Chapter 693: Blood Leech

Mo Hua landed with the Step of Passing Water, his posture light and soft, though the soles of his feet tingled slightly.

After settling, Mo Hua looked up and saw that the mist at the bottom of the well was not thick, but the blood hue was more even, slowly flowing across the well's base.

Within the blood mist, something seemed to be hatching.

Mo Hua's heart gave a faint jolt.

He felt that he was drawing nearer to some primal source.

"Young Master?"

Gu An and the other three asked softly.

Having entered the well's bottom, they inexplicably found it hard to breathe, their hearts uneasy, so they all turned to look at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua examined the surroundings and saw that the bottom of the dry well was a stone-lined corridor, branching in all directions, extending somewhere unknown.

Gu An and the others could not see the blood hue, so they did not know which way to go.

Mo Hua nodded and said: "Follow me."

Mo Hua chose one path and walked straight into it.

Gu An walked beside Mo Hua, slightly ahead; Yu Dahe followed behind Mo Hua; Gu Quan brought up the rear.

The three subtly formed a protective circle around Mo Hua.

Gu An and Gu Quan had been ordered by Gu Changhuai to ensure Mo Hua's complete safety.

Yu Dahe knew that the lives of his two sons depended entirely on this Young Master, so this Young Master must not suffer the slightest mishap.

The corridor was dry and dark, the atmosphere heavy.

After walking for a while, a stagnant pool suddenly appeared before them, seemingly a large pit dug by human hands, filled with water.

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened slightly.

He remembered his little tiger—it had fallen into the water, been attacked, and shattered instantly.

Mo Hua extended his spiritual sense, scanning for a moment, then his gaze darkened.

"There's a beast in the water."

The beast's aura was obscure yet powerful, hidden beneath the water, difficult to detect.

The mastermind behind the small fishing village had apparently kept a beast in the water to block intruders, to prevent discovery.

Gu An and Gu Quan exchanged glances, startled inwardly.

The water was murky, yet even with their spiritual senses, they had not detected the beast hidden within.

Though he is a formation master, isn't Young Master Mo's spiritual sense too sharp?

He's only at Foundation Establishment early stage…

Yu Dahe asked weakly: "Young Master, can you tell what kind of water beast it is?"

Mo Hua shook his head.

Gu An mused: "Should I go back and bring more people down? We could join forces and kill the beast?"

"No," Mo Hua shook his head. "This beast is a late-stage second-rank water beast. In water, it's far too powerful—likely requiring seven or eight Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivators who specialize in water-based arts and are skilled in aquatic combat to even have a chance of hunting it down."

Mo Hua deduced this based on his experience as a beast hunter.

Gu An and Gu Quan frowned.

Gu Family could muster seven or eight Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivators, but those who specialized in water-based arts, excelled in aquatic combat, and were skilled in water—such conditions were far too strict.

The fisher-cultivators of the small fishing village were skilled in water, but they lacked combat prowess and not one was even at Foundation Establishment late stage.

"Also," Mo Hua continued, "if we fight here and forcibly kill this water beast, it will cause a great commotion—highly likely to alarm the River Dragon and let them escape."

"The two children might not be saved…"

Yu Dahe looked at Mo Hua, his eyes pained, filled with desperate hope.

Mo Hua sighed faintly. "Let me think…"

He stared at the perilous deep pool before him, his gaze thoughtful, and a question naturally arose.

How did the River Dragon cross?

Though the River Dragon was skilled in water, he was only at Foundation Establishment mid-stage—he could never be a match for this beast.

Moreover, the beast is a monster; it eats humans without distinction.

Mo Hua recalled every detail of his encounter with the River Dragon, and naturally remembered the dead fish.

According to Yu Dahe, these fish were called "Dead-Spot Fish."

Mo Hua asked: "What are Dead-Spot Fish used for?"

Yu Dahe replied: "These fish are poisonous. After death, gray spots appear on their bodies, like 'corpse spots'—hence the name. Eating them causes blood to stagnate, the body to go numb, rendering one motionless, like a corpse…"

Mo Hua's mind cleared suddenly.

"So that's how."

The River Dragon and his men had been feeding the water beast Dead-Spot Fish to paralyze it, so they could cross safely.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then told Gu An to toss a Dead-Spot Fish into the water.

The Dead-Spot Fish hit the water, and within moments, the surface churned, revealing the massive, grotesque head of a water beast, which swallowed the fish whole.

Mo Hua's pupils contracted slightly.

Gu An and the other three were struck with horror.

The water beast's species was unknown, but its body was enormous—five or six men long—with a deformed head, a mouth like a bloodied basin, thick demonic blood, scaled hide, and armor-like scales that were unbreakable.

Its bulging eyes, black and yellow in hue, were cold and cruel.

This was a second-rank peak water beast, alive for an unknown length of time.

After swallowing the Dead-Spot Fish, the beast's pupils grew hazy, its body involuntarily paralyzed for a moment—but within ten breaths, it recovered completely.

Mo Hua froze, then drew in a sharp breath.

It's not enough to feed it to the fish and paralyze the water spirit to pass safely.

This water spirit's blood qi is too thick.

Eating the dead-spotted fish will only paralyze it for ten breaths; to cross the river, you must swim to the opposite shore within those ten breaths, or else the awakened water spirit will still swallow anyone attempting to cross.

Gu An and the other two clearly understood, their faces turning pale.

Mo Hua glanced at Gu An and the others, saying nothing, but his gaze carried a questioning look.

Yu Dahe, face resolute, gritted his teeth: "I'm going to save my son—I won't regret even if I die."

Gu An and Gu Quan heard this and nodded slightly.

Gu An then said: "Young Master, don't worry about us."

But Gu Quan glanced at Mo Hua with concern: "Young Master, you shouldn't take this risk."

"It's fine," Mo Hua said. "I'm not slow in the water."

When he had time before, he'd roughly learned the White Wave Body Skill from the River Dragon, and though he wasn't proficient, it was still usable.

Mo Hua thought for a moment more, then said:

"There are three dead-spotted fish left. We'll feed them all to the water spirit at once, then immediately swim to the other side."

"Feed them all at once?" Gu Quan blinked. "What about when we return?"

"We don't need to worry about returning."

Mo Hua said casually.

On the way back, we won't fear stirring up trouble—a water spirit trapped in stagnant water is a stationary target; I have a hundred ways to send it to heaven.

Gu An and Gu Quan didn't know Mo Hua's plan, but after the Bishan Demon Cave expedition, they'd gradually grown accustomed to following Mo Hua's orders.

After eating one fish, the water spirit slowly sank back into the water.

It seemed unaware of anything on shore, yet its perception of prey in the water remained sharp.

After agreeing, the three decided to cross the river.

Gu An, Gu Quan, and Yu Dahe each held one fish and hurled them simultaneously into the distant water.

As the dead-spotted fish hit the water, the water spirit immediately surfaced, swallowing two at once, then, as before, its pupils glazed over, paralyzed.

"Go!"

At the instant the water spirit ate the fish, Mo Hua declared decisively.

Then all of them leapt into the water and strained to swim toward the opposite shore.

Yu Dahe, a fish cultivator, had excellent water skills and swam swiftly.

Though Mo Hua wasn't a fish cultivator, the Flowing Water Step was inherently a water body skill, and with his additional study of the White Wave Body Skill, he moved through the water like a nimble little fish, his speed also swift.

Gu An and Gu Quan's body skills were weaker, but their cultivation was deep, so they could still keep up.

Yet they deliberately fell back one body-length, guarding behind Mo Hua.

A rank-two peak fish spirit, having swallowed two dead-spotted fish, was only paralyzed for about fifteen breaths before its black-and-yellow grotesque pupils blinked again.

Mo Hua sensed the danger and immediately shouted: "Faster!" Then he pushed his body skill to its limit, using hands and feet to frantically paddle.

The shore was within sight.

Gu An and the other two also began giving their all, pushing toward the bank.

At this moment, the fish spirit had fully awakened from paralysis; its bulging eyes turned, and its ugly snout sniffed the scent of living humans.

It abandoned the remaining dead-spotted fish and slowly sank beneath the water.

The fish spirit's form vanished into the depths, yet simultaneously, a dark current rippled across the water's surface, surging toward Mo Hua and the others at incredible speed.

Mo Hua and the others were startled, paddling desperately.

In the end, Yu Dahe, the one most skilled in water, reached the shore first; as soon as he landed, he turned and reached down to pull Mo Hua up from beneath the water.

Gu An and Gu Quan also reached the shore.

But before they could climb out, the water exploded with a "Boom—" as the fish spirit's ugly head surfaced, opening its bloody maw to swallow Gu An and Gu Quan whole.

The two were in the water and couldn't dodge in time.

Mo Hua acted swiftly, fingers snapping together to instantly form several fireballs, striking the fish spirit's bulging eyes and momentarily halting it.

Seizing this instant, Gu An and Gu Quan drew their blades simultaneously, unleashing blade qi to slash at the fish spirit's lower jaw.

Alas, the fish spirit's hide was thick and tough; the two cuts barely pierced the surface, only scraping off some skin.

Yu Dahe immediately pulled a spear tipped with toxic algae juice from his storage pouch and hurled it toward the fish spirit's throat.

This was the standard method fish cultivators used to deal with aquatic beast monsters.

The spear pierced the fish spirit's mouth; the toxic algae seeped into its throat, causing it agonizing pain as it rolled and sank back into the water.

Seizing this opening, Gu An and Gu Quan climbed ashore together.

The group immediately withdrew.

But moments later, the fish spirit surfaced again.

It had swallowed the entire spear in bitter rage; the water spirit was furious, yet the living scents in the water were gone—it could only let out a furious roar toward the shore.

The roar was low, but the stench was fierce.

Mo Hua was swept by the stench, staggered several steps, and fell "Plop!" onto the ground, looking disheveled.

Gu An immediately helped Mo Hua up: "Young Master, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Mo Hua rubbed his forehead, turned back, and glared angrily at the water spirit, silently thinking:

"Ugly monster, wait till I come back—I'll make you pay."

The fish spirit's grotesque, hideous eyes still stared at Mo Hua, utterly unaware it had already been added to Mo Hua's "blacklist."

Once on land, away from water, the water spirit was powerless.

The others were temporarily safe and began walking forward again.

After walking for an unknown length of time, they spotted a cave entrance ahead, faintly glowing.

Beyond the entrance, the view opened up suddenly—not the cramped bottom of a well, but a hazy expanse of sky and earth.

The sky drizzled lightly; beneath their feet lay a muddy path paved with stones.

A faint, pale-yellow mist floated in the air.

In Gu An and the others' eyes, the mist was pale yellow.

But in Mo Hua's eyes, the color of this mist was a deeper crimson.

In the distance, a fishing village's silhouette blended into the blood mist, radiating stillness and eeriness.

Gu An muttered under his breath: "These Jiang Lang traffickers—how the hell did they find such a sinister place to hide?"

Yu Dahe nodded, looking puzzled:

"I've never heard of a place like this nearby… Is this a fishing village? But why does it look completely deserted?"

"Let's go take a look," Mo Hua sighed.

He knew clearly that the fishing village held far more than just traffickers.

The group followed the muddy path toward the distant village.

But after only a few steps, Mo Hua grabbed Gu An's arm and suddenly shouted:

"Stop!"

Gu An froze, glanced around, and stared at Mo Hua in confusion, unsure what had happened.

There was nothing around them.

Yet Mo Hua's pupils shrank slightly.

He saw a clump of blood mist ahead of Gu An—and within it, a wriggling, leech-like evil entity.

The blood leech was entirely red, filthy and bloody, drifting through the air with the mist.

It floated right before Gu An's eyes.

Gu An could not see it at all.

Had he taken just one more step, he would have touched the blood leeches directly.

Mo Hua did not yet know what would happen after contact.

But based on his experience, he guessed these blood leeches were most likely demonic manifestations of a demonic deity; once they touched a living being with spiritual awareness, they would likely burrow into his mind-sea and infect it.

"There's danger," Mo Hua said gravely.

Gu An and the others looked at the thick mist around them, their hearts tightening.

"Follow me—don't wander off!"

Mo Hua looked solemn as he warned them.

Since he had brought these three into the well's depths, he must do his utmost to protect their safety.

Yu Dahe was a poor fish-cultivator, struggling to survive.

Gu An and Gu Quan were acquaintances sent by Uncle Gu to guard him—they couldn't be allowed to come to harm.

Gu An and the other two nodded.

Mo Hua walked ahead, leading the three, carefully avoiding the blood leeches.

After walking a while, the blood mist grew denser, and the leeches became far more numerous.

Mo Hua could dodge them himself, but Gu An and the others—even if they followed him—were likely to be parasitized by leeches drifting behind.

Mo Hua grew troubled, then suddenly froze.

He remembered another question.

He could see the blood leeches, so he could find the path.

But Jiang Lang—how could he avoid the leeches and find the way into the village if he couldn't see them?

There must be something strange going on.

Mo Hua extended his spiritual sense, scanning the surroundings for a moment, then his eyes brightened. He crouched down and began scraping at the soil and stones beside his feet.

Gu An and the others watched, baffled, but knew better than to interrupt Mo Hua.

After a while, Mo Hua finally dug something up from the ground beneath his feet.

It was a talisman stone slab!

The slab was carved with intricate, obscure talismanic patterns.

Though Mo Hua had never seen these patterns before, they felt strangely familiar—their style matched exactly the talismanic inscriptions Jiang Lang had drawn at Jingkou.

"Divine Path talisman array!"

Mo Hua felt a surge of joy.

He quickly memorized every single pattern on the slab.

But the Divine Path talisman array on the slab was incomplete; only a few patterns were present, insufficient to form a complete array structure or reveal their meaning.

Mo Hua walked forward a few more steps and crouched again to dig.

After a moment, he indeed unearthed another stone slab.

The slab bore another incomplete Divine Path talisman array, with both new and old patterns.

Mo Hua compared them, recorded the new patterns, and continued forward, digging up several more slabs—until he had recorded five entirely new Divine Path talisman patterns.

Then Mo Hua took out a sheet of paper and began simulating, combining, and piecing together these five patterns.

After dozens of attempts, Mo Hua finally succeeded in assembling the five patterns into a simple yet complete Divine Path talisman prototype—a structure where spiritual energy cycled continuously, forming a closed loop!

This prototype was still crude, resembling the basic five-element talisman arrays Mo Hua had first learned when studying array theory.

But it was undeniably a complete, entry-level Divine Path talisman array.

Mo Hua compared this formation with the markings drawn by Bai Jisheng at Jingkou and discerned some patterns.

Strictly speaking, Bai Jisheng's markings are not a Divine Dao formation.

His markings temporarily sever the flow of power in a Divine Dao formation by cleverly blocking it with array lines, achieving a temporary "unsealing" to open the seal at the bottom of the well.

In other words, Bai Jisheng's "unsealing" markings are based on an entire complete Divine Dao formation.

That complete Divine Dao formation is painted inside the blood-colored dry well.

Or perhaps…

Mo Hua's gaze stretched far, toward the fishing village shrouded in sinister blood mist in the distance.

This entire fishing village, vanished after being corrupted by the Evil God, was built upon this "Divine Dao formation."

Whether the markings at Jingkou or the stone slab formations, all are merely minor extensions of this Divine Dao formation.

Mo Hua was stunned, yet at the same time, more questions arose.

Where did this Divine Dao formation come from?

Who built this formation within the fishing village?

What was its purpose?

What exactly was the specific application of this Divine Dao formation?

Mo Hua frowned.

"I need to venture deeper into the fishing village—the core of the Divine Dao formation is probably hidden inside…"

There are likely more Divine Dao formation stone slabs buried beneath his feet, but time is limited; Mo Hua couldn't afford to lift and examine each one.

After dealing with the Evil God, I'll come back and turn the entire ground over.

Mo Hua nodded.

At this moment, he also understood the function of the formations on the stone slabs.

These formations are meant to block the blood mist, especially to repel the "blood leeches" within it.

Connected in sequence, these formations carve out a safe path through the blood mist.

Bai Jisheng must have used this very path to enter the village without being corrupted by the Evil God or parasitized by the blood leeches.

Mo Hua had initially glimpsed the Divine Dao formation.

Now, this winding, twisting "Divine Dao" path was clearly laid out before his eyes.

Having a path is always safer.

Mo Hua himself could see the blood leeches; whether a path existed or not didn't matter to him, but Gu An and the other three were different.

They couldn't perceive the danger—even if they followed him, every step was perilous.

"Follow me. Step exactly where I step. Don't stray, and don't look around." Mo Hua said.

Gu An and the other three understood the stakes and nodded quickly.

Then Mo Hua led the way, walking ahead, while Gu An and the other three strictly followed his instructions, stepping precisely behind him, daring not to make a single misstep.

Step by step, after walking for an unknown length of time, the four finally passed through the blood leech-infested zone and set foot on the land of the vanished fishing village.

This was a land soaked in blood.

(End of Chapter)