Chapter 769: Unexpected Change

At the front of the prison in Wan Yao Valley.

A demonic cultivator’s corpse lay on the ground, limbs twisted awkwardly, eyes bulging, and blood pooled around him.

Beside several other demonic cultivators, their expressions were serious, and their tone was chilling.

"It’s only been two days, and this is already the fifth one…"

"Damn it, it's like we've encountered a ghost."

"Don't say nonsense, what 'ghost' have we encountered?"

"If it's not a ghost, what is it? For no reason, they suddenly went completely mad, gnawing and biting, and finally their bodies exploded and they died…"

One demonic cultivator’s face was pale:

"I always feel like some 'dirty thing' has gotten inside this big prison…"

Another demonic cultivator scoffed, "You're really damn cowardly! Scaring yourself. We are demonic cultivators, cultivating demonic power. We originally don't walk the ordinary righteous path. It's normal for there to be great risks."

"These few demonic cultivators all died from demonic power backflowing, either they made a mistake in cultivation, or they ate too much demonic meat and temporarily couldn't suppress their blood energy… Why are you making such a fuss?"

"But five have died…" A demonic cultivator questioned, "Isn't that a bit too many?"

"Also," another demonic cultivator said, "The manager also died."

"That manager was eaten by a demonic beast."

"He was too bold, he dared to steal and drink the blood of the Second Elder's bear paw. As a result, he was unlucky. The black bear demon broke free from its chains and swallowed him whole. Otherwise, he would have…"

This demonic cultivator paused, then said coldly: "…had to go through a round in that Refine Demon Diagram, his soul scattered, and his bones nonexistent…"

At the mention of the "Refine Demon Diagram," the other demonic cultivators’ hearts trembled.

It seemed that the Refine Demon Diagram was an extremely terrifying thing, making them change color when they spoke of it.

Mo Hua, who was currently eavesdropping, still wanted to hear more about the Refine Demon Diagram, but this group of demonic cultivators dared not chat further.

The atmosphere was temporarily somewhat oppressive.

After a moment of awkward silence, another demonic cultivator said: "However, thinking back, Manager Bear managed Wan Yao Prison for nearly a hundred years, how could he die so 'easily'?"

"People make mistakes, horses stumble, everyone has a time when they fall into a ditch…"

"Moreover, the cultivation world is dangerous and strange, no one can guarantee that they won't encounter something terrifying."

"As long as there's a little negligence, life is just gone…"

The demonic cultivators whispered in low voices. After a while, someone asked again:

"You all say, Manager Bear is dead, what will happen to Wan Yao Prison?"

"Is that something for you to worry about?" A demonic cultivator snorted coldly, pointing upwards, "There are Elders above. If the Elders aren't here, the young masters might still be here…"

Young masters?

Mo Hua was startled.

A demonic cultivator below asked: "Young masters… Who exactly are they?"

Mo Hua pricked up his ears to eavesdrop.

Who knew that another demonic cultivator immediately showed a fierce expression, lowering his voice and scolding:

"Are you looking to die? You dare to inquire about the young masters' matters?"

"I'm not inquiring," that demonic cultivator frowned, with a stubborn temper, "I just heard you all talking about young masters, but I've never seen them. I don't know the identity of this 'young master,' whether it's one person or a group of people…"

"You still dare to ask? You really don't know what's good for you!"

"Do you still think you're a family disciple, pampered by your family, able to speak without restraint? Here, talking too much is asking to die!"

"I…"

"Shut up!" A demonic cultivator with a significantly stronger aura said coldly.

His gaze, like that of a tiger or leopard, swept around, warning:

"All matters of Wan Yao Valley are decided by the young masters."

"Don't care if the young masters are one person or a group of people. You only need to know one thing: whenever you see 'young masters,' you must bow your heads. All the 'young masters'' commands must be obeyed. Even if the young masters tell you all to die, you all must die!"

A crowd of demonic cultivators had solemn expressions, some fearful, some indifferent, some unwilling.

But they only dared to hide all their thoughts in their hearts, not daring to show the slightest disrespect to the 'young masters'.

"Okay…"

Seeing that the crowd dared not speak further, the demonic cultivator with the strongest aura nodded slightly, and said faintly, "Wash away the blood on the ground, and take this demonic cultivator's corpse to peel its skin and dig out its heart to refine pills."

After speaking, this group of demonic cultivators dispersed, each attending to their own matters.

Mo Hua's gaze slightly narrowed, and he pondered slightly.

Inside this Wan Yao Valley, there were "young masters" hidden?

He just didn't know… if they were true young masters or fake young masters.

Suddenly, on the bank of the Smoke Water River, the luxurious flower boat, the gentle singing and slow dancing, and the lingering sounds dissipated, and the figure of the "young master" about his age appeared in his mind again.

Above the boat curtain, the silhouette was heavy.

Wearing clothes and a crown, like a beast, draped in a luxurious human skin, yet like a demon…

Mo Hua slightly frowned.

There were probably quite a few secrets inside this Wan Yao Valley.

And that "Manager Bear"…

Manager Bear had already been set up by himself to die, died in a demonic beast's belly, died plainly and ordinarily, not even slag left.

But at least he was a "manager," and listening to these demonic cultivators, this manager had managed this Wan Yao Prison for a hundred years.

Now that he was dead, he didn't know what actions would be taken by those above Wan Yao Prison.

"Send a new manager over?"

Then, wouldn't he have to make this new manager "suddenly die" as well?

If managers always died like this, wouldn't he be able to fish out that "young master"?

"Let's see how things develop, it's still too early to say…"

Mo Hua remembered the time, sent another Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch count to Elder Xun, then turned his head and went to the prison of Ling Hu Xiao and the others.

He had to bring some food to Ling Hu Xiao and the others.

As for the matter of the Four Symbols Array Hub, in these two days, he had already secretly set up the deaths of five or six demonic cultivators, and also obtained three types of Four Symbols demonic patterns: snake patterns, dog patterns, and bear patterns. His harvest was quite abundant.

He could temporarily slow down a bit.

Assassination was a matter of tension and relaxation. You wanted to create a sense of tension, but also occasionally let them relax, you couldn't kill too ruthlessly at once.

Now that he had the Four Symbols Array Hub in hand, it was equivalent to holding a "book of life and death."

Mo Hua's posture became more upright. He didn't even need to be stealthy, he simply concealed himself and walked around the prison swaggering.

Anyway, with demonic cultivators everywhere, whoever dared to see him would die.

Mo Hua thus arrived at the prison, looked inside, and saw Little Wood and the others sitting in the prison like wooden figures, with sallow faces.

Cultivators wouldn't die if they didn't eat for a period, but they would be hungry.

Moreover, their blood energy would decline to a certain extent.

The demonic cultivators would also send them some food, but Ling Hu Xiao and the other two dared not eat it.

Demonic cultivators cultivated the demonic path and were assimilated by demonic power step by step. To a certain extent, they were no different from "demonic beasts."

The things they ate were not something ordinary people could eat.

Ling Hu Xiao and Ouyang Mu strictly remembered Mo Hua's instructions and naturally wouldn't eat the demonic cultivators' things.

Even Song Jian knew what was good for him and understood the dangers involved, so he had always endured hunger and starvation.

The guarding dog-headed demonic cultivator had left, and the prison was quiet. There were no other people monitoring, so Mo Hua gradually revealed himself.

Seeing Mo Hua, Ouyang Mu's eyes lit up, and he immediately said happily:

"Ink…"

Then he realized that his voice was loud, and immediately lowered his voice again, saying softly:

"Senior Brother Ink!"

Mo Hua nodded, then took out some melons, fruits, dried meat, and hunger-relieving fasting pills from his storage bag and handed them to Ouyang Mu and Ling Hu Xiao.

"Eat something."

Ouyang Mu's expression was joyful, and he laughed:

"Thank you, Senior Brother Ink!"

Ling Hu Xiao also bowed his hand, his gaze complex, and said in a low voice: "Thank you."

The feeling of hunger was very tormenting.

If they continued to be hungry, they really might not be able to hold on.

If they ate the unknown meat given by the demonic cultivators, their blood energy would probably be polluted.

Ouyang Mu and Ling Hu Xiao ate with great relish.

Beside them, Song Jian looked on eagerly.

Mo Hua had no choice but to give him a little dried meat.

Song Jian silently accepted it, then immediately wolfed it down. But he was always arrogant, and the words "thank you" couldn't be said, only in his heart did he forgive some of the sins of the "great villain" Mo Hua.

Ouyang Mu ate some melons, fruits, and dried meat. His hunger was relieved, and then he asked Mo Hua curiously:

"Senior Brother Ink, where have you been these past few days?"

Mo Hua found a place to sit down and said: "I went to scout around and look at the situation."

"But the defenses here are too tight, and I don't know how to open the valley entrance. It won't be easy to rescue you out in a short time…"

Ouyang Mu said gratefully: "It's been hard on Senior Brother Ink."

Then he was a little guilty and worried again, "There are numerous demonic cultivators in this valley, and dangers are everywhere. Or perhaps, Senior Brother, you should first find a way to leave. We shouldn't drag you down…"

Mo Hua waved his hand, "It's alright, don't worry."

At least in the current Wan Yao Prison, it was already good that he wasn't going to find demonic cultivators to kill.

Ouyang Mu saw Mo Hua's calm, composed, and at ease appearance, and he felt inexplicably at ease in his heart, and didn't say anything more.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said again: "You don't need to worry about my matters. On the contrary, you should be careful…"

Mo Hua frowned, "Since this group of demonic cultivators went to great lengths to abduct you all into the valley, their plot is definitely not small, and I don't know what means they will use. You all should be careful."

He was in the dark and could act freely.

Little Wood and the other two were in the open and were themselves targets of the demonic cultivators' plot. The following days would likely be difficult.

Ling Hu Xiao and Ouyang Mu had serious expressions and nodded slightly.

Beside them, Song Jian, who was chewing on dried meat, also had a slightly pale face.

Mo Hua admonished them a few more times, then said: "I'll leave first and come see you all again when I have time…"

"Okay, Senior Brother Ink, take care." Ouyang Mu said.

Ling Hu Xiao also said: "Take care."

Mo Hua nodded, then gradually disappeared in front of Ling Hu Xiao and the other two, not leaving a single trace.

Ling Hu Xiao and Ouyang Mu looked at each other and marveled in their hearts.

What a high-level concealment technique…

Even Song Jian, who had known Mo Hua's methods for a long time, still felt a chill in his heart when he saw this kind of concealment method in person.

"Not a single trace, appearing and disappearing unpredictably. How can I deal with him in the future? When can I repay him with a 'sword' strike?"

Song Jian felt powerless in his heart and couldn't help but sigh.

After leaving the prison, Mo Hua sent a message to Elder Xun:

"I have gone to see Ling Hu Xiao and Ouyang Mu, and everything is temporarily peaceful."

"I am also very good!"

Behind, Mo Hua added a smiling face.

Then Mo Hua continued to do his own things.

Killing demonic cultivators, copying demonic patterns, and analyzing the Four Symbols demonic formation array hub matters, he wanted to slow down a bit.

He would take this time to continue repairing the Yuan Magnetic Spirit Vision Array inside Wan Yao Valley, and strive to expand his "monitoring" range.

This way, any movement in the entire Wan Yao Valley would not escape his eyes.

If he encountered any special situation, it would be easier to adapt to the changes.

Even if he were to "hunt" demonic cultivators and analyze the Four Symbols array, it would be much more convenient.

Thinking of this, Mo Hua was suddenly startled.

Four Symbols array…

Why was it called the Four Symbols array?

Five Elements array, because it inherited the way of the Five Elements.

Eight Trigrams array, because it studied the principles of the Eight Trigrams.

But Four Symbols array?

According to reason, shouldn't it be called the "Ten Thousand Beasts array" or "Ten Thousand Demons array"?

Why was it called "Four Symbols"?

Ultimately, what did these Four Symbols refer to?

Perhaps they referred to the Four Divine Beasts?

The legendary Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise…

If that were truly the case, how powerful would the true Four Symbols array be, which inherited the "divine beast array patterns" and manipulated the power of the divine beasts?

Mo Hua's expression was blank for a moment, and yearning was born in his heart.

Outside Wan Yao Valley.

Xun Zi You saw Mo Hua send a smiling face and felt a little bitter in his heart.

He didn't know whether to say this child was highly skilled and daring, or a newborn calf that wasn't afraid of tigers…

Xun Zi You shook his head, then put the message and showed it to Elder Shang Guan Xuan of Chong Xu Gate, who was worried beside him, "Rest assured, Laugh child is temporarily fine."

Shang Guan Xuan saw his hanging heart fall, but not completely.

He smiled bitterly: "If I can leave here alive, and Laugh can come out, I can return to the sect to report. If he…"

Shang Guan Xuan didn't dare to say it, fearing he would jinx it, only said bitterly: "I may not have the face to face the old ancestor."

Xun Zi You also sighed: "Me too…"

Shang Guan Xuan shook his head, "You are much better off than me."

Immediately, he was a little doubtful, "Where exactly did your Tai Xu Gate pick up such a child?"

He could conceal himself, track, was proficient in arrays, and in such a dangerous demonic valley, he could not only protect himself but also have spare energy to gather intelligence.

Were these things really something a disciple could do?

How did Tai Xu Gate pick up such a disciple?

Xun Zi You said silently in his heart:

"He wasn't picked, he was sent in by the daughter-in-law of your Shang Guan family's master through connections…"

But he couldn't say such words clearly, but said:

"This child doesn't have any great strengths, he's just a little smart, a little lucky, nothing to speak of."

Shang Guan Xuan shook his head, too lazy to argue with him.

Immediately, he was a little doubtful, "Not to mention that Song family disciple, isn't there also a disciple from the Ouyang family of Tai A Gate who was captured inside? Why is there no movement from Tai A Gate?"

Xun Zi You also wrinkled his brow.

Ouyang Mu, although his aptitude was not good, was also considered a direct descendant of the Ouyang family.

He had been missing for some time, and the Ouyang family hadn't detected anything?

Or rather, the water inside Tai A Gate was also murky?

Shang Guan Xuan and Xun Zi You looked at each other, silent.

Xun Zi You's gaze turned cold, and he said slowly:

"Let's see what happens after the Wan Yao Valley matter ends. I'd like to see how some people clean up such a mess…"

Inside Wan Yao Valley, in a deeper place.

In a bloody luxurious cave.

Jin Gui, dressed in a gray robe, the same as the demonic cultivators, bowed his head and hands towards a sturdy black-clothed cultivator sitting on a tiger demon skin chair, respectfully saying:

"Senior Brother…"

The black-clothed cultivator's gaze was cold, "In this valley, you should call me 'leader', don't call me 'senior brother'."

"Yes, leader…"

Jin Gui quickly bowed his hands.

The black-clothed leader nodded slightly, "Speak."

Jin Gui lowered his head and continued:

"On the Wan Yao Prison side, a manager died. It is said that he stole and ate demonic blood and was eaten by a demonic beast instead…"

"Cultivating the path for so many years, cultivating to a dog's body, truly a waste!" The black-clothed leader scolded, then his expression was cold, "A manager died, just replace him with another. This is Wan Yao Valley, there are plenty of demonic cultivators…"

"Yes." Jin Gui bowed his hands.

The black-clothed leader looked at Jin Gui and asked:

"Have the fingers been sent?"

Jin Gui said: "That Ouyang Mu's broken finger has already been sent to Tai A Gate and handed to his elder brother, Ouyang Feng."

"On the Song family side, Song Jian's parents have also received their son's broken finger."

"Only Chong Xu Gate…"

Jin Gui hesitated, "This Ling Hu Xiao is alone in the clan, with no close elders. I don't know who I should send it to."

The black-clothed leader said: "Just let Chong Xu Gate's matter wait for now. This Ling Hu Xiao is different from ordinary people. We want to keep his surface identity, at least we want him to look 'clean'."

"This child was born with a sword heart, enlightened in the sword path. The young master is very optimistic about him. In the future, Chong Xu Gate may even need him to take charge…"

"Yes."

Jin Gui bowed his hands. As he lowered his head, a trace of jealousy flashed in his gaze.

This was the difference.

People with talent always received preferential treatment from heaven. They didn't need to do anything and would receive special care.

Even if they cultivated demons and entered the demonic path, they were still highly valued.

He had worked so hard and flattered diligently, yet he was still treated like a "dog" and called around.

However, he didn't dare to show this trace of jealousy in the slightest.

First entering the valley, then boarding the ship.

Entering the valley was the first step.

Now that he had stepped into this Wan Yao Valley, his fate was sealed and he could not turn back. To stand out, he could only grit his teeth and go on.

"There's one more thing…" Jin Gui was silent for a moment, then spoke again.

"Speak." The black-clothed leader's face was still cold.

Jin Gui thought for a moment, then frowned slightly and said:

"In the past few days, matters of demonic cultivators losing control in Wan Yao Prison have occurred frequently…"

"Demonic cultivators often, for no reason, just lose their minds."

"I don't know if it's because the manager is dead and there's no control, and these lowly demonic cultivators can't suppress their bestiality, or if there are other reasons…"

Jin Gui's voice was low.

"Demonic cultivators losing control?" The black-clothed leader frowned. After a moment, his face gradually sank, "What are you trying to say?"

Jin Gui's gaze moved slightly, and he said in a deep voice:

"Could it be that there's a traitor in Wan Yao Valley, or someone has secretly slipped in and is causing trouble…"

The black-clothed leader's expression changed, and his gaze suddenly became fierce and sharp like a sword.

The air was much more oppressive.

Jin Gui lowered his head and didn't dare to speak.

The black-clothed leader pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head, "This Wan Yao Valley is built according to the system of Wan Yao Mountain, one of the giants of the demonic path in the magic sect;"

"These numerous difficult-to-tame demonic cultivators are managed by Mr. Tu with the Great Wilderness' absolute secret Four Symbols array;"

"The valley entrance gate is sealed using a lost divine path array;"

"There are still many demonic tricks in this valley…"

"It's impossible for there to be a traitor, and it's impossible for anyone to sneak in, and even more impossible to cause trouble and make demonic cultivators lose control."

Jin Gui still felt suspicious: "But…"

"No buts." The black-clothed leader sneered, took a deep breath, "You are not an array master, you fundamentally don't understand what 'Four Symbols array' and 'divine path array' mean."

"If you knew, you wouldn't have this kind of layman's worry…"

Jin Gui quickly said: "Yes, in terms of arrays, this subordinate is ignorant and inexperienced, naturally not qualified to tie the leader's shoes."

His manner was somewhat flattering.

But his flattery was too low-end and couldn't make the black-clothed leader appreciate it.

The black-clothed leader frowned and pondered, not knowing what he was thinking.

Seeing this, Jin Gui bowed his hands and left, but before he could go out, he was suddenly stopped.

"Jin Gui…"

The black-clothed leader looked at him and suddenly said:

"You will be the manager of Wan Yao Prison."

Jin Gui was shocked, and immediately cold sweat flowed straight down. He quickly said: "Leader, I…"

The black-clothed leader's expression was indifferent, "Your experience is lacking, but your worry is also right. During this period, the young master is in the valley, so there absolutely cannot be any mistake, to avoid leaving a bad impression on the young master."

"Since a manager has died, you will fill the position. This is your value."

"If you perform well, I will report to the young master and ask for credit for you."

Jin Gui still wanted to explain, but the black-clothed leader's gaze had already changed from indifferent to cold and cruel.

Jin Gui felt a chill in his heart, knowing there was no room for maneuver, and could only grit his teeth and promise:

"Yes!"

The black-clothed leader nodded slightly and said again:

"The matters of those three little ghosts will also be handed over to you to be responsible. No matter what means you use, make them 'submit' early and follow us…"

The black-clothed leader smiled slightly, revealing bloody gums.

"…Eat human flesh."