Chapter 647: Assassination

Chapter 647: Assassination

The structure of the Demon's Lair was more complex than it appeared from the outside.

The Demon Temple was divided into three parts: the outer hall, the middle hall, and the inner hall.

Mo Hua deduced this based on the orientation of the array hub.

The array hub chamber was located in the middle hall, connecting the outer and inner halls, serving as the central control for the entire Yuan Magnet Array Complex, with the master array hub manipulating all the Yuan Magnet Arrays.

There were quite a few Demon Cultivators and Demon Hounds patrolling between the outer hall and the middle hall, but they rarely approached the array hub chamber.

Apparently, the array hub chamber was also off-limits to the Demon Cultivators.

Usually, with a Demon Array Master proficient in Yuan Magnet Arrays stationed at the hub, there wouldn't be much to worry about.

But now, a rather "extraordinary" junior cultivator, accompanied by three "bodyguards," was here to "slay" that Demon Array Master.

In the middle hall, the patrolling Demon Cultivators and Demon Hounds crisscrossed each other, creating a tight defense. However, during the shift changes, there were always gaps in their formation.

It's not that one fears thieves, but rather that one fears being targeted by them.

Mo Hua concealed himself, hiding to the side and observing for a long time before deducing the pattern of their patrol shifts.

Then, taking advantage of the moment when the patrolling cultivators and hounds were changing shifts, he led Gu Chang Huai and the others from the outer hall to the middle hall.

Walking along the middle hall, they turned right and soon arrived in front of the array hub chamber.

From the outside, this chamber looked like any other ordinary stone room.

However, the entire stone chamber exuded an even more solemn and oppressive atmosphere.

Mo Hua could see the intricate lock arrays carved on the walls from outside the chamber, and he could also sense the surging yet orderly flow of Yuan Magnetism within.

"This is the place..."

Mo Hua lowered his voice as he checked that there was no one around.

Gu Chang Huai glanced at the chamber and asked in a low voice, "How do we get in?"

The chamber was tightly shut, seemingly locked.

Moreover, it was locked with a hidden array pattern.

"I'll unlock it..." Mo Hua whispered.

He crouched down and carefully made his way to the chamber door.

Gu Quan stood guard at the corridor entrance.

Gu Chang Huai drew his short dagger and stood to Mo Hua's right, while Gu An gripped his thousand-catty rod and stood to his left.

The two of them fixed their eyes on the chamber door, ready to rush in and chop down the Demon Array Master if Mo Hua made too much noise and alerted him.

This second-rank high-tier Demon Array Master was a major threat, perhaps even more dangerous than a pre-Golden Core Demon Cultivator.

Golden Core Demon Cultivators only sought to slaughter.

But Demon Array Masters wreaked havoc with their arrays, spreading corruption far and wide.

Therefore, regardless of the outcome, this second-rank high-tier Demon Array Master must die.

Mo Hua worked quietly, carefully unraveling the array pattern.

This lock array utilized a second-rank sixteen-pattern Gold-type lock array, which just barely exceeded Mo Hua's spiritual sense limit.

Perhaps the Demon Array Master had strong spiritual sense but lacked the ability to create sixteen-pattern lock arrays or higher.

Or maybe he thought that a second-rank mid-tier lock array was sufficient.

After all, with him inside the chamber, no one would dare intrude.

This also gave Mo Hua the opportunity he needed...

Mo Hua didn't dare to unravel the entire array at once, fearing that drawing too quickly would create strong spiritual energy fluctuations and alert the Demon Array Master.

So, he drew slowly, pausing frequently to check for any signs of disturbance before continuing.

Gu Chang Huai and Gu An waited patiently.

Finally, after an unknown amount of time, the array pattern on the lock softly buzzed, and the glow of the array dimmed slightly.

Mo Hua stopped and focused his spiritual sense.

Gu Chang Huai and the others also held their breath.

After a while, there was no reaction, indicating that the Demon Array Master inside hadn't noticed anything.

Mo Hua gently pushed the door open a crack and narrowed his eyes to peer inside.

He saw the Demon Array Master lying on a chair, in a state of mania, constantly tearing at his arms and face with his hands, even drawing streaks of blood.

His flesh was embedded in his fingernails.

As the door opened, some low, suppressed muttering, tinged with hysteria, also drifted out...

"I can't see..."

"Why can't I see..."

"My spiritual sense..."

Mo Hua was taken aback, unsure if he was referring to his "spiritual sense" or his "divine sight."

"...can't see the true god's form, can't see the truth of the world, can't see the eternal Dao..."

"Why..."

"I clearly already..."

"Drank its eyeball, soaked in its blood..."

"Why can't my eyes become its eyes?"

"Why do I still see only the filth and ugliness of this world?"

"Why can't I see..."

"The true god is omnipresent, it's right here, I should be able to see it..."

...

The Demon Array Master fell into a delirious rant.

Mo Hua frowned upon hearing his words.

What was this Demon Array Master raving about?

Had he gone mad after his spiritual sense was polluted by drinking the blood wine soaked with the evil eye?

Mo Hua turned to look at Gu Chang Huai.

Gu Chang Huai also furrowed his brows, unsure of what was going on.

As the Chief Clerk of the Court, he had seen many sinful cultivators go mad and lose their sanity due to their corrupted spiritual sense.

But he had rarely encountered such a bizarre and "insane" array master.

After his delirious rant, the Demon Array Master's limbs twitched, and blood flowed from his wounds. Then, he gradually stopped moving, becoming as still as a corpse.

After a moment, he slowly regained his senses.

The torn flesh on his body gradually healed, his skin becoming even paler, and the blood vessels in his eyes becoming more prominent.

"Why...can't I still see..."

"Is it because my faith isn't devout enough, or is my Dao heart not corrupt enough..."

...

Mo Hua scoffed inwardly.

Still thinking about falling further at death's door?

Go ahead and fall in the Yellow Springs.

Mo Hua signaled to Gu Chang Huai.

Gu Chang Huai's gaze sharpened, and Gu An also became fully alert.

Just as the Demon Array Master was recovering from his "manic" state after drinking the blood wine, his spiritual sense still hazy, he was about to look toward the Yuan Magnetism hub.

Suddenly, he felt a chill in his chest.

He looked down and saw the tip of a dagger protruding from his chest.

At the same time, a gust of Wind-type spiritual energy transformed into countless tiny blades, exploding within his chest and shredding the blood, flesh, and meridians around his heart.

He was somewhat incredulous.

Here, in the secluded cave of Bishan, the solitary peak of the Demon's Lair, within the unknown Sacrificial Demon Temple, in the top-secret Yuan Magnetism chamber...

Could it be that someone was assassinating him?!

How was that possible?!

But the knife tip protruding from his chest, the excruciating pain, and the powerful aura emanating from the cultivator behind him all told him that this was an undeniable fact.

And the one assassinating him was a formidable Golden Core cultivator!

"I'm going to kill you!"

The Demon Array Master's heart was filled with terror.

He wanted to shout loudly.

However, a slender, pale hand tightly gripped his throat, silencing him.

The hand exerted a powerful spiritual force, pressing against his throat and preventing him from making any sound.

The Demon Array Master's eyes widened in shock.

In the blink of an eye, he bit the tip of his tongue, stimulating his spiritual sense with the blood to ensure his thoughts remained clear.

At the same time, his eyes turned red, and their appearance became strangely distorted, resembling the eye soaking in the wine jar.

A mysterious blood-colored spiritual force began to spread...

Spiritual Art of the Evil Eye!

But before the blood-colored spiritual force could spread further, a loud "clang" rang out as an iron rod struck him on the head.

Gu An remembered Mo Hua's instructions to strike the Demon Array Master on the head with his rod if he exhibited any unusual behavior with his spiritual sense.

This blow from Gu An, an adept physical cultivator, caused the Demon Array Master's scalp to go numb.

However, the Demon Array Master was not a physical cultivator himself.

His body couldn't withstand such a blow.

Blood flowed from the top of his head, and intense pain washed over him.

The Demon Array Master's spiritual sense faltered.

The blood-colored spiritual art, which he had just unleashed, was abruptly interrupted.

But after a moment, the residual evil thoughts borrowed from the blood-colored eyeball in the wine began to restore his spiritual sense.

He stealthily reached his hand into his sleeve, using an extremely covert method to retrieve his transmission token.

He believed his actions were inconspicuous.

But at that moment, a crisp voice rang out:

"Hand!"

Before the Demon Array Master could react, he felt a sharp pain in his arm.

Gu An's iron rod had shattered his arm, and his transmission token fell to the ground.

Unrelenting, the Demon Array Master reached for his storage bag with his other hand.

That damnable voice rang out again.

"And the other one!"

As the voice fell, Gu An brought down his rod once more, breaking the Demon Array Master's other arm.

The Demon Array Master was both shocked and furious.

He felt that all his actions were anticipated by his assailants.

You motherfcker! The Demon Array Master's heart burned with rage.

Just as he was about to move, he realized his body had gone numb, and he couldn't move at all.

The poison from Gu Chang Huai's dagger tip had already seeped into his bloodstream and was spreading throughout his body along with his blood flow.

Poison?!

They were even using poison?! A Golden Core cultivator assassinating a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and they still resorted to poison?! How despicable and shameless were these people?!

"It's too late..."

The Demon Array Master's heart turned cold, and he made a desperate decision. He bit off his own tongue and swallowed his blood.

His blood was like a demonic wine.

As the blood entered his body, his eyes protruded further, becoming completely distorted and resembling the eyes of a fiend.

At the same time, his spiritual sense surged with power.

With these demonic eyes, the Demon Array Master looked at the Yuan Magnetism hub in the center of the chamber.

He intended to amplify his evil thoughts with the power of the evil eye, instantly communicate with the hub, reactivate the Yuan Magnet Array, and summon all the Demon Cultivators in the Demon Temple to surround and kill these assassins!

"Rod!"

A crisp voice rang out again.

Gu An's expression turned solemn as he brought down his rod once more.

This blow caused blood to gush from the Demon Array Master's head, but it couldn't stop the amplification of his evil thoughts.

His eyes, hideous and misshapen, filled with blood, fixed on the central array plate.

Just as he was about to succeed, a flash of fire caught his peripheral vision.

Two Fireball Techniques were cast in quick succession, one on the left and one on the right, exploding on his face and burning his protruding eyes.

The pain from his scorched eyes was excruciating.

The evil thoughts in his mind began to dissipate.

However, even with his eyes scarred and unable to see, he could still release his spiritual sense.

The Demon Array Master unleashed his bizarre spiritual force to the utmost, attempting to communicate with the Yuan Magnetism hub in the center of the chamber...

Upon seeing this, Mo Hua flashed forward and stood before the array plate, directly facing the Demon Array Master. He unfolded a scroll he had prepared earlier.

On the scroll was a deep abyss-like source pattern.

Five Element Array Flow Chart! As the scroll unfurled, the source pattern seemed to come to life.

Having been hungry and suppressed for a long time, and with the probability of decryption being too low, the source pattern, which had been neglected by Mo Hua for a long time, finally saw the light of day again.

Within the Array Flow Chart, the source pattern began to writhe like the source of a "plague."

The Demon Array Master's spiritual sense was about to communicate with the hub, but it plunged straight into the source pattern on the scroll.

In that instant, his spiritual sense felt incredibly oppressed.

It was as if he had plunged into the tide of a "plague."

The Demon Array Master's heart turned cold, and his spiritual sense sensed something amiss. In the next moment, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

He seemed to "see" a colorful eye slowly opening, its profound pupil coldly staring at him.

"What is this?!"

The Demon Array Master was horrified.

But before he could think further, countless array patterns, like viruses, infiltrated his spiritual sense.

In the blink of an eye, his released spiritual sense was parasitized, infected, divided, and then completely devoured.

There was no turning back!

The Demon Array Master's heart died within him.

This was a meticulously planned assassination!

He had been outmaneuvered at every turn.

All means of counterattacks were snuffed out before they could even begin, leaving him with no chance at all.

Even his spiritual sense-based abilities were completely countered.

"Just who is it?!"

On the brink of death, he wanted to catch a glimpse of who had plotted his demise.

The array master exerted all his strength to turn his head, recalling the crisp and eerie voice that had sounded by his side.

But his eyes, scorched and blurry, could not make out anything clearly.

Gu Chang Huai finally unleashed his spiritual power, squeezing his throat and then using his knife to completely shred his heart meridian.

The malicious array master was dead.

Until his dying breath, he had not seen Mo Hua's face.

And he had no idea who had plotted his death...

These changes occurred one after another, the actions and counteractions unfolding in a matter of just over a dozen breaths.

And just like that, the array master had been assassinated.

The array hub chamber fell silent once more.

Mo Hua went to the door and called in Gu Quan, who had been standing guard outside to prevent any interruptions, before quietly closing the door to the secret chamber.

This way, the Demon Cultivators would not know that the second-rank high-tier Demon Array Master, who was supposed to be stationed in the Yuan Magnet Array hub chamber, was now a corpse.

Gu Chang Huai released his grip on the array master's throat and withdrew the short dagger that had shredded his heart meridian.

The array master's body slumped to the ground like a pile of mud.

Mo Hua also put away the array flow chart.

Seeing this, Gu Chang Huai frowned slightly and asked, "What's with that chart of yours...?"

Without batting an eye, Mo Hua replied, "It's specially used to trick array masters. Uncle Gu, you shouldn't look at it."

Gu Chang Huai was taken aback, feeling both suspicious and curious.

The array master lay on the ground, and on the table was a wine cup containing a bizarre eyeball.

Gu Chang Huai's mind flashed back to the array master's strange behavior earlier.

Mo Hua wanted to secretly put away the eyeball, but before he could finish, Gu Chang Huai had already taken the wine cup away.

"This wine is problematic. You mustn't touch it."

Mo Hua could only watch helplessly as Gu Chang Huai sealed the wine cup, along with the eyeball inside, and stored it away in his bag.

Mo Hua sighed inwardly and quietly reminded him, "Uncle Gu, make sure you keep that thing safe..."

"Don't worry."

After a moment, everything was taken care of, but to be extra cautious, Mo Hua suggested,

"Uncle Gu, why don't you... add a few more stabs?"

"Pierce his sea of consciousness, sea of qi, and heart meridian again..."

"This malicious array master is too cunning. We must make sure he's really dead, so there won't be any more trouble."

Gu Chang Huai hesitated, his gaze towards Mo Hua becoming even more complex.

Gu An and Gu Quan, on the other hand, looked at Mo Hua with admiration.

"As expected of Young Master Mo, so thorough in his actions."

Their usually cold and ruthless young master rarely acted so ruthlessly...

Gu Chang Huai sighed and did as Mo Hua suggested, stabbing the array master's forehead, sea of qi, and heart meridian.

Now, even if he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, there was no way he could survive.

Mo Hua was finally relieved.

He stared at the array master's pitiful death and sighed inwardly.

This array master had strong spiritual sense, insidious thoughts, and formidable means.

It was a good thing he died first.

Mo Hua nodded to himself.

An opponent you couldn't fight against was a true worthy opponent.

As a beast tamer, one should strive for an 'unjust victory'.

This was the constant reminder from his father, Mo Shan, an experienced beast tamer.

He must always keep this lesson in mind and put it into practice!

After a while, the four of them cleaned up the battlefield, and Mo Hua began to examine the array plate in front of him.

The plate was covered in intricate magnetic lines, the pathways crisscrossing in a profound and orderly manner, engraving the core array hub of a complete Yuan Magnet Array Complex.

Mo Hua studied it for a moment and realized he couldn't understand it...

He had never learned about the Yuan Magnet Array, especially not one with over seventeen magnetic lines.

Mo Hua scratched his head and thought for a moment before asking,

"Uncle Gu, where's this array master's storage bag? Let's search it and see if there are any array diagrams inside..."

Gu Chang Huai hesitated.

Since the array master was a Demon Array Master, his storage bag would definitely contain some demonic cultivation techniques or demonic arrays, so Gu Chang Huai had kept it with him.

The items inside were not something Mo Hua should see.

As the Chief Clerk of the Court, Gu Chang Huai was well aware that the more talented an array master was, the deeper their understanding and faster their learning of demonic arrays.

Perhaps just a glance or two would be enough to lead one astray.

Mo Hua understood and said,

"Just let me see the Yuan Magnet Array diagrams..."

Gu Chang Huai thought for a moment and slowly nodded.

Yuan Magnet Arrays should be fine...

He opened the array master's storage bag and rummaged through it, taking out several array books and a large, intricate array diagram.

While Gu Chang Huai couldn't distinguish the Yuan Magnet Array lines, the books and diagram clearly stated 'Yuan Magnet' so they shouldn't be wrong.

"Yuan Magnet Spirit-Sight Array", "Yuan Magnet Spirit-Sight Array Diagram", "Introduction to Yuan Magnet Array Hub Layers"...

Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

These were all good stuff!

And they were more advanced than the Yuan Magnet Arrays he had learned.

This array master's understanding of arrays, especially Yuan Magnet Arrays, was indeed remarkable.

With such proficiency in Yuan Magnet Arrays, his understanding of other arrays, particularly demonic ones, must be equally profound...

It was a good thing he died first!

Otherwise, it would have been troublesome.

"By the way, I wonder what this array master's name was..."

Mo Hua was curious, but then he dismissed the thought.

It didn't matter anyway, since the array master was already dead.

Mo Hua felt relieved and started studying the Yuan Magnet Array books, especially the "Yuan Magnet Spirit-Sight Array Diagram".

As he studied, his brows furrowed.

"Can you understand it?" Gu Chang Huai asked.

Mo Hua shook his head. "This array is an eighteen-pattern one, even more complex than the usual eighteen-pattern arrays..."

"And the Yuan Magnet Array knowledge it involves is also quite unfamiliar to me."

"The Yuan Magnet Spirit-Sight Array is a seventeen-pattern one..."

"And the Yuan Magnet Array Hub Layer Sequence Control is even more advanced..."

Gu Chang Huai listened, feeling bewildered by the complexity.

"Then should we just leave it here?"

"Leaving it unattended could also cause problems..."

Mo Hua pondered for a moment before saying, "Let me try to learn it and see if I can figure it out..."

Gu Chang Huai was taken aback. "You... want to learn it now?"

"Mhm..." Mo Hua's expression was a bit lost.

"Well, you have to learn it now, don't you...?" Gu Chang Huai's expression turned complex.

"But your spiritual sense might not be enough..."

Mo Hua nodded. "I don't need to know how to draw it; I just need to know how to use it."

He pointed to the Yuan Magnet Array hub in front of him. "Someone else has already constructed it. I just need to learn how to control this Yuan Magnet hub, and the requirements for spiritual sense aren't as strict. My current spiritual sense is enough..."

"Oh..." Gu Chang Huai didn't quite understand, but he nodded and said, "Alright, go ahead and try."

Having worked in the Court for so long, he knew that specialized tasks should be left to the specialists.

So, Gu Chang Huai and the others stood guard around Mo Hua as he quietly studied this Yuan Magnet Array, which was clearly a level above the others.

Time was limited, so he couldn't delve too deeply.

Moreover, his spiritual sense had its limits, and these formations were beyond his current capabilities.

He could only try to figure out the underlying principles of the formation first.

He started with the Yuan Magnet Spirit-Sight Array.

The Yuan Magnet Spirit-Sight Single Array was the foundation for constructing the Yuan Magnet Spirit-Sight Formation.

Mo Hua examined the formation patterns, the basic formation hub structure, and the formation diagrams. Based on the fixed magnetic patterns in the Yuan Magnet Spirit-Sight Array, he roughly understood the function of this formation.

It was a "spiritual power surveillance" formation.

He could use magnetic fluctuations to detect the presence of a cultivator's spiritual power.

However, the range was limited, and it was a "spiritual power manifestation," susceptible to interference from various energies between heaven and earth, resulting in blurred images.

Mo Hua understood.

Earlier, in the corridor, the three Demon Cultivators and the Demon Hound had turned back because the nearby Yuan Magnet Spirit-Sight Array had likely detected their spiritual power traces.

But the evil formation master was unsure, so he sent those three and the hound back to investigate.

Understanding the principles of the formation made things much easier.

As for the specific formation, he couldn't learn it yet, but he could leave it for later.

Mo Hua secretly tucked the formation book into his storage bag.

Next was the Yuan Magnet Spirit-Sight Formation.

Having understood the principles of the single array, it was easier to understand the overall Yuan Magnet Spirit-Sight Formation, and some of the intricacies became clearer.

This Yuan Magnet Spirit-Sight Formation was a comprehensive defense system for the Demon Lair, integrating surveillance, monitoring, and communication.

The Yuan Magnet defense wasn't meant to stop cultivator attacks but to prevent the leakage of secrets.

Through this Yuan Magnet Spirit-Sight Formation, all the Demon Cultivators in the Demon Temple could be unified and coordinated as one.

Thus, the entire Demon Lair became impenetrable and "impregnable."

It was a pity, though. What was a strength could also be a weakness.

The formation was a shield for the Demon Temple, but in Mo Hua's eyes, it was also its biggest weakness.

Mo Hua immersed himself in studying the Yuan Magnet Formation...

Gu Chang Huai quietly watched from the side.

He saw Mo Hua lowering his head, engrossed in the formation, his brows furrowing and relaxing, occasionally deep in thought, sometimes muttering to himself, or using his hand to sketch something on the ground...

It was as if, in his world, nothing else existed besides formations.

Gu Chang Huai sighed inwardly.

In such a dangerous place, he could still focus so intently on formations, his mind unwavering.

No wonder, despite his young age, he had such a profound understanding of formations...

After an unknown amount of time, Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

Gu Chang Huai's eyes narrowed, and he asked, "Have you figured out the formation hub...?"

"A little." Mo Hua replied.

Then, he stood up and, with quick eyes and hands, snatched all the Yuan Magnet formation books and diagrams, stuffing them into his storage bag before Gu Chang Huai could react.

Jackpot!

Seventeen-pattern and above Yuan Magnet Formations, as well as the Yuan Magnet Complex Formation.

If he wanted to buy these in a sect, he didn't know how much merit he would need to spend.

Just thinking about it made his heart ache.

Then, Mo Hua pretended not to notice Gu Chang Huai and walked to the control formation plate of the Yuan Magnet Formation as if nothing had happened, beginning to try and control the entire formation hub.

Gu Chang Huai watched helplessly as Mo Hua "stole" the items.

But at this moment, he couldn't afford to disturb him, so he could only sigh and act as if he hadn't seen anything.

The formation hub of the Yuan Magnet Spirit-Sight Formation was covered by a mist-like "magnetic flow."

Mo Hua used his spiritual sense, again and again, to try and communicate with the formation hub.

However, the formation hub of the complex formation kept rejecting him.

The magnetic flow within was chaotic and put immense pressure on his spiritual sense.

After several unsuccessful attempts, Mo Hua's face sank, and he lost his patience.

He used his sixteen-pattern mutated spiritual sense to forcefully endure the chaotic magnetic flow and broke through the "magnetic mist."

Then, using the knowledge of the Yuan Magnet Formation he had just learned, he gained control of the Yuan Magnet Spirit-Sight Formation's formation hub.

In that instant, Mo Hua felt his spiritual sense brighten.

The entire Demon Temple appeared in his mind in the form of an abstract and orderly formation network.

Each formation was like an anchor point.

Each Demon Cultivator was like a soldier.

Each Spirit-Sight Formation was like an all-seeing eye, presenting spiritual power manifestations and keeping watch over the critical corners of the Demon Temple...

Mo Hua suddenly felt like he understood everything:

"This Demon Temple is now mine!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end