https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-975-The-Extraordinary-Phenomenon/13113503/
Chapter 974: The Mysterious Traces
Chapter 974: The Mysterious Traces
The cold flesh and blood began to ooze out, forming strange black water that repaired his severed throat and shattered heart pulse.
Shen Shouhang's limbs started to tremble irregularly, his flesh and blood seemed to be pulled by gray silk threads, writhing incessantly, and eventually, they completely fused together.
Shen Shouhang slowly stood up, assuming an odd posture.
His eyes turned into a deep black.
A faint, eerie smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
A hoarse and tearing sound, like the voices of countless men, women, and children, mingled together, reverberated in the silent temple.
"Old fools, so well guarded..."
"But finally, I've managed to enter..."
"The chess game in Qian Prefecture is at a stalemate, so I'll start a new one..."
Shen Shouhang's black blood soaked his clothes, making him look like he was wearing a dead man's robe.
He took a deep step and then a shallow one, approaching Shen Tu Ao, and using his own black blood, he began to outline the array engravings.
On the dead man's robe, hundreds and thousands of shadows appeared.
The black blood under Shen Shouhang's control seemed to come alive, wriggling and winding on Shen Tu Ao's peeled flesh, forming a mysterious engraving.
These mysterious engravings, when pieced together, formed a dragon.
The dragon was a black dragon, similar in appearance to the Azure Dragon of the Great Wilderness, but with an indescribable sense of profundity and eeriness.
A tearing, overlapping, and eerie voice sounded:
"You are the prince of the Great Wilderness, you won't die..."
"You will return to the Great Wilderness, accomplish your grand endeavor, and with the authority of the Supreme, rule over all races, and with the might of a true dragon, subdue all demons..."
"You will let the flames of war spread, burning the entire Great Wilderness."
"You will gnaw the Dao soldiers of the Dao Court to the bone and trample their lackeys into meat paste..."
"You will turn the entire Great Wilderness into a hell..."
"Your throne will be forged from white bones, your royal city built from flesh and blood, and amidst endless slaughter, you will be crowned king..."
"This is your fate..."
...
These words merged with the mysterious engravings, completing the dragon diagram, and becoming one with Shen Tu Ao's flesh and blood.
Shen Tu Ao suddenly opened his eyes, and a black dragon flashed across his eyes.
Shen Shouhang's finger tapped, and the mysterious engravings, like gu worms, gnawed and bit in the air, creating a crack.
This crack carried a hint of a seemingly real, yet not quite, power of the void.
Within this power, there was a mix of the rules of the mysterious path, and amidst the overlapping mysterious shadows, it deceived the rules of heaven, not triggering the heavenly punishment restriction of the third-rate prefecture.
This was the art of "Deceiving Heaven."
But no one witnessed this astonishing scene.
Shen Tu Ao slowly rose, the power of the black dragon merging into his body, and his entire being exuded a strange, sinister aura.
With pitch-black eyes, he walked to the dragon coffin, picked up the Fourth Prince's remains, and then, step by step, entered the mysterious crack that Shen Shouhang had torn open.
From then on, his figure completely disappeared, and no one knew where he had gone.
But a strand of pitch-black flame quietly ignited, and soon, it would burn everything to ashes...
...
After sending off Shen Tu Ao, Shen Shouhang walked to the "corpse" of Xuan Gongzi, his black eyes revealing a cold intent.
"Another Xuan Mo Tai, never learning from past mistakes..."
Shen Shouhang dripped a drop of black blood on Xuan Gongzi's forehead.
Xuan Gongzi slowly opened his eyes, and his eyes gradually turned black.
"Return to Xuan Mo Zong, find Xuan Sanren, and learn his Dao Xin Zhong Mo Yuan Dian for me..."
Shen Shouhang's voice was hoarse, a mix of yin and yang.
"Return to the sect, find your grand-uncle, and properly comprehend the Dao Xin Zhong Mo Yuan Dian..."
Xuan Gongzi's voice was dull, and he silently repeated the words, then slowly rose, like a puppet, and walked into the mysterious crack that possessed the power of "Deceiving Heaven."
After that, the crack slowly disappeared.
The setup was complete.
Shen Shouhang's black blood began to boil, then self-ignited, turning into mysterious nameless black flames, centered on him, burning the entire temple, and destroying all cause and effect.
Including himself, he was also destroyed.
After Shen Shouhang's death, everything was burned to ashes by the mysterious black fire.
This way, no one could calculate the cause and effect of this place.
No one would know what had happened in this temple.
As Shen Shouhang burned himself, his flesh and blood began to dry out, and the cause and effect of this place flashed through his mind, then turned to ashes.
The memories of his life and the people he knew passed by like a revolving lantern, returning to nothingness.
These people were of all shapes and sizes, from far and near, including his parents, his son, the Shen Clan, the sword cultivators of the Void Gate Sect, grave robbers, Tu Xian Sheng...
"Shen Shouhang" watched all of this indifferently.
Just then, a face with a hint of youth and innocence flashed by, and a name quickly disappeared:
"Mo Hua."
Shen Shouhang's black pupils trembled.
Mo Hua?
Mo Hua??!
Mo Hua???!!!
The name of this young boy...is Mo Hua?!
He's actually called Mo Hua?!
He ate a strand of demonic thoughts, causing the demonic thoughts he nurtured to backfire, and it's the same name as the one his junior brother used to cover up the heavenly secrets...
"Shen Shouhang" wanted to trace back.
But all the cause and effect had been destroyed by him.
He had personally destroyed it with his own mysterious fire, and even if he wanted to regret it, it was useless.
Shen Shouhang stood there, stunned.
Everything went as he wished, and his calculations were excellent, but the one thing he didn't expect was that he would let the greatest cause and effect slip through his fingers.
"My mysterious calculations actually missed..."
"The heavenly secrets are so hard to see through..."
Shen Shouhang's expression turned cold, and in the end, he became indifferent again, smiling wryly as he muttered: "Interesting..."
"The heavenly secrets are hard to fathom, and cause and effect are intricate, but one day in the future, our lines of cause and effect will intersect again..."
"At that time, I will take a good look at what you really look like..."
"I will take a good look at the cause and effect you shoulder..."
...
This voice, indistinguishable as male or female, was eerie and incomprehensible, as if connected to the Nine Underworlds, with countless evil spirits howling in agony.
Shen Shouhang also turned to ashes in the black, mysterious fire.
All of this was completely annihilated, and no one knew.
On Solitary Mountain, the conflict between the Shen Clan and the various aristocratic families and sects continued.
Amidst the chaotic situation, no one noticed the seeds of the mysterious path planted at the bottom of Solitary Mountain...
...
Outside Gu Shan City, in a carriage.
Mo Hua's uneasiness gradually dissipated as they moved further away from Gu Mountain, a rare occurrence for him. This intense feeling of unease, upon careful reflection, seemed to have no clear origin.
Mo Hua suspected that this was a dangerous cause and effect, perhaps a powerful being they had offended, secretly plotting in the shadows. Fortunately, this sense of crisis had gradually subsided.
Mo Hua couldn't help but take a sip of tea to calm his nerves.
Inside the leisurely moving carriage, only Mo Hua and Elder Xun Ziyou were present.
Master Gu and Fan Dian Si had returned to their respective posts, one to the Alchemical Guild and the other to the Dao Ting Si.
Mo Hua had initially considered suggesting they take refuge in Void Gate Sect to avoid trouble.
However, these two individuals, one the head of the Alchemical Guild and the other a high-ranking official in Dao Ting Si, had established themselves in Gu Shan Cheng. It would be like trying to escape a temple without the monks.
Moreover, disappearing during such a critical moment would only arouse more suspicion.
Therefore, the two of them remained in Gu Shan Cheng.
Mo Hua also asked Elder Xun Zi Xian to look after them.
Elder Xun Zi Xian stayed in Gu Mountain as well.
Now that Mo Hua was safe, the matters in Gu Shan Cheng were still unresolved.
Elder Xun Zi Xian wanted to stay and observe the aftermath, and the other elders of Void Gate Sect also stayed to handle the aftermath.
Thus, Elder Xun Ziyou alone, with a simple carriage, escorted Mo Hua back to Void Gate Sect along the main road.
After leaving Gu Shan Cheng, the journey passed through second-rate state territories, and Elder Xun Ziyou, a Late Golden Core elder, was sufficient protection.
With Mo Hua's current agility, unless it was a Golden Core cultivator with murderous intent, he could generally ensure his safety.
The journey was indeed uneventful.
Once they settled down, Elder Xun Ziyou recalled something that had been on his mind.
Throughout the journey, he had been observing Mo Hua, wanting to speak but hesitating.
Noticing Mo Hua drinking tea and seemingly more relaxed, Elder Xun Ziyou finally spoke, "Mo Hua, have you...learned the sword?"
"A little," Mo Hua replied honestly.
Elder Xun Ziyou frowned and said carefully, "In the nightmare, I sensed an incomprehensible...the aura of the Void Illusion Divine Will to Sword True Art."
"You were in the temple at that time, do you know the origin of this sword intent?"
Elder Xun Ziyou looked at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua felt conflicted.
He couldn't possibly say that he had slashed out that sword.
Old Master Dugu had instructed him not to tell anyone about the Divine Mind Transformation Sword True Art.
Mo Hua blinked and said, "This...it's a long story..."
"A long story?" Elder Xun Ziyou was taken aback, "Is there some connection here?"
Mo Hua nodded and began to tell the story:
"In the Great Wilderness, there was once a very powerful Mountain God."
"This Mountain God later fell, and one of our Void Gate Sect's elders, a righteous and chivalrous senior, slew him, but not completely. Some evil thoughts remained."
"Our Void Gate Sect's senior, to prevent this evil Mountain God from rising again, left a Void Sword Intent in the temple to seal him."
"When we entered Gu Mountain, this evil Mountain God happened to awaken and wanted to devour us. But his evil thoughts also triggered the Void Sword Intent that our sect's senior used to seal the Mountain God."
"The Void Sword Intent was activated, transforming into a Divine Mind Sword with a formidable aura, instantly slaying the Mountain God and severing the cause and effect. That's how we were able to wake up from the nightmare..."
Mo Hua told the story convincingly, with nine truths and one lie.
Elder Xun Ziyou slowly nodded, finding it reasonable.
The Void Illusion Divine Will to Sword True Art had been lost, and only the elders of the sect in those days could truly learn it and reach a certain level of proficiency.
Indeed, the elders of Void Gate Sect in those days enjoyed traveling and using their divine will to transform their swords, slaying demons and eliminating evil.
It made sense for the elder of Void Gate Sect to slay the fallen Mountain God.
Otherwise, how could Mo Hua, a child, have slashed out that sword? That would be too far-fetched...
Elder Xun Ziyou couldn't even convince himself.
It must have been the elder who did it.
"I wonder which elder of our sect slew this Mountain God..." Elder Xun Ziyou muttered.
Mo Hua's face tightened, and he didn't dare to speak.
"Which elder of our sect..." Elder Xun Ziyou was still troubled by this matter.
Fearing that Elder Xun Ziyou would keep mentioning "the elder," Mo Hua quickly changed the topic, "By the way, Elder Xun, how did you come to Gu Mountain?"
Elder Xun, indeed distracted, knew that Mo Hua was clever and didn't hide the truth from him, "The elder sent me."
"Oh..." Mo Hua nodded, but he still had some doubts in his heart, "Elder Xun, you just followed me like that? Without any other means?"
Elder Xun had followed from so far away that Mo Hua hadn't even noticed.
What if he wasn't paying attention and lost his life? What would be the point of Elder Xun following him?
There must be another arrangement from Elder Xun.
This was exactly what bothered Elder Xun Ziyou about Mo Hua—he was too clever, and nothing could be hidden from him.
Looking at Mo Hua's clear and curious gaze, Elder Xun Ziyou considered for a moment and decided that there was no need to hide this, "Didn't the elder give you the Tai Xu Liang Yi Suo?"
"Yes."
"This lock can sense your vitality, and if you're in danger, I can feel it. If it's a life-threatening crisis, I'll crush the Xu Kong Jian Ling to notify the elder..."
Mo Hua was startled.
The elder was so kind to him...
He was grateful, but also puzzled, "Isn't this a second-rate state territory? Even if the elder can break through the void, he can't come here."
Elder Xun Ziyou frowned, "I'm not sure about that...but even if the elder can't come in person, he should have a way to protect you, of course, only within the Qian Xue Di Jie, it's too far away."
Mo Hua nodded slightly.
"Within the Qian Xue Di Jie, the Tai Xu Liang Yi Suo can protect me in times of crisis..."
Mo Hua remembered and expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Elder Xun! And thank you, Elder Xun Ziyou!"
Elder Xun Ziyou waved his hand, "No need to thank me."
After all, this backup plan wasn't needed in the end, and it was best that it wasn't needed...
After that, the two sat in the carriage, drinking tea and chatting.
As night fell, they finally arrived at Void Gate Sect.
Elder Xun Ziyou led Mo Hua to meet the elder.
The elder, seeing Mo Hua safe and sound, felt relieved.
"Are you injured?"
"No," Mo Hua nodded, "Thanks to Elder Xun's protection, I'm fine."
He subtly praised Xun Ziyou without leaving any traces.
Elder Xun glanced at Ziyou, his eyes showing a hint of approval.
Xun Ziyou's heart was filled with a mix of emotions and gratitude.
He never expected that as a Late Golden Core Elder, he would one day have to rely on a Zhu Ji disciple to report achievements before the Patriarch.
"It's good that you're unharmed. Go and rest early," Elder Xun said gently.
"Yes, take care, Elder. I'll take my leave now," Mo Hua respectfully bowed and withdrew.
Xun Ziyou didn't leave. He knew the Patriarch would have something to ask him.
Sure enough, after Mo Hua left, Elder Xun waved him over, "Tell me everything that happened."
Xun Ziyou recounted everything in detail.
However, he was still confused about many things, like the package Mo Hua carried, whose existence he wasn't even sure of.
And along the way, there were some strange occurrences involving Divine Mind formations.
He didn't mention these unclear matters, but he did report on the things he was certain of.
For example, the Shen Clan, the mass grave, the Da Huang royal lineage, and the matter of the dragon pulse.
Elder Xun listened intently, his brows gradually furrowing.
He hadn't expected that Mo Hua's trip to Solitary Mountain and his descent into the cemetery would lead to such significant events.
This child, could he be a natural-born "Guan Yao Saint"?
He seemed to attract trouble wherever he went.
"Elder," Xun Ziyou frowned, "Is it really the Shen Clan behind the Solitary Mountain incident?"
Elder Xun replied, "Is that what you saw?"
"Yes," Ziyou's eyes turned cold, "The entire mountain was filled with corpses..."
"What you saw is what it is," Elder Xun sighed.
"But..." Ziyou furrowed his brows, "I still can't believe that a fifth-rate orthodox family, appointed by the Dao Ting, would do something so ruthless and insane..."
Elder Xun sighed softly, "This is human nature. Cultivating the Dao without cultivating the mind, chasing fame and profit, over time, they'll do anything."
"Then what will be the outcome of this matter?" Ziyou asked.
Elder Xun was uncertain, sighing, "This matter... is too complex. The undercurrents are turbulent, and the storm is difficult to calm. Let's wait and see for now..."
Ziyou nodded.
"What about the dragon pulse you mentioned?" Elder Xun asked.
"It's still with Mo Hua," Ziyou replied.
The dragon pulse was something Mo Hua had obtained from Xuan Gongzi, so it was naturally considered Mo Hua's possession, and Ziyou didn't ask for it.
Even though this item had significant implications.
But precisely because of its importance, it might not be a good idea to leave it in Mo Hua's hands.
"Should I... take the dragon pulse from him?" Ziyou asked, frowning, "I'm afraid that if it stays with Mo Hua, it might easily cause trouble..."
Elder Xun pondered for a moment, then shook his head, "Don't rush. Let him play with it for now. When he's tired of it, he'll naturally hand it over."
"If he doesn't understand it himself, and you ask for it, he might not be happy."
Xun Ziyou: "..."
Fine, they, as the Patriarch and Elder, should consider Mo Hua's feelings before making decisions.
However, keeping the dragon pulse was also a good thing.
"The remnants of Da Huang have always plotted rebellion. Now the prince of Da Huang has died at the bottom of Solitary Mountain, and the dragon pulse is in Mo Hua's hands..." Ziyou said.
"With the loss of inheritance and the severance of bloodlines, they probably won't be able to stir up much trouble. The war in Naan Huang will likely come to an end soon..."
Ziyou sighed softly, "With the war over, fewer people will die..."
Elder Xun nodded slightly, but deep down, he had a vague sense of foreboding.
It seemed the matter wouldn't be that simple.
After experiencing the hardships of Solitary Mountain, Xun Ziyou was physically and mentally exhausted and didn't think too much at the moment.
"Elder, there's something else..."
Ziyou told Elder Xun about what Mo Hua had said regarding the Void Gate Sect's senior disciple using the Divine Mind Transformation Sword True Art to slay the fallen Yellow Mountain Lord.
Elder Xun pondered for a moment and nodded.
"Is it true?" Ziyou was taken aback.
"This is an old story," Elder Xun recalled, "Indeed, there was a sword cultivation senior in our Void Gate Sect who killed the Yellow Mountain Lord. The records are vague, and the specific details are unclear."
Ziyou nodded, "Then what Mo Hua said must be true..."
That was good... He almost mistakenly thought that Mo Hua had used the Divine Mind Transformation Sword.
After that, Elder Xun and Ziyou chatted further, asking about some details, and then waved his hand, "You've worked hard on this matter. You should also go back and rest early."
Ziyou nodded, "Okay, then I'll take my leave."
As Ziyou turned to leave, he couldn't help but feel curious and asked softly, "Elder, why do you think Mo Hua went to Solitary Mountain?"
Elder Xun was taken aback and didn't say anything, only shaking his head, "Go and rest."
"Yes."
Ziyou was just curious, and since the Elder didn't speak, he didn't feel it was appropriate to ask. He bowed and left.
After Ziyou left, Elder Xun also frowned.
He also found it strange.
Although the Solitary Mountain incident had significant implications, what did it have to do with Mo Hua? Why did he disregard the danger and dive right in? Or what was Mo Hua after? Elder Xun's brows furrowed.
...
Mo Hua first placed the Yellow Mountain Lord's Benming Shenyang in his cabinet, sealing it with a formation to prevent others from seeing it.
Of course, ordinary people probably wouldn't be able to see it, but it was always better to be cautious.
Then, Mo Hua took the dragon pulse, wrapped in black cloth by Xuan Gongzi, and placed it under his pillow.
He would research this dragon pulse later.
Finally, as midnight approached, Mo Hua burned incense and bathed, and when the time came, he eagerly entered his Sea of Consciousness.
Upon entering, Mo Hua took out the precious Third-Rate Shen Sui, shimmering with golden light.
It was best not to keep such valuable items, as it could lead to trouble.
To avoid any complications, he planned to consume the Shen Sui that very night.
And if his guess was correct, within this Shen Sui lay the key to breaking through the twenty meridians of his Divine Sense.
(End of Chapter)
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