This kind of causal energy is invisible to ordinary people. What they see is merely the desolation of withered plants and the bleak spectacle of starving creatures.

Mo Hua, however, saw it very clearly. And this famine was completely different from what he had previously imagined. This didn’t resemble a “natural” disaster at all; it was more like an invisible calamity with “life,” a “miasma-like” monster that was spreading across the Great Wilderness, consuming the vitality of the land, and causing all living beings on it to waste away, starve, and die.

This monster, resembling a “Great Famine,” was slowly but visibly “creeping” towards Mo Hua, bringing with it desolation, decay, hunger, and despair, and getting closer and closer.

Mo Hua’s expression changed, and he said, “Let’s go! Back to the stone palace.”

Dan Zhu couldn’t see what Mo Hua saw, but he knew this was no small matter, so he nodded. The group returned to the stone palace and tightly shut the gate. Mo Hua’s brows were also tightly furrowed.

Dan Zhu’s expression was solemn as he asked, “Wu Xiansheng, with such an inconceivable anomaly… has the Divine Lord given any revelation?”

Mo Hua initially wanted to lie and say, “Of course.” The Divine Lord is omniscient and omnipotent, naturally knowing everything. But the words caught in his throat, and Mo Hua held back. The Divine Lord is omniscient and omnipotent, but he, the shamanic priest, was not. Faced with such an unexpected and bizarre situation, it was not good to make things up to avoid being exposed.

So Mo Hua said with a solemn expression, “The Divine Lord only prophesied that there would be a great disaster in the wilderness. But what kind of great disaster it would be, the Divine Lord did not explicitly state. It must be that this disaster involves some great karma and cannot be easily revealed.” Mo Hua sighed again, “Moreover, in the recent battle with the Bi Fang tribe, I repeatedly cast spells to consult the divine oracle, and have already overdrawn my divine power. I am also somewhat unclear about the specifics of this disaster…”

Upon hearing this, Dan Zhu felt both gratitude and concern for Mo Hua. Wu Xiansheng had repeatedly expended divine power to divine the enemy’s situation, all to protect him and the lives of the Dan Que tribe’s warriors.

“Xiansheng, please take care of yourself,” Dan Zhu said, bowing with concern.

Mo Hua nodded, looking somewhat “weak.”

Dan Zhu pondered for a moment, still feeling worried, “Xiansheng, with the famine descending, what should we do next?” This was a completely unexpected situation. Mo Hua was at a loss for a moment.

Just then, shouts of battle erupted outside the stone palace again. Mo Hua frowned and went out with Dan Zhu to investigate, seeing distant figures among the mountain forests, and glinting blades and spears. The Bi Fang tribe had attacked again. Such challenges were commonplace. Dan Zhu was about to go and meet them. Mo Hua quickly stopped him.

Dan Zhu was confused. Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then his expression subtly changed, and he said, “Don’t go. Have Chi Feng and everyone else retreat and defend.”

“No one is allowed to engage them.”

Dan Zhu nodded solemnly. The order was passed down, and the entire Dan Que tribe retreated into the stone palace. This was not a good decision. With the enemy at their gates, if the entire outer perimeter of the valley was yielded to the Bi Fang tribe, leading to the stone palace being completely surrounded, they would be trapped in a predicament. But no one in the Dan Que tribe questioned it. Chi Feng also did not voice any opposition. After these days, Mo Hua’s almost miraculous instructions meant his commands were equivalent to the Divine Lord’s “divine oracle.”

As the Dan Que tribe retreated to defend, the shouting Bi Fang tribesmen were somewhat surprised. Bi Jie also frowned, not understanding Mo Hua’s “foolish” move or its intentions. But with the opportunity before him, he immediately ordered the Bi Fang tribe to attack.

The crowd surged forward, charging towards the Dan Que tribe. But halfway up the hillside, an invisible reddish-yellow energy suddenly appeared, and then large swathes of plants withered. The Bi Fang tribe and the other barbarian cultivators were startled, but immersed in this reddish-yellow energy, they didn’t immediately feel anything unusual, nor did they detect any toxicity; it even felt less potent than miasma. They didn’t care and continued their advance, attacking the stone palace where the Dan Que tribe was located.

The young master of the Bi Fang tribe had promised that once the stone palace was captured and Dan Zhu killed, they would be given excellent barbarian armor and a large number of barbarian slaves, and a fertile piece of land in the Bi Fang territory would be given to them. The young master of the Bi Fang tribe had sworn to the Divine Lord. This promise would surely not be false. Therefore, this group of barbarian cultivators, heedless of their lives, began to charge towards Dan Zhu and the others, hoping to be the first and claim the greatest merit.

Mo Hua did not let anyone attack; he only defended. After a while of fighting, the battle was chaotic. Bi Jie, along with four or five Golden Core cultivators from external barbarian tribes, surrounded and attacked Dan Zhu and Chi Feng. The other Dan Que barbarian soldiers were also being overwhelmed. The defenses of the stone palace were precarious.

Mo Hua paid no attention, only watching everything with deep eyes. Bi Jie and these people were being treated as “guinea pigs” by Mo Hua. In the battle, they continuously absorbed this reddish-yellow energy representing the “famine.” Mo Hua observed the changes in their bodies, wanting to know what would happen after this reddish-yellow energy was absorbed by humans. What was the underlying logic of this energy’s operation? Many changes in the energies of heaven and earth and the laws of karma are invisible to ordinary “mortal eyes” but cannot escape Mo Hua’s divine perception and Dao-transformed eyes.

In the eyes of Bi Jie and the others, these were merely superficial signs of plant wilting. But in Mo Hua’s pure golden, deeply insightful spiritual vision, they contained deeper changes. His Dao-transformed eyes could clearly see that this reddish-yellow energy, once inhaled by cultivators, flowed through their meridians and integrated with their physical bodies.

To Mo Hua’s astonishment, this reddish-yellow energy possessed no “toxicity” and did not harm the cultivators’ bodies. It was even different from what the appearance suggested. This reddish-yellow energy itself did not possess the laws of “withering” or “decay.” What it possessed, in fact, was “vitality.”

Mo Hua’s pupils contracted slightly, finding it counter-intuitive, yet reality was precisely this. The essence of the energy causing the “famine” was not “withering,” not “decay,” not “wilting”… but “vitality.”

This famine energy, when integrated into a cultivator’s body, enhanced the “vitality” of their physical body, making them mentally excited, accelerating blood flow, increasing digestion and absorption rates, and even providing a temporary boost to cultivation and strength. The entire person would be full of “vitality,” tirelessly energetic.

But the result was also evident. This would cause rapid bodily metabolism, swift depletion of vital energy, and an incredibly rapid onset of profound “hunger.” This was indeed not a “poison.” It wasn’t even a “disease.” This was merely a natural and reasonable process of a cultivator’s own vital energy metabolism, leading to hunger. It was just that this reddish-yellow energy accelerated this natural process to completion in a short amount of time. It was “vitality” that led to “decay,” that led to “withering,” and ultimately led to widespread “famine.”

This was like… “prosperity” leading to “decline.” “Abundance” leading to “barrenness.” This famine, then, used “life” to cause widespread “death”…

Mo Hua’s expression froze, his pupils trembled, and a chill involuntarily ran through his heart. He couldn’t quite discern whether this famine in the wilderness was a law of heaven and earth, or if someone was deliberately creating a catastrophe behind the scenes. If someone was intentionally doing this, then that person, who knew how to use life to bring about death, had an absolutely terrifyingly profound understanding of the “Dao.”

The movement of the Dao is reversal.

And as Mo Hua was pondering, among the Bi Fang tribe, a barbarian cultivator suddenly became excited due to inhaling the famine energy. His heart pounded violently, his meridians swelled, vital energy rapidly consumed, and an inexplicable “hunger” surged from deep within him. His eyes gradually turned red, saliva uncontrollably drooled from the corners of his mouth, and then he bit into a fellow tribesman, tearing off a large piece of bloody flesh.

This act immediately provoked outrage from everyone. “You bastard! Traitor?!” “What’s going on?”

But soon, more and more people began to bite each other. The feeling of “hunger” drove them to eat indiscriminately. And with the plants withered, the only “food” around was people. The battlefield of killing instantly became a hell of “eating” people. This bloody anomaly shocked everyone; both warring parties had to stop their weapons, their faces filled with terror.

Mo Hua immediately said coldly, “Retreat to the stone palace!”

Upon hearing this, Dan Zhu and the others immediately retreated into the stone palace. Seeing this, Bi Jie was furious and led his troops to storm it. But his attack was blocked by Chi Feng, and the Bi Fang tribe’s offensive was completely stopped by the formations Mo Hua had set up on the stone palace gate. Bi Jie and the others could not enter the stone palace. Behind them, the reddish-yellow energy continued to spread, and the Bi Fang tribesmen were still slaughtering and devouring each other. Amidst flying flesh and blood, even Bi Jie himself vaguely felt a sense of hunger.

Bi Jie’s face was pale, and he immediately felt that things were going terribly wrong. But he was unwilling to give up. In the Shu Gu tribe, there was something he yearned for. No one knew about this thing, and no one could discover it; he had to get it before Dan Zhu.

Just as Bi Jie hesitated, the symptoms of the “famine” suddenly worsened. More and more barbarian cultivators began to “eat” people due to hunger. The number of dead in the Bi Fang tribe also increased, and their fates after death were extremely tragic, their flesh devoured, leaving only bleached bones. Bi Jie himself couldn’t help but swallow. The feeling of hunger began to burn in his heart.

Bi Jie knew that the tide had turned. The wilderness was inherently dangerous; in the face of such sudden bizarre events, everyone had to retreat three paces, not contend with a natural disaster, or they would surely die without a burial place. Bi Jie could only grit his teeth and command:

“Retreat!”

The Bi Fang tribe left under Bi Jie’s leadership. Some barbarian cultivators, consumed by hunger and preying on others, had their heads chopped off, leaving only their bodies. But those who left “alive” might not be spared either. Precisely because they were “alive,” the “active” famine energy still flowed within them, keeping their blood in an active, “boiling” state, gradually plunging them into profound hunger. Along the retreat route, people continuously “fell ill.” Bi Jie could only kill them one by one, until no one else suffered from the “hunger” sickness. This seemingly ordinary “famine,” in just one encounter, almost wiped out Bi Jie’s forces. Bi Jie’s heart bled, and at the same time, he felt a chill throughout his body.

In the stone palace, some members of the Dan Que tribe also contracted the “hunger sickness.” They had been fine while fighting Bi Jie, but upon retreating to the stone palace, some Dan Que barbarian soldiers “fell ill” and began to crave “food.” Dan Zhu immediately ordered these sick barbarian soldiers to be tied up. Being kind-hearted, he would not kill his own soldiers, so he ordered some dried rations and jerky to be given to them. These barbarian soldiers weren’t necessarily craving “human flesh.” They could eat anything, but no matter how much they ate, they remained insatiable. Moreover, with their limited food supply in the stone palace, feeding them further would create a huge problem. Dan Zhu could only look at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua looked at these barbarian soldiers, tormented by “hunger” to the point of near madness, his brows tightly furrowed. He knew better than anyone that this “hunger sickness” was very difficult to cure. The difficulty lay in the fact that it wasn’t actually a “poison” or a “disease,” but simply extreme “hunger.” Since it wasn’t a disease, there was naturally no “cure.” The only way was… to eat.

Mo Hua’s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately thought of the Yi Mu Hui Chun Array (Wood Spring Revival Array). The famine caused vital energy depletion and loss of life force. The Yi Mu Hui Chun Array could replenish vital energy and restore life force. The famine transformed “life” into “death.” The Yi Mu Hui Chun Array, on the other hand, used “life” to delay “death.” In a sense, these were two sets of “mutually opposing and complementary” logics and laws.

Mo Hua immediately ordered the Dan Que barbarian soldiers afflicted with the “hunger sickness” to be placed on the Yi Mu Hui Chun Array. Greenish-blue Yi Mu energy permeated, integrating into the barbarian soldiers’ meridians, replenishing their life force. These barbarian soldiers were still tormented by the “hunger” in their hearts, their faces contorted. This feeling of hunger, being a consciousness from deep within, could not be eradicated temporarily. However, their vital energy and life force were intercepted by the array, at least for a short time, they were out of mortal danger.

Mo Hua slowly let out a breath. Then, with a solemn expression, he said to Dan Zhu, “Quickly, everyone pack your things. In half an hour, we will leave the stone palace to avoid the famine.” The famine was still spreading, and it would completely engulf the stone palace within an hour. Once enough people inhaled the reddish-yellow energy, their barbarian army would be completely wiped out.

Dan Zhu also knew the stakes and nodded, “Alright.” Everyone quickly packed their belongings. All supplies had been stored in storage boxes beforehand, so it didn’t take much effort. The cracked head of the barbarian god was also put into a storage box. Mo Hua also made some preparations.

After preparing, Mo Hua first closed his eyes and concentrated, deducing for a moment, then released his spiritual sense, setting a route outside the valley. Only then did he command: “Everyone, hold your breath and try to minimize your breathing.”

“I will give each of you a mask. On the mask, there is a sacred pattern bestowed by the Divine Lord, which can, to some extent, counteract the energy of the ‘famine’.”

“But this was done in a hurry; this sacred pattern was drawn temporarily, and its effect is not very strong, so you must still be careful.”

“From now on, along the way, follow my instructions. Go wherever I tell you to go.”

“The Divine Lord will protect you.”

“If you do not obey orders and lose your way, the Divine Lord cannot save you either.”

Mo Hua’s expression was solemn. Everyone clenched their fists across their chests, bowed to Mo Hua, and respectfully said, “Thank you, Divine Lord, for your blessing. We respectfully obey the orders of the Great Shamanic Priest.”

Mo Hua nodded slightly, then commanded, “Depart.”

“Yes, Great Shamanic Priest.”

Then Mo Hua led the way, with Dan Zhu at the rear, Chi Feng guarding Mo Hua’s left, and Elders Ba Shan and Ba Chuan responsible for coordination and bringing up the rear. The group then marched out of the stone palace and entered the valley.

Inside the valley, large areas of trees had withered. But this wilting was not complete; it was patchy, like “sores.” Wherever the famine energy contaminated, plants would also “starve” to death. Uncontaminated areas could temporarily survive. In Mo Hua’s eyes, he could clearly see the “boundary” of the famine energy’s spread, and thus knew where the “zone of life” was and where the “zone of death” was. This boundary of life and death was something only Mo Hua could perceive.

Mo Hua looked up at the sky, pretending to pray to the “Divine Lord,” then, as if receiving guidance from the unseen, he looked extremely devout and turned to the crowd, saying: “The ‘Divine Lord’ has answered my prayer; He will show me the way.”

“Follow me.”

Mo Hua, as the shamanic priest, walked at the very front, guiding the crowd. Everyone looked reverent, filled with faith, and closely followed the Great Shamanic Priest’s steps. The group entered the mountains where the famine was spreading. This time, no one dared to pursue and kill them again. The famine was a disaster, but Mo Hua also used it as a “barrier,” isolating them from danger and the pursuit of the Bi Fang tribe. And in the disaster, only Mo Hua could see the path ahead.

Thus, Mo Hua led the group, continuously heading southeast. They proceeded cautiously for a day and a night, finally leaving the valley where the Shu Gu Secret Tribe was located, escaping this “quagmire” of bitter struggle. Outside the valley, the famine was still spreading, but the symptoms were much milder. Mo Hua dared not be negligent and continued leading the group south, moving in the opposite direction of the famine’s spread.

Along the way, Mo Hua, with divine light in his eyes, discerned life and death, leading the way. Most of the Dan Que tribesmen were able to avoid the calamity. But some were unlucky and inexplicably contracted the “hunger sickness.” Mo Hua had no time to treat them, so Dan Zhu ordered these sick barbarian soldiers to be knocked unconscious, their mouths and noses sealed with iron chains, and their limbs restrained, then dragged along. Fortunately, there weren’t many such people, and it didn’t cause too much disturbance.

After another two days of travel, the surroundings became open, and the desolate and eerie atmosphere gradually receded. Mo Hua knew that they had temporarily escaped the “famine.” But he still dared not be careless. Once caught in this famine, the result was complete annihilation.

Afterward, Mo Hua, pretending to “pray” to the Divine Lord, received the Yi Mu Hui Chun Sacred Pattern, which he used to briefly save the afflicted barbarian soldiers, temporarily preserving their lives. Then, without stopping, he continued to lead everyone forward. He wanted to get as far away from the famine as possible.

After advancing another few hundred li, the group entered a mountain valley. They had barely settled down for a moment when they were suddenly ambushed by a group of barbarian cultivators. These barbarian cultivators had light yellow bone paint on their faces, and it appeared they were also from the Shu Gu tribe. However, this was not a nomadic tribe, but a legitimate “branch tribe.” Seeing Mo Hua’s group, dusty and disheveled, dragging many large storage boxes, they thought they were a “fat sheep” and, filled with greed, set up an ambush.

Three Shu Gu Golden Core cultivators, probably in the early stages of cultivation, leading about two hundred Shu Gu barbarian soldiers in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, hid in the dark, preparing to kill Mo Hua and his group to seize their supplies. They did not know that their whereabouts had been detected by Mo Hua long ago.

Mo Hua was shocked. He hadn’t expected his luck to be so good: right after leaving the valley and escaping the famine, he encountered such a good thing as “throwing a meat bun to a dog” (idiom for an act of kindness that backfires, or something given away for nothing). Before the Shu Gu branch tribe’s barbarian soldiers, hidden in the dark, could launch their surprise attack, Mo Hua had already begun to deduce karma and arrange his troops. Thus, an ambush turned into a counter-ambush.

The Shu Gu branch tribe suffered a crushing defeat. Of the three Shu Gu Golden Cores, Chi Feng killed one, Dan Zhu killed one, and the remaining one escaped. The rest of the forces completely disintegrated. Mo Hua did not let Dan Zhu pursue them to the last man, but deliberately left some alive, and by following these Shu Gu “deserters,” he traced them back to their lair: a not-so-small Shu Gu branch tribe encampment.

This was a good place. Mo Hua’s eyes lit up, and he pointed forward with his hand: “Take it!”

The Great Shamanic Priest issued the order, and the barbarian soldiers of the Dan Que tribe charged. Dan Zhu led the charge, like a Vermilion Bird possessing him, unstoppable. In less than an hour, he completely captured this Shu Gu branch tribe encampment.