Chapter 288: Divine-Sense Foundation Establishment
Mo Hua completely collapsed to the ground.
He was utterly exhausted.
That blue-faced little ghost had devoured who knows how many people’s Divine-Sense — the spiritual will it had condensed was vast beyond measure.
Mo Hua had no idea how many formations he had drawn before finally exhausting all of that ghost’s divine will.
Before him, the Dao Monument was covered in formation patterns — layer upon layer, interwoven densely together, forming an intricate and dizzying complexity.
Mo Hua wanted to erase them all, but hesitated.
If he erased these formations, would the Divine-Sense consumed by drawing them somehow return, flooding back into his own Sea of Consciousness?
Unsure, Mo Hua decided to test it first.
He extended his hand and wiped away a single first-grade Five-Element basic formation.
His Divine-Sense did not return.
Mo Hua rested his chin in his palm and pondered for a moment — then it dawned on him.
The power consumed to draw these formations wasn’t his Divine-Sense, but rather that of the blue-faced ghost’s will.
So even if the formations were erased, there would be no “reversion” of spiritual power.
After all, the divine energy he used never belonged to him.
Relieved, Mo Hua wiped away the remaining formations.
The surface of the Dao Monument returned to blank emptiness, save for a single ten-pattern Spirit-Reversal Array.
The completed Spirit-Reversal Array radiated an ancient and profound beauty — the glow running through its runes was deep and resplendent.
Mo Hua couldn’t help but fall into a trance.
This was a formation that contained an anomaly of the Heavenly Dao — one that transcended first-grade formation principles — and he had drawn it himself.
A pity that it was done by borrowing the divine will of that visualization scroll.
Mo Hua felt a touch of regret, mingled with awe.
“The art of formations truly is vast and boundless… I still have so much to learn.”
He admired it for a while longer, reluctant to part, then finally reached out and began to erase the Spirit-Reversal Array.
He had barely wiped a single stroke when his heart suddenly trembled — his eyes widened.
He could feel his own Divine-Sense returning!
Mo Hua was stunned.
Could it be… this formation had actually been drawn using his own Divine-Sense?
His heartbeat quickened violently.
He fixed his gaze and wiped away the entire Spirit-Reversal Array.
At that moment, an immense, surging tide of Divine-Sense rushed back into his Sea of Consciousness!
This Divine-Sense was incomparably vast — far deeper and stronger than before.
It was the Divine-Sense of the Foundation Establishment Realm!
Mo Hua could hardly believe it.
“My Divine-Sense… is already comparable to Foundation Establishment?”
His emotions roiled, but after a moment he forced himself to calm down. He picked up his brush again and began redrawing the Spirit-Reversal Array upon the Dao Monument.
Stroke after stroke, he worked with absolute focus.
By the time nine and a half runes were drawn, his Divine-Sense was still plentiful.
Suppressing his excitement, he continued.
When the last line was completed, Mo Hua’s Divine-Sense was nearly exhausted — yet the full Spirit-Reversal Array shone once more upon the monument.
This confirmed it beyond doubt — he had drawn it completely by relying on his own Divine-Sense!
He was still in the Qi-Refining Realm, yet already possessed Divine-Sense on par with Foundation Establishment!
The bottleneck of the Celestial Evolution Art lay in Divine-Sense.
Now, that bottleneck no longer existed.
The gate to Foundation Establishment had opened. As long as he continued cultivating until reaching the peak of Qi-Refining, he would truly step into Foundation Establishment.
In truth, he already had one foot across the threshold.
Mo Hua let out a long exhale, a smile unconsciously spreading across his face.
To reach Foundation Establishment was to take the first true step toward seeking the Dao and pursuing immortality — to lay the cornerstone of the Great Path.
This was the barrier that trapped countless Qi-Refining rogue cultivators.
Now, he stood just one final step away from crossing it.
From here, all that remained was to cultivate steadily — once he reached the perfection of the ninth layer, he could attempt Foundation Establishment.
Mo Hua was overjoyed.
After a while, he suddenly smacked his own forehead.
“Almost forgot — I’m still inside Black Mountain Stronghold! Now’s not the time to celebrate. I need to think of a way to escape first.”
He wiped away the Spirit-Reversal Array, let his Divine-Sense return and fill his Sea of Consciousness, then withdrew from that inner realm.
Opening his eyes, Mo Hua glanced around — and froze.
Someone was standing there, silently watching him.
It was the Third Chief of Black Mountain Stronghold — the very Evil Formation Master who possessed the visualization scroll!
Mo Hua forced his expression to remain calm, but inside his heart pounded like thunder.
He was doomed!
How long had this man been standing there? How much had he seen?
While Mo Hua had been entangled with the blue-faced ghost and then consuming its divine will through countless formations, a long time must have passed — likely enough for the Third Chief to finish his business and return.
What should he do?
Mo Hua’s mind raced. He mustn’t panic. He mustn’t show fear. When the enemy makes no move, neither must he — he couldn’t let the man see through him.
He sat motionless, his face calm, quietly watching the Third Chief.
The Third Chief also stared silently at Mo Hua, expression unreadable, though inwardly he was filled with suspicion.
Where had this little brat come from?
He had only gone out briefly — he had even sealed the blood formation and locked the beast gate before leaving — and now, upon returning, there was suddenly a strange boy sitting cross-legged on his meditation mat!
Impossible.
He knew better than anyone what kind of place Black Mountain Stronghold was.
How could a child suddenly appear — silently — inside this deepest alchemy chamber?
Something abnormal always hides something sinister.
Unable to gauge this child’s background, the Third Chief didn’t dare act rashly.
Thus, the two simply stared at one another for a long time — eyes locked, expressions calm, minds racing.
Both were pretending composure, while both were deeply wary.
After what felt like an eternity, the Third Chief was the first to lose patience.
He had initially swept his Divine-Sense over the boy briefly but had discovered nothing and didn’t dare pry too deeply.
But this standoff couldn’t continue. He didn’t have time for it.
Grinding his teeth, he released his Divine-Sense in full, probing Mo Hua with all his strength.
The instant his Divine-Sense touched Mo Hua — it plunged into an abyss.
A boundless, unfathomable abyss.
The Third Chief’s heart jolted in terror.
Such deep Divine-Sense… it rivaled Foundation Establishment!
This brat’s cultivation aura was clearly only that of Qi-Refining — how could his Divine-Sense be at the Foundation Establishment level?!
No — perhaps it was even beyond that.
The youth’s Divine-Sense was hazy, indistinct — perhaps it was higher than Foundation Establishment, merely beyond his ability to perceive.
Cold sweat poured down the Third Chief’s back.
A single thought suddenly flashed across his mind—
Soul-Seizing Possession!
A forbidden demonic art of reversing fate and stealing life!
The Heavenly Dao governs life and death — all cultivators not ascended to immortality must eventually perish.
Even those with heaven-shaking cultivation, when their lifespan ends, cannot escape death.
Thus, those unable to transcend often created secret arts to deceive the heavens and prolong their lives.
Among these, Soul-Seizing Possession was the most terrifying — condemned by the Dao Court, transmitted only among the most ancient Demonic Patriarchs who had lived for centuries or millennia.
The Third Chief’s blood ran cold.
A demonic forbidden art — a soul-seizing possession!
Could this boy be… an ancient monster who had stolen a child’s body?!
He looked again at Mo Hua, who still gazed at him calmly — neither nervous nor afraid, emotions unreadable.
No normal child could face him with such composure!
The Third Chief’s conviction solidified. After a long hesitation, he finally bowed stiffly and said in a low voice:
“Senior… may I ask what brings you here?”
Mo Hua, unaware of the man’s thoughts, was still feigning calm and trying to think of what to say.
When he heard this, he froze — then, in a flash of inspiration, his lips curled into a sly grin.
That smile was pure yet wicked, innocent yet eerie — like a mischievous demon wearing a child’s skin.
“I was hungry,” Mo Hua said softly. “I want to eat someone.”
(End of Chapter)