Mo Hua used his divine sense to inspect himself and indeed felt that his spiritual power was much more abundant and robust than before.

His current divine sense was actually stronger than that of most early-stage Jin Dan cultivators.

Even more unexpectedly, Mo Hua found that as his divine sense strengthened, his destiny (ming ge) also stabilized somewhat.

The malevolent energy (sha qi) in his destiny was suppressed to a certain extent.

Although this suppression was only slight.

If he hadn’t been pure and free from desires, hadn’t accumulated any killing karma, had saved many people, earned merits, and his divine sense had been clear in recent days, he wouldn’t have noticed it at all.

This also gave Mo Hua a clear revelation.

The higher the cultivation realm, the stronger the divine sense, and the greater the resistance to fatal malevolence (ming sha).

Mo Hua pondered for a moment and found that it seemed correct.

One of the core reasons why his “fatal malevolence” situation was almost unsolvable was probably that his current “cultivation realm” was too low.

With a low cultivation realm, the foundation was shallow, and even if he possessed methods that could seize the creations of heaven and earth, he simply couldn’t exert them.

With a higher cultivation realm and stronger self-preservation abilities, he would naturally have the means to resist “fatal malevolence.”

However, such an “obvious” matter was clearly not that easy.

Mo Hua sighed softly.

The path of cultivation was long and arduous, and one’s realm could not be elevated simply by wishing for it.

At least just forming his Jin Dan had consumed too much of his mental energy.

Moreover, even if his realm was higher, could he really challenge his Martial Uncle (Shibo)?

Mo Hua frowned, feeling rather unconfident.

From the fatal malevolence situation, it was clear that his Shibo was truly powerful, so powerful that it made him feel a sense of almost “despair.”

In the Qian Xue Zhoujie, he hadn’t even met his Shibo, yet he was inexplicably assigned a “destiny” of fatal malevolence, haunted by vengeful spirits, by his Shibo.

And that wasn’t all; what made Mo Hua feel even more terrifying was that even now, he had never personally seen his Shibo’s true form (ben zun).

His previous interactions with “Shibo” had been limited to a Guidao clone.

Even so, in a sense, he was already the “person” closest to Shibo.

Others, anyone who encountered this Guidao clone, even those Yu Hua Zhen Ren from both the righteous and demonic sects, almost all died.

If a Guidao clone was so formidable, what about Shibo’s “true form”?

Where would Shibo’s “true form” reside? And what would it look like?

Since Shibo entered the Guidao, had anyone truly seen his “true form”?

Looking at the entire cultivation world, there probably weren’t many cultivators who could meet Shibo’s “true form” and still survive.

And Mo Hua hadn’t forgotten that this terrifying “Shibo,” who struck fear into all, was still merely a “mere” Yu Hua.

If one day Shibo truly comprehended Yu Hua, saw through the illusions of reality, and entered Dong Xu, then… how terrifying would he become?

Mo Hua even speculated that if Shibo advanced to Dong Xu, with his myriad sinister Guidao methods, he might be even more terrifying than the “Great Evil God” in the current world…

Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.

Compared to Shibo, he was truly very “weak” right now.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was just a “small shrimp.”

As for the Dao of divine sense and Guidao techniques, Mo Hua hadn’t realized it before, but the more he learned and delved deeper, the more he felt Shibo was as terrifying and unfathomable as an abyss.

In the past, when he was ten years old, he dared to snatch noodles from Shibo.

Now, he wouldn’t dare even if his life depended on it.

“No, I can’t think about it anymore…”

Mo Hua’s heart was alert, and he immediately suppressed his urge to “compare” himself, not daring to think about Shibo any further.

Clearing his mind, suppressing all emotions, and completely forgetting his previous thoughts.

Only then did Mo Hua begin to focus on the present, contemplating his next course of action.

The most important thing was to “consume” more念力 (nian li) to further strengthen his divine sense.

Since he was on the path of divine sense enlightenment, the more divine sense, the better.

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then left the stone chamber.

Outside the stone chamber, the big man Bashan was still guarding the door for him. Seeing Mo Hua emerge, Bashan’s spirits immediately lifted, and he quickly asked:

“Mr. Wu (Wu Xiansheng), has the Divine Lord (Shen Zhu) given you a revelation?”

Mo Hua paused slightly, then remembered that his excuse for going into seclusion was to seek “the Divine Lord’s revelation.”

Mo Hua then said with a solemn expression:

“I dreamed of the Divine Lord, and the Divine Lord has already given me a revelation. I know what to do next.”

Bashan saw Mo Hua’s calm, dignified, and unfathomable appearance, and heard that Mo Hua could directly receive revelations from the Divine Lord. His heart was greatly moved; for a moment, he felt both envy and reverence, and also deep self-reproach for his previous doubts about Mo Hua. He secretly vowed to always follow the instructions of the Shaman Elder (Wu Zhu Da Ren) in the future, to atone for his past transgressions.

Bashan said, “Bashan is willing to serve you, Shaman Elder. If you have any tasks, please command me.”

Mo Hua appreciated Bashan’s “correcting mistakes upon realizing them” character. After some thought, he said:

“Summon Tie Shugu.”

“Yes, Shaman Elder,” Bashan replied.

A short while later, Tie Shugu was led before Mo Hua.

Bashan was efficient; he didn’t ask any unnecessary questions, simply bowed respectfully to Mo Hua, and then withdrew.

Only Mo Hua and Tie Shugu remained in the stone chamber.

Mo Hua examined Tie Shugu, his expression somewhat surprised.

Tie Shugu had undergone a “makeover”; the bone makeup on his face was gone, his braids were straightened, and he had changed out of his Shugu tribal attire, instead wearing clothes from the Danque tribe.

He looked less sinister and “rebellious” than before. Instead, he resembled a well-behaved tribal elder.

Mo Hua’s expression was a little subtle.

Indeed, often, the external differences between people depend on their hairstyles and makeup.

Without styling or makeup, everyone looks like an ordinary person.

This Shugu tribal elder, without his unusual attire, looked even more honest than an honest person.

Of course, his arms and legs were still broken.

“Wu… Mr. Wu… did you need something from me?”

With the bone makeup removed from his face, Tie Shugu’s “personality” seemed to have been erased as well; he had become much more submissive and knew his place, even addressing Mo Hua as “Mr. Wu.”

Mo Hua glanced at Tie Shugu, finding it a bit strange.

But he didn’t dwell on it.

A wise man adapts to circumstances.

This “unyielding” Tie Shugu being so sensible saved a lot of trouble.

Mo Hua asked him, “Where is your Shugu tribe’s main camp, how many nomadic groups (you bu) do you have? Are there any other secret camps (mi bu)?”

Tie Shugu knew that Mo Hua was inquiring about the Shugu tribe’s situation.

In the past, he wouldn’t have said anything. But now, under someone else’s roof, he had no choice but to comply.

Tie Shugu then explained in detail:

“Reporting to Shaman Elder, our Shugu tribe has one main camp (zhu bu), four main divisions (zheng bu), and under the main divisions, there are twelve branch divisions (pian bu). Under the branch divisions, there are nearly a hundred small divisions (xiao bu), and in addition to these, there are over thirty external divisions (wai bu)…”

“This is the official tribal structure.”

“Beyond that, there are the unofficial nomadic groups (you bu), and some unknown secret camps (mi bu) used to store supplies and seal classified information.”

“The nomadic groups are constantly moving, their locations are not fixed.”

“Secret camps are confidential, and their locations are rarely disclosed to others. The only Shugu secret camp I know of is this one dedicated to… ‘Barbarian God (Man Shen Da Ren).’ I know nothing about the others…”

Mo Hua nodded slightly upon hearing this.

The internal structure of the Shugu tribe was actually more complex than that of the Danque tribe.

However, based on Mo Hua’s research into barbarian history from various tribal barbarian texts (man wen) records, the Shugu tribe’s system was, on the contrary, the most “orthodox” and complete barbarian system.

The direct bloodline of the tribe was divided into Zheng Bu.

Among the Zheng Bu, the strongest, most prestigious, and most “leading” one was the Zhu Bu.

The chief of the Zhu Bu was the Grand Chief (Da Qiu Zhang) of the entire tribe.

After the Grand Chief’s death, a strong individual elected by the Zhu Bu or other Zheng Bu would inherit the Grand Chief’s position.

If they couldn’t “elect” one, then they would “fight.”

Whoever was strongest ruled.

Survival of the fittest, the winner takes all; warfare was the most persuasive “election” method in the Barbarian Desolate (Man Huang).

Below the Zheng Bu, there were also Pian Bu, Xiao Bu, and Wai Bu.

These tribes did not have “election” rights; they could only be subordinate to the Zheng Bu.

Unless their strength surged, they could annex a Zheng Bu or eliminate a Zhu Bu; otherwise, they would remain subordinates their entire lives and would not have much say in the tribe.

The You Bu and Mi Bu were classified by their characteristics; they were special and not part of the regular tribal system.

Therefore, while the Barbarian Desolate appeared “savage,” its internal system and power rules were not simple at all.

The internal strength ranking of the tribes also roughly followed this order.

For example, in the tribes within the Great San Pin Mountain Realm.

The power of the Zhu Bu was undoubtedly the strongest.

The Grand Chief’s cultivation realm was also at the late Jin Dan stage.

Below the Zhu Bu, the chiefs of the Zheng Bu generally had cultivation realms above the mid-Jin Dan stage, occasionally reaching the late Jin Dan stage.

A Zheng Bu chief at the late Jin Dan stage actually had the strength to contend for the Zhu Bu leadership.

Below the Zheng Bu, the chiefs of the Pian Bu, or some leaders, only had early Jin Dan cultivation realms.

Further down, in the Xiao Bu and Wai Bu, the highest cultivation was often only at the Zhuji stage.

Occasionally, someone in these Xiao Bu and Wai Bu would break through to Jin Dan, but these Jin Dan cultivators would not remain in their original small tribes; instead, they would join a Zheng Bu or even a Zhu Bu to serve as elders, such as Dharma Protectors or guards.

The two guard elders by Dan Zhu’s side, Bashan and Bachuan, came from small tribes within the Danque tribe.

Therefore, when Bi Jie scoffed, saying that the low-ranking tribesmen of small tribes were not worth saving.

When he mocked Dan Zhu for risking her life to save people from a small tribe within the Danque tribe, saying it was meddling.

Elder Bashan was very angry.

Because Elder Bashan came from a small tribe and sympathized with the plight of the barbarian cultivators from small tribes.

This complex relationship was something Mo Hua had spent a long time studying to understand even a little.

In the Barbarian Desolate, there were many tribes, with diverse power structures, varying customs and beliefs, and constant conflicts. Coupled with the mixed use of barbarian script (man wen) and Daoist court (Dao Ting) script, the changing cultivation systems, and fragmented inheritances, many things were truly brain-teasing.

Mo Hua delved deep into the Barbarian Desolate, infiltrating large tribes as a “Shaman Elder,” collecting and researching for a long time before he could understand these internal workings.

If it were someone else, especially a cultivator from the Dao Ting, they would surely be utterly confused and understand nothing.

If one knew nothing about the origins, identities, taboos, beliefs, and power structures of these vastly different tribes, and rashly participated in tribal wars and power struggles, they would not even know how they made enemies or how they were killed in the end.

To thrive in the Barbarian Desolate, and even to change the entire Great Wild (Da Huang), it was naturally impossible not to master these objective circumstances.

Mo Hua glanced at Tie Shugu again.

Tie Shugu’s status was actually not low.

He was a leader of a Shugu You Bu.

The “You Bu” Tie Shugu commanded, with him as an early-Jin Dan leader, could theoretically be ranked at the “Pian Bu” level.

Below the Zhu Bu and Zheng Bu, came the Pian Bu.

This was not a small force.

Of course, the tribe Tie Shugu commanded was, after all, a You Bu, constantly wandering. From the perspectives of territory, heritage, manpower, military strength, and combat power, it could not be compared with a regular Shugu Pian Bu.

The one that truly had the strength of a Pian Bu was, ironically, the Shugu Mi Bu that had now been conquered.

However, the storerooms within this Shugu Mi Bu were somewhat exceptional.

Leaving other things aside, just the sheer quantity of barbarian armor (man jia) and demonic beast (yao shou) raw materials that could be used for military equipment made Mo Hua feel that this was likely not something a normal “Pian Bu” could accumulate and store.

Of course, military equipment was not something Mo Hua was considering at the moment.

Mo Hua continued to ask Tie Shugu, “How many Barbarian Gods (Man Shen) does your Shugu tribe actually worship?”

Tie Shugu firmly replied, “There is only one Barbarian God.”

Mo Hua frowned slightly.

Only one? Then what was he going to “consume”?

He then asked, “Is it just one… or does your nomadic group (you bu) only worship this one?”

Tie Shugu looked a little confused.

He was a superstitious person.

Superstitious people do not deeply question the gods they worship.

The more superstitious a person is, the more unwavering their belief, and the less likely they are to know what it is they are truly worshipping.

Mo Hua, feeling helpless, asked again, “Do the other Zheng Bu, Pian Bu, Xiao Bu, and even some You Bu within the Shugu tribe also worship what you call the Barbarian God (Man Shen Da Ren)?”

Tie Shugu nodded, “Naturally.”

Mo Hua asked, “Then, do you have a unified ritual for worshipping the Barbarian God?”

Tie Shugu frowned, thought for a moment, then shook his head, “Not quite the same, each tribe has its variations…”

Mo Hua asked again, “What about the idols? Are they the same?”

Tie Shugu shook his head, “No, they’re different.”

Mo Hua was a little speechless, “If the idols aren’t the same, how can you possibly believe that you are worshipping the same Barbarian God?”

On this point, Tie Shugu had his own understanding.

He said solemnly, “The Barbarian God is a supreme deity; mortal eyes cannot behold the true face of the Barbarian God.”

“Since no one can see the true body of the Barbarian God, naturally no one knows what the Barbarian God truly looks like.”

“Then, the idols crafted by thousands of different people will naturally vary greatly.”

“But this in no way affects our piety towards the Barbarian God.”

“Ultimately, idols are merely a form. The reason we worship idols is not to worship clay or stone sculptures, but to revere the one true God through different ‘stone statues’.”

“Therefore, although the idols we worship are different, our piety towards the Barbarian God is the same. The Barbarian God we revere is also the one and only deity…”

Tie Shugu spoke with firm conviction.

Even Mo Hua, a “demigod,” was stunned by Tie Shugu’s words.

He hadn’t expected that ignorant and superstitious people could actually rely on their own minds to complete a logical loop.

They clearly worshipped different idols.

They revered different Barbarian Gods.

Yet, they stubbornly believed they were all worshipping the same, unique “deity”?

But upon closer thought, Mo Hua actually found Tie Shugu’s words quite reasonable, even a little… unassailable.

If Mo Hua hadn’t truly seen the gods between heaven and earth with his own eyes, made friends with gods, even fought against and killed evil gods, and even “consumed” gods, he almost would have believed it.

Mo Hua wanted to explain to Tie Shugu.

The so-called Barbarian Gods were not like that at all.

What you believe in are actually not the same things.

But the words were on his lips, and he didn’t know how to explain.

These people might just want to “believe” in a certain existence; as for what they believe in, they can’t see it, and perhaps they don’t care.

And this matter, at least, made Mo Hua realize one thing.

That is, the beliefs within the Shugu tribe, while seemingly unified, were “fragmented,” even completely unrelated.

It was essentially a case of “you believe your way, I believe my way.”

They clearly each believed in their own, but everyone thought they were believing in the same one.

Mo Hua found it a bit absurd, yet it was surprisingly logical.

This also meant that there were actually multiple “Barbarian Gods” being worshipped within the Shugu tribe.

These Barbarian Gods received offerings from believers and consumed their faith.

Now, with tribesmen “consuming” people and faith deteriorating, the Barbarian Gods would naturally degenerate.

The fall of the white-bone Barbarian God worshipped in this Shugu secret camp meant that other Barbarian Gods of the Shugu tribe might not be spared either.

Mo Hua’s eyes lit up slightly.

A third-grade semi-fallen Barbarian God was definitely a “great tonic.”

The difficulty of hunting it was not high, and the danger was also small.

From all perspectives, it was the highest quality divine “food.”

If he consumed another one, he might immediately break through the bottleneck and directly reach the 23-pattern divine sense realm.

If he could consume a few more, with good luck, he might directly reach 24 patterns.

If he was truly lucky enough to reach 24 patterns, that would almost be a one-step achievement, directly looking forward to the Jin Dan stage.

Thinking of this, Mo Hua even felt a hint of excitement.

Of course, the Shugu tribe was a large tribe, and its worshipped Barbarian Gods could not truly be consumed so freely by Mo Hua.

Mo Hua couldn’t help but ponder.

“Then… should Dan Zhu lead the charge to conquer the Shugu tribe?”

Forge a powerful barbarian army, break through the various Shugu divisions, invade their temples, and devour their Barbarian Gods?

Infiltration wouldn’t work, so go for the “hard” approach directly?

Anyway, the Shugu tribe was almost “rotten.”

Their Barbarian Gods had already begun to secretly degenerate; if they weren’t “consumed” soon, the entire tribe would fall into evil ways and be plunged into eternal damnation.

Mo Hua gradually formed an idea in his mind.

After he finished contemplating and confirmed his thoughts, he said no more and told Tie Shugu:

“All right, you may leave.”

“Yes, Shaman Elder,” Tie Shugu bowed to Mo Hua, then limped away.

Mo Hua watched Tie Shugu’s retreating figure, and suddenly a thought stirred in his heart, feeling something was amiss.

“This Tie Shugu is too good at ‘blending in’; as a leader of a Tie Shugu nomadic group, he actually managed to survive unharmed.”

“But Tie Shugu’s life was originally spared at my word. Why do I feel something is wrong?”

Mo Hua frowned, somewhat unable to understand.

“What am I suspecting…”

Mo Hua shook his head.

Afterward, he began to mentally arrange a plan, intending to proceed step by step to conquer the Shugu tribe.

He would let Dan Zhu develop her power, and he himself would further consume Barbarian Gods, strengthen his divine sense, and thus gradually advance towards Jin Dan.

But before Mo Hua could even finalize his strategy for attacking the Shugu tribe.

The attack, instead, descended upon him.

In the evening, around Hai Shi (9-11 PM).

Outside the stone palace, there was a sudden clamor of voices, and the smell of blood spread.

Barbarian soldiers carried several corpses inside; the bodies were covered in blood, their chests hacked open by large blades, with dark green energy surging from the wounds.

The Bifang tribe had launched a night raid, and five elite barbarian soldiers of the Danque tribe were killed.

In addition, countless others were severely or lightly wounded.