Chapter 710: Loophole
Chapter 710: Loophole
The onslaught of demons continued relentlessly, like an unending tide.
The aura of the evil spirits was also incessant, filling the room with layers of chilling air, each layer more oppressive than the last. Their demeanors varied, some fierce and violent, others cunning and sinister, as if an endless variety of these malevolent beings were assaulting them in waves, like a tempestuous sea.
Amid this turbulent sea of demons, Mo Hua's small frame remained unwavering.
Wen Ren Wei's gaze flickered with anxiety, his palms already slick with cold sweat.
He worried for Mo Hua and Yu Er alike.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly as Wen Ren Wei fretted. Suddenly, all the sinister energies that had permeated the air vanished without a trace.
The oppressive atmosphere lifted, and the chilling pressure dissipated. Wen Ren Wei looked around, still unable to see anything, but he sensed that the evil spirits were gone.
He turned his gaze toward the inner room and saw that Mo Hua had opened his eyes.
The Divine Tree of Authority had fallen silent, and the hordes of demons had been devoured.
Mo Hua slowly exhaled, his eyes brightening.
Wen Ren Wei glanced at Mo Hua cautiously, relieved to see that his gaze was clear and his demeanor calm, without any hint of malevolence or madness. He asked tentatively, "Young Master, are you..."
Mo Hua smiled brightly, "I'm fine."
Wen Ren Wei's tension melted away, and he bowed respectfully, "Thank you, Young Master Mo."
Mo Hua nodded in acknowledgment, "Yu Er is fine now, and it's getting late. I'll take my leave and rest."
Wen Ren Wei bowed once more, his attitude more respectful than before.
"Thank you, Young Master Mo!"
Mo Hua returned the courtesy with a polite bow and then left the room with light, quick steps.
After Mo Hua's departure, Wen Ren Wei looked up at the four walls of the room, his heart filled with awe.
It was as if all the oppressive and sinister energies that had permeated the room earlier were nothing but a fleeting illusion.
Wen Ren Wei glanced at Yu Er, who was still lying on the bed, his breath steady and peaceful, his mouth slightly agape, occasionally smacking his lips as if savoring something delicious in his dreams.
He had slept soundly through it all.
Wen Ren Wei thought of Wen Ren Wan's words, and his eyes softened with relief and gratitude, "Miss Wan was right. Young Master Yu has indeed found a little benefactor..."
...
Back in his room, Mo Hua sat down on the bed and began to meditate, sinking his spiritual sense into his sea of consciousness.
He had devoured too many demons, and his sea of consciousness was overflowing. He needed to "digest" them immediately.
Moreover, his spiritual sense cultivation had surpassed its limits.
Within his consciousness, Mo Hua carefully focused his mind, beginning to refine the unprocessed malevolent thoughts he had swallowed earlier, purifying them, extracting their essence, and then absorbing them to strengthen himself.
Strand by strand, the pure spiritual thoughts merged with Mo Hua's spiritual sense incarnation.
Mo Hua's spiritual sense soared.
In just a short while, the refined demonic power filled the gaps in his spiritual sense cultivation, breaking through the long-standing bottleneck.
It was like a dam bursting, a torrent of power surging forward relentlessly.
Mo Hua's spiritual sense finally took a step further, shattering the bottleneck between the mid and late stages of sixteen patterns, successfully advancing to seventeen patterns!
With his early Foundation Establishment cultivation, he now possessed the spiritual sense of the late stage of seventeen patterns!
In that moment, his spiritual sense felt incredibly clear and expansive.
Mo Hua felt as if his sea of consciousness had grown wider, and his spiritual sense had deepened.
The range of his spiritual sense projection had also increased significantly.
Moreover, with the advancement of his spiritual sense cultivation, his ability to perform calculations and intricate plans had become even more effortless and proficient than before.
But most importantly, it was his array formations!
He could finally learn the seventeen-pattern array formations!
Early Foundation Establishment, learning high-level second-grade array formations!
Although it was only a second-grade seventeen-pattern formation and hadn't reached nineteen patterns to be considered truly "high-level," it was still a step into the realm of high-level formations.
The seventeen-pattern formations were already formidable enough to pose a significant threat to ordinary late Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Mo Hua felt his confidence soar.
Given the opportunity to set up his array formations, even late Foundation Establishment cultivators would find themselves in a precarious situation!
However, the matter of array formations would have to wait for now.
Because Mo Hua discovered that his "takeout" from earlier wasn't quite finished yet.
He had devoured more demons than he had realized.
His spiritual sense had already reached seventeen patterns, and it was even slightly stronger than that.
But there was still a continuous influx of refined demonic power being absorbed and integrated into his spiritual sense incarnation.
Mo Hua's spiritual sense continued to grow...
"Could it be... that I'll reach eighteen patterns directly?"
The bottleneck between seventeen and eighteen patterns was a minor cultivation realm bottleneck, not as significant as the one between sixteen and seventeen patterns.
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but smile broadly.
Eighteen patterns! Advancing two stages at once!
Mo Hua's heart raced with excitement, but he quickly calmed himself, focusing on his meditation and the absorption of the demonic power to strengthen his spiritual sense.
His spiritual sense grew at a noticeable pace, just as he had hoped, gradually becoming more robust with each passing moment.
Finally, he was just a hair's breadth away from reaching the eighteen-pattern realm...
In fact, Mo Hua could clearly sense the bottleneck of the eighteen-pattern spiritual sense beginning to loosen and crumble...
A smile spread across Mo Hua's face.
But just then, everything came to a sudden halt.
It felt as if something in the depths of the universe had trembled.
This sensation was somewhat similar to the feeling he got from the Dao Monument, almost like...
The Will of Heaven?
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat, and he felt an indescribable sense that some supreme will, hidden within the myriad phenomena of the world, had glanced in his direction, noticed something amiss, and then...
He seemed to have a problem.
And so, a temporary rule was imposed upon Mo Hua.
His spiritual sense continued to grow, but the bottleneck remained firmly in place, and all the accumulated spiritual sense seemed to flow away, sinking into nothingness.
"What's going on...?"
"Where's my eighteen-pattern spiritual sense?"
"I was so close..."
Mo Hua looked around, and he noticed that within his sea of consciousness, a strange fissure had appeared out of thin air.
This fissure was pitch-black and deep, with a profound golden hue hidden within.
It seemed to be the manifestation of some kind of tangible Daoist principle.
This principle had materialized out of thin air, yet it had fused with his sea of consciousness, becoming one with it.
And as he refined the demons and devoured their malicious thoughts, all the growth in his spiritual sense was being devoured by this fissure.
It was as if the Heavenly Dao would not allow his spiritual sense to grow any stronger, so it temporarily imposed a rule to patch up this loophole...
This principle manifested as a pitch-black void fissure with a hint of gold.
Whenever Mo Hua's spiritual sense grew, this fissure-like principle would "confiscate" the excess, suppressing its enhancement.
His spiritual sense was being confined within certain limits, preventing it from breaking through a certain extreme...
Mo Hua was left dumbfounded.
What did this mean?
Was he now considered a "loophole" in the Heavenly Dao?
So, the Heavenly Dao hastily imposed a rule to patch up this "loophole"?
That seemed a bit much...
Mo Hua couldn't help but feel a bit resentful.
Was he, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, really worth all this "special attention"?
This seemed to be the second time something like this had happened.
Mo Hua recalled that when he had broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, his spiritual sense had rapidly soared, but later, it seemed to have exceeded a limit and was suppressed by some heavenly principle.
Then, with the aid of the Heaven's Origin Principle and the mysterious grand array, his spiritual sense was forcibly transformed from a quantitative change to a qualitative one.
And now, it had happened again...
Just as he was about to reach eighteen patterns, a rule was imposed to stop him at the last moment.
Mo Hua couldn't help but stick out his tongue in dismay, grumbling inwardly:
"The Heavenly Dao is so stingy..."
After his grumbling, Mo Hua sighed.
The "composition" of his sea of consciousness had become quite complex.
Within his sea of consciousness was his own self with his spiritual sense incarnation.
Additionally, there was the mysterious Dao Monument, the Calamity-Ending Thunder Pattern, and now this unexpected heavenly principle.
Especially this heavenly principle...
Mo Hua felt a headache coming on.
He consumed some more demonic thoughts, expended some of his spiritual sense, and attempted to manifest arrays, testing things out a few times before he finally understood the purpose of this principle.
This principle was meant to deduct his spiritual sense.
His spiritual sense could function normally, be normally expended, and naturally recover, but it couldn't "grow" anymore.
Once it grew, it would be "deducted" by this principle, which resembled a void fissure.
Mo Hua felt a bit troubled.
Deducting some spiritual sense wasn't a big deal, but how long would this go on for?
Surely it wouldn't last a lifetime...
Or perhaps, when his cultivation base caught up, when his realm and spiritual sense were more balanced, or at least not as disproportionate, this principle would disappear on its own?
Or maybe, once the deducted spiritual sense reached a certain limit, the principle would vanish?
The Great Dao was aloof and silent, and the principles were mute. No one could give Mo Hua the answers he sought.
Mo Hua sighed deeply.
"I guess this is how it'll be for now..."
One should always be content with what they have.
Seventeen patterns were good enough.
And his spiritual sense, if calculated, should be at the peak of seventeen patterns, just a hair's breadth away from eighteen patterns...
This level of spiritual sense was "barely" sufficient for his current realm.
As for the future...
Mo Hua pondered and felt that regardless of when this principle would stop "deducting" his spiritual sense, it didn't really matter.
After all, he had no control over it...
Who could say for sure when it came to the principles of the Great Dao?
Since this was the case, he might as well just focus on his cultivation, steadily and diligently, and continue to hone his spiritual sense as he had always done.
Once his cultivation improved or his spiritual sense caught up, he would eventually break free from this principle's restriction.
Mo Hua gazed at the heavenly principle within his sea of consciousness, resembling a void fissure, and felt a sense of bewilderment.
"What exactly is a principle...?"
"Why did this principle manifest in such a form?"
"Why is it black with a hint of gold, like a crack in the void... and how is it able to devour spiritual sense?"
"Void, crack... could it be related to the rules of the Cave Void Realm?"
Mo Hua suddenly felt like he was onto something profound.
He decided that when he had the time, he would research this "principle" and try to uncover some of its mysteries and learn something from it.
Since this "unexpected guest" had taken up residence in his sea of consciousness, he might as well find a way to make the most of it and not let it go to waste.
With this thought, Mo Hua's mood instantly brightened.
The Great Dao's principles!
He had never encountered them before.
Or perhaps, this wasn't something that a Foundation Establishment cultivator, or even a typical cultivator, would normally come across.
Now, a clear and distinct heavenly principle had materialized and remained in his sea of consciousness, continuously deducting his spiritual sense.
Although it deducted his spiritual sense, limiting its growth, it also presented him with an opportunity to witness firsthand the manifestation and operation of the Great Dao's principles.
In life, blessings and disasters often coexist, and advantages and disadvantages are intertwined.
Mo Hua nodded, feeling invigorated.
However, he didn't have time to research it for now; he had to finish "eating" the demons first.
There were still quite a few demons left from his "takeout" order at the altar, and he couldn't let them go to waste.
Mo Hua continued to consume the malicious thoughts of the demons.
But this time, it felt somewhat "bland" and unfulfilling.
Because these malicious thoughts couldn't be digested and absorbed; they were all being devoured by the heavenly principle.
Mo Hua felt a bit aggrieved, but in the spirit of not wasting anything, he finished consuming all the demonic thoughts.
After he was done, Mo Hua could clearly sense that the restriction imposed by the heavenly principle within his sea of consciousness seemed to have loosened a little.
It had "eaten" its fill as well.
His "snacks" weren't so easy to steal!
Mo Hua hummed softly to himself, then calmed his mind and began reviewing the array patterns on the Dao Monument.
He needed to prepare.
In the days to come, he would officially start learning the seventeen-pattern formations!
...
In the forbidden lands behind Tai Xu Gate, a rift appeared in the void.
An elderly man with white hair, known as Elder Xun, stepped out of the rift.
He had secluded himself in the elders' residence, shutting out all distractions to focus on deducing the principles of cause and effect. However, he had suddenly sensed a powerful sword intent in motion, so intense that he couldn't help but take notice.
But just as he was halfway through his calculations, his compass stopped working.
Elder Xun had no choice but to patiently continue his deductions before rushing over to investigate the situation.
Inside the Sword Tomb, the bearded elder sat motionless, appearing lost in thought.
Elder Xun was unsure what had happened, so he looked around with a grave expression and asked, "Senior Brother, did you draw your sword again?"
The bearded elder touched the broken sword by his side and shook his head slightly, his eyes unfocused.
"It's out, halfway..."
Elder Xun frowned.
What did "it's out, halfway" mean? Did he draw his sword but failed to unsheathe it? Elder Xun glanced at the bearded elder again, noticing his absent-mindedness and apparent worries. A chill ran down his spine as he inquired, "Senior Brother, what happened?"
The bearded elder's sharp gaze revealed his deep contemplation. Suddenly, he asked a strange question, "Has our Tai Xu Gate raised a divine beast?"
"Divine beast?"
Elder Xun was taken aback, filled with confusion.
Why was his senior brother asking such an irrelevant question?
Could it be...
Elder Xun's eyes narrowed.
Had his senior brother's thoughts been polluted by evil, causing the sword intent to backfire and worsen his injury, affecting his sea of consciousness and clouding his thoughts? Elder Xun remained silent.
He looked at his senior brother, who had dedicated his life to Tai Xu Gate, exhausting his mind and blood, only to end up with a shattered body and mind, forced to guard the Sword Tomb alone, accompanied by countless broken swords and scraps of iron. A pang of sorrow struck Elder Xun's heart.
He sighed deeply, suppressing the pain in his heart, and shook his head gently. "Divine beasts... there aren't any such things nowadays..."
The bearded elder, unaware of Elder Xun's thoughts, continued to ponder, "Then, have we had any remarkable guests staying at Tai Xu Gate recently?"
Elder Xun recalled and shook his head.
"No."
There had been guests, but none that his senior brother would consider remarkable.
The bearded elder frowned, pondered for a moment, and then slowly asked, "Then... have we accepted any disciples with extraordinary talent and aptitude in recent years?"
Extraordinary talent and aptitude?
Elder Xun was taken aback, then fell into thought.
Indeed, there had been disciples with exceptional talent in recent years. In this term alone, there were quite a few with top-grade spiritual roots and outstanding aptitudes.
However, having a good spiritual root didn't necessarily mean they would be considered extraordinary by his senior brother.
At his senior brother's level, which was nearing the limit of cultivators, his definition of "extraordinary talent" would surely be far beyond the ordinary sense of the phrase.
It would refer to someone who stood out even among the most outstanding geniuses.
A thought occurred to Elder Xun, and he immediately thought of Mo Hua.
That boy, Mo Hua...
While his talent in formations was indeed remarkable, he was lacking in every other aspect.
He was extremely specialized.
Moreover, formations... didn't have much to do with his senior brother.
His senior brother wasn't an expert in formations, so he probably wouldn't care about a genius in that field.
Nevertheless, Elder Xun asked out of caution, "Extraordinary talent... in what kind of 'talent'?"
The bearded elder's eyes shone with contemplation.
If it were a disciple of the sect... then that person must have extremely strong killing intent in their spiritual sense...
The bearded elder said, "Is there a disciple who has a natural talent for the sword path, innate sword intent, or perhaps innate spiritual sense manifestation, and excels in combat?"
Innate sword intent and spiritual sense manifestation for combat...
Elder Xun nodded slightly.
Then, it had nothing to do with Mo Hua.
That child was an array master, not a swordsman. He struggled even to wield a sword, and with his gentle and mild temperament, he wouldn't engage in combat with others.
None of the other disciples seemed to fit the description either...
Tai Xu Gate had sealed away the technique of transforming spiritual sense into swords, considering it a forbidden technique.
The other sword techniques weren't particularly outstanding either.
If there were indeed disciples with innate sword intent, they wouldn't join Tai Xu Gate to learn these mediocre sword techniques.
There were countless sword sects in Qian Xue State, and they could choose any of them.
Moreover, even if the technique of transforming spiritual sense into swords hadn't been sealed, they wouldn't dare to let such talented disciples practice it unless their lives were unnaturally hard to extinguish.
"No," Elder Xun answered decisively.
The bearded elder closed his eyes and sighed, a hint of disappointment in his eyes.
Elder Xun frowned. "Senior Brother, why are you asking these questions?"
The bearded elder opened his eyes and looked at his junior brother, who had devoted his life to the sect and now had white hair. His mind flashed back to his junior brother's elegant and spirited appearance when he was younger, and he couldn't bear to add to his worries.
"It's nothing, just random thoughts," the bearded elder said calmly.
Elder Xun didn't believe him, but seeing that his senior brother had closed his eyes to rest and didn't seem willing to say more, he sigthed helplessly.
Stubborn his entire life, and now, even with one foot in the grave, his temperament remained unchanged.
Elder Xun shook his head, a hint of reproach in his voice as he admonished, "You should hold on to your life. Don't draw your sword again..."
Then, he turned and stretched out his finger, creating a rift in the void before leaving.
After Elder Xun left, the bearded elder slowly opened his eyes again. He turned his head to look at the ancient and majestic Tai Xu Mountain, his brows furrowed as he murmured, "Who exactly are you..."
Tai Xu Mountain was vast and lush, hiding everything within its greenery.
The bearded elder's eyes gleamed with determination. "Next time you make a move, I will definitely capture you..."
(End of Chapter)
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