Mò Huà’s spiritual sense, having reached the peak of the twenty-two-pattern Dao Transformation, was already stronger than most early-stage Jīndān cultivators. This meant that Mò Huà’s stealth was undetectable. In the presence of early-stage Jīndān cultivators, Mò Huà’s existence was like that of a ghost or spirit—known only to heaven and earth, but not to man.

He stood in the darkness, like a demon manipulating people’s minds. Tiě Shùgǔ’s faith, too, was subtly guided by Mò Huà, forming a self-reinforcing loop of self-perception. After that, Mò Huà’s figure gradually vanished without a trace, as if he had never been there, never existed.

Tiě Shùgǔ remained immersed in his fervor until it subsided, and his rationality slightly returned, at which point he noticed something unusual. But a certain idea had already been deeply planted in his heart. Whenever Tiě Shùgǔ thought about it, a “closed loop” would naturally form:

“That shaman, a demon skilled at bewitching people, walks among us in human skin, aiming to harm the Great Savage God and usurp the divine position.”

“But it can only kill ‘false gods’.”

“The true Great Savage God possesses heavenly power and will surely slay this demon, saving me from peril.”

“Why would the Great Savage God save me?”

“Because I am the Great Savage God’s most loyal devotee.”

“Otherwise, the Great Savage God would not have personally appeared in my dream to guide me—”

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became of this understanding, which he had deduced through divine guidance. Tiě Shùgǔ felt a burning passion in his heart. Loyalty filled his chest.

“I must do something for the Great Savage God; I must dedicate myself to the Great Savage God, even unto death—” Tiě Shùgǔ muttered persistently.

He began to rummage through his storage pouch, pulling out a large pile of maps. He then spent the night marking and studying something on these maps. He studied all night.

The next day, Tiě Shùgǔ went to see Mò Huà and presented the map he had meticulously drawn the previous night. Mò Huà was somewhat perplexed, asking him, “What is this?”

Tiě Shùgǔ’s attitude became even more respectful: “Reporting to Shaman Dàrén, this is the tribal map of my Shùgǔ Tribe, including the branch tribes, small tribes, and nomadic tribes. I have marked all tribes that have idols and altars.”

“Tribes may migrate, but the places of worship remain unchanged.”

Mò Huà pondered for a moment, then asked, “Why did you suddenly present this map?”

Tiě Shùgǔ’s heart skipped a beat. In his haste, he had only thought of luring this “demon” to be killed by the Great Savage God. He hadn’t realized that such “unsolicited flattery” would surely arouse the suspicion of this “demon shaman.” He had miscalculated!

Mò Huà’s gaze gradually turned cold. The image of the sinister skeletal sword demon surged in Tiě Shùgǔ’s mind, making him inexplicably tremble with fear. Seeing this, Mò Huà calmly “reminded” him, “Are you perhaps trying to defect to the Dānquè Tribe?”

This sentence was like a lifeline. Tiě Shùgǔ immediately seized the opportunity, nodding and saying, “Yes! Yes! I—I want to surrender to the Dānquè Tribe—”

Mò Huà asked, “Why?”

Tiě Shùgǔ’s mind raced as he began to find reasons for himself: “My—Shùgǔ Tribe is cruel, constantly infighting, and heartless. But the Dānquè Tribe—its people are harmonious, especially Young Master Dānzhū, who loves his people like his own children and is exceptionally brave. And—and—”

Tiě Shùgǔ slightly raised his head and glanced at Mò Huà, “Shaman Dàrén, you—are blessed by the gods, benevolent and wise, and will surely spread the glory of the God Lord throughout the Great Wilderness; your future is limitless—”

Mò Huà nodded slightly, evidently quite pleased. Tiě Shùgǔ slowly exhaled a breath of relief.

Mò Huà lowered his gaze, scanning the map Tiě Shùgǔ had presented. He suppressed the joy in his heart and questioned with a calm expression, “Is this map truly accurate?”

Tiě Shùgǔ bowed, affirming, “Tiě Shùgǔ guarantees it with his head; there will be no mistake.”

Mò Huà said, “You truly guarantee it with your head?”

Tiě Shùgǔ hurriedly said, “Yes.”

Mò Huà then nodded, “I understand your intentions. Do your best in your duties, and Young Master Dānzhū will not mistreat you, nor will the God Lord.”

Seeing that this “demon shaman” truly believed his words, Tiě Shùgǔ immediately felt a sense of relief. He bowed and said, “Thank you, Shaman Dàrén, for your grace. I will take my leave.”

Before leaving, Tiě Shùgǔ couldn’t help but glance at Mò Huà with the corner of his eye, his lips red, teeth white, and face handsome, with clear eyes. Earlier, he hadn’t thought in that direction, but now, upon closer inspection, he found this “Shaman Dàrén” to be excessively pale, like the skin of a dead person, and his lips so red, as if stained with blood. His clear eyes also held a hint of jarring innocence. And the reason for this innocence was precisely because he was not human at all! Not being human, he lacked human sophistication, which was why he possessed this inexplicable “sense of innocence.”

What a beautiful and flawless demonic human form! And this demon, capable of wearing human skin and openly walking among people, even calling himself a shaman and claiming to be a “blessed by the God Lord” individual. How profound must its cultivation be?

Tiě Shùgǔ felt a chill in his heart. The thought that he was currently “scheming” against this demon, and would later have to put himself at risk, serving this “demon” to guide it to its death at the hands of the Great Savage God—

Tiě Shùgǔ felt both fear and a sense of “glory,” as if he carried a great mission on his shoulders, and a tragic sense of heroism welled up within him. Tiě Shùgǔ’s gaze was as hard as iron. But he still lowered his eyes, not daring to look at Mò Huà, fearing that his “rebellious” little thoughts would be detected by this terrifying “demon” before him, leading to the failure of his grand plan.

Tiě Shùgǔ bowed and withdrew. Mò Huà, however, wore a somewhat playful expression, deep in thought. “This Tiě Shùgǔ is indeed a ‘talent’—”

“But—there is indeed something strange about him.” Mò Huà couldn’t help but softly murmur the words Tiě Shùgǔ had spoken during his prayer last night:

“May the ancestors bless the faithful, bless the descendants, and ward off disaster and misfortune.”

“May all calamities not touch me, and all karma be transferred to others.”

“Let the sacrificial dog become me, let the dead not be me—”

Ward off disaster and misfortune—calamities not touching me, karma transferred to others, and dogs—what do these words mean? Does this Tiě Shùgǔ possess some kind of karmic inheritance? What kind of inheritance could it be? What is the mantra? What is the medium? What is the method? What is the law of karma? Why does Tiě Shùgǔ carry such an inheritance? Is it a blessing from the Savage God? Or a secret technique passed down from his ancestors, as he claimed? Does Tiě Shùgǔ truly know that he carries such an inheritance? Does he truly understand the meaning of these karmic phrases? The more Mò Huà thought, the deeper his gaze became.

Over the next month, with Tiě Shùgǔ, this “traitor” loyal to the Great Savage God, leading the way, Mò Huà began a more precise campaign against the Shùgǔ Tribe. His goal was singular: to find the Savage God. To devour the Savage God and replenish his spiritual sense. Tiě Shùgǔ’s goal was also singular: to lead Mò Huà to the Savage God. To have the true Great Savage God kill Mò Huà, this “demon shaman.”

To achieve this goal as quickly as possible, Tiě Shùgǔ even personally attacked the Shùgǔ Tribe, clearing obstacles for Mò Huà and conquering strongholds. He had not taken action before because he was, after all, a Jīndān cultivator, the leader of a Shùgǔ nomadic tribe. He was different from ordinary tribesmen. In the Great Wilderness, a leader’s surrender was shameful. Tiě Shùgǔ also had his pride; he could not succumb to a powerful enemy, could not surrender to an enemy tribe and wage war against his own.

But now it was different. He had received guidance from the Great Savage God, seen through illusion, solidified his faith, and knew what to do. He no longer cared about the opinions of others. Even if others viewed him as a treacherous, fallen, and shameless Shùgǔ “leader,” he didn’t care. For the sake of the Great Savage God, he was willing to endure this humiliation and didn’t mind being misunderstood by others. His painstaking efforts would be witnessed by the Great Savage God himself.

Thus, Tiě Shùgǔ transformed into the vanguard of Mò Huà’s campaign against the Shùgǔ tribes. To conquer some of the stronger branch tribes, Dānzhū or Chìfēng had to lead the charge. But for some of the smaller tribes, branch tribes, or nomadic tribes with almost no Jīndān-level combat power, Tiě Shùgǔ became the main force.

Each time a Shùgǔ tribe was breached, Tiě Shùgǔ would personally lead Mò Huà to the idol in front of the altar. He would personally arrange the sacrifices, set out offerings, light the bone fire, and perform the sacrificial dance himself, preparing everything for Mò Huà. Then, in the twilight, a mysterious presence would descend.

Tiě Shùgǔ would again enter the dream of the divine path, where he would once more encounter the Savage God of the Shùgǔ Tribe. As always, he would kowtow to the Great Savage God. Then, as usual, a brilliant sword light would flash, and the Great Savage God’s head would fall off again.

In the past, Tiě Shùgǔ would have been panicked, confused, and terrified. But now, he merely sighed inwardly: “Just another ‘false god’—” The true Great Savage God could not be decapitated by a sword demon. Only a “false god” could be decapitated.

Tiě Shùgǔ continued his search, seeking that “Great Savage God” who could not be killed by the sword demon, whose body emanated a brilliant, pure golden light. Only this Great Savage God could save him from misfortune. Only this Great Savage God could kill that terrifying demon shaman in human skin.

Afterward, Tiě Shùgǔ continued to search, continually leading Mò Huà to conquer Shùgǔ tribes of all sizes, to seize altars, and to attack idols. Tiě Shùgǔ was even more proactive than Mò Huà himself. And he continued to enter dreams, continued to kowtow. And each time he kowtowed, another Savage God’s head would fall.

As he continued to kowtow, Tiě Shùgǔ realized that after visiting so many altars and kowtowing so many times, he hadn’t encountered the true Great Savage God. Instead, the sword “demon” seemed to grow increasingly powerful, and the pressure it exerted on him intensified. It was a chilling, pervasive, yet intangible pressure on the spiritual sense level. The stronger this pressure became, the greater Tiě Shùgǔ’s sense of urgency grew.

This pressure reached its peak several months later, after conquering a powerful Shùgǔ branch tribe. Tiě Shùgǔ finished his sacrificial dance, entered the dream, and after kowtowing, “killed” another malevolent “false god.” Tiě Shùgǔ could feel the surrounding sensation of burning like a fiery hell. Then, he heard a sound like a swirling tempest of suction. In the next instant, a powerful and heart-palpitating aura suddenly arose.

Golden light shimmered, sharp as a sword, and the surging momentum steadily climbed, sweeping around like a hurricane, almost suffocating Tiě Shùgǔ. Tiě Shùgǔ could only kneel on the ground, burying his head low, not daring to look at anything. But in his heart, he knew that this must be the demon shaman’s spiritual sense advancing further, after having slain enough “false gods.”

After an unknown period, the disturbance subsided. The dream also twisted and dispersed. After a dizzying spin, when Tiě Shùgǔ opened his eyes again, he found himself kneeling before an idol. The idol’s head was still intact, but its “soul” seemed to be gone. Tiě Shùgǔ’s heart tightened, and he instinctively turned to look at Mò Huà, just in time to see a flicker of black and white in Mò Huà’s eyes. His vast spiritual sense returned to him like a vortex, and his whole body exuded a strange, abyssal aura. Then, all traces of aura disappeared. Mò Huà was still Mò Huà, like a normal “person.”

Tiě Shùgǔ, however, felt a chill. He was certain that this demon had grown stronger. This demon’s original cultivation was already powerful enough. Now, its mental power seemed to have advanced further. How strong would it become then? Tiě Shùgǔ felt fear and secretly anxious: “I must lead this demon shaman to the true body of the Great Savage God as soon as possible, otherwise, with time, this demon will constantly grow stronger, and the threat to the Great Savage God will only increase.”

If this demon continued to grow and became powerful to a certain extent, the situation might be completely different. Even if the Great Savage God could truly kill it, it would certainly come at a heavy cost. It would not be surprising if certain dangerous accidents occurred. Tiě Shùgǔ believed in the Savage God, but he did not dare to underestimate this “demon.” A “demon” that could defy the gods could never be an ordinary demon.

“It must be done as early as possible! As quickly as possible! This demon must be trapped and killed!” Tiě Shùgǔ was consumed by worry.

Mò Huà, on the other hand, was delighted: “Finally—twenty-three patterns. For several months, guided by this Tiě Shùgǔ, I have been going around devouring Savage Gods and absorbing mental power. My spiritual sense has finally reached the twenty-three-pattern realm, which is the peak spiritual sense of the early Jīndān stage.” Mò Huà hadn’t even expected it to go so smoothly. This Tiě Shùgǔ had truly helped him a great deal. Indeed, forcing others to do things and making them willingly work for you were worlds apart. Seeding the Demonic Dao in the heart and guiding the spiritual sense were indeed supreme Dao methods. And now, he could officially attempt to learn the *Tiè* patterns. Mò Huà’s eyes were bright.

But before Mò Huà could free up his hands, the surrounding situation suddenly deteriorated. Mò Huà’s original plans were also severely hampered. Firstly, although enough small and external Shùgǔ tribes had been conquered, there weren’t enough people to occupy them, leading to frequent riots. Secondly, after one of the Shùgǔ Six Fiends died, the remaining five began to re-gather savage cultivators to seek revenge on Dānzhū. Thirdly, the famine. After several months, the famine, which had once been localized, began to spread again. Once the famine spread and the disaster escalated, all surrounding small and medium-sized tribes would be severely affected. More and more tribes fell into extreme hunger, having to resort to “eating” people to survive. Across the barren land, faith continued to deteriorate, and evil thoughts began to spread.

And the “practice” Mò Huà had Dānzhū undertake also failed. Dānzhū did indeed follow Mò Huà’s teachings in the occupied Shùgǔ territories: distributing resources fairly, prohibiting indiscriminate killing, promoting education, improving livelihoods, and so on. But these matters were not accomplished overnight. To truly establish them might take ten, twenty, or even hundreds of years. To destroy them, however, took only a moment. With Mò Huà as the shaman and Dānzhū as the young master, everything could still operate in an orderly fashion. But once the two left, the situation would gradually worsen.

Within the tribes, some people had selfish motives, greed, and various desires, constantly stealing tribal benefits for themselves. Once one person started, more and more followed. Gradually, the “rules” that had just been established became mere formalities. Overnight, the tribes once again fell into internal strife, internal consumption, internal greed, and internal chaos.

Besides internal chaos, the Shùgǔ Six Fiends, and even some other external small and medium-sized tribes, frequently came to kill and plunder. All the newly established foundations, not yet solidified, were completely destroyed.

Precisely at this time, the famine spread again. The Shùgǔ territories, spanning nearly a thousand li, plunged into greater turmoil. Tribes fought and plundered each other, countless lives were lost, and grievances arose everywhere. Mò Huà looked at the ravaged land and the incessantly fighting tribes, slowly sighing. His spiritual sense was indeed growing stronger. Yet, the situation was slowly getting worse.