Chapter 547

The black-robed, white-haired and ruddy-faced demonic cultivator was none other than Xuan Sanren, the ancient patriarch of the Mo Sect at the Liu Yuhua realm.

Behind him stood several demonic cultivators at the Golden Core stage:

A young boy of exquisite beauty, but with a deathly pale face, as if draped in a perfectly carved, flawless mask of dead skin.

An old sword slave with a wooden expression and only white sclerae, carrying a sword case.

A burly demonic beast cultivator with sharp fingertips and bloodshot eyes.

These three were the demonic cultivators who had appeared outside Nanyue City.

The only one missing was the decrepit, mumbling old woman.

"This Zhuang fellow really has some skill."

The pale-faced boy sneered.

The beast cultivator scoffed, "If you don't understand arrays, don't speak nonsense. What do you mean 'some skill'? This is one of the most profound array techniques in the cultivation world—no one in your Blood Refining Gate could possibly comprehend it."

The pale-faced boy grew slightly angry, but the sword case elder spoke:

"Watch your tongue. Mr. Zhuang is not someone you or I may criticize."

The pale-faced boy was displeased, but said nothing more.

Beneath the blood-soaked sky, the Soul-Refining Blood Banner floated.

The Wuxing Sect's protective mountain array glowed with shifting light, surging with spiritual energy, standing firm against the onslaught of killing intent and overwhelming demonic qi.

The sword case elder licked his lips, a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes, and said to Xuan Sanren:

"Master, the Demon Sword must kill more living beings and drink enough blood to break this great array."

Xuan Sanren's gaze turned dark; after a moment's thought, he shook his head.

"Not yet. Even if we break the array, we cannot touch him now—just contain him for now."

Then he smiled with a sinister softness: "I have plotted for centuries, altering the Wuxing Sect's protective array with the Blood Chaos Array—but I never imagined he would dismantle it with a mere flick of his hand…"

"No wonder he is… a man with half-step Heaven-Man potential…"

"But all his scheming ends here."

"This place is sealed by the Heaven's Mechanism Lock of the Underworld Dao, cutting off celestial patterns. Within this short span, the Dao Court's cultivators cannot detect us…"

"Within three days, when the Soul-Refining Banner's blood sea swells fully and completely encloses Lishancheng, with the Demon Sword hanging in the sky, devouring flesh and blood, the entire Lishancheng will become a hell—no living soul will escape."

"The Heaven's Mechanism Lock of the Underworld Dao, the Soul-Refining Banner, and the Chaotic Demon Sword—three sacred-level demonic treasures—are enough to trap any cultivator to death."

"Even he, Mr. Zhuang, is no exception!"

"Moreover, times are not what they once were—he is no longer the Mr. Zhuang who once looked down upon the world…"

The three—sword case elder, pale-faced boy, and beast cultivator—bowed in unison: "Master, your wisdom is unmatched."

Xuan Sanren closed his eyes to rest, seemingly calculating something.

The three dared not disturb him; they bowed and withdrew.

Once they stepped aside, the beast cultivator's eyes gleamed with excitement as he whispered to the sword case elder:

"Do you think we can capture him this time?"

The sword case elder replied gravely: "We follow orders. Success or failure is not our concern."

The beast cultivator, rebuffed, grunted, "Putting on airs—I don't believe you're not tempted by the chance for immortality right before your eyes."

The sword case elder's eyelid twitched. "Such an opportunity is not for you or me to covet."

He lowered his voice further: "Our mission here is to obey the orders of the Mo Sect's Underworld Ancestor—mere pawns…"

"I kill a few to feed the Demon Sword; you stay obedient, fulfill your duty, earn some merit, and someday rise beyond your position as Elder of the Ten Thousand Beasts…"

"That is the most practical path."

"The word 'immortal' is for the Underworld Ancestor to consider—not for us, at our realm, to dream of."

"Above 'immortal' lies eternity with heaven and earth; below it lies a ten-thousand-zhang abyss!"

"One misstep, and we will perish without even a grave to bury us…"

The beast cultivator brushed him off: "Alright, alright, I get it."

Yet in his heart he sneered: "Immortality right before me—I don't believe you're not tempted…"

A flash of cunning gleamed in the giant's eyes.

Beside him, the pale-faced boy also stared with greed, his ambition surging.

Even the solemn sword case elder, beneath his grave expression, felt his heart stir…

Immortality…

The three minds diverged; silence fell.

After a moment, the beast cultivator suddenly asked, puzzled: "Where's that old woman? Why isn't she here?"

The sword case elder paused, then frowned: "She went to refine a corpse."

The beast cultivator frowned: "Refining a corpse? Can that be more important than this?"

"You don't understand what kind of corpse she's refining…"

The sword case elder's gaze sharpened. "Given time, if that corpse is perfected… it will truly be extraordinary."

"Just a zombie," the giant shook his head.

The pale-faced boy also looked disdainful.

…

Within the Wuxing Sect, beneath the protective mountain array:

The Grand Elder, upon seeing Mr. Zhuang, wore a conflicted expression, hesitated long, then finally bowed low and clasped his hands:

"The Wuxing Sect thanks Mr. Zhuang for saving us!"

He was deeply unwilling.

The disaster of Wuxing Sect was caused by Mr. Zhuang's involvement.

But fundamentally, it was because of the traitor Liao Tiande.

Liao Tiande was the patriarch of Wuxing Sect.

The patriarch colluded with the Mo Sect, altered the great array, and murdered Mr. Zhuang; from this perspective, Wuxing Sect itself cannot escape blame.

The Five Elements Blood Demon Array is a second-rank demonic array capable of transmuting the flesh and blood of all cultivators within its bounds.

Even this Jin Dan cultivator could not resist it, let alone the other disciples of Wuxing Sect.

Had it not been for Mr. Zhuang, Wuxing Sect would have faced annihilation today.

Its disciples would have perished en masse, becoming nourishment for the demonic array, dying beneath the very array that had once been left by the Laozu Sect to protect their lineage.

Thus, though reluctant, the Grand Elder still bowed his head to thank Mr. Zhuang.

Moreover, there was another reason: he wished to preserve the foundation of Wuxing Sect.

Outside Wuxing Sect.

Blood banners obscured the sky; blood seas spread everywhere.

A demonic sword hung high, its killing aura rampant.

Moreover, there was still the Xuan Mo Laozu of the Yu Hua realm.

This was a death trap!

The Grand Elder felt despair in his heart.

He racked his brains but found no way to break the deadlock, and could only place his hope in the unfathomably profound Mr. Zhuang.

He hoped Mr. Zhuang could show Wuxing Sect a path to survival, so that its disciples might live.

Yet, having harassed him repeatedly before, he now had no face to speak.

Mr. Zhuang seemed to see through the Grand Elder's thoughts and said calmly:

"I can save you."

The Grand Elder's heart trembled, his eyes filled with hope, yet he was puzzled, "You…"

Mr. Zhuang said: "My disciples learned your sect's heritage; they owe you a debt. Every sip and bite, every cause and effect — I save you once, give you a path to survival, to settle this karmic debt and to give Wuxing Sect's ancestors due reckoning."

The Grand Elder was overjoyed, yet his heart remained burdened, his lips parting but words unspoken.

Mr. Zhuang's expression remained calm, and he said nothing.

After much hesitation, the Grand Elder could not let it go, and finally stammered out the long-held question:

"Mr. Zhuang… what exactly did your disciple receive from Wuxing Sect?"

Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly, "What do you think?"

The Grand Elder frowned, weighing his words:

"The Five Elements Spirit Array… it cannot be limited to that alone…"

"And if you knew, what then?"

The Grand Elder froze.

Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "You cannot even master the Five Elements Absolute Array — what use would any other heritage be to you?"

These words pierced deep into the Grand Elder's heart.

Yet he had no strength to refute them.

For many years, the younger disciples had grown complacent, neglecting advancement; no one had been able to master the Five Elements Absolute Array for a long time.

The pearl buried in dust — that was their own fault.

The Grand Elder sighed deeply.

Mr. Zhuang's gaze sharpened, and he added: "In the future, if my disciple masters array arts, he may pass this heritage back to Wuxing Sect!"

The Grand Elder trembled all over, astonished:

"Is this truly what you say?"

Mr. Zhuang nodded, "But there is one thing you must promise."

The Grand Elder frowned tightly — he knew such good fortune could not come without cost — but the heritage was too vital; he still said:

"Please, Mr. Zhuang."

Mr. Zhuang spoke gravely: "Do not speak of my disciples to anyone — especially… my youngest disciple."

"Do not mention Wuxing Sect's affairs, the heritage, or even that he came here or that you met him — ever again…"

The Grand Elder froze, "This…"

Mr. Zhuang's gaze was deep, his expression solemn.

The Grand Elder's heart tightened; he instantly realized this seemingly trivial matter was likely of great importance.

"Yes!"

The Grand Elder nodded solemnly.

Mr. Zhuang regarded the Grand Elder with piercing clarity, then nodded slightly and pointed:

"The Soul-Refining Banner will be completed in two days; then the blood sea will surge and seal off the entire Lishancheng."

Mr. Zhuang unfolded the map of Lishancheng, his finger lightly tracing a line:

"At noon tomorrow, all your Wuxing Sect elders and disciples shall leave Lishancheng from the southwest corner, following this line — and do not return."

The Grand Elder was startled, "The Mo Sect will not let this go…"

"You need not concern yourself."

The Grand Elder nodded obediently, yet felt reluctant, "Then what of Wuxing Sect's legacy…"

Mr. Zhuang's gaze grew cold:

"Where the array remains, the sect endures; where the array falls and its people die, the sect perishes. These broken bricks and rotten tiles are not the foundation — people are the root, the array is the foundation."

The Grand Elder suddenly woke up, his face flushed with shame:

"Thank you, Mr. Zhuang, for your guidance."

Mr. Zhuang nodded, his words ended here.

The Grand Elder rose respectfully, bowed deeply to Mr. Zhuang, and then left.

Mr. Zhuang summoned Snow Auntie and his three disciples, saying:

"Tomorrow, the Wuxing Sect will depart—you will go with them. But before you leave, I have some matters to entrust to you."

Mr. Zhuang first kept Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi aside, handing them two jade slips:

"These are the complete diagrams of the Immortal Yang Tianzhen Flow. Keep them well, study them deeply, and do not betray this legacy."

"This is also what your mother cherished…"

"She could not learn it in her time, so she longed for you to master this supreme array lineage…"

"As for other matters… you have your family and your mother's arrangements—no doubt you won't need me to worry over them."

The two took the jade slips and fell silent for a moment.

Bai Zisheng lowered his head, feeling ashamed.

Bai Zi Xi hesitated a moment, then whispered softly: "Master, I'm sorry—Mother…"

Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly. "That's a matter of the previous generation—it has nothing to do with you…"

Mr. Zhuang looked gently at the two children and comforted them:

"Your temperaments and talents are both excellent. I taught you the Immortal Yang Tianzhen Flow out of my own will—not merely because of your mother…"

Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi's eyes grew watery; they bowed deeply to Mr. Zhuang, kowtowing three times.

Mr. Zhuang accepted their reverence without resistance, then sighed softly:

"From now on, cherish and value yourselves."

"And…"

"Take good care of your little junior brother…"

"Yes!" Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi both nodded solemnly.

Afterward, the two withdrew reluctantly.

Mr. Zhuang then summoned Mo Hua in alone.

"Master…"

Mo Hua's eyes stung.

Mr. Zhuang smiled gently, beckoned Mo Hua to his side, and handed him a ring.

The ring was simple, yet ancient and majestic.

"Your senior siblings have families, backgrounds, and a mother with extraordinary cultivation and skills—they lack nothing. So I've favored you, leaving this for you…"

"This is a Nai Zi Ring."

"It's similar to a storage pouch—can store items—but far more discreet."

"Though you're a lone cultivator with few treasures, you've gathered many secret items, especially the jade slip of the Great Expansion Scripture and that diagram of the Wuxing Array Flow… keep them safe. Do not lose them under any circumstances."

Mr. Zhuang personally placed the "Nai Zi Ring" on Mo Hua's finger with utmost care.

The ring was normal-sized, but Mo Hua's hand was small, so he could only wear it on his thumb.

"This ring must be activated by a drop of blood."

Mr. Zhuang said, then flicked his fingertip—a thin cut appeared on Mo Hua's left thumb, and blood flowed into the "Nai Zi Ring."

The Nai Zi Ring seemed to come alive, greedily consuming Mo Hua's blood.

The wound hurt, but Mo Hua clenched his teeth and stayed silent.

After a while, the pain subsided. Mo Hua looked down and saw the Nai Zi Ring on his thumb had vanished—but in his spiritual sense, a faint connection had formed.

As if the ring still rested upon his thumb.

Yet only he could perceive it.

Seeing the ring showed no resistance, Mr. Zhuang finally relaxed. He glanced at Mo Hua and asked gently:

"Have you remembered everything I taught you?"

"Yes." Mo Hua nodded.

Mr. Zhuang then questioned him one by one.

From spiritual calculation to array principles—from the Reverse Spirit Array and Thick Earth Array to the Wuxing Spirit Array, even the core structure and key points of grand arrays…

Mr. Zhuang repeated them all patiently, without the slightest impatience.

It seemed this was his final lesson to his little disciple.

So he repeated every detail, patiently and tenderly.

As Mo Hua listened, his nose grew sharp with emotion, his eyes blurred.

After speaking, Mr. Zhuang stroked Mo Hua's head and asked again:

"Do you know the Deceiver Daoist?"

Mo Hua froze, then nodded slightly.

"The Deceiver Daoist…"

"He is my senior brother—also, in a sense, your senior uncle."

"He has fallen into demonic cultivation, and his path is the 'Deceiver' Dao…"

"He is cold-hearted, immensely powerful, and supremely arrogant—but he excels in spiritual mind arts, and his mastery of spiritual sense is unparalleled…"

"If you ever encounter him, be extremely cautious."

"Yes, Master."

Mo Hua's eyes were damp; he nodded.

Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua, thought for a moment, showed a faint hint of regret, yet spoke plainly:

"Your master… has a tremendous opportunity, and a shocking secret… but neither can I pass to you, nor tell you."

"To pass it to you would bring you great calamity."

"Even knowing it would bind you to karmic ties."

"So you must know nothing… and seek to know nothing…"

"The Immortal Yang Tianzhen Flow is a unique lineage—I cannot teach you…"

"All I can teach you are some obscure, complex mind techniques, and the principles of arrays."

"In the future, you must learn array after array by your own ability, piece by piece, through your own insight…"

"Even if it is arduous, even if you face a hundred setbacks, you must walk your own path, forge your own array flow, cultivate the supreme mind, and prove your own Dao!"

Mo Hua's expression turned solemn; he nodded. "I remember, Master…"

Mr. Zhuang nodded, gazing at Mo Hua, feeling a thousand words unspoken, ending only in a long sigh.

Mo Hua hung his small head.

After a moment, Mr. Zhuang seemed to make up his mind, smiled faintly, and said to Mo Hua:

"Are you tired? Rest for a while."

Mo Hua shook his head, about to say "I'm not tired"—he wanted to stay longer with his master—but as he opened his mouth, drowsiness washed over him; he truly was exhausted, having not slept for days, utterly drained.

Mo Hua's eyelids fought each other; without realizing it, he fell asleep.

His breathing was even; his face, like a painting, was innocent and adorable, yet his tiny brows were tightly furrowed, as if worried about something.

Mr. Zhuang gazed at Mo Hua with reluctance, as if determined to etch his image forever into his heart.

He reached out, gently stroking Mo Hua's forehead, smoothing his furrowed brows, whispering softly.

These words, he could only speak while Mo Hua slept:

"The greatest blessing of my life has been taking you, this child, as my disciple…"

"Yet I am sorry—I will not live to see you master the arrays…"

"This is the final gift I give you…"

"You must live well…"

…

When Mo Hua awoke, the sky had not yet brightened; his master still sat beside him, though his breath was clearly fainter.

"Master…"

Mo Hua said, worried.

Mr. Zhuang smiled gently.

"I… fell asleep…"

Mo Hua felt ashamed.

Mr. Zhuang shook his head. "Go and prepare. When dawn comes, leave with your senior brother and sister."

Mo Hua's heart trembled; he said unwillingly:

"Master, won't you come with us?"

Mr. Zhuang did not answer; he only stroked Mo Hua's head and whispered:

"Go…"

Mo Hua could only leave reluctantly.

At dawn, Mo Hua departed Shancheng with Miss Xue, his junior senior brother, junior senior sister, and all the Wuxing Sect cultivators.

Before leaving, he and his senior brother and sister visited Mr. Zhuang once more.

But Mr. Zhuang's door was tightly shut; he seemed unwilling to see them again.

Mo Hua knocked, but received no reply.

When the time came, he had no choice but to leave.

Mo Hua walked with the cultivators, leaving the Wuxing Sect; every few steps, he turned back, hoping to catch a glimpse of his master, hoping to see him once more.

But even after leaving the Wuxing Sect, he never saw his master's figure.

"I won't see Master again…"

Mo Hua's tears flowed uncontrollably.

On a high tower within the Wuxing Sect,

unseen by anyone, Mr. Zhuang had watched Mo Hua depart until the end.

He watched the small figure turn again and again, wiping tears, growing ever more distant, finally vanishing among pavilions and terraces.

In his gentle gaze lay boundless hope:

"I entrusted the sect's past to your senior brother and sister…"

"But I entrusted the sect's future to you…"

(End of Chapter)