Chapter 745: Tai

Lianyao Mountain, outer mountain.

In a forest, several disciples clad in Ta'o Sect robes walked slowly, eyes alert, scanning the surroundings.

The lead figure was tall and upright, with a handsome, refined face, holding a crimson-gold maple longsword.

It was Ouyang Feng, a senior from Ta'o Sect whom Mo Hua had once encountered when he first entered Grand Void Gate.

There were five others.

Of the five, four were slightly older, at Foundation Establishment late stage, same cohort as Ouyang Feng.

Behind them trailed a young cultivator, skin slightly dark, slender and frail, his expression dull and tense.

After walking a while, a Ta'o Sect senior sister addressed the young cultivator:

"Little Muto, we can only guide you twice to familiarize you with Lianyao Mountain's terrain—after this, hunting demons is up to you."

"In two years, the Sword Debate will begin. Your brother is busy; he may not have time to watch over you. Understand."

The young cultivator, called "Little Muto," stole a glance at Ouyang Feng ahead—tall, sharp-browed, star-eyed—and nodded slightly.

"Qian sister, I understand," he murmured.

The senior sister was Ouyang Qian, also of the Ouyang family. She smiled, patted Little Muto's head, and warned:

"Lianyao Mountain is dangerous. Be careful."

"Mm."

Little Muto replied nervously.

But he was naturally taciturn, poor with words, and said little more.

As they walked, reaching the mountain's mid-slope, a long-faced Ta'o Sect senior brother surnamed Ma frowned:

"It's been a long time since we came to the outer mountain. Why are all these peaks occupied?"

Ouyang Feng's gaze shifted slightly.

Ouyang Qian, the Ta'o Sect senior sister, extended her spiritual sense, then exclaimed in surprise: "How are there so many people in this mountain?"

They were all Foundation Establishment late stage disciples.

Lianyao Mountain was vast; Foundation Establishment mid and late stage disciples hunted in different zones.

Due to the complex terrain and tangled paths, each hunting zone had its own ascent route.

The peak they stood on was the outer zone for low-grade demonic beasts.

Ouyang Feng and his group had once come here when they were Foundation Establishment mid stage, just beginning to hunt.

Later, after entering the inner mountain to hunt second-rank mid-tier and higher beasts, they never returned.

Based on their prior experience, the number of disciples entering now should have been small, and the outer mountain should have been empty—but they never expected so many disciples here.

"Disciples of He Sect?"

"Their robes look like… Grand Void Gate?"

The group exchanged glances.

In Qianxue Prefecture, the strongest are the Sida Sect.

But within Lianyao Mountain, the Sida Sect each hold exclusive territories, rarely crossing paths.

Outside the Sida Sect, they never imagined the peak occupiers would be neither Duanjin Gate, one of the Twelve Flows famed for sword qi and slaughter,

nor any other top-ranked sect among the Eight Gates.

Yet it was Grand Void Gate—long lukewarm, unambitious, quietly slipping toward last place…

"How could it be Grand Void Gate?"

"We don't know…"

"What powerful sword inheritance does Grand Void Gate have?"

"Our three sects have ancient ties—Ta'o for forging swords, Chongxu for sword qi, Grand Void Gate for sword intent?"

"We don't know. Elders rarely mention it."

"Sword intent? Too difficult. Foundation Establishment disciples can't possibly cultivate it…"

"Then how do they hunt demons?"

"Martial Dao arts? Or spells?"

The group looked puzzled, so they pressed forward, taking smaller paths and moving more covertly.

Then they saw wave after wave of Grand Void Gate disciples, clad in uniform armor, wielding spiritual weapons, moving in perfect unison, advancing and retreating with discipline.

Though distant, they still caught glimpses of hunting scenes.

First, disciples scouted, then tracked, then set up array traps.

When the arrays detonated, the demonic beasts were severely wounded, and a group of disciples surged forward to overwhelm them—movements clean, efficient, perfectly coordinated, as if rehearsed countless times.

The Ta'o Sect disciples were secretly stunned.

This wasn't sect disciples hunting demons.

Even Dao soldiers couldn't do better.

And yet…

The long-faced Ma-surnamed Ta'o Sect senior brother frowned: "When did Grand Void Gate become known for arrays?"

The traps used, the armor worn, the spiritual weapons held—

Each one bore specially designed arrays.

Tailored to demonic beast habits, trap properties, and weapon construction, specific array diagrams were forged into gear, standardized into hunting procedures, and widely disseminated among disciples…

This was beyond what ordinary disciples could achieve.

They themselves had stumbled through their early hunts, knowing the difficulties.

They also knew the terrifying advantages of this entire hunting system.

The "monster-hunting" of Grand Void Gate, compared with disciples of other sects, was already an entirely different concept.

Ouyang Feng's eyes showed contemplation as he instructed:

"Go back and tell the next batch of junior brothers to avoid these few mountain peaks inside Monster Refining Mountain, and also not to easily provoke disciples of Grand Void Gate."

Although Grand Tai Gate and Grand Void Gate shared some ancestral ties, after all they were now two separate sects.

Once the family had split, the old affection would inevitably fade with time.

Moreover, the disciples below had never cared much about such things.

Fellow disciples of the same sect were already engaged in open rivalry and covert struggle, full of friction — let alone disciples of different sects.

And inside Monster Refining Mountain, cultivators hunted monsters, stripped materials, and earned merit — it had always been a breeding ground for disputes.

If disciples of their own sect truly clashed with disciples of Grand Void Gate, judging by the current situation, they would inevitably suffer a great loss.

Grand Void Gate's hunting mode — five per team, exquisite formations, complete spirit artifacts, advancing and retreating in perfect order like Dao soldiers — was already more than enough to handle powerful demon beasts, let alone cultivators.

If it were truly turned against cultivators, the situation would be simply unimaginable.

Since that was the case, it was best to avoid it in advance, to prevent disciples of both sides from clashing and forming grudges that would lead to an uncontrollable situation.

Moreover, Ouyang Feng himself had a deep friendship with the disciples of the same cohort from Grand Void Gate.

Considering the ancestral ties as well, both in sentiment and in reason, he did not wish for his junior brothers and sisters below to fall out with Grand Void Gate.

"Good."

The other several disciples of Grand Tai Gate said in deep voices.

Ouyang Feng looked around, glanced at Little Wooden Head beside him, and said:

"These few mountain peaks are all occupied by Grand Void Gate. I'll take you somewhere more remote and personally kill a few demon beasts for you to see…"

He patted Little Wooden Head's shoulder. "From now on, you'll have to rely on yourself."

"Mm!" Little Wooden Head nodded solemnly.

A trace of warmth surfaced on Ouyang Feng's expression, but deeper in his eyes was worry.

Afterwards, the group from Grand Tai Gate crossed several mountain peaks, left Grand Void Gate's territory, arrived at the forested area on the edge, and together killed two demon beasts.

Ouyang Feng remained silent.

Ouyang Qian, meanwhile, explained the precautions of monster-hunting to Little Wooden Head one by one.

Little Wooden Head listened attentively.

"You've just entered the mountain, your experience is still shallow and your methods clumsy. Remember not to be too greedy — don't go straight for powerful demon beasts like tigers, leopards, bears, or yos."

"Start by killing the weaker demon beasts…"

"Demon beasts are cunning — you must stay extremely vigilant. Until a demon beast has completely breathed its last, you cannot relax, or disaster will follow."

"Some demon beasts have thick hides and abundant blood, others have bizarre demonic power — some pounce and kill at close range, some spit water, fire, or poisonous qi from afar. You must be mentally prepared in advance."

"Remember, never engage a demon beast alone."

"At least form a team of five, then…"

Ouyang Qian was patiently explaining to Little Wooden Head when she suddenly startled, looked up, and saw a streak of Jin Guang flash across the sky, followed by sword qi spilling outward in all directions.

A grey eagle was strangled by the sword qi, bursting into a cloud of blood mist, and fell at the sound.

Ouyang Feng's pupils contracted slightly.

The others' expressions also changed.

"Sword Control!"

Ouyang Qian's beautiful eyes widened in surprise as she murmured:

"Such fast Sword Control!"

"The distance is also over a hundred zhang — Foundation Establishment peak? Or Jin Dan?"

"The sword qi hasn't crystallized, so it looks like it's not yet Jin Dan…"

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"This is the outer mountain of Monster Refining Mountain — who exactly is performing Sword Control?"

The several of them looked solemn.

Little Wooden Head recalled the Sword Control that had just pierced the air, the sharp sword light, and could not help showing a face full of longing.

"This Sword Control is amazing… just don't know why, the spirit sword's quality is a bit lacking…"

He said silently in his heart.

Among the Grand Tai Gate group, the long-faced senior brother surnamed Ma, his gaze slightly condensing, said to Ouyang Feng: "Jin Se sword light, mingled with the qi of Jin Shi — it seems to be the sword art of Severing Gold Gate…"

"This person is likely a sword-cultivation expert from Severing Gold Gate."

Senior Brother Ma paused, then said, "Brother Feng, how about we go and make his acquaintance?"

Ouyang Feng's gaze darkened slightly.

The others also looked startled. "Severing Gold Gate?"

"What's the point of making Severing Gold Gate's acquaintance?"

"Severing Gold Gate is narrow-minded, and its reputation is poor. If it's really someone from Severing Gold Gate, no matter how good his swordsmanship, he's probably no good sort. Those who walk different paths cannot conspire together — there's no need to make his acquaintance."

Senior Brother Ma shook his head. "How can one be so arbitrary? A sect is a sect, an individual is an individual — there is still a difference in the end."

"Besides, over these years our Grand Tai Gate has forged ahead through hardship and already ranks first among the Eight Great Gates."

"Severing Gold Gate is likewise forging ahead with determination. Although it ranks among the Twelve Lesser Streams, in truth it is no worse than the Eight Great Gates."

"If our Grand Tai Gate wishes to advance further, we cannot do without making many friends of the same path. How can we, out of sectarian prejudice, reject other sects from the start?"

"Senior Brother Ma… does have a point," Ouyang Qian said after a brief contemplation, looking at Ouyang Feng. "Brother Feng, what do you think?"

Ouyang Feng silently glanced at Senior Brother Ma, his gaze somewhat obscure, not knowing what he was pondering. In the end he nodded and said:

"Let's go take a look."

He too wanted to know when the Duanjin Sect had produced a sword-wielding prodigy capable of severing a soaring eagle from afar.

Such a person, if not an ally, will surely become a great enemy someday.

The group followed the mountain path toward where the grey eagle had fallen, but when they drew near, they all froze.

Even Master Ma was momentarily stunned.

There was no Duanjin Sect swordmaster at the site where the eagle had crashed.

Only a young cultivator was skinning it.

His pale hands held a small knife, slowly scraping off the eagle's feathers and slicing through flesh and hide.

Seeing Ouyang Feng and the others arrive, he looked up, revealing the face of a boy with delicate features yet already bearing a hint of vigor, smiling warmly:

"Senior Brother Feng, long time no see!"

The Tai'e Sect members stared in shock, all turning to Ouyang Feng.

Ouyang Feng was also taken aback; only after clearly seeing the boy's face did he exclaim in surprise: "Mo Hua?"

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded with a smile.

Ouyang Feng's gaze shifted from Mo Hua to the blood-splattered ground, to the eagle demon that had been gutted and torn open, then back to Mo Hua, his tone filled with disbelief:

"This eagle…"

"I found it!"

Mo Hua's lie came effortlessly.

It wasn't that he wanted to lie—rather, if he told the truth—that he had learned sword control, sent a blade flying through the air, and slain this eagle demon—no one would believe him.

Besides, it was better to stay low; explaining otherwise would be a nuisance.

The Tai'e Sect members wore complex expressions.

Walking through the mountains, a bird demon just happens to be slain and lands right before you, for you to pick up…

How could such luck exist?

But if not him picking it up… could it really be that he killed it?

That was even more impossible.

A Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator—what sword could he possibly control? Moreover, there was no trace of sword qi around him; clearly, he wasn't a swordsman.

Ouyang Feng glanced around and asked: "Are there any other cultivators nearby?"

Mo Hua shook his head. "I don't know."

Ouyang Feng released his spiritual sense, scanning the surroundings, and confirmed there were indeed no other traces of life.

He studied Mo Hua again, his brow twitching as he asked: "You… didn't come into the mountains alone, did you?"

If it were anyone else, he wouldn't have thought so.

But if it were Mo Hua…

He had once partnered with Mo Hua on a bounty mission and knew this little brother, though he looked innocent, was bold, meticulous, cunning, and unafraid to act.

It wasn't beyond him to enter the Lianyao Mountains alone.

Mo Hua had indeed entered the mountains alone.

He wanted to practice sword control by himself.

One sword, one eagle—net profit: eight hundred merit points.

This wasn't something he wanted to bring others along for, nor was it necessary.

But strictly speaking, he wasn't truly alone in the mountains.

Manshan was filled with his "little brothers," scattered across nearby peaks, which was why he moved through the mountains as easily as a fish in water.

"Not exactly," Mo Hua pointed toward the hill behind him. "I have lots of little brothers."

Ouyang Feng and the others were all stunned, unsure what this little brother was talking about…

What did "lots of little brothers" even mean?

But Ouyang Qian and the others didn't know Mo Hua well enough to press further.

Ouyang Feng knew Mo Hua better, but with the other Tai'e Sect disciples present, it wasn't the place for catching up.

Meanwhile, Mo Hua had swiftly skinned and boned the eagle, stowing all the materials into his storage pouch.

Though he claimed the eagle was something he found.

But even if found, it was still his!

If it was his, he needed to put it in his pouch right away—before anything else happened.

Seeing Mo Hua's lively eyes and his refusal to be taken advantage of, Ouyang Feng couldn't help but chuckle, a gentle smile curving his lips.

He turned to look at the quiet, wooden boy beside him and sighed inwardly.

If Mu'er had even half of Mo Hua's wit—no, even one-fifth—

He wouldn't be so easily taken advantage of in the future.

"It's getting late. We'll take our leave and not disturb you," Ouyang Feng said, then looked at Mo Hua and warned, "Be careful in the mountains."

"Mm-hmm." Mo Hua nodded. "Senior Brother Feng, don't worry."

Ouyang Feng said no more and walked down the other mountain path, but after only a short distance, he suddenly stopped.

Scenes from the Lianyao Mountains flashed back in his mind.

Tai Xu Sect disciples entering the mountains early to hunt beasts…

Traps, armor, spiritual artifacts—all bore arrays.

Standardized hunting.

Mo Hua had just said, "I have lots of little brothers…"

Ouyang Feng's heart trembled, his expression one of utter disbelief.

"Could it be..."

Ouyang Feng couldn't help turning his head to look at Mo Hua again.

Mo Hua had already finished tending to the eagle; his frame was slender, his face pale, but his hands were caked in demon blood, his expression calm.

Looking at the dead, ferocious eagle before him, it was as if he were gazing at a chicken he had just slaughtered...

Ouyang Feng's pupils contracted sharply, and he immediately said:

"Mo Hua."

Mo Hua paused at the sound, glancing at Ouyang Feng with confusion, when Ouyang Feng, after a moment's thought, pulled over a young Ta'o Sect disciple with slightly dark skin and a slight build, and spoke gently:

"This is Ouyang Mu, my younger brother..."

A flicker of tenderness passed through Ouyang Feng's gaze, then he smiled at Mo Hua: "If you ever encounter him in the mountains, I'd be grateful if you'd look out for him."

At these words, Ouyang Mu was momentarily stunned.

The other Ta'o Sect disciples were also taken aback.

Ouyang Feng was a direct disciple of the Ta'o Sect, possessing an upper-upper-grade spiritual root and exceptional talent, highly respected by his fellow disciples.

Though he appeared easygoing and refined, inwardly he was proud and never asked anyone for favors.

Yet no one expected that today he would ask a junior disciple from another sect to look after his younger brother.

This surpassed everyone's expectations.

Mo Hua, however, felt nothing unusual.

He and Brother Feng had always gotten along well; he had once joined him on many missions and received much help from Brother Feng.

Now, looking out for his brother was only natural.

"Yeah, yeah," Mo Hua nodded vigorously. "Brother Feng, rest assured—I'll take good care of him whenever I get the chance."

Mo Hua glanced again at the thin, slightly dark young cultivator beside Ouyang Feng, silently memorizing his name:

Ouyang Mu.

(End of Chapter)

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