Chapter 752: Clever

Mr. Xun was brewing a major plan in his heart.

As for Mo Hua, he continued his lessons and cultivation without distraction.

Soon, the ten-day break arrived again.

In Lianyao Mountain, Mo Hua sat atop a large tree, a spirit sword laid before him, listlessly slaying eagles in the sky.

Second-rank low-tier eagles no longer posed him any pressure.

He could kill one with a single sword strike.

So after killing for a long time, it grew tedious.

At the same time, he was patiently waiting.

Waiting for Linghu Xiao to come to him.

That way, he'd have a "sword prodigy" to serve as his "enforcer."

And this sword prodigy was still growing—perhaps becoming even stronger in the future.

Mo Hua waited on the tree, waiting until after noon, nearing evening, the sun leaning sideways, beginning to sink westward.

Still no sign of Linghu Xiao.

"Not coming?"

Mo Hua sighed.

Didn't catch any fish…

Then we'll try again next time.

Mo Hua prepared to pack up and head back, but after thinking, decided to wait a little longer.

What if the boy was still wrestling with his thoughts?

Boys with such reclusive temperaments may seem cold, but usually have rich inner dramas.

Mo Hua sat atop the tree, took out a flask of fruit wine, watched the sunset, and waited slowly.

Indeed, after another incense stick's time, a boy's figure appeared through the dense forest along the mountain path.

It was Linghu Xiao, dressed in a pale blue robe.

"Here he is!"

Mo Hua perked up, stood on the tree, and waved from afar:

"Linghu Xiao!"

Linghu Xiao froze, looked up, and saw a small boy waving at him from atop a tree hidden deep in the forest.

The build and aura matched Mo Hua.

Linghu Xiao frowned slightly.

At this distance, how did this little cultivator named "Mo Hua" spot him?

They were both Foundation Establishment cultivators—could his spiritual sense be this strong?

Linghu Xiao was puzzled, but still walked toward Mo Hua.

When they met, Mo Hua neither asked why he was so late nor exchanged pleasantries—he went straight to the point:

"It's getting late. I'll take you to hunt demonic beasts."

Linghu Xiao's expression remained cold as he asked:

"What demonic beast?"

"You'll find out when we get there," Mo Hua said.

Then he walked ahead.

Linghu Xiao hesitated for a moment; though reluctant, he slowly followed behind Mo Hua.

"Let me tell you how the Grand Void Gate hunts demonic beasts."

Mo Hua said as he walked.

Originally, he had planned to find someone to guide Linghu Xiao through the process.

But Linghu Xiao was a sword prodigy of the Chongxu Sect; after consideration, Mo Hua decided it was better to handle it himself—it showed greater respect.

After all, his days, though full, were also rather dull.

This was a perfect chance to make a friend and take Linghu Xiao out for a bit.

The Grand Void Gate's demonic beast hunting procedure, refined by Mo Hua's research, tested by fellow disciples, and continuously optimized based on real conditions, was now highly stable and mature.

The target this time was a Kuimu Wolf.

Mo Hua tracked its trail, set traps, arranged arrays, then pulled Linghu Xiao to crouch behind a large boulder.

The Kuimu Wolf triggered the array—the array exploded, killing intent surged forth.

Fire blazed, dust rose everywhere.

The Kuimu Wolf was severely wounded.

"Cut it down!" Mo Hua said.

Linghu Xiao drew his sword—a brilliant, sharp, moonlit sword light pierced the air and slashed directly onto the wounded Kuimu Wolf.

The Kuimu Wolf died on the spot.

The hunt was over.

Linghu Xiao was stunned.

The entire process took less than an hour.

Most of the time was spent tracking the beast, setting traps, and arranging arrays.

The actual combat—from array activation, to his sword strike, to the beast collapsing—lasted no more than an incense stick's time.

And so, simply and easily, a second-rank low-tier demonic beast was hunted down.

Even simple enough that he felt even a "fool" following routine steps could kill a beast this way…

Is this how the Grand Void Gate always kills beasts?

What beast could withstand being killed like this?

Linghu Xiao felt his entire understanding had been overturned.

Mo Hua looked up at the sky. "There's still some time—we can kill one more. After that, we can head back."

Then he repeated his old trick.

Under the mature, meticulous beast-hunting setup and Linghu Xiao's powerful sword qi, another beast fell without fanfare.

The two stripped the materials and sold them at the sect gate.

"Two beasts, minus the array cost, the rest split evenly—eight hundred merit points each."

Mo Hua said, then transferred eight hundred merit points to Linghu Xiao.

Linghu Xiao was momentarily stunned.

That's it…?

In half a day, strolling through the woods, slashing two or three times, and he'd earned eight hundred merit points?

This made him feel that his former self—alone, hiding deep in the mountains, fully alert, pushing his Sword Heart to its limit, battling beasts, scheming against the Break Gold Sect, spending days, sometimes two or three months, to kill just one beast and earn over a thousand merit points—had been a "fool"…

On the way back, Linghu Xiao pondered for a long while, then finally said coldly:

"This way of hunting beasts is wrong. I won't join you again."

Mo Hua asked in confusion, "What's wrong with it? Isn't it fast?"

Linghu Xiao shook his head. "It's too cunning. It doesn't hone the Sword Dao—it dulls the Sword Heart, breeds complacency."

"Besides, lying in ambush, relying on arrays—it's somewhat dishonorable."

"It contradicts my Sword Dao—it will rob me of the courage to face strong foes…"

Mo Hua blinked, then sighed, silent.

"One day, you'll die from stupidity."

Linghu Xiao froze, then grew angry, coldly saying, "You're the fool! What do you know? You don't cultivate sword arts—you don't even have the talent for Sword Heart Clarity—how could you understand the pursuit of the Sword Dao!"

"What is Sword Heart Clarity?" Mo Hua asked curiously.

Linghu Xiao's face turned icy. He looked up. "You wouldn't understand even if I told you."

"Oh." Mo Hua glanced at Linghu Xiao, thought for a moment, then asked, "Do you plan to stay in the sect your whole life?"

Linghu Xiao didn't understand why Mo Hua asked this, but still shook his head.

"How could I…?"

Mo Hua said solemnly, "Then do you know how cultivators outside the sect kill? How criminal cultivators, heretical cultivators, demonic cultivators—those who harvest essence, drain qi, suck blood to practice heretical arts—what methods do they use?"

Linghu Xiao fell silent at Mo Hua's question.

Though he'd taken on a few bounties, his outings were few, and he'd encountered very few truly vile heretical cultivators.

Mo Hua snorted. "If those heretical cultivators want to kill you, they'll use any method—dishonorable, shameless—they care at all?"

"They kill you, dismember you, use your blood to paint arrays, feed your flesh to demons, dig out your Sword Heart and turn it into a medicinal catalyst to forge a demonic pill…"

"Even your soul might be eaten…"

"At that point, will you reason with them? Will you accuse them of being dishonorable?"

"Who will listen to you?"

Mo Hua's words were cold and realistic.

Linghu Xiao's face turned pale.

After a moment, he looked at Mo Hua—slightly younger than him, appearing like a simple boy, yet with eyes that held unusual depth—and frowned.

"How do you know these things…?"

Demonic cultivators dismembering, painting arrays with blood, feeding flesh to demons, refining the heart-meridian into pills, devouring souls whole…

How could Mo Hua, a mere sect disciple, know these bloody details so clearly?

"Of course I saw them with my own eyes…" Mo Hua thought silently.

But he couldn't say that outright.

If it got out, it would ruin his image among fellow disciples as a naive, innocent boy.

"It was told to me by an uncle of mine—a Dao Ting Si officer who spends his days hunting criminal cultivators and dealing with demons."

Mo Hua brought up "Uncle Gu" again to impress him.

Linghu Xiao, hearing him speak so convincingly, naturally believed him.

"So," Mo Hua said solemnly, "people often say the Dao is perilous, but we sect disciples don't truly grasp what 'perilous' means."

"These true perils are even more shameless, dishonorable, cruel, and treacherous—so unpredictable you can't guard against them."

"If you cling to such childish notions as 'dishonorable victory,' you'll suffer greatly when you truly enter the cultivation world."

"You might even have your spirit sword shattered, your Sword Heart corrupted, your Sword Dao foundation utterly destroyed—and your life ended."

Sword Dao foundation—utterly destroyed…

When it came to the Sword Dao, Linghu Xiao's expression turned solemn.

Mo Hua continued, "Therefore, if you wish to survive long, seek the Dao of immortality, and reach the true peak of the Sword Dao, you must abandon your meaningless stubbornness."

"Use any means necessary to improve your sword arts—even if you must rely on external tools."

"Keep living. Keep growing stronger. Only then can you reach the end of the Sword Dao!"

Mo Hua knew nothing of the Sword Dao—he just rambled based on his understanding of arrays.

But all great Dao paths are ultimately the same—probably close enough.

Linghu Xiao's expression shifted, lost in thought.

Mo Hua saw Linghu Xiao waver, and finally urged him gently:

"First, simply kill these low-grade beast beasts, earn some merit, and raise your strength."

"Later, when you have time, we'll form a team and go together to hunt second-rank mid-tier, even high-tier beast beasts."

"Facing these powerful beast beasts, enduring pressure at the edge of life and death, is the only way to truly forge your sword heart and hone your sword technique."

Linghu Xiao instantly perked up.

Hunting mid-tier, even high-tier second-rank beast beasts?!

Linghu Xiao's eyes immediately lit up, a fierce battle aura bursting from him; he nodded at once and replied:

"Fine! I'll hunt beast beasts with you!"

Mo Hua sighed inwardly.

Sword cultivators with single-minded focus are easy to fool.

The moment they hear about hunting mid- and high-tier beast beasts, they're instantly energized.

Mid-tier second-rank beast beasts are one tier stronger than low-tier ones, with thicker blood qi and demonic energy; killing them is somewhat troublesome.

High-tier ones are even more so—not just troublesome, but dangerous.

But when you're drawing a cake, you might as well make it a little bigger.

Besides, once Cheng Mo and the others advance further in cultivation, they'll need to try hunting stronger beast beasts anyway.

So it's not really drawing a cake.

As for when they'll actually go—that depends on the situation.

After all, what he told Linghu Xiao was "later, when you have time."

They might have time in one or two months, or maybe it'll take one or two years, even three—no one can say for sure…

Linghu Xiao clearly didn't have Mo Hua's many scheming thoughts.

He thought Mo Hua's words made sense.

Kill low-grade beast beasts simply and efficiently, earn merit quickly, and improve his sword cultivation.

Then challenge fiercer, stronger beast beasts to temper his sword heart and sword technique!

He had misunderstood him before.

Mo Hua wasn't without ambition—he was methodical, steady, seeking a longer path forward.

Linghu Xiao nodded slightly.

Thus, Linghu Xiao had effectively "joined the group."

The next day, Mo Hua had Hao Xuan take Linghu Xiao out to hunt beast beasts.

Hao Xuan handled reconnaissance and array setup; Linghu Xiao handled the killing.

By evening, the two returned, and Hao Xuan exclaimed: "Such strong sword qi! Zou—one swipe, and the beast beast was dead."

"Today, we killed five beast beasts."

"Linghu Senior Brother is truly formidable!"

Linghu Xiao's expression remained calm, but after Hao Xuan's praise, he slightly pursed his lips.

He was still a boy under twenty; being praised a few times, though he said nothing, he was secretly pleased.

Back at Chongxu Sect, no disciple ever praised him.

Because everyone knew he was a sword prodigy, appearing once in five hundred years.

If that was the case, no matter how skilled his sword technique, others took it for granted.

On the contrary, this will cause others to distance themselves from him.

But in Grand Void Sect, it was different.

Everyone teamed up to hunt beast beasts, cooperating fully; the stronger his sword qi, the faster he killed beast beasts, and the more merit they earned.

And this merit was shared among all of them.

Thus, Linghu Xiao gradually became the group's "strong arm" in beast hunting.

The praise from Grand Void Sect disciples was sincere.

Linghu Xiao, mingling with Grand Void Sect disciples, felt less calculation and far more at ease.

Besides, there was a dedicated swordsmith—Ouyang Mu—who repaired and maintained his inherited sword.

Inherited swords were extremely valuable—not only difficult to forge, but also requiring careful daily maintenance and specialized repair after damage.

Among the three sects, Tai'e Sect excelled in sword forging.

Ouyang Mu was a Tai'e Sect heir, so any Grand Void Sect disciple with sword or spirit weapon issues would pay merit to have Ouyang Mu fix them.

Linghu Xiao was no exception.

Over time, the two grew quite familiar.

Ouyang Mu devoted himself entirely to forging swords; Linghu Xiao devoted himself entirely to cultivating sword art; one was taciturn, the other reclusive—they got along easily.

Thus, over a month passed, and Linghu Xiao gradually integrated into Grand Void Sect's disciples.

Now, whenever he entered the mountains, he'd hang out on Grand Void Sect's peak.

Then, whenever he met a Grand Void Sect disciple, someone would immediately eagerly invite him to join their team.

Others found beast beasts and set up arrays; he provided the sword strikes.

After killing beast beasts and earning merit, they divided it fairly, each leaving satisfied.

This process was easy and natural.

Sometimes, Linghu Xiao would even feel dazed.

He had a delusion—that he wasn't a Chongxu Sect cultivator at all, but a disciple of Grand Void Sect…

And the fact that Linghu Xiao was mingling with Grand Void Sect disciples was noticed by the Chongxu Sect elder secretly watching over him.

The elder of Chongxu Gate returned to report to the Chongxu Patriarch.

The Chongxu Patriarch stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, then said:

"No problem—this is a good thing."

The elder was puzzled. "How is this a good thing…?"

The Chongxu Patriarch said: "Our Chongxu Gate surpasses Grand Void Gate; Xiao's strength also surpasses Grand Void Gate's disciples."

"When he associates with Grand Void Gate, it is like a lion mingling with a pack of wolves—the lion leads, the wolves follow."

"With Xiao's talent in sword Dao, his future is limitless."

"But cultivators are still human—those who follow the Dao gain many allies; those who lose the Dao gain few."

"By befriending Grand Void Gate's disciples, he has already forged connections and established prestige—this will make future endeavors easier."

"Even if Grand Void Gate declines one day, they will still have to rely on Xiao's goodwill."

Upon hearing this, the Chongxu Gate elder nodded slightly:

"The Patriarch's consideration is thorough."

"Still," the Chongxu Gate elder added, somewhat concerned, "he has grown quite close to a Grand Void Gate disciple named Mo Hua."

"That boy, Mo Hua, is cunning and crafty, with a silver tongue."

"Though Xiao outwardly treats his words coldly, inwardly he seems to truly believe them—and he follows them…"

The Chongxu Gate elder sighed helplessly.

The Chongxu Patriarch frowned. "What is this boy's origin?"

"I inquired… he appears to be greatly favored by Grand Void Gate's Xun Patriarch. His talent is poor, but he excels in arrays…" said the Chongxu Gate elder.

"Excels in arrays?"

The Chongxu Patriarch pondered briefly, then nodded. "That is no issue…"

"Good array skill can perfectly assist Xiao."

"Though Xiao is reclusive, his Swordheart Clarity talent is undeniable—he is no fool and cannot be manipulated."

"Moreover, no matter how skilled one is in arrays, it remains aiding others. Unlike sword art, where all power stems from oneself."

"Thus, Xiao will inevitably remain in charge."

"And Grand Void Gate's current disciples can serve as Xiao's allies!"

The Chongxu Gate elder nodded in approval. "The Patriarch is wise!"

Yet despite this, he still harbored faint reservations.

The Patriarch's reasoning was sound, but it seemed slightly out of sync with reality.

Especially since the Patriarch had never met the disciple named "Mo Hua" and had no idea just how clever the boy truly was.

Yet if pressed to explain, he could not articulate it clearly.

How clever could he possibly be?

Besides, the Patriarch is occupied with many matters.

With the sect's restructuring imminent and the Geda Sects stirring with hidden currents, there are many worries—this single disciple from Grand Void Gate is not worth diverting the Patriarch's time.

Thus, the Chongxu Gate elder said no more, bowed, and took his leave.

The Chongxu Patriarch, preoccupied with other matters, gave it no further thought.

…

Meanwhile, within Grand Void Gate, Mo Hua was troubled.

He had already arranged matters concerning Linghu Xiao.

But his own cultivation had stalled.

As the fourth year neared its end, his cultivation level, spiritual sense, sword control, and array skills were all stuck.

Cultivation requires persistent, drop-by-drop perseverance; his Foundation Establishment mid-stage level could not be broken through in a short time.

His spiritual sense was stuck at seventeen wen.

Eighteen wen lay just ahead, but bound by heavenly laws, a barrier blocked his progress—he could not break through.

His sword control was extremely powerful, yet gradually reached a bottleneck.

He could only advance further after learning a new sword array—or after Little Wood learned a new forging technique.

He practiced arrays every single day.

Especially the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams arrays—he had grown weary of them, and there was nothing new to learn for now.

And besides the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams arrays, no new arrays had appeared for a long time.

Cultivation level? No solution—must be polished slowly.

Spiritual sense might also require a fleeting opportunity.

What he could do now was find new arrays to study.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then decided to ask Master Xun.

"New arrays?" Master Xun blinked in surprise.

"Yes," Mo Hua nodded. "Master, besides the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams arrays, are there other arrays to learn?"

"The Magnetic Array would do too…" Mo Hua added weakly.

He had worn out his few existing seventeen-wen Magnetic Arrays.

Master Xun sighed.

Learning too fast was not always a good thing—now the pressure fell entirely on him, the old master.

But some arrays were still too early for Mo Hua to learn.

And others, though classified as orthodox arrays, were neither wholly good nor evil—and easily led learners astray.

"I'll think about it..." said Elder Xun Ziyou.

"Alright," said Mo Hua obediently.

He was just about to rise and leave when Elder Xun Ziyou called out to him.

"Mo Hua."

Elder Xun Ziyou frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, then asked: "Can your spiritual sense still grow stronger?"

Elder Xun Ziyou asked with great caution.

At just the early stage of Foundation Establishment, you already have a seventeen-stripe spiritual sense—that far surpasses most cultivators of your realm.

But Elder Xun Ziyou always felt Mo Hua should be capable of more.

As the disciple of that person, anything extraordinary is possible...

Mo Hua scratched his head. "Hard to say—it might depend on some opportunity..."

Like someone 'delivering a meal' to you.

Or finding another altar or something similar.

This truly depends on 'opportunity.'

But Mo Hua certainly couldn't say this outright.

Elder Xun Ziyou's gaze darkened slightly; he seemed to have thought of something, then nodded faintly. "I understand."

After that, Elder Xun Ziyou said nothing more.

Mo Hua did not dare to disturb him, for he had noticed that Elder Xun Ziyou had lately seemed perpetually anxious, as if pondering some great matter.

But such matters at the sect level were beyond his reach—he likely couldn't help the old master at all.

As long as he didn't add to the old master's troubles, that would be enough.

Mo Hua bowed, then rose and took his leave.

But as he reached the door and turned around, he came face to face with a man wearing the inner sect robe of Grand Void Gate, handsome and tall, with an air of casual ease.

He seemed to be an elder of the inner sect.

The elder, suddenly encountering Mo Hua, clearly froze, a flicker of guilt flashing across his face.

Like a thief caught in the act.

But in an instant, his expression returned to normal.

Had Mo Hua's spiritual sense not been sharp, he would have noticed nothing.

Moreover, the elder's aura felt strangely familiar...

Mo Hua felt puzzled but still bowed respectfully and said:

"Elder, greetings."

The elder looked at Mo Hua with complete calmness, as if he had never seen him before, treating him as just another ordinary disciple, and nodded faintly:

"Hmm."

Then he stepped past Mo Hua and entered Elder Xun Ziyou's chamber.

Mo Hua watched his back, puzzled, and called over a young acolyte nearby:

"Who was that elder just now?"

The young acolyte, who dealt with visitors daily, was well-informed.

And since he got along well with Mo Hua, he answered honestly:

"That's Elder Xun Ziyou, a junior of Elder Xun Ziyou, currently serving as an elder in the inner sect, in charge of overseeing Demon Refining Mountain, occasionally visiting the old master..."

Mo Hua froze, recalling the unfamiliar yet strangely familiar figure, his expression thoughtful.

After a moment, Mo Hua's eyes brightened slightly, and he nodded with deep meaning:

"Oh... Elder Xun Ziyou..."

(End of Chapter)

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