Within the Shaman Priest’s secret chamber, a solemn tranquility permeated, and wisps of smoke curled upwards from the censer.

Mo Hua sat centrally, the surrounding walls and the vast floor meticulously arrayed with layers of formations by him.

Like a dense spiderweb, they protected him in the middle, isolating him from all prying eyes and schemes.

Outside the secret chamber, Lu Gu, Dan Zhu, Chi Feng, and a group of Mo Hua’s most trusted Golden Core cultivators in Da Huang, led a contingent of Yuan Gu heavily-armored barbarians, maintaining a tight guard.

No one was permitted to enter the secret chamber or disturb his seclusion without Mo Hua’s direct command.

This was a death order.

Mo Hua’s tone was extremely stern, even invoking the title of “Shen Zhu” to deter any mischief.

Because this “feeding” was truly different.

It was crucial for him to advance to the Golden Core stage and further his progress in the path of divine sense.

Mo Hua sat in meditation with his eyes closed.

Inside the secret chamber, there was a deathly silence.

But within his Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua had already begun to “feast.”

The great god Wu Jiu was an ancient wilderness deity. Although his combat power seemed less formidable, his divine path’s overall strength was quite substantial.

Moreover, his divine abilities were not weak; it was just that Mo Hua was uniquely gifted and possessed exceptionally powerful techniques.

At this moment, the pure molten fire array sizzled on the ground.

Mo Hua sat cross-legged, holding a small golden sword made of divine sense. He meticulously cut off pieces of Great God Wu Jiu’s dark thought-power and roasted them over the fire.

Once roasted until discolored, with the blackness fading and the thought-power turning whitish, indicating it was sufficiently cooked, Mo Hua opened his mouth and “gobbled down” the roasted thought-power.

Thus, he continued to roast and eat.

As he ate, the formerly tense expression on his face gradually relaxed into one of leisure.

It had been a long time since he had savored such succulent “divine sense.”

He couldn’t recall when he last had such a meal.

However, as Mo Hua leisurely devoured “roasted divinity” piece by piece, a tiny strand of divine sense, like a “meat floss,” silently detached itself from Great God Wu Jiu’s “body.” It drifted to a corner of Mo Hua’s Sea of Consciousness, slowly solidifying. Then, it self-corrupted, producing a wisp of black mist, a trace of putrid flesh, and a nearly transparent black feather that shimmered faintly.

Afterward, this “meat floss” began to take root, like a forgotten strand of hair on the ground, or a tiny blade of grass clinging to a sheer cliff, parasitizing itself in a solid rock crevice.

But after “rooting” for a long time, it discovered that this Sea of Consciousness was incredibly unyielding.

Even with its divine sense cultivation, it couldn’t carve out a single crevice for itself to parasitize.

This Sea of Consciousness was unbelievably solid; it didn’t seem to belong to a person.

It didn’t even seem like the Sea of Consciousness of a “living, fleshy creature.”

It felt a little annoyed, but still refused to give up, and the black thread of death continued to desperately bore into the wall of the Sea of Consciousness.

Just then, a clear voice sounded: “How about… we forget about it?”

The “black thread” trembled, like a thief caught in the act, not daring to make a sound.

It didn’t know if the young man was talking to it, nor did it dare to respond.

Mo Hua, while stuffing his mouth with “divine meat,” mumbled indifferently, “Come out. You’re drilling into my Sea of Consciousness. Don’t you know it tickles?”

The black strand of thought-power trembled again, unsure if it was from anger or humiliation.

Then, a black light suddenly flickered, and the power of death and decay was unsealed, flowing out from the thought-power like flesh and bones. It slowly regenerated, transforming into a hawk-bodied youth draped in Wu Jiu feathers, with a handsome and majestic face, gloomy eyes, and an alarmingly pale complexion.

The youth stared intently at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua, while eating his “meat,” turned to glance at him, a little surprised:

“Is this your divine avatar?”

Deities can have many forms of avatars.

There is the complete divine body, revealed when fighting with full power.

And there are “human-like” avatars used when traveling the world.

Mo Hua’s old friend, Huang Shan Jun, was like this.

His human-like avatar was the dispirited, dejected, and down-and-out mountain lord in the mountain god temple.

His true divine form was a towering, majestic yellow weasel as large as a small mountain.

Typically, deities, unless facing a life-and-death struggle, present themselves in “half-human” avatar forms. After all, the “incense and fire” they consume, and the thought-power, come from human faith.

Therefore, many deities inherently possess a degree of “humanity” in their divinity.

These intricate aspects of divine lore were things Mo Hua gradually discovered through his own personal experience, having temporarily become a deity himself.

People who haven’t been a “god” typically wouldn’t know.

The God of Wu Jiu, transformed into a gloomy-faced, half-human, half-hawk youth, stared intensely at Mo Hua, and asked in a hoarse voice:

“What exactly… are you?”

Mo Hua, still eating the “meat” of the Wu Jiu God, mumbled, “I told you, I am the Shen Zhu.”

The Great God Wu Jiu sneered, “Don’t think I haven’t seen a Shen Zhu…”

Mo Hua stopped chewing, a look of surprise on his face, then his eyes brightened, “You’ve actually met the Lord of Da Huang?”

“When did you meet him?”

“Roughly how many years ago?”

“What did the Lord of Da Huang look like? Was he ugly? What was his realm, was he very strong? Is he completely dead? Where is he now?”

Mo Hua barraged him with a string of questions.

The God of Wu Jiu merely continued to sneer, “You know nothing, and yet… you still dare to claim you are the Shen Zhu?”

Mo Hua waved his hand, “That’s different. The Lord of Da Huang was the previous ‘Shen Zhu,’ I am the ‘current’ Shen Zhu.”

Mo Hua’s words clearly touched a raw nerve for the God of Wu Jiu.

“To profane the name of the Shen Zhu, you seek death!”

The God of Wu Jiu’s gaze sharpened, and he let out a furious roar. Powerful thought-power surged around him, and divine power flowed through his entire body.

On his wings, the aura of death and decay reignited, and the entire deity exuded a terrifying majesty that made it impossible for mortal beings to look directly at him.

The Great God Wu Jiu, in a stern and majestic posture, declared, “Today, I will surely make you pay the price, and let you know…”

Mo Hua rushed forward with a punch, and the God of Wu Jiu was immediately knocked down.

“Why are you acting so high and mighty in front of me?” Mo Hua said displeased.

The God of Wu Jiu was clearly unconvinced and tried to struggle, trying to say more.

Mo Hua straddled him, pulled off his wings, pressed his head to the ground, and raised his small fists, as big as casseroles. Punch after punch, he beat him black and blue.

As he pummeled him, Mo Hua muttered:

“Still pretending, still pretending…”

The God of Wu Jiu was completely subdued, no longer daring to act tough. He cast aside his divine dignity, feeling helpless, and nearly spat blood from anger…

The laws of the Great Dao sometimes truly made no sense.

This godforsaken place, Da Huang, either had a decaying divine path, where a multitude of insignificant, weak deities dared to call themselves gods.

Or, the universe would suddenly turn upside down, and a “little demon god” would appear, not bound by the five elements, possessing unfathomable divine powers, even capable of devouring gods.

Didn’t the Dao of Heaven ever think about creating some “balance” of power for this place called Da Huang?

Either ridiculously weak or impossibly strong.

Ever since the Shen Zhu disappeared, the Great God Wu Jiu, who had enjoyed smooth sailing and “invincibility” for thousands of years, truly felt like his world was turned upside down.

But there was no choice; being a god meant being adaptable.

In front of mortals, one must be sacred and majestic, their word absolute.

In front of stronger divine monsters, one must humble oneself and endure humiliation.

The Great God Wu Jiu immediately said, “Little Divine Sovereign, this venerable one… I was wrong…”

Mo Hua withdrew his fist and asked him, “Do you truly know your mistake?”

The God of Wu Jiu nodded, not daring to claim otherwise.

Mo Hua also nodded, temporarily letting go of the God of Wu Jiu, “Good, then I ask you, tell me honestly…”

“Yes,” the God of Wu Jiu said honestly.

Mo Hua asked, “Did you really see the Lord of Da Huang?”

The Great God Wu Jiu looked at Mo Hua, “Little Divine Sovereign, you are the Lord of Da Huang.”

Mo Hua’s face grew cold, “Not me, this ‘Lord of Da Huang,’ but the previous one. Don’t try to fool me.”

The Great God Wu Jiu sighed helplessly, “I did.”

“How many years ago did you see him?” Mo Hua asked.

The Great God Wu Jiu shook his head. Seeing Mo Hua’s displeased expression, he quickly added:

“I truly can’t remember. Deities don’t perceive time the way mortals do, and I receive incense offerings. The incense varies depending on the strength of faith, so I’m sometimes lucid, sometimes muddled. I can’t recall the specific years, only that roughly several millennia ago, I met the Shen Zhu in person…”

Mo Hua asked again, “What did the Shen Zhu look like?”

“This…” The Great God Wu Jiu hesitated, “Unlike new gods like myself, the Shen Zhu is a true ‘ancient god,’ with immense age and profound origins. He has numerous avatars, and his divine appearance is ever-changing. What I saw was just one facet of his many divine forms… I vaguely recall that the Shen Zhu had a human body with ram’s horns, a face of white bones, and an terrifyingly powerful aura…”

The Great God Wu Jiu was one of the few remaining “ancient” deities in the barren lands.

Yet, in front of the Lord of Da Huang, he could only refer to himself as “newly ascended,” as if he were merely a young “junior.”

The vast disparity in age between gods and humans was evident.

And the description of the Shen Zhu’s appearance by the Great God Wu Jiu indeed bore a striking resemblance to the white-boned evil god statue Mo Hua had seen in Qian Xue Zhou Jie.

“Then… why did the Shen Zhu of Da Huang suddenly disappear from the history of Da Huang?” Mo Hua asked curiously.

This question had puzzled him for a long time.

The Great God Wu Jiu frowned deeply, clearly not entirely certain, “The Shen Zhu is an ‘ancient god,’ and many secrets are beyond the scope of a deity like me to probe. However, there were indeed many strange aspects to the Shen Zhu’s sudden disappearance…”

Mo Hua pressed, “What was strange about it?”

The Great God Wu Jiu’s voice was heavy, “I… can’t quite put my finger on it…”

Mo Hua raised his fist, his gaze unkind.

The Great God Wu Jiu hurriedly said, “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but…”

The Great God Wu Jiu’s expression was bitter, “There are some hidden secrets in the divine path. If they are vague and indescribable, it means that some unknown entities are obscuring them, preventing you from knowing. I am merely a tribal god who has gained a little knowledge and some seniority, not a truly ancient deity. There are some things I am not capable of prying into…”

Mo Hua frowned slightly, feeling that his words made sense.

Sometimes, heavenly secrets were obscured and couldn’t be spoken, or it would truly invite disaster.

Even deities might not be safe in the face of a true catastrophe.

“Then, the Shen Zhu… according to your ‘speculation’…”

Mo Hua emphasized the word “speculation,” “What might have been the reason for his disappearance?”

This was a very sensitive question.

The Great God Wu Jiu pondered for a moment, then slowly said:

“Throughout these years, I have often pondered this question…”

“The Shen Zhu… might have… been sealed at his source by some powerful being using certain methods.”

“It’s also possible that he was severely wounded by a powerful enemy and fell into a deep slumber…”

“Or even forcibly annihilated by some unknown powerful entity, transitioning from ‘life’ to ‘death’…”

“Of course, these are all my speculations.”

“Divine matters, when viewed from the outside, seem ethereal; when viewed from within, they are fraught with peril. Anything is possible…”

Mo Hua nodded, no longer pressing the issue.

Whether divine or human, what one sees is ultimately only their own corner of the world.

The matter of the Lord of Da Huang could never be simple, and he didn’t expect to get the real truth from the Great God Wu Jiu.

Moreover, Mo Hua hadn’t forgotten that he still had the most important task at hand.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said to the Great God Wu Jiu, “Your thought-power contains your inherent will as a deity, doesn’t it?”

The Great God Wu Jiu’s expression changed, “You know this too?”

Mo Hua thought, ‘Nonsense, I’ve devoured so many gods, how could I not know?’

Mo Hua continued, “Separate your will from your thought-power, leave nothing behind. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. Thought-power is thought-power, will is will; they must be distinct, with no trace of mixture. Otherwise, if I obliterate your will, don’t blame me…”

The Great God Wu Jiu’s pupils contracted slightly, then he smiled faintly, “How could you possibly have the means to obliterate my will?”

Mo Hua asked, “Do you want to try?”

The Great God Wu Jiu was about to say, “Try then.” But after a moment’s thought, he decided against it.

Now was the time to “yield and keep one’s place,” not the time for “arrogant dominance” as before.

“Forget it…”

The Great God Wu Jiu sighed inwardly and said, “I will do as you say.”

Afterward, the Great God Wu Jiu approached his own vast “divine body” which Mo Hua had severed and retained. He activated his thought-power, extracting all the primordial will within the divine body and merging it into himself.

This process was quite painful.

The Great God Wu Jiu’s heart was also bleeding.

He understood what Mo Hua intended to do. His divine thought-power, cultivated with such difficulty, once its source was extracted, would become the purest “energy” for cultivation—the most “succulent” bait for a “god-eating” entity like Mo Hua.

Mo Hua was also secretly excited.

A deity’s will could be erased with Tribulation Lightning.

However, this process would be accompanied by a loss of thought-power.

With the twenty-four patterns imminent, every single bit of thought-power was precious.

Mo Hua didn’t want to waste it, so he used verbal “coercion and inducement” instead of the “sterilization” of Tribulation Lightning, making the Great God Wu Jiu voluntarily strip away his will.

This way, naturally, more thought-power remained.

Time was short, and the opportunity rare; Mo Hua had to find every possible way to maximize the extraction of thought-power resources.

After forcing the Great God Wu Jiu to “extract” his own thought-power, Mo Hua’s Sea of Consciousness was instantly filled with an incredibly vast amount of thought-power, causing Mo Hua to feel secretly ecstatic.

The next question was how to “settle” the Great God Wu Jiu…

His thought-power was gone, but his origin and divine essence remained.

Releasing him was definitely not an option.

These things couldn’t be devoured either.

Mo Hua pondered briefly, then said to the Great God Wu Jiu, “Come with me.”

The Great God Wu Jiu was puzzled, but as the prey to the predator, he dared not defy Mo Hua.

So, Mo Hua led the Great God Wu Jiu through a long rope bridge and into a grand hall.

Inside the hall, it was resplendent with gold and jade.

And within the hall sat a magnificent, large-bodied, large-headed, awe-inspiring divine beast with a formidable aura—a Pi Xiu.

Mo Hua had brought the Great God Wu Jiu to the divine hall where the sacred artifacts of Da Huang were sealed.

The Great God Wu Jiu looked utterly shocked.

Especially when he saw the Pi Xiu.

The Great God Wu Jiu pointed at the Pi Xiu, his face filled with disbelief, and his voice began to tremble: “How… how is this Pi Xiu sacred beast here?”

“This Pi Xiu…”

Mo Hua was startled.