Chapter 1104: Heavenly Demon

Mo Hua silently watched the strange void rift in the room, his brows furrowed.

"Is this an ancestral void teleportation?""Or is something else at play?""What exactly has happened to the ancestor?"

Mo Hua's expression was grave.Should he enter?Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

At this time, at this juncture, it was obvious that something was wrong with this rift. Not to mention the cold, eerie aura emanating from within it. Mo Hua wasn't even sure where the rift would lead. Naturally, he couldn't enter.

Mo Hua ignored the void rift, lay back on his bed, and closed his eyes to rest. Void teleportation was a power of the Void Integration Realm; since he wasn't at that level, he couldn't interfere, so he simply left it alone.

Strange phenomena should not be tolerated by one's bedside. But that applied to most people. Mo Hua dealt with bizarre things every day; he even had an evil god hanging around his neck, so he was already accustomed to it.

The dark, cold void rift stretched across the room, exuding a dangerous aura. Mo Hua paid it no mind, but a moment later, familiar voices began to echo in his ears.

Old, resolute, persistent—it was the voice of Ancestor Dugu. Ancestor Dugu was transmitting sword arts to him. Then, it seemed to be Old Master Xun, gradually guiding him in array formations. His junior disciples from the same sect called him "Senior Junior Brother." After that, his parents, his childhood playmates, and the uncles and aunts from Tongxian City spoke to him. Vaguely, Mo Hua could also hear his Senior Junior Brother, Bai Zisheng, excitedly calling him to watch a demon hunt, and his Junior Senior Sister, softly calling his name, "Mo Hua—"

Mo Hua slowly opened his eyes, his face darkening as he stared coldly at the strange void rift."Trying to lure me?""I'd like to see what dares to lure me—"

Mo Hua rose, his gaze profound, and walked step by step towards the void rift. Then, as if it were a usual occurrence, he stepped into the rift, traversing space. The world spun, enveloped in dim black light. When he opened his eyes again, he saw a desolate mountain forest around him, filled with withered tombs and broken swords—this was the Sword Clan's forbidden ground in the back mountains of Taixu.

However, it differed somewhat from the forbidden ground Mo Hua remembered. The surroundings were filled with suppression arrays and golden chains, tightly sealing the entire forbidden area. A powerful sealing force permeated the heavens and earth. Moreover, the surrounding scenery was indistinct, appearing both real and illusory. For a moment, Mo Hua couldn't tell if he was in a dream or reality.

Just then, an extremely powerful and chilling demonic aura emanated. The entire forbidden ground was instantly engulfed by a furious black wind. The sealing arrays operated at full power, emitting dazzling light, and the golden chains began to vibrate violently. It seemed as if something "big" was about to appear.

Mo Hua's expression shifted slightly. Following the sound, he looked towards the distant sky and saw a rift torn open. From within it, a massive claw, entwined with malevolent black qi, was reaching out. Almost simultaneously, an extremely sharp, pure white sword light shot skyward, carrying a powerful sword intent, directly severing the demonic claw.

Ancestor Dugu! Mo Hua was shocked. He turned his head and saw Ancestor Dugu sitting withered before the solitary residence beneath the sky rift. At his fingertips, a pure sword intent had condensed, containing an extremely sharp killing will. This was the first time Mo Hua had seen Ancestor Dugu unleash "Divine Thought Manifestation Sword." It was also, to date, the most powerful killing move Mo Hua had ever witnessed, condensed from a cultivator's divine thought.

This astonishing sword intent contained an oppressive might that made Mo Hua's skin prickle as if pierced by needles. Mo Hua's gaze was slightly startled."This is the true Taixu Divine Thought Manifestation Sword—""It is the purest, most refined 'God-Slaying Sword Form,' condensed from a lifetime of effort, free from other laws, and comprehended from the pinnacle of sword dao—"

Mo Hua's God-Slaying Sword was a "cheat-like" "hodgepodge" version. But the God-Slaying Sword before him was the purest sword dao, refined to its extreme through a lifetime of effort. This was Ancestor Dugu's Sword of Divine Thought.

For a moment, Mo Hua was filled with awe. This was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. Mo Hua instinctively immersed his entire being into that sword light, gradually discerning and comprehending the purest, most exquisite essence of Divine Thought Manifestation Sword demonstrated by Ancestor Dugu. He intended to constantly iterate and optimize his own God-Slaying Sword Form based on this.

As the demonic claw was severed, several indistinguishable roars echoed from the rift in the sky. Moments later, another demonic claw extended. A sword light shot skyward. The demonic claw was again annihilated by Ancestor Dugu. Subsequently, foreign demonic thoughts repeatedly invaded, but all were obliterated by Ancestor Dugu's powerful Divine Thought Manifestation Sword.

Mo Hua watched, greatly shaken. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he looked up. He saw demonic energy surge from the rift in the sky, revealing a colossal head. This huge head was faceless, without features, a bone-white expanse. Yet, upon this bone-white surface, black malevolent qi, like thick ink, ceaselessly depicted human faces expressing joy, anger, sorrow, and twisted fear, shifting and transforming like ukiyo-e, showcasing the myriad aspects of the human world.

"Is this—a Sky Demon?"A Hundred-Faced Sky Demon?Mo Hua's pupils contracted slightly.

At the same time, a startling sharpness burst forth from Ancestor Dugu's eyes."Vile beast!"Ancestor Dugu roared softly, then raised both arms, joining his hands in sword-fingers three inches above his head. Powerful sword intent, like a storm, swept around him, causing the Sword Mound to tremble. Countless residual sword qi rose from the Sword Mound like a rain of swords, gathering around Ancestor Dugu.

"Return to Burial!" Ancestor Dugu lightly shouted.Countless residual sword intents, like a reversed torrential rain, swept from the ground towards the sky, attacking the massive faceless Sky Demon.

The Sky Demon roared, manifesting endless demonic qi and transforming into a hundred human faces. Each face chanted eerie incantations, manipulating demonic qi to form Sky Demon arts, striking towards Ancestor Dugu's Divine Thought Manifestation Sword. For a moment, demonic qi descended like black clouds pressing down on a city. Ancestor Dugu's sword intent, however, rose skyward like a furious wind turning into rain. Demonic qi and sword intent intertwined, creating a grand and magnificent spectacle that left Mo Hua spellbound.

The Sky Demon's qi was immense and powerful, but clearly, Ancestor Dugu's divine thought sword techniques possessed even greater destructive power. Under the relentless onslaught of the Divine Thought Manifestation Sword, the resonance of the residual swords, and the swirling, rain-like slaughter, the demonic qi was diminished, and each of the Sky Demon's human faces was pierced by sword intent, dissipating into nothingness. Ultimately, the colossal Hundred-Faced Sky Demon in the sky was single-handedly cut down by Ancestor Dugu, reduced to black smoke.

Ancestor Dugu coughed up a mouthful of blood. Mo Hua, meanwhile, was deeply shaken. This "Hundred-Faced Sky Demon" was, to date, the most powerful being he had ever seen, second only to an evil god. Its "quality" might not rival the true form of an evil god, but it was only slightly inferior. However, its rank was clearly much higher; it was a powerful evil entity capable of reaching the Fourth-Grade Ascension Realm. And this Fourth-Grade "Hundred-Faced Sky Demon," roughly equivalent to a "half-step evil god," was simply cut down by Ancestor Dugu, using his Divine Thought Manifestation Sword.

Ancestor Dugu was a cultivator, a true mortal in the flesh. His divine thought had not undergone Dao transformation; his ability to slay Sky Demons relied entirely on the firmness of his mind, the strength of his sword intent, and the unparalleled mastery of his sword dao. Moreover, from the surrounding traces, this was clearly not the first time. Year after year, alone and withered, he guarded the Sword Mound, tirelessly obstructing and slaying these foreign Sky Demons, time and again. This process must have been long and arduous. Ancestor Dugu was exhausted, far from his peak, yet his figure, like a flickering candle in the wind, still resembled a sharp, divine sword. The steadfastness of his Dao heart and the resilience of his will left Mo Hua, a cultivator who trod the path of divine consciousness, awestruck and filled with reverence.

The disparities in human hearts were truly as vast as a chasm. Some minds were weaker than straw, while others' wills were strong enough to rival gods.

The Hundred-Eyed Sky Demon was slain by Ancestor Dugu, demonic qi and malevolent aura receded, and the rift in the sky began to close. All crises began to dissipate. Ancestor Dugu withdrew his sword intent, and his entire being showed signs of fatigue, as if he had aged several years. He took a long breath, then suddenly, turning his head, he saw Mo Hua.

Ancestor Dugu's expression showed a moment of confusion, then his pupils constricted, and he asked:"Why are you here?"Mo Hua also hesitated. "The spatial rift opened, so I came in—" He asked in a low voice, "Didn't you—bring me here?"Ancestor Dugu's expression changed abruptly. "I—impossible, I—"

But the next instant, his facial features vanished, and black malevolent qi traced an eerie human face on his skin, which sinisterly chuckled:"It was me, I brought you here—"Before he could finish, Ancestor Dugu reached out a large hand and wiped his face as if erasing ink, removing the Sky Demon face and reverting to his original appearance.

His face was now filled with terror."Damn it, I've fallen into a trap!"Ancestor Dugu, pale-faced, looked at Mo Hua and urgently said, "Quick! I'll send you away, don't ever come back."

But as soon as he extended his hand to tear open the void, his face was suddenly enveloped by black qi again. Ancestor Dugu became faceless once more, sneering:"Trying to leave? You—"

Ancestor Dugu transformed his finger into a sword, touched his forehead, and temporarily sealed his own demonic thoughts with a wisp of Taixu sword intent. But just as he intended to tear open a rift, the previously fading rift in the sky suddenly reopened, revealing two massive white heads. Upon these heads, grim and terrifying hundred-faced human visages emerged. Two Hundred-Faced Sky Demons!

Not only that, but several Ten-Faced and even scores-of-faced Sky Demons also swarmed out of the rift, pouncing downwards. Their target, however, was not Ancestor Dugu. It was Mo Hua.

In that instant, Ancestor Dugu understood everything. It was all a Sky Demon conspiracy! Over years of obstructing and slaying Sky Demons, he had already been corrupted by them, even gradually assimilating with them.

And the Sky Demons had discerned his innermost thoughts. They had exploited his desire to pass on Divine Thought Manifestation Sword, subtly influencing him to transmit the sword art to Mo Hua. Then, seizing his weakness, a Sky Demon would possess him, occupy his primordial spirit, and, under the guise of transmitting the sword art, secretly impart the Dao of Sky Demons to Mo Hua, planting the seed of transformation into a "Sky Demon" in Mo Hua's heart.

Now, the "seed" had matured. No, it was possible that this "seed" was about to leave Taixu Sect and the Qianxue State Realm, so these Sky Demons couldn't wait. They had to lure Mo Hua, then occupy his physical body and transform him into a "Sky Demon Fetus."

Once the transformation was complete, Mo Hua would become a flesh-and-blood Sky Demon walking among mortals. Using him as a conduit, the Sky Demons could spread the Grand Supreme Sky Demon's Emotion-Severing Dao throughout the world. At that time, human emotions and nature would be obliterated by the Ruthless Dao, rendering human hearts apathetic and consciences extinguished, thus turning them into puppets of the Sky Demons. With the myriad aspects of human hearts as nourishment, once more powerful Hundred-Faced Sky Demons, Thousand-Faced Sky Demons, and even unparalleled Innate Great Demons were hatched, the Sky Demon Cataclysm, once capable of destroying worlds, would reappear.

His lifetime of perseverance, and the millennia of sacrifices by the Taixu lineage, would all be in vain. And this great catastrophe would fall upon him—no, upon that child, Mo Hua. He was the "Sky Demon's Catalyst." All of this was forged by his own selfishness.

"Vile beasts! Damnable!" Ancestor Dugu's gaze turned cold. He bit his tongue, drawing forth his vital essence, then, sparing no effort, mobilized all his divine thought. His chest heaved like bellows, and his gaunt body resembled withered wood, yet powerful sword intent surged from him. Extreme, pure, pure white sword intent condensed into threads of sword energy. All the residual swords of the Sword Clan, like raindrops, gathered around Ancestor Dugu.

"Taixu Sword Transformation, Heavenly Net of Swords." Ancestor Dugu pointed to the sky, and the sword rain and sword threads instantly surged like colossal waves, howling upwards, condensing into a massive net of sword dao that enveloped all the Sky Demons in the sky, strangling them one by one.

Mo Hua's expression was one of shock. He hadn't expected that a Divine Thought Manifestation Sword, condensed solely from a cultivator's divine thought, could be this powerful.

But within moments, another, even more powerful, colder, and terrifying demonic aura emanated from the rift in the sky. Mo Hua's pupils contracted. "This is—a Fifth Grade?""A Thousand-Faced Sky Demon—" Ancestor Dugu's expression turned bitter, his mood extremely heavy. Finally, he let out a soft sigh."Now, I have no choice but to use it—"

Ancestor Dugu reached out, pulled a broken sword from the Sword Mound before him, and looked at it with a sense of loss, as if greeting an old friend. Then, gripping the hilt, an even stronger aura emanated from the broken sword, resonating with his sword heart. The laws of the sword dao almost solidified, swirling around Ancestor Dugu. This time, the display was not grand, but it was profoundly mysterious, containing the terrifying aura of law annihilation.

From the rift in the sky, an even larger Sky Demon slowly revealed its form, covered in malevolent karma. It seemed to be strenuously trying to break through the obstruction of the Heavenly Dao's seal, to invade a world long pondered, a world teeming with human hearts and desires. This was a terrifying Fifth-Grade Thousand-Faced Sky Demon.

Ancestor Dugu's expression was cold, his eyes filled with majesty. He pointed the broken sword at the sky and silently chanted:"Taixu Divine Thought Manifestation Sword—""God Extinguishing Form."

In that instant, Ancestor Dugu's divine thought began to be rapidly overdrawn, and simultaneously, a terrifying sword dao aura spread. The laws of heaven and earth began to be annihilated. The Fifth-Grade Sky Demon, which had just revealed its head, covered in grimacing human faces and a thousand monstrous forms, was instantly twisted by the sword dao laws. Each human face began to shatter, returning to nothingness.

The Fifth-Grade Sky Demon began to rage and roar, emitting soul-capturing roars from its thousand faces. The illusory and real demonic qi incessantly vibrated and surged, imposing and fierce, yet utterly unable to contend with Ancestor Dugu's God Extinguishing Sword Intent. The Heavenly Dao's seal had a narrow opening, preventing the Thousand-Faced Sky Demon from crossing into the world. And as long as it showed its head, its demonic thought body would be obliterated by the powerful God Extinguishing Sword Intent. After a momentary standoff, this Fifth-Grade Thousand-Faced Sky Demon retreated back into the depths of the seal, no longer daring to forcibly break through the barrier to the present world under the blockade of Ancestor Dugu's God Extinguishing Sword.

The Ten-Eyed Sky Demons and Hundred-Eyed Sky Demons were all annihilated by the Heavenly Net of Swords. The Fifth-Grade Thousand-Faced Sky Demon was forced back by Ancestor Dugu's God Extinguishing Sword. The surging demonic thoughts in the sky began to recede. Ancestor Dugu, his divine thought almost depleted, slowly lowered the broken sword in his hand. He felt as if a colossal burden had been lifted, and let out a long sigh of relief.

However, the overdrawn divine consciousness and the continuous use of Taixu Return to Burial, Heavenly Net of Swords, and the taboo-breaking God Extinguishing Sword Form left Ancestor Dugu, already like a flickering candle in the wind, resembling decaying wood, his life force barely clinging on. But as long as he could suppress the Thousand-Faced Demon and bind the Sky Demons, it was fine. And then—"Mo Hua, leave quickly—"

Ancestor Dugu wanted Mo Hua to leave, but as soon as he turned his head to look at Mo Hua, his pupils widened instantly, and a chill ran through his body. Mo Hua stood by, his face filled with shock, watching Ancestor Dugu unleash the terrifying God Extinguishing Sword Form, wielding power capable of annihilating laws, directly slaying the Fifth-Grade Sky Demon and forcing it to retreat in fear.

But he was completely oblivious that, at that very moment, another Sky Demon stood right behind him. This Sky Demon was not particularly large, but oddly, its face was utterly blank, no features appearing on it. Yet, it was precisely this Sky Demon that struck terror into Ancestor Dugu's heart."A Small Faceless Sky Demon!"

The number of faces a Sky Demon had determined its power. Ten-faced, Hundred-faced, Thousand-faced Sky Demons—the more human hearts they devoured, the more faces they had, and the stronger they became. But there was another type: the pure "Faceless" Sky Demon. This type of Sky Demon was a special "seed," an "embryo," seemingly not powerful, but capable of parasitizing and assimilating with anyone. Once planted, it was almost impossible to separate or obliterate. This was an alternative type of "Upper Sky Demon."

And at this very moment, a Small Faceless Sky Demon stood behind Mo Hua, its hand already grasping the back of Mo Hua's neck. Despair gripped Ancestor Dugu's heart. In an instant, he understood that this too was a Sky Demon's scheme. Using three Hundred-Faced Sky Demons, numerous Ten-Faced Sky Demons, and even letting the powerful Fifth-Grade Thousand-Faced Sky Demon show itself, all were meant to pressure him, to make him overdraw his divine thought power. The true killing blow was, in fact, this one "Small Faceless Sky Demon," which had secretly infiltrated at some unknown time.

Once the Small Faceless Sky Demon corrupted Mo Hua, all would be lost! Using Mo Hua as a catalyst, the Sky Demons would reopen the gateway to the present world and descend upon it. The Sky Demon cataclysm would recur.

And all of this was his own fault. He should not have, under any circumstances, harbored the thought of passing on Divine Thought Manifestation Sword; he should not have taught the child Mo Hua the true essence of Divine Thought Manifestation Sword; he should not have allowed his Dao heart to waver and be exploited by the Sky Demons, leading to this irreparable outcome!

And now, he had not only harmed the Taixu Sect but also the child Mo Hua. Ancestor Dugu coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood. He wanted to act and destroy the Small Faceless Sky Demon, but his divine consciousness was already overdrawn, and his injuries were acting up, preventing him from even condensing a single wisp of sword intent. Moreover, it was too late. The Small Faceless Sky Demon was already close to Mo Hua, its blank face about to merge with him, when suddenly, a young boy's voice rang out:

"What are you doing standing behind me? Trying to scare me?"

The Small Faceless Sky Demon paused, and for a moment, a hint of clear bewilderment appeared on its expressionless face. The next instant, it felt a hand, like jade and gold, gripping its neck. Before it could react, it was slammed hard onto the ground, utterly unable to resist.

Mo Hua pinned the Small Faceless Sky Demon beneath him, raised both hands high, manifested a colossal God-Slaying Sword, and chopped wildly, directly turning the Small Faceless Sky Demon into "minced meat." Ancestor Dugu, standing by, watched all of this in stunned bewilderment.