Chapter 1094: The Shadow of a Monster
Mo Hua was shocked for a long time, then suddenly realized—no wonder the Second Elder of the Great Wilderness had said that this was a life-bound formation more suited for him.
With the aid of the formation, and the integration of spiritual remains, the shortcomings of his spiritual roots could be overcome, and the lack of spiritual power compensated for.
It would turn him into a truly powerful—perhaps even terrifying—spiritual cultivator.
Cultivation is the foundation; spiritual power is the base.
The stronger one's spiritual power, the more they could accomplish.
By comparison, while the Four Symbols Azure Dragon Formation was good—very powerful, in fact—it was ultimately only a second-rank formation with twenty lines. The number of lines was still low, and thus failed to catch Mo Hua's discerning "eye for formations."
Moreover, the Azure Dragon Formation enhanced the physical body.
And physical strength was mutually dependent.
The stronger the physical power, the higher the requirement for the physical body's resilience.
With Mo Hua's own frail body, he simply couldn't bear the load of the Azure Dragon Formation.
Even if he could withstand the burden and successfully refine the Azure Dragon Formation, his physical foundation was so abysmally weak that there wasn't much point in patching it up.
Rather than compensating for a glaring weakness to the point of mediocrity…
It would be better to amplify his strengths to the extreme.
As for the issue of "defense"...
Mo Hua stroked his chin in contemplation.
He had the Heavenly Secrets Divination Art, as well as Uncle Zhang Lan's Flowing Water Step, and the Water Prison Sect's top-tier movement technique, Water Phantom Body.
Avoid danger with karma; evade death with movement.
If neither karma nor movement could dodge incoming killing blows, relying on his soft, delicate frame to endure them head-on was simply unrealistic.
Not to mention… the karmic dream omen of "a glutton devouring a dragon"...
Mo Hua nodded to himself, completely abandoning the Four Symbols Azure Dragon Formation. He firmly resolved to do whatever it took to refine the Twelve Meridians Gluttonous Spirit Remains Formation of the Barbarian Wilderness into his life-bound formation.
But many problems soon followed.
Mo Hua placed the Great Wilderness bone slip against his forehead and sank his divine sense into it, flipping to the later pages.
The contents that followed were the final array diagrams of the Twelve Meridians Gluttonous Spirit Remains Formation.
Mo Hua indeed sensed a wild, ancient, and ferocious aura. Within his divine sense, he could faintly see a few ancient, mysterious, and grotesquely majestic Gluttonous Beast patterns.
But that was all.
To glimpse even a few of those patterns was already the limit. The rest of the formation diagrams were completely obscured.
Mo Hua frowned.
"Is it because my divine sense realm isn't strong enough, so I can't see the full diagram?"
"Should I ask someone else to look and tell me?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head.
This was a life-bound formation diagram—something tied to his very life and Dao path, an extremely secret matter. It was not appropriate to let others see it.
Even with Elder Xun, he couldn't disclose the specific array patterns.
If the secrets of Heaven were leaked, it would be equivalent to handing over his life to someone else.
"I can only wait until my divine sense grows stronger, then study it bit by bit, comprehend it step by step…"
"There's also…"
Mo Hua furrowed his brow again, realizing another thorny issue.
How was he supposed to refine this formation?
The Gluttonous Beast Spirit Remains Formation… surely it didn't mean carving the formation onto his actual bones?
Using bones as the medium? Wouldn't that make it an evil formation?
Mo Hua reconsidered—perhaps not.
An evil formation required killing, flaying, bone-stripping, bloodletting, slaughtering others, instilling fear, and driving oneself mad—that's what made it evil.
Carving a formation on one's own bones, without harming anyone… shouldn't be a problem.
But then another issue arose.
How could he carve a formation onto his own bones?
Surely it wasn't suggesting that he cut himself open, pull out his bones, inscribe the array line by line, and then sew the bones back in?
Wouldn't that be unbearable pain?
Moreover, there were a whole set of foundational formation questions:
What kind of ink should be used?
What medium should carry it—was it really one's own bones?
What kind of brush?
What is the formation's core? How should the nodes be arranged?
…
Just thinking about it made Mo Hua's scalp go numb.
He carefully reread the annotations and interpretations of the Great Wilderness ancient text.
There were only a few vague lines about how to integrate the Twelve Meridians, the bones of the Zhou Tian cycle, and the Gluttonous Beast Formation into one.
Whether that was deliberate omission or simply considered too basic to document within the Great Wilderness orthodoxy remained unclear…
As expected, there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
Especially when this involved the deep and obscure concepts of the barbarian wilderness abyss, Great Wilderness shamans, ferocious Gluttonous Beasts, a twenty-four-line ultimate formation, embedded spiritual remains—such complex cultivation doctrines and karmic forces were never going to be easy.
To think it could be done in one go was just unrealistic.
Mo Hua sighed.
"Forget it. I'll figure it out slowly."
For a cultivator to walk the Dao, forge a life-bound formation, and form a Golden Core—none of these were things to be done overnight.
As long as he was willing to persist, to dedicate himself with effort and patience, perhaps someday—when fate smiled upon him—everything would fall into place.
Until then, all he could do was prepare.
Mo Hua calmed himself. In the days that followed, he cultivated, reviewed formations, and continued studying the Great Wilderness ancient texts.
Whenever he had time, he'd simulate and deduce various changes and possibilities in his mind, laying the groundwork for eventually refining the Gluttonous Spirit Remains Formation into his life-bound array.
Occasionally, he'd even try sketching a few Gluttonous Beast patterns.
Even though his divine sense wasn't yet sufficient to fully perceive or learn the Twelve Meridians Gluttonous Spirit Remains Formation, that didn't stop him from casually sketching a few strokes of the beastly patterns to satisfy his curiosity.
Thus, his days suddenly became peaceful and fulfilling.
During this period, Mo Hua was almost completely "cut off from the world," focused on recovery and contemplating his life-bound formation.
No one else could enter the rear mountains of the Great Void Sect to see him.
There was, however, one exception.
One day, after Mo Hua finished studying the ancient texts and returned to his cave dwelling from the Scripture Repository, he encountered a refined and handsome cultivator in his courtyard. He was visibly surprised:
"Uncle Shangguan?"
The man, cultured and dignified, was none other than Shangguan Yi.
He was the only son of Shangguan Ce, head of the Shangguan family, and the husband of Wenren Wan, father of Yu'er.
Upon seeing Mo Hua, Shangguan Yi said, "I asked Elder Xun to grant me permission to see you."
Mo Hua nodded and asked, "Uncle Shangguan, what did you need to see me about?"
Shangguan Yi paused, then suddenly bowed deeply and respectfully to Mo Hua.
Startled, Mo Hua quickly stepped aside, "Uncle Shangguan, what are you doing?"
Shangguan Yi exhaled deeply and solemnly said, "Regarding Wan'er and Yu'er… thank you."
Mo Hua had initially intended to say "There's no need to thank me," but then recalled the matter involved the secret of an evil god—it couldn't be made public.
Elder Xun and Master Situ had both warned him not to reveal anything.
So he said, "I didn't do much…"
Shangguan Yi shook his head. From the look in his eyes, it was clear he knew something about what had happened behind the scenes.
But he chose not to expose it.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and asked, "How are Aunt Wan and Yu'er doing?"
Shangguan Yi nodded slowly, "Wan'er… suffered some injuries and is still recovering. Yu'er was badly frightened and needs time to recover… but they're both alright. Nothing serious anymore."
"It's just that the current situation is very unstable. Master Situ specifically instructed that they remain indoors, so nothing unexpected happens."
Mo Hua nodded, "That's good…"
This was indeed a sensitive time. He himself had been "grounded" by Elder Xun and couldn't leave the rear mountains.
Mo Hua then asked about the traitor of the Shangguan family—Shangguan Wang—and learned that he had been expelled from the family. His entire bloodline had been implicated and "purged"…
Those with positions lost them, those with power were stripped of it. All disciples of that bloodline—some had their names erased and were expelled, the rest were either assigned to minor family businesses or completely marginalized.
Shangguan Wang had been cursed as a "mangy old dog" and a "disgrace," scorned by everyone.
Mo Hua couldn't help but feel emotional.
A lifetime spent chasing fame and fortune, ending in total ruin.
An obsession with immortality, only to die with not even a corpse left behind.
If Shangguan Wang knew that this was his final fate… who knows what he would've thought, or chosen instead…
Afterward, Mo Hua and Shangguan Yi chatted about some trivial matters before the latter prepared to leave.
He had already received special permission from Elder Xun to see Mo Hua. Now that he saw Mo Hua safe and well, he felt relieved and didn't want to disturb his recovery any longer.
"Mo Hua," before leaving, Shangguan Yi looked at him seriously and said, "If you ever need anything, I, Shangguan Yi, will go through fire and water without hesitation…"
Mo Hua was startled again and quickly waved it off, "Uncle Shangguan, that's too much…"
Aunt Wan had been kind to him. In fact, he had only been accepted into the Great Void Sect thanks to her.
He also liked Yu'er as a person and always saw him as a younger brother.
They were in trouble—of course Mo Hua would help. There was no need for such deep gratitude.
Shangguan Yi said no more, only clasped his hands. "I won't disturb you further. Take care."
Mo Hua returned the gesture. "Take care."
The two parted ways.
As Shangguan Yi left the cave dwelling and walked halfway down the mountain path, he looked back one more time, his gaze complex.
He thought about how he had almost lost the wife and child he loved most, and fear surged in his heart.
Now that the ordeal had passed, Shangguan Yi felt a rare sense of "surviving calamity."
He let out a long sigh and muttered bitterly with a wry smile:
"This debt of gratitude… even if I became a beast of burden, I still wouldn't be able to repay it…"
…
As for that gratitude— Mo Hua honestly didn't give it much thought.
Mo Hua didn't really take sentiments like "gratitude" to heart.
The world was full of great suffering.
Much of that suffering was beyond his ability to help—he couldn't change very much.
But at the very least, he hoped those around him could live in peace and safety, with happiness and well-being.
Only…
Mo Hua lifted his head, looking in the direction Shangguan Yi had left, and frowned.
"Yu'er, he…"
Mo Hua fell silent for a moment, lost in thought.
…
The days that followed passed as calmly as ever.
Mo Hua continued his "confinement," living in peaceful seclusion.
Until one day, Elder Xun came to find him in person and said, "The results of the Sword Debate are in."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "Then… the Great Void Sect…"
Elder Xun sighed, as if a great weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders. The tension and negotiations of these past days had finally borne fruit.
He nodded. "Thanks to you, we've taken first place in the Sword Debate."
Mo Hua was overjoyed. His eyes sparkled with light.
Even the usually stern Elder Xun couldn't help but show a gentle smile at the sight of Mo Hua's expression.
As the sect's elder patriarch, he had never dreamed that the Great Void Sect would truly surpass the top sects of Qianxue and seize first place in the Sword Debate.
Three sects united—first in the Sword Debate.
The old ancestors of the Great Void, deep in the Nine Springs, must have made some tremendous vow, to have truly sent their sect a "treasure" capable of defying fate.
At this point, Mo Hua's status in the sect—calling him a "little patriarch" might not even be an exaggeration.
Not only the Great Void Mountain, but even the heads and elders of Mount Tai'a and Mount Chongxu were now itching to erect a tablet for Mo Hua in their ancestral halls and burn incense for him daily.
Of course, Elder Xun didn't tell Mo Hua all that—he didn't want him to get cocky.
Mo Hua was still immersed in joy, and after a moment, he asked again:
"Then our Great Void Sect… is now one of the Four Great Sects of Qianxue? And… even ranked first among them?"
Elder Xun nodded. "That's how it looks. But as for the exact ranking, and how resources and influence are divided—there are many vested interests involved. The final decision still needs to be approved by the Dao Court's Tianquan Pavilion. So until the dust fully settles, it'll take some time…"
Mo Hua asked curiously, "Would the other Four Great Sects really accept this outcome?"
"They have no choice. The results are plain to see. Besides…" Elder Xun added, "Time is pressing. A result had to be given."
"This is the Dao Debate Conference—it's not just swordplay. There are also debates on pills, formations, talismans, and tools. If the Sword Debate yields no conclusion, the rest can't proceed."
Mo Hua couldn't help but ask, "But with the blood sacrifice calamity being so serious, should we really still hold the rest of the Dao Debates?"
Elder Xun nodded. "Precisely because of the seriousness of the calamity, these traditional grand events must not be canceled. Otherwise, it would only deepen public panic."
"The Dao Debates now serve to gather people and stabilize hearts."
"At the debates, the Dao Court and all the major families and sects of Qianxue will also announce a batch of spirit stones and resources, to aid rogue cultivators and rebuild cities damaged in the blood sacrifice."
"This is also a good thing…"
Mo Hua nodded.
Then Elder Xun turned to him. "You'll be participating in the Formation Dao Debate this time."
Mo Hua froze. "I can go out?"
"Yes," Elder Xun nodded. "You should go out and show your face."
The rumors surrounding Mo Hua had been brewing for some time, and they could no longer be held back.
Fame invites trouble.
As the number one in Formation Dao, and after his overwhelming performance at the Sword Debate, Mo Hua's fame had grown too bright. It invited both envy and hatred.
Though no one dared act openly, all kinds of slander and gossip were flying around behind the scenes.
People's hearts are unpredictable, easily filled with malice, and with a few agitators stirring the pot, all kinds of rumors had spread.
Some claimed Mo Hua had "fallen to demonic ways," and the reason he hadn't shown himself was because he was afraid others would notice.
Some said he was colluding with the demonic path—that he was the mastermind behind the blood sacrifice formation.
Others questioned how, during the Sword Debate, he could suppress Qianxue's four proudest bloodline prodigies, as well as the senior disciple of the Da Luo Sect—despite being a mere late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with poor spiritual roots.
They insisted he must have taken on a demonic form, relying on sinister and despicable hidden techniques.
Rumors like these—responding often makes things worse, as it's seen as "arguing."
But saying nothing is seen as "fear"—an admission of guilt.
"So," Elder Xun said meaningfully, "you don't need to say anything—nothing you say will help. Just appear once at the Formation Dao Debate. Let everyone see you."
Mo Hua nodded, though still uncertain. "So… what should I do at the debate?"
"Tone it down. Act average. Just win first place simply and plainly."
Elder Xun said it lightly.
Mo Hua: "…"
Tone it down. Act average. Simply and plainly… win first place?
Can those words even be used in the same sentence?
Still, Mo Hua understood what Elder Xun meant and nodded. "Alright. I'll tone it down."
…
Three days later, the Dao Debate Conference resumed.
Three days later, the Dao Discussion Conference resumed.
Though the number of spectators had noticeably decreased compared to before, the crowd still stretched as far as the eye could see.
Another seven days passed, and it was finally the day of the Formation Dao Conference.
On this day, Mo Hua—who had been confined to the back mountain by Elder Xun and had not shown his face for quite some time—appeared before everyone for the first time.
Wearing the robes of the Great Void Sect, his figure was slender, his fair face delicate like a painting, with bright eyes—he looked almost exactly the same as before.
Except that he was even thinner now, and his eyes shone more brightly.
On the viewing platform, countless cultivators and disciples whispered among themselves.
This was the most highly attended session since the conference resumed.
Nearly every gaze was fixed on Mo Hua.
Rumors and gossip about him surged like an undercurrent, sweeping back and forth through the crowd like waves.
Mo Hua, however, remembered Elder Xun's advice: stay low-key, be restrained, act modestly and simply, and remain calm within. So he paid no mind to the looks or chatter around him.
The senior members of the major clans and sects were all watching Mo Hua closely, each with different thoughts, but none spoke a word.
In the stands, Gu Changhuai, Zhang Lan, and the elders and disciples of the Great Void Sect—who had all been deeply worried about Mo Hua—breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing him safe and sound, with his usual demeanor.
The elders of the Dao Discussion Mountain, however, felt the opposite.
They were all on edge, as if facing a great enemy, staring intently at Mo Hua—who had long been blacklisted—terrified that this kid would pull something crazy again and turn their mountain upside down.
Logically, formation debates shouldn't cause as much of a stir as sword duels.
But the problem was—Mo Hua was someone who didn't operate by logic.
In this tense and delicate atmosphere, the Formation Dao Conference officially began.
Mo Hua was seated in the very front row, first seat—on a solitary chair, no less—radiating the aura of someone "sitting alone atop the peak."
Mo Hua sighed helplessly. He had wanted to keep a low profile.
But there was no helping it—his strength didn't allow for that.
He was the "Formation Dao Champion."
There had never been a precedent of a Formation Dao Champion participating in the Formation Dao Conference. As such, he had no choice but to sit at the very front, alone, under the eyes of all.
Mo Hua felt a little uncomfortable.
However, he had seen far grander scenes, so he quickly calmed his mind.
Next came the presentation of questions—the examination.
The entire process was largely the same as in previous years.
Those who could draw the formation stayed; those who couldn't left.
Each disciple was allowed three mistakes.
To Mo Hua, it all felt familiar, friendly... and a bit boring.
Because these formations were simply too easy.
While formation abilities among disciples didn't vary much from year to year, Mo Hua had become far, far stronger than he was three years ago.
Now possessing twenty-strand divine sense and a Golden Core, having studied absolute formations and the Blood Sacrifice Formation Core, his understanding of formations had reached a whole new level. He'd even shattered the mighty Blood Sacrifice Grand Array.
Looking back now, redrawing those formations from three years ago at this conference felt to Mo Hua like playing house with children.
"Restrain yourself…"
Mo Hua sighed, then picked up his brush and lazily yet methodically began drawing formations on the parchment.
No matter the formation, he always wore that same listless expression, drawing slowly and casually.
Mo Hua thought he was being restrained enough—but what he didn't realize was how much pressure his "laziness" was putting on the young geniuses behind him.
Everyone present was a formation cultivator—a prodigy of Formation Dao—and none could possibly be unaware of who Mo Hua was.
None could be ignorant of his achievements.
Nor could they have missed witnessing his unfathomably profound and miraculous formation skills.
In fact, many still vividly remembered the breathtaking scenes from the recent Sword Dao Conference.
Now, Mo Hua stood alone before them all.
All the formation prodigies could see only his back.
That back was not especially tall—but it carried an overwhelming depth.
It was like a towering mountain in the path of Formation Dao, utterly unreachable.
A chasm no one could ever hope to cross.
Worse still, none of them even knew how high that mountain was—or how deep that chasm went.
A gap in skill is not what's terrifying.
What's terrifying is when you cannot even see where the gap lies.
Those who don't study formations cannot grasp how fearsome Mo Hua is.
Only those who study it—and reach a certain level—can truly feel the despair brought by this "monster."
So even though Mo Hua looked lazy…
His profound presence blanketed the entire arena.
Behind him, countless formation geniuses felt as though they were trapped in the shadow of a "freak of nature," cold sweat soaking their backs, their hands trembling uncontrollably as they gripped their formation brushes…
(End of this Chapter)