Chapter 1209: Abyssal-Bone Thousand Barbarians
Chapter 1208: Abyssal-Bone Thousand Barbarians
“Shugu Tribe still has such top-grade heavy barbarian armor?”
“Did they forge it themselves, or is it a legacy from ancient times?”
“Shugu Tribe… do they really possess such advanced armor-forging craft?”
“Inside this heavy armor, could there be… some special formation runes hidden?”
“These runes…”
Mo Hua’s eyes brightened, thoughts swirling. He said to the young Zha-Tu at his side: “Call over Elder Iron-Shugu.”
“Yes, teacher,” Zha-Tu replied.
Zha-Tu was still young, but clever and quick-witted. Dan-Zhu liked him, so when handling affairs, he often kept Zha-Tu by his side to broaden his horizons.
Now that the Shugu Tribe had invaded, and Dan-Zhu was at war, Zha-Tu temporarily followed Mo Hua, running errands for him.
Zha-Tu received the order and dashed off. Soon, he returned with Elder Iron-Shugu.
At present, Iron-Shugu bore the title of “Elder.” After all, he was at the Golden Core realm, so he needed some standing.
And with the Shugu Tribe invading, this former wandering-branch leader of Shugu truly acted as though he were a “tribal elder” of the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe—leading charges, clashing fiercely against his former clansmen.
Mo Hua noticed Iron-Shugu spared no mercy even when striking his own kin.
Iron-Shugu saluted upon seeing Mo Hua, but unease filled his heart.
For he knew clearly—this so-called “Lord Shaman” was in truth a demon disguised in human skin.
To walk with demons was like treading thin ice—he had to be a thousand times cautious.
He didn’t dare lift his head, much less look Mo Hua in the eye.
After a moment, he heard Mo Hua ask calmly: “How much do you know about Shugu Tribe’s barbarian armor?”
Iron-Shugu’s heart clenched. “I don’t know what kind of armor Lord Shaman refers to?”
Mo Hua gave no reply.
Clearly, he had no patience for such feigned ignorance.
He merely stared at Iron-Shugu in silence. The atmosphere grew heavy.
Iron-Shugu felt as if a boulder pressed upon his chest. After a moment, he realized he couldn’t deceive this “demon,” and said:
“You mean… those heavy armors?”
“Mhm,” Mo Hua replied lightly.
Iron-Shugu said: “Forgive me, Lord Shaman. Those armors are the Shugu Tribe’s secret. I was only a wandering-branch leader; I truly do not know.”
Mo Hua asked, “Truly not a single detail?”
Iron-Shugu thought for a while, then forced a bitter smile:
“All I know is that these heavy armors should have been handed down from our ancestors. Forged with ancient barbarian craft—extremely durable, incomparably precious. Only the Shugu main tribe has ever had such heritage to preserve them.”
“Our wandering branches weren’t even worthy to lay eyes upon them…” Iron-Shugu sighed. “As for their names, their true origins—I know nothing at all.”
Mo Hua looked into his eyes.
Iron-Shugu lowered his gaze respectfully.
Mo Hua nodded. “I understand. You may leave.”
“Yes, Lord Shaman. I take my leave,” Iron-Shugu bowed and departed as usual.
Mo Hua sank into thought, a doubt surfacing in his heart:
Why would a third-rank Shugu Tribe suddenly come to attack the second-rank Wucha Mountain Realm?
Was it to kill Dan-Zhu?
Could it be that the Five Shugu Freaks, out of brotherhood, wanted revenge?
But they couldn’t decide such a matter themselves.
Or was it simply that the outside famine had grown dire, forcing Shugu to seek a new place to survive?
Mo Hua pondered, then calculated with his fingers, his eyes deep as he watched Iron-Shugu’s retreating back.
…
That night, within the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe’s camp.
A figure quietly melted into the darkness, slipping unnoticed to a secluded cliff.
He pulled out a piece of white bone and began carving upon it.
As he wrote, anger welled up. Seeing the pitch-dark night and no one around, he couldn’t help but curse in a low voice:
“That damned demonic shaman!”
“Who knows what he’s scheming, but he’s been hiding away for three or four months, doing nothing! Utterly slothful!”
“Does he not covet Lord Barbarian God’s divine seat?”
“Does he not seek to seize the altar, to slay the false god?”
“Such… idleness! Outrageous!”
“No. I can’t let him go on like this. He must be pressured—to force him to do what he ought!”
“So that he may sooner die… beneath the true Barbarian God’s hand.”
…
The man vented in curses. Once his resentment had eased, he resumed writing on the white bone.
But what he didn’t know was—someone was standing right behind him in the darkness, head tilted, curiously watching his every stroke.
The writer was, of course, Iron-Shugu.
And the watcher—Mo Hua.
Under dim stars, unnoticed by all, Mo Hua stood right behind Iron-Shugu, silently reading along.
On the white bone, the words were carved in blood, written in rough barbarian script, dark against the night.
Iron-Shugu wrote, and Mo Hua read:
“Respected Lord Lu-Gu…”
(TN: 戮骨 (Lùgu) meaning “Slaughter-Bone”)
“I, Iron-Shugu, swear unwavering loyalty to the Shugu Tribe.”
“The previous reports you have received held no falsehood.”
“This Wucha Mountain Realm is indeed a fertile land. Mixed tribes live here, many barbarian cultivators—suitable as ‘livestock.’ Vast fields of millet and beans can feed during famine years. Customs are simple, the people orderly, children clever, inheriting traditions early—they make excellent sacrifices.”
“In the deep mountains, tigers roar at times—there may be a king-beast dwelling here.”
“This is no ordinary sign. If Shugu dwells here, perhaps we will greatly prosper.”
“But most importantly—the hidden master of this Wucha Mountain Realm… is the Barbarian God’s greatest enemy!”
At this line, Iron-Shugu’s hand trembled:
“I, Iron-Shugu… have risked life and limb to discover a terrible truth: the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe’s shaman is not human, but a demon in human skin—walking among mortals in broad daylight, incomparably powerful.”
“This demon is the true master of Wucha Mountain Realm.”
“I beg Lord Lu-Gu—send forth the Abyssal-Bone Thousand-Barbarians Army to crush this realm!”
“Strike in one decisive battle—annihilate the demon shaman and his forces. Strangle this divine enemy in the cradle!”
“Iron-Shugu dwells in shadow, but his heart faces the light. Even if my body shatters, I shall rid the Barbarian God of this demonic scourge. May Lord Lu-Gu grant me this wish!!”
The last line he carved with great force, brimming with passion—faith in the Barbarian God, fear and hatred of Mo Hua the “demon,” and tragic resolve.
After calming down, Iron-Shugu took out another bone, carving military tactics, and secrets with blood.
This was information he had painstakingly spied on Mo Hua while “enduring humiliation” at his side.
Right before Mo Hua, Iron-Shugu sent this intelligence to the Shugu Tribe.
Mo Hua silently stood behind him, watching his “operation.”
Iron-Shugu used some secret bone-technique, bones as the medium for transmitting words.
Yet it was unlike the “Primordial Magnetic” methods—it seemed strange.
When finished, the blood-words faded, as though transmitted.
He tossed the bone into the abyss below, leaving no “evidence,” then sighed in relief.
In his heart, he prayed—for Lord Lu-Gu to act in the name of the “divine-Lord” and strike down this demon.
Done, Iron-Shugu slinked away.
Only long after did Mo Hua reveal himself. He stepped to the cliff’s edge, gazing below at the discarded bones, his expression odd:
“So… it’s to kill me?”
He had thought Shugu’s invasion was to kill Dan-Zhu.
Who knew—it was Iron-Shugu who lured them here, to kill him, the “demonic heretic.”
Such loyalty, truly “unswerving.”
Mo Hua almost didn’t know what to say.
All because he had spent three or four months researching famine and formations, not fighting the Shugu, not eating their Barbarian Gods.
And Iron-Shugu already grew so impatient?
Even accusing him of “sloth”…
Of course, the invasion wasn’t just to kill him.
It was also for famine, land, people, food—many reasons drove Shugu’s aggression.
Perhaps the situation outside was dire indeed.
Originally, Wucha Mountain and the surrounding lands were just second-rank minor realms, nothing notable.
But under Mo Hua, livelihood had greatly improved.
Compared with famine outside, this land had become a true “sweet bun.”
The Shugu undoubtedly wanted to devour it.
But what caught Mo Hua’s attention most was the name carved on the bone:
“Abyssal-Bone Thousand-Barbarians Army.”
“Could this be… the name of those ancient heavy armors passed down in Shugu Tribe?”
“Abyssal-Bone Thousand-Barbarians Armor?”
“This Iron-Shugu knew the name all along, yet didn’t tell me…” Mo Hua muttered.
Then he sank into thought.
Abyssal Bones—did that mean the bones from the Endless Abyssal Marshes?
As for Thousand Barbarians—did this mean there were a thousand sets of this heavy armor? Or that forging this armor required the bones of a thousand beasts?
Shugu, Ancestors, Endless Abyssal Marshes, Abyssal Bones, Thousand Barbarians…
Mo Hua’s heart stirred. “Could this heavy armor also be connected to the Taotie?”
The Shugu Barbarian God Statue was hidden in the tribe’s secret chamber, and within that chamber’s storerooms lay many of the Shugu Tribe’s armor materials.
And within the head of the Barbarian God Statue was sealed the twenty-three-rune Taotie Formation.
Mo Hua faintly sensed that hidden within all this were ancient clues…
“Abyssal Bone Thousand-Barbarian Armor…”
“I must think of a way to get my hands on a set and study it thoroughly…”
Mo Hua’s eyes flashed as he pondered deeply.
…
The Abyssal Bone Thousand-Barbarian Armor, being the legacy passed down by the ancestors of the Shugu Tribe, was a supremely sturdy and precious heavy armor that only the main tribe could inherit.
Obtaining it would naturally not be easy.
After thinking for a moment and running some derivations, Mo Hua secretly summoned Dan-Zhu in the middle of the night. “Tomorrow’s tactics—we’ll change them.”
Dan-Zhu was startled. “But the orders are already given. Change them now?”
Mo Hua nodded.
His original plan had already been leaked by Iron Shugu to the Shugu Tribe.
If they followed the old tactics, tomorrow’s casualties would be disastrous.
But Iron Shugu’s betrayal was also a blessing.
By leaking the secret, he essentially handed the Shugu Tribe the “answer.” Now that Mo Hua knew their “answer,” he could simply change the test question.
And Mo Hua had an even more important goal.
“Tomorrow, we’ll seize some of the Shugu Tribe’s heavy armor if possible,” he said to Dan-Zhu.
Dan-Zhu nodded, clearly sharing the same thought.
The original Dan-Zhu had no concept of “seizing.”
But after spending so long with Mo Hua, he had unknowingly been led astray. In his mind, waging war and plundering the enemy’s belongings had become the most natural thing in the world.
Only…
Dan-Zhu frowned. “In a Second-Grade Mountain Realm, that kind of bone-heavy armor is indestructible. I can’t break its defense. How could we seize it…?”
Mo Hua said calmly, “Don’t worry. I have a way.”
Dan-Zhu nodded. “I’ll follow mister’s lead.”
(TN: 先生 (xiān shēng) = teacher / mister / sir )
Mo Hua then laid out his plan.
He didn’t change much. The framework was still the tactics Iron Shugu knew.
He only adjusted the details—turning “attack” into “defense,” and “advance” into “retreat.”
This way, the Shugu Tribe wouldn’t easily grow suspicious.
Mo Hua still wanted Iron Shugu to retain the trust of his tribe.
If the “military secrets” he leaked were completely false, his role as an insider would collapse, and he would be branded untrustworthy by the Shugu Tribe.
Mo Hua didn’t want to see that.
After all, Iron Shugu had helped him greatly, and he didn’t wish to make things too difficult for him.
At the same time, Mo Hua wove in some subtle traps within the plan—designed to catch “fat sheep.”
The next day, battle began.
Mo Hua stood atop a high vantage point, surveying the field. The situation was unfolding exactly as he had foreseen.
The Shugu Tribe indeed based their tactics on the “secrets” leaked by Iron Shugu.
However, their leading general, Lord Lu-Gu, clearly didn’t fully trust Iron Shugu. His plan was somewhat conservative.
This gave Mo Hua even more room to maneuver.
A direct clash was unwinnable anyway.
The forces of the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe and the Wutu Alliance were already weaker than the Shugu main tribe.
None of them could break through the Abyssal Bone Thousand-Barbarian Armor.
And now that their tactics had been leaked, the Shugu Tribe’s counters left the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe with no chance of victory.
As soon as the two sides clashed, the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe lasted only a dozen rounds before “collapsing.”
The rest of the Wutu Alliance pulled back toward the flanks.
Naturally, the Shugu Tribe pressed their advantage and pushed forward aggressively.
The battlefield grew chaotic.
The Shugu warriors, each charging as they pleased, did not realize that their disorderly pursuit had already fallen within the bounds of a prearranged design.
They thought they were moving on their own will, but were actually marching along a path laid out for them.
As the pursuit continued, the terrain grew complex, with more rocky gullies and ravines.
And because the armored troops and regular warriors moved at different speeds, the Shugu formation fractured during the chase.
The Abyssal Bone Heavy Armor soldiers became briefly separated from the main force.
General Lu-Gu of the Shugu Tribe felt a subtle premonition of danger. But by the time he tried to issue orders, it was already too late.
The separation lasted only a short time.
But for those prepared, that was more than enough.
From the thickets, Dan-Zhu, Chi-Feng, Ba-Shan, and Ba-Chuan, together with over thirty Foundation Establishment peak warriors of the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe, suddenly burst forth.
They launched an encirclement against the isolated Abyssal Bone armored troops.
From afar, General Lu-Gu’s divine sense caught sight of this, and his face changed instantly—he understood their intent.
He immediately ordered the Shugu warriors to provide reinforcements.
But the battlefield was in chaos. Any order carried delays.
And Dan-Zhu’s strike was far too swift.
His troops, like a dagger, instantly carved apart over twenty Abyssal Bone armored soldiers.
Then, under Golden Core leadership, every ten warriors encircled five Abyssal Bone armored soldiers.
Under normal circumstances, this setup would already be a slaughter.
But the Shugu Tribe’s ancestral Abyssal Bone Armor was simply too tough—like tortoise shells that could not be broken. Even in a Second-Grade Mountain Realm, Golden Cores could do nothing against them.
Seeing this, General Lu-Gu exhaled slightly in relief.
But before he could finish the breath, sudden change struck.
From the ground, golden light erupted. Sand and soil surged, stones rolled, forming a whirlpool that swallowed the armored soldiers whole.
A Sacred Rune!
And one of an extremely high tier—Second-Rank Sacred Rune!
(TN: Barbarians refer to formations as sacred runes.)
In fact, Sacred Runes the great general Lu-Gu had never seen before!
Within these runes lay layers of transformations, forming a very peculiar composite formation structure.
The earth turned into flowing sand; the sand condensed into a cage, directly locking the Abyssal Bone soldiers within, unable to advance or retreat.
After sealing with the formation, Dan-Zhu and his men each drew out a specially-crafted chain.
Upon the chains were inscribed a strange “Water Prison” formation.
Once activated, the water prison became a blue cage, drowning the Abyssal Bone armored soldiers within.
Earth Prison and Water Prison mingled together—earth and water interacted, water turning earth into mire, earth giving water its vessel. Bound together, with the water choking throats, escape was impossible.
If the Abyssal Bone Thousand-Barbarian Heavy Armor was top-tier Second-Grade in defense—Then this formation, infused with fragments of Laws, combining earth and water, was top-tier Second-Grade in control.
Trapped in sand like beneath a thousand weights, nose and mouth submerged, unable to breathe—it was a vile kind of “soft” control.
Taking advantage of the soldiers’ restraint, the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe warriors quickly dragged out flatbed carts.
Chi-Feng and the two golden cores, Ba-Shan and Ba-Chuan, relying on brute strength, forcibly bound three Abyssal Bone heavy-armored soldiers.
They loaded these armored soldiers onto the carts.
On the carts, Mo Hua had already laid down a Golden Prison Formation.
Furthermore, even the cart wheels bore Mo Hua’s simple “Windwalking Formations” to speed their journey.
After that, the group wasted no time in further battle. Having captured three heavy-armored soldiers, they immediately retreated like a streak of smoke.
All this happened in the blink of an eye.
In just a few dozen exchanges, Dan-Zhu and the others, with formation coordination, had snatched away the Abyssal Bone soldiers entirely.
Swift in action, strict in discipline, their only aim was capturing men, with no intention of lingering in battle.
By the time General Lu-Gu of the Shugu Tribe’s main force rushed over, all he could glimpse was the faint dust of the fleeing carts in the distance.
And upon those carts, three heavy-armored soldiers of the Shugu Tribe, tied up like fat pigs…
(End of this chapter)