Chapter 276: The Master of the Stronghold

Mister Zhuang had once told Mo Hua about the Visualization Diagrams.

Within the cultivation world, there were no orthodox cultivation methods specifically for strengthening one’s Divine-Sense. The only known way to enhance it through external means was by using Visualization Diagrams.

These diagrams were exceedingly rare—so much so that even among the ancient clans and aristocratic families, they were considered secret inheritances, passed down only to a chosen few.

The Third Master—the same middle-aged Evil Formation Master Mo Hua had encountered before…

His ability to reach the level of a Grade-One Formation Master, and even have the potential to break through to Grade Two, could only mean that he possessed a profound formation inheritance.

Moreover, he had resided in the Black Mountain Stronghold for years—slaughtering countless cultivators, plundering innumerable cultivation resources and inheritances. For such a person to possess a Visualization Diagram would not be surprising at all.

Mo Hua’s curiosity was piqued.

He had long wanted to know what a Visualization Diagram actually looked like—

And whether it truly allowed one to strengthen the Divine-Sense merely through visualization.

However, Mister Zhuang had warned him that such diagrams carried unknown dangers—that they should not be delved into lightly, nor relied upon. Hence, Mo Hua had not pursued the matter.

But even if he couldn’t use it to enhance his Divine-Sense, just seeing one for himself would still be enlightening.

Now, it seemed that the Third Master might indeed possess one.

If that diagram truly could augment one’s Divine-Sense, then perhaps Mo Hua could achieve a Foundation Establishment-level Divine-Sense sooner—and advance into the Foundation Establishment Realm more quickly.

Otherwise, at the current pace of his Divine-Sense growth, the process might take far too long.

This thought excited Mo Hua for a moment—but after some reflection, he felt a twinge of helplessness.

The Third Master was not only a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but also an Evil Formation Master.

How could Mo Hua possibly get the chance to steal such a treasure?

Let alone steal it—just standing nearby and observing him use it would already be dangerously reckless.

“Forget it. If, one day, I can eradicate the entire Black Mountain Stronghold, then I’ll think about how to obtain that diagram.”

Besides, all this was only speculation.

What the Third Master possessed might not be a Visualization Diagram at all—it could simply be a rare Formation Blueprint.

For now, intelligence-gathering took priority.

Mo Hua calmed his mind and continued eavesdropping quietly.

After the scar-faced man finished speaking, the pale-faced man looked surprised and asked,

“What kind of diagram is it?”

The scar-faced man clearly didn’t want to answer.

But the pale-faced man kept pestering, until the scarred man lost patience and snapped:

“How the hell should I know? You think I’ve got a death wish to peek at the Third Master’s things?”

The pale-faced man sighed regretfully, then changed the subject:

“You’ve been here longer than me—have you ever seen the First Master?”

He had joined the stronghold later and knew little, while the scarred man was a veteran member.

At the mention of the First Master, the scarred man shook his head.

“The First Master’s like a dragon whose head you see but never its tail. Not just me—even the old-timers in the stronghold, those with more seniority than me, may never have seen him.”

“What about the other Masters?” asked the pale-faced man.

The scarred man squinted at him.

“Why? You planning to become one of the Masters?”

The pale-faced man gave an awkward laugh—but in his heart, he thought:

What kind of stupid question is that? Of course I do.

Who in this Black Mountain Stronghold didn’t want to become a Master?

The moment one became a Master, one could rule with impunity—standing above all the other evil cultivators, free to do whatever one pleased.

A glint of greed flickered in the pale-faced man’s eyes.

The scarred man saw it and sneered:

“Fine, then listen carefully—and see if you’ve got what it takes.”

“First off—you’d have to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator.”

“The Masters of this stronghold—the First Master is unfathomable. The Second Master is cold-blooded and bloodthirsty.”

“He hasn’t shown up lately—word is, the First Master ordered everyone to keep a low profile. The Second couldn’t suppress his killing urge, so he went to another cultivation city to slaughter people.”

“The Third Master, as you know, is a Formation Master. You should understand what kind of status a Formation Master holds. Every array in this entire stronghold was laid by him. Other than the First Master, no one dares offend him.”

“As for the Fourth Master—the previous one died. The current Fourth is a newcomer. He’s fond of drinking blood. If you provoke him, he’ll drain you dry like a husk.”

The scarred man smirked.

“So—tell me—which position do you think you can replace?”

The pale-faced man’s expression twitched, but he forced a grin:

“Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—who’s to say what’ll happen?”

The scarred man snorted coldly.

“You won’t live thirty years.”

After all, being an evil cultivator in Black Mountain Stronghold was anything but safe.

Forget advancing to Foundation Establishment or becoming a Master—few even lived long enough to die of old age.

The two glared at each other, then fell silent, drinking again.

Mo Hua, meanwhile, pondered in secret.

His suspicions were confirmed—there were indeed four Masters in Black Mountain Stronghold.

He had already encountered the Third and Fourth Masters.

The Second Master was away.

The First Master was nowhere to be seen—either in seclusion or away from the stronghold entirely.

In other words, Mo Hua only needed to be wary of the Third and Fourth Masters.

As long as he avoided them, he would remain safe.

Only one thing unsettled him—the First Master’s cultivation.

If he was the founder of Black Mountain Stronghold, and able to command so many vicious subordinates, then his cultivation must be formidable.

But was he mid-stage or late-stage Foundation Establishment?

If it was the latter—that would be terrifying.

Even Elder Yu of Tōngxiān City was only early Foundation Establishment. If they fought head-on… how could they win?

Mo Hua sighed inwardly.

But that wasn’t something he could worry about now. His focus had to be on mapping the area and collecting intelligence.

So, he began drafting a topographical map of the Black Mountain Stronghold.

From the mountain gate, he charted the roads, houses, the evil cultivators’ quarters, and the iron prisons where other cultivators were held.

He marked the location and type of each formation he discovered, noting key precautions.

By analyzing the formations, he inferred the architectural layout of the stronghold.

Even sealed-off buildings that couldn’t be directly investigated—he could still guess their function.

At night, Mo Hua continued eavesdropping on the scarred man and the pale-faced man.

Most evil cultivators in the stronghold were taciturn—but these two were exceptions.

Likely because they were assigned to guard the gate, and idle talk helped pass the long nights.

Perfect for Mo Hua, who could hide nearby and listen for information.

Black Mountain Stronghold was full of danger, so Mo Hua couldn’t practice formations openly at night on his Dao Monument.

Still, by entering his Sea of Consciousness briefly to meditate before the Dao Monument, he could remain clear-headed even without sleep.

Moreover, since the Fourth Master went out to drink blood at night and the Third Master stayed behind closed doors, night was actually the safest time for him.

That night, the two guards began quarreling again.

Mo Hua listened carefully.

Apparently, the scarred man, despite his hideous face, practiced a Dual Cultivation Art.

The pale-faced man, frail and sickly in appearance, cultivated an Absorbing Spirit Technique—a method of drawing others’ spiritual power to nourish his own.

The pale-faced man, being lascivious by nature, wanted to learn the scarred man’s Dual Cultivation method to “absorb yin and replenish yang.”

The scarred man ignored him.

Angered, the pale-faced man mocked,

“With that ugly mug of yours, how can you even practice dual cultivation? Aren’t women disgusted just looking at you?”

The scarred man shot back,

“And with your frail body, what’s the point of learning it? You’d probably die from overuse before you even benefit.”

Insults turned to shouting—and soon, they began fighting.

The scarred man was a Body Cultivator, the pale-faced man a Qi Cultivator.

The scarred one charged in close, relying on brute strength; the pale-faced one dodged nimbly, casting spells as he retreated—fireballs coalescing in his palms and shooting forth.

He was using Fireball Technique.

Mo Hua blinked in surprise—then frowned.

“That noodle-faced guy dares use my Fireball Technique?”

But after watching a few more exchanges, Mo Hua quietly muttered,

“Hmm?”

The pale-faced man’s Fireballs actually seemed stronger than his own.

Not faster, nor more precise—but the fire was deeper in hue, and its explosive power clearly greater.

This wasn’t merely a matter of cultivation level.

For an ordinary Qi-Refining Ninth Layer cultivator, this level of Fireball Technique was abnormal.

“Could it be… he’s discovered some secret to the Fireball Technique?”

(End of Chapter)