Chapter 559: Meeting

"Daoxin Zhong Mo?!"

Sister Situ, startled, immediately acted, trapping the pupil-blackened disciple with a golden bell–shaped treasure, severing the disciple's aura.

He had just sighed in relief when he turned his head and saw many cultivators around the camp suddenly behaving abnormally—like puppets on strings, trembling and convulsing, slowly turning their heads, their pupils all pitch-black!

Sister Situ sucked in a sharp breath.

Daoxin has mutated; the demonic seed is spreading.

"When did this Daoist plant this?!"

Other True Persons of Yuhua sensed the aura anomaly and rushed out; upon seeing the surrounding cultivators and soldiers, each stripped of sanity, pupils pitch-black, they all looked stunned.

Sister Situ cried sharply: "Deploy your treasures, guard your minds!"

Those still possessing their wits were shaken, quickly activating their treasures to protect their consciousness seas.

Sister Situ sighed, flipped her right hand, and produced a luminous, radiant glass lantern.

This lantern, named Qiankun Qingguang Zhan, was the treasured artifact of Xuanji Valley, combining spiritual insight derivation and mind-purifying exorcism into one.

Sister Situ unleashed the Qiankun Qingguang Zhan; its pure radiance swept through, dispelling all gloom, and the strange, anomalous heavenly Dao aura drifting in the air gradually vanished.

The brilliant light formed a screen, protecting all within.

It also isolated those cultivators infected by "Daoxin Zhong Mo" outside.

Within the Qingguang Zhan, some cultivators had unknowingly been seeded with demonic thoughts.

But whenever their demonic thoughts sprouted, they were "burned" by the pure light, spewing black-gray mist.

Sister Situ would then expel these cultivators, preventing them from infecting more.

Inside the Qingguang Zhan, pure radiance overflowed; all cultivators sat tense, meditating, guarding their heart meridians.

Outside the Qingguang Zhan, it was a hell.

Cultivators slaughtered each other, turning on their own kind.

Family cultivators, fellow sect brothers, familiar companions—all with shattered dao hearts, faces twisted in fury, killing one another.

One Yuhua True Person, unwilling to watch, moved to intervene—only to be stopped by Sister Situ:

"If you don't go, they'll die; if you go, they'll still die—and possibly… more will die!"

After all, if a Yuhua cultivator was infected by Daoxin Zhong Mo, the consequences would be unthinkable.

That Yuhua True Person raged in fury, yet had no choice but to sit back down, eyes shut in agony, refusing to look at the horror outside…

Everyone looked solemn.

Sister Situ also frowned deeply.

After an unknown length of time, he suddenly felt his spirit tremble, and looked up.

He saw a Daoist, carrying a small cultivator, walking slowly toward them.

The Daoist had a childlike face and white hair, his gaze sinister—it was Xuan Sanren, yet now his expression was cold, his body wreathed in eerie aura, clearly no longer Xuan Sanren, but rather…

The Daoist!

Sister Situ braced herself as if facing a dire foe.

All other cultivators were filled with dread.

Yet the Daoist seemed utterly indifferent to them, not even glancing their way.

As if Daoxin Zhong Mo had been an afterthought.

If he could kill them, he would.

If he couldn't, it didn't matter.

The Daoist, clad in black, carrying Mo Hua, walked calmly and unbothered past thousands of soldiers, hundreds of Jin Dan, and ten True Persons.

Heading toward Lishancheng.

The cultivators around them slaughtered each other like spectral horrors.

And he was the very embodiment of "spectral horror."

The Dao Court side dared not even breathe.

All around was deathly silence.

One Yuhua cultivator, overcome with rage, moved to strike—but Sister Situ halted him.

Sister Situ shook his head slightly, his gaze grim beyond measure.

He had sensed that aura of spiritual intent—containing a staggering, sinister scheme.

He knew: anyone here who acted would die without fail!

No matter who.

They had no way.

Even as Yuhua True Persons of the Dao Court's major factions, they could only watch as the Daoist walked past them.

Watch as the Daoist's pitch-black figure receded farther and farther, vanishing into the blood sea toward Lishancheng…

All Yuhua cultivators present clenched their teeth in fury and injustice.

Only Bai Qincheng's gaze sharpened slightly.

She saw the child the Daoist carried.

If her guess was right, that must be the "Little Brother" spoken of by Zi Sheng and Bai Zixi…

And for the Daoist to enter the blood sea meant the scheme against her Senior Brother was about to reveal its final blade…

Bai Qincheng frowned slightly, then rose, bowed briefly to Sister Situ, and activated her Brocade Shanhe Umbrella, stepping out of the Qingguang Zhan.

The Daoxin Zhong Mo–infected cultivators lunged at Bai Qincheng, only to be flung back one by one by the Shanhe Umbrella.

Bai Qincheng followed the path the Daoist had taken, heading toward Lishancheng, stepping into the endless blood sea.

Sister Situ sighed helplessly.

Inside the Qiankun Qingguang Zhan, three more Liu Yuhua developed ulterior motives; they exchanged glances, each summoned their magical artifacts, then said nothing and left the Qingguang Zhan to pursue the Guǐ Dàorén.

The remaining Liu Yuhua were tempted, and turned to Sister Situ: "Sister Situ, this…"

Sister Situ's gaze grew cold; she sat motionless, and spoke in a low tone:

"Each person has their own fate; forcing it achieves nothing."

But in his heart, he silently added: "If you want to die, go ahead and die…"

These Liu Yuhua True Persons knew the profundity of the Xuánjī Valley's Xuánjī Algorithm, and all understood the saying: "Disregard the elder's words, and suffer the consequences." So they quelled their restless thoughts and sat calmly in meditation.

Yet Sister Situ stared at the direction the Guǐ Dàorén had departed, his brow tightly furrowed.

In his gaze lay deep concern.

This is Daoxin Zhong Mo…

No, this is Tianji Guisuan…

The Way of Divine Awareness reaches its ultimate transformation: one thought, two methods — Tianji Guisuan.

He never imagined the Guǐ Dàorén had cultivated Tianji Guisuan to this extent — even in his own sect, the Yaoniede Sect, known for producing monsters, this was unprecedented…

Tianji Guisuan, perfected to its extreme.

Divine thought mutated into a demon — immortal and indestructible…

Unless the forces of the righteous path unite to utterly crush and subdue the Guǐ Dàorén, if left unchecked, he will surely become a great demonic tyrant, reaching heaven and earth.

But…

How do you kill him?

Master Zhuang's energy is spent, his light extinguished; the Tianji Yan Suan has been lost…

In this world, who else can perceive the Heavenly Mechanism and stand against the Guǐ Dàorén?

The immortal, indestructible divine thought of the Guǐ Dàorén…

Who, truly, can kill him?

Sister Situ's face grew grim; he could not help but let out a deep sigh…

…

Outside Shancheng.

The broken walls and ruins had been dyed crimson by a sea of blood.

The few remaining demonic cultivators were instantly possessed by Daoxin Zhong Mo; each turned their blades against the others, dying utterly clean.

The Guǐ Dàorén walked straight to the Wuxing Sect's protective formation.

He reached out to touch the formation, but his fingers were instantly dissolved into blood mist by the formation's overwhelming power.

Yet within an instant, the blood mist reversed, reconstituting into bone and flesh.

The Guǐ Dàorén's hand was restored, flawless as before.

He pointed a finger, and strange black-gray formation runes crawled onto the formation, eroding inward from the outside.

But the faster they eroded, the faster the formation repaired itself.

The formation cannot be broken…

The Guǐ Dàorén's expression remained cold; he lifted the unconscious Mo Hua and shook him before the formation.

From within the formation, a weary sigh seemed to echo.

Then, light flickered.

The five-colored veil of the formation opened spontaneously, revealing an entrance.

The Guǐ Dàorén sneered, carrying Mo Hua, and stepped into the Wuxing Sect's protective formation.

…

Not long after, Bai Qingcheng arrived outside the formation and saw the entrance of the Wuxing Sect's protective formation.

The entrance had not yet closed.

After a moment's hesitation, she entered through the opening.

After Bai Qingcheng entered the formation, the formation's veil shimmered, the runes writhed, and the entrance gradually sealed shut.

Just before it closed completely, three Liu Yuhua True Persons from the Dao Court arrived.

Seeing the entrance closing, they hastily acted; blades and swords flashed, obstructing the formation's closure.

Then, they too squeezed through the narrow entrance into the Wuxing Sect's protective formation.

Afterwards, the Wuxing Sect's protective formation sealed completely.

Outside, soul banners and blood seas; inside, the formation guarded the mountain.

Outsiders had no idea what was happening within the formation, within the former grounds of the Wuxing Sect…

And after an unknown length of time, the unconscious Mo Hua gradually awoke…

His forehead felt dazed and heavy.

Faintly, he sensed an extraordinarily terrifying surge of spiritual energy around him.

This spiritual energy was vast as Jiang Hai.

And he himself was like a tiny boat tossed in a storm, swept up by towering waves — insignificant and powerless.

Around him was a hazy blur, and voices were speaking.

These voices were all familiar…

Mo Hua squinted, took a long while to regain his senses, and realized he was inside the Wuxing Sect, facing the Sect's Formation Scripture Pavilion.

Everywhere was devastation; once-carved beams and painted rafters were now shattered stones and rubble; all he could see was ruin, and the air still carried the lingering aura of immense spells, as if a great battle had occurred.

Three people nearby had been corroded into white bones.

Clearly, they were dead.

And their bones were translucent, covered in fine, crystalline traces of Yu Hua.

Mo Hua's heart trembled.

"Three more Yu Hua cultivators… dead?"

He looked up and saw Old Gui.

Old Gui's entire body was wrapped in a blood-red robe, his flesh slowly dissolving—but beneath the dissolving skin, there was no muscle or blood, only brownish, mottled wood grain.

"Blood of the Annihilation Dao…"

"Good, you've allied with…"

Old Gui coughed, "... with that immortal-blooded old devil, Xue Daoren…"

The cold-faced Gui Daoist bowed to Old Gui. "Forgive me, Elder. Had I not done this, I could not have overcome you…"

Old Gui's gaze pierced like a sword. "Then who told you about my vital point?"

The Gui Daoist remained silent.

Old Gui laughed bitterly with rage. "Good, good! No distinction between orthodox and demonic! What Dao are these cultivators even practicing?!"

The Gui Daoist said gravely, "Elder, may you depart in peace."

No sooner had he spoken than the blood-red robe emitted a deeper, deadlier black bloodlight.

Little by little, bit by bit, it enveloped and eroded Old Gui…

And step by step, it devoured his vital energy.

Old Gui stared at the Gui Daoist and said coldly:

"Don't let me see you again—or I will kill you!"

The Gui Daoist bowed slightly. "Your disciple will remember."

"Grandpa Gui…"

Mo Hua's heart ached; he murmured under his breath.

Hearing this, the blood-robed Old Gui cast one final glance at Mo Hua. The coldness in his eyes faded, replaced by warmth, regret, and a touch of apology.

Then, entirely, he became a wooden statue—mottled, broken, lifeless.

The Gui Daoist glanced sideways at Mo Hua and frowned.

Grandpa Gui…

Old Gui had let this child call him "Grandpa Gui"…

The Gui Daoist frowned in thought for only a moment, then stepped forward toward the Array Repository.

The Heavenly Mechanism had been fully calculated; the demonic cultivators were slain; the Dao Court was shaken; even Old Gui had been dissolved by Xue Daoren's immortal blood…

All obstacles before him had been utterly cleared.

Ahead, only his younger brother—whom he had not seen in centuries—remained…

At that moment, a cold, clear voice rang out:

"Big Brother…"

The Gui Daoist turned and saw Bai Qingcheng standing nearby.

Bai Qingcheng had stood aside all along, watching as the Dao Court's three Yu Hua True Persons were killed by the Gui Daoist, then watched as he dissolved Old Gui with immortal blood.

She could only stand by helplessly.

No one could stop what her big brother intended to do.

Whoever stood in his way would die—including herself.

Yet she still remembered her children's plea, and so at the last moment, she sought to save Mo Hua from the Gui Daoist.

After all, this child was innocent.

And he was, after all, a disciple of Brother Zhuang—he should not be dragged into this conflict and perish because of it…

"Big Brother… give me this child…"

The Gui Daoist looked up at the Array Repository, as if lost in thought, then casually tossed Mo Hua toward Bai Qingcheng.

Bai Qingcheng caught him immediately, unable to help but glance at Mo Hua, silently thinking:

"This is… the little brother Zixi speaks of…"

His spiritual root is terrible…

Compared to Zixi, it's truly heaven and earth apart…

She looked again at his face.

He was quite handsome…

Eyebrows and eyes like a painting, cute features, a pure and gentle aura—instinctively endearing.

And his eyes were clear; one could tell at a glance his nature was good…

But… his spiritual root was terrible, and his bloodline even worse…

Bai Qingcheng frowned.

"Why did Brother Zhuang take on such a weak little disciple?"

Moreover, what surprised her most was her big brother…

Once, her big brother had been refined and gentle, kind to all—but since falling to the demonic path and becoming the Gui Daoist, he had grown strange, terrifying, cold, and heartless.

This was the first time she had ever seen her big brother carrying a child around without letting go.

And from what she observed, the two seemed to interact casually, even… somewhat "close"?

Bai Qingcheng frowned in confusion.

Meanwhile, Mo Hua looked up and saw Bai Qingcheng.

At first glance, he was struck with awe.

So beautiful…

On a second look, he thought the woman's eyebrows and eyes resembled those of his little junior sister…

"Are you my little junior sister's mother?"

Mo Hua asked involuntarily.

Bai Qingcheng paused, then nodded unconsciously.

Mo Hua silently calculated: "My little junior sister's mother is also my senior brother's junior sister, and also my master's junior sister… So I should call you 'Junior Aunt'?"

Bai Qingcheng was stunned.

This child is so clever, and somehow seems… overly familiar?

"Correct."

Bai Qingcheng nodded again.

"Disciple Mo Hua, bows to Junior Aunt," Mo Hua said with great politeness.

Bai Qingcheng felt a faint warmth in her heart.

She glanced at Mo Hua again, saw no injuries on him, no trace of "Dao Heart Seed Demon," his gaze clear and upright, no abnormalities—only then did she exhale in relief.

Bai Qingcheng hesitated for a moment, then said to Mo Hua:

"Good child, stay here, don't wander off—I'll go see your master…"

Mo Hua immediately said: "Junior Aunt, can I go in too?"

Bai Qingcheng was startled.

Mo Hua whispered: "I want to see my master too…"

Bai Qingcheng felt a pang in her heart, but still refused: "If you go in, it will be dangerous…"

"Oh…"

Mo Hua nodded, disappointed but obedient.

Bai Qingcheng left Mo Hua behind and walked toward the Array Storage Pavilion. After a few steps, she turned back and saw Mo Hua standing alone there—she felt a pang of pity and concern.

If the Treacherous Daoist emerges, this child may still be in danger…

But now she could no longer afford to worry about him.

Her senior brother's life hangs by a thread.

Though the Ancestor had ordered her to "stand aside" regarding the opportunity tied to the Gui Xu Heavenly Burial, at this moment she could not truly stand idle.

"Enough—let fate take its course…"

Bai Qingcheng's expression turned solemn; she gritted her teeth and stepped into the Array Storage Pavilion…

And Mo Hua remained alone where he stood.

He wanted to go in, but could not.

The Array Storage Pavilion seemed guarded by some barrier; his senior brother and Junior Aunt had high cultivation and deep array expertise, so they could ignore the barrier and enter.

But he could not enter…

Yet staying here didn't seem safe either.

Once things settled, if his senior brother emerged, he would likely kill him.

Mo Hua sighed.

At that moment, the Five Elements Mountain Protection Array hummed suddenly.

Mo Hua was startled, looked up.

Within the array, one main trunk of the array pivot rotated on its own, glowing brilliantly.

"Is this… the array pivot?"

Mo Hua suddenly remembered the words his master had spoken when he first arrived at the Wuxing Sect.

He recalled how, at that time, he had spoken to his master about the Five Elements Mountain Protection Array.

His master had drawn a mountain diagram on paper, traced several lines along its contours, and told him:

"…This is the main trunk of the Five Elements Mountain Protection Array's pivot. Memorize it."

"When the array flows, a life gate will appear upon the pivot."

"This segment, though a second-rank pivot, resembles the structure of the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array—and your spiritual sense is sufficient; you should be able to deduce the life gate yourself…"

Mo Hua stood frozen, lost in thought.

"Deduce the life gate…"

Had his master already planned this…

Had he foreseen that I would be brought back to the Wuxing Sect by my senior brother, and thus told me in advance about this segment's life gate?

Was he trying to have me calculate the life gate of the Five Elements Mountain Protection Array, so I could leave on my own, far from this perilous place…?

"Master…"

Mo Hua's eyes stung.

He didn't want to leave—he wanted to see his master one more time.

But…

What good would seeing his master do?

What could he possibly do?

His cultivation was too low, his spiritual sense too weak, his array knowledge still incomplete—in this perilous place, he couldn't even protect himself…

The array hummed again.

It felt as if his master was urging him to leave…

Mo Hua, disheartened, wiped his tears, sat down on the ground, and, following the calculation method his master had taught him, step by step, deduced the entire array pivot, then located its position and fixed the life gate.

Having fixed the Life Gate, Mo Hua looked up at the Array Storage Tower.

His master seemed to be inside, silently watching him.

As if saying, "Go now…"

Mo Hua lowered his head, his silhouette desolate, walking silently until he reached the mountain range marked by Mr. Zhuang, then the great array before it.

Following the Life Gate he had set, Mo Hua stepped forward and entered the great array.

The great array formed a spiritual curtain, its spiritual energy flowing like blades, impenetrable.

Yet at the Life Gate lay the array's pivot, the sole passage to survival.

Mo Hua stepped through the Life Gate; surging spiritual energy swirled wildly around him, like the vast rivers of Wang Yang, like a thousand charging steeds, yet did not harm him.

On the contrary, this spiritual energy protected Mo Hua.

It guarded him all the way, allowing him to depart unscathed from the mountain-protection array…

…

Fourth floor of the Array Storage Tower.

Mr. Zhuang sat silently, watching Mo Hua walk alone out of the great array.

Moments later, the Array Storage Tower trembled.

The Five Elements array on the fourth floor was corroded by pitch-black array runes, shattered—then a figure stepped in.

White hair draped over his shoulders, expression cold.

It was the Daoist.

Mr. Zhuang's breath was faint, his face as pale as paper, yet his expression serene, as if welcoming fate, he smiled calmly.

"It's been a long time…"

"Senior brother."

(End of Chapter)