Chapter 1115: Ominous Sign

Amidst bloody agony, angry, unwilling pleas, everything dissipated like mist.

Mo Hua woke up, slowly opened his eyes, and fell into deep thought, his brow furrowed.

The old man in his recent dream, his face covered in bloody tears and his features indistinct, was, judging by his figure and voice, precisely the Second Elder of the Demonic Sect, who had been annihilated along with the Great Barren Dragon Palace.

The Second Elder was precisely the one who had given him the clue to the Twelve Meridians Gluttonous Spirit Bone Formation.

At that time, the Second Elder had indeed made a request: during the upcoming great catastrophe, Mo Hua should preserve a trace of bloodline for his Great Barren clan.

Mo Hua had almost forgotten about this matter, but unexpectedly, after returning home from Qianxue State, this already deceased Second Elder was now pleading with him in a dream.

But—"Who exactly are the descendants of the Great Barren lineage?""Why is this Second Elder appearing in my dream now? Has something changed?""The Great Barren is facing annihilation; the Great Barren clan... will be wiped out...""Is the Second Elder reminding me that something major is about to happen?""If I ignore this, will my promise to the Second Elder become impossible to fulfill? Will the Second Elder then die unsettled?"

Mo Hua frowned deeply. He hadn't taken his promise to the Second Elder very seriously before.

Even if he went back on his word, a mere deceased Second Elder couldn't do anything to him.

Even if the Second Elder died unsettled and transformed into a vengeful spirit, Mo Hua could crush him with a flick of his hand.

On the other hand, the Second Elder had indeed helped him a great deal.

If the Second Elder hadn't pointed the way, he would never have obtained the second-grade, twenty-four-patterned Natal Formation, the Twelve Meridians Gluttonous Spirit Bone Formation.

Besides, he seemed to have indeed promised him at the time.

By all accounts, he should fulfill the promise and consider it settling a karmic debt.

But how was he to fulfill this promise?

Mo Hua mused, "Could it be... I have to go to the Great Barren?"

The Great Barren Imperial Clan should be south of Lizhou, in the central region of the Three Thousand Great Barrens.

Now that the Second Elder had appeared in his dream, it was clear the Great Barren lineage was facing a huge hidden danger, where a slight misstep could lead to the calamity of clan annihilation and the severing of their bloodline.

But if the Great Barren clan was truly facing annihilation, it meant the Great Barren would become a place of great misfortune.

Since it was a place of great misfortune, it was naturally best to stay as far away as possible.

Mo Hua, who had studied Heavenly Dao calculations, couldn't possibly not understand such a simple principle as seeking good fortune and avoiding disaster.

He naturally couldn't go to the Great Barren.

Mo Hua shook his head slightly.

The survival of the Great Barren clan was too great a karmic debt; as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he naturally didn't have the ability to bear it.

The most pressing matter was still forming his Core.

But as Mo Hua considered forming his Core, his gaze deepened slightly, and he fell into thought.

To form his Core, he must forge his Natal Array Diagram.

And his Natal Array Diagram was the Gluttonous Spirit Bone Formation.

This formation was originally an ancient forbidden array of the Great Barren. Currently, he still couldn't learn it, nor did he know if there were any unknown secrets hidden within this Gluttonous Formation.

If there were, these secrets would only be hidden within the Great Barren Imperial Clan.

If the Great Barren clan was truly annihilated, it would mean that the secrets within this ancient Gluttonous Array would be forever sealed, or even completely perish.

He would no longer be able to comprehend this Twelve Meridians Gluttonous Spirit Bone Formation, let alone refine it into his own Natal Formation.

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened slightly.

Although this was just his conjecture, the possibility was very high.

Even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance, he wouldn't dare to gamble.

After all, if the secrets of the Gluttonous Array truly perished with the Great Barren clan, then he might never be able to form his Core in this lifetime.

Or, he could only find another, lower-grade array and make do with it.

But Mo Hua was definitely unwilling to do such a thing.

Having seen the best, anything else pales in comparison.

He already possessed a twenty-four-patterned ultimate array; how could he possibly lower his standards and use another array as his Natal Formation? "Could this also be the Second Elder's calculation?"

Mo Hua thought to himself, "If I obtained this savage ultimate array, it would be fine if I didn't learn it. But once I wanted to learn it and refine it into my Natal Magical Artifact, I would inevitably have to go to the Great Barren, and naturally, fulfill my promise to him?"

"This Second Elder—"

Mo Hua's gaze was cold. He pondered for a moment, then sighed softly.

Although the Second Elder's subtle schemes displeased him somewhat, upon careful thought, the Second Elder, on the verge of death and spiritual dissipation, truly had no other options. This was already his only chance.

Having dedicated his life to the Great Barren, he remained unwavering in his resolve, even if he turned to ash after death.

Setting aside their respective positions, Mo Hua still held considerable respect for such individuals.

Moreover, if this ultimate array was a "bait," he was also willing to take it.

Sometimes, when one gains benefits, one naturally has to bear certain responsibilities.

With a cause, one must also bear the corresponding "effect."

This was also the law of Heavenly Dao karma.

"Since things have come to this... then... I'll go to the Great Barren?"

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, performing calculations in his mind and sensing his own destined karma. After a period of deliberation, he finally nodded slowly, making up his mind: "I will go to the Great Barren, refine the Gluttonous Array, and seek the opportunity to form my Core—"

With this decision made, Mo Hua let out a long sigh of relief.

Although he still felt hesitant and reluctant, he also felt his mind clear up considerably in an instant, at least his goal became clearer.

However, there was still one thing he didn't understand:"What exactly could be the clan annihilation calamity of the Great Barren that the Second Elder feared?"

Mo Hua's gaze was somewhat solemn.

***

At this moment, millions of miles away, in Qianxue State.

In a remote, desolate, and rarely visited mountain forest.

A scholar-like middle-aged cultivator was plodding along alone.

This middle-aged cultivator had a refined face and elegant features; if Mo Hua were to see him, he would certainly be very surprised.

Because this person was none other than Elder Shen Xiuyan of the Shen family, with whom Mo Hua had interacted since Lizhou's Nanyue City.

However, Shen Xiuyan was somewhat strange at this moment; his movements were a bit stiff when walking. At first glance, nothing seemed amiss, but upon closer inspection, one would notice his steps were slightly uneven, one light, one heavy.

His eyes also held a hint of dullness, staring blankly straight ahead.

Shen Xiuyan continued to walk alone in the deathly silent mountain forest, like a puppet on strings.

No one guided him, yet he seemed to know where he was going.

Or rather, something was "calling" to him from the unknown. After an unknown period of walking, Shen Xiuyan arrived at a stone wall.

He blankly extended his finger and rubbed it against the stone wall until his fingertip was raw and bloody, exposing the stark white bone beneath.

Then, he used the bare bone, dipping it in his own blood, to draw a blood-colored array on the stone wall.

This was a type of array that transcended the ordinary scope; each array pattern resembled a ghostly face, eerily hissing and roaring.

Once the array was drawn, the stone wall dissolved in response, revealing a deep, pitch-black cave.

Shen Xiuyan stepped into the cave. It was pitch black all around, with no light or illumination, but Shen Xiuyan was able to discern his direction in the darkness.

He kept walking like this until he reached the end of the cave.

At the end of the darkness, there was a crimson glow.

Enveloped by the crimson light was a dust-covered altar.

After the disaster of the Qianxue Blood Sacrifice, all demonic cultivator mountain caves and evil god altars throughout Qianxue State and its surrounding areas were completely destroyed.

This altar before him, sealed in darkness, was the only one that survived the encirclement and suppression by the Daoist Court's Special Operations Department.

The blackness in Shen Xiuyan's eyes began to deepen.

He knelt before the altar, bit through his ten fingers one after another, and then began drawing strange patterns before the altar.

The blood-colored array patterns, shaped like long snakes, flowed into the altar.

In the darkness, the crimson color grew denser, emanating a chilling glow.

It seemed as if some entity was being "awakened"; from beneath the altar, the sound of flesh squirming could be heard, as if something was hatching.

After Shen Xiuyan finished all of this, he paid no attention to what happened next, merely turned stiffly and left the altar.

After leaving the altar, the blackness in his eyes grew increasingly dense, and his limbs became increasingly twisted.

His footsteps on the ground became even more pronounced, one light, one heavy.

"Who am I?""Who—am—I?""I—"

Shen Xiuyan muttered hoarsely, seemingly having forgotten everything, including his own identity.

Dark, eerie patterns spread outwards, covering his entire body and crawling over his face.

"I am—a wraith—"

The instant the word "wraith" left his lips, everything changed again.

The ink-black, previously rigid eerie patterns, in an instant seemed to gain life, sinking into Shen Xiuyan's skin and vanishing.

Shen Xiuyan, who had been bewildered, instantly sobered up.

He looked around, his expression drastically changing, filled with horror:"Where—am I? What am I doing? What—have I—done?"

But there was no one else around, nor anything to tell him what had happened, only the deathly silent night.

"I can't stay here—"

Shen Xiuyan was terrified and quickly fled.

Although he didn't know where he was, the way he came seemed vaguely imprinted in his mind, and though he fled in a panic, the path he took to leave was surprisingly correct.

Just like this, Shen Xiuyan left the mountain forest and looked up to see a carriage by the roadside.

The surroundings were empty and deserted. This carriage seemed to be the one he arrived in, but he had no memory of it.

But at this point, Shen Xiuyan couldn't bother with such details. He didn't hesitate, got into the carriage, and frantically drove away from this "nightmarish" forest.

These days, he could no longer distinguish between nightmares and reality.

What he thought was a dream might be reality.

And what he thought was reality might be a dream.

He even often found himself in a state of half-sleep, half-wakefulness.

This situation, which had only occurred very occasionally before, had become increasingly frequent since the Qianxue Blood Sacrifice incident.

Shen Xiuyan drove rapidly along the mountain road. After leaving the desolate mountains and traveling for dozens of miles, the surrounding scenery gradually became familiar, and he could find his way back to his sect.

He was an elder of the Minor Spirit Sect, one of the Hundred Sects of Qianxue.

As an elder, he was naturally responsible for sect affairs.

If he was too negligent, absent from duties, or derelict, he would be punished by the sect.

Shen Xiuyan returned to the sect and found that it was currently a periodic break, so the disciples were all on holiday and he, as an elder, didn't need to give lectures. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Shen Xiuyan entered the Minor Spirit Sect's mountain gate, passed through the long steps, and went straight back to his elder's residence. He locked the doors and windows, sealed the array, completely shutting himself in. Feeling the absolute silence around him, only then did he completely relax.

But what followed was a series of terrifying questions:"Where had he been?""What had he done there?""What was happening to him?""He—"

The more Shen Xiuyan thought, the more confused he felt, the more his spiritual sea ached, and the colder his heart became. Soon, his vision blurred, he felt dizzy, and unknowingly, he fell asleep.

After falling asleep, he had another dream.

This was a dream he had frequently had for a long time.

In the dream, it was still that small, dilapidated temple where he, Old Man Wen, and Young Master Yun, the three of them, were staying.

And across from them was a kind-faced child, and a Daoist priest completely enveloped in black mist.

The child was using an array to roast sweet potatoes, while his lips moved silently, seemingly reminding him to leave quickly.

Shen Xiuyan wanted to leave, but in the dream, he couldn't control his own body at all.

He couldn't move.

And precisely at this moment, he saw the Daoist priest slowly rise, carrying a mass of black mist, walking step by step towards him.

Shen Xiuyan was utterly terrified.

He knew who this Daoist priest was.

He also knew that once this Daoist priest reached him, something extremely terrifying would happen.

Shen Xiuyan began to struggle desperately.

At the same time, he muttered incantations he had learned from other accomplished cultivators, incantations that could slay evil, dispel weariness, suppress dreams, and break demonic spells.

He didn't know if these things were actually effective.

But the Daoist priest's figure indeed slowed down, and even the black mist began to shrink and gradually, as if imbued with sentience, gathered together.

"It's working?"

Shen Xiuyan was overjoyed and exerted all his strength, using almost all his spiritual sense, to continue silently reciting the incantation to suppress the dream demon.

As he recited, he felt the heavy thoughts weighing on his mind inexplicably lighten, and he became much clearer amidst the dream demon's influence.

The darkness in the dilapidated temple also gradually receded.

The previously dim firelight also brightened.

Shen Xiuyan felt a great sense of relief. He looked up and saw that the Daoist priest was no longer in the dilapidated temple.

The child roasting sweet potatoes no longer spoke to remind him; only a pair of dark, round eyes silently watched him.

"This tribulation—is over—"

Shen Xiuyan let out a long breath, and a faint, difficult smile appeared on his face.

He vaguely had a premonition that from now on, he would no longer be tormented by this nightmare.

It's just that he didn't notice that the child roasting sweet potatoes opposite him wasn't simply not speaking to remind him, but rather dared not speak to remind him anymore.

The child's gaze was directed behind him.

And behind Shen Xiuyan stood a living Daoist priest, stripped of black mist.

***

Three days later.

On the desolate altar that Shen Xiuyan had visited, the blood patterns were vivid red, and the bricks and stones cracked open, from which a mass of flesh emerged.

The mass of flesh coalesced and transformed into a demonic humanoid figure.

This demonic humanoid figure was pale all over and surprisingly bore some resemblance to the former "Mr. Tu."

At this moment, its throat and teeth squirmed, and it spoke human words, its voice hoarse and terrifying:"Who—unsealed my third demonic body?""Who released me?"

"Mr. Tu" had no idea, and just as he was confused, a great sense of crisis suddenly arose in his heart, and he urgently thought:"No, I must escape!"

Without the overwhelming evil thoughts of the Divine Lord to conceal him, his existence had already been exposed to the Heavenly Dao vision of a group of powerful cultivators.

Once he revealed himself, he would instantly be obliterated.

"Mr. Tu" dared not hesitate any longer. His pale demonic body instantly transformed into a streak of crimson light, burrowed into the earth, followed the residual blood energy in the ley lines, and fled southwards from Qianxue State.

And at this moment.

On the Sword-Gazing Tower.

The Cabinet Elder, who had been dozing with his eyes closed, facing a chessboard, slowly opened his eyes, his gaze terrifyingly profound.

"There's still—a fish that got away—"

The Cabinet Elder extended his withered finger, picked up a chess piece, and slammed it heavily onto the chessboard, radiating killing intent.

Heavenly Dao locked on, reality and illusion shifted, and space began to distort.

Within the ley lines, "Mr. Tu," who was fleeing in disarray, was instantly locked down by the Heavenly Dao. Then, as the void shattered and space distorted, all his bones and flesh were squeezed, twisted, drained, and obliterated. All of this happened in but an instant.

And precisely at the instant "Mr. Tu" was about to be obliterated, his life hung by a thread.

He gritted his teeth and used the last of his Great Barren evil techniques, burning his lifelong divine sense to block a trace of Heavenly Dao's lock. Then, he gathered all his cultivation to split off a wisp of flesh and blood, forcefully contending for a sliver of life under the terrifying killing intent of the Cabinet Elder's casual finger-point from a thousand miles away.

"Mr. Tu"'s demonic body was annihilated in an instant.

But that wisp of flesh and blood escaped from the void's cage.

On the Sword-Gazing Tower, the Cabinet Elder felt a slight anomaly, and then dropped a second piece.

If one piece wasn't enough to finish it, then he would drop a second.

This second piece was a sure kill; "Mr. Tu" couldn't resist it at all.

But precisely at this moment, in the void, reality and illusion shifted, and a wisp of eerie patterns appeared, protecting "Mr. Tu," who was only a wisp of flesh and blood, from afar.

Although in the next instant, the eerie patterns were crushed by the Cabinet Elder's piece.

But "Mr. Tu" gained a chance at life.

He used the eerie patterns' concealment to escape into the deeper parts of the ley lines. He had already exited the fifth-grade Qianxue territory, burrowed into the second and third-grade state territories, and further left Qianzhou, fleeing in the direction of Lizhou.

This was his escape route, one he had planned for a thousand years.

If the grand array was completed, the great plan succeeded, and the Divine Lord descended, then this fallback plan would naturally be irrelevant.

But once the great plan failed and he faced a life-or-death crisis, like a cunning rabbit with three burrows, this third demonic body he left behind could follow the previously planned path to escape Qianxue State in the shortest possible time.

To preserve a sliver of life for himself.

And to leave a seed for the Divine Lord's grand plan.

But the problem was, his previous demonic physical body had died too thoroughly, directly obliterated by tribulation lightning, leaving no ashes behind.

This backup plan of his had been unable to activate for a long time.

Yet now, for some unknown reason, someone had found the altar, unsealed it, and released him.

"Mr. Tu" was shocked and bewildered.

But with great killing intent upon him, he had no time for other thoughts. Even if he was obliterated until only a wisp of flesh and blood remained, to serve the Divine Lord and rise again, he could only desperately flee, seeking that sliver of hope for survival.

And the Cabinet Elder's killing intent was also obstructed for an instant.

In just this instant, karma shifted, and life and death diverged.

A wisp of flesh and blood, mingled in the ley lines, left Qianxue State, swam towards the vast lands beyond, and in the Heavenly Dao, became like a stone sinking into the sea, with no trace or news.

On the Sword-Gazing Tower.

The Cabinet Elder, who had been momentarily obstructed by the eerie patterns of shifting reality and illusion, was truly lost in thought.

He silently looked at the chess piece between his fingers, his profound gaze solemn, and his expression grew increasingly stern. Finally, he said chillingly:"Using the Way of Wraiths to break through the void—are you trying to... undergo divine transformation and become lawless?"