Chapter 305

Commander Yang assigned three squads of Dao soldiers, all armored and armed, with profound cultivation.

Commander Yang sternly ordered them: "You must ensure Little Mo's safety on this mission, or face military law!"

"Yes!" the Dao soldiers replied in unison.

Afterward, Commander Yang led the way, accompanied by the three squads, escorting Mo Hua toward the Mist Forest in Shenshan, while Mo Hua and Zhang Lan walked behind.

On the way, Mo Hua quietly asked Zhang Lan: "Uncle Zhang, are you and Commander Yang close?"

"Not really."

"You two seem very close."

"Don't talk nonsense," Zhang Lan sneered. "Where's the closeness?"

"It's obvious."

Zhang Lan gave Mo Hua a slight glare and explained:

Zhang Lan then feigned calmness, nodded, patted Commander Yang on the shoulder, and frowned:

He's been polishing for over eighty years now…

Commander Yang frowned, thought for a moment, then shook his head: "The concealment technique has no flaws—it would be detected by spiritual sense…"

"As the Commander commands!"

Within the Mist Forest, the mist is the surface appearance; the array is the true nature.

Did you discover the fragmented array?

Zhang Lan's face paled; he was half-laughing, half-exasperated—so you were just using it to kill time…

Mo Hua nodded: "Master Zhuang and Bai Zixi and Bai Zixi also said the same."

Mo Hua muttered loudly: "Didn't notice…"

But what exactly did he discover?

Mo Hua couldn't figure it out for now, so he temporarily set it aside—after all, once the Dao soldiers breached Great Baishan and crushed those evil cultivators, everything would become clear.

Zhang Lan nodded. "Come to think of it, he actually looks the part now—really has the air of a commander…"

Zhang Lan sighed helplessly. "Nothing major—just once he reaches Foundation Establishment, he'll be forced into a family marriage alliance, and must marry a man he despises."

A long-standing doubt surfaced in his mind:

Zhang Lan's gaze sharpened. "Did they sense something?"

From outside to inside, Mo Hua carefully sketched out the traces of Shenshan, stroke by stroke.

The mist arrays grew more numerous, the mist thicker—but to Mo Hua, it made no difference.

Did you discover the excavated corner of Great Baishan's wall?

"You're so dramatic—how can you be a good commander? Don't say you know me—I'd be ashamed."

"Our Zhang family and Yang family have long been connected by marriage; our elders are kin, often visiting. I've known him since childhood—we're the same age, of course, and have never gotten along since we were kids."

"But…" Mo Hua couldn't help saying, "You've been polishing for way too long…"

Mo Hua concealed his form and slipped silently into the Mist Forest.

Commander Yang's expression was resolute: "If they haven't noticed, we strike where they're unprepared; if they have, we engage head-on and exterminate them all. Either way, our mission is the same."

Zhang Lan gave a light snort.

Mo Hua furrowed his brow.

Mo Hua poked his head out, studied the opposite side for a moment, then released his spiritual sense, using the faint white spiritual vision to perceive the residual spiritual energy shadows across the way.

Zhang Lan pinched Mo Hua's cheek hard. "Foundation Establishment isn't that hard—if I wanted, I could reach it tomorrow."

Mo Hua asked: "Uncle Zhang, since you're the same age and grew up together, why did Commander Yang reach Foundation Establishment while you're still at Qi Condensation Ninth Layer? Is your talent worse than his?"

Did they discover Mo Hua's identity?

"Then don't ask."

"You three guard here—I'll go ahead first. If you don't encounter any evil cultivators, draw the Mist Forest's route map. If you spot them, come back and call us—we'll sneak in and capture him, then interrogate him brutally to see what we can learn."

According to Master Zhuang, all things have both surface appearance and true nature.

"The positions of the mist arrays have changed—and their number has decreased."

Before leaving, he turned back to glance at Great Baishan.

"I'm very focused in my cultivation," Mo Hua said. "It's not that I had nothing to talk about—I was just killing time with you."

After a while, Mo Hua retracted his spiritual sense and nodded:

Mo Hua crept close to Zhang Lan and asked gently: "Uncle Zhang, if you have any worries, say them out loud—I'll keep your secrets."

Following the edge of the Mist Forest, tracing the positions of the mist arrays, they reached the main gate of Great Baishan without encountering a single evil cultivator.

Mo Hua clearly didn't believe it. "Foundation Establishment isn't cabbage—how could it be that easy?"

Zhang Lan scratched his head. "You're still young—don't pry into these things. Focus on your cultivation and array studies."

Zhang Lan sighed. "Life is not always in one's hands."

Mo Hua shook his head. "No."

Great Baishan won't return—drawing the Mist Forest's route map fulfills this mission's purpose.

Zhang Lan nodded.

The Eighth Chief must have reworked the mist arrays—he must have discovered something.

Commander Yang's eyes still held shock as he murmured: "How on earth did he do it…"

"That's too dangerous—I'll go with you."

The two muttered to each other all the way.

Commander Yang gave him a dirty look and ignored him.

Commander Yang was confused. "How did you vanish just by going in alone?"

Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua. "Are you thinking bad things about me in your head?"

Mo Hua shook his head and said, "If you all retreat together, the enemy is in the dark and you are in the light—hard to avoid alerting them. If you retreat alone, the enemy is in the light and you are in the dark—we'll be able to spot them."

"This is hard for rogue cultivators, but for disciples of cultivation clans, Foundation Establishment is something they can do with ease. What's hard is how to temper a bad Dao foundation during the Qi Refining stage."

Connecting it with his earlier guess, Captain Yang's eyes went wide, and his voice trembled slightly as he said:

"What you and Gu Diansi said earlier is classified. If they heard it, keep it locked in your hearts—don't let a single word slip."

"What do you know?" Zhang Lan lowered his voice. "What I'm doing is building up strength for a big push—I'm not chasing short-term thrills. What I'm after is a longer, greater Dao."

After a few casual glances, Mo Hua saw through all the formations in the misty forest.

Because he had released his divine sense, and within the field of his divine sense, there was no trace of Mo Hua at all.

After speaking, Captain Yang looked around and said to the several Dao soldiers nearby:

Such a huge Great Baishan Shanzhai—how on earth was it built?

Captain Yang's expression was mild, and the several Dao soldiers were all his trusted men. Hearing his words, they looked solemn and cupped their fists in turn:

Mo Hua gave an embarrassed smile.

Zhang Lan suddenly thought of something and said with a grave expression, "About this matter, you absolutely must not speak of it. That child Mo Hua comes from a humble background—he might draw the jealousy and hatred of others."

After saying this, he froze, because Mo Hua had vanished right under his nose—without a sound, without leaving the slightest trace.

Captain Yang stared at Zhang Lan in disbelief. "It was actually a Concealment Art?"

The instant Mo Hua released his divine sense, Captain Yang was stunned for a moment, then shook his head, muttering in his heart: "Impossible…"

"Do you have someone you like?" Mo Hua asked.

Among the evil cultivators of Great Baishan Shanzhai, only the Third Master was a first-rank array master, and all those mist formations had been personally laid by him.

"Haven't you already seen it?"

Mo Hua had already mastered the first-rank ten-pattern Reverse Spirit Array, so an ordinary first-rank four-pattern mist formation was, in his eyes, already a rather "shallow" formation.

Mo Hua rose and left, preparing to head back.

Mo Hua said silently in his heart.

Captain Yang glanced at Zhang Lan. "Relax, I'm not you—I actually get things done."

Mo Hua used his Flowing Water Steps to climb up to the treetop, took out paper and brush, and marked down the positions of all the mist formations in the misty forest.

Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua. "You don't want to hear the story, do you…"

Captain Yang was taken aback, then refused:

They reached the edge of the misty forest, and the group found a massive boulder to hide behind.

Mo Hua nodded, thought for a moment, then said:

"Watching you two bicker, you seem to be having a great time—not like you're at odds at all…"

"Foundation Establishment divine sense?!"

"Get lost!" Captain Yang lowered his voice. "Where the hell have you or I ever seen a Qi Refining cultivator with Foundation Establishment divine sense?"

He was speaking when he suddenly froze.