Mo Hua's gaze was momentarily lost in thought, but soon, it grew sharp once more.
He discarded distracting thoughts and focused intently on studying the rules of the Shura Battle.
The so-called Shura Battle was once the decisive stage of the Qianxue Sword Conference, determining the advancement from the Earth-tier Sword Competition to the Heaven-tier Sword Competition.
Disciples from various sects would compete in a vast and complex battlefield, forming squads within their sects, engaging in battles, killing, fleeing, and surviving.
Rankings were determined based on elimination order. Sects earned victory points based on their disciples' rankings. As the former Heaven-tier Advancement Battle, the Shura Battle awarded a significant number of victory points.
The longer one survived, the more victory points they accumulated. These victory points were enough to shift the sect rankings in the conference.
This meant immense opportunities— And, naturally, great risks.
A strong performance in the Shura Battle could push a sect further up in rank.
A poor performance could cause a sect's ranking to drop. Of course, such drastic shifts were still based on prior competition rankings.
After all, the Shura Battle was just another segment of the sword competition. No matter how much weight it carried, it wasn't enough for a lower-tier sect among the Eight Great Sects to suddenly leap into the ranks of the Four Supreme Sects.
Typically, the fluctuations in ranking ranged around three or four positions.
For ordinary sects, this wasn't a major concern— Especially for the Twelve Minor Sects and the Hundred Schools of Qianxue.
A few places up or down made little difference to them. But for the Eight Great Sects, particularly those in the upper ranks, and for the Four Supreme Sects, these shifts were critical.
Even moving up just one or two ranks could cause a qualitative change in a sect's status.
Conversely, falling behind by the same amount could result in massive losses. Furthermore, the Shura Battle was exceedingly difficult.
Its difficulty was several times greater than the standard sword competitions. This was a sect-wide battle royale. The stronger the sect, the greater its advantage.
Especially for the Four Supreme Sects, whose disciples were highly talented, immensely powerful, and had numerous squads advancing from the Earth-tier Sword Competition, often led by top-tier prodigies.
Compared to ordinary sects or even the Eight Great Sects, they were on an entirely different level.
And there were not just one or two of these supreme sects— there were four of them.
Each supreme sect had top-tier prodigies leading their teams, an advantage in numbers, higher average cultivation, and superior overall strength.
In the Shura Battle, they could essentially start "sweeping the battlefield." The other sects stood no chance against them.
It seemed like there was an opportunity to rise, but in reality, that opportunity was almost nonexistent.
If a five-person squad couldn't defeat prodigies like Xiao Wuchen or Shen Linshu in one-on-one matches— Then in a chaotic large-scale battle, their chances would be even slimmer.
Most sects weren't even aiming to challenge the Four Supreme Sects.
Their targets were the sects ranked just one or two places above them.
By pulling them down, they could climb a little higher themselves.
In the Sword Conference, every single rank gained meant an increase in resources— A larger share of the Qianlong Spirit Mine, and vast amounts of spiritual stones as tangible wealth. Thus, they wouldn't aim too high. But Mo Hua was different—his ambitions were greater.
He wanted to ascend in one leap, to reach the peak— And standing before him were the Four Supreme Sects, four towering mountains.
And not just them. Among the Eight Great Sects, there were seven others—seven more mountains.
Altogether, eleven mountains. Beyond them, in the Twelve Minor Sects, there were also a few old enemies—smaller mountains.
With this in mind, the Shura Battle seemed impossibly difficult for the Taixu Sect.
Countless obstacles and dangers lay ahead—victory was seemingly impossible.
There was only a sliver of a chance. But even that chance was so slim it was almost invisible.
Hope barely ignited in Mo Hua's heart before despair crept in once more…
Mo Hua took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
"In the face of great events, one must remain composed."
The more one desires something, the more one fears losing it—thus, one must stay calm and collected.
Mo Hua pulled out a thick stack of array papers and began listing every "enemy" he needed to overcome.
He analyzed the information he had gathered on the disciples throughout the Sword Conference.
He identified every difficulty—one by one.
He simulated every potential battle and conflict.
And then—he devised countermeasures. In his mind, he began simulating the war to come— Using his vast divine sense, meticulous thinking, and profound ability to calculate fate, he sought to grasp reality, discern the workings of destiny, and find that one nearly impossible path to victory…
…
Mo Hua was calculating. Mo Hua was planning.
Mo Hua was calculating, planning.
Across the Qianxue Province, the sect leaders, elders, and many high-ranking cultivators were also discussing and strategizing.
Some allied sects even exchanged letters, sharing intelligence.
How should the Shura Battle be fought?
Gradually, a consensus formed—
"Join forces and take down Taixu Sect first."
Naturally, part of this decision stemmed from old grudges.
Tai'a Sect, once the strongest of the Eight Great Sects, had long coveted a position among the Four Supreme Sects, creating conflicts of interest and frequent clashes with them.
And because Tai'a was the top among the Eight Great Sects, it also drew the envy of the other seven.
Chongxu Sect remained neutral, but since it had always been closely aligned with Tai'a, it was also viewed unfavorably. As for Taixu Sect— there was even less need to explain.
Among the Four Supreme Sects, Qiandao Sect, home to the Shen family, nearly hated Taixu Sect to death. Among the newly ascended Eight Great Sects:
Duanjin Sect had a vendetta against Taixu Sect.
Guishui Sect had past grievances with Taixu Sect.
The root of these grudges was actually Mo Hua, but the blame naturally fell on Taixu Sect as a whole. Furthermore, many sects were subordinate to Qiandao Sect and followed its lead. Others were closely tied to Duanjin and Guishui, their interests intertwined.
These connected forces all had poor relations with Taixu Sect. Now, with Tai'a, Chongxu, and Taixu merging into a single sect— All of these past grievances had converged into one.
Taixu Sect had become "the target of all."
These sectarian feuds were just one reason. Another was Taixu Sect's current position. Being at the top of the Eight Great Sects was a dangerous place to be.
If it advanced further, it would threaten the Four Supreme Sects, making it a thorn in their side.
If it fell back, the rest of the Eight Great Sects were all eager to take its place—making Taixu Sect "a piece of meat" in everyone's eyes. For the Eight Great Sects to rise, their first target was Taixu Sect.
For the Four Supreme Sects to maintain their dominance, their greatest threat was also Taixu Sect, which was just one step away. For all these reasons, Taixu Sect now stood in the eye of the storm. And to make matters worse, Taixu Sect had Mo Hua within its ranks.
Inside the arena, participating disciples bore grudges against Mo Hua for past defeats. Outside, many elders— especially those devoted to Daoist laws— had also taken note of him.
Now, in the grand scheme of sect rivalries, Taixu Sect was everyone's enemy. Among disciples, Mo Hua was the ultimate public enemy. As a result, many disciples were eagerly anticipating this Shura Battle...
...
Within the Slaughter Mo Order, discussions raged.
Within the Slaughter Mo Order, discussions were in full swing.
"I Am Irreconcilable with Fireball Technique" spoke passionately:
"I don't know why this Shura Battle suddenly appeared, but all I can say is—this Shura Battle came at the perfect time!"
"No matter how well Mo Hua hides, no matter how fast his movement technique is, he might dodge a five-man squad's pursuit—but can he evade an entire sect's squads? Or even the combined forces of the Four Supreme Sects, the Eight Great Sects, and the Twelve Lesser Factions—adding up to hundreds of squads hunting him down?"
"If he can survive all that, I'll call him dad on the spot!"
"Big Idiot" agreed:
"That's right. This Shura Battle system is great. I was regretting not getting another chance to face Mo Hua in the Daoist Sword Tournament, to land a single punch and wash away my past humiliation."
"Now, this opportunity has been delivered right to us."
"Like rain after a long drought!"
"I haven't read much, but I'd really like to know—where did this Shura Battle even come from…?"
"Canglang Sword" responded:
"Rumor has it, this system was left behind by the ancestors, and somehow, it got randomly pulled out by the Daoist Heaven's Instrument…"
"Boy Like the Wind" nodded in genuine approval:
"As expected, things left behind by the ancestors are truly valuable."
A chorus of voices joined in: "The ancestors were wise!"
"Far-sighted and brilliant!"
"Mo Hua is too cunning. Without this Shura Battle, killing him wouldn't have been easy."
"We're lucky! This is the final round, and it just happened to be the Shura Battle!"
"I bet that brat Mo Hua has done so much evil that even the gods couldn't tolerate it anymore. So they intervened in the Daoist Heaven's Instrument and deduced the Shura Battle, giving us a chance to take our revenge!"
"Truly, the world not only has many good people—but many good gods as well!"
"Let's make a pact—during the Shura Battle, we join forces to hunt Mo Hua down and make him experience a true hellish nightmare!"
"Whoever successfully slaughters 'Mo' shall be our alliance leader!"
"Eliminate 'Mo' to uphold the Dao—this battle will wash away our past disgrace!"
"We can lose the Daoist Sword Tournament, but Mo Hua must die!"
A wave of voices echoed in unison:
"Eliminate 'Mo' to uphold the Dao!"
"Wash away our disgrace!"
"We can lose the tournament, but Mo Hua must die!"
...
Meanwhile, in Taixu Sect's Grand Hall…
Taixu Sect, Grand Hall.
The three sect masters and elders gathered, discussing deep into the night by candlelight.
As the night grew late, the elders dispersed, leaving only the three sect masters in the hall.
The Ta'e Sect Master furrowed his brow, speaking solemnly:
"This is troublesome. I had no idea our Taixu Sect had so many enemies."
"And that child, Mo Hua—why does he inspire such hatred? He seems quite likable to me..."
The Chongxu Sect Master sighed: "This Shura Battle... it's going to be difficult."
No matter how high the Shura Battle's weight in the rankings or how significant the score disparity, it typically only shifts the rankings by three or four places at most. But for Taixu Sect, things were different.
Now, Taixu Sect had become a target that "everyone wants to eliminate."
If they were swarmed and wiped out right at the start, their ranking would plummet to unimaginable depths.
All their previous efforts would be in vain, completely cutting off their chances of reaching the Heaven-tier Sword Tournament.
All their hopes would turn to illusions, shattering in an instant.
"We have to think of something."
"The Qianxue Sword Tournament is a competition of geniuses— it all depends on the disciples' efforts. As sect masters, there's little we can do."
"Even if we could intervene, that should have been before the tournament—carefully preparing, pouring in resources, cultivating disciples, laying a solid foundation for them..."
"If we didn't work hard before, there's no use panicking now."
"At this point, they can only rely on themselves. We can't help them anymore."
The Chongxu Sect Master sighed heavily.
"Still, we must do something."
"Do what?"
The Ta'e Sect Master pondered, then said, "Should I go ask Mo Hua?"
"What would you ask him?"
"If he has any confidence in this."
"Confidence? In a Shura Battle, where he's facing the Four Supreme Sects, the Eight Great Sects, and the Twelve Lesser Factions—virtually every sect and the hostility of most disciples? No matter how capable he is, what confidence could he possibly have?" The Chongxu Sect Master frowned.
"You saw the previous matches."
"Even putting everything else aside, just those top-tier prodigies from the Four Supreme Sects are insurmountable walls."
"Not to mention, the other sects' geniuses are no pushovers either."
The Chongxu Sect Master let out a deep sigh. "To be fair, Mo Hua is already an outstanding disciple—but even excellence has its limits."
"Expecting him to lead Taixu Sect against the entire world, to fight against the Four Supreme Sects, the Eight Great Sects, and the Twelve Lesser Factions? Even if Mo Hua has the courage, do we have the foundation to support him?"
"The strength of our Taixu Sect disciples—how could they possibly contend?"
"This is a dead-end battle."
"If you go to Mo Hua, how will you even phrase it?"
"We three sect masters can't be so shameless as to push such a heavy burden onto his young shoulders, can we?"
Silence fell between them.
The Taixu Sect Master, who had remained quiet all this time, suddenly spoke, his eyes flickering.
"Even so, we can't just sit here and wait for death."
"You've seen Mo Hua's abilities throughout the tournament. If we talk about cultivation and combat power, he's not the best."
"But in formations, strategies, and intellect—he's undoubtedly among the top."
"Moreover, he's Taixu Sect's beloved 'Little Senior Brother.' He has high prestige, and the disciples trust him."
"So, in the end, our chances in the Shura Battle still hinge on Mo Hua."
"As their Little Senior Brother, this is his responsibility—he cannot avoid it."
"I'm sure he understands this as well. So we, as sect masters, don't need to say much, but when it comes to real support, we must not hold back."
"I propose," the Taixu Sect Master's gaze sharpened, his voice steady, "that to prepare for battle, we grant Mo Hua access to the legacies of Taixu, Ta'e, and Chongxu!"
"Let him freely choose and use anything useful from our sects' inheritances to prepare for the Shura Battle."
"Everything for the Sword Tournament!"
"We will unite the strength of our three sects to prepare for this final battle—the Earth-tier Shura Battle!"
The Taixu Sect Master spoke with great conviction.
The Ta'e and Chongxu Sect Masters, however, exchanged subtle glances.
Having served as sect masters for years, how could they not see through each other's thoughts?
"Isn't this a bit too abrupt?" The Chongxu Sect Master hesitated.
The Taixu Sect Master sighed. "We all understand how important this Sword Tournament is."
"If we don't make a decisive move now, and the Shura Battle ends in failure, it'll be too late for regrets."
"At that point, if Taixu Sect suffers a crushing defeat, what use will our inheritances be?"
"And... what if we lose despite this?" The Chongxu Sect Master frowned.
"Then we lose," the Taixu Sect Master said plainly. "What else can we do?"
"You—"
The Taixu Sect Master's expression was firm.
"The Sword Tournament represents enormous interests. Across the entire Qianxue Province, which sect isn't doing everything in their power for even the slightest chance?"
"There's no such thing as guaranteed success."
"Success comes from taking risks. If there's a chance, those who take it may win or lose."
"But if you hesitate, afraid of gains and losses—you are already doomed to fail."
The Chongxu Sect Master was momentarily stunned, then nodded, finding the logic sound. But he eyed the Taixu Sect Master oddly and asked:
"That... doesn't sound like something you would say."
It was well known that the Taixu Sect Master was a tranquil and ascetic figure, always cultivating his mind and detached from worldly matters. When would he ever say things like "fight for a chance" or "failure is inevitable if you don't take risks"?
The Taixu Sect Master sighed deeply. "The situation leaves me no choice."
If he were alone, he could remain indifferent to worldly affairs.
If the sect were not in crisis, he could stay aloof from competition.
But things were different now. The entire sect's future was at stake. A single decision could affect the fate of ten thousand cultivators.
If he still insisted on detachment now, it would be selfish and foolish.
No matter how exhausting or difficult, he had to persist to the end.
Even one more step forward for Taixu Sect would be worth it.
The Chongxu and Ta'e Sect Masters looked at the Taixu Sect Master with newfound respect.
"When poor, one cultivates virtue alone. When prosperous, one aids the world."
Knowing when to maintain purity and when to fight for survival—this was true wisdom.
The Ta'e Sect Master pondered briefly, then nodded.
"To gain, one must be willing to sacrifice."
"I'll consult our ancestor. If he has no objections, I'll grant Mo Hua access to the Ta'e inheritance. Let him choose what suits him to prepare for the Shura Battle."
"The flames are already at our doorstep—if we don't take risks now, when will we?"
The Chongxu Sect Master also nodded. "I'll go back and speak with our ancestor as well…"
His authority in Chongxu Sect was actually limited; decisions involving sect legacies still required the ancestor's approval.
The Taixu Sect Master cupped his hands in gratitude.
"Thank you both for your wisdom and generosity."
...
After bidding farewell to the Taixu Sect Master, the Ta'e and Chongxu Sect Masters left Taixu Mountain together, sharing a carriage.
After bidding farewell to the Tai Xu Sect Master and leaving Tai Xu Mountain, the Tai A Sect Master and the Chong Xu Sect Master traveled together in a carriage.
"Are we really going to open up the sect's inheritance?"
Chong Xu Sect Master was still somewhat hesitant.
Tai A Sect Master glanced at him and decisively replied:
"Yes! Not only should we open the ordinary inheritances, but if you ask me, you should also send a copy of your sect's core sword technique to that kid, Mo Hua..."
Chong Xu Sect Master frowned. "He doesn't practice swordsmanship; he's not a sword cultivator. What's the point of giving him a sword technique?"
Tai A Sect Master said, "It doesn't matter whether he practices the sword or not, or whether he can use it. Just send it to him first. If you don't give it to him, how do you know he won't use it?"
Chong Xu Sect Master pondered for a moment, gradually understanding. He sighed and said:
"A Tai Xu disciple, who has learned Tai A's sword formations and then acquires my Chong Xu's sword qi... that kid will truly be a 'Crown Prince' of the three sect lineages."
"Is this… the will of Elder Xun?"
"Did your Tai A Mountain's Elder also approve of this?"
Tai A Sect Master shook his head. "I don't know what the Elders think, and I don't care—I only care about the tournament."
"I don't care what others say. I only want to secure our sect's ranking."
"If this kid can really help Tai Xu Sect maintain its position in the tournament, then without a doubt, he is the rightful 'Crown Prince' of the three lineages!"
Tai A Sect Master spoke bluntly.
Chong Xu Sect Master was momentarily stunned, then sighed softly, nodded, and murmured:
"Crown Prince it is… Other sects would wish they had such a Crown Prince, but they can't even get one."
(End of this Chapter)