Chapter 864: Dragon Bones (Bonus Chapter for Patron Xiaobai

Gu Changhuai thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

Mo Hua always acts with his own considerations.

Although Gu Changhuai couldn't fathom Mo Hua's true intentions, based on past experience, following Mo Hua's advice usually wasn't a bad thing.

Moreover, the Long Wang Temple definitely needed inspection.

The sooner the inspection, the better; if delayed, others might interfere, and no one could predict what the Long Wang Temple would become.

"Like before—dig down three feet, leave not a single brick or tile unturned?"

Gu Changhuai asked; he knew Mo Hua's methods.

"Mm."

Mo Hua nodded, but halfway through, shook his head repeatedly, "No, not like that—this time, be gentler."

"Gentler?" Gu Changhuai blinked. "Why?"

Because this Long Wang Temple is mine now!

Mo Hua silently thought to himself.

But he couldn't say that aloud; he rolled his eyes and said, "I suspect something 'dirty' is hidden inside."

"Dirty?"

"Something on the spiritual-nirvana level—like ghosts, evil spirits, and such… That Wu Mister kept muttering about a 'Divine Lord,' didn't he? Even if that Divine Lord isn't a demon god, it's still a great evil. So we must be cautious—don't risk awakening something unknowable and inviting disaster…"

Mo Hua spoke with grave seriousness.

Gu Changhuai had never much believed in demon gods before.

But after spending so long with the eccentric Mo Hua, and being 'influenced' by him, his views had shifted somewhat.

He now hovered in a state of "half-belief, half-doubt," "plausible but not certain."

Because some strange things had indeed been slowly exceeding his understanding…

"Alright." Gu Changhuai nodded.

Thus, under Mo Hua's direction, a group of Dao Ting Si cultivators—including internal cultivators from the Gu and Xia clans—began the "cleansing" of the Long Wang Temple.

"This is an ancient temple—be gentle, be careful, don't damage a single brick or tile…"

"Wash away those filthy flesh and blood remnants…"

"Dismantle the impure demonic arrays—use them as evidence of crime…"

"If something can't be dismantled, don't force it—leave it for now."

…

Mo Hua issued orders through Gu Changhuai.

He couldn't possibly do all this himself, and once he left the Long Wang Temple, he'd never find so many people willing to help again.

So he could only use Dao Ting Si's hands to clean up the temple for him.

Inside the Long Wang Temple, flesh and blood were cleared, demonic arrays washed away, and broken walls and ruins gradually removed.

After about half a day, the entire temple was "refreshed."

Though not yet clean or solemn, it was vastly better than before—no longer bloody or sinister.

Mo Hua also took the chance to thoroughly inspect the entire Long Wang Temple.

From scattered traces, it was indeed an ancient temple, existing for many years.

It may even have existed before the Great Wilderness Demon God built his altar.

The Long Wang Temple itself was never built to worship the "Evil Embryo"—it was truly meant to honor the "River Long Wang."

The Great Wilderness Demon God merely "usurped the nest," seizing this Long Wang Temple in the Smoke Water River to nourish the Divine Embryo.

But now, the Long Wang Temple was in ruins.

Before Mo Hua's arrival, many halls had already been destroyed.

Coupled with the Wu Mister's earlier claims, Mo Hua guessed it was because the unseen master had deduced that the Divine Lord's greatest enemy—namely, himself—was coming.

So the mastermind behind the scenes had simply "cleared the land and fortified the walls," ordering everything torn down, everyone killed, turned into blood corpses, and even the Wu Mister willingly sacrificed himself, transforming into a "Yecha."

Though they ultimately failed to stop him, what remained inside the Long Wang Temple was now extremely limited.

Mo Hua also checked the Bone Maze.

This maze was constructed according to a unique puzzle array.

Its pattern lines, array pivots, and overall structure bore striking similarities to the Bronze Maze in Bishan Demon Cave.

Mo Hua even suspected these two puzzle arrays were actually two derivative forms of a single, unified array.

Similar puzzle arrays, and the mazes built from them, likely existed elsewhere across the Qianxue Province's borders.

But he couldn't yet decipher this array.

And time was short—he couldn't stay here forever studying it.

He had something more important to investigate.

That was "the Dragon."

Since he had fused with the Evil Embryo and temporarily become the master of the Long Wang Temple, he could sense a powerful "Dragon" karmic aura deep within the temple.

Following this aura, Mo Hua left the maze, circled the inner hall, and found a side door hidden behind broken walls and rubble.

The side door was sealed by massive boulders.

Mo Hua asked the Gu clan cultivators to clear the boulders.

After removing the boulders, they indeed found a massive bone door, blocked by complex arrays and deadly mechanisms.

The arrays were intricate, the traps lethal, the door extremely hard, and there was no key.

To outsiders, it was nearly impossible to open.

But Mo Hua wasn't an outsider—he was now the "master."

He gave it a light push, and as gray stones crumbled away, the heavy bone door slowly opened to welcome its master.

Beyond the bone door stood a vast, immense hall.

This hall was taller than any temple Mo Hua had ever seen.

Yet inside the hall, it was empty—nothing at all.

It seemed someone had feared discovery: murals had been erased, statues smashed, floors relaid, and carved beams and painted rafters all buried beneath gray stones.

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, and a quiet suspicion stirred in his heart.

This hall, surely, was the true… Long Wang Hall.

Because it enshrined the "Long Wang," it had to be built tall and spacious, solemn and majestic.

"But where are the things inside? Destroyed?"

Mo Hua frowned.

This demon god truly wasted heaven's gifts—this splendid Long Wang Hall had been ruined beyond recognition.

Worse still, it had left him nothing at all…

Mo Hua refused to give up. He circled the hall once, found nothing, and was about to leave when suddenly he sensed a faint, ancient, almost "sacred" soul fluctuation.

He startled, and quickly turned to look.

The soul fluctuation came from a tiny, unremarkable corner of the hall—empty, seemingly nothing there.

Mo Hua's brow tightened further.

He slowly walked toward that corner.

But as he neared it, he suddenly froze, puzzled, scratching his head, his expression blank.

"I… what am I doing here?"

Mo Hua, confused, shook his head and turned to leave—but after only two steps, he snapped awake, whirled back, and stared fixedly at the corner, his heart reeling:

Something's wrong!

This place hides something enormous!

It had even deceived him—twisting, to some degree, the perception of this half-human, half-divine, even "semi-demon god" of his.

He refused to accept it, and walked toward the corner again.

But as soon as he drew near, his expression turned blank once more, as if he'd forgotten his purpose, and began turning back.

After walking a while, he snapped awake again, still defiant, and marched toward the corner.

Nearby, several Gu family cultivators—sent by Gu Changhuai to follow and protect Mo Hua—watched him pacing back and forth like a ghost trapped in a loop around that corner, exchanging bewildered glances.

But they dared not speak or disturb him.

After all, Young Master Mo had always been… peculiar in his ways.

After repeating this cycle many times, Mo Hua knew this wouldn't work—he began implanting "suggestions" into himself, planting a thought into his Dao heart:

"Go to the corner, go to the corner…"

"Don't turn back, don't turn back…"

Mo Hua silently repeated this several times, then continued forward.

And this "Dao Heart Seed Demon" technique, indeed, worked.

Every time he paused, his goal lost in confusion, a thought would surface in his mind: "Go to the corner."

Thus, he had direction.

And every time he felt the urge to turn back, he remembered: "Don't turn back," and his steps grew firm, moving forward.

Mo Hua turned himself into his own "puppet," resolutely carrying out his purpose according to his own will.

Thus, step by step, stopping and starting, resisting the urge to turn, stumbling forward, Mo Hua finally stepped into the corner.

The instant he entered, all mental barriers and confusion vanished.

Mo Hua's gaze cleared—he looked closely, and saw that in this unremarkable corner, a small statue had somehow appeared.

The statue was made of bone.

Mo Hua looked closer—and suddenly froze in shock, realizing something was wrong.

This bone was white and luminous, curved with grace, etched with fine cloud patterns, impossibly hard, radiating an ancient, sacred aura.

This was not human bone—it was…

Dragon bone!

A Dragon Bone Statue!

Mo Hua's heart trembled with awe.

To forge a statue from dragon bone…

His thoughts churned wildly; after a long while, a single word surfaced from his memory:

Lifesoul Idol!

This was a deity's Lifesoul Idol!

And very likely—the Lifesoul Idol of the Dragon God once enshrined in this ancient Long Wang Temple!

Mo Hua took a deep breath.

This thing was terrifying…

He immediately tried to place the Lifesoul Dragon Bone Idol into his Nai Zi Ring—but after several attempts, he found it impossible.

A Lifesoul Idol is the deity's very origin.

Such things carried too great a karmic weight, too strong a interference—they inherently rejected Void laws, and could not be stored in any storage space.

"Then what do I do? Carry it by hand?"

Mo Hua had no choice—he reached out to touch it.

The statue trembled, and an ancient aura surged forth, but when this aura touched Mo Hua, it dissolved automatically, as if not rejecting him at all.

Mo Hua exhaled in relief, then hugged the dragon-bone statue to his chest and walked toward the hall's exit.

The Gu family cultivators saw this and looked puzzled. "Young Master Mo, why are you walking like that?"

"Like what?"

"As if you're carrying something…"

As if…

Mo Hua was startled. "You can't see it?"

"See what?"

Mo Hua lowered his head, staring at the dragon-bone statue in his arms, then at the confused expressions of the others, and shook his head.

"Nothing."

He adjusted his posture, straightened the dragon-bone statue, and tucked it into his chest—so that, at least on the surface, he no longer looked like he was carrying anything.

Fortunately, the statue was neither large nor heavy, and holding it this way required no effort.

"Young Master Mo, should we still inspect this hall?"

"No need. No need…"

Mo Hua waved his hand.

He'd already tucked the good things into his own arms—what was there left to inspect?

"This place has been completely emptied. Nothing remains. Let's go," Mo Hua said, feigning regret.

No one suspected anything. They followed Mo Hua out of the Long Wang Hall.

After leaving the hall, Mo Hua's mind stirred, and he rushed over to Gu Changhuai, swaying slightly.

Gu Changhuai saw him and asked, "Have you finished your search?"

"Almost done," Mo Hua said.

Gu Changhuai nodded and said no more.

Mo Hua glanced at Gu Changhuai, and now he was certain:

"Uncle Gu can't see it either…"

It seemed that only he could see this Dragon-Bone Ancestral Statue.

Should he tell Uncle Gu about the statue?

After all, they were all "on the same side." Uncle Gu and Xia Diansi had both helped greatly during this trip to the Long Wang Temple.

But after a moment's thought, Mo Hua decided against it.

Since they couldn't see it, telling them would be pointless.

Moreover, he was now the master of the Long Wang Temple; by rights, everything here belonged to him.

Mo Hua thus accepted the Dragon-Bone Ancestral Statue with complete peace of mind.

He found a bundle, wrapped the statue in it, and carried it openly over his shoulder—yet still, no one found it strange.

It seemed everyone, subconsciously, ignored the statue entirely, along with its wrapping.

It was a kind of "invisibility," akin to the Heavenly Mechanism Art.

See without seeing. Hear without hearing.

Mo Hua grew even more certain of his suspicion.

This statue's origins were undoubtedly immense.

Afterward, Mo Hua wandered nearby, but found no other treasures, so he prepared to return home.

Before leaving, he controlled the Bone Maze and concealed the altar.

He still had use for this altar; he could not destroy it yet.

Likewise, the Lord of the Great Wasteland would likely not reactivate this exposed altar—most probably severing its connection to avoid further theft of authority.

With the Bone Maze blocking the way, even Dao Ting Si investigators might not reach the altar's depths.

Gu Changhuai followed Mo Hua's "advice" and resealed the inner hall's entrance, to prevent anyone from accidentally entering the Bone Maze and becoming food for the Blood Corpses or a sacrifice to demons.

This matter was temporarily concluded. Mo Hua now prepared to depart.

He had stayed in the Long Wang Temple too long already.

Now everything was ready—he could return to the sect to prepare, and await his grand feast.

Gu Changhuai was uneasy about Mo Hua, fearing he might cause more trouble at the last moment, so he decided to personally escort Mo Hua back to Grand Void Gate, to prevent accidents on the journey.

Xia Diansi would accompany them.

He also needed to return to Dao Ting Si to handle the aftermath of the Crimson Boat, the Long Wang Temple, and Xiao Zhenhai.

And Xiao Tianquan was on the same boat.

Thus, the group boarded a small boat and departed from the Long Wang Temple, heading toward the mist-shrouded Yan Shui River.

…

Meanwhile, in a sect of jade towers and jeweled pavilions.

The Master Tu, disguised as "Senior Master Shen" and normally refined and scholarly, sat in his senior master's quarters, turning a sheep-bone compass, his face dark, muttering to himself.

"All my painstakingly laid plans… and still… not as satisfactory as hoped."

"I sealed the Long Wang Temple, cut off outsiders, slaughtered the temple guardians, turned them into Blood Corpses, transformed Master Wu into a Yaksha—even summoned the Divine Lord's Embryo—and still, I could not stop or seize this ferocious deity. Truly inconceivable…"

"This ferocious deity… is terrifying indeed…"

Master Tu's gaze was cold as he sighed faintly.

"But… no matter. Though the situation is not optimistic, it was within expectation."

"The demonic deity's embryo is nearly immortal."

"Once possessed by the Parasite, the divine soul will be slowly polluted, transformed, and ultimately fully assimilated, becoming an embryo for the Divine Lord to hatch."

"No one, no god, is an exception."

Mr. Tu grinned grotesquely, revealing his pale white teeth.

He still remembered that day, when a fragment of his own soul, trapped in the Ten Thousand Demons Valley, had been hunted down by this faceless evil god wielding a golden sword, paralyzed with helpless terror.

But now, the karma had reversed.

This evil god had finally been outmaneuvered by him once.

Even this single maneuver had shattered his sinews and bones, pierced deep into his soul, and very likely doomed him to eternal ruin.

Even if this evil god truly resisted the Divine Lord's "pollution" and "corruption," and did not fall into a demonic embryo, he would still be unable to use his divine soul power for years, decades, even a century.

He could no longer travel abroad.

He could only hide like a rat, cowering in the Grand Void Gate or some temple, licking his wounded divine soul, living in constant dread, unable to hinder the Divine Lord's grand plan any longer.

By the time he awakens, the entire Qianxue Province will have already turned into a hellish sea of blood.

And this "false god" will be eternally suppressed by the awakened Divine Lord!

Mr. Tu let out a cold, owl-like laugh.

But as he laughed, he felt his heart bleeding.

Especially when he looked at the sheep-bone compass, at the countless demons under the false god's authority, fated to march to their deaths, Mr. Tu's heart clenched in agony.

Raising demons was no easy task.

These demons were all the fruit of his years of effort.

Sensing he had been tricked, this evil god flew into a rage—truly terrifying.

But it was all worth it.

Mr. Tu took a deep breath, a glint of cunning flashing in his eyes.

"With this evil god dealt with, the next phase of the plan can proceed..."

"The Long Wang Temple is abandoned—after all, it's been ransacked repeatedly for centuries and yielded nothing of value."

"The altar's connection has been severed, to prevent the Divine Lord's authority from leaking further."

"The Rouge Boat is a pity, but since it was discovered, there's nothing to be done—paper can never wrap fire forever."

"Since the Xia family has arrived, we must give them a taste of meat, let them earn some merit—otherwise, we can't appease this passing tiger."

"The real show is just beginning..."

A sly smile curled at the corner of Mr. Tu's mouth.

On the Misty Water River.

Mo Hua rode in a small boat, staring at the moon reflected in the water, still pondering the Rouge Boat and the Long Wang Temple.

Especially the dragonbone divine statue he had just acquired.

Everyone on the boat was lost in thought, silent.

The small boat glided quietly forward.

After traveling for an unknown length of time, Mo Hua's spiritual sense stirred—he suddenly lifted his head, gazing into the thick darkness ahead, his expression alert.

"A boat?"

Or was it a large one?

Gu Changhuai and Xia Diansi also sensed it, slowly rising to their feet, gripping their swords and blades.

Moments later, a luxurious spiritual vessel, glowing with subdued lantern light, cut through the waves from the distant night, approaching.

On the spiritual vessel, a banner hung high, embroidered with an elegant, noble character: "Xia"—radiating solemn authority in the night.

Xia Diansi exhaled in relief. "It's my uncle's boat."

"Uncle?" Mo Hua froze.

Gu Changhuai's expression turned solemn. "It's the Xia Inspector... Central Dao Court's Inspector of the Nascent Soul realm."