Chapter 751: The Monster
Chapter 751: The Monster
Xun Ziyou entered the Elder's residence and silently breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected that on a whim, when he had come to consult the ancestor about something, he would suddenly run into Mo Hua at the door.
The ancestor's residence was impervious to spiritual sense.
Therefore, he never thought that Mo Hua would suddenly come out of the room.
And so, this "peeping Tom" had bumped into the main culprit.
Xun Ziyou still felt a bit uneasy.
But fortunately, he was a late-stage Golden Core cultivator who had lived for two to three hundred years. With his composure and experience, he was able to quickly conceal the strange expression on his face and pretend that he didn't know Mo Hua, thus barely escaping exposure.
"Hopefully, nothing will come of this..."
Xun Ziyou muttered to himself.
It was just a brief encounter, and no matter how clever this child was, it was unlikely that he would notice anything amiss...
Moreover, just now, Mo Hua had respectfully greeted him and addressed him as "Elder," presenting a dutiful and obedient appearance.
Xun Ziyou nodded slightly.
He entered the inner chamber and presented a jade slip to Elder Xun.
"The matter of reforming the sect is basically settled..."
"The Path Court is already processing the necessary procedures."
"The specific charter is still being discussed, but in general, it's about deciding the sect's ranking based on the rankings in the Discourse Assembly."
"This reshuffling will be used to renegotiate the positions of the Four Great Sects, the Eight Great Gates, and the Twelve Flows."
"At the same time, taking advantage of this reform, we will change the sect system in Qian Xuezhou, elevating the status of the 'Four Great Sects' and increasing their share of the spirit mines in Qianlong Mountain."
"In other words, after the sect reform, the title of the Four Great Sects will be even more important than before!"
"Whoever can snatch one of the Four Great Sects' positions from the current holders will simultaneously gain the authority of the new 'Four Great Sects' along with the massive spirit stone profits from the Qianlong spirit mines."
"Of course, if they fail to seize a position, then the current 'Four Great Sects' will retain their status."
Elder Xun's eyes turned slightly solemn.
Xun Ziyou sighed:
"This is a blatant scheme..."
"It's a plot set up by the Four Great Sects to pave their way to becoming true sect giants, on par with the Path State sects."
"With such a huge opportunity presented to them, other sects, even if they are aware of the significant risks and small chances of success, will still want to take a gamble."
"No one truly believes they will lose until it actually happens."
Xun Ziyou couldn't help but feel emotional.
Elder Xun nodded slightly.
Yes, no one truly believed they would lose until it happened...
But now, he also wanted to take that gamble.
He had no other choice.
Elder Xun frowned.
Lately, he had been feeling uneasy. When he had some free time, he tried to calculate the future, only to discover that beneath the seemingly peaceful situation lay hidden dangers. No matter how he calculated, everything was shrouded in mist.
This was peculiar.
Usually, he would be able to discern whether the future held good or ill fortune.
Although Elder Xun knew that he wasn't an expert in the art of divination and that his cause-and-effect compass wasn't top-notch, so his calculations might not be entirely accurate, he shouldn't be completely unable to predict anything.
There wasn't even a hint of a clue.
This indicated that the threads of fate had been sealed by something.
Someone didn't want him to predict anything...
Or perhaps, they didn't want anyone to predict the future.
To be able to hide the threads of fate from him, a Dongxu cultivator, there was likely a "frightening" existence behind this.
Elder Xun had some suspicions, but he wasn't yet sure.
After all, some things were too ancient.
Some terrifying beings had long been forgotten by people.
The current cultivators had lived in peace for too long, losing their sense of reverence.
They had forgotten the true, great terrors of the world and lacked the fear that kept them cautious.
Now, with a complex situation on the surface and hidden dangers lurking beneath, it was time to take action.
Hoping to stay untouched by the turmoil might not be an option anymore.
So, he could only gamble.
Elder Xun's eyes turned sharp, and he asked, "How long will this sect reform take?"
Such a major reform would certainly not happen overnight. It involved too many aristocratic families and sects, entangled interests, and profound implications for the overall situation; it would inevitably require a long period to gradually promote and implement the changes.
Xun Ziyou replied, "I heard it will take ten years, spanning three sessions of the Discourse Assembly. The reforms will be gradually implemented until everything is finally settled."
Xun Ziyou hesitated for a moment and then added, "But even so, I'm afraid that starting from the next session of the Discourse Assembly, the knives will come out."
"In the following session, life and death decisions will be made."
"The situation might even be decided before the last session, and the final Discourse Assembly within the ten-year period will merely be a 'coronation' for the victor..."
Xun Ziyou's tone was grave.
"Ten years, three sessions..." Elder Xun's eyes grew solemn as he muttered, "I hope this child will make it in time..."
...
After returning to the disciples' residence, Mo Hua continued his usual cultivation practice.
In his free time, he reviewed all the formations he had learned.
From the top-grade One-Element Formation to the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Formation, the Yuan Magnetism Formation, and even the Shinto formation he had obtained from the small fishing village, he went over them all.
He also began to think about the formation systems as a whole and the differences between the various types of formations.
This could be considered an advanced level of understanding in the art of formations.
Ordinary formation masters at his age and cultivation level would not have the opportunity to come into contact with so many formations, let alone learn them.
The number of formations Mo Hua had mastered was more than ten or even dozens of times that of a typical formation master.
Moreover, the difficulty of the formations he had comprehended far surpassed what others could achieve.
When one learned a lot, it was necessary to summarize and categorize, attempting to unify the path of formations or at least make them mutually reflective and interconnected.
There are countless varieties of formations, a vast ocean to explore.
To truly master them all, to integrate and interconnect them, is an extremely vast and arduous task.
It would require an immense amount of time and effort.
At the same time, one must also learn about countless other formations.
Mo Hua estimated that even with his entire life, he might not be able to accomplish this task.
But any grand and noble endeavor is never easy.
The path to enlightenment lies ahead, even if it is long and arduous, with the endpoint nowhere in sight. One must still take each step forward.
A cultivator's heart is dedicated to the pursuit of the Dao.
Even if one's life comes to an end before reaching the destination, they must still strive and fall on the path to seeking the Dao.
They must not let the difficulties deter them, hesitating at the starting point until their lives wither away and their cultivation dissipates.
With this thought, Mo Hua's determination to cultivate the Dao became even firmer.
He began to calm his mind and sort through the various formations.
The other formations were manageable, as Mo Hua had learned and practiced them extensively.
However, when it came to the "Shinto Formations," although Mo Hua could draw them and often practiced, he still felt that he had not truly grasped the essence of this type of formation.
The Shinto formation he obtained from the small fishing village was relatively complete, but it was also very rudimentary.
Mo Hua knew that, to a certain extent, these formations had the ability to "isolate" and "seal" spiritual sense.
They could block the sea of consciousness and prevent weaker evil spirits from invading.
To some degree, they could also restrain evil spirits.
But the effect was not particularly strong.
It was effective against ordinary evil spirits, but not against stronger ones.
As for evil gods or the remnants of evil gods, it was out of the question.
So, while it was useful, it also felt somewhat inadequate and fell short of Mo Hua's expectations.
Moreover, Mo Hua always felt that his understanding of Shinto formations was separated by a barrier.
Different fields are like different mountains, and the knowledge of formations was no exception.
This barrier was like a mountain, separating him from true understanding.
Thus, although Mo Hua could draw these Shinto formation patterns, he always felt vague and unclear about them, only half understanding their nature.
It was a far cry from the clarity and comprehension he felt when drawing other formations.
Mo Hua had a vague guess.
These "Shinto Formations" seemed to be similar to the Absolute Formation in that they involved certain complex formation principles and ultimate laws...
Mo Hua felt that this was highly possible.
However, the problem was that he had too little knowledge of the Shinto formation lineage to further his learning, contemplation, and verification of his hypothesis.
Mo Hua sighed and said to himself:
"I'm running out of things to learn..."
"Let's see what happens after this year..."
"After the New Year, I'll try to talk to Old Man Xun and get him to lift my 'house arrest.' Then I can go out and hunt for evil gods, eat some demons, and have a feast."
"Even if I can't find any Shinto formations, I can at least improve my 'meals' and feed the 'Heavenly Dao Laws' in my sea of consciousness, freeing myself from the restrictions of its growth..."
...
In the following days, Mo Hua calmed his mind and lived a peaceful life.
However, on this day, during the ten-day break, Mo Hua went to the Beast Tamers' Mountain to practice his sword skills.
After practicing for most of the day and slaying two eagle demons, as evening approached, he was just about to return to the sect when he noticed a commotion in the distance.
Intrigued, Mo Hua drew closer and found a group of fellow disciples gathered together.
Some were holding pills, others were mixing potions, and yet others were retrieving golden needles.
On the ground lay Cheng Mo, his face pale, lips dry, forehead beaded with cold sweat, and a bloody wound on his chest, from which blood flowed freely.
Mo Hua's expression turned solemn as he asked, "What happened?"
Ouyang Mu, his face filled with anxiety, replied guiltily, "It's all my fault..."
Si Tu Jian shook his head. "It's not your fault..."
Si Tu Jian's face was slightly pale, his breath weak, indicating that he had expended a significant amount of spiritual energy. There were also some scratches on his robe, but fortunately, no apparent injuries.
Si Tu Jian sighed and proceeded to explain the situation to Mo Hua:
"Ouyang Shidi was refining his sword, and he needed some fox demon fur, claws, and bones. Cheng Mo had free time, so he volunteered to go catch the demon. I went with him..."
"At first, everything went well, and we made smooth progress."
"We found a rare Blood Charm Fox."
"This type of fox demon is extremely rare, even in the Beast Tamers' Mountain, which is teeming with demons. We didn't have a ready-made strategy, but since we've all gained plenty of experience from hunting numerous demons, we just followed the usual procedure."
"Hao Xuan set up traps and laid out formations, and we hid in ambush."
"When the Blood Charm Fox fell into the trap and triggered the formation, sustaining serious injuries, Cheng Mo and I rushed out to try and kill the demon."
"Just as we were about to succeed, we never expected that this fox demon possessed the art of enchantment."
"Enchantment?" Mo Hua was taken aback.
"Yes," Si Tu Jian nodded, "It's an innate ability that some demons possess, allowing them to enchant a cultivator's spiritual sense."
"It can induce hallucinations, confuse their spiritual sense, or give rise to various desires..."
Even Mo Hua, who came from a lineage of beast tamers and had extensive experience in hunting demons, had only heard of such demons but had never encountered them.
"So, you were enchanted?"
"A little," Si Tu Jian admitted, "This Blood Charm Fox is not yet mature, only a second-grade initial stage. Its enchantment isn't strong. Although it made Cheng Mo and me a bit dazed, it didn't have time to strike before we regained our senses."
Mo Hua frowned as he looked at Cheng Mo, who was lying on the ground, his face as pale as paper, and blood flowing incessantly from his wounds. He couldn't help but ask, "Then what happened to him?"
Si Tu Jian's expression turned solemn. "We were bewitched by the Blood Charm Fox, and our spiritual senses were dazed for a moment before we snapped out of it. We immediately joined forces to kill the fox demon, but just then, a 'monster' suddenly rushed out from the forest..."
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed. "'Monster'?"
Si Tu Jian furrowed his brows. "Yes, it looked neither like a beast nor a human, or perhaps it looked like both. It could stand on two feet or crawl on all fours, with a massive body wrapped in black cloth, making it hard to discern its true form. All that was visible were a pair of eyes, red as blood..."
"This monster suddenly pounced, its claws sharp as it brought with it a gust of bloody wind. We were all caught off guard."
"Cheng Mo was the first to stand in front of everyone, exchanging a blow with the monster."
"But the monster was too strong. In just one exchange, Cheng Mo's chest was ripped open."
"We rushed to support him, but the monster let out a shrill cry upon seeing our numbers, and instead of continuing to fight, it grabbed the Blood Charm Fox's corpse and fled deeper into the mountains..."
"Cheng Mo's injuries are severe, and we must treat him promptly. Moreover, that monster is too powerful and unpredictable, so we didn't dare to pursue it further. We could only bring Cheng Mo back first..."
Si Tu Jian heaved a deep sigh.
Mo Hua's brows furrowed even deeper as he glanced at the barely conscious Cheng Mo and asked, "How is Cheng Mo's condition?"
A disciple skilled in pill refining replied, "He lost a lot of blood, but we managed to stop the bleeding with medicinal powder and administered a pill to restore his blood and strengthen his body. Since he's a body cultivator with a strong foundation, he should be fine."
"We'll send him back to the sect and ask Elder Murong to take a look at him to ensure there are no lingering issues."
"It's just..."
The disciple frowned, "There's some peculiar demonic energy remaining in his wounds, and it might be difficult to remove it completely..."
"Demonic energy?" A disciple exclaimed, "That half-human, half-beast monster, could it be... a demon cultivator?"
"But how could a demon cultivator enter the Beast Tamers' Mountain? Only sect disciples are allowed here, and we're checked by elders before entering. How could a demon cultivator slip past unnoticed?" another disciple questioned.
Everyone was filled with confusion.
However, Mo Hua seemed deep in thought.
Demon cultivator...
No one but sect disciples may enter...
Avoiding inspections...
He pondered for a moment before turning to Si Tu Jian and saying, "Take me to the spot where you were ambushed by that 'monster'."
Si Tu Jian nodded. "I'll take you there."
Ouyang Mu spoke up. "I'll come too."
He felt guilty. "If it weren't for me needing fox demon materials to refine my sword, Cheng Mo wouldn't have been injured."
Mo Hua comforted him. "This isn't your fault."
But Ouyang Mu was stubborn and still blamed himself, feeling the need to do something.
At that moment, Ling Hu Xiao, who was standing nearby, spoke up.
"I'll go."
Ling Hu Xiao had a good relationship with Xiao Mu Tou.
He was a sword cultivator, and Xiao Mu Tou was a sword forger.
Ling Hu Xiao's spiritual sword was also maintained and repaired by Xiao Mu Tou.
Both of them dealt with swords, and their temperaments matched well.
Xiao Mu Tou's cultivation was average, and if he were to face the "monster" that had severely injured Cheng Mo with a single exchange, his chances of survival would be slim.
Although Ling Hu Xiao didn't say it explicitly, it was clear that he wanted to help Xiao Mu Tou.
Moreover, this non-human, non-beast monster was obviously a formidable foe.
Ling Hu Xiao, a practitioner of sword techniques, was eager to face this challenge as well.
"Alright." Mo Hua nodded. "Ling Hu will come with us. As for Xiao Mu Tou..."
Mo Hua looked at Ouyang Mu. "You can take Cheng Mo back to Tai Xu Men with the others. Don't worry about anything else, and don't blame yourself."
"Cheng Mo has thick skin and strong vitality. He'll be fine..."
Ouyang Mu hesitated for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.
"Let's go." Mo Hua said, "Hao Xuan, Brother Yang, you two come as well."
"Okay."
Thus, with Si Tu Jian leading the way, Mo Hua, Hao Xuan, Yang Qianjun, and Ling Hu Xiao followed closely behind as they made their way along the mountain path, through the forest, to the site of the ambush.
There was a large pool of blood on the ground.
Part of it was a light pink color, carrying a faint demonic energy, belonging to the Blood Charm Fox;
The other part was a deep crimson, mostly coagulated, and it was Cheng Mo's blood.
The situation was clear and confirmed Si Tu Jian's account.
In addition, there was a trail of blood and drag marks on the ground, leading into the forest.
Obviously, the "monster" had dragged the Blood Charm Fox's corpse into the forest and disappeared into its depths.
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said in a low voice,
"Let's go into the forest and take a look."
Si Tu Jian and the others exchanged glances and nodded.
So, the group cautiously made their way deeper into the forest...
(End of Chapter)
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