Chapter 1028: Duanmu Qing

The situation at Taixu Sect was quite severe.

Most of the sect’s cultivators, including the three sect leaders, had no idea what to expect. This was because they didn’t know who they would encounter in the upcoming sword debate, nor how the victory or defeat would play out.

The opponents for the Diyuan Sword Debate were decided by the Luundao Tianyi. After each sword debate was completed, the list of opponents for the next round was then deduced by the Luundao Tianyi on the spot. Everything was unknown until the Luundao Tianyi finished its deduction.

Mò Huà secretly calculated the Luundao Tianyi. He even considered the possibility, if it were feasible, of using Heavenly Secrets techniques to tamper with the Luundao Tianyi’s deduction list. He thought about rigging the system a little, arranging some weaker teams on his own side. This way, Xiao Wuchen, Áo Zhàn, Duānmù Qīng, Shěn Línshū, and the other top Heavenly Talents would be forced to fight each other, competing for victory and literally battling until their brains were flowing out.

By doing this, Taixu Sect could easily advance. Shěn Línshū and the others would be fighting among themselves, and at least half of the Heavenly Talents would fall in the Diyuan Sword Debate.

Controlling heavenly secrets, stirring up clouds and rain. Manipulating karma, killing with a borrowed knife. This was the true application of heavenly secrets and karma.

It was just a pity that the current Mò Huà was far from having this ability.

The Luundao Tianyi was a treasure of heavenly secrets left behind by the ancestor of Luundao Mountain. The ancestor of Luundao Mountain was an even more legendary figure in the Gān Xúezhōu realm. Whether this ancestor was an ordinary Void Cultivator, a late-stage Void Cultivator giant, or even an unknown and powerful cultivator above the Void realm, no one knew…

Such a deep and unfathomable ancestor, a long-inherited treasure, and layer upon layer of tight heavenly secrets and karma. This was simply not something that ordinary cultivators could spy on or tamper with. Void cultivators probably wouldn’t even be able to do it, let alone Mò Huà, who was just a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Therefore, for the upcoming sword debate, a large part depended on the "mood" of the Luundao Tianyi. Whatever card it dealt, Mò Huà could only accept it. In extreme circumstances, if their luck was truly bad and they encountered only Heavenly Talents of the "Xiao Wuchen" level, then Mò Huà would probably have to admit defeat and lose all the way.

A day later, the Luundao Tianyi operated, deducing karma. Mò Huà and his team's opponents for the next round of the sword debate were announced. They were the Dragon Cauldron Sect, one of the Four Great Sects.

This time, their luck was slightly better; their opponent was not the top Heavenly Talent "Áo Zhàn." However, their luck was not entirely good either, because their opponent was almost the strongest disciple in the Dragon Cauldron Sect below Áo Zhàn: Áo Zhēng.

Áo Zhēng's abilities were almost identical to Áo Zhàn's, except for a slight difference in spiritual roots, cultivation techniques, and Dao techniques. This difference was minuscule. But among the Four Great Sects, where Heavenly Talents were as numerous as clouds, this represented the gap between first and second place, an insurmountable chasm. However, that was from the perspective of the Dragon Cauldron Sect. In the Sword Debate Assembly, as an opponent, Áo Zhàn was strong, and Áo Zhēng was similarly very strong.

Mò Huà pinched his fingers to calculate, his brows furrowed, feeling that victory would still not be easy. If they fought normally, they would likely lose to the Dragon Cauldron Sect again, just like in the last round. And, coincidentally, the sword debate event was still a monster hunting competition. They would lose to Áo Zhàn in the monster hunting competition, and then lose to Áo Zhēng.

Mò Huà sighed slightly. There weren't many rounds left in the Diyuan Sword Debate. They had truly reached the point where they had to fight for every win. Otherwise, if the Luundao Tianyi didn't show them favor later and dealt them another "card" of a top Heavenly Talent, then everything would truly be over.

But how to defeat this "Áo Zhēng"? Mò Huà, while pinching his fingers and looking at the sword debate terrain map, calculated something in his mind. Finally, a plan emerged, and his eyes brightened slightly. But Mò Huà sighed aloud, "I am such an upright person, and I really don't want to do this, but for the sake of winning, there's nothing else I can do now..."

Afterward, Mò Huà arranged the tactical plan. On the day of the sword debate, the area outside the venue was still packed with people. The inner mountain, where the disciples' sword debate took place, was much quieter.

Mò Huà went to the inner mountain of Luundao Mountain in advance, bringing Línghú Xiào and the others to guard the mountain entrance in the inner mountain. All disciples participating in the sword debate would enter the inner mountain through the mountain entrance. Taixu Sect did this, and the Dragon Cauldron Sect was no exception.

Línghú Xiào and the others stood in a row with serious expressions, guarding the side of the mountain path. Mò Huà, meanwhile, was pinching grass roots, practicing array patterns on the ground with a leisurely expression. As an array master, to make progress in array methods, one should practice array patterns anytime, anywhere, and casually, without wasting any time or opportunity. This was an array master's self-cultivation.

After practicing for a while, Mò Huà suddenly threw away the grass roots in his hand, raised his head, and said, "They're here."

Línghú Xiào and the others' expressions became solemn. After a moment, a team of cultivators indeed walked from the other end of the mountain path. One by one, they had sturdy physiques, arrogant eyebrows and eyes, and wore luxurious Dragon Cauldron Sect Daoist robes. The person leading them had a square face, a majestic aura, and between his raised hands and feet, blood energy condensed like substance, and his body refining power surged. This person was precisely Áo Zhēng.

Today's sword debate was between the Dragon Cauldron Sect and Taixu Sect. The two sides were already like needle point against wheat. When Áo Zhēng brought his team and encountered Mò Huà et al., his gaze immediately became sharp, revealing a deep fighting spirit. Of course, there was also a trace of hidden killing intent.

As Mò Huà stood up, his facial expression instantly changed from the friendly and leisurely one he had moments before to a cold and arrogant one. He stood on the steps, looking down "from a height" at Áo Zhēng. Otherwise, with his height, he could only reach Áo Zhēng's shoulders and would not be able to form a deterrence against Áo Zhēng.

Áo Zhēng was indeed "shocked" for a moment. Mò Huà, this "foremost array master" of Taixu Sect, had always been quite mysterious, and his actions exuded a cunning and unfathomable air. Coupled with Mò Huà's cold expression at that moment, Áo Zhēng didn't dare to underestimate him.

But Áo Zhēng was similarly a Heavenly Talent, a powerful body cultivator, and naturally confident and arrogant. He just let out a cold laugh and then walked towards the mountain gate. Áo Zhēng didn't say anything. He wanted to destroy Taixu Sect's team and kill Mò Huà. But he disdained to say these words before the battle. Everything would be done first, then spoken. After destroying Taixu Sect's team and killing Mò Huà, he would speak words of ridicule. This was the embodiment of strength. Not being able to do something but proclaiming it everywhere was shallow and incompetent. Everything would be settled on the sword debate stage with real knives and real guns.

Áo Zhēng ignored Mò Huà and walked into the inner mountain on his own, but as he brushed past Mò Huà, his ear suddenly heard a crisp but ice-cold voice: "Your Dragon Cauldron Sect's Áo Zhàn offended me last time…"

Áo Zhēng was startled and turned his head to look at Mò Huà. Mò Huà raised his chin slightly, cold and arrogant, "In this monster hunting competition, I will get back this debt exactly as it was given." "My Taixu Sect is not easy to offend." "All five of you will die!"

Upon hearing this, Áo Zhēng's heart filled with anger, his face twisted, and he glared viciously at Mò Huà. But as he met Mò Huà's deep and strange pupils, a tremor of fear immediately surged in his heart again, to the point where the words of sarcasm were all stuck in his throat.

Mò Huà finished speaking, let out a cold laugh, and then, like the "bully" of Taixu Sect, strutted away under the escort of Línghú Xiào and the others. The other disciples of the Dragon Cauldron Sect were temporarily intimidated by Mò Huà's aura and even forgot to say some "harsh words." Only after Mò Huà had left did they come back to their senses, anger rising in their hearts.

Áo Zhēng's gaze was ice-cold, his brows tightly furrowed, but his heart was somewhat calmer. Mò Huà's words just now still echoed in his ears. That look, that look permeated with killing intent and evil spirit, was also deeply imprinted in his mind. The killing intent in that look was real. The malevolent aura was also extremely thick. One could not have this kind of look without experiencing real killing and fighting. This person named Mò Huà was definitely someone with a "ruthless heart and vicious hands," someone with a "cold and cruel nature." Áo Zhēng had personally experienced this in that moment of confrontation.

Moreover, he said… he wanted to collect a debt? Áo Zhēng furrowed his brows and thought carefully, slowly recalling. Last time, in the sword debate between Taixu Sect and Dragon Cauldron Sect, Mò Huà and his team were utterly defeated by Áo Zhàn in one go. First, they killed people, then they hunted monsters. Taixu Sect had no power to resist and lost completely.

"Is this the debt this Mò Huà wants to collect?" "Does he want to be like Áo Zhàn, kill our five people first, and then go hunt monsters, to regain face and take revenge?"

Áo Zhēng slowly nodded, then sneered in his heart: "A mere Taixu Sect, what do they rely on?" "On one Línghú Xiào? Or…" Áo Zhēng's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Array formations?!

A while ago, during the siege battle between Taixu Sect and Qīandào Sect, the scene of the entire city being leveled by the surging array formation explosion was still vivid in his mind. That kind of scene made even a Heavenly Talent like Áo Zhēng feel lingering fear. Although on the surface, the elders of Luundao Mountain said that this array formation explosion was an "unintentional mistake" and unrelated to Mò Huà, was that truly the case? This Mò Huà was the foremost array master. No one knew what kind of terrifying killing arrays he hid in his hands. If he used these killing arrays in this monster hunting competition…

Áo Zhēng's heart was filled with awe, and his expression also became solemn. He instructed: "Be careful of array formations in today's monster hunting competition." "This child Mò Huà is cunning and vicious, skilled in using array formations, and likes to ambush and sneak attack. Moreover, he holds grudges and is vindictive, so you must be extremely careful." "As long as we avoid array formations, Línghú Xiào alone cannot do much, and Taixu Sect is not to be feared."

"Yes!" the other disciples of the Dragon Cauldron Sect responded.

Inner mountain of Luundao Mountain. The "bully" Mò Huà walked in front. Chéng Mò and the others walked behind. After a while, seeing that there was no one around, Sītú Jiàn finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Senior Brother, is it really okay for us to provoke the Dragon Cauldron Sect like this? Are we really going to kill them later?"

"We're not fighting them," Mò Huà said. Sītú Jiàn was startled, and the others were also somewhat astonished. Mò Huà lowered his voice and said, "I was lying to that big fool…" "The Dragon Cauldron Sect is too strong, we can't beat them. If we can't beat them, why would we fight them head-on?" "I said some harsh words to make them guess. After that, we'll move quickly." "This is a monster hunting competition, it's about speed and decisiveness. As long as we kill the monsters, we win. What do we care about them?"

Mò Huà had a matter-of-fact expression. Línghú Xiào and the others looked at Mò Huà, their expressions all complex. For a moment, they didn't know whether to praise Mò Huà for his wisdom or for his cunning.

Mò Huà sighed slightly. He just knew that these junior brothers were indeed still too "green." Their "acting skills" also needed tempering. That's why he hadn't explained it clearly before. He was afraid that Línghú Xiào and the others' acting wouldn't be good enough to expose the trap.

Mò Huà instructed in a low voice again: "Remember, as soon as we enter the arena later, I will give you the monster's location, and you must immediately follow me and rush over to kill the monster. Every second counts, the faster the better!"

Línghú Xiào and the others' expressions were solemn, and they nodded.

Afterward, the sword debate began. As soon as Mò Huà entered the arena, he looked around, spreading his powerful divine sense. In less than an instant, he found the trace of a monster. This was a late-stage second-grade bear demon. Mò Huà pointed his hand, "Charge!" Línghú Xiào and the others didn't hesitate either. They urged their body techniques and rushed towards the direction Mò Huà pointed.

Generally speaking, finding the monster was a difficult part of the monster hunting competition. It also took some time to find the monster's location in the complex mountain forest based on its habits and hunting traces. But unfortunately, Mò Huà's divine sense was truly too abnormal. Moreover, he was a monster hunter by origin and was too familiar with monsters. Therefore, as soon as he released his divine sense, coupled with his experience and intuition, he found the bear demon that would determine the outcome of the sword debate almost instantly.

Taixu Sect's group immediately rushed towards the bear demon to kill it. Under the full urge of their body techniques, they arrived near the bear demon in less than fifteen minutes. Afterward, it was the monster hunting process that everyone was happy to see and hear about, and with which they were extremely familiar. This process was too familiar to Mò Huà and the others. Moreover, their coordination was too tacit. In the Monster Refining Mountain, they had hunted countless times.

Setting bait, setting traps, setting array formations, luring the monster. Then the trap caught the monster, the array formation exploded, and the monster was heavily injured. Línghú Xiào accumulated sword energy and further killed and injured the monster. The others cooperated, restraining it from the side and dealing some damage. Everything was orderly and extremely skillful. The monster hunting training in Monster Refining Mountain was fully displayed.

This kind of "Dao-soldierized" and "proceduralized" monster hunting left the spectators in a daze. This powerful late-stage second-grade bear demon fell down with a crash. Línghú Xiào cut open the bear demon's chest and abdomen with one sword strike. Chéng Mò stepped forward, used his hand to dig out the monster's inner core, and directly crushed it.

The sword debate ended. At this moment, Áo Zhēng, who had a powerful cultivation but was empty-handed, and the disciples of the Dragon Cauldron Sect were still halfway there, vigilantly observing their surroundings, guarding against Mò Huà's array formations, and fighting wits with "air." Mò Huà wanted to kill him. Then he would definitely use array formations to kill him first. Áo Zhēng, with eagle eyes and wolf-like gaze, watched in all directions, filled with suspicion. Where was the killing opportunity? Could the ground in front be a killing array buried by Mò Huà? Could the mountain forest in front be an ambush arranged by Mò Huà? If they encountered a monster, should they make a move? Could this be Mò Huà's "bait"?

The scene of Mò Huà's siege where he ended up blowing up the city, that shocking scene, flashed in Áo Zhēng's mind from time to time. As a result, Áo Zhēng felt uneasy looking at the entire mountain forest. He even suspected at one point whether this madman Mò Huà would blow up the entire mountain and send them to their graves. But all the way, there wasn't a single sign of a person.

Gradually, Áo Zhēng finally realized that something was wrong. But by then, it was too late. Before Áo Zhēng and the others could take any action, the bell of Luundao Mountain rang. They were forcibly teleported out of the monster hunting arena. The sword debate had ended, and the Dragon Cauldron Sect had lost.

Áo Zhēng was stunned for a long time. Afterward, a disciple from the outer arena recorded the process of the sword debate with a "摹影图" (Replicated Image Map) and showed it to Áo Zhēng. Áo Zhēng only felt a surge of anger rise from the bottom of his heart, burning his four limbs and hundred bones, making his entire body's meridians ache slightly. He wished he could pound this stinky boy Mò Huà into meat paste with his fists.

Before the battle, he had a cold face and said things like "this debt, I will get it back." He said, "All five of you will die." As a result, as soon as the battle started, he was shamelessly running off to kill monsters. It even seemed like he had no intention of fighting the Dragon Cauldron Sect at all.

This was the first time in Áo Zhēng's life that he had deeply experienced Mò Huà's "shamelessness." Moreover, everything Mò Huà said and did was obviously calculated beforehand. He used words to deceive him. He used his eyes to fool him. He used array formations to make him dread. He even used his own self-supplementation to make him hesitate.

"Mò Huà…" Áo Zhēng, his face flushed, wanted to bite his teeth broken. Only Áo Zhēng and the disciples inside the arena knew about Mò Huà's "insidious and despicable" calculations. The audience outside the arena saw it as quite simple. In their eyes, Taixu Sect's goal was clear, their actions were disciplined, they raced against time, and they hunted and killed the monster. The Dragon Cauldron Sect took three steps and stopped, looked left and right, hesitated, and missed the opportunity. They looked like a group of "big fools."

The Dragon Cauldron Sect's reputation was damaged. As expected, Mò Huà's list of "enemies" gained five more names. Five more "Demon Slaying Orders" had new owners. The power of the Demon Slaying Alliance within the Gān Xúezhōu realm further expanded.

Taixu Sect, on the other hand, felt some relief. They had won another round, and their ranking was slightly more stable. The entire sect, in addition to being joyous, also breathed a sigh of relief. But before they could relax for long, they began to worry again.

Two days later, the next "card" dealt by the Luundao Tianyi arrived. This time, their luck could be said to be extremely bad. Mò Huà's opponent was the Myriad Cloud Sect, Duānmù Qīng. The Myriad Cloud Sect was the strongest spell-casting sect among the Four Great Sects. Duānmù Qīng was also one of the Four Heavenly Talents of Gān Xúezhōu, on par with Xiao Wuchen, Áo Zhàn, and Shěn Línshū. She was a true top Heavenly Talent among the Four Great Sects.

Moreover, she was the only female disciple among the top Heavenly Talents. Not only that, but it was also said that this Duānmù Qīng had a beauty that could topple kingdoms and cities, and a cold temperament. She was one of the top one or two great beauties in the Gān Xúezhōu realm. Throughout the entire Gān Xúezhōu realm, the number of male disciples who admired Duānmù Qīng of the Myriad Cloud Sect was as numerous as those who admired Lù Zhēnlóng, the first beauty of the Purple Mist Sect. They could line up from Luundao Mountain all the way to Smoky Water River…

But unlike Lù Zhēnlóng, Duānmù Qīng's talent was too good, her appearance too beautiful, and her temperament too cold, often making people feel inferior. Male disciples who admired Duānmù Qīng only dared to admire her in this way, secretly, deeply hidden in their hearts. They absolutely dared not utter a single bit of their feelings in front of Duānmù Qīng's face, which was so beautiful it could topple kingdoms and cities, and so clear and cold. Some men even dared not say a single word to Duānmù Qīng.

This information was specially inquired about by Mò Huà from Hǎo Xuán. Last time, he accidentally used a fireball to blast the face of the first beauty of the Purple Mist Sect and was resented by others for a very long time. Even Uncle Zhāng Lán, who had come a long way, asked him about this matter. Afterward, Mò Huà took this as a deep warning. Before this sword debate, he had already inquired about the intelligence of this "Duānmù Qīng" in advance, to avoid repeating the same mistake and causing unnecessary trouble.

Women were very troublesome. The more beautiful a woman was, the bigger the trouble. But then again, what was the use of inquiring about intelligence? Duānmù Qīng was not Lù Zhēnlóng, but one of the genuine "Four Heavenly Talents of Gān Xúezhōu." Mò Huà might not even be able to beat her in a head-on magical fight, let alone use a fireball to blast her face. Moreover, the strength of the Myriad Cloud Sect's team was similarly outrageously strong.

Mò Huà thought for a very long time, but was still at a loss. Under the current limited conditions, their chances of winning were very, very small. The Four Heavenly Talents of Gān Xúezhōu, four top Heaven's Proud Sons, including Duānmù Qīng, were almost all insurmountable obstacles… Mò Huà sighed. But since the situation was like this, avoidance was impossible, and they could only think of every possible way to fight one round with all their might. If they fought, there might still be an opportunity. If they didn't fight, there was truly no opportunity at all.

Afterward, Mò Huà prepared as usual and arranged tactics. On the day of the sword debate, Mò Huà, according to his habit, brought Línghú Xiào and the others to the inner mountain of Luundao Mountain. But as soon as they reached the entrance of the inner mountain, Mò Huà was startled, raised his head and looked. Just then, a team of cultivators happened to walk from the distance. There were two men and three women, each with extraordinary bearing. The person leading them was a woman with jade-like features and fine carving, wearing a set of five-colored, five-element, beautiful and luxurious Myriad Cloud Daoist robes, with a cold temperament and a disdainful look. This was precisely their opponent for today's sword debate. And also the only female among the Four Great Top Heavenly Talents of Gān Xúezhōu.

"Duānmù Qīng…" Even Mò Huà was slightly stunned when he suddenly met her. Línghú Xiào and the others were also somewhat lost in thought. Duānmù Qīng was indeed extremely beautiful, and she also possessed a kind of arrogant, clear, and cold outstanding temperament. Simple beauty wasn't much, but when this beauty was mixed with a kind of strength, it was impossible not to notice.

(End of this chapter)