Chapter 928: Fan Jin
Chapter 928: Fan Jin
Goose Landing Mountain, spanning eight hundred li, was a place of intricate river channels and swamps, shrouded in poisonous mist that reached the sky. When geese flew over, they often succumbed to the poison and fell into the swamps, turning into putrid water. Thus, it earned the name "Goose Landing Mountain."
A branch of the Smoke Water River flowed through the mountain range.
The river water carried a pungent smell.
Deep within the mountains, danger lurked in every corner.
It was here that the Demon Sect was established.
At this moment, outside the depths of the mountain, in the perilous environment, numerous righteous cultivators were lying in wait in the forests and swamps.
The campaign to eradicate the Demon Sect was a grand affair.
The Dao Prefecture Office had dispatched fifteen Golden Core Chamberlains, along with six hundred Foundation Establishment Late Stage and even Foundation Establishment Apex Administrators.
The Great Void Sect, collaborating with the Dao Prefecture Office, had mobilized twenty Golden Core Elders.
With the three sects of the Great Void Sect joining forces, the number of cultivators and elders was substantial, and thus, the number of elders participating exceeded twenty, even more than the Dao Prefecture Office.
However, the number of inner sect disciples was not high, with only a hundred dispatched.
The campaign to eradicate the Demon Sect, especially a Third Rank Demon Sect, meant engaging in life-threatening battles with Golden Core demons.
For a grand sect like the Great Void Sect, the inner sect disciples were the cream of the crop among the talented, destined to become the pillars of their sects. It was unthinkable to risk their lives in a premature all-out war with the Demon Sect.
The inner sect disciples were not mere cannon fodder but the seeds of the future.
Their involvement in the campaign was to temper their minds, witness the cruelty of the Demon Sect, and adapt to the bloody battles with demonic cultivators. This experience would prepare them to stand alone and become the future pillars of their sects.
Among them, there was only one outer sect disciple—Mo Hua.
Of course, he wasn't there for training.
He was the mastermind behind the scenes.
The Qianxue State was a region where numerous sects thrived, and any Demon Sect daring to show its face here was destined for destruction—it was only a matter of time.
Whether Mo Hua was present or not, this outcome was inevitable.
Mo Hua merely accelerated the process, pushing the demise of the Demon Sect from the beginning to the end in one fell swoop.
And now, Mo Hua was personally witnessing the outcome of this operation.
The only drawback was that he was a bit too far from the Demon Sect to get a clear view.
He had no choice; this was already the greatest compromise.
Uncle Gu and Xia Jiejie from the Dao Prefecture Office, Elder Xun from the Great Void Sect, and the various elders unanimously disagreed with his presence at this event.
Especially Elder Xun.
The son of a wealthy family does not sit in the hall.
Eradicating the Demon Sect and surrounding the Golden Core demons was too dangerous. A slight mistake could cost Mo Hua his life, and by then, it would be too late for regrets.
But Mo Hua insisted, promising to behave and stay far away, ensuring no mishaps. With so many sect elders around, they should be able to protect him.
Elder Xun reluctantly agreed.
Thus, although Mo Hua could participate in the extermination of the demon cultivators, he could only watch from a distance and had lost his freedom of movement, forced to stick with the elders and forbidden from acting independently.
Moreover, his role in eradicating the Demon Sect was essentially over.
As the intermediary, he had already connected the dots, and his task was complete.
The rest was up to the Dao Prefecture Office and the sect elders; he had no part in it.
He wasn't strong enough to join the battle against the Golden Core demons.
The arrays near the Demon Sect were also being handled by Elder Xun and other array elders, leaving no need for his involvement.
Furthermore, most of the arrays were Third Rank, beyond his array rank, and even if he wanted to help, he couldn't.
The only thing he could do was watch quietly as Elder Xun deciphered the Demon Sect's arrays, learning in advance the rules of employing and breaking Third Rank arrays.
After the arrays were deciphered, the pre-battle stage commenced.
Numerous Dao Prefecture Office cultivators, according to the established plan, stealthily converged on the Demon Sect.
The elders of the Great Void Sect also began to move.
Thin mist shrouded everything as the operation unfolded with urgency.
Mo Hua, positioned at the edge of the battlefield, found himself with unexpected leisure, his profound gaze silently observing it all.
He was currently in a temporary camp.
Near the camp, another person shared his idle state—a tall and robust man with a bushy beard, wearing the Dao Prefecture Office Chamberlain's robe: Fan Jin.
Fan Jin was responsible for the rearguard.
In this perilous campaign against the Demon Sect, with his early Golden Core cultivation, he lacked the qualifications to be a vanguard, charging into the fray.
Behind the vanguard, he was part of the main force, tasked with killing demon cultivators to earn merits.
Such an opportunity rarely came his way.
Additionally, tasks like reconnaissance, infiltration, and array breaking were beyond his capabilities.
Thus, he could only focus on rearguard duties. If the campaign faltered, he would provide cover. If demon cultivators fled, he would intercept them. All the dirty and tiring work during the aftermath would also fall on his shoulders.
Currently, in the preparation stage, the camp bustled with activity.
Fan Jin couldn't help but look around, his mind heavy with thoughts.
Transferred from a small region to participate in this significant campaign against the Demon Sect, he saw it as a great opportunity to meet and build relationships with fellow cultivators.
After all, cultivation also involved cultivating relationships.
To progress, one must actively seek opportunities.
But after looking around for a long time, he couldn't find anyone to talk to.
The Golden Core cultivators coming and going were either from noble families, serving as Chamberlains in the Qianxue State, or from one of the Eight Great Sects, the Great Void Sect, with its profound cultivation and superior Dao heritage. Fan Jin didn't dare approach them.
Even if he did, they wouldn't pay him any heed. After all, his background, Dao heritage, and cultivation were all inferior.
Tall Fan Jin stood in the crowd, feeling like he was half a head shorter than everyone else.
But he didn't want to give up; this was his only chance.
Once the Demon Sect was eradicated, regardless of the outcome, there might never be such a grand gathering of Golden Core cultivators again.
And even if there was, he might not qualify to participate.
Fan Jin maintained a vigilant expression while discreetly scanning the passing cultivators with his peripheral vision, searching for someone of lower status, amiable, and easy to talk to, someone he could approach and build a connection with.
After much searching, he finally found one.
Young, tender, with weak blood and low spirit energy, he followed behind a group of elders, looking like someone who was just there to "buy soy sauce."
The key was that he had a delicate appearance, clear eyes, and a friendly smile that made him seem easy to talk to.
The only problem was that he was only at the Foundation Establishment stage.
But so be it, he couldn't even talk to someone at the Golden Core stage.
Moreover, he wore the dao robe of the Great Void Sect, so he must be a disciple of the Great Void Sect. Perhaps through him, he could establish a connection with the elders behind him.
Such connections within major sects, even if they were just a few words of acquaintance or an exchange of names, could sometimes be incredibly useful.
At the very least, it would be a matter of face to mention.
Fan Jin secretly approached Mo Hua.
Mo Hua, who was observing the surrounding mountains, also noticed this peculiar Golden Core Administrator and turned to look at him curiously, not knowing what he wanted.
F
"Your humble servant is Fan Jin, serving as an Administrator in the Dao Prefecture Office. Young brother, you are... a disciple of the Great Void Sect, right?"
Mo Hua looked at the Great Void Sect dao robe he was wearing, feeling that Fan Jin was stating the obvious, nodded, and asked, "What's up?"
Fan Jin was momentarily stuck.
What was up?
He had no real business...
He just wanted to chat, build some connections, and see if he could gain some social capital.
He didn't even know this young brother's name, his preferences, or what they should talk about.
He had the desire to improve, but after taking the first step, he suddenly didn't know how to proceed.
Mo Hua, however, pondered for a moment.
Fan Jin...
This name seemed familiar to him.
"Do you know Uncle Gu?" Mo Hua asked him.
Fan Jin was taken aback, "Uncle Gu?"
"Gu Changhuai," Mo Hua said.
Fan Jin nodded repeatedly, "I know him, I know him. Administrator Gu Changhuai. I was temporarily assigned to the Heavenly Study State, and I've been working with Administrator Gu, receiving much of his assistance."
Fan Jin felt a great relief.
This connection had unexpectedly been established, though he never imagined it would be through the usually cold and impartial Administrator Gu.
Mo Hua also nodded slightly.
He remembered, there was indeed such an administrator.
At the time, when he used the token to inform the Demon Sect, "There is a mole, cease action," this Administrator Fan was working with Uncle Gu.
In a way, he had saved Fan Jin's life.
"Little brother, are you from the Gu family?" Fan Jin asked softly.
Mo Hua shook his head, "I am surnamed Mo."
Surnamed Mo...
Fan Jin felt a bit unfamiliar. As far as he knew, there were no families surnamed "Mo" near the Heavenly Study State.
However, this confirmed his suspicion.
"Little brother, you are not from a noble family, are you?" Fan Jin asked.
Mo Hua asked, "How do you know?"
Fan Jin whispered, "Little brother, don't be offended, but I'm pretty good at reading people."
He glanced at Mo Hua, "You have weak blood, which means you must have lacked spirit treasures to nourish you when you were young. Your spirit energy is weak, and your spirit root is likely average, which means you are definitely not from a major clan."
"You managed to join the Great Void Sect, probably due to some special opportunity."
"But," Fan Jin shook his head, somewhat wistfully, "in the sect, you probably aren't treated with much importance. You can only run errands and do menial tasks for the elders, like serving tea and water. Otherwise, you wouldn't still lack signs of nourishing a Lifesoul Artifact."
Mo Hua was silent for a moment, then nodded, "You are quite good at reading people."
"Right?" Fan Jin sighed, "Come to think of it, we are quite similar. Both from humble backgrounds, trying to make a name for ourselves, it's not easy."
Mo Hua asked, "Are you from a minor family?"
"Indeed," Fan Jin nodded, "The Fan family of Solitary Mountain City, a Third Rank Minor Clan. But that was in the past. Now, it has declined, and the clan members are scattered. I am almost a solitary person."
"Solitary Mountain City?" Mo Hua was surprised.
He didn't expect that Fan Jin would be from Solitary Mountain City.
"Little brother, do you know Solitary Mountain City?" Fan Jin asked.
"Um," Mo Hua nodded, "I know Master Gu from the Solitary Mountain City Armory."
Fan Jin was greatly surprised, "You know Master Gu?"
"You know Master Gu?"
Fan Jin said, "I've had a few drinks with Master Gu, we are quite familiar. A few years ago, I helped them with the contract for their armory."
Fan Jin didn't expect that his casual attempt to strike up a conversation would actually lead to a real connection. And the more he talked, the more connections he made.
Fan Jin became even more friendly and enthusiastic with Mo Hua.
"Whenever you have the chance to visit Solitary Mountain City, I will treat you well!"
"Sure!" Mo Hua was also quite straightforward.
Fan Jin suddenly thought of something and shook his head, "No, no, it's better not to go to Solitary Mountain City. When I am transferred to the Heavenly Study State or a neighboring state as an administrator, I will set up a banquet for you."
Mo Hua was taken aback, then his gaze flickered, "Administrator Fan, you don't want to stay in Solitary Mountain City?"
"That godforsaken place, who would want to stay there?" Fan Jin waved his hand, his expression somewhat disdainful.
But Mo Hua's gaze was deep, seeing something amiss in his expression.
His expression was disdainful, but deep in his eyes, there was a hint of fear, even a deep-seated... fear.
Fear...
What was he afraid of?
What was there to fear in Solitary Mountain City?
Mo Hua's gaze grew intense.
Fan Jin, however, was unwilling to mention "Solitary Mountain City" again and changed the subject, looking at Mo Hua with concern:
"Little brother, as someone who has been through it, I have a suggestion for you. If you find it useful, listen to it; if not, consider it... my rambling."
"Please speak, Administrator Fan," Mo Hua nodded.
Fan Jin sincerely said:
"You are at the late-stage Foundation Establishment, the next step is Core Formation. The choice of your Lifesoul Artifact... you must be very careful. Although you are not valued by the sect and lack family support, you cannot afford to be careless."
He originally wanted to use Mo Hua to build a connection with the elders behind him, but his warm heart led him to forget his original intention and sincerely offer advice to Mo Hua.
Although Mo Hua didn't really need this advice.
Seeing Mo Hua's indifferent expression, Fan Jin thought Mo Hua didn't believe him and didn't take his words to heart, so he became a bit anxious:
"Really, little brother, I am speaking from experience, I am not lying to you.
I was the one who suffered a huge loss in this regard. At the time, I thought that as long as I reached the Core Formation stage, it would be fine, and I could make do with any Artifact. But now that I've achieved Core Formation, my Artifact is inadequate, and I'm at a disadvantage everywhere..."
Mo Hua was curious and asked, "Fan Jin, what's your Artifact?"
"A hammer."
"Your Lifesoul Artifact is a hammer?"
"Yes."
Fan Jin's expression was filled with unspoken bitterness.
"So, when it comes to Lifesoul Artifacts, one must be extremely cautious and choose the most suitable one. You can't just settle for convenience."
Mo Hua slowly nodded.
He had been considering the issue of Artifacts for a long time. In truth, he didn't really care what Fan Jin said; what he was truly concerned about was Solitary Mountain City.
Mo Hua wanted to know what had happened in Solitary Mountain City that made this Golden Core Canonary so wary.
But before he could even ask, Xun Zixian Elder called out to him, "Mo Hua, come and have some tea."
"Oh, okay." Mo Hua quickly agreed.
Fan Jin also looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the person calling Mo Hua was none other than a Late-stage Golden Core Elder from the Great Void Sect, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, an extraordinary appearance, and an air of nobility. Fan Jin's heart trembled at the sight.
The Direct Disciple Elder of the Eight Great Sects, who had reached the Late-stage Golden Core, was far beyond Fan Jin, a Golden Core Canonary from a small region. The difference in status was like a chasm of ten thousand miles, truly "unreachable."
Fan Jin wanted to try and establish a connection, but the gap was just too vast.
He even lacked the courage to speak.
Just then, a Taoist Court Official found him and said, "Fan Jin, Gu Jin is looking for you. The operation is about to begin."
Fan Jin nodded, "I understand." Then he turned to Mo Hua and said, "Meeting you is a stroke of fate. I won't disturb you, young brother. Next time we have a chance, we can chat more."
Mo Hua also cupped his hands and said, "Be careful, Fan Jin. Demon Cultivators are brutal."
"Thank you for the reminder, young brother."
After saying this, Fan Jin turned and left, but he still felt regretful. It was such a great opportunity; if he had stayed a little longer and said a few more words, he might have been able to establish a connection with the "big shot" from the Great Void Sect.
"What a pity..."
Even after walking a few steps, Fan Jin couldn't help but turn back and take one last look.
At that moment, Xun Zixian Elder invited Mo Hua to sit down and poured him a cup of tea, saying in a gentle voice, "A fellow Daoist gave this to me. It's called Snow Purity. Try it."
The tea leaves were like snow, the tea was clear and refreshing, and the aroma was pure.
Mo Hua picked up the teacup and took a sip, then smiled with narrowed eyes, "Thank you, Elder Xun!"
Fan Jin witnessed this scene, and in an instant, his mind went blank, feeling like his head was about to explode.
No...
That's not right.
Shouldn't it be the disciples serving tea to the elders? Why would an elder pour tea for a disciple? What kind of sect rules did the Great Void Sect have? Moreover, the one pouring the tea was a Late-stage Golden Core Elder, clearly a person of high status and profound knowledge.
For such a powerful cultivator to personally pour tea for this young brother before him, Fan Jin was dumbfounded.
Fan Jin was stunned, and in his heart, he muttered:
"Who exactly is this young brother...?"
Then, he suddenly remembered that the elder had just called out to this young brother by name:
"Mo Hua..."
Fan Jin frowned, feeling that this name was very familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before. After pondering for a moment, his pupils dilated, and he gasped in surprise.
"Could it be... that legendary 'Mo Hua'...?"
"That... the Great Void Sect's 'Little Monster'?"
...
Half an hour later, everything was in place, and the operation to annihilate the Demon Sect officially began.
But this had nothing to do with Mo Hua.
Xun Zixian Elder was drinking tea with Mo Hua, following the orders of Elder Xun. It was both to keep an eye on Mo Hua and prevent him from causing trouble, and to protect Mo Hua from any potential harm.
Mo Hua obediently drank his tea, while also gazing into the distance, observing the situation at the Demon Sect.
Numerous Taoist Court Officials, along with the elders and disciples of the Great Void Sect, moved along predetermined routes, like a hidden tide, converging towards the Demon Sect. At the same time, they formed a net, completely enveloping the Demon Sect's lair.
The storm was about to break, and a great battle was imminent.
The poisonous mist shrouded Goose Landing Mountain, making it even more desolate.
Suddenly, a violent tremor erupted, causing the mountains and rivers to shatter and the ground to tremble.
This was the result of the Demon Sect's external formation being breached, leading to a powerful explosion of Spirit Energy.
Then, battle cries rang out, piercing the clouds.
The leading Golden Core Cultivators summoned their Artifacts and charged into the Demon Sect's interior. Sword beams, spells, and the clash of armor and weapons created a maelstrom of energy as they engaged in close combat with the Demon Sect's cultivators.
The once clear sky gradually turned crimson, intertwining with the dense poisonous mist.
After the Golden Core Cultivators' initial charge, the main forces clashed.
The Taoist Court Canonaries led the officials, and the Great Void Sect's elders led the inner sect disciples, forming a formidable array that resembled a meat grinder, slaughtering the Demon Sect's disciples one by one.
The Five Elements Spirit Energy collided with the Demon's blood energy, intertwining and causing powerful explosions.
Limbs were scattered everywhere, and blood and flesh flew, creating a gruesome scene.
Blood flowed into the river and seeped into the swamp, covering the entire Goose Landing Mountain with a blood-red veil.
This process was quite lengthy.
Thousands of cultivators fought to the death in the forest and swamp, with blood splattering, swords breaking, spells flying through the air, and hidden weapons scattering on the ground. The scene was incredibly grand.
After an unknown amount of time, the battle temporarily calmed down.
Mo Hua knew that this wasn't the end of the encirclement; the Golden Core elders and Taoist Court Canonaries had led the charge into the Demon Sect's interior.
Sure enough, after a moment, an even stronger tremor occurred.
This tremor caused the mountains to crack and the energy to spread like a storm, causing the poisonous mist to swirl and the mountains and swamps to churn.
At the same time, a savage, fierce, and terrifying roar, like that of an ancient ferocious beast, echoed throughout Goose Landing Mountain, striking fear into the hearts of the demons and unease among the righteous cultivators.
Mo Hua's pupils constricted.
"This is... a Dragon Roar?!"
Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array...
Beside Mo Hua, the Late-stage Golden Core Elder, Xun Zixian, also changed his expression upon hearing the roar.
"A Demon Dragon..."
(End of Chapter)
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