Chapter 887: Returning to the true path
Chapter 887: Returning to the true path
At the same time, in the Elder Hall of the Qian Dao Sect.
Mr. Tu, who was disguised as Elder Shen, finished his day of teaching and returned to his room. He activated a divine array formation to shield others from sensing his presence, then sat alone at his desk, gazing devoutly at a sheep horn on the table.
The dim candlelight cast a shadow on his somber face, making him appear even more terrifying.
“Mo Hua…”
Mr. Tu muttered the name, his brows furrowing.
“Where did this person come from?”
“Why does this name feel so familiar, even though I’m hearing it for the first time?”
“What is this brat’s true background?”
Mr. Tu took out a short sword, cut his finger, and let the blood drip onto the sheep horn, silently praying.
After a moment, a blood shadow of a sheep horn appeared, tracing back through cause and effect to the past of “Mo Hua.”
He tried to glimpse the truth—his real name, his origin, his parents, his past—but the Great Void’s essence flowed naturally, blending Yin and Yang like fish swimming together, sealing off the cycle of cause and effect. The blood shadow was blocked outside, and the truth remained sealed.
Mr. Tu frowned.
“What a powerful force of Yin and Yang…”
“The Great Void Sect still retains such ancient heavenly treasures…”
He considered trying to forcefully break through the Yin-Yang lock but hesitated and ultimately gave up.
“Without divine assistance, setting up an altar and using a large number of offerings as a medium, it’s impossible to break this heavenly lock…”
“Moreover, it’s not the right time to make a big move.”
Mr. Tu gave up on his probing thoughts.
But he had a feeling that this array formation prodigy, Mo Hua, was no ordinary character.
He was likely connected to the fearsome deity of the Great Void Sect.
Mr. Tu wiped the blood from his finger, pondered for a moment, and his pupils suddenly widened.
“It’s true… his divine consciousness has transcended!”
“Ordinary cultivators, bound by the Great Dao and lacking cultivation methods, can never transcend in divine consciousness.”
“This prodigy must have been blessed by the fearsome deity, borrowing the deity’s divine will, allowing his divine consciousness to transcend by three stages. At the Mid-Foundations stage, he can draw peak-Foundations array formations…”
“This divine consciousness isn’t his own; it’s borrowed from the fearsome deity through blessings!”
“In other words, this kid, like myself, is a ‘Divine Favored One.’”
“No, his divine favor ranks far above mine. He might even be a ‘Companion’ chosen by the fearsome deity from a young age, a true ‘Divine Servant.’”
Mr. Tu felt both envy and jealousy.
His status in the pantheon of the Great Wasteland Lord was far below this kid named Mo Hua.
Though he was also favored by the Great Wasteland Lord, it was only the most basic favor.
Unlike this brat, who could transcend three stages in divine consciousness, almost equivalent to receiving the highest blessing from a deity.
However, this made his array formation talent less astonishing.
“It’s just a lucky brat, favored by a deity, receiving blessings and divine will, to become the first in array formation…”
Mr. Tu sneered.
In a sense, this could be a good thing.
This fearsome deity of the Great Void Sect, who had been so secretive, was finally “coming out of the shadows,” beginning to show its vulnerabilities.
Its core “followers” were also beginning to be exposed.
“I need to act quickly…”
Taking advantage of the time when the fearsome deity was parasitized by the Great Wasteland Lord, all plans needed to be accelerated…
Thinking of this, Mr. Tu felt a pang of pain.
The cost of manipulating this fearsome deity was truly too high…
The carefully nurtured demons were stolen by this fearsome deity, used as sacrifices, and none survived.
The names on the blood oath list, those long-nurtured claws of the Great Wasteland Lord, were all wiped out by some unknown means of the fearsome deity.
These claws were Mr. Tu’s life’s work.
Relying on the title of an elder in the Qian Dao Sect, he had spent years cultivating a large group, deeply rooted in the Qianxue Region, interconnected, not only from the sect but also under the protection of the Dao Court, capable of committing numerous sins in the shadows, acting as the evil deity’s “claws.”
These claws provided offerings to the Great Wasteland Lord, and their own sins were the best offerings for the deity.
Originally, everything was proceeding according to plan, but in recent years, these claws were either captured or killed, suffering significant losses.
Now, they were wiped out at the root, not a single one remaining.
Mr. Tu’s heart bled, and he felt a strong sense of dread.
The Great Void Sect and this fearsome deity could very well be the biggest obstacles to the revival of the Great Wasteland Lord.
Mr. Tu’s gaze slightly hardened, his expression in the night appearing somewhat sinister and distorted.
“However, it doesn’t matter…”
“The game at the Foundation Establishment stage is almost lost, with few pieces left.”
“Since that’s the case, let’s play the game at the Golden Core stage…”
“Big plans cannot be achieved without risks. It’s time to use these resources…”
“The day of the Great Wasteland Lord’s awakening is near…”
Mr. Tu’s figure gradually faded into the shadows, like a demon ready to prey on humans.
…
Within the Qian Dao Sect, the heavenly secrets were secretly decaying.
In the Qianxue region, shadows continuously moved.
And the waves stirred by Mo Hua at the Dao Discussion Conference were far from over.
In countless other regions, the ripples were still spreading.
Dao Prefecture, Tianshu Pavilion.
An elderly man with silver hair and a beard sat high in the pavilion, dozing off in front of a chessboard. He seemed to be in a state of half-sleep, neither fully asleep nor fully awake.
He appeared to be an ordinary old man, weakened by age, often feeling drowsy.
A disciple quietly entered the room, careful not to disturb the elder. He respectfully placed a jade slip on the table, bowed, and then silently retreated.
The jade slip lay on the table.
The room was silent.
Amidst the fragrant incense, the elder continued to doze.
After an unknown amount of time, the elder slowly opened his eyes, as if he had just woken up. He glanced to the side and saw the jade slip on the table. He picked it up and took a quick look.
Just one glance, and the elder paused.
"Qian Prefecture, first in array theory, Mo Hua from Taixu Sect, Mid Foundation Realm, nineteen spirit marks..."
The elder's drowsiness vanished instantly, and he became more alert. He muttered thoughtfully:
"Mid Foundation Realm, nineteen marks, this is quite unusual..."
"Did he cultivate it himself, or did he borrow it from something?"
"If he cultivated it himself, how did he do it? If he borrowed it, from where?"
The elder's interest was piqued.
The Qian Prefecture Array Theory Competition was held every three years, and each competition had a champion.
For ordinary cultivators, this champion might be highly esteemed.
But in Dao Prefecture, especially in Tianshu Pavilion, and to this elder who had lived for an unknown number of years, it was somewhat like a "chicken rib"—not particularly valuable.
Though the champion was indeed a genius, such geniuses appeared in every competition.
Their talents were one in a million, but their self-interest was no different from that of ordinary people.
After seeing so many, it became tedious.
However, having nineteen spirit marks and exceeding the limit by three ranks was indeed extraordinary.
He, the elder, had never seen anything like it.
"I'll calculate it..."
The elder eagerly extended his hand, but as soon as he made a gesture, he froze, then frowned in displeasure:
"Two-Instrument Lock of Taixu? When did they become so generous..."
"They were reluctant to let me see it even once before..."
The elder felt a twinge of jealousy.
Then his curiosity grew.
"Since they're willing to use the Two-Instrument Lock, there must be significant cause and effect."
Just a superficial peek at the Heavenly Principle Lock without delving into the details wouldn't alert Taixu Sect.
The elder made a more formal gesture, but after a moment of calculation, he paused again, his weathered face showing a mix of surprise:
"This... How many layers of 'disguise' are there?"
The Heavenly Principle components were incredibly complex.
Moreover, there were a few threads of cause and effect that felt familiar to him.
Some of these threads even made him, the elder, wary...
The elder's expression was one of astonishment and disbelief.
After a moment, he slowly released the gesture he was making, stopped calculating, and instead focused on the name on the jade slip, his eyes growing brighter.
"Mo Hua..."
"I remember."
Then he muttered:
"But, the champion in array theory... This changes things..."
The elder cast his weathered gaze back to the chessboard in front of him.
On the chessboard, a large number of pieces were intertwined, black and white mixed together, inseparable.
"...The situation has changed again?"
The elder stared at the chessboard, and in a moment of clarity, he saw three slender dragons faintly merging. He paused, slowly straightening his back, and muttered:
"Can't be..."
...
Inside Taixu Sect.
The elder sat in the middle, and the Taixu Sect Master said to Mr. Xun:
" Taia Sect and Chongxu Sect have been confirmed to drop from the Eight Great Sects."
"The previous concerns were not unfounded. Taia Sect's 'sword casting' and Chongxu Sect's 'sword qi' are not pure enough to meet the standards of the Twelve Streams. With the interference of the Four Major Sects, they have no place in the Twelve Streams."
"Taia Sect and Chongxu Sect are likely to drop to the top hundred sects in Qian Prefecture..."
The Taixu Sect Master sighed, then felt a bit relieved.
If not for Mo Hua's sudden appearance, with his exceptional talent, winning the array theory competition, Taixu Sect's situation would not have been much better.
Moreover, it wasn't just that.
The Taixu Sect Master sighed again: "Many disciples from prestigious families who have joined Taia Sect and Chongxu Sect are preparing to leave."
Mr. Xun frowned, "Leave?"
"Yes," the Taixu Sect Master said, "These disciples joined Taia and Chongxu Sects for the 'Eight Great Sects' reputation. Now that these two sects are dropping in rank, they will naturally seek better opportunities..."
Prestigious families act in cold and self-serving ways.
Even if the disciples themselves are unwilling to leave, their families will force them to.
Mr. Xun nodded and asked, "What about the elders? Is no one thinking of leaving?"
The Taixu Sect Master replied, "At the elder level, things are still stable. They rely on the sect for their livelihoods. Some are deeply tied to the sect's interests and can't easily leave."
"But this is only for now. It's hard to say what will happen later."
"At least, a large number of guest elders will resign. Some neutral elders are likely looking for new affiliations..."
The Taixu Sect Master shook his head, "Reforming the sect is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you retreat. Once we take a step back, it will be extremely difficult to climb back up in this turbulent environment."
"Moreover, with a batch of core disciples and elders leaving, and the loss of the 'Eight Great Sects' title, the quality of new disciples will decline. This is almost a dead end. Taia Sect and Chongxu Sect will likely struggle to recover in the future..."
The Taixu Sect Master's tone was filled with both reflection and sympathy.
Mr. Xun nodded. "Good."
Grandmaster Taixu almost thought he had heard wrong. "Good?"
Mr. Xun nodded again. "Very good."
Grandmaster Taixu froze.
Aren’t the three sects supposed to share the same origin, the same root?
Why is the Ancestor still gloating over the disaster?
Mr. Xun pondered, "I only thought they would suffer, but didn’t expect them to suffer so much. Now, things might actually be easier to handle..."
"These two families have some tough bones. As long as they can draw another breath, they won’t be so easy to talk to."
Grandmaster Taixu pondered for a moment, his heart suddenly skipping a beat. "Ancestor, you don’t mean to..."
Mr. Xun shook his head. "Let’s see how things play out. Don’t say anything yet."
Grandmaster Taixu could only nod, inwardly admiring the Ancestor. The Ancestor truly lived up to his name, with far-reaching thoughts, deep planning, and a boldness that was unimaginable...
Of course, this matter wasn’t so simple.
The resistance from all sides was immense, and there were still many things that needed meticulous planning.
Mr. Xun frowned and pondered for a moment. Lifting his head and seeing that Grandmaster Taixu was still there, he asked, "Is there anything else?"
Grandmaster Taixu nodded. "It’s about Mo Hua."
"Mo Hua? What’s the matter with him?" Mr. Xun’s expression turned serious.
Grandmaster Taixu was silent for a moment before asking, "Ancestor, do you know how many merit points this child has now?"
Mr. Xun was taken aback. "How many? Several ten thousand?"
"Four hundred and eighty-six thousand nine hundred and twelve..."
Grandmaster Taixu reported an incredibly shocking number.
Mr. Xun was genuinely surprised. "How many? Four hundred and eighty thousand? How could there be so many?"
Grandmaster Taixu said bitterly, "Before, I promised that if he won a place in the Dao Discussion Conference, his merit points would be quadrupled."
"At that time, Taixu Sect was in dire straits, and we had no choice but to break the pot and sink the boat. I didn’t expect Mo Hua to suddenly surge ahead, shocking the world with a first-place win..."
"The merit points for the Dao Discussion Conference were already exceptionally generous, and now they’ve quadrupled. Added to his original substantial merit points, the total is terrifying..."
When he checked the merit points, seeing Mo Hua’s number, he almost thought his eyes were failing him.
Which sect’s disciple, at the Mid-Founding stage, could earn four hundred and eighty thousand merit points?
Four hundred and eighty thousand...
Grandmaster Taixu quietly said, "If we calculate based on his current merit points, he could probably enter the Inner Sect as an ‘Elder’ after saving up for another one or two years, before even graduating."
Even Mr. Xun sucked in a breath of cold air.
His mind was entirely on array formations, completely forgetting about the balance of "merit points."
Inattentiveness led to giving this child too much.
The key was, they couldn’t take it back.
Who would be the Ancestor to dock their own disciple’s merit points?
Mr. Xun pondered for a moment and slowly said, "No problem, just don’t let him see them."
Grandmaster Taixu was taken aback. "Not let him see them?"
How could he not show them when the Taixu Order was in his hands?
Mr. Xun said, "Don’t display so many. Hide a few digits, only showing up to ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine."
"Keep the extra, but don’t show them to him. If he asks, just say his merit points exceed the sect’s authority, and don’t tell him by how much."
"Say a few nice things, compliment him a bit. Once this child is happy, he won’t dig too deep."
"Anyway, his merit points are always so many, he won’t run out, and he won’t be too troubled by it."
Grandmaster Taixu nodded woodenly, still a bit uneasy. "This... will it really work?"
"Relax." Mr. Xun said.
He knew Mo Hua’s nature.
And this wasn’t a bad thing at all.
They weren’t docking his merit points, just temporarily not telling him to avoid him becoming arrogant and lazy due to having too many merit points.
Grandmaster Taixu nodded.
But his heart was a bit complex.
Together, the Ancestor and the Sect Leader, deceiving this little disciple, Mo Hua, felt a bit off...
...
In the disciples’ quarters.
Mo Hua also frowned.
He had a vague premonition:
"Is someone plotting against me?"
But after pondering for a while, he didn’t sense any malice or danger, so he didn’t pay much attention.
Mostly, in recent days, his premonitions in the realm of causality had been frequently triggered.
It seemed many people were secretly calculating him.
He even felt that an unknown, ancient, and deeply unfathomable “Grandfather” with terrifying causality had taken an interesting glance at him.
Of course, this premonition only lasted an instant and then vanished without a trace.
Nothing else happened afterward.
Over time, Mo Hua didn’t pay too much attention.
But because there were so many people peering at him, Mo Hua couldn’t help but be cautious.
So in recent days, he had strictly followed Mr. Xun’s instructions, staying within the Taixu Sect, focusing on his cultivation and learning array formations, not going anywhere.
At this moment, he was writing a letter.
The letter was for Elder Zheng.
Elder Zheng had asked Zheng Fang to convey a message to Mo Hua, saying that his Cloud Crossing was delayed, and he would likely have to stay in Qianxue Prefecture for a few more months.
If Mo Hua had any questions or wanted to learn more about array formations, he could find him.
Mo Hua was overjoyed.
But he couldn’t go out, and he couldn’t seek Elder Zheng’s guidance in person, so he could only write a letter, noting down his doubts about the "Yuan Magnetic" or the orthodox "Thunder Magnetic" array formations, to seek Elder Zheng’s guidance.
Great mentors were rare.
A great mentor willing to teach him was even more precious.
Mo Hua cherished this opportunity immensely.
After writing the letter, Mo Hua handed it to Zheng Fang, asking him to pass it on to Elder Zheng. Then, he went to his classes as usual.
Along the way, all the disciples of the Grand Void Sect greeted Mo Hua with surprise and joy. Some called him "Little Senior Brother," others called him "Junior Brother Mo," and they all greeted him warmly.
Now, in the entire Grand Void Sect, from top to bottom, almost no one was unfamiliar with Mo Hua.
First in array theory, the champion of array formation.
Even without considering his mid-Foundations stage cultivation and his transcendent divine consciousness, the title of "champion of array formation" alone was unprecedented in the history of the Grand Void Sect.
—Because the Grand Void Sect was not particularly renowned for its array formations.
Moreover, because of Mo Hua’s top position in array formation, the Grand Void Sect had directly risen to the top three among the "Eight Great Sects," and all the disciples of the Grand Void Sect saw their status rise.
Even when boasting, they did so with pride.
Mo Hua had become like a "lucky cat," and everyone who saw him beamed with joy.
And it didn’t stop there.
Since Mo Hua’s rise to fame, even while staying in the Grand Void Sect, he continuously received "visiting cards" and "gifts."
These visiting cards and gifts came from various noble families and sects.
Some wanted to pay him a visit, some invited him to gatherings, some sought to build relationships, and some even proposed marriage. There were even those trying to poach him.
Most of these, Mo Hua declined.
Gifts should be reciprocated.
There was no such thing as taking benefits without owing anything in return.
By accepting gifts, he would owe favors, which he would have to repay in the future.
Mo Hua was neither greedy nor foolish.
However, he did accept gifts from a few families.
For instance, the Gu family.
He often went to the Gu family for meals and had a good relationship with many of their elders and disciples, so he felt obliged to accept their gifts.
The Shangguan and Wenren families also sent gifts.
Mo Hua thought about it and declined their offerings.
Sure enough, a few days later, Wenren Wan personally delivered gifts on behalf of the two family heads to the Grand Void Sect.
Only then did Mo Hua accept the gifts.
Wenren Wan also gave Mo Hua many gifts and showed him great care.
She looked at Mo Hua with a mix of satisfaction and gratitude in her beautiful eyes.
She never expected that this child, Mo Hua, would bring her such a great blessing.
Now, her status in the Shangguan family was almost on par with Elder Shangguan Wang, who was at the Feather Transformation Realm.
Wenren Wan felt a myriad of emotions.
Afterward, she gave Mo Hua detailed instructions and left the Grand Void Sect with reluctance.
Mo Hua personally escorted Wenren Wan to the gate.
He also accepted gifts from a few other powers based on the situation.
Many noble families and sects, even when Mo Hua didn’t accept their gifts, continued to send him favors and gifts to the Grand Void Sect.
Amidst this bustling fame and wealth, Mo Hua couldn’t help but feel somewhat elated.
But after some time, he realized that this wasn’t good.
These things weren’t what he truly desired.
A cultivator seeks the "truth" and pursues the "Dao."
He shouldn’t lose his equanimity due to fame and wealth, allowing these distractions and comforts to erode his Dao heart.
What he ultimately sought was the profound mysteries of array formations, the laws of heaven and earth, the truth that penetrates all illusions, and the path to eternal life.
Only then could he change the balance of yin and yang, reverse life and death, glimpse the secrets of the universe, control cause and effect, and survive countless calamities to achieve immortality.
Fame and wealth were not necessarily good things.
If he indulged in them, he would become complacent and gradually drift away from the true "Dao."
From another perspective, this was also a test.
Not only did hardships hone the Dao heart, but the allure of fame and wealth also tested it.
Not to fall into despair because of hardships, nor to lose oneself in fame and wealth.
Never lose, never forget, and remain true to one’s heart.
Without detachment, one cannot clarify one’s aspirations; without tranquility, one cannot achieve far-reaching goals.
No matter how the external world changed, whether his circumstances were favorable or adverse, he remained himself.
Mo Hua was taken aback, then his expression showed sudden enlightenment.
He felt that his slightly restless heart gradually settled down.
His Dao heart, free from pretense, became clearer and more resolute.
"Being first in array theory and the champion of array formation are just past events, not worth much. What a cultivator should pursue is a higher Dao!"
Mo Hua nodded, silently agreeing with himself.
Then he calmed his mind and continued his usual practice of studying arrays and seeking the Dao.
Xun Lao, the old master, saw all of this.
He had originally thought about letting Mo Hua indulge for a while before urging him to study arrays.
After all, at such a young age, winning the championship and gaining fame, receiving praise from all sides, he deserved some days of freedom and spontaneity.
But he hadn’t expected that before long, Mo Hua would return to his usual routine, studying arrays day and night.
His eyes were clear, his demeanor calm, almost no different from before.
It was as if he had never participated in the array theory competition, never dominated the four major sects, never won the championship, and never gained such fame.
From beginning to end, he was just an ordinary sect disciple, deeply absorbed in array formations and wholeheartedly seeking the Dao...
Xun Lao was stunned for a long time, his pupils trembling. He suddenly remembered the eight words left by the ancestors of the Grand Void Sect:
"Dao Heart Naturally Formed, Returning to Simplicity and Purity..."
Xun Lao murmured these eight words, looking at Mo Hua, who was completely focused and pure like a "child," and felt a profound sense of awe.
(End of Chapter)
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