Chapter 733: Reporting Back
Chapter 733: Reporting Back
"How dare you try to steal my pig?"
Mo Hua's voice was crisp, carrying a hint of disdain.
The senior disciple of Duan Jinmen knelt before him, feeling utterly humiliated.
He had been blasted by the array, struck by blades and axes, and was also suffering from poison. His body was now covered in wounds.
However, he was still in the late stage of the Foundation Establishment, with a solid foundation. Although his injuries were severe, they were not fatal.
Moreover, he still had some backbone, and he cursed under his breath, "A bunch of little brats!"
Cheng Mo couldn't stand his attitude and slapped him hard across the face.
Blood trickled from the corner of the Duan Jinmen senior disciple's mouth, and his eyes blazed with hatred. His teeth clenched, he gritted out, "Today, I, a tiger, have fallen into your hands, a bunch of insignificant ants. I admit defeat! But I will make you pay for this. Just you wait."
Mo Hua raised an eyebrow.
So, he still had some fight left in him?
He asked curiously, "Are you not afraid that we'll kill you?"
The Duan Jinmen senior disciple let out a cold laugh. "You wouldn't dare."
Mo Hua was slightly taken aback, but then he understood.
Indeed…
He really couldn't kill this person.
If he were a Sin, Demon, or Devil cultivator, it wouldn't be an issue. But this man was from Duan Jinmen, one of the twelve influential sects of Qian Xuezhou. Unless he had committed some heinous crime that violated the Dao laws, killing him would definitely lead to trouble. Duan Jinmen would surely demand justice, and even the Dao Court would not stand idly by.
Moreover, they were currently in Refining Demon Mountain.
Although the mountain was full of demonic beasts and treacherous terrain, it was not a lawless place.
Mo Hua fell silent, deep in thought.
Seeing this, the Duan Jinmen senior disciple became even more convinced that Mo Hua dared not kill him, and his expression turned bolder.
"Little brat, let me give you a word of advice. It's best not to offend my Duan Jinmen. You have no idea how powerful we are!"
Mo Hua scoffed and rolled his eyes.
Who was he to act so arrogantly while kneeling on the ground?
"If Duan Jinmen is so powerful, you wouldn't be kneeling before me right now," Mo Hua retorted.
The Duan Jinmen senior disciple's chest heaved, his face twitching. But he maintained his defiant expression, a cold, sinister smile on his lips.
Cheng Mo found his attitude disgusting and said, "Little senior brother, are you really not going to kill him?"
"Do you want to kill him?" Mo Hua asked.
Cheng Mo shook his head.
He was just asking.
Although he was impulsive, he wasn't stupid.
If they really killed this man, they would be inviting a lot of trouble. It would be difficult to explain their actions to Duan Jinmen, Tai Xu Gate, the Dao Court, and even their own Cheng family.
Teaching him a lesson would be enough.
Mo Hua nodded. "Strip him, hang him from a tree, and draw a turtle and a soft-shelled turtle on his body."
The Duan Jinmen senior disciple's eyes widened, and his expression changed drastically.
Such humiliation was worse than killing him!
"You little brat! How dare you?!" he roared in fury.
Mo Hua raised an eyebrow, deciding to show him through actions whether he dared or not.
"Tie him up, hang him, and draw the turtles," he ordered.
"Yes!"
Cheng Mo didn't stand on ceremony. He immediately stripped the Duan Jinmen senior disciple of his robe and bound him with a spirit rope, a type of spiritual tool, preparing to hang him from a tree.
The Duan Jinmen senior disciple was seething with rage, but he was powerless to resist. He could only watch as the tall Cheng Mo did as he pleased, his shame and fury mixing into a toxic brew.
"I will not let this go!" he spat. "I will make you pay for this humiliation a hundredfold!"
Mo Hua replied kindly, "Then be more careful next time. If you're still this useless and fall into our hands again, I'll make you kneel a hundred times and draw a hundred turtles on your body."
The Duan Jinmen senior disciple's eyes bulged, and he sputtered, "It's you who are despicable and cowardly, ambushing us from the shadows! If not for that, I wouldn't have… "
Mo Hua was speechless, "You think this is a child's game? At your age, you're still so immature. Have you been cultivating like a dog… "
"Do you only grow in height and not in your brains when you cultivate?"
"Moreover, if we're talking about despicableness, we can't compare to your Duan Jinmen…"
"… who relies on their numbers and shamelessly steals a lower batch disciple's demonic beast."
"So what if you stole it? The fact that you were counter-robbed, lost in a fight, and are now kneeling before us isn't enough?
"Kneeling is one thing, but now you're stripped naked, hanging from a tree, and have turtles drawn on your body…"
Mo Hua sighed, "I admit, I overestimated the disciples of Duan Jinmen."
"I prepared so many methods, but it turns out you're not even as useful as the pig I killed before…"
The Duan Jinmen senior disciple's anger caused internal damage, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Hao Xuan chimed in, "That's enough, little senior brother. Don't let him die of anger."
After all, if the Dao Court investigated and found out that he had been killed by their words, they wouldn't be able to explain themselves.
"Oh."
Mo Hua glanced at the Duan Jinmen senior disciple, who was hanging from the tree, his face ashen, struggling to breathe. Only then did he stop talking.
However, Mo Hua kept his promise and used a brush pen dipped in spirit ink to draw a turtle on the man's chest.
The turtle was drawn with exquisite detail.
Mo Hua was very satisfied.
The Duan Jinmen senior disciple rolled his eyes and fainted from anger.
"Is he dead?" Si Tu Jian asked.
Mo Hua sensed his breath and replied, "He's still alive."
"Good, he's still alive."
"Let's clean up and leave."
"Should we not take the storage bags?"
"It seems like we shouldn't..."
Si Tu Jian frowned, "Attacking disciples of Duan Jinmen is one thing, it might create some bad blood, but it's not unheard of."
"However, if we take their storage bags, it would be considered robbing cultivators, and that doesn't sound good if it gets out."
"Also, what if their storage bags contain Duan Jinmen's secret manuals, like the Duan Jin Sword Manual? If we take their bags, Duan Jinmen will definitely come after us..."
"And if they're shameless enough to claim that we stole their sect's treasured techniques, it'll be a real headache..."
The group discussed their concerns.
"Yes, yes!"
A guilty-looking Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.
After all, he had indeed stolen the Duan Jin Sword Manual.
The jade slip containing the manual was currently hidden in his storage ring...
Better not let the "stingy sect" know about it.
Mo Hua said, "We are honorable people. We won't stoop to looting. We'll just take back what's rightfully ours."
"Live and let live."
"But if someone offends us, then it's time to strip them, hang them from a tree, and draw turtles on them!"
Cheng Mo and the others nodded in agreement, "Little Senior Brother is right!"
After that, they claimed all the materials from the Pig Head Demon but returned the storage bags to their respective owners.
Once they were done, they took advantage of the remaining night to leave Refining Demon Mountain.
As for whether the disciples of Duan Jinmen would be eaten by demons later...
Mo Hua didn't care anymore.
After all, he hadn't killed them, and if they got eaten by demons, it was their own fault.
However, Mo Hua still had a kind heart. Before leaving, he fed each of them a healing pill to prevent them from dying.
Some time after Mo Hua left, the effects of the pills kicked in, and the Duan Jinmen disciples' injuries started to heal. They gradually regained consciousness.
Then they saw their usually revered and admired "wise and valiant" senior disciple, stripped naked and hanging from a tree, with a turtle drawn on his chest, looking like a pathetic clown.
All the disciples were stunned.
"Senior Brother, what..."
The Duan Jinmen senior disciple woke up furious. "Get me down this instant!"
The disciples hurriedly untied him, their hands shaking.
"Senior Brother, who did this to you?"
"I suddenly felt dizzy and blacked out. I didn't see anything..."
"I just felt surrounded by shadows. Were we attacked by a group?"
Someone asked with a grave expression, "If even Senior Brother Jin couldn't withstand them, and suffered such humiliation, there must have been more than one late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator among our attackers..."
"Senior Brother Jin..."
"Shut up, all of you!" The Duan Jinmen disciple with the surname Jin interrupted angrily.
His disciples' words stabbed at his heart like knives.
He felt both humiliated and furious, his chest tightening with anger, causing him to spit out another mouthful of blood.
The night grew deeper, and the mountain forest became more desolate, with the occasional roar of demons.
The atmosphere in the mountains became increasingly dangerous.
"Let's head back first. We'll settle this score another day!"
The Duan Jinmen senior disciple's eyes glinted with malice.
The other disciples didn't dare to speak and silently supported each other as they made their way down the mountain.
After they left, a figure emerged from the shadows on the dark slope. It was Xun Ziyou, slowly walking out and letting out a soft sigh.
There was no need for him to get involved.
A late-stage Foundation Establishment senior disciple of Duan Jinmen, along with seven mid-stage Foundation Establishment disciples, had been taught a lesson.
Although the methods were a bit harsh, they had shown restraint and hadn't taken lives.
But where did this child learn such methods? Xun Ziyou wondered. He looked so innocent and well-behaved, but when it came to acting, he was cunning and ruthless, full of wicked ideas...
Xun Ziyou shook his head and then thought:
"But this is also good. He's not the type to be bullied. If he is wronged, he can take back what's his without relying on the help of the sect elders..."
That was truly admirable.
To act with both integrity and flexibility, having principles while being 'unscrupulous'; to follow the rules without binding oneself...
Xun Ziyou suddenly felt a sense of loss and became lost in thought.
"Senior Brother Xuan had exceptional talent and a strong sense of justice, but perhaps it was his excessive righteousness that led to his downfall..."
"If only he hadn't been so rigid..."
...
Mo Hua and his group returned to their sect.
The next day, Mo Hua acted as if nothing had happened and continued his usual cultivation and classes.
Xun Ziyou secretly glanced at Mo Hua, noticing his calm demeanor as if the events of last night had never occurred...
He hadn't killed a mid-stage second-grade Pig Demon.
He hadn't been robbed by disciples of Duan Jinmen.
And he certainly hadn't turned the tables on them, injuring their late-stage Foundation Establishment senior disciple, stripping him, hanging him from a tree, and drawing a turtle on him...
Xun Ziyou felt helpless.
This child had a heart of steel.
Perhaps if he had killed those disciples of Duan Jinmen last night, he would still be able to attend class today without batting an eye.
Such a person was destined for greatness.
The question was whether the great deeds he would accomplish would be righteous or sinister.
Upon arriving at the Elder's Residence, however, Xun Ziyou was surprised to find Elder Xun standing motionless, holding a jade slip.
It seemed as if he had discovered something astonishing, as his face was filled with shock, and his hands were trembling.
Xun Ziyou rarely saw his elder in such a state.
Elder Xun, with his longevity and stern temperament, seldom displayed his emotions so openly, and now his entire face reflected his astonishment.
Something momentous must have happened...
Xun Ziyou dared not enter, fearing that he might bring bad luck upon his elder, so he stood like a wooden post outside the door.
Inside the room, Elder Xun clutched the jade slip, his mind in a tumult.
The disciple he had sent to investigate Mo Hua's background had returned that day and presented the jade slip to him.
Inscribed on the jade slip were words that were shocking to the core:
"Tongxian City, Mo Hua.
Rumored to have constructed a top-grade Five Elements Demon-Slaying Grand Array during the Refining stage, slaying the great demon Feng Wei and saving the cultivators of a whole city.
Subsequently, the grand array collapsed, perishing together with the great demon.
According to rumors, when the array collapsed, the heavenly tribulation lightning descended upon him, circling thrice above his head before returning to the heavens without causing him any harm..."
..."
"There is a mysterious teacher, whose origins are unknown.
Said to have ventured out on a journey, returning with the ability to establish a foundation.
Now, alone, he travels to Qianzhou to seek further knowledge.
All his achievements are recorded on the Demon Subduing Monument, and cultivators within a hundred-mile radius sing praises of his name..."
Elder Xun took a deep breath, his heart pounding.
Refining stage, deploying a grand array, slaying a great demon, and evading heavenly tribulation lightning!
These feats sounded like fantastical tales, akin to immortal anecdotes spun by storytellers, too incredible to be believed.
They had no idea what level of formation that grand array was.
Nor did they understand the true meaning of constructing a grand array at the Refining stage.
Not to mention the great demon...
That was a terrifying aberration born from the deviation of the Dao, a solitary ruler of a state, an abomination of the Dao.
And evading the heavenly tribulation lightning was even more preposterous.
The origin of the tribulation lightning stems from the Dao, containing the power of rules that annihilate everything.
Within the confines of these rules, even spirits and aberrations would perish, let alone a mere Refining stage cultivator.
To those cultivators with profound experience and understanding of the profound depths of the Dao, these tales sounded utterly absurd.
However, the protagonist of these tales...
Was Mo Hua.
Elder Xun's heart trembled.
He knew that Mo Hua possessed extraordinary spiritual sense, but could it be that...
With an extraordinary spiritual sense, it was theoretically possible for a Refining stage cultivator to learn and lead the construction of a grand array...
Being able to lead the construction of a grand array meant being able to confront a great demon.
It was also plausible for the grand array to collapse, resulting in the mutual destruction of the array and the great demon.
As for the heavenly tribulation lightning, it annihilated everything within the confines of the rules.
But an extraordinary spiritual sense meant existing outside the confines of the rules.
Therefore...
It wasn't entirely impossible for the tribulation lightning to descend upon him without causing any harm.
And so, when considering all these absurd and incredible rumors... were they not, in fact, reasonable? Elder Xun's pupils quivered.
He suddenly realized that from his lifelong understanding of cultivation, he had deduced a set of circumstances that seemingly contradicted his knowledge yet appeared strangely plausible.
For a moment, Elder Xun found it hard to believe.
He read through the jade slip once more, word by word.
With each word, his eyelids twitched.
Then, he noticed a sentence:
"There is a teacher, his origins shrouded in mystery..."
What kind of "teacher" could nurture such a disciple?
A chilling thought occurred to Elder Xun, and a figure suddenly appeared in his mind's eye.
A figure clad in white, with a strikingly handsome countenance, eyebrows carrying a blend of nonchalance, arrogance, and wildness, along with a hint of innate, effortless, and natural immortal charm.
A name, deeply etched in his memory but rarely mentioned, resurfaced:
Zhuang Daoling! Elder Xun's breath hitched, and his heart trembled.
Mo Hua...
Could he be that man's disciple?! Elder Xun felt a chill run down his spine, and cold sweat broke out on his back.
He had entertained this guess before.
Not long after Mo Hua's arrival, he had a faint suspicion.
Although their appearances and auras were distinct—one unruly and the other adorable—their comprehension of formations and affinity with the Dao were strikingly similar.
A scattered cultivator from a small immortal city would not possess such a harmonious understanding of the Dao without guidance.
But... how could this be possible?
Elder Xun frowned.
That man's standards were exceptionally high, and his disciples were all exceptionally talented. How could he accept an ordinary cultivator with a mediocre spirit root as his disciple?
Moreover, after spending some time with Mo Hua, Elder Xun could confidently assert that the boy did not practice the Immortal Array Stream.
This didn't add up...
Mo Hua's understanding of formations and his grasp of the "Dao" were impressive.
But why, when it came to the most crucial Immortal Array Stream, was there not even a hint of instruction?
Without studying the Immortal Array Stream, one could not enter the path of the Immortal Array Dao.
How could one then claim to have received a true Immortal Array inheritance?
Could it be that there hadn't been enough time yet...?
Elder Xun's pale brows furrowed, and he heaved a deep sigh.
Regardless, if Mo Hua was indeed that man's disciple, then it would truly be a matter of immense karma...
Elder Xun's heart grew heavy, and he even felt a slight palpitation.
It wasn't until he snapped out of his daze that he noticed a "wooden post" standing at the door.
"Come in."
Elder Xun composed himself, his expression neutral as he spoke.
Seeing that his elder's demeanor had calmed down and that the oppressive aura was no longer emanating from him, Xun Ziyou slowly breathed a sigh of relief. He respectfully stepped into the room.
A disciple brought in tea.
Xun Ziyou took a cautious sip of tea before speaking in a low voice, "Elder, you..."
He wanted to ask if something had happened to cause such a drastic change in his elder's mood...
But he swallowed the rest of his words, knowing better than to speak out of turn.
After all, loose lips sink ships.
Elder Xun frowned, slightly annoyed, "If you have something to say, say it. You're an elder now, no need to beat around the bush..."
Xun Ziyou's heart sank, and he said in a low voice, "It's about Mo Hua..."
However, as soon as he uttered those two words, Elder Xun's expression changed, and an aura of a Void Shattering Realm cultivator unconsciously emanated from him.
Xun Ziyou's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly added, "Elder..."
Elder Xun came back to his senses with a slight daze and then suppressed his aura, asking calmly, "What about Mo Hua?"
Xun Ziyou sighed, "It's nothing, it's just about the matter of looking after him that you entrusted to me. That child's methods are somewhat...extraordinary?"
Elder Xun knitted his brows slightly.
Xun Ziyou then recounted everything he had witnessed on Refining Demon Mountain.
"His array formations are exceptional, and he also has a certain degree of prestige among his fellow disciples..."
"Last night, he led four of his fellow disciples to kill a second-grade mid-stage Pig Demon. The array formation he used seemed to be a special type of 'spirit power amplification' formation, which I have never seen before..."
"After that, they had a conflict with disciples from Duan Jinmen."
"There were eight people from Duan Jinmen, including one at the late Foundation Establishment stage, but they were no match for Mo Hua's group."
"His method of setting up the array was also quite bizarre, as if he was using his thoughts as a brush and the ground as his medium..."
Elder Xun was taken aback.
Spirit power amplification formations and the technique of drawing formations with one's thoughts...
These bizarre methods seemed to bear the hallmark of that man.
Given all these factors, Elder Xun was now almost certain that Mo Hua was indeed Zhuang Daoling's personally taught disciple!
Elder Xun was momentarily stunned, still finding it hard to believe, while also feeling deeply perplexed.
Why would the personally taught disciple of that man end up in our Tai Xu Gate?
Why not in Qian Dao Zong?
Xun Ziyou, unaware of Elder Xun's thoughts, voiced his own confusion, "I've never seen these array formations or deployment methods before. Could it be that... Elder, you taught him these?"
Elder Xun frowned, about to deny it, but then his thoughts took a turn.
Elder Xun's eyes flickered as he looked at Xun Ziyou, saying meaningfully, "Don't mention this matter to anyone."
He neither confirmed nor denied it.
But Xun Ziyou understood, believing that these array methods were indeed secretly passed down by Elder Xun.
Such a matter should indeed not be disclosed to others, lest they think the elder is playing favorites.
Although everyone already knew that the elder did play favorites.
Xun Ziyou nodded, "Elder, rest assured, I will keep this a secret."
Elder Xun gave a slight nod.
"But..." Xun Ziyou still had his doubts, "Do you know these methods yourself, Elder?"
Whether it was the spirit power amplification formation or the technique of deploying formations with one's thoughts, he had never seen Elder Xun use them before.
How could he teach what he didn't know? Elder Xun gave Xun Ziyou a silent look.
Xun Ziyou's heart tightened, and he forced a smile, "Elder, you are knowledgeable and proficient in countless areas. It's my own ignorance that is at fault..."
Elder Xun remained expressionless.
Under the weight of Elder Xun's gaze, Xun Ziyou felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
After what felt like an eternity, Elder Xun waved his hand, "Go and attend to your own matters."
Xun Ziyou felt as if he had just been pardoned, and he quickly said, "Then I won't disturb you further, Elder. I bid you farewell."
Without another moment's delay, Xun Ziyou stood up and left.
In the Elder's Residence, only Elder Xun remained, deep in thought.
Elder Xun's expression shifted several times as he pondered the situation.
If this matter truly involved that man, then the underlying secrets were unfathomably deep.
The waters were too deep, and the karma involved was too great...
Elder Xun frowned, then paused as his eyes gradually took on a profound gleam.
Perhaps, there was another possibility:
This "opportunity" was simply too terrifying...
(End of Chapter)
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