Chapter 968: Childlike Heart
Chapter 968: Childlike Heart
Shen Qing Sheng's heart and courage shattered, and he struggled, pleading, "No, don't kill me!"
"I'm from the main branch of the Shen family. You can't kill me!"
"If you kill me, my father will kill you, and the Shen family will never let you off..."
Mo Hua suddenly stopped.
Shen Qing Sheng was startled, then screamed, "You know you're scared, so hurry up and let me go!"
Mo Hua slowly approached Shen Qing Sheng, extended his palm, and placed it on Shen Qing Sheng's head.
Shen Qing Sheng was terrified, and then he felt a warm, pure, and extremely refined divine sense, slowly flowing into his body, nourishing his divine sense, as if it were a blessing from a divine being, making him feel stronger than ever before.
Shen Qing Sheng's heart was filled with joy, and then he was perplexed, "What...what are you doing?"
Mo Hua spoke gently, "You're too skinny, not enough for them to eat."
"I'll fatten you up a bit, make you stronger, so they can eat more, and be more satisfied."
Fatten me up?!
Shen Qing Sheng's heart trembled with fear, his eyes wide with anger, and he roared, "Mo Hua! You evil ghost! Are you still human?"
Mo Hua smiled faintly, "I'm being kind, letting you experience what it's like to have your flesh eaten, your blood sucked, and your bones broken and marrow sucked out..."
This smile was innocent and profound, sacred and eerie.
Shen Qing Sheng's expression was horrified, and only then did he realize that he didn't know who this seemingly pure Void Gate Sect disciple really was.
Mo Hua infused his divine sense into Shen Qing Sheng, watching as he gradually became 'fatter' and 'stronger', and when he deemed it sufficient, he used his divine sense to condense it into a rope, like flying a kite, and threw Shen Qing Sheng into the sky.
It was like throwing a piece of meat to a pack of hungry wolves.
One stone stirred up a thousand waves.
In an instant, countless vengeful ghosts and spirits surged and swarmed, pouncing on Shen Qing Sheng, tearing at his divine sense and sucking on his divine soul.
The Shen family had caused them to lose their homes and families, separating their flesh and blood, dying in the darkness underground, enslaved by an evil embryo, never seeing the light of day again.
In life, these people had wanted to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Shen family members.
Now in death, they finally got to taste the divine souls of the Shen family.
They savored the sweetness of revenge.
Moreover, this was Shen Shouhang's only son.
The long-accumulated grudges finally found release, and the blood-soaked karma was finally severed.
The vengeful ghosts that devoured Shen Qing Sheng's divine sense had their dark and evil auras gradually dissipating.
The evil aura in the entire temple also weakened a little.
These enslaved vengeful ghosts were nourishment for the evil embryo.
Their grudges were being alleviated.
The oppressive force the evil embryo exerted on Mo Hua also lessened considerably.
In the mysterious realm, Mo Hua also felt a hint of sinister 'gratitude,' as if by ending these vengeful spirits, he had accumulated some benevolent 'karma.'
Or perhaps this was more like 'merit'? Mo Hua was slightly startled.
He didn't understand much about merit and didn't pay much attention to it...
Always follow the heavenly path, rely on the laws of heaven, and don't forget your original heart. There's no need to actively seek merit.
Mo Hua turned and left.
Shen Qing Sheng, like a 'kite,' was suspended in the sky, torn apart by countless ghosts, his soul devoured, and his bones broken and marrow sucked out.
He finally experienced the heart-wrenching pain of being exploited, having his blood sucked, and his bones broken and marrow extracted. He felt the prolonged agony and despair, like having his flesh slowly sliced by a dull blade.
Death was the only thing awaiting him.
Shen Qing Sheng watched Mo Hua walk away and roared in anger:
"Mo Hua!"
"Mo Hua... Even if I become a ghost, I will never let you off!!"
Mo Hua, who had walked halfway, heard this and was startled. He turned around and looked at Shen Qing Sheng, smiling calmly, "That's truly..."
If you were human, I would have been kinder to you.
But if you become a ghost, you'll know just how terrifying I can be...
...
Shen Qing Sheng was swallowed by vengeful ghosts, and his karma gradually dissolved.
Mo Hua turned and left, continuing to walk deeper into the temple.
After walking for a while, a disturbance in divine sense suddenly came from the distance. Mo Hua followed the commotion and saw not far away, Master Gu and Fan Jin, one with a sword and the other with a hammer, desperately fighting a group of evil ghosts.
They were Golden Core Cultivators, possessing the divine perception of the Golden Core Realm.
But they weren't formation masters, and their divine perception lacked training. Moreover, they were unfamiliar with divine sense techniques, so they could only rely on their innate divine perception foundation and instinct to fight the evil ghosts.
At most, they could manifest their life-bound artifacts as weapons.
But doing so, their killing power was truly inadequate, lacking fatal damage to the evil ghosts.
Instead, the group of evil ghosts surrounded them, waiting for an opening to pounce and take a bite, devouring a chunk of divine sense and flesh.
Master Gu and Fan Jin were in a dire situation, their divine sense gradually weakening, and they were approaching their limits.
"Damn it... I'm not going to die here, just a broken canon..." Fan Jin was unwilling, desperately smashing a ghost with his hammer.
The ghost was smashed and split, but then it twisted a few times and returned to its original state.
Fan Jin's scalp tingled, "What the hell are these ghostly things..."
Master Gu used his sword to split an evil ghost in half, but then he watched as the ghost merged back together, and a sense of despair emerged in his heart.
This was the first time the two of them had personally encountered such ghostly beings at the divine sense level.
These eerie existences surpassed ordinary cognition.
And deeper within, there were countless more such vengeful spirits.
Judging by the current situation, not only would they be unable to rescue Little Mo, but even they themselves would likely not escape this calamity.
"The cultivation world is truly treacherous and unpredictable, with killing intent everywhere..."
The evil ghosts continued to tear and surround them.
Their hearts gradually grew colder.
Just as they were almost in despair, the surrounding evil ghosts suddenly shrieked and scattered like birds and beasts.
Master Gu and Fan Dian Si were startled, staring at each other in confusion, unsure of what had happened, and then they felt a sense of relief as if they had narrowly escaped a calamity.
But the next moment, both of them were shocked, suddenly realizing something.
The evil ghosts that craved their flesh and blood wouldn't just leave suddenly.
If they did leave, it would mean that these evil ghosts had encountered something even more terrifying.
Something even more terrifying...
In the distance, a subtle yet powerful aura, mixed with an eerie oppressive force, approached...
"Is it here?!"
Their hands and feet turned cold, and their hearts, which had just calmed down, instantly raced again. They turned their heads in fear and saw a child waving at them.
"Master Gu, Fan Dian Si, I've found you."
Master Gu and Fan Dian Si were frozen in shock, and it took them a while to react, "Little Mo...?"
"Yes." Mo Hua nodded.
"How... how did you become like this?" Fan Dian Si stammered.
Mo Hua sighed softly, "It's a long story..."
Everyone who saw him asked the same question, and he was too lazy to answer.
He couldn't tell the truth, either.
He couldn't possibly say that he had cultivated the 'Tian Yan Jue', and his divine sense had undergone a strange transformation, causing him to remain forever young...
Master Gu and Fan Dian Si were considerate enough not to ask further.
"Little Mo, do you know where we are?" Master Gu asked.
He was still confused about the current situation.
Mo Hua explained succinctly, "This is a dream, or more precisely, a nightmare. Solitary Mountain seals a powerful evil being, and this being has awakened, dragging us all into this nightmare."
Master Gu nodded, as if he understood but not quite.
"What should we do now?"
"Let's find Elder Xun first," Mo Hua said.
"Okay." Master Gu and Fan Dian Si both nodded.
They had gradually become accustomed to following Mo Hua's lead.
Outside, although Mo Hua was powerful, his appearance didn't reveal much.
But in this dream, Mo Hua seemed to have shrunk, yet his entire body exuded an incomprehensible and formidable aura, compelling Master Gu and Fan Dian Si to admire him sincerely.
So, Mo Hua led Master Gu and Fan Dian Si deeper into the temple.
He could vaguely sense another fluctuation within the temple, and after walking for a while, they indeed discovered Elder Xun Ziyou not far away.
Elder Xun Ziyou's situation wasn't great, either.
He was facing a massive, deformed, and ferocious Vengeful Ghost with a body entangled in resentment.
Such a Vengeful Ghost was far beyond the capabilities of an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator.
Xun Ziyou, from the Void Gate Sect, was a Sword Dao Elder, proficient in Sword Intent. Although he hadn't learned the orthodox Void Illusion Divine Will to Sword True Art, he could still compete with this Third Rank Vengeful Ghost due to his pure and inherited Void Sword Intent.
However, he was clearly at a disadvantage, and the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable.
The Third Rank Vengeful Ghost flailed its limbs, becoming more rampant and ferocious.
Xun Ziyou gritted his teeth and persisted, but he couldn't hold on for long.
Just then, Mo Hua and the others arrived.
Xun Ziyou immediately saw them and felt his heart tremble, his expression tense. "Don't come over, run!"
He feared that if he couldn't defeat the Vengeful Ghost, he would die at its hands, and Mo Hua and the others would also be in danger.
At this moment, he could only try to buy time and desperately hold off the Vengeful Ghost to give Mo Hua and the others a chance to escape.
But before Xun Ziyou could finish speaking, even before Mo Hua and the others could move, the Vengeful Ghost trembled all over, its limbs touching the ground, as if tucking its tail, and it fled into the distance.
Xun Ziyou was stunned for a moment, unable to understand the situation.
He had told Mo Hua and the others to run.
But why was this Vengeful Ghost running? It was as if it had seen a ghost...
Mo Hua had already walked over and asked, "Elder Xun, are you alright?"
Xun Ziyou, who had endured a fierce battle, finally breathed a sigh of relief, "I'm fine."
No matter the reason, at least it had fled.
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
He had vaguely guessed that he might be trapped in a nightmare, and since it was a dream, things were bound to be unusual.
Fortunately, the Vengeful Ghost had finally left.
This was a Third Rank Golden Core Realm Vengeful Ghost, and if it hadn't left, the situation might have been life-threatening.
Xun Ziyou turned around, staring at Mo Hua, examining him from left to right, and it took him a while to take it all in. He found it both novel and strange, and also adorable. He couldn't help but ask, "Why did you become smaller?"
Mo Hua sighed, helpless, "It's like this in the dream."
"Why is it like this in the dream?" Xun Ziyou was a bit puzzled.
Mo Hua had initially wanted to make up a random excuse, but he soon realized that Elder Xun was no ordinary person. He was an elder of the Void Gate Sect, an old acquaintance, and if he were to spread the news that Mo Hua's divine sense had stopped growing, Mo Hua's reputation would be ruined.
"It's a cultivation of the heart," Mo Hua said solemnly.
"Cultivation of the heart?" Xun Ziyou furrowed his brows.
Mo Hua nodded and said earnestly, "Cultivators should not lose their childlike hearts. That's why my divine sense is like this."
"Cultivators should not lose their childlike hearts..."
Xun Ziyou muttered, and his pupils trembled as he suddenly recalled the verses of the ancestors of the Void Gate Sect, his heart stirred.
He gave Mo Hua a deep look and nodded.
Mo Hua found Elder Xun's reaction a bit strange, but he didn't think much of it at the moment.
After all, they were in the Evil Embryo's Divine Temple, and it wasn't a place to linger.
"Since this is a dream, how can we wake up?" Fan Jin asked.
Xun Ziyou pondered for a moment, but he didn't have any ideas. Although he was an elder of the Void Gate Sect, his heart was set on the Sword Dao, and he didn't know much about the various changes and intricacies of divine sense.
This was the aspect that Xun Ziyou was interested in.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter: The Temple's Dark Secret
Xun Ziyou couldn't help but turn to look at Mo Hua, sensing the gravity of the situation. He knew that when it came to divine perception, Mo Hua possessed exceptional talent and a unique understanding that few could match.
Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then replied honestly, "The source of this nightmare lies deep within this temple. If we don't deal with it, we'll be trapped in this dream forever, never waking up."
Xun Ziyou furrowed his brows, deep in thought. "In that case... I guess we have no choice but to venture deeper into the temple. It seems like the only option we have." His expression remained grave.
The formidable ghosts they encountered outside were already challenging enough. Who knows how terrifying the entity within the temple's depths could be.
But at this point, they had no other choice.
As Xun Ziyou prepared to set off, Mo Hua shook his head. "You don't need to come. I'll go alone."
Xun Ziyou was taken aback.
Gu Shifu and Fan Jin exchanged glances, equally perplexed.
Mo Hua, usually humble, spoke up, "If I go, there's a chance. But if you go, it's certain death."
A drop of kindness deserves a gushing spring in return.
Xun Ziyou had always been a supportive elder, and Gu Shifu and Fan Dian Si had also lent their assistance.
Mo Hua didn't want to see Xun Ziyou and the others sacrifice themselves and perish in this nightmare.
He couldn't bear the thought of them dying due to his inability. Now that he had the power to make a difference, he would never let those around him come to harm.
Those who needed killing would die; those who needed saving would be protected.
If not for this, what was the point of seeking power and heavenly might?
Mo Hua's eyes gleamed with determination. Despite his small stature, his aura was resolute.
Xun Ziyou, observing Mo Hua, felt a tremor in his heart. He nodded in agreement, "Alright, I'll listen to you."
Gu Shifu and Fan Jin, about to speak, exchanged glances and remained silent upon seeing Xun Ziyou's nod.
Mo Hua nodded. With time being of the essence, he didn't offer further explanations. Instead, he turned and ventured alone into the temple's depths.
As Mo Hua walked, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to Xun Ziyou and the others, his brows furrowed with concern.
He felt it might be unsafe for Xun Ziyou's group to remain there, so he concentrated and created a divine formation: "Stay within this formation. Don't step out, no matter what."
Xun Ziyou and the others were astonished, nodding silently.
Only then did Mo Hua leave. Xun Ziyou watched Mo Hua's departing figure and then looked down at the intricate golden formation on the ground, his brows knitting together.
"What kind of formation is this...?"
In the world of nightmares, Mo Hua's formations stood firm, solid as gold. Could it be... that the formidable ghost was intimidated by Mo Hua's presence?
Impossible... he's only at the Foundation Establishment stage...
Xun Ziyou fell silent, his heart whispering, "I've underestimated this child..."
"It's our Patriarch's foresight, his keen eye for talent..."
Xun Ziyou lifted his head, only to see Mo Hua's figure gradually fading into the depths of the temple.
"May the ancestors of the Void Gate protect us. Please, don't let anything happen..."
...
Deep within the temple, Mo Hua stood before an imposing sight.
Looming before him was a grand temple, adorned with intricate carvings.
But now, these carvings were shrouded in an eerie aura, stained with blood and rotting flesh, emitting a sinister atmosphere.
Beyond the temple doors lay the evil embryo's lair.
A heart-pounding disturbance emanated from within.
Mo Hua's expression turned grave.
A peak-stage evil embryo was on a different level from ordinary ones. To be honest, he wasn't overly confident.
But this was the only path forward.
To break free from the nightmare, they must eliminate this evil embryo.
When they offered Shen Qing Sheng as a sacrifice earlier, they severed some causalities and dissolved some grudges, thereby weakening the evil embryo's foundation to some extent.
Without the pain, despair, and causalities of the vengeful ghosts, the evil embryo would be somewhat less powerful.
Even if it might not be significantly weaker, this was the best Mo Hua could do.
The weaker he was compared to his opponent, the more he had to exert himself, accumulating every bit of advantage, every drop of strength.
Mo Hua inhaled deeply, extending his hand to push open the temple doors.
A surge of death energy, bone-chilling cold, and sinister evil washed over him like a tidal wave.
Mo Hua pushed through the malevolent energy, stepping into the temple.
The sight that greeted him was awe-inspiring.
The temple's interior was grand and ornate, yet tainted with corruption.
A dragon coffin lay open, stained with filth and flesh.
Kneeling before it was a figure, its flesh corroded and turned to nothingness, merging with the dragon coffin, lifeless.
Nearby, the Bear Demon Cultivator's body lay in pieces.
But now, his body was torn apart, a python's skin broken, and a bear claw being gnawed by a misshapen creature in the center.
This creature paused upon sensing Mo Hua's presence and slowly turned around.
Mo Hua's pupils constricted.
It was a misshapen, chaotic, twisted monster, a fusion of blood and flesh.
Towering and dripping black blood, its body was riddled with uncontrolled, deformed limbs.
Its face was contorted, its eyes pitch-black and bloodshot, radiating cruelty and pure malevolence.
This was... the Yellow Mountain Lord!
The evil embryo's true form was a blackened, fallen, and twisted Yellow Mountain Lord.
...
To be continued.
Chapter end
Report
