Chapter 632: Huo Fo Tu
Chapter 632: Huo Fo Tu
In the late Qi Refining stage, Huo Fo Tu, wanted by the Daoting Court for practicing the fire-attribute "forbidden art" and having committed countless murders!
Mo Hua's heart sank.
After some thought, he knew he couldn't win this fight. He was only at the early Qi Refining stage, while Huo Fo Tu was at the late stage; both were at the same cultivation stage, but the gap between their cultivation levels was immense.
Using an array was also out of the question.
Such an evil and murderous man would undoubtedly be cunning and highly vigilant.
Attempting to set up an array to kill him in broad daylight would likely be as futile as stealing a bell to cover one's own thievery—it wouldn't escape his spiritual sense.
Moreover, he had three accomplices.
Two burly men—one with rough palms and the other with a face full of flesh—and a thin, tall cultivator.
To be able to follow Huo Fo Tu, their cultivation levels were at least mid-Qi Refining stage, and there was a possibility that they, too, had reached the late Qi Refining stage.
Undoubtedly, they were all guilty cultivators, wicked and ruthless in their ways.
Mo Hua instantly assessed that this group of villains was beyond his current capabilities.
Especially under these circumstances, where he was unprepared and had stumbled upon them by chance…
"Preserving my life is the top priority!"
Mo Hua silently retracted his gaze, maintaining a calm expression as he continued slurping his noodles, head lowered.
However, he secretly quickened his pace, his cheeks puffing out as he noisily slurped up the remaining noodles and soup.
Mo Hua took out two spirit stones and placed them on the table. He tried to keep his voice steady as he said, "Boss, I'll pay the bill now."
The shop owner smiled and said, "Take your time, young master."
Mo Hua nodded and stood up to leave.
But just as he took his first step, he heard a deep, amicable voice say, "Young master…"
Mo Hua's heart tightened as he felt a powerful spiritual sense lock onto him.
Eighteen-pattern peak spiritual sense! Mo Hua couldn't help but feign a clueless expression and turned his head.
He saw the tall and stout man with a kind face, who had been silent the entire time, staring intently at him.
The man's expression was calm, and his voice was gentle, but his eyes held a profound gaze as he asked, "Do... you know me?"
Mo Hua remained composed, a puzzled look on his face. "Uncle, who are you?"
The man's eyes narrowed slightly, and a hint of displeasure flashed across his face, though he was also somewhat perplexed...
Logically, no one should have been able to recognize him...
Anyone who had ever seen his face, regardless of age or gender, he had killed and burned to ashes, leaving no survivors.
Those he couldn't kill were high-ranking members of the Daoting Court or experienced Dian Shi.
Their cultivation levels were at least in the Golden Core stage or higher.
This young boy, with his innocent appearance, didn't seem to be someone who knew him, much less recognize him.
There was no reason for the boy to be able to identify him.
The man furrowed his brows slightly.
But just now, he had indeed sensed a faint trace of spiritual sense probing him.
Although it was faint and fleeting, and the technique used to probe was skillful and brief, like a dragonfly skimming the surface of the water, it didn't escape his notice.
However, when he tried to trace it back, there was no trace, and the only unusual presence he could detect was from the nearby child eating noodles.
The man's gaze deepened.
That probing spiritual sense was profound, and by all accounts, it shouldn't have belonged to such a young cultivator.
Nor should a young cultivator like this be capable of such an adept spiritual sense probing technique.
But his intuition, honed over years of life-and-death battles, told him...
There was something amiss with this child.
Especially when the child glanced at him and then noticeably quickened his pace in eating the noodles before standing up to leave.
This behavior was highly unusual.
It was as if...
The child had recognized him, knew his identity, and was now trying to slip away to avoid any potential danger...
The man's expression remained gentle, but his eyes grew increasingly profound.
In that moment, Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat.
This man, who might be Huo Fo Tu, was suspicious of him! His vigilance and distrust were too high...
He had to come up with a way to deceive him...
Mo Hua's expression remained unchanged, but his mind raced.
One of the burly men looked at Mo Hua, confused. "Boss, is there a problem with this kid?"
The other two also whispered, "Really?"
"Can't tell..."
"He's too young..."
"A sect disciple?"
"Why is he here alone?"
Mo Hua wasn't wearing the Daoist robe of Tai Xu Men, so they were unaware of his background.
The leading man furrowed his brows in thought, remaining silent.
One of the burly men then turned to Mo Hua and asked, "Kid, who are you? What's your name and which sect are you from? What are you doing here alone?"
He then sneered, "And don't tell me you came to this mountain just to eat a bowl of noodles..."
Mo Hua's face showed a mix of tension and "fear," and he put on an act of "bravado." "I don't know who you are, so why should I tell you anything?"
The burly man scoffed, "Kid, don't be ignorant."
The other three also stood up slowly, their eyes narrowing at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua took two steps back, feigning "fear."
A cultivator nearby stepped forward and reprimanded the group, "What kind of ability is it to bully a child? Are you proud of that?"
Seeing someone meddling in his business, the burly man's face darkened, and he flashed forward, appearing in front of the other cultivator. His fist, wrapped in grayish spiritual energy, lashed out.
This punch was powerful and carried a formidable momentum.
"Late Qi Refining stage!"
The cultivator's eyes widened in shock as he hastily crossed his arms to block the punch, but he was still sent flying back a dozen feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
The burly man took a big step forward and reached for the storage bag at his waist, seemingly intending to draw his sword and kill the meddlesome cultivator.
The leading man's eyes turned cold.
Feeling the chill in the air, the burly man broke out in a cold sweat and recalled that he shouldn't cause any unnecessary trouble. He withdrew his hand and sneered at the other cultivator, "Scram!"
Knowing he was no match for them, the cultivator left angrily.
Seeing the situation turn for the worse, the other tea patrons quickly dispersed.
The shop owner worriedly glanced at Mo Hua, sighed, and then retreated to a safe distance, feeling helpless.
Mo Hua's face was tense as he asked timidly, "Are you... bad people?"
The burly man licked his lips and smiled sinisterly, "You tell me?"
The other burly man and the gloomy thin man also smiled playfully.
"You know, this kid has smooth skin, red lips, and white teeth. He's quite a looker..."
Just then, the leading man's eyes narrowed, and he said indifferently, "Little cultivator, cut the act. You're not afraid of us."
As soon as these words were spoken, the three burly men froze, their expressions filled with astonishment.
Mo Hua's pretended fear vanished, and he asked curiously, "Was my acting that bad?"
The leading man frowned.
The two burly men felt mocked and couldn't hold back their anger.
The gloomy thin man's expression turned even gloomier.
The burly man who had been silent until now, coldly smiled, "Well, well. A slippery little devil. I've been in this business for a long time, yet today I misjudged..."
"You're quite bold, kid."
"Tell us, did you recognize us when we arrived?"
Mo Hua shook his head and honestly replied, "I don't know you."
He only guessed that the leading man might be the infamous Huo Fo Tu, but he truly didn't know the identities of the other three.
The leading man's eyes narrowed as he stared at Mo Hua, deep in thought.
Mo Hua's expression seemed genuine, as if he truly didn't recognize them.
At that moment, the gloomy thin man coldly smiled, "Old Five, stop wasting time. Just grab this kid. If he needs to be killed, kill him. If he can be sold, sell him. Or we can keep him as a plaything..."
The burly man snorted, "You insidious bastard, if you want to capture him, do it yourself."
Old Five?
Insidious bastard?
The words 'Old Five' and 'insidious' triggered Mo Hua's memory.
On the list, the name associated with 'Old Five' was 'Blood Woodcutter'.
And the one with 'insidious' was 'Yin Leizi'.
As for the other burly man...
Mo Hua's peripheral vision caught a glimpse of his face full of fleshy folds, and when he was angry, his expression was hideous like a demon. Immediately, Mo Hua recalled his name:
"Ghost-Faced Devil"!
Huo Fo Tu, Blood Woodcutter, Yin Leizi, Ghost-Faced Devil!
These four people were indeed on Elder Jiang's list, and they were all wanted cultivators with countless crimes!
Mo Hua's expression showed a moment of realization, and his eyes reflected his newfound understanding.
However, this fleeting moment of clarity in Mo Hua's expression didn't escape Huo Fo Tu's sharp gaze.
Huo Fo Tu's eyes turned sharp, and he found it hard to believe what he was sensing.
Recognized by this kid...
All of us recognized?!
Who is this kid?! Huo Fo Tu thought. Their identities were well-concealed, and they rarely contacted each other. Even if a Dian Shi from the Daoting Court were here, they might not be able to identify all four of them.
This kid...
How could he possibly recognize all of us from just a brief encounter, a few exchanged words? Who is he?!
Huo Fo Tu's expression turned cold, his initially gentle demeanor vanishing.
Some connections were best kept hidden.
Now that things had come to this, they couldn't let this kid live.
"Old Five," Huo Fo Tu said in an unquestionable tone, his voice icy, "Kill this kid!"
Old Five was taken aback.
But when Mo Hua heard the word "kill," his expression turned alert, and he quickly slipped away, leaving only a faint water shadow in his place.
Old Five was furious, "You little brat!"
He drew a long, curved-bladed hatchet with bloodstains from his storage bag and swung it, sending a bloody light toward Mo Hua's waist.
However, Mo Hua's movements were like flowing water, his form ghostly, and he easily dodged the attack.
Old Five swung his hatchet again.
Mo Hua dodged again.
It was like drawing a knife through water, yet the water kept flowing.
No matter how many times Old Five attacked, he couldn't land a hit on Mo Hua.
Huo Fo Tu remained seated, his eyes thoughtful. He didn't make a move.
The other two also watched the spectacle, amused. Seeing Old Five and Mo Hua's back-and-forth, they taunted, "Old Five, what's wrong with you?"
"Can't handle a little kid?"
"What have you been cultivating all these years? Dog shit?"
...
Old Five grew angrier, his attacks becoming more urgent.
Mo Hua pretended to be drenched in "cold sweat," his movements frantic as he dodged left and right, appearing flustered. But each time, he managed to narrowly avoid Old Five's hatchet by just the right amount.
Huo Fo Tu was surprised.
"Ghost-Faced Devil" and "Yin Leizi" also looked grim.
"This kid's movements are quite something..."
Although Old Five had only recently broken through, he was also at the late Foundation Establishment stage. Yet, he couldn't take down this kid in a short time.
It was partly because Old Five focused mainly on killing techniques and lacked agility.
But more importantly, this kid's agility was truly exceptional.
Huo Fo Tu signaled with his eyes.
Ghost-Faced Devil and Yin Leizi nodded, their bodies moving like the wind as they pounced forward like evil wolves, surrounding Mo Hua from different angles.
With three people chasing him, Mo Hua's expression became flustered as he frantically dodged and weaved, appearing even more overwhelmed.
Yin Leizi and the other two coldly smiled, feeling triumphant. They were sure that within ten exchanges, they would capture this kid.
However, after only three exchanges, Mo Hua cunningly smiled, took advantage of an opportunity, and quickly flicked his fingers, sending three fireballs toward the trio's faces.
This attack was as swift as lightning.
The three men were caught off guard and couldn't react in time, their faces getting scorched by the fireballs.
The injury wasn't severe, but their faces were charred and blackened, ruining their encirclement. They were furious.
In that instant, Mo Hua's movements became even faster.
He flowed like water, escaping their encirclement and rushing toward the nearby small forest.
Yin Leizi and the other two finally realized what was happening and cursed inwardly, "You cunning little brat!"
Such a fast fireball technique!
And even faster movements!
This kid was still so relaxed and in control despite their three-person encirclement, and he even had a trick up his sleeve!
It was an utter humiliation for the three men!
Ignoring the charred marks on their faces, they continued the pursuit.
Mo Hua kept running, and with the forest just ahead, he was almost certain he could escape. But suddenly, a tall figure blocked his path.
Huo Fo Tu!
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed as he was forced to stop.
The three pursuers, their anger still simmering, caught up and stood beside Huo Fo Tu, blocking Mo Hua's path.
They taunted him, their eyes filled with mockery.
"Little cultivator, you want to run again?"
Mo Hua ignored them and focused on the unmoving Huo Fo Tu, deep in thought. He then flicked his fingers, sending three fireballs straight at Huo Fo Tu.
He wanted to test Huo Fo Tu's strength.
What surprised Mo Hua was that Huo Fo Tu neither dodged nor evaded. He stood there, unmoving, as if swallowing the three fireballs.
The fireballs hit Huo Fo Tu, but instead of causing an explosion, they were absorbed and neutralized without a trace.
Mo Hua was shocked.
What just happened?
Huo Fo Tu's expression remained unchanged, and he said indifferently:
"Your fireball technique is mediocre. Let me teach you something..."
Huo Fo Tu spread his arms, his body shimmering with fiery energy, his eyes bloodshot like a fiery sea.
What a formidable aura! Mo Hua's eyebrows furrowed as he released his spiritual sense to perceive Huo Fo Tu's aura, only to discover that Huo Fo Tu's chest seemed to be burning with two fiery orbs.
These orbs were intensely blazing, like two hearts, sharing the same origin, embedded within Huo Fo Tu's body, containing immense fiery spiritual power.
Was this... the characteristic of the forbidden fire technique?
To violate the taboo, to "plant" two fireballs within one's body, using them as hearts to unleash spells?
Was this the true pinnacle of fire-based techniques?
Yin Leizi and the other two sneered, seemingly mocking Mo Hua for his audacity in attempting to display his fireball technique before Huo Fo Tu.
Mo Hua, feeling challenged, looked at Huo Fo Tu with a serious expression and said:
"My fireball technique is not limited to that!"
Huo Fo Tu was slightly taken aback, then a smile of interest appeared on his face. "Oh? Let me see, then..."
He was intrigued.
"Big brother, shouldn't we..." One of the burly men, still seething with anger, wanted to capture Mo Hua first to avoid any further trouble.
Huo Fo Tu's eyes turned icy as he glared at the man, causing him to feel a sense of fear. He swallowed his words and dared not speak further.
Huo Fo Tu turned his attention back to Mo Hua, his expression softening. "Go ahead, show me..."
"Okay!"
Mo Hua's eyes shone with determination and battle intent, along with a hint of fearlessness in the face of death.
"This technique, I will only use once in my life..." Mo Hua said in a low voice.
These words made Huo Fo Tu's expression turn solemn.
Then he saw Mo Hua begin to make intricate, complex, and even bizarre hand seals...
Mo Hua, with a serious expression, performed these hand seals for quite some time, pretending that he was about to unleash a powerful move, creating an atmosphere of anticipation.
Indeed, he could only use this technique once in his life.
Because these hand seals were all improvised on the spot...
He couldn't guarantee that he could replicate them exactly the same way again...
But Huo Fo Tu didn't know that.
He couldn't fathom Mo Hua's true abilities, nor did he understand what Mo Hua was doing. He relied on his instincts as a cultivator, and the unknown was always the most dangerous.
After Mo Hua finished the intricate hand seals, he let out a loud shout, and in his left and right hands, a fireball appeared.
This move truly shocked Huo Fo Tu.
"Dual spellcasting?!"
Yin Leizi and the others didn't understand, but Huo Fo Tu, with his profound knowledge of techniques, knew that this seemingly simple move had an extremely complex principle and was of immeasurable difficulty.
This kid... was he for real?!
Huo Fo Tu, always cautious, instinctively mobilized his spiritual power, creating a fiery barrier in front of him.
Mo Hua pushed his spiritual sense to the limit, controlling the two fireballs, distorting and deforming them. Then, with a quick motion of his hands, he made the two fireballs collide with each other.
This move made Huo Fo Tu's heart skip a beat.
He waved his hands, creating a fiery shield in front of him, intending to block Mo Hua's attack.
However, contrary to his expectations, there was no surge of spiritual power, no violent explosion, and no bizarre technique.
Mo Hua's two fireballs didn't collide with each other. Instead, they veered off their paths and flew forward, exploding on the ground, sending rocks and dust flying.
For a moment, Huo Fo Tu and the others were stunned.
They couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
After a few breaths, when the smoke and dust cleared, they realized that Mo Hua...
had escaped again!
Huo Fo Tu's expression turned extremely ugly.
He had been played!
What powerful fireball technique? It was all nonsense!
In all his years in Qianzhou, committing countless crimes and killing so many people, no one had ever dared to toy with him like this!
This brat, still wet behind the ears, was fearless!
A glint of killing intent flashed in Huo Fo Tu's eyes, and he said coldly, "You want to run? Let's see how you plan to do that."
The four of them moved swiftly like the wind, chasing after Mo Hua relentlessly until they reached a forested area. They searched the surroundings, but Mo Hua had vanished without a trace, like smoke in the wind.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
