Chapter 1000: Sect Dao Soldiers

Mo Hua stayed up all night, completing his general planning.

There wasn't enough time for perfection, but it was passable overall.

Calculating the days, three days from now would be the Sword Discussion.

The progress on the other arrangement was also nearly complete.

The next day, Mo Hua rose early, sat on his bed, bathed in the morning glow, practiced his cultivation as usual, then rose and went to the small book pavilion outside the disciples' quarters.

The book pavilion was quiet, the water rippling gently.

The big white dog lay outside, yawning, utterly bored.

Mo Hua approached, stroked the dog's head, and asked softly: "Has the sect master risen?"

The big white dog shook its head.

The book pavilion remained silent; Mo Hua did not dare disturb the sect master's peace, so he sat beside the dog, stroking its soft white fur, waiting for the sect master to wake.

The big white dog appeared uninterested, but its body was honest—it happily thumped its tail against the ground.

After a while, the Grand Void sect master stepped out, saw this scene, and unconsciously felt a touch of envy.

He himself had never touched this dog's fur…

There was no help for it; this big white dog had unique bloodline and its own dignity—it simply wouldn't let anyone touch it.

The Grand Void sect master sighed faintly.

Mo Hua heard the sigh, knew the sect master was awake, and reluctantly released the soft white fur, rising to bow:

"Greetings, sect master."

"Mm." The Grand Void sect master gave a slight nod.

Mo Hua stated his purpose: "The item I mentioned to you earlier has been forged. Would you like to see it?"

The Grand Void sect master paused in thought, then nodded: "Alright."

"Then I'll guide you there, but we must be discreet…" Mo Hua whispered.

"Fine."

The Grand Void sect master changed into plain clothes, suppressed his aura, summoned two trusted elders, boarded a carriage, took a back road, and, under Mo Hua's guidance, headed toward the northwest's Shancheng.

At this time, with the Sword Discussion imminent, the entire Qianxue Province was packed with traffic.

But this was along the busy routes.

Shancheng was remote, with very few cultivators passing through, so the road was surprisingly clear.

The sect master's carriage was pulled by top-grade spirit horses, equipped with the superior "Ride-the-Wind Array," moving like wind and lightning—extremely fast.

In less than half a day, they arrived at Shancheng.

Shancheng now bore a new atmosphere.

Spirit machinery towered majestically, mines stood grand and awe-inspiring, arrays lined up densely, their lights interweaving brilliantly.

The mining cultivators in the mountains formed long lines, densely packed yet orderly.

The cultivators moving through the city now had more vitality on their faces.

The Grand Void sect master stared, momentarily lost in thought.

He knew what Mo Hua had done in Shancheng—but it was only hearsay; now that he saw it with his own eyes, the feeling was entirely different.

The grandeur and complete transformation of Shancheng left even him, the Grand Void Sect master, feeling dazed and doubtful.

He found it hard to believe this was truly the work of a Foundation Establishment disciple…

The carriage continued, entered Shancheng, wound through streets and alleys, and arrived before the Spirit Forging Hall.

The Spirit Forging Hall now occupied a vast area; several enormous smelting furnaces, like iron monsters, were swallowing fire and spewing smoke.

Flames roared, white smoke rolled, mixed with the ceaseless clangs of hammering metal—immense in scale.

The Grand Void sect master stared at the vast Spirit Forging Hall, fell silent for a moment, then couldn't help asking Mo Hua:

"This Spirit Forging Hall… isn't yours, is it?"

Mo Hua quickly waved his hands: "How could that be?"

The Grand Void sect master said nothing.

"Sect master, let's go inside—I'll lead the way…" Mo Hua jumped down from the carriage and walked toward the Spirit Forging Hall.

The solemn guards at the entrance, upon seeing Mo Hua, immediately brightened and bowed respectfully:

"Young Master Mo!"

"Mm, mm."

Mo Hua nodded and continued inside.

Along the way, nearly every master and disciple in the Spirit Forging Hall, no matter what they were doing, immediately stopped their work, beamed with delight, and bowed to greet Mo Hua:

"Young Master Xiao Mo!"

"Good day, Young Master Mo!"

"Greetings, Young Master Mo…"

Mo Hua smiled and greeted them all, as if he were at home.

The Grand Void sect master's expression was subtle.

They walked deep into the Spirit Forging Hall, where Gu, the master who had been sweating profusely over his forging, hurriedly stepped out, apologetic:

"Young Master Mo, I apologize for not greeting you sooner…"

"No need for such formality," Mo Hua said.

He knew the Spirit Forging Hall was extremely busy.

"These few are… elders of my Grand Void Sect, here to inspect the spirit weapons and array materials."

Mo Hua did not reveal the Grand Void sect master's identity.

Gu Master also couldn't tell.

But he had met many people and possessed uncommon insight; seeing the newcomer's lofty bearing and unfathomable cultivation, he knew they were surely "distinguished guests," and dared not be negligent, so he bowed respectfully and said:

"Ladies and gentlemen, please."

With time pressing, Gu Master skipped the pleasantries and directly led everyone to the Artifact Forge.

Inside the forge, piles of all manner of spirit artifacts filled the room—swords, spears, halberds, armor, Dao robes—all fully stocked.

The Grand Void Gate's Sect Master raised an eyebrow.

On the surface, the spirit artifacts in the forge were all newly forged "embryos," merely high-grade second-rank—not unusual.

But as Sect Master, his gaze was sharp; one glance revealed these were not ordinary standardized spirit artifacts, but all special "custom spirit artifacts."

An entire warehouse full.

And not just simple custom spirit artifacts.

The Grand Void Gate's Sect Master mentally ran through every sect in Qianxue Province: the Four Major Sects, the Eight Great Clans, the Twelve Schools, the Hundred Qianxue Sects, each sect's inherited traditions—and quickly realized these custom spirit artifacts were, in a sense, "counteracting" artifacts.

They were spirit artifacts custom-made to counter specific sect lineages, paired with unique arrays to achieve sect-specific "counteraction."

Of course, they couldn't fully "counteract"—at best, they increased winning odds by one or two tenths.

But in the Sword Debate Assembly, with so many participants, even that one or two tenths could change the outcome entirely.

The Grand Void Gate's Sect Master drew a slow breath.

He could roughly guess what Mo Hua was doing.

But Mo Hua achieving this far exceeded his expectations.

It seemed merely a batch of "counteracting" spirit artifacts, but the actual effort required was immense.

It demanded vast, all-encompassing array knowledge covering the Five Phases and Eight Trigrams to design these array blueprints.

It required immense time to study other sects' lineages and select counteracting arrays.

It required great skill to design the custom spirit artifacts and continuously adapt them to the arrays.

None of this could be accomplished overnight—it demanded years of accumulated effort.

It required countless case studies for reference and extensive practice to correct and improve.

Finally, most importantly, there was output.

It required a large, experienced, highly efficient artifact forge capable of meeting every stringent demand of array design to produce both spirit artifacts and array media.

This was a complete Daoist "industrial chain" encompassing array construction, spirit artifact design, and artifact production.

He never imagined Mo Hua had so orderly and systematically brought it all into being…

The Grand Void Gate's Sect Master remained stunned for a long while before fully processing this unbelievable reality.

After a moment of thought, he looked at Mo Hua:

"What else do you need?"

Given Mo Hua's nature, he never came without a purpose.

He summoned me here for something else.

Mo Hua nodded vigorously, inwardly praising: no wonder he's Sect Master—he saw right through my thoughts.

"There's one issue," Mo Hua said, "these spirit artifacts are too numerous, and the compatible high-grade arrays number over a thousand—I can't draw them all alone. I need some of Grand Void Gate's inner-disciple seniors, instructors, and elders to help draw the arrays."

The Sword Debate rules forbid carrying arrays above mid-grade second-rank.

But the arrays inside spirit artifacts serve to amplify them, so high-grade second-rank arrays are permitted.

Mo Hua planned to have instructors and elders serve as "labor."

"Alright," said the Grand Void Gate's Sect Master.

Mo Hua's action benefits the sect—he had no reason to refuse.

"There's one more thing…"

Mo Hua looked slightly embarrassed.

The Grand Void Gate's Sect Master's heart stirred—he guessed it might not be good news—and said slowly: "Go on…"

Mo Hua whispered: "Can the sect 'reimburse' us for these spirit artifacts and array media?"

Reimbursement was the real issue.

Mo Hua's original plan was to sell these artifacts to junior disciples, who would pay with spirit stones to participate in the Sword Debate.

But these spirit artifacts were too complicated to make and far too expensive.

The Sword Debate involves many matches, and opponents change constantly.

If every match required junior disciples to buy new spirit artifacts and arrays, the cost would be even higher.

Though they might not lack spirit stones, it would be an outrageous waste.

More importantly, if each disciple needed several sets of spirit artifacts, demand would be overwhelming—Gu Master's forge simply couldn't supply it.

Mo Hua then revealed his plan:

"The sect purchases this batch of spirit artifacts and rents them to Sword Debate participants. If undamaged, they may be rotated; if damaged, compensate at original price."

He was also helping Gu Master's forge secure business.

Previously, Gushan Artifact Forge dealt only with Grand Void Gate disciples.

If the Sect Master approved, it would mean dealing directly with the Grand Void Gate.

That meaning was entirely different.

Once this business began, future operations would be easier.

Perhaps, from now on, all Sword Debate equipment supply for the Grand Void Gate would be tied to Gushan Artifact Forge.

With the Grand Void Gate as a "major client" and "backer," Gushan's business could develop steadily.

Once the industry flourished, the lives of cultivators in Gushan City would improve steadily.

The Grand Void Sect's sect leader also understood the crux of the matter, looking at Mo Hua with a sigh.

He truly is a good child…

And he thinks deeply, daring to act when faced with challenges.

But he still remained silent.

Seeing the sect leader say nothing, as if hesitant, Mo Hua asked softly:

"Is it not possible?"

The Grand Void Sect's sect leader looked into Mo Hua's eyes and hesitated: "It's not that it's impossible…"

Although the Grand Void Gate can afford this sum of spirit stones, it's not easy—mainly because cash flow is tight.

The Grand Void Gate is a major sect with deep resources, but there are simply too many cultivators, and spirit stones are needed everywhere.

Especially now, after the three sects merged, the scale is even larger—everywhere demands spirit stones, and even one stone is wished it could be split in half to use.

As sect leader, he cannot make decisions lightly.

"Let me think this over before returning to the sect," said the Grand Void Sect's sect leader.

"Understood," Mo Hua nodded.

The best outcome would be for the sect to step in, purchase the spirit weapon, and make a deal with the Solitary Mountain Forge.

If the sect's spirit stone flow cannot be managed, then his junior brothers will have to buy them themselves. Having seen the spirit weapons, the Grand Void Sect's sect leader prepared to return to the sect.

Mo Hua still walked ahead, guiding the sect leader.

Master Gu, having heard this, knew full well Mo Hua's intent—he could also vaguely guess the identity of this middle-aged cultivator before him.

Little Master Mo actually managed to summon the sect's sect leader…

Deeply moved, Master Gu's admiration and gratitude for Mo Hua deepened further; he personally escorted Mo Hua and the others to the outskirts of Solitary Mountain City.

After returning to the sect, the Grand Void Sect's sect leader kept pondering Mo Hua's proposal.

Mo Hua's idea was indeed good.

But the cost here was indeed not cheap…

After a moment, he had a sudden inspiration and sought out the sect leaders of Mount Tai'e and Mount Chongxu; the three spoke for a while.

After their discussion, the Grand Void Sect's sect leader summoned Mo Hua:

"I've spoken with the sect leaders of Mount Tai'e and Mount Chongxu…"

Mo Hua's eyes lit up immediately—he understood: "Will the Three Mountains pool their spirit stones together?"

The Grand Void Sect's sect leader hesitated.

This child is truly brilliant—he barely began speaking, and Mo Hua had already guessed everything.

"Correct—but it's not that simple," said the Grand Void Sect's sect leader. "They want to see the results first."

When large sums of spirit stones are involved, everyone is cautious—none will act until they see the rabbit.

Mo Hua understood and nodded: "I understand, Sect Leader, rest assured."

The next day, Mo Hua arranged an impromptu drill.

In this drill, dense rows of disciples, clad in brand-new Dao robes and armor, wielding uniform spirit weapons, executed tactics with precise, clean movements.

They now looked every bit like true "Dao Soldiers."

Previously scattered disciples, connected by specially crafted spirit weapons and formations, formed squads of five—each like a sharp "spear," darting swiftly through mountains, rocks, and trees, advancing and retreating with ease, striking with lethal precision.

There were also special squads.

For instance, five tall, muscular body cultivators, clad in armor and wielding shields, stood like five iron mountains—just looking at them sent chills down one's spine.

Five disciples dressed in wind-element Dao robes, stepping on Wind-Treading Boots, raced across grass with astonishing speed.

And five sword cultivators, clad in light armor, each wielding a massive sword, slashed at anyone they saw.

And these spirit weapons and formations would still be changed.

Armor came in Metal-Resistant, Water-Resistant, Fire-Resistant varieties…

Corresponding spirit weapons included Metal Swords, Wood Swords, Water Swords, Fire Swords, and more.

The sect leaders of the Grand Void Gate, Tai'e, and Chongxu sat on the platform, silently watching these scenes, saying nothing for a long while.

The Grand Void Sect's sect leader had some idea already.

But when he actually saw Grand Void Gate disciples, clad in armor, wielding spirit weapons, coordinating with formations, advancing and attacking with precision, he still felt a pang of awe.

The sect leaders of Tai'e and Chongxu appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly found it unbelievable.

As sect leaders themselves, they knew how difficult it was to assemble such a system.

Not to mention the formation expertise, forging techniques, and casting costs.

Even getting these proud, high-spirited disciples to truly unite—as five becoming one, obeying orders—was no small feat.

This was nearly equivalent to a "Sect Dao Soldier" force…

Only this Sect Dao Soldier force had just begun.

And Dao Soldiers excelled most in unity—overcoming stronger foes through cohesion.

The disciples in this drill, judged by talent and strength, were only mid-to-lower tier within the sect—but once coordinated, their combat power became entirely different.

That was what was most terrifying.

It meant the sect's disciples' combat capability had undergone a "transformation" from the very bottom up.

In terms of high-tier combat power, perhaps they still lagged behind the Four Major Sects.

But their foundational combat strength was now rock-solid.

All three sect leaders felt a faint yet burning flame ignite in their hearts—they couldn't help but think:

Could this Sword Forum… truly be promising?

After a moment, the Tai'e sect leader spoke:

"I, Ashan, will pay for these things."

"I, Chongxu Mountain, will pay as well."

The Grand Master of Chongxu nodded in approval.

……

On the other side, Mo Hua also nodded in satisfaction.

His master had told him: "When a tree towers above the forest, the wind will surely break it."

To conceal one's brilliance, one must 'hide the tree within the forest.'

If the forest itself is not tall enough to provide cover, then create a vast, dense forest of your own.

Mo Hua looked down at the rows of golden armor and golden plate, spears and sharp swords, the Chongxu Gate disciples moving in battle, majestic and formidable, his eyes bright.

……

The spirit stones had arrived; the spirit artifacts and array mediums were all prepared.

Mo Hua had drawn part of the high-level array patterns on the spirit artifacts.

The rest had been completed by the inner-disciple senior brothers and sisters, along with the teaching elders.

In the rush, everything had been readied.

Tomorrow, the Sword Discussion would finally begin in earnest.

In the disciples' quarters.

Mo Hua reviewed every detail, front to back, confirmed there were no major oversights, and finally felt at ease.

Tomorrow, the Sword Discussion begins.

Chongxu Gate will now officially confront the Si Sect, the Eight Gates, the Twelve Streams, and even the Hundred Schools of Qianxue.

He might have to take the field himself.

Mo Hua felt a slight tension, but after thinking it over, there was nothing truly to be nervous about—it was just going out to fight.

Winning would be good; losing… well, no one would die anyway.

Mo Hua calmed his mind and resumed practicing the arrays.

This was something he did every day.

No matter what happened, nothing could stop his progress in mastering arrays.

Whenever he had a moment—even if he could only draw one array, or even just one array rune—he would use it to learn the art of arrays, steadily and earnestly.

There are no shortcuts in arrays.

Array proficiency advances through these tiny, incremental practices.

And now, with his spiritual insight having formed a Golden Core, Mo Hua was studying more than ordinary arrays.

The Thunder-Magnet Absolute Array, the Reverse-Spirit Absolute Array, and the reversion of the Twenty-One Rune Four Symbols Azure Long Zhen diagram—any one of these arrays, if seen by others, would seem unbelievable.

In the disciples' quarters, lamplight flickered.

Mo Hua, following his planned sequence, carefully and repeatedly studied and comprehended the few absolute arrays he currently held.

Only when he finished practicing the Reverse-Spirit Array and began transforming the Four Symbols beast runes into dragon runes did Mo Hua pause, suddenly realizing a question:

The Original Array Diagram!

He had been so preoccupied with the Sword Discussion lately that he had nearly forgotten.

His Original Array Diagram was still unformed…

Mo Hua frowned.

He still remembered the message the Second Elder had given him before his soul dissolved into smoke:

Mr. Tu possessed a demonic statue, and within the statue lay a Great Lord Wuzhu of the Great Wasteland lineage, who had retrieved an ancient Great Wasteland array diagram from the depths of the barbarian abyss.

This ancient barbarian array diagram was connected to his Original Array Diagram…

"Mr. Tu… the demonic statue…"

But… where exactly was this Mr. Tu?

And where might the demonic statue be hidden?

What would his Original Array Diagram even be?

Mo Hua frowned, pondered for a long time, and found no clues.

"Forget it—after the Sword Discussion."

"The Sword Discussion is the most urgent matter now. Afterward, there should be some time to track down Mr. Tu, surround him, and beat him to death, then find a way to seize the 'demonic statue'…"

"If all else fails, I could ask the Ancestor and the Grand Master for help—but I don't know if the Ancestor has the time…"

"Besides, this concerns a demonic god—it's far too dangerous. I must be extremely cautious…"

Mo Hua silently weighed his thoughts, then set the matter aside for now, focusing his attention on array practice, while also looking forward to tomorrow's Sword Discussion…

……

In the Qianxue region, an unknown place.

Inside a blood-smeared chamber.

Mr. Tu, battered and scarred, his spiritual soul fractured, knelt on the ground.

The death of the Solitary Mountain Demon Embryo had subjected him to unprecedented severe "divine punishment," his flesh and spirit both wracked with unbearable agony, as if plunged into an endless hell with no respite.

Mr. Tu had grown numb.

Deep within his soul, he sensed his time was running short.

Not just because of Chongxu Gate, but because of the ferocious god within Chongxu Gate, watching him with hungry eyes…

And something even more terrifying…

"Lately, I've had a feeling—as if something, a pair of… pitch-black, strange eyes, is watching me from the shadows…"

"But I don't even know who he is…"

"Who could he possibly be?"

"Has another terrifying cultivator great power entered the game… or… has he been in the game all along?"

"I don't know…"

"I… there's no time left, I…"

Mr. Tu's tone suddenly paused, his eyes dimming, radiating an eerie depth.

After a moment, he slowly frowned:

"Just now… what was I saying?"

"Was I wavering?"

"No, impossible."

"My loyalty to the Divine Lord is plain for all of heaven and earth to see. No person, no demon, no god can shake my devout faith."

"There is simply nothing in this world to fear."

"Once the Divine Lord awakens, all the monsters and demons will turn to ash and smoke beneath the Divine Lord's radiance…"

"Yes, that's right…"

Mr. Tu raved deliriously, then knelt on the ground, his back drenched in blood, the wounds on his divine soul also faintly throbbing with pain.

But in Mr. Tu's heart, a thrill arose.

Both thunder and rain are divine grace.

This is the Divine Lord's "blessing."

His pain is proof of the Divine Lord's existence, a sign of the Divine Lord's favor upon him.

"The resurrection of Lonely Mountain failed, because not enough people have died…"

"This time, it will definitely succeed…"

"As long as enough die, it will definitely succeed…"

"And you, Divine Lord, will finally awaken, and with flesh and blood, taste the most delicious sacrifice in this world…"

Mr. Tu knelt in devout worship.

In his hands, he held a blood-drenched human skin, upon which was drawn a blue dragon array pattern, flickering with an eerie blue-red light.

And what he worshipped was a divine statue.

A massive, grotesque, ghastly human-faced, ram-horned bone evil-god statue.

And within this divine statue was hidden a terrifying evil-god aura, along with an ancient secret known to no one…

(End of this chapter)