Chapter 1213: Abyssal-Bone Armor
Chapter 1212: Abyssal-Bone Armor
This was the first time Mo Hua had ever seen a formation that seemed to be truly “alive.”
Before this, the only thing comparable was his Martial Uncle’s formations, which had a somewhat similar effect.
But his Martial Uncle’s strange runes would divide, multiply, even parasitize on their own.
Unlike the Taotie runes he drew—these could devour other formations like a monster.
Even Mo Hua himself felt a strange, unsettling sensation.
He didn’t know what kind of “formation master” he would become if he continued learning this way.
But now was not the time to dwell on it.
Where there was a formation, he would study it.
Where there was formation theory, he would comprehend it.
This was the calling of Mo Hua’s inner thirst for knowledge, the greedy hunger of his heart to pursue the Dao of Heaven and all its laws.
A “Heart of Taotie” was slowly being branded into his divine soul.
Mo Hua continued to activate the Taotie Devouring-Assimilation Formation, letting it “devour” the Abyssal-Bone Dragon Transformation Formation.
The Taotie runes within stretched out like tentacled monstrosities, transforming into abyssal maws that swallowed the Abyssal-Bone Dragon Transformation Formation.
The inner Taotie law flowed tyrannically.
The Abyssal-Bone Dragon Transformation Formation resisted.
It was a battle between formations, an invasion of laws.
A twenty-three rune Absolute Formation infused with Taotie law was clearly superior in both grade and inner principles.
The twenty-rune Abyssal-Bone Dragon Transformation Formation was at a disadvantage and was soon devoured, “chewed,” and “assimilated.”
When the pitch-black Taotie runes faded—
The Abyssal-Bone Dragon Transformation Formation was left shattered, as though chewed apart by a beastly formation, its bones broken, leaving only fragmented remnants of runes.
Mo Hua felt it was both “cruel” and wondrous.
Those broken remnants had indeed gained a kind of “unity.”
That unity was a fragment of the Taotie’s devouring laws.
Like saliva left behind from chewing, those laws seeped into the remnants.
Mo Hua examined the remains, frowning slightly.
What puzzled him was that after devouring, the Taotie Devouring-Assimilation Formation left the remnants relatively intact.
He had expected that the Taotie would digest part of it and expel what it couldn’t.
That would be true “eating.”
But this looked more like the Taotie chewed the formation, slobbered on it, then spat it out whole again.
Not so much “eating,” but more like the disassembly of the Four Symbols Demonic-Rune Formations.
In other words—“Swallow and Decompose.”
Swallow first, then break the original formation down.
Mo Hua thought for a moment. Two possibilities came to mind:
“One, the formation only contained a portion of the Taotie’s power, so it can swallow and decompose, but not truly assimilate.”
“Two, my own comprehension of Taotie laws is shallow, and my grasp of the Devouring-Assimilation Formation is lacking. At my current stage, the formation can only chew, but cannot truly ‘eat.’”
Mo Hua could not be certain.
The Taotie formations were unlike ordinary Absolute Formations.
The Absolute Formations he had studied before contained a single, fixed law. Their Dao-rhyme was unique and singular.
But Taotie was a ferocious beast of heaven and earth—it devoured everything, even the very laws of heaven and earth.
What it held within was not likely a single law.
It was more likely an entire self-contained law chain, formed from countless devourings and refinements since its birth.
That was why Taotie formations had so many variations.
Different Taotie Absolute Formations showed different logic and effects. Their functions could appear entirely unrelated.
Mo Hua had only suspected this before.
But now, with the Devouring-Assimilation law comprehended and the “Heart of Taotie” within him, he possessed, in a sense, the beast’s instincts.
He could almost understand the Taotie’s methods instinctively.
And he was more certain that his guess was correct.
If so, to truly comprehend the Taotie Law, he would need to master all Taotie-related formations and construct a complete, self-sustaining Taotie law chain of his own.
Thus, the fact that his Devouring-Assimilation Formation could only “swallow and decompose,” not “assimilate,” was reasonable.
The Absolute Formation did not contain the full Taotie law.
And what he had grasped was only a fragment of it.
At his current stage, his formation could only “swallow and decompose,” not “swallow and assimilate.”
Mo Hua found it a little regrettable.
But even this “Swallow-Decomposition” ability was more than enough for now.
It was sufficient for him to use as a precondition to comprehend the mysteries of “Dragon Transformation.”
Taotie devours demons, then comes Ten-Thousand-Demons Transforming into Dragon.
Now that his Taotie Formation could swallow demon formations—
The next step was to use the chewed, assimilated remnants of runes to attempt to reconstruct the formation.
In other words, first use the Taotie Formation to devour the Abyssal-Bone Formation.
Then use the remnants to rederive the Abyssal-Bone Formation, and through it comprehend its inner law.
This process itself contained the laws of Transforming Demons into Dragon.
But this was not a true “Dragon Transformation.”
The Abyssal-Bone Formation did not create a genuine “dragon rune.”
It only pieced together countless massive bone runes from the endless abyss into an indestructible, defensive, deformed heavy-armor demon formation.
Its outward form differed, but its inner essence was the same.
At that thought, Mo Hua suddenly froze.
“Indestructible,” “defensive,” “a deformed heavy-armor beast”—
Didn’t that sound like…
Xuanwu?
The Black Tortoise, one of the Four Symbols?
Mo Hua’s heart jolted violently.
In the Great Wilderness, the Azure Dragon was formed through the refinement of countless demon remnants.
What about the other three?
White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise…
Could they also be artificially pieced together like this?
Then the Four Sacred Beasts of the Great Wilderness… were all…
“Artificial Divine Beasts?!”
Mo Hua himself was startled by this wild thought.
But the more he thought, the more reasonable it seemed.
If the Azure Dragon Formation could be derived from demon runes, then its laws must have been refined from Transforming Demons.
If the Azure Dragon was possible, why not the Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise?
The Vermilion Bird—refined from avian demon beasts.
The White Tiger—refined from tiger demons.
The Black Tortoise—refined from shell-armored demons.
Were these all “artificial refinements”?
Mo Hua sucked in a cold breath.
He should have realized this back when he saw Mister Tu’s experiment with Ten-Thousand-Demons Transforming into Dragon.
But the idea was so outrageous he hadn’t dared think along that line.
But… who could possibly have the ability to create divine beasts?!
Could it be…
Mo Hua recalled those strange eyes, and the inexplicable trembling of the Dao Stele.
A chill crept into his heart.
The air in the room grew colder, heavy with pressure.
After a long while, Mo Hua frowned again.
“Am I overthinking this?”
Ever since immersing himself in laws and their operations, his mind was filled with these metaphysical abstractions.
He felt he was probably just overanalyzing—forcing loose threads together.
But was it really just imagination?
Mo Hua fell into silence again, then shook his head, dismissing the thought.
Clever minds often spin too quickly, trapping themselves in endless speculation.
But the idea still sank deeply into his heart.
He steadied himself and focused on the formation before him.
Following his plan, he continued to deduce.
On the chaotic formation diagram, Mo Hua re-fused and “restored” the runes of the Abyssal-Bone Absolute Formation that the Taotie had devoured, experiencing the law of “Dragon Transformation” within.
Different beasts and demon runes could not normally merge.
But once devoured and assimilated by the Taotie, their fragments gained unity of law and thus the possibility of fusion and reconstruction.
This, too, was one of the Taotie law’s cruel and tyrannical traits.
It could eat anything, digest anything, and turn it to its own use.
A twenty-three rune Absolute Formation—Mo Hua had already comprehended.
Now, working backward into a twenty-rune Absolute Formation was much easier.
Moreover, he had attempted Ten-Thousand-Demons Transforming into Dragon many times before. Though lacking the prerequisite laws and straying on the wrong path, he had built up ample experience.
Thus, before long, the Abyssal-Bone Dragon Transformation Formation carved upon the Shugu Tribe’s heavy armor was once again “fused” back together by Mo Hua using the Devouring-Assimilation power of the Taotie.
His comprehension of this Absolute Formation deepened another level.
After that, Mo Hua repeated his old trick, letting the Taotie Devouring-Assimilation Formation swallow the Abyssal-Bone Dragon Transformation Formation, analyze the remnant runes, and then once more refine them into a new Abyssal-Bone Formation.
He tried this ten times or so.
Mo Hua even began to grasp the “Dragon Transformation” law.
By this point, the Abyssal-Bone Absolute Formation inscribed on the Shugu Tribe’s heavy armor had truly been mastered.
Mo Hua had, in effect, successfully stolen the ancient formation inheritance of the Shugu Tribe’s ancestors.
(TN: Mo Hua – The Little Formation Theif)
He was delighted.
Yet before his joy could last, he realized another problem.
He drew the Abyssal-Bone Absolute Formation he had learned onto paper, then compared it with the original formation diagram of the Shugu Tribe’s Abyssal-Bone Dragon Transformation Formation.
To his surprise, the two were not the same.
The formation he had mastered and the one handed down from the Shugu Tribe’s ancestors seemed like the same formation, the laws were identical, but the specific runes differed quite a bit.
The “essence” was the same, but the form was different—only similar.
It was like a “pirated” version of the formation.
After pondering a moment, Mo Hua realized the reason.
The Shugu Tribe’s forefathers, when they “refined” this Abyssal-Bone Formation in ancient times, had more primitive rune patterns.
He, however, had used the Taotie Formation to break down those original runes and then reassembled them anew.
Naturally, there were many differences in the process—after all, countless years separated them.
No one knew what exact method the Shugu Tribe’s ancestors had used to refine the Abyssal-Bone Formation.
Mo Hua had no way to perfectly reproduce the process.
His approach was more like…
Taking an ancient “artifact,” smashing it completely, figuring out its inner principles, then reconstructing it himself. Of course, what he rebuilt would never be identical to the original.
“A pirated formation won’t do…” Mo Hua frowned. “I must find a way to restore it to its original flavor, completely.”
But no matter how he thought about it, he could not come up with any method to restore it one hundred percent.
Unless the ancestors of the Shugu Tribe revived and personally drew it in front of him.
Which was impossible.
“No way to fully restore it…”
Then he suddenly reacted, “But why must I fully restore it?”
Why must it be exactly the same as the one drawn by the Shugu Tribe’s ancestors?
He was not like those stubborn formation masters who insisted that the ways of the ancestors must never change, that every stroke of a formation must remain untouched.
As long as the inner law was the same, the function was the same—wasn’t that enough?
Besides, this wasn’t truly “piracy.”
The core technology inside was identical. The outer rune construction differed a little—what did that matter?
Mo Hua found this reasoning sound.
Then his thoughts spread further:
The Shugu Tribe had ancestral barbarian armor—then surely other great tribes also possessed ancestral armors with Absolute Formations hidden within them.
Now that he had grasped the principles of Taotie Devouring-Assimilation and the Ten-Thousand-Demons Transforming into Dragon, didn’t that mean that, whenever he encountered ancestral Absolute Formations of any tribe, he could replicate them in the same way?
Deduce the formation diagram, let the Taotie swallow it, then refine and restore it anew.
In this way, wouldn’t he be able to “replicate” the ancestral armors of all the tribes?
Wearing the enemy’s “armor” to strike at them with their own strength?
Mo Hua was shaken.
Looked at this way, wasn’t the Taotie Devouring-Assimilation Formation somewhat like the “Minor Formless Skill” of the Four Symbols Formation?
Swallow another tribe’s Four Symbols Absolute Formation, then re-fuse and “replicate” a “pirated” version?
Mo Hua froze for a moment, then could not restrain his excitement—he wanted to test it immediately.
Leaving his long-sealed chamber, he stepped out only to see Little Zhatú waiting.
Little Zhatú had been anxiously standing guard outside. Seeing Mo Hua emerge, his face lit up with joy.
“Teacher, your seclusion is over?!”
Mo Hua nodded, then asked, “How are things outside?”
Little Zhatú’s expression fell again. “Not very good…”
Mo Hua patted his head. “Take me to see.”
“Mm!”
Little Zhatú led Mo Hua to meet with Dan-Zhu and the others.
When Dan-Zhu and the rest saw Mo Hua out of seclusion, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
With foreign enemies pressing, and Mo Hua in closed-door cultivation, lost in formation research, none could help but worry.
Some in the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe, and even among the Wutu Alliance, had begun to suspect whether Lord Shaman had met with an accident—or abandoned them.
Dan-Zhu’s heart, which had been hanging, slowly settled.
But when he looked up at Mo Hua, he suddenly froze.
He felt as though “Mister Wu” carried upon him a new aura—an unspeakable savagery and greed that sent a chill into his heart.
“What exactly did Mister Wu comprehend in seclusion…”
Mo Hua, meanwhile, adjusted slightly to the atmosphere outside, withdrawing from his deep state of formation study and Taotie insight, and asked about the recent situation.
Only then did he realize—his seclusion had lasted nearly two months.
In those two months, Dan-Zhu, Chì Fēng, and the others had fought bitterly against the Shugu Tribe’s main force under Commander Lù Gǔ, barely holding on.
Now, most of the Wusha Mountain Realm’s territory had already fallen.
Their forces had shrunk back to the edges of the Yuansha Mountain Realm.
Lù Gǔ commanded his vast army outside, eyeing them like a tiger.
The situation was dire.
Without Mo Hua’s “foresight” to guide them, Dan-Zhu felt lost. Yet, under crushing pressure, he had persevered. Though battered, he had indeed grown, managing to keep the Wusha Mountain Realm from total collapse.
Mo Hua felt gratified.
Indeed, geniuses were geniuses—as long as they were tempered, they could grow.
He felt a certain joy, like watching something he had “raised” flourish.
“At this point, we should withdraw first,” Mo Hua said after some thought.
“Withdraw?” Dan-Zhu was puzzled.
Mo Hua nodded. “Leave the Wusha Mountain Realm to Lù Gǔ. Fall back to the Wutu Mountain Realm, then make plans slowly.”
Chì Fēng frowned. “But—once we withdraw, how will we ever take it back?”
Mo Hua said obscurely, “The Divine-Lord has his own instructions.”
Dan-Zhu and Chì Fēng exchanged glances, not understanding what “instructions” the Divine-Lord could give.
But when it came to the mysterious Lord Shaman, they still trusted him.
Thus, Dan-Zhu and the others retreated again and again, until they finally returned to the Wutu Mountain Realm.
The Wutu Mountain Realm was small, its mountains more complex, easier to defend and harder to attack.
Lù Gǔ wanted to pursue, but after several failed assaults, coupled with his troops’ fatigue, he ordered them to set up camp and rest.
Once their strength was restored, he would crush the Wutu Mountain Realm in one blow, exterminating Dan-Zhu and the others.
Thus, the Yuansha Mountain Realm was completely devoured by the Shugu Tribe.
The Vermilion Sparrow Tribe and the Wutu Alliance were forced into a corner, their faces solemn, hearts shrouded in dark clouds.
They could retreat no further. If Lù Gǔ attacked again, it would be a battle of life and death.
For a time, unrest spread. Some tribes even entertained thoughts of rebellion.
Mo Hua had Jiao Li lead men to execute the defectors, to maintain unity among the tribes and the alliance.
Hearts were as unstable as water. At such a time, one had to hold them firm.
Meanwhile, Mo Hua devoted himself to forging barbarian armor.
He had the materials—taken from the Shugu Tribe’s secret stores.
He had selected the craftsmen.
The forging techniques were mainly from the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe, with advice from “Sword-Bone Head,” once a swordsmith.
As for the core formation of the armor, Mo Hua had already “restored” it.
All of this was done in secret.
The forging grounds were sealed. No smith or elder was allowed to leave.
Mo Hua told no one what kind of armor he was creating.
And so, amid the tempering of iron and fire, bone and formation, time flew.
A month later, Lù Gǔ, having rested his army, marched again, intent on crushing Dan-Zhu and destroying the Wutu Tribe.
Dan-Zhu and Chì Fēng led their forces to resist.
The two sides clashed, fighting fiercely.
Dan-Zhu and the others struggled desperately under the immense pressure.
And in this dire situation, on the night of the third day, Mo Hua arrived at the frontline camp of Dan-Zhu, bringing some barbarian warriors, hauling a heap of storage chests.
Dan-Zhu and the others were puzzled.
Mo Hua ordered the chests opened.
The moment the lids lifted, a dim, oppressive radiance flashed out, seizing the soul.
In that instant, Dan-Zhu, Chi-Feng, and the others could hardly believe their eyes.
What they saw was—The Abyssal-Bone Heavy Armor passed down from the ancestors of the Shugu Tribe?!
And there were fifty full sets!
This number was already greater than the heavy armors preserved in the main branch of the Shugu Tribe itself.
The air froze.
Dan-Zhu and the others forgot to breathe. After a long while, they finally turned to Mo Hua, their voices trembling: “Mister Wu, this is—”
Mo Hua replied solemnly: “This is barbarian armor bestowed by the Divine-lord.”
His face shone with a divine radiance as he looked upon them.
“Choose fifty elites, don this heavy armor, and tomorrow march forth—to meet the battle against Lu-Gu.”
Dan-Zhu took a deep breath, then nodded heavily.
“Yes Sir!”
Thus, the next day, when the great general Lu-Gu led the main force of the Shugu Tribe, preparing to crush Dan-Zhu’s faction in one decisive strike, he encountered Dan-Zhu—only to see, standing behind him, fifty sets of ferocious, grim, uniform Abyssal-Bone Barbarian Heavy Armor.
In broad daylight, General Lu-Gu thought his eyes had gone blind.
He blinked, looked again carefully.
An absurd sense of disbelief crashed into his mind, so overwhelming that even his divine sense nearly split apart.
Finally, Lu-Gu could not hold back and roared out in fury:
“Fuck your mother! How could the heavy armor of my Shugu ancestors be worn by the people of the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe?!”
(End of this Chapter)