Chapter 1276: The Mystery of the Sacred Beast

Mo Hua's expression turned icy. "Stop them!"

Lord Lugu obeyed immediately, unleashing his Jin Dan power to activate the Demon-Slaying Bone Blade, slashing at the third-grade Hanging-Eye Xuan Tiger.

A late-stage Jin Dan general and a mid-stage third-grade ferocious tiger clashed instantly.

Chifeng and the other thirty-plus Jin Dan cultivators also activated their barbarian artifacts, engaging the dozen or so frenzied female tiger demons in battle.

On the mountain peak, a stench of blood filled the air, and demonic power surged wildly.

The leading third-grade Hanging-Eye Xuan Tiger fought fiercely with Lord Lugu; man and tiger tore at each other, shattering rocks and refusing to yield an inch, both bearing wounds to flesh and hide.

The Hanging-Eye Xuan Tiger was an extremely ferocious beast.

But Lord Lugu was a barbarian general, trained in barbarian body-refining arts, his body massive and as hard as iron corpse, equally fearless and brave.

Their battle looked less like a man fighting a tiger, and more like two demonic beasts locked in mortal combat on the mountainside.

They fought a hundred rounds like this.

Inside the cave, the ancient, mysterious aura suddenly grew even stronger.

The third-grade Hanging-Eye Xuan Tiger sniffed the scent and immediately became consumed with desire; its demonic power surged like boiling waves, its eyes nearly dripping with blood—and within that blood, there was a taint of malevolent energy.

This malevolent energy condensed the spirits it had slain and devoured.

These spirits, like "chang gui," had been refined into this malevolent energy and trapped within its eyes.

Even Lord Lugu, a late-stage Jin Dan general who had emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, involuntarily met the tiger's gaze—and was shaken to his core, as if the tiger had already torn into his flesh, filling him with dread.

Seizing Lord Lugu's moment of fear, the Hanging-Eye Xuan Tiger slashed its paw across his chest, ripping through his barbarian armor and leaving five deep, bloody claw marks.

The residual force hurled Lord Lugu backward.

The Hanging-Eye Xuan Tiger did not pursue Lord Lugu further; instead, it turned and lunged toward the mountain peak.

Inside the cave on the peak, Mo Hua's great tiger was breaking through, its aura growing ever stronger.

And this third-grade Hanging-Eye Xuan Tiger had clearly been waiting for this very moment.

To wait for this moment, it had endured patience for so long, so long, its heart nearly driven mad—and now that it had finally arrived, how could it not go berserk?

But before the mountain peak stood a slender figure, blocking its path.

Mo Hua.

From the perspective of flesh and muscle, this was a very "weak" human.

Weak enough that a single paw-slap could crush him into pulp, a single bite could swallow him whole, skin and bone.

Normally, this would indeed be the case.

But this third-grade Hanging-Eye Xuan Tiger held deep wariness toward Mo Hua.

It instinctively sensed that within this frail flesh lay some terrifying presence—a majesty and authority so great, even a king among demons like the Hanging-Eye Xuan Tiger dared not ignore it.

It looked as if one swipe could kill him.

But this Hanging-Eye Xuan Tiger dared not strike.

It dared not truly attack Mo Hua—only wished to pass him, rush into the cave, and claim the "opportunity" it had long awaited.

Yet when the third-grade Hanging-Eye Xuan Tiger was only seven or eight zhang from Mo Hua, its body surging like a storm, and just one leap away from entering the cave—

Deep within Mo Hua's eyes, black, white, and gold light suddenly flared.

A terrifying majesty, not of a human, surged from him.

A sharp spiritual awareness coalesced into Jin Guang, shooting from his pupils straight into the tiger's eyes, piercing through its crimson gaze and shattering the "chang gui"-like tiger malevolence trapped within.

The third-grade Hanging-Eye Xuan Tiger's skull exploded with pain; a piercing, agonized roar echoed through the forest.

It clutched its eyes, writhing in agony, rolling three or four times on the ground, its claws shattering the earth, its tail sweeping through rocks and snapping them apart.

Only when the pain eased slightly did it slowly rise, its eyes dripping blood, filled with hatred as it stared at Mo Hua—but its gaze lowered, unwilling to meet his directly.

Its demonic soul was wounded, pain searing through its mind; before Mo Hua, it was torn between hatred and fear.

But Mo Hua had already held back.

At that moment, Lord Lugu, whose chest had been torn open by the tiger's malevolent energy, regained consciousness as his pain intensified.

His chest wound was slowly healing.

Barbarian lands teemed with demonic beasts; their cultivation methods were deeply tied to "demons."

Thus, many cultivators here—especially elite barbarians like Lord Lugu—could almost be called half-demonic beasts.

After being torn open by a ferocious tiger's claws, his wound was visibly healing within moments.

As Lord Lugu's wound healed, his massive body slowly rose to stand before Mo Hua like a guardian, his gaze cold and fixed on the Hanging-Eye Xuan Tiger.

The Hanging-Eye Xuan Tiger glared coldly, head bowed, growling—but dared not move further.

Mo Hua spoke calmly to Lord Lugu: "Hold this place. If these tiger demons dare to force their way in again, do not hold back…"

Mo Hua's eyes flashed with sharpness. "... Kill them on sight."

Lord Lugu growled: "Yes."

The Hanging-Eye Xuan Tiger continued to roar.

Mo Hua said nothing more, turning back into the cave.

Inside the cave, the great tiger had begun its breakthrough.

Demonic energy, thick as mist and blood, coiled around the cave walls; as it surged like blood, the entire cave resembled the heart of a demonic beast.

The flesh and veins of the demonic beast were intricate; most prominent was a "pure white" vein.

The ancient, mysterious aura emanated from this white vein.

And this white vein also stirred a faint tremor in Mo Hua's heart.

In his mind sea, the spiritual form on his forehead—the aura of the Great Pixiu horn—seemed to resonate faintly with this very aura.

"This is… the sacred beast aura of the Great Wilds…"

Mo Hua's pupils contracted sharply.

In a flash of insight, he suddenly understood why the tiger demons outside had frantically rushed in during the great tiger's breakthrough.

What they sought was this single strand of "sacred beast" bloodline.

These tiger demons… they wanted to steal the bloodline.

They wanted to become "sacred"!

Mo Hua frowned deeply; now, at last, he understood.

Why were these female tigers so devoted to the great tiger, "Da Hua"?

It wasn't because the great tiger was "playful," nor merely because the Great Wilderness and the Dao Court were at war, leaving male tigers scarce.

The main reason was the bloodline on the great tiger's body.

Though only a single strand, faint and not intense, this pure white, sacred, luminous aura—emerging from flesh without being tainted, washed clean of stench without becoming demonic—was clearly the ancient "sacred beast" bloodline of the Great Wilderness Bai Hu.

No wonder these female tigers gathered around Da Hua.

No wonder they had gone mad now.

The reason the great tiger had suppressed its breakthrough for so long was surely due to the instinct of its bloodline, sensing the danger of being "stolen," and thus delaying its realm breakthrough for self-preservation.

At the same time, it was waiting for him.

He was its savior from childhood, a companion through life and death, and the only being it had ever trusted since it was young.

The great tiger trusted no humans, no fellow creatures, no other beast—but trusted only him.

If he did not return, if he did not stay by its side, the great tiger might well die without ever attempting a breakthrough.

Mo Hua's emotions grew complex, and he slowly exhaled.

Fortunately, he had returned in time…

Mo Hua's fingers tapped rapidly, adding several more sealing arrays at the cave entrance, then sat cross-legged on the ground, calmly guarding the great tiger.

At the same time, he observed the changes in the great tiger's flesh and blood during its breakthrough, and the evolution and fusion of that single strand of white "sacred beast" aura.

The transformation of flesh and blood during a beast's breakthrough was profoundly wondrous.

The pure white sacred beast bloodline within the great tiger, like a thread, wandered through its body, linking and fusing all its meridians, muscles, and bones—this "masterpiece of heaven and earth," this bloodline construction, truly opened Mo Hua's eyes…

But as he watched, Mo Hua suddenly froze.

He was an array master, accustomed daily to studying arrays; now, staring long at that pure white sacred beast bloodline, his vision blurred, and unconsciously he felt this bloodline… seemed somewhat like…

Array patterns?!

This scene before him was as if someone had used a brush to trace a white array line, stitching together all the beast's meridians, bones, and flesh, finally fusing and transforming them into a new "beast"…

In that instant, Mo Hua felt his scalp suddenly erupt.

This was… manufacturing "flesh and blood"?

Using arrays to create beasts?

This wasn't crafting golems, nor machinery, nor refining corpses… this was using arrays to "construct" an entirely new, living, flesh-and-blood life?

Using arrays to create "life"?

And this new beast, its body infused with sacred aura, could thus be called…

Sacred beast?!

So…

The sacred beasts of the Great Wilderness were in fact a kind of… "synthetic beast"?

Mo Hua felt a chill run down his back, his scalp prickling; a powerful, unprecedented array "law" capable of overturning his entire understanding surged through his mind, filling him with indescribable shock.

Arrays… create flesh-and-blood life.

The sacred beasts of the Great Wilderness… are synthetic beasts.

This realization relentlessly shattered Mo Hua's former "fixed" array concepts, filling his heart with incredulity.

Even more astonishing was that, when Mo Hua seriously contemplated it, he realized these two "conclusions" were entirely plausible given his understanding of arrays.

The Dao gives birth to all things.

Arrays are the most direct manifestation of the Dao's laws.

In other words, if the Dao gives birth to all things, then arrays naturally can also give birth to all things—even create flesh-and-blood life.

And another point…

The Great Wilderness Dragon Array was itself formed by utilizing the Taotie Law, extracting the essence of various beast patterns and piecing them together into the Four Symbols Sacred Beast Array.

Sacred beast arrays can be pieced together, can be fused.

Then why not sacred beast flesh and blood?

If arrays can be pieced together… then naturally, flesh and blood can be fused too?

…

Mo Hua drew a deep, cold breath.

These insights, on the logical level of "Dao" and "arrays," were indeed coherent.

In fact, many clues, many traces, had always existed within his understanding.

But he had never witnessed them firsthand, so he had never dared, nor had the imagination, to consider such a direction…

Mo Hua had never imagined that such an array secret—even within his own understanding, bordering on heresy—could truly exist…

And now, it was unfolding before him, alive and real…

Mo Hua couldn't help but look again at the great tiger, lying prone on the ground.

Qi swirled, black and white interwoven; the great tiger was breaking through, condensing its demonic core, transforming its bloodline.

But Mo Hua sensed that the great tiger was deliberately slowing its breakthrough, so as to clearly reveal every change within its bloodline to him, allowing him to see more clearly the mysteries contained within.

Mo Hua froze, then suddenly understood.

Why had the great tiger waited for him to return before breaking through the realm?

Not only because it trusted him—only with him guarding it could it feel at ease.

It was also because the great tiger probably wanted him to witness this scene of bloodline transformation, so he could comprehend something from it.

The great tiger was a yao beast; usually clever by chance, but mostly rather dim, and it likely didn't know what this bloodline transformation truly meant.

Yet instinctively it could sense that this was the most precious "inheritance" within its bloodline.

Therefore, it wanted him to see its bloodline inheritance as well.

The reason it went nowhere, did not break through, and waited wholeheartedly for him to return, was to hold back this "great opportunity" for him.

Even when its breath grew faint, nearly dying from waiting, it never gave up…

Mo Hua's gaze trembled, a great wave of emotion welling up in his heart, and for a moment his nose stung with tears.

"This dummy…"

Mo Hua drew a deep breath, then stopped thinking of anything else and focused entirely on guarding the great tiger.

At the same time, he concentrated with all his might, observing the changes in the great tiger's bloodline, as well as the entire process of a third-grade tiger yao's "yao core" condensing.

He did not let the great tiger's good intentions go to waste.

A yao beast forming its core was a scene virtually no cultivator in the world could witness.

Yao beasts and humans did not coexist.

Normally, when a yao beast met a cultivator, it would fly into a rage and try to kill them.

And wherever a cultivator was—even just where a cultivator's aura lingered—yao beasts were extremely wary, and would never attempt to break through—unless that cultivator had already been skinned by them and stored as "ration."

Needless to say, this was the critical moment when the yao beast was breaking through to third grade and condensing its yao core.

The process of a yao beast "forming its core"—even many true-transmission elders within great sects, who had spent their entire lives studying yao beast habits—had never had the fortune to witness it.

They could only infer from certain traces and records in ancient texts, and draw analogies based on the habits of spirit beasts "forming their cores."

To see it with their own eyes was absolutely impossible.

But now, the entire process—a peak second-grade yao king imbued with a sacred beast's bloodline, step by step fusing and condensing a third-grade yao core amid the wondrous transformations of yao power, blood qi, and bloodline—fell without a single detail missing into Mo Hua's eyes, and was recorded in his mind.

And during this process—

Outside the mountain cave, the third-grade Dangling-Eyes Xuanhu could no longer contain its jealousy and fury, and kept charging at the mountaintop.

But every time it charged, it was intercepted again by Lord Lugu, so it could only roar in wild rage.

Lord Lugu did not strike to kill either.

Although Mo Hua had said it could be killed, this third-grade Dangling-Eyes Xuanhu in its berserk fury was savagely violent, and not something that could simply be taken down.

Therefore, he too still focused mainly on "defense," as long as he blocked the tiger yao's attacks.

Inside the mountain cave, the great tiger was still breaking through; the aura of the sacred beast's bloodline was exposed in the air, growing ever more intense.

The third-grade Dangling-Eyes Xuanhu grew increasingly agitated.

But its yao consciousness had already been wounded by Mo Hua, and it could not overcome Lord Lugu—it was utterly helpless.

After an unknown length of time, atop the mountain, a heaven-shaking howl suddenly erupted; black and white qi burst forth in an instant, spreading across the entire mountaintop.

An unusual yao qi, carrying several strands of sacred aura, shot skyward.

Amid the trembling mists in the sky, the phantom of a white sacred tiger actually appeared, shrouding the entire mountaintop.

A Core-Formation omen.

Moreover, this was the omen of a yao beast forming its core.

Lord Lugu and the others all felt their pupils tremble slightly, shock gripping their hearts.

This was the first time in their lives they had seen a yao beast forming its core trigger a heaven-sent omen—and this omen was the phantom of a Great Wasteland "sacred beast," which was even more inconceivable.

Soon, someone realized what was happening:

"This is a divine miracle!"

"It is the sacred beast Lord Wuzhu beseeched from the Divine Lord!"

The shock in their hearts dissolved; they all bent and bowed toward the mountaintop, loudly and devoutly chanting:

"The Divine Lord is immortal; Lord Wuzhu is wise and holy."

"The sacred beast descends from heaven, to protect our Great Wasteland!"

And awed by the omen in the sky and the aura of the sacred beast, the oppressive pressure from within their bloodlines caused the dozen or so originally frenzied tiger yaos to instantly fall silent.

They too prostrated themselves, lying prone on the ground.

Even that third-grade Dangling-Eyes Xuanhu, under the sacred beast's might, calmed down, lowered its head toward the mountaintop, and dared not act up again.

(End of chapter)