Chapter 698: The Splitting of Deceitful Thoughts

"The River God Temple..."

Mo Hua gazed at the distant temple drenched in bloodlight, his eyes narrowing slightly.

After the Earth Killing Array cleared the area, more demons continued to surge forward relentlessly; Mo Hua set up additional Gen Mountain Binding Arrays to delay them momentarily, shielding everyone as they retreated from the ritual ground and took temporary rest in an open courtyard.

Having left the ritual ground meant leaving behind the demonic blood-refining array.

Those deformed demons, nurtured by the blood-refining array, could not stray too far from it, and thus ceased their pursuit.

Everyone exhaled in relief.

Mo Hua's gaze grew somber as he turned to one of the Gu family cultivators, noticing his ashen face and furrowed brows—clear signs of depleted spiritual sense.

Earlier, this Gu family cultivator had been cornered by a demon, and his spiritual sense had been drained.

Though the demon was quickly driven off by Mo Hua, part of his spiritual sense had already been siphoned away.

"Demons born of flesh and blood can drain a cultivator's spiritual sense..."

Mo Hua frowned.

These deformed demons were like zombies—hard to kill, impossible to eradicate completely.

With just this group, it was utterly impossible to wipe them all out.

Though individually these demons might not be overly powerful in direct combat, their ability to drain spiritual sense made them extremely troublesome...

No matter how high your cultivation, once trapped among the demonic horde and surrounded by fearless demons that latch onto you and drain your spiritual sense, you'll quickly exhaust your spiritual sense, lose consciousness, become defenseless, and become prey.

In a second-grade prefecture, such a massive number of demons was truly terrifying.

If let loose, they could slaughter an entire city.

A typical Foundation Establishment cultivator stood no chance against them.

Without spiritual sense defenses, even a Jin Dan cultivator, caught off guard, might have their spiritual sense completely drained and then be gruesomely "gnawed" to death by the demons.

Most people, unaware of the demons' ability to drain spiritual sense, would die without even knowing how.

Mo Hua looked solemn, then let out a quiet sigh.

Fortunately, these demons could not stray far from the blood-refining array—otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable...

Mo Hua turned his gaze again toward the distant ritual ground, where the deformed demons' heads swarmed like a tide, lost in thought.

So this is the Heretic God's "preaching ground"...

Is this truly the Heretic God's own doing?

So this is how the Heretic God truly "preaches"—so bloody, so sinister, so utterly inhuman...

Who, then, are the "people" aiding the Heretic God in preaching?

And can they even... still be called "people"?

Mo Hua's gaze grew profound, his expression icy.

The undercurrents in Qian Province were far too turbulent...

Mo Hua sighed again and patted the Gu family cultivator. "Sit and rest. Your spiritual sense is depleted."

The Gu family cultivator blinked, didn't resist, but asked puzzledly:

"I don't know why, but my head suddenly ached terribly..."

Mo Hua hesitated, then told them the truth:

"Those demons can drain human spiritual sense."

Hearing this, everyone was shaken, yet their expressions remained bewildered. "Demons? They drain spiritual sense?"

Could such a demonic creature truly exist?

Mo Hua felt helpless.

Most cultivators who never trained their spiritual sense truly understood nothing of the spiritual sense path.

Gu An and Gu Quan didn't fully believe it, but they knew Mo Hua would never lie about something like this.

The vast cultivation world held wonders beyond imagining.

It was just that encountering such a strange and eerie phenomenon for the first time made it hard to accept.

Gu An's gaze sharpened slightly as he whispered, "Young Master Mo, how did you know... these demons drain spiritual sense?"

At this, everyone involuntarily turned to look at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then invoked the ever-reliable Mr. Xun:

"While studying arrays at the Grand Void Gate, I learned from Mr. Xun—this is what he told me."

Everyone paused, then their expressions cleared with understanding.

Mr. Xun...

Though they didn't know who exactly Mr. Xun was, anyone who taught at the Grand Void Gate and bore the title "Mr." must be of high virtue and great prestige, immensely learned, and held in the highest esteem.

Knowing something of demonic and treacherous matters and warning his disciples was only natural.

They turned again to look at Mo Hua.

To be personally taught by such an elder must mean this Young Master Mo's status was far from ordinary.

Either he was a prodigy of unparalleled talent, or came from an illustrious lineage—or both.

Their regard for Mo Hua grew even more respectful.

Now it was clear: within this fishing village, danger lurked everywhere.

Such a noble young master, risking his life alongside us Dao Ting Si enforcers—such courage, strategy, and character—could rival Young Master Changhuai.

No, he surpassed Young Master Changhuai by a notch.

After all, Young Master Changhuai only began personally engaging in frontline combat after graduating from his sect and reaching late Foundation Establishment.

Young Master Mo is only early Foundation Establishment, and judging by his appearance, hasn't even been in the sect long—yet here he is, calm under pressure, commanding with precision, in such a perilous place.

No wonder Young Master Changhuai entrusted such a crucial Gu family secret order to this young master.

Mo Hua's standing in the hearts of these Gu family cultivators rose another notch.

After that, everyone continued to rest on the spot.

The Gu family cultivator whose divine sense had been drained sat cross-legged on the ground to rest. He didn't know how to meditate, so his divine sense recovered very slowly, but it was still better than nothing.

Mo Hua had no other options either.

His own divine sense was strong and recovered quickly, but he couldn't help the others.

The remaining Gu family cultivators also took medicinal pills and sat cross-legged to heal their wounds.

After the battle with the demons and monsters just now, everyone had sustained injuries to one degree or another.

The demons' sharp claws carried demonic energy, and over the years, had been soaked in foul-smelling blood, developing a "toxicity" similar to corpse poison.

Though it wasn't as sinister as true corpse poison, the poison still needed to be purged as soon as possible.

Mo Hua sat to one side, chin propped on his hand, deep in thought about something.

Suddenly, Yu Dahe's expression changed drastically, and his emotions surged violently.

Mo Hua sensed something and turned his head to see the two children, Xiao Shunzi and Xiao Shuizi, their faces gradually turning pale, their lips slowly withering, and the flow of blood qi growing slower and slower.

Yu Dahe's eyes were bloodshot, and tears streamed down from the corners of his eyes.

Mo Hua's heart tightened; he knew time was running out.

Either the River God had begun to eat the "sacrifice," or these two children's souls had been away from their bodies for too long, and their flesh and blood were beginning to rot…

Yu Dahe glanced at Mo Hua with a humble look.

He wanted to open his mouth and beg Mo Hua to save his children.

But after having gone to the ritual ground just now, seen the dense swarms of demons, and learned that those terrifying demons could drain divine sense, he simply couldn't bring himself to speak.

They weren't that close—what face did he have to beg someone else to risk their life to save his children?

Mo Hua sighed softly in his heart.

If these two children could be saved, they absolutely had to be saved.

And that River God Temple—he had to go there too.

If he didn't go this time, he might not get another chance.

The River God Temple was right behind the ritual ground.

Mo Hua pondered.

Since the demons in the ritual ground couldn't be killed off, the only option was to find a way to break out of the encirclement and force a path through.

If they broke through…

With Gu An and Gu Quan, whose cultivation was deep, opening the way at the front, the others providing cover, and himself using formations to support…

As long as they broke out and entered the River God Temple, those demons probably wouldn't dare to chase them inside.

The only problem was how to prevent their divine sense from being drained by the demons…

"I wonder if the spirit tools that calm the mind would be of any use."

"Even if they work, we only brought three of these spirit tools in total, so there's no way to protect everyone…"

"Protect the divine sense…"

Mo Hua's thoughts stirred, and a sudden flash of inspiration struck:

"Divine-path formations…"

Based on his understanding of divine-path formations so far, this type of formation, which emphasized the power of divine sense, could to a certain extent suppress or seal deities.

If it could "seal" a deity's power, then didn't that mean it could also "seal" a cultivator's divine sense?

Use a divine-path formation to seal a cultivator's sea of consciousness?

If the divine sense was sealed within, then naturally it wouldn't be drained by the demons?

Like putting a lid on a teapot.

Just as you can't drink the water inside the pot through the lid.

Mo Hua felt his conjecture seemed quite reasonable…

Still, it had to be tested.

Mo Hua thought briefly, then on a palm-sized formation paper, drew the divine-path formation patterns he had just learned, which were still rudimentary.

Then he took out a black cloth, wrapped the formation paper in it, and tied it to a black-clothed man's forehead.

"Later, throw him out and let the demons have a little 'nibble'—I'll test the formation…" Mo Hua said casually.

The black-clothed man's hands and feet were shackled, his mouth was sealed, and he could only stare at Mo Hua with a terrified gaze, as if looking at a little evil ghost from hell.

Gu An nodded.

Though he didn't know what formation Mo Hua wanted to test, he didn't ask, because even if he did, he wouldn't understand.

Gu An picked up the black-clothed man, ignoring his struggles, and headed straight toward the ritual ground.

Mo Hua followed behind.

In the center of the ritual ground, a large number of demons had gathered, but around the edges, only a few were wandering.

Mo Hua swept his gaze briefly and spotted a corner not far away, where two demons were tilting their heads, their limbs bent backward, crawling in a deformed manner.

"There." Mo Hua pointed.

Gu An nodded, obeyed Mo Hua's order, and with a backhand toss, flung the black-clothed man over.

The black-clothed man's face was white as paper, but bound in shackles, powerless to struggle, he could only watch helplessly as he drew closer and closer to the two terrifying demons.

Finally, with a "thud," the black-clothed man landed within a zhang of the two demons.

Food fallen from the heavens.

The two demons' eyes turned red, and immediately they scrambled forward on all fours, pouncing on the black-clothed man.

One demon gnawed at the black-clothed man's leg, while the other crawled onto his face and began pursing its lips to suck at his forehead.

The black cloth on the black-robed man's forehead flickered faintly with light.

The Divine Path Array activated, sealing his spiritual sense firmly within his consciousness sea.

No matter how hard the demon strained, it could not draw out a single speck of spiritual sense.

Just as the demon lost patience, opened its massive mouth, and prepared to swallow the black-robed man's head whole, Mo Hua said:

"Enough."

This man is a sacrifice—he cannot die yet.

Gu An obeyed, his figure flashing forward, kicking one demon away, turning to slash with a blade and severing the other demon's head, then grabbing the black-robed man by the collar and dragging him back.

The demons farther away, hearing the commotion, began crawling toward this spot.

Mo Hua tossed an array disc into the distance and hurled two array flags, detonating the array to block the approaching demons.

These array mediums were all forged for Mo Hua by Master Gu.

Mo Hua casually sketched a few arrays, keeping them on hand for emergencies.

Using the arrays as cover, the two escaped the demons and returned to the courtyard.

"The array works," Mo Hua said succinctly. "I'll draw one for each of you later—stick it to your foreheads, wrap it with black cloth—it will prevent demons from sucking your spiritual sense…"

"Then I'll set up an array to draw the demons' attention."

"The rest of you charge forward in one burst—once you cross the ritual ground and enter the River God Temple, you'll be temporarily safe."

"Then Xiao Shunzi and Xiao Shuizi will have a glimmer of hope."

"Yes!"

The Gu family cultivators murmured involuntarily.

Yu Dahe's heart trembled; he wiped the tears from his eyes, knelt on the ground, and bowed his towering frame deeply to the cultivators present.

…

There were too many demons in the ritual ground; to pass through, we must reduce the number surrounding us.

Mo Hua pulled out several small tigers, each painted with a dab of human blood—the black-robed man's blood—and inserted an array flag upon each, the flag inscribed with a Firework Array.

High-damage arrays are hard to set up and consume too much time.

Since the goal is to lure them, even a Firework Array will do.

Regardless of power, the most suitable array is the strongest array.

Mo Hua activated the Firework Arrays and manipulated the small tigers to sprint in all directions.

Several small tigers, flags glowing brightly on their backs, dashed off in every direction.

The array flags continuously erupted brilliant, dazzling fireworks, strikingly vivid against the gloomy fishing village.

All the demons froze.

The dazzling fireworks illuminated their grotesque faces.

The scene's aesthetic was profoundly incongruous.

Yet the blood qi on the flags and the spiritual fluctuations of the arrays still drew them, triggering instinctive pursuit.

Many demons chased after the small tigers; the ritual ground instantly descended into chaos.

Mo Hua pointed forward. "Charge!"

Thus, Gu An and Gu Quan led the way, Yu Dahe carried his two sons on his back, the other Gu family cultivators provided cover, and the two black-robed men, tied together with ropes, were dragged behind to draw the attention of pursuing demons.

The group sprinted at full speed toward the opposite side.

Soon, demons noticed Mo Hua's party, roared, and charged forward—some on all fours, others on two legs.

Everyone's expression hardened; they knew the final battle had begun.

Gu An barked: "Don't fall behind!" Then immediately joined forces with Gu Quan.

One held the blade in his left hand, the other in his right; their blade movements complemented each other, merging into a single, surging torrent of light that severed every demon that drew near.

Gu An and Gu Quan shared identical spiritual roots and cultivated the same lineage of techniques.

Their blade art was a family heirloom combined-strike dao method, called the Twin Linked Blade Art.

Used alone, the technique was merely moderate in power—but when both brothers trained together in unison, its strength soared, rivaling top-tier dao methods.

Moreover, because it was a two-person combined-strike technique, their spiritual energy consumption was greatly reduced.

With their linked blade light carving a path, the brothers were unstoppable for the moment.

Others protected their flanks, repelling demons that lunged at them.

Yu Dahe, following Mo Hua's orders, focused solely on carrying his two children, sprinting with all his strength—even when a demon lunged at him, its claws tearing his arm, he kept his gaze fixed ahead, resolute, not a single step back.

At the rear of the group were the two dragged black-robed men.

Demons had already climbed onto their bodies, frantically sucking at their faces—but their foreheads had been bound by Mo Hua with the Divine Path Array.

The demons could not draw anything.

These demons, desperate to consume spiritual sense, became living targets for Mo Hua's spells.

Mo Hua blasted one away with a fireball.

As for the two black-robed men, their faces buried under snarling demons, they had long since fainted from terror.

Thus, the group surged forward through the vast ritual ground, cutting through dense hordes of demons like a ship cleaving waves.

Blade light filled the sky; spells flew everywhere.

Occasionally, standard Dao Ting Si talismans exploded in succession.

Because they were sprinting at full speed, Mo Hua had no time to set arrays and could only respond with rapid spells.

Golden Blade Art, Water Prison Art, Fireball Art, Quicksand Art, Wood Binding Art…

All five-element spells flowed without pause.

Some attacked, some trapped, some defended—restricting the horde of demons.

There were also demons and monsters closing in, trying to devour his divine sense.

But because everyone's forehead had been sealed by Mo Hua with a formation, the monsters' most troublesome tactic was, on the contrary, nothing to worry about.

Just like that, the group kept charging forward and fighting without end.

Gu An and Gu Quan fought until their arms went numb.

Mo Hua kept casting low-tier spells, and his spiritual power was nearly exhausted.

The others were also gritting their teeth and holding on.

After an unknown length of time, the view suddenly opened up, and the group saw the end of the arena, and not far away, the River God Temple with its flying eaves and golden roof.

The pursuing demons and monsters were also slowing down more and more.

It seemed they were nearing the edge of the Blood Refining Formation, so the monsters' movements were gradually restricted.

The group's spirits soared.

The River God Temple was right before their eyes; they were almost about to break out.

But after a long, bitter battle, the closer to the end, the easier it was to let one's guard down.

A few Gu family cultivators exhaled slightly, but the moment they let out that breath, their taut mental state instantly collapsed, and all their fatigue came crashing back.

Blood and qi depleted, spiritual power sluggish, two Gu family cultivators couldn't muster any strength and collapsed prone onto the ground.

Mo Hua's heart sank.

Seeing several monsters catching up from behind, Mo Hua immediately shouted: "Little An-ge, Little Quan-ge!"

Gu An and Gu Quan immediately stopped ahead, turned back in midair, and carried the two Gu family cultivators on their backs.

Mo Hua said without room for argument: "You two run first!"

Gu An and Gu Quan worried about Mo Hua, hesitated for a moment, but instinctively still obeyed Mo Hua's order, carrying their two comrades on their backs and sprinting forward.

Mo Hua stayed at the very back, waved his palm, and in an instant crushed several ink bottles, sending spirit ink splashing all around.

Then his pupils turned pitch black in an instant.

In the urgency, the Heaven's Secret Guilty Calculation was pushed by him with full force, deduced to the extreme, and his divine sense circulated to the extreme.

Not enough!

Faster!

The strange shadow in Mo Hua's eyes suddenly trembled, split into two, and then the load on his divine sense rapidly intensified, reaching the brink of its limit.

But the monsters were charging in, and his divine sense still wasn't fast enough…

"Faster…"

Mo Hua gritted his teeth, doing his utmost to birth the formation.

Just at this moment, a golden light flashed in the depths of Mo Hua's eyes.

Divine marrow merged into his divine sense, solidified the sea of consciousness, and bore the load of the Guilty Calculation.

Mo Hua's divine sense suddenly trembled, twisted, and beyond its limit gained another fraction, directly producing three strange shadows.

One original thought, three strange shadows, four divisions of divine sense, controlling the spirit ink.

The spirit ink was controlled by divine sense, split into four trailing threads, advancing side by side, and at an unprecedented speed instantly condensed into a second-grade, sixteen-pattern Earth Kill Formation!

Just at this moment, several monsters charged up to Mo Hua.

Ugly fish faces, ferocious fangs, cold pupils, all clearly visible…

They opened their great maws at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua's face was expressionless as he said softly:

"Explode!"

The Earth Kill Formation, drawn by his divine sense, detonated in an instant.

The earth shook, spiritual power surged, and in a flash these few fish demons were swallowed, strangled, and ground to dust.

Having used the Earth Kill Formation to kill these monsters, the strange shadows in Mo Hua's eyes faded, and he turned to leave, but after only a few steps his spiritual power suddenly stalled, and the Flowing Water Step halted.

Mo Hua's divine sense also began to throb with violent pain.

As if in that instant just now, the triple division of the Guilty Calculation and the construction of the formation had already drained his divine sense completely.

Mo Hua's legs went weak, and he was about to fall to the ground.

Just at this moment, Gu Quan, who had finished saving the people and turned back, caught Mo Hua in one grab.

Then Gu An also came back fighting, his sharp blade-light flashing once to drive back several other monsters.

The two protected Mo Hua, fighting as they retreated, and finally left the range of the Blood Refining Formation, and also left the arena where monsters ran rampant.

The pursuing monsters paced back and forth at the edge of the arena, lowering their heads to roar at Mo Hua and the others, but did not dare cross the boundary.

(End of this chapter)