Chapter 1178

Dan Bie was speechless, sneering:

"What nonsense are you spouting? This is Da Huang—Da Huang has never had any 'Divine Lord' of 'equality among all beings' as you claim—"

Among the other guests of the Dan Que tribe, some chuckled lightly:

"You say realm and cultivation are no different? Are you perhaps a fool? Realm is the foundation of the Dao, cultivation is the root of Daoist practice—Foundation Establishment and Jin Dan are worlds apart; how could they possibly be the same?"

The hall erupted in murmurs.

Some laughed softly, some shook their heads, some stared at Dan Zhu without speaking.

When the murmurs subsided slightly, Dan Bie looked at Mo Hua and said coldly:

"Our Dan Que tribe is a great tribe; our ancestors once entered the Da Huang Zhu Que Wang Ting—we are not some crude barbarian petty clan that will believe your wild lies."

"We know very well what the Lord Wuzhu is."

"Tell me, where are you from? What 'Divine Lord' do you worship?"

"What are your intentions in coming to our Dan Que tribe?"

Upon the high dais, surrounded by beautiful concubines, the massive and imposing Great Chief of the Dan Que tribe turned his gaze toward Mo Hua, his gaze heavy with oppressive pressure settling upon him.

There was not a trace of kindness in that gaze.

Dan Zhu, seeing Mo Hua being questioned, spoke up: "Father—"

The Great Chief of the Dan Que tribe shook his head, cutting him off, and fixed his gaze on Mo Hua, his voice deep and commanding:

"According to tribal law, impersonating a Lord Wuzhu is a capital offense—carried out by being torn apart by chariots, the corpse cast into Shenshan to feed the Black Que, denied rebirth—"

Mo Hua's heart sank slightly.

These Dan Que chiefs and elders were indeed shrewd; not easily fooled.

Unlike this "child" Dan Zhu, so upright and naive. Dan Zhu, hearing Mo Hua was to be "torn apart by chariots," leapt to his feet in alarm: "Father, the Mr. Wuzhu was specially invited by me—"

"He—"

The Great Chief waved his hand, his expression solemn:

"Dan Zhu, you are my youngest son, and I cherish you deeply. But you do not understand the wickedness of human hearts. This man deliberately approached you—"

"He must have ulterior motives. For your sake, and for the tribe's, we must be cautious."

Dan Zhu wanted to say it wasn't that the Mr. Wuzhu had deliberately approached him.

He had heard a divine "revelation" in his dream, and had gone himself to find the Mr. Wuzhu.

And the Mr. Wuzhu didn't even know who he was—he had been warmly invited, and only then had he come to Dan Que.

None of this was "deliberate."

But the words stuck in his throat; after all, divine dreams sounded utterly fantastical, impossible to use as "evidence." Dan Zhu grew anxious.

Yet Mo Hua remained calm, expressionless, neither joyful nor sorrowful.

The Great Chief glanced at Mo Hua and asked: "Aren't you afraid?"

Mo Hua's gaze was resolute: "My fate has already been offered to the Divine Lord. If the Divine Lord wishes me dead, then I die; if the Divine Lord does not wish me dead, then no mortal, heretical deity, or demon can harm me in the slightest."

Mo Hua's gaze was resolute as he said, "My fate has already been given to the Divine Lord. If the Divine Lord wishes me to die, then I shall die. If the Divine Lord does not let me die, then no mortal of this world, no heretical god, no demon or monster can touch me in the slightest."

As if in his eyes, in his heart, even in his soul, and in all life, the only thing that existed was devout faith in the Divine.

This was also an alternative use of "Dao Heart Seed Demon."

Mo Hua had seeded his own Dao Heart with demon-like devotion—he made himself believe, and thus he believed he was the most devout man in this world.

And his demeanor—devoting his entire life to the great cause of the Divine—made him look even more like a Lord Wuzhu than an actual Lord Wuzhu.

Even though he was only at Foundation Establishment, with the "belief" of the Divine upon him, he exuded an aura of solemn, inviolable authority.

All present were secretly startled, unsettled.

Even Dan Bie momentarily doubted himself: "Could this unknown, eccentric boy truly—be a Lord Wuzhu?"

Only the Great Chief atop the main seat had eyes as deep and sharp as a hawk's.

He neither affirmed nor denied, but simply said:

"Prove your identity."

"If you have the ability to prove you are a Lord Wuzhu, my Dan Que tribe will receive you with the highest tribal rites."

"If not—"

The Great Chief's gaze turned piercing.

He left the rest unsaid, but the meaning was clear.

If Mo Hua could not prove his identity as a Lord Wuzhu, he would be deemed by the Dan Que tribe an "heretic," a treacherous infiltrator with malicious intent—and would be slaughtered, possibly even subjected to the chariot-torn, beast-fed punishment.

This, at least, was reasonable.

Mo Hua's eyes flickered slightly.

But how could he prove he was a Lord Wuzhu?

In remote barbarian backwaters, he could easily deceive them—but here in Dan Que, it was far harder.

Mo Hua's mind raced.

A jade slip or document from the Da Huang Wang Ting?

He was a fraud to begin with—he had none of those things.

The dead "Mr. Wuzhu" from Canglang Sect in Lizhou had nothing of value to prove his identity as a Lord Wuzhu.

Mo Hua did possess the "Dragon Banner" of the Da Huang rebellion.

But he could never reveal it.

If word leaked, or if some great cultivator traced the karmic threads—

His title as "Dao Court's Number One Rebel" would be irrevocably sealed; even the Yellow River couldn't wash it clean.

Aside from that, only the Four Symbols' array "Sacred Glyphs" remained.

But the Danque Tribe is

a large tribe, unlike the backward small tribes like the Wutu or Heijiao Tribes, and likely possesses a relatively complete

Four Symbols Array tradition.

But Mo Hua did not know how advanced their Four Symbols Array skills were.

Nor did he know what level of Four Symbols Array he must draw to perfectly prove his identity as Lord Wuzhu, earn respect, yet still conceal his true strength.

This "balance" was hard to gauge.

If he drew something too simple, it would seem like showing off before an expert.

It would lower his standing as a "Lord Wuzhu" and fail to convince the Great Chief of the Danque Tribe.

But if he drew something too complex—say, directly sketching the array patterns of "Ten Thousand Demons Return to Dragon"—

that would involve the study of "Dragon Creation Diagrams."

Mo Hua was unsure whether this would violate the taboos of the Wang Ting.

Whether the Danque Tribe would immediately execute him as a "rebel."

He needed these Danque barbarians to know he was skilled in Sacred Patterns and arrays, but not how truly skilled he was.

This required a gamble.

Mo Hua was new here, knew little of the Danque Tribe, and found it hard to judge the right balance.

"Besides Sacred Patterns, what other methods—"

Just as he crossed the dawn, Mo Hua's peripheral vision flickered—he looked up at the stage.

His gaze involuntarily fixed on a guard standing at the foot of the steps, about ten zhang to the right of the Great Chief.

The guard wore barbarian armor, young and handsome.

But his forehead was black—and the blackness was thick and intense.

Mo Hua's heart stirred slightly; after a moment's thought, his gaze turned solemn, and he pointed at the guard, saying solemnly:

"This man will die."

The guard pointed at by Mo Hua flinched in surprise.

The Great Chief on the high seat, Dan Bie, blinked, then laughed: "That's obvious. Who doesn't die?"

Mo Hua shook his head slowly: "No, all men die, for none attain the Dao and become immortals. But this man is different—he will die soon."

Dan Bie coldly said: "Don't speak in mystic riddles. Be clear: how many days until he dies?"

Mo Hua stared at the thick, nearly undispersing black aura on the guard's forehead, silently calculated, then said:

"One day."

"One day?"

"Yes," Mo Hua nodded. "It is the revelation of the Divine Lord. This man will die within one day."

Dan Bie was slightly startled.

He had expected Mo Hua to name a longer span—seven days, or at least three.

Yet Mo Hua had named only one day—wasn't this pushing himself straight toward death?

"Fine!" Dan Bie declared at once. "Then one day. If this guard dies within one day, I shall recognize you as 'Lord Wuzhu,' and the Danque Tribe shall treat you as an honored guest."

Dan Bie grinned. "But if he lives, unharmed, then you are a false 'Lord Wuzhu,' guilty of impersonation, falsely invoking divine names, and desecrating the Wang Ting—a capital crime. The Danque Tribe will execute you with extreme punishment."

Dan Bie grinned, "But if he not only didn't die, but is alive and well, then you are a fake 'Lord Wuzhu,' guilty of the capital offense of impersonating and borrowing the divine name, of defiling the Wang Ting. My Dan Que Tribe will surely have you executed by the most extreme punishment."

【97】 "What I just said—are you willing? Will you dare to stake your life for your Divine Lord, for your reputation?"

Dan Bie sighed: "My brother, I worry for you. I fear your kindness will let this outsider 'Lord Wuzhu' deceive you. Don't you understand my intentions? Why defend this stranger?"

Dan Zhu shook his head: "Mr. Mo is my guest. Is it right to trap and kill a guest who comes to visit?"

Dan Bie's gaze grew cold. "Brother, you are young—you know nothing of the baseness of men. This man came to our Danque Tribe with ulterior motives. You've been deceived, turned into his pawn."

Dan Zhu still shook his head, defending Mo Hua: "Third brother, until facts are confirmed, none of this justifies murder."

Dan Bie no longer wished to argue with him. He turned to Mo Hua and asked:

"What I just said—do you accept? Are you willing to risk your life for your Divine Lord and your honor?"

"What I just said—are you willing? Dare you, for your god and for your honor, stake your life?"

Dan Bie's heart leapt with joy.

Dan Zhu glanced anxiously at Mo Hua, resentful that he had so recklessly accepted the gamble.

It was clearly his third brother's deliberate provocation.

This Mr. Mo treated his own life far too lightly.

Yet Mo Hua remained calm.

And the Great Chief of the Danque Tribe on the high platform had said nothing throughout.

The atmosphere in the hall grew heavy.

Dan Bie gave Mo Hua no chance to retract: "Then the wager begins now."

He began counting time, and at the same time called to the young, handsome guard:

"Come here. Stand beside me."

The guard obeyed, stepping to Dan Bie's side.

Dan Bie summoned several Jin Dan elders, who activated their artifacts, surrounding the guard completely with protection.

Artifacts hovered in midair, spiritual energy thickly woven, qi sealed tight—so tightly that not even a fly could enter.

Dan Bie glanced at Mo Hua and sneered inwardly:

"Empty words, trying to decree a man's death?"

"If it were a newborn infant, or an old man near death, that would be one thing—

"If it were a newborn babe just wailing into the world, or an old fellow half-buried in the ground, that would be one thing—

A young guard, full of vigor and blood, surrounded by Jin Dan cultivators in the chieftain's grand hall of Danque Tribe, right under my own eyes—I'd like to see how this man dies within a day.

?? How exactly will this man die?

Dan Bie watched Mo Hua with keen interest.

Mo Hua still wore an expression of devout stillness, not moving a muscle.

Dan Zhu frowned, looked solemn.

All the Danque Tribe barbarian cultivators in the grand hall displayed varied expressions, yet none spoke or made any other move.

This had originally been an ordinary family banquet.

Those invited were all relatives and close friends of the Great Chieftain's lineage.

They chatted, ate, and left after the meal.

But now, a banquet long due to end had been prolonged indefinitely due to Mo Hua's "disruption."

Yet everyone involuntarily stayed, not a single person leaving.

Even the Great Chieftain, holding his slender-waisted concubine, nibbling on grapes like jade and emerald, showed no trace of joy or anger, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Inside the hall, everyone's thoughts differed.

In complete silence, time flowed second by second.

Before anyone noticed, half the day had passed.

The young guard remained unharmed, still protected by all, though his face occasionally showed confusion and unease.

Mo Hua sat like an ancient monk in meditation, unruffled as a still well.

Dan Zhu silently glanced at Mo Hua, feeling a pang of regret.

He had meant well—intending to introduce to his father this "Lord Wuzhu," whose Dao heart was sincere, whose understanding was extraordinary, whose thinking was fresh.

But instead of an introduction, he had brought disaster upon Lord Wuzhu.

Had he known this would happen, he never would have brought Lord Wuzhu to this family banquet.

"Regardless, this is my fault," Dan Zhu silently thought.

"Lord Wuzhu is an oddity, and also my 'friend.' Whether he truly is Lord Wuzhu or not, I must use every means to protect his life—I will not let my father or third brother kill him. Otherwise, though I did not kill Bo Ren, Bo Ren died because of me; for the rest of my life, I would be filled with guilt."

Dan Zhu silently hardened his resolve.

On the other side, Mo Hua's expression remained unchanged.

But inside, he too was muttering to himself.

He wasn't afraid that his "Lord Wuzhu" disguise would be stripped, and Danque Tribe would kill him.

He had many disguises; if one fell, he'd make another.

Danque Tribe couldn't kill him easily.

In a third-grade state border, if he wanted to flee, Mo Hua was confident he could escape.

Mo Hua was merely curious—where did this young guard's death destiny come from?

Though Mo Hua was the one who "divined" and saw the death omen, why this karmic cause existed, why this guard bore a death omen—he, new here, truly didn't understand.

Moreover,

this was within Danque Tribe, and right under the eyes of so many Jin Dan.

The guard was perfectly healthy, not eating, not drinking, just standing there.

Mo Hua himself found it hard to believe that this young guard could die so suddenly.

Yet the karmic cause manifested just as it did.

The death omen never lied.

If he had miscalculated regarding some great figures, Mo Hua might have erred.

But for the fates of these minor figures, his divine perception and divination should yield results that were still quite "authoritative."

But how exactly would he die—

Mo Hua frowned slightly, puzzled inside.

No matter how he thought or calculated, time did not wait.

The moon set, the sun rose; in the dull, tense wait, the entire day passed swiftly.

The guard still stood there, unharmed,

no one killed him, no poison, no illness, no qi deviation—no sign of any danger.

Mo Hua could not, to prove his "prediction" right, kill him himself.

Moreover, so many eyes were watching—he couldn't act.

Killing someone would stir the karmic calamity.

Thus, the agreed-upon deadline reached its end, less than a cup of tea's time away from completion.

Everyone's gaze toward Mo Hua grew subtle.

Dan Bie's eyes held cold intent, ready to suppress Mo Hua—the "failed prophet," the false Lord Wuzhu—as soon as time ran out.

If Mo Hua resisted, kill him on the spot.

Dan Zhu's eyes were solemn, ready to step before Mo Hua the moment time ended, to protect him fully.

The atmosphere grew solemn.

Others looked at Mo Hua as if he were already a dead man.

At that moment, the Great Chieftain on the high seat suddenly rose. Amidst everyone's shocked stares, he walked straight down to the platform, extended his palm like a fan, and smashed the guard's crown with one blow.

The guard died in terror.

All present were shaken.

Mo Hua's expression also changed slightly.

The Great Chieftain killed the guard with a single slap, turned his head to look at Watching Mo Hua, and said with a calm nod:

"You calculated very accurately. Within one day, he indeed died."

Watching Mo Hua's pupils shrank slightly, his heart full of puzzlement.

This Great Chieftain killed the guard himself?

Why?

He hadn't planted the Heart Demon for him. Just at this moment, the corner of Watching Mo Hua's eye swept toward the high platform, and he happened to see a beautiful concubine among the crowd, her face pale, lips tightly pressed, her body trembling slightly, her expression both terrified and afraid.

In an instant, Watching Mo Hua's heart became

a bright mirror.

An affair?!

This young, handsome guard, with the audacity of a lecher, had actually been carrying on with the chieftain's beloved concubine.

That was why the chieftain had personally killed him with a single slap.

His "prophecy" had given the chieftain a "pretext,"

and the chieftain had acted to fulfill his "prophecy."

In a certain sense, this was also a closed loop of "cause and effect."

Watching Mo Hua felt something subtle stirring in his heart.

The Great Chieftain then looked at Watching Mo Hua and said in a deep voice: "Mr. Wu, from this day forth, you shall be an honored guest of my Danque Tribe."