Chapter 1128: Toy

Within the mists of heavenly secrets.

Mr. Wu held a wolf demon's skull, using the cracks on its surface to determine the direction of the mist. He wanted to penetrate the mist to see what lay hidden within it.

For days, he had pondered day and night, his mind consumed by this chaotic, impenetrable mist. Everything that arises must have a beginning. Heavenly secrets must have signs, and karma must leave traces. This mist could not possibly have been laid down without reason. If he was not mistaken, this mist was a type of "seal," concealing unspeakable secrets, perhaps even a colossal opportunity.

At this thought, Mr. Wu's heart burned with anticipation. He had, of course, considered that this "mist" might actually be a trap designed to harm him. Otherwise, it couldn't be such a coincidence: the Sect Master of Canglang Sect's nephew died, he came to deduce the killer, and then happened to calculate his way to this very mist. But he had considered it carefully and decided it was unlikely.

If it were a trap, he would have "died" the moment he entered the mist. After all, for a powerful being capable of creating such a heavenly secrets mist, cursing him to death with karmic arts would be easier than crushing an ant. But no, he was not dead; he was perfectly fine. This indicated that the powerful being who laid down this heavenly secrets mist was no longer present. Alternatively, they merely used the mist to seal secrets and had no intention of using it to kill.

This implied that the mist was safe and could be explored at will. As long as he found a way to penetrate it, he could discern the truth of the mist, and there was a high probability of discovering the "opportunity" left by the powerful heavenly secret master within it. This was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity.

As for the owner of this "mist"—Mr. Wu reviewed the entire situation, from cause to effect, and formed his own theory: The owner of this mist was, in all likelihood, an ignorant "lucky one." They possessed a mountain of treasure without knowing it, carried an unparalleled legacy of heavenly secrets but didn't know how to use it, and had a great destiny without being aware of it. For some unknown reason, he killed the Sect Master's nephew, which Mr. Wu happened to deduce, thereby revealing the mist in his fate and the grand opportunity he carried. This was bad luck for the boy, but it was Mr. Wu's great fortune.

As long as he broke through the mist and uncovered his true nature, he could seize his fortune and snatch his opportunity. In this world, cultivators of heavenly secrets were few and far between. And the legacy of heavenly secrets was no small matter. This was a gift from the Heavenly Dao for his diligent practice of "karmic arts," a rare chance that he absolutely had to seize. Mr. Wu's expression was resolute.

However, the profundity and density of this heavenly secrets mist were unlike anything he had ever encountered. Even when the wolf skull in his hand was covered in cracks and completely shattered into dust, he still hadn't found a way to break through the mist. "'A grand opportunity cannot be seized in a single attempt—'" Mr. Wu affirmed firmly in his mind. He began to cut off the illicit technique and withdraw from the mist. From beginning to end, he perceived no abnormality. It wasn't until his spiritual sense withdrew from the mist, returned to his sea of consciousness, and reunited with his physical body.

A strange chill suddenly grew from the depths of his heart. Following it came an uncontrollable sense of despondency, regret, and dejection. Suddenly, Mr. Wu didn't know what he was living for, or what purpose his life served. He felt his life was adrift, just like the heavenly secrets mist he had just witnessed, without direction. Everything he did seemed meaningless. Nothing had any value. "'Perhaps—I should just die? Death—would bring release—'" As soon as this thought surfaced, it spread like wildfire in Mr. Wu's heart, burning ever more intensely. Mr. Wu's pupils began to dilate.

Trembling, he took out a dagger and drew it across his throat. The dagger was poisoned. Mr. Wu forcefully made several cuts, breaking the skin on his neck, and blood flowed out. The poison seeped into his bloodstream, bringing a cold, stinging pain. Mr. Wu, who had been in a daze, suddenly awoke with a start. Noticing the dagger in his hand, the blood on it, the poison in the blood, and the stinging pain in his neck, he was filled with horror: "'What am I doing?!'" But the poison had already begun to take effect, and the numbing sensation intensified.

Mr. Wu immediately used his hands and feet, struggling to retrieve a bottle of pills from his storage bag. Trembling, he took a pill and put it into his mouth. He then immediately sat in meditation to expel the poison and treat his injuries. After a long time, the poison receded, and the bloodstains on his neck gradually healed. Only then did Mr. Wu calm his pounding heart, filled with trepidation: "'What—what happened?' 'Did—did I fall into a trap?' 'Was there some unknown danger hidden within the mist? Was someone trying to kill me?'"

Mr. Wu frowned in thought, replaying his entire experience of entering the mist from beginning to end. Then he shook his head, feeling something was still amiss. Invisible and intangible, leading one to suicide. He had never seen or heard of such an insidious karmic technique before. There was no karmic medium, not even a single sign. A heavenly secret cultivator with such advanced methods would undoubtedly be extremely powerful, capable of killing him as easily as picking something out of a bag. But since he wasn't dead, it indicated that no "master" was trying to kill him. There had to be another reason for this. "'But what could that reason be?' 'Why did I feel a desire to 'die'? And even cut my own throat while in a daze?'"

Mr. Wu racked his brain but couldn't understand. This kind of karmic method truly exceeded his comprehension. Ultimately, Mr. Wu could only attribute everything to the "heavenly secrets mist" laid down by the master. The mist set by the master surely possessed strange and profound qualities. The unfathomable heavenly secrets mist could cause those who probed karma to feel bewildered; bewilderment leads to dejection, dejection to despair, and despair to suicidal thoughts. With suicidal thoughts, one then acts. This was a bloodless way to kill. At this thought, Mr. Wu felt fear and considered retreating, but his heart still longed for his "opportunity." "'Since it's a grand opportunity, how could I obtain it easily without enduring some danger?' 'However, I need to find a way to prevent myself from killing myself while in a daze—'" Mr. Wu made up his mind, his eyes filled with greed.

In a luxurious guest room. Mo Hua was deep in thought, chin in hand. "'Still probably can't kill him.' 'Still a bit rusty, after all—'" Using baleful energy, infused with insidious thoughts, to perform karmic demonic implantation—this was a deceptive technique he had only recently begun to study. So far, he had only used it once, so his mastery was naturally insufficient. Achieving a "counter-kill" in a single attempt was not very realistic. "'Still, it's fine if I can't kill him for now.'"

Mo Hua mused, "'If I really killed him, it would inevitably alert others and cause unnecessary commotion.' 'Moreover, this person is a rare 'toy' that allows me to experiment with karmic demonic implantation and deceptive counter-measures.' 'Anyway, once his Dao heart is implanted with my demonic seed, making him die is just a thought away—'" At this thought, Mo Hua suddenly froze, unable to help but think: "'Why do I feel... I'm so bad—'" How could I think of using others as "toys"? Mo Hua frowned, and after a moment of self-reflection, he firmly concluded: "'It must be the baleful energy. It's affecting my mind; I wasn't this bad originally—'" Mo Hua nodded, utterly convinced. Since his mind was influenced by baleful energy, there was nothing he could do about it.

Mo Hua sighed faintly, then continued to consider the matters of the Canglang Sect. It seemed there were still many secrets in the Canglang Sect, but Mo Hua, calculating, realized he had already been delayed for quite some time at the Canglang Sect. If he continued to investigate bit by bit with such "gentle" methods, he didn't know how much more time would be wasted. He needed to focus on forming his Golden Core; time was precious. And the situation in the Great Wilderness was unknown at the moment. "'Time for a quick resolution—' 'Should I just slaughter the Canglang Sect?'" This thought instantly popped into Mo Hua's mind. He quickly shook his head, suppressing the killing intent within him. "'It's the baleful energy; it's affecting my mind,' Mo Hua comforted himself." After his mood settled a bit, Mo Hua continued to ponder:

"'I definitely can't kill everyone in the Canglang Sect...' 'Although most cultivators in the Canglang Sect have undoubtedly committed misdeeds, it's possible there are also good-hearted individuals.' 'If I kill the wrong people, the consequences would be quite serious.' 'Secondly, the Canglang Sect is, after all, a third-rank sect. If I truly exterminate it, the Dao Court Bureau would investigate, and that would be a lot of trouble.' 'What's more, the Canglang Sect itself has a good foundation and isn't entirely useless—' 'Ideally, I should use someone else to do the killing—' 'So—who should I use to kill whom?'" Mo Hua's gaze sharpened, his eyes deep and somewhat dangerous. The next few days were calm.

Elder Ji continued to send women to Mo Hua; every night, different women would knock on his door. Mo Hua ignored them. His mind was entirely focused on playing with his "toy." He had initially thought that the person who probed his karma, after having an insidious thought implanted and failing a suicide attempt, would be intimidated. Instead, it only fueled their greed, making them even more resolute and fearless. Furthermore, he didn't know what methods the man used, but despite having his Dao heart implanted with a demonic seed, he still hadn't "killed" himself. Mo Hua appreciated his courage and acknowledged his abilities. This way, he could play with this "toy" for a bit longer. He could also use this as a "medium" to continuously experiment and improve his ability to transform insidious thoughts into baleful energy and perform karmic demonic implantation.

In addition, Mo Hua continued to draw formations for the Canglang Sect, and at the same time, he became involved in more of the sect's affairs. Even the Canglang Sect's most core planning, Mo Hua, due to his excellent performance, was invited to participate in.

On the outer city wall of Canglang City. The Sect Master of Canglang Sect pointed to the vast open space and the foundation for formations, where large-scale construction was underway, and said to Mo Hua: "'Young Master Mo, this is the future of my Canglang Sect. This will be a massive artifact forging workshop. With the full might of Canglang City, working day and night, it will be completed within three years and operational within five, capable of forging vast quantities of spirit artifacts, thereby elevating my Canglang Sect to new heights—'" As the Canglang Sect Master 'drew a picture' for Mo Hua, he added, "'At the same time, this is also the future of Tongxian City.'" Mo Hua was a little surprised. "'Tongxian City?'" The Canglang Sect Master nodded. "'While building the forging workshop, I will also expand the 'prefectural road' towards Great Black Mountain—'" A prefectural road, as it's called, is a "main road" connecting two prefectural boundaries, wide enough for horses and carriages. For a prefecture to develop and prosper, a network of well-connected "prefectural roads" is essential. Both the grand forging workshop and the prefectural road expansion were massive projects. Mo Hua couldn't help but glance at the Canglang Sect Master, nodding slightly. He thought to himself that this Sect Master was indeed a very ambitious person. The Canglang Sect Master said sincerely: "'Young Master Mo, your cultivation and formation array skills are exceptional. Please lend this humble one your assistance.'" Mo Hua was somewhat tempted but also clearly hesitant.

The Canglang Sect Master gazed at Mo Hua, his tone quite generous: "'Once the forging workshop is complete, my Canglang Sect will surely prosper greatly. And as long as the prefectural road is expanded, Young Master Mo's hometown, Tongxian City, can also share in the benefits. From then on, my Canglang Sect and your Tongxian City will watch out for each other, coexisting and prospering together. Wouldn't that be a truly great thing?'" "'This—'" Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then, with a resolute gaze, nodded and said, "'Alright!'" The Canglang Sect Master was overjoyed. "'Thank you, Young Master Mo, for your profound understanding of righteousness.'" Mo Hua humbly replied, "'It's what I should do.'" The Canglang Sect Master looked at Mo Hua, his expression filled with great joy, though a strange ambition flickered in his eyes for a moment.

After that, Mo Hua continued to "work" for the Canglang Sect. The Canglang Sect's plans were indeed grand. However, Mo Hua had previously undertaken even larger formation planning, so actually helping with this wasn't too much trouble. By participating in the Canglang Sect's core formation construction, Mo Hua also came into contact with more of the Canglang Sect elders. Among them, the most unique was Elder Zhao.

Mo Hua had inquired about Elder Zhao's background from Elder Ji. According to Elder Ji, Elder Zhao's cultivation was at the peak of Foundation Establishment, just one step away from the Golden Core stage. He was the second most cultivated cultivator in the Canglang Sect, after the Sect Master. Furthermore, Elder Zhao was a second-rank Formation Master, and also the elder with the highest formation attainments within the Canglang Sect. A large portion of the previous formation planning was handled by Elder Zhao. Mo Hua's involvement in the construction of the forging workshop's formations had caused dissatisfaction and rejection among many other formation masters in the Canglang Sect. However, Elder Zhao, in particular, was extremely amiable towards Mo Hua. It was clear that he highly recognized Mo Hua's formation array skills. Since Elder Zhao treated Mo Hua amiably, Mo Hua naturally reciprocated his politeness. The two of them had tea several times and chatted often. Being both formation masters with similar skills, their relationship naturally became quite good.

One day, as usual, Mo Hua accompanied Elder Zhao on a tour of the Canglang City forging workshop's foundation, inspecting issues with the formation construction and overseeing progress. The foundation of the forging workshop was largely complete. The formation framework was also being implemented according to plan. Mo Hua diligently checked the formations, but as he observed, his expression suddenly changed. He looked at Elder Zhao beside him, hesitated to speak, and finally, his gaze flickered, and he remained silent. This subtle change in expression naturally didn't escape Elder Zhao's notice, but he acted as if nothing had happened. Throughout the rest of the inspection, Mo Hua remained silent. It wasn't until the inspection was complete and they were about to leave the forging workshop that Mo Hua slowly exhaled a breath of relief. His steps involuntarily quickened, as if he wanted to leave this troubled place as soon as possible. But he was suddenly called out to. "'Young Master Mo—'"

Mo Hua turned his head and saw that Elder Zhao, who was usually refined and amiable towards him, now had an indifferent expression. "'You figured it out?'" Mo Hua was momentarily stunned. "'What?'" "'You figured out,' Elder Zhao's gaze sharpened, 'what formation I've laid down?'" Mo Hua looked bewildered, somewhat confused. "'Didn't you show me your formation diagrams? Of course, I know what formation you've laid down.'" Elder Zhao stared intently at Mo Hua's innocent face, then chuckled and shook his head, sighing: "'Young Master Mo, not only is your mind extraordinary and your formation skills exquisite, but you're also a master at feigning ignorance—' 'If I didn't understand you well enough, I nearly would have been fooled by your cunning.'"

Mo Hua muttered inwardly: *What do you mean you understand me well enough? And where am I cunning—* Elder Zhao nodded, gesturing. Several Canglang Sect elders and a few disciples, armed with swords, surrounded Mo Hua. Mo Hua's face showed some tension as he asked, "'Elder Zhao, what is the meaning of this?'" Elder Zhao replied, "'Let's be frank, Young Master Mo. You should understand why I'm doing this.'" Seeing this, Mo Hua dropped his pretense and slowly said, "'You've laid down both a confinement formation and a killing formation in this forging workshop—who do you intend to kill?'" Elder Zhao didn't answer, but the answer was self-evident. In the entire Canglang Sect, who else would be worth him expending so much effort and thought to kill? Mo Hua's gaze narrowed slightly. "'Are you—trying to kill me to silence me now?'"

Elder Zhao sighed softly, "'Young Master Mo, I don't wish to harm you. I changed the formation layout, altered the core, and set up so many illusions, fearing you would discover it. Yet today, you saw through it with a single glance.' 'It's just that your talent for formations is simply too exceptional—it makes things difficult for me.'" Mo Hua's expression became solemn. "'Don't forget my identity. I am a disciple of the fifth-rank great sect, Qianxue.'" Elder Zhao shook his head. "'The Canglang Sect is in grave danger, and Qianxue, a fifth-rank great sect, is far away. The situation is urgent, and I can't afford to consider such things.'" A flicker of panic crossed Mo Hua's eyes, but he still feigned composure and said: "'You wouldn't dare kill me! If you kill me, the Sect Master will know everything.'"

Before Elder Zhao could speak, one of the elders in the crowd said: "'Brother Zhao, why bother talking nonsense with this brat? Kill him, and then we'll see. Otherwise, if he leaks the secret, we'll all be doomed.'" Others chimed in: "'Elder, that's right, kill this boy first.'" The swords of the crowd pointed directly at Mo Hua's vital points. Mo Hua's face paled slightly.

Elder Zhao watched the scene, then suddenly sighed and said: "'Young Master Mo, I greatly admire your talent and appreciate your abilities. I truly don't want to kill you.'" Mo Hua frowned. "'What are you trying to say?'" Elder Zhao said, "'Young Master Mo, as long as you promise not to disclose what happened today, I will let you go and spare your life.'"

Mo Hua's expression was grim. "'You want me to betray the Sect Master?'" Elder Zhao replied impassively, "'You're not a disciple of the Canglang Sect; how can you speak of betrayal?'" Mo Hua's face was serious. "'The Sect Master has shown me profound kindness, even willing to extend the prefectural road to Tongxian City for my sake. How could I possibly betray such a benefactor?'" Elder Zhao scoffed, looking at Mo Hua and finding him incredibly naive. "'Do you truly believe the Sect Master values you? That he will genuinely coexist and prosper with Tongxian City?'"

Mo Hua's expression shifted slightly. "'What do you mean?'" Elder Zhao's gaze turned cold. "'The Sect Master has been using you from beginning to end—using your legacy, your talent, and your reputation. Under his leadership, the Canglang Sect has become tyrannical and excessively extravagant. The surrounding immortal cities have already become 'puppets' being drained of their lifeblood. Now, expanding the prefectural road towards Great Black Mountain, their true purpose is not 'coexistence and prosperity' as claimed, but rather to annex Tongxian City and use it as nourishment to strengthen the Canglang Sect. If you truly help him, you will be aiding a tyrant and delivering Tongxian City into the mouth of a hungry wolf. From then on, all cultivators in Tongxian City will live in deep misery. And you, the formation genius once lauded by all, will thoroughly become a sinner of Tongxian City, cursed by tens of thousands—'" Elder Zhao's words were piercing, aimed at Mo Hua's conscience. Mo Hua's face turned pale, like a naive youth encountering the wickedness of human nature for the first time, his entire worldview crumbling. "'The Sect Master—he was scheming against me. He wasn't truly kind to me—'" Mo Hua said, disbelief etched on his face.