Chapter 619 – It's Mine Now
Second Master Hidden was only startled for a split second. Then he reversed his grip on the dagger, lunging forward. The dagger's tip carved out a streak of dark blue water-light, dripping with poison, aiming straight for Mo Hua's throat.
He had to strike first and kill this little brat.
Whoever this kid was, whatever his background—he had to die here in Canglang Mountain.
He was skilled in Primordial Magnetic Array placements, excellent at concealment, and could stalk him like a hawk, uncovering his traces at every turn.
To someone like Second Master Hidden—a cultivator who specialized in stealth and assassination—Mo Hua was practically a natural predator.
A threat like that had to be eliminated first. Only then could he turn his attention to "playing" with the rest of those sect disciples.
Second Master Hidden's expression was grim, his gaze vicious.
The dagger transformed into a toxic blur, and in the blink of an eye, slashed toward Mo Hua's throat.
But Mo Hua didn't panic. He tilted his body back slightly, narrowly dodging the venomous dagger aimed at his neck.
Then, water ripples surged around him. Drawing power seemingly from thin air, he flipped upward, gracefully circled behind Second Master Hidden, and—bam!—stepped on the back of his head, using it as a springboard to flip back to safety.
Second Master Hidden had missed the strike and had Mo Hua leap over him, stepping on the back of his head in the process. He felt utterly humiliated.
He turned furiously—
Only to be greeted by Mo Hua mid-air, wrapped in flowing water, calmly pointing a finger at him.
A fireball instantly formed and blasted straight toward his face.
Second Master Hidden didn't have time to dodge. The fireball struck him full-on, exploding into a burst of flames, knocking him backward.
Moments later, he got up, face scorched black, eyes wide with rage.
Mo Hua sighed inwardly—what a shame.
His Fireball Technique, while fast and easy to use, lacked real killing power.
Even with a direct hit on a peak mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, it only made Second Master Hidden look miserable—not truly injured.
Still, spells were his go-to attack method—quick and reliable.
He needed to find ways to enhance their power and broaden his spell repertoire. Arrays were important, yes, but he couldn't afford to neglect his offensive capabilities either.
More spells meant more options in a crisis.
Meanwhile, Second Master Hidden was furious—but also deeply shocked.
This wasn't a coincidence. The way Mo Hua had dodged his killing blows over and over again—it was too smooth.
That movement technique…
And the timing, speed, and accuracy of that fireball…
"This brat… is a spell-fighting expert?!"
But how? How is that possible?!
Second Master Hidden's pupils contracted.
This kid was so young—how did he have such polished movement, such calmness under threat, and that instinctive spell timing? Where the hell had he learned that?
Murong Caiyun and the others were stunned too.
It was their first time seeing Mo Hua move like flowing water—his steps elegant, dazzling.
That movement technique… they couldn't tell where it came from, but it was clearly not ordinary.
Even the whole sequence—spacing, dodging, positioning, and striking with a fireball—was clean and fluid, far too practiced to be random.
They were halfway through being impressed when they suddenly remembered:
"Wait, we should help him!"
No matter how graceful Mo Hua's techniques were, he was still early Foundation Establishment, going up against a poison-using assassin. One mistake, and he could die.
No time to waste—Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu burst forward with sword auras blazing.
Murong Caiyun launched spells, and Hua Qianqian sent her Hundred Flower Spirit Needles flying, harassing Second Master Hidden from the flanks.
Surrounded, Second Master Hidden knew he couldn't win. His eyes turned bloodshot as he clenched his teeth.
Before the others could arrive, he had to kill Mo Hua first.
As long as Mo Hua lived, he would never feel safe.
But just as he turned to strike—
Mo Hua's form blurred… and started to disappear.
Second Master Hidden roared:
"You little bastard! Don't you dare run and hide!"
Mo Hua stuck out his tongue, made a face at him—then vanished completely.
Second Master Hidden was fuming, cursing nonstop. But with sword energy and spells crashing toward him, he had no choice but to flee and activate his own stealth technique, disappearing as well.
Now both Mo Hua and Second Master Hidden were gone.
Murong Caiyun and the others stood around, bewildered, unsure where to strike. Left with no choice, they formed a defensive formation and stayed alert for sneak attacks.
Meanwhile, hiding in the shadows, Mo Hua furrowed his brows.
He sent out his spiritual sense to locate Second Master Hidden.
But the man's aura was faint, his spiritual energy blurry. His figure flickered in and out—sometimes detectable, sometimes not.
"Why?" Mo Hua wondered. "What's with this stealth technique?"
There was something strange about the Lesser Five Elements Stealth Technique…
To a degree, it could actually suppress one's spiritual signature, making it harder to detect with divine sense.
That was different from Mo Hua's own stealth technique.
His used nearly transparent water-element spiritual energy to bend light and mask visibility. The cloak he wore worked similarly—both tricks fooled the eyes.
And thanks to his strong divine sense, others had trouble piercing it.
But Second Master Hidden's stealth method worked differently. It suppressed others' ability to sense him—making him hard to detect even by divine sense.
Mo Hua had already analyzed the man's divine sense—it was around the 15-16 line mark, far inferior to his own.
In theory, Second Master Hidden should never be able to hide from him.
But this unique stealth spell gave him just enough concealment to blur Mo Hua's perception.
Mo Hua's eyes lit up.
"I need to get that stealth technique."
If he learned it… he could sneak behind enemies, launch a fireball to the back of their head, and they might not even realize it until it was too late.
Mo Hua got serious, extended his divine sense to its max, scanning the forest, trying to lock onto Second Master Hidden.
Suddenly, his expression changed—like flowing water, he moved from his spot.
Shunk!
A dagger plunged into the empty spot he'd just left.
Toxic spiritual energy erupted, shredding leaves and soil into powder.
Having missed again, Second Master Hidden cursed, reversed his grip, and charged after Mo Hua.
But blue waterlight shimmered around Mo Hua, guiding him like flowing current—he weaved between the strikes with fluid grace, dodging every lethal thrust.
Murong Caiyun and the others saw Second Master Hidden reappear and charged in.
Second Master Hidden, fueled by sheer fury, attacked faster, harder, and more ferociously than before.
He wanted to finish this brat off in one go.
But no matter how close his dagger came—it never landed.
Always just one step away.
That tiny distance looked like nothing—but felt like a world apart.
Finally, Second Master Hidden cracked:
"You little bastard—what the hell kind of footwork is that?!"
"Who the hell taught you this?! Which son of a bitch scumbag trained you?!"
Mo Hua replied cheerfully:
"Your grandpa did!"
(He respected Zhang Lan, so he quietly gave him two levels of seniority.)
Second Master Hidden was fuming at the insult—but couldn't do a damn thing about it.
Meanwhile, Ouyang Feng and the others surrounded him once more.
A new standoff began.
This time, Second Master Hidden didn't immediately vanish.
He had failed to kill Mo Hua so many times, the frustration had boiled over.
Meanwhile, Mo Hua looked at him curiously:
"You can actually see through my stealth?"
He had hidden himself perfectly, yet this guy spotted him twice.
That had never happened before.
Second Master Hidden scoffed:
"Little brat, showing off your tricks in front of a master? Using stealth in front of me?!"
He wore a mocking expression.
Mo Hua, being magnanimous, didn't argue. He blinked and asked:
"Did you find me with divine sense?"
"Divine sense? Please," Second Master Hidden sneered. "I can spot your flaws with just my eyes."
"Your eyes?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment—and understood.
His stealth worked by cloaking himself in pure, near-transparent water-element energy, bending light and making himself invisible.
Combined with the stealth cloak, most couldn't see through it.
But for someone like Second Master Hidden, a professional criminal who had spent decades relying on stealth to survive, he could spot the slight distortions with a trained eye.
So… he wasn't lying. He really could see through Mo Hua with his eyes alone.
Mo Hua nodded thoughtfully and sighed inwardly.
"Never underestimate a scoundrel."
The cultivation world was vast and full of hidden talents. If someone had spent years honing a particular skill—they'd definitely be formidable.
Underestimating others leads to disaster.
Mo Hua took the lesson to heart.
Seeing Mo Hua's serious expression, Second Master Hidden smirked, proud that he'd finally earned some respect.
But before he could feel too smug, his expression fell.
He had realized something terrifying.
"This brat… how did he spot my stealth?"
It wasn't full detection—more like intuition.
But after that exchange, he was sure: even when using his Lesser Five Elements Stealth Technique at full power… Mo Hua had still sensed him.
Otherwise, there was no way he would've dodged so many killing blows.
But how?
In Second Master Hidden's eyes, Mo Hua's own stealth skill, while practiced, was rough and stitched together. The kind of thing patched up from various cheap teachings.
That meant he shouldn't be experienced enough to "see" through stealth with his eyes.
So… "Could it be… some kind of spiritual tool?"
Chapter 619: It's Mine Now
Spirit artifact?
He hadn't shown any signs of using one.
That left only one possibility:
Divine sense...
But—divine sense?
Hidden Second felt this was ridiculous.
So he himself broke through this brat's concealment using pure technique…
But this brat broke through his concealment just by brute-forcing it with divine sense?
How the hell was that possible?
Hidden Second let out a mocking snort, but then focused his gaze—and suddenly noticed that the brat's pupils had deepened. A trace of pitch black flickered within them.
At the same time, a cold, eerie, yet extremely resilient divine sense slithered around him like a chain, silently binding to his presence…
Hidden Second's soul almost jumped out of his body in fear.
"It really is divine sense?!"
Seeing that this strange divine sense was about to lock him in place, he instantly pulled out a talisman and crushed it without hesitation.
A storm of dust burst out, masking vision and scattering a chaotic aura.
At the same time, Hidden Second immediately activated the Small Five Element Concealment Technique, and his figure vanished again.
But since he'd been talking so much nonsense after appearing, trying to show off, he'd given Mo Hua plenty of time to lock onto him with divine sense.
So even though Hidden Second disappeared again, Mo Hua could still sense his presence fairly clearly.
Hidden Second quickly realized—his nightmare had begun.
No matter where he fled, a fireball would inevitably follow, like a beacon, forcing him to reveal himself, flustering and exhausting him.
Soon enough, Murong Caiyun and the others caught on.
Wherever Mo Hua's fireball pointed, they attacked.
Hidden Second's face turned as pale as ash.
For an assassin who relied on stealth, once their concealment was broken, it was like losing both legs—they were practically useless.
He tried everything to shake them off, but Mo Hua's divine sense—unyielding, unshakable—remained latched onto him no matter what he did.
"What kind of damned ghost is this?!"
He'd fought countless battles in his life, but never had he encountered such bizarre and terrifying divine sense.
And worse—it was tightening, binding him more and more with every moment.
Like a hunting hawk digging its claws deep into his flesh—waiting to end his life.
This brat wasn't just powerful—his divine sense completely crushed Hidden Second's.
Cold sweat poured down Hidden Second's back.
It felt like a sword was hovering three inches above his neck, the chill biting into his bones. It wouldn't be long before it fell.
In this desperate state, he pushed his potential to the limit and managed to escape Mo Hua's fireballs, sword qi, and spells for several rounds—barely surviving each time.
A part of him was hopeful. Maybe he could still escape alive?
But suddenly he paused—something felt wrong.
The brat's divine sense had fully locked onto him. He should be dead already.
Why was he still alive?
And that fireball—though it hunted him like a predator—always hesitated at the last second, giving him just enough time to breathe, to use his concealment again...
Why?
Cat playing with mouse?
Was that brat toying with him?
Hidden Second's eyes turned vicious. He glanced back at Mo Hua—and saw the boy staring directly at him, eyes bright with focus, as if analyzing him... understanding something...
Understanding...?
He froze—then his heart trembled violently.
Understanding…!
This brat is learning my concealment technique?!
He was using divine sense to lock onto him, using fireball spells to pressure him, forcing him to use his concealment to its fullest—then just standing there, learning, studying, copying his technique in broad daylight!
Unbelievable!
Hidden Second was both terrified and furious.
"No!"
"I can't let him learn it—I can't even let him comprehend it!"
The Small Five Element Concealment Technique was the secret art of the Five Concealment Sect.
It shouldn't be so easily learned or deciphered.
But this brat—he was off.
Hidden Second couldn't afford to gamble.
So he decided to throw in the towel.
He understood now—no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake this brat's divine sense.
No matter how he struggled, he couldn't escape from the siege of these four disciples.
If he kept fighting, this brat might really succeed in stealing the technique he'd spent his life mastering.
He couldn't allow that.
If the Small Five Element Concealment Technique got out, he'd lose his foundation—he'd never survive in Dry Knowledge Prefecture's underworld again.
With resolve hardening, Hidden Second gave up.
He no longer resisted aggressively. Instead, he only used basic footwork to dodge sword qi and spells, and began "holding back" when using his concealment technique—deliberately applying only the most basic elements and no longer showcasing the full method.
After all, a simplified concealment spell wouldn't be enough for those other sect disciples to see through.
But even if he used his full power, he still couldn't escape Mo Hua's divine sense anyway.
So the result would be the same.
Mo Hua sighed in disappointment.
This Hidden Second guy had no motivation, and even less will to live.
Truly disheartening.
And yes—Hidden Second guessed right.
Mo Hua was holding back, using fireballs to force him to display the technique live—demonstrating how to escape, how to counterattack, how to exploit concealment.
He wanted to observe every detail.
And he had gained a lot.
He was already getting a rough idea of how the Small Five Element Concealment Technique worked.
Its core was—the Five Elements.
The secret wasn't in suppressing one's own spiritual aura directly, but in borrowing the elemental qi of the surrounding environment to mask one's own spiritual signature.
Stay near trees—use Wood Qi to conceal.
Stay near water—use Water Qi to hide.
Likewise, being close to earth, metals, or fire sources would enhance the concealment effect.
But without the presence of elemental energy, this technique was no better than a basic concealment spell.
Once merged into the world—hidden within nature, obscured by the five elements—the technique became exceptionally powerful.
That's why Mo Hua's divine sense could only detect Hidden Second intermittently.
When near elemental energy, his concealment was strong.
Away from it, his stealth weakened.
Hence the flickering signals in Mo Hua's divine sense.
Now fully grasping this, Mo Hua wanted to observe more, analyze further—study Hidden Second as a "live case study" to elevate his own stealth skills.
But unfortunately, Hidden Second had caught on.
And his little lab rat… gave up.
So there was only one thing left to do.
End it quickly.
Mo Hua no longer held back. He raised his hand—and from the void, soft ripples of blue light emerged, forming a watery prison that instantly locked Hidden Second in place.
Water Prison Technique.
Caught within, Hidden Second couldn't move. He felt dizzy and sick, like he was drowning.
"A binding spell..."
His heart sank.
So the brat had been holding something back.
With this strange water-based binding spell in play—he never stood a chance of escape.
He wasn't even angry anymore.
Now he was just filled with deep regret.
Why the hell hadn't he checked the heavens before heading out today?
Of all the people to run into—why this brat? And why was he his exact counter?
The moment he was caught in the Water Prison, he knew—it was over.
Sure enough, within a few breaths:
Ouyang Feng's Crimson Gold Maple Sword pierced his left leg;
Murong Caiyun's five-colored spiritual light blew a hole through his left arm;
Hua Qianqian's Hundred Flower Spirit Needles nailed him in the knees;
And Shangguan Xu pressed his heavy sword right against his throat...
The treacherous, venomous Hidden Second had been subdued.
Mo Hua sprinted over from afar.
Seeing Hidden Second glaring at him with bloodshot eyes full of hatred, Mo Hua "kindly" offered:
"Break his legs first."
Everyone froze, looking at Mo Hua with complicated expressions.
They'd all been on plenty of missions and had ample experience dealing with criminal cultivators—but not this much experience…
"It's called preventive measures!"
Mo Hua said seriously.
This was a field he did have experience in!
Ouyang Feng thought about it, then nodded. Mo Hua had a point. With a flick of his wrist, he slashed out two arcs of sword qi—cleanly severing both of Hidden Second's legs.
Hidden Second howled in agony, his eyes even more venomous than before.
Mo Hua ignored him entirely and started rummaging through Hidden Second's storage pouch.
Inside were only some spirit stones, a few vicious-looking daggers, and several manuals detailing fatal points of the human body—assassin tools, essentially.
Aside from those, there were a few jade slips.
But the jade slips only held various poisonous recipes and scattered cultivation techniques—nothing significant.
Clearly, Hidden Second was not only sinister but extremely cautious. He'd never store anything important in something as obvious as a storage pouch.
Mo Hua turned to him and asked,
"Where's the Small Five Element Concealment Technique?"
Murong Caiyun and the others weren't surprised.
Along the way, they'd already guessed as much.
Their junior brother had been so eager to capture this guy—clearly because he was interested in his concealment technique.
But that was understandable.
Arresting criminal cultivators, taking spoils of war, learning a few new techniques—as long as it wasn't some forbidden magic or sect-exclusive divine art, it was fair game.
Now that Hidden Second was captured and merit points secured, they figured they might as well let Mo Hua "have his fun."
Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian kept watch for any incoming demonic beasts or other enemies.
Shangguan Xu stood beside Mo Hua, ready to protect him if things went south.
Ouyang Feng stayed behind Hidden Second, guarding against any surprise attacks.
Hidden Second spat out blood and sneered,
"Don't even think about it!"
Mo Hua snorted,
"Still acting tough, huh?"
He eagerly pulled out a metal plate from his storage pouch.
He'd recently "upgraded" this thing.
Previously it included mountain, water, and fire formations—but the effects felt too weak, and they didn't synergize well.
So this time, he removed the mountain formation and added a Metal-type array.
Metal needles stabbing knees should hurt more than just dropping rocks, right?
If Hidden Second had been more cooperative, Mo Hua wouldn't have to use "enhanced interrogation." But since the guy was still glaring at him like a rabid dog, it was the perfect opportunity to test the upgraded "Torture Array Plate™."
Mo Hua placed the metal plate on the ground, activated the array, and said sweetly:
"In a bit, you'll kneel on this—just testing if it hurts. If not, I'll tweak the array again and improve it…"
Hidden Second was stunned.
What the hell was this brat even saying?
How could something this evil sound so… cheerful?
It was like he'd just said,
"Hey, I've got a candy here, give it a taste—if it's not sweet enough, I'll add more sugar next time!"
"Senior Brother Feng!"
Mo Hua called out.
Ouyang Feng nodded knowingly, already familiar with the routine. He lifted Hidden Second and slammed him down on the plate.
A scream worthy of a butchered pig echoed through the forest.
Murong Caiyun massaged her temples.
Shangguan Xu and Hua Qianqian just stood there, wide-eyed, utterly speechless.
It was their first time seeing this "iron plate"—but it probably wouldn't be the last…
Mo Hua, ever curious, leaned in and asked:
"Does it hurt?"
Hidden Second was shaking all over, jaw clenched so hard his teeth nearly shattered. He couldn't even speak.
"C'mon, say something…"
Mo Hua added helpfully.
Hidden Second nearly spat out blood again in rage.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he was on the verge of passing out.
Only then did Mo Hua deactivate the array.
Even though Hidden Second was half-unconscious, he still radiated defiance. Not a single word escaped his lips.
Mo Hua frowned.
Maybe he'd overestimated his iron plate.
Sure, it hurt—but it lacked versatility. It needed some upgrades.
At the same time, he realized—he'd underestimated Hidden Second.
The guy was a real hard case.
Was this concealment technique truly that important?
So important he'd rather die than reveal it?
Or did he figure—since he was going to die anyway—there was no point in talking?
Or maybe… he was trained, holding onto some dark secret, the kind where if you're captured, you clamp your mouth shut no matter what?
…
A flurry of thoughts ran through Mo Hua's mind.
But he didn't care about any of that.
What really mattered… was the Small Five Element Concealment Technique.
That duck was already in his hands—he wasn't letting it fly away now.
If Hidden Second wouldn't talk, he'd find it himself.
Such a precious technique—there was no way he wouldn't carry it on him.
Just like Mo Hua's own inheritances were hidden in the Storage Ring his master gave him, Hidden Second had to have something similar.
Then Mo Hua suddenly remembered the Transmission Token.
Back when they caught that bald vulture, he had a transmission token too—but Mo Hua hadn't found it. It was the Dao Tribunal who did.
That still bugged him.
Then inspiration struck.
He recalled when he deduced the flow of spiritual energy and sensed the flow of karma.
Karmic deduction!
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed, and his pupils darkened—then faint heavenly patterns bloomed across the black canvas of his gaze.
Hidden Second shuddered.
He had a terrifying feeling that all of his secrets were being seen through by those deep, eerie eyes.
A moment later, Mo Hua smiled and pulled out the Thousand-Jin Rod, handing it to Ouyang Feng.
"Senior Brother Feng! Smash his teeth."
Ouyang Feng blinked.
"His… teeth?"
"Yup!"
Mo Hua nodded.
Ouyang Feng hesitated… but followed orders.
Under Hidden Second's horrified gaze, Ouyang Feng gathered spiritual force and WHAM—shattered his teeth in one strike.
Blood gushed out, broken teeth scattered across the ground.
Mo Hua crouched and carefully examined the pile, then picked out one particular tooth—grinning from ear to ear.
It was a storage tooth.
A tiny, tiny storage space. Only big enough to hold one jade slip.
Mo Hua retrieved the jade slip and waved it in front of Hidden Second's face.
Hidden Second's eyes went wide in disbelief.
Mo Hua smiled, eyes gleaming with mischief and triumph.
"Your concealment technique is great…"
"…but now it's mine."
(End of Chapter)