Chapter 735: Searching the Mountains
Chapter 735: Searching the Mountains
"Injury to their bones and tendons... we're going to beat them up, right?" Cheng Mo asked.
Mo Hua nodded.
Cheng Mo smiled, but then frowned, "But those despicable Jianmen disciples are very good at hiding their tracks. It will be difficult to find them..."
"Don't worry," Mo Hua said, "Gather some people. During this break, I will go into the mountains with you."
Since his fellow sect members had been bullied, Mo Hua, as the "junior brother," had to take back what was theirs!
"Alright!" Cheng Mo nodded.
A few days later, during the break, Cheng Mo gathered twenty people as Mo Hua had instructed.
These twenty individuals were those who frequently interacted with Cheng Mo, addressing him as "junior brother," and had gone on missions, taken on bounties, and shared merits with him.
The twenty disciples greeted Mo Hua and bowed, calling out, "Junior brother!"
Mo Hua nodded, his expression turning solemn, "This time, we're going into the Refining Demon Mountain. We will only target the Jianmen sect and ignore the rest."
The group of disciples looked pleased.
In recent days, they had been repeatedly harassed by the Jianmen sect in the Refining Demon Mountain. Not only had they suffered injuries, but they had also lost face, wasted time, and earned little merit. They were already seething with anger.
The only problem was that the Jianmen sect was shameless. They would flee when they were losing and then look for opportunities to cause trouble again, which was extremely annoying.
Mo Hua spread out a map on the table.
"The method is simple."
"We will divide ourselves into groups of twenty. We will wear the Gold-Conquering Armor and carry Gold-Conquering spiritual artifacts as we enter the mountains to sweep the area!"
"For any Jianmen disciple with malicious intentions that we come across, we will beat them up, strip them of their robes, draw turtles on their bodies, and hang them from the trees."
"Let's see just how shameless they can be..."
After giving his instructions, the group set off.
Including Mo Hua, Cheng Mo, and the others, there were twenty-five people in total. To avoid attracting attention, they entered the Refining Demon Mountain in batches and assembled at a slope within the mountain.
Once gathered, they officially began their "sweep."
The Jianmen disciples were indeed not stupid, and they had hidden themselves well.
On the surface, the deep mountains and lush forests showed no suspicious traces.
Mo Hua walked in front, using his seventeen-texture transformed spiritual sense, enhanced by some derived calculations, to scan the surrounding mountains and forests.
In the midst of the white haze, the mountains, rocks, plants, and creatures were stripped of their appearances, revealing their true forms as spiritual or demonic beings.
In a daze, he felt as if he were peering into the "true nature" of all things.
Under his spiritual sense, any Jianmen disciple who tried to hide, whether through the use of concealment artifacts, the cover of rocks, or the concealment of their aura in the grass, could not escape his detection.
Mo Hua sensed for a moment and then pointed with his hand.
"There are five of them hiding in that clump of grass over there..."
"There are seven riding on that tree over there."
"Five more are hiding behind that big rock."
"There are some in the water, too..."
"A few are using earth-diving techniques to burrow underground..."
...
As he walked, Mo Hua continued to point them out.
The Jianmen sect seemed to have an abundance of talent when it came to performing such underhanded deeds, and their methods varied.
However, in front of Mo Hua, their "scheming" was insignificant.
Like this, the Jianmen disciples who were hiding in the mountains with malicious intentions were exposed one by one by Mo Hua.
Cheng Mo immediately led the group to charge forward, and the disturbance suddenly escalated. The sound of clashing blades and swords filled the air, along with overflowing spiritual energy. Someone shouted:
"Who are you?!"
"You brats from the Tai Xu Sect!"
"Damn, how did they find us?"
"I'll hold them off, you guys run..."
"Okay..."
"I'll go to your mother, you said you'd hold them off, why did you run off yourself?!"
"You idiot!"
"Suppress them with spells..."
"Their armor is strange. My Golden Blade technique can't hurt them..."
"Useless trash!"
...
With their greater numbers and superior armor, the outcome of the battle was almost a foregone conclusion.
Thus, amidst the chaos, the Jianmen disciples were captured one by one.
Mo Hua kept his promise and stripped them of their robes, drew turtles on their bodies, and hung them from the trees, subjecting them to humiliation.
This was the price of their audacity.
After dealing with this group, Mo Hua waved his hand.
"Continue..."
So the group of more than twenty people continued forward.
Mo Hua continued to scout ahead and point out the Jianmen disciples, while Cheng Mo and the others moved in to capture them and hang them from the trees.
Led by Mo Hua, the group followed a predetermined route, searching and sweeping the mountains, dealing with any Jianmen disciples they encountered.
It wasn't until the sky gradually darkened that the group left the Refining Demon Mountain.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and then took everyone to hunt down a few demonic beasts. They skinned the beasts, sold the materials at the mountain gate, and distributed the merits among the group.
Since there were few demonic beasts and many people, each person only received about a hundred merits, just enough to cover the cost of their entry tickets, ensuring they didn't lose any merits.
They might not make a profit, but they certainly wouldn't lose anything!
This was Mo Hua's bottom line when it came to acting.
After that, everyone felt relieved and went back to the sect to drink happily.
...
After dark, within the Jianmen sect.
A disciple reported the incident in the Refining Demon Mountain to a tall and thin Jianmen senior brother.
This senior brother still had some injuries, with axe marks on his shoulders.
His movements were slightly slow, as if he had been affected by a severe poison that had not yet been purged from his system.
He was intently studying a demon-hunting map.
"Senior brother Jin, it's bad news..."
The disciple was flustered.
The Jianmen senior brother frowned, his expression displeased, "What happened?"
"We..." The disciple took a slight breath and lowered his voice, "We were ambushed by the Tai Xu Sect..."
The Jianmen senior brother furrowed his brows, "And then?"
"The enemy had more people and acted despicably. They used some unknown method to find our disciples hiding in the mountains and capture them one by one..."
The junior brother emphasized again, "They had more people and acted despicably. We were no match for them. They beat us up and then..."
The disciple paused.
The Jianmen senior brother asked, "And then?"
The disciple glanced at the Jianmen senior brother and whispered, "Then they did to us what they did to you, senior brother..."
The Jianmen senior brother was slightly stunned, "What do you mean, they did to me?"
"They stripped us, drew turtles on our bodies, and hung us from the trees..."
These words were like a sharp sword, piercing his heart.
The Jianmen senior brother's blood boiled with rage, and he slammed his hand on the table in front of him, shattering it to pieces. His whole body trembled with fury.
It was a disgrace!
This was the greatest humiliation he had faced in his life so far.
What made it even more unbearable was that the perpetrators were a few disciples with less seniority and cultivation than him, mere mid-foundation establishment cultivators.
Every time he thought of this, he gritted his teeth in anger, burning with rage.
Seeing this, the disciple trembled in fear beside him.
An axe-wielder! Just as I thought!
A cold light flashed in the Jianmen senior brother's eyes.
"Senior Brother Jin, what should we do now...?" The disciple asked cautiously.
The Jianmen senior brother pondered for a moment and coldly smiled, "If they want to fight, we'll give them a fight!"
The disciple's expression brightened, "Senior Brother, are you going to take action?"
The Jianmen senior brother's face darkened.
Me taking action? It was because I took action earlier that I ended up in such an embarrassing situation.
The Jianmen senior brother had a narrow mind, and his eyes turned slightly cold as he glanced at the disciple, his thoughts unknown.
After a moment, he spoke, "Not yet. I and the other senior brothers from Jianmen cannot take action for now."
"Previously, it was because those brats from Tai Xu Sect stole the demonic beasts I was hunting. That's why I took it personally and taught them a lesson."
"Now, it's a conflict between your batch of disciples. If we senior brothers step in again, we will undoubtedly be accused of bullying the juniors."
"Although there are reasons for our actions, it will still give others a chance to talk if it gets out."
"I, Jin Kemeng, walk with integrity and uprightness, and I fear no such accusations. However, we must also not give others an opportunity to seize upon our shortcomings."
"Therefore, this matter should be resolved by your batch of junior brothers. This battle is for you to fight."
"But..." The disciple hesitated, "We're afraid we're no match for the Tai Xu Sect..."
The Jianmen senior brother's expression turned cold, "You are my Jianmen disciple, yet you have no confidence and only serve to boost their morale and dampen our own?"
The Jianmen senior brother coldly smiled, "Although Jianmen is only ranked twelfth among the sects, it is because the previous Sect Ranking was biased and underestimated our strength."
"Today, Jianmen continues to grow stronger and is no longer the same as before."
"As for the Tai Xu Sect, they are declining generation after generation and have already fallen to the bottom of the Eight Great Sects, possessing only an empty name."
"Senior Brother's words are true!"
The disciple quickly agreed, but his expression still showed a lack of confidence, "But Senior Brother, you don't know. Each of them in the Tai Xu Sect has a piece of Gold-Conquering Armor..."
"And in our Jianmen, most of the disciples have golden spirit roots and cultivate gold-type Daoist arts."
"Spell attacks are less effective against the Gold-Conquering Armor."
"Body cultivators fare a little better, but they still don't have the upper hand..."
"In direct combat, our Jianmen disciples are not afraid of the Tai Xu Sect, but they are too cunning and rely on the power of their spiritual artifacts. We will be at a disadvantage..."
The Jianmen senior brother frowned.
He was already aware of this, and he had been feeling suspicious about it for a while.
Normally, it would be difficult to mass-produce such single-element armor, and even if it were possible, it would definitely be a loss-making endeavor.
Having one or two pieces would be fine.
But having one for each person, all in the same style, and all inscribed with gold-conquering formations, was very strange.
This implied that someone or some force was specifically targeting Jianmen, going all out and spending a lot of money to develop such customized spiritual artifacts that counter gold-type spiritual power...
The Jianmen senior brother's expression gradually turned solemn. After a moment, he spoke, "I have a way to deal with this. Go and gather the disciples. Tomorrow, we'll teach the Tai Xu Sect a lesson."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
The disciple left to carry out the order.
The Jianmen senior brother thought for a moment, then got up and left the disciple's residence. He walked past the magnificent golden stairs and headed towards another cave abode within Jianmen, which was located in a scenic and luxuriously decorated area.
A beautiful female disciple opened the door and led him inside, all the way to the living room.
Seated in the living room was a handsome young master dressed in fine clothes.
This young master was sipping tea.
The beautiful female disciple whispered something to him, and the young master nodded, hooking her chin with his finger as he said something amorous.
The female disciple left shyly.
The Jianmen senior brother kept his gaze straight, not daring to look around, but his peripheral vision couldn't help but linger on the female disciple's curvaceous figure as she walked away, his heart filled with envy.
This was not an elder's cave abode, but a disciple's residence.
A solitary abode with female companions.
These were clearly against the sect's rules.
Not just in Jianmen, but in most sects throughout the Qian Xue State, such behavior was considered a violation of the sect's regulations.
However, rules were made for ordinary people.
Some people were destined to stand above the rest, enjoying wealth and privileges that ordinary cultivators could never attain in their lifetimes.
The Jianmen senior brother turned his gaze towards the handsome young master in the center.
Jin Yicai.
One of the most direct descendants of the Jin family of Jianmen.
His father's lineage had held high positions in Jianmen for generations, and his mother's lineage had connections to one of the Seven Pavilions of the Central Dao Court, making her family influential within the Dao State as well.
This exquisite cave abode was specially requested by his mother for her precious son.
In her words, Jin Yicai was born noble and extraordinary, and he couldn't possibly live in the same disciple's residence as ordinary disciples.
The female disciple who had just left was not a maid.
She was a true upper-tier disciple from a prominent family within Jianmen, known for her talent and beauty, an unattainable "heavenly proud daughter" in the eyes of others, but here, she was merely a plaything to warm the bed.
Jin Yicai, with his prestigious background and superior spirit root, even had his own private cave abode within Jianmen.
Countless talented women from mediocre families within Jianmen yearned to marry into the Jin family, hoping to climb the social ladder.
Even if he did nothing, as long as he left the door of his cave abode slightly ajar, there would be women of various appearances and charms sneaking into his abode every night, offering themselves to him.
Even if he grew tired of them and discarded them, these women would still consider it a blessing.
The female disciples who led the way were also changed every few days.
These actions clearly violated the sect's rules.
The higher-ups in Jianmen were aware of this, but most of them turned a blind eye.
The Jianmen senior brother felt a twinge of jealousy and resentment in his heart.
Before he was promoted by Jin Yicai and allowed into this cave abode, he had no idea about any of this.
Only after witnessing it with his own eyes did he realize how low these so-called "pure and virtuous fairies," who were praised by others, could stoop.
To some people, those lofty rules were nothing but a joke.
Fame and wealth could corrupt one's heart to such an extent.
The Jianmen senior brother's heart was filled with a mix of sourness and hatred.
However, what he hated was not the greed of human desires or the decadence of fame and wealth.
He only hated that none of this had anything to do with him.
That fragrance was so alluring, like the powdery scent of the curvaceous female disciple from earlier, captivating his heart.
Just then, a voice laced with a hint of arrogance echoed within the room.
"Jin Gui, what is it?"
The Jinmen Sect Senior Brother, addressed as "Jin Gui," immediately gathered his thoughts and respectfully replied, "The Tai Xu Sect is still causing trouble."
Jin Yicai, dressed in luxurious golden silk clothing and exuding an air of laziness, frowned upon hearing this.
Jin Gui continued, "They are equipped with 'gold-conquering' spiritual artifacts, which our ordinary disciples may not be able to counter."
Jin Yicai coldly smiled, "Gold-conquering spiritual artifacts? How clever of them..."
He nodded slightly, "Pass on my words. Let the Jin family disciples who have cultivated the Duan Jin Sword Manual to a sufficient level, and those who have forged their Duan Jin Swords, go and teach the Tai Xu Sect a lesson..."
After speaking, Jin Yicai let out a cold hmph, "Do they really think that everyone in the Duan Jin Sect is insignificant?"
"Yes," Jin Gui replied.
Jin Yicai pondered for a moment, then lifted his gaze slightly, "How is the matter with the demonic beasts progressing?"
Jin Gui lowered his head slightly and reported, "As per Young Master's instructions, we have captured seventeen of the species listed in the records. The remaining types are scarce, and we are still searching for them..."
Jin Yicai looked somewhat displeased.
Jin Gui, sensing his master's mood, felt his heart sink, and quickly added, "Refining Demon Mountain is vast, with treacherous terrain, dense forests, and numerous demonic beasts. It's not easy to find them, especially with the Tai Xu Sect disciples causing trouble. Our actions are somewhat hindered..."
"Once we deal with the Tai Xu Sect disciples, we will definitely gather all the required beasts within half a month!"
Only then did Jin Yicai nod in approval, "Don't disappoint me."
"Rest assured, Young Master!" Jin Gui replied resolutely.
The room fell silent after that.
Jin Yicai calmly sipped his tea.
Jin Gui stood respectfully, not daring to make a sound.
The room exuded an air of opulence and luxury, with incense smoke curling upwards from a burner.
An atmosphere of ease and wealth permeated the place.
Jin Yicai took a sip of tea, but his heart felt inexplicably agitated.
If it weren't for that incident, he wouldn't have been confined by his father, forbidden to step out of this cave abode, not even with his mother's pleading.
Even for such an important matter, he had to rely on others.
Because of this, he had been severely reprimanded by his father.
In his entire life, he had never been scolded so harshly.
Jin Yicai's anger surged, and he crushed the teacup in his hand with a "crack."
Jin Gui was startled.
Before long, the beautiful female disciple heard the noise and gracefully approached, wiping away the tea that had spilled on Jin Yicai, replacing the cup, and pouring him a fresh one. As she retreated, she sent him a flirtatious glance and swayed her hips as she walked away.
Jin Gui lowered his head, but his peripheral vision couldn't help but linger on the female disciple's curvaceous figure as she left, his heart filled with envy.
These women were considered top-notch within the sect, far beyond his reach.
Jin Gui's subtle expressions did not escape Jin Yicai's notice.
Jin Yicai gave a slight sneer and said indifferently, "Have you remembered the instructions I gave you?"
"Yes, I have," Jin Gui quickly replied.
"Hmm." Jin Yicai used the tea lid to skim the foam off his tea, "This matter is of utmost importance, and we cannot afford any mistakes. If you can carry out the task I've entrusted to you..."
Jin Yicai took a light sip of his tea, "I will bring you onto the boat."
Upon hearing this, Jin Gui's entire body trembled, and his expression turned to one of ecstatic joy. Forgetting his status, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed, "Thank you, Young Master!"
"Thank you, Young Master, for your kindness!"
"Jin Gui will be forever grateful and loyal to you, Young Master!"
Jin Gui fervently expressed his gratitude and pledged his loyalty.
Jin Yicai nodded in satisfaction, looking at Jin Gui, who was still kneeling on the ground, and thought to himself:
"The way he's kneeling there, he looks just like a dog..."
...
The next day, Mo Hua once again led a group into Refining Demon Mountain to continue their search.
However, this time, he noticed something different.
The Duan Jin Sect disciples had suddenly become stronger.
Although they wore the same golden Daoist robes, their demeanor was more arrogant, their spiritual roots were better, their cultivation deeper, and their sword aura sharper. The golden spiritual swords they carried were also noticeably different.
Moreover, the sword techniques they cultivated were all profound and advanced.
With this change, the pressure on the Tai Xu Sect disciples increased significantly.
Cheng Mo had no choice but to join the battle himself.
Fortunately, although these Duan Jin Sect disciples were strong, they were only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. With Mo Hua's current cultivation, his powerful spiritual sense, near-instant fireball technique, and various tricky and nasty control-type spells, he was more than capable of showcasing his prowess in a battle of this scale.
Not to mention, he also had his formations.
Thus, although the fight was challenging, Mo Hua and his group still emerged victorious, albeit with more injuries than before.
The Duan Jin Sect had lost, but their losses weren't too severe.
At least, there were fewer disciples hanging from the trees with turtle drawings on their bodies.
Both sides retreated, exchanged harsh words, and then returned to their respective sects.
Back at the Tai Xu Sect, the disciples tended to their wounds.
Mo Hua observed their injuries and realized a problem: the gold-conquering armor didn't seem to be as effective anymore...
The gold-conquering armor was inscribed with a formation that specifically countered metal-type spiritual power. It had extremely high resistance against metal-based spells.
However, these new Duan Jin Sect disciples seemed to be core disciples of the sect.
The sword techniques they cultivated were the complete and authentic Duan Jin Sword Manual.
The sword aura they produced with this manual, although metal-based, was, in essence, "sword aura."
The gold-conquering armor was designed specifically to counter metal-type spiritual power, but its defense against sword aura was negligible.
Hence, in this confrontation, the Tai Xu Sect disciples suffered more injuries.
But... how do you defend against sword aura? What is the difference between sword aura and regular spiritual power? Why is it more powerful than regular spells?
There were eight days until the next break.
Mo Hua wanted to use this time to figure out the answer to this question.
Otherwise, in the next confrontation, more of their disciples would be injured, and fighting the Duan Jin Sect would become a losing proposition.
Mo Hua specifically sought out Elder Yi, who taught the sect's Daoist arts, for guidance.
He also consulted with several sword cultivators, including Si Tu Jian, to gain a better understanding.
The power of sword cultivators came primarily from their "sword aura."
And the effectiveness of sword aura depended partly on the "sword artifact."
Sword artifact...
Mo Hua thought of the luxurious golden spiritual swords that the Duan Jin Sect disciples wore at their waists, and his eyes gradually lit up.
"The Duan Jin Sect's spiritual swords..."
(End of Chapter)
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