Mo Hua's "influence" was immense—under his command were thirty disciples of the Taixu Sect.
Even the prodigies of the Water Dao Sect, Broken Gold Sect, and Vajra Sect seemed to be taking orders from him.
There was no way they could win in a fight.
And this Withered Forest Blood Swamp was filled with sinister anomalies—there was nowhere to run.
Unable to fight, and with no escape, Feng Zichen had no choice but to join them.
Along the way, Feng Zichen watched and listened, carefully observing. He noticed that the disciples of the Water Dao, Broken Gold, and Vajra Sects all behaved normally. They didn't show any signs of being brainwashed by this "demon" Mo Hua or becoming his puppets. Only then did Feng Zichen breathe a sigh of relief.
As for why they were siding with Mo Hua, who was supposedly a mortal enemy, Feng Zichen couldn't figure it out—nor did he dare to ask.
Mo Hua was just too terrifying.
The scenes from the Shura Battlefield were still fresh in Feng Zichen's mind.
Controlling ink with divine sense, drawing arrays upon the earth like demonic arts, leading the Taixu Sect to slaughter the prodigies of the seven major sects.
He had even self-detonated with a bizarre formation, taking out the prodigies of four great clans.
Then, using some unknown and terrifying Daoist technique, he had slain Shen Lin and the five most powerful prodigies of the Ganxue lineage—shattering even their life-bound longevity talismans.
He summoned five Void Manifestations at once, going head-to-head with the Grade Five Dao Discussion Mountain Grand Array. The clash shook the heavens.
And even after all that, Mo Hua survived.
Now, with the situation as it was, there was even less chance of resisting him. Feng Zichen had no choice but to bury his old grudges and quietly follow behind Mo Hua.
The group pressed onward and soon encountered a group of disciples from the Lingxiao Sect.
The Lingxiao Sect didn't have much of a grudge against Mo Hua, and they understood the saying "a wise man submits to circumstances." Seeing Mo Hua's overwhelming momentum, they too could only "go with the flow" and pledged allegiance to him.
Next came the Zixia Sect. And the Zixia Sect was a bit more troublesome.
Because within the Zixia Sect was Lu Zhenlong—the number one beauty of the sect, stunningly beautiful.
Ordinary people might weigh their options, but women often didn't—especially pampered, beautiful women.
Mo Hua had once burned her face with a Fireball Spell—something Lu Zhenlong would remember for a lifetime. She would rather die than stand with Mo Hua.
And all the Zixia Sect disciples took their cues from Lu Zhenlong.
Not because they were blinded by beauty and eager to please her— but because Lu Zhenlong was the legitimate daughter of the Lu Clan, an elite family in Kun Prefecture. And an elite family meant wealth.
The Lu Clan had donated massive amounts of spirit stones and treasures to the Zixia Sect.
At the same time, many talented disciples who lacked strong backgrounds had been "sponsored" by Lu Zhenlong. Once they formed their cores and graduated, they would go to Kun Prefecture to serve the Lu Clan.
With the Lu Clan backing them and absorbing many cultivation talents for their own use, it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Thus, Lu Zhenlong's status in the Zixia Sect was far from ordinary.
She had excellent spiritual roots, but her privileged upbringing made her arrogant and spoiled. As a result, her cultivation progress was average at best.
Still, relying on her background and the resources she could provide, she remained a "core" disciple of the Zixia Sect—a true center of attention, admired by all.
Now, upon seeing Mo Hua, Lu Zhenlong—shielded by a group of Zixia disciples—grew indignant. Her delicate face twisted in anger as she pointed her fair finger at Mo Hua and furiously declared:
"Whoever kills Mo Hua—I'll have my father provide the resources to raise them all the way to Ascension!"
The seventeen Zixia Sect disciples around her immediately showed hesitation on their faces.
They didn't doubt Lady Lu's word.
Though she was temperamental and willful, the eldest daughter of the Lu family always kept her promises—what she said, she did. If she said she'd give money, she would.
Rare treasures, no matter how valuable—once she agreed to give them, she never hesitated.
To this day, she had poured an untold fortune into the Zixia Sect. That was how she managed to win so many hearts.
As for the Lu Clan funding someone all the way to ascension—it sounded outrageous.
After all, ascending was as difficult as climbing to the heavens. It wasn't something that could be done just by burning through spirit stones and consuming precious treasures.
Still, with the Lu Clan's financial support, the path would be much smoother—some barriers could indeed be bypassed.
None of the disciples present were unmoved by the offer.
"But... killing Mo Hua..."
They glanced at Mo Hua.
To kill him, they would first have to break through the eighteen towering Vajra warriors standing like an iron wall before him.
The Vajra Sect's eighteen prodigies stood like an unbreakable barrier before Mo Hua.
Among them was the senior disciple of the Vajra Sect—Shi Tiangang.
Forget killing Mo Hua— even getting past this "Vajra Iron Wall" was a challenge.
And besides them, there were also disciples from the Broken Gold Sect, Water Dao Sect, Free and Unfettered Sect, and Taixu Sect around Mo Hua.
Among all these people, the scariest was still Mo Hua himself...
The Zixia Sect disciples felt bitter inside.
Their young lady could afford to be reckless. They could not.
Someone finally whispered a suggestion to Lu Zhenlong:
"My lady, Mo Hua is far too dangerous. We are no match for him. Perhaps we should retreat for now and come up with a plan later..."
Lu Zhenlong looked furious.
But though she was spoiled, she wasn't truly stupid. But although she was willful, she wasn't truly foolish.
She also knew that the people from the Purple Mist Sect were no match for Mo Hua, this "big bastard." They definitely wouldn't really try to challenge him head-on and fight to the death like an egg smashing against a rock.
What happened before was just an impulsive reaction upon seeing Mo Hua.
Now that she had calmed down, Lu Zhenlong wasn't truly blind to the situation. But in her heart, she was still extremely furious.
Especially toward the people from the Vajra Sect, the Carefree Sect, the Broken Gold Sect, and the Water Dao Sect.
What happened to the alliance to Slaughter Mo?
What happened to defending the Dao by eliminating all things "Mo"?
What happened to the vow that Mo Hua must die?
How did they suddenly become allies with Mo Hua in the blink of an eye?
As expected, a man's mouth is nothing but lies…
And to think she had even wanted to send them spirit stones, to fund them in—
Taking down Mo Hua.
Lu Zhenlong's pretty face was frosted over. She shot Mo Hua a glare, then snorted coldly, "We're leaving!"
"Wait." Mo Hua called out to them.
Lu Zhenlong turned back, staring at Mo Hua coldly.
Mo Hua said, "Don't say I didn't warn you. If you leave now, you might not make it out alive."
Lu Zhenlong sneered, "Whether I live or die is none of your concern."
Mo Hua shook his head and sighed lightly, "You're thinking too simply. Dying might actually be the easier outcome."
Lu Zhenlong frowned. "What do you mean?"
Mo Hua replied, "Did you see the things we passed on the way here?"
Lu Zhenlong's face paled slightly. She nodded.
Mo Hua sighed, "The longer you stay in this great formation, the more your mind will be tainted by evil thoughts. Your consciousness will gradually fade, your humanity will slowly wither. In the end, you'll turn on one another—greedy, bloodthirsty, no longer human nor ghost…"
"You won't be an exception."
Mo Hua's expression was tinged with pity, but the corner of his mouth curled into a strange smile. "Your Purple Mist Sect still looks okay now, but it won't be long before some of your people start to fall to madness and kill each other."
"In the end, once your humanity is gone, you'll all turn into monsters."
"And monsters… eat people."
"Your flesh will be gnawed off piece by piece by your own sect members…"
"You'll be disemboweled, your intestines spilled all over the ground…"
"Your organs will be ripped out and devoured clean…"
"Even your face will be torn off, covered in bite marks, a bloody mess, unspeakably hideous…"
Mo Hua's words were like poisoned daggers. With each sentence, Lu Zhenlong's face grew paler.
At last, her expression crumbled, and she screamed in terror, covering her ears.
"That's enough! Stop talking!"
Mo Hua still had more gruesome things to say, but seeing that Lu Zhenlong couldn't take it anymore, he reluctantly held back. He asked her:
"Do you want to come with us?"
Lu Zhenlong's face was ghostly pale. She covered her ears and said nothing.
Mo Hua continued, "Inside the Sword Arena, we were all enemies. But now that we're outside it, the Eight Great Sects ought to stand together."
"We're looking for a way out. If you want to come, bring the disciples of Purple Mist Sect and follow us."
"If not, then do as you please. But in the end, you and the people of your sect will be the ones to die."
"It's just that… your deaths might be a bit miserable. Prepare yourself mentally for that."
With that, Mo Hua led the others away.
After walking for a while, sure enough, they found that Lu Zhenlong had brought the Purple Mist Sect disciples and was quietly following behind.
This Lu Zhenlong might protest with her mouth, but her actions were honest. Mo Hua gave a slight nod.
Though he had some small grievances with Lu Zhenlong, he wouldn't just leave her to die.
What's more, Lu Zhenlong was the legitimate daughter of the prestigious Lu Clan in Kun Prefecture.
And the massive Earth Sect was located in Kun Prefecture.
The [Eleven-Pattern First Grade Earth Fortress Formation] was a legacy of the Earth Sect. Back in the Lone Mountain tomb, that tomb raider named "Mr. Pi" whom Mo Hua killed also seemed to possess formations from the Earth Sect.
That "Gold-Touching Talisman" he carried was a token of the Earth Sect's covert division.
And that ancient visualization diagram that had been passed down for ten thousand years—The Diagram of Heaven and Earth's Embrace—was also stored within the Earth Sect, considered its most treasured artifact.
This diagram, named after "Heaven and Earth's Embrace" (皇天後土), was once deemed unacceptable by the Dao Court and had to be split in two. The "Heaven Diagram" was confiscated by the Dao Court, while only the other half, the "Earth Diagram," remained in the Earth Sect.
Even so, this "Earth Diagram" remained a core treasure of the Earth Sect, which shows how extraordinary it is.
Mo Hua felt there were still many unresolved ties between himself and the Earth Sect.
At the very least, he genuinely wanted to see that "Earth Diagram" one day. But in Kun Prefecture, he didn't know a single person.
Now that he had helped Lu Zhenlong along the way, it could be counted as building a connection.
If he went to Kun Prefecture in the future, this Lu Clan young lady, Lu Zhenlong, would at least be a familiar face.
With allies, things go smoothly. With no support, even the strong falter. It's always better to have more contacts.
"Though… I wonder if this woman will hold a grudge and keep hating me…" Mo Hua muttered in his heart.
But it was just a small act of convenience on his part. Mo Hua didn't dwell too much on it.
After bringing Lu Zhenlong and her Purple Mist Sect into the fold and setting a few ground rules, the team had grown even larger.
With that, aside from the Great Luo Sect, Mo Hua had essentially gathered the most talented disciples from all of the Eight Great Sects under his command.
And not long after, following the threads of karma, Mo Hua found the Great Luo Sect's genius.
The once number-one sword-wielding prodigy of the Great Luo Sect—Ye Zhiyuan.
Ye Zhiyuan had been "hurt" by Mo Hua the most.
Now, upon seeing Mo Hua, it truly was like enemies meeting—his eyes flared with rage.
But he didn't act rashly. Instead, he looked toward the other seven sect prodigies who now stood under Mo Hua's "banner."
In his heart, he felt both shocked and furious— "Traitors! All of them!".
One by one, they had shouted their slogans to the heavens, swearing to kill Mo Hua— And yet, in the blink of an eye, they were all following him
Utterly laughable.
And to think they still called themselves Tianjiao of Qianxue. Ye Zhiyuan held nothing but disdain in his heart.
But when Mo Hua asked him, "Will you die here, or follow me out?"
Ye Zhiyuan fell silent.
He struggled internally for a long time, until he finally made a painful decision:
"A true man knows when to bend and when to stand tall."
"To break rather than to bend— that's not real heroism."
"Being able to endure beside the tiger— that's the mark of a real hero."
First, survive— Borrow Mo Hua's power to escape this deadly situation.
Once he became stronger, then he would settle the score with Mo Hua and reclaim his dignity.
"It's not that Mo Hua is forcing me to obey— It's that I'm using him to reach my own goals!"
With that shift in mindset, Ye Zhiyuan felt a sudden clarity— And he joined Mo Hua.
Thus, Mo Hua had effectively "unified" the Eight Great Sects.
And after the Eight Great Sects, came the Four Great Clans.
With the disciples of the Eight Great Sects in tow, Mo Hua rampaged through the Demonic Formation,
sweeping aside all resistance.
He continued absorbing scattered disciples from the other sects, rescuing those only lightly corrupted by demonic influence.
As for those who had fully succumbed, whose hearts had been lost, Mo Hua could only grit his teeth and put them down.
Along the way, Mo Hua also gathered scattered disciples from the Twelve Minor Sects.
With the Eight Great Sects unified, even the Twelve Minor Sects understood the winds of change.
To follow Mo Hua? They could only hope for such a chance.
In this way, more and more Tianjiao began to gather around Mo Hua.
By the time they encountered the disciples of the Four Great Clans, Mo Hua's group had swelled to over two hundred people— an overwhelming, black mass moving like a tidal wave.
From the Four Great Clans, Xiao Ruohan, Ao Zheng, Shen Cangfeng and others— just looking at the size of the group made their scalps tingle.
Ever since entering the demonic formation, they had realized something was wrong and began to regroup their forces, gathering all the disciples of the Four Great Clans in one place.
But every disciple accepted into the Four Clans was a prodigy—arrogant and independent by nature.
Shen Cangfeng and the others were indeed strong, but unlike Shen Linshu, who carried a powerful bloodline, they were not unrivaled enough to command true obedience.
So far, they had only managed to gather just over fifty Tianjiao from the Four Great Clans.
No matter how strong those fifty were, compared to Mo Hua's two hundred-plus, they still seemed "insignificant."
Let alone the fact that the person leading them was Mo Hua himself.
During the Shura Sword Debate, over fifty of their own Four Clan Tianjiao had been blown to pieces by Mo Hua alone.
Just Mo Hua was enough to make them wary— and now, he had two hundred people at his back.
Shen Cangfeng and the rest stood expressionless, hearts chilled, watching Mo Hua with tense expressions.
"Mo Hua, are you planning to fight?" Ao Zheng asked coldly.
Mo Hua shook his head. "No. I'm not."
Upon hearing this, all the Four Clan disciples let out a deep breath of relief.
The pressure Mo Hua gave off was simply too immense.
Xiao Ruohan said indifferently, "In that case, let's go our separate ways— no interference."
But Mo Hua shook his head again. "No."
Xiao Ruohan and the others tensed.
"Then what are you saying?"
Mo Hua answered bluntly:
"We can work together."
They were stunned for a moment— Ao Zheng sneered:
"Work together? You mean you want us to obey you, right?"
Mo Hua nodded calmly.
"If that's how you want to see it, sure."
Ao Zheng was furious.
"Delusional!"
Shen Cangfeng also scoffed, "Mo Hua, your talent in formation arts is indeed extraordinary, your skills deep and mysterious— but just with that, you want disciples of the Four Great Clans to follow your every word?
You're dreaming."
Xiao Ruohan's eyes flashed with cold sharpness. "You belong to the Eight Sects. We are the Four Clans. Trying to command us—isn't that overstepping?"
Mo Hua sighed softly and shook his head. "I don't want to control you either. But we're trapped here in this demonic formation— all of us are stuck in the same boat."
"If I leave you alone, and you later fall into madness or demonic corruption, you'll become a threat to me. I'll still have to kill you."
"Not only me—you'll probably end up killing each other."
He looked at the bloodstains on their robes and said coldly, "You've already experienced what it's like to kill your fellow disciples, haven't you?"
At those words, Shen Cangfeng and the others looked grief-stricken, eyes filled with pain.
Not long ago, in this bizarre Yànluò Mountain, they had seen their comrades suddenly go mad and lose control.
After a brutal fight, though their hearts ached, they had no choice but to cut down their fallen brethren.
Mo Hua had predicted this.
The Four Clans' disciples had better backgrounds, higher talent, and stronger ambition— but this often came at the cost of a weaker Dao Heart.
Ordinarily, it wasn't an issue.
But in this formation filled with evil thoughts, any weakness could allow demonic desires to seep in—leading to complete madness.
Even now, the states of Shen Cangfeng, Ao Zheng, and Xiao Ruohan were clearly off.
If left alone, they would likely spiral into insanity soon— becoming pawns or sacrifices for the evil god.
But the higher the pride, the stronger the ego.
Even though they knew following Mo Hua might be the best path, that pride made Ao Zheng and the others refuse to submit.
"Whether we live or die is our own concern— no need for your interference.
If you expect us to submit, that's impossible." Ao Zheng sneered.
"Fine," Mo Hua nodded, and then asked, "Do you have the Longevity Sigil implanted?"
Ao Zheng and the others frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"If you've got the sigil, great. If not…" Mo Hua's eyes turned cold, "I'm afraid that if I make a move, you'll all die."
"When I shatter the sigil, your lives will shatter with it."
His tone was calm—yet utterly domineering.
Ao Zheng and the rest were furious— but the moment they met Mo Hua's gaze,
a wave of fear surged in their hearts.
Because Mo Hua truly had the strength to back it up.
He had just shattered five Longevity Sigils recently— and they belonged to the top prodigies from their Four Clans and the Da Luo Sect.
Fear brings clarity.
Ao Zheng and the rest began to calm down.
They realized—Mo Hua was not bluffing. If they didn't go along with him, they truly might be eliminated.
Shen Cangfeng sighed and asked Mo Hua:
"Can you really… lead us out of here?"
Mo Hua replied with indifference:
"Don't forget—I'm the top of the Formation Dao. With my knowledge of formations, even Shen Linshu or Xiao Wuchen would have to do as I say."
Top of the Formation Dao...
During the earlier sword debate, he had been killed by that very same title.
In fact, he'd been blown up twice…
Shen Cangfeng's expression grew grim.
He nodded:
"Alright. I'll follow your lead."
Once he spoke, the others stopped resisting.
Xiao Ruohan and Ao Zheng, though reluctant, also nodded in agreement.
Mo Hua nodded with satisfaction.
At that moment, the Four Great Clans, Eight Great Sects, and even some scattered members of the Twelve Minor Sects, had all been "unified" by him.
Mo Hua was now the true "big boss" of the Four Clans, Eight Sects, and Twelve Streams.
(END OF THIS CHAPTER)