Chapter 1319: Reunion
Chapter 1318: Reunion
Bai Zisheng had overdrawn his bloodline and fallen unconscious. When he awoke again, in the hazy blur between sleep and waking, he heard a voice bragging amid the noise.
That voice seemed very far away, more than twenty years away.
Yet it also seemed very close, right before his eyes.
“…The sect master always told me how powerful the Bai Clan was, how dazzling and invincible their prodigies were. But now that I look at it, it’s nothing special. A mere Bai Clan prodigy, wasn’t he still taken down by me with a single spear strike…”
“True-Person, I told you long ago, I’m one of the absolute top geniuses.”
“The Formation Dao Champion of Qianxue, the number one of the Sword Debate Tournament, do you think those titles came out of thin air?”
“I can suppress so many prodigies, stand unrivaled in the Sword Debate, dominate my generation, my strength goes without saying…”
“People others can’t beat, I can beat. Thieves others can’t catch, I can catch casually. This Bai Zisheng that others couldn’t take down, I suppressed him with ease…”
“Well? Didn’t I tell you so…?”
Inside the main camp, a handsome, refined young man spoke nonstop, his tongue blooming like a lotus before a crowd.
Opposite him, True-Person Huá’s face was iron-blue.
Bai Zisheng was slightly startled. It was the first time he had ever seen True-Person Huá with such an expression.
In his impression, True-Person Huá was kind, composed, or else cold, terrifying, deeply scheming, someone whose emotions never showed.
But the current True-Person Huá looked as though someone had forcibly stuffed a mouthful of flies into his mouth, indescribably uncomfortable.
And it wasn’t only True-Person Huá.
Beside him, that Feathered Ascension True-Person who seemed to be here to oversee things—normally carefree and unrestrained yet unfathomably deep—was now pressing a hand to his forehead, as though suffering a headache.
Below them, the entire hall of prodigies had been so infuriated by Mo Hua that their faces were flushed red, yet not one of them could utter a word.
Two Feathered Ascension experts, dozens of Golden Core cultivators, over a hundred prodigies—listening to a single person speak, and not one dared talk back.
Bai Zisheng’s gaze fell once more upon Mo Hua, and for a moment, he stared blankly, lost.
It really is… my little junior brother.
Moving. Speaking. Annoying people…
A living, breathing little junior brother.
An extremely complex and deeply moving emotion surfaced in Bai Zisheng’s eyes.
He stared fixedly at Mo Hua, not daring to blink even once, afraid that if he did, the little junior brother before him would suddenly vanish… that all of this was merely a dream.
That he was still lying on that battlefield of desperate struggle, his entire body drenched in blood.
That the little junior brother before him was only a hallucination at the moment of death…
As Mo Hua was speaking, he suddenly sensed a familiar gaze watching him. He immediately turned his head and saw Bai Zisheng.
Mo Hua’s eyes lit up at once. Then he pointed at Bai Zisheng and said arrogantly:
“This is my ‘spoils of war,’ proof that I’m stronger than even the Bai Clan’s prodigies!”
“If you don’t believe it, ask him whether he’s convinced or not!”
Bai Zisheng was momentarily dazed. After a short while, he came back to his senses, but didn’t know what to say. He could only remain silent, responding with cold indifference.
Only then did Bai Zisheng realize that his physical body was bound tightly by nine heavy locks.
These nine locks sealed his meridians, closed off his dantian qi sea, and fit together perfectly. Their material even countered his spiritual root, clearly custom-made just for him.
This was obviously True-Person Huá’s handiwork.
To capture him, True-Person Huá had truly spared no means.
Most of his bloodline had been burned away, but some remnants still remained.
His physical strength was exhausted and his injuries severe, yet medicinal pills within his body were slowly releasing their effects, repairing the damage to his flesh.
Those pills were probably from the Huá Clan as well.
Clearly, the Huá Clan did not wish for him to die just yet.
Seeing Bai Zisheng remain silent, Mo Hua felt slightly reassured and continued:
“See? He can’t even speak anymore. Clearly he’s realized how formidable I am and has submitted wholeheartedly.”
Xuanyuan Jing could finally no longer endure it and said coldly:
“Nonsense. Don’t think we can’t tell, there was basically no power in that spear strike of yours. How exactly did you defeat Bai Zisheng?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the gathered prodigies were all startled and gradually came to their senses.
Earlier, they had been immersed in overwhelming shock. Their minds had been shaken, their brains practically crashed, and they hadn’t thought it through carefully. Now, thinking back, they immediately grasped the crux of the issue.
Mo Hua’s spear strike had been nothing but a flashy display.
It looked extraordinarily elegant—like a startled swan, like a roaming dragon—leaping into the air and thrusting down with a spear.
But it had been utterly useless.
And at the root of it all, Mo Hua’s physical body was weak, he wasn’t even a body cultivator!
That spear strike of his had strength so feeble it was absurd. How could it possibly break Bai Zisheng’s Mysterious Yellow Dragon-Blood state and knock down the peerlessly invincible Bai Zisheng?
They were prodigies, not idiots.
“That’s right, Mo Hua, something’s off with you.”
“Aren’t you a spiritual cultivator, an array master? Since when did you start body refinement? And what ‘Flying Dragon in the Heavens,’ all flashy nonsense, what even was that?”
“There must be something fishy going on here…”
“You owe us an explanation…”
The prodigies erupted into discussion. Huá Pīng also looked at Mo Hua with a strange expression.
Mo Hua frowned slightly. “What explanation am I supposed to give you?”
Feng Zichen said, “There’s no way you could’ve defeated this Bai Zisheng…”
“But did I win or not?” Mo Hua shot back.
“You… this…”
Mo Hua continued questioning them, “Who is the Formation Dao Champion of Qianxue?”
“…You.”
“Who is the number one of the Sword Debate?”
“You.”
“Who slaughtered their way through the Sword Debate Tournament and wiped all of you out in one go?”
A group of people clenched their teeth, unable to say a word.
Mo Hua nodded. “There you have it. Do you really think my methods are something you can comprehend? If you could understand them, you’d be the number one of the Sword Debate. Back then, you wouldn’t have all lost to me…”
Mo Hua’s tone was calm, but his words were exceedingly arrogant.
Yet the entire hall of Qianxue prodigies was utterly powerless to refute him.
To be honest, forget about Mo Hua’s current ‘Flying Dragon in the Heavens.’ Even back then, when Mo Hua used divine sense to control ink, drew formation on the ground, collapsed and annihilated groups, or slew five of Qianxue’s top prodigies with a single thought—they had pondered it for ten years and still hadn’t really figured it out…
Mo Hua was usually mild-tempered and not arrogant at all, but once he truly became arrogant, no one could withstand it.
Xuanyuan Jing’s face was iron-blue as he asked, “Since you’re so powerful, why didn’t you act earlier and capture Bai Zisheng right away?”
Mo Hua sighed. “Didn’t I tell you long ago? Once I make a move, Bai Zisheng will be taken down—and you all lose your chance.”
“I gave you the opportunity. You were useless, so there was nothing I could do but step in.”
“When I stepped in, didn’t I immediately capture Bai Zisheng?”
“See? I didn’t lie to you at all. From beginning to end, wasn’t everything I said completely accurate?”
Mo Hua neatly closed the logical loop himself.
Xuanyuan Jing was so angry that his whole body trembled.
Yuwen Hua roared in fury, “You’re full of nonsense! Clearly you’re a cunning, treacherous, despicable brat who waited until the end, took advantage of Bai Zisheng being completely exhausted, and picked up a huge bargain!”
“Oh?” Mo Hua raised an eyebrow and asked indifferently, “If bargains are so easy to pick up, why didn’t you go pick one up yourself?”
“I…” Yuwen Hua’s face flushed with rage.
The gathered prodigies—especially those from Dao Province—were all seething with anger, yet unable to speak.
Bai Zisheng looked at Yuwen Hua and the others, then glanced at Mo Hua, thinking to himself: This indeed is my little junior brother…
My Dragon Returning Spear hacked and killed for so long before I managed to defeat these prodigies.
He just stands there, moves his lips a little, and he’s already shattered their defenses…
“All right,” True-Person Huá finally spoke slowly. He looked at Bai Zisheng, then at Mo Hua, and frowned slightly. “No matter what, we still owe thanks to Mo… little friend, for capturing Bai Zisheng.”
Mo Hua nodded. “No need for thanks. I promised you, True-Person, so naturally I followed through.”
True-Person Huá neither confirmed nor denied it, and continued calmly, “Since that is the case… Bai Zisheng has already been captured and brought to justice. This matter can be temporarily concluded. Everyone has worked hard, go rest for now. Once I finish interrogating him and report back to the Dao Court, rewards will be discussed.”
Mo Hua’s heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly said, “Why not interrogate him now?”
True-Person Huá cast a deep, unreadable glance at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua’s thoughts stirred, and he said, “I want to know whether this Bai Zisheng truly lost his mind over lust, murdered fellow comrades, and betrayed the Dao Court…”
True-Person Huá’s expression was indifferent. “And if it’s true?”
Mo Hua spoke with righteous indignation, “Then I will personally execute this traitor Bai Zisheng, to uphold the Dao Court’s authority!”
True-Person Huá said coolly, “Little friend Mo is truly loyal to the Dao Court.”
Mo Hua nodded. “Not quite to that extent. I just want to do some real work for the Dao Court…”
True-Person Huá’s gaze was dark, his emotions unreadable.
Mo Hua stood open and upright, his eyes clear.
The two looked at each other like this for a while. True-Person Huá shook his head and said, “First take Bai Zisheng away. The interrogation isn’t urgent.”
Mo Hua’s expression didn’t change, but he was growing anxious inside.
An arm can’t twist a thigh.
Although Little Senior Brother had been saved for the moment, once he fell into the Huá Clan’s hands, he would be just as in danger.
Mo Hua glanced at True-Person Zhuge.
True-Person Zhuge’s scalp tingled slightly. He could only speak up: “Brother Huá, this Bai Zisheng—I need to detain him.”
True-Person Huá’s gaze sharpened as he looked at True-Person Zhuge, frowning. “Brother Zhuge… you… insist on wading into this muddy water?”
True-Person Zhuge sighed. “This Bai Zisheng can’t die for now.”
If Mo Hua had never intervened from beginning to end, that would have been fine, True-Person Zhuge could have stood by and watched.
Whether Bai Zisheng lived or died, True-Person Zhuge didn’t really care.
But now, Mo Hua had intervened, and not in some minor way. In full view of everyone, he had gone to “steal the kill.”
What was even more outrageous was that he had actually succeeded.
Using that whatever-it-was “Flying Dragon in the Heavens,” he defeated the previously unstoppable Bai Zisheng.
True-Person Zhuge’s head was practically exploding.
His biggest regret was that he had been stunned by Mo Hua’s arrogant, unrestrained presence at the time and hadn’t pinned him down on the spot.
Otherwise, if Mo Hua hadn’t gone to steal that kill, none of this would have happened.
But what’s done is done. Mo Hua had already taken the head, which meant causality was already entangled. Regret was too late.
At this point, Bai Zisheng could not die.
Otherwise, Bai Zisheng would effectively be considered as having died at Mo Hua’s hands.
And Mo Hua was a disciple of the Great Void Sect, and the sect master of his generation was from the Bai Clan.
That would leave the Great Void Sect in an impossible position, inside and out, and the sect master himself would have no way to handle it.
Worse still, Mo Hua had done all this right under True-Person Zhuge’s nose, right by his side.
And True-Person Zhuge himself was a True-Person of the Zhuge Clan, and an Honorary Consecrator of the Imperial Celestial Bureau.
All of these were major powers. Once entangled, it would look as if:
The Dao Court, the Zhuge Clan, the Imperial Celestial Bureau, the Great Void Sect, and the Huá Clan had jointly set a scheme to kill a Bai Clan direct descendant and seize the Bai Clan’s bloodline…
A complete mess, like mud splashed into one’s trousers. Impossible to explain clearly.
Therefore, Bai Zisheng absolutely could not die, at least not now.
Otherwise, Mo Hua, the Great Void Sect, and the Zhuge Clan would all be dragged into this storm.
Once Bai Zisheng was taken away by True-Person Huá, whether he lived or died would be unknown.
True-Person Zhuge sighed. “I really must take him.”
True-Person Huá frowned. “That’s against the rules.”
True-Person Zhuge said, “You’ve placed nine layers of Dragon-Confining Heavy Locks on him. The keys are with the Huá Clan; no one outside your clan can open them. So this person has to be detained by my side…”
True-Person Huá fell silent, his face dark as water.
True-Person Zhuge also said nothing more. In his lazy eyes, a sharp edge gradually emerged; deep within his gaze, mysterious starlight flickered.
Seeing this, True-Person Huá sighed lightly. “Very well. This Bai Zisheng, though he committed grave crimes, still has unclear facts that ultimately need verification. I’ll trouble Brother Zhuge with it.”
True-Person Zhuge nodded. “All right.”
After that, True-Person Zhuge selected a few people and instructed, “Escort Bai Zisheng to the Imperial Celestial Bureau’s prison.”
“Yes.”
Bai Zisheng was escorted out of the military camp.
Before leaving, he couldn’t help but turn his head back and take a deep look at Mo Hua, speaking hoarsely:
“So you’re Mo Hua?”
Mo Hua’s heart trembled.
After nearly twenty years, this was the first time his Little Senior Brother had spoken to him.
It was also the first time these two senior and junior brothers had spoken after such a long separation.
Mo Hua nodded. “That’s right. I’m Mo Hua.”
Bai Zisheng stared at Mo Hua as if afraid he would never see him again in this lifetime, and said slowly,
“I’ll remember this grudge. Even if I’m reduced to ashes, I won’t forget it. Just wait to die…”
Mo Hua grinned. “A mere Bai Zisheng isn’t even my match in a single exchange, and you want me to wait for death? My true capabilities are far beyond your imagination…”
Blood at the corner of his mouth, Bai Zisheng also smiled. It looked like the smile of someone enraged to the extreme, laughing as if he wanted to kill Mo Hua.
True-Person Zhuge’s head hurt. He waved his hand. “Take him away.”
Bai Zisheng was taken away. No one doubted his killing intent toward Mo Hua.
Because at this very moment, almost everyone present harbored varying degrees of killing intent toward Mo Hua.
Even True-Person Zhuge included, he too felt like beating this troublemaking little demon to death.
…
The pursuit of Bai Zisheng temporarily came to an end.
But the final outcome still stirred an enormous uproar.
Because Bai Zisheng’s “head” had been snatched by Mo Hua.
A whole group of prodigies had fought to the death, thrown away all pride, taking turns battling Bai Zisheng, this monster—grinding through the normal first phase, facing the dragon-transformation second phase, and after exhausting the second phase, forcibly driving him into the third phase of Mysterious Yellow Dragon-Blood.
Several Golden Core cultivators of the Huá Clan had even died.
In the end, the “low-HP” Bai Zisheng was finished off by Mo Hua, who suddenly popped out and took the “head” with a single spear strike.
Although the truth was not like this.
It just looked exactly like that.
Within the Slaughter Mo Token, another round of “verbal crusade” against Mo Hua began:
“Despicable! Shameless! After all these years, a leopard can’t change its spots, this Mo Hua is still best at these underhanded tricks.”
“And somehow he succeeds every single time…”
“That bunch of idiots from Dao Province even argued with me before, saying Mo Hua could be the champion and that it would lower the ‘gold content’ of the Dao Discussion Assembly. Well? Aren’t they all so pissed now they look like grandsons?”
“Mo Hua is still Mo Hua…”
“They’ve only just encountered Mo Hua, so they’re still ‘newbies.’ Not understanding the situation is excusable. Give it time, they’ll get used to it…”
“We’re veterans. We all walked this road ourselves…”
“But seriously, what exactly is that ‘Flying Dragon in the Heavens’? Sounds pretty incredible.”
“This move seems… very famous?”
“I feel like I’ve heard of it, but also like I haven’t…”
“Could it be some supreme art of the Great Void Sect? Or some new ultimate move Mo Hua learned over the past ten years?”
Someone couldn’t help but say, “Are you guys… being serious? You haven’t cultivated body refinement? You couldn’t tell at all that Flying Dragon in the Heavens is basically nothing…”
“Nonsense, how could I not know? The key question is, how could it really be that simple?”
“This move was used by Mo Hua… Any move used by Mo Hua is bizarre. You can’t judge it by common sense.”
“Exactly. That brat Mo Hua is sinister, and his methods are all strange.”
“This Flying Dragon in the Heavens absolutely can’t be as shallow as it looks. There must be some unseen power in it that we failed to comprehend…”
“Otherwise, Bai Zisheng wouldn’t have been knocked down by a single spear strike.”
“That ‘low-HP’ Bai Zisheng, how strong he was in that state, I can’t even describe it. Being able to defeat him with one spear, even if it was a ‘kill-steal,’ this move is still terrifying.”
“With Mo Hua’s every move, you must never let your guard down. We suffered far too much from this back during the Sword Debate.”
“Otherwise, you really won’t even know how you died…”
Everyone felt a chill in their hearts. Someone said solemnly, “I suggest this move be entered into the scripture…”
“Entered into the scripture?”
“The Slaughter Mo Codex,” the man explained. “Record it in the Slaughter Mo Codex so others will know, lest someone be careless in the future and fall victim to Mo Hua’s black hand.”
After careful consideration, the crowd said, “Agreed.”
Thus, many years after the Sword Debate Assembly ended, the Rules for Dealing with Mo Hua—namely, the Slaughter Mo Codex—finally received another update regarding Mo Hua:
Move: Flying Dragon in the Heavens.
A powerful killing move painstakingly researched and comprehended by Mo Hua over many years.
Style: Unknown. (Presumed to be body arts, but it doesn’t quite seem like it.)
Power: Unknown.
Number of spiritual-circulation cycles: Unknown.
……
After a pile of “Unknowns,” a single line of battle record was written:
Once in the Great Wilderness, before a crowd of Heaven’s Chosen, he defeated the invincible Bai Clan monster genius Bai Zisheng with a single spear strike. The might of this strike was terrifying beyond words.
Exactly how strong?
Unknown.
Thus, this “power unknown” Flying Dragon in the Heavens became, in the hearts of many prodigies of the Slaughter Mo Alliance, the killing move they feared most from Mo Hua.
No one knew just how strong this killing move truly was.
Only the monster Bai Zisheng—who had once fallen beneath Mo Hua’s spear—knew.
……
Meanwhile, on the other side, Mo Hua sat in his own tent, still frowning as he thought about his Little Senior Brother.
Little Senior Brother had, for now, been saved—but the shadow of the Huá Clan still loomed everywhere.
True-Person Huá was still watching like a tiger stalking its prey.
He had to think of a way to let Little Senior Brother completely escape danger.
And besides that, it had been a very, very long time since he’d last seen his Little Senior Brother. He also wanted to talk with him alone.
There were many things he wanted to ask his Little Senior Brother.
Including his master, his martial aunt, and also his…
Little Senior Sister.