“You…you…” Shugu Xianzun’s voice began to tremble.

Mo Hua said sternly, “It’s not me. I just asked casually… Understand? Just casually asked.”

How could Shugu Xianzun not understand when Mo Hua looked at him with eyes as bright as stars and as sharp as divine swords?

He nodded and said, “Understood, understood.”

Mo Hua asked him, “Do you really understand?”

Shugu Xianzun nodded seriously.

“Then… the thing I just asked you about, is there a way?” Mo Hua said in a deep voice.

Shugu Xianzun frowned. Although half of his forehead was rotten, it still furrowed together.

“This kind of thing…”

Shugu Xianzun just opened his mouth but couldn’t continue.

Mo Hua pressed on, “Aren’t you half-dead yourself? In other words, you are on the edge of ‘life’ and ‘death’. I don’t believe you haven’t thought about ‘resurrection from the dead’?”

Shugu Xianzun had a bitter expression, “I do think about it… Breaking through the boundaries of life and death, achieving immortality, who wouldn’t want that? The more you’ve died and experienced the eternal void, the more you fear death, and the more you don’t want to die.”

“But this… is different…”

Mo Hua asked him, “How is it different?”

Shugu Xianzun pondered for a moment, then sighed and said, “Daoist friend, have you heard the phrase ‘shen si dao xiao’?”

Mo Hua nodded.

No one should have not heard those four words.

Shugu Xianzun said, “These four words actually have a lot of meaning. ‘Shen si’ refers to the ‘death’ of life, the exhaustion of life span, the arrival of the great limit, and the decay of the physical body. There’s nothing more to say about that.”

“But ‘dao xiao’ has two meanings. One is that after a person dies, the ‘Dao’ they pursued in life naturally perishes.”

“The other refers to… being erased of ‘vitality’ by the Great Dao, which means being ‘de-registered’ by the Heavenly Dao…”

Mo Hua frowned, “De-registered?”

“Yes,” Shugu Xianzun said, “De-registered. The life and death of people—no, not just people, but all things—are predetermined. All life and death are etched in the eternal Heavenly Dao, flowing naturally with the alternation of sun and moon, spring and autumn. Once the predetermined span of life and death is passed, under the regulations of the Heavenly Dao, things will perish, and people will die.”

“To put it simply…” Mo Hua said, “The life and death of all living beings, including humans, are like ‘household registrations’ that the Heavenly Dao records. Once a person dies, the Heavenly Dao ‘de-registers’ them?”

Shugu Xianzun nodded, “Daoist friend truly has extraordinary comprehension, grasping it with just a hint. So, ‘shen si dao xiao’ can also be called ‘shen si dao xiao’ (de-registered).”

Mo Hua looked at Shugu Xianzun and asked, “Then what are you, being half-dead like this, considered by the Heavenly Dao?”

Shugu Xianzun said, “I am considered an unregistered person.”

“Unregistered?” Mo Hua was slightly surprised.

Shugu Xianzun confirmed, “Yes, unregistered.”

He sighed, “I am indeed dead; my life span is exhausted, and I have been de-registered by the Heavenly Dao. I can only rely on some unspeakable methods to linger in the world. But this ‘lingering’ is not living. At most, it’s just struggling in a ‘gray’ area, taking advantage of the Heavenly Dao’s inattention.”

Mo Hua frowned, “Then you, this unregistered person, don’t want to become registered again?”

Shugu Xianzun looked terrified, “The Heavenly Dao is utterly just, and life and death are extremely strict. How could this be… easy to talk about? The reason I can still exist in this half-human, half-corpse state is because I am very ‘honest,’ very low-key, and dare not show my face easily.”

“Otherwise, once I do something out of line and the Heavenly Dao detects me, this ‘unregistered person’ on the edge of life and death, then I’m finished.”

Mo Hua asked him, “Isn’t cursing me considered out of line?”

Shugu Xianzun said awkwardly, “This is an agreement of the blood pact; I had no choice. And… strictly speaking, this isn’t ‘killing,’ but ‘exchanging lives’.”

“Exchanging lives?” Mo Hua’s eyes showed confusion.

Shugu Xianzun pointed to Tie Shugu, who had already committed suicide, and said:

“My descendant is using his life to exchange for yours. His great limit has not yet arrived, and by sacrificing himself now, it is equivalent to returning some ‘interest’ of life to the Heavenly Dao. I intercept this interest and use karma to kill you… Of course, this old man’s cultivation is meager; even if I know some karma curse methods, I cannot harm your flawless golden body…”

Mo Hua, however, didn’t pay attention to these details, instead asking, “Tie Shugu’s life can be exchanged for mine? Can one life exchange for another? Then…”

Shugu Xianzun seemed to know what Mo Hua meant and shook his head, saying:

“Naturally, it can’t be that simple. There are many intricacies and numerous restrictions involved: the bloodline of descendants, complex incantations, and various karmic connections. In practice, it is still very complicated. It’s not a simple ‘life for a life’.”

After all, if it were truly that simple, and one life could exchange for another, killing would become easier.

Mo Hua continued to dig for details, “What methods are involved in becoming an ‘unregistered person’ like this?”

Shugu Xianzun looked troubled, “This is a core secret of my Shugu tribe. Forgive me, but even if this old man dies again, I cannot tell Daoist friend.”

Mo Hua’s face looked a little grim.

Shugu Xianzun quickly said, “And even if this old man told Daoist friend, you wouldn’t be able to learn it, let alone use it.”

Mo Hua asked, “Why?”

Shugu Xianzun asked him, “Has Daoist friend ever been married?”

Mo Hua, in his “child” form, shook his head.

Shugu Xianzun said, “Then you naturally haven’t had children, right?”

Mo Hua nodded.

“That’s it,” Shugu Xianzun said. “This method requires a bloodline descendant to exist in the world, and it’s somewhat… harmful to human ethics. Daoist friend’s spiritual body is like jade, divine body is pure, and golden light occasionally appears. You probably wouldn’t bother with these insidious unorthodox methods.”

“It requires children…” Mo Hua felt a bit regretful. He wasn’t married and didn’t have a Dao companion, so where would descendants come from?

Since that was the case, he couldn’t learn anything from the Shugu tribe.

Moreover, judging by Shugu Xianzun’s half-dead state and his actions, to learn this method, one probably had to have children and establish a family or tribe, then, after one’s life span was exhausted, be buried in a tomb, and then have one’s descendants sacrifice themselves like Tie Shugu to awaken oneself.

It seemed to be a desperate method for “extending life.”

Mo Hua would certainly not ask his descendants to sacrifice their lives.

And, ultimately, this was an “unregistered” practice to evade the Heavenly Dao’s scrutiny.

Such a method definitely wouldn’t save his master, and there wouldn’t be enough time.

Mo Hua then asked Shugu Xianzun, “Is there a more thorough approach?”

Shugu Xianzun frowned, “Daoist friend means…”

Mo Hua said, “Not my meaning, but my… another ‘Daoist friend’ is more interested in this kind of thing, so I’m just asking if there’s any way…”

Mo Hua’s voice lowered a few shades, “A way to ‘register’ an unregistered person, to live openly under the Heavenly Dao.”

Shugu Xianzun took a deep breath, thinking, “As expected.”

This child-like little monster truly harbored such “blasphemous” thoughts.

He himself merely skirted the edges of the Great Dao’s taboos, stealing a bit of vitality to survive in a gray area.

But this person in front of him not only wanted to secretly steal vitality but also aimed to overturn the Great Dao, reverse Yin and Yang, and turn life and death upside down.

He probably followed this clue, allowing his descendant to perform the blood pact, and then traced it back to him.

Shugu Xianzun was initially afraid, very afraid.

He often thought that by locking karma, determining life and death, lingering in the world, and plotting great schemes, he was already audacious.

But he never expected that there was always someone greater, someone beyond.

Someone truly had the audacity, or perhaps the arrogance, to believe they could overturn the laws of life and death.

In terms of ambition alone, this person was truly no less than…

Shugu Xianzun forcibly stopped his thoughts, looking at Mo Hua, an even more exaggerated thought emerged in his mind, causing his heart to surge like a tide.

“Speak up…”

A clear voice sounded, and only then did Shugu Xianzun regain his composure, looking at Mo Hua and sighing:

“This kind of matter involves life and death and contains the Great Dao of karma… it’s simply not something a mere peak third-grade, half-dead old thing like me can comprehend.”

Shugu Xianzun had a helpless expression.

Mo Hua was not satisfied with this answer.

However, upon closer thought, Shugu Xianzun’s words were also true.

If he truly had a way to “register,” he would have done so himself, instead of remaining an “unregistered person,” living in the shadows, slumbering underground, occasionally awakened by descendants, wanting to breathe fresh air, only to have terrible luck and be found by Mo Hua tracing the karmic lines.

But Mo Hua was still somewhat unwilling to give up.

He was actually quite opportunistic and curious, with a strong thirst for knowledge.

Even a dog passing by him would be asked a few questions.

It was rare to have the ancestor of the Shugu tribe in his hands, and he felt it would be a shame not to “extract” something from him.

Especially since he could live on the boundary of life and death, which indicated that this Shugu Xianzun was no ordinary character.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, his eyes glinting, and said, “You are the Shugu Xianzun and can perform curse killing, which means your attainments in karma should be quite profound, right?”

Shugu Xianzun said, “I wouldn’t dare…”

In front of someone who could climb the karmic lines to find him, he didn’t quite dare to claim any mastery of karma…

Mo Hua said humbly, “It’s alright, my research on karma isn’t very deep either. Let’s communicate well and make progress together.”

Shugu Xianzun didn’t want to communicate.

Mo Hua ignored him and said, “I’ll start by offering a modest opinion… What is called karma is essentially a power of the illusory and the real. All things have karma; one person, one event, is small karma. The more people, the bigger the event, the greater the karma. The great karma involving all living beings in the world is the celestial secret…”

When Shugu Xianzun heard the phrase “the essence of karma is the power of the illusory and the real,” his heart trembled violently.

This was something an old ancestor had told him a very, very long time ago.

He had pondered it for most of his life before he gradually understood a few things: what “power of the illusory and the real” meant, why it wasn’t illusory, not real, but “illusory and real.” Seemingly a difference of one word, it contained vastly different principles.

Yet, he never expected that today, this Daoist friend, with only “two hundred” years of cultivation, would casually point it out in front of him.

From his demeanor and tone, this Daoist friend clearly genuinely understood this phrase, and was not simply “repeating words.”

As for the subsequent conclusions about karma and celestial secrets, they were somewhat grand and empty.

Ordinary karma cultivators would not delve into such large concepts.

Shugu Xianzun still wanted to continue listening, wondering what other profound theories Mo Hua had.

But Mo Hua had finished speaking, his large eyes shining brightly as he looked at Shugu Xianzun.

As if to say, I’m done, it’s your turn.

Shugu Xianzun’s skull tingled slightly.

He finally understood what Mo Hua’s earlier phrase “offering a modest opinion” meant.

It meant that he had offered the “brick,” and he (Shugu Xianzun) had to produce the “jade.”

Mo Hua had set the tone so high at the beginning, bringing up grand concepts like karma, the illusory and the real, and celestial secrets.

Then his subsequent “exchange” couldn’t be too shabby; at least it needed to contain some “exquisite profound insights” comparable to what Mo Hua said, to be acceptable.

Mo Hua looked at Shugu Xianzun expectantly.

Shugu Xianzun hesitated for a moment, then carefully spoke a few words about “the barriers of karmic techniques,” but halfway through, Mo Hua shook his head, “Think again, this isn’t enough, it doesn’t match our statuses.”

Shugu Xianzun’s skull tightened. He thought for a moment and then spoke about deeper karmic studies, such as “parallel relationships in karmic techniques.”

Mo Hua still shook his head, looking a little disappointed, “I’m not here to talk about these shallow things with you.”

Shugu Xianzun had no choice but to brace himself and continued:

“My ancestors passed down a bit of karmic divination and unorthodox curses, capable of predicting the future, avoiding misfortune, and cursing people to death… The most profound ones cannot be spoken of, but some mid-to-low level techniques and methods, this old man can share with Daoist friend.”

Mo Hua’s heart stirred.

He really wanted this!

He had a deep understanding of the principles of karma, but his practical application, especially in terms of manipulative techniques, was rather limited.

Although it was already quite strong compared to ordinary karma cultivators.

But compared to someone like Shugu Xianzun, who could curse others to death, he was clearly far behind.

However, Mo Hua glanced at Shugu Xianzun and could instinctively feel that Shugu Xianzun was still holding back; this was not yet his bottom line.

His bottom line could definitely be pushed lower.

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then sternly put on a displeased face:

“I treat you sincerely, communicating with you about cultivation knowledge, telling you all my two… hundred years of lifelong learning, yet you hide things. Are you not treating me as a Daoist friend?”

Shugu Xianzun felt immense pressure. After a moment, he sighed deeply, leaving only a bitter smile:

“This… it’s not that this old man is holding back, but some insights are things this old man pondered over eight hundred years, not some top-tier inheritance, unworthy of grand occasions, and perhaps not even entirely correct… If by chance they align with the Great Dao, that would be fortunate, but if they go against it, speaking them might invite ridicule.”

Mo Hua said with a look of understanding, “It’s alright, I won’t laugh at you. Tell me.”

Shugu Xianzun said, “Then… this old man shall be so bold as to discuss with young Daoist friend the karmic insights I have studied my entire life…”

Mo Hua nodded, finally somewhat satisfied, and sat up straight, wanting to hear what Shugu Xianzun had researched in his life.

Shugu Xianzun straightened his face and slowly said:

“All things in the world contain karma. The foolish see it as mystery, but the wise see its profound secrets. Only great powerful beings can create methods based on karmic laws to peer into celestial secrets, divine good and bad fortune, protect human vitality, and curse people to death…”

“And all these laws, all these methods, ultimately boil down to the three words: ‘karmic lines’.”

“Karma seems mysterious, its methods ever-changing, with myriad superficial forms, but at its core, it is all about the manipulation of ‘karmic lines’.”

At this point, Shugu Xianzun raised his half-rotted hand and casually pulled at his fingertips, drawing out a blood-red thread.

“This thread is invisible to the naked eye, but with Daoist friend’s vision, you should be able to see it clearly… This is the ‘physical form’ of a karmic line.”

Shugu Xianzun stroked the karmic line, “And to be honest, this is a ‘karmic line’ that this old man just extracted from Daoist friend’s fate.”

“This is Daoist friend’s ‘line of vitality’.”

Mo Hua was stunned, “My line of vitality?”

Shugu Xianzun nodded, “Precisely,” then continued:

“If Daoist friend’s karma follows this line of vitality, then this is a ‘path of life’.”

“But… if this line breaks, then this path of life also breaks.” Shugu Xianzun casually snapped the karmic line in his hand.

Mo Hua was startled, looked down at himself, then at Shugu Xianzun, and frowned, “Are you trying to trick me? You snapped my line of vitality, but I’m not dead, am I?”

Shugu Xianzun smiled bitterly, thinking, if I could really snap your line of vitality and kill you, I would have done it long ago.

You wouldn’t be here, giving me such a hard time.

Shugu Xianzun sighed, “Snapping one line of vitality won’t kill Daoist friend, because Daoist friend is in the prime of life, with profound cultivation, strong spiritual power, and perhaps ten, a hundred, or even a thousand lines of vitality. Even if one breaks, there is still much vitality.”

“But for some elderly cultivators, or those on the verge of despair with only a sliver of hope, you only need to snap one line of vitality to potentially drive them to a dead end and cause them to perish in body and Dao.”

Mo Hua’s heart suddenly understood.

No wonder Shugu Dazhizhang was so easily cursed to death by him.

Because he was too old, and spent his life scheming and making enemies, he didn’t have many lines of vitality left.

Shugu Xianzun said, “So, from a karmic perspective, it’s actually very difficult to curse a cultivator who is in their prime and has abundant luck. But cursing an old cultivator who is not only aged but also has accumulated much negative karma is much easier.”

“This is curse killing. Many other karmic methods can also be understood from the perspective of karmic lines.”

Mo Hua asked, “For example?”

“For example…” Shugu Xianzun said, “Karmic divination, karmic defense, karmic fate alteration, karmic evasion, and…”

Shugu Xianzun paused, then slowly said, “Karmic transference.”

(End of this chapter)