“His ‘crash’ was something I only discovered after sending a flying sword message, spanning tens of thousands of li, to personally inform the Old Ancestor and ask for his intervention in the divination…”

“The Old Ancestor also said this was the only opportunity…”

“This person has an incredibly deep karma, fraught with hidden dangers. He cannot be looked at, spied upon, or stolen from. Ordinarily, there are no discernible flaws.”

“Only some time ago, he had a crucial matter, almost a ‘life-bound’ cultivation event, where his mind was completely preoccupied, and he was less vigilant against external affairs. This offered a slight chance for the Jinqian Shu to follow the shallow layers of karma, pinpoint his location, and gnaw at his Dao body… At such a critical moment, it would ruin his Dao, take his life, or at the very least, damage his cultivation and stagnate his realm…”

“But even so, it still… failed to do him any harm?”

“Even the Heavenly Secret Jinqian Shu instantly died out completely? And the original sculpture of the Jinqian Shu shattered?”

“Is this person… truly a ‘Shenzhu,’ with a deity residing within him?”

Elder You’s brows were tightly furrowed.

He was an elder of a prominent Dao Ting aristocratic family, receiving the “orthodox” inheritance of the Dao Ting. Previously, he mostly scoffed at matters of the divine path, considering them superstitious, deceptive, and manipulative.

His joining the demonic sect in Qianxue Zhoujie, feigning “belief in evil gods,” was merely for “business” purposes.

As long as there was profit, as long as there were spirit stones to be earned, he could believe in anything he was asked to.

However, since entering the Great Wilderness and witnessing various phenomena, he couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of doubt and belief.

Things people couldn’t understand or hadn’t experienced.

But once experienced, they could be understood.

This so-called “Shenzhu,” merely at the Foundation Establishment realm, if he truly had no “divine” protection, could not possibly have achieved such feats in the barbarian lands.

Nor could he have remained unharmed under the Old Ancestor’s karmic calculations and the Jinqian Shu’s luck-stealing.

“This ‘Shenzhu’ lord, one must not judge a book by its cover; he is indeed a formidable figure…”

“It’s just that…”

Elder You always felt a strange sense of familiarity emanating from this “Shenzhu” lord.

Moreover, his face and stature did not resemble the barbarians of the “Great Wilderness” but rather those from outside.

From where was this “outside”?

From which of the eight Zhou—Qian, Kun, Kan, Li, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Dui—or from Dao Zhou?

It couldn’t possibly be that he just fell from the sky, could it?

Elder You had specifically investigated but found no clues in the barbarian wilderness.

He even asked the Old Ancestor to perform a divination, but the Old Ancestor merely glanced and said, “Cannot calculate,” advising him to abandon the thought.

“This barbarian God Lord, his ‘current’ karma, including his present location, life and death, misfortune, good fortune, and even some ‘future’ destinies, can all be calculated…”

“But only his ‘past’ cannot be calculated—at least not by seeking it through karma.”

“That is a vortex of great terror, absolutely not to be touched.”

“Once touched, serious trouble will arise…”

These were the Old Ancestor’s original words.

This was also the first time in many years that Elder You had heard the Old Ancestor evaluate a “person” in such a way.

And a Foundation Establishment cultivator at that.

So much so that Elder You initially thought he had misheard.

If the Old Ancestor hadn’t always been serious and never joked, he would have thought the Old Ancestor was just teasing him.

From this, it was clear that this “Shenzhu Lord” was indeed a considerably “troublesome” figure, and could not be left unchecked.

Not to mention, the actions and intentions of this “Shenzhu Lord” now constituted a grave taboo.

He had violated not only the taboos of the Royal Court but also those of the Dao Ting.

He had not only broken tribal traditions but also infringed upon the interests of aristocratic families.

In particular, he had greatly hampered the Hua family’s business.

If he unifies the Great Wilderness, how can our Hua family promote “division”?

If he averages resources in the Great Wilderness, how can our Hua family engage in “exploitation”?

If he liberates barbarian slaves in the Great Wilderness, how can our Hua family buy and sell slaves?

Each of these acts represented a “blood feud” deeply intertwined with vast sums of money and immense profits.

Elder You’s eyes glinted with cold resentment.

“No matter who you are, Shenzhu, anyone who harms my business must die!”

On the other side, Mo Hua had also made up his mind.

To nourish his nascent formation and fully feed the Twelve Meridians Taotie Spirit Skeleton Array, he needed to find ways to acquire a large quantity of spirit stones.

These spirit stones could only be harvested from the “Hua family.”

He wanted the Hua family to help him form his Golden Core.

From then on, Mo Hua, in the name of the Shenzhu, ordered the Vermilion Mountain barbarian soldiers and the barbarian slaves of the God Slave Division to continue their advance on multiple fronts, conquering the various ununified barbarian mountain territories.

At the same time, he secretly ordered Lu Gu to liquidate and suppress the Hua family forces parasitizing these mountain territories.

The Hua family were “蛀虫” (zhùchóng, literally ‘boring insects’ or ‘蛀虫’ meaning ‘parasites’), acting solely for profit.

Their methods were extremely covert, almost impossible to detect on the surface. But many things behind the scenes were orchestrated by the Hua family.

Those who conduct large-scale business thrive on “chaos.”

Only in times of great chaos can exorbitant profits be made and great wealth amassed.

Many tribes were driven to division and destruction by the Hua family.

The chaos in the barbarian wilderness was also fueled by the Hua family.

And the Hua family’s influence in the Great Wilderness was deeply entrenched and widespread.

It was like a blood-sucking poisonous vine, clinging to the great tree of the barbarian wilderness, constantly drawing the blood of barbarian cultivators under the guise of “trade.”

Besides Mo Hua’s urgent need for “spirit stones,” the current Hua family was also one of his biggest “enemies” in his push for the unification of the barbarian wilderness.

It was just that other barbarian tribes were overt enemies, while the Hua family was a covert one.

But at this point, for Mo Hua, whether they were overt or covert no longer mattered.

The Jinqian Shu must be connected to the Hua family; if they wished to harm his life and obstruct his formation of the Golden Core, then this “Hua family” must die.

Mo Hua held nothing back.

In the ensuing campaigns, Lu Gu, following Mo Hua’s “secret orders,” purged the various forces that the Hua family had parasitized in the barbarian wilderness.

Mountain territories tainted by the Hua family were prioritized for attack.

Any Hua family cultivator caught was to be killed.

Barbarian tribes associated with the Hua family would be thoroughly “cleansed.”

Anyone closely involved with the Hua family was virtually considered to have betrayed vast tribal interests, and these individuals were to be executed without mercy.

When a secret “stronghold” of the Hua family was encountered, Mo Hua would send Shi Gu in.

This “undying general” of the late Golden Core realm under the Shenzhu, amplified by the Taotie patterns, was almost immortal and indestructible. By himself, he could nearly slaughter all the “living people” in a stronghold, devouring even Golden Cores… This struck terror into the hearts of the Hua family members, making them tremble at his mere mention.

This continued for a considerable time.

Many Hua family members died, their supported factions were purged one by one, their territories shrank, their secret lines were uprooted, and for a time, they suffered greatly, with many businesses turning into bad debts.

The Hua family was enraged by this, especially Elder You.

Destroying his business was akin to killing his parents.

He began to pay a hefty price to win over other large tribes and support new forces to contend with Mo Hua.

At the same time, he spared no effort to “infiltrate” the territories ruled by Mo Hua, using inheritances, fame, fortune, and women to corrupt the tribal chiefs and elders who had submitted to Mo Hua.

Most people with faith held absolute loyalty to the God Lord and would not be “corrupted.”

But some barbarian cultivators, coveting the pleasures of fame, fortune, and women, gradually began to waver in their faith, abandoning their original intentions, secretly working for Elder You, stealing tribal interests, and even daring to covertly assist in assassinating Mo Hua, the “Shenzhu Lord.”

Mo Hua ordered these individuals to be beheaded and their heads displayed at the tribal entrance as a warning.

Mo Hua also began to use the enemy’s methods against them, controlling the “faith” of some of the Hua family’s internal cultivators.

Thus, Mo Hua and the Hua family, especially Elder You, played countless games of “chess” on the “chessboard” of the barbarian wilderness, using tribes as pieces to fight each other and seize territory.

At the same time, they also set up “dark pieces” against each other, enticing human hearts with inheritances, corrupting human desires with wealth and beauty, constantly inciting defection and rebellion…

From Dao Li 20043, Great Wilderness New Era Year 10, Shenzhu Year 2, to Great Wilderness New Era Year 12, Shenzhu Year 4.

In just two years, Mo Hua and the Hua family, both openly and covertly, engaged in countless “chess games,” through warfare, intrigue, and deception.

There was both visible bloodshed and unseen turbulent undercurrents.

During this period, Mo Hua gained the upper hand, but also suffered setbacks and sacrificed many troops.

He had occupied Hua family territories but had also lost some mountain realms due to the Hua family’s secret instigation of defection.

He had captured Hua family prisoners and controlled the “faith” of these Hua family disciples.

However, some of his own chiefs, elders, personal attendants, and disciples had also been corrupted by the Hua family and had “betrayed” him.

Mo Hua even had to kill, with a heavy heart, some disciples whom he had personally taught, but whose Dao hearts had fallen due to the Hua family’s enticements.

In these various clashes, the “hatred” between the two sides grew deeper and deeper.

From the Hua family’s top strategists, the Old Ancestor, down to the frontline business manager, Elder You, and even further down to the executing Hua family disciples and the tribal forces that had submitted to the Hua family…

All harbored an intense hatred for the two words “Shenzhu.”

“Business thrives on harmony, and in this world, there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests.”

This had always been Elder You’s “life principle.”

But now, his “principle” was twisted.

In this world, there truly were eternal “enemies.”

This enemy was the “Shenzhu,” who, in the name of the God Lord, was widely rumored among barbarian cultivators to unite the Great Wilderness and save the common people.

He was the one with a face like white jade, eyes like gold and stone, appearing as a youth, but with an austere and indifferent demeanor, without a trace of human warmth…

The Great Wilderness Shenzhu.

This Shenzhu was the Hua family’s greatest enemy in the Great Wilderness.

Even his threat level, so far, far exceeded that of the Great Wilderness Royal Court.

Because even the Great Wilderness Royal Court, a rebellious force, their Hua family could negotiate with and do business with.

But this Shenzhu was different.

This Shenzhu was determined to ruin the Hua family’s business, steal the Hua family’s spirit stones, kill the Hua family’s people, and stifle the Hua family’s roots in the Great Wilderness.

The Hua family naturally would not let the matter rest.

Mo Hua, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, had almost surpassed many Feathered Ascendants and Void Transformation realm cultivators, rising onto the Hua family’s “must-kill” list.

However, he was currently on this kill list under the name of “Shenzhu.”

And Mo Hua, likewise, would not let the matter rest.

He had to kill all the Hua family’s cultivators in the Great Wilderness, seize all their spirit stones, burn down all their strongholds in the Great Wilderness.

He had to eliminate all the Hua family’s “chess pieces” in the Great Wilderness.

He had to uproot the Hua family’s influence in the barbarian wilderness.

The hatred between the two sides was irreconcilable, not allowing for an inch of compromise.

However… no matter what Mo Hua did next, in the overt and covert struggles and disputes with the Hua family, he could only gain the upper hand, but could not transform this advantage into a “decisive victory” to completely wipe out the Hua family’s foundation in the barbarian wilderness.

From Shenzhu Year 2 until Shenzhu Year 4.

Over these two years, Mo Hua had pondered for a long time and concluded that the best approach was still to kill “Elder You.”

But he had never found a good opportunity to act.

Although Elder You was only an elder at the early Golden Core realm, he could absolutely not be as simple as just an early Golden Core.

His recognition by the Hua family’s Old Ancestor to oversee strategic deployments in the barbarian wilderness implied an extraordinary identity.

Moreover, Elder You might appear outwardly to be just an unremarkable, somewhat amiable middle-aged cultivator.

But this was very likely just his “facade.”

It was a “disguise” he adopted to navigate among various forces, to be able to operate smoothly without arousing suspicion, and to conduct business.

No one knew what truly lay hidden beneath the skin of this plump middle-aged man.

Not to mention, the Hua family’s Old Ancestor would undoubtedly “look after” Elder You karmically, protecting his life and death.

Even with Mo Hua’s current nearly pure divinity and cold rationality, he could not glimpse Elder You’s karma through heavenly mechanisms.

Not only that, Mo Hua could sense that his own “karma” was, in turn, being spied upon by the Hua family.

This was a more sophisticated form of “espionage.”

Because it was extremely cautious and did not touch upon his “past,” it was able to pose a strong threat to his present self.

In the two years of contention with the Hua family, Mo Hua could already feel that the dangers around him had increased tenfold.

These dangers might come from karma, from demons, from malevolent spirits, or from certain turncoats, fallen desires, and insidious hearts…

And Mo Hua was well aware that although his divine sense was currently powerful, his divine path almost invincible, and his divinity pure to the point of being godlike, his physical body was ultimately just a Foundation Establishment shell, unable to withstand any close-range “assassinations.”

Therefore, Mo Hua, as the “Shenzhu,” became more cautious than ever during this period when he was deeply targeted by the Hua family’s hatred.

Unless it was someone he truly trusted, he never dared to let anyone get close to him.

And wherever he went, he would bring the great tiger, keeping the third-grade Golden Core realm great tiger by his side at all times, serving as his personal guard.

At this moment, it was night.

In the Shenzhu Hall of a certain mountain territory.

The lighting was bright and splendid.

Mo Hua sat in the high seat, still intently calculating the misfortunes and trends of his conflict with the Hua family.

The great tiger with black stripes and white fur lay beside Mo Hua, its head resting on the ground, its eyes drooping as it dozed.

Its furry body was like both a city wall and a large pile of blankets, enveloping Mo Hua in the middle.

A moment later, in the darkness of the night, the dozing great tiger slowly opened its eyes and looked towards the hall entrance.

Soon after, a person entered, bowing at the door, holding a thick stack of scrolls and jade slips in his hands.

It was Tie Shu Gu.

“Shenzhu Lord, these are the current battle reports from the various mountain territories, please review them…”

“Some matters you instructed have also been handled for you…”

Mo Hua nodded gently.

Having received approval, Tie Shu Gu respectfully stepped forward and presented the jade slips and scrolls in his hands to Mo Hua.

Mo Hua silently watched Tie Shu Gu, and after a while, said:

“You’ve worked hard…”

Tie Shu Gu bowed and said:

“It is a great honor to serve by the side of the Shenzhu Lord, Tie Shu Gu does not feel it is hard work.”

Mo Hua shook his head, “No…”

His eyes contained deep golden light, as if piercing through Tie Shu Gu, and he said indifferently:

“I mean… it’s hard for you, as the ‘ancestor’ of the tribe, to still personally serve me…”

As soon as his voice fell, Tie Shu Gu’s body trembled violently.

He immediately looked up at Mo Hua, his eyes already showing a hint of astonished and gloomy ashen color.