Chapter 1004

The Sky-Reflecting Painting stretched across heaven and earth, its ink-wash images dynamically displaying nearly a hundred duels and battles, each one thrilling and intense.

Near the center of the painting, Mo Hua's figure flickered briefly before slowly materializing.

On the Shangguan family's viewing platform, Yu'er spotted Mo Hua at once, her eyes lighting up as she clapped and cheered:

"Mo brother! Mother, look quick!"

Wen Renwan, dressed in imperial robes and possessing a dignified, elegant beauty, gazed at the Sky-Reflecting Painting and saw Mo Hua—dressed in the black-and-mystic black robes of the Grand Void Gate's dueling attire, his gaze bright, his demeanor calm, already bearing the poise of one unfazed before thousands—and smiled with satisfaction.

Meanwhile, among the vast sea of cultivators in the outer grounds, numerous eyes—some open, some hidden—unanimously locked onto Mo Hua.

The emotions in those eyes varied.

Some were eager, some puzzled, some intrigued, some coldly indifferent…

Yet at the same time, many cultivators still could not identify who Mo Hua was.

"Who is Mo Hua?"

There were five people from the Grand Void Gate.

First, eliminate the big brute Cheng Mo—generally, those with strong limbs but simple minds are certainly not array masters.

The remaining four were hard to tell apart.

"That guy looks smug and arrogant, clearly a pampered noble who does whatever he wants in the sect—is he Mo Hua?"

"That's a disciple of Tai'eshan…"

"That one with the icy expression, so rude, acting like a genius…"

"That's Linghu Xiao, the sword prodigy from Chongxu Mountain."

"That's the boy carrying the Lihuo Sword?"

"Fool, he's carrying a sword—how could he be an array master?"

"Then…"

Everyone exchanged glances, then turned together to the last figure in the line—a slender youth with a refined face, bright eyes, eyebrows like the bright moon, a countenance warm as sunlight, radiating instant warmth and ease, slightly shorter than the others.

"He's… Mo Hua?"

The previously noisy Dao Discourse Mountain fell silent for a moment.

Many who didn't know Mo Hua stared blankly.

"Wasn't he supposed to be gloomy?"

"Wasn't he supposed to be a spoiled noble?"

"Who is this bright-eyed, clear-featured, sunny little boy?"

"Who said he was a freak? I feel… kind of cute?"

"Such a little boy is an undiscovered array prodigy?" Many female disciples and female cultivators, gazing at Mo Hua's delicate and adorable face, were already staring with sparkling eyes.

Many male disciples and male cultivators darkened in expression, muttering discontentedly:

"You can know a person's face but not their heart."

"Looks can be deceiving—he might be a freak beneath that cuteness. Don't be fooled by appearances."

"True—the more sunny he looks, the darker his heart might be…"

"Besides, this is a sword duel—looks won't feed you…"

"I want to see what this Grand Void Gate array prodigy, the Array Champion of Qianxue Prefecture, can actually do—how dare he enter this duel to contend with other prodigies on the sword path…"

…

Countless cultivators, countless eyes, fixed unblinkingly on Mo Hua.

Dao Discourse Mountain, inner mountain.

Mo Hua couldn't help shivering.

He looked around; beyond the sky-covering array, through the curtain-like Sky-Reflecting Painting, he could faintly see the entire perimeter of Dao Discourse Mountain packed densely with cultivators—like ants swarming over hills and fields, like tidal waves covering the heavens and earth.

But he couldn't see clearly, nor hear what they were saying.

This was a fifth-rank array blocking sight and sound, preventing spectators from disturbing the inner-disciple duels.

It was also a form of array protection.

To prevent any demonic fiends or mentally deranged high-level cultivators among the audience from suddenly erupting and slaughtering the dueling prodigies.

After all, the disciples' cultivation levels were only Foundation Establishment.

Qianxue Prefecture was a fifth-rank region, capable of accommodating cultivators at the Nascent Soul—even Void-Exploration—level to unleash their full power.

If a massacre by Nascent Soul or higher-level cultivators erupted, the "youth" prodigies would have no chance to resist and would suffer catastrophic losses.

The major families and sects of Qianxue Prefecture would suffer devastating blows to their foundations.

With the array blocking clear vision, Mo Hua withdrew his gaze and focused his attention on the dueling assembly before him.

This was his first duel.

His opponent was Qingshuang Gate, a minor sect ranked fairly high among the Hundred Sects of Qianxue, whose sect's core scripture was the Qingshuang Jue.

Since this was the "Huang"-class preliminary round, the rules were simple, and the winning condition straightforward.

Just win a five-versus-five match.

The terrain for the preliminaries wasn't large—just a small forested hill.

The two sides wandered a few circles before meeting, and combat erupted instantly.

Cheng Mo charged ahead.

Ouyang Xian merged with his sword, attacking from the flank, while Sister Situ provided cover.

Linghu Xiao unleashed Chongxu Sword Qi.

And then… nothing.

The battle ended—the enemy team lay all fallen.

From start to finish, Mo Hua stood in place, not moving an inch, not even pulling his hands out of his sleeves.

The battle, poised to erupt, ended in an instant.

On the Sky-Drawn Image, Mo Hua's team emerged victorious; the image vanished, then blurred before reforming to broadcast the next Sword Debate.

Outside the arena, silence fell.

Before long, voices surged wildly, buzzing with discussion.

"No way… that's it?"

"Are you serious?"

"This is a Sword Debate—he didn't even move a hand?"

"All thanks to his teammates?"

"What can you do? His teammates are too strong—he never got a chance to act…"

"But still, you can't just ride on their coattails! At least move a finger, do something, even cast a fireball! At least show you're participating, let us know you're in the Sword Debate…"

"Maybe… he's hiding his true strength?"

"Don't be absurd. Hiding strength doesn't look like this. Look at him—he lacks spiritual power, his body is weak, frail as a willow—what could he possibly be hiding?"

"He lacks the spiritual power for advanced Dao techniques, his arms and legs are thin—he'd be finished if an opponent closed in. I can't imagine what talent he could possibly have…"

"In my view, he's just here to slack off…"

Many cultivators who had expected too much now felt disappointed.

Only those who truly knew Mo Hua—like Elder Murong Caiyun, Qianqian, and Shangguan Xu—smiled wryly, finding it perfectly natural.

This was indeed Mo Hua's way.

If he could avoid acting, he wouldn't move a single finger.

Yet in such a grand Sword Debate, with so many elders of the cultivation world watching, Mo Hua truly didn't stir a single finger, didn't seek even a shred of glory—it left them both amused and exasperated.

Yu'er didn't care about any of that; she cheered happily:

"Mo brother is amazing—he didn't even need to act, and all the opponents fell down!"

After enduring the demon nightmare, in Yu'er's heart, Mo Hua was the strongest—acting made him strong, not acting made him even stronger.

Wenren Wan chuckled, unconsciously ruffling Yu'er's hair.

She too felt a hint of regret.

This was the first Sword Debate, under the gaze of countless eyes—she had hoped to see Mo Hua make even a single move, at least "show his face."

But not acting, concealing his brilliance, was indeed safer.

Wenren Wan knew Mo Hua's identity was unusual, and guessed he had secrets he couldn't reveal—so she felt only slight regret, then let it go.

After all, the Sword Debate would last a long time; there was no rush.

Yet outside the Dao Debate Mountain, controversy over Mo Hua never ceased.

Most cultivators who didn't know the truth still saw Mo Hua as a slacker.

Gu Changhuai, on duty, heard the murmurs around him and couldn't help shaking his head—but he said nothing.

In the following days, Mo Hua competed in several matches.

But just like the first one, his teammates dominated the battlefield while he kept his hands tucked in his sleeves, trailing behind like a spectator.

Over time, his reputation naturally grew worse.

Especially with the true prodigies of the Sida Sect and the Eight Gates as contrast.

Other sect prodigies were all "leaders"—even against disciples of the Qianxue Hundred Schools, they showed basic respect, leading the charge, striking once and sweeping the entire arena, majestic and awe-inspiring, winning thunderous applause.

Only Mo Hua, this "leader," followed behind like a lackey.

Thus, the difference in status became crystal clear.

Doubts about Mo Hua grew louder; every time he stepped onto the stage, crowds pointed and whispered:

"I've figured it out—this Mo Hua is just here to slack off, right?"

"He has no talent of his own, so he's clinging to his two teammates to secure a good ranking? I heard one of his teammates is a sword prodigy from Chongxu Line, appearing once every five hundred years. The other, though obscure, is said to be among the top two prodigies of Tai'e Line."

"The other two are also strong—they're said to be his 'loyal followers' from Grand Void Gate."

"So does this mean Grand Void Gate's three branches are actually elevating just one man?"

"Is this like tutoring the Crown Prince?"

"No—it's tutoring the Crown Prince in Sword Debate."

"Tsk tsk…"

"Why would Grand Void Gate treat him like this?"

"Didn't they say? He's being tutored by the Crown Prince—he's the Grand Void Gate's sect master's illegitimate son."

"Nonsense—he's the Grand Ancestor of Grand Void Gate's own grandson!"

"Same difference…"

"No wonder…"

Someone sighed: "Poor Linghu Xiao—a sword prodigy appearing once every five hundred years, his one chance at the Sword Debate, wasted like this."

"I've watched every match these past days—Linghu Xiao's sword heart is pure, his sword aura truly formidable."

"Without Mo Hua as this 'burden,' if he had a stronger teammate, with his strength, he might truly rival the Sida Sect prodigies. Now… what a waste…"

"Can't he switch teammates?"

"What do you know? Even if he's a genius, he's still just a disciple—the sect master and the Grand Ancestor ordered him to team up with Mo Hua—what can he do? Can he refuse?"

"True… sigh—what a waste of a prodigy…"

"Favoritism, nepotism—I say Grand Void Gate is finished…"

"Grand Void Gate is finished!" Everyone nodded in agreement.

Someone remarked in confusion, "That's odd… If I didn't misread, Xuanyuan Gate is currently… ranked first in sword discussion?"

Everyone fell silent.

Someone's face burned with shame.

At that moment, another white-robed cultivator sneered:

"What's so great about first? This is just the beginning—Xuanyuan Gate got their high ranking through opportunism."

"The later it gets, the harder it will be for Xuanyuan Gate."

"Especially in the Earth and Heaven tiers—it's all about top prodigies."

"After the three sects merged, Xuanyuan Gate barely managed to absorb Linghu Xiao from Chongxu Gate, and even then, they could still climb higher."

"Now, no one knows what their sect master is thinking—adding this dead weight will make it difficult."

"According to my prediction, by the 'Xuan' tier, Xuanyuan Gate will start to weaken; by the 'Earth' tier, they'll reveal their true colors; before even reaching the 'Heaven' tier, their ranking will plummet."

"They might not fall out of the Top Eight, but the Top Four is out of the question…"

This man spoke with unwavering confidence, as if he knew everything.

Listeners nodded repeatedly, and someone bowed and asked, "Brother, you seem to know a lot?"

"Naturally," the cultivator lifted his head, clearly proud, "I'll be honest—I'm Bai Xiaosheng, graduated from Qianxue Prefecture, devoted to sword discussion for over a hundred years. I've watched countless tournaments, large and small, well over ten thousand. The sects call me 'Bai Xiaosheng of Sword Discussion.'"

"I glance at the current landscape of the sword discussion, the strength of sects, the abilities of disciples—I see it all clearly, not a single detail wrong."

Bai Xiaosheng looked utterly certain.

"Then what about Mo Hua…"

"A fraud, without doubt," Bai Xiaosheng declared. "To be honest, I even suspect his title of 'Master of Array Dao' is false—gained through backdoor connections and deception."

"No doubt about it, a fraud," Bai Xiaosheng declared. "To be honest, I even suspect his title of 'Master of Array Dao' is undeserved—gained through backdoor connections and deception."

"Exactly—so many elders from the Shijia Sect and other sects were watching. How could it be fake?"

"If his title as Master of Sword Discussion is fake, let alone anything else—how could the Sida Sect allow it?"

Bai Xiaosheng shook his head. "You know nothing about the Shijiahe Sect. When enough profit is involved, their bottom line is shockingly low."

"Moreover, I can barely believe a spiritual sense one tier above; two tiers above is absurd; three tiers above? That's just treating everyone as fools."

"Too bad I don't like watching the Array Discussion—I'd have seen through their tricks clearly."

Bai Xiaosheng sighed. "You don't understand—the upper echelons of the cultivation world today are nothing but a stage for fame and profit."

"Shijia Sect fabricates, sects amplify it, build stages and put on shows to elevate a 'remarkable' prodigy so they can rise instantly. This happens all too often…"

Bai Xiaosheng spoke words of uncertain truth.

The cultivators listened, half-believing, half-doubting.

"Is there a possibility…" someone whispered, "that Mo Hua actually knows sword discussion?"

Bai Xiaosheng sneered. "What sword could he possibly know? Look at him—he can barely hold a sword. If he truly could wield any sword technique, I'll swallow my top-grade Spirit Sword right here in front of everyone!"

Bai Xiaosheng sneered, "What sword can he possibly understand? Look at him—he can barely hold a sword. If he really could wield any sword technique, I'd swallow my top-grade sentient sword right here in front of everyone!"

Everyone was stunned by his boldness—and by his audacity to wager his Spirit Sword over such a trivial matter—and nodded in admiration.

Some only then realized, upon hearing "top-grade Spirit Sword," that this unassuming, talkative, bookish-looking cultivator was in fact a Jin Dan cultivator.

But this was Qianxue Prefecture—where Liu Yuhua flew overhead and Jin Dan walked the ground; nothing unusual.

In the following days, amid such skepticism, Mo Hua completed the preliminary rounds of the 'Huang' tier.

In the days that followed, amid such skepticism, Mo Hua completed the preliminary rounds of the 'Huang' formation.

But he never lifted a finger.

His teammates fought; his teammates bore the hardship; Mo Hua merely "watched from the sidelines," basking in his teammates' victories.

This "second-generation heir" demeanor truly enraged everyone.

Even the female disciples from other sects who had once defended him because of his beautiful face now found it hard to speak up for him.

From then on, Mo Hua's reputation plummeted completely.

He had done nothing, said nothing, not even moved a hand—and yet he had successfully transformed from a "perhaps extreme, deeply gloomy, possibly deranged, and utterly mysterious" Array Dao prodigy…

Into Xuanyuan Gate's "Crown Prince," the exploitative "second-generation heir," the burden of the Sword Discussion, the dead weight.

He became the Grand Void Gate's idle Crown Prince, an exploiting second-generation scion, a burden at the Sword Debate, a dead weight dragging everyone down.

In contrast, Linghu Xiao's reputation improved steadily.

His astonishing sword talent and masterful sword techniques won increasing praise.

Many felt pity for him, many felt injustice.

To many, he was a quiet, enduring, uncomplaining, relentlessly persevering sword prodigy—almost single-handedly dragging his team forward.

As for who he bore the "burden" of—this went without saying.

As for who bore the 'heavy' burden, it goes without saying.

Of course, these were all outside opinions.

Within Xuanyuan Gate, all was peaceful.

Mo Hua didn't even know others held such strong opinions of him.

Of course, even if he did, he wouldn't care.

Irrelevant people's irrelevant gossip—he never took it "to heart," at most quietly jotting it down in a small notebook in his "heart," to settle accounts later when he had time.

He never took irrelevant words from irrelevant people to heart—merely noted them silently in a little book deep inside, planning to settle accounts with them one day when he had time.

Groups of junior disciples lined up to toast him.

Mo Hua was kind to others, so he never refused.

Fortunately, he drank fruit wine—and took only a sip each time; otherwise, even if the wine wasn't strong, he'd surely have passed out drunk.

Fortunately, he was drinking fruit wine, and just a sip was enough; otherwise, even if the wine wasn't strong, he would surely have passed out drunk.

Half-drunk with wine, the atmosphere was lively, and everyone was happy.

This was a small "victory banquet."

It celebrated the completion of the "Huang" round of the Sword Debate Assembly, with Grand Void Gate temporarily ranked first.

This was only a "minor victory," and a temporary one at that, so only a small celebration was warranted.

The sect master and elders did not refuse.

Grand Void Gate's temporary top ranking was due entirely to the disciples' efforts; thus, a small relaxation after the match was perfectly acceptable.

Moreover, they knew very well.

Once relaxation ended, the true "hard battles" would begin.

The "Xuan" round, the "Di" round, and the Sword Debate atop Xuantian Peak would grow harder with each stage, each match more difficult than the last.

Their opponents would be the true prodigies of the Twelve Streams, the Eight Gates, and even the Sida Sect.

The Dao Debate Apparatus would, according to celestial fate and karmic cause, begin assigning true prodigies to mortal duels.

The opponents were powerful, the battlefields ever-shifting, and victory or defeat hinged on a single thought.

This was the true test.

Grand Void Gate's "ranking" would be battered by these grueling battles, and gradually sink.

Where it would ultimately sink, where the dust would finally settle—no one could say.

After the "Huang" round concluded, there were several days of rest.

The rest days passed quickly; before long, the "Xuan" round of the Sword Debate had officially begun.

By the "Xuan" round, the intensity truly began.

No longer could they hide their strength, relying solely on teammates to fight five-on-four as they had in the Huang round.

Mo Hua could no longer slack off—he, too, would have to reveal at least some of his true strength…

(End of Chapter)