Chapter 675: Assistance
Chapter 675: Assistance
A long while later, Mo Hua emerged from his state of "enlightenment", his mind clear and lucid.
The three colors in his eyes faded, leaving behind a multitude of realizations that settled quietly in his heart...
There was no need to treat a god as a "god"...
By merging divinity with humanity, one could temper their Dao heart.
With this realization, Mo Hua's hesitations vanished, and he could now officially begin his plan to "devour" the gods!
It would be unwise to target powerful evil gods, so he decided to start simple by consuming the "divine remains" of those who spread the faith.
Mo Hua took out a piece of paper and began to plan.
First, he visualized the process in his mind:
To devour divine remains, he would need to locate them, seize them, suppress them with divine consciousness, sterilize them with tribulation lightning, consume their divine marrow, and then assimilate their divinity to temper his Dao heart.
There were two challenges in this process: finding the divine remains and seizing them.
Finding divine remains required clues.
Currently, the most direct clue regarding the evil god, or the "Lord of the Wasteland's" divine remains, lay with that group of black-robed human traffickers.
They concealed their faces with black robes, used standardized spiritual artifacts without distinctive features, and secretly engaged in the business of trafficking cultivators.
Even in death, they went to great lengths to destroy their bodies with demonic energy to prevent their identities from being exposed.
This group of black-robed individuals was well-organized, disciplined, numerous, skilled, and covert in their operations, suggesting a clear connection to the "evil god".
Moreover, their leader bore a blood-colored evil eye on his forehead, which was one of the "divine remains" of the Lord of the Wasteland.
Mo Hua had killed the black-robed leader, whose body had turned into black water and was buried in a remote valley outside Xiaoyun City, in the desolate mountains.
However, Mo Hua had committed the leader's appearance to memory.
He decided that when he had the time, he would start his investigation from the identity of this "black-robed leader".
In addition, the human traffickers themselves provided another lead.
"Human traffickers..."
Mo Hua frowned slightly.
Ever since he had arrived in Qianxue State, he had encountered quite a few human traffickers.
From the initial incident where they tried to abduct Yu'er and even contemplated taking him, Jiang Laoda...
To the later encounters with the vulture-like cultivators and the group of sinful cultivators wanted by the Daotang Court...
Even the group of demonic cultivators led by Huo Fo Tu, who annihilated the Xie family, might have been involved in the "trafficking" of cultivators...
Could all these people be connected to the "evil god"?
But what could the connection be? The relationships were intricate and obscure, and it seemed that some crucial clues were still missing.
Mo Hua scratched his head. Unable to figure it out for the moment, he decided to make a note of the "human traffickers" and the "black-robed leader" as leads, intending to "follow the vine to find the melon" and start from these two points.
For now, he had a direction in finding the "divine remains". The next challenge was to seize them.
This would be more troublesome.
Mo Hua pondered for a moment...
Where there were divine remains, there would likely be followers, minions, or "divine servants" possessed by the remains.
To seize the divine remains, he would first have to deal with the people who worshiped the evil god and willingly became its minions, and only then could he consider confronting the "god".
Dealing with the "god" might actually be easier.
He could target the small states bordering Qianxue State, such as the first- or second-rate small states or small immortal cities. The opponents he would face would likely be first- or second-rate "divine remains".
If they dared to enter his sea of consciousness, they would be like "meat buns hitting a dog"—there would be no return.
With the tribulation lightning, Mo Hua was unafraid of any evil god's will that might reside within the divine remains.
Thus, at this stage, the most troublesome aspect was actually dealing with the "people".
In other words, followers or minions of the evil god, similar to the black-robed human traffickers.
Mo Hua realized that to counter them, his current strength was not sufficient.
Late Foundation Establishment...
Mo Hua thought about it and felt it would be wiser to aim for the conservative target of mid Foundation Establishment and below.
He could handle one or two minions of the evil god at the mid Foundation Establishment level by himself.
However, if there were more, it would be very challenging for him alone.
Especially when facing cultivators at the mid Foundation Establishment level, he estimated that he would have to use all his tricks and act unpredictably to prevent them from knowing his hand too early. He would need to combine formations and forbidden techniques with a bit of scheming and deception to barely eke out a victory.
It would be exhausting... and dangerous, with a low margin for error.
After all, with his small body, if he didn't act comprehensively and meticulously, even the slightest carelessness could lead to his downfall.
His previous encounter with the mid Foundation Establishment black-robed leader had taught him this lesson.
The most crucial point was to avoid exposing his trump cards too frequently.
Techniques like Stealth Art, Painting Ground into Formation, and the Small Meteorite Forbidden Art...
The more covert these techniques were, the better their effects. Once the enemy anticipated them, their effectiveness would be greatly reduced.
For example, if every enemy carried a "Concealment Revealing" spirit mirror and set up a revealing formation wherever they went...
Or if they avoided unclear paths, nighttime travels, or routes that might be laden with formations, always being vigilant and cautious, never giving him an opportunity to deploy his formations...
Or if they wore full armor and robes inscribed with water armor spirit formations to counter his close-range Small Meteorite Art...
Or if they simply denied him any chance to get close...
Mo Hua felt a headache just thinking about it.
As he was alone, without the backing of a great clan, and possessed a weak physical body and low spiritual power, his "hard power" was relatively weak. He feared being outmaneuvered or specifically targeted.
Thus, it was best to keep his own techniques hidden as much as possible.
Mo Hua pondered in silence.
"I need to find some help..."
With allies, he could blend in and follow their lead.
Someone could take the front and face the enemy directly.
He could then hide in the shadows, using his techniques for control and assistance without exposing himself too much.
Even if he were discovered, as a "small fry", he wouldn't attract much attention.
However, the problem now was that he didn't have many allies left.
Originally, Senior Sister Murong and Senior Brother Feng, with their profound cultivation, extraordinary techniques, and rich experience, could have provided him with some assistance.
But as seniors, a year ahead of him, they had their own matters to attend to, and it was uncertain if they would continue adventuring together in the future.
Thus, he could only turn to his peers for help.
The most suitable candidates were Cheng Mo and Situ Jian...
Mo Hua clicked his tongue.
Although it wasn't a nice thing to say, Cheng Mo and Situ Jian were a bit "inexperienced"...
They had just entered the sect, and although they had solid foundations, they were only at the early Foundation Establishment stage;
Although their techniques were uncommon, they lacked actual combat experience;
Although they had decent talent and comprehension abilities, their experience in dealing with evil and demonic cultivators was almost non-existent;
Although they were taller than him and a year or two older, they were still "inexperienced".
Previously, Cheng Mo and the others had narrowly escaped death when pursued by the black-robed cultivators.
Later, at the abandoned refinery, they surrounded the black-robed leader, but when struck by the bloody light of the evil eye, they lost their sanity and froze, once again barely escaping with their lives...
Mo Hua sighed.
In this situation, he couldn't bear to put his "junior brothers" in harm's way.
Nor could he rely on the Daotang Court.
He certainly couldn't go to Uncle Gu and tell him that he wanted to 'consume' an evil god, asking him to send some Daotang Court officers to help him capture the evil god's followers...
Uncle Gu, being "array blind" and not cultivating divine consciousness, definitely wouldn't believe him.
What about using the excuse of "capturing human traffickers"?
Mo Hua thought about it and shook his head.
The Daotang Court could handle the human traffickers on their own; they wouldn't need his help.
Moreover, as a disciple of the sect, he could only leave the sect grounds during the decennial break.
The timing wouldn't match up, and the Daotang Court wouldn't wait for him if they had to take action.
There might even be traitors within the Daotang Court.
After much consideration, he could only turn to Cheng Mo and the others for help...
After all, they were fellow disciples, and their class and break schedules aligned.
They even called him "Little Senior Brother" and treated him to chicken legs. After facing the black-robed human traffickers together, they had become comrades-in-arms.
Although they were from noble families, they lacked the arrogance often associated with such backgrounds and were quite amicable...
Mo Hua sighed softly.
They were just a bit "inexperienced"...
Their cultivation levels were insufficient, and they lacked practical experience.
Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then had another thought:
"Experience is accumulated over time. Many things are a matter of 'once bitten, twice shy'. Cheng Mo and the others have good natural talent and comprehension abilities. After experiencing some dangerous situations, they will naturally gain experience..."
"There is some risk, but with me there to help, it should be somewhat safer..."
"The biggest problem is their cultivation and strength..."
Mo Hua frowned, then suddenly paused as four words popped into his mind.
"Auxiliary Killing."
The words of Mr. Zhuang from long ago resurfaced in Mo Hua's mind.
"Don't focus on killing, but instead, assist in killing..."
"To focus on killing is to compete with the best of the best."
"To assist in killing is to help the best compete."
"The stronger your ability to assist in killing, the more they will dare not offend you."
"In this way, even without a noble family backing you, any family can become your ally..."
"In the world of cultivation, where power and connections reign, among the many geniuses with exceptional spiritual roots, cultivation techniques, and abilities, you will still have a place!"
Mo Hua's eyes lit up as he understood. He suddenly remembered another saying:
"Water benefits all things without contention, thus it is the way of the world."
By assisting in killing, he could enhance Cheng Mo and the others' strength, enabling them to help him "work" by tracking down the evil god's followers and hunting the divine remains.
At the same time, even without relying on the title of "Little Senior Brother," the path of assisting in killing could help him truly stand firm among his fellow disciples and prevent others from underestimating him.
By assisting others in killing, he wouldn't attract attention or incur the hatred of other geniuses; he wouldn't become a thorn in the side of major noble families.
Instead, they might even try to curry favor with him.
Most importantly, he could stay behind the scenes.
Mo Hua recalled what his master had taught him when instructing him in auxiliary killing:
"The protruding nail gets hammered down."
"You don't need to stand out, nor should you."
"Learn to stay in the shadows, learn to ride the waves, and you will be like a fish in water among the various powers, reaping benefits from all sides. Only then can you truly go far, gradually improving your cultivation, understanding arrays, and seeking the true path..."
Assist in killing, avoid attracting attention, stay in the shadows, and learn to ride the waves.
Mo Hua hadn't fully understood these words back then, but now, in Qianxue State, he deeply resonated with them.
On the surface, Qianxue State seemed peaceful, but underneath, treacherous currents lurked.
Criminal cultivators, evil cultivators, and demonic cultivators were rampant.
Human traffickers were like "cockroaches"; you thought they weren't there, but if you weren't careful, a whole nest would appear.
There was also the lurking presence of an evil god, the spread of evil desires, and the proliferation of evil karma...
Indeed, he needed to keep a low profile to avoid attracting unwanted attention.
Mo Hua gradually understood.
The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled.
If that was the case, then he, as a small sapling, needed to stay inconspicuous among the forest of trees, avoiding attention to prevent being toppled by the raging winds.
The Tai Xu Gate was his forest.
His fellow disciples were the trees.
The more outstanding and powerful they were, the better he could hide among them.
Then, with the cover of the vast forest and the dense trees, he could absorb nutrients and grow quietly, eventually becoming a towering tree himself! Mo Hua's eyes gleamed as he marveled at his master's foresight.
His master had planned for such a long-term goal.
"Auxiliary Killing!"
Mo Hua set his goal, and his thoughts became clearer:
To use his abilities to assist in killing, enhancing Cheng Mo and the others' strength.
Then, with their help, he would track down the human traffickers, hunt the divine remains, and devour the divine marrow.
He would stay in the shadows, trying his best not to attract attention.
At the same time, he would find ways to hide his trump cards even deeper.
From then on, he would rely on his "auxiliary" abilities to get by in the sect!
Mo Hua nodded to himself.
However, there were many details to consider with such a plan.
Especially when it came to hunting the evil god, as the risks were significant. Calling on Cheng Mo and the others to help might be a bit premature.
But he could start with the matter of assisting in killing.
How exactly would he assist in killing? What methods could he use? What restrictions were there? How could he apply these methods in battles? These were things he needed to research.
...
In the following days, Mo Hua focused on the matter of "assisting."
No matter how he thought about it, it always came back to the realm of "arrays" and "spells," with the application of "arrays" being the most crucial.
However, when it came to utilizing arrays for "assistance," matters became more complex, involving formation design, medium refinement, and compatibility with his fellow disciples' spirit roots, cultivation techniques, Dao arts, and combat habits.
Mo Hua needed to carefully consider these factors before putting his plan into action.
Over the next few days, whenever Mo Hua had free time between classes or during breaks, he would ponder this issue.
One noon, as Mo Hua was eating lunch in the disciples' residence, chewing on a chicken leg while mulling over formations, Cheng Mo suddenly sat down beside him, putting on an exaggerated display of sighing and lamenting.
But even after sighing dramatically for a while, Mo Hua didn't pay him any heed.
Cheng Mo secretly offered one of his "chicken legs" to Mo Hua, then gazed at him expectantly.
Mo Hua accepted the chicken leg and nodded, "What's the matter? Spit it out."
Cheng Mo's face lit up with delight, and he sighed, "Mo Hua, it's so difficult to earn merit points."
"Mhm," Mo Hua mumbled through a mouthful of chicken.
"In an entire month, I only earned fifty merit points."
"Oh," Mo Hua replied, his cheeks puffed out.
"You don't earn much merit by doing regular tasks..."
"I'm pretty good at drawing formations..." Mo Hua said.
Cheng Mo's expression was a mix of admiration and a hint of jealousy.
While Mo Hua might not have a lot of spirit stones, when it came to merit points, he was indeed a "little rich boy," far wealthier than them.
"I'm running out of merit points soon..." Cheng Mo said helplessly.
"Oh..." Mo Hua continued eating his chicken leg, unmoved by Cheng Mo's plight. Suddenly, he paused, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at Cheng Mo:
"You're not thinking of borrowing merit points from me, are you? Because I won't lend them to you..."
He needed all the merit points he could get for learning new formations.
"No, that's not it..." Cheng Mo mumbled.
"Then what do you want?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.
Cheng Mo whispered, "Mo Hua, do you have any quick ways to earn merit points?"
"For-..."
"Not formations."
Cheng Mo interrupted decisively.
Asking him, a dunce when it came to formations, to earn merit points by drawing formations was like asking a pig to climb a tree—it was just plain mean.
Cheng Mo gazed at Mo Hua with a hint of resentment.
Mo Hua sighed, "In that case, I'm afraid I can't help you..."
Cheng Mo shook his head, confidently asserting, "You definitely have a way."
Mo Hua was perplexed, "Why are you so sure?"
Cheng Mo lowered his voice and said, "You're so smart, and you have Master Zhuang as your backer, with an uncle who's a chief judge in the Daotang Court, and you're so skilled at 'punishing evil and promoting good'—there's no way you don't know some special methods."
Mo Hua corrected him, "Master Zhuang isn't my backer."
Cheng Mo gave him a look that clearly said he didn't believe a word.
Mo Hua felt a bit helpless and asked, "What kind of method are you looking for?"
Cheng Mo hesitated for a moment, then whispered as if he were plotting something nefarious, "Are there still any human traffickers out there...?"
Mo Hua was taken aback but shook his head, "Human traffickers aren't like rats; you can't just catch them whenever you want..."
"Even if we catch them once a month, that's still three hundred merit points!" Cheng Mo lamented, his face twisted in distress.
He was only earning fifty points in a month.
Mo Hua continued munching on his chicken leg, remaining silent.
"Other sinful cultivators would do too..." Cheng Mo sighed, "There are too many disciples taking on tasks these days. All the good tasks are snapped up quickly, and the ones left often offer few merit points."
"Some tasks with generous merit rewards require more experience and a longer task history, and others won't let us take them on..."
"You mean 'us'?" Mo Hua raised an eyebrow. "Who else is there...?"
"Who else but Situ Jian and the others?"
Cheng Mo sighed again, "At this rate, I don't know when I'll be able to save up enough merit points to exchange for spirit items to temper my body..."
Cheng Mo began to put on a pitiful display in front of Mo Hua.
Mo Hua listened with a thoughtful expression.
He hadn't intended to involve Cheng Mo and the others so soon.
Going after the evil god directly was indeed risky.
For Cheng Mo and the rest, it was too early.
But now that they couldn't earn merit points...
Mo Hua's thoughts stirred.
Perhaps he could take them along for a simpler task first, a warm-up of sorts?
Starting with something straightforward, like capturing sinful cultivators, then gradually moving on to more challenging targets, like the black-robed human traffickers who served the evil god?
Cheng Mo watched as Mo Hua's eyes flickered with contemplation, clearly deep in thought. Seeing a potential opportunity, Cheng Mo quickly offered another chicken leg, his expression earnest as he said, "Little Senior Brother, I'm counting on you..."
Mo Hua accepted the chicken leg, pondered for a moment, then sighed and pretended to hesitate, "Let me think about it first. If I come up with something, I'll let you know."
Cheng Mo was overjoyed and immediately expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Little Senior Brother! From now on, you're my brother!"
Mo Hua had been addressed as Cheng Mo's "brother" many times before, so it wasn't that exciting anymore.
However, taking Cheng Mo and the others along to earn some merit points first didn't seem like a bad idea.
'Auxiliary Killing' didn't sound like an easy task either.
He could use them as "guinea pigs" to experiment and figure out how to put his plan into action.
Mo Hua nodded slightly, his mind gradually made up.
...
During the decennial break, Mo Hua paid another visit to the Gu residence.
He wanted to ask Uncle Gu if he could pull some strings to get tasks from the Daotang Court, which he would then take on himself to capture sinful cultivators and earn merit points.
If Uncle Gu agreed, he would have a direct connection to both the Daotang Court and the Tai Xu Gate, forming a complete "merit-earning chain."
With this "chain" in place, he could assign, accept, and complete tasks himself, efficiently earning merit points without jumping through hoops.
While he didn't lack merit points at the moment, that could change in the future. There would always be a need for more merit points, and one could never have too many.
Of course, the prerequisite was Uncle Gu's agreement.
Previously, Mo Hua hadn't been confident, but after the incident with Huo Fo Tu, he felt that with their current "friendship," Uncle Gu might just give his consent.
Even if he didn't agree, Mo Hua was determined to at least give it a shot.
However, as soon as he entered the Gu residence, Mo Hua unexpectedly ran into a cultivator.
The man was robust, with a proud bearing, resolute eyes, tanned skin, and muscles like iron blocks. His blood and qi were refined, indicating a profound cultivation.
This person was none other than the third-rank Golden Core cultivator and master refiner from the Lonely Mountain Refining City of the Gu family—Master Gu.
(End of Chapter)
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