Chapter 707: Demon Bone

This thought, stirred by Mo Hua's words and deepened by his spiritual sense, became deeply engraved in Master She's heart.

Master She's eyes flickered with a momentary blankness.

Something seemed to be stirring within his heart…

Mo Hua himself was unaware that, while speaking, he had unconsciously employed a touch of the "Dao Heart Seed Demon" method.

Yet this Dao Heart Seed Demon was still crude, and not truly like the Gu Daoist's, planting a "demon thought" in another's mind.

It merely shook the other's Dao heart, planting a subtle seed of distorted perception within their soul.

It was a complex and subtle spiritual sense technique.

The Spiritual Dao array was an array designed to suppress gods.

They relied on water for survival; such water-based cultivation methods, movement arts, and demon-warding techniques were especially precious.

Mo Hua quickly stopped them.

Mo Hua further instructed them, "Best learn in secret—don't let the cultivation methods be seen—but these water-repelling, demon-warding techniques count as a hunting method against water demons; you may teach them to others in the village…"

Mo Hua was even a little embarrassed by his praise.

The refined pills… give them to Young Master?

Mo Hua glanced at Master She and asked, "Whom are you giving your pills to?"

Old Yu was overjoyed and deeply grateful to Mo Hua.

After the group reunited, they no longer hesitated and marched the black-clothed man out of the fishing village.

Even the soil was turned over.

Master She was stunned inside.

Mo Hua was thoroughly satisfied.

Mo Hua stood nearby directing them—where to cut, where to scale, where to remove the bones, where to strip the flesh—clearly and precisely.

After walking further, they entered the dried-up well shaft, where a deep pool blocked their path, and inside it lurked the powerful water demon.

The demon core of a Rank-Two peak water demon was highly valuable; if sold, each person could receive a substantial amount of spirit stones.

"Take these cultivation manuals—have the two children study them well…" Mo Hua said.

They worshiped an evil god; their spiritual sense had been partially consumed, so some spiritual loss was normal—rest for a while would suffice, and no serious harm was expected.

Mo Hua shook his head: "No need."

"Otherwise, by myself, I could never master these profound arrays."

After a while, the two children gradually woke, whispering:

Ordinary aristocratic youths worked hard just to earn a little merit; earning spirit stones for daily cultivation was likely no easy task.

Mo Hua's thoughts churned.

The matter of the small fishing village was temporarily settled.

Keeping this little Yama's secret was keeping your own life!

"Mm-hmm."

Less than half an hour, the pool water was burned dry.

"In another half day, this furnace of pills will be finished—take them to Young Master, and I'll have fulfilled my duty."

Soon after, a roar rose from beneath the water.

The other Gu family cultivators also brightened, sincerely bowing to Mo Hua: "Thank you, Young Master Mo!"

The oppressive atmosphere eased considerably.

"Father… Grandfather…"

Master She's gaze flickered with momentary haziness, his pupils unfocused, then returned to normal—he silently stored the words in his heart and believed them utterly.

Even after being rescued from the nightmare, these two children had been affected by the River God, undergoing unexpected transformations.

Mo Hua waved his hand, and over a dozen Gu family cultivators surged forward.

He didn't draw attention—he used spiritual sense to manipulate ink to form arrays, but first laid several ground-fire arrays with array discs, then personally drew several Li Fire arrays onto the bricks and stones.

Killing it would be eliminating a menace.

Gu Jiang Long remained calm, but his spiritual sense was deeply uneasy.

The group left the River God temple and began returning; along the way, they noticed the fishing village looked different from when they arrived.

Others chimed in: "Indeed, we will spare no effort."

"No need for thanks…"

Afterwards, the group left the well's bottom and returned to the fishing village.

Mo Hua was very satisfied.

This was the water lineage Mo Hua had obtained from Jiang Long.

But now, having devoured vast amounts of divine essence, his spiritual sense had undergone further transformation—divine nature and human nature merged into his Dao heart.

Though aristocratic families were large, so were the mouths they had to feed.

Anything strange was seized and stored.

For instance, this "Dao Heart Seed Demon" without demon thoughts…

When coming here, we feared alerting the demon, so we were chased across the river—and I even fell on my ass.

The two children seem… off.

Thus, Mo Hua, using his own methods and his relatively profound understanding of array arts, preliminarily reconstructed a true Spiritual Dao array—with array patterns, array pivots, and array focal points, all self-contained and coherent!

The Gu family cultivators felt deep admiration, convinced that Young Master Mo was truly pragmatic and eager to learn, seizing every opportunity to study arrays with focus.

Moreover, spiritual sense turned into sword also rested upon the foundation of sword techniques.

Inside, it reeked of rot, filled with undigested human bones—clearly, it habitually fed on humans; no one knew how many cultivators it had devoured at the bottom of this well.

In this fishing village, no one, no god, not even anything, could threaten Mo Hua.

The water demon, without water, lost much of its power.

The Gu family cultivators moved in perfect harmony, attacking or defending as needed, with clear discipline; within the time of a single incense stick, they slew the peak second-rank water demon.

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened slightly, then asked: "Do you know… who the Young Master is?"

The ugly, ferocious water demon lay sprawled at the bottom of the pool, its yellow-green eyes glaring at the crowd.

These ordinary family disciples, in daily life, needed spirit stones for food, clothing, expenses, exchanges with fellow cultivators, and cultivation and study — they weren't wealthy at all.

Mo Hua sighed inwardly, thought for a moment, then pulled out several secret manuals from his storage pouch.

The fishing cultivators' spiritual senses had all awakened from their nightmares; their expressions no longer flickered with confusion or blankness, though most looked pale and spirit-weary.

So does that mean the River Dragon was able to draw the blood-colored unsealing array pattern at Jingkou by borrowing some kind of "evil thought"?

"Borrowing evil thought…"

Mo Hua frowned.

Mo Hua's courage grew; he began ransacking everything like a locust swarm.

And how exactly does one borrow evil thought?

"Understood?" Mo Hua asked.

The mud pool became nothing more than an ordinary mud pool.

Mo Hua was delighted to have reconstructed a complete array diagram.

Mo Hua froze. "Refining a spirit sword?"

Mo Hua's heart stirred.

The water demon had its flesh stripped, bones removed, and core extracted — it died with perfect clarity.

One of the Gu family cultivators chuckled: "Young Master Mo, if you need anything else next time, just say the word."

The old Mo Hua would never have known how.

"I am a traitor."

…

If so, he likely possesses a complete set of divine array diagrams.

Mo Hua scanned the area once more, confirmed there were no other issues, and finally relaxed completely.

After extracting the materials, Gu An handed Mo Hua a pale blue demonic core and a long, luminous white spinal bone.

Mo Hua frowned slightly, recalling the nightmare: those two children kneeling before the altar, transformed by two special fish demons — gills sprouting on their cheeks, limbs turning into fins.

But he knew well: Gu An, Gu Quan, and these Gu family cultivators were treating him kindly and offering him benefits only because of Uncle Gu's reputation.

"I can't reveal this little Yama… or the Divine Lord will learn of my 'bringing the wolf into the house'…"

But for these impoverished, water-dependent fishing cultivators, it was nearly top-tier cultivation transmission.

Within it, there must be deeper array secrets.

But ordinary cultivators simply couldn't see them.

"I betrayed the Divine Lord."

The evil entities within the Blood Leech Mud Pool all withered and died.

"This water demon, at peak second-rank, has lived for who knows how long — its spinal bone is perfect for a sword core."

Master She, the Black-Cloaked Man, and the River Dragon would all be escorted back to Dao Ting Si by Gu An and his group.

Gu An paused, then smiled slightly and bowed.

Are these all methods of the Great Wilderness Demonic Gods?

Mo Hua glanced at Master She and saw his fearful expression — he wasn't lying — yet Mo Hua still felt a faint unease.

Dao Ting Si missions are dangerous and heavily regulated; earning extra income is no easy feat.

One was the "White Wave Scripture," containing the "White Wave Body Technique," and another was the "Water-Repelling, Demon-Averting Art."

Master She blinked, shook his head: "I don't know… I only know it was delivered to the 'Young Master.'"

Gu An hesitated, still trying to refuse.

Gu An drew his blade and slit open the water demon's belly.

Yu Dahe pulled the two children forward, ready to kowtow and thank Mo Hua.

This young master… his array mastery may be far more terrifying than I previously thought!

He is not just a spiritual-nexus demon — he is a true array prodigy…

With each breath, his spiritual sense trembled, like the gills and fins of a fish.

Why would a demonic god teach this?

But their cheeks and limbs bore faint white, highly unusual spiritual marks.

Gu An spoke with restraint: "We follow orders. Dao Ting Si pays salaries and credits achievements. These extra goods must not be greedily claimed."

Master She finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then took the demonic bone. "I'll keep this demonic spine — it might be useful for refining a spirit sword later…"

Mo Hua's gaze turned sharp. "It's on you."

Borrowing thought to draw arrays?

Mo Hua didn't believe it. "Then where did you learn your evil arrays?"

This was the sign of spiritual exhaustion.

But now, the nightmare was shattered, the River God's temple collapsed, the River God was slain, and the demonic god's avatar had been "eaten."

The entire pool's water boiled hot, the basin searing and churning, thick steam rising violently.

Whether I did it intentionally or not, deliberately or by accident — I am still a "guide" who led the tiger into the forest.

I'm already a traitor.

Only after leaving the small fishing village and walking to the roadside, just as they were about to part, Mo Hua suddenly remembered something Master She had said:

Just…

These lineages, in Mo Hua's hands, were merely several ordinary cultivation manuals or spell incantations.

Yu Dahe held these few secret texts, his hands trembling.

He knew this was utterly impossible.

When they arrived, they had also been chased by the water demon; one of their comrades had lost half his leg to the demon's bites, and their hearts burned with rage—now, they showed no mercy.

The smell of fish and blood was gradually fading.

Master She watched Mo Hua's pensive expression, unsure whether he was thinking of something else or plotting something sinister, and felt an inexplicable chill.

Guo Jiang Long's face twitched, his fingers trembling uncontrollably.

Several Gu family cultivators guarded here, overseeing Guo Jiang Long and the other black-clad men; since they were far away, no trouble arose.

Mo Hua asked: "Who delivers these pills to the Young Master?"

Mo Hua glanced at Gu An: "Aren't you taking these demon cores and demon bones?"

Master She himself had figured everything out and straightened it all out.

The Divine takes matter as its foundation.

"A second-rank peak water demon's core, refined in a pill furnace, burned clean of demonic energy and impurities, can be used in medicine and is worth a good deal of spirit stones."

"This spine is also valuable—rich in water essence, with hard, dense bone structure; it's excellent material for forging spirit swords."

One good spirit sword is still needed.

"Then thank you, Young Master Mo."

Old Yu could not find the right words; his expression was agitated, eyes red, and he kept thanking repeatedly:

"Thank you, Young Master, thank you…"

Mo Hua could now, almost instinctively, employ certain spirit-narrative methods he had once seen but never known how to learn.

"Yes, yes, we all listen to Young Master!"

A gentleman does not hold a grudge overnight!

Mo Hua silently thought to himself, then began setting up the formation.

Guo Jiang Long dared not answer.

They were not demon hunters; they were unfamiliar with slaying beasts and harvesting materials.

And aren't the Divine incapable of formations?

The entire fishing village—or rather, the entire "preaching ground" of the evil deity—had begun to decay.

Master She felt fear, dared not entertain other thoughts, and showed a respectful, even humble, demeanor.

This was far more than simply gathering the formation patterns.

Coming here required extreme caution.

Sword core?

Before this, he had never seen any formation master capable of reconstructing a formation in this manner…

The fishing village had been ransacked nearly bare; the ground looked as if plowed by a harrow—nothing of value remained.

As long as he kept his mouth shut.

The Divine's transmitted formations—how could they be so easily reconstructed…

And Mo Hua's guess was correct.

Gu An nodded.

The well's depths were dark, unseen by daylight, perpetually gray, but outside it was daytime—sunlight flooded the village, illuminating every corner.

Then, at Mo Hua's signal, the Gu family cultivators, gritting their teeth against the stench, proceeded to "dismember" the water demon.

"As for this demon core, Young Brother An, take it and sell it; use the spirit stones to divide among everyone—for cultivation, or just for a good drink."

Old Yu and his son nodded repeatedly, showering Mo Hua with endless gratitude.

Mo Hua understood.

Yu Dahe carried the two children home, laid them on the bed, fed them Qingxin Pills and Huoluo Pills, then used his spiritual energy to unblock their meridians.

One of the Gu family cultivators tried the same trick again, tossing dead spotted fish into the pool.

But Mo Hua clearly wasn't ready to abandon the evil deity's preaching ground yet.

One by one, Mo Hua discovered formation patterns, memorized them, and finally pieced them together into a complete formation.

Mo Hua gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping over the others, finally settling on Guo Jiang Long.

Then the formation activated, flames spread, and a wave of heat surged forward.

Mo Hua released his spiritual sense to survey the village's condition.

No wonder he was so young yet already favored by Young Master Changhuai as a formation master.

Along this journey, whether opening doors, setting altars, making sacrifices, or entering dreams, nearly all involved formation patterns—and all these patterns were held by Master She.

Even the Gu family cultivators, and Master She himself, began digging bit by bit under Mo Hua's orders, turning the village upside down.

On the surface, the two children appeared unchanged, their bodies showing no wounds.

The water demon soaked in boiling water, thrashing and roaring—but its thick hide and tough flesh resisted the heat, only subjecting it to unbearable torment.

Once the Divine Lord discovered this, he would face punishment worse than death.

Then Mo Hua prepared to leave, but suddenly remembered another matter and said to Master She: "Hand over the Divine Dao formation to me."

Mo Hua smiled and nodded.

"But I only refine pills—I never meet the Young Master."

Outside and inside the fishing village, there were many traces of divine dao arrays.

Master She's face was pale, his voice hoarse, but he declared firmly:

"Understood!"

Traitors deserve no pity.

The group continued back the way they came, crossed the small bridge, and arrived near the village's large fisherman's house.

He had wanted to become a sword cultivator too, but lacked the foundational lineage of sword cultivation—his sword qi was weak, his spiritual stones scarce, and his spiritual sword inadequate.

This Master She was at least sensible, and there might be other karmic threads tied to him; for now, he could be spared.

Mo Hua declared decisively: "It's settled then."

He had finished what he needed to do—he was going back to Yaohui Sect to pick up his "takeout."

Yes, this "Little Yama" spoke correctly.

The many fleshly demons in the dao hall fell into daze, as if their "souls" had been ripped out, becoming mere walking corpses, twitching instinctively in place.

Not a single trace of array markings was left unexamined—on the floor tiles, Shi Zhu, the plaza, the roads.

But these people were merely ordinary scions of noble families.

Therefore, this Master She was certainly no ordinary evil array master.

"A spiritual sword requires a blade core, usually made from Jin Shi or demonic bone. Jin Shi is easy to obtain, but high-quality demonic spine bones are rare."

Mo Hua held a grudge in his heart.

But now that he had learned the "Sword Transformation Form" of spiritual mind sword cultivation, he had at least entered the threshold—perhaps in the future, he could become a half-baked "sword cultivator" through a backdoor path.

It was just unclear whether this transformation was good or bad.

They were not demon hunters, so how to extract materials still depended on Mo Hua's instructions.

Mo Hua smiled amiably, but as he turned his head, his spiritual sense registered a shock—his gaze grew solemn.

Mo Hua didn't need to concern himself with this matter.

But since they were from the Gu family and served in Dao Ting Si, their knowledge of demonic beast materials and their uses was still quite refined.

"Moreover, this entire operation relied entirely on the young master's exceptional alertness, profound array knowledge, and skillful coordination—this is rightfully his due."

Fortunately, Mo Hua did not press further, only said softly, "Let's go."

His stay in this fishing village, beyond brewing evil pills, likely also involved overseeing the evil array and maintaining and repairing the divine dao arrays.

The Divine Lord would not reason with him, nor listen to his explanations.

But once the "god" is dead, the "object" level will also slowly perish.

Under Mo Hua's gaze, Master She dared not conceal anything; he chuckled bitterly:

"I truly don't have that."

Transmission of methods in dreams?

Moreover, he would need to rely on these Gu family brothers for future matters.

Master She was startled.

Gu An and Gu Quan, the two brothers, likely held higher status within the Gu family, but probably weren't direct heirs.

Master She gave up all pretense and no longer concealed anything, yet his expression still carried reverence:

"All of this was transmitted to us through the Divine Lord's dreams. Whether we learn or draw, we must borrow the Divine Lord's great spiritual mind…"

Only Master She looked utterly incredulous.

"We cannot let the Divine Lord know."

"I'll first dry up the water with my array, then we all strike together and kill this water demon!"

He glanced at Guo Jiang Long, then gave a calm order:

"You will now deliver the pills you've refined… to the 'Young Master'!"

Mo Hua wanted to know—who exactly was this Young Master…

(End of Chapter)