look and hesitated, "This seems to be... a messenger token..."
"Messenger token?"
Murong Caiyin nodded, "It's a token used by cultivators to send messages and documents to each other. It's similar to our sect's token, but its function is much simpler..."
Mo Hua was puzzled, "Was this also found on Bald Eagle and his men? Why didn't I see it before..."
Murong Caiyin smiled, "When it comes to searching, the Dao Court has far more experience. They have some methods that only they know, so it's normal that we didn't find everything..."
Mo Hua nodded, then asked, "So, is there any important information in this messenger token?"
Murong Caiyin used her spiritual sense to examine it briefly and shook her head, "It seems to be an ordinary messenger token, nothing special. Moreover, the text inside has been erased..."
Mo Hua was surprised, "Erased?"
Murong Caiyin nodded, "Now it's blank inside, with nothing at all..."
"I'm not sure if the message was erased by Bald Eagle before his death or by the Dao Court..."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he asked eagerly, "Senior Sister, can I play with this token?"
...I didn't intend to end the chapter here...
...but I've written so much that I can't continue, so I'll stop here for now... (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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