Chapter 991: Rising Wind

Yu'er… is he the Yè Dragon of Dahuang?!

Mo Hua's gaze slightly sharpened.

But this… how is it possible?

Isn't he a child of the Shangguan and Wenren families? How could he possess the bloodline of the Dahuang Yè Dragon?

But the resonance of the dragon soul should not be mistaken.

In Mo Hua's spiritual soul, an ancient dragon's roar softly trembled.

This was the ancient dragon soul he had swallowed before, from the Dahuang Dragon Emperor, still not fully digested.

Now, this dragon soul resonated with Yu'er, allowing Mo Hua to see traces of the Yè Dragon's blood on Yu'er's face.

Moreover, this shadow of the Yè Dragon was blood-red.

Within the blood-shadow, intense omens of doom drifted at the edge of life and death, foretelling a lifetime of hardship and suffering for the dragon's master.

Mo Hua frowned.

"Mo brother?" Pure-hearted Yu'er, seeing Mo Hua's solemn expression, asked with concerned eyes, "What happened?"

Mo Hua gradually calmed his emotions, patted Yu'er's head, and spoke softly, "Nothing… nothing will happen…"

Yu'er clearly loved having Mo Hua pat his little head, his face beaming with carefree joy.

But on that innocent, radiant face, the red dragon shadow bled blood and snarled fiercely at Mo Hua before melting into Yu'er's third eye.

Mo Hua's gaze grew slightly cold.

…

Next came the Gu family's New Year banquet.

This year's banquet was also quite grand.

But compared to previous years, it was slightly quieter.

Because of the Gushan incident, the Gu family and the Shen family had become estranged.

This rift originated in the Grand Void Gate, and its connection to the Gu family was neither major nor minor.

But the Shen family held high status and controlled the Qiandao Sect; many cultivation families wishing to send their disciples into the Qiandao Sect had to bow to the Shen family's will.

They dared not offend the Shen family, yet they also dared not insult the Gu family.

Thus, at this Gu family New Year banquet, many families sent gifts but dared not come in person.

Among noble houses, such behavior is only natural.

Everyone has their moments of fence-sitting; as long as no one tears the facade, they can still meet amicably later.

The Gu family, though pure and upright, was not ignorant of worldly ways and rarely held grudges.

Mo Hua cared even less.

He only cared whether he could eat well and eat his fill.

Noble house socializing, reciprocal favors—he ignored all of it; it had nothing to do with him.

Thus, amid the festive and harmonious atmosphere, Mo Hua pigged out at the New Year meal, wandered the courtyard afterward to digest, greeted a group of elders, received a pile of New Year gifts, then discussed with Elder Gu Hong the matter of Uncle Gu's personal life, before preparing to return to the sect.

Wenren Wan came with Yu'er to see him off.

"Here are some pastries, fruit wine, and some spirit meat and spirit dishes—all your favorites. The sect's meals are mediocre, and you study array arts so diligently; eat more of this to replenish your body."

Wenren Wan's voice was gentle and thoughtful.

Mo Hua smiled gratefully, "Thank you, Auntie Wan."

Yu'er waved goodbye with reluctance.

Tomorrow he would return with his mother to the Shangguan family to pay ancestral respects; he wouldn't return to the Grand Void Gate until after the New Year.

He wouldn't see Mo Hua for over ten days.

Mo Hua then pulled out the small gift he had prepared for Yu'er.

Part of these gifts were small trinkets Mo Hua had crafted himself using array techniques.

That way, even if Yu'er returned to the Shangguan family, he would have new toys to play with every day.

The other part were array exercises Mo Hua had assigned to Yu'er.

Once he started the exercises, Yu'er would have no time left to feel sad.

Yu'er was simultaneously delighted and frowning, his emotions complicated.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Mo Hua was about to leave when a commotion arose in the distance—a lavish, canopied carriage procession arrived and halted at the Gu family's gate.

A group of cultivators stepped down.

The leader wore splendid robes, his aura profound, his hair and beard half-white, his facial lines deeply etched.

He walked forward as if carrying a chill wind.

The previously warm atmosphere shattered instantly.

Wenren Wan's expression changed slightly; Yu'er grew fearful and instinctively clutched Wenren Wan's sleeve.

Seeing the man approach, Wenren Wan could not avoid greeting him, so she bowed half-formally, "Elder Wang."

Mo Hua recognized him too.

This half-white-haired elder was Shangguan Wang, a powerful elder of the Shangguan family, at the Nascent Soul realm.

It was said that long ago, Shangguan Wang lost the bid for Shangguan family headship, and thus bore resentment toward Shangguan Ce, Shangguan Yi, and even Yu'er's branch, constantly targeting them.

Mo Hua had no fondness for him either, so he did not greet him.

Shangguan Wang silently glanced at Mo Hua, his eyes revealing unmasked displeasure—and a trace of wariness.

At the Array Gathering, he had witnessed with his own eyes how Mo Hua, at Foundation Establishment mid-stage, crushed a host of Foundation Establishment late-stage prodigies from the Sida Sect, ultimately piercing the entire array examination database and claiming the top rank in array arts by absolute dominance.

This boy was no ordinary person.

Thus, despite being Nascent Soul while Mo Hua was only Foundation Establishment, he could only pretend not to notice Mo Hua's "impoliteness."

Shangguan Wang stepped past Mo Hua and walked up to Wenren Wan, saying calmly:

"By the Lord's command, tomorrow I shall escort the Young Mistress and Young Master Yu back to the clan."

"Thank you, Elder Shangguan," said Wenren Wan.

Shangguan Wang gave Yu a long look, softly murmured "Mm," then walked straight into the Gu household.

Mo Hua watched Shangguan Wang's back and felt an inexplicable unease.

Yet he could not tell where this unease came from.

After Shangguan Wang entered the Gu household, there was more greeting and farewelling, a bustling crowd; Mo Hua then took his leave.

Wenren Wan warned him, "Travel safely."

Yu waved to him.

Mo Hua smiled and waved back, then boarded the carriage and set off on the journey back to the Grand Void Gate.

……

Qianxue Province border.

The opulent, magnificent Shen household estate.

This New Year, the Gu household had been fairly lively.

But conversely, the Shen household's New Year had been far quieter, and deeply oppressive.

Though the vast estate was brightly lit, every corner exuded a cold, lifeless silence.

The sect elders coming and going all wore grim expressions.

The disciples, too, looked anxious and dared not speak loudly.

Occasionally, the sound of a wine cup shattering, followed by curses and reprimands, echoed through the halls.

In the magnificent hall, the New Year banquet ended hastily.

The clan members dispersed, but only the Shen ancestral elder remained seated high upon the dais, his aura imposing, his face devoid of anger, yet his entire being like a Bingshan, radiating chilling frost.

When most had left, the Shen household lord stayed behind, alone to bear the ancestral elder's wrath.

He was the lord, wielding the family's authority, enjoying the supreme honor and prestige of this fifth-rank great clan, yet at the same time burdened by a weight heavier than mountains.

When trouble arose, all the storms and tempests fell upon him alone.

In the empty hall.

The Shen household lord, once so lofty, revered and bowed to by others, now knelt humbly at the foot of the steps, his forehead pressed against the cold ground, begging the ancestral elder for forgiveness.

The Shen ancestral elder looked down at the lord kneeling before him, his expression calm as water, yet his gaze terrifyingly fierce.

Finally, he gently closed his eyes, suppressing his ferocious aura, and spoke slowly:

"Rise."

The Shen household lord, who had felt daggers at his back, finally exhaled, bowed his head to the ground, and thanked, "Thank you, Ancestral Elder, for your mercy."

"Have you uncovered everything?" asked the Shen ancestral elder.

"Yes," replied the Shen household lord in a low voice. "The incident began when a disciple of the Grand Void Gate was captured by a band of tomb robbers and taken into the Gushan tomb."

"Then, Elder Xun Ziyou of the Grand Void Gate and my own Elder Shen Shouxing entered Gushan, leading to the subsequent Zhou Zhe…"

"Afterward, someone saw that the Grand Void Gate's Elder Xun Ziyou was still alive."

"No one saw how he escaped Gushan, but he indeed survived, and now teaches and preaches within the Grand Void Gate as if nothing had happened."

"As for the Grand Void Gate disciple who was captured in Gushan…"

"I had some suspicions about this disciple's identity, but lacked proof. The Grand Void Gate guards their secrets tightly—even Dao Ting Si has remained silent."

"After more than a month, after much Zhou Zhe and considerable effort with connections, I obtained evidence confirming his identity."

"The Grand Void Gate disciple tied to the Gushan affair is named Mo Hua…"

Upon hearing this, the Shen ancestral elder's eyebrows lifted slightly. "You mean…"

The Shen household lord said, "Yes—he is the Grand Void Gate's… Array Master Supreme."

The Shen ancestral elder's expression remained neutral, showing no joy or anger.

Not knowing what the ancestral elder was thinking, the lord continued:

"This affair must be… a covert scheme by the Grand Void Gate, using a disciple as bait, employing layered tactics to expose our Shen family's wounds, placing us on the chopping block, thereby luring other wolves to covet our assets and devour our foundations…"

…How many spirit mines, spirit fields, spirit stones, sect rights, and other real power positions within allied factions had the Shen family sacrificed to manage this Gushan affair…

No one knew better than this lord.

Every time he recalled these losses, his heart bled.

His hatred toward the Grand Void Gate grew deeper.

Yet the Shen household lord also harbored one point of confusion, and said:

"This Mo Hua is the Array Master Supreme, a rare array prodigy unseen in centuries. How could the Grand Void Gate have such audacity to use him as 'bait'? Didn't they fear he'd die in Gushan?"

If Mo Hua died, with the Grand Void Gate's array heritage, they might never reclaim the title of Array First again in this lifetime.

Could they truly value this disciple so little?

And yet…

The Shen household lord frowned. "He's merely a Foundation Establishment disciple. Why did he go to Gushan? Without reason, why would he wade into this mess?"

"Does this boy have some hidden agenda?"

The Shen ancestral elder fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly: "This is a grand game, orchestrated by a Void-Dawning elder behind the scenes."

"In such a game, everyone you see is a pawn."

"Even that Jin Dan sword cultivator, Xun Ziyou, is no exception—let alone this mere Foundation Establishment disciple."

"Stop always wondering what the pawns think."

The Shen ancestral elder looked at the Shen household lord, his gaze profound:

"... You are now the family head. A family head must have the bearing of a family head."

"You must understand who you are playing chess against."

"Stand behind the curtain, look at this game from the perspective of the Laozu, and only then will you see it clearly."

"In the future, when you ascend to Dongxu, you will have true bearing, and be able to become the Laozu of my Shen family..."

"If your vision is short and shallow, you can only see the pieces on the board, and don't even know who you're playing against — sooner or later you'll be toyed with in the palm of someone's hand."

These earnest words made the Shen family head tremble all over, tears of gratitude streaming down his face.

The Laozu still had expectations of him.

The Shen family head knelt and said, "Thanks to the Laozu Sect's teaching, your grandson will engrave it upon his heart."

The Shen family Laozu nodded slightly, then shifted the topic. "The matter of the Rouge Boat — how much do you know?"

The Shen family head had just been about to rise, but on hearing this he knelt again and said sincerely:

"It is your grandson's failure to discipline properly. Lin'er and the others... young and reckless, greedy for the taste of rouge, they made a scene — it truly damages the reputation of our Shen family..."

The Shen family head felt uneasy. He had expected the Laozu to rebuke him, but to his surprise the Shen family Laozu shook his head and said:

"This may not necessarily be a bad thing."

The Shen family head frowned. "Laozu... you..."

The Shen family Laozu said solemnly, "I would rather they have tasted the pleasures of the flesh, seen through this world of women — all that brocade and grace wrapped in rotting skin — and come to know the depravity and lowliness of women, and from then on rein in their hearts and natures, devoting themselves wholly to the Dao and to cultivation."

"Rather than that, in the future, they be led astray by some low-born, merely pretty women of base status, their minds confused, their hearts lost to love, and become good-for-nothings."

"A cultivator should devote his heart to the Dao, seeking the great power of heaven and earth, and immortality."

"Those entangled in love and longing, greedy for momentary pleasure, will become sacrificial dogs before the great tribulation."

"This — you must Yaohaohao Sect him."

The Shen family head kowtowed and said, "Yes."

"Enough, you may go," the Shen family Laozu said. "After you leave, summon Lin'er."

The Shen family head let out a long breath of relief, kowtowed respectfully once more, then slowly rose. "I wish the Laozu blessings as vast as the long sea, and longevity equal to heaven itself."

The Shen family head withdrew.

A moment later, a youth of extraordinary bearing walked in, and respectfully kowtowed:

"Great-great-grandson Shen Linshu, greets the Laozu Sect."

The youth's bearing was open and upright, neither servile nor overbearing.

A strange light shone in the Shen family Laozu's eyes. Looking at Shen Linshu, it was as if he were seeing his younger self.

"Lin'er..." the Shen family Laozu's manner softened.

"Laozu," Shen Linshu said.

"In a short while, it will be the Sword Debate Assembly."

"Yes," Shen Linshu's eyes were bright, his voice ringing with conviction. "This time, your great-great-grandson will surely claim first place in the Sword Debate — for the Qiandao Sect, for the Shen family, and for you, Laozu!"

The Shen family Laozu shook his head. "This first place is not for the Qiandao Sect, not for the Shen family, and not for me — it is for you yourself to claim."

"Your talent, gifts, and mind are all of the very finest. You only lack this one chance to prove yourself."

"Claim first place in the Sword Debate, and you may rise straight to the clouds, ascending to the very peak."

Shen Linshu's eyes blazed, but he still said:

"The Laozu dotes on me, the Shen family raised me, the Qiandao Sect Sect taught me. Now that my cultivation has borne fruit, I must not fail the Laozu's deep affection, nor the nurture of my family and sect."

The Shen family Laozu nodded with pleasure. "You are more promising than your father. Do not disappoint me."

"Rest assured, Laozu," Shen Linshu said.

"Go now, and cultivate well."

"Yes, your great-great-grandson takes his leave."

Shen Linshu bowed respectfully, then withdrew.

The Shen family Laozu silently watched Shen Linshu's retreating back.

Looking at this great-great-grandson of his — tall and handsome, brimming with vigorous blood and yang energy, full of spiritual power, born with a bearing that towered above all mortal beings, like a "qilin" itself — a deep affection welled up in his heart.

This was the true genius of his Shen family.

This was a true favored child of heaven.

This was the most direct bloodline of he, the Dongxu Laozu.

He was angry about the Rouge Boat affair.

What angered him was not Shen Linshu's misbehavior — what angered him was that those low women, how could they possibly be worthy of letting his great-great-grandson of the qilin bloodline "favor" them?

How could those base-born creatures be worthy?

The Shen family Laozu's expression grew slightly vexed, then gradually calmed, and once again he became as still as an ancient well, without a ripple.

Seeing Shen Linshu, another name inevitably rose in his mind:

"Mo Hua..."

This disciple called Mo Hua, a few years ago had taken that ancient Ru Sect token, hoping to join the Qiandao Sect.

But he was refused.

If one said the Shen family Laozu was entirely unbothered, that wasn't quite possible either.

There was a trace of regret in his heart.

What he regretted was not Mo Hua himself, but that he should not have "aided the enemy."

If at the time he had taken Mo Hua in — even if only as a menial servant, or a registered disciple who didn't even count as an outer disciple — letting him remain among the Qiandao Sect's nearly thousand favored children of heaven, feeling inferior, his Dao heart humble, and ultimately fading into the crowd...

That would still have been better than handing him over to the Grand Void Gate.

If not for Mo Hua, the matter of the sect's restructuring would have already been settled, without so many side issues sprouting, without so many complications arising.

It was not necessary to wait until this year's Dao Discourse to determine the direction of the great tide.

Nor was it necessary for the Shen family's Gushan affair to be exposed.

Amidst hidden currents, the Shen family once teetered on the brink, forced to cut off limbs and sacrifice much.

And this was only because he sensed it early and acted decisively.

Had he been even a moment slower, the Shen family would have suffered a great calamity, hanging by a thread.

Now, the Shen family's ancestral elder knew full well: Mo Hua must carry the karmic ties of that person.

Xun, the ancestral elder of Grand Void Gate, surely knew this as well.

Precisely because he knew, he had orchestrated this entire scheme, using Mo Hua as a "pawn" to confront Qiandao Sect—and even the reforms of the Sida Sect.

The Shen family's ancestral elder sighed inwardly.

Misfortune is where fortune hides; fortune is where misfortune leans.

For Qiandao Sect, this boy was originally fortune—but because it was rejected, it turned into "misfortune."

Karmic transformations are truly mysterious.

Xun, the ancestral elder of Grand Void Gate, was no less a master of this path: he had forcibly trained a disciple with a mid-low grade inferior spiritual root into the foremost master of array arts, shaping him into a sharp blade aimed squarely at Qiandao Sect.

"But it ends here…"

The Shen family's ancestral elder pondered deeply.

Grand Void Gate, after all, lacked deep roots; even with the merger of Jibiansan Sect, most of its top disciples had left, and the remainder were mostly mediocre.

In Qianxue Dao Discourse, the sword reigns supreme; sword debate is the main event.

For Grand Void Gate, this was a fatal deadlock.

No matter how well Mo Hua painted arrays, he could only win the title of Array Champion.

"A single Array Champion cannot save your merged Jibiansan Sect…"

The Shen family's ancestral elder smiled faintly, his gaze dark.

…

After returning to Grand Void Gate, Mo Hua resumed his daily cultivation.

After the New Year passed, time slipped away, and another month went by.

Mo Hua had finally entered his ninth year at Grand Void Gate.

This was also his final year of cultivation and seeking the Dao at Grand Void Gate.

And this year, he would finally participate in the grandest event within Qianxue Province—a gathering encompassing the Sida Sect, Eight Gates, Twelve Schools, and countless other sects of Qianxue, where countless prodigies converged and myriad Dao arts clashed, the one and only such event in every sect disciple's lifetime:

The Qianxue Sword Discourse.

(End of Chapter)