Chapter 776: The Old Servant
Chapter 776: The Old Servant
"This little brat... what is he?!'
His own life-bound demonic sword, formed from his white bones, had been crushed like tofu so easily?
Could this... truly be a "human"?
Old Demon Xiu was shocked beyond belief.
However, he was not one to surrender without a fight.
This brat might be a formidable foe, but he had schemed for hundreds of years, exhausting his heart's blood to finally transform into a Demon Sword Devil. He was not going to be trampled over like an insignificant insect!
If he didn't go all out, how would he know if he could win or not?
"Good..."
Old Demon Xiu, with his body made of white bones and sword bones as limbs, revealed a strong battle intent in his ferocious eyes. His sword bones were imbued with a poisonous demonic aura, and his aura continued to climb, his skeletal body gradually growing stronger, surrounded by a bloody sword intent.
"Today, I shall show you the might of the Sword Devil body!"
Old Demon Xiu's gaze sharpened, and in an instant, he shifted from stillness to motion, channeling his demonic power and slashing with his sword.
The massive bone sword, imbued with a formidable demonic aura, slashed towards Mo Hua with terrifying force.
This bone sword was enormous.
Mo Hua's body was not even as tall as the sword.
However, he remained calm, lightly throwing a punch.
The tiny fist met the giant bone sword.
In just an instant, the white bone demonic sword was shattered by Mo Hua's punch.
Old Demon Xiu's expression turned fearful, but he was still unwilling to give up, mustering all his strength for another attack.
In the blink of an eye, the white sword bones, demonic thoughts, and evil sword intent fluctuated violently within the blood pool.
Old Demon Xiu unleashed a barrage of sword techniques.
But whether it was the sword bones, sword aura, or sword intent, no matter how bloody and terrifying, how overwhelming the momentum, Mo Hua responded to all of them with a single punch.
One punch was all it took to shatter the sword bones, dissipate the sword aura, and extinguish the sword intent.
There was no technique that a single punch of his couldn't resolve.
Old Demon Xiu became more and more terrified, but also increasingly furious.
He had to fight with all his might!
If he didn't go all out now, he wouldn't even have a chance to do so later!
Old Demon Xiu's aura changed once more, his pupils turning pitch black, and sword bones continuously sprouted from his body like the joints of a centipede. His figure transformed into that of a centipede, growing segment by segment, while the demonic thoughts within him became denser and denser, infinitely approaching the peak of the second grade...
"You forced me to do this..."
Old Demon Xiu laughed sinisterly.
Mo Hua looked at Old Demon Xiu, his expression calm and his gaze indifferent, with a hint of disappointment.
"Boring..."
Mo Hua said faintly.
Old Demon Xiu's sinister laughter abruptly stopped, and what followed was a bone-chilling terror.
In the next moment, Mo Hua disappeared.
When he reappeared, he was above Old Demon Xiu's head.
Mo Hua leaped, striking down with a light kick.
This kick was like a heavy hammer, pounding down with tremendous force.
Old Demon Xiu was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing heavily to the ground.
His whole body was in extreme pain, and even his skull had cracks in it.
But before he could recover, he heard a creaking sound.
Old Demon Xiu's heart froze, and when he turned his head to look, he was horrified to discover that all of his sword bone joints had been snapped by Mo Hua's little white hands, not a single one left intact.
Old Demon Xiu struggled desperately, but to no avail.
At this moment, Mo Hua had already grabbed hold of his spine.
A slight pinch would be enough to break his spine.
Old Demon Xiu was so frightened that his soul almost left his body, and he immediately cried out in horror, "Young Master, spare my life!"
Mo Hua's movement paused slightly.
Old Demon Xiu seized the opportunity and said, "Young Master, spare my life, and I'll be of great use to you!"
Mo Hua stepped on his head, "What use are you?"
Being stepped on his head, Old Demon Xiu felt humiliated, but what he felt even more was despair, "What is this little brat's background, and what kind of existence is he? How can he be so terrifying?"
He never imagined that he, a peak second-grade cultivator fused with his life-bound demonic sword, would be toyed with by this little brat like an ant, without the slightest ability to fight back.
You never truly know how terrifying someone is until you fight them.
You never truly know how hopeless a situation is until you try your best.
Old Demon Xiu said with a trembling voice, "As long as you don't kill me, I'll do anything you want."
"What can you do?"
Mo Hua asked from above, his tone like an interrogation, as if he would kill Old Demon Xiu at the slightest disagreement, snapping his spine.
Old Demon Xiu panicked, "I can forge swords!"
"Oh?" Mo Hua raised an eyebrow.
Old Demon Xiu hurriedly said, "I'm a disciple of the Tai Ah Sect and was once a direct descendant of the Ouyang family. I'm proficient in the art of refining artifacts and forging swords. Here in the Myriad Demon Prison, I've forged countless sword artifacts, and my skills are honed to perfection..."
"As long as you spare my life, Young Master, I'm willing to follow you and forge swords and refine artifacts for you."
Mo Hua shook his head, "You forgot, you're already dead. You're now a Sword Devil, a demonic being. How can you still forge swords?"
Old Demon Xiu's face twitched.
He had forgotten that he was no longer human, nor was he a demon cultivator.
How could a demonic body forge swords?
Mo Hua's little hand made a pinching gesture, about to snap his spine.
Old Demon Xiu's body turned cold, and he quickly said, "I can teach!"
"Teach?"
"That's right," Old Demon Xiu said, "Although I can't personally refine artifacts or forge swords, I have extensive experience and knowledge in refining. Whatever you want to know, I can tell you..."
Mo Hua hesitated, his gaze alternating between dangerous and gentle.
Old Demon Xiu's heart hung by a thread as his eyes followed Mo Hua's shifting gaze.
After a moment's thought, Old Demon Xiu said, "Life-bound magic treasure!"
Mo Hua paused, his eyes brightening slightly.
Old Demon Xiu's heart leaped with joy, and he quickly seized this opportunity, "Life-bound magic treasure! I received the most orthodox inheritance from the Tai Ah Sect and know how to refine a life-bound magic treasure!"
"Spare my life, and I'll help you refine a life-bound magic treasure!"
"Knives, guns, swords, axes... I know how to refine all kinds of magic treasures. I can teach you all the refining methods!"
Mo Hua looked doubtful, "How do I know you won't deceive me?"
Old Demon Xiu said, "I can swear a poisonous oath to Heaven, swearing that if I lie, may I be struck by lightning and my soul destroyed, never to reincarnate!"
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head again, "I already have Wood Shidi to help me refine my life-bound magic treasure.
Old Demon Xiu quickly explained, "That child has talent and resilience, but he's too young and lacks experience in artifact refining. The most crucial techniques of the Tai Ah Sect haven't been passed down to him either."
Mo Hua's eyebrows furrowed, "So, they didn't teach him, but they taught you?"
Old Demon Xiu realized his slip of the tongue and stammered, "I... I've lived a long time, so it's normal that I know a little more about the intricacies of artifact refining."
Mo Hua fixed his eyes on Old Demon Xiu, his gaze profound, but he didn't pursue the matter further. Instead, he asked, "What else? Knowing how to forge swords isn't enough. You must have some other use for me to spare you..."
After all, he himself was not a Sword Cultivator.
Just because it was a life-bound magic treasure didn't mean it had to be a spirit sword.
Moreover, this old thing was an old fraudster and not worth trusting. Listening to him would require separating truth from lies, which was too troublesome.
If he had no other use, he would just eat him.
After being "confined" by Old Master Xun, he hadn't eaten meat in a long time, and his divine sense was already starving.
He urgently needed to "eat" something to fill his stomach first.
Mo Hua's appearance was adorable, with red lips and white teeth.
Especially his lips, which were noticeably red.
Old Demon Xiu felt a shiver down his spine for some unknown reason as he looked at them.
He quickly added, "I know the way! I can tell you how to get out of this valley!"
Mo Hua paused, a bit surprised, "You know the way out of the valley?"
Old Demon Xiu nodded, a bitter smile on his face, "I've been in this valley for too long. There's not much I don't know."
"Especially during the first hundred years, when I thought of escaping this Myriad Demon Valley all the time, so I spent a lot of effort to figure out the route out."
"But..."
Old Demon Xiu's face fell, "Even so, I still couldn't get out."
Mo Hua asked curiously, "Why?"
Old Demon Xiu replied, "The Myriad Demon Valley is vast, and the roads are intricate. Passing through the Myriad Demon Prison, entering the Slaughterhouse, and then there's the Refining Demon Urn, the Evil Dan Valley, and other areas... Demon Cultivators are everywhere, and the defenses are tight. Without knowing the way, outsiders can't get out..."
"That's secondary..."
Old Demon Xiu's expression turned solemn, "Even if you make it through these treacherous areas, there's still an insurmountable obstacle at the end."
"An insurmountable obstacle?"
Old Demon Xiu nodded, "This obstacle is a painting, the very core of the Myriad Demon Valley. The painting nurtures countless demons, filled with evil influences, and is known to the Demon Cultivators in the valley as... the Refining Demon Painting!"
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat.
Old Demon Xiu continued with a fearful expression, "I don't know how you got into the valley, but if I'm not mistaken, you must be here to rescue someone."
"If you want to rescue someone, you have to get out of the valley."
"I can show you the way, but if you can't break through the Refining Demon Painting at the end, you'll still be trapped in this Myriad Demon Valley forever."
"But that's not for me to worry about..."
Mo Hua thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright, I'll spare your life."
Since the Refining Demon Painting was right before him, he could hold off for now.
He would hold off on eating this little shrimp for now, lest he spoil his appetite for the main course.
The chill in Old Demon Xiu's heart lessened as he realized his life was spared. He sighed in relief.
He glanced up at Mo Hua, who looked like a child, and sighed inwardly. The cultivation world was truly treacherous.
This little one was even more terrifying than himself, a demon.
Mo Hua released his grip on Old Demon Xiu's spine.
Old Demon Xiu shakily stood up but dared not straighten his body fully, only daring to kneel before Mo Hua to avoid appearing presumptuous.
Mo Hua looked up at the array patterns surrounding them and suddenly asked curiously, "I have one more question for you, and I want you to answer honestly."
"Yes," Old Demon Xiu dared not refuse.
Mo Hua pointed to the surrounding array patterns and asked, "Where did you learn this array from?"
Old Demon Xiu shivered and didn't dare to speak.
Mo Hua's gaze became increasingly dangerous.
Old Demon Xiu could only grit his teeth and answer truthfully, "I... I learned it from the Refining Demon Painting..."
Mo Hua was taken aback, "From the Refining Demon Painting?"
"Yes," Old Demon Xiu replied, "This is an array pattern from the Refining Demon Painting. I don't know its origin, but I know it's incredibly profound. It can even... seal residual souls."
"I took the opportunity to secretly copy it down for future use."
"But I'm not an array master, and I'm not proficient in arrays. Even though I copied it, I still didn't understand it and couldn't draw it."
Old Demon Xiu sighed, "So, I practiced day and night, tirelessly copying it. Whenever I had free time, I would use human blood to draw this array pattern, and eventually, it became a habit ingrained in my bones..."
"It took me over two hundred years to finally, by some stroke of luck, figure out this array pattern."
Mo Hua understood, "So that's why you thought of a way to draw this array pattern on your sword bones. That way, after your death, when your divine sense transforms into demonic intent, it can be 'sealed' within the sword, allowing you to live on as a 'Sword Demon' in an alternative form."
Old Demon Xiu was stunned.
He hadn't expected that his careful scheming would be seen through by this young monk at a glance.
At this point, Old Demon Xiu had nothing to hide, "Yes... I originally had a backup plan."
"The best outcome would be to form a pill, using... Ouyang's boy's flesh and blood as bait, and forging it into a life-bound evil sword. Then, I would find another opportunity to form a golden pill, without having to give up this mortal body."
"If this plan failed... I learned some information within the Myriad Demon Valley about transforming divine sense into evil influences. Using this method, after my miserable death, with no corpse or bones remaining, the residual divine sense could enter the sword bones and turn into a Sword Demon, inhabiting the sword."
Mo Hua's gaze sharpened, "I suspect there's more to it than that..."
Old Demon Xiu had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue, "Yes... I originally planned to use Ouyang's boy's fresh blood to forge this sword, merging the blood with the sword. This way, the sword bones would nurture into his life-bound evil sword, with me as the Sword Demon within the sword, and he would become my 'sword slave,' obeying my commands..."
Mo Hua nodded, a sense of admiration in his heart.
This old thing had indeed planned meticulously.
Mo Hua estimated the time and thought for a moment before speaking to Old Demon Xiu, "I won't kill you for now. You can lead me out of this Myriad Demon Valley. If I find out that you're deceiving me..."
Mo Hua clenched his small fist and smiled coldly, "Even if you're an evil being, I'll make sure you regret being born!"
Old Demon Xiu was terrified, "I dare not! I dare not! I will obey your every command!"
Mo Hua nodded, "Then lead the way out."
This Casting Sword Blood Pool was an illusion within the sword.
The entrance and exit were this old demon Xiu's transformed white-boned magic sword itself.
Once one entered this Blood Pool, if they wanted to get out, they would either have to kill this old demon Xiu or make him reveal his true form and open the door; otherwise, there would be no way out.
Mo Hua looked around and thought to himself:
"Perhaps... if I dismantle the divine path array patterns around this place, causing this Blood Pool illusion to be unable to seal divine senses and self-destruct, I can also get out."
However, since this old demon Xiu was so cooperative, there was no need to make things difficult for him.
Mo Hua pointed a finger at the white-boned magic sword.
And in the next moment, the scenery changed. When he opened his eyes again, he found Ouyang Mu kneeling in front of him, his eyes red and filled with worry.
Seeing Mo Hua open his eyes, Ouyang Mu was stunned for a moment before he broke into a smile.
"Brother Mo, are you alright?"
Old Demon Xiu was dead, the blood mist had dissipated, and Mo Hua had fainted, leaving his condition unknown.
Ouyang Mu was clueless about the situation and had no idea what to do.
Now that he saw Mo Hua wake up, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Mo Hua nodded, "I'm fine."
"What happened just now? Is that old... that old thing really dead?" Ouyang Mu still looked concerned.
"I guess so," Mo Hua replied.
This matter was a bit complicated, and explaining it would be troublesome, so Mo Hua didn't tell Ouyang Mu.
Moreover, now was not the time for such explanations.
Old Demon Xiu had sealed the door, which might buy them some time, but if they stayed too long, they would surely be discovered.
They had to find a way to deal with the aftermath.
They couldn't let other demon cultivators, especially Jin Gui, know what had happened here, or they would definitely become suspicious.
If he wanted to rescue Xiao Mu Tou and the others, things would become even more difficult.
Mo Hua looked around and frowned.
There were too many traces of the Golden Lock Array, the Earthfire Array, the Earth-killing Array, and the Sword Control Array...
It would be impossible to erase all evidence in a short time.
The methods of a cultivator were distinct from those of a demon cultivator, and the differences would be obvious to any observer.
"In that case, I can only blow everything up..."
Inside the Evil Artifact Room, there was the sinister green bone fire, the murky blood pool, and all kinds of putrid flesh and blood. If everything were blown up and mixed together, the evil energy and bloody aura would naturally corrupt the traces of spiritual power.
Even if there were remnants of the array and sword techniques, they would be mistaken for traces of evil arrays and evil swords.
After thinking it through, Mo Hua looked at Ouyang Mu and said, "Xiao Mu Tou, you're going to have to endure some hardship."
Ouyang Mu was taken aback, not quite understanding, but he still nodded resolutely, "Brother Mo, just tell me what to do."
Mo Hua said, "In a moment, I'm going to blow up this room to cover up the evidence."
"I'll choose a spot for you to hide. When the array explodes, the stone walls will collapse, and you might get buried inside."
"When those demon cultivators dig you out, pretend to be unconscious."
"If they ask you what happened, tell them that the old demon suddenly went crazy, lost his mind, and went on a rampage, killing all the demon cultivators guarding the place before closing the door, saying that he wanted to destroy the Myriad Demon Valley with his own life..."
"You hid far away, so you managed to escape."
"As for the rest, just say you don't know anything."
Ouyang Mu repeated Mo Hua's instructions in his mind, committing them to memory, and then nodded.
Afterward, Mo Hua began preparing to blow up the room.
There was already an array in the room, so he only needed to make a few adjustments to the existing framework.
Once he finished his preparations, Mo Hua chose a corner for Ouyang Mu to crouch down with his head covered.
This spot would be safe from the array's damage.
Even if some rocks fell, they wouldn't hurt him.
Then, Mo Hua picked up the white-boned sword that had been Old Demon Xiu's life-bound demonic sword.
Old Demon Xiu had transformed into the white-boned sword demon, and his consciousness was now sealed within this bone sword.
Mo Hua put the bone sword into his storage bag.
He still needed it to guide him through the valley.
After making all the necessary arrangements, Mo Hua quietly left the Evil Artifact Room. Outside, he used his spiritual sense to activate the array within the room.
In an instant, fiery lights and bloody lights filled the room.
The Evil Artifact Room collapsed with a loud crash, sending rocks flying in all directions and attracting the attention of the surrounding demon cultivators.
Before long, Jin Gui, the manager, arrived.
His face looked worse than pig liver, and he immediately ordered the demon cultivators to start digging through the rubble.
Mo Hua watched from a distance.
After Xiao Mu Tou was dug out and seemed to be unharmed, Mo Hua quietly left.
Xiao Mu Tou would be of great use.
For now, these demon cultivators wouldn't make things difficult for him.
Moreover, they would have their hands full trying to figure out what had happened in the Evil Artifact Room.
After leaving, Mo Hua returned to the Array Hub Room.
He thought for a moment and then decided to dismantle the white-boned longsword as well.
The sword was too long, and it would be inconvenient to carry around, so he used his most skilled artifact refining technique to disassemble the sword's body.
He also used an array to melt most of the sword blade, leaving only a small section attached to the hilt, which was engraved with the divine path array patterns.
Old Demon Xiu's demonic consciousness was now sealed within the broken sword.
Moreover, it was near the hilt, which was engraved with the divine path array patterns.
So, even though the sword blade was broken, it wouldn't affect much.
Mo Hua held the broken bone sword and nodded in satisfaction.
It was much easier to carry now.
The next step was to have Old Demon Xiu guide him through the intricate paths of the Myriad Demon Valley to find the way out.
And also, to find the final obstacle within the Myriad Demon Valley—
The Refining Demon Painting.
Mo Hua's eyes shone in the darkness.
He wanted to test if this "obstacle" could really stop him.
And he wanted to see for himself if this Refining Demon Painting was truly nurturing countless demons...
(End of Chapter)
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