Chapter 1062: Mystifying Heaven (Mysterious Heaven)
Qianxue State Boundary, Mount Lundaoshan, Sword-Viewing Pavilion.
A gathering of elders from prominent families and sects remained inside the main hall. From the highest Sword-Viewing Pavilion on Mount Lundaoshan, they observed the situation, overseeing the entire affair, continuously issuing orders commanding all Qianxue forces to suppress the Arhatian Blood Sacrifice Array.
But now, the situation had changed again.
The Blood Sacrifice Array, once suppressed by various forces and strangled by the Dao Court Division, with its spreading tendency curbed, suddenly resumed radiating brilliance. It carried bloodlight and sinister energy, continuing to spread around the Qianxue vicinity.
Many elders frowned slightly.
"The evil formation masters suffered heavy casualties. This Blood Sacrifice Array was already strong only in appearance but weak at the core. Why is it suddenly rekindling?"
"Is someone secretly aiding these demons again?"
"Who is it?"
Elder Xun pondered briefly, and his heart skipped a beat.
Then he hid his hand in his sleeve, forming hand seals to calculate cause and effect. His face was calm as a deep well, but his heart gradually sank.
"Could it be... that kid Mo Hua who is helping them?"
Elder Xun's eyelids twitched.
If that were true, the situation would be extremely grave.
Regardless of the reasons or motives, assisting demonic cultivators to construct a Blood Sacrifice Array was an unforgivable crime.
Even this elder could not protect him.
That kid!
Elder Xun's expression grew solemn, and his heart hung heavy.
Most of the elders present, who were at the Void Profound stage, could not fathom or guess this for a while.
Yet some, slightly versed in Heavenly Secrets techniques or sharp-minded even without understanding these arts, detected something.
Though they kept calm and said nothing, they all cast subtle glances at Elder Xun, their eyes tinged with a bit of schadenfreude.
Mo Hua was too conspicuous.
Not only was his talent in formation arrays considered monstrous, but he also mastered a terrifying forbidden Dao art resembling the True Sword Formation of the Void Divine Mind. If left unchecked, who knew what kind of monster he would become?
But they were all esteemed Void Profound elders who had to publicly respect the Dao Court's laws. They could not act recklessly or openly attack a Foundation Establishment junior.
Moreover, not long ago, Mo Hua had saved their sects' and families' direct heirs from the Blood Sacrifice Array, which counted as no small "favor."
If now they repaid kindness with enmity, breaking this karmic debt, the consequences would be unpredictable.
Looking at the current situation, it seemed they need not worry.
A brilliant righteous disciple fallen into a demon's lair, mingling with demons—without a doubt—would face all kinds of pervasive temptations: cultivation, fame, power, women.
Any normal "person" could not resist.
Even if they resisted, it was hard to guarantee no missteps.
It now seemed Mo Hua's actions were even more "excessive" than expected. He actually dared to help these demons paint an evil Dao array.
Truly, ignorance is fearless and audacious beyond measure.
But the elders actually welcomed this.
If Mo Hua became a demonic cultivator, they could legitimately order his execution in the name of exterminating demons and defending the Dao.
Righteous and demonic cannot coexist—no objections.
Even if Mo Hua still had a conscience and refused to side with demons, his "crimes" were undeniable—the vast Blood Sacrifice Array covering the sky and earth was irrefutable, and he would inevitably face death.
At least his cultivation would be nullified and he would be expelled from the sect.
This matter might not even require the Void Profound elders' direct involvement; they could just leverage the Dao Court Division to "exorcise demons" or coerce the Void Pavilion sect to "clean house."
Thus, the hidden danger of Mo Hua would be eliminated.
And their hands would remain clean.
Gradually, more and more Void Profound elders realized this truth.
Naturally, more and more cast gloating looks at Elder Xun of the Void Pavilion sect.
Of course, some had complicated expressions.
A genius born, a genius captured, a genius turning demonic, a genius perishing...
The Void Pavilion sect was about to experience so many ups and downs in a short time—an emotional stir.
Elder Xun's face grew heavier and heavier.
All these thoughts weighed on the elders' minds.
Of course, no matter what Mo Hua did, they could not ignore the Blood Sacrifice Array.
"Send more forces to kill the formation masters inside the array."
"Evacuate all cultivators around and along the evil array's path, gathering them into Qianxue State. Do not allow demonic cultivators to kill again to prevent the growth of evil energy."
"Seal the narrow passes of the array; if demons appear, strike them head-on..."
"Establish formations along the route to suppress the array's spread..."
These measures were effective but only "palliative."
The evil array was troublesome, but the greatest worry was probably the terrifying existence being nurtured inside the array.
All present Void Profound elders sensed this more or less.
"The Wen family's girl has sent people to protect her, and..." An elder with a serene and immortal demeanor said, "Have we invited Elder Sima from Xuangi Valley?"
Another elder nodded, "Yes."
"When will he arrive?"
"In a few days."
The elder with the serene face nodded slightly.
They were Void Profound—high realm and strong cultivation—but that did not mean they mastered every branch of cultivation.
Advancing cultivation consumed most of their time and energy.
Sect and family affairs also drained their physical and mental strength.
Beyond that, it was rare for them to spare effort to delve deeply into alchemy, formations, or talismans.
Each specialty required mastery.
Most obscure or niche Dao studies they barely understood, far from proficient.
Especially knowledge and methods concerning the Divine Mind.
The Divine Mind Dao was formless, intangible, illusory, and ever-changing.
It included myriad categories: Heavenly Secrets, cause and effect, blessings, disaster avoidance, fortune-seeking, misfortune avoidance, divination, exorcism, demon punishment, deity worship... and so forth—deep, obscure, and vast as the stars.
Such traditions were extremely difficult to learn, requiring lifelong dedication. Even then, fame was rare and often disparaged by outsiders as superstition and deception.
In today's cultivation world, people neglected the heart in cultivation, focusing only on spiritual roots, physique, family heritage, fame, wealth, and power.
Thus, the Divine Way declined, and many Divine Mind disciplines and techniques neared extinction.
So far, few forces retained complete inheritances.
One such force was Xuangi Valley.
Elder Sima of Xuangi Valley, though only at Feathered Ascension cultivation, had deeply cultivated cause and effect and Divine Mind Dao. When traveling, he was greatly respected by major families and sects, even regarded as a guest of honor by some Void Profound elders.
At present, deep inside the array, cause and effect trembled, and a vast evil intent was growing. Only the experienced Elder Sima could break the impasse.
At least he could glimpse through the evil mist, see the truth, and find a solution.
Of course, there were also some Void Profound elders in Qianxue who practiced cause and effect.
But mastering cause and effect to avoid misfortune didn't mean they could exorcise demons.
In the Divine Mind Dao, one is "calculation," the other is "killing."
The difference was as vast as heaven and earth.
Even the Divine Minds that kill humans differed from those that kill ghosts, demons, or evil spirits.
The Divine Mind Dao was complicated and perilous.
Hence, these elders acted with great caution, avoiding rash moves.
But that didn't mean they did nothing—only that they needed a "specialist" to guide them, avoiding taboo violations.
After a while, the elder with the serene face suddenly recalled and asked, "By the way, where is Elder Xiao? Why isn't he here?"
At this moment, all Void Profound masters who cultivated cause and effect had gathered at the Sword-Viewing Pavilion waiting for Elder Sima, but Elder Xiao was nowhere to be seen.
Elder Xiao also practiced Heavenly Secrets techniques.
More people helping would be better.
"Elder Xiao seems still in seclusion; his cultivation appears to have encountered some problems," said an elder in the know.
"Problems with cultivation..."
The elder with the serene face frowned slightly.
Not far off, Elder Xun's pupils contracted—something felt off...
...
Inside the Great Wilderness Blood Sacrifice Array.
Inside the Great Wilderness Blood Sacrifice Formation.
Within the flesh-and-blood city.
Mr. Tu was still leading Mo Hua, walking deeper into the city until they reached the center—a grand and eerie hall built from white bones.
Mr. Tu knelt down.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and felt that, logically, he should also "put on a show," kneeling like Mr. Tu to show his "devotion" to the Lord of the Great Wilderness.
But unfortunately, his bones were a bit stiff; even forcing himself, he couldn't kneel down, so he simply gave up.
So it was like this: Mr. Tu knelt while Mo Hua stood.
As expected, Mr. Tu was a man who dealt with important matters and didn't care about these minor formalities, nor did he mind Mo Hua's behavior.
Mr. Tu bowed devoutly to the ground. After a moment, it seemed he had received some kind of blessing. Then he stood up and reached out to push open the doors of the bone hall.
A dull sound echoed.
The friction of bones scraping together was chilling, interspersed with harsh, mournful, sorrowful, and terrified cries.
The bone doors slowly opened.
What lay beyond was revealed before Mo Hua's eyes.
Before him was a flesh-and-blood labyrinth, filled with grand ancient designs—profound and complex, yet saturated with sinister, evil runes.
This was an ancient formation.
Mr. Tu's expression began to grow fanatic; his eyes filled with desire, excitement, anticipation, reverence, and other complicated emotions.
"This is the core of the Great Wilderness Blood Sacrifice Formation—the flesh-and-blood divine transformation formation!"
Mo Hua was momentarily stunned. As he clearly observed everything before him, his eyes gradually widened, showing an expression of disbelief and shock.
What shocked him was not the flesh-and-blood labyrinth.
Nor was it the profundity and subtlety of this formation.
But that the core formation of this Great Wilderness Blood Sacrifice Formation before him... he actually knew it, had even studied it, and was very familiar with it.
This was... the Mysterious Heaven Formation!
Beneath the flesh-and-blood exterior, the central core of the Great Wilderness Blood Sacrifice Formation used by the Great Wilderness Evil God for resurrection was... the Mysterious Heaven Formation!
And the bottleneck of his Heavenly Evolution Technique was also the Mysterious Heaven Formation!
Mo Hua gasped.
An incredible wave of emotion surged within him, causing his pupils to tremble violently and his face to show uncontrollable astonishment.
Heavenly Evolution Technique, Mysterious Heaven Formation, evil god resurrection...
All of these were connected, which made Mo Hua's thoughts briefly chaotic, even causing a vague sense of fear deep in his heart.
Mo Hua forced himself to calm down.
Everything before him had cause and effect.
Moreover, this matter, traced back to its roots, also had a traceable path.
From the start, the bronze labyrinth in the Bishan Demon Cave had part of the Mysterious Heaven Formation's pattern engraved on it.
In the Dragon King Temple by the Smoky River was the bone labyrinth.
Though there was an evil formation within the bone labyrinth, it was not yet complete. It was obviously intended to build the Mysterious Heaven Formation but was unfinished.
And what was before him now was the flesh-and-blood labyrinth used for the evil god's birth—the core of the Great Wilderness Blood Sacrifice Formation, naturally the fully formed "Mysterious Heaven Formation."
The Mysterious Heaven Formation was related to the "transformation" of divine consciousness.
The evil god needed to rely on the Mysterious Heaven Formation in order to be resurrected!
So this Great Wilderness Blood Sacrifice Formation was essentially... a corrupted variant of the Mysterious Heaven Formation.
"I should have realized this earlier..."
Mo Hua's heart was shocked, his pupils vacant.
His "stunned and vacant" look also pleased Mr. Tu.
Only a genius could recognize the extraordinary nature of this ancient flesh-and-blood divine labyrinth.
Only a true genius could be attracted and awed by this ancient, profound, yet dangerous and ruthless formation path.
Ordinary mortals could not see the true essence of this blood sacrifice formation.
However, even Mr. Tu, a servant of the evil god, didn't realize exactly what Mo Hua was "shocked" by.
After a long time, Mo Hua suppressed the myriad emotions in his heart, and his expression calmed somewhat.
Mr. Tu nodded slightly and asked Mo Hua:
"What do you think of this formation?"
Mo Hua slightly opened his mouth and, almost losing his voice, said:
"It's... too profound, too difficult... such a powerful formation, I... have never seen anything like it..."
Mr. Tu nodded, looking straight into Mo Hua's eyes, "Do you... want to learn it?"
Mo Hua's gaze trembled, "You... really are willing to teach me?"
Mr. Tu said, "Though I am a demon, I keep my word. Since I promised you, I naturally won't break my word."
Mo Hua's face showed struggle.
"Do you have any concerns?" Mr. Tu asked.
Mo Hua hesitated, "This is the core of the Great Wilderness Blood Sacrifice Formation, using blood as ink, flesh as medium. It's a flesh-and-blood grand formation. If I learn it, won't I... truly become an evil formation master?"
Mr. Tu looked disappointed, "Did you forget what I told you? Being bound by notions of good and evil, fooled by appearances—how can you see through the great path of formations? Is your vision really this narrow?"
Mo Hua's face showed shame. Though he struggled repeatedly inside, he remained hesitant.
Mr. Tu sighed, "Fine, take it step by step."
He didn't force Mo Hua and spoke gently:
"If you have a cleanliness obsession about good and evil, I won't force you. I will teach you the original ancient formation patterns, without any evil power, without using human skin or flesh."
Mo Hua's expression shifted, and he sincerely thanked him:
"Thank you, Mr. Tu."
"No need to thank me, but I warn you first," Mr. Tu looked at Mo Hua, eyes deep, "The original ancient formation patterns are convoluted and obscure. Without external aid, you won't even understand them, let alone learn or draw them."
"If that's the case, even if I teach you, but you can't learn or draw them, it would be meaningless. You better be clear about that yourself."
Mo Hua nodded seriously, "I understand. If I can't learn it, it's my own failure. No matter what, I will always remember your kindness, sir."
Mo Hua nodded and said seriously, "I understand. If I can't learn it, then it is my own incompetence. No matter what, I will always remember your kindness, Sir."
Mr. Tu gave a short "hmm," then led Mo Hua to a corner of the flesh-and-blood labyrinth and handed him an ancient fragmented scroll, on which were several strange formations.
"Formation comprehension goes from simple to complex. You start with the most basic ones first…" Mr. Tu said.
"Yes."
Mo Hua nodded, took the fragmented scroll, and upon closer inspection found that these formations were exactly the same in brushwork and formation style as the great mysterious formation he encountered when breaking through the Tianyan Technique. He felt slightly relieved.
But his face showed deep contemplation, as if the formations before him were unseen and extremely profound.
Mr. Tu looked at Mo Hua with a serious tone:
"These formations you must comprehend on your own, but you cannot take them away. You can only study them here inside this flesh-and-blood labyrinth…"
"If you learn them, I will teach you the ones behind these. How much you can learn depends entirely on your own fate."
Mo Hua looked tense, seemingly afraid he wouldn't master it and would miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance. He solemnly said:
"I will definitely give it my all."
Mr. Tu nodded with satisfaction, then solemnly warned:
"This flesh-and-blood labyrinth is the forbidden place of the Divine Lord, extremely dangerous. I am locking you in here. Remember, do not run around or be curious, or you will incur the Divine Lord's wrath. Even I won't be able to save you."
Mo Hua nodded, "I will remember."
Mr. Tu's pale palm lightly waved; the surrounding formation patterns glowed as the flesh writhed and closed in, surrounding Mo Hua on all sides, forming a small "flesh-and-blood prison" that trapped him inside.
After finishing this, Mr. Tu left, seemingly having other matters to attend to.
Mo Hua obediently sat inside the flesh-and-blood prison, pondering the fragmented scroll Mr. Tu had given him and trying to comprehend the formations on it.
After a while, he took out paper and brush, spread them on the ground, and began to try drawing.
The first attempt was wrong.
Frowning deeply, Mo Hua began the second attempt, then the third...
But the more he drew, the more mistakes he made. He felt more and more unable to grasp the key, and his frown deepened.
Yet he monotonously kept drawing again and again...
Until the cold chill from his spiritual intuition dissipated and Mr. Tu's spiritual presence completely left, Mo Hua finally exhaled slowly in relief.
Still cautious, he pretended to continue and drew six or seven more times, all wrong, confirming there were no abnormalities around and no evil spiritual presence watching him, only then did he put down his brush and ink, completely relieved.
The great mysterious formation engraved in his spirit sea was something he could grasp with just a glance; there was no need to practice so many times...
Though his breakthrough foundation and integration with the mysterious formation was first grade.
The ones Mr. Tu gave him were second grade.
But since they shared the same root and origin, learning them would still be much easier.
Mo Hua looked around again; all he saw was disgusting flesh and blood and shocking blood-red formation patterns.
"The Wild Heaven Blood Sacrifice Formation, the Mysterious Heaven Formation, the Flesh-and-Blood Labyrinth..."
Inside here were many deeper secrets that Mo Hua couldn't understand.
Especially concerning the Tianyan Technique his master gave him, and the origin of the mysterious formation related to the evil god...
But time was tight right now, and he had no time to ponder these things.
Mo Hua glanced at the bloody and gruesome flesh-and-blood labyrinth surrounding him.
Based on his many years surviving in Qianxuezhou Realm, repeatedly dealing with evil gods, and accumulating rich experience, Mo Hua was almost the most "professional" when it came to evil gods.
He could almost instantly tell that inside this flesh-and-blood labyrinth, there must be an altar; near the altar there would be a statue of a god; and on the altar, there would definitely be a sacrifice.
That sacrifice was Yu'er.
And that statue was very likely the horned white-bone evil god statue Mr. Tu worshiped, which the Second Elder had mentioned.
In other words, the person he wanted to save, and what he sought, was not far away...
Mo Hua showed a thoughtful expression, sharp golden light flickering deep in his eyes.
(End of this Chapter)