Chapter 1059: Master Tu (Thank you to Yeeeeea for the Alliance Master donation~)

Outside Yanluoshan.

A group of prodigy disciples, having survived the ordeal, prepared to withdraw.

Cheng Mo looked left and right, then suddenly asked, "Where's Little Master?"

Sister Situ Jian said, "Little Master told me to go ahead, and he'll follow later."

Linghu Xiao frowned. "Is Little Master alright?"

Sister Situ Jian said, "Little Master assured us not to worry—he won't be harmed."

Linghu Xiao nodded. "Then let's wait a bit for Little Master."

"Alright."

"When Little Master comes out, we'll return to the sect together."

A group of Taixu Sect disciples gathered outside the Dao Ting Si encampment, waiting for Mo Hua to join them—but no matter how long they waited, that familiar figure never appeared.

At that moment, a distant boom—mountain peak collapsed, demonic energy spread—and the entrance to Yanluoshan's demonic array was sealed once more.

And still, they saw no sign of their Little Master.

Everyone's expression changed.

"Little Master didn't get out!"

"Is he still inside that demonic mountain?"

The group exchanged glances, all with a solemn expression.

Sister Situ Jian frowned in thought, then looked up and spotted Gu Changhuai standing afar, his face dark with gloom—he immediately stepped forward and asked:

"Gu Diansi, where is our Little Master?"

Linghu Xiao, Cheng Mo, and the other Taixu Sect disciples all fixed their gaze on Gu Changhuai, eyes bright with hope.

Gu Changhuai suddenly realized deeply how extraordinary Mo Hua's standing was among the Taixu Sect disciples.

Gu Changhuai sighed. "Mo Hua… he stayed inside the array."

Everyone's faces turned pale. "Gu Diansi…"

"Mo Hua… he went to save someone."

"Who?"

Gu Changhuai shook his head.

Sister Situ Jian and the others guessed it must be a Dao Ting Si secret—too sensitive to reveal, and they had no right to press further.

But their Little Master was gone…

"Should we… go back and help Little Master?"

Sister Situ Jian shook his head, calmly: "The entrance collapsed. The array is sealed. We can't go back."

"There are still so many demons…"

"Besides, even if we went back, we couldn't help Little Master—we don't understand the array, we'd only be a burden…"

The Taixu Sect disciples all grew somber.

Gu Changhuai said, "You… return to your sect first. Mo Hua's safety is our responsibility."

They had barely been rescued—they couldn't afford further losses.

But Linghu Xiao shook his head firmly. "I'm staying here. We won't return until Mo Hua comes out."

The other Taixu Sect disciples also nodded solemnly:

"If Little Master doesn't come out, we won't leave!"

"We return to the sect together—or not at all!"

Gu Changhuai looked at them with deep emotion, and stopped pressing.

On the other side, disciples from the other major sects had begun to depart—but halfway through, someone suddenly asked:

"Why isn't Taixu Sect leaving?"

"It seems they're waiting for Mo Hua…"

"Where's Mo Hua?"

"Is he still inside the array?"

Everyone's faces darkened. "Still inside the array?"

"I just heard them talking to Gu Diansi—he went to save someone, so he hasn't come out yet…"

All the prodigies from every sect stopped in their tracks.

Mo Hua had saved them.

Now they were all out—but Mo Hua remained inside that dark, terrifying demonic array, to save others…

Mo Hua's image in their minds suddenly grew hazy.

Though his tongue was cruel, his attitude arrogant, his methods treacherous, and his actions infuriating—he had, single-handedly, united disciples from every sect and led them all out of the demon's lair. Now, even, he stayed behind in the lair himself, "sacrificing himself for others," to save even more…

Was this Mo Hua not really a "villain"?

Perhaps, quite the opposite?

Everyone fell silent.

Lingering anger, hatred, gratitude, admiration, shame—all these emotions tangled and echoed in their hearts, indescribable in taste.

Ao Zheng of Long Ding Sect was the first to stop walking. He said firmly, "I'm staying too."

Shen Cangfeng frowned but said nothing.

Xiao Ruohan stood motionless, icy and still—clearly unwilling to leave alone.

As prodigies of the Sida Sect, their pride ran deeper.

The Mo Hua they had hated had saved them—and yet they turned their backs and walked away. That would make them despise themselves from the core.

Therefore, they stayed not for Mo Hua, but for their own "Dao Heart," for their belief in the Dao, for the integrity of an open heart.

They did not wish to be cowards who fled at the first sign of battle.

Among the Eight Gates, Shi Tiangang of the Golden Hammer Gate spoke slowly:

"Mo Hua has done us a great favor; we shall wait too."

The Golden Hammer Gate's prodigies nodded.

Among the other sects, Qin Cangliu of the Broken Gold Gate, Lu Zhenlong of the Purple Mist Gate, and Feng Zichen of the Free and Easy Gate also remained.

Song Jian of the Broken Gold Gate genuinely worried about Mo Hua, yet on the surface he wore a faint sneer, pretending to be merely following the crowd.

Ye Zhiyuan of the Great Luo Gate, since being mocked by Mo Hua for "flying poorly with his sword," had shut himself off ever since.

Now he too refused to leave.

Mo Hua was the opponent he had sworn to defeat; sooner or later, he would personally slay Mo Hua with his Great Luo flying sword and erase this humiliation.

Before that, he did not wish for Mo Hua to die first.

When the leading prodigies did not leave, the disciples of other sects naturally stayed as well.

At this moment, the prodigies of the Four Sects, Eight Gates, and Twelve Streams—all who had escaped the Blood Sacrifice Array—gathered silently outside Luoshan Mountain.

Their motives varied: some for deep brotherhood, some for the pride of being a prodigy, some out of gratitude, some out of hatred, some merely out of conformity...

But regardless of their reasons, the chosen ones of all sects within the Qianxue Province all gazed at Luoshan Mountain, silently waiting for that one figure...

Inside Luoshan Mountain.

The Blood Sacrifice Array still churned, its demonic aura thick, the cavern drenched in crimson—yet Mo Hua wandered about, curiously "touring."

All the demonic cultivators within Luoshan had been slaughtered by Dao Ting Si; no one could disturb his study of the Desolate Feng Tianxue Sacrifice Array.

The flesh and blood demon army required bloodline nourishment and could not stray far from the valley; as long as he avoided the valley mouth, the danger was minimal.

The wandering malevolent spirits were even less concerning.

Thus, Mo Hua moved freely within the array, feeling as if he were a fish in water—breaking apart whatever he wished, examining whatever he pleased, with neither man nor demon to stop him.

In this way, Mo Hua circled the outer perimeter again, broadening his array thinking through real-world examples of the demonic array's application and enriching his practical experience with array construction—gaining much.

When he finished touring, he felt he had seen enough, and turned toward the Secret Array Core Chamber.

Inside the Secret Array Core Chamber were four Jin Dan demonic array masters.

Now, all four Jin Dan demonic array masters were dead, their corpses still lying where they fell—limbs severed, heads detached.

This was precisely what Mo Hua had specifically instructed Uncle Gu to do.

Upon first breaching Luoshan, find as many Jin Dan Gu Diansi as possible, sneak into this core chamber, kill these Jin Dan array masters first—ensure their heads are severed, and do not look into their eyes.

In battle, kill the array masters first.

This was Mo Hua's hard-won insight, accumulated over many years as a seasoned array master.

Uncle Gu had carried out these orders well.

Mo Hua nodded, then turned his gaze to the table.

The wine cup remained, its contents swirling with eyes that turned, blood slowly seeping from the pupils and mixing with the wine into a vivid crimson pool.

Mo Hua hesitated, then ultimately restrained himself from drinking.

This thing was too sinister; better not to taste it.

According to Mo Hua's guess, this was likely a method used by demonic array masters to deepen their array mastery,

supplementing their spiritual awareness through sinister external objects.

But the world offers no free lunches; everything comes at a price.

Demonic array masters used sinister objects to supplement their spiritual awareness, strengthen their mind sea, and comprehend arrays.

Or they committed senseless slaughter, using human flesh, bone, and skin to lower the threshold of array construction and draw stronger arrays—all incurred a cost.

They would sink deeper and deeper along the demonic path, fall further and further, eventually becoming dependent on demonic means, forever unable to touch the true Dao of arraycraft.

Arraycraft must be learned through oneself—step by step, practice after practice, with unwavering focus and relentless study; only then does knowledge become truly one's own, truly integrated and mastered.

Sometimes, shortcuts are merely detours.

The true "shortcut" is simply to walk the righteous path, steadfastly onward...

Mo Hua paused, deep in thought; his gaze gradually cleared, and within, he slowly rejected the "temptation" of demonic arrays. Once his Dao Heart was reaffirmed, he resumed studying the central array plate before him.

This was the array plate where the "core" array nexus resided.

And it was third grade.

Mo Hua attempted to insert his spiritual awareness into the nexus—tried several times, all failed.

His spiritual awareness had reached the Jin Dan realm, with twenty patterns already, yet it still seemed insufficient to control the array's nexus.

The array nexus resisted his spiritual awareness.

Mo Hua refused to yield; he steadied himself and kept trying, using his pure golden spiritual awareness, hardened by Dao transformation, to endure burdens no ordinary array master could withstand, forcing his way into the array's core to seize control of the nexus.

Finally, after dozens of attempts of "brute force yields miracles," the array nexus reluctantly acknowledged Mo Hua's spiritual awareness level and granted him partial access.

Mo Hua's spiritual awareness finally penetrated the core of the Desolate Feng Tianxue Sacrifice Array.

Boom—the mind sea thundered.

Mo Hua endured the searing pain and slowly opened his eyes.

Before him stretched an endless sea of crimson.

Countless array patterns, like blood vessels, branched everywhere, weaving outward.

Demonic power flowed through these "veins," linked by the array patterns, binding every part of the Desolate Feng Tianxue Sacrifice Array into a colossal, awe-inspiring "demonic beast," slowly awakening...

As Mo Hua's spiritual awareness communicated with the Desolate Feng Tianxue Sacrifice Array and witnessed this sight, his first reaction was the profound insignificance of himself.

The great array was drenched in crimson, like an endless ocean.

And he was but a single grain within this blood-red sea.

Mo Hua was stunned, suddenly realizing he had grossly misjudged the scale of this great array.

This blood sacrifice array was simply too vast—it was utterly beyond his ability to "control."

"So this is the scale of a quasi-third-grade array…"

... such a broad vision?"

Mo Hua was dazed, and at the same time, a faint sense of suffocating helplessness arose within him.

His previous understanding had been far too "narrow," even "frog-in-the-well" arrogant.

He had thought that by accessing the array's pivot, he could somehow alter this blood sacrifice array to some degree.

But now, seeing its immense scale and intricate structure, merely "understanding" this array was already a daunting challenge.

Mo Hua felt defeated, but after a brief moment of despair, he gradually calmed his mind.

Its vast scale was correct.

Its complexity and difficulty were correct.

Only then could it be called a great array.

Only an array of this level deserved to be the lifelong pursuit of countless array masters across the land.

Even his own "superficiality" and "misjudgment" were correct.

Only by recognizing one's insignificance can one grow strong.

Only by acknowledging one's flaws and shortcomings can one find direction, and gradually become stronger.

"Array arts are vast and profound—I still have so much to learn…"

"In other words, I can still become incredibly strong…"

Mo Hua gazed at the vast, majestic array before him, and his fighting spirit slowly rose again.

He no longer hesitated—he began with the easiest-to-understand second-grade array pivot sections, dissecting and analyzing the array from its internal core, studying this quasi-third-grade Huang Tian Blood Sacrifice Array…

Mo Hua could not understand the third-grade portions.

But the second-grade array pivots, he could grasp roughly seven or eight out of ten; using their explanations, he inferred the structure and function of the third-grade pivots.

As a chief array master, he sought to grasp macroscopically the entire complex array's design logic.

Soon, Mo Hua was fully immersed in the array.

The more he learned, the deeper his insights became.

But the more he learned, the more he realized how little he knew.

The deeper his understanding, the more he felt his comprehension was shallow.

This was precisely what Mo Hua needed.

Others' praise, the title of Array Master Supreme, would make him arrogant, complacent, and trapped in past achievements.

These meant nothing to him.

What he truly needed was unwavering devotion to array arts, and an insatiable hunger for the Dao of array principles.

Always knowing his ignorance, always aware of his shallowness—only then could he forever grow stronger, forever pursue his own "Dao"…

Time slowly passed.

Mo Hua was lost in studying the array, feeling his insights multiply until he became utterly absorbed, forgetting himself.

After an unknown length of time, Mo Hua suddenly felt a chill along his back, and the room's temperature had grown noticeably colder.

He withdrew his spiritual sense from the pivot and turned—behind him stood a man, thin and tall, cold, his aura terrifying, his cultivation immeasurable, thick with the scent of a demonic god.

He withdrew his spiritual awareness from the array's core and turned to see, behind him, a figure had appeared—tall and gaunt, cold, radiating an terrifying aura, his cultivation base unfathomable, thick with the reek of a demonic deity.

... Mr. Tu..."

The air froze.

Mo Hua looked up at Mr. Tu.

Mr. Tu looked down at Mo Hua.

For a long while, they stared at each other—then Mr. Tu slowly spoke, his voice like a night owl's cry:

"Can you understand it?"

Mo Hua shook his head, his face earnest:

"Too hard—I don't understand much…"

Mr. Tu's pale-white pupils contracted slightly.

Then he turned to gaze at the headless corpse in the room, released his chilling spiritual sense to sweep across Luoshan, his expression instantly chilling as he asked Mo Hua:

"Where are my demonic array masters?"

Mo Hua whispered: "It seems… they're all dead…"

Bloodshot veins surged in Mr. Tu's eyes, writhing like parasites.

Mo Hua's heart leapt—he quickly waved his hands:

"It's not my doing—it was Dao Ting Si who killed them!"

"Uncle Gu led Dao Ting Si to breach Luoshan and slaughtered all the demonic array masters!"

Mo Hua pinned all the credit on Gu Changhuai.

Mr. Tu's blood qi surged violently, his voice a low, demonic roar.

"Gu Changhuai—"

The several Jin Dan demonic array masters in the room, their limbs severed by wind blades, had indeed died at Gu Changhuai's hands.

As for the other demonic array masters, it went without saying.

Even if Gu Changhuai didn't strike the blow himself, he still died at the hands of Dao Ting Si.

"This Gu Changhuai has repeatedly ruined my plans. If I'd known this would happen, I shouldn't have held back—no matter the cost, I should've killed him…"

Thought Mr. Tu.

He didn't know why Gu Changhuai could accomplish all this—why he could break through the great array's blockade, enter the valley, kill the demonic array masters he had painstakingly cultivated, and rescue all the sacrificial offerings.

But once he remembered that Gu Changhuai was the designated agent of the "Grand Void Fierce God," Mr. Tu gradually understood.

Those chosen by the Fierce God to serve the gods must possess extraordinary abilities, strategies and talents beyond ordinary reach.

It's not strange that he could do what others couldn't.

Moreover, this Gu Changhuai has been opposing the Divine Lord since the beginning—he was never an easy target.

Yet when he thought of how all his cultivated array masters had been wiped out.

And how most of the prodigies he had captured as sacrifices had escaped.

Mr. Tu's face darkened, his features twisted, and his bloodshot eyes turned toward Mo Hua.

After all, if it came to sabotaging plans, this array master chief of Grand Void Gate was no less guilty.

If not for him, there would have been no need to hastily activate the blood sacrifice array.

In fact, many of the events before this bore the shadow of this little brat named "Mo Hua…"

The wounds left on his flesh and spirit from the Divine Lord's punishment, after his schemes were exposed, began to throb again.

A murderous intent, hard to suppress, gleamed in Mr. Tu's eyes.

Mo Hua sensed this killing aura and immediately said solemnly:

"Those who seek great achievements must remain calm. They must learn to control their emotions—never let fleeting anger cloud their judgment, or they'll ruin everything."

Mr. Tu's chest tightened, his face contorted.

After a moment, he fixed Mo Hua with a piercing gaze and asked: "Do you know who I am?"

Mo Hua shook his head. "You're just a demonic heretic—I don't care who you are."

Mr. Tu sneered. "You really aren't afraid I'll kill you?"

Mo Hua looked utterly certain. "You won't dare kill me!"

"Why not?"

Mo Hua snorted. "I'm the chief array master of Grand Void Gate—I'm protected by my Ancestor. Dao Ting Si agents are nearby. If you leave me alone, I'll pretend I never saw you and won't trouble you. But if you harm me, my Ancestor will reduce you to ashes."

His words were arrogant and brazen, but Mr. Tu didn't doubt them.

This boy named Mo Hua indeed held such weight within Grand Void Gate.

Yet…

Mr. Tu asked Mo Hua: "Aren't you aware that you're the only one left in this mountain? No Dao Ting Si, no Ancestor—don't you know that?"

"My Ancestor protects me… how could you possibly detect it?"

Mo Hua's expression remained calm, his demeanor composed, yet he used his spiritual sense to make his lower leg tremble slightly.

Such a display of "forced composure" was impossible for an experienced old demon like Mr. Tu to miss.

At Mo Hua's age, this level of calm was already impressive.

But in the end, he was still too green—he controlled his face, but not his body, betraying his inner fear…

Mr. Tu sneered slowly. "Let me guess…"

"Dao Ting Si did come to rescue you… but you're an array master, and you consider yourself highly skilled—you believe no array, even a great one, is beyond your grasp. So you slipped here secretly, hoping to study the Feng Tianxue Sacrifice Array without others knowing…"

"After all, it's a great array—you couldn't tear yourself away. But it's also a demonic array—you couldn't let anyone find out."

"But it backfired—

because this valley teems with countless flesh demons, and Dao Ting Si dared not linger."

"You delayed too long. When you finally came to your senses, everyone else had already withdrawn—you were left alone in this valley…"

"Now, no one's coming to save you…"

Mr. Tu's voice was icy; with each word, Mo Hua's face paled further, as if every hidden calculation had been exposed.

"Y-you're lying… you… these are all your wild guesses—they're completely wrong…"

Mo Hua's voice was frantic.

He spoke the truth—Mr. Tu had guessed entirely at random, and not a single guess was correct.

But Mr. Tu didn't listen to his words—he only saw Mo Hua's panic and incoherence.

Words can lie, but instinct cannot.

Mr. Tu sneered—he had no intention of actually killing Mo Hua.

This Mo Hua was an extremely valuable "pawn," and he had great use for him.

Moreover, he harbored reservations and truly dared not kill Mo Hua—at least not yet…

Mr. Tu stared coldly at Mo Hua, his voice hoarse and low:

"Your little tricks won't fool me. Come with me quietly, obey me, and I won't kill you."

"Otherwise, I'll slit your belly open, rip out your intestines and heart, and forge you into a demonic puppet—condemned to eternal oblivion beyond rebirth."

Mo Hua's face turned fearful, his heart full of resentment, yet he could only nod in submission.

"As long as you don't kill me, I'll obey you…"

Mr. Tu gave a slight nod and turned to leave, when suddenly his heart jolted—he couldn't help but suspect:

"Is this brat lying to me?"

Mr. Tu's cold eyes turned again toward Mo Hua.

His expression was genuine—clearly "forcing composure," arrogance laced with guilt. If this were acting, the boy's depth of cunning was too great, his performance too flawless.

As the saying goes: a man of great wealth does not sit beneath a precarious eave.

With this brat's status and position, there was no need to risk himself personally—he's now in my hands.

But all of this is just too much of a coincidence.

Why did everyone else leave, leaving only this boy alone in this demon lair?

Why?

Could it be… the Divine Lord?!

Mr. Tu suddenly understood, and in an instant, everything fell into place.

It is the Divine Lord, manipulating cause and effect from behind the scenes.

The Divine Lord knew this boy carried great karmic ties, and knew he was the key to Her rebirth—but until now, the boy had remained within the Grand Void Gate, under heavy protection, leaving no chance to act.

Now, this boy is trapped within the Blood Sacrifice Array, his fortune disrupted by the array's demonic energy.

No one guards his karmic thread.

Thus, the Divine Lord's power slips in unopposed, exploiting the boy's obsession and delusions toward the demonic array, severing and retaining his karmic thread—and his very self.

All of it is the Divine Lord's revelation!

The Divine Lord has been secretly controlling everything!

Mr. Tu let out a long breath, his faith in the Divine Lord growing ever more devout, ever more awed by the god's unfathomable depth.

As for the threat posed by this boy…

He is within the Blood Sacrifice Array—everything is under the Divine Lord's protection.

And this boy himself is merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

His realm is plain to see, and he's right under my nose.

"Could I, Lu Tangtang of the Feathered Ascension, possibly die at the hands of a mere Foundation Establishment?"

Mr. Tu sneered bitterly at himself.

Having made his decision, he extended his pale palm, drawing blood threads from his fingertips that merged into the array's core; the core shifted, the blood threads seeping into the stone wall, transforming the entire wall into living flesh.

The entire array core wall slowly opened like a demonic mouth of flesh, revealing a dark, deep passage beyond.

"Follow me."

Mr. Tu commanded, then stepped into the bloody passage.

Mo Hua nodded, his face filled with despair, yet obediently followed Mr. Tu into the bloody demonic maw.

(End of Chapter)