Chapter 637: Sinful Transformation
Chapter 637: Sinful Transformation
Mo Hua's pupils contracted slightly.
This was... the scene of the Xie family's annihilation?
Was it the lingering soul memories of the Xie family cultivators who had been slaughtered, burned, and died in agony, leaving their imprints on this land? Was it the lingering will of their shattered souls?
In broad daylight, a sea of fire blazed before his eyes.
Mo Hua gritted his teeth and focused, forcing himself to witness this cruel "butchery" to its end...
He wanted to know what had truly happened to the Xie family...
The slaughter, a fusion of blood and fire, continued unabated.
The sinful cultivators, resembling demons, cackled as they wielded their butcher knives, slaughtering the Xie family cultivators like pigs and cows, chopping them into pieces.
After the Xie family cultivators were killed, their corpses were gathered together...
But in the darkness, something seemed to stir.
The subsequent scene suddenly became blurred.
The color of blood intensified, and the sea of fire spread, obscuring everything before him.
The cries and wails in his ears were also torn apart, becoming intermittent.
It seemed that what followed was forbidden, hidden from his eyes. Something had obscured the cause and effect, preventing Mo Hua from witnessing what transpired after the massacre.
Mo Hua frowned, his pupils turning pitch-black as he employed his Divine Calculation Art, a technique that allowed him to peer into the secrets of fate and continue his observation.
Perhaps sensing Mo Hua's prying eyes, the sea of fire surged violently, its blood-red flames billowing with the wind, enveloping both the murderers and the slain, blocking Mo Hua's line of sight.
Undeterred, Mo Hua persisted in his observation.
The sea of fire began to boil violently.
The flickering flames spread like snakes, baring their fangs and claws at Mo Hua in a seemingly threatening display.
However, they did not dare to offend him directly.
And Mo Hua, for his part, lacked the ability to "see through" this sea of fire.
Mo Hua sighed, acknowledging the power concealing the cause and effect; it was simply too formidable for his current level of mastery over the Divine Calculation Art.
Thus, his vision was unable to penetrate the veil of fire and uncover the true cause and effect.
His "Divine Calculation Art" was based on his master's teachings, something he had stumbled upon through his own blind groping.
While he could manage to calculate the workings of formations, calculating the secrets of fate was far more challenging, and his abilities fell short.
After all, his master had never formally taught him the true Divine Calculation Art.
Or perhaps, there hadn't been enough time...
A gentle and indulgent face once again surfaced in his mind, causing a twinge of pain in Mo Hua's heart.
Soon, the sea of fire receded.
Mo Hua's vision cleared a little.
He noticed that the sinister sinful cultivators, including Huo Fo Tu, had vanished.
The cultivators of the Xie family had also disappeared without a trace, as if they had been completely "vaporized," body and soul.
Mo Hua furrowed his brows in confusion.
Just then, Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat.
The cause and effect seemed to be momentarily askew.
A strand of sinful transformation suddenly emerged, and the scene changed abruptly.
On the ground, eerie shadows overlapped once more. The mutilated corpses of the Xie family cultivators who had been slaughtered piled up, one after another, numbering in the hundreds.
They resembled firewood reduced to ashes after being burned.
They looked like slaughtered livestock, drained of their blood.
It seemed as though everything had been squeezed out of them.
Discarded carelessly, no one paid them any heed.
Soon, the atmosphere of sinful transformation intensified, and a distorted aura began to ripple outward...
These remnants of the Xie family began to stir, filled with resentment. They twisted and contorted grotesquely before rising to their feet in a bizarre manner.
At the same time, their limbs started to transform.
What were once human "arms and legs" gradually morphed into the forelegs of a cow and the hooves of a horse, resembling non-human "beasts"...
And they, too, had become a sinful and aberrant form of life.
They had already "died," yet they persisted in this "sinful" state.
They were no longer human but rather resembled "man-eaters"...
"Demons?!"
Mo Hua's heart trembled with shock.
The misshapen demons that had lusted after Yu Er, causing her to be plagued by nightmares, resurfaced in his mind...
Mo Hua examined them carefully, silently comparing them in his mind before his eyes narrowed.
"No..."
They seemed similar, and yet they were not the same.
The demons in Yu Er's nightmares were the minions of the evil spirits, embodiments of corrupt thoughts.
Their very existence was a form of "thought entity."
However, the transformation of the Xie family cultivators into beast-like creatures seemed more akin to a heavenly anomaly, a perversion of cause and effect.
It was more like...
"Sinful Transformation of the Dao?!" Mo Hua's heart turned cold, and his gaze grew heavy.
He could sense that...
Even though the signs of sinful transformation were faint and the scale minuscule, what lay before him was undeniably a portent of the "Sinful Transformation of the Great Dao."
As Mo Hua stood there, deep in thought, the half-human, half-beast "demons" resulting from the sinful transformation suddenly turned their blood-red eyes toward him.
Having died with resentment in their hearts, they sought to devour someone to assuage their hatred.
And Mo Hua was the only "human" present in this causal layer.
These "demons," twisted and contorted, struggled to their feet and, one after the other, fixed their murderous gazes upon Mo Hua.
Mo Hua remained standing in his original spot, his expression calm.
In an instant, killing intent surged.
The "demons" howled and roared, using both their human hands and beastly limbs, their blood-filled mouths gaping wide as they charged toward Mo Hua.
Mo Hua watched them silently, his eyes filled with a trace of pity.
At the same time, behind Mo Hua, a sea of blood rose.
A mountain of corpses suddenly appeared.
As far as the eye could see, there were hideous walking corpses made of iron.
A towering and majestic Corpse King, transformed by sinful forces, stood amidst the countless corpses, his eyes blood-red and his aura terrifying. He reigned over the countless corpses beneath him.
The inhuman, sinful demons that sought to devour Mo Hua faltered and stopped in their tracks.
The Corpse King's gaze was cold and indifferent.
To him, these demons, exhibiting only a slight trace of sinful transformation and numbering merely in the hundreds, were nothing more than insignificant ants.
After a moment, the Corpse King roared toward the heavens.
The countless corpses seethed, and the hundreds of demons were filled with terror.
Then, the sky was stained with blood. The endless mountain ranges of corpses charged downward, like a raging flood, and in just one clash, they utterly swept away, tore apart, and annihilated these "sinfully transformed" demons.
This slight portent of sinful transformation within the Xie family was completely eradicated.
The aura of sin grew heavier and more oppressive.
Under the obscuring blood-red sea, the Corpse King's presence became increasingly savage and unrestrained.
Its hideous eyes reddened further, hinting at a desire to break free from its restraints and continue its descent into sin.
Just then, a crisp and unquestionable command rang out.
"Retreat!"
The restless mountain of corpses immediately fell silent.
The zombies bowed their heads, not daring to make a sound.
The Corpse King's scarlet eyes, filled with bone-chilling killing intent and savage ferocity, fixed on Mo Hua, his nominal "master," as if longing to tear him to shreds.
Mo Hua's gaze remained indifferent, locked with the Corpse King's.
This look, clear and serene, also carried the indisputable authority of a "superior" being.
The unspoken message in his eyes seemed to say, "Don't make me repeat myself."
The Corpse King, meeting Mo Hua's unwavering gaze, erupted in rage.
It was about to rebel, but the imprint deep within its body suddenly flared with pain, and the pale blue spirit pivot array, like the laws of the Great Dao and the chains of causality, bound it tightly.
Fearful, the Corpse King could only relent.
Though its eyes still gleamed with ferocity and defiance, its body honestly "submitted."
The sea of blood receded, the zombies returned to their lair, and the mountain of corpses gradually faded from view.
Only the Corpse King, before vanishing, shot one last piercing and menacing glance at Mo Hua...
As if to say, "I will be back..."
Thus, the mountain of corpses and the sea of blood completely withdrew, and the karma of sin dissipated.
The trace of sinful transformation within the Xie family was eradicated.
The raging inferno gradually died down...
Mo Hua felt his vision blur once more. As the redness of fire and blood faded, it was replaced by the glaring daylight, causing him to squint and feel disoriented.
...
"Mo Hua?"
"Mo Hua!"
A hurried voice called out.
Mo Hua blinked, slowly opening his eyes to find himself lying next to Gu Chang Huai.
Gu Chang Huai, with a furrowed brow, had been repeatedly calling his name.
Seeing Mo Hua awake, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
If anything had happened to this child, he wouldn't have been able to explain it to his cousin or Yu Er.
However, he soon became filled with doubts again.
The scene he had just witnessed was still vivid in his mind.
As soon as Mo Hua had entered the annihilated Xie residence, his expression had changed, his face had paled, and then he had lost focus, passing out.
It seemed like... he had seen something he shouldn't have...
And even more bizarrely, after Mo Hua fainted, the atmosphere of the Xie residence had turned eerie and oppressive.
It was as if something terrifying was undergoing a sinister transformation...
Evil was burgeoning.
Under the clear blue sky, a bone-chilling coldness permeated the air.
Even Gu Chang Huai, at the Golden Core stage, felt chest tightness and a sense of foreboding.
But when Mo Hua opened his eyes, everything returned to normal...
Gu Chang Huai looked at Mo Hua, his expression grave, and asked, "What exactly happened?"
Mo Hua rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up, his mind racing through the cause and effect of what had transpired.
Fire... The Xie family... Massacre...
The enigmatic puzzle veiled by the sea of fire...
Signs of the Great Dao's sinful transformation...
These were things he probably shouldn't mention.
Speaking about them would likely bring him a lot of trouble.
Especially the matter of "sinful transformation," which was a taboo of the Path Court...
Mo Hua thought for a moment before replying, "I've been studying array formations too diligently and have been drawing them excessively, resulting in overexertion of my spiritual sense. That's why I occasionally faint, but I'll be fine after a while."
Gu Chang Huai knew that Mo Hua was making up an excuse.
Mo Hua had been lively and energetic just a moment ago, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. It didn't make sense for him to suddenly overexert his spiritual sense and faint.
This kid must be hiding something he didn't want to reveal...
Gu Chang Huai gave Mo Hua a deep look and asked, "Do you still want to investigate this place?"
Mo Hua nodded, "Yes."
Gu Chang Huai nodded in response, not saying anything further. Instead, he spent an hour accompanying Mo Hua as they circled the devastated and charred remains of the Xie residence.
The entire Xie residence had been reduced to ashes.
Everything had turned into cinders.
After searching the entire area, Mo Hua didn't find anything unusual.
He occasionally stumbled upon clues, but Gu Chang Huai was already aware of them.
With his profound cultivation, extensive experience, keen observation skills, and his intuition as a Dianshi, Gu Chang Huai was highly adept at investigations.
Apart from some "incomprehensible" and unpredictable matters related to the mysteries of causality, anything Mo Hua could discover, Gu Chang Huai had likely already noticed.
There were also things that Mo Hua couldn't detect, but Gu Chang Huai could.
When it came to investigations and solving cases, Gu Chang Huai was indeed an expert.
Mo Hua followed Gu Chang Huai as they thoroughly examined the Xie residence, exploring every corner.
Fire Buddha and his group had been thorough in their work.
From the people to the buildings, the Xie residence had been turned into a scorched wasteland, leaving behind minimal traces.
Aside from the scene Mo Hua had witnessed within the sea of fire, there didn't seem to be any other clues.
Mo Hua felt a sense of disappointment.
Gu Chang Huai noticed Mo Hua's dejected expression and wasn't surprised.
The Path Court had searched the Xie residence inside and out multiple times, and if there had been anything, it would have been discovered long ago.
It was unlikely that they were waiting for Mo Hua to uncover something new.
"Let's go back..."
Gu Chang Huai said calmly.
He wanted to take Mo Hua back to the Gu family residence and hand him over to his cousin safely. That way, he could also avoid any potential complications that might arise from wandering around with this kid.
Like what had just happened...
"Okay," Mo Hua nodded.
Since he hadn't found anything, it was best to return.
However, as he turned to leave, Mo Hua paused, his eyes falling back on the ruins of the Xie residence, his brow furrowing slightly.
Gu Chang Huai, taken aback, asked, "What's wrong?"
"Can I take a look?" Mo Hua asked.
Gu Chang Huai's gaze turned slightly solemn. "What are you planning to do?"
"I want to find a place..." Mo Hua explained.
"Find a place?" Gu Chang Huai furrowed his brows, pondering for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Gu Chang Huai found a relatively clean spot and took out a set of blueprints from his storage bag, spreading them out on the ground. "This is the architectural plan of the Xie family mansion..."
The blueprints detailed the terrain, buildings, and the array formations used in the Xie family's estate.
Mo Hua was quite familiar with such diagrams.
He carefully studied the blueprints, searching intently for something...
In the scene that had appeared amidst the sea of fire, Fire Buddha had gathered the corpses of the slain Xie family cultivators in one place after the slaughter.
However, the crucial moments that followed were obscured by the flames, veiling the cause and effect from Mo Hua's sight.
Although he couldn't see what Fire Buddha had done after the massacre, he vaguely remembered the surroundings.
These surroundings were clearly within the Xie family's estate.
Yet, when he had toured the area earlier, he hadn't come across anything resembling what he remembered.
"There should be a place that I overlooked..." Mo Hua muttered to himself.
He replayed the scene from the sea of fire in his mind, again and again, comparing it to the Xie family's map to find a similar location.
Finally, Mo Hua's eyes lit up.
On the blueprints, there was a secluded pavilion in a corner of the Xie family's backyard. The pavilion had an open courtyard in front of it, surrounded by side rooms and flower pots.
The layout and furnishings of this area matched perfectly with what he remembered.
Mo Hua pointed to the pavilion on the map, "Uncle Gu, let's go take a look over there."
Gu Chang Huai gave Mo Hua a curious glance but nodded slightly.
The two of them followed the map and made their way through the devastated landscape, treading on ashes as they headed towards the pavilion.
The pavilion was in ruins, with charred wooden beams and walls collapsed and blocking the path.
That was why Mo Hua hadn't noticed it earlier.
Gu Chang Huai took out a paper fan and waved it gently, unleashing a surge of spiritual energy that cleared the path.
Mo Hua continued forward and stepped into the courtyard in front of the pavilion.
This place was tucked away in a corner, secluded and hidden.
The pavilion itself had been burned down, and it seemed like the fire had been more intense here, leaving behind fewer remnants.
The courtyard was desolate and charred black, just like the rest of the area.
The two of them searched but found no clues.
Gu Chang Huai turned to look at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua frowned, deep in thought.
"There's no trace at all..."
"That's odd..."
Mo Hua released his spiritual sense, but all he perceived was emptiness. There were only the remnants of fire-based spiritual energy from the ruins, nothing else out of the ordinary.
"Nothing?"
Mo Hua's frown deepened, and then he paused, sniffing the air.
"Uncle Gu, do you smell anything?"
"Smell?" Gu Chang Huai sniffed gently as well, furrowing his brows. "The smell of burning?"
"No..." Mo Hua shook his head, sniffing again. "It's very faint... Crisp, but with a strange undertone. It's almost viscous and moist."
Gu Chang Huai was speechless, "Are you sure that's a smell you're perceiving with your nose and not something you're tasting in your mouth?"
"Something in my mouth...?" Mo Hua was taken aback, then his eyes widened in realization.
"That's it!"
The taste of golden marrow?
Sheep Horn Enforcer... Divine Marrow of the Mind!
The aura of the Evil God?!
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he lifted his nose to sniff again, following the faint trace of that divine aura to a corner of the courtyard.
He sniffed once more and then started digging through the corner, eventually pulling out a pile of charred remnants.
Gu Chang Huai stepped forward to examine the remnants, sniffing at them and even using his spiritual sense to inspect them. Finally, he shook his head in disappointment, "Just ordinary remnants. Nothing special."
"I wonder what these remnants used to be..." Mo Hua shook his head, his expression grave. "This is not ordinary!"
He had detected the scent of the "Evil God" on these remnants.
However, he had no idea what these blackened remnants originally were.
He couldn't identify them.
But he was certain that these remnants were not ordinary.
They were the truth hidden by the flames, remnants left behind by some unknown entity that had obscured the cause and effect.
There was a high possibility that they held an astonishing secret.
Seeing the usually mischievous Mo Hua with a rare look of gravity, Gu Chang Huai also grew serious.
He took out a storage bag and carefully divided the remnants into two portions, sealing them away.
"I'll bring these back and have someone from the Court of Dao examine them to determine what these remnants originally were..."
Were they remnants of a spiritual artifact, a spiritual object, a pill, or perhaps...
Human flesh and blood?
Mo Hua nodded, then asked, "If you find out..."
Gu Chang Huai sighed, "If we find out, I'll let you know."
"Okay."
Mo Hua lifted his head to glance at the annihilated Xie family estate.
The entire family had been wiped out, their bodies destroyed to remove all traces.
The cause and effect had been obscured.
Traces of the sinful transformation.
And...
The aura of the Evil God on those black remnants...
Mo Hua's brows were deeply furrowed.
He had initially thought that this was just a cruel and inhumane act by Fire Buddha and his band of sinful cultivators.
But now, it seemed that there might be something far deeper and more sinister at play.
...
(End of Chapter)
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