Chapter 1187

Chifeng stood motionless, secretly shielding Xiang Dan with the aura of a mid-stage Jin Dan cultivator.

Xiang Dan's expression was cold and stern.

Bi Jie's eyes flickered as he said, "What? Does your Dan Que tribe truly wish to go to war with my Bi Fang tribe?"

Xiang Dan replied calmly, "I've already said it—we Dan Que tribe only wish to save lives."

Bi Jie turned and glanced at the stone pavilion behind him. "You mean your Dan Que tribesmen are inside this Shi Dian?"

Xiang Dan said, "We've searched every other location in this Shu Gu secret tribe—found nothing. The only place we haven't searched is this Shi Dian."

Bi Jie suddenly understood and sneered.

"I get it now—your Dan Que tribe is deliberately provoking us. Saving lives is just a cover. Your real goal is to enter this Shi Dian? Otherwise, the lives of a couple hundred low-class tribesmen from a minor tribe—would they really warrant such a grand rescue operation?"

Xiang Dan felt it was pointless to reason with Bi Jie.

Beside him, Elder Bashan snorted coldly, "Our Dan Que tribe isn't like your heartless, cruel Bi Fang tribe—you abandon your own people to die."

Bi Jie pointed his vicious blade at Elder Bashan, his gaze fierce and contemptuous.

"Who the hell are you? I'm speaking to my master—when did you get the right to interrupt?"

Elder Bashan gave a cold laugh. "You're such trash you don't even deserve to be mentioned alongside our Young Master. If not for your extra thirty or forty years and a lucky breakthrough to mid-stage Jin Dan, you wouldn't even be worthy to carry our Young Master's shoes!"

"A thing with black feathers pretending to be bird feathers, tattooed with a bird on your chest—do you really think you're some kind of bird-man? I bet you're the bastard offspring of a mongrel father—"

The insult was vicious, and the surrounding silence fell heavy.

Bi Jie gritted his teeth, fury surging, his vision darkening, his head pounding.

After finishing his curse, Elder Bashan's hands trembled slightly; he secretly turned his head to glance at Mo Hua.

These words weren't his own.

Besides, such circuitous, "sly and venomous" insults—his mind couldn't have conceived them.

These words were all taught to him by Lord Wuzhu, who ordered him to speak them.

He was merely Lord Wuzhu's "mouthpiece."

Without Lord Wuzhu's command, even ten times his courage wouldn't have let him hurl such venomous words at the heir of another great tribe.

Thus, after speaking, Elder Bashan's heart was trembling.

Mo Hua nodded to Elder Bashan, signaling he had done well, and need not worry.

Elder Bashan finally exhaled softly in relief.

These words were originally meant to be spoken by Mo Hua himself.

But unfortunately, he was now the "Wu Zhu," bound by his status and the dignity of the Divine Lord—he could no longer casually spew foul language, lest it tarnish his image of "solemn benevolence" in the eyes of the Dan Que tribe, especially Xiang Dan.

Otherwise, he would have personally unleashed a torrent to reduce Bi Jie to a helpless wreck.

Yu Changlao's legacy of cursing wasn't learned in vain.

And even though Mo Hua hadn't spoken them himself, Bi Jie was furious—his face had lost all trace of a smile, even mockery or sneer vanished.

He was the Bi Fang tribe's prodigy; though not as famed as Xiang Dan, he had real combat achievements—and no one had ever dared insult him like this.

Bi Jie immediately activated the vicious blade in his hand—the Bi Fang tribe's ancestral treasure, the "Bi Fang Black Demon Great Knife"—intending to use his realm advantage and the artifact's power to cut through the Dan Que tribe, kill Elder Bashan first, then seize the chance to slay Xiang Dan.

At this moment, the front of the Dan Que formation had a gap.

That gap was precisely where Xiang Dan stood.

Bi Jie, with his experience, could tell.

With his cultivation and ferocity, he could tear through the Dan Que barbarian ranks at that exact point.

Chifeng's position was careless—he couldn't fully shield Xiang Dan.

If his strike came even slightly faster than Chifeng's, the Bi Fang Black Demon Great Knife would strike Xiang Dan.

Under realm suppression, Xiang Dan's Zhu Que Li Lingyi could not possibly block his Bi Fang Black Demon Blade.

Or, he could feint at his guard elders to draw fire, then strike Xiang Dan with a feint—also a viable tactic.

Bi Jie was sharp and fierce, never lacking the eye to spot opportunities or the ability to seize them.

Thus, the single flaw in the Dan Que formation was instantly seized by him.

Bi Jie was about to act without hesitation.

But at that moment, a Bi Fang tribe elder beside him tugged his sleeve.

Bi Jie turned, furious, ready to lash out—then saw a pair of calm, gray eyes.

"Young Master, calm down."

Bi Jie instantly calmed.

His rage receded; his reason returned slightly.

He looked again at the Dan Que barbarian formation, at Xiang Dan's position—and a chill crept over his heart.

This was a trap.

Though Xiang Dan's defenses were loose, full of openings, this "opening" had been deliberately left.

If he mistook it for a weakness and charged in, he'd be surrounded and slaughtered by the Dan Que tribe—his chances of survival would be slim.

"First insult me to provoke me, then leave an opening to lure me into attacking—once I rashly seize this 'opportunity,' I fall into their scheme—have they even calculated my temperament?"

Bi Jie's spine turned cold; he stared darkly at Xiang Dan, silently cursing:

"This Xiang Dan—looks so innocent, yet he's so sly, ruthless, and calculating—I nearly fell for it."

Among the crowd, Mo Hua, seeing Bi Jie realize the trap, felt a pang of regret.

Bi Jie was truly a formidable figure—kill him early, save trouble.

Using Xiang Dan as bait, inflaming him with Yu Changlao's curse art, exploiting Bi Jie's talent for seizing opportunities,

they lured him into charging the formation.

But just before losing his reason, Bi Jie had regained his clarity.

To be scolded like this and still retain sanity—he truly is no ordinary person.

After this "invisible" clash, Bi Jie realized that Dan Zhu was "deceitful and cunning," far from as simple as he appeared; filled with caution, he dared not act rashly anymore.

Killing Dan Zhu was his own goal,

but this campaign against the Shu Gu Secret Division, he had something far more important to accomplish.

Bi Jie looked at Dan Zhu and said gravely: "This Shi Dian is the Shu Gu clan's treasury, filled with many treasures."

"You may rescue your people—I don't care. But the treasures inside belong to my Bi Fang clan; your Dan Que clan must not touch a single item."

Dan Zhu nodded and said: "Fine."

Dan Zhu had a kind heart, caring only for his clansmen.

Mo Hua was different—he too had a kind heart, but also a touch of petty greed; he cared not only for the Dan Que clansmen, but also for the "treasures" Bi Jie had mentioned.

But given the current situation, he dared not speak up and urge Dan Zhu to seize the Shu Gu clan's treasury.

Seeing Dan Zhu's compliance, Bi Jie said no more, but turned and ordered several Bi Fang clan members clad in distinctive blue-feathered robes to begin setting up altars and drawing arrays to open the Shi Dian's great gate.

Mo Hua watched this scene, a faint unease stirring in his heart.

"Is this also a barbarian array?"

"Are these people Wu Xiu?"

The term "Wu Xiu" was something Mo Hua had heard from the Dan Que clan,

in the Great Wilderness, those who cultivate the body are generally called "Man Xiu," and by barbarian tradition, also "Yongtu" or "Man Bing."

Those who wield magic, the "Ling Xiu," are called "Wu Xiu" in the Great Wilderness.

But the concept of Wu Xiu is more than just Ling Xiu.

First, Wu Xiu do use magic, but in the Great Wilderness, their "magic" is generally called "Wu Fa" or "Wu Shu."

These Wu Shu include some laws of the Five Elements, yet are mixed with many sinister methods—such as the blood and qi of demonic beasts, human souls and ghostly essences—and also involve poison arts, Gu arts, and evil arts, making them neither wholly good nor wholly evil.

Mo Hua had retreated to the shadows and avoided using magic recklessly, partly for this reason,

to small-clan cultivators, his Fireball Art, tinged with malevolent energy, red with black, indeed resembled certain "Wu Fa."

But among third-grade great clans, there are many sharp-eyed ones who can easily spot the difference.

Though the Dao Court and the Great Wilderness cultivation systems have been "integrated" toward uniformity, subtle differences remain.

Moreover, barbarian cultivators who master certain levels of array arts, talisman arts, and pill arts may also be called "Wu Xiu."

In the Great Wilderness's concept, "array arts," "talismans," and "pill arts" are all called "Wu Fa," so those who study these cultivation techniques are all "Wu Xiu."

But those who specialize in forging weapons, especially barbarian armor, cannot be called "Wu Xiu."

And such forging arts are mostly held by clan elders, especially the Grand Elder.

Thus, most weapon-forgers in the Great Wilderness are clan elders.

And "Lord Wuzhu" is even more different.

Though "Lord Wuzhu" and "Wu Xiu" differ by only one character, their status in the Great Wilderness is worlds apart.

Exactly how they differ, Mo Hua could hardly say, for he himself is a "fake" Lord Wuzhu.

He had never received systematic transmission of "Lord Wuzhu" arts; his fragmented techniques were all self-taught—he might possess the power of a Lord Wuzhu, but lacks the true title.

Thus, every time he reveals "Lord Wuzhu" abilities, he must be cautious.

The Great Wilderness's entire transmission system is complex and chaotic; Mo Hua is still in the process of learning and understanding it.

And now, these several "Wu Xiu" of the Bi Fang clan are "Zhen Wu" that Mo Hua rarely encounters in the Great Wilderness.

They are indeed setting up a certain kind of array.

Mo Hua's gaze deepened; within his mind, he used Tianji Yan Suan to trace their flow and discovered that the arrays drawn by these Bi Fang Wu Xiu were indeed one form of the Four Symbols Demon Sigils.

But these Four Symbols sigils, at first glance, were obscure even to Mo Hua.

This meant that the Bi Fang clan possessed its own unique lineage of Four Symbols array arts.

Meanwhile, their use of these arrays to break open the Shu Gu clan's gate meant they had come prepared, even having long harbored designs upon the Shu Gu clan—Mo Hua pondered deeply.

And soon after, a dark-black beast sigil flashed.

The seal on the Shi Dian's great gate was undone.

Two Bi Fang clan elders stepped forward, one on each side, and pushed open the gate.

Within the gate, cold winds howled, accompanied by terrified human cries.

Mo Hua's expression changed slightly; from within the gate, he smelled a distinctly icy, unnatural odor.

"Evil God."

"Indeed—it has fallen."

Mo Hua's eyes glinted faintly, his soul hungry, his heart stirring with desire,

this aura of the Evil God was something Mo Hua knew well—and was acutely sensitive to.

But others were different; only a few with sharp spiritual senses felt a chill, a faint alertness, while most knew nothing at all.

Bi Jie, lost in thought, his gaze greedy, immediately shouted loudly:

"Enter the hall!"

Bi Jie, accompanied by several Bi Fang clan elders, was about to step into the Shi Dian.

Dan Zhu was just about to shout: "Stop!"

Mo Hua quickly tugged Dan Zhu's sleeve, signaling him to stay silent.

Dan Zhu fell silent.

But Bi Jie, suspicious by nature, turned his head and saw Dan Zhu standing still; he grew puzzled.

The Dan Que clan had been eager to compete with him for entry into the Shi Dian.

Yet now that the Shi Dian is open, why are these Dan Que clansmen utterly motionless?

Bi Jie thought more and more, and his heart grew increasingly suspicious.

He suddenly said: "Wait!"

The Bi Fang tribe members halted; Bi Jie also stopped in place, pondered for a moment, then said: "Don't rush in—stay outside."

Bi Jie had intended to say, "I'll take a few elders inside."

But the words were on his lips when he suddenly hesitated.

The Dan Que tribe harbors murderous intent toward him, surrounding him outside; inside the Shi Dian, the situation is unknown.

As the young master, if I enter the Shi Dian rashly and encounter trouble, I may be caught between enemies—likely doomed.

Bi Jie then called out two elders' names: "Cang Elder, Zhuo Elder, take a squad and go in—scout the situation."

Cang Elder was short and stout; Zhuo Elder was thin and gaunt—both were Jin Dan, their cultivation formidable.

The two bowed their hands and said:

"Yes, Young Master."

After speaking, Cang Elder and Zhuo Elder of the Bi Fang tribe led a squad of over twenty Bi Fang barbarian soldiers straight through the stone gate, entering the dark Shi Dian of the Shu Gu tribe.

Bi Jie led the main force, guarding outside the Shi Dian, watching for Dan Que tribe members.

Mo Hua silently thought it a pity.

If Bi Jie had personally led a group of Bi Fang Jin Dan into this Shi Dian steeped in demonic aura, that would've been interesting.

Too bad—Bi Jie is too cautious.

Elder Bashan looked left and right, growing anxious, and asked: "Mr., should we charge in now too?"

The Dan Que tribe's people are likely imprisoned inside this Shi Dian.

And since Bi Fang tribe is so fixated on this Shi Dian, it must contain valuable treasures.

Mo Hua firmly said: "No."

Dan Zhu looked puzzled: "Mr., inside the Shi Dian—"

Mo Hua shook his head: "I can't explain yet—you'll know soon enough."

Dan Zhu and the others exchanged glances.

But with Mo Hua's order, they made no move, quietly holding their position outside the Shi Dian, subtly facing off against Bi Fang tribe.

Sunlight fell upon the cliff, casting a patch of cool shade.

Everyone waited like this, time slowly slipping away.

Soon, the mountain's cool shade turned into a creeping unease, making them uncomfortable.

Since the two Bi Fang Jin Dan, with their twenty barbarian soldiers, entered the Shi Dian, it had been like a stone sinking into the sea—for a full hour—

Not a single response came back.

Bi Fang's young master, Bi Jie, grew restless.

The others began murmuring among themselves.

After another incense stick's time, footsteps suddenly echoed from within the dark Shi Dian—a figure stepped out, one step at a time.

He looked vaguely familiar.

It was none other than Cang Elder, the short, stout man who had entered the Shi Dian earlier.

Impatient Bi Jie hurriedly asked: "Cang Elder, what happened? Why did it take so long—"

Before he finished speaking, his face twisted in horror.

At this point, Cang Elder had reached the Shi Dian's entrance; the sunlight from the cliff revealed his appearance to all.

His thighs had been torn open, flesh gone, only white bone exposed.

Half his cheek had been gnawed away.

A gaping hole pierced his chest, his internal organs nearly hollowed out.

He looked horrific.

Every barbarian cultivator present—whether from Bi Fang or Dan Que—turned pale.

Gasps of shock rose in waves; they were tribal cultivators, most battle-hardened, having seen bloodier, more brutal scenes.

But those were wounds from direct combat.

This was utterly different—dark, eerie, unnatural.

Even Mo Hua felt a faint chill.

He knew the Shi Dian held a ferocious demonic deity; these men entered without preparation, so they'd likely suffer—no doubt endure pain.

But Mo Hua hadn't expected the demon to be this "ferocious." Mo Hua frowned slightly.

Bi Jie's heart trembled with dread; he urgently asked: "Cang Elder, what exactly happened?!"

Yet he dared only shout from afar—he dared not approach.

Cang Elder was drenched in blood and exposed bone, radiating an uncanny aura; half his face was terror, half pallor, and he cracked his lips and said:

"Everyone's dead—"

"They're eating—"

"I killed Zhuo Elder—he was going to eat me, so I ate him too—"

As he spoke, Cang Elder felt his vitality draining rapidly; he tried activating his treasure to protect himself, but the moment he stirred his jade bracelet, it darkened with blotches—as if the entire artifact had been corrupted.

Bi Jie stood frozen.

Cang Elder gave a bitter, sorrowful smile, knowing he was beyond saving; gathering his last breath, he spoke in a chilling tone to Bi Jie:

"Inside the Shi Dian—there is a great evil thing—Young Master, take care—"

Before his words ended, the treasure dimmed, and Cang Elder died.

Bi Jie's face turned ashen.

The entire hall fell dead silent, then erupted in panic and clamor.

The Jin Dan elder died just like that.

And he died so inexplicably, his corpse so horrifying.

They didn't even know what had happened.

Amid the clamor, Mo Hua's gaze flickered; he suddenly turned to Chifeng and nodded toward Bi Jie across from them, whispering, "Can you kill him?"

Chifeng froze, then instantly understood.

Now, the Bi Fang tribe had lost two Jin Dan elders and twenty elite barbarian soldiers in this inexplicable Shi Dian, their strength greatly diminished.

But the Dan Que tribe suffered no losses at all; now the enemy was weak and we were strong—if we struck suddenly in ambush, we might truly threaten Bi Jie, the Bi Fang tribe's young master, gifted and ruthless.

"This 'Lord Wuzhu' truly has a sharp mind and swift calculations—"

Chifeng sighed inwardly, then couldn't help but feel tempted.

Kill Bi Jie…

But just as he thought this, Bi Jie far away seemed to sense a surge of killing intent.

Bad!

Bi Jie immediately forgot mourning Elder Cang and caring for his fallen Bi Fang tribesmen; he barked an order:

"Bi Fang tribe, listen! All of you, form a defensive line and protect me!"

The Bi Fang barbarian soldiers snapped out of their shock and immediately obeyed, forming a formation that tightly shielded Bi Jie in the center.

The two remaining elders also stood beside Bi Jie, guarding against anyone attempting to break through and kill their young master.

The chance to kill Bi Jie was gone again.

Mo Hua made a sound, then felt something strange.

This Bi Fang tribe's young master was far too sensitive to killing intent.

Almost the moment he opened his mouth, ready to order an ambush, Bi Jie had sensed it.

On the other side, Bi Jie's gaze flickered uncertainly, his heart uneasy:

"Who is it, again and again, stirring killing intent, seeking an opportunity to harm me?"

"Is it Seeing Dan Zhu? Could he truly have such a venomous heart?"

Bi Jie was puzzled.

The situation was temporarily stalemated.

The Dan Que tribe had stirred killing intent.

The Bi Fang tribe stood ready in formation.

Neither side moved, but neither dared to let down their guard.

The Bi Fang tribe had suffered a heavy blow, losing two Jin Dan elders; naturally, they dared not act rashly.

The Dan Que tribe, though superior in strength, had no reason to engage in open conflict with the Bi Fang tribe if they couldn't ambush and kill Bi Jie.

After a moment, Bi Jie's thoughts shifted, and he spoke to Seeing Dan Zhu:

"We agreed: no interference, peaceful coexistence."

"Now, your Dan Que tribe may enter to rescue them; our Bi Fang tribe will not obstruct."

Seeing Dan Zhu frowned.

He was kind-hearted and lacking in experience, but not a fool.

Having spent time with Mo Hua, Seeing Dan Zhu had gradually picked up some "cunning" scheming; how could he not know that Bi Jie was setting a trap for him?

Inside the Shi Dian lay an inexplicable, terrifying danger—Bi Fang's Jin Dan elder had entered and died without a trace.

What good could the Dan Que tribe possibly gain?

He was the young master; he could not risk himself.

He didn't trust Chifeng, Elder Bashan, or Elder Bachuan to enter the Shi Dian.

Even if the Shi Dian were safe, could those three Jin Dan elders return unharmed after entering?

But during the time those three Jin Dan entered the Shi Dian, Bi Jie would surely find a way to kill him.

This was what Lord Wuzhu had taught him: "Born from hardship."

Always prioritize your own life; when you see a bad person, guard against them harming you.

Seeing Dan Zhu remembered this firmly.

Therefore, he could only hold his ground.

Leaving the Shi Dian was impossible—they couldn't rescue anyone, and would let the Bi Fang tribe do as they pleased.

Entering the Shi Dian was even worse.

The Shi Dian was a place of great evil; even Jin Dan who entered faced nine deaths and one life.

But Seeing Dan Zhu knew deep down that holding this stalemate was no solution.

Just then, a solemn yet gentle voice came:

"I'll go in."

Seeing Dan Zhu froze, turned back to Mo Hua, incredulous: "Lord Wuzhu, you—"

Mo Hua's face was solemn and serious, radiating a heroic, resolute, self-sacrificing spirit.

He spoke with solemnity:

"I can sense that within the Shi Dian ahead lurks an enemy of the Divine Lord—a heresy of the gods."

"As Lord Wuzhu, removing evil, purging corruption, and spreading the Divine Lord's grace is my inescapable duty—I will not regret even if I die—"

After speaking, Mo Hua slightly tilted his head upward, gazing at the sky, his face expressing a firm, tragic resolve.

The Bi Fang tribe watched Mo Hua, all shaken, speechless with awe.

Ba Ni and Elder Bachuan also felt a surge of genuine reverence welling up in their hearts.

Even the barbarian general Chifeng felt his heart jolt, and toward this "Mr. Wu," whom he had not held in particularly high regard before, a trace of heartfelt respect arose.