Chapter 1005

Lun Dao Mountain, morning.

Disciples from all sects gathered, a sea of people.

Elders from the Four Sects, Eight Gates, and Twelve Schools took their sect's authority tokens, and under the witness of the Four Sects' leaders, tossed bamboo lots into the Lun Dao Celestial Apparatus; after a series of causal "calculations" that severed heavenly fate, the list of duelists for the "Tian Xuanzi" bracket was finalized.

The elders of each sect copied down the list, then departed individually, leading their disciples back to their respective sects.

The Imperial Prince bracket was the preliminary round: many contestants, a tight schedule, and limited time—so the draw took place in the morning, and the matches began in the afternoon.

By the time of the Tian Xuanzi bracket, after the preliminary screening, less than one in ten of the original duelist teams remained; the number had plummeted, so the schedule now had ample flexibility.

The draw today, the actual duel tomorrow.

Moreover, the "Tian Xuanzi" duel format would change: opponents would grow stronger, the battles more complex, and the disciples' clashes in the Dueling Assembly would truly intensify.

Therefore, before each round of combat, time would be granted for strategizing and formulating countermeasures.

Within the Grand Courtyard of Grand Void Gate.

The list for the "Tian Xuanzi" bracket had been distributed.

Mo Hua held the Grand Void Token, his expression focused as he studied the list, eyes deep in thought.

Grand Void Gate's team for the Tian Xuanzi bracket numbered roughly fifty; the elimination rate was eight or nine out of ten.

This meant that roughly eighty to ninety percent of the disciples would see their Dueling Assembly end here—they could only participate in the "Imperial Prince" bracket, fight only about ten matches, and their one and only chance at the Dueling Assembly would be over.

This elimination rate was already far lower than that of other sects.

Added to the fact that Grand Void Gate now had a vast number of disciples, it allowed them to dominate the preliminary round and claim first place in the Dueling Assembly.

Mo Hua glanced at the surrounding disciples.

Those eliminated felt resentment and regret, yet they were not despondent.

They had given their all, contributing real effort toward Grand Void Gate's Dueling Assembly ranking.

Grand Void Gate's current first-place ranking was won by their every single step, every drop of sweat.

What would happen in the later duels was still uncertain.

But at least this victory now was not won by towering "Heavenly Prodigies" towering above others—it was won by these countless ordinary disciples, inferior in talent, fighting blade by blade, strike by strike.

Mo Hua suddenly froze, lost in thought.

"In this world, being and non-being give birth to each other, difficulty and ease complete each other, strength and weakness define each other…"

"Where there is strength, there is weakness; where there is weakness, there is strength…"

"If there are Heavenly Prodigies, then there must also be ordinary disciples, plain and unremarkable compared to 'Heavenly Prodigies.'"

"Heavenly Prodigies are strong; ordinary disciples are weak…"

"Heavenly Prodigies are few; ordinary disciples are many."

"What if… we could unite them to the fullest extent, and fully unleash the power of ordinary disciples, common cultivators, and even the lowest-tier cultivators of the entire cultivation world? Would that not mean we could 'accumulate weakness to overcome strength,' 'win through weakness against strength'?"

"If enough cultivators are united, their strength becomes great enough—even to… truly transform heaven and earth?"

Mo Hua's gaze grew blank.

A sudden insight arose within him: the interdependence of being and non-being, the reversal of strength and weakness, the transformation of Yin and Yang.

The notion of "accumulating weakness to overcome strength" became like a "spark," buried deep in his heart—a flicker of searing light revealing a path, faint yet discernible.

Above the courtyard, Elder Xun Zixian, who had been about to speak, saw Mo Hua's entranced state and instinctively fell silent, afraid to disturb him.

After a long while, Mo Hua raised his head; his gaze was profound, his pupils bright, like a candle flame in the night—almost blinding.

Xun Zixian, seeing this, involuntarily blinked in surprise.

"This child… what has he just awakened to?"

Those with extraordinary spiritual perception, astonishing talent, clear minds, and sharp intellects—those who observe, learn, and reflect deeply—are indeed more likely to achieve sudden enlightenment regarding all things under heaven, even the Dao's myriad principles.

Mo Hua's entranced state of sudden enlightenment—he had seen it many times before.

Honestly, Xun Zixian was envious beyond words.

But this time, Xun Zixian felt something was different.

As if Mo Hua had just awakened to something extraordinary.

That faint glimmer in his eyes carried a hint of… "heretical" meaning?

Xun Zixian shook his head; seeing Mo Hua return to himself, he gathered his thoughts, cleared his throat, and began speaking of the duel:

"The Imperial Prince bracket duel was merely a preliminary round, so the format was simple free-for-all combat."

"But the Tian Xuanzi bracket is different."

"Within the Tian Xuanzi bracket, other duel formats are mixed in—randomly determined and calculated by the Lun Dao Celestial Apparatus."

"Each round is unique."

"The exact format will only be revealed six hours before the duel…"

One disciple asked, puzzled: "Elder, why isn't the format decided earlier?"

Other disciples nodded: "Yes, that way we could prepare in advance."

Xun Zixian countered: "When you travel the cultivation world in the future, and someone tries to kill you, will they notify you ahead of time so you can prepare?"

"Or when you lead your Dao soldiers into battle and encounter an ambush, will you ask them to wait while you deliberate your tactics?"

The disciples fell silent.

Xun Zixian continued: "In the earliest duels, the format was revealed only moments before combat began—to train disciples in adaptability."

"Whether to attack, defend, kill, flee, decapitate, or escape—you must decide instantly, in the blink of an eye."

"Later, we considered that you are still disciples, having never truly faced the countless life-or-death battles, the razor's edge of survival…"

Xun Zixian paused mid-sentence, unable to resist glancing again at Mo Hua.

He had long heard of Mo Hua's deeds.

Huo Fotuo, Ten Thousand Demons Valley, Rouge Boat, Dragon King Temple… and the Solitary Mountain Tomb…

Here, every single one is a life-or-death "killing setup."

These deadly affairs, Mo Hua plunged into from start to finish, never missed one, yet still walked away unscathed—truly unbelievable.

Most unbelievable of all, after enduring so much, he still wore a naive expression, his gaze clear and pure, blending into the crowd like an ordinary disciple "unworldly and inexperienced."

A hungry wolf, wrapped in sheepskin, mingling among flocks, yet appearing even "harmless" than the sheep around him…

Xun Zixian sighed slightly and rephrased:

"Most of you have never experienced such killing setups; asking you to decide on the spot is too much."

"That's why we decided the format six hours in advance."

"These six hours are a buffer period, for you to deliberate, decide, and prepare for the Sword Debate."

"But you must understand: once you leave the sect and enter the cultivation world, many dangers arise in an instant—there will be no time to think or react."

"The Sword Debate is not only a contest of prowess, but also a trial…"

"Yes, Elder!"

The disciples replied solemnly.

After that, Xun Zixian gave a few more reminders and let everyone prepare on their own.

Saying "prepare on your own" was really just to give Mo Hua time.

Mo Hua gathered all the junior disciples participating in the "Tian Xuanzi" Sword Debate into the small grove and, as usual, briefed them on tactics and formation arrangements.

But that was all he could do.

Everything that needed to be explained had already been explained.

Everything that needed training had already been practiced enough.

Spirit weapons and formations had all been equipped.

At the moment of battle, Mo Hua could not command them; during the "Tian Xuanzi" matches, it would ultimately depend on the disciples' own improvisation.

After giving his instructions, Mo Hua still had time left, so he sent the disciples to the practice grounds to train on their own.

Mo Hua also took Linghu Xiao and the others aside to practice Dao techniques, considering what methods he should demonstrate in the upcoming Sword Debate…

On the high platform, the abbots of Sanshan, Tai'e, and Chongxu gathered, watching the diligent disciples train; though pleased, a shadow hung over their hearts.

"The Imperial Prince round is over—good times are finished…"

The Tai'e abbot sighed softly.

The abbots of Taixu and Chongxu said nothing, but both nodded silently.

What others could see, these abbots naturally understood well.

The title of "Number One in the Sword Debate" held a temptation for these sect abbots no less than an immortal elixir or divine treasure.

Having tasted the flavor of first place, it was truly hard to let go.

Even if they knew clearly that this first place was temporary, merely "borrowed," and would eventually have to be returned.

Yet when the moment to "return" it arrived, their hearts still ached.

Humans truly are greedy…

Even the Taixu abbot, who had always cultivated inner peace, found it hard to remain calm after experiencing this taste of fame and profit.

Before true profit, even the most "Buddhist" person finds it hard to stay calm.

If one remains calm, it's only because the stakes aren't high enough.

"The battles ahead will be brutal—poor children…"

"Indeed…"

"It starts tomorrow…"

The Tian Xuanzi Sword Debate began.

Taixu Gate's ranking in the Sword Debate would finally begin its slow decline.

Like a dull blade cutting flesh, all the fat they had gained would now be sliced away, piece by piece.

Each abbot sipped tea in silence.

…

The next day, the Tian Xuanzi Sword Debate officially began.

The participating disciples had already been informed of the format beforehand; most still followed the Imperial Prince round's "free-for-all" format.

Only a few drew formats like "siege," "defense," or "decapitation."

Clearly, entering the Tian Xuanzi round would not yet involve drastic changes.

Changes to the Sword Debate format still followed a gradual progression, to let the disciples adapt slowly. On the first day, Mo Hua did not need to compete.

He would not be scheduled until the second day, for a match against the Twelve Streams.

So on the first day, he mainly came to watch, wanting to see how his fellow Taixu Gate junior disciples performed.

On the massive Sky-Screen, match after match unfolded brilliantly.

The prodigies of each sect now began to show their true strength.

Taixu Gate's situation, as expected, grew grim.

The constraints of Dao soldier formations, spirit weapons, and formations could indeed strengthen low-tier cultivators, but this "strengthening" had its limits.

Moreover, Taixu Gate disciples had limited training time; they could not truly surpass the restrictions of their cultivation level and Dao technique rank to defeat the prodigies of other sects.

Especially since the opponents in the Tian Xuanzi Sword Debate were mostly from the Twelve Streams and some of the Eight Great Sects—beating them was no easy feat.

Most Taixu Gate disciples found themselves in grueling battles.

The fights were fiercely contested, requiring repeated back-and-forth and exhaustion; winning each match became harder than the last.

In the Tian Xuanzi Sword Debate, each win earned ten victory points.

That meant, winning one Tian Xuanzi match equaled winning ten Imperial Prince matches.

Under this dynamic of mutual decline and rise, Tai Xu Sect's ranking halted its upward momentum, and the gap between it and second-place Tian Jian Sect gradually narrowed.

After a day of fierce battles, rankings shifted significantly, yet Tai Xu Sect remained first.

But everyone knew this "first" had turned from "victory" to "decline," beginning its downward slide.

Today would be Tai Xu Sect's "peak," after which it would plunge like a river flowing downward.

Many already looked forward to the day Tai Xu Sect fell out of first place, even out of the "top four."

That would mean Tai Xu Sect would be truly cast back into its "true form."

And under these circumstances, Mo Hua's first "Tian Xuanzi" sword discourse officially began.

This discourse, too, drew immense attention.

Mo Hua's identity was inherently unique, and his reputation had once been extremely high.

Coupled with his previous performances in sword discourses—his various "inaction"—he had drawn heavy "criticism."

Though his reputation had plummeted, his level of attention soared.

The entire Dao Discourse Mountain was packed with spectators, many of whom had come solely to see him.

Some hoped he would perform and live up to expectations; others wanted to see him fail, so they could gloat, mock, and kick him while he was down…

Mo Hua knew none of this.

His entire focus remained on the sword discourse.

For this first "Tian Xuanzi" sword discourse, Mo Hua's luck was average—he drew the standard "free-for-all" format.

A simple five-on-five.

Their opponents were Xuan Tie Men, one of the Twelve Streams.

It was a sect specializing in artifact forging, also teaching body refinement, with a secret body-refinement method that complemented its forging arts.

Its disciples trained in both artifact forging and body refinement, excelling not only in forging skills but also possessing bones and sinews as hard as iron.

Xuan Tie Men was among the stronger sects among the Twelve Streams.

But the team facing Mo Hua was not Xuan Tie Men's strongest squad—it was merely a top-tier, just-below-elite team.

Their strength was already considerable.

Time arrived; both sides entered the arena, and combat erupted instantly.

But this time, the battle did not end quickly.

Both sides fell into a degree of stalemate.

Xuan Tie Men's stalemate stemmed from their actual limitations.

But Tai Xu Sect's stalemate stemmed from Mo Hua.

Because he stood aside, arms crossed, utterly motionless.

As a result, Tai Xu Sect was forced into a four-versus-five situation.

Moreover, after previous battles, Linghu Xiao and the others' techniques had been exposed to other sects' scrutiny.

Xuan Tie Men had made targeted adjustments.

They completely ignored Mo Hua, treating the remaining four as their opponents.

This gave them a significant advantage.

All were prodigies from Qian Xue Zhou's realm; though prodigies varied in quality, those who reached the "Tian Xuanzi" stage of the Sword Discourse were no true weaklings.

In a five-versus-five battle, unless the power gap was extreme, one extra fighter made a massive difference.

Linghu Xiao was pinned down by two Xuan Tie Men disciples.

Ouyang Xuan faced off against a massive body-refinement disciple one-on-one.

Cheng Mo and Sister Situ were also locked in stalemates.

Tai Xu Sect held the upper hand, but the advantage was unclear.

Meanwhile, Xuan Tie Men, leveraging their numerical edge, used their extra fighter to constantly shift targets and rotate assaults, pressuring Linghu Xiao and the others—both sides fought back and forth evenly.

Fortunately, Linghu Xiao was truly strong.

After holding out for half an hour, Linghu Xiao finally found an opening amid Xuan Tie Men's shifting assaults, braving the pressure to condense a Chong Xu Sword Qi that directly disabled one opponent, shattering his Dao Discourse Jade.

Now it was four-versus-four; pressure dropped sharply.

Thereafter, Tai Xu Sect, relying on Linghu Xiao and Ouyang Xuan as the two "prodigies," steadily expanded their advantage until finally ending the battle.

Throughout, Mo Hua remained a "cold observer," watching his teammates struggle without moving a muscle.

This time, it truly enraged the spectators outside.

Especially as Tai Xu Sect's ranking was clearly declining, teams struggled desperately, and teammates fought on the brink—yet he still remained deaf and blind, utterly inactive, stirring deep anger in many hearts.

"This 'Mo Hua' is simply too much!"

"He eats the people's food but does nothing worthy of it!"

"Can such a man truly be called the 'Master of Array Dao'? Can he even be called a 'prodigy'?"

"What is Tai Xu Sect even keeping him for?"

"He's long relied on the sect's blessings to lord over others; fine. But now that Tai Xu Sect is in trouble, he still adds pressure to his teammates while doing nothing himself…"

"He's draining the sect's and his teammates' blood!"

"For the hollow fame of the Sword Discourse, he's thrown away all dignity."

"What are Tai Xu Sect's Sect Master and elders thinking? Are they mad? Why haven't they removed him? Do they still treat him like a 'Xiaozu'?"

"Who could have imagined that Tai Xu Sect, one of the Eight Great Sects, had sunk so deep into internal tyranny and corruption…"

"In my view, he should just withdraw from the competition—save himself the humiliation. Others will think all of Qian Xue Zhou's realm is filled with mediocrities…"

…

The condemnation rose to a deafening clamor.

Wenren Wan, Elder Murong Caiyun, and other cultivators familiar with Mo Hua all heard these rumors and felt anger rise within them.

But the Dao Discussion Mountain was packed with people, and the cultivators spreading these words were too numerous; they did not know whom to challenge, so they silently suppressed this fury deep within.

The high-ups of the major clans and sects also shook their heads in silence.

They could see that Huo Xia's five were currently the strongest sword-discussion team in the Grand Void Sect.

If even the Grand Void Sect's strongest team is only at this level, then this year's Sword Discussion is truly at an end…

Three men make a tiger; many tongues can melt gold.

Public opinion stirs the hearts of men.

Even within the Grand Void Sect, some elders began to waver, doubting whether pairing Mo Hua with Huo Xia had been a wise decision.

These elders were primarily those originally from the Tai'e and Chongxu Mountains.

They also secretly discussed it behind closed doors.

But the abbots of both mountains suppressed these discussions.

A bet is a bet; since the agreement was made and the teams set, there is no reason to renege now that the Sword Discussion has begun.

Moreover, it would be useless to renege now.

And the reason the Grand Void Sect has temporarily held the top rank in the Sword Discussion is largely due to Mo Hua's contributions.

It is Mo Hua who has coordinated and arranged everything.

You cannot turn around and "burn the bridge after crossing" by blaming him just because he has performed poorly and achieved nothing in the individual team sword discussions.

Moreover, though the abbots of the Tai'e and Chongxu Mountains had little contact with Mo Hua, they always had a faint sense that they could not fathom this young disciple.

This Grand Void Sect's Array Master is far from as simple as he appears.

Within the Grand Void Mountain lineage itself, however, all remained calm.

From top to bottom, almost no one had any objection to Mo Hua's performance.

Especially those elders who had at least some knowledge of Mo Hua's past "exploits" only sneered at the outside criticisms and condemnations:

What kind of games does Mo Hua usually play?

What kind of game is this sword discussion of yours?

Can you compare?

If a master could be seen through so easily, would he still be a master?

Amid this overwhelming, tidal wave of criticism, Mo Hua's second "Xuan"-character sword discussion officially began.

This time, the opponent was still the Twelve Streams.

But the opponent was significantly stronger than the Xuantie Gate from before.

As soon as they entered the Sword Discussion preparation chamber on the Dao Discussion Mountain, a tall, imposing youth, accompanied by a group, walked up to Mo Hua and the others.

The youth did not even glance at Mo Hua; he stepped past him and went straight to Huo Xia, asking:

"Are you Huo Xia?"

Huo Xia nodded coldly.

The youth pointed to himself, full of confidence, "Remember my name—I am the one who will defeat you!"

(End of Chapter)