The blood of death and defeat was flowing away, and the Qi of Yimu was replenishing.

Bloodfang Poison, making people gradually approach death from birth.

Spring Revival Formation, allowing people to recover vitality bit by bit, moving from death to life.

And these two, intertwined, from death to life, and from life to death, constantly entangled and competed with each other, forming a peculiar, contradictory causality, reflected in Mo Hua’s mirror-like eyes.

Mo Hua felt an unspeakable shock in his heart, so much so that a clear abnormality showed on his face.

“Wu Xian Sheng?” Dan Zhu looked at Mo Hua, surprised, “Is there something wrong?”

Chi Feng and the others also looked at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua suppressed the shock in his heart, composed his expression, shook his head, and slowly said,

“It’s nothing, I’m just – marveling at the benevolence of the Divine Lord and His astonishing divine power. With the sacred runes bestowed by the Divine Lord, these barbarian soldiers whose blood flows incessantly, are saved—”

Dan Zhu heard this and expressed sincere gratitude:

“Thank you, Divine Lord, thank you, Wu Xian Sheng.”

The surrounding Dan Que tribe barbarian soldiers and wounded also looked pious, bowing to Mo Hua, and chanting:

“The Divine Lord is immortal, and Lord Wuzhu is sagacious.”

Even Chi Feng, a barbarian general at the Golden Core mid-stage, saluted Mo Hua as a sign of respect.

Mo Hua’s expression was solemn yet gentle. He accepted their bows calmly, but the corner of his eye still watched the injured soldiers, observing the alternation of blood Qi and wood Qi on their bodies, the circulation of death Qi and life Qi. He couldn’t help but inwardly marvel:

There’s something wrong…

This Yimu Spring Revival Formation definitely has a problem!

This absolutely cannot be a simple medical formation.

But what exactly is wrong with it? What are the similarities and differences between this and ordinary medical formations?

Mo Hua couldn’t quite figure it out.

Afterward, the wounded of the Dan Que tribe were successively placed on the Yimu Spring Revival Formation for treatment, using the Qi of Yimu to alleviate the toxicity of Bloodfang Poison and suppress the continuously dissipating vitality.

These wounded gradually recovered, and all lauded the Divine Lord’s mighty power and thanked Mo Hua, their Lord Wuzhu, for his benevolence.

Mo Hua, on the other hand, found a quiet corner alone and secretly studied the Yimu Spring Revival Formation.

Inside the stone hall, in an unoccupied corner.

Mo Hua sat on the stone steps, using a picked-up branch to draw the Yimu Spring Revival Formation on the ground, stroke by stroke, without a single error.

Then he meticulously compared the formation he had drawn with the original formation diagram on the jade slip awarded by the Daoist Sword Conference.

He suspected that this Yimu Spring Revival Formation was definitely not an ordinary formation; there must be some trick to it.

First place in the Gan Xue Daoist Sword Conference, rewarded by the Dao Ting, commended by the Tian Shu Ge.

Gan Xue, Dao Ting, Tian Shu Ge.

These were all top-tier forces in the cultivation world, involving immense karma. The awards bestowed by the three combined could absolutely not be commonplace items.

Mo Hua had originally guessed this.

But when he first received the Yimu Spring Revival Formation, it indeed looked very ordinary.

This also disappointed Mo Hua.

It was a reward obtained after great hardship, by winning first place in the Daoist Sword Conference, yet it turned out to be quite useless, far from meeting his expectations.

Therefore, this formation had been stored away by Mo Hua for a long time.

Now, Mo Hua realized that he might have been “superficial.”

This Yimu Spring Revival Formation only sounded ordinary, looked ordinary, and was ordinary to learn.

But when truly put into use, it was anything but ordinary.

Moreover, there was something unexplainable about its strangeness and abnormality.

This abnormality could probably only be detected by someone who had truly obtained this formation diagram, carefully learned it, personally drawn it, and then personally used it to save people.

However, Mo Hua found it hard to pinpoint this “abnormality.”

He also couldn’t distinguish whether this “abnormality,” which contained the circulation of “life and death” and was almost a change in some kind of law, was because there was an inherent problem with the Yimu Spring Revival Formation itself.

Or was it simply because this formation was used to heal people?

As long as it healed people, it involved the change of “life and death,” unrelated to the formation itself?

Mo Hua was not an alchemist and had never used medical methods to save people, so he couldn’t distinguish between the two.

Mo Hua looked at the Yimu Spring Revival Formation he had drawn again.

From the array patterns and array hubs to the structure of the array eyes, there was nothing special; it was clear at a glance that it was an ordinary “healing” formation.

From the perspective of formation, there was indeed no discernible abnormality.

Mo Hua frowned.

If there were no clues in medicine and formations, then he should look at it from the perspective of “causality.”

A question couldn’t help but arise in Mo Hua’s mind:

Whose hands did this formation come from, and who bestowed it?

The Dao Ting?

The Dao Ting was a broad concept; any organization or person within the Dao Ting would use the name “Dao Ting” for their actions.

More specifically, the Tian Shu Ge?

Who in the Tian Shu Ge?

Mo Hua didn’t know much about the Tian Shu Ge, but he generally knew that many of the Tian Shu Ge’s external orders were personally issued by the “Jian Zheng.”

Using this formation as a reward for the Daoist Sword Conference must have passed through the hands of the “Jian Zheng.”

The Jian Zheng knew about it.

Besides the Jian Zheng, who else could it be?

The highest-ranking person in the Tian Shu Ge was the Ge Lao. Did the Ge Lao know?

Rumor had it that the Ge Lao of the Tian Shu Ge was a mysterious old man with a long lifespan. Did he know the profound secrets within this Yimu Spring Revival Formation?

Was the decision to use this formation as a reward for the Daoist Sword Conference approved by the Ge Lao?

Could it even be the Ge Lao’s own decision?

Mo Hua’s heart skipped a beat, but then he frowned:

“It shouldn’t be, right? The Ge Lao holds a high position, plans strategies, and has numerous responsibilities. How could he bother with such a trivial matter?”

“But—what if?”

“What if it really was the Ge Lao? What would his intentions be?”

Mo Hua frowned again, recalling, and suddenly his heart was startled. He couldn’t help but remember that he had once briefly calculated the causality of this Yimu Spring Revival Formation using Tianji Yansuan.

Then, in a blur, his master’s figure appeared before his eyes.

Proud and arrogant, soaring above heaven and earth,

But when he looked at Mo Hua, his expression was gentle, with a hint of a smile in his eyes and deep reluctance.

“Master—”

The Yimu Spring Revival Formation was related to his master’s karma.

Did the Ge Lao also know about this?

Mo Hua felt a slight chill in his heart.

Was it—precisely because he knew about this, that the Ge Lao of the Tian Shu Ge set this Yimu Spring Revival Formation as the reward for the Daoist Sword Conference?!

Was all this planned by that Ge Lao?!

Mo Hua gasped.

If it were before, he might not have thought this way. He wouldn’t have been so conceited as to believe that the whole world was targeting him.

So many highly skilled individuals plotting against a small fry like him.

But after suffering a great loss at the hands of his Martial Uncle because of the life-threatening calamity, Mo Hua became more cautious.

When you peek into karma, karma is also peeking at you.

It’s highly probable that his every move had already been discovered by some powerful individuals.

It was just that he himself was completely unaware.

But—

The Ge Lao? Plotting against me?

Mo Hua always felt a bit “self-important.”

That was the Ge Lao of the Tian Shu Ge. Would such a figure plot against him?

What was there about a small Foundation Establishment cultivator like him that was worth the Ge Lao’s plotting?

Mo Hua shook his head.

Moreover, fundamentally, he didn’t even know who the Ge Lao of the Tian Shu Ge was or what he looked like, let alone ever having met him, so how could—

At this thought, Mo Hua’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and a figure appeared in his mind.

It was an old man with white hair, looking half-asleep.

In Xiaoyun Du City, when he was leaving the Gan Xue Prefecture, he had played chess with this old man.

The two were evenly matched in chess and had a very enjoyable game.

Mo Hua was stunned.

No way—

Could this old man be the Ge Lao?

Impossible…

Mo Hua shook his head repeatedly.

The dignified Ge Lao, with nothing to do, went to the ferry to play chess with him? How was that possible?

Mo Hua didn’t believe it at all.

“But—what if it is?”

Mo Hua’s heart trembled slightly.

That would mean that he was indeed within the Ge Lao’s sights.

Everything he did in the Gan Xue Prefecture was likely within the Ge Lao’s perception.

Furthermore,

Everything he did was “indulged” by the Ge Lao.

The series of conflicts and changes in the Gan Xue Prefecture’s dynamics that resulted from this were also all within the Ge Lao’s control.

Even the outcome of the final Blood Sacrifice Array might have been anticipated by the Ge Lao—at least, something he was pleased to see?

And at the time of parting, the Ge Lao came to see him, actually wanting to personally confirm the mental state of this “chess piece” who had resolved the evil god’s calamity?

He was actually a “chess piece” used by the Ge Lao to control the situation in Gan Xue?

Mo Hua connected all of these, and couldn’t help but feel a chilling dread.

The air in the stone hall grew cold.

But then Mo Hua pondered for a while, and slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

He felt that he might still be a bit “self-important.”

It wasn’t necessary to think of people’s hearts as so “insidious.”

The Ge Lao should be very busy.

Sitting in that position, high up and lonely, he had to survey the Nine Provinces, oversee the overall situation, see everything. It was impossible for him to truly focus all his attention on a small Foundation Establishment cultivator like himself.

If he knew about him, at most it was just knowing.

If he “schemed” against him, at most it was just some calculation.

As for “chess pieces,” it was probably just taking advantage of the situation, using “bait” to lure him, where everyone benefits.

The Ge Lao probably didn’t intend to harm him.

Otherwise, back in Yun Du City, when he was about to leave Gan Xue Prefecture, the Ge Lao wouldn’t have personally appeared to play chess with him.

Of course, Mo Hua didn’t know that the Ge Lao actually didn’t intend to “appear,” nor did he intend to “accompany” him in chess.

It was Mo Hua himself who was “overly familiar” and sought out the Ge Lao to play chess.

“Moreover, all of this is just my speculation—”

Mo Hua thought to himself.

The old man who played chess with him might not actually be the “Ge Lao.”

Even if he truly was the Ge Lao, he shouldn’t bear any ill will towards him.

Mo Hua could still sense this.

And, anyone who could be on par with him in chess, like himself, was at most exceptionally intelligent, and absolutely not a base and sinister person.

Mo Hua nodded, feeling that this made perfect sense.

Then he lowered his head and looked at the Yimu Spring Revival Formation before him.

Everything just now was merely his “deduction” based on subtle clues.

Whether it was true or not, there was no way to verify it yet.

But if it were true, then this formation would definitely be extraordinary.

With abundant wood and blood, and the circulation of life and death, it was not only closely related to his master’s karma but also contained a profound and unfathomable law of formation.

He must thoroughly study and understand it.

Right now, just by looking at the structure of the array patterns and array hubs, nothing could be discerned; he still needed to apply what he learned.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked Ba Shan for a clean stone chamber. He then pretended to pray to the Divine Lord, asking for the Divine Lord’s mighty power.

But there was no “Divine Lord’s” blessing.

Because Mo Hua didn’t have a “Divine Lord” at all.

He could only rely on his own strength to draw six more Yimu Spring Revival Formations.

After drawing them, Mo Hua instructed Ba Shan and others to carry the other injured soldiers in and place them on the Yimu formations for treatment.

Dan Zhu felt grateful.

The people of the Dan Que tribe were deeply moved to tears.

They had not expected Lord Wuzhu to care for them so much.

Within just one hour, he had painstakingly prayed to the Divine Lord again, obtaining the Divine Lord’s grace and setting up sacred runes to treat the wounded of the Dan Que tribe.

Such great kindness and virtue truly left them with no way to repay. Mo Hua didn’t think too much about it. Instead, under the pretext of “observing injuries,” he moved between the various Yimu formations and the wounded, continuously observing the operation of the formations and the blood loss and wood replenishment in the wounded, thereby deciphering the changes in the transition between life and death, and comprehending the profound meaning of this “Yimu Spring Revival Formation.”

In this way, the injuries of the Dan Que tribe’s wounded were gradually contained.

Mo Hua’s mastery of the Yimu Spring Revival Formation and his understanding of the mutual transformation of death qi and vitality during “healing” also deepened little by little.

Meanwhile, in Daozhou.

In a very secluded small courtyard in a certain fifth-grade state,

An old man with white hair, wearing a bamboo hat, was fishing by a small pond.

Calling it fishing, it was more like he was dozing off.

He lay half-reclined on the grass, with a small wooden table in front of him, on which sat a pot of tea and a game of unfinished chess.

On his right, a fishing rod hung in the air, the line without a hook, entering the water directly, so naturally no fish paid it any mind.

To others, the old man had never won at chess.

The old man had never caught a fish either.

Yet, this old man still found joy in his own way.

As the Ge Lao of the Tian Shu Ge, he had worked tirelessly and was now enjoying the rare tranquility of retirement.

It wasn’t until a small golden fish in the water licked the fishing line and even poked its head out of the water to glance at the Ge Lao that he finally awoke.

But when the Ge Lao opened his eyes and looked back, the fish quickly splashed and darted into the water, completely vanishing.

The Ge Lao was a little surprised and couldn’t help but murmur:

“Too clever—how am I going to catch it now?”

The water surface was calm as a mirror.

The Ge Lao slowly rose and moved the fishing rod, but there was no hook on the rod, only stirring some ripples.

The ripples disturbed some large, dull-eyed fish.

These large fish floated on the water, staring blankly at the Ge Lao, seemingly not afraid of him at all, and not knowing to hide in the water.

The Ge Lao watched, a little annoyed.

Why was there such a big difference between the fish in this world?

The clever fish were too clever; in a blink of an eye, not even a shadow could be seen.

The stupid fish were too stupid; even when death was imminent, they still showed their heads above the water.

And yet, in this world, the clever fish were too small.

The stupid fish, however, were individually large.

The Ge Lao’s brows furrowed, but after a moment, they slowly relaxed again.

“I almost forgot, I’m retired, I don’t need to worry about such trivial matters anymore—”

The Ge Lao pointed into the air.

The teapot automatically floated up, shook its belly, then tilted its spout, and the brewed tea poured itself into the cup.

The cup then delivered itself to the Ge Lao.

The Ge Lao took the cup, sipped the tea, and slowly reclined in a bamboo chair, squinting, basking in the sunlight from the clouds, and feeling the mountain breeze from the forest. There was no chaotic human noise, no toil of official documents; his whole being felt hundreds of years younger.

For someone extremely fatigued, “leisure” was the greatest luxury.

After indulging in a moment of luxury and enjoying a bit of leisure, the Ge Lao slowly opened his eyes again.

He looked up at the sky, his mood still not entirely calm.

Clever people often see things others don’t.

Some things, once you see them, are hard to ignore.

But many matters are predestined by karma, leaving one helpless.

It’s like… when a person is meant to die, they will die.

If the vitality in the flesh and blood dissipates, there are still ways to treat it. But if the vitality in karma is severed, that is truly a dead end with no life—

Even if one temporarily avoids the disaster of flesh and blood, one ultimately cannot escape the death of karma.

The Ge Lao looked at the clear sky, finally sighed deeply, and placed a white piece on the chessboard.

But the white piece was instantly swallowed by a black piece.

The black pieces on the unfinished game formed a terrifying black mist, seemingly intending to devour all the white pieces.

The Ge Lao’s gaze was solemn, and he murmured:

“You need to be a little smarter, learn a bit more—”

“Whatever you do—don’t die in this calamity.”

Three Thousand Desolate Lands.

In the stone hall of the Shu Gu Secret Department in Zhuque Mountain Realm.

Mo Hua was still engrossed in studying the various transformations of the Yimu Spring Revival Formation when he suddenly felt a pang in his heart and couldn’t help but look up at the sky.

But he was inside the stone hall; looking up, he saw the roof and couldn’t see the sky at all.

Mo Hua muttered to himself, then thought for a while, shook his head, and continued to study the Yimu Formation and the changes of life and death.

He wanted to quickly unravel these unfamiliar and obscure formation changes.

Unfortunately, before he could research for long, the Bi Fang tribe attacked again.

This time, Bi Jie himself led the team.

Bi Jie had been attacking various small tribes in the surrounding area, capturing a bunch of barbarian slaves, and then ordering these barbarian slaves to act as cannon fodder in front, attacking the Shu Gu Secret Department.

Their elite Bi Fang tribe members still stayed behind, waiting for an opportunity to ambush and kill the Dan Que tribe’s barbarian soldiers.

A battle was imminent.

After a period of fighting, both sides retreated.

Many Dan Que tribe barbarian soldiers were again poisoned by Bloodfang Poison, their blood flowing incessantly.

Then, a day later, Bi Jie led his men back, repeating the same tactic, causing more casualties.

He genuinely wanted to “wear down” the Dan Que tribe until they died.

Once they ran out of barbarian soldiers, he would use his numerical advantage to surround and annihilate Dan Zhu.

Capturing military supplies would naturally be a piece of cake.

Bi Jie had originally thought so.

But what he found difficult to understand was that things simply weren’t developing as he had expected.

Very few of the Dan Que tribe’s barbarian soldiers actually “died.”

In fact, many barbarian soldiers who had been poisoned by Bloodfang Poison reappeared on the battlefield a few days later.

This was impossible!

Bi Jie’s eyes were cold.

This poison was one he had treasured for a long time, with almost no antidote. Once afflicted, blood Qi and vitality would continuously drain away.

Even with medicine to supplement, how could so many barbarian soldiers poisoned by blood be replenished?

“What the hell is going on? Which animal is ruining my plans?”

Bi Jie’s face twisted in rage. A fair and sacred face suddenly flashed in his mind.

On the other side, Mo Hua also had an unpleasant expression.

He knew that this could not go on like this.