Chapter 649: Fiery Evil
Chapter 649: Fiery Evil
Mo Hua's mind froze for a moment before he quickly reacted and checked the chat history between Yuan DaShi and Huo FoTu.
Indeed, there were a few sparse lines of conversation, mostly about questions regarding the formation of the Demon Cave.
In the dialogue, Yuan DaShi addressed the other party as "Your Holiness", while he himself...
"...called himself 'Yuan So-and-So'?" Mo Hua thought for a moment before quickly replying to Huo FoTu, "I was distracted by worldly matters and lost my temper, and I had a bit of 'wine', so I spoke out of turn. Please forgive me, Your Holiness..."
The other party paused, "Is Master drinking wine? I have intruded..."
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly.
Referring to himself as 'Sha Jia', this person should be Huo FoTu.
'Using wine'...
Mo Hua pondered.
It seemed that the eye, and the blood wine brewed from it, was indeed extraordinary.
Even Huo FoTu wouldn't disturb a Yin Array Master when he was drinking.
It was a pity that the eye had been taken by Uncle Gu. Otherwise, he could have studied it further.
"Do you have something important, Your Holiness?" Mo Hua asked.
If not, then please leave quickly...
I shouldn't say too much, or I might give myself away...
Mo Hua felt a bit guilty.
Huo FoTu frowned, feeling that the other party seemed a bit anxious. But then he thought that "Yuan DaShi" was drinking wine, and even if he sobered up, his spiritual sense would still be a bit hazy, needing to focus on "divine essence". So it was understandable that his mood wasn't the best.
Huo FoTu sent a message, "Recently, I've been feeling uneasy, as if something is about to happen..."
"I wonder if there's anything unusual in the temple?"
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat as he casually replied, "With me here, Your Holiness can rest assured."
Huo FoTu: "Could there be...any oversight?"
Even though he was afraid of being exposed, he couldn't show weakness, or he would be more likely to be seen through.
So Mo Hua pretended to be displeased and said,
"This formation is the Eighteen Pattern Primordial Magnetic Spirit Vision Restoration Array, with the central hub as the brain, the spirit vision as the eyes, and the primordial magnetism as the ears. Even the slightest movement cannot escape my notice...Yuan So-and-So..."
"The temple is impenetrable, immune to the wind outside and the rain."
And then Mo Hua took the initiative, asking in return,
"Your Holiness...don't you trust me?"
Huo FoTu paused for a moment before slowly saying, "With Master here, I am relieved."
"Mmm, you can rest assured."
Huo FoTu paused again, remaining silent for a long time before hesitantly asking, "Master Yuan, you seem much more 'lively' than before."
"Mo DaShi", who was impersonating "Yuan DaShi", felt his heart skip a beat.
At least a hundred years younger, isn't that much more 'lively'?...
Mo Hua froze for a moment, only able to say,
"I've been drinking..."
"Drinking..." Huo FoTu asked, "How does that wine taste?"
Mo Hua didn't know if Huo FoTu was truly curious or testing him.
A chill ran through Mo Hua's heart.
How would he know how it tasted if he hadn't drunk it himself?
Mo Hua had wanted to say, "It tastes pretty good", but such an answer, so rigid and formal, didn't fit the character of a Yin Array Master...
The image of the Yin Array Master drinking appeared in his mind, along with the mad ramblings he had spoken...
A spark of inspiration struck Mo Hua, and he sighed, "Even after drinking, mortal eyes still cannot see..."
When Huo FoTu heard the words "cannot see", he was reassured.
Huo FoTu: "There are truths in this world, and within those truths lies great terror. Only in the face of terror does the opportunity for longevity arise..."
"Mortal eyes cannot perceive the truths of this world."
"To transcend the mortal realm and attain divinity is not something that can be achieved overnight."
"Master seems a bit hasty..."
Mo Hua, no, "Yuan DaShi" realized with admiration,
"As expected of Your Holiness, your insights are profound and admirable."
"Your Holiness is too kind," Huo FoTu replied humbly, "The shallow understanding of a Buddhist cultivator is not worth mentioning."
Mo Hua didn't know if he should "flatter" him further.
Logically, with Huo FoTu being so humble, he should agree and praise him further.
But with "Yuan DaShi's" eccentric and sinister temperament, he might not appreciate being "flattered"...
Even if it was by Huo FoTu.
Mo Hua was a bit conflicted.
Fortunately, he didn't have to worry for long, as Huo FoTu began to flatter him instead.
"Master Yuan is proficient in formations, with a divine consciousness that perceives the divine. Your understanding of the Great Dao of this world is exceptionally profound, something that common people cannot easily comprehend..."
Mo Hua replied with a mix of modesty and arrogance,
"Your Holiness is too kind..."
"The way of formations is vast and profound, and I have only scratched the surface. I understand that all things in this world are but remnants of the Great Dao, with phenomena ever-changing."
"Most people cannot see through this, clouding their hearts and obscuring their Daoist aspirations. Even with diligent cultivation, they will ultimately be obliterated by the Great Dao..."
Mo Hua mixed talk of formations, the Great Dao, and Daoist aspirations, speaking with great seriousness to Huo FoTu.
Huo FoTu remained silent for a long time before slowly saying,
"Master, you also have great 'root bone'!"
Huo FoTu continued,
"I have troubled Master Yuan these past days..."
"The wine is inferior..."
"Once the temple is completed, we will definitely hold a human sacrifice ceremony. At that time, we will kill a batch of high-quality spiritual root sacrifices and collect their pure essence blood to brew wine for Master..."
Mo Hua frowned, a chill running through his heart.
The temple...is this the Demon Temple?
Are these demon cultivators trying to make themselves look good by calling themselves "holy" instead of "demon"? And they plan to hold a human sacrifice ceremony?
That does sound like something demon cultivators would do...
But "high-quality spiritual root sacrifices"...
Even sacrifices need to have high-quality spiritual roots?
With my own mediocre spiritual roots, I wouldn't even qualify as a "sacrifice"... Mo Hua's feelings were complicated.
Such was Huo Fotu's 'generosity'.
Mo Hua didn't know how to respond.
Should he say 'thank you'?
Would the eccentric and slightly mad Yin Array Master even utter those words? And wouldn't doing so make him seem... petty?
After all, he was supposed to be a second-rate high-level Yin Array Master; shouldn't he maintain his facade?
Mo Hua replied, "We, who walk the path of the demonic, view all lives as grass, sacrificing them for the grand scheme. How could we be aggrieved? Your Holiness underestimates me..."
Huo Fotu remained silent for a long while, seemingly shocked, before exclaiming, "Master Yuan, you are indeed extraordinary, with a depth that sets you apart from ordinary people..."
"May I ask if Master is willing to embrace the Buddhist teachings?"
Mo Hua was stunned once more.
This Huo Fotu wanted to convert him to Buddhism?
"No, that's not right," he thought. "He doesn't know that 'I' am not the real 'me'. He wants to convert the deceased 'Master Yuan' to Buddhism..."
But embrace Buddhism?
Mo Hua replied, "I'm afraid I lack the wisdom that Your Holiness possesses..."
"No," Huo Fotu asserted confidently. "Your wisdom is extraordinary, and you have returned to simplicity, previously hiding your true capabilities."
That was because the 'Master Yuan' he had been chatting with was still alive and hadn't revealed his full strength yet...
Mo Hua politely declined, "I practice demonic arrays, using human flesh and blood to forge them, accumulating heavy karma. I'm afraid I don't have a connection with Buddhism..."
"Master Yuan, you are mistaken!" Huo Fotu argued.
He continued to persuade 'Mo Hua', "The Buddha teaches that all beings are equal..."
"If all beings are equal in life, then they are equally destined to die."
"Since everyone will eventually die, what does it matter if a few people are killed? And what does it matter if there is heavy karma?"
"It's merely guiding those who will die in the future to their destined end earlier."
"If one cultivates the demonic path, killing is inevitable."
"After killing, one is bound to be haunted by vengeful spirits, corrupting their original heart..."
"Embracing Buddhism can calm vengeful spirits, suppress evil energies, and protect one's original heart..."
"As the saying goes, lay down your butcher knife and become a Buddha immediately."
"When killing, use the knife decisively; when not killing, temporarily put down the knife and nurture your body and mind..."
"Even if you've killed countless people, reciting Amitabha Buddha's name can still bring peace to your mind."
"If you don't kill or commit evil, and your conscience is clear, there is no sin to atone for. Why bother with vegetarian meals and Buddhist chants?"
...
Mo Hua was shocked.
This Huo Fotu was truly a talented individual.
Just what cultivation method did he practice?
Could it even be called 'Buddhism'?
"What does Master Yuan think?" Huo Fotu sent another message.
Mo Hua harbored mixed feelings.
Why don't you ask 'Master Yuan' yourself? Don't ask me.
I can't possibly answer on behalf of the deceased 'Master Yuan'...
Mo Hua felt a headache coming on, so he played along with Huo Fotu's line of thought, "Is Buddhism truly so profound?"
"Indeed, it is that profound!"
"Can it suppress my drunken demonic nature and curb my drunken madness?"
"Master can give it a try..."
Mo Hua replied vaguely, "Then another day, I'll have to seek guidance from Your Holiness and explore the depths of Buddhism together..."
"Good." Huo Fotu said, "Master Yuan is busy, so I won't disturb you further. We can discuss the Dao another day."
After that, there was no news from Huo Fotu, and Mo Hua didn't know what he was up to.
Mo Hua's expression turned solemn.
He had started a conversation with Huo Fotu...
This was completely unexpected and not part of his plan.
What should he do now? Continue pretending to be 'Master Yuan', chatting with Huo Fotu to extract information? Mo Hua shook his head.
Huo Fotu wasn't a fool.
Discussing grand and abstract topics like the Dao and Buddhist teachings was one thing, but if he directly asked:
"What's inside the inner temple?"
"Your Fire Extinction Technique is quite powerful. Where did you hide the secret manual?"
Or, "What was your motive for annihilating the Xie family?"
With Huo Fotu's sharpness, he would instantly realize something was amiss.
He also couldn't continue discussing Buddhism with him. If Huo Fotu got too enthusiastic and decided to pay him a visit, only to find the dead body of 'Master Yuan' and the lively 'Mo Hua' managing the Yuan Magnetic Restoration Array, then everything would be exposed.
"Then... how about luring Huo Fotu out?"
"And then have Gu Uncle and the others assassinate him?"
However, assassinating Huo Fotu, who was likely at the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage, wouldn't be easy.
Huo Fotu was cautious.
Gu Uncle couldn't use his Golden Core power yet.
If they failed, not only would they be unable to kill Huo Fotu, but they would also be surrounded by demon cultivators.
Currently, there were probably three hundred demon cultivators in the outer and middle temples, some of whom had already been killed, but there were still quite a few left.
Even if they were all killed, there should still be over a hundred in the inner temple...
Mo Hua's brows furrowed deeply.
He couldn't afford to wait for Huo Fotu to realize something was amiss; he had to act quickly.
"I need to make plans early and find a way to end this swiftly..."
Delay meant danger.
Mo Hua immediately sent a message to Gu Changhuai:
"Gu Uncle, quickly gather people to surround the Demon Temple..."
Gu Changhuai's expression turned solemn. "Have we been discovered?"
"Not exactly," Mo Hua replied. "Huo Fotu has been chatting with me..."
Gu Changhuai: "..."
After a moment, Gu Changhuai asked, "What did he say to you?"
"Nothing much..."
How could he tell him that Huo Fotu wanted to recruit him and even convert him to Buddhism?
Even though he was hiding behind 'Master Yuan's' identity...
"I managed to stall him, but it won't be easy from now on..." Mo Hua said.
"Alright."
There were still over two hundred Demon Cultivators in the Outer and Middle Temples.
Time was of the essence, so Mo Hua quickly began "taking attendance," while Gu Changhuai and the others continued their assassinations.
One by one, the Demon Cultivators were eliminated.
As Mo Hua manipulated the Yuan Magnetic Restoration Array, giving orders to the Demon Cultivators and sending them to their deaths, he also used the Book Demon Tokens of the fallen cultivators to chat with the surviving ones, concealing the fact that their companions had perished.
Time ticked by.
Just then, Mo Hua detected a "message" through the Yuan Magnetic Hub:
"The murderous aura in the Outer Temple is getting heavier. Someone is killing our people. Lao Liu, go check it out..."
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat.
They had been found out!
Upon investigation, Mo Hua discovered that the sender of the message was none other than Huo Fotu.
So, he hadn't managed to keep it a secret after all...
Mo Hua frowned.
But...
"Murderous aura is getting heavier." How had Huo Fotu noticed? What exactly was murderous aura? Mo Hua was puzzled.
However, now was not the time to dwell on such questions.
Mo Hua immediately sent a message to Gu Changhuai: "Gu Uncle, we need to leave. Huo Fotu has discovered the deaths outside..."
Gu Changhuai promptly replied, "Alright, we're coming to you."
Mo Hua waited in the Array Control Room.
Before leaving, he had some preparations to make.
The Yuan Magnetic Spirit Vision Restoration Array couldn't be destroyed yet.
If it were, the Book Demon Tokens would malfunction, immediately alerting Huo Fotu and the others.
Mo Hua could only use the basic formulaic magnetic patterns to "lock" the Yuan Magnetic Spirit Vision Restoration Array temporarily, preventing others from using it.
In the secret room, there was also Yuan DaShi's corpse.
As it hadn't been dead for too long, it hadn't decomposed yet, but it couldn't be discarded either, so it had to be left in the secret room for the time being.
This corpse couldn't be dealt with just yet.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then decided to leave it there.
After a while, Gu Changhuai and the others returned.
Seeing Mo Hua safe and sound, Gu Changhuai breathed a sigh of relief.
"Let's leave this place first," Gu Changhuai said.
"Mm," Mo Hua nodded.
The group stealthily made their way out, with Mo Hua leading the way. They exited the Array Control Room and headed toward the exit of the Demon Temple.
Mo Hua was now very familiar with the route.
Having monitored the Demon Temple for so long from the array's hub, he had a thorough understanding of its structure.
As they moved through the temple, Mo Hua navigated as confidently as if he were walking through his own backyard.
Along the way, Mo Hua asked in a low voice, "Gu Uncle, have you gathered everyone?"
Gu Changhuai nodded. "Yes, we have 280 people stationed outside the Sky-hanging Cliff."
Mo Hua gave a slight nod.
Two hundred and eighty people... That should be enough, given their numerical advantage.
Many Demon Cultivators in the Demon Temple had already been eliminated, leaving an estimated one hundred and eighty to ninety remaining.
Next, they would face a direct confrontation, a tough battle.
They couldn't linger here any longer.
Mo Hua could stay behind, but it would be dangerous without bodyguards, so he decided not to take the risk.
Moreover, there were other matters to attend to...
Gu Changhuai needed to return and command the 280 Execution Division members.
Mo Hua also had to find a way to destroy the Yuan Magnetic Arrays and trap formations outside the Demon Temple and on the Hanging Stone Bridge.
Otherwise, it would be challenging for the 200-plus people to cross the bridge.
Thus, Mo Hua retraced his steps and quietly left the Demon Grotto through the mountain cave they had dug earlier.
As they passed by the main gate of the Demon Temple, Mo Hua noticed that it was tightly closed, with several Demon Cultivators guarding it.
"This main gate... is also a problem..."
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then instructed Gu Changhuai to kill those guards.
Afterward, he made some adjustments to the formation on the inner side of the gate, ensuring that no one could use it for the time being.
They didn't exit through the main gate but instead sneaked along the edge of the Demon Temple and climbed up the rugged mountain path, exiting through the mountain cave they had dug earlier.
As Mo Hua left the Demon Grotto, Lao Liu also exited the Inner Temple and made his way to the Outer Temple.
The Outer Temple was deserted.
Lao Liu, with his rough temperament, cursed, "Where is everyone? Are they all dead?"
His voice echoed through the Demon Temple, but no one answered.
Lao Liu frowned and walked around, exploring the area, but he didn't find a single person.
He was perplexed.
While the Demon Temple was vast, and it was indeed possible to find empty and quiet spaces within it, it was impossible for it to be this deserted.
Lao Liu's gaze shifted to the Putrid River below, and he spotted the clothing of several Demon Cultivators. Their flesh had been turned into bloody mud, mixing with the greenish water.
Lao Liu's expression changed drastically.
"Dead?!"
He immediately sent a message to Huo Fotu: "Big Brother, something terrible has happened! They're all dead!"
A moment later, the doors to the Inner Temple opened once more.
Huo Fotu, tall and imposing, with a gentle face but a solemn demeanor, clad in a blood-red monk's robe, stepped out.
He looked up and murmured, "Such thick murderous aura..."
"Many have died."
"What a pity..."
Huo Fotu's eyes were cold, his expression unreadable: "It wasn't me who killed them... I can't draw in the murderous aura and cultivate the Fire Evil..."
(End of Chapter)
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