Chapter 1223: The Great Witch Art

In the yellow-white bone tablet, a momentary silence fell.

Clearly, the "Great Witch Execution Art" mentioned by Tie Shu Gu was no ordinary technique.

Not only did Tie Shu Gu fear it, but even General Lugu held deep apprehension toward it.

Lugu pondered for a long time, then replied:

"This matter is not urgent; we must deliberate carefully."

But how could Tie Shu Gu not be urgent?

"My lord Lugu, you simply do not understand!"

Tie Shu Gu's expression was frantic, tinged with terror, "I have devoted my body to the demon, lived alongside this monster, and know better than anyone else: though its realm appears unchanged and its aura shows no sign, its power has advanced with terrifying speed, beyond words to describe."

"Previously, it was merely a subtle, deepening pressure in its spiritual sense."

"Lately, for reasons unknown, this monster gives me the feeling that it has undergone some deeper 'transformation' within…"

"Its mental force remains unchanged, yet its entire being radiates a 'ferocity' capable of devouring all things, as if it were a primordial demon of destruction…"

"I even suspect that before long, its demonic nature will be exposed."

…

Behind Tie Shu Gu, Mo Hua's expression was peculiar.

He had already been very "restrained."

His spiritual sense was contained within himself; the principles of "Taotie" were sealed within his mind sea.

How could Tie Shu Gu still sense his "power"?

Was it because Tie Shu Gu had preconceived notions, a prejudice that this was a demon, leading him to guess wildly?

Or was it because his faith ran too deep, making him unusually "sensitive" to matters of the divine path?

Mo Hua fell into thought.

Tie Shu Gu continued to urge Lugu to kill Mo Hua:

"Therefore, we must not delay—kill him now, or delay will bring disaster!"

Lugu replied only: "The Great Witch Art must not be used lightly."

Tie Shu Gu said: "This demon's cunning and malevolence are beyond comprehension; only the Great Witch Art can kill it."

Lugu said: "You should know that such Great Witch Art has long been lost, known only to ancient Shu Gu ancestors who broke the 'taboos.'"

"And those ancestors are long dead."

"To awaken them and beg them to cast the Great Witch Art to curse this demon will demand an immense price."

Tie Shu Gu's face was devout, "I, Tie Shu Gu, am willing to pay any price to eradicate this demon—even my life."

Lugu's gaze was cold, and he replied in blood script:

"To awaken the dead ancestors, and then have those dead ancestors kill the living—even if the living is a demon—is to violate two layers of the 'life and death' taboos."

"Do you think the price of such a violation is merely your single life?"

"And if something goes wrong during the process…"

Lugu's gaze was terrifying; he spoke slowly, word by word:

"The dead who do not wish to die again, and the living stripped of the 'fruit' of life—this would be… a great calamity for the tribe. Can you, Tie Shu Gu, bear the responsibility?"

Tie Shu Gu fell silent.

His killing intent was too strong; naturally, he had not considered all consequences.

But his killing intent did not stem from selfishness—it came from loyalty to the tribe, especially from faith in the Barbarian God.

Tie Shu Gu had a strong premonition:

"If we do not awaken the ancestors and kill this demon, then this demon will be the 'great calamity' of our Shu Gu tribe."

Lugu also frowned tightly.

After a moment of thought, Lugu slowly sent a message: "Let us deliberate further on this matter. Until then, try other methods first."

"What methods?"

Lugu said: "I have already agreed to ally with this demon and return to the third-grade Zhu Que realm. Once we reach the third-grade mountain realm, my restrictions will lift; with my Jin Dan late-stage cultivation, I can find an opportunity to destroy his flesh body and shatter his foundation."

Tie Shu Gu countered: "It is a demon—destroy its flesh body, and will it die?"

"It can die…" Mo Hua nodded silently in his heart.

His spiritual sense was strong, but his flesh body was weak—wouldn't one kill be enough?

Too bad Tie Shu Gu could not hear.

Lugu was uncertain, so he added: "If its flesh body is destroyed, even if it does not die, it will surely suffer massive spiritual damage, and its true demonic form will be exposed under the open sky, reviled by all, its sacred shamanic garb torn away—it will find it hard to deceive hearts or stir up chaos again."

Mo Hua nodded inwardly.

What Lugu said was, in fact, quite reasonable.

But the tragedy was—he was not a demon at all, and had no fear of daylight.

Tie Shu Gu sighed, and could only say: "Very well."

He was only Jin Dan early-stage, commander of a Shu Gu roaming unit, utterly unable to command Lugu, a Jin Dan late-stage general of the Shu Gu main unit.

Moreover, awakening the dead Shu Gu ancestors and begging them to curse Mo Hua was not something he could accomplish alone.

Finally, Lugu asked him a few more questions about the "Yuan Gu Heavy Armor" forging method.

Tie Shu Gu replied only: "This is the demon's utmost secret; he never tells anyone. The valley where the armor is forged is a forbidden zone—no one is allowed to enter; it cannot be observed."

Lugu then ceased his inquiries.

This late-night "private conversation" ended here.

Tie Shu Gu continued to study by candlelight, tirelessly flipping through the scriptures of the Shu Gu tribe and other tribes, searching for a method to utterly exterminate the "demon" Mo Hua who walked in daylight.

Mo Hua admired his diligence and did not disturb his "efforts," silently leaving.

……

After leaving, Mo Hua returned to his room and sat at the table, lost in thought.

"The Great Witch Art…"

"This so-called Great Witch Art that can 'curse oneself to death'—what exactly is it?"

"Curse… is it related to cause and effect?"

"Great Witch… could it be connected to… Lord Wuzhu?"

Mo Hua's gaze grew solemn.

But this was not the most important thing.

What surprised Mo Hua even more was that, according to the "private chat" between Tie Shugu and Lord Lugu, the Shugu Clan still had the "Call-Death" Art circulating among them?

Mo Hua did not know what law the "Call-Death" Art followed.

Could it truly "awaken" the dead?

Or did it merely awaken some residual soul fragment, or a shard of memory?

Or perhaps, it awakened a corpse already "Bai Jisheng"-infested?

Could the dead truly be "awakened"?

Once the dead are awakened… are they "alive," or still "dead"?

Call-Death…

Mo Hua's expression suddenly grew wistful; he couldn't help silently murmuring in his heart:

"Master…"

Around him, silence reigned—absolute, and darkness too.

Mo Hua lit his heart as a candle, his gaze deep and profound.

……

The next day.

The entire journey to leave Wusha Mountain Realm and head toward Zhu Que Mountain Realm had largely been settled.

Before that, Mo Hua went once more to Shenshan to see the Big Tiger.

One reason he decided to fight for Zhu Que Mountain Realm was precisely because of this Big Tiger—now simply called "Da."

Da was at the peak of second grade and about to break through.

Mo Hua had originally thought Da, like himself, would need more time before forming a Jin Dan.

But he was wrong.

Da was far stronger than him.

Since mingling with a group of female tigers, whether some bloodline had awakened or not, Da's demonic aura grew stronger day by day.

Its fur, once sharply divided between black and white, now had the white becoming increasingly translucent and the black increasingly dense and lustrous.

Its demonic power had also reached a critical threshold; faint, glowing demonic energy crystals now circled its body.

This was a precursor to "forming a Jin Dan."

Clearly, Da would soon attempt to form a Jin Dan and become a third-grade Jin Dan-level Big Tiger.

Mo Hua had no choice but to find it another "dwelling."

If Da remained in the second-grade Wutu Mountain Realm, once it formed a Jin Dan, it would inevitably trigger a heavenly tribulation and be instantly reduced to ashes.

Of course, demonic beasts' instincts would also compel them to leave this realm bound by heavenly restrictions before forming a Jin Dan.

But beyond Wutu Mountain Realm, famine raged and dangers lurked everywhere.

Mo Hua naturally could not trust Da to venture out alone, let alone for something as critical as forming a Jin Dan.

What if it encountered an ambush, was captured by Wang Ting, or was disturbed during Jin Dan formation, causing its demonic core to explode and its body to perish?

Mo Hua would be heartbroken.

Therefore, he must first scout Zhu Que Mountain Realm, claim a large mountain peak, station heavy troops to guard it, and then let Da go there safely to form its Jin Dan.

As for the other female tigers…

Mo Hua's gaze darkened slightly.

He did not know why these female tigers had gathered around Da amid this chaos.

Nor was he certain whether it was truly because the Da Huang region suffered a "male tiger shortage."

But these female tigers were demonic beasts.

Demonic beasts acted purely on instinct.

If Da remained strong, they might coexist peacefully.

But if Da failed its breakthrough, its demonic core developed flaws, its foundation became chaotic, and it entered an extremely "weak" state…

What these female tigers might do, Mo Hua could not predict.

They might even turn and devour Da's "demonic core," and feast on its flesh—no one could say for sure.

One dare not gamble on human hearts, let alone demonic beast hearts.

Therefore, Mo Hua must keep Da's Jin Dan formation firmly under his own control.

If Da succeeded, he would effectively gain a true third-grade Jin Dan-level king among demonic beasts.

In the Da Huang region, where "Bai Yanlang" abounded, finding a truly trustworthy "Big Tiger" was exceedingly rare.

Yet claiming territory in Zhu Que Mountain Realm was no small matter—it would surely involve countless Zhou Zhe and countless obstacles.

Mo Hua had no choice but to temporarily part from the Big Tiger.

To bid Mo Hua farewell, Da stole from its "big wife"—the third-grade Jingxuan Tiger's hidden stash of unknown delicious demonic meat—and handed it to Mo Hua.

Man and tiger sat together in the forest, around a roasting fire array, roasting meat and chatting idly.

Of course, it was Mo Hua who kept giving advice:

"The character 'color' sits atop a knife… You may be a tiger, but you must understand this truth."

"Laozu's words never lie—not even to tigers."

"Those female tigers are only after your body. You, a male tiger, must learn to protect yourself…"

Da nodded his head, let out an "ao wu," signaling he understood.

Mo Hua also pulled out his long-hoarded fruit wine, brewed personally by his mother Liu Ruhua, and offered it to Da to taste.

Da licked it once—gulped down more than half the bottle—leaving Mo Hua heartbroken.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, and having given all necessary instructions, Mo Hua now had to part ways with the great tiger.

Next came another stretch of weary travel, with no knowing what lay ahead.

Mo Hua sighed softly, suddenly feeling a pang of reflection.

He was no longer the "little array master" he once was—he had grown up.

Growing up meant being busier, doing more, worrying more, shouldering greater responsibility and heavier pressure.

He might never again be able to live as carefree as he had as a child.

Mo Hua suddenly missed the days in Xiancheng, when he had some troubles, but most were trivial—each day training with his master, attending classes with his senior brothers and senior sisters.

He'd stroll around Great Heishan when idle, and sometimes even play with the great tiger.

Now, such leisure was gone—and he didn't know if he'd ever have it again…

Mo Hua stroked Da's head, his gaze gentle, whispering softly:

"Next, I'll head to the third-grade mountain realm. Take care of yourself."

"If all goes well, I'll claim a mountain peak and bring you over."

"If things don't go well and I don't return, and you're forced to break through, follow the direction I showed you during the day—keep going until you feel the sky stretch vast and free of suppression. Then find a quiet valley and cultivate your Jin Dan alone. Don't trust anyone—or any tiger…"

A tiger's head is never touched by anyone.

But Mo Hua seemed different.

Da was different too.

It seemed to sense Mo Hua's concern, and felt that familiar sense of "farewell"—it couldn't help nuzzling its head against Mo Hua's palm.

And the domineering "King" character on its forehead grew even more distinct…

…

Three days later, Mo Hua mobilized his troops and set out.

He had already arranged matters within the Wutu Mountain Realm.

Internal affairs remained under Elder Zhamu's charge; Elder Jiao handled the secret armor-casting duties.

Tribal warfare and pacification were entrusted to Jiao Li and the new "Wusha."

The two must work in unison, never defy Mo Hua's rules—anyone who does shall be slain by all.

Externally, Mo Hua drew the bulk of the forces from the Danque tribe and the Wutu Alliance.

Especially those hundred-plus Yuan Gu heavy-armored soldiers—they nearly all marched out.

All Jin Dan were forbidden to remain within the Wutu Mountain Realm.

Seeing Dan Zhu was the supreme commander of all the barbarian troops.

Xiao Zatu was assigned by Mo Hua to serve as Seeing Dan Zhu's personal attendant, accompanying the army on campaign.

Mo Hua hoped Xiao Zatu, by staying close to Seeing Dan Zhu, could build more connections and learn more—so that one day, he could become a capable, independent talent.

This was Mo Hua's hope for Xiao Zatu—and his fulfillment of his promise to Elder Zhamu.

Even if one day he vanished from the Great Wilderness and never returned,

Seeing Dan Zhu would have a solid "ally" to help realize his ideals.

Xiao Zatu and Seeing Dan Zhu could support each other, slowly changing everything in the Great Wilderness.

This was Mo Hua's "painstaking plan."

…

After Mo Hua's forces were assembled, Lord Lugu's side was also ready.

The two commanders met briefly.

Lord Lugu was tall and imposing; his gaze, though cold when fixed on Mo Hua, carried a hint of respect.

Had Mo Hua not secretly overheard him "private-chatting" with Tie Shu Gu about how to kill this "demon" and eradicate him root and branch,

He might have almost believed Lord Lugu truly "respected" him.

Mo Hua silently shook his head.

But Mo Hua said nothing. In fact, when he looked at Lord Lugu, his gaze grew even clearer, his expression even more sincere—as if he truly had buried all past grievances with the Shu Gu tribe, stood shoulder to shoulder, "as one family."

After all, few could match Mo Hua in acting.

And Mo Hua's acting excelled precisely in the words "sincerity."

He could truly deceive himself—deep in his heart, he genuinely intended to reconcile with the Shu Gu tribe and stand by them.

The two sides met, briefly discussing their marching routes.

Then, the combined forces of the Shu Gu, Danque, and the various minor tribes forming the "Wutu Alliance"—six thousand barbarian troops—set out.

Within the Wusha Mountain Realm, the barbarian army advanced like a vast, surging river, formidable in momentum.

Four days later, the allied barbarian troops left the second-grade Wusha Mountain Realm and entered the broader third-grade realm—Zhu Que Mountain Realm.

This was not Mo Hua's first time in Zhu Que Mountain Realm.

He had been there before.

But this time, its meaning was entirely different.

This time, he did not come alone—he came back "with troops."

He now has under his command Jin Dan, savage troops, and heavy-armored soldiers of the Abyss Bone Absolute Formation, so he can truly attempt to nibble away at and even "seize" the third-grade Zhu Que mountain realm.

But when Mo Hua set foot on the soil of the Zhu Que mountain realm, looked up at its overcast sky, and then cast his gaze over the continuous, deathly silent barren mountains of the Zhu Que mountain realm, his heart gradually sank.

Mo Hua could roughly imagine that the situation in the Zhu Que mountain realm was very bad.

But he hadn't expected the situation to be far worse than he had anticipated.

With famine spreading, the once-prosperous Zhu Que mountain realm had already become desolate.

Tribes waged war against one another, burning, killing, and plundering.

A thousand miles of scorched earth, a scene of utter devastation — no one knew how many had perished.

And the dead gathered thick death qi, drifting toward the sky.

Mo Hua could even discern, from the densely overcast heavens, the vivid "death omen" of wailing, wronged souls.

This was not the death omen of a single person.

Rather, it was a certain heavenly mechanism condensed from a great mass of karmic cause and effect.

This is…

It was... the "death omen" of an entire mountain realm.

(End of Chapter)