Chapter 907: Crane Old Seven
Chapter 907: Crane Old Seven
In the evening, the sun was setting.
In a cultivator's residential area within the Third-Rank Half-Peak City, the Dao Prefecture Office had already set up formations and traps, lying in ambush around the area.
Gu Changhuai sat in a nearby tall tower, his gaze sharp, observing the movements of all the cultivators on the entire street.
Beside him, Xia Dian Si was also on high alert.
Additionally, there was a Golden Core Executive named Fan Jin, who had been transferred from the outskirts of Qianxue State. He was a tall and robust man with a full beard, skilled in wielding a pair of steel hammers, and a Physical Body Cultivator with thick blood energy.
He was the same Golden Core Executive who had previously fallen into the Demon Sect's ambush along with Gu Changhuai but managed to escape with only a scare due to Mo Hua's disruption.
From the tower's vantage point, the three of them kept watch for a long time, but no one appeared.
Fan Jin spoke in a low voice, "Is the information reliable?"
Gu Changhuai touched the message scroll beside him.
On the scroll, Mo Hua had provided him with extremely detailed intelligence.
Gu Changhuai nodded and said, "Around the seventh hour, Crane Old Seven will disguise himself as a physician and walk along South Street. He will then make a circle and, at the third quarter of the seventh hour, arrive at the northernmost house, counting from right to left, the third one with a red banner hanging at the entrance."
"After Crane Old Seven enters the house, he will first harvest vital energy, then suck blood, and finally transmit his power..."
This was confidential information from Mo Hua, which only Gu Changhuai and Xia Dian Si knew about and had not disclosed to anyone else.
Fan Jin, being an external transfer, had just learned about it.
He paused for a moment, puzzled, and asked, "Is this intelligence so detailed? Is it real or fake? Even the timing is precise, as if it was calculated by a fortune teller."
Gu Changhuai fell silent.
He also felt that Mo Hua's current situation was not much different from a "fortune teller."
"Oh, right," Gu Changhuai remembered Mo Hua's reminder and said, "Crane Old Seven's demonic powers are quite troublesome, and he has some evil influences that cannot be ignored. We must kill him, but we cannot do it casually. At that time, Fan Executive, I'll need you to get close and suppress him, disabling his limbs."
Among the three of them, only Fan Jin was a pure Physical Body Cultivator, so this task could only be entrusted to him.
Fan Jin replied, "Rest assured, I understand. I'll do my best for this."
Gu Changhuai nodded.
Fan Jin glanced at Gu Changhuai, wanting to say something but hesitating.
Gu Changhuai, being perceptive, noticed his intention and said, "Fan Executive, if you have something to say, please speak freely."
Fan Jin glanced at Xia Dian Si again, hesitated for a moment, but eventually couldn't hold back and spoke softly, "Executive Gu, I just want to ask, if I make a contribution in this operation to eliminate the Demon Sect, can I be transferred from Solitary Mountain City to Qianxue State?"
Gu Changhuai was taken aback, then slightly frowned.
"It doesn't have to be Qianxue State; any other Third-Rank State Border would be fine..." Fan Jin added.
Gu Changhuai asked, "Don't you want to stay in Solitary Mountain City?"
Of course not, who would want to stay in that godforsaken place...
Fan Jin thought to himself and sighed.
"Technically, as an Executive of the Dao Prefecture Office, serving the Dao Prefecture is the same everywhere. But in my case... the situation is special."
"Solitary Mountain City is desolate and sparsely populated. I have great ambitions but no way to serve. I want to strive and take a step further, but I can't find a way."
"Now, with the elimination of the Demon Sect, Qianxue State lacks manpower, and transferring me here gives me an opportunity. I will do my best."
"It's just that I have no family background, no connections, and no influential people to speak for me in the Dao Prefecture Office. I don't understand the rules well, and I don't know what kind of achievements are required for a promotion... no, not a promotion, even a transfer would be fine."
Fan Jin smiled bitterly.
His words were somewhat opportunistic, but he was honest.
Gu Changhuai didn't mind.
Although he was a bit aloof and cold, he was not unreasonable. He understood that it was extremely difficult for an Executive without power or influence to get promoted.
It was only natural for someone to plan for their future within the rules.
Gu Changhuai said, "The Dao Prefecture Office does have such precedents, but these promotions require the involvement of various parties, and they are influenced by interpersonal relationships, which may not be a reliable reference."
"However, if you just want a transfer, it shouldn't be difficult. If you make a contribution this time, you can apply to the higher-ups, and the Deputy Chief and Chief will make the decision..."
"But the Dao Prefecture Office is indeed redundant and complex. Whether it will succeed in the end is uncertain, but generally speaking, this is indeed a viable path..."
"As long as there's a chance, that's good enough," Fan Jin nodded repeatedly, bowing his hands and saying, "Thank you for the advice, Executive Gu."
Gu Changhuai also bowed and said, "Executive Fan is too kind."
Fan Jin slightly relaxed, feeling relieved.
Xia Dian Si ignored their conversation, remaining silent from start to finish, and focused entirely on the street below.
Fan Jin was considerate and didn't say more. He patiently waited, keeping an eye on the street below, but his heart was filled with anticipation.
"As long as I can be transferred away from Solitary Mountain City..."
"I can't stay in Solitary Mountain City any longer..."
Fan Jin's gaze carried a hint of fear.
After that, everyone remained silent and focused on their surveillance.
As the sun gradually set, at the first quarter of the seventh hour, a figure dressed as a physician indeed appeared at the street corner.
He was tall and slender, with white hair, wearing a conical hat that concealed his face, and carrying several gourds containing pills.
Then, just as Mo Hua had described, he walked through South Street, made a circle, and at the third quarter of the seventh hour, he arrived at the northernmost house, entering the one with the red banner hanging at the entrance...
It was exactly as Gu Changhuai had said, even down to the precise timing.
Fan Jin glanced at Crane Old Seven and then turned to look at Gu Changhuai, unable to hold back, "What level of informant do you have inside the Demon Sect? Could it be one of their elders? This intelligence is simply incredible..."
Even Gu Changhuai and Xia Dian Si were stunned at this moment.
It was indeed accurate to the very second...
At the same time, they were puzzled as to how Mo Hua had obtained this intelligence...
If they didn't know Mo Hua well, they might even suspect that he was an elder of the Demon Sect.
However, there was no time to think about these trivial matters now.
When Gu Changhuai saw Crane Old Seven entering the house with the red banner, his expression turned solemn, and he said in a deep voice, "Start closing the net."
Fan Jin also put aside his thoughts, and his eyes became sharp.
This was a rare opportunity, and he was determined to perform well.
The Executives around them began to hold their knives, forming a defensive formation and quietly closing in on the house with the red banner from all sides, blocking the paths to prevent the Demon Lord from escaping.
The formations were activated one by one, and the traps were already in place.
Gu Changhuai, Xia Dian Si, and Fan Jin formed a triangular formation, surrounding the Demon Lord's location, but they didn't rush to take action.
Mo Hua had once mentioned that this Demon Cultivator's cultivation technique had a flaw. When cultivating, the Blood Qi would flow in reverse to the Quchi and Neiguan points, causing the Qi Sea to swell painfully. One would need to harvest Vital Energy from a woman, and only through the union of Yin and Yang could the pain be relieved.
At this moment, as his Blood Qi flowed in reverse, his strength would also be greatly diminished.
Gu Changhuai silently counted the hours in his mind, guessing that Crane Old Seven was in the midst of harvesting Vital Energy, consumed by desire and unable to control himself. Only then did he suddenly take action, bursting through the door.
The room was small, with a total of three people inside.
One man, one woman, and Crane Old Seven.
The man and woman were a married couple, and they were disciples taken in by Crane Old Seven.
At this moment, the man was guarding the door outside, while the woman was inside the room, enjoying herself with Crane Old Seven.
The man had offered his own wife as a bargaining chip, trying to curry favor with Crane Old Seven, a Golden Core cultivator, in the hopes of reducing the amount of refined blood he had to offer and keeping more for his own cultivation.
The woman also wanted to attach herself to Crane Old Seven, the Demon Sect's Golden Core Elder, and was willing to pay with her body.
Once one starts cultivating demonic arts, their human nature gradually diminishes, and they lose their sense of propriety and shame, doing all sorts of unthinkable things.
Gu Changhuai and the others were not surprised by this, but they still felt disgusted.
Crane Old Seven, naked, wriggled like a flesh worm. Seeing Gu Changhuai and the others, he was shocked and quickly grabbed an outer robe, wrapping himself up and trying to run.
But it was too late.
Gu Changhuai had already drawn out his feather fan, condensing a green wind blade that transformed into a streak of light and flew straight towards Crane Old Seven's neck.
Crane Old Seven had nowhere to hide, so he pulled the woman in his arms in front of him.
The woman, still entangled with Crane Old Seven, was unaware of what was happening until Gu Changhuai's wind blade sliced off her head.
Blood rained down, splattering the entire room.
The wind blade, after decapitating the woman, continued forward and slashed towards Crane Old Seven's neck. However, it was momentarily blocked by flesh and blood, slowing down for a moment.
Crane Old Seven took advantage of this brief respite and shifted his body. The wind blade then grazed his throat, cutting towards his shoulder and gouging out a large piece of flesh and blood.
Crane Old Seven cried out in pain, cursing, "You mother..."
Before he could finish his curse, another cold light approached.
Xia Dian Si held a short sword, its icy aura coalescing. His gaze towards Crane Old Seven was as if looking at a pile of rotten flesh, and he showed no mercy.
The icy broken sword aimed straight for Crane Old Seven's heart pulse.
Crane Old Seven was shocked, and he tried to circulate his Blood Qi. However, he was only halfway through the Vital Energy harvesting, and the flaw in his cultivation technique had not yet been resolved. As a result, he couldn't condense the protective Blood-Crystal Crane, and even with all his might, he could only form a thin layer of blood shield over his heart pulse.
The ice-blue sword light instantly pierced through the blood shield, and the sword energy penetrated his heart and spleen, freezing his blood.
Fortunately, Crane Old Seven had a strong life force, and the sword energy deviated slightly, not truly ruining his heart pulse. However, it was enough to make his flesh and blood freeze, rendering him unable to move for a moment.
This series of changes occurred during a confrontation between Golden Core Realm cultivators, and the situation changed rapidly in the blink of an eye.
By the time the Foundation Establishment Stage man in the room reacted, he discovered that his Golden Core Realm "Master" was already severely injured, and the room was covered in blood. His wife, naked, had also been beheaded.
"Yanzi!"
The man was heartbroken, his eyes red with grief. He shouted hoarsely, "You killed my Dao partner! I want your blood to pay for this..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he was kicked by Fan Jin, flew into the wall, broke several bones, and collapsed, unconscious.
Fan Jin kicked the man without hesitation and, holding two large hammers, aimed at Crane Old Seven's head.
Crane Old Seven's life hung by a thread, and he dared not hesitate. A demonic pattern appeared on his body, revealing a Blood-Crystal Crane.
As the demonic pattern emerged, the Blood Crane screeched, and demonic energy surged.
Crane Old Seven, empowered by the demonic pattern, finally suppressed the icy aura within him. Then, with a White Crane Spreads Wings, he leaped into the air, breaking through the roof and escaping the trio's encirclement.
The crane pattern made his body light, and he moved like flying on grass, leaving no traces in the snow.
Although Golden Core cultivators couldn't fly, with the Blood Crane demonic pattern, Crane Old Seven's body could leap several feet into the air, far surpassing ordinary Golden Core cultivators.
However, as soon as he emerged from the roof, the array patterns flashed, and a golden net descended, completely trapping him.
Crane Old Seven transformed his sharp claws into blood blades and tore the net apart.
But during this delay, Gu Changhuai and the others had already surrounded him again, not giving him any chance to catch his breath. They launched various attacks on Crane Old Seven.
Fan Jin took the lead, swinging a pair of steel hammers with a fierce wind. Driven by the desire to make a name for himself, he gave it his all without any slack.
Gu Changhuai condensed wind blades to suppress, while Xia Dian Si feigned attacks with his ice sword and seized opportunities to launch sneak attacks.
Crane Old Seven revealed all his trump cards—evil talismans and magical treasures—without holding back.
However, Gu Changhuai and the other three Golden Core cultivators had prepared an ambush, and with their combined strength, they caught Crane Old Seven off guard. He was completely overwhelmed and couldn't defend himself.
At this moment, he finally understood. With a resentful voice, he asked, "Who leaked our secrets?"
His whereabouts, cultivation technique, and various methods had all been thoroughly exposed, and they were targeted without any mercy.
Today, even if he exhausted all his schemes, there was only one outcome—death.
"Tell me, so I can die with my eyes closed," Crane Old Seven said.
At this point, there was no room for idle talk.
Gu Changhuai and the others didn't respond but instead attacked more fiercely. The hammers struck heavily, the wind blades were relentless, and the cold light was chilling.
In less than thirty exchanges, Crane Old Seven was severely injured and could no longer hold on.
Knowing that he had reached the end of the road, he was filled with rage. He bit his tongue, holding a mouthful of fresh blood, and activated the Divine Lord's evil intent, intending to sacrifice his life and become a puppet, taking Gu Changhuai and the others down with him.
But this action had also been calculated by Mo Hua.
Gu Changhuai took out a Golden Bell Talisman, crushed it, and activated the sound of golden stone, stunning Crane Old Seven for a moment.
Fan Jin seized the opportunity, quickly closing in on Crane Old Seven's message, "With a Bone-Breaking Hammer, one hammer from below to lift him into the air, and another from above to smash him into the ground."
Crane Old Seven's body was shattered, his internal organs ruptured, and he spat out fresh blood.
His eyes were about to burst with anger, and he raged, "You... will die!"
But his throat was sealed by Xia Dian Si's sword, and the icy energy locked his throat, preventing him from making a sound.
"Cripple his limbs!" Gu Changhuai ordered.
Fan Jin didn't hesitate and swung his large hammers, shattering Crane Old Seven's limbs, rendering him immobile.
Gu Changhuai took advantage of this and quickly unfolded the precious treasure map given to him by Mo Hua, covering Crane Old Seven's head.
Then, he channeled his spirit energy, transforming it into a blade that shredded Crane Old Seven's heart pulse into a bloody mess.
Crane Old Seven died instantly.
After his death, his life force gradually faded, and the evil energy around his body intensified.
The dead Crane Old Seven twitched like a walking corpse, but with his limbs crippled, only his head continued to convulse.
As if something terrifying within his dead body was gradually awakening, detaching itself from the mortal shell, and seeking another host to parasitize.
Gu Changhuai's brows furrowed deeply, his expression grave.
Xia Dian Si and Fan Jin also tensed up.
Fortunately, after a moment, Crane Old Seven completely calmed down and there was no more movement.
The unsettling, sinister aura emanating from his body only lasted for a short while before it completely disappeared into the precious talisman treasure map given by Mo Hua.
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief.
Fan Jin looked at the lifeless Crane Old Seven and then at the map, recalling the strange occurrence, and asked with lingering fear, "Gu Dian Si, this map..."
Gu Changhuai remained silent for a moment before slowly explaining, "This is a treasure map gifted by a... 'High-level Cultivator' to seal away malevolent spirits."
A high-level Cultivator...
Upon hearing this, Fan Jin immediately felt a sense of reverence.
He was also a bit confused about the situation, but Gu Changhuai, being from a prestigious family and serving as the Chancellor of the Qianxue State's Dao Prefecture Office, had a broader perspective and extensive knowledge. If he called it a 'High-level Cultivator,' it was undoubtedly accurate.
"Indeed, the Qianxue State is home to countless talented individuals..."
Fan Jin sighed inwardly.
Gu Changhuai waited a little longer, ensuring that Crane Old Seven was completely lifeless and there were no further anomalies, before carefully resealing the treasure map.
He quickly put away the map, strictly following Mo Hua's instructions, never glancing at it himself and preventing others from seeing it to avoid any potential trouble.
With Crane Old Seven dead and the map secured, the mission was declared complete.
Although the methods were somewhat complicated, the precision of the intelligence was so terrifying that the process went even smoother than expected, and some backup plans weren't even needed.
The officials of the Dao Prefecture Office felt a great burden lifted from their shoulders.
The following day, Gu Changhuai made a special trip to the Great Void Sect and returned the map with the sealed malevolent spirit to Mo Hua.
"Everything went smoothly," Gu Changhuai said.
"That's good," Mo Hua nodded.
Gu Changhuai hesitated for a moment, deliberating for a long time, before finally whispering,
"Thank you."
He wanted to express his gratitude, but his personality held him back from saying it out loud. In the end, he forced himself to say it, and Mo Hua found his awkward expression amusing.
Mo Hua smiled and said, "No need to thank me!"
The officials of the Dao Prefecture Office had other matters to attend to, and Gu Changhuai didn't have time to linger. After handing over the map to Mo Hua, he left.
Mo Hua held the Five Elements Map, unable to resist licking his lips.
He thought for a moment and decided not to return to the sect. Instead, he went to a small hill just outside the Void Mountain.
The hill was secluded, shrouded in mist, and undisturbed by anyone.
Mo Hua set up a simple formation and then opened the Five Elements Map.
As soon as the map opened, a sinister evil energy seemed to sense fear and fled in a panic. In an instant, it locked onto the only living person's Sea of Consciousness in the surroundings and, without hesitation, burrowed into it.
Mo Hua had been 'possessed' by the evil spirit.
Amidst the mist-covered peak, Mo Hua's face turned slightly pale, and he closed his eyes.
Within the Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua's divine perception took the form of a human.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the 'uninvited guest' in his Sea of Consciousness.
It had goat horns, a bovine body, an ugly face, stood on two legs, and was surrounded by a surging evil energy, its form terrifying.
It was a Second Rank Peak Divine Remains.
This 'Bovine Demon' noticed Mo Hua and furrowed its brows, its voice hoarse as it said, "Why is it a little brat..."
Within that strange map, an ancient monster was being nurtured. It sensed fear and only wanted to escape, not caring where it went. Unexpectedly, it burrowed into the Sea of Consciousness of a little brat.
It was a Second Rank Peak, the remnant soul of a great evil deity, and the blood energy and divine mind of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator were not enough to sustain it.
Moreover, it was just a Foundation Establishment brat, not enough to 'feed' it.
However, since it had come, it would make do.
Given the current special circumstances, it would temporarily reside in this mortal body, consuming everything, and then find another flesh to parasitize.
And...
The goat-horned bovine demon circled around, sniffed, and its eyes immediately lit up with excitement.
This brat's divine perception was so dense...
So dense that it didn't resemble the divine perception of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, nor did it seem human at all...
The goat-horned bovine demon paused at this thought.
Not human divine perception? It slowly turned its head and stared at Mo Hua in astonishment, its dark brown, ferocious pupils suddenly shrinking.
Mo Hua also looked at the goat-horned bovine demon curiously and asked, "I have one question... Are all of you divine remains only Second Rank?"
You, these 'divine remains,' are only 'Second Rank'...
The bovine demon was taken aback and then felt anger rising within,
"How arrogant, little brat! Who do you think you are to ask me questions? Do you not know who I am?"
Mo Hua impatiently said, "I'm asking you, so answer."
The goat-horned bovine demon coldly smiled, "You dare ask me questions, you little brat? You truly don't know..."
Before it could finish its sentence, it suddenly felt the world spinning.
When it came to its senses, it realized its perspective was skewed, its face pressed against the ground, and a familiar bovine-bodied evil demon stood before it, its body pitch-black, ferocious, and headless.
The goat-horned evil demon's pupils shook violently.
This headless evil demon... is me? At the same time, it felt someone stepping on its head.
"If you don't answer me, you're useless."
Mo Hua stepped on the bovine head, his voice crisp, holding a broken gold sword, its blade sharp, and the severed head didn't stain the blade with blood.
The goat-horned evil demon's face turned pale with fright.
It finally understood that the ancient existence within the map was a monster.
The little brat before it was also a 'monster.'
It had escaped the wolf's den only to fall into the tiger's mouth.
"You dare..."
"I dare!"
Mo Hua lost his patience and stepped on its head, crushing it into a pool of black water, evil mist swirling.
Then, he swung his hand, unleashing several golden sword lights, slicing the headless corpse of the goat-horned bovine demon into pieces, and then activating the Fire Dispersal Array to incinerate it. He directly consumed the evil intent, swallowing it all into his mouth.
It was still early, and the Divine Stele was resting, without the 'disinfection' of the Thunder Tribulation, the evil intent wasn't thoroughly eradicated.
Therefore, he could only perform a simple incineration, preserving the evil intent for now.
When midnight arrived, he would borrow the power of the Thunder Tribulation to erase the evil deity's will, leaving behind pure divine intent and even purer divine marrow.
This way, he could consume more divine marrow.
Mo Hua was in high spirits. He carefully put away the Five Elements Map and headed towards the Void Mountain's gate with light steps.
As soon as midnight arrived, he would have another feast.
His cultivation and his divine slaying sword would also advance further...
(End of Chapter)
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