Chapter 750: Chips

Chapter 749 Chips (For alliance leader bares teeth not grimaces add more)

On the way back, Mo Hua happened to encounter Xu Hu Xiao again.

The three mountains of the Tai Ah Gate (Tai Ah Shan), the Chong Xu Gate (Chong Xu Shan), and the Tai Xu Gate (Tai Xu Shan) share a single vein and are adjacent to each other.

The direction for both of them to return to their sects was the same.

Xu Hu Xiao was still cold and aloof, neither smiling nor speaking, but occasionally he would glance at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua noticed his gaze, turned his head, and asked in confusion:

"What's wrong?"

Xu Hu Xiao said seriously: "You agreed to fight a match with me."

Mo Hua was taken aback, "When did I say that?"

Xu Hu Xiao was somewhat annoyed, "Just now on the mountain!" He frowned, "Are you going back on your word?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment and shook his head: "I said, 'We'll see when I have time'..."

"When will you have time?" Xu Hu Xiao asked.

Mo Hua sighed.

He had just said that casually.

Who would be so idle as to really fight him...

"Right," Mo Hua, afraid he would continue to press the issue, changed the subject and said, "The Po Jin Men always snatch your demon beasts, don't you want to snatch them back?"

"That's my business," Xu Hu Xiao said.

"Then if they always snatch them from you, aren't you not earning any merit points?" Mo Hua asked again.

Xu Hu Xiao was silent for a while, then his expression became slightly cold, his eyes revealing sharp sword intent, his whole person radiating sharpness:

"When my sword dao is perfected, none of them will be a match for my single sword. I will properly settle this score then."

Mo Hua nodded slightly.

Genius speaks tough.

"Then you mean, your sword dao isn't perfected yet?"

Xu Hu Xiao was stuck again.

His sword dao was indeed not yet fully cultivated, and he couldn't truly "slaughter in all directions" yet, so he couldn't retort.

Mo Hua thought for a moment and began to "lead him step by step":

"You cultivate sword dao, whether you need spirit swords or heavenly materials and earthly treasures, or secret techniques from the sect or sword technique inheritances... you always need merit points, right?"

"In my opinion, your merit points shouldn't be abundant..."

Xu Hu Xiao originally wanted to say that his sword techniques were strong, he killed many demon beasts, and he earned a lot of merit points.

But then he thought, Mo Hua gave him over a thousand merit points without batting an eye.

His "family background" was probably as unfathomable as his strength.

Xu Hu Xiao couldn't say that with confidence.

Mo Hua continued to speak one by one:

"The Po Jin Men snatch your demon beasts, you don't earn merit points, whether it's your sword heart or your sword dao, your cultivation is slow, and it's further from the day your sword dao is perfected..."

"You just can't get your revenge."

"The more merit points you don't earn, the slower your sword dao cultivates, and the more you will always be provoked and bullied by the Po Jin Men..."

"This is a vicious cycle..."

"Perhaps, by the time your sword dao is perfected and you want to wash away your past shame and teach that group of disciples from the Po Jin Men a lesson."

"They might have already graduated and gone off to live carefree lives somewhere."

"If you never meet them again in the future..."

Mo Hua sighed, "In this lifetime, you may never be able to avenge this 'grudge', and you may never be able to swallow this humiliation..."

Xu Hu Xiao was startled by Mo Hua's words and felt that they were very reasonable.

Based on the current situation, what Mo Hua said was very likely to be true.

If he didn't get his revenge now, it was very possible he would have to endure this humiliation for a lifetime.

Mo Hua observed his expression and said again:

"So, a gentleman does not seek revenge overnight. If you can get revenge, do it as early as possible, otherwise, the opportunity will be gone."

Xu Hu Xiao was silent after being spoken to by Mo Hua. After a moment, he suddenly frowned and said:

"Why are you telling me this?"

Mo Hua sighed: "We met, which can be considered fate. Moreover, our three sects share the same vein, our ancestors are all from the same family, we should help each other and not distinguish between us."

Xu Hu Xiao was a little suspicious, but intuitively, he didn't feel that Mo Hua was deceiving or tricking him.

What he said seemed to be for his own good.

"How do you want to help me?" Xu Hu Xiao said hesitantly.

Mo Hua smiled brightly, a sunny expression on his face:

"Come to our Tai Xu Men's mountain to hunt demons. The Po Jin Men were beaten so badly they are afraid to cross the boundary, let alone snatch your demon beasts."

Xu Hu Xiao was startled and frowned slightly.

The Po Jin Men were beaten so badly they are afraid...

He entered the mountain late and was quite solitary. Apart from his own sword techniques, he didn't inquire much about other matters, so he wasn't clear about the disputes between the Tai Xu Men and the Po Jin Men.

However, in his impression, the Tai Xu Men was not much stronger than the Po Jin Men.

And the Po Jin Men had always been shameless and unscrupulous. How could they be beaten into submission by the Tai Xu Men?

Xu Hu Xiao was a little confused.

"Moreover..." Mo Hua took advantage of Xu Hu Xiao's distraction and continued, "You can also team up with our Tai Xu Men disciples to hunt demons together. This way, you'll earn merit points faster."

Mo Hua estimated that with Xu Hu Xiao's sword qi power, as long as someone was paired with him to scout for demons, set traps, and arrange formations.

After the formations exploded and injured the demons, he could probably handle them with one sword.

If one sword didn't work, at most it would take another.

Xu Hu Xiao was still somewhat resistant.

"I don't team up with others."

"Why?" Mo Hua asked.

Xu Hu Xiao raised his head slightly, his voice cold and harsh:

"I want to cultivate my sword techniques to the extreme, and the path of a sword cultivator must be a lonely path..."

Mo Hua was speechless. After a long pause, he took a deep breath and said in a bad mood:

"What are you hung up on this nonsense for?"

"What does reaching the extreme of sword techniques have to do with whether you're lonely or not?"

"If your sword techniques are strong, you can be lonely if you want; if your sword techniques don't work, what's the use of being lonely? You'll be chopped to death by one sword and no one will collect your corpse..."

"The key is to cultivate sword techniques!"

"To cultivate sword techniques, you need to spend merit points."

"The most urgent matter is definitely to earn more merit points, the more the faster the better, then concentrate resources and quickly raise your sword dao realm..."

"Someone can help you earn merit points, and you don't want to earn them, are you an idiot?"

Mo Hua spoke clearly and quickly, a barrage of words.

Xu Hu Xiao was stunned by Mo Hua's words.

He wasn't really alienating people, it was just that his aptitude was too good, he suffered jealousy, and was used to being alienated.

So over time, he just became solitary.

He also didn't like to interact with people.

If he continued like this, until he formed his core or even ascended, he would very likely become a top sword cultivator with great strength but a solitary and eccentric personality who didn't understand human relationships.

But now, it was somewhat different.

Mo Hua's words echoed in Xu Hu Xiao's ears. He pondered for a long time and then silently nodded:

"Alright..."

Mo Hua, who had originally thought he would need to persuade him more, was a little surprised.

But since Xu Hu Xiao agreed, it was a good thing.

Mo Hua habitually patted Xu Hu Xiao's shoulder, his manner intimate and action natural.

Xu Hu Xiao's body stiffened but he didn't refuse.

"During the next rest period, you can go to the mountains near the entrance of the Lian Yao Shan and find the disciples of the Tai Xu Men. Just mention my name."

"Your sword techniques are so formidable, one sword one demon beast, you can earn a lot of merit points in one day."

Mo Hua painted a "big picture" for him.

Of course, this was also the truth.

Xu Hu Xiao nodded.

When they reached the intersection, the two separated and returned to their respective sects.

After returning to the sect, for several days, Xu Hu Xiao was somewhat preoccupied.

Mo Hua's words and actions always appeared in his mind.

The first time they met, that obscure killing intent, the strange and unpredictable oppressive feeling, and the composed and fluid spells and body techniques;

On the dead demon wood eagle's body, that incredibly sharp golden sword qi, and the fine fragmented sword blades that had seeped into the bones and flesh;

Later, when he restrained his killing intent, the smile was like bathing in a spring breeze.

And the sincerity and composure that were revealed in his words, like the sun...

All sorts of contradictory and somewhat jarring images intertwined.

Xu Hu Xiao firmly remembered this name:

"Mo Hua..."

As for Mo Hua, after returning to the sect, he completely forgot about Xu Hu Xiao.

Because he was too busy, he had to cultivate, attend classes, practice formations, and also consider matters of refining tools and forging swords. He had virtually no free time.

Occasionally, when he was researching sword formations, he would think of Xu Hu Xiao.

Xu Hu Xiao's sword qi was indeed the strongest sword qi he had seen so far in the Foundation Establishment realm.

Compared to the Po Jin Imperial Sword Art of the Po Jin Men, it was obviously on a much higher level.

Of course, his current cultivation was still low. Although his sword qi was strong, he might not be able to truly control it freely.

Moreover, he had spiritual power limitations and might not be able to release many swords at full force.

In actual combat, it was still relatively easy to be targeted.

But even so, it was still very strong.

If used properly, it was enough to sweep through the Foundation Establishment realm, especially among cultivators in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.

And there was also the Chong Xu sword qi...

Mo Hua was very curious about the Chong Xu Gate's reputation for its Chong Xu sword qi, and what was the root of this sword qi's power.

Could this sword qi also be amplified or simulated through "sword formations"?

If he could derive Chong Xu sword qi through sword formations, would his own imperial sword power reach another level?

"I need to research this properly when I have a chance later."

"It's not easy to secretly learn the Chong Xu sword qi, but I'm not learning it, just researching it, so there shouldn't be a problem..."

Mo Hua silently said to himself in his heart.

And at this time, at the elder's residence of the Tai Xu Men.

Elder Xun, who hadn't returned for several days, had just returned to the sect. He then called an ancient and simple looking inner sect elder and slowly said:

"I want to use the Tai Xu Heavenly Mechanism Lock once to lock onto some karma. This matter requires the approval of your Murong old ancestor."

"But he is sometimes in seclusion, and it's not convenient for me to disturb him rashly."

"Go back to your clan and inform them. If your old ancestor comes out of seclusion, just let him know, or if there's a clear time, I'll go over ahead of time."

That elder was slightly startled upon hearing this.

To need to use the Tai Xu Heavenly Mechanism Lock, it must be a first-class major matter.

This matter was also not convenient for him to ask about, so he just clasped his hands and said: "Yes, junior obeys."

Elder Xun nodded slightly.

Not long after this elder left, Xun Ziyou came again.

He wanted to report some of Mo Hua's movements as a routine, to avoid giving the old ancestor the impression that he was slacking off.

Xun Ziyou saluted Elder Xun, and then reported all of Mo Hua's recent activities on the Lian Yao Shan to Elder Xun.

This included practicing imperial sword, hunting demon beasts, and making friends with the Ouyang family of the Tai Ah Gate, that young man named Ouyang Mu, and encountering the sword dao genius of the Chong Xu Gate.

Elder Xun was slightly surprised in his heart.

Mo Hua always did things that surprised him...

"I know, continue to pay attention and take care of him," Elder Xun instructed.

"Yes," Xun Ziyou clasped his hands and promised.

Elder Xun lowered his head, not knowing what he was pondering.

Xun Ziyou hesitated several times, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

Elder Xun slightly raised his eyes and said faintly:

"Just say what you have to say."

Xun Ziyou pondered for a moment, frowned, and said: "Old ancestor, I don't understand one thing... Who is really pushing this sect reform matter from behind?"

Elder Xun's gaze condensed slightly, he looked at Xun Ziyou, and instead of answering, he asked: "What do you think?"

"On the surface, it should be the four great sects," Xun Ziyou said slowly, his expression serious, "But, thinking carefully, this matter is very strange..."

Elder Xun raised his eyebrows and looked at Xun Ziyou calmly, asking:

"Where is it strange?"

Xun Ziyou frowned and said:

"The purpose of sect reform is to change the current sect pattern, to first break and then establish, to replace the old with the new..."

"But the four great sects, they are already the four great sects, the top sects in Qianxuezhou. What pattern do they want to change?"

"Once the sect reform is completed, in the best-case scenario, they will still be the four great sects."

"But if something unexpected happens and their positions are not secure, and they fall out of the four great sects, wouldn't it be a joke?"

"Such an important matter, they would never be so careless, let alone so childish."

"Therefore, there must be some deeper meaning here..."

Xun Ziyou said thoughtfully.

Elder Xun was somewhat surprised. He silently looked at Xun Ziyou, and after a moment, he asked in his old voice:

"What do you think?"

Xun Ziyou smiled bitterly, "I'm just not sure, that's why I'm asking you..."

"Just say what you think," Elder Xun's tone softened a little, "No need to be hesitant."

Xun Ziyou thought for a moment, then slowly said:

"In my opinion, it seems that the four great sects want... to 'reshuffle' all the sects?"

Elder Xun's eyebrows raised slightly.

Seeing that the old ancestor didn't blame him, Xun Ziyou continued: "These past few days, I also took some time to find a few old friends within various families and sects and indirectly inquired about it."

"Based on the news I've obtained..."

"It seems that the four great sects want to reshuffle all the sects in the entire Qianxuezhou, from top to bottom, including the eight great gates, the twelve streams, the hundreds of gates in Qianxuezhou, and the small and medium-sized sects below the hundreds of gates, all of them reshuffled once..."

"Those who follow prosper, those who oppose perish."

"Sects that don't obey their orders will be removed from important positions and replaced by obedient ones..."

"By reshuffling from top to bottom like this, they can establish a true sect force pattern in Qianxuezhou, with the 'four great sects' as the head."

"The four great sects will become sect giants, overlords of a region."

"And the remaining eight great gates, twelve streams, and even all the sects in Qianxuezhou will become their vassals, receiving their guidance and not daring to slightly disobey."

Xun Ziyou sighed: "Most forces in the world, when they are strong, they monopolize and form an oligarchy, acting arbitrarily. This is inevitable."

"But in this way, there are two more problems..."

Xun Ziyou's expression was puzzled, "One is, how can the four great sects be sure that in this sect reform, or rather, the debate assembly, they will not be defeated and will not fall from the four great gates?"

"Two is, suppose they really want to reshuffle, then the first to bear the brunt will be our Tai Xu Men, and..."

Xun Ziyou paused and said deeply, "The same vein as us... the Tai Ah Men and the Chong Xu Men!"

"But the Tai Ah Men and the Chong Xu Men seem to be completely unaware of this. Not only do they not oppose the reform, but they are also trying to promote it."

"They seem to still be thinking of taking this sect reform as an opportunity to go further and thereby join the ranks of the four great sects..."

Xun Ziyou had a worried expression on his face.

Elder Xun nodded slightly, and his gaze towards Xun Ziyou also showed a hint of approval.

It was a good thing that he could learn to use his brain, and he could save himself some effort.

"Your guess is right, but not entirely right," Elder Xun said. "The four great sects certainly want to become sect giants, to become true 'four great sects', independent in one region, commanding thousands of gates, and no one dares to disobey."

"But behind this, there should still be a deeper, more terrifying secret, and a deeper, darker evil thought..."

Elder Xun's gaze was profound, then he sighed: "But these are not convenient to tell you."

"As for the Tai Ah Men and the Chong Xu Men, even if they don't know the secret behind it, and don't know how terrifying this karma is, at least they should be aware of the schemes of the four great sects..."

Xun Ziyou frowned, "Then they..."

Elder Xun shook his head, "People are fishing, and the fish take the bait, everyone is willing."

"Until the end, how do you know whether it is the people who catch the fish, or the fish that swallow the bait, break the line, and drag the people into the water?"

"For the four great sects, this is a game."

"If they succeed, they will be the absolute authority, leading a province, and thousands of sects will obey their orders."

"But for the Tai Ah Men and the Chong Xu Men, this is also a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity."

"If they seize the opportunity, they will brave the rapids and can leap to the top, becoming true 'top' sects."

"Everyone is gambling."

"But..." Xun Ziyou said with a frown, "Using the future of the sect to gamble, isn't that too reckless? I always feel that this move is somewhat..."

Xun Ziyou was silent for a moment, then still said those two words: "Foolish..."

Elder Xun smiled slightly, "Don't look from outside the game. The so-called clarity of the bystander, the bystander's 'clarity' is all fake."

"Most bystanders who think they are clear, once they enter the game, will instead be more foolish than those in it."

"The Tai Ah Men are gambling, the Chong Xu Men are gambling. Do you think our Tai Xu Men don't want to gamble?"

"Our Tai Xu Men has no chips. If we had chips, we would have already started gambling."

"Moreover, according to the ways of the world, merits and demerits are often judged after the fact."

"If the Tai Ah Men and the Chong Xu Men win their gamble, that is strategizing and being far-sighted;"

"If they lose their gamble, that is greed at work and overreaching themselves."

"But at this time, the dust has not settled, and the outcome is not decided. How can you judge whether their move is 'far-sighted' or 'overreaching themselves'?"

"How do you know they will definitely lose?"

"What if they win?"

Elder Xun's gaze was like a torch, burning intensely.

Xun Ziyou was stuck, speechless by Elder Xun's questions.

Only at this time did he realize that when considering problems that don't concern oneself, one will think of oneself as clear.

However, once one puts oneself in the shoes to solve problems, there is heavy fog before one's eyes, and the karma is unpredictable, it is truly difficult to decide.

Xun Ziyou sighed deeply, unable to say anything.

After a moment, Xun Ziyou asked softly: "Then, old ancestor, our Tai Xu Men..."

Elder Xun said: "Our Tai Xu Men's foundation is weak, let's be content with our lot, quietly observe the changes, and go with the flow..."

Xun Ziyou sighed in his heart.

As expected of the old ancestor, these words were very reasonable, but upon careful consideration, they seemed to say nothing.

Elder Xun was silent for a moment, then sighed again: "The Tai Ah Men want to brave the rapids, and the Chong Xu Men want to advance while maintaining stability. On the surface, these two families are much stronger than our Tai Xu Men."

"But in reality, everyone is on the same rope, and no one is better than the other."

"This sect reform, on the surface, there are surging waves, and in the dark, there is a rolling tide of blood..."

"Our Tai Xu Men can barely protect ourselves, and they can only seek blessings for themselves. How they gamble, whether they can win or not, depends on their own luck..."

Xun Ziyou's eyebrows were tightly locked, and his heart was heavy.

The level at which the old ancestor considered things was indeed much higher than that of them, these sect elders.

Elder Xun's face was calm, but his heart was also somewhat heavy.

Although they say everyone seeks their own blessings, the three gates of Tai Xu, Tai Ah, and Chong Xu are after all from the same vein. In the eyes of long-lived old ancestors like them, they are considered to be blood-related family.

Now that a storm was coming, he also didn't want to see any of the three gates really capsize and encounter misfortune.

It was just that this matter was too big, and it was not something he could decide.

Elder Xun's heart was heavy. He raised his head and saw that Xun Ziyou was also worried. He shook his head slightly and said:

"Don't worry so much. Just remember the matters I instructed you on and take good care of Mo Hua. Other things, you don't need to manage."

Xun Ziyou was helpless and clasped his hands, saying: "Yes."

Elder Xun nodded slightly, suddenly thought of something, and asked: "You said that child Mo Hua has interactions with the disciples of the Tai Ah Men and the Chong Xu Men?"

"Yes," Xun Ziyou nodded, "Their relationship is also not bad."

"That sword dao genius of the Chong Xu Gate and Mo Hua can be considered to have 'fought and become friends'. Although the two met for the first time, they chatted quite a lot."

"As for the Tai Ah Gate, that young man from the Ouyang family has an even better relationship with Mo Hua. He helps Mo Hua forge swords every day, and calls Mo Hua 'senior brother' as soon as he sees him..."

"Senior brother?" Elder Xun was slightly startled.

"Senior brother," Xun Ziyou confirmed.

Elder Xun nodded.

Mo Hua's interpersonal relationships were indeed not bad. Even the disciple of the Ouyang family from the Tai Ah Gate called him "senior brother"...

Elder Xun pondered for a moment, then suddenly started.

A bold idea suddenly emerged in Elder Xun's mind.

This idea was so bold that even Elder Xun himself couldn't help but take a cold breath.

He calmed down, pondered for a moment, his heart surging with emotions, and he muttered in his heart:

"Our Tai Xu Men, it seems, is not without 'chips'..."

"Why don't we... gamble on a bigger one?!"

Elder Xun's gaze trembled, then slowly became profound.