Chapter 285: Visualization Diagram

Mo Hua’s mind turned rapidly, thoughts spinning without pause:

“That Third Boss’s Divine-Sense is incredibly strong. His formation skills have reached this level—could it also be because of a Visualization Diagram?”

“If I obtained a Visualization Diagram myself… could I also strengthen my Divine-Sense?”

Since Mo Hua had begun cultivating the Celestial Evolution Art, he needed to first attain the Divine-Sense of the Foundation Establishment stage before he could actually break through to that realm.

He possessed the Dao Monument and practiced formations every day to temper his Sea of Consciousness, so his Divine-Sense was already growing swiftly.

But even so—it was still far from enough.

The gap between the Divine-Sense of the Qi-Refining stage and that of Foundation Establishment was enormous. The further one progressed, the harder it became, and the slower the growth of Divine-Sense.

Mo Hua didn’t know how long it would take before he possessed Foundation-level Divine-Sense, sufficient to break through that barrier.

He had asked Mister Zhuang about it.

Mister Zhuang hadn’t given him a clear answer, but judging from the old man’s expression, the outlook hadn’t seemed promising.

If comprehending a Visualization Diagram could enhance his Divine-Sense, wouldn’t that let him reach Foundation Establishment sooner?

A spark of excitement stirred in Mo Hua’s chest.

If he could reach Foundation Establishment earlier, he could start studying Second-Grade formations sooner—become a Second-Grade Formation Master.

The cultivation base and abilities of a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a Second-Grade Formation Master were on a completely different level from those of a Qi-Refining cultivator or First-Grade Formation Master.

He allowed himself a brief moment of longing… but soon deflated.

The Visualization Diagram was in the hands of the Third Boss—a Foundation Establishment evil cultivator and a demonic formation master. Mo Hua couldn’t possibly steal it by force.

Schemes would be useless too.

He could perhaps outwit a Qi-Refining cultivator.

But in front of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, his tricks were nothing more than childish parlor games.

Cultivation was the foundation of all. In the face of the gulf between realms, clever tricks were of little use.

Mo Hua frowned deeply, momentarily unsure of what to do.

Then he realized—the biggest problem right now wasn’t whether he could obtain the Visualization Diagram, but whether he could leave here alive.

If the Third Boss didn’t go out—or sealed the door when he did—Mo Hua would be trapped inside this blood-stained alchemy chamber for good.

He had never studied demonic formations before and didn’t know if he could unravel one.

If not, he’d be stuck here forever—with that white-bone alchemy furnace and the half-crazed pig demon for company.

Mo Hua racked his brain for a long time but found no solution.

Since there was no way out, he could only wait patiently.

Patience in waiting for an opportunity—this too was a necessary trait of a demon hunter.

Mo Hua wasn’t just a demon hunter; he was also a formation master.

He could sit still and draw formations for an entire day; waiting patiently for a chance to escape was nothing in comparison.

He lay motionless atop the ceiling beam, silently waiting.

He didn’t know how much time passed before he suddenly heard footsteps outside the door.

Mo Hua’s heart skipped a beat. “Could it be that Fourth Boss is back…?”

If that were true, it would be trouble.

The Third Boss had profound Divine-Sense; the Fourth Boss had sharp perception. If the two were together, the risk of his concealment technique being discovered would rise drastically.

Mo Hua focused intently.

A moment later, a shadow appeared at the doorway—it was the old demonic cultivator stationed outside, not the Fourth Boss.

Mo Hua let out a quiet sigh of relief.

The old man stood respectfully at the door for a moment.

The Third Boss sensed his presence, carefully put away the Visualization Diagram, and said evenly,

“Enter.”

The old man walked in, stepped forward, and whispered something.

Mo Hua couldn’t catch the words clearly—just faint fragments like “movement from the demon hunters…,” “something happened in the inner mountain…,” and “perhaps Fourth Boss caused trouble…”

Mo Hua frowned in confusion. “Something happened in the inner mountain?”

After listening, the Third Boss furrowed his brows.

“Understood. I’ll take a look.”

The old man bowed and respectfully withdrew.

The Third Boss sat cross-legged for a moment in contemplation, then rose to his feet to leave.

Halfway to the door, however, he paused, turned back, and paced around the alchemy chamber as if uneasy. Finally, from his storage pouch, he once again carefully took out the Visualization Diagram.

He lifted the meditation cushion beneath him and pressed a finger to the floor. Formation lines shimmered briefly; the stone slabs sank, revealing a hidden compartment.

He placed the Visualization Diagram inside and resealed the compartment with a formation. Only then did he nod in satisfaction.

If any incident occurred during his outing tonight, there might be conflict.

If by misfortune he lost the Visualization Diagram—it would feel worse than losing his own heart.

This blood-stained alchemy chamber lay deep within Black Mountain Fortress. Normally, no one dared approach it.

Even if someone did, no one would know that beneath this cushion was a secret compartment—much less that within it lay a Visualization Diagram.

And within this fortress, there was certainly no one capable of undoing his formation seal.

Having secured everything to his satisfaction, the Third Boss finally relaxed completely.

He left the chamber, resealed the blood formation, and shut the beast-shaped bronze gate behind him.

A harsh, grating sound echoed as the gate closed, sealing the room in silence. The crimson glow within deepened ominously.

The Third Boss departed, unaware that everything he’d done had been witnessed in full by Mo Hua from the beam above.

Mo Hua waited a while longer, ensuring the Third Boss was truly gone, then quietly dropped down from his hiding spot.

He first approached the bronze beast gate.

It had been completely sealed, the formation already activated.

Without the key—the white skull—there was no way to open it.

Even with the key, it couldn’t be opened from the inside.

Mo Hua scanned the formation with his Divine-Sense and sighed softly.

The entire door was covered in demonic formation patterns—he had no understanding of them and no idea how to break through.

“Seems I won’t be leaving anytime soon…”

He sighed again.

Since he couldn’t leave, he might as well take a look at the Third Boss’s diagram.

Spirit renewed, Mo Hua turned back toward the alchemy chamber.

Inside, the bone furnace still flickered with its eerie flame, and the massive pig demon lay there, covered in blood.

Mo Hua went to where the Third Boss had been meditating and lifted the cushion.

There was nothing underneath.

But when he observed with his Divine-Sense, he could see the interlocking traces of a formation beneath the surface.

Such a formation might deceive ordinary cultivators—but not a fellow formation master.

Unless the gap in skill between them was enormous.

Though the Third Boss was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was only a First-Grade Formation Master.

In terms of formation skill, he and Mo Hua were roughly on par—each with areas of strength and weakness.

Mo Hua examined the seal on the hidden compartment.

It was composed of a Concealment Array combined with a Reinforcing Gold-Stone Sub-array.

“Good—at least it’s not a demonic formation,” Mo Hua murmured.

The Third Boss had likely avoided using demonic formations because they would stand out too much for something meant to be hidden. The concealment-plus-reinforcement combo was subtler and sturdier.

After all, near Tōngxiān City, few First-Grade formation masters could draw such arrays—let alone decipher them.

But Mo Hua was the exception.

When it came to demonic arrays, he was helpless—but with orthodox formations, especially First-Grade Five-Element formations, he could handle them with ease.

Within moments, Mo Hua had dismantled the Third Boss’s elaborate array, even preserving it perfectly so that the hidden compartment itself wasn’t damaged in the slightest.

He nodded quietly to himself, thinking,

“Mister Zhuang’s method for unraveling formations really is incredible.”

Without it, sneaking into Black Mountain Fortress would’ve been impossible.

Having undone the formation, Mo Hua carefully opened the secret compartment and took out the Visualization Diagram inside.

The diagram was ancient—its material looked like a blend between paper and hide, folded tightly so that its contents were hidden from view.

Mo Hua was about to open it for a peek when he suddenly froze.

He remembered Mister Zhuang’s warning:

“Visualization Diagrams are extremely rare, but also harbor great peril. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, never touch them lightly…”

Mo Hua’s heart tightened.

If Mister Zhuang was right, opening this thing recklessly could bring unforeseen danger.

He had always taken Mister Zhuang’s words to heart.

If the old man said the diagram was dangerous, then best not to mess with it until he knew more.

But now that it was in his hands—should he just put it back?

He hesitated.

The Third Boss used this very diagram to strengthen his Divine-Sense, learn more demonic arrays, and commit countless evil acts.

Even if Mo Hua didn’t keep it, he couldn’t allow it to fall back into that man’s hands.

“What should I do…?”

Then suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind.

If it was dangerous, he simply wouldn’t open it yet. He could take it back and ask Mister Zhuang first.

If Mister Zhuang said it was fine, he’d study it.

If Mister Zhuang said it was dangerous, he’d throw it into a furnace and burn it to ashes.

That seemed safest.

Satisfied with his plan, Mo Hua prepared to put the diagram into his Storage Ring.

But as he shifted it slightly, the corner of the diagram caught his eye.

He caught a glimpse of something—an image of moss-covered rocks.

Curious, he paused.

Almost without realizing it, he began to unfold the diagram—bit by bit, slowly.

When he finally came to his senses, his heart sank.

“What am I doing?!”

Cold sweat drenched his back.

He hadn’t intended to—hadn’t wanted to—but it was as if something unseen had compelled him to open it.

He clenched his teeth, trying to fold it shut again—but it was already too late.

The diagram was fully unfurled.

Before him lay the complete Visualization Diagram, every detail vivid and lifelike.

Mo Hua’s eyes widened as he finally saw what was depicted.

It was a painting of mountains, rivers, and a lone figure.

Distant green peaks, a stream flowing nearby; moss growing on wet stones, creeping up the mountainside.

Atop one rocky outcrop sat a small Daoist child, seemingly reciting scripture.

The scene radiated serene, celestial tranquility.

Mo Hua blinked.

So this is a Visualization Diagram?

What does it mean…?

As he pondered, he suddenly saw the little Daoist child smile at him.

The smile was pure and innocent.

Startled, Mo Hua instinctively smiled back.

His expression was equally clear and childlike—almost mirroring the little Daoist’s.

But then his smile froze and faded as a chill crept through his heart.

The Daoist child’s innocent smile had gradually twisted—warped by traces of evil.

The evil turned strange—then hideous.

The child’s grin grew more and more grotesque, until suddenly—his skin tore away like paper.

Beneath it crawled out a green-faced, fanged imp.

Its eyes gleamed like copper bells, fixed hungrily on Mo Hua, as though beholding a priceless delicacy.

Before Mo Hua could react, the imp lunged out of the painting—shrinking to palm-size midair—then struck his brow like lightning.

Its claws ripped through his mental barrier and burrowed straight into his Sea of Consciousness.