Chapter 1199: Famine

The aura of this karmic cause-and-effect is invisible to ordinary people.

What they see is only the desolation of withered plants and the bleak spectacle of living beings starving to death.

Mo Hua saw it clearly.

And this famine disaster was completely unlike what he had anticipated.

It did not resemble a "natural" calamity at all, but rather seemed like a… living, formless calamity, a "miasma-like" monster spreading across the Great Wilderness, devouring the land's vitality, causing all living things upon it to wither, their flesh and blood drying up as they starved to death.

And this monster, akin to a "Great Famine," was slowly, yet visibly, "crawling" toward Mo Hua, bringing with it withering and decay, hunger and despair, drawing ever closer.

Mo Hua's face changed, and he said:

"Leave now! Return to Shi Dian."

Seeing Dan Zhu could not see what Mo Hua saw, but he knew this matter was no trivial thing, so he nodded.

The group returned to Shi Dian and sealed the great gates shut.

Mo Hua's brows were tightly furrowed.

Seeing Dan Zhu spoke with a solemn expression: "Lord Wuzhu, this utterly inexplicable phenomenon… has the Divine Lord given any revelation?"

Mo Hua had wanted to lie and say, "Of course." The Divine Lord is omniscient and omnipotent; naturally, He knows everything.

But the words stuck in his throat, and he held them back.

The Divine Lord is omniscient and omnipotent, but he, as Lord Wuzhu, was not. Faced with this unexpected and bizarre situation, he dared not speak recklessly, lest he slip up.

Mo Hua then spoke with solemn gravity:

"The Divine Lord only foretold that the Wilds would suffer a great calamity. But what form this great calamity would take, He did not reveal. I suspect this disaster must be tied to some great karmic cause, and the heavenly secrets cannot be lightly disclosed."

Mo Hua sighed again, "Moreover, in recent days, during our battles with the Bifang tribe, I have repeatedly invoked divine oracles, exhausting my divine power—I am now uncertain of the true nature of this calamity…"

Upon hearing this, Seeing Dan Zhu felt both gratitude and sorrow for Mo Hua.

Lord Wuzhu had repeatedly expended his divine power to divine enemy movements, all to protect him and the lives of the Danque tribe's barbarian soldiers.

"Mr., take care, please preserve your health," Seeing Dan Zhu said, bowing with sincere concern.

Mo Hua nodded, appearing somewhat "weakened."

Seeing Dan Zhu pondered for a moment, still deeply troubled: "Mr., now that the famine disaster has descended, what should we do next?"

This was a situation entirely beyond expectation.

Mo Hua had no clear idea either.

At that moment, cries of battle erupted again outside Shi Dian.

Mo Hua frowned and, together with Seeing Dan Zhu, stepped out to investigate—beyond the distant hills and forests, shadows surged, blades and spears glinting sharply; the Bifang tribe had returned.

Such provocations had become routine.

Seeing Dan Zhu was about to go out and meet the attack.

But Mo Hua quickly stopped him.

Seeing Dan Zhu was puzzled.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then his expression changed slightly: "Don't go. Order Chifeng and the others to retreat back inside."

"No one is to engage the enemy."

Seeing Dan Zhu, solemn, nodded.

The order was passed down; the entire Danque tribe withdrew and retreated within Shi Dian.

This was not a wise decision.

With enemies at the gates, if the outer valley was entirely ceded to the Bifang tribe, and Shi Dian became completely surrounded, they would be trapped.

Yet no one in the Danque tribe questioned it.

Chifeng did not object either.

After these days, Mo Hua's divinely insightful orders had become equivalent to the Divine Lord's "divine oracles."

The Danque tribe's retreat left the shouting Bifang tribe members bewildered.

Bi Jie also frowned deeply—he could not fathom the intent behind Mo Hua's "foolish" move.

But the opportunity lay before him; he immediately ordered the Bifang tribe to attack.

The crowd surged forward en masse toward the Danque tribe.

Yet halfway up the slope, an invisible red-yellow aura suddenly emerged, and vast stretches of vegetation withered instantly.

The Bifang tribe and the barbarian cultivators were startled, but as they were immersed in the red-yellow aura, they felt no abnormality—no poison, no sensation even as strong as miasma.

They paid it no mind and pressed on, attacking Shi Dian where the Danque tribe held.

The Bifang tribe's young master had promised: once Shi Dian was seized and Dan Zhu killed, they would be granted fine barbarian armor, vast numbers of barbarian slaves, and a fertile parcel of land within Bifang territory.

The Bifang tribe's young master had sworn an oath to the Barbarian God.

This promise would not be false.

Thus, these barbarian cultivators charged recklessly toward Dan Zhu and his men, eager to claim the first blood and the greatest merit.

Mo Hua ordered no one to advance; they held only defensive positions.

After a brief exchange of blows, the battlefield descended into chaos.

Bi Jie, allied with four or five external barbarian Jin Dan, surrounded and attacked Dan Zhu and Chifeng.

The rest of the Danque tribe's barbarian soldiers were being crushed.

Shi Dian's defenses teetered on the brink.

Mo Hua paid no heed; he merely gazed deeply at everything.

Bi Jie and the others had become Mo Hua's "test subjects."

In battle, they continuously absorbed the red-yellow aura representing the "famine disaster."

Mo Hua observed the changes in their bodies, wondering what would happen when this red-yellow aura was ingested.

What is the underlying logic of this qi's movement?

Many changes in celestial and terrestrial qi and causal laws are invisible to ordinary cultivators with their "fleshly eyes," but they cannot escape Mo Hua's Divine Perception Dao-Eye.

To Bi Jie and others, these were merely superficial signs of withering vegetation, but in Mo Hua's pure golden, profoundly perceptive divine perception vision, they concealed deeper transformations.

His Dao-Eye clearly saw how these red and yellow qi, once inhaled by cultivators, flowed along the meridians and merged with their physical bodies.

What startled Mo Hua was that these red and yellow qi possessed no "toxicity" and did not harm the cultivators' physical forms.

They were even different from their outward appearance.

These red and yellow qi themselves did not embody the laws of "withering" or "decay."

What they possessed, in truth, was "vitality."

Mo Hua's pupils contracted slightly; it felt deeply counterintuitive, yet reality was as it was.

The essence of this famine qi was not "withering," not "decay," not "wilting"...

It was "vitality."

This famine qi, once absorbed into a cultivator's body, enhanced the "vitality" of their physical form, causing heightened mental excitement, accelerated blood qi flow, intensified digestion and absorption, and even temporary boosts in cultivation and strength.

The entire person would be filled with "vitality," unaware of fatigue.

But the outcome was obvious.

This caused rapid metabolism of the body, extreme depletion of blood qi, and an unimaginable acceleration toward profound "hunger."

This was indeed not "poison."

Nor was it even "disease."

It was merely a natural, reasonable process of the cultivator's own blood qi metabolism, triggering hunger.

Only, this red and yellow qi had accelerated this natural process to completion in a short time.

"Vitality" caused "decay," caused "withering," and ultimately caused large-scale "famine."

It was like…

"Prosperity" caused "decline."

"Affluence" caused "barrenness."

This famine used "life" to cause large-scale "death"…

Mo Hua's expression froze; his pupils trembled, and a chill crept into his heart.

He could no longer tell whether this wilderness famine was a law of heaven and earth, or whether someone behind the scenes was deliberately orchestrating a catastrophe.

If someone had done this deliberately, their understanding of the Dao—knowing how to use life to bring death—was terrifyingly profound.

The movement of the Dao is its opposite.

Just as Mo Hua was pondering this, among the Bi Fang tribe, a barbarian cultivator suddenly inhaled the famine qi, his expression becoming ecstatic, his heart pounding violently, his meridians swelling, his blood qi rapidly depleted, and an indescribable "hunger" surging from deep within.

His eyes gradually turned red, saliva uncontrollably dripping from his lips, then he lunged and bit into a fellow barbarian soldier, tearing off a large chunk of bloody flesh.

This act immediately sparked outrage.

"What the fuck! Traitor?!"

"What's going on?"

But soon, more and more people began biting each other.

The "hunger" drove them to devour anything.

With vegetation withered, the only thing nearby to "eat" was people.

The battlefield of killing instantly became a hell of cannibalism.

This bloody aberration shocked everyone; both warring sides immediately halted their weapons, faces filled with terror.

Mo Hua immediately coldly ordered: "Retreat to Shi Dian!"

Upon hearing this, Dan Zhu and others immediately withdrew into Shi Dian.

Seeing this, Bi Jie flew into a rage and led his followers in a fierce assault.

But his attacks were blocked by Chifeng, and the Bi Fang tribe's advance was entirely halted by the array Mo Hua had placed at Shi Dian's gate.

Bi Jie and his men could not breach Shi Dian.

Behind them, the red and yellow qi continued spreading, and Bi Fang tribe members kept killing and devouring each other.

Amid flying flesh and blood, even Bi Jie himself faintly felt a hunger stirring within.

Bi Jie's face turned pale; he instantly sensed disaster looming.

Yet to abandon it filled him with bitter reluctance.

Inside Shu Gu's territory lay something he had long dreamed of.

No one else knew of it; no one else could find it. He must obtain it before Dan Zhu did.

While Bi Jie hesitated, the symptoms of the "famine" suddenly intensified.

More and more barbarian cultivators, driven by hunger, began devouring people.

The number of Bi Fang tribe members dying increased, and their deaths grew horrific—flesh devoured, leaving only gleaming white bones.

Bi Jie himself could not help swallowing hard.

Hunger began burning within his heart.

Bi Jie knew the tide had turned.

The wilderness was already perilous; before such a sudden, bizarre calamity, anyone would retreat, for none could contend with a heavenly disaster without dying without a grave.

Bi Jie could only grit his teeth and order:

"Retreat!"

The Bi Fang tribe withdrew under Bi Jie's lead; some barbarian cultivators, consumed by hunger and ready to devour others, were beheaded, their corpses left behind.

But those who "lived" to escape might not yet be spared.

Precisely because they are "alive," the vital energy of the Famine Plague still flows within them, keeping their blood in a restless, "boiling" state, slowly dragging them into profound hunger.

Along the retreat route, people kept "falling ill."

Bi Jie could only kill them one after another, continuing until no one else succumbed to the "Famine" sickness.

This seemingly ordinary "Famine Plague" had, in a single encounter, nearly annihilated Bi Jie's forces.

Bi Jie's heart bled, and icy dread spread through his entire body.

……

Meanwhile, within Shi Dian, some of the Dan Que tribe had also contracted the "Famine Plague."

They were fine during battle with Bi Jie, but upon retreating into Shi Dian, several barbarian soldiers "fell ill" and began craving "food."

Dan Zhu immediately ordered his men to bind these afflicted barbarians.

He was kind-hearted and would not kill his own soldiers, so he ordered them to bring out dried rations and jerky for the barbarians to eat.

These barbarians did not necessarily need to eat "human flesh."

They would eat anything—but no matter how much they consumed, they could never be full.

And since they were stationed at Shi Dian, food supplies were already scarce; feeding them more would bring great trouble.

Dan Zhu could only look toward Mo Hua.

Mo Hua, watching the barbarians tortured by "hunger," their faces twisted with agony, furrowed his brows tightly.

He understood better than anyone that this "hunger" sickness was nearly impossible to cure.

The difficulty lay in the fact that it was not a "poison," nor a "disease," but pure, extreme "hunger."

Since it was not a disease, there was no "medicine" to heal it.

The only solution was... to eat.

Mo Hua's heart leapt—he immediately thought of the Yi Mu Hui Chun Array.

The Famine Plague drained blood qi and drained vitality.

The Yi Mu Hui Chun Array could replenish blood qi and restore vitality.

The Famine Plague transformed "life" into "death."

The Yi Mu Hui Chun Array used "life" to delay "death."

In a certain sense, these were two perfectly "mutually opposing yet complementary" logics and principles.

Mo Hua immediately ordered that the Dan Que barbarians afflicted with the "Famine Sickness" be placed upon the Yi Mu Hui Chun Array.

The emerald-green qi of Yi Mu swirled and seeped into the barbarians' meridians, replenishing their vitality.

The barbarians were still tormented by the inner sensation of "hunger," their faces contorted in agony.

This hunger was a mental awareness—temporarily impossible to eradicate.

But their blood qi and vitality had been arrested by the array; at least for now, their lives were no longer in immediate danger.

Mo Hua slowly exhaled.

Then, with a solemn expression, he said to Dan Zhu: "Hurry. Everyone, pack your things. We leave Shi Dian in half an hour—evade the Famine Plague."

The Famine Plague is still spreading; within an hour, it will completely flood into Shi Dian.

Once enough people inhale the red and yellow qi, our entire force will be annihilated.

Dan Zhu understood the stakes and nodded: "Understood."

Everyone quickly packed their gear.

All supplies had already been stored in storage boxes, so no extra time was needed.

The cracked idol of the Barbarian God was also placed into a storage box.

Mo Hua made some preparations of his own.

After preparing, Mo Hua closed his eyes and focused, meditated for a moment, then released his spiritual sense to map out a route beyond the valley, before giving the order:

"Everyone, hold your breath and remain still—minimize your breathing."

"I will give each of you a face mask. The sacred runes inscribed upon them were granted by the Divine Lord and can partially neutralize the Famine Plague's aura."

"But due to haste, these sacred runes were drawn hastily—they are weak. Remain cautious."

"Along the way, follow my orders exactly. Wherever I tell you to go, go."

"The Divine Lord will protect you."

"If you disobey orders and lose your way, even the Divine Lord cannot save you."

Mo Hua's expression was solemn.

Everyone clenched their fists against their chests, bowed deeply to Mo Hua, and respectfully said: "Thank the Divine Lord for His blessing. We humbly obey Lord Wuzhu's command."

Mo Hua gave a slight nod, then ordered: "Depart."

"Yes, Lord Wuzhu."

Mo Hua led the way, Dan Zhu followed behind, Chifeng guarded Mo Hua's left, while Elders Bashan and Bachuan managed the formation and brought up the rear.

The group marched in force out of Shi Dian and entered the valley.

Within the valley, vast stretches of Lin Mu had withered.

But this withering was not complete—it was patchy, like "leprosy."

Any plant touched by the Famine Plague's aura would "starve" to death.

Those untouched could temporarily survive.

Mo Hua's eyes clearly saw the "boundary" of the Famine Plague's spread—he knew precisely where the "realm of life" ended and the "realm of death" began.

Only Mo Hua could perceive this boundary between life and death.

Mo Hua looked up at the sky, pretending to pray to the "Divine Lord," then, as if receiving divine guidance, his expression turned utterly reverent, and he turned to the others and said:

"The 'Divine Lord' has answered my prayer—He will guide my path."

"Follow me."

Mo Hua, as Lord Wuzhu, walked at the front, guiding everyone.

The crowd followed Lord Wuzhu with reverence and faith, keeping close behind his steps.

The group entered the mountains ravaged by famine.

This time, no one dared to pursue and kill them anymore.

The famine was a disaster, but Mo Hua also used it as a "barrier," isolating danger and the Bi Fang tribe's pursuit.

In the midst of disaster, only Mo Hua could see the path ahead.

Thus, Mo Hua led the group steadily southeastward.

They moved cautiously, walking day and night until they finally left the valley of Shu Gu Mi Bu, escaping this treacherous "quagmire" of battle.

Outside the valley, the famine still spread, but its symptoms had lessened considerably.

Mo Hua did not slacken; he continued leading the group southward, moving in the opposite direction of the famine's spread.

Along the way, Mo Hua's eyes glowed with divine light, discerning life and death, leading the way ahead.

Most Dan Que tribe members managed to avoid the calamity.

But some unlucky ones inexplicably contracted the "hunger sickness."

Mo Hua had no time to treat them, so Seeing Dan Zhu ordered Zhong Mingren to knock the afflicted barbarian soldiers unconscious, then seal their mouths and noses with iron chains, bind their limbs, and drag them forward.

Fortunately, there were not many such cases, and they caused no major unrest.

After another two days of travel, the surroundings opened up, and the desolate, eerie atmosphere gradually faded.

Mo Hua knew his group had temporarily escaped the famine.

But he still dared not let his guard down. Once touched by this famine, the result was total annihilation.

Afterwards, Mo Hua pretended to "pray" to the Divine Lord for the Yi Mu Hui Chun Sacred Pattern, briefly healing the afflicted barbarian soldiers and keeping them alive, then immediately pressed onward without pause.

He wanted to get as far away from the famine as possible.

After advancing several hundred more li, the group entered a valley. They had barely settled when they were ambushed by a band of barbarian cultivators.

These barbarian cultivators had pale yellow bone makeup on their faces—they too were from Shu Gu Bu.

But this was not a roaming faction; it was a proper "branch tribe."

Seeing Mo Hua's group weary, disheveled, and dragging numerous large storage chests, they assumed they were "fat lambs" and grew greedy, setting an ambush to strike.

Three Shu Gu Jin Dan, each at early Foundation Establishment, led about two hundred Shu Gu barbarian soldiers at early Foundation Establishment, hiding in the shadows, ready to kill Mo Hua's group and seize their supplies.

They did not know their movements had been detected by Mo Hua long ago.

Mo Hua was stunned inside.

He never expected his luck to be so good—just after escaping the valley and the famine, he encountered a "meat bun thrown to a dog" kind of fortune.

Before the Shu Gu branch tribe's soldiers could launch their ambush from hiding,

Mo Hua had already begun calculating cause and effect, deploying troops and formations.

Thus, an ambush became a counter-ambush.

The Shu Gu branch tribe was utterly defeated: Chifeng killed one Jin Dan, Seeing Dan Zhu killed another, one escaped, and the rest were routed.

Mo Hua did not let Seeing Dan Zhu slaughter them all; instead, he deliberately left survivors alive, then pursued these Shu Gu "fugitives," tracing their trail straight to their lair.

A sizable Shu Gu branch tribe encampment.

This was a good place.

Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he pointed forward:

"Take it!"

Lord Wuzhu gave the order; the Dan Que barbarian soldiers charged forward.

Seeing Dan Zhu led the assault, as if possessed by Zhu Que, unstoppable; within less than an hour, they completely captured the Shu Gu branch tribe's encampment.

(End of Chapter)