Chapter 751

On the way back, Mo Hua happened to walk the same path as Linghu Xiao.

Tai'e Mountain, where Tai'e Gate is located, Chongxu Mountain, where Chongxu Gate is located, and Taixu Mountain, where Taixu Gate is located—these three mountains form a single range, their locations adjacent.

Both of them were heading back to their sect in the same direction.

Linghu Xiao remained cold and distant, never smiling or speaking, but occasionally cast a glance at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua noticed his gaze and turned his head in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

Linghu Xiao said seriously: "You promised—you'd fight me."

Mo Hua froze. "When did that happen?"

Linghu Xiao looked annoyed. "Just now, in the mountains!" He frowned. "Are you going back on your word?"

Mo Hua thought back, then shook his head. "I said, 'We'll talk about it when I have time.'"

"When will you have time?" Linghu Xiao asked.

Mo Hua sighed.

He'd just said it offhand.

Who would be so bored as to actually fight him…

"By the way," Mo Hua changed the subject to avoid further entanglement, "Duanjin Gate keeps stealing your beasts. Don't you want to take them back?"

"It's my own matter," Linghu Xiao said.

"Then if they keep stealing from you, won't you never earn merit points?" Mo Hua asked again.

Linghu Xiao fell silent, then his expression turned slightly cold, his eyes revealing a sharp sword intent—his entire being bristling with edge and sharpness:

"When my sword Dao is complete, none of them will be a match for even one of my strikes. Then I'll settle this account properly."

Mo Hua gave a slight nod.

Talents speak with such conviction.

"But isn't your sword Dao still incomplete right now?"

Linghu Xiao hesitated again.

His sword Dao truly wasn't complete yet—he couldn't yet "cut down all who stood before him," so he had no rebuttal.

Mo Hua pondered, then began to "gently guide" him:

"Whether you need a spiritual sword, rare treasures, or even your sect's most secret cultivation techniques or sword arts—you'll need merit points, won't you?"

"From what I can tell, your merit points probably aren't plentiful…"

Linghu Xiao had wanted to say that his sword art was strong, he killed beasts efficiently, and earned plenty of merit points.

But then he remembered: Mo Hua had given him over a thousand merit points without even blinking.

His "resources" were likely as profound and unfathomable as his strength.

Linghu Xiao couldn't bring himself to say it.

Mo Hua continued, dead serious:

"While Duanjin Gate steals your beasts and you earn no merit points, your sword heart and sword Dao will progress slowly—and the day you complete your sword Dao will grow ever farther away…"

"You'll never get your revenge."

"The less merit you earn, the slower your sword Dao advances, the more you'll be bullied and dominated by Duanjin Gate…"

"It becomes a vicious cycle…"

"By the time your sword Dao is complete and you finally want to wipe out the humiliation and punish Duanjin Gate's disciples…"

"They might already have graduated and vanished somewhere, living carefree."

"If you never cross paths again…"

Mo Hua sighed. "You may never get your revenge in this lifetime. You may never swallow this bitterness."

Hearing this, Linghu Xiao suddenly froze—he realized it made perfect sense.

Under the current circumstances, what Mo Hua said was almost certainly true.

If he didn't settle this now, he might have to swallow it for life.

Mo Hua observed his expression and added:

"So, a true gentleman doesn't let grudges linger overnight—if you can settle them, do it quickly, or the opportunity will be long gone."

Linghu Xiao fell silent under Mo Hua's words. After a moment, he frowned.

"Why are you telling me all this?"

Mo Hua sighed. "Our meeting is fate. Moreover, our three gates share a single lineage—we're all descendants of the same ancestors. We should help each other, without distinction."

Linghu Xiao was suspicious, but intuitively, he felt Mo Hua wasn't lying or tricking him.

His words seemed genuinely meant for his benefit.

"How will you help me?" Linghu Xiao asked hesitantly.

Mo Hua smiled brightly, radiating warmth:

"Hunt beasts on our Taixu Gate's mountain. Duanjin Gate is afraid of us—they won't cross the border or steal your beasts."

Linghu Xiao froze, frowning slightly.

Duanjin Gate was afraid of them…

He'd entered the mountains late and was reclusive; aside from his sword art, he paid little attention to other matters, so he knew nothing of the conflict between Taixu Gate and Duanjin Gate.

Yet in his mind, Taixu Gate wasn't much stronger than Duanjin Gate.

And Duanjin Gate was always ruthless and unscrupulous—how had they possibly been frightened by Taixu Gate?

Linghu Xiao was puzzled.

"And…" Mo Hua pressed on while Linghu Xiao was distracted, "you could join teams with our Taixu Gate disciples to hunt beasts—it'll earn you merit points faster."

Mo Hua had calculated: with Linghu Xiao's sword qi, all he needed was a partner to scout for demonic beasts, set traps, and arrange arrays.

After the array exploded, the wounded demonic beast, he could probably slay with a single sword strike.

If one strike wasn't enough, he'd just strike again.

But Linghu Xiao was somewhat resistant.

"I don't team up with others."

"Why?" Mo Hua asked.

Linghu Xiao tilted his head slightly, his voice cold:

"I must perfect my sword art—and the path of a swordsman is inevitably a lonely one…"

Mo Hua fell silent, then took a deep breath and snapped:

"Why are you fixated on this nonsense?"

"What does whether you're lonely or not have to do with perfecting your sword art?"

"If your sword art is strong, you can be as lonely as you want; if it's weak, what good is loneliness? You'll get cut down and no one will even bury your corpse…"

"The key is cultivating sword art!"

"To cultivate sword art, you need merit points."

"Right now, the priority is earning as many merit points as fast as possible, then concentrating resources to rapidly improve your sword mastery…"

"If someone can help you earn merit points, and you refuse, aren't you an idiot?"

…

Mo Hua spoke clearly and rapidly, firing off words like a barrage.

Linghu Xiao was left stunned by Mo Hua's words.

He wasn't truly unfriendly—he just had such exceptional talent that others grew jealous and naturally kept their distance.

Over time, he grew reclusive.

He no longer wished to interact with others.

If he continued like this until Golden Core or even Nascent Soul, he might become an unparalleled swordsman—brilliant, yet eccentric, emotionally detached.

But now, things were different.

Mo Hua's words echoed in Linghu Xiao's ears; after long thought, he nodded silently:

"Fine…"

Mo Hua, expecting to have to argue further, was surprised.

But since Linghu Xiao agreed, it was a good thing.

Mo Hua instinctively patted Linghu Xiao on the shoulder, his demeanor warm, his motion natural.

Linghu Xiao's body stiffened, but he did not refuse.

"Next rest period, go to the hills near the entrance of Demon Refining Mountain, find disciples of the Grand Void Gate, and give them my name."

"With your sword art, one strike per demonic beast—you could earn a fortune in merit points each day."

Mo Hua painted him a "big cake."

Of course, it was also true.

Linghu Xiao nodded.

At the crossroads, the two parted, each returning to their sect.

After returning to the sect, Linghu Xiao remained burdened with worries for several days.

Mo Hua's words and actions kept surfacing in his mind.

At their first meeting, that subtle killing intent, the eerie, unpredictable pressure, and the fluid, effortless spells and movements;

The fierce golden sword qi on the dead Wood Hawk, and the tiny, bone-piercing fragments of sword blades embedded in its flesh;

Later, when he suppressed his killing intent, that smile as warm as spring breeze;

And the sincerity and calmness, as radiant as sunlight, that slipped through his words…

All these contradictory, oddly mismatched images intertwined.

Linghu Xiao firmly memorized the name:

"Mo Hua…"

…

As for Mo Hua, after returning to the sect, he forgot about Linghu Xiao.

He was too busy—training, attending classes, practicing arrays, and planning for forging and sword-casting; he had no time for anything else.

Only occasionally, when studying sword arrays, would he remember Linghu Xiao.

Linghu Xiao's sword qi was indeed the strongest he had ever seen in the Foundation Establishment realm.

Clearly superior by more than one tier to the Golden-Cutting Sword Art of the Golden-Cutting Gate.

Of course, his current cultivation level was still low; though his sword qi was powerful, he might not yet fully control it with ease.

And with spiritual energy limitations, he likely couldn't unleash many full-power strikes.

In actual combat, he'd still be vulnerable to targeted attacks.

But even so, it was extremely strong.

If used properly, in the Foundation Establishment realm—especially among mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators—it would let him slaughter without mercy.

And then there was the Void-Piercing Sword Qi…

Mo Hua was deeply curious: the Void-Piercing Sect was famed for its Void-Piercing Sword Qi, but what was the true source of its power?

Could this sword qi be amplified—or even simulated—through a "sword array"?

If he could use a sword array to evolve Void-Piercing Sword Qi, wouldn't his own sword control reach a new level?

"If I get the chance later, I'll study it thoroughly."

"I can't steal the Chongxu Sword Qi, but if I just study it myself, it shouldn't be a problem…"

Mo Hua thought silently to himself.

……

At this moment, the Elder's residence of Grand Void Gate.

Elder Xun Ziyou, who had been away for several days, had just returned to the sect and summoned a senior elder with a stern, ancient face, saying slowly:

"I wish to use the Grand Void Heavenly Mechanism Lock to seal some karmic threads. This matter requires the approval of your Elder Murong."

"But he frequently enters seclusion, and I dare not disturb him lightly."

"Go back to your clan and inform them: if your elder emerges from seclusion, let him know—or if there's a clear time, I'll come in advance."

The elder, upon hearing this, paused slightly in surprise.

To activate the Grand Void Heavenly Mechanism Lock must mean a matter of the utmost importance.

He dared not ask further, only bowed and said, "Yes, junior obeys your command."

Elder Xun Ziyou gave a slight nod.

After the elder left, not long after, Ziyou arrived again.

He came to report regularly on Mo Hua's movements, so the elder wouldn't think he was slacking off.

Ziyou bowed to Elder Xun Ziyou, then told him everything Mo Hua had done recently in the Demon-Slaying Mountains.

Including practicing sword control, hunting demons, befriending the Ouyang family of Tai'e Sect—the boy named Ouyang Mu—and encountering the sword prodigy from Chongxu Sect.

Elder Xun Ziyou felt a faint surprise within.

Mo Hua's actions always caught him off guard…

"I understand. Keep watching him closely," Elder Xun Ziyou instructed.

"Yes," Ziyou replied with a bow.

Elder Xun Ziyou lowered his head, lost in thought.

Ziyou opened his mouth several times, then held back.

Elder Xun Ziyou lifted his gaze slightly and said calmly:

"Speak if you have something to say."

Ziyou paused, then frowned and said, "Elder, I have a question… Who is behind the sect's restructuring?"

Elder Xun Ziyou's gaze sharpened slightly as he looked at Ziyou and replied with a counter-question:

"What do you think?"

"On the surface, it seems to be the Sida Sect," Ziyou said slowly, looking solemn. "But upon closer thought, this matter is very strange…"

Elder Xun Ziyou raised an eyebrow, watching Ziyou with a calm gaze, and asked:

"What's strange?"

Ziyou frowned and said:

"The purpose of the sect restructuring is to change the current sect landscape—first destroy, then rebuild; replace the old with the new…"

"But the Sida Sect are already the Sida Sect—they're the top sects in Qianxue Province. What landscape do they need to change?"

"Even in the best case, they'll remain the Sida Sect."

"But if something goes wrong, if unforeseen changes occur, and they lose their status and fall out of the Sida Sect, won't that become a joke?"

"Such an important matter—they would never be so careless, never so frivolous."

"Therefore, there must be some deeper meaning here…"

Ziyou said solemnly.

Elder Xun Ziyou was slightly surprised, silently studying Ziyou, then asked in a hoarse voice after a moment:

"What do you think?"

Ziyou smiled bitterly, "That's precisely why I'm unsure—I came to ask you…"

"Whatever you think, say it," Elder Xun Ziyou's tone softened slightly. "Don't hold back."

Ziyou thought for a moment, then spoke slowly:

"In my view, the Sida Sect seem to want to… 'shuffle' all the sects?"

Elder Xun Ziyou's brow twitched slightly.

Seeing the elder did not rebuke him, Ziyou continued:

"In recent days, I've taken time to quietly ask a few old friends within various Shijiahe Sects and other sects."

"Based on the information gathered…"

"The Sida Sect appear to intend to shuffle every sect in Qianxue Province—from top to bottom: the Eight Gates, the Twelve Streams, the Hundred Sects of Qianxue, and all smaller sects beneath them…"

"Those who comply prosper; those who resist perish."

"Sects that refuse their orders will be cast down from their prominent positions, replaced by obedient ones…"

"By shuffling from top to bottom, they will establish a true sect power structure in Qianxue Province—with the 'Sida Sect' at its head."

"The Sida Sect will become the supreme sect leaders, mighty powers."

"The remaining Eight Gates, Twelve Streams, and all Qianxue sects will become their vassals, subject to their direct commands, forbidden to defy them in the slightest."

Ziyou sighed, "In the world, most powers, when strong, monopolize and form oligarchies—that's inevitable."

"But if so, two problems arise…"

Ziyou looked puzzled. "First, how can the Sida Sect be certain they won't lose in this sect restructuring—or the Dao Debate Assembly—and fall from the Sida Sect?"

"Second, if they truly intend to shuffle, the first targets will be our Grand Void Gate, and…"

Ziyou paused, then said solemnly, "Our kin sects—Tai'e Sect and Chongxu Sect!"

"But the Tai'e Sect and Chongxu Sect appear utterly unaware, not only opposing no reform, but actively promoting it."

"They seem to be thinking of using this sect reform to advance further, and ascend into the Sida Sect..."

Elder Xun Ziyou wore a look of deep concern.

Mr. Xun nodded slightly, his gaze toward Elder Xun Ziyou carrying a hint of approval.

Learning to think is a good thing—it eases my burden.

"You're partly right, but partly wrong."

Mr. Xun said, "The Sida Sect all wish to become the supreme sect, to truly become the 'Sida Sect,' dominating one region and commanding thousands of sects, none daring to defy them."

"But behind this, there must be something deeper, more terrifying—a darker, more sinister intent..."

Mr. Xun's gaze grew profound, then he sighed: "But these things, I cannot tell you."

"As for the Tai'e Sect and Chongxu Sect, even if they know nothing of the hidden truths behind it, nothing of how terrible this karmic web truly is, they must at least be fully aware of the Sida Sect's schemes..."

Elder Xun Ziyou frowned, "Then they..."

Mr. Xun shook his head. "Men fish; fish eat bait—all willingly."

"Until the end, how can you know whether the man reeled in the fish, or whether the fish swallowed the bait, snapped the line, and dragged the man into the water?"

"To the Sida Sect, this is a trap."

"If they succeed, their word is law; they command an entire province, and a thousand sects obey their orders."

"But for the Tai'e Sect and Chongxu Sect, this is equally a once-in-a-millennium opportunity."

"Seize it, surge forward with the current, and they may leap to the top, becoming true 'apex' sects."

"Everyone is gambling."

"But..." Elder Xun Ziyou frowned, "to gamble with a sect's future—isn't that recklessly foolish? I always feel this move is somewhat..."

Elder Xun Ziyou paused, then spoke the two words:

"Stupid..."

Mr. Xun smiled faintly. "Don't view it from outside the game. The so-called 'clarity' of onlookers is an illusion."

"Most who think themselves clear-sighted become far more foolish than the players once they enter the game."

"The Tai'e Sect is gambling. The Chongxu Sect is gambling. Do you think my Grand Void Gate doesn't want to gamble too?"

"We Grand Void Gate lack the stakes—if we had them, we'd have already laid our traps and placed our bets."

"Besides, by common human habit, merit and fault are judged only after the fact."

"If the Tai'e Sect and Chongxu Sect win, they'll be called masterminds, visionary leaders."

"If they lose, they'll be called greedy, overreaching fools."

"But the dust hasn't settled, the heavens and earth aren't yet decided—how can you judge whether their move is 'visionary' or 'overreaching'?"

"How can you know they'll surely lose?"

"What if they win?"

Mr. Xun's gaze burned bright, piercing and intense.

Elder Xun Ziyou froze, silenced by Mr. Xun's question.

Only now did he realize: when problems don't concern you, you think yourself clear-minded.

But once you place yourself in the situation, the mist before you thickens, the karmic threads unpredictable—hard to decide at all.

Elder Xun Ziyou sighed deeply, unable to speak.

After a moment, Elder Xun Ziyou asked softly: "Then, Grand Ancestor, what of our Grand Void Gate..."

Mr. Xun said: "Our Grand Void Gate is weak in foundation. Stay cautious, observe quietly, and go with the flow..."

Elder Xun Ziyou felt a deep pang.

No wonder he's Grand Ancestor—this advice made perfect sense, yet upon closer thought, it was no advice at all.

Mr. Xun fell silent for a moment, then sighed again:

"The Tai'e Sect seeks to surge forward; the Chongxu Sect seeks to advance to maintain stability. On the surface, both seem far stronger than our Grand Void Gate."

"But in truth, we're all grasshoppers tied to the same string—none is much better off than the other."

"This sect reform appears turbulent on the surface, but beneath, the blood tide surges..."

"Our Grand Void Gate can barely save itself—they can only rely on their own fortune. How they gamble, whether they win or lose—it all depends on their own destiny..."

Elder Xun Ziyou's brow was tightly furrowed, his heart heavy.

The things Grand Ancestor must consider... they're far more than what our sect elders face.

Mr. Xun's face was calm, yet inwardly, he too felt a weight.

Though each sect must fend for itself, the Grand Void, Tai'e, and Chongxu Sects all share the same origin—in the eyes of elders like him, who live so long, they are one bloodline.

Now, storm clouds gather. He did not wish to see any one of the three sects capsize, meet disaster.

But this matter is too great—he cannot decide it alone...

Mr. Xun, burdened with worries, raised his head and saw Elder Xun Ziyou also with a gloomy expression. He shook his head slightly and said:

"Don't concern yourself with so much. Remember what I told you: take care of Mo Hua. Nothing else is your concern."

Elder Xun Ziyou sighed helplessly and bowed. "Yes."

Mr. Xun nodded slightly, then suddenly remembered something and asked: "You said Mo Hua has had contact with disciples of the Tai'e Sect and Chongxu Sect?"

"Yes." Elder Xun Ziyou nodded. "They're on good terms."

"The Chongxu Sect's sword prodigy and Mo Hua became friends through conflict—they met for the first time, yet talked at length."

"As for the Tai'e Sect, that young man from the Ouyang family is even closer to Mo Hua—he helps Mo Hua forge swords daily, and every time they meet, he calls Mo Hua 'Senior Brother'..."

"Senior Brother?" Mr. Xun blinked in surprise.

"Senior Brother," Elder Xun Ziyou confirmed.

Elder Xun Ziyou nodded.

This boy Mo Hua has quite the charm—even disciples from the Ouyang family of Tai'e Sect call him "Senior Brother"…

Elder Xun Ziyou fell into thought for a moment, then suddenly froze.

A bold idea suddenly surfaced in Elder Xun Ziyou's mind.

This idea was so bold that even Elder Xun Ziyou himself couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath.

He calmed his mind, pondered for a moment, his thoughts surging like turbulent waves, murmuring to himself:

"Our Grand Void Gate isn't without 'bargaining chips'…"

"What if we… bet even bigger?!"

Elder Xun Ziyou's gaze trembled with shock, then slowly deepened.

(End of Chapter)

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