Bai Zisheng, after overdrawing his bloodline, fell unconscious. When he awoke, amidst the hazy clamor, he heard a boastful voice.

The voice seemed very distant, as if from more than twenty years ago.

Yet, it also seemed very close, right before his eyes.

“…The Sect Master often told me how powerful their Bai family was, how astonishingly invincible their prodigies were. But now, it seems they’re nothing special. A mere Bai family prodigy, wasn’t he taken down by my single spear?”

“Zhenren, I’ve told you before, I’m one of the best, a true genius.”

“The top student in Qianxue’s array formations, the first place winner of the Sword Discourse Assembly, how could I be famous for nothing?”

“I can suppress so many prodigies, dominate the Sword Discourse Assembly, and stand head and shoulders above my peers. My strength is naturally beyond doubt…”

“What others can’t win, I can win; what others can’t catch, I can easily catch; this Bai Zisheng, whom others can’t subdue, I can suppress with ease…”

“How about that, I didn’t lie to you, did I…?”

Inside the military camp, a handsome young man spoke eloquently before a group of people, his tongue like a lotus.

Opposite him, Hua Zhenren’s face was ashen.

Bai Zisheng was slightly stunned. It was the first time he had seen Hua Zhenren with such an expression.

In his memory, Hua Zhenren was either amiable, composed, or cold, terrifying, deeply calculating, and never betrayed his emotions.

But now, Hua Zhenren’s face looked as if he had been force-fed a mouthful of flies, indescribably uncomfortable.

Not just Hua Zhenren.

Next to Hua Zhenren, Yu Hua Zhenren, who seemed to be there to oversee the situation, looking carefree and profound, was now rubbing his forehead as if suffering from a severe headache.

Below, all the prodigies were red-faced with anger at Mo Hua, unable to utter a single word.

Two Yu Hua, dozens of Jindan, hundreds of prodigies, listening to one person speak, yet not one dared to retort.

Bai Zisheng’s gaze fell upon Mo Hua again, and for a moment, he was lost in thought.

It really is… my junior martial brother.

Moving, speaking, infuriating… a living, breathing junior martial brother.

A complex and deeply moved emotion surfaced in Bai Zisheng’s eyes.

He stared intently at Mo Hua, not daring to blink, fearing that if he did, his junior martial brother before him would suddenly disappear.

And that all of this was just a dream.

He was still lying on that battlefield of a desperate fight, covered in blood.

The junior martial brother before him was merely a hallucination before his death…

Mo Hua was talking when he sensed a familiar gaze on him. He immediately turned his head and saw Bai Zisheng.

Mo Hua’s eyes lit up, and then he pointed at Bai Zisheng, declaring arrogantly:

“This is my ‘trophy,’ proof that I’m stronger than the Bai family prodigy!”

“Don’t believe me? Ask him, does he submit?”

Bai Zisheng was momentarily disoriented. After a moment, he reacted but didn’t know what to say, so he remained silent, responding with indifference.

It was then that Bai Zisheng realized his body was bound tightly by nine heavy chains.

These nine heavy chains locked his meridians, sealed his Dantian and Qi Sea, and were perfectly fitted, made of materials that countered his spiritual roots, clearly custom-made for him.

This was obviously Hua Zhenren’s doing.

Hua Zhenren had truly spared no effort to capture him.

His bloodline had been largely burned away, but some still remained.

His physical strength was overdrawn, and his injuries were severe, but there were medicinal pills inside him, slowly releasing their power to repair the damage to his body.

These pills must also be from the Hua family.

Clearly, the Hua family didn’t want him to die just yet.

Seeing Bai Zisheng remain silent, Mo Hua felt slightly relieved, then added:

“See? He can’t speak. He clearly knows how powerful I am and is convinced.”

Xuan Yuanjing finally couldn’t take it anymore and said coldly,

“Nonsense. Don’t think we can’t tell that your spear strike had no power at all. How exactly did you defeat Bai Zisheng?”

At these words, all the prodigies were startled and gradually came to their senses.

Just now, they had been immersed in astonishing shock, their minds reeling, their brains momentarily shutting down, so they hadn’t thought carefully. Now, re-thinking it, they immediately realized the crux of the matter.

Mo Hua’s spear strike was entirely for show.

It looked incredibly elegant and fluid, like a startled swan or a swimming dragon, leaping into the air and thrusting down with a spear.

But it was utterly useless.

Moreover, at its root, Mo Hua was physically weak and wasn’t even a body cultivator!

How could his spear, with its astonishingly weak force, break Bai Zisheng’s Dragon Blood Xuanhuang and strike down the invincible Bai Zisheng?

They were prodigies; they weren’t fools.

“Yes, Mo Hua, something’s not right with you.”

“Aren’t you a spirit cultivator, an array master? When did you start body refining? And what is ‘Flying Dragon in the Sky,’ that flashy move, what is it?”

“There must be a problem here…”

“Give us an explanation…”

All the prodigies discussed animatedly, and Hua Ping also looked at Mo Hua with a strange expression.

Mo Hua frowned, “What do I need to explain to you?”

Feng Zichen said, “You simply couldn’t have defeated this Bai Zisheng…”

“But did I win?” Mo Hua retorted.

“You… this…”

Mo Hua continued to ask them, “Who is the top student in Qianxue’s array formations?”

“It’s… you.”

“Who is the first place winner of the Sword Discourse Assembly?”

“You.”

“Who dominated the Sword Discourse Assembly and swept you all away?”

A group of people gritted their teeth, unable to speak.

Mo Hua nodded, “There you have it. How can you understand my methods? If you could understand, then you would be the first place winner of the Sword Discourse Assembly. Back then, you wouldn’t have all been defeated by me…”

Mo Hua’s tone was calm, but his words were extremely arrogant.

Yet, all the Qianxue prodigies present were powerless to refute him.

To be honest, let alone Mo Hua’s current “Flying Dragon in the Sky,” they had pondered Mo Hua’s methods of controlling ink with divine sense, forming arrays on the ground, causing total annihilation, and instantly defeating the five top prodigies of Qianxue for ten years, and still hadn’t fully understood them…

Mo Hua was usually gentle and not arrogant, but once he truly became arrogant, no one could keep up with him.

Xuan Yuanjing’s face was ashen, and he asked, “Since your strength is so formidable, why didn’t you act sooner and capture this Bai Zisheng?”

Mo Hua sighed, “Didn’t I tell you already? If I had acted, I would have captured Bai Zisheng right away, and you all wouldn’t have had a chance.”

“I gave you the opportunity, but you were ineffective. There was nothing for it, I had to act.”

“Once I acted, didn’t I capture Bai Zisheng?”

“See? I didn’t lie to you at all, did I? From beginning to end, weren’t all my words completely true?”

Mo Hua had closed the loop on his own argument.

Xuan Yuanjing was so angry he felt ill.

Yu Wen Hua then furiously retorted, “You’re talking nonsense! Clearly, you were cunning, sly, and despicable, waiting until Bai Zisheng was at his wits’ end to make a huge profit!”

“Oh?” Mo Hua raised an eyebrow, asking faintly, “If it’s so easy to profit, why didn’t you go do it?”

“I…” Yu Wen Hua’s face flushed with anger.

All the prodigies, especially those from Daozhou, were also filled with silent fury.

Bai Zisheng looked at Yu Wen Hua and the others, then at Mo Hua, thinking, “Is this my junior martial brother…?”

My Gui Long spear, after fighting for so long, only managed to defeat these prodigies.

He just stood there, merely moving his lips, and he managed to break their defenses…

“Alright,” Hua Zhenren finally spoke slowly. He looked at Bai Zisheng, then at Mo Hua, and frowned, saying:

“Regardless, we still owe much to Mo… young friend, for capturing this Bai Zisheng.”

Mo Hua nodded, “You’re welcome. I promised Zhenren, and I naturally keep my word.”

Hua Zhenren was noncommittal, slowly saying, “Since that is the case… Bai Zisheng has been brought to justice, and this matter can be temporarily concluded. You all have worked hard and may rest first. After I complete the interrogation and report to the Daoting, we can then discuss rewards for your merits.”

Mo Hua’s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly said, “Why not interrogate him now?”

Hua Zhenren cast a deep glance at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua’s mind stirred, and he said, “I want to know if this Bai Zisheng was truly so blinded by desire that he harmed his comrades and betrayed the Daoting…”

Hua Zhenren’s face was indifferent, “And if it’s true?”

Mo Hua, with a righteous expression, said, “Then I will personally kill this traitor Bai Zisheng to uphold the prestige of the Daoting!”

Hua Zhenren said coolly, “Young friend Mo, you are truly loyal to the Daoting.”

Mo Hua nodded, “Not entirely. I just want to do something practical for the Daoting…”

Hua Zhenren’s gaze was gloomy, his emotions unreadable.

Mo Hua was open and candid, his eyes clear.

The two looked at each other for a while. Hua Zhenren shook his head and said, “First, take this Bai Zisheng away. The interrogation is not urgent.”

Mo Hua’s expression remained unchanged, but he felt a little anxious.

An arm cannot twist a thigh.

Although his senior martial brother was temporarily saved, once he fell into the hands of the Hua family, he would still be in great danger.

Mo Hua glanced at Zhuge Zhenren.

Zhuge Zhenren’s scalp tingled slightly, and he could only say, “Brother Hua, I must detain this Bai Zisheng.”

Hua Zhenren’s gaze sharpened, and he looked at Zhuge Zhenren, frowning, “Brother Zhuge… are you… really going to get involved in this mess?”

Zhuge Zhenren sighed, “This Bai Zisheng cannot die for now.”

If Mo Hua had not intervened from beginning to end, then that would have been that, and he could naturally have stood by.

Zhuge Zhenren didn’t care whether this Bai Zisheng lived or died.

But now, Mo Hua had intervened, and not just in an ordinary way. He had “snatched the kill” under everyone’s watchful eyes.

What was even more outrageous was that he actually succeeded.

He defeated the arrogant Bai Zisheng with that “Flying Dragon in the Sky” move, whatever it was.

Zhuge Zhenren’s head was truly throbbing.

His biggest regret was being stunned by Mo Hua’s arrogant and uninhibited aura at the time, failing to restrain Mo Hua on the spot.

Otherwise, if Mo Hua hadn’t snatched this kill, nothing would have happened.

But things had already happened; Mo Hua had snatched the kill, which meant that karma was already intertwined, and it was too late to regret.

As it was, Bai Zisheng could not die, at least not now.

Otherwise, this Bai Zisheng would be equivalent to having died at Mo Hua’s hands.

And Mo Hua was a disciple of Taixu Sect, and the sect master of his generation was from the Bai family.

This would put Taixu Sect in an impossible position, and the sect master would find it difficult to justify himself.

Moreover, Mo Hua had done this while under his care, right under his nose.

And he, Zhuge Zhenren, was from the Zhuge family and a供奉 (Gongfeng) of the Qin Tian Jian.

These were major powers, and involving them would be like…

The Daoting, the Zhuge family, the Qin Tian Jian, Taixu Sect, and the Hua family colluding to set a trap, kill a direct descendant of the Bai family, and usurp the Bai family’s bloodline…

It was truly like mud falling into one’s pants, impossible to explain clearly.

Therefore, Bai Zisheng absolutely could not die, at least not now.

Otherwise, Mo Hua, Taixu Sect, and the Zhuge family would all likely be embroiled in this storm.

Once Bai Zisheng was taken away by Hua Zhenren, whether he lived or died would be unknown.

Zhuge Zhenren sighed, “I really must take him.”

Hua Zhenren frowned, “This is against the rules.”

Zhuge Zhenren said, “He is bound by your nine Dragon-Trapping Chains, and the key is with your Hua family; no one from outside your Hua family can open them. Therefore, he must be detained by my side…”

Hua Zhenren was silent, his face as dark as water.

Zhuge Zhenren also stopped speaking, and a sharp glint gradually appeared in his lazy eyes. Deep within his eyes, mysterious starlight even flickered.

Seeing this, Hua Zhenren sighed lightly, “Very well. Although this Bai Zisheng has committed a great crime, the facts are unclear and still need to be verified. I trouble you, Brother Zhuge.”

Zhuge Zhenren nodded, “Good.”

Afterwards, Zhuge Zhenren beckoned a few people and instructed, “Take this Bai Zisheng and escort him to the Qin Tian Jian’s prison.”

“Yes.”

Bai Zisheng was escorted away from the military camp.

Before leaving, he couldn’t help but look back and deeply at Mo Hua, saying hoarsely:

“Are you Mo Hua?”

Mo Hua’s heart trembled.

After nearly twenty years, this was the first time his senior martial brother had spoken to him.

This was also the first time the two martial brothers had spoken after a long separation.

Mo Hua nodded, “That’s right, I am Mo Hua.”

Bai Zisheng stared fixedly at Mo Hua, as if fearing he would never see him again in this life, and slowly said:

“I remember this grudge. I won’t forget it even if I turn to ash. Just wait to die…”

Mo Hua grinned, “A mere Bai Zisheng, not my match in one round, yet you tell me to die? You can’t even imagine how powerful I am…”

Bai Zisheng, with blood on his lips, also smiled. He looked as if he was laughing out of extreme anger, ready to kill Mo Hua.

Zhuge Zhenren, with a headache, waved his hand, “Take him away.”

Bai Zisheng was taken away. No one doubted his murderous intent towards Mo Hua.

Because at this moment, almost everyone present harbored varying degrees of murderous intent towards Mo Hua.

Even Zhuge Zhenren wished he could beat this troublemaker Mo Hua to death.

The pursuit of Bai Zisheng was temporarily put on hold.

But the final result still caused a huge uproar.

Because Bai Zisheng’s “kill” was snatched by Mo Hua.

A group of prodigies, fighting desperately, discarding all dignity, engaged in a relay battle against this monster Bai Zisheng. They fought through the ordinary first stage, welcomed the dragon transformation second stage, and after finishing the second stage, forcibly provoked the Dragon Blood Xuanhuang third stage.

Even several Jindan cultivators from the Hua family had died.

Finally, the “low-health” Bai Zisheng was snatched by Mo Hua, who darted out and claimed the “kill” with a single spear.

Although the facts were not like this, it completely looked that way.

In the Tu Mo Ling (Order to Butcher Mo), “verbal and written attacks” were launched against Mo Hua:

“Despicable, shameless! After all these years, a leopard cannot change its spots. This Mo Hua is still best at these insidious tricks.”

“Yet he manages to succeed every time…”

“Those fools from Daozhou argued with me before, saying that this Mo Hua could also be the魁首 (Kuishou), lowering the ‘gold content’ of the Dao Discourse Assembly. But what about now? Aren’t they also as angry as grandsons?”

“Mo Hua is Mo Hua indeed…”

“They just met Mo Hua, so they are still ‘novices’ and don’t understand the situation, which is understandable. Over time, they will get used to it…”

“We are veterans; this is the path we all walked…”

“But speaking of which, what exactly is that ‘Flying Dragon in the Sky’ move? It sounds quite formidable?”

“This move seems… quite famous?”

“I think I’ve heard of it, but also not…”

“Could it be a secret art of Taixu Sect? Or a new secret skill Mo Hua learned in the past decade?”

Someone didn’t understand, “Are you… serious? Haven’t you practiced body refining? Didn’t you see that ‘Flying Dragon in the Sky’ was nothing at all…?”

“Nonsense, how could I not know? The key is, how could it really be that simple?”

“This move was performed by Mo Hua… all moves, as long as they are performed by Mo Hua, are bizarre and cannot be judged by common sense…”

“Indeed, this Mo Hua is very insidious, and his methods are also诡谲 (guijue, deceptive).”

“This ‘Flying Dragon in the Sky’ move definitely isn’t as superficial as it seems; there must be some unknown power within it that we haven’t comprehended…”

“Otherwise, Bai Zisheng couldn’t have been struck down by his spear.”

“How strong was the ‘low-health’ Bai Zisheng at that point, I can hardly describe. To defeat Bai Zisheng with a single spear, even if it was ‘picking up a leak,’ this move is extremely terrifying.”

“One must never underestimate any move from Mo Hua. We suffered too much from this mistake during the Sword Discourse Assembly back then.”

“Otherwise, truly, you wouldn’t even know how you died…”

Everyone felt a chill in their hearts. Someone solemnly suggested, “I propose that this move be recorded in the canon…”

“In the canon?”

“The Tu Mo Baodian (Butcher Mo Treasure Codex),” the person explained. “Record it in the Tu Mo Baodian so that everyone knows, lest someone in the future is careless and falls victim to Mo Hua’s sinister schemes.”

After careful deliberation, everyone said, “Agreed.”

Thus, years after the Sword Discourse Assembly ended, the information regarding Mo Hua in the Mo Hua Rules, or the Tu Mo Baodian, finally received an update:

Move: Flying Dragon in the Sky.

A powerful killing move, comprehended by Mo Hua after years of diligent study.

Style: Unknown. (Presumably body cultivation, but doesn’t quite resemble it.)

Power: Unknown.

Number of spiritual energy cycles: Unknown.

After a string of “unknowns,” a line of battle achievements was written:

Once in Dahuan, before a host of prodigies, with a single spear, he defeated the invincible Bai family monster prodigy Bai Zisheng. The power of this spear was terrifying.

How strong exactly? Unknown.

Thus, this “Flying Dragon in the Sky,” with its “unknown power,” became the most feared killing move against Mo Hua in the hearts of many prodigy disciples of the Tu Mo Alliance.

No one knew how strong this killing move truly was.

Only the monster Bai Zisheng, who had once fallen before Mo Hua’s spear, knew.

Meanwhile, Mo Hua sat in his tent, still frowning and thinking about his senior martial brother.

His senior martial brother was temporarily saved, but the shadow of the Hua family was ever-present.

Hua Zhenren was still watching intently.

He had to find a way to completely free his senior martial brother from danger.

Moreover, it had been a very long time since he had seen his senior martial brother, and he wanted to speak with him alone.

He still had many questions for his senior martial brother.

Including his master, his martial uncles, and his…

Junior martial sister.

(End of chapter)