Chapter 1295: Killing Situation

Chapter 1294: Killing Situation

The issue of Core-Grade was something other prodigies cared about, but Mo Hua… not so much.

But there was another problem—one that almost no other cultivator forming a core would ever encounter, yet for Mo Hua, it was especially troublesome.

That problem was “divinity.”

Cultivators forming a Golden Core were, in the end, humans forming a core.

But Mo Hua knew that although his flesh-and-blood body was still “Mo Hua,” the nature of his Divine-Sense soul could no longer be said to be purely “human.”

The entire journey from Li-Province to the Great Wilderness was, in another sense, the process of his divinity awakening and his Divine-Dao spreading with him. The Wilderness was his domain as the Divine-Shaman, his Dao-Domain as a Divine-Lord.

At this point, Mo Hua himself couldn’t clearly tell whether, once he shed his physical body, he was still human… or already a god.

And so, the thought gnawed at him.

He feared that once he truly formed the Golden Core, and his divine intent stabilized and even strengthened, it might drag along his already barely-restrained “divinity,” causing it to expand further—until his humanity was utterly extinguished.

One more breakthrough, one more metamorphosis in his Divine Dao—his divine sense would definitely grow stronger. But it was also possible that another qualitative shift in divinity would occur, making him forget the name “Mo Hua” entirely, and lose himself forever.

Mo Hua’s gaze deepened. After a long moment of thought, he sighed softly.

The path of cultivation was always perilous—guarantees didn’t exist. Forming a core was an even greater affair.

Foundation Establishment and Golden Core might look only one realm apart, but in both strength and status, they were worlds apart. He’d suffered too much and endured too long for this breakthrough. At this point, how could he ever turn back?

No matter what, he had to gamble once.

There was no turning back now…

Resolve slowly settled onto Mo Hua’s face.

But the firmer his resolve grew, the colder his eyes became. In the depths of his heart, divinity pulsed and churned, secretly hungering, expanding, yearning. Yet Mo Hua himself seemed unaware of it.

Maybe, instinctively, he had. But the state where divinity held the upper hand was precisely what the current “Divine Mo Hua” welcomed with open arms.

Mo Hua was preparing to form his core, but he told no one.

As the Divine-Shaman, ruler of the Wilderness, every word and action he took was under countless watchful eyes in the shadows.

He leaked no hint. The Wilderness remained peaceful on the surface, everyone following routine as usual.

But Mo Hua knew: the calmer things looked, the more turbulent they were underneath.

Many in the Wilderness believed in him, loved him.

And just as many wanted to harm him.

Countless people wanted him dead.

They would love nothing more than to peel off his skin, devour his flesh, and drink his blood.

Mo Hua harbored no illusions. To form his core, he had to prepare perfectly and eliminate every hidden danger lurking in the dark.

This wasn’t Tōngxiān City—his Master was not here.

This wasn’t Qianxue Prefecture—Venerable Elder Xun was not here.

This was the Wilderness. Mo Hua was the Divine-Shaman, the one standing at the very peak.

No one sheltered him now.

No one blocked calamity or severed Causal-karmic threads for him.

Everything… he had to carry alone.

And now had come the time for him to bear the danger his fate and heavenly secrets demanded.

…

Great Wilderness Calendar, Year 14.

Divine-Shaman Era Year 6.

Second Month, February.

Vermilion Bird Mountain Shrine.

After another month of preparation, Mo Hua officially began forming his core.

The location he chose was the hidden central chamber of the Vermilion Bird Shrine, built upon the ancient Vermilion Bird altar. Deeply concealed, heavily guarded. To the outside world, he simply announced that he would be entering seclusion to “listen to divine revelation.”

Dan-Zhu, Lu-Gu, and the others close to him could roughly guess their lord was likely attempting “core formation.”

But the matter was monumental, and they knew well the dangers it carried. Thus, they kept their mouths sealed, not leaking a single word.

Yet at the same time, deep within Vermilion Bird Mountain… shadows began to stir.

Rain fell from the horizon, warm with heat, stained faintly with red.

The ancient mountain lay wrapped in a suffocating silence.

Seven days later.

After long waiting and torment, a faint wisp of golden aura of Causality burst from the depths of the Vermilion Bird Shrine.

The sign of the Golden Core’s condensation.

That faint omen ignited heaven and earth like a spark dropped into dry tinder.

In the dead silence, the sealed gates of the hall were torn apart, shredded into dust by erupting Golden Core powers.

From the shifting shadows of the mountain, figures flashed forth—dozens, then hundreds.

Almost all were Golden Core cultivators.

All wore black robes masking their appearance.

And all had long been lying in ambush.

The moment the omen appeared, these assassins unleashed their magical treasures and spiritual weapons in a roaring storm of killing intent. Their power was overwhelming; in mere breaths, they tore apart the outer defenses of the Vermilion Bird Divine Hall and surged into the grand hall.

Dan-Zhu, Lu-Gu, Dan-Lie, Gao-Du, and the other trusted Golden Cores of Mo Hua hardened their expressions, issuing orders and rallying the heavy-armored barbarian soldiers into formation to resist the attackers.

The two sides met—no nonsense, no threats—only instant slaughter.

One side fought to protect the revered Lord Divine-Shaman.

The other fought to kill the one who had thrown the Great Wilderness into upheaval. No mercy, only cold blades biting into flesh.

Dan-Zhu, Lu-Gu, and the others clashed with the black-robed killers in brutal combat.

As the battle raged, Lu-Gu began to sense something off: some among the black-robed attackers were powerful, lethal—yet their movements were awkward, as though deliberately concealing their true techniques.

A flash of light gleamed in Lu-Gu’s eyes. Strength surged through his Bone-Slaying blade as he caught one Golden Core assassin and struck fiercely.

The man raised his saber to block, but Lu-Gu’s strength was overwhelming. Unable to resist, he staggered back—only to find Lu-Gu’s hand suddenly lunging toward his face.

His expression changed drastically—but it was already too late.

Lu-Gu ripped the mask clean off—along with a slash across the man’s cheek.

Lu-Gu stared, fury burning.

“…What the hell are you doing here?”

The man was a general of the Dark-Bone Tribe—someone with ties to the Shugu Tribe.

In the 2nd year of the Divine-Shaman era, when Mo Hua marched through the Dark-Bone territory, conflict erupted. Lu-Gu personally mediated, and only then did the Dark-Bone general swear allegiance, joining Mo Hua’s forces.

Five years of war—they had lived and bled together. Lu-Gu considered him a brother-in-arms.

Which was why Lu-Gu was so angry.

“You’re betraying us?”

The Dark-Bone general trembled, voice breaking after a moment:

“This Divine-Shaman… is too strong. Even the Wujiao Young-Chieftain blessed by the Dragon Runes—he killed him with a single finger…”

“And he’s only at Foundation Establishment… Once he reaches Golden Core—whether we’re generals or chieftains—we’ll be crushed forever, forced to bow for life, never again able to lift our heads…”

Lu-Gu’s brows furrowed, a chill creeping into his heart.

He had fought the Wujiao Young-Chieftain. He knew better than anyone how terrifying the dragon-vein-blessed youth had been—flesh like iron, strength overwhelming, ruler of a domain, born to dominate.

And yet, such a figure had been…

Lu-Gu steadied himself. “The Divine-Shaman follows the Divine-Lord’s teachings. He is upright, holy—”

“But if one day,” the Dark-Bone general murmured, “he changes?”

Lu-Gu’s brows tightened further, fear flickering within.

If it were the Mo Hua of the past, he wouldn’t have worried.

But now… Mo Hua had grown colder. Loftier. More distant. More like… a deity who looked down upon all life.

Or rather, increasingly… unlike a “human” at all…

…

Meanwhile, Chief Dan-Lie tore the mask from another black-robed cultivator, full of hatred and anger, shouting:

“Do you want to die?”

Facing him was his “old friend,” the Great chieftain of the Fire-Eagle Tribe.

Exposed by Dan-Lie, the Fire-Eagle Chief’s face flashed panic, quickly replaced by rage:

“It’s not that I wanted to die; the Divine-Shaman went too far!”

“Releasing the tribal slaves undermined my tribe’s foundation, destroyed the heritage of the Great Wilderness. Ancestors’ laws cannot be abolished! He acts under the name of Divine-Shaman, committing acts of rebellion against the Ancestral ways!”

Dan-Lie frowned, silent for a moment.

The Fire-Eagle Chief croaked: “Without the tribal slaves, who will do the dirty, menial work? In tribal warfare, who becomes cannon fodder? Shall the upper tribesmen die in battle? Shall the noble tribesmen be equal to the slaves? If we chieftains are equal to the slaves, what kind of chieftains are we?”

The Fire-Eagle Chief sneered at Dan-Lie:

“You’ve gained the Divine-Shaman’s trust, which is why you side with him. But can that trust last a lifetime? The sly rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked. If the Divine-Shaman decides to have you killed one day, what will you do?”

Dan-Lie shook his head. “No matter what, I cannot betray the Divine-Lord, nor the Divine-Shaman.”

The Fire-Eagle Great Chief sneered: “And yet, you would betray your ancestors, betray their teachings?”

Dan-Lie’s gaze grew solemn.

…

In another corner of the battlefield, facing Dan-Zhu, was Bi-Jie.

Having endured countless hardships, setbacks, and exile, Bi-Jie’s face had grown harsher and more obsessive.

All his suffering and trials had been caused by Mo Hua.

Otherwise, he might now be the Great Chieftain of the 3rd-Rank Bi-Fang Tribe, commanding respect.

Not hiding, as he did now, under the title of “traitor.”

Though Mo Hua hardly noticed him, Bi-Jie could not stop thinking about him, could not stop wanting to kill him.

The two geniuses of the Great Wilderness clashed, and Bi-Jie sneered: “You still defend this… so-called Divine-Shaman?”

Dan-Zhu ignored him.

Bi-Jie sneered again: “I told you from the start, this Divine-Shaman has been using you from the beginning.”

Dan-Zhu sneered back: “Then why didn’t he use you? Because you’re useless, of no value?”

Bi-Jie snapped, enraged: “Fool!”

They fought again briefly. Bi-Jie said: “Don’t you realize your master is different now? Do you still think he is the same master as before?”

Dan-Zhu was taken aback.

He could actually feel the changes in Mo Hua since the start of the Divine War.

He had also harbored a faint worry.

Deep down, he had always preferred the master with clear eyes, gentle face, and words that felt like spring breeze…

Not the one before him now, expression cold, golden eyes radiating a subtle awe-inspiring presence that instilled a subtle fear—the “Divine-Shaman.”

But some things were simply beyond his control.

For faith, for the future of the tribe, Dan-Zhu was willing to do anything, even sacrifice his own “humanity.”

Dan-Zhu steeled his heart and continued to clash with Bi Jie to protect Mo Hua.

And it wasn’t just Dan-Zhu—Lu-Gu and Dan-Lie also no longer hesitated.

Their faith in the Divine-Lord, their trust in the Lord Divine-Shaman, could not waver, lest they lose their own composure first.

At the same time, they were almost certain: at this very moment, Lord Divine-Shaman must be forming a core!

Otherwise, these formidable enemies, traitors, and bandits would never suddenly erupt at this moment, attacking the Shrine like madmen.

Forming a core was immensely significant, a major event concerning the Dao path. And the Divine-Shaman Lord’s core formation would naturally be extraordinary.

No matter what happened, they had to defend the Shrine and protect the Divine-Shaman Lord to ensure the core formation succeeded!

“Kill!”

“Kill!!”

The battle raged, fierce and merciless.

But soon the situation shifted again, as another late-stage Golden Core cultivator appeared.

This person wore the grand robe of the Wujiao Tribe, his face aged, but his aura dense and dark. Wielding a Wujiao Black Sword, his power in killing and slaying was tremendous.

The Great Chieftain of the Wujiao Tribe.

The strongest of the Wujiao Tribe, the one most highly regarded, with hopes of unifying the Great Wilderness and becoming its master, was the Wujiao Young Chieftain.

But above the Young Chieftain, there was still a Great Chieftain.

However, for the sake of the tribe’s grand plan, the Great Chieftain had toiled and labored in secret for years, overexerting himself. He remained behind the scenes, secluded in meditation, rarely appearing in public.

Now that the Wujiao Young Chieftain was dead, the tribe annihilated, and the Great Wū-Feng Mountain Realm destroyed, this Great Chieftain became the “King of a Fallen Tribe,” isolated and adrift.

What pained him most was that his only child, the one with the potential to rule like a “True Dragon,” had been suddenly killed. Not only killed, but turned by that evil Divine-Shaman into something like a puppet corpse.

How could he not be consumed by rage and grief?

Therefore, when he learned that the Divine-Shaman Lord was forming a core, he used the Wujiao Tribe’s secret techniques, forcibly drawing a surge of energy at the cost of exhausting his entire lifespan, temporarily restoring his prime strength—all to personally strike down the Divine-Shaman Lord and avenge his son.

This was his sole obsession in life.

The Great Chieftain of the Wujiao Tribe had lived for centuries, peak Golden Core, wielding the tribe’s treasured Black Sword, unstoppable wherever he went.

Behind him, Elder You, slightly overweight, also dressed in black, mingled in the crowd.

The sharp, composed eyes he once had now held no calm—only boundless hatred.

The situation in the Great Wilderness was completely thrown into chaos.

The Huà Clan’s business was ruined; he couldn’t even explain himself to the Ancestor-patriarch.

On top of that, suffering huge losses of resources and wealth, Elder You’s heart was wracked with pain.

In Elder You’s mind, this Divine-Shaman in the Great Wilderness was the murderer of his father and mother!

This grudge was as deep as the sea, as thick as blood.

And now, this Divine-Shaman was about to form a core.

Core formation was the most vulnerable and dangerous moment for a cultivator.

In the Great Wilderness, with all his “enemies” watching, the Divine-Shaman dared to form a core—he had to die!

The Great Wilderness would never allow such a powerful Divine-Shaman to exist!

The battle raged on.

The great hall was soaked in blood.

There were far too many who wanted to kill Mo Hua, far too strong, like dark clouds, breaking through the shrine’s defenses step by step, heading toward the innermost chamber where Mo Hua was secluded…

(End of this Chapter)