In the blink of an eye, a flash of sword light severed a head.

Tie Shugu had no idea what this “thing” was.

But he was certain of one thing: anything that could be decapitated with a single sword stroke could not possibly be the Barbarian God.

The Barbarian God was the Barbarian God because of His awe-inspiring power, immense strength, and immortality.

How could a Barbarian God be decapitated with one sword?

The thought that anyone in this world could decapitate the Barbarian God with a single strike struck Tie Shugu as laughable.

Yet, despite his thoughts, his body trembled, his head bowed to the ground, eyes tightly shut, not daring to look up.

He was having a nightmare.

In reality, he was Chief Shugu, a formidable Jin Dan.

But in this inexplicable dream, in the realm of the Divine Way, he was merely a weak, pitiable, and helpless “Jin Dan.”

A moment later, a searing heat emanated from all around, as if someone was casting a divine ability, manifesting a sea of fire, incinerating something.

Then, Tie Shugu heard a “gasping” sound again.

It seemed as though the powerful psychic energy filling the surroundings was being completely sucked into the mouth of some terrifying “monster.”

Even with that inhale, it felt as if his soul was about to be “sucked” in as well.

Tie Shugu, consumed by fear, curled into a ball, wishing he could bury himself in the ground.

Fortunately, this terror didn’t last long.

The dream’s owner died, was “eaten,” and the dream shattered with it.

Everything began to blur, the scenery twisted, like a swirling vortex of illusion and reality, causing a tearing pain in his head.

When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the great hall, the offerings dim and lusterless.

Tie Shugu turned to look at Mo Hua, seeing Mo Hua’s face filled with excitement and satiety, fair and handsome, yet radiating a fierce glint, like a “凶神” (fierce god) in the present world, cloaked in harmless “human skin.”

Tie Shugu instinctively shivered.

Mo Hua also looked at Tie Shugu.

In just a few breaths, all the malevolence and wickedness on his face receded, becoming as refined as a painting, gentle and sacred again.

This transformation made Tie Shugu even more terrified. He quickly lowered his head, not daring to look at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua didn’t speak.

Tie Shugu didn’t dare to speak either.

He felt as though the air in the hall had frozen, every second an agony.

Finally, after an unknown period, Tie Shugu heard a clear voice of a young man:

“You have done well. You may withdraw.”

Tie Shugu felt as if he had received a great pardon, his voice trembling slightly, “Yes, yes… Master Wuzhu.”

Tie Shugu bowed and withdrew.

Mo Hua silently watched Tie Shugu’s retreating figure until it disappeared from the hall, then suddenly frowned.

A strange sense of unease suddenly arose in his heart.

He felt as if he had overlooked something.

But this feeling was fleeting, and Mo Hua didn’t understand why he had this sense of unease.

Moreover, why did this unease come from Tie Shugu?

“Could it be that I’ve put Tie Shugu through too much, and I feel guilty?”

“Impossible…”

Mo Hua shook his head, no longer dwelling on it.

Of course, he no longer had the leisure to think about it; he had more urgent matters to attend to.

Mo Hua immediately sat cross-legged on the ground, his divine consciousness sinking into his Sea of Consciousness. He summoned the Dao Stele, used the tribulation lightning pattern to obliterate the Barbarian God’s will, and skillfully “detoxified” it.

The Barbarian God of the Shugu partial tribe had not actually become a “demonic deity.”

But Mo Hua, to be safe, still used the tribulation lightning to obliterate it, in case of any unknown “underhanded tricks.”

Once bitten, twice shy.

Ever since suffering a major setback at his Shibo’s hands, Mo Hua had become increasingly cautious about things related to divine念 (nian) and karma.

Better to kill a thousand innocent than to let one slip away.

Then Mo Hua opened his mouth wide and, with an “aw-woo,” swallowed all the purified psychic energy.

As this Barbarian God from the Shugu partial tribe was swallowed by Mo Hua and gradually digested, Mo Hua suddenly remembered something:

“What did the Barbarian God I just ate look like?”

He recalled carefully; it seemed to have a bull’s head, looked quite terrifying, and had bones as armor.

But it died at first glance, then was “burned,” and now had been refined into smoke. Mo Hua had forgotten what it looked like.

Mo Hua frowned, then shook his head.

“Never mind, it’s already in my belly; its appearance doesn’t matter.”

“There’s no need to be picky about the appearance of food…”

“As long as it nourishes the divine consciousness!”

Mo Hua continued to concentrate on refining.

The Barbarian God’s psychic energy was gradually absorbed by him, strengthening his soul, and his divine consciousness was also slowly assailing the bottleneck of twenty-two纹 (wen) peak.

The aura on Mo Hua’s divine consciousness avatar surged, constantly fluctuating.

This kind of power in the Divine Way, like that of a god, was extremely vast and profound.

Unfortunately, despite a long effort, the bottleneck ultimately did not break.

His divine consciousness realm remained at the peak of twenty-two纹, merely more condensed than before.

Mo Hua slowly exhaled, opening his eyes. His clear gaze showed no discouragement; instead, it grew brighter.

This was something he had already anticipated.

A Barbarian God that had not degenerated into a “semi-demonic deity” was merely a large “evil spirit,” which only provided better nourishment because it had consumed incense offerings.

Such a Barbarian God was clearly insufficient to help him break through the twenty-two纹 bottleneck of his divine consciousness.

But Mo Hua could feel that his divine consciousness had still grown significantly.

Even the bottleneck had noticeably loosened.

This indicated that his divine consciousness had indeed improved considerably; it was just that this “quantitative change” in divine consciousness had not yet accumulated enough for a “qualitative change” to break through the bottleneck.

Mo Hua had a very strong premonition.

Perhaps after consuming two or three more Barbarian Gods of similar size, the quantitative change would reach its limit.

And he would be able to break through the bottleneck, raising his divine consciousness to twenty-three纹!

Twenty-three纹! The divine consciousness of a peak early-stage Jin Dan!

It was almost within reach, even vaguely tangible.

Mo Hua’s eyes sparkled.

And upon reaching twenty-three纹, he could do something even more important:

That was to comprehend the unknown Grade 2, twenty-three纹 Taotie Formation within the head of the Shugu Barbarian God statue!

This was what Mo Hua had been most eager to do these past few days.

This was a brand new formidable formation.

What was even more remarkable was that this twenty-three纹 Barbarian God Taotie Formation seemed to be a different type of formation from the Grade 2, twenty-four纹 Twelve Meridians Taotie Spirit Skeleton Formation he obtained from the Great Wilderness Demonic Deity statue.

Both formidable formations were Taotie Formations, but they felt vastly different to Mo Hua.

The patterns of the formations and their practical applications showed clear discrepancies.

They looked different, yet both formations used “Taotie patterns,” falling within the scope of similar Four-Symbol Taotie fierce patterns.

This was quite peculiar and provided Mo Hua with great inspiration.

A single Taotie Formation would certainly be difficult to comprehend.

But if two different Taotie Formations were to corroborate and relate to each other, it would undoubtedly deepen his understanding of this ancient fierce beast, the Taotie Formation, and his comprehension of this ancient fierce pattern.

And whether he could master the Taotie Formation directly concerned whether he could forge his Běnmìng zhènfǎ (natal formation) and successfully form his Jin Dan.

Therefore, Mo Hua yearned even more for the twenty-three纹 divine consciousness realm.

He eagerly anticipated the day he could glimpse the essence of the Taotie Formation.

He also eagerly anticipated how powerful he could become in formations if he mastered the Taotie Formation.

“Twenty-three纹…”

To reach twenty-three纹, he naturally needed to “eat” more.

Mo Hua had entrusted the tribal governance to Dan Zhu, and Dan Zhu had done an excellent job, so he didn’t need to worry.

Therefore, Mo Hua’s current concern was to first “eat” his way to twenty-three纹.

But the problem was that reaching twenty-three纹 couldn’t be achieved by himself alone.

The only place where he currently had a chance to “eat” Barbarian Gods was the Shugu tribe.

The Shugu tribe was already quite chaotic, and with the current famine, it would only become more so.

He needed to find a way to conquer other Shugu tribes amidst the chaos, seize their temples, and then “eat” the Barbarian Gods they worshipped.

External and minor tribes wouldn’t suffice; their power was too small to offer a Grade 3 “Great God.”

It had to be a Shugu partial tribe, or a roaming tribe above that level.

Only then might he have a chance to “eat his fill.”

But such forces would inevitably have Jin Dan cultivators guarding them and numerous barbarian soldiers.

He, alone, couldn’t attack cities and plunder strongholds, so he would have to find helpers.

Mo Hua considered this for a moment, then found Chi Feng, a mid-stage Jin Dan cultivator.

Chi Feng was a barbarian general and currently the most powerful cultivator in terms of cultivation and combat strength among their group.

Dan Zhu had high talent and excellent magical artifacts, but in terms of cultivation, age, and combat experience, he was still considerably inferior to Chi Feng.

However, Mo Hua also knew that Chi Feng might not agree to such “adventurous” endeavors.

In the temple of the Shugu partial tribe.

Mo Hua made no secret of his intentions and directly told Chi Feng.

Chi Feng frowned, “Master Wu, you wish to… continue subjugating the Shugu tribe?”

Mo Hua nodded, “Senior Chi Feng, do you have any concerns?”

Chi Feng hesitated for a moment, then could only remind him:

“The Great Chieftain sent me to accompany Young Master Dan Zhu to ensure his safety and allow him to complete his mission smoothly, gaining some experience, not for… doing these kinds of things.”

Mo Hua retorted, “What could be more tempering than conquering the Shugu tribe?”

Chi Feng gave a wry smile, “That’s not what I mean…”

This kind of thing was simply not what Young Master Dan Zhu should be doing.

“Moreover,” Chi Feng paused slightly, then slowly continued, “Master Wu, it has been some time since Young Master left the Danque tribe. It’s about time he returned to the main tribe.”

Mo Hua thought to himself, “If I truly let you go back, could I still ‘kidnap’ Dan Zhu again to help me seize territory?”

Mo Hua calmly said, “No hurry.”

Chi Feng frowned, “Master Wu, didn’t you say that this famine is very severe? The situation is urgent now. If we don’t return to the main tribe soon, we might encounter unexpected disasters…”

Mo Hua had indeed said so.

The famine was indeed urgent.

But precisely because it was urgent, they couldn’t go back now; otherwise, it would only be waiting for death.

Mo Hua then said, “The Divine Lord will guide Young Master Dan Zhu and bless him. Young Master Dan Zhu will turn misfortune into fortune.”

Chi Feng looked at Mo Hua, silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Master Wu, do you mean… you want to cultivate and recommend Young Master to be the Great Chieftain?”

This question, involving tribal power struggles, was quite sharp.

Mo Hua looked at Chi Feng with a calm gaze, neither affirming nor denying, but instead asked:

“The Great Chieftain has four children, Senior Chi Feng, who do you favor?”

Chi Feng said with a solemn gaze, “I am the Great Chieftain’s man and only work for the Great Chieftain.”

In other words, he wouldn’t take sides; it didn’t matter to him who became the Great Chieftain.

He just needed to do his part.

Mo Hua’s gaze was somewhat discerning, and he said with a half-smile, “Is this matter really that simple? Senior Chi Feng truly believes he can remain uninvolved?”

Chi Feng remained silent.

Mo Hua continued softly, “You haven’t realized that the Great Chieftain sending you to guard Young Master Dan Zhu has already put a label on you?”

“Even if you are loyal to the Great Chieftain and believe you can remain neutral. But what about the Eldest Young Master and the Third Young Master? What will they think?”

“Will they assume you are on Young Master Dan Zhu’s side?”

“If they become the Great Chieftain in the future, will they trust you?”

“Can you truly extricate yourself from this quagmire?”

Mo Hua’s words were enticing, low, and held an inexplicable magnetism.

Chi Feng’s face grew increasingly grim, and his expression became more and more solemn.

But he was, after all, a battle-hardened general. He didn’t actually follow Mo Hua’s line of thought but suddenly looked up, his gaze like a sword directed at Mo Hua:

“These, it seems, are not matters for Master Wuzhu to consider…”

Chi Feng had slain countless foes, and his gaze, sharp as a sword and imbued with a murderous aura, was enough to intimidate most people, even Jin Dan cultivators might not dare to meet his eyes.

But as his fierce gaze met Mo Hua’s eyes, it seemed to sink into a deep pool, vanishing without a trace.

Mo Hua’s expression remained calm, his gaze profound, and he slowly said:

“To convey divine decrees above, and to understand human hearts below, that is what a Wuzhu does. Senior Chi Feng, surely you don’t think that serving the deities is enough for a Wuzhu, do you?”

“The Divine Lord cares for all living beings. And the Great Chieftain holds immense power, with the authority to give life or take it, which is of great importance.”

“If the Great Chieftain chooses correctly, the tribe will flourish and prosper, and will surely receive more blessings from the Divine Lord.”

“If the wrong choice is made, leading to incessant warfare and suffering…”

Mo Hua’s face then showed a cold expression, “The Divine Lord will not only not bestow blessings but may also unleash divine wrath like thunder, causing the tribe to perish.”

These stern words made Chi Feng’s heart tremble.

The sharp and powerful divine consciousness faintly visible in Mo Hua’s eyes also made him feel a momentary fear, as if this divine consciousness contained the divine power to obliterate him.

Chi Feng was deeply shaken.

“This is… the great power of someone blessed by a deity?”

“Despite having only Foundation Establishment cultivation, his eyes contain the wrath of the Divine Lord, enough to make a Jin Dan cultivator fear?”

Was this true divine power?

Or merely his own hallucination?

Chi Feng frowned deeply, then slowly sighed a moment later, “I understand. I will help Young Master Dan Zhu subjugate the Shugu tribe.”

Mo Hua, however, shook his head, and said solemnly:

“Not helping Young Master Dan Zhu, but helping the Danque tribe.”

“Your loyalty should not be to Dan Zhu, nor to a specific young master, nor even to the Great Chieftain, but rather to the entire Danque tribe.”

“Use your own eyes to see for yourself.”

“Whoever represents the future of the Danque tribe, whoever can make the Danque tribe prosper, whoever can gain the Divine Lord’s approval, then you should naturally pledge your allegiance to that person.”

“If this person is Dan Zhu, then you pledge allegiance to Dan Zhu. If it is the Eldest Young Master, then you pledge allegiance to the Eldest Young Master, and if it is someone else, then you pledge allegiance to that other person.”

“Your allegiance is to the tribe. Other than that, no one is worthy of your loyalty.”

Chi Feng was startled, gave Mo Hua a deep look, and slowly nodded:

“Everything shall be as Master Wu says.”

He finally persuaded Chi Feng, and also initially planted the seed of a certain “loyalty” concept in Chi Feng’s heart.

Afterward, Mo Hua called Tie Shugu.

Tie Shugu was the leader of a roaming tribe within the Shugu tribe.

To conquer the Shugu tribe, Tie Shugu’s help was naturally needed.

This was also part of Mo Hua’s plan.

Tie Shugu came to meet Mo Hua.

Mo Hua stated his intentions.

Of course, he didn’t put it so “bluntly,” only asking Tie Shugu to lead the way to nearby Shugu partial tribes or other medium to small-sized settled tribes.

This request was actually a bit “excessive.”

After all, it was asking Tie Shugu to betray his own tribe.

And as is well known, “Tie Shugu” in the barbarian language means “iron-willed and unyielding.”

But Mo Hua didn’t expect Tie Shugu to agree so readily, bowing and saying:

“I am willing to guide Master Wuzhu.”

This, instead, surprised Mo Hua a little.

Did this Tie Shugu genuinely believe that he was “Master Wuzhu” from the bottom of his heart, and thus sincerely converted with conviction?

Or was it that the Shugu tribe was internally chaotic, with no real camaraderie between them?

Did Tie Shugu wish for his “allies” to die?

Mo Hua pondered a little.

But no matter what, Tie Shugu being so “sensible” was a good thing; it saved him the trouble of speaking at length and saved him from using the Dao Heart Seed Demon technique.

Using Dao Heart Seed Demon on a Jin Dan was quite strenuous.

Moreover, the success rate was low, and there was an occasional risk of “losing control.”

Unless absolutely necessary, or if the groundwork was sufficient and foolproof, Mo Hua was still reluctant to use this method.

He hadn’t forgotten that the Dao Heart Seed Demon was something he had secretly learned from his Shibo.

Mo Hua nodded and said to Tie Shugu:

“Very good, the Divine Lord will remember your loyalty. Go prepare and mark out the surrounding Shugu tribe forces. We will depart in two days.”

Tie Shugu cupped his hands: “Yes, Master Wuzhu.”

Two days later, after roughly getting organized, Mo Hua and his party embarked on their conquest.

This expedition consisted of about three hundred people.

There were three Jin Dan cultivators: Chi Feng in the mid-stage of Jin Dan, Dan Zhu in the early-stage of Jin Dan, and Tie Shugu, also in the early-stage of Jin Dan, who was responsible for guiding them.

In addition, one hundred barbarian soldiers were from the Danque tribe.

Some had unfortunately been lost in the previous conflict with the Bifang tribe.

But thankfully, Mo Hua had used the Yimu Rejuvenation Formation to treat many, so the casualties were not severe. Afterward, some reinforcements were added, just enough to make a hundred.

The other two hundred-plus were the “elites” of the Shugu tribe.

These Shugu “elites,” strictly speaking, were not truly elite.

After all, they were barbarian soldiers from a partial tribe, and most of their cultivation was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, with few in the mid-stage.

But these two hundred Shugu barbarian soldiers were already the “cream of the crop” in terms of talent.

Mo Hua brought these barbarian soldiers along, firstly to reduce casualties for the Danque tribe in the upcoming battles.

Secondly, it was also to cultivate a group of “rebels” for his own use.

Finally, it was to reduce the risk of unforeseen events in the Shugu partial tribe.

He, Dan Zhu, and Chi Feng were out on a campaign, while the Shugu partial tribe was guarded by the two elders, Ba Shan and Ba Chuan.

Although the deterrent power of a Jin Dan was formidable, the manpower was simply too scarce.

If the Shugu tribe decided to rebel, it would still cause a great disturbance.

Therefore, by drawing away a wave of “elite” barbarian soldiers from the Shugu partial tribe, the risk of an incident was reduced.

Elders Ba Shan and Ba Chuan could also relax a bit.

And because “Tie Shugu,” the former Shugu chief, was leading the way, the other Shugu elites’ rebellious sentiments were not as strong.

After all, Mo Hua had never treated them harshly.

In fact, during the days of Mo Hua’s “rule,” the lives of these Shugu barbarian cultivators were even better than before.

Whoever provided food was like a father, whoever provided milk was like a mother.

At least in the short term, they had no thoughts of rebellion.

Thus, with three hundred people marching mightily, after three days, they reached the nearest partial stronghold of the Shugu tribe.

This partial tribe also worshipped a Barbarian God.

Mo Hua could already faintly smell the fragrance of the Barbarian God’s psychic energy.

He felt that twenty-three纹 was one step closer to him…

Mo Hua gave Dan Zhu a look.

Dan Zhu nodded, waved his hand forward, and said sternly:

“Kill!”