Chapter 1538: Pleading the Esteemed Master for Help

Chapter 1538: Pleading the Esteemed Master for Help

Upon hearing this, the Green-Faced Leader's fierce eyes lit up, and he said hoarsely, "Could Master please clear a path for us?"

Mo Hua feigned hesitation, then said after a moment, "I only know a little of this art. I'm afraid I might make mistakes."

The Green-Faced Leader said, "No matter. Please, Master, make your attempt."

Since Master Wu had sent this black-robed Fāngshì to assist them in hunting down the Dao Court's thieves, he must possess some real skill.

Mo Hua slowly nodded. "Then... this master will give it a try."

The Green-Faced Leader said, "Please."

Mo Hua took the lead and stepped into the tangled forest ahead, where formation patterns were dense and the entire formation area lay in disarray.

The Green-Faced Leader's towering frame followed closely behind Mo Hua.

Gu Changhuai's formation-crafting methods were actually not very sophisticated, especially in Mo Hua's eyes, they could almost be called amateurish.

Within the formation field before him, the central hub and structure were so clear that Mo Hua could see through them even with his eyes closed.

Still, Mo Hua paced about with great pretense, feigning deep thought, then pointed at an empty patch of ground and said:

"Have someone probe that spot."

The Green-Faced Leader casually gestured to one of his subordinates. "You, go."

The subordinate's face showed hesitation, but under the intimidating stare of his green-faced, fang-toothed leader, fear won out, and he had no choice but to walk to the spot Mo Hua had indicated.

Then the ground flashed, and with a thunderous blast, the subordinate failed to dodge in time. Half his leg was blown off, and he collapsed to the ground, wailing without end.

Mo Hua sighed. "A miss."

The Green-Faced Leader inwardly cursed Mo Hua for being useless, but outwardly he still offered reassurance: "No matter. Master, please keep trying."

Mo Hua said, "Then I'll try again?"

The Green-Faced Leader said, "Please."

Mo Hua randomly pointed at another spot.

Another subordinate was forcibly ordered to test the formation and had both legs blown off.

The Green-Faced Leader's expression turned ugly. He began to suspect that this black-robed master might be a fraud, perhaps just as ignorant of formations as he himself was.

Mo Hua sensed the Green-Faced Leader's displeasure and knew that another mistake would be too impolite.

So on his third attempt, he pointed to a safe location.

Only then did the Green-Faced Leader's expression ease slightly.

After that, Mo Hua stopped holding back. He began to reveal the correct path through the Formation, pointing out the Life Gates within both the Trap Formations and the Killing Formations.

He also shared with the Green-Faced Leader the key secrets to "breaking" the formations.

As long as certain Formation Eyes and Formation Foundations were forcibly destroyed, a large swath of the formation area could be rendered useless.

Of course, to keep up appearances, Mo Hua occasionally made deliberate mistakes, pointing out wrong locations and sending a few thuggish subordinates to their deaths.

Whether they lived or died was up to their own luck.

After all, Mo Hua hadn't killed them, he'd only offered suggestions. It was their leader who had sent them to die.

And so, with Mo Hua erring now and then, and succeeding now and then, from start to finish, he killed over twenty more and wounded thirty.

During this time, Spells occasionally flew in from afar, especially the fierce Azure Luan Wind Blades.

These Wind Blades were devastatingly powerful, clearly the work of Gu Changhuai, and they abruptly claimed the lives of a dozen or so of the Green-Faced Leader's men.

But the remaining Wind Blades were all blocked one by one by the Green-Faced Leader, who used his own skin as armor.

If Gu Changhuai didn't make a move, this cunning Green-Faced Leader wouldn't act rashly either, for fear of being ambushed.

But if Gu Changhuai did strike, he wouldn't just stand by and watch.

After another half an hour of stumbling along, the group managed to cross the killing ground of the formation entirely under Mo Hua's guidance.

To the Green-Faced Leader and the others, the seemingly inescapable Killing Formation had been dissolved by Mo Hua through means they couldn't comprehend but which appeared remarkably effective.

The Green-Faced Leader glanced back at the ruined killing ground—some parts dodged, some dismantled, some broken through. If they had tried to fill that ground with lives, who knew how many would have died.

Formations were truly mysterious. No wonder some said: 'To seize the momentum of the world, one must wield the sharpness of Formations.'

He turned to look at Mo Hua again, shaken inwardly:

No wonder he's Master Wu's special envoy, his mastery of Formations is this profound.

He only miscalculated seven or eight times, lost a dozen or so men, and broke through this formation. Truly terrifying...

But then his heart sank as another thought crossed his mind:

This black-robed master, with such superb formation skill, yet he didn't act sooner.

He waited until our brothers charged ahead and took heavy losses before putting on a show and saying he "knows a little."

This must be on Master Wu's orders, a subtle warning to me, to make me listen to their Fāngshì.

Otherwise, I'd end up like now, with heavy casualties...

The Green-Faced Leader's mind churned with dark thoughts, but he still spoke with respect:

"Thank you, Master, for your aid. Your formation techniques are truly unfathomable..."

His flattery was a bit too shallow.

Mo Hua had no idea what was so "unfathomable" about the little tricks he'd just used.

Still, he gave a slight nod and said: "It was nothing. Master Wu sent me here precisely to eliminate the dogs of the Dao Court Division."

"Now that things have come to this, we should strike quickly and not delay."

"Good!" The Green-Faced Leader grinned savagely, then turned to his men. "Boys, time to feast."

The green-faced thugs all bared bloodthirsty expressions.

Beneath his black robe, Mo Hua's brow furrowed slightly. He had a vague feeling that something was off about these green-faced brutes.

The phrase "time to feast" wasn't something he was hearing for the first time...

But this wasn't the moment to dwell on it.

Mo Hua steadied his breath and focus, then followed the Green-Faced Leader and his group as they continued forward.

After less than a li, a camp suddenly appeared before them.

It was a makeshift camp, set up for temporary shelter, rest, and healing.

There were some defensive formations around it, but they were only half-built, extremely flimsy—practically nonexistent.

Inside the camp, forty or fifty cultivators were gathered, wearing the standard robes of the Dao Court Division. Most bore wounds, their brows tinged faintly purple, and they stared at the green-faced thugs with murderous intent.

At the head stood a tall, stalwart figure with a cold, handsome face—it was Gu Changhuai.

Seeing Gu Changhuai standing across from him, pale-faced but with all limbs intact, Mo Hua finally breathed a quiet sigh of relief, thinking:

"Thank goodness, Uncle Gu is still alive..."

And not missing any arms or legs either... that was already a stroke of luck.

At that moment, Gu Changhuai's icy gaze was fixed squarely on the vicious Late Golden Core Stage Green-Faced Leader, a chill creeping into his heart.

He had never imagined that the Killing Formation he had painstakingly and meticulously arranged would be broken so easily.

He didn't even know how these violent rioters had managed to break his formation.

When he had worked with Mo Hua before, he'd watched the boy dismantle others' formations with effortless ease, and at the time, he hadn't thought much of it.

But at this very moment, the formation he had personally laid out was effortlessly broken by these bandits.

Gu Changhuai was truly furious, his heart feeling as though it were bleeding.

Only now did he understand, this was what it felt like to have a formation painstakingly set up with all one's heart and soul broken by someone else with ease.

No wonder in battles between two armies, the first priority was always to kill the opposing Formation Master.

And no wonder that brat Mo Hua had so many people wanting him dead...

Then weariness crept into Gu Changhuai's heart.

If they had relied on the formations preserved by the Dao Court Division, they could have held out for a while longer and sought a turning point.

But now that the formation built with their last remaining resources had been broken, there was no choice left but to fight to the death.

His own life or death had long ceased to matter to him, what truly weighed on his conscience were these brothers who had followed him through life-and-death situations.

Gu Changhuai sighed deeply within, then turned a sharp gaze upon the Green-Faced Leader and said coldly:

"Green-Faced Fang, are you so eager to die?"

The Green-Faced Leader, addressed as Green-Faced Fang, showed a flash of anger at these words. Before he could speak, his subordinates shouted at Gu Changhuai:

"How dare you! That title, is it something a dog of the Dao Court like you has the right to utter?"

"You should address our leader as 'Lord'!"

"The Qingchou Prefecture Realm shall henceforth be unified, with only Lord Qingchou as sovereign, life and death in his hands, ruling supreme over this land!"

The other subordinates joined in the chant: "Lord Qingchou, unify the world!"

"Life and death in his hands, ruling supreme over this land!"

Hearing these words, Lord Qingchou's ugly, ferocious face revealed a pleased expression.

But Gu Changhuai sneered. "A mere bandit who occupies a mountain and calls himself king, taking advantage of the great calamity, gathering followers in the forests, plundering the Prefecture Realm, yet styling himself 'Lord.' Shameless. In the end, you are nothing but a beast wreaking havoc upon the land..."

At this, Lord Qingchou flew into a rage: "Gu, you dog! You defile my reputation, you deserve to be torn limb from limb!"

With that, he wasted no more words, waving his hand and bellowing furiously: "Men, kill! Skin these dogs of the Dao Court, break their bones, drink their blood, eat their flesh!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

At Lord Qingchou's command, all the vicious thugs drew their long blades and bloodied weapons, charging together at Gu Changhuai and his men.

Gu Changhuai's expression darkened. He turned to glance at his comrades and subordinates, sighed inwardly, and said calmly:

"As I instructed… each of you, flee for your lives..."

With that, he hesitated no longer.

He activated the Seven-Colored Peacock Feathers Treasure Fan, transforming it into a dazzling storm of Wind Luan Feather Blades, and with his own strength alone, charged toward Lord Qingchou and his followers.

The other Dao Court Division cultivators were already severely wounded, and with their bodies further eroded by the Unorthodox Dao Thought Power in this ancient forest, they knew well they were no match for these vicious brutes.

At this moment, taking advantage of the chaos to flee was the best option.

But they could not bear to abandon Magistrate Gu and let him face death alone.

After a moment of hesitation, they ultimately went against the prearranged plan.

They drew out their Spiritual Artifacts, activated their Magical Treasures, and gathered around Gu Changhuai, engaging Lord Qingchou's followers in a frontal battle.

Seeing this, Gu Changhuai's heart burned with anxiety, yet he was helpless to stop them. He could only steel himself and continue his assault toward Lord Qingchou.

At this moment, he could no longer concern himself with other undercurrents.

This Lord Qingchou was a great enemy, at the Late Golden Core Stage, with terrifying power.

It was said that this fiend was naturally tall and large, with an insatiable appetite. From childhood he had fed on demon-beasts, causing his meridians to mutate and his nature to become as cruel and savage as a demon's.

He had long been a mountain bandit, repeatedly hunted down by authorities, yet repeatedly surviving every attempt to kill him.

Now that it was a year of famine, he had gathered his followers and come down the mountain to prey on humans, wreaking havoc across the region—he was, in fact, the greatest source of chaos in the entire Qingchou Prefecture Realm.

If one could slay this beast here, perhaps a great scourge of the Qingchou Prefecture Realm could be eliminated.

And perhaps his comrades-in-arms might still have a chance at survival...

However, Gu Changhuai himself knew that this was unlikely, far too remote a possibility...

This so-called "Lord Qingchou," commonly known as the Green-Faced Fiend, was a cultivator with a Xiāntiān Blood Mutation, and was by no means easy to kill.

And almost at the very first exchange, Gu Changhuai felt an overwhelming pressure.

Lord Qingchou let out a furious roar, his voice like that of a mountain demon or vengeful ghost, and then the immense Golden Core Power within his body surged instantly along his limbs and bones.

Within his thick meridians, Wood-Poison Blood flowed, and at the same time, upon his skin, a Bone Armor formed from earth qi materialized.

The Green-Hide Fierce-Bone Armor.

This was Lord Qingchou's Magical Treasure, fused with his skin, transforming into armor during battle—impenetrable to blades and spears alike.

The fangs on the Bone Armor were even coated with a wood-attribute lethal poison.

If a Body Cultivator engaged in close combat, they would suffer backlash damage and be poisoned.

This was a Magical Treasure that combined offense and defense, and was extremely insidious, troublesome, and vile.

Even Mo Hua, who was well-versed in many things, found it astonishing to behold.

Not to mention that this Magical Treasure bore a slight resemblance to his own Twelve Meridians Taotie Spiritual Skeleton Formation.

Mo Hua had carved his Magical Treasure into his bones.

While this Lord Qingchou had refined his Magical Treasure into his skin.

Mo Hua pondered inwardly.

If an ordinary Late Golden Core Stage cultivator—especially one focused on close combat—were to face this Lord Qingchou with his high defense, backlash damage, and poison attacks, they would likely have no way to fight at all.

But fortunately, Uncle Gù relied on Dao Arts for his livelihood, and his most adept techniques were all long-range wind-type Dao Arts.

Therefore, Uncle Gù's killing methods, when pitted against this Lord Qingchou, were to a certain extent counter-effective.

The prerequisite was not being closed in on.

Once Lord Qingchou got within close range, it would be dangerous.

If Uncle Gù's Movement Technique made even the slightest misstep, his life would likely be forfeit right there.

And indeed, the battle unfolded exactly so.

The moment the two clashed, the situation turned brutal instantly.

The towering Lord Qingchou, like a ferocious fang fiend, his green hide covered in the earth-bone poison armor, continuously lunged at Gu Changhuai, every strike lethal.

Meanwhile, Gu Changhuai, moving like a raging wind, constantly widened the distance while condensing Azure Luan Feather Blades to strike at Lord Qingchou.

The razor-sharp feather techniques, fine as knives, continuously sliced across Lord Qingchou's body.

But Lord Qingchou's skin was thick and his flesh tough, in the short term, the feather blades simply could not break through his armor.

And Gu Changhuai, seeing that he could not overcome Lord Qingchou in a short time, relied on the Gu Clan's ancestral wind-type Dao Arts, characterized by their wide range, long distance, and dense killing power.

He wore down Lord Qingchou while simultaneously diverting his attention to use Wind Blade techniques to kill the other Green-Face followers.

The other Green-Face followers were nowhere near Lord Qingchou's level.

Any who were grazed by the Wind Blades would either lose an arm or a leg at best, or be cleaved in two at worst.

Lord Qingchou grew furious at the sight.

Furious both that Gu Changhuai was leading him around in circles like a kite, and that Gu Changhuai was slaughtering his followers right before his eyes.

He appeared dull-witted, but his nature was cunning. His mind turned, and he suddenly spun around, intending to hunt down the other Dao Court Division cultivators, forcing Gu Changhuai to hold back for fear of collateral damage.

But Gu Changhuai was also sharp-witted. Though he cared for his comrades, he understood that if he went to their rescue, he would inevitably fall right into Lord Qingchou's trap.

So he deliberately put on a cold-blooded facade, activating his Movement Technique and making as if he were about to flee alone.

Seeing this, Lord Qingchou hurried back and continued his relentless pursuit of Gu Changhuai.

Lord Qingchou was at the Late Golden Core Stage, but his build was large and bulky.

Gu Changhuai was at the Golden Core middle stage, but his Movement Technique was far more agile.

As long as Lord Qingchou dared to switch targets, giving Gu Changhuai an opening, Gu Changhuai could rely on the swiftness of his wind-based Movement Technique to escape with his life.

Lord Qingchou did not know whether Gu Changhuai was a fool who would live and die with his subordinates, or a selfish coward who would only think of saving his own skin when disaster struck.

But he did not dare to gamble.

Because Lord Qingchou himself would never die alongside his subordinates.

His followers were cannon fodder, sometimes even rations. Dying for them would be utterly ridiculous.

All the cultivators of the Dao Court Division in this place combined were not as important as that bastard Gu Changhuai alone.

Lord Qingchou wished he could skin Gu Changhuai alive and devour his flesh, how could he possibly let him go?

Thus, Lord Qingchou's attacks grew increasingly ferocious. Every strike was a killing blow, with a surging tide of bloody wind.

And Gu Changhuai did not dare to be the slightest bit careless either. He pushed the Seven-Colored Peacock Feathers Treasure Fan to its absolute limit, sending dense Wind Blades sweeping through the entire dense forest like a violent storm.

Within the once-deadly Thousand Spider Ancient Forest, Spiritual Power now churned violently, boiling over in chaos.

Massive ancient trees were torn apart by bare hands, then shredded into pieces by various Spells. Wood chips rained down like a storm, and the ground was blasted open with cracks.

One after another, Lord Qingchou's green-faced followers were cleaved in two by Wind Blades, blood gushing like fountains.

The remaining cultivators of the Dao Court Division, led by Gu An, were also struggling to hold their ground, locked in relentless combat.

After this exchange had gone on for some time, it was Lord Qingchou who began to sense something wrong.

That bastard Gu, what the hell was wrong with him?

He looked like he was on some kind of drug. He clearly appeared weak and drained, yet the power of his Spells showed no sign of diminishing.

On the contrary, his own followers were dying faster. He could not afford to keep dragging this out.

The casualties were truly too heavy. Even if he killed Gu Changhuai, it would hardly be worth the cost.

And besides...

Lord Qingchou turned his head to look, and saw a black silhouette standing silently outside the battle, watching with an air of complete indifference.

Lord Qingchou seethed with hatred inwardly. His gaze turned fierce, and he called out in a gruff voice: "Master, make your move now!"

The moment the words "Master" left his mouth, Gu Changhuai was jolted with alarm.

Someone whom a vicious fiend like Lord Qingchou would address as "Master", how could such a person be ordinary?

And he had not even sensed this person's presence just now?

Gu Changhuai's expression changed at once.

He followed the sound and looked over, and sure enough, he saw a cultivator in a black robe standing on a tree in the distance.

The figure was not tall, and his face was indistinct, but he radiated an aura of deep gloom and sinister cunning.

A chill ran down Gu Changhuai's spine. Suddenly, he thought of the formations from before.

That vicious fool Green-Faced Fang knew absolutely nothing about formations. There was no way he could have easily broken through Gu Changhuai's formations.

So the one who had broken his Formation was this black-robed "Master"?

Gu Changhuai was both shocked and furious. But then he took another look at the black-robed Master, and in a daze, he froze.

For some reason, he felt that this black-robed Master seemed somewhat familiar...

And, of all things... he looked a bit like Mo Hua.

But that... was simply absurd, wasn't it?

This was the "Esteemed Master" who was in league with Lord Qingchou, a sinister enemy. How could it possibly be Mo Hua?

And besides, how could Mo Hua be everywhere?

Mo Hua should still be enjoying himself in Houtu City right now. No matter how mighty his Divine Power or boundless his abilities, he could not possibly suddenly appear in this secluded ancient forest at the Prefecture Realm of Qingchou.

The black-robed Esteemed Master, upon hearing Lord Qingchou's words, remained standing in place, motionless.

Lord Qingchou had no choice but to grit his teeth and say, "I beg the Esteemed Master to lend me your aid!"

Only upon hearing the word ‘beg’ did the black-robed Esteemed Master slowly make his move. His pale fingertips pointed at Gu Changhuai.

Gu Changhuai's heart immediately sank, as if facing a great enemy.

Lord Qingchou also wore a grave expression, wondering what lethal technique this black-robed Esteemed Master possessed.

Then, from those pale fingertips, Spiritual Power flowed, and suddenly fierce flames condensed into a fireball, shooting toward Gu Changhuai in the distance.

Gu Changhuai, who was still in shock and uncertainty, saw the fireball and looked as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight. His pupils trembled violently:

"...A fireball?!"

(End of Chapter)