Chapter 1161: Save the Tiger

In Fengbo Ridge, the mountains loomed like ghosts, the night wind biting sharply, thick with the stench of blood.

Dao Court soldiers and Dahuang Gate cultivators fought to the death, trampling each other in chaos, weapons clashing, spells and barbaric arts colliding, spiritual energy and blood qi intertwining.

Even True Persons of Liu Yuhua battled midair, their spiritual energy crashing like mountains collapsing.

Almost every instant, someone died.

Blood soaked the desert, and malevolent energy flowed toward the horizon.

Amid this chaos, Mo Hua became a streak of waterlight, darting between weapons, fleeing toward the distance.

Behind him, three Dahuang Gate Jin Dan pursued without pause.

The Jin Dan's escape techniques were faster, but in this battlefield, everywhere filled with people and slaughter, they could not unleash their speed.

On the contrary, Mo Hua's Shi Shui Step, with its fluid dodges and agile maneuvers, reached perfection, weaving through the battlefield with increasing ease.

After chasing for a while, the three Dahuang Gate Jin Dan realized something was wrong:

"Fuck, we can't catch him? What the hell is this brat's movement technique?"

"This brat is deliberately leading us away to save the Yang family's Dao soldiers?"

"If we'd known, we should've slaughtered all the Yangs first, then chased this brat—no loss either way."

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"Sure, that's easy to say now—who the hell expected three of us chasing this long still couldn't catch this brat?"

"The battlefield's too chaotic, too many obstacles—we're at a huge disadvantage in mobility."

"What now? Turn back and kill those Yang Dao soldiers?"

As they chased, they debated, and their speed naturally slowed a little.

Mo Hua noticed, so he slowed too, turning to sneer at the three:

"Three wastes, cowards, trash, scraps—do your Jin Dan cores come from sheep dung?"

"Three Jin Dan can't catch one Foundation Establishment?"

"Since you're useless anyway, just crush your Jin Dan and all your balls together, then go home and become eunuchs—"

These insults he'd learned from the "Sayings" book given to him by Elder Yu.

Now they were finally useful.

And Elder Yu's verbal fury truly lived up to its reputation.

No sooner had Mo Hua finished speaking than the three Dahuang Gate Jin Dan felt a demonic fire surge straight to the crown of their heads, their temples bulging with veins.

They were Jin Dan elders!

And not just any ordinary Jin Dan elders.

In the Dahuang clan, they were Wang Zu bodyguards, deeply respected.

In the Dahuang Gate, they were honored guest elders, treated with deference.

When had anyone ever cursed them so brutally to their faces?

And the insults were not just crude—they were clever, original, like being doused with a perfectly prepared bucket of dog shit.

Worse still, the one cursing them was a damn Foundation Establishment!

The leader, a Jin Dan wielding a ghost-headed blade, turned ashen:

"This brat must die!"

"I'll peel his skin alive, carve his flesh inch by inch!"

"Kill!"

Filled with rage, the three Jin Dan dropped all restraint, their speed exploding as they lunged at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua's heart tightened; he dared not be careless again, focusing his spiritual sense to its peak, pushing Shi Shui Step to its limit, darting left and right through the chaos of clashing blades, flying spells, and piled corpses, pressing forward to evade their pursuit.

Thus, chase and flight continued for over half an hour.

Mo Hua judged he was far enough from Commander Yang and the others, and decided to break off and retreat.

In this chaotic, deadly battlefield, he could not risk using his spiritual sense to form a sword and slay Jin Dan.

And the Jin Dan's killing techniques were no joke.

With his body's strength, if he so much as grazed one of their treasures, he'd be dead or grievously wounded.

Dragging it out only increased risk—no benefit.

And these three Dahuang Gate Jin Dan surely lacked the ability of Xu Laozhang from Yin Shi Valley, who could cultivate a Dizang Corpse to track him beyond appearances and cause-effect.

So after a few rounds, Mo Hua suddenly flickered, turning into mist, vanishing outright before the three Dahuang Gate Jin Dan's eyes.

The three Dahuang Gate Jin Dan froze on the spot, extending their spiritual sense in all directions—but found no trace of Mo Hua.

Moreover, on the battlefield, morale and blood qi mingled chaotically, severely impairing spiritual perception.

Once Mo Hua vanished and fled, he disappeared like a stone dropped into the ocean, leaving no trace.

And they indeed had no means like Xu Laozhang's Qihu tracking technique.

"Gone? Escaped?"

"We got cursed for nothing?"

The three Dahuang Gate Jin Dan felt fury surge in their chests, desperate and helpless.

They couldn't even see Mo Hua's shadow, only blasted the ground nearby with their treasures in furious, impotent roars.

They cursed inwardly, vowing that next time they saw Mo Hua, they'd tear him into a thousand pieces.

At this moment, ten li away, Mo Hua, having shaken off the Dahuang Gate Jin Dan, quietly materialized.

This area was filled with Dao soldier units—relatively safer.

Mo Hua took a breath, ready to retrace his steps and find Yang Jishan and the others.

His current status was merely a lowly Dao soldier in the Dao Soldier Office, powerless and insignificant; if he wanted to profit from the chaos, earn military merit, and seek gain

To establish oneself and develop, and to form a Jin Dan, one must naturally associate with familiar faces and rely on the power of the Dao Soldier Bureau's Yang family.

Both achieve merit and pursue Jin Dan formation—neither is neglected.

But as he looked around, chaos reigned and sandstorms never ceased; Mo Hua couldn't help but worry about Big Tiger.

In such bloody chaos, if Big Tiger were caught up, he'd likely not survive.

"Should I first rescue Big Tiger, then rejoin Commander Yang and the others?"

Mo Hua silently thought to himself.

The Great Desert Sect's mutiny, though perilous, also meant the situation had turned chaotic.

Both Liu Yuhua and Jin Dan cultivators were slaughtering each other.

This might be my only chance to seize the moment and rescue Big Tiger.

Mo Hua nodded; his resolve gradually solidified.

He released his spiritual sense, identified the direction, and his figure slowly faded, vanishing from the Dao Soldier camp.

After concealing himself, Mo Hua did the opposite—headed toward the Great Desert Sect's encampment.

But this path, being reversed, was even more perilous.

Blades and swords showed no mercy; spells flew wildly.

Among the various Dao techniques' killing strikes, the spiritual energy of Jin Dan and Liu Yuhua cultivators was mixed in.

Ordinary cultivators who touched it were wounded; those who contacted it died instantly—easily killed. This is the cruelest and most merciless aspect of Daoist warfare.

Even Mo Hua, walking this path, was on edge.

Fortunately, his spiritual sense was strong, his perception acute, and he understood part of the Dao of Cause and Effect.

Through spiritual sense, he actively avoided blades, swords, and spells he could detect.

For attacks outside his spiritual perception—sudden "ghost peek" strikes—he instinctively sensed the murderous intent through the threads of Cause and Effect, and thus evaded them by sheer luck.

Had this been an ordinary cultivator, he would have died countless times over in such open and hidden attacks.

Thus, Mo Hua passed through the main battlefield, crossed scattered minor skirmishes, slipped past the Great Desert Sect's main force, and entered the Great Desert Sect's encampment from behind.

The encampment was only temporarily used for troop deployment.

With the mutiny erupted and the great battle begun, most Great Desert Sect encampments were left empty.

Few cultivator auras remained, and those were scattered.

Big Tiger's encampment happened to be among them.

The encampment was bordered with steel, bound by iron chains, and guarded outside by several Great Desert Sect giants at Foundation Establishment peak.

Time was urgent; Mo Hua showed no mercy.

As the giants passed each other during their patrol, he individually drowned their mouths and noses with Water Suffocation Technique, bound their bodies with Water Prison Technique, shattered the meridian nodes of their limbs with Fireball Technique, and burned their throats.

This set of techniques seemed complex.

But in Mo Hua's hands, it was clean and efficient.

Fast and precise—less than fifteen breaths passed from start to finish.

The Foundation Establishment giants guarding the gate were all knocked down by Mo Hua.

Mo Hua approached the tent, flicked his finger—a dark ink mark flashed—and he effortlessly unfastened one corner of the tent, as if he'd done it a hundred times.

Inside the tent, Big Tiger still lay crouched in place.

Mo Hua, still concealed, quietly entered the tent.

Big Tiger seemed to sense something; his furry ears twitched, his massive head snapped up, and his copper-bell eyes stared straight ahead, glowing with confusion and delight.

Mo Hua slowly approached Big Tiger.

Big Tiger's bright eyes fixed on Mo Hua's direction.

In the darkness, nothing was visible—but he instinctively sensed a faint, yet deeply familiar aura drawing nearer, and could not help emitting a low, rumbling "mrr."

Mo Hua's steps drew closer—until, just as he was about to reach Big Tiger—

The ground suddenly trembled; blinding array light flared.

Dust rained from the sky, clinging to Mo Hua's body.

Blue array patterns on the ground transformed into flowing spiritual energy, wrapping around Mo Hua and breaking his concealment.

Simultaneously, golden light formed chains of cages, locking both Mo Hua and Big Tiger inside.

Revealing Dust, Break-Conceal Array, plus Great Desert Golden Prison Array.

It was a trap.

A cold laugh echoed.

Shadows flickered all around; Great Desert Sect cultivators, armored and wielding halberds, formed a circle and completely surrounded Mo Hua.

Among them, a tall, handsome Young Master stepped forward slowly.

This man was none other than Tuoba Young Master.

Behind him followed two Great Desert Sect Jin Dan cultivators.

Tuoba Young Master glanced at Mo Hua—dusted with Revealing Dust, exposed by the Break-Conceal Array, trapped in the Golden Prison Array—and sneered:

"I was right. It really is you."

Mo Hua's expression remained calm. "What do you mean, 'me'?"

Tuoba Young Master sneered. "Still playing dumb? Don't think I didn't notice—you're the servant who impersonated someone in the Beast Fighting Arena."

He stared at Mo Hua again. "You're under Yang Jishan's command. You infiltrated the Beast Fighting Arena on the Yang family's orders?"

Mo Hua remained silent.

If it were another family, he'd have gladly shifted the blame onto them.

But he still had some ties to the Yang family—he couldn't bring himself to let them take the fall.

Young Master Tuoba, seeing Mo Hua ignore his words, frowned and sneered:

"I thought you were someone of consequence, but you're nothing but a hired killer—no wonder you'd sink so low as to pretend to be a servant."

Mo Hua merely shook his head,

"Face and status are for others to see. Whether one is base or not isn't determined by status."

"Some with face and status may be even more base."

Young Master Tuoba's anger flared; he sneered: "Sharp-tongued, you've got quite the mouth."

Just then, the great tiger bound by the Golden Prison Array beside Mo Hua struggled, but could not break free; it let out a low "miao" toward Mo Hua, its demeanor strikingly familiar, tinged with affection.

Young Master Tuoba's heart twisted with pain; his face darkened instantly as he demanded of Mo Hua:

"What is your relationship with my Beast of the Wang Clan?"

Mo Hua replied calmly: "This great tiger is mine."

Young Master Tuoba clenched his teeth in rage, thought for a moment, then sneered again:

"You're trapped now—still boasting with your tongue?"

Young Master Tuoba pointed at the mighty tiger: "This is a Tiger Demon, king among demons, an anomaly even among kings—its talent is extraordinary; only one with the bloodline of the Great Wilderness Wang Clan can subdue its ferocity and make it submit."

"Your aura is faint, you possess not a shred of bloodline power—you're clearly of low birth. The blood in your veins is poor blood, base blood—how dare you compare yourself to my Wang Clan?"

Mo Hua looked utterly unimpressed: "A person's worth isn't determined by bloodline."

"Besides, aren't you, this so-called Wang Clan, just a mongrel? Come to think of it, you're pretty base too."

At these words, all of the Great Wilderness Sect members turned pale.

Young Master Tuoba's face turned ashen, his lips trembling.

The two Jin Dan guardian elders both trembled inwardly; one immediately spoke:

"Young Master, this brat is base—he doesn't deserve to speak to you. Let us seize him, cut out his tongue, and leave him to your mercy."

Afraid Mo Hua would speak again and anger Young Master Tuoba.

Without waiting for Young Master Tuoba's command, the two Great Wilderness Sect Jin Dan elders, along with several other Great Wilderness Sect Foundation Establishment cultivators, all moved to seize Mo Hua.

They had paid him little mind—he was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator, skilled only in concealment arts, sneaking and skulking about; now trapped by the array, with everyone attacking together, how could they fail to capture him?

Yet none of them noticed the faint, faint curve at the corner of Mo Hua's lips.

The Great Wilderness Sect members moved as one; the two Jin Dan elders led the charge.

Just as they stepped into the Golden Prison Array,

the array's glow suddenly changed.

The base array core reversed; the array patterns twisted, then shattered and dissolved one by one.

A pitch-black, annihilating light replaced the Golden Prison Array's Jin Guang.

A chilling aura spread; even sound itself fell silent for an instant.

Annihilation.

The two Great Wilderness Sect Jin Dan elders' pupils shrank; they instinctively stepped back—but too late.

The pitch-black dissolution force clung to their legs.

One Jin Dan elder's right foot was instantly dissolved by the black reverse force.

The other Jin Dan elder's knee was sliced apart by the dissolution force, his thigh and calf instantly severed.

The other Great Wilderness Sect Foundation Establishment cultivators, too, were precisely targeted by Mo Hua's mental awareness; cut apart by the array's dissolution force, they lost arms and legs.

When the array fully dissolved and the annihilating force faded, the surrounding sounds returned.

A horrific chorus of screams erupted instantly throughout the tent.

All this happened in the blink of an eye—mere moments.

The Concealment Array, the Golden Prison Array—all were shattered; the Jin Dan elders were maimed.

Young Master Tuoba's pupils shrank; his heart trembled with fury and terror.

He had no idea why the Great Wilderness Sect's arrays, meant to trap Mo Hua, had instead become Mo Hua's weapon to slaughter them.

The other two Jin Dan elders also looked stunned, sweat drenching their foreheads.

Mo Hua merely gazed calmly at Young Master Tuoba, his eyes indifferent—as if staring at a pig or sheep ready for slaughter.

Young Master Tuoba's terror receded, replaced by rage.

No one had ever looked at him this way.

Young Master Tuoba crushed a jade talisman, his gaze dark and threatening as he fixed it on Mo Hua:

"You will die here today!"

Before the words were finished, the talisman shattered, triggering numerous Great Wilderness Seals; more and more Great Wilderness Sect cultivators sensed the disturbance and rushed toward the tent.

From afar, aura after aura surged toward the tent—three Jin Dan alone.

Foundation Establishment cultivators numbered twenty to thirty.

And further off, even more mental senses swept toward this place.

Mo Hua could faintly sense a still stronger, more brutal, utterly unstoppable presence locking onto him.

It was Liu Yuhua!

Damn it!

Mo Hua's heart lurched.

If he didn't rescue the great tiger soon, it was over.

But it was too late—the Great Wilderness Sect cultivators gathering around grew ever more numerous.

Dozens of Great Wilderness Sect cultivators had entered the tent, surrounding Young Master Tuoba and pointing blades and swords at Mo Hua.

Young Master Tuoba stepped back, sheltered by his guards, looking down with contempt at Mo Hua, unable to suppress his cold sneer.

He is the legitimate son of the Grand Master of Da Huang Sect, and his veins flow with the blood of the Da Huang Wang Zu.

All Da Huang Sect earth cultivators obey his commands.

The future position of Da Huang Wang Hou will also

have a place for him.

How could one allow Mo Hua, a man of lowly origin, to defile it?

The situation was critical; Mo Hua frowned, his gaze solemn.

Just then, the great tiger beside Mo Hua growled low at him.

Mo Hua looked at the great tiger, puzzled.

The great tiger stared back at Mo Hua, hesitating for a moment.

Then this unruly ferocious beast, before all eyes, lowered its head—the one bearing the solemn "Wang" character—toward Mo Hua,

and its massive body bowed at his feet.

Mo Hua's expression froze.

The Da Huang Sect earth cultivators gathered around all turned pale.

Young Master Tuoba's eyes turned bloodshot, as if a thousand sharp knives pierced his heart, gushing blood, making him gasp for breath.

Mo Hua understood; he patted the great tiger's head, then leapt lightly onto its back, mounting this

ferocious tiger spirit, symbol of the Da Huang Wang Zu's dignity,

and in that instant, all Da Huang Sect cultivators gasped in shock.

Young Master Tuoba felt his heart shatter, his features twisted, and he shrieked in a Gao Jianli voice:

"Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!!"

"Everyone—kill him!!!"

This hysterical roar stunned everyone, then Da Huang Sect cultivators obeyed, launching attacks at Mo Hua—blades, spears, arrows—all flying, even targeting the great tiger.

Mo Hua's gaze sank.

At that moment, the great tiger lifted its head; its once gentle eyes now glowed with bloody sharpness.

The "Wang" character on its forehead radiated soul-shaking dominance,

and astonishing surges of demonic power churned within it.

Its black-and-white fur, stirred by demonic power, rippled faintly, shimmering with strange light—black darker than evil, white purer than divinity.

The interwoven black and white were mysteriously profound.

Then the great tiger roared to the heavens; its powerful demonic energy exploded fully, filling the entire tent with black-and-white demonic force.

Amid the spreading demonic aura, the great tiger's massive form merged into it.

Several experienced Da Huang Sect Jin Dan elders paled and cried out:

"Black-and-white demonic aura—

"This isn't the tiger spirit's innate ability! What is this?! Where did the demon beast go?"

Just then, a Da Huang Sect Jin Dan elder suddenly gasped and shouted:

"Young Master, watch out!"

As Young Master Tuoba was dazed, a flash of Bai Guang suddenly appeared before his eyes—he saw nothing at all—then his chest exploded in pain, blood gushing.

He looked down and saw his heart mirror had been torn apart.

A vicious claw mark now marred his chest.

"Save the Young Master!"

"Kill that demon beast!"

"Where is it?"

"The demonic aura is too thick—we can't see anything."

Amid the chaos, ink-like stains spread across the ground, forming a formation, then exploded—earthfire surged, destroying half the tent.

Before anyone could react, a mighty Bai Guang shot out swiftly through the tent's breach.

Outside the tent lay deep night.

The moment the Bai Guang entered the night, its colors reversed instantly—the white light transformed into deep, ink-like black light, blending with the darkness, racing like a furious desert wind, vanishing in a few blinks.

Only in the night remained a roar—the solemn, commanding cry of the King of All Beasts.