Chapter 876: Self-Sacrifice
Chapter 876: Self-Sacrifice
Mo Hua could tell that the malevolent spirit was getting desperate.
The enemy’s urgency indicated that he was on the right path.
The enemy’s extreme urgency confirmed that he was doing everything right.
Mo Hua’s strikes became even more ruthless.
The ancient sword intent within the Bamboo Sword transformed into a massive, weighty, and ethereal sword, slashing down upon his own soul.
It felt as if he had been split in two by a powerful strike.
A surge of intense pain coursed through him.
Mo Hua gritted his teeth and furrowed his brow, enduring the searing agony of the “self-sacrifice of the soul.”
But the malevolent spirit suffered even more.
Mo Hua’s soul contained the seven spirits.
He had only sacrificed one of these, the Fushi spirit, which the malevolent spirit inhabited.
The malevolent spirit was parasitic within Mo Hua’s soul, relying on just one of the seven spirits. Therefore, Mo Hua’s self-sacrifice affected only one-seventh of his soul.
But it struck the malevolent spirit in full.
The malevolent spirit’s pain and injuries were at least seven times greater.
Thinking about this, Mo Hua suddenly felt the pain wasn’t as unbearable.
"This little brat, daring to defy me, disrupting my Dao heart! I’ll teach you a lesson!"
Mo Hua, with determination, delivered three more strikes.
The malevolent spirit let out a shrill, agonized scream and then cursed, "You reckless little beast! Do you really want to die?!"
"Self-sacrificing your soul, aren’t you afraid of losing your life?!"
Mo Hua ignored the malevolent spirit.
He was a man of action, preferring to act rather than talk.
He only spoke when the other party was incapacitated.
If he couldn’t defeat someone, he would resort to words.
But in this situation, he clearly had the upper hand, and talking would be a waste of time.
Mo Hua delivered another strike.
The malevolent spirit let out a piercing scream, realizing that Mo Hua was determined. It shrieked, "Don’t forget, I am you, and you are me. Striking me is striking yourself."
"Rubbish."
Mo Hua said coldly, then delivered another strike.
The heart-wrenching pain spread to Mo Hua’s divine soul, but it was seven times more intense for the malevolent spirit.
The malevolent spirit, driven to madness by the pain, finally broke free from Mo Hua’s divine seal, emerging from the Fushi spirit to catch its breath.
The malevolent spirit’s head appeared.
At the same time, another head grew from Mo Hua’s back, black and filthy, hideous and malevolent.
It was the head of the malevolent spirit.
The moment the malevolent spirit’s head emerged, Mo Hua’s eyes lit up.
His small hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the malevolent spirit’s neck. Without a word, he dragged it towards the Dao stele.
The Dao stele was covered in crimson lightning, a sight that was both shocking and terrifying.
The malevolent spirit, suddenly choked by Mo Hua, felt a chill run down its spine, "This brat has outsmarted me!"
It sensed the destructive aura emanating from the Dao stele, feeling even more terrified.
Without hesitation, the malevolent spirit endured the pain, shedding its skin and transforming into a pool of black liquid. At the last moment, it remerged into Mo Hua’s soul.
When Mo Hua brought his hand close to the lightning, the malevolent spirit in his grip had vanished.
Only some thick, black liquid remained, seemingly the malevolent spirit’s shed skin.
"Shedding its skin?"
Mo Hua frowned.
Where did this little brat learn this trick? It didn’t know this before.
Or is this a part of its innate abilities, slowly awakening with its memories?
Mo Hua found the situation challenging and felt a bit disappointed.
"Almost..."
He had used the cultivation method of the Divine Sword to self-sacrifice his soul, forcing the malevolent spirit out of the Fushi spirit.
Then, taking advantage of its rage and distraction, he swiftly grabbed it and intended to use the lightning to destroy it, eliminating the threat once and for all.
Unfortunately, the malevolent spirit was too quick and had learned this bizarre “shedding skin” technique at some point.
If it had been slower.
Or if it didn’t know how to shed its skin.
It would have been dead for sure.
The “duck” in his grasp had flown away, and Mo Hua was not happy.
After remerging into Mo Hua’s soul, the malevolent spirit remained silent, not daring to reveal even the slightest trace of its presence.
Mo Hua said, "Hey, come out."
"Didn’t you act so arrogant before?"
The malevolent spirit remained silent.
"If you don’t come out, I’ll cut you again." Mo Hua warned.
But even then, the malevolent spirit stayed hidden in the Fushi spirit, not daring to make a sound.
A once formidable malevolent spirit had been reduced to a frightened bird.
Mo Hua said, "Come out, or I’ll cut you again."
The malevolent spirit, finally unable to bear the pain, said with malice, "Fine, cut away..."
"Evil thoughts are eternal, never dying. I want to see who is stronger, who will die first..."
Then it went into complete hibernation.
No matter how Mo Hua cut it, it remained silent.
Mo Hua couldn’t continue cutting, as it was indeed very painful to strike his own soul.
If the malevolent spirit had screamed in pain, it would have provided some comfort.
But now that it was “playing dead,” Mo Hua would only feel his own pain if he continued.
Mo Hua stopped.
As soon as he stopped, the cracks in his soul, caused by the ancient sword, began to hurt like cuts from a knife.
Mo Hua clutched his head, his body trembling from the pain.
"Damn it, I overdid it..."
The pain wasn't obvious while he was cutting, but now, the residual pain was starting to seep back in.
The pain was intensifying.
Mo Hua hurriedly directed his divine consciousness, using the remaining divine marrow to repair the wounds on his divine soul.
The divine marrow slowly seeped into his body, acting like a universal elixir, mending the wounds on Mo Hua's divine soul.
At this moment, as if sensing the divine marrow's presence, the evil fetus stirred with a hint of greed.
But it didn't dare to show itself and steal Mo Hua's divine marrow.
"You know your place..."
Mo Hua sneered.
However, his relief was short-lived.
This time, he had taught the little brat a lesson, but the outcome was a "double loss."
Of course, the evil fetus had lost more.
Compared to the evil fetus, he had suffered a "minor defeat."
But this couldn't continue...
Although he had suppressed the evil fetus's arrogance, his divine soul had also sustained a certain degree of damage.
Using a sword to refine the soul and cutting one's own divine soul, as Grandmaster Dugu had said, was an extremely dangerous cultivation method.
If he couldn't endure it, how could anyone else?
Mo Hua sighed inwardly.
Those predecessors of the Grand Void Sect who hadn't taken the path of divine consciousness enlightenment or whose divine consciousness hadn't been Dao-ized, yet managed to master the "Divine Soul Slash," were truly remarkable. Their talents, perseverance, and insight were all worthy of admiration.
It was incredibly difficult to cut one's own life soul...
"Should I continue learning the Divine Soul Slash?"
Mo Hua frowned.
He sat cross-legged on the ground, deep in thought for a moment, and then silently resolved to continue.
He had to keep learning, even if it meant injuring his divine soul.
If it were any other time, he could delay his learning or follow Grandmaster Dugu's guidance, progressing step by step, and learning the Divine Soul Slash more slowly. This wouldn't have a significant impact.
But now was different.
The evil fetus was parasitic in his life soul, nourished by his sea of consciousness, and was gradually awakening its powers and memories. From any perspective, it was a grave threat.
This threat had to be eliminated.
The evil fetus had forced him to learn the Divine Soul Slash.
If he didn't, and failed to cut out this evil infant, any future mishap could allow the evil infant to exploit a weakness, leading to his complete corruption and transformation into a puppet of the Great Wasteland Evil Deity.
So, he had to learn the Divine Soul Slash!
His opponent was the evil fetus, and potentially, the evil deity.
The Dao Stele and the tribulation lightning, although present in his sea of consciousness, were ultimately "external" entities.
The "Divine Soul Slash," however, was the only means he could actively control to counter and even kill the evil deity.
He had to hold his own fate in his hands.
Mo Hua's gaze was resolute.
The only problem now was the lingering injuries from cutting his own life soul.
The divine marrow could heal the wounds on his divine soul, but after several injuries, Mo Hua had very little divine marrow left.
With less divine marrow, his divine consciousness Dao-ization had weakened to some extent.
His divine consciousness avatar was no longer as radiant as before.
"This is a problem..."
Currently, he had no means to replenish his divine marrow, and with the evil fetus's constraints, he had to spend a lot of time learning array formations and sword techniques. He couldn't wander around looking for altars.
Mo Hua furrowed his brow.
At this moment, he noticed his hands were dirty and sticky. Looking down, he saw that his palms were covered in black, viscous liquid.
It seemed to be the blood skin the evil fetus had shed when it forcibly broke free.
The black liquid was too dirty, and Mo Hua felt a bit disgusted.
After a moment, he suddenly paused, his eyes brightening. He threw the dirty "blood skin" onto the Dao Stele and triggered the tribulation lightning.
A faint, terrifying wail, as if from a demon, echoed.
Then, the black vapor evaporated, and the evil intent was purged. The originally filthy blood skin oozed out pure golden marrow.
Moreover, this golden color was deeper, purer, and even had a hint of luminosity, compared to all the divine marrow he had obtained before.
Mo Hua used his fingers to smear the divine marrow and tasted it. His eyes immediately lit up.
"Too pure!"
Unfortunately, the amount was too small. After a few licks, it was gone.
Mo Hua was still craving more, but a realization dawned on him:
"I almost forgot, the evil fetus is the embryo of the Great Wasteland Evil Deity, so it must carry extremely concentrated divine marrow..."
The evil fetus was parasitic in his life soul.
In other words, a "treasure trove of divine marrow" was hidden within his divine soul.
He just needed to figure out how to extract it...
Mo Hua's eyes sparkled.
He had to learn the Divine Soul Slash!
By cutting the evil fetus, he would get a reward!
But how to do it?
Mo Hua pondered for a moment, and a plan began to form in his mind.
The Divine Soul Slash, to some extent, was a form of self-mutilation, so he couldn't rush it. One slash per day was enough to avoid overloading his divine soul and causing severe injuries.
One slash per day.
Using this "sword to refine the soul, cutting the life soul" technique, he would comprehend the essence of the Divine Soul Slash and perfect its form.
Gradually, over time, he would wear down the evil fetus.
Eventually, he would be able to completely eliminate it!
And if he could kill the evil fetus using his own divine consciousness and the Grand Void Sword Intent, it would mean...
His Divine Soul Slash, while not yet perfected, would at least be at a minor level of mastery!
The evil fetus was both his "punching bag" for practicing the Divine Soul Slash and his "touchstone" for testing its effectiveness.
Once the evil fetus is completely eradicated, a vast amount of divine marrow can be obtained.
Such pure and concentrated divine marrow is more than enough to heal the injuries accumulated over years from self-inflicted wounds to my soul.
Misfortune can sometimes turn into fortune.
This evil fetus is a disaster, but it is also the very opportunity for me to cultivate the Divine Severing Sword!
Mo Hua’s emotions were in turmoil, but he showed no signs of it on the surface, even feigning difficulty and muttering in pain:
“This sword technique has a severe backlash. I wish I hadn’t used it…”
Naturally, this was heard by the evil infant within his soul.
The evil infant sneered, mocking Mo Hua’s recklessness and ignorance.
Self-inflicted wounds to the soul, do you think it’s like the Five Decays of the Celestial Beings, where one can transcend through physical dissolution?
Truly, ignorance is bliss…
It had originally thought that Mo Hua, feeling the pain, would stop. But it never imagined that this boy would persist, cutting himself with a sword every day.
Not much, just one cut.
This single cut couldn’t kill it, but it felt like a constant reminder and humiliation.
The evil infant was furious but could only endure silently.
It was waiting, waiting for Mo Hua to continue his self-sabotage. Once he overdid it, he would inevitably undergo a Dao transformation and face a great calamity.
Then, it would be its chance…
The evil infant grinned, but before it could finish, Mo Hua scolded it:
“Behave yourself!”
“Your expression shows on my face. Don’t think I don’t know you’re smirking…”
The evil infant’s face turned as black as ink.
…
After that, Mo Hua continued to cut himself once a day.
A few days later, it was time for the seven-day interval again. Mo Hua was summoned by Patriarch Dugu, who tore through the void and took him to the back mountain to teach him sword techniques.
After the lesson, Patriarch Dugu examined Mo Hua, noticing his somewhat weary expression, and frowned:
“Have you injured your divine soul?”
Mo Hua couldn’t admit it, so he shook his head and said, “I’ve been studying formation laws a lot lately. My divine consciousness has been overused, so I’m a bit tired.”
Patriarch Dugu remained silent for a moment but didn’t doubt him.
Mo Hua’s appearance could be attributed to either an injured divine soul or overuse of divine consciousness.
However, by common sense, cultivators with injured divine souls often have vacant eyes, muddled minds, and constant pain in their minds, symptoms far more severe than Mo Hua’s.
Though Mo Hua looked somewhat weary, his spirit was still strong.
Patriarch Dugu didn’t pay much attention but still cautioned him, “Cultivation is about perseverance, not overexertion.”
“Also, the sword mark on that bamboo slip contains an ancient sword intent of the Great Void Sect. It’s not something you can comprehend now. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t grasp it.”
“Just visualize it often and let the sword intent influence you. It will greatly benefit you when you truly learn the Divine Severing Sword.”
Mo Hua sincerely replied, “Thank you, Patriarch!”
Patriarch Dugu nodded, “Go back.”
“Yes,” Mo Hua bowed, “I’ll take my leave.”
Patriarch Dugu then sent him back to the disciples' quarters.
Back in the disciples' quarters, it was still dark. Mo Hua hurriedly immersed his divine consciousness in his mind sea and practiced array formations on the Dao stele.
After practicing, as the sky was about to brighten, Mo Hua exited his mind sea, took out the bamboo slip, visualized the sword shape, and cut himself once more.
This cut was painful.
Mo Hua winced in pain, then silently repeated in his mind, “The evil fetus is in more pain, the evil fetus is in more pain…”
Sure enough, the pain soon eased.
But after cutting himself, Mo Hua suddenly remembered Patriarch Dugu’s guidance, especially about the ancient sword intent on the bamboo slip.
He felt a slight sense of dissonance.
It seemed that Patriarch Dugu’s words were in slight conflict with his understanding.
But he couldn’t pinpoint the exact conflict.
A hint of worry crept into Mo Hua’s heart:
“Could I… be learning it wrong again?”
Mo Hua pondered for a moment and decided it was impossible.
He had learned the Fireball Spell wrong because of his unique divine consciousness.
He had learned the Sword Transformation Technique wrong because of the lack of tradition.
He had learned the Spirit-Shocking Sword wrong because of the lack of a teacher…
Now, with a deep understanding of the True Technique of Divine Consciousness Transformation and the guidance of Patriarch Dugu from the Great Void Sect, it was impossible for him to learn it wrong again.
Mo Hua shook his head repeatedly.
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
Moreover, he had followed the eight words “harden the divine with the sword, cut the soul” to the letter.
Not a single word was off!
How could he possibly learn it wrong?
Mo Hua put his worries to rest.
As the sun rose, the bright sunlight illuminated the disciples' quarters, and a new day began.
After the “self-inflicted cut” to invigorate his spirit, Mo Hua was energized and began his new day of cultivation.
He remembered Mr. Xun’s instructions: to focus on cultivation and the study of array formations, and not to worry about anything else.
However, while he was in peaceful cultivation, the entire Qianxue Province was in turmoil.
At the Taiyi Sect.
In the Sect Master’s Hall, the Sect Master and several elders were in a meeting.
“Sect Master, the negotiations have failed…”
“The Four Major Sects are pressuring us, and the Dao Court is not backing down. The Lipstick Boat incident can’t be suppressed. Even if we try to delay, we can’t…”
Another elder sighed, “Our intention was to ‘feed the eagle with flesh,’ to give up some sect interests in exchange for time.”
"Once they board the Crimson Lip Boat, those disciples who have violated the Dao Court laws and our sect’s rules will not go unpunished. However, we will defer their punishment until after this Debate Assembly."
"After all, the sect is about to undergo reforms, and this first Debate Assembly holds immense significance."
"But... sigh..."
One of the elders remarked, "It’s futile. This is clearly a setup, a trap that has ensnared almost all of our Taiya Sect’s prodigies."
The Taiya Sect Leader immediately sneered, "Prodigies? At their young age, they should be focusing on cultivation, not learning to frequent brothels and engage in despicable deeds. They don’t deserve the title of prodigies."
He was tall and robust, with a slightly dark complexion and a square face. He spoke bluntly and had a short temper.
The more the Taiya Sect Leader thought about it, the angrier he became. He then raged, "If it weren’t for the upcoming Debate Assembly, I would have taken your advice and considered the sect’s interests. I would have long since crippled their cultivation and expelled them from the Taiya Sect. Why should I have to negotiate with the Four Great Sects and the Dao Court, tolerating their arrogance?"
The other elders dared not interrupt.
An older, senior elder sighed softly, "The world is full of temptations, and they are young, with unstable Dao hearts and raging blood. How could they possibly resist such allure?"
"Moreover, some disciples were clearly framed. They were either coerced or threatened, and it was their first time on that boat."
"As elders, we were negligent and failed to prevent this. We bear some responsibility as well..."
The Taiya Sect Leader didn’t argue.
Not just the elders, but he, as the leader, also bore responsibility. He had been so focused on advancing the sect through reforms that he failed to notice the traps set beneath his feet, resulting in a bloody fall.
Another elder looked grave, "This incident is too coincidental. I refuse to believe that the Four Great Sects had nothing to do with it."
"Even the Dao Court and the Central Dao Court must have been secretly stirring the pot..."
"At this point, what good does it do to say these things?"
"Who doesn’t know they are plotting against us?"
"The Four Great Sects wouldn’t give up such an important position easily..."
"But their methods are too despicable..."
"Winning is called strategy; losing is called despicable."
"We might not lose..."
"Don’t speak such naive words. At this point, how can we win? Forget advancing; it would be a blessing just to maintain our current position..."
"You’re undermining our morale for their benefit."
"Or what? Isn’t this the truth..."
The elders argued, the dispute growing more intense.
An elder coughed, and the room gradually quieted.
The Taiya Sect Leader’s face was grim. He could only sigh in resignation, "Let’s select a new batch of disciples. They need to focus on cultivation and refine their Dao arts. This Debate Assembly will have to be handled this way..."
The elders nodded, but their faces remained clouded with worry.
Even the Taiya Sect Leader wasn’t overly optimistic.
He could only silently pray, "May the ancestors bless us and help the Taiya Sect overcome this hurdle..."
...
Chongxu Sect
In the back mountain cave.
Chongxu Old Ancestor said to Chongxu Sect Leader, "At this point, with all our plans thwarted and the future shrouded in mystery, we can only accept our fate."
"We’ve done all we can. The rest is up to fate."
Chongxu Sect Leader sighed, "I hope these substitute disciples can surprise everyone."
Chongxu Old Ancestor nodded but didn’t hold much hope.
Cultivation is straightforward: the weak remain weak, and the strong remain strong.
Occasionally, the weak might overcome the strong, but that’s a fluke.
In a Debate Assembly, with multiple rounds of intense competition, there’s almost no room for such "flukes."
Chongxu Old Ancestor said, "Let’s focus on getting through this session. By the next one, we’ll have our ‘ace in the hole.’”
Chongxu Sect Leader’s spirits lifted, and he nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope.
Linghu Xiaotian was exceptionally talented and a prodigy in swordsmanship.
With him leading the team, the Chongxu Sect would undoubtedly shine in the next Debate Assembly.
He might even turn the tide.
But Chongxu Old Ancestor’s heart remained heavy.
He feared that the Four Great Sects would go to extremes, not giving them any breathing room...
...
This scene played out among the upper echelons of many sects in Qianxue Province.
Some rejoiced, while others were filled with sorrow.
Some saw their plots succeed, while others sighed to the heavens.
As the Debate Assembly drew near, changes became more frequent.
Undercurrents of conflict swirled.
But Mo Hua, a "ordinary" junior disciple of Taixu Sect, knew little of these machinations and cared even less.
He focused on his duties and cultivated diligently.
His cultivation grew steadily.
His swordsmanship improved incrementally.
With the guidance of Mr. Xun and his tireless efforts, his array formation skills had reached a level that most cultivators could only dream of...
Time flew by like a white horse passing through a crevice.
Six months soon passed.
Under the watchful eyes of countless spectators, the Debate Assembly of Qianxue Province began...
(End of Chapter)
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