Chapter 1101: Heavenly Demon
Mo Hua silently stared at the strange void rift in the room, frowning.
"Is this a void transmission created by Ancestor?"
"Or is something else playing tricks?"
"How is Ancestor now… really?"
Mo Hua's expression was somewhat grave.
Should he go in?
After a moment of thought, Mo Hua shook his head.
At this time, at this critical juncture, it was obvious even without thinking—this rift was problematic.
Not to mention the cold and sinister aura emanating from within.
He couldn't even be sure where the rift led.
Naturally, he wouldn't go in.
Ignoring the void rift, Mo Hua lay back on the bed and closed his eyes to rest.
Void transmission was an ability of the Void Realm. He wasn't at that realm and couldn't interfere—so he might as well leave it alone.
Anomalies shouldn't be tolerated near one's bed.
But that applied to ordinary people.
Mo Hua dealt with strange things every day; he even wore an evil god around his neck—he was long used to it.
The pitch-black, icy void rift hung across the room, exuding a dangerous aura.
Mo Hua acted like it wasn't there. But moments later, familiar voices began to echo in his ears.
Aged, firm, and stubborn—it was Ancestor Dugu's voice.
Ancestor Dugu was passing a sword technique to him.
Then came Elder Xun, patiently guiding him in formation studies.
His junior disciples called him "Senior Brother."
Then his parents, his childhood playmates, the uncles and aunts from Tongxian City—all talking to him.
Faintly, he could even hear his senior brother Bai Zisheng excitedly calling him to go watch a demon-hunting play.
And his senior sister, softly calling his name…
"Mo Hua…"
Mo Hua slowly opened his eyes, his expression sinking. He stared coldly at the eerie rift.
"Trying to tempt me?"
"I'd like to see what dares to tempt me…"
Mo Hua stood up, his eyes deep and unfathomable, stepping toward the rift. Then, just as before, he walked into it, crossing through space.
The world spun, dim and shadowed. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a deathly silent mountain forest, filled with broken tombs and ruined swords.
This was the forbidden Sword Tomb behind the Great Void Sect.
But it was different from the one in his memory.
All around were suppressive formations—golden chains sealed the area tightly, and powerful sealing forces filled the air.
Even the scenery wavered—both real and illusory.
Mo Hua couldn't tell whether this was a dream or reality.
Just then, an extremely cold and powerful demonic aura surged in.
The entire forbidden zone was instantly engulfed by a howling black wind.
The sealing formations activated at full power, shining with blinding light. The golden chains trembled violently.
Something big was about to emerge.
Mo Hua's face changed. He turned toward the sound and saw, far away, the sky torn open. From the rift, a massive claw shrouded in vengeful black mist reached out.
Almost at the same moment, a pure white sword light shot into the sky, filled with overwhelming sword intent, and directly severed the demonic claw.
Ancestor Dugu!
Mo Hua was stunned. Looking over, he saw Ancestor Dugu seated solemnly in front of a lonely grave beneath the sky rift, sword intent coalescing at his fingertips—sharp, pure, and utterly lethal.
It was the first time Mo Hua saw Ancestor Dugu wielding his divine sense as a sword.
And it was the strongest divine sense attack Mo Hua had ever witnessed.
That terrifying sword intent radiated such pressure that Mo Hua's skin tingled like it was being pricked by needles.
Mo Hua shivered slightly.
"This is the true… Great Void Divine Sense Sword…"
"Forged from a lifetime of devotion to the sword path—without mixing in other laws—the purest, most refined God-Slaying Sword style…"
Mo Hua's God-Slaying Sword was a "cheat"—a mishmash of various techniques.
But this sword before him was the pinnacle of pure swordsmanship, honed over a lifetime.
This was Ancestor Dugu's divine sense sword.
For a moment, Mo Hua was awed.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity…
He instinctively focused entirely on the sword light, silently contemplating and comprehending the purest, most exquisite essence of Ancestor Dugu's divine sword manifestation.
Using it to iterate and refine his own God-Slaying Sword technique.
Meanwhile, as the demonic claw was severed, the rift in the sky resounded with eerie, genderless howls. A moment later, another claw reached out.
Another sword light surged forth.
And again, Ancestor Dugu severed the demonic claw.
More waves of demonic thoughts from beyond the domain continued to invade, but each one was utterly annihilated by Ancestor Dugu's divine sword.
Mo Hua was shaken as he watched. Then his expression changed—he looked up.
From the rift above, demonic energy surged violently—revealing a massive head.
This enormous head had no face or features, only a pale-white skull.
But on that whiteness, black demonic energy thick like ink continuously sketched countless human expressions—joy, anger, sorrow, ferocity, fear—shifting like ukiyo-e, cycling through the myriad states of mortal emotion.
"That's… a Heavenly Demon?"
A Hundred-Faced Heavenly Demon?
Mo Hua's pupils shrank.
At the same time, Ancestor Dugu's eyes burst with terrifying sharpness.
"Wretched spawn!"
Ancestor Dugu gave a low shout. Then he raised both arms, forming sword mudras with both hands, meeting at a point three inches above his head. Boundless sword intent swirled around him like a storm, shaking the entire Sword Tomb.
Countless remnants of swords rose from the tomb, like a rain of blades, gathering around Ancestor Dugu.
"Return to the Grave!"
Ancestor Dugu spoke softly.
Countless sword remnants surged like a reverse storm, rising from the earth to the sky, striking at the faceless Heavenly Demon.
The demon roared, unleashing boundless demonic energy, manifesting a hundred human faces.
Each face chanted strange demonic spells, forming demonic techniques to strike at Ancestor Dugu's divine sword.
In that instant, demonic energy billowed like black clouds pressing down upon a city.
But Ancestor Dugu's sword intent surged like a storm turned to rain, piercing upward.
The demonic energy and sword intent clashed in a grand, awe-inspiring spectacle that left Mo Hua transfixed.
Though the Heavenly Demon's aura was vast and overwhelming, clearly, Ancestor Dugu's divine sword was deadlier.
Under the assault of divine sword will, resonating sword remnants, and a relentless rain of blades, the demonic energy was shredded. Each demonic face was pierced by sword light and vanished into nothingness.
In the end, that colossal Hundred-Faced Heavenly Demon was cut into black smoke by Ancestor Dugu alone.
Ancestor Dugu coughed up blood.
Mo Hua stood, heart trembling.
Patriarch Dugu coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Mo Hua's heart trembled.
This "Hundred-Faced Heavenly Demon" was, to date, the most terrifying entity he had seen—second only to the Evil God.
Its "substance" might not compare to the Evil God's true body, but it was only slightly inferior.
However, in terms of grade, it was clearly much higher—an extremely powerful evil being capable of reaching the Fourth-Grade Feathered Ascension Realm.
And this Fourth-Grade "Hundred-Eyed Heavenly Demon," nearly equivalent to a "half-step Evil God," had just been slain—forced to death by Patriarch Dugu using divine sense turned into sword intent…
Patriarch Dugu was a cultivator—a mortal in the truest sense, with a physical body of flesh and blood.
His divine sense had never been Dao-transformed. That he could slay a Heavenly Demon relied entirely on the firmness of his mind, the sharpness of his sword intent, and the supreme perfection of his sword Dao attainments.
And from the traces all around, this was clearly not the first time.
For countless years, alone and desolate, he had guarded the Sword Tomb—time and again, tirelessly intercepting and slaughtering these extradimensional Heavenly Demons.
It must have been a long and arduous process.
Patriarch Dugu, already exhausted, was no longer at his peak. Yet his frail, candle-in-the-wind figure still stood like a divine sword bristling with sharpness.
His resolute Dao heart and unyielding will left even Mo Hua—himself one who pursued the Dao through divine sense—in awe and reverence.
The disparity between hearts was indeed as vast as a chasm.
Some had hearts so weak, they were beneath grass.
While others had minds so strong, they could rival gods.
With the Hundred-Eyed Heavenly Demon slain, the demonic aura and baleful energy dissipated. The rift in the sky began to close, and the crisis started to fade.
Patriarch Dugu withdrew his sword intent, and his entire being showed fatigue, as if he'd aged several years in an instant.
He let out a long breath, suddenly froze, then turned his head—and saw Mo Hua.
A brief look of astonishment flashed across Patriarch Dugu's face. Then his pupils trembled, and he asked:
"Why are you here?"
Mo Hua was stunned too. "The spatial rift opened, so I came in..." he said quietly. "Didn't you… bring me here?"
Patriarch Dugu's expression changed drastically. "I… Impossible, I…"
But in the next instant, his facial features vanished. A pitch-black aura sketched out a sinister demonic face on his now featureless head. It grinned coldly and said:
"It was me. I brought you here..."
Before the words were finished, Patriarch Dugu raised a hand and wiped across his face—like erasing ink from paper—removing the demonic visage and returning to his original appearance.
His face was now full of fear.
"Damn! I've fallen into their trap!"
Patriarch Dugu turned pale. Looking at Mo Hua, he said urgently, "Quick! I'll send you away—don't ever come back."
But just as he reached out, intending to tear open space, his face was once again shrouded in pitch-black energy.
Patriarch Dugu transformed once more into a faceless figure and sneered:
"Trying to leave? You—"
He transformed his finger into a sword and pressed it to his forehead, sealing his own demonic thoughts temporarily with a trace of Great Void Sword Intent.
Just as he was about to tear open a rift, the previously closed tear in the sky was suddenly torn open again—revealing two enormous white heads.
Upon those heads were horrifying, grotesque faces—each showing hundreds of expressions.
Two Hundred-Faced Heavenly Demons!
And not just that—some with ten faces, dozens of faces—also surged out from the rift, descending in a frenzied attack.
But their target wasn't Patriarch Dugu.
It was Mo Hua.
In that instant, Patriarch Dugu understood everything.
It was all a demonic conspiracy!
Over the years of intercepting these Heavenly Demons, he had already been corrupted by them—little by little, he had started to assimilate.
And the demons had seen through his heart.
They exploited his wish to pass down the art of Divine Sense Sword Manifestation, deceiving him into teaching Mo Hua the sword technique.
Then, seizing upon his vulnerability, they possessed him—using his body and spirit to implant the "Demonic Dao" into Mo Hua. To plant the seed of transformation into a Heavenly Demon within him.
Now, the "seed" had matured.
No—it was likely that this "seed" was about to leave the Great Void Sect, leave the Qianxue Province. The demons couldn't wait any longer.
They had to lure Mo Hua here—and then seize his body to transform him into the "Heavenly Demon Fetus."
Once that transformation was complete, Mo Hua would become a flesh-and-blood Heavenly Demon walking the world.
Through him, the Heavenly Demons could spread the "Supreme Demonic Path of Severing Emotion" across the world.
Then, by wiping out emotion and human nature, they would render people's hearts cold and consciences dead—turning all into puppets of the demons.
Using the myriad facets of the human heart as nourishment, they would hatch more and stronger Hundred-Faced, Thousand-Faced Heavenly Demons—even peerless Innate Great Demons.
That world-ending catastrophe of the past would return again.
Everything he had guarded his whole life, the countless sacrifices of the Great Void lineage over thousands of years—would all be for naught.
And this calamity… it was destined to befall—not him—but that child, Mo Hua.
He was the Demonic Catalyst.
And all of it—was born of Dugu's selfish desire.
"Damn it, you cursed beast!"
Patriarch Dugu's eyes turned cold. He bit his tongue, igniting his soul essence, and without holding anything back, summoned all his divine sense.
His chest heaved like bellows. His dried, withered body was like deadwood, yet from it surged powerful sword intent.
Extreme, pure, snow-white sword intent condensed into threads of sword energy.
All the broken swords within the Sword Tomb rose again like raindrops, gathering around Patriarch Dugu.
"Great Void Sword Manifestation—Sky-Net Sword Formation."
He pointed skyward.
The sword rain and sword threads surged like a tidal wave, roaring into the heavens—forming an enormous sword web that enveloped all the Heavenly Demons in the sky, grinding them to pieces.
Mo Hua stood in awe.
He had never imagined that a sword conjured purely from a cultivator's divine sense could be this powerful.
But in less than a moment, an even more powerful, colder, and terrifying demonic aura poured out from the rift in the sky.
Mo Hua's pupils shrank. "This is… Fifth Grade?"
"A Thousand-Faced Heavenly Demon…" Patriarch Dugu's expression turned bitter, his mood impossibly heavy. At last, he let out a soft sigh.
"Looks like… I have no choice."
Patriarch Dugu stretched out his hand and drew an old, broken sword from the Sword Tomb before him. His expression grew wistful, as if seeing an old friend.
Then, gripping the hilt, an even stronger aura flowed from the broken blade—resonating with his Sword Heart.
The Laws of the Sword Dao began to solidify and flow around him.
This time, there was no grand spectacle—but the aura was profound to the extreme, carrying within it the terrifying essence of destruction.
In the rift in the sky, an even larger demon slowly emerged—its body twisted with countless grievances and evil karma.
It was clearly trying with all its might to breach the seal of the Heavenly Dao and invade the human world it had long coveted—a world brimming with hearts and desires.
This was a Fifth-Grade Thousand-Faced Heavenly Demon—its power, terrifying to behold.
Patriarch Dugu's expression turned cold. With solemn majesty in his gaze, he raised the broken sword toward the heavens and intoned:
"Great Void Divine Sense Sword Manifestation—" "God-Slaying Style."
"Great Void Divine Thought Sword Transformation…"
"God-Slaying Style."
In that instant, all of Ancestor Dugu's divine thoughts began to rapidly burn away. At the same time, a terrifying sword intent spread outward.
The laws of heaven and earth began to collapse.
The moment the grotesque, thousand-faced Fifth-Grade Heaven Demon revealed itself—its countless savage human faces twisted with malevolence—it was instantly distorted by the sword dao laws. One by one, the faces shattered and vanished into nothingness.
The Fifth-Grade Heaven Demon roared in rage, letting out a thousand soul-shaking cries, each from a different face.
Its chaotic demonic aura surged and pulsed violently, trying to resist—but it was no match for Ancestor Dugu's God-Slaying Sword Intent.
The narrow rift sealed by the Heavenly Dao prevented the Thousand-Faced Heaven Demon from crossing into the mortal realm.
And as long as it exposed even a sliver of itself, its demonic body would be annihilated by the God-Slaying Sword Intent.
After a brief stalemate, the Fifth-Grade Thousand-Faced Heaven Demon retreated deep back into the seal, no longer daring to force its way into the world under the pressure of Ancestor Dugu's blade.
The Ten-Faced and Hundred-Faced Heaven Demons were all slaughtered completely by the Heaven Net Sword Array.
The Thousand-Faced Fifth-Grade Heaven Demon was forced to retreat.
The surging waves of demonic will on the horizon began to recede.
Ancestor Dugu, his divine thought nearly exhausted, slowly lowered the broken sword in his hand. His entire being seemed to shed a burden as heavy as a mountain, and he let out a long, deep breath.
But having repeatedly used the Great Void Burial, the Heaven Net Sword Array, and the forbidden God-Slaying Sword Style had completely drained his already dwindling vitality. Like a flickering candle in the wind, he now resembled decaying wood, barely clinging to life.
Still… as long as the Thousand-Faced was suppressed… as long as the Heaven Demons were sealed…
There was still hope.
"Mo Hua… you must leave, now…"
Ancestor Dugu wanted to urge Mo Hua to flee. But the moment he turned his head and looked at the boy, his pupils dilated and his entire body went cold.
Mo Hua stood to the side, watching in awe as Ancestor Dugu unleashed the terrifying God-Slaying Sword Style, wiping out law itself and forcing a Fifth-Grade Heaven Demon to retreat.
His face was filled with stunned admiration.
But he hadn't noticed—
Right behind him stood another Heaven Demon.
This demon was not large. But disturbingly, its face was completely blank. Not a single human visage had appeared upon it.
And yet, this faceless demon was the one that made Ancestor Dugu feel utter dread.
"A Minor Faceless Heaven Demon!"
The number of faces a Heaven Demon bore determined its power.
Ten-faced, hundred-faced, thousand-faced…
The more human hearts it devoured, the more faces it gained—and the more powerful it became.
But there existed another kind: a pure "Faceless" Heaven Demon.
This kind was a special "seed," an "embryo." It didn't appear powerful, but could parasitize and assimilate into anyone.
Once implanted, it was nearly impossible to separate or destroy.
It was a twisted form of superior Heaven Demon.
And right now, one such Minor Faceless Heaven Demon stood behind Mo Hua.
Its hand was already clutching the back of Mo Hua's neck.
Despair surged in Ancestor Dugu's heart.
In an instant, he understood: this too was part of the Heaven Demons' plan.
Sending three Hundred-Faced Heaven Demons, countless Ten-Faced Demons, and even drawing out the powerful Thousand-Faced was all a distraction—to force him to exhaust his divine thought.
The real killing blow was this one—the Minor Faceless Heaven Demon that had somehow slipped in unnoticed.
If it succeeded in corrupting Mo Hua—
All would be lost.
Using Mo Hua as a vessel, the Heaven Demons would reopen the gateway into the world.
The catastrophe would begin again.
And all of it—was his fault.
He never should have harbored thoughts of passing down the Divine Thought Sword Transformation…
He never should have taught Mo Hua the true art of divine thought sword cultivation…
He had failed in heart and will, and let the demons seize an opportunity.
And now, not only had he doomed the Great Void Sect—
He had doomed Mo Hua as well.
Ancestor Dugu coughed blood.
He tried to move, to destroy the Minor Faceless Demon—
But his divine consciousness had been fully depleted. His injuries backfired, and he couldn't summon even a wisp of sword intent.
Worse—it was too late.
The Minor Faceless Heaven Demon had already closed in on Mo Hua. Its formless face was about to fuse with the boy.
Then suddenly—
A youthful voice rang out:
"Why are you standing behind me? Trying to scare me?"
The Minor Faceless Heaven Demon paused. For a moment, that expressionless blank face revealed unmistakable confusion.
In the very next instant, it felt a hand—smooth and shining like gold and jade—clamp around its neck.
Before it could react, it was slammed violently into the ground, unable to resist in the slightest.
Mo Hua pinned it beneath him, raised both hands high, and manifested a massive God-Slaying Sword—then hacked down madly.
Hack after hack— Until the Minor Faceless Heaven Demon was reduced to a pulpy mess of flesh.
To the side, Ancestor Dugu stood frozen, staring at it all—completely dazed.
(End of this Chapter)