Chapter 666: Image

The night was dark, the mountain forest eerily silent.

Hao Xuan looked at the corpses of the three black-clothed cultivators lying on the ground and gasped, "Little Senior Brother, your formation is too powerful..."

With just one encounter, there was a loud boom, a flash of fire, and the formation exploded.

These three black-clothed cultivators with decent cultivation levels were caught off guard and died just like that...

Hao Xuan was completely shocked. Mo Hua felt a bit happy inside, but on the surface, he still had to maintain the demeanor of a "Little Senior Brother," so he nodded reservedly and said:

"It's alright..."

He usually used the Fireball technique to finish people off.

But this time, with Hao Xuan nearby, Mo Hua didn't make a move to avoid making him feel that this Little Senior Brother was vicious.

This would destroy his "pure and kind" friendly image among his fellow disciples.

The three black-clothed people died.

Mo Hua flicked his fingers, drawing out a golden light that cut open the masks on these three people's faces, but beneath the masks was still black, corrupted flesh filled with demonic qi.

"As long as a person dies... they get disfigured..."

Mo Hua frowned slightly.

If this is the case, he has to capture one alive to see their true appearance?

Hao Xuan whispered, "There are still four people left. Should I go lure them over again?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment and shook his head, saying:

"No need. Four people alone, no need to lure... I estimate you can't lure them anymore..."

"Five people have already disappeared. Even if they're stupid, they'll know you're a problem. The moment you show your face, they'll become more cautious, even considering escape..."

Hao Xuan asked doubtfully, "Then what should we do?"

"I'll go check it out," Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said to Hao Xuan, "Your injury isn't healed, just hide nearby and don't make a move."

"But..." Hao Xuan hesitated for a moment, a little worried, and said, "If you go over, you can't set up a formation in advance. Facing those black-clothed cultivators will be very dangerous..."

"My magic is very powerful!" Mo Hua said.

Hao Xuan was slightly taken aback.

He remembered correctly, Mo Hua's Dao Law assessment seemed to only get a "C."

Can a C also be considered very powerful?

Hao Xuan wanted to say something, but seeing Mo Hua's confident look, he felt it was better to honestly "listen."

Hao Xuan then said, "Then, Little Senior Brother, be careful."

Mo Hua nodded, "Don't worry."

There were a total of nine black-clothed cultivators in the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

He used a formation to "fish" and killed five.

The remaining four were simply fish on the chopping block; it was impossible for them to escape his grasp.

Mo Hua's gaze was somewhat dangerous.

Hao Xuan looked at Mo Hua, and in a trance, he felt that these black-clothed cultivators who had chased them to a dead end were like...

Little chicks in the eyes of this "Little Senior Brother"?

No way...

On the other side, the battle between Cheng Mo's three people and the four black-clothed cultivators was still ongoing.

Cheng Mo's three people were at a disadvantage.

They had been chased before, fighting and retreating all the way, exhausted and out of spirit power.

Although the number of black-clothed cultivators had suddenly decreased, with only four remaining, they still felt increasingly strained.

But just now was the best opportunity to escape.

If they could hold on, there would be a turnaround, a possibility of surviving.

Otherwise, if the other black-clothed people caught Hao Xuan— or didn't catch him and just returned, they would truly have no way back.

They knew that Hao Xuan had good movement techniques.

In this situation, Cheng Mo and the others could only hope that Hao Xuan could hold on for a while longer.

Meanwhile, the other four black-clothed people, although they had the upper hand, their expressions were becoming more and more solemn.

The five people who left hadn't returned yet.

They didn't know if they were being held back or had fallen into an ambush.

Although it wasn't very likely that they would lose their lives, if the delay was long, changes were inevitable.

Their group, traveling in black at night, was doing things that couldn't see the light of day. Prolonging the matter could easily lead to changes, and once exposed, they would surely die without a burial place.

The leading black-clothed cultivator's heart was uneasy. He suddenly gritted his teeth and said:

"Take the pills, a quick battle to end this!"

The other three black-clothed people were all startled, their faces showing hesitation.

But they didn't dare to disobey the "Big Brother's" command.

The three people each retreated half a step, and they didn't know where they took out a blood-colored pill. Without waiting for Cheng Mo and the others to react, they quickly swallowed it.

In an instant, the auras of the four people suddenly increased, and blood threads appeared in their eyes.

Cheng Mo's three people's expressions became stern.

"Evil pills?"

In their hearts, they all vaguely felt that something was wrong.

They were already at a disadvantage, and now these four black-clothed people had all taken evil pills, their cultivation levels increasing significantly.

If this continued, they were afraid the situation would truly be more bad than good...

Cheng Mo gritted his teeth and said regardless:

"A bunch of evil path evildoers! This old man will drag you down with him even if he dies today!"

After speaking, he roared, his eyes wide open, his upper body covered in a layer of deep ancient bronze color, his blood qi boiling. His entire being was like a giant axe capable of splitting mountains and cracking the ground.

Mountain-Splitting Axe!

This was the Dao Law passed down through the Cheng family lineage. The moves were simple, the power rough and violent.

After the Dao Law was activated, the skin and flesh were like steel, and the axe blades had the power to split mountains and crack stones.

But the duration was limited.

At his realm, with limited cultivation, he couldn't fully unleash the power of this Dao Law.

Cheng Mo forcibly used it, overdrawing his blood qi to fight desperately with the black-clothed cultivators.

Beside Si Tu Jian and Yang Qian Jun, seeing that Cheng Mo was going to fight desperately, they also knew that this was a critical moment and they had to fight to the death.

Fighting still offered a glimmer of hope.

Not fighting meant certain death.

Si Tu Jian pointed his fingers, pushing his sword qi to the extreme, and a layer of bright red fierce flame covered his spirit sword.

Yang Qian Jun's eyes emitted golden light, and a dazzling golden light also condensed on his long spear.

For a time, the three people's faces were pale, but their fighting spirit was greatly invigorated.

When Mo Hua arrived, he just happened to see this scene and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

The children of aristocratic families are indeed extraordinary.

These large aristocratic clans, with techniques passed down through generations, have majestic power that looks very formidable at first glance.

Especially Cheng Mo.

Normally, he had a not-so-serious appearance, but during a true life-and-death battle, holding double axes, his fighting spirit was stern, like a vajra with angry eyes, his aura shocking.

Furthermore, Si Tu Jian and Yang Qian Jun, one with fire and one with gold, their spirit power surged, and they were not inferior either.

It's just...

They seem a little too stupid...

This kind of wide-open move has great power, but if one's experience is insufficient and it's not used well, the drawbacks are also significant.

Indeed, the leading black-clothed cultivator, although his expression was solemn, was not very anxious. Instead, he instructed in a deep voice:

"These three kids want to fight desperately. Don't force the enemy, be careful..."

The black-clothed big brother's eyes flashed with a hint of sternness, "Even a strong crossbow at the end of its strength cannot last long. Slowly wear them down, consume their blood qi and spirit power until they are exhausted, and they will surely die!"

The other three black-clothed people all nodded and said, "Yes!"

In a flash, the two sides fought together again.

Cheng Mo's three people also knew they couldn't last long, so they thought of a quick battle to end it. With thunderous means, they wanted to kill one or two first, and then see the opportunity to either fight or flee.

On the black-clothed cultivators' side, they primarily relied on circling and dragging, neither letting Cheng Mo's three people escape nor engaging in a direct confrontation. They wanted to exhaust the three people's energy and then chop them all down.

For a time, axe light and sword light intertwined on the field, and spirit power and blood qi surged together.

The momentum looked grand, but the situation remained in a deadlock.

Cheng Mo became more and more anxious.

His Mountain-Splitting Axe technique was not refined. Although it was fierce just now, it couldn't be sustained for a long time.

Si Tu Jian and Yang Qian Jun on the other side were not much better.

Their spirit power was originally insufficient. Forcibly using this kind of powerful killing move, their spirit power was pouring out every moment.

Mo Hua looked on and shook his head.

"Powerful is powerful, but in the end, they are still too young..."

"Before using a killing move, they should think a bit first, whether they can kill the enemy or not. If they can't kill them, what will be the consequences..."

"Relying on a burst of hot blood to fight desperately, a lot of spirit power, just like this, it's consumed for nothing..."

"They don't know that spirit power should be used sparingly..."

Mo Hua sighed slightly in his heart, hiding in the dark, and stretched out his fingers.

A fireball broke through the air, drawing a swift and bright fiery light in the dark night, accurately hitting a black-clothed person who was just avoiding Cheng Mo's big axe.

This fireball was both fast and accurate, exceeding everyone's expectations.

The black-clothed person who was hit by the fireball was even more astonished.

He fundamentally didn't know where this fireball came from or who unleashed it.

A moment later, his expression turned to panic.

The power of this Fireball technique was neither big nor small, not enough to cause him a fatal injury.

But the fireball exploded on his body, and the spirit power exploded, making him stagger and lose his balance, delaying him for a moment.

In a life-and-death battle, this momentary delay is fatal enough.

This black-clothed person's face instantly turned pale.

Cheng Mo was startled for a moment, then immediately came back to his senses and couldn't help but show a ferocious smile. Seizing this momentary flaw, he raised his double axes high and suddenly chopped down.

The black-clothed cultivator tried his best to dodge but still didn't make it in time.

The heavy double axes, carrying the power of splitting a mountain, directly chopped open his chest.

Four black-clothed cultivators, in an instant, one died.

The expressions of the people on the field all changed.

Cheng Mo's three people felt a joy in their hearts, "We have help?"

On the other side, the black-clothed cultivators' eyes showed panic, and their hearts turned slightly cold.

"Is there an ambush?"

The leading black-clothed cultivator immediately said in a loud voice: "What side is the Daoist friend from, hiding their head and showing their tail, why not come out to meet?"

Around them, the night was deep, the mountain forest dense, a cool wind blew through, and the tree shadows were heavy, like ghosts.

The black-clenched cultivators felt cold sweat streaming down.

Cheng Mo's three people's eyes showed sharpness, and they all seized the opportunity to kill the remaining black-clothed people.

The leading black-clothed person's gaze was stern. He gritted his teeth and instructed:

"Continue to wear them down, be careful of magical arts from the dark..."

The two sides fought together again.

Cheng Mo and the others' fighting spirit was greatly invigorated.

The black-clothed cultivators, however, became timid and cautious.

They were afraid that in the dark night, another fireball would suddenly fly out and kill them at a critical moment...

But Mo Hua's Fireball technique was truly too fast; it was simply impossible to defend against.

After ten rounds, in the long silent black night, another fireball suddenly flew out and exploded on a black-clothed person's back.

The black-clothed person groaned in pain, his body lagging for a moment.

Si Tu Jian was quick-eyed and quick-handed. He immediately pointed his fingers and sent out a fiery sword qi.

The sword qi's fire light was scorching, directly piercing the black-clothed person's heart vein.

Another black-clothed person died.

Then, not long after, another fireball flew out from the black night, rushing straight towards the face of another black-clothed person.

Having learned from the previous lesson, this black-clothed person was on tenterhooks and fully guarded.

As soon as Mo Hua's fireball came out, he immediately detected it and tried his best to dodge, barely avoiding a direct hit to the face.

The Fireball technique brushed past his ear, his ear was hot and stinging, but luckily he wasn't hit in the face by the fireball.

The black-clothed person let out a breath, but before he could catch his breath, he saw a spear tip protruding from his chest.

Yang Qian Jun took advantage of the time he was guarding against the Fireball technique and had already seized the opportunity to circle around to his back and stab him through the chest with a spear.

At this point, the situation suddenly changed.

Three fireballs, three lives.

On the field, only the leading black-clothed cultivator remained.

He stood on the ground, his eyes panicked, full of disbelief.

"What's going on?!"

In just the blink of an eye, several fireballs flew over, and his three brothers quickly died...

He basically didn't have much time to react before the situation took a sharp turn.

"There's an expert!"

"Must leave! Otherwise, I will surely die!"

The black-clothed cultivator didn't say a word, turned around, and wanted to escape.

In the dark, Mo Hua pointed his finger, light blue water patterns suddenly appeared, a water prison instantly condensed, tying the leading black-clothed cultivator to his original spot.

"This is..."

The black-clothed cultivator's face was bloodless.

Cheng Mo raised his double axes, about to chop this black-clothed cultivator to death, just at this moment, a clear voice said:

"Capture him alive!"

This voice was a bit familiar.

But in the wilderness, in the black night mountain forest, it also sounded a bit strange...

Cheng Mo didn't recognize it for a moment.

But he still subconsciously left him alive. He turned the axe head and chopped the black-clothed cultivator on the back.

Who knew that when the black-clothed cultivator heard the words "capture alive," his eyes suddenly became panicked.

Just at this moment, a golden light attacked from a distance.

This golden light had little power and was aimed directly at the black-clothed cultivator's face.

It didn't seem to want his life, but to cut open his mask and expose his appearance.

But this seemed to panic him more than killing him.

The black-clothed cultivator's face showed despair. Without waiting for the golden light to break his face, he directly broke off his finger, and a surge of demonic qi instantly spread, swallowing his flesh and turning into a puddle of black muddy water.

Cheng Mo and the others were startled, all avoiding it, then looking at each other.

"This is... a demonic cultivator's method?"

Cheng Mo said in a condensed voice.

But between them, all the black-clothed cultivators were dead, with bloodstains all over the ground, and the mountain forest was dead silent. No one answered.

A moment later, Cheng Mo's three people all exhaled a long breath.

No matter what, they were alive.

Yang Qian Jun's face was solemn. He cupped his hands towards the mountain forest opposite and said:

"Many thanks for your help!"

"I wonder what side the Daoist friend is from? Can you show yourself for a chat?"

The mountain forest was silent.

Si Tu Jian frowned, "Could it be a Senior Brother from which sect in Qian Xue Province? Seeing injustice on the road and helping?"

"Although he used an ordinary Fireball technique, his moves were accurate, handling heavy objects as if they were light, easily changing the battle situation..."

"He must be a master of magical arts..."

"Will a master of magical arts only use a low-level magical art like the Fireball technique?"

"Doesn't seem likely..."

Cheng Mo said solemnly: "Generally speaking, experts indeed won't use low-level magical arts like the Fireball technique, but a true expert, returning to simplicity, will instead turn decay into magic with an inconspicuous magical art like the Fireball technique..."

"Makes sense..."

"Then who could it be?"

Cheng Mo pondered for a moment, hesitatingly saying: "Could it be some 'Senior' expert?"

"Just call me 'Little Senior Brother', no need to call me 'Senior', it's too formal..."

A clear voice rang out. Mo Hua silently showed himself in front of the three people and smiled brightly.

Yang Qian Jun was startled.

Si Tu Jian was stunned.

Cheng Mo was even more shocked, his chin dropped.

"Mo... Mo Hua?!"

Mo Hua nodded.

"You, you..."

Cheng Mo "you-ed" for half a day, not knowing what to say. After a long pause, he said:

"The Fireball technique was unleashed by you?"

"Otherwise?"

Cheng Mo looked around a bit and then asked: "No one else?"

"Mhm!"

"But, you..."

Cheng Mo's heart received a huge shock for a time.

How could it be... Mo Hua?

How was it possible?

His heart was full of doubt, feeling that there were many things he wanted to ask, but for a time, his head was a bit muddled, and he didn't know where to start.

Mo Hua didn't pay attention to him. He checked the corpses of several black-clothed people and found that their flesh and spirit power were indeed corroded by demonic qi.

The leading black-clothed cultivator had even turned into a puddle of black water.

Mo Hua was a bit disappointed.

He still couldn't capture one alive...

These people, once they knew they were going to die, would commit suicide without hesitation, destroying their flesh with demonic qi.

They were really ruthless to themselves.

Or rather, they had an absolute secret that they couldn't tell, a terrible secret?

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, shook his head, "It's not very safe here, and you're injured again. First find a place to hide..."

"Mhm."

Cheng Mo's three people all nodded seriously.

So the three of them carried the unconscious Yi Li, Mo Hua went to call Hao Xuan, and the group circled around in the mountain forest, finding a hidden mountain cave to temporarily stay.

Mo Hua simply set up some alerts, hidden formations, and protective formations outside the cave.

Cheng Mo and the others then healed in the mountain cave.

After taking the pills, their injuries improved, and their spirit power gradually recovered. Si Tu Jian finally couldn't help but ask:

"Mo Hua, why are you here?"

Mo Hua said lightly: "I was on my way back to the sect, passing by here, and saw some bloodstains. I followed them a bit and happened to discover that Hao Xuan was being chased and killed..."

"Afterward, I was lucky enough to save Hao Xuan, then followed Hao Xuan and found all of you, 'luckily' saving you all too..."

"Oh..."

Cheng Mo nodded, but as he nodded, he felt something was wrong:

Was this a matter of happening, being lucky, and luckily being able to do it?

"How did you... save them?" Cheng Mo asked.

"Just... set up a formation, exploded it, and it was done..." Mo Hua said.

"What about the five black-clothed people who were lured away?"

"Same, set up a formation, exploded it, and the people were gone..."

Cheng Mo's three people looked at each other and all gasped.

"All dead?!"

Mo Hua nodded, then sighed, and said helplessly:

"You know, I'm an array master, my flesh is weak, and my spirit power is also weak. Fighting head-on is very dangerous."

"Meeting these fierce, faceless black-clothed cultivators, I had no choice but to first think of a way, set up a formation, and explode them..."

"Who knew they couldn't withstand the explosion, and died with one explosion? I can't be blamed for this..."

Cheng Mo: "..."

Si Tu Jian: "..."

Yang Qian Jun: "..."

Mo Hua saw them looking at him with shocked faces and felt that he should still be a bit low-key, so he said with a serious face:

"These are all small matters. Now the most important thing is, what do we do next?"

"These black-clothed cultivators... are human traffickers, right?"

Cheng Mo and the others were startled, then their expressions all became solemn.

"Should we go back and report to the Dao Court Division?" Si Tu Jian said.

"We need to report to the Dao Court Division."

"But, it's not in time..."

"By the time the Dao Court Division rushes here, these human traffickers will probably have run away early..."

"And the cultivators they abducted and sold, who knows where they will be sold to..."

"If they are sold to ordinary cultivators, perhaps it's not a big deal, but if they are sold to evil cultivators or demonic cultivators, I'm afraid..."

Some cruel rumors related to demonic cultivators killing people to refine skills, kill people to refine pills, and kill people to sacrifice tools floated in the hearts of the crowd.

The crowd's expressions were all a little solemn.

"Then should we not..."

Mo Hua's eyes brightened slightly, and he softly suggested, "Just slaughter all the black-clothed people?"

Cheng Mo and the others were all startled, then silently looked at Mo Hua.

Especially Cheng Mo and Si Tu Jian.

They seemed to be seeing this "Little Senior Brother" for the first time, who was innocent and lovely in their past impression, harmless to humans and animals, with no talent, and only knew how to draw formations...

(End of this chapter)