Chapter 620: It

Yin Laoer showed only a flicker of surprise, then reversed his dagger, lunged forward, and the tip slashed a deep blue, venomous shimmer straight for Mo Hua's throat.

He would strike first to gain the upper hand and kill this brat.

No matter who this brat was or what his status, in Canglang Mountain, he must die first!

He excels at arranging magnetic arrays, specializes in concealment, and can fixate on me like a hawk, piercing through my traces.

To a cultivator like me who relies on stealth and assassination, he is a natural enemy.

This kind of "grave threat" must be eliminated first, so I can free myself to play with the remaining sect disciples at leisure.

Yin Laoer looked solemn, his gaze cruel.

The dagger turned into a streak of venomous light and in an instant reached Mo Hua's throat.

Mo Hua did not hurry; he leaned back smoothly, evading the venomous dagger aimed at his throat.

Then, water trails surged around Mo Hua, as if drawing power from empty space—he flipped upward midair, light as a feather, circling behind Yin Laoer, stepping on the back of his skull, using the leverage to perform a backward somersault and swiftly retreat.

Yin Laoer missed his strike and was outmaneuvered to his rear, jumped onto his head, and had his occiput trodden on—deeply humiliated.

He spun around in fury.

But as he turned his head, he saw Mo Hua, wreathed in flowing water, floating midair, pointing a finger at him.

Instantly, a fireball condensed and shot straight for his face.

Yin Laoer had no time to dodge; the fireball slammed into his face, exploding in a burst of flame that sent him tumbling backward to the ground.

Moments later, Yin Laoer rose, his hair charred black, eyes blazing with rage.

Mo Hua thought, what a pity.

The power of the Fireball Spell is still too weak at present.

Even with a direct hit on Yin Laoer, who is at the peak of Foundation Establishment mid-stage, it only left him disheveled and filthy, causing minimal damage.

Spells are my most commonly used and quickest attack method.

It seems I must find a way to enhance their power and expand the range of spells I know.

While array techniques are my main focus and must be studied, I cannot neglect spells.

Learning one more spell means one more way to respond when danger arises.

On the other side, Yin Laoer's expression was furious, but his heart was stunned.

Repeatedly evading my assassination techniques with his body movement—this cannot be coincidence…

This body movement…

And the timing, speed, and precision of his Fireball Spell…

This brat is a spell master!

But how is that possible?

Yin Laoer's pupils shrank slightly.

How old is this brat? Where did he learn such refined body movement, such calmness in life-or-death combat, and such mastery over spell timing?

Murong Caiyun and the others were also stunned.

This was the first time they had seen Mo Hua perform such fluid, dazzling body movement.

This body movement…

Though they didn't know its origin, it was certainly not an ordinary lineage.

And the sequence—using body movement to create distance, securing position, then striking with the Fireball Spell at the perfect moment—was executed with flawless fluidity, so practiced…

As they marveled, they suddenly froze, remembering they should rush to help.

No matter how fluid Mo Hua's body movement or how skilled his spells, he is still only Foundation Establishment early-stage; any lapse in combat against a treacherous cultivator like Yin Laoer could mean certain death.

Without delay, Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu immediately unleashed sword qi and charged toward Yin Laoer.

Murong Caiyun cast a spell, while Hua Qianqian guided the Hundred Flowers Spirit Needles to flank and distract Yin Laoer.

Together, the four of them—Yin Laoer, who specialized in assassination, knew he was no match; his eyes reddened, teeth clenched, he resolved to kill Mo Hua before Ouyang Feng and the others could strike.

Unless Mo Hua dies, his hatred will not fade.

Unless Mo Hua dies, he himself might die!

But when he turned to look, he saw Mo Hua's figure fading, nearly vanishing.

Yin Laoer roared:

"Brat, have the guts to stop hiding!"

Mo Hua paid him no mind, stuck out his tongue, and vanished.

Yin Laoer raged, spitting curses, but as Ouyang Feng's sword qi, Murong Caiyun's spells, and Hua Qianqian's spirit needles neared, he had no choice but to retreat and activate his Concealment Technique to vanish.

Both Mo Hua and Yin Laoer disappeared.

Murong Caiyun and the others looked around helplessly, unsure where to strike; helplessly, they formed a formation, guarding each other against Yin Laoer's ambush.

Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows, Mo Hua frowned.

He extended his spiritual sense to search for Yin Laoer's figure.

But Yin Laoer's aura remained faint, his spiritual energy blurred, his form intermittent—he could sometimes lock onto him with spiritual sense, yet sometimes lose him entirely…

"Why?"

Mo Hua couldn't understand.

This Minor Five Elements Concealment Technique is strange…

To some extent, this spell can suppress spiritual energy, making one's spiritual presence feel even thinner, thus evading others' spiritual sense.

This differs from the principle of Mo Hua's concealment technique.

Mo Hua's concealment technique only hides his form, making him invisible to the naked eye.

Only because his spiritual sense is strong can others not detect him through spiritual sense.

But the Lesser Five Elements Concealment Technique suppresses others' perception of one's own Qi, allowing enhanced stealth without full reliance on spiritual sense.

Mo Hua had already sensed it.

Yin Laoer's spiritual sense was roughly between the fifteenth and sixteenth patterns—far inferior to his own.

Theoretically, his concealment technique could not fool Mo Hua.

But after Yin Laoer concealed himself, he could still partially evade Mo Hua's perception, relying entirely on the unique properties of this "Lesser Five Elements Concealment Technique."

Mo Hua's eyes gleamed.

He must get his hands on this concealment technique!

If he learned it, after concealing himself, he could slip silently behind someone and plant a fireball right against their skull—without them even noticing…

Mo Hua grew serious, extending his spiritual sense to its utmost limit, sweeping back and forth across the mountains and forest, trying to fully "lock onto" Yin Laoer…

Suddenly, Mo Hua's expression changed; his body flowed like water, vanishing from his original spot.

The instant Mo Hua left, a dagger stabbed perilously close into the empty ground.

Malicious Qi crisscrossed, shredding fallen leaves and soil into fragments.

Seeing Mo Hua dodge again, Yin Laoer spat an oath and reversed his dagger, lunging once more at Mo Hua.

Yet Mo Hua's entire body shimmered with faint blue water-light, guiding him fluidly between Yin Laoer's attacks, evading every killing move.

Far away, Elder Murong Caiyun and the others, seeing Yin Laoer revealed, rushed in to surround him.

Yin Laoer pushed himself to the limit, striking faster, harsher, stronger—trying to crush this hateful brat in one decisive blow.

But no matter how hard he tried, the dagger always remained just a hair's breadth from Mo Hua.

That sliver of distance seemed within reach, yet as distant as the horizon.

Yin Laoer finally broke mentally, furious and screaming:

"What the hell kind of body technique is this?!"

"Who the damn, thousand-times-cursed Wang Ba taught you?!"

Mo Hua replied: "My grandpa taught me!"

He remembered Zhang Lan's kindness, so he silently promoted Zhang Lan by two generations.

Yin Laoer couldn't stand Mo Hua's sharp-tongued arrogance—but he had no real way to counter him.

Meanwhile, Ouyang Feng and the others arrived, surrounding Yin Laoer as well.

The group now faced off against Yin Laoer.

Yin Laoer no longer rushed to conceal himself.

He had failed repeatedly to kill Mo Hua, and his chest burned with suppressed rage.

Instead, Mo Hua, somewhat curiously, asked him:

"You managed to see through my concealment technique?"

He had hidden quietly beside them, undetected—and yet Yin Laoer had spotted him twice in a row.

He had never encountered this before.

Yin Laoer sneered, "You brat, showing off concealment before me?!"

Yin Laoer's face dripped with mockery.

Mo Hua, magnanimous, ignored the insult; his eyes flickered slightly as he probed:

"Did you use your spiritual sense to find me?"

"Why use spiritual sense?" Yin Laoer scoffed. "I can spot the flaw in your concealment technique with just my eyes."

"With just my eyes…"

Mo Hua pondered slightly, then understood.

His concealment technique used pure, nearly transparent water Qi to cover his entire body, allowing light and shadow to pass through and erase his trail.

He also wore a concealment cloak.

But their effects were nearly identical.

Ordinary cultivators might not notice—but someone like Yin Laoer, who had spent years immersed in concealment techniques, making his living as a criminal cultivator relying on stealth—would surely spot the flaw.

So perhaps he wasn't lying; he might truly have seen through Mo Hua's concealment with his eyes alone.

Mo Hua nodded slightly, sighing inwardly.

Never underestimate any villain.

The cultivation world is vast, with talents emerging everywhere; others have poured countless hours into research and refinement—they must have their own insights and specialties.

Looking down on others invites disaster.

Mo Hua silently warned himself.

Seeing Mo Hua's solemn expression, Yin Laoer—sure now that Mo Hua recognized his prowess—let a smug grin creep across his sinister face.

But before he could savor it, his expression darkened—he realized a terrifying question:

"How did this brat… sense my concealment?"

It wasn't "seeing through"—it was more like "perceiving."

After their recent clash, Yin Laoer knew that even when he fully activated the Lesser Five Elements Concealment Technique, traces of his presence had still been detected by Mo Hua.

Otherwise, Mo Hua could never have evaded his killing strikes.

But how did he "perceive" it?

In Yin Laoer's eyes, Mo Hua's concealment technique, though practiced skillfully, was crude in origin—almost patched together haphazardly.

A shallow lineage meant he could not possibly have used experience to spot the flaw in Yin Laoer's concealment with his eyes.

A spiritual artifact?

He showed no signs of activating any spiritual artifact.

Besides this, there was only one possibility:

Spiritual Sense…

But… Spiritual Sense?

Yin Laoer found this absurd.

Could it be that he saw through the brat's concealment through technique?

And yet this brat saw through his concealment—plain, unadorned, relying solely on Spiritual Sense?

How could this be…

Yin Laoer sneered, then stared again—and suddenly noticed the brat's pupils had deepened, tinged with a sliver of pitch-black.

At the same time, a cold, eerie, yet unbearably resilient Spiritual Sense, like chains, quietly wrapped around him…

Yin Laoer was instantly terrified, his soul nearly fleeing his body.

"It's really Spiritual Sense?!"

Seeing himself about to be locked down by this eerie Spiritual Sense, Yin Laoer snatched a talisman with lightning speed and crushed it.

A burst of strong dust scattered, obscuring vision and confusing qi signatures.

Simultaneously, Yin Laoer immediately activated the Lesser Five Elements Concealment Technique, his form vanishing.

But after reappearing, he boasted excessively, giving Mo Hua ample time to lock onto him with Spiritual Sense.

So even though he vanished through concealment, Mo Hua's Spiritual Sense still clearly tracked his whereabouts.

Yin Laoer soon realized his nightmare had arrived…

No matter where he fled, a fireball always struck like a beacon, forcing him to reveal himself, leaving him reeling and desperate.

Soon after, Mu Rong Caiyun and the others realized it too.

Wherever the fireball went, they struck there too.

Yin Laoer's face turned ashen.

A cultivator specializing in concealment and assassination, once his concealment was broken, was like a man with both legs cut off—no better than a useless wreck.

He struggled desperately to escape, but Mo Hua's single thread of Spiritual Sense was unbreakable, unextinguishable, firmly entangling him—he could not shake it off no matter what.

"What the hell!"

Yin Laoer had fought countless battles in his life, yet he had never encountered a cultivator with such strange and terrifying Spiritual Sense.

And this thread of Spiritual Sense grew tighter, locked more firmly.

Like a hunting hawk extending its talons, digging deep into his flesh.

Waiting only to take his life.

This brat didn't just have strong Spiritual Sense—he had utterly crushed him with it!

Cold sweat poured down Yin Laoer's back.

He felt a sharp blade hovering three inches behind his neck, icy and glinting, about to fall at any moment.

On the brink of life and death, Yin Laoer unleashed his latent potential, fleeing desperately through several rounds.

Each time, he barely escaped through gaps between Mo Hua's fireballs, sword qi, and spells.

Yin Laoer felt relief—perhaps he still had a chance to survive this way.

But suddenly he froze, sensing something wrong.

Mo Hua's Spiritual Sense had completely locked him down; logically, he should be dead already—why was he still able to flee so long?

And though that fireball chased him like a death sentence,

every time he truly had nowhere left to run, the fireball would delay slightly, granting him a sliver of breathing room.

Allowing him to activate concealment and flee again…

Why?

Like a cat playing with a mouse?

That brat… he was playing with me?

Yin Laoer's gaze turned venomous; he glanced back briefly, catching Mo Hua with his peripheral vision—and saw Mo Hua's expression utterly focused, eyes fixed on him, burning with intensity, as if discerning something…

Discerning?

Yin Laoer froze, then his spirit trembled.

Discerning…

This brat!

He's learning my concealment technique?!

Locking onto me with Spiritual Sense, forcing me to reveal myself with fireballs, making me exhaust every skill I've ever learned to flee right before his eyes.

Then he openly steals it!

How outrageous!

Yin Laoer was stunned and furious, filled with deep dread.

"No!"

"I won't let him learn it—not even let him glimpse this technique!"

The Lesser Five Elements Concealment Technique was the ultimate secret of the Five Concealment Sect.

Logically, it shouldn't be so easily stolen or uncovered.

But this brat… he was wrong.

Yin Laoer dared not gamble.

He decided to give up.

He understood: no matter how hard he tried, he could not escape Mo Hua's Spiritual Sense lock.

No matter how hard he struggled, he could not escape the combined efforts of the four sect disciples.

If he kept fighting, there was still a chance this brat would steal the secrets he had spent years refining in his concealment arts.

The lineage must not be lost!

If this Minor Five Elements Concealment Technique leaked out, he would lose the foundation of his existence and be unable to survive in the "black" underworld of Qianxue Province.

Yin Laoer made up his mind.

Since it's come to this, better to give up resistance.

Yin Laoer's movements immediately grew passive; he relied only on his body technique to dodge sword qi and spells, and his concealment art began to "hold back," using only the most basic skills, no longer exerting his full strength.

After all, even the simplest application of concealment could not be pierced by those four sect disciples.

And even if he pushed the Minor Five Elements Concealment Technique to its limit, he still couldn't fool that brat.

The outcome would be the same either way.

Mo Hua sighed.

This Yin Laoer had too little "ambition" and too little "will to survive."

He was disappointed.

Yin Laoer guessed correctly—he had indeed been holding back, using fireball spells to force Yin Laoer to personally demonstrate how concealment should be applied, how to maneuver against enemies.

How to use concealment to evade death, and how to use it to launch ambushes.

What secrets lay within the Minor Five Elements Concealment Technique…

After watching for a moment, Mo Hua learned many concealment techniques and gained much insight.

He also vaguely grasped the general principle of the Minor Five Elements Concealment Technique.

The core of "Minor Five Elements" concealment lies in the Five Elements.

The key to this concealment art is not truly masking one's own spiritual energy, but using the Five Element energies inherent in all things of heaven and earth to obscure one's spiritual aura.

Get close to trees, borrow the Wood Element energy to conceal.

Get close to water, borrow the Water Element energy to vanish…

Similarly, approaching soil, Jin Shi, fire, or similar objects could enhance the concealment effect of the Minor Five Elements Technique.

If there were no Five Element objects nearby, the technique's effect would be little different from ordinary concealment.

But once near the Five Elements, merging with the qi of heaven and earth, using all things to conceal oneself…

This Five Elements Concealment Technique became extraordinarily powerful.

That was why, just now, Mo Hua's spiritual sense had perceived Yin Laoer only faintly and intermittently.

When near Five Element objects, his concealment grew strong.

When away from the Five Elements, his concealment weakened.

The traces appearing in his mind's eye became erratic—sometimes clear, sometimes dim.

Mo Hua understood inwardly and had planned to observe further, to learn by using Yin Laoer as a "case study" and elevate his own concealment skill.

But Yin Laoer had already sensed it.

The "lab rat" had given up—there was nothing more he could do.

Then let's end this quickly…

Mo Hua no longer held back; he reached out and grasped, and in the empty air, faint blue water ripples appeared, coalescing into a water prison that bound Yin Laoer in place.

As the Water Prison Technique took hold, Yin Laoer was momentarily immobilized, dizzy and nauseous as if drowning.

"A binding spell…"

Yin Laoer's heart turned cold.

As expected, this detestable little brat still had a contingency plan...

With this strange binding spell, he had never had a chance to escape from the start…

Yin Laoer was beyond anger.

He was now filled with regret—deep, profound regret.

He regretted that he hadn't checked the almanac before stepping out, encountering such a little calamity, a true "antagonist," a natural nemesis…

The instant the Water Prison Technique pinned him, Yin Laoer knew he was finished.

As expected, within a few breaths, Ouyang Feng's Crimson Golden Maple Sword pierced his left thigh;

Murong Caiyun's Five-Colored Spiritual Light pierced his left arm;

Hua Qianqian's Hundred Flowers Spiritual Needles stabbed into his knees; while Shangguan Xu held his heavy sword against his throat…

The treacherous and cruel Yin Laoer was subdued.

Mo Hua immediately ran over from afar; seeing Yin Laoer's eyes bulging with hatred as he glared venomously at him, Mo Hua "kindly" suggested:

"Cut off both legs first…"

Everyone froze, staring at Mo Hua with strange expressions.

Though they had completed many missions and had considerable experience dealing with criminal cultivators, they had never gone this far…

"Prevent trouble before it arises!"

Mo Hua said seriously.

He had experience in this!

Ouyang Feng thought for a moment and decided Mo Hua was right; he flicked his wrist, sending out two sword qi slashes that severed Yin Laoer's two legs.

Yin Laoer cried out in pain, his gaze turning even more venomous.

Mo Hua acted as if he saw nothing, and began rummaging through Yin Laoer's storage bag.

Inside Yin Laoer's storage bag were only some spirit stones, several venomous daggers, and a few books recording the vital points of cultivators, meant for assassinations.

In addition, there were several jade slips.

But the jade slip contained only some poison formulas and various miscellaneous cultivation techniques.

The storage pouch held nothing of key importance.

Clearly, Yin Laoer was treacherous in action and character, and would never keep secret items in such an obvious place as a storage pouch.

Mo Hua asked Yin Laoer: "Where is the Small Five Elements Concealment Technique?"

Murong Caiyun and the others nearby were not surprised.

Along this journey, they had already guessed as much.

This little junior brother Mo Hua, eager to capture Yin Laoer, was surely interested in his concealment technique.

But such things were only natural.

Capturing criminal cultivators, looting their spoils, learning a few techniques—so long as they weren't core sect secrets or demonic arts—was harmless.

Now that Yin Laoer had been captured, the merit had been secured.

As for Yin Laoer, let this little junior brother do as he pleases…

Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian guarded the surroundings, preventing attacks from beasts or other criminal cultivators.

Shangguan Xu stood beside Mo Hua, ready to protect him if danger arose.

Ouyang Feng stood behind Yin Laoer, preventing him from launching any last-minute attack.

Yin Laoer spat out a mouthful of blood and sneered: "You'll never get it from me!"

Mo Hua snorted. "Still got a hard bone in you!"

Then he eagerly pulled out an iron plate from his storage pouch.

He had later, in spare moments, "improved" this iron plate.

The effects of the Mountain Array, Water Array, and Fire Array still felt weak, lacking mutual reinforcement.

This time, he removed the Mountain Array and added a Metal Array.

Needle pricks to the knees should hurt more than stones.

If Yin Laoer hadn't been so stubborn, he wouldn't have dared to "apply punishment."

But now, not only was he stubborn, he was glaring at him with murderous intent—perfect for testing this improved "Array Punishment Plate."

Mo Hua placed the iron plate on the ground, activated the array, and said to Yin Laoer in a crisp voice:

"Kneel down in a moment and see if it hurts. If it doesn't, I'll think of ways to improve and refine it further…"

Yin Laoer was stunned.

What the hell is this brat talking about?

Such cruel words, coming from his mouth, sounded just like:

"I've got a candy here; try it and see if it's sweet. If not, I'll add more sugar."

"Senior Brother Feng!"

Mo Hua glanced at Ouyang Feng.

Ouyang Feng understood at once, effortlessly lifting Yin Laoer and pinning him onto the iron plate—immediately, a pig-like scream erupted.

Murong Caiyun sighed and rubbed her forehead.

Shangguan Xu and Hua Qianqian beside her were utterly dumbfounded.

This was their first time seeing this "iron plate," but it wouldn't be their last…

Mo Hua curiously asked Yin Laoer again: "Does it hurt?"

Yin Laoer was in too much pain to speak, trembling all over, teeth nearly ground to dust.

"Speak up…" Mo Hua said again.

Yin Laoer, enraged, spat blood.

After a cup of tea's time, as Yin Laoer was about to faint, Mo Hua stirred his spiritual sense and deactivated the array on the iron plate.

Yet despite staggering, Yin Laoer radiated sheer ferocity, refusing to utter a single word.

Mo Hua frowned.

He had overestimated his iron plate.

Painful it was, but it still lacked variation—it needed "improvement."

He also realized he had underestimated Yin Laoer.

This Yin Laoer was truly a ruthless man!

Was the transmission of this concealment technique really that important?

Even if it killed him, he wouldn't speak?

Or did he believe that, once captured, death was inevitable, so speaking or not made no difference?

Or had he been trained, harboring some unfathomable secret, so that once captured, he clenched his teeth and refused to speak?

…

In an instant, Mo Hua's thoughts swirled.

But he didn't care about anything else—he cared only about the Small Five Elements Concealment Technique.

The duck in his mouth must not fly away!

If Yin Laoer wouldn't speak, he'd find it himself.

Such a precious transmission—Yin Laoer could never fail to carry it with him.

Just like his own transmissions, hidden in the Master's gift of the Nai Zi Ring, Yin Laoer must have a hidden place for his transmission too!

Mo Hua recalled the Message Token.

He had failed to find the Message Token on the Bald Eagle—Dao Ting Si had found it instead…

Mo Hua was resentful.

Suddenly, he felt a stir in his heart, recalling how he had once calculated the flow of heavenly and earthly Qi and sensed the karmic threads.

Calculation!

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened; within his pupils, a pitch-black base emerged, and upon it, delicate patterns of heavenly fate began to form.

Yin Laoer froze, trembling all over under Mo Hua's stare.

He always felt that his secrets had been "pierced" by Mo Hua's strange, profound eyes…

After a moment, Mo Hua's expression brightened. He pulled out the Thousand-Jun Club and handed it to Ouyang Feng, pointing at Yin Laoer: "Brother Feng! Break his teeth for me!"

Ouyang Feng blinked in surprise.

"Teeth?"

"Yes!" Mo Hua nodded.

Ouyang Feng hesitated, but still followed Mo Hua's instruction.

Amid Yin Laoer's terrified expression, Ouyang Feng channeled his Qi into a powerful strike, smashing Yin Laoer's teeth with a single blow of the club.

Blood spilled, and Yin Laoer's teeth scattered across the ground.

Mo Hua carefully examined them, picking out one tooth, his face beaming.

This tooth was a "Storage Bag"!

A tiny, tiny Storage Bag, its interior space no larger than a palm, able to hold only one jade slip.

Mo Hua withdrew the jade slip and waved it in front of Yin Laoer's face.

Yin Laoer's eyes widened in disbelief.

Mo Hua grinned:

"Your concealment technique is excellent—but now it's mine!"

(End of Chapter)