Half a month later, the tribal alliance of the Zhuque Mountain Realm officially convened.

The meeting place was set in an ancient hall.

The hall was located deep in the Gobi Desert, remote and vast. It seemed to have been a place where great tribes of the Zhuque Mountain Realm once gathered to discuss, make decisions, and settle disputes. However, over many years, it had fallen into disrepair, becoming a ruin of broken walls, and was eventually abandoned. Now, in this chaotic era, with fragmented tribes reuniting, there was no other suitable location, so they reactivated this old hall as the venue for discussing the alliance.

At this moment, the hall was filled with various tribes, their totems vying for attention, and their banners fluttering. Almost all the most powerful forces, the highest-level cultivators, and the top combatants in the entire Zhuque Mountain Realm were gathered here. The chiefs, grand elders, young masters, and trusted barbarian generals of the Danque, Yanyi, Huoying, Hongluan, and even Bofang tribes were all present in the hall.

The ancient council chamber was filled with immense prestige. The overwhelming Qi pressure of cultivators in the middle and late stages of the Jin Dan realm, all high in status and power, stacked together like an abyss, making breathing difficult for those present. Among the crowd, the most peculiar, inconspicuous yet striking, was Mo Hua, who was the smallest in stature, youngest in appearance, but carried a grand demeanor.

After all, he was the only Foundation Establishment cultivator in the entire venue. Yet, despite having the lowest cultivation, he occupied a remarkably high seat. Beside him sat Lu Gu, the great chief of the Shugu tribe, a tall figure with Jin Dan late-stage cultivation, resembling a small mountain. Mo Hua’s position was only slightly lower than Lu Gu’s, practically on equal footing.

In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that all attendees of this alliance meeting were Jin Dan cultivators, and not just ordinary ones—with many in the middle and late stages—Mo Hua would have found it too dangerous. That’s why he let Lu Gu sit slightly ahead of him, to provide protection. Otherwise, according to the rules of the Shugu tribe, he, the venerable Wu Zhu, would rank even higher than Lu Gu, the great chief.

But even with Mo Hua “humbling himself” and sitting below Lu Gu, he still attracted the attention of many great chiefs, grand elders, and barbarian generals present. This was, after all, an alliance meeting of great tribes, something not seen for centuries. Jin Dan cultivators were everywhere. Many Jin Dan middle-stage tribal generals, who had achieved great merits, didn’t even have a seat and could only stand during discussions, like mere henchmen.

Yet, Mo Hua, the youngest, lowest cultivated (to an outrageous degree, being only in the Foundation Establishment stage), was able to brazenly sit in a high seat, almost on par with some tribal great chiefs. This naturally caused resentment and confusion in their hearts. Many short-tempered and arrogant barbarian generals even looked at Mo Hua with hostility in their eyes.

They could tolerate the great chiefs and grand elders of the major tribes sitting above them. But Mo Hua, this “little one,” clearly did not have that qualification. However, despite their discontent, they dared not cause trouble. This was a tribal alliance meeting, a rare and important event that happened once in a century, not a place for them to act rashly or engage in petty squabbles. Moreover, Mo Hua was sitting beside Lu Gu. Although they looked down on Mo Hua, who was “borrowing the tiger’s prestige,” they dared not defy Lu Gu.

Lu Gu was notoriously brutal. Although external rumors suggested that the previous Shugu great chief died from an ambush by the traitor Can Gu due to old age, discerning individuals could tell who truly orchestrated the attack. He would kill his own great chief without hesitation, let alone Jin Dan cultivators from other tribes. Therefore, despite their anger at Mo Hua, they could do nothing about him.

Among those observing Mo Hua, the most surprised was Dan Lie, the great chief of the Danque tribe. He hadn’t expected Lu Gu to actually attend this alliance meeting. And seeing the relationship between Lu Gu and Mo Hua, Dan Lie felt a faint tremor in his heart. Others might have thought that Mo Hua held such a high status because he relied on the Shugu tribe and on Lu Gu, the great chief. But Dan Lie could vaguely perceive that it wasn’t Lu Gu giving orders to Mo Hua, nor was Lu Gu treating Mo Hua as a puppet of the divine cult. It was truly this young-looking Wu Zhu “commanding” the late-stage Jin Dan cultivator, Lu Gu.

Dan Lie found it incredible. He had met Lu Gu a few times before and knew what kind of person this former great general, now great chief, was. With his abilities and arrogance, he would never be controlled by anyone, let alone a boy whose height barely reached his waist, whose age was a fraction of his own, and whose cultivation was only at the Foundation Establishment stage.

“Why…”

“What exactly happened here…”

“Lu Gu… was ‘controlled’?”

Dan Lie frowned, and when his gaze returned to Mo Hua, he suddenly felt an inexplicable wickedness emanating from Mo Hua’s clear face.

Mo Hua, on the other hand, maintained a calm expression and a steady gaze, feigning the “dignified” appearance of a Wu Zhu. After all, he might soon face a “true or false Wu Zhu” test, and he absolutely couldn’t be careless.

As time passed, all matters related to the alliance meeting were prepared. The high-ranking members of the various tribes participating in the alliance had also all arrived. However, the meeting still hadn’t begun. Everyone was patient, seemingly waiting for something. Mo Hua, feeling a little tired, began to close his eyes and rest.

Another half an hour passed, and the somewhat noisy venue instantly became silent. Two profound divine sense energy fields swept through the entire hall. Mo Hua’s heart slightly stirred, and he slowly opened his eyes. Following the aura, he saw two cultivators with extraordinary auras, who had entered the hall at some point.

One was tall and muscular, with fiery red hair, an ancient face, and firm, bright eyes. Flames seemed to burn in the depths of his eyes, etched with an eternal faith, and his spiritual power was formidable. He was shirtless, revealing rock-hard muscles and a blood-colored flame tattoo on his back. He also wore some strange sachets and medicine bottles emitting an unusual, fishy smell. This person’s cultivation was at the Jin Dan late stage.

The other was a woman, heavily made up, with dark green lips, long, narrow eyebrows, and very heavy eye shadow. From her facial contours, she was a seductive beauty. But only her face was visible. Her entire body was wrapped in a green robe, hinting at her graceful figure, but besides her face, not an inch of skin was exposed. This woman had a profound aura, also at the Jin Dan late stage.

“Two Jin Dan late-stage cultivators…”

Mo Hua’s heart was solemn. And judging by the profound spiritual power overflowing from these two, this man and woman were probably the two “true Wu Zhu adults” from the royal court that Great Chief Dan Lie had previously warned him about, who would participate in this alliance meeting.

As expected, when these two entered the venue, everyone around them, whether chiefs, elders, or barbarian generals, stood up to greet them:

“Venerable Yan Zhu.”

“Venerable Qing Zhu.”

The tone of these tribal high-ranking officials was very respectful. Even though they held high positions and great power in their respective tribes, ranking above tens of thousands of people, they still dared not show the slightest disrespect towards the true Wu Zhu. This was vastly different from their attitude towards Mo Hua. Towards Mo Hua, let alone respect, most simply cast cold glances and sneered. To consider the overall situation and not expose Mo Hua, this “fake,” on the spot, treating him as if they didn’t see him, was already their greatest “respect” for this deceiver, Mo Hua.

Mo Hua was also somewhat shocked. He had previously thought that the Wu Zhu of the royal court were probably just average, not much better than himself. But now, seeing these two “Yan” and “Qing” true Wu Zhu before him, and sensing their powerful auras and strong spiritual power, Mo Hua couldn’t help but think, maybe… he couldn’t blame others for looking down on him.

These two Wu Zhu: one a Jin Dan late-stage, tall and majestic like divine fire; the other a Jin Dan late-stage, graceful and elegant, radiating a mysterious beauty. And himself, a Foundation Establishment late-stage, not tall, with a tender face. Compared like this, anyone with eyes could probably distinguish who was the true Wu Zhu and who was the fake. Mo Hua even looked at himself and felt like a “fake,” let alone others…

Mo Hua sighed in his heart, feeling a little… a tiny bit of “inferiority.” Of course, on the surface, he remained impassive, an unperturbed, rock-solid, dignified, and reliable “Wu Zhu adult.”

At the highest point of the alliance meeting, there were two seats. These were specially prepared for these two royal court Wu Zhu. The one revered as “Venerable Yan Zhu” was the mighty man with a bare torso and fiery tattoos. The one who wrapped her graceful body in a green robe, revealing only a beautiful face, was “Venerable Qing Zhu.” Both of their titles contained the character “Zhu,” likely to signify their status as Wu Zhu. And “Yan” (flame) and “Qing” (green) should be related to the cultivation methods they practiced or the deities they served.

Yan Zhu and Qing Zhu sat down amidst the reverence of the crowd. The first person they looked at was Mo Hua. Because in the entire venue, only Mo Hua was in the Foundation Establishment stage. Only Mo Hua was the most “unconventional.” And only Mo Hua remained seated, not getting up to greet them, seemingly not holding them in high regard.

Qing Zhu’s gaze lingered on Mo Hua’s fair and delicate face, but she didn’t speak. Instead, Yan Zhu, beside her, gave Mo Hua a faint look and asked, “Who is this…”

No one answered, and the hall was momentarily quiet. It was Dan Lie, the great chief of the Danque tribe, who stepped forward and introduced Mo Hua: “This… is also… a Wu Zhu adult.”

Dan Lie felt a bit tormented and embarrassed inside. After all, praising Mo Hua, a fake Wu Zhu, in front of the true Wu Zhu, truly tested the thickness of one’s skin.

A trace of “familiar” mockery flashed in Yan Zhu’s eyes. He turned to Mo Hua and asked indifferently: “Then may I ask this ‘Wu Zhu’… when did you enter the royal court? When were you canonized by the gods? When did you listen to the teachings of the deities? Which master do you revere? To which sect and lineage do you belong? Are you currently a lower, middle, or upper Wu? Who allowed you to travel the world? Who bestowed upon you a ‘Zhu name’? And whose divine path are you propagating…”

Mo Hua was silent. He cursed inwardly. These people of Dahuang were truly annoyingly idle. It’s just a Wu Zhu, why so many intricate details? Who are they guarding against? Is it interesting? Mo Hua’s eyes flickered slightly, and he calmly said, “I don’t know…”

Everyone was stunned. Even Yan Zhu and Qing Zhu showed a hint of surprise in their eyes. Usually, anyone who pretended to be a Wu Zhu in front of them, even when exposed, would at least try to bluster and argue a few words. But this person actually said he didn’t know directly… Wasn’t this an outright “fraud”? He couldn’t even make up a few lies. And yet, he could sit in a high position, on equal footing with a group of tribal leaders?

The great chiefs and grand elders present all changed their expressions upon hearing this, looking at Mo Hua coldly, their expressions very displeased, clearly ashamed of being “fooled” by Mo Hua. Great Chief Dan Lie’s expression was strange. Even Lu Gu was a little confused, not knowing Mo Hua’s intentions.

Yan Zhu’s gaze sharpened, looking at Mo Hua: “So, you are not a Wu Zhu, your identity is fake?”

Mo Hua shook his head, “No, I am a Wu Zhu.”

Yan Zhu’s gaze turned cold, “You know nothing, yet you still say you are a Wu Zhu?”

Mo Hua retorted, “Who told you that to be a Wu Zhu, one needs to know all those messy things?”

Yan Zhu didn’t get angry; instead, he laughed, “Dahuang tradition, royal court heritage, Wu Zhu rules—it’s been like this for thousands of years, passed down by ancestors. Can it be false?”

Mo Hua also said calmly: “The heritage of Dahuang is Dahuang’s business. The heritage of the royal court is the royal court’s business. These things are nothing but man-made rules; what do they have to do with the deities? As a Wu Zhu, do you respect the will of the deities, or these secular rules made by men?”

Yan Zhu was momentarily stunned by Mo Hua’s words. Even Qing Zhu, beside him, looked a bit bewildered. The others also exchanged glances. Yan Zhu’s gaze was cold, staring at Mo Hua, and he sneered, “What a big tone. So, you respect the will of the deities?”

Mo Hua’s face didn’t redden at all, and he nodded, “Naturally.”

Yan Zhu’s gaze was indifferent: “Not entering the royal court, not receiving official conferment, no foundation, no heritage, no Wu rank, no Zhu name—you dare to claim to be a Wu Zhu with mere empty words? You, young man, are truly bold…”

Mo Hua, however, shook his head and said, “I am a Wu Zhu; this is not something I said myself.”

Yan Zhu scoffed, “Then who told you?”

Mo Hua, with a serious face, nodded and said, “Lord God Master personally told me.”

Yan Zhu looked at Mo Hua, speechless for a moment.

Mo Hua, with a solemn expression, continued: “I was born in ignorance, from the moment of my birth, I knew not my age, my tribe, whence I came, nor whither I went, wandering aimlessly in this world. One day, I suddenly entered a dream, seeing golden light filling the sky, brilliant as glazed tiles. A divine venerable, like an innocent child, bestowed divine grace upon my body and told me that great calamities would befall the world, and people would suffer great hardship; boundless nightmares would descend upon the earth…”

“And people are ignorant, fighting and killing each other without end. The divine path has fallen, confined by chronic ailments and dogma. People serve in the name of the gods, but have never truly listened to the teachings of the gods, only indulging in selfish desires and engaging in depraved acts, leading to great disasters befalling the world, and the peril of extinction for all living beings.”

“Therefore, the God Master, like an innocent child, personally appointed me as a ‘Wu Zhu,’ making me bear the teachings of the gods, uphold the mighty power of the gods, and walk among the world to purge evil, spread the divine will, save people from distress, and illuminate hearts with light…”

Mo Hua’s eyes were clear, his expression pious, his teeth as white as jade, and his tongue bloomed like a lotus. All the great chiefs were shocked and bewildered upon hearing this. Yan Zhu was even more dumbfounded on the spot. This kid… He wasn’t bad at making up lies; he was too good at it. This kind of eloquence, even he, a Wu Zhu who had lived for so long, had never seen before.

(End of this chapter)