Chapter 1118: Killing Precept

However, the malevolent entities truly capable of satisfying him certainly wouldn't be common, and finding them would likely be very difficult.

Mo Hua suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia for the Qianxue Prefecture. Back then, Mr. Tu was still alive, the Great Wilderness Evil God hadn't awakened, the Blood Sacrifice Grand Array hadn't been activated, and altars were scattered everywhere. Each altar was enough for him to consume a substantial amount; at that time, even reaching twenty-four spiritual patterns would have been more than sufficient. Now, the True Embryo had been captured, Mr. Tu was dead, the Grand Array had collapsed, and although the crisis was over, all the altars were gone.

No wonder the ancients often said one should pursue things slowly and steadily, and killing the goose that lays the golden eggs is unwise. Now, even the "egg" from killing the goose was being held by the stingy Pixiu, leaving him with barely a few bites. Mo Hua sighed softly. Now that he had left Qianxue Prefecture, where else could he find such a place where his divine sense could "feast" and absorb massive amounts of nourishment? After all, that was Mr. Tu's painstakingly accumulated foundation from hundreds, even thousands, of years.

Mo Hua lamented for a moment, then composed himself and continued his journey. "The road ahead is still long, and I don't know what I'll encounter next," he thought, "I'll just have to wait and see as I go..."

Mo Hua continued heading south, following his predetermined direction. His movements were fluid and his steps swift. After traveling for nearly half a month like this, he finally left the Black Mountain Prefecture. The surrounding mountains became shorter, the demonic aura diminished, and the land appeared more desolate, devoid of the deep, sinister atmosphere of the Black Mountain. This was another minor second-grade prefecture bordering the Black Mountain, named Xiaojieji Prefecture. The words "Jieji" (界集) were not actually a singular name, but referred to areas where cultivators gathered at the borders of prefectures. This meant that there was no specific established prefecture here, not many immortal cities, but rather cultivators gathered at the edges of various prefectures, and thus, the general name "Jieji" was used to refer to it.

However, just as Mo Hua stepped out of the Black Mountain territory and onto the ground of Xiaojieji Prefecture, a malevolent aura flickered in his eyes. The killing intent in his heart surged once more. Mo Hua frowned deeply, feeling a surge of irritation.

"Is the malevolent energy acting up again?" Is it because he left Black Mountain Prefecture, losing the protection of merit, causing his destiny to become imbalanced again? Or is it because he's far from "home," his humanity has lost its anchor point, making his killing nature heavier again? Helpless, Mo Hua could only forcibly suppress the killing intent and stabilize his mind. At the same time, mimicking the cultivation method of the Seven Souls Pupils, he imprinted his home and his parents as anchors for his humanity deep within his soul, to resist the backlash of malevolent energy on his mind.

But at the same time, his heart felt heavy. The influence of the "Destiny Evil" was more severe than he had anticipated. If he didn't find a way to curb or resolve it soon, he truly didn't know what he would become in the future...

Mo Hua shook his head, and after the malevolent energy subsided, he resumed his journey, traversing the Xiaojieji Prefecture. After walking for dozens of miles, the landscape was entirely barren mountains and wilderness, with dilapidated villages. Xiaojieji Prefecture was very poor, with very few immortal cities within its borders. Most rogue cultivators resided in mountain villages or villages in the plains. Along the way, what Mo Hua saw were all impoverished rogue cultivators. They were extremely poor, even poorer than Mo Hua had anticipated. They were sallow and emaciated, with timid eyes; their clothes were ragged, and they often went hungry. Even the children he encountered were skeletal.

Mo Hua was accustomed to the Qianxue Prefecture, where noble families thrived and prosperity abounded. He had seen Tongxian City, where people gathered and witnessed its burgeoning development. At this very moment, seeing these skeletal, impoverished rogue cultivators with his own eyes, he felt a strong sense of unreality. Unfortunately, there was no village ahead and no inn behind. The surroundings were desolate, with no cultivated spirit fields, no herbs for alchemy, no ores for artifact refining, and even few demonic beasts... It was truly a land of utter destitution, to the point where even Mo Hua didn't know how to help them.

Mo Hua's mood was low as he continued walking. After half a day of travel, passing through five or six mountain villages, they were all much the same, with no significant differences. He finally reached a crossroads. Ahead, dense forests obscured the view, with sparse bushes. From the rugged hillside, three narrow mountain paths branched out, stretching into the distance. Mo Hua couldn't discern which path to take. Although his divine sense was strong, even a Golden Core stage divine sense had a limited range when extended; it was impossible to truly cover the entire mountain range. He had no choice but to ask for directions.

To the left of the crossroads, there was a small mountain village. Mo Hua entered the village, and although he wore a dusty gray robe, his clear eyes and jade-like complexion still left the rogue cultivators stunned, speechless for a long time. Mo Hua bowed, "Forgive my intrusion, I've come for a cup of water and to ask for directions." No one dared to reply. Two children ran towards the back of the village. A moment later, a frail, withered old man emerged from the back of the village, leaning on a cane, and tremblingly bowed to Mo Hua. "Young master, please forgive our lack of a proper welcome," he said, "This way, please."

Mo Hua nodded and followed the old man into a simple thatched hut nearby. The old man pointed to an old porcelain teacup on the table and said in a hoarse voice, "It's just coarse mountain tea, I hope young master doesn't mind." Mo Hua glanced at it; it was wild mountain tea. He took a sip; it was very bitter, with an astringent taste that spread to the back of his tongue.

"Young master, where do you come from, and where are you headed?" the old man asked. Mo Hua replied, "I come from Tongxian City and am heading to the Great Wilderness south of Lizhou." The old man was startled upon hearing this. "Tongxian City is separated from here by the Black Mountain, where demonic beasts are terrifying. The Great Wilderness to the south is tens of thousands of miles away, fraught with perils... Young master, are you traveling alone?" Mo Hua nodded, "I am traveling to seek the Dao." The old man looked at him with reverence, "Is there anything this old man can help you with?"

Mo Hua then asked, "The mountain path ahead branches off, where do they all lead?" The old man sighed softly. "It's shameful to say, this old man has lived for over 150 years in vain, confined to these mountains, and has never traveled far. As for where these three paths lead, I truly do not know; I've only lived long enough to occasionally overhear passing merchants discuss them..." The old man extended a hand and pointed, "The path on the left leads to the Southern Peak, and if you keep going, you'll reach the Dali Mountain Prefecture... The middle path leads to the only third-grade prefecture in this vicinity, the Canglang Prefecture... The path on the right is a wilderness trail, spanning eight hundred li of desolate mountains, with no sign of human habitation, and few people ever take it... All this information is what this old man has heard, but the merchants who come and go all say the same thing, so I imagine it's correct." Mo Hua cupped his hands, "Thank you, elder."

Having learned the way, Mo Hua saw no need to delay further and rose to take his leave. The old man sighed and said with shame: "Logically speaking, since young master has come from afar, we should extend some hospitality and treat you to a humble meal. However..." The old man's face was bitter. "This rural land is poor, there isn't much to eat, only some bitter wild roots to fill our stomachs. If we were to offer them, I fear young master would laugh at us."

These rural cultivators, though their lives were impoverished, had simple and honest hearts. Mo Hua cupped his hands again and smiled, "Elder, please don't mind. The journey is long and the day is short; I must depart promptly and should not impose further."

Mo Hua left the thatched hut, and the old man tremblingly came to see him off. At the village entrance, he saw several villagers setting up stakes with thorny fences to protect the perimeter of the mountain village. Mo Hua then asked, "Are these thorns for defending against demonic beasts?" The old man nodded, "Yes, they're to guard against small cat and dog demons from snatching children from the village, and also against mountain bandits." "Mountain bandits?" "Yes, some evil scoundrels who rob homes often come to the village to steal things. If they can't find anything to steal, they steal children or women." As the old man spoke, there was considerable indignation in his tone. Then his expression changed slightly, and he said to Mo Hua: "Oh, by the way, young master, if you take the left or right path, there won't be much trouble, but if you take the middle path, you must also be careful of the mountain bandits along the way. Those people are not good news..." Mo Hua nodded, "I understand."

He turned his head, glanced at the fence and thorns at the village entrance, and then at the group of thin, pitiful children. His heart softened, so he pointed a finger, and ink spiraled in the air, instantly sketching several arrays on the ground. Earth and stone rose, thorns intertwined, completely sealing off both sides of the village entrance, forming an extremely sturdy barrier. This was the Earthwood Gen Mountain Array. This scene happened in the blink of an eye. With a light touch of his finger, arrays appeared and barriers formed. The villagers, who were in the Qi Cultivation stage, watched as if witnessing a "miracle."

The old man was greatly shocked and said tremblingly, "You, this is..." Mo Hua said softly, "I drank a cup of your tea and have nothing to repay you with, so I've drawn some arrays for you." "Arrays!" the old man exclaimed in disbelief, "Young master... are you also an array master?" Mo Hua nodded. The old man gasped in astonishment, "Incredible, truly incredible." In small places, array masters were already superior, but in such rural areas, where knowledge was scarce, cultivators who knew even one or two array techniques were highly revered.

"Quick, quick..." the old man urged, "Call everyone to thank this esteemed Array Master." Soon after, everyone in the village came, a dense crowd bowing to Mo Hua. Mo Hua hastily returned the gesture, saying, "No need for such formalities." He saw some children who were truly starving, so he took out several bottles of his reserved Bigu Pills and gave them to them. Then, without further hesitation, he prepared