Mo Hua returned, and the students were overjoyed, stepping forward to greet him, saying, “Hello, Teacher.”

Their faces, no longer bearing the wildness of barbarian cultivators, were softer, their eyes more expressive, and their spirits full.

The external conflicts had been blocked by Elder Zhamu, not affecting these children.

Mo Hua also checked their studies.

Cultivation, array formations, rudimentary alchemy, and the theory of artifact refining—these were all taught by Mo Hua.

Each child had different talents and interests, and their progress varied. The clever ones learned quickly, while the slower ones learned very slowly.

But Mo Hua could see that these children had all studied diligently. Even if they were slower, they had not wasted their time and were slowly making progress.

This was not only related to their inherent resilience from poverty but also due to the supervision of Xiao Zhatu, the “little instructor.”

Mo Hua praised Xiao Zhatu a few times.

Upon receiving the teacher’s praise, Xiao Zhatu’s face turned red with excitement.

After Mo Hua had guided the children’s cultivation and studies for a while, Elder Zhamu approached and said, “Great Shaman, Jiao Li is here.”

Mo Hua nodded, then left the cave and returned to the main hall, where he indeed saw Jiao Li standing.

He was tall and stern-faced, with a hint of ambition and resentment in his eyes.

After prolonged combat and holding a high position, he had developed a formidable demeanor and a touch of arrogance that resisted being controlled.

And the one who controlled him was Mo Hua, the Great Shaman.

Jiao Li had even secretly harbored homicidal thoughts, thinking that the Great Shaman, after all, only had a Foundation Establishment cultivation. If he took a gamble, he might be able to remove the “tightening spell” above his head and do as he pleased.

However, after seeing Mo Hua’s not-so-tall figure, familiar face, and piercing eyes firsthand, the “rebellion” in Jiao Li’s heart ultimately transformed into deep reverence.

He gritted his teeth, suppressing his pride as a chieftain, and slowly knelt down, “Jiao Li—is guilty.”

Mo Hua glanced at him indifferently, “What are you guilty of?”

Jiao Li bowed his head, “When the Great Shaman was away, Jiao Li—had ulterior motives and did not obey the Great Shaman’s command, failing to protect Wutu Mountain Realm.”

Mo Hua remained noncommittal, saying nothing.

But the more he remained silent, the more Jiao Li felt terrified, as if he carried a mountain on his back, making it hard to breathe.

Even if he were stabbed a few times in the chest, it would be better than this torment.

This agony lasted for an unknown period until footsteps were heard from outside the hall.

Jiao Li knew in his heart that Wu Sha was probably coming.

Wu Sha was stationed in Wusha Mountain Realm, which was farther from Wutu Mountain Realm, so he would arrive later than Jiao Li.

When Wu Sha arrived, Jiao Li slowly let out a sigh of relief.

Because he knew that Wu Sha’s betrayal of the Great Shaman was deeper than his own.

He had merely “disobeyed” some of the Great Shaman’s instructions, while Wu Sha had almost “deviated” from the Great Shaman’s intentions.

The footsteps grew closer, but the person who entered was not Wu Sha. Instead, it was the red-armored barbarian general from the Wulu tribe, who, on Wu Sha’s orders, had previously tried to snatch Mo Hua’s students.

As soon as the red-armored barbarian general entered the hall, he knelt down, not daring to look up.

Mo Hua asked him, “Where is Wu Sha?”

“Lord Wu Sha, he—” The red-armored barbarian general’s voice trembled slightly, as if he knew his words would displease the Great Shaman.

But he had no choice and could only grit his teeth and say, “Lord Wu Sha, he said—he is busy with important matters and currently has no time to meet the Great Shaman.” A cold and eerie feeling instantly filled the hall.

The hall was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

Jiao Li dared not speak.

The red-armored barbarian general of the Wulu tribe pressed his head against the cold floor, not daring to breathe.

They didn’t know what exactly had happened, but they knew that the Great Shaman seemed very unhappy.

The red-armored barbarian general stammered and could only repeat:

“Lord Wu Sha has always been loyal to you, Great Shaman. As soon as he finishes the important matters at hand, he will personally come to beg for your forgiveness, Great Shaman—”

After speaking, he seemed to realize his offense and repeatedly kowtowed, saying, “Please, Great Shaman—forgive me.”

“Please, Great Shaman, forgive me.”

Inside the hall, the cold and eerie feeling receded slightly.

Jiao Li and the red-armored barbarian general, however, dared not relax their guard. They had no idea what this young-looking yet profoundly unfathomable Great Shaman was thinking.

After a while, Mo Hua’s voice came from the high seat:

“Go and ‘invite’ Wu Sha again. Tell him I will wait here for him until he arrives.”

The voice was clear and calm, showing no emotion.

Yet, the red-armored barbarian general felt every word was as heavy as a thousand jun.

He kowtowed repeatedly, “Yes, yes, I will go invite Lord Wu Sha now. Please wait, Great Shaman.”

After speaking, he still dared not stand, remaining on his knees and backing out.

The hall was utterly silent.

Jiao Li, the chieftain who commanded absolute authority in the Heijiao tribe, remained prostrate on the ground, not daring to make the slightest movement.

Previously, if he were told to kneel, he would have been unwilling.

But now, he wished he could just keep kneeling, kneeling forever, as long as no one disturbed him, as long as the Great Shaman didn’t speak to him. So, Jiao Li knelt for a long time, quietly and peacefully.

Until this stillness was broken by footsteps again.

This time, the footsteps were more chaotic and noisy, as if many people were present, but most stopped outside the hall.

Only two people walked in.

Jiao Li dared not look up, but judging by their aura, one of them was the red-armored barbarian general of the Wulu tribe, and the other’s aura was stronger—

It was his archenemy, the chieftain of the Wulu tribe—Wu Sha.

After entering the main hall, the red-armored barbarian general habitually knelt down.

Wu Sha did not kneel, but merely bowed to Mo Hua and said, “Great Shaman, Wu Sha is late. Please punish me, Great Shaman.”

Mo Hua, who was resting his arm on the chair and meditating, looked up at Wu Sha upon hearing his words.

Wu Sha was indeed not what he used to be.

His cultivation had improved, his demeanor was more noble, and he wore a magnificent barbarian chieftain’s battle robe.

Mo Hua could tell that this battle robe should have been even more luxurious.

It was only because he was coming to see him that Wu Sha had reluctantly removed some of the gold tassels and jade ornaments, appearing slightly simpler.

It truly was difficult for him.

Mo Hua’s expression was indifferent.

Wu Sha also maintained his bowing posture.

After a moment, Mo Hua asked him, “Do you still remember what I commanded you to do?”

Wu Sha cupped his hands and said, “Of course I remember.”

Mo Hua asked, “What did I command you to do?”

Wu Sha paused, his mind momentarily blank, unable to speak.

He had forgotten what Mo Hua had commanded him, or rather, it seemed Mo Hua had never commanded him anything at all.

Mo Hua’s gaze grew colder.

Wu Sha’s heart tightened, and he immediately said:

“Wu Sha does everything according to the Great Shaman’s commands. I rule the Wusha Mountain Realm well; the tribes are submissive, and no one dares to rebel. In every tribe, statues have been erected, and people worship them morning and evening. The various tribes offer tribute monthly—”

Mo Hua asked, “Is that what I commanded?”

Wu Sha felt an inexplicable panic in his heart, and in an instant, he suddenly understood something.

It’s those statues! I shouldn’t have only erected my own statues!

Wu Sha hurriedly said, “Wu Sha was wrong. Wu Sha will immediately have those statues all changed to the Great Shaman. It is the Great Shaman who brought them everything; they should worship the Great Shaman and offer tribute to the Great Shaman—”

“The Great Shaman is the master of the mountain realm. Everything in this mountain realm belongs to the Great Shaman—”

Mo Hua sighed softly in his heart.

Indeed, he understood nothing at all.

People’s hearts are like this; each has an opening. Those who can understand often understand easily.

If they don’t understand, they will be as if their hearts are covered with lard, no matter how they think, they won’t understand.

Mo Hua looked at Wu Sha and said in a cold tone, “From now on, you are no longer the chieftain of the Wulu tribe, nor are you the commander of the Wusha Mountain Realm.”

These words were like a side knife falling on Wu Sha’s head.

Even Jiao Li, kneeling on the ground, couldn’t help but tremble.

As a chieftain, Jiao Li could empathize the most. He had struggled so hard to climb to a high position and become the chieftain of the Heijiao tribe.

What he feared most was this very sentence from the Great Shaman.

These words would strip him of all his honor and shatter all the efforts he had made up to that point.

Wu Sha’s heart also chilled.

He probably guessed that the Great Shaman might say this, and he had been uneasy about it.

But now that these words were truly spoken by the Great Shaman, he felt much more at ease, replaced by a hint of disdain and ridicule.

Wu Sha stood straighter, and anger surged in his eyes:

“Great Shaman, I have fought for you, I have bled for you, I have campaigned in all directions for you, conquering one mountain realm after another. But what about you?”

Wu Sha dropped the honorific, looking directly at Mo Hua and saying:

“You feared my power, so you elevated Jiao Li to counterbalance me. You feared my forces growing strong, so you prevented me from touching the Heijiao tribe’s barbarian armor. And to guard against me, you had that old man Zhamu constantly watch me, not letting me use your students—”

“Great Shaman, how can I be loyal to you when you do this? How can I submit to you again?”

“Now, as expected, as soon as you return, you start targeting me, trying to strip me of my chieftain position and my command—”

Wu Sha sneered, “How can it be that simple?”

Mo Hua said calmly, “What do you want?”

“Great Shaman—” Wu Sha’s expression was indifferent, “You should know, things are not what they used to be. I, Wu Sha, am already at the peak of Foundation Establishment cultivation, just one step away from Golden Core. My barbarian army is strong, I control several mountain realms, and I have two thousand troops.”

“Now, everyone knows that I, Wu Sha, am the master of Wusha Mountain Realm, dominating a region, with all submitting to me.”

“Such power, how can it be removed by a mere word from you?”

“Great Shaman?” Wu Sha sneered, “I respect you, that’s why I call you Great Shaman. If I don’t respect you, do you really think you, this Great Shaman, are some kind of divine being?”

Mo Hua’s expression was calm, “You mean, you want to ‘rebel’?”

“Rebel?” Wu Sha scoffed, “Who would I rebel against? What do you have that’s worth my rebellion? I’m not rebelling, but rather—”

Wu Sha stood proudly, staring at Mo Hua and declared:

“I want you, Great Shaman, to personally confer upon me, to personally acknowledge me, Wu Sha, as the mountain master appointed by the divine lord, to rule over this region, with no one daring to resist.”

Upon hearing this, the red-armored barbarian general was shocked, and Jiao Li’s face changed.

They never imagined that Wu Sha possessed such great ambition.

Mo Hua shook his head, sighing inwardly.

Indeed, his judgment of people was quite accurate.

Some ungrateful people can never be tamed.

Mo Hua asked, “What if I don’t agree?”

Wu Sha grinned ferociously, “That’s not up to you.”

Since the pretense was broken, there was no need for politeness. With things said to this extent, this Great Shaman would have to agree, whether he wanted to or not.

If he didn’t agree, then they would capture him and torture him.

Or, they could torment and kill his students one by one; he probably wouldn’t bear to see such a scene.

As long as a person has a weakness, they have a handle. This so-called Great Shaman was no different.

Wu Sha’s mind raced, considering whether to strike first, when suddenly a warning surged in his heart. He looked up and saw Mo Hua pointing a fair finger at him.

Sorcery?

Wu Sha’s pupils contracted, and he instinctively activated his spiritual power.

Indeed, almost in the next instant, a fire-sphere with black edges shot from the fair fingertip, heading straight for his chest with strange speed.

Still this fire-sphere…

Wu Sha frowned, then sneered inwardly, activating his barbarian armor and concentrating all his strength in his chest.

The next moment, the fire-sphere exploded.

The fire spiritual energy, controlled by divine sense, writhed chaotically like shrimp and worms.

Wu Sha was blasted back five or six steps, his barbarian armor cracked, his chest burning with heat and chilling with baleful energy, his face changing wildly.

Impossible!

Wu Sha couldn’t believe it.

“I’m already at the peak of Foundation Establishment, my cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds. Why does the Great Shaman’s fire-sphere still hurt so much when it hits me?”

“No, it’s even stronger and more ferocious than before?”

Wu Sha was indignant, his heart filled with rage. He looked up, ready to attack Mo Hua with all his might, but he happened to see Mo Hua’s eyes.

These were a pair of dark and terrifying eyes.

This was also the first time Wu Sha had seen the Great Shaman’s eyes.

No one knew what terrifying scenes he had witnessed, what dreadful experiences he had endured,

But Wu Sha’s confidence, courage, and the ambition that had swelled due to his improved cultivation and long tenure in a high position, were almost instantly shattered.

Wu Sha’s face was pale, and he collapsed onto the ground, like an insect whose spine had been removed.

Wu Sha knelt.

The blackness in Mo Hua’s eyes receded, returning to their normal state.

Jiao Li and the red-armored barbarian general had kept their heads down and had not seen Mo Hua’s eyes, but their peripheral vision caught sight of Wu Sha’s appearance.

They couldn’t possibly imagine that the “worm-like” weak person before them had, a breath ago, been the dominant mountain master of Wusha. Their hearts were profoundly shaken, and they lowered their heads even further.

Mo Hua looked at Wu Sha, his tone still calm, “Do you know your mistake?”

Wu Sha was terrified, losing all his confidence in an instant. He kowtowed and said:

“I know, I know I was wrong. Please, Great Shaman, don’t kill me. I am still useful. Great Shaman, you cannot kill me, you cannot kill me.”

Mo Hua looked at him and asked, “What use are you?”

Wu Sha quickly said, “I am the chieftain of the Wulu tribe, the heart of Wusha Mountain Realm. I have two thousand barbarian soldiers under me, and I will lead them for the Great Shaman. If I die, the Wulu tribe will fall into chaos, Wusha Mountain Realm will be in disarray, and those two thousand barbarian soldiers will also rebel—”

Mo Hua frowned, turned to look at the red-armored barbarian general of the Wulu tribe, and asked, “What is your name?”

The red-armored barbarian general realized Mo Hua was asking him, his body trembled, and he quickly said, “Reporting to the Great Shaman, I—your humble general—am named Yuan…”

Before he could finish, Mo Hua said, “No need.”

Mo Hua slowly said, “From now on, you shall be called ‘Wu Sha’.”

The red-armored barbarian general was stunned.

I’m called Wu Sha?

“But—” The red-armored barbarian general couldn’t help but turn to their chieftain, “Lord Chieftain, he—”

—is also called Wu Sha.

Mo Hua nodded, “There can only be one Wu Sha.”

The red-armored barbarian general paused, then gradually understood. He boldly looked up at the Great Shaman.

Mo Hua’s eyes held scrutiny.

A surge of courage rose in the red-armored barbarian general’s heart. He slowly stood up and walked towards his chieftain, Wu Sha.

The “Wu Sha” who had lost his name lay sprawled on the ground, his eyes wide, his face filled with disbelief.

“No, how, no—”

He wanted to resist, but he simply couldn’t muster the will to.

It seemed that even his courage to resist had been shattered along with his ambition by those dark eyes.

If the Great Shaman wanted him dead, he had to die.

Wu Sha could only grit his teeth, glaring at the red-armored barbarian general who was once his subordinate. “You, you dare—”

The red-armored barbarian general walked up to Wu Sha, a fierce look on his face. He pulled out the iron chain from his barbarian armor and mercilessly twisted it around Wu Sha’s neck, strangling his former chieftain to death.

Wu Sha lost his name and his life.

Afterward, the red-armored barbarian general even twisted Wu Sha’s head off directly.

He held “Wu Sha’s” head, walked a few steps forward, knelt on the ground, and presented “Wu Sha’s” head to Mo Hua.

Mo Hua nodded, “From now on, you are Wu Sha, the chieftain of the Wulu tribe, and the commander of Wusha Mountain Realm.”

The new “Wu Sha” knelt on the ground, kowtowing three times:

“Thank you, Great Shaman, for your recognition.”

“‘Wu Sha’ will certainly remember the Great Shaman’s commands and will spare no effort, even giving my life, for the Great Shaman.”

Thus, a barbarian general gained a new name.

A tribe gained a new chieftain.

A mountain realm also gained a new commander.

All else was “old,” with no changes.

Having completed all this, Mo Hua issued his first command to the new “Wu Sha”:

“I will give you a letter. Take this letter of mine to the mountain valley in the northwest corner of Wusha Mountain Realm and invite my ‘guests’ here.”

“Wu Sha” did not know who Mo Hua’s guests were, nor did he dare to ask.

He could only hold the letter Mo Hua gave him in both hands and respectfully said, “Wu Sha obeys.”

Afterward, “Wu Sha” left.

He took Mo Hua’s letter to the mountain valley Mo Hua had mentioned.

There, he witnessed a scene he had never seen in his life, and met figures he would have almost certainly never met before.

Golden Core!

A full five Golden Core cultivators!

In a Second-Rank Mountain Realm, he saw five tribal cultivators at the Golden Core stage!

And the leader, with peerless beauty and unmatched heroism, was as dazzling as a divine child descended from heaven, making it difficult to look directly at him.

“Wu Sha” was greatly shaken.

What was even harder for him to accept was that behind these five people, there was a barbarian army of five to six hundred soldiers.

Most of these barbarian soldiers were at Foundation Establishment,

And many were even at the peak of Foundation Establishment.

There were no fewer than two hundred individuals of his own cultivation level and realm within this barbarian army.

“Wu Sha” felt a chill deep in his heart, his liver and gall trembling.

In other words, he, the newly appointed “Wu Sha,” might be a chieftain and a mountain commander in his own small Second-Rank Mountain Realm.

But in this army, he was merely an insignificant “barbarian soldier.”

There could be thousands of “Wu Sha”s like him.