Chapter 789: The Lamp Goes Out (Thank you, Lord Bai Bai

Jin Gui was killed by Mo Hua's single finger point.

A few remaining demonic cultivators were thrown into panic and scattered in all directions, but none escaped the White Bone Skull's grasp—it chased them down one by one and slew them with its white bone sword.

After the demonic cultivators died, they left behind lingering malevolent thoughts.

The White Bone Skull stared hungrily, but dared not move a muscle before Mo Hua, forcing itself to appear "honest."

After all, devouring malevolent spirits was not something a proper demonic spirit should do.

Mo Hua glanced at it and said:

"Eat them."

"No, no," the White Bone Skull shook its head vigorously, "those who associate with the virtuous become virtuous; those who associate with the wicked become wicked. I follow you, and from now on I shall turn from evil to good—I will never touch these demonic spirits."

Mo Hua's expression grew peculiar; he frowned and said:

"I told you to eat—why so much nonsense?"

"I…"

The White Bone Skull hesitated.

It did not know whether Mo Hua truly wanted it to eat, or was merely testing whether it could restrain its desires and resist the temptation of malevolent spirits.

Sometimes, the Lord's intent was hard to fathom.

The White Bone Skull could not decide; it stole a glance at Mo Hua and saw he was growing impatient—its heart tightened instantly, and it hurriedly said:

"Yes! Yes! Thank you, Young Master, for the gift—I shall obey your command!"

Meaning: I didn't want to eat them.

I ate them only because you ordered me to.

Don't turn on me afterward…

Then the White Bone Skull no longer hesitated and began slowly drawing in the surrounding demonic spirits' malevolent thoughts.

At first it was restrained—each mouthful it swallowed, it would lift its head to observe Mo Hua's expression; if Mo Hua showed even a hint of displeasure, it would immediately stop.

But after eating for a while, it realized Mo Hua truly didn't care whether it ate these malevolent thoughts—its heart relaxed.

Once relaxed, it felt an unbearable hunger.

Since transforming into the "Sword Demon," it had never consumed a single ounce of mental energy; now, with so much rich demonic cultivator malevolence before it, it appeared especially "delicious."

The White Bone Skull could no longer resist and devoured greedily.

Mo Hua truly didn't care.

These malevolent thoughts were beneath his notice.

Moreover, though demonic cultivators were essentially "semi-demons," they still retained human forms—and Mo Hua found them unappetizing.

He walked over to one of the coffins.

These three black coffins were carved with demonic patterns, cold and strange, identical to the wooden coffins used to sacrifice the three men outside.

The coffins indeed bore arrays.

Mo Hua casually slashed, breaking the arrays, and lifted the lids.

Linghu Xiao, Ouyang Mu, and Song Jian were indeed inside.

Their faces were pale, eyes tightly shut, unconscious.

Mo Hua scanned them with his spiritual sense and found their spiritual essences pure, free of demonic qi.

They were merely weak from their first separation of soul from body—no serious harm done.

Mo Hua nodded slightly, finally at ease.

On the other side, the White Bone Skull had already gorged itself on the demonic cultivators' malevolent thoughts.

The wounds left by Mo Hua's earlier punishment were slowly healing.

Meanwhile, its demonic qi coiled around its bones, growing denser, and its overall aura steadily rose.

A crimson, sinister glow ignited in its eyes.

It felt its cultivation had surged dramatically, and a violent impulse arose within it—to tear apart all, devour all, suppress all.

The demonic aura grew increasingly arrogant…

The White Bone Skull lowered its head and glanced at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua glanced back at it, expressionless.

Like a bucket of cold water poured over its head, the White Bone Skull's arrogance instantly extinguished.

It bowed its waist, nervously saying:

"Young Master, I—I've finished eating."

"Hmm." Mo Hua nodded, pointing at Linghu Xiao and the others: "Carry them. We're returning."

Hearing "returning," the White Bone Skull immediately nodded:

"Yes! Yes!"

It had devoured vast amounts of malevolent thoughts, greatly replenished itself—it had gained a tremendous benefit.

Now the people were rescued, and they could escape the deadly Demon Cultivation Map unscathed—truly perfect.

A narrow escape, with rich rewards!

The White Bone Skull was overjoyed.

Even Mo Hua, who seemed like a "great plague god," now appeared warm and likable to it.

The towering skeletal White Bone Skull immediately hoisted Ouyang Mu and the others on its back, followed Mo Hua back along the same path, left the valley, passed through the White Bone Corridor, climbed the Divine Path chains, and returned to the Blood Pool.

The journey passed without incident.

The White Bone Skull's heart settled.

Finally… "home."

But as it had just set down Linghu Xiao and the other three, Mo Hua said: "Go back with me once more."

"Go back?"

Jian Gutou froze.

"Aren't the people already rescued? Why go back?"

Mo Hua glanced at it coolly. "The people are rescued—only now does the real work begin…"

The real work… hasn't even begun yet.

Real work…

Jian Gutou stiffened.

What exactly is this Xiaozu Sect brat planning to do?

Jian Gutou wanted to ask, but dared not; he wanted to refuse, but dared not, lest he seem too "impolite," so he hung his head and said:

"Yes."

Xiao Mutou and the other two remained unconscious.

Mo Hua confirmed their spiritual souls had no further issues, then temporarily left them in the Blood Pool, drawing divine path array markings around them.

These divine path array markings served both to "seal" them and to "protect" them.

Once prepared, Mo Hua followed the divine path chains back into the Demon Refining Map.

Jian Gutou hesitated a moment, then gritted his teeth and followed.

Inside the Demon Refining Map, the scenery remained unchanged.

But this time, with no further worries, Mo Hua could act far more freely.

"Let's see where the demons and spirits in this map are hiding…"

Mo Hua's gaze flickered, and he stepped toward the depths of the Demon Refining Map.

"My spiritual sense has been stuck too long."

"This time, I must advance further…"

…

At the very moment Jin Gui's spiritual soul was extinguished by Mo Hua's fingertip.

Deep within the Ten Thousand Demons Valley, in a grand hall.

A cold wind swept across an altar.

The lamp before Jin Gui's physical body instantly went out.

The dozen or so managing demon cultivators bustling in the hall fell utterly silent, their expressions stunned.

"What happened? The lamp… went out?"

"How could it go out?"

"When a man dies, his lamp goes out—his spiritual soul… is already dead?"

Some demon manager cultivators immediately sneered.

One demon cultivator mocked:

"He was a useless waste!"

"Even this small task from the Young Master, he couldn't complete—and now he's lost his life inside."

"All the demons and spirits in the map are sealed and can't get out—he still messed up delivering three spiritual souls…"

"How the hell did this fool die?"

One demon cultivator sneered, "Could he have just slipped and fallen off a cliff and died?"

Laughter echoed from other demon cultivators.

At the center of the hall, behind a beaded screen, sat a young Young Master whose face was unseen, only a faintly handsome silhouette visible.

He was reviewing the Juan Sect's records.

Hearing this, the young Young Master frowned slightly, his expression turning cold.

The managing cultivators sensed the shift in atmosphere and immediately stopped laughing, daring not to speak.

After a moment of silence, an elderly manager spoke:

"Young Master, this matter seems suspicious…"

"Jin Gui, however incompetent, bore the Four Symbols Black Tiger Demon Pattern. Without being surrounded and killed by demons and spirits, he could never have died so easily inside the Demon Refining Map."

"It may be…" the old manager paused, then spoke gravely, "that the Demon Refining Map has been 'invaded' by something."

"Invaded the Demon Refining Map?"

The demon cultivators below exchanged glances.

Jin Yixuan's gaze sharpened. "Young Master, could it be… that 'rat' lurking in the shadows, Cheng Guigui?"

The Young Master's expression remained indifferent.

Jin Yixuan explained: "Earlier, when those three brats escaped, someone clearly aided them from the shadows."

"But when we captured those three brats, there were no other figures nearby—the 'rat' must have fled before we could catch it."

"Now, it's secretly 'invading' the Demon Refining Map, likely to rescue those three brats again."

"That 'rat'…"

Jin Yixuan's expression darkened slightly. "May be more 'troublesome' than we thought."

Skilled at concealment, proficient in magnetic array techniques, even possessing rudimentary knowledge of divine path methods—able to bypass "rituals" and infiltrate the Demon Refining Map with spiritual intent… his methods are numerous, his tricks endless.

The Young Master's gaze sharpened slightly, his tone cold:

"Find him. Kill him."

At this point, he had lost all patience.

This rat has interfered with him too many times; there's no need to keep it alive anymore.

From the crowd, one man stepped forward, arrogant and haughty.

"Just a mere 'rat'? I'll light the lamp and enter the map to kill him."

The man was a Young Master, his handsome face tinged with a hint of malice—he was Jin Yicai of the Duanjin Sect.

Jin Yixuan frowned slightly. "You're going?"

Jin Yicai smirked flippantly. "Cousin, don't worry. I'm not that useless fool Jin Gui; I won't die as mysteriously as he did."

Jin Yixuan felt uneasy.

In his eyes, Jin Yicai was also a waste.

But his status was too special, his bloodline too noble—if anything happened to him, Jin Yixuan couldn't explain it to the elders back home.

"This 'rat' may not be so easy to underestimate…" Jin Yixuan said.

Jin Yicai shook his head. "Cousin, you're mistaken. Only the weak act stealthily; how could a true powerhouse sneak around?"

"If this 'rat' were truly that strong, he'd have killed us all already—why would he act so timid?"

"Precisely because he's no match for us, he acts like a 'rat,' daring only to scheme in the shadows."

Jin Yixuan's eyes darkened with thought, then he nodded.

"Take a few managers with you."

Jin Yicai hesitated—he wanted to say it wasn't necessary; with his skill, one man was enough. More men would only dilute his glory.

But it was his cousin's order—he couldn't refuse.

Besides, this was the Young Master's command; if anything went wrong, he truly couldn't explain it.

Jin Yicai said, "Fine. I'll follow your advice, cousin."

Jin Yixuan selected four "managers," and together with Jin Yicai, they sat upon the altar, facing a sinister mural, and lit the soul lamp.

Drawn by the soul's pull, they naturally entered the Demon Refining Map.

When they opened their eyes, before them lay a grim valley shrouded in black clouds and blood mist.

Blood streams trickled; bones littered the ground.

This was the Demon Refining Valley within the map.

They followed the fixed path of "sacrifice," walking deeper into the valley while searching for traces along the way.

Soon, they found the place where Jin Gui had met his end.

"There was a battle here…"

"The demonic aura is thick, mixed with sword qi—the enemy seems to be a 'Sword Demon.'"

"There's another spiritual presence, but faint—it barely contributed during the fight, far less noticeable than the demonic aura…"

Jin Yicai froze. "A Sword Demon?"

Not a human, not a beast—but a Sword Demon?

Which sword sect had raised it?

Jin Yicai, puzzled, looked toward the distance and continued:

"After him!"

The five demonic cultivator managers pressed forward.

About a stick of incense later, they saw a towering Sword Demon, its body formed of white bones turned to swords, radiating fierce demonic aura.

Beside it stood a "tiny figure."

Jin Yicai's arrogant gaze saw only the "powerful" Sword Demon—he ignored Mo Hua entirely, stepping forward with a cold laugh:

"Did you kill Jin Gui?"

The Bone Sword's heart jolted.

Who the hell is Jin Gui?

How would it know…

But outwardly, it remained silent, grim and cold.

Seeing its "arrogance," Jin Yicai's eyelid twitched, then he sneered:

"Killing a waste—do you think you're so impressive?"

Mo Hua stood beside it; the Bone Sword remained polite, saying not a word, ignoring Jin Yicai's taunts.

Jin Yicai's gaze sharpened.

Could this Sword Demon be a "puppet"?

He turned to look at Mo Hua beside it.

But Mo Hua's form was even smaller than outside, so Jin Yicai didn't recognize him at all—and dismissed him again.

"Jin Gui may be a waste, but this Sword Demon doesn't seem entirely useless. At least, let's test it first…"

Jin Yicai silently thought, then wasted no more words—he immediately manifested sword qi and charged at the Sword Demon.

The Bone Sword felt helpless.

Why do these people always love seeking death…

If you're going to die, at least pick the right target.

If you'd attacked that little kid beside you, you'd be dead in an instant—why waste time fighting this 'empty shell'?

But since the opponent had already struck, the Bone Sword couldn't just stand there.

It summoned a white bone demonic sword and clashed with Jin Yicai.

Yet the Bone Sword couldn't fathom Mo Hua's intentions, unsure whether to hold back or go all out—so it fought half-heartedly against Jin Yicai.

For a time, the two sides exchanged blows evenly.

Jin Yixuan felt a faint shock inside: "This Sword Demon really has some skill—no wonder Jin Gui died at its hands…"

After several more rounds of combat, as neither side gained the upper hand, a streak of Jin Guang suddenly flashed by.

Jin Yixuan's heart tightened; he sensed something wrong, parried away the Sword Bone's blade, and turned to look.

The moment he looked, he felt as if plunged into an ice cellar.

Behind him, the four managers—who had been smirking and watching—had, without his notice, been cut into shreds by some unknown force.

What happened?!

Jin Yixuan's pupils shrank violently.

Just then, a clear but displeased voice said: "Sword Bone!"

"Yes!"

Sword Bone immediately responded.

It knew the Xiaozu was growing impatient and no longer wished to waste time on these petty scraps.

Sword Bone no longer held back; twin demonic flames ignited in its pupils, and its white bone longsword suddenly expanded, slashing down with full force.

Jin Yixuan could not parry at all—his shoulder was instantly carved open by a deep gash.

Only then did he realize his Break Gold Sword Art was utterly powerless before this Sword Demon.

"No good!"

He roared, and the demonic tattoo on his back glowed as demonic energy began to coalesce.

It was a dog tattoo.

Sword Bone sneered, without hesitation, spun around, and drove another sword straight through Jin Yixuan's left chest, pinning him to the ground.

"You tattooed a dog—what are you pretending to be, a big-tailed wolf?"

Jin Yixuan's face turned pale.

This isn't right—how could the Mind Battle be so different from what I imagined?

Why is this Sword Demon so powerful?

And how exactly did those four demonic cultivator managers die?

As he reeled in terror, another clear voice asked beside him:

"The Ten Thousand Demons Valley breeds ten thousand demons—so many demonic creatures, where did you hide them? Why can't I find any?"

Jin Yixuan glanced again at Mo Hua beside him; though his figure had shrunk considerably, his face and expression were strangely familiar—he suddenly realized, "You… you're…"

Jin Yixuan was too stunned to speak.

Mo Hua shook his head. "Never mind—I'll find them myself."

"Sword Bone, eat them all."

Eat?!

Jin Yixuan's eyes widened in horror; before he could think further, his death omen arrived.

The last thing reflected in his pupils was a white, grotesque bone sword—and a pair of cold, hollow white bone eyes.

Sword Bone slashed Jin Yixuan to death, shook its head, and murmured to itself:

"The cultivation world is treacherous; the Divine Path is even more cruel—this isn't a game for a young master like you…"

Even I, this Lu Tangtang Sword Demon, tread as if on thin ice—how much less can a proud, arrogant fool who understands nothing survive?

…

The instant Jin Yixuan died.

In the Grand Hall of the Ten Thousand Demons Valley, five soul lamps had all gone dark.

The demonic cultivators around fell silent.

Even the Young Master behind the screen and beaded curtains had his pupils contract slightly.

They too sensed something was amiss.

Jin Yixuan also frowned deeply—he had never anticipated this turn of events.

He knew his cousin was a waste, so he had never expected anything from him.

But the four demonic cultivator managers who accompanied him, lit the soul lamps, and entered the demonic map were all experienced, with real Divine Path combat experience.

These four managers' soul lamps went out in an instant.

That meant the four managers were killed nearly simultaneously by something.

Jin Yixuan's heart sank—he now realized the intruder in the Demon Refining Map was probably not a "rat," but far more likely a man-eating "tiger."

And if this "tiger" merely wanted to rescue someone, it could have left after killing Jin Gui.

But it didn't.

After killing Jin Gui, it remained inside the Demon Refining Map.

It even killed all the managers sent to reinforce—including Jin Yixuan.

Deeply murderous, cruel in nature, and surely… plotting something huge!

After all, the Demon Refining Map hides great secrets…

Jin Yixuan wore a solemn expression and bowed upward.

"Young Master, whether the intruder in the Demon Refining Map is human, demon, or demon, it must be killed as soon as possible!"

The young lord's expression was cold, offering no reply.

Jin Yixuan paused to think, then added:

"In warfare, the greatest mistake is dispersing forces—if we send teams in one by one, we'll be picked off one at a time."

"Therefore, we should strike together—with Lei Ting force—and completely surround and annihilate it, or the consequences will be endless!"

The Young Master pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"There's nothing else to be done…"

Jin Yixuan bowed to the Young Master, then turned and said: "Everyone, light your Soul Lamps and follow me into the map—to exterminate the foreign enemies!"

"Yes, Leader!"

"By your command!"

More than a dozen stewards bowed in unison.

Following tradition, each lit a Soul Lamp, sat cross-legged, closed their eyes, and sent their spiritual souls into the Demon Refining Map.

Their expressions were solemn; they knew the situation was grave.

But what they did not know was just how grave it truly was…

After all the demon cultivators entered the map, the great hall fell instantly silent.

Only a few extinguished Soul Lamps emitted wisps of white smoke, while a dozen still-burning ones flickered faintly.

Behind the screen, the Young Master continued his work.

The Ten Thousand Demons Valley had been destroyed; time was short, and too many things needed to be moved out—none could remain, lest they give the enemy leverage.

In moments of great crisis, one must maintain calm.

This was the ancestral elder's teaching to him.

The more critical the moment, the more one must hold one's composure, remain steady and unruffled, to possess the stature befitting great deeds.

He intended to use Qianxue Province as a base, with the Sida Sect as stepping stones, and one day ascend to the upper echelons of the Dao Court, ruling from the clouds above, controlling the fates of countless cultivators in this cultivation world.

The Young Master's heart gradually calmed.

He had finished tallying the rows of cultivated Dao Juan Sect scrolls, array blueprints, pills, demonic artifacts, and other cultivation supplies, preparing to pack them into his Storage Bag.

His expression was focused, item by item, he counted them.

He did not know how long had passed—or perhaps it had not passed at all…

A sudden gust of cold wind swept through.

The Young Master seemed to sense something—he trembled slightly, his body freezing.

Moments later, he slowly lifted his head, his clear eyes fixed on the great hall, his pupils violently trembling.

Inside the great hall.

The Soul Lamps… all had gone out…

(End of Chapter)

dengbidmxswqqxswyifan

shuyueepzwqqwxwxsguan

xs007zhuikereadw23zw