In the main hall of the Situ family, the domineering Mo Hua sat at the head of the table.

His junior apprentice-brother, Situ Jian, was seated to his left, and the Grand Elder, Situ Wei, to his right.

Below them, the hall was filled with disciples, all prodigies from the Four Sects and Eight Gates of the Qianxue Province. Their sharp, proud auras converged, striking him like a volley of ten thousand swords, intensely pressing.

Situ Wei felt his scalp tingle, as if sitting on pins and needles.

This was the Situ family, and he was the Grand Elder of the Situ family. Although his position was temporary, he held esteemed status, above almost everyone else.

In nearly any setting, any gathering, he was always one of the highest-ranking individuals, if not the highest.

He had always been composed, calm, and possessed a strong presence.

But today’s gathering made him experience feelings of “inferiority,” “timidity,” and “self-doubt” for the first time.

It wasn’t because of the high cultivation levels of those present.

After all, they were all aristocratic disciples, and none had surpassed the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm.

But the demeanor, spiritual roots, Dao foundations, noble families, sects, and reputations of these disciples were, one by one, simply too formidable.

Looking around, every single one was a rare and exceptional talent.

If there were only one or two such prodigies, it might be fine, but here was a room full of them.

What an grand occasion was this?

Even in the Qianxue Province of the past, in the cultivation sacred land where sects abounded and prodigies gathered, assembling the “aces” of these Four Sects and Eight Gates would have been an almost impossible feat.

Not to mention, doing so in the Situ family.

Situ Wei looked at the hall full of prodigies, as if watching a pond of dazzling and exceptionally noble “golden koi” swimming before his eyes…

So much so that he couldn’t help but ask himself, “Is this kind of occasion… truly somewhere I am fit to appear?”

Even more so, at this moment, he was still sitting in the high seat arranged by Mo Hua, being looked up to by a group of top prodigies from major aristocratic families. It truly felt like being roasted alive in an alchemy furnace, his head hot, hands and feet trembling, and heart numb.

Situ Wei had forgotten what he was even there for.

But the dignity of a Grand Elder still compelled him to try his best to control his inner “inferiority” and torment.

In contrast, Mo Hua was much more relaxed.

For him, this was actually a small scene.

These Qianxue prodigies couldn’t put too much pressure on him; after all, during the Sword Discourse Assembly, which of these prodigies hadn’t been “bullied” by him?

Mo Hua generously said, “Today, I’m treating everyone to a meal.”

This was actually the first time he had hosted such a large-scale dinner.

Of course, the actual host was his junior apprentice-brother, Situ Jian.

After all, this was in the Situ family, and it wasn’t appropriate for him, a guest, to pay with spirit stones.

Moreover, Mo Hua himself didn’t have many spirit stones left. Most of the spirit stones he had brought earlier had been swallowed by the Taotie Linghai Formation, and the rest needed to be saved for forming his core. So, he was actually quite “poor” right now, relying entirely on his junior apprentice-brother’s help.

Situ Jian lightly clapped his hands, and a group of Situ family disciples began serving drinks and dishes.

Since they were on the frontline of the Great Wilderness, it wasn’t overly extravagant, but it was still quite good, at least Mo Hua was very satisfied.

However, the prodigies below hardly touched their chopsticks.

This was a meal hosted by Mo Hua; they found it hard to eat.

Feng Zichen of the Xiaoyao Sect looked around, disdainful in his heart. These people cursed Mo Hua, saying they would never come if he treated them, but intimidated by Mo Hua’s “tyranny,” didn’t every single one of them still obediently show up?

To think that each of them claimed to be a prodigy—how spineless…

Feng Zichen sneered inwardly, then looked at Mo Hua and said, “Mo Hua, you invited us here not just for a meal, did you?”

Hearing this, everyone else also looked at Mo Hua.

Xiao Ruohan of the Tianjian Sect also said blandly, “Mo Hua, if there’s anything, just say it directly.”

No good banquet came without an agenda; no one believed Mo Hua would invite them for a meal for no reason.

Seeing their eagerness, Mo Hua stopped beating around the bush and said, “There is a small matter, it’s… about the barbarian slaves of the Great Wilderness.”

“Barbarian slaves?”

Xiao Ruohan was startled, and the other prodigies were also somewhat taken aback.

Mo Hua nodded and said, “I’ve traveled around and visited various places… In the King’s Domain, wars are frequent, and tribes are being breached everywhere. Their people are becoming barbarian slaves, bought, sold, and killed by various aristocratic families. You might not be aware, but within your own families, openly or secretly, there are definitely those involved.”

“So, I called you here to see if we can find a way to gather these barbarian slaves and give them a chance at life.”

After Mo Hua finished speaking, the entire hall was silent enough to hear a pin drop.

Everyone exchanged glances.

A moment later, Ao Zheng said, “Just for this matter?”

Mo Hua nodded, “Just for this matter.”

Ao Zheng frowned, finding it somewhat inexplicable. “That’s one thing, but… what does this have to do with you?”

Mo Hua said solemnly, “We cultivators, in our pursuit of Dao and immortality, should naturally comprehend the Dao of Heaven and benefit all living beings. Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life. The people of the Dao Court are people, the people of Jiuzhou are people, and the people of the Great Wilderness are also people. If I hadn’t encountered this, it would be one thing, but now that I have, and knowing these people are suffering from war and on the verge of death, I should naturally do what I can. Moreover, buying and selling barbarian cultivators, keeping slaves, and harming living beings inherently goes against the rules of the Dao laws and the principles of the righteous Dao…”

Mo Hua’s tone was calm, but his eyes held a hint of compassion for the world.

Everyone was stunned for a long time, saying nothing.

Could such words really come from Mo Hua’s mouth?

This Mo Hua made them feel very unfamiliar.

Too “righteous,” even a little unnervingly righteous…

“But…” Ao Zheng frowned and said, “What does this have to do with you in the end?”

Mo Hua said, “I’ve said it before, cultivators should comprehend the Dao of Heaven and benefit all living beings…”

Ao Zheng shook his head. “No, what I mean is, what does it have to do with you, Mo Hua? Are you a citizen of the Great Wilderness?”

“No.”

“Are you of royal descent from the Great Wilderness?”

“No.”

“Do you have relatives in the royal court of the Great Wilderness?”

“No.”

“So…” Ao Zheng said, “What do the lives and deaths of these barbarian slaves have to do with you? What benefit can you gain?”

Feng Zichen also said, “Mo Hua, tell me honestly, are you plotting something to trick us again?”

Ao Zheng’s gaze was cold. “Ten years have passed. We are no longer naive sect disciples. We have all witnessed, more or less, the dangers of the cultivation world and the selfishness of human hearts.”

“Birds don’t fly without bugs, and people don’t act without profit. Mo Hua, what exactly do you want to do? I don’t believe you would suddenly develop such kindness for no reason.”

The others also nodded in agreement:

“Exactly.”

“You have to give us an explanation.”

“Do you really take us for fools, trying to fool us with high-minded ideals…”

Mo Hua was silent for a moment, then asked a rather abrupt question: “For what reason do you cultivate, exactly?”

Everyone frowned.

A moment later, Xiao Ruohan slowly said, “Naturally… to attain the Dao, to become an immortal, to achieve eternal life.”

Mo Hua then asked, “Then what is the Dao, what is an immortal, and how can one achieve eternal life?”

Ao Zheng frowned, “Who could possibly know that? We are only in Foundation Establishment; how could we understand what the Dao is, or what an immortal is?”

“Good,” Mo Hua nodded, “Then I’ll ask it in reverse: If we are all selfish, only pursuing individual cultivation, only seeking personal gain, without questioning the Dao of Heaven or caring for the common people, then do you think we can truly cultivate to become immortals? Can we truly achieve eternal life?”

Silence fell over the hall. All the prodigies frowned more deeply.

Xiao Ruohan shook his head. “Mo Hua, what you say is grand and empty; it has no meaning.”

Mo Hua slowly said, “The Dao of Heaven is vast and boundless. Is it possible that it’s just because our realm is not high enough, our understanding not deep enough, that we cannot perceive its essence or grasp its profound meaning, which is why we feel some words are false and empty?”

Ao Zheng said, “These are too vague and don’t conform to the rules of how aristocratic families operate in reality. If one isn’t selfish and doesn’t pursue personal gain, then throughout the cultivation world, the major aristocratic families and sects wouldn’t even be able to achieve their most basic rise to power…”

Mo Hua’s gaze was sharp as he said, “In all these years, has anyone from the aristocratic families become an immortal?”

“If one cannot become an immortal, then what use are these rules for cultivating to immortality?”

“Throughout the world, among the countless people, is it possible that the reason they all fail to become immortals is because everything they do, think, and believe is wrong?”

“Monopoly by aristocratic families is wrong, and seeking profit is also wrong.”

Mo Hua looked at everyone. “You are the top prodigies of the major aristocratic families and sects. Your talent far surpasses that of ordinary people. Do you truly want to be like other mortals, to follow the habits of those aristocratic families, to learn to be selfish, and ultimately, within the rules of the mundane world, slowly extinguish your own Dao and personally strangle your chances of becoming an immortal?”

Mo Hua’s words were like knives, striking directly at their hearts.

These words, like a thunderbolt, shook the hearts of all the prodigies in the hall, causing a hint of terror.

Being caught in the situation, they were born and raised in aristocratic families, influenced by them since childhood, and thus had never stepped outside this way of thinking to examine the issue.

They constantly spoke of wanting to become immortals, but they had never actually considered what the path to immortality truly entails…

The shock reverberated in everyone’s hearts for a long time.

All the Qianxue prodigies frowned deeply, lost in thought.

Even Situ Jian, hearing these words, was stunned and lost in thought.

Inside the grand hall, silence reigned for an unknown period.

It was Shen Cangfeng of the Qandao Sect who finally frowned and said, “These words… are ultimately just your personal testimony. Does not being selfish automatically lead to attaining the Dao and becoming an immortal?”

Mo Hua shook his head. “In any case, if one wishes to attain the Dao, become an immortal, and achieve eternal life, it requires arduous cultivation, overcoming countless difficulties and dangers, enduring myriad tribulations, and persevering through long periods of suffering. It is not a simple matter.”

“The only difference lies in whether your path is correct or not.”

“If the path is correct, at least you are walking on the ‘Dao’ towards becoming an immortal. But if your path is wrong from the start, even if you cultivate to Feathered Ascension, or to Void Revelation, or even higher, you will ultimately just be an ant under the Dao of Heaven, a puppet of cultivation, thousands of miles away from the word ‘immortal’ which signifies transcendence from heaven and earth, and unity with the Dao.”

The hall once again fell into a long silence.

Some were shaken, some frowned, some were silent, some pondered, and of course, some prodigies were rather unconvinced.

A thousand people, a thousand faces; everyone had their own thoughts and true nature.

Although Mo Hua’s words deeply moved them, it wasn’t so easy to genuinely convince them.

“After all this talk, it’s still just your personal testimony; there’s no evidence,” Shen Cangfeng said coldly.

Other prodigies also nodded, whispering, “Still just Foundation Establishment, yet talking about the Dao and immortals. His tone is too arrogant.”

“Exactly, what could a Foundation Establishment cultivator possibly know…”

“I think Mo Hua is just tricking us. He’s cunning and is treating us like fools to play with…”

These words, whether loud or soft, all reached Mo Hua’s ears.

Mo Hua sighed inwardly. These prodigies, after all, hadn’t spent much time with him; their temperament was a bit lacking, hard to lead, and far inferior to his junior apprentice-brothers from the Taixu Sect.

If his junior apprentice-brothers were here, whatever he said would be law; there would be no need for so much talk…

Mo Hua said, “I’ve said all I need to say. How you choose your path is up to you. I won’t say more.”

“The main problem now is, these barbarian slaves, will you save them or not?”

Feng Zichen thought for a moment, then still shook his head. “You still need to give us a reason. Why must you save these barbarian slaves?”

The others also nodded, saying, “Exactly, give us a more practical reason, explain things clearly.”

“If you don’t explain, how can we possibly save them?”

“Explain things clearly, otherwise…”

Mo Hua finally lost patience. His pupils darkened, his face turned cold, and the aura of one who had been a divine blessing and held a high position, combined with his “tyrannical” demeanor, instantly sent a chill through the hearts of the prodigies present.

They knew Mo Hua was angry.

“I’m not asking for your opinion. I’m just asking you… to save, or not to save?”

Mo Hua’s voice was cold, containing an unquestionable authority.

The prodigies no longer dared to chatter.

A powerful divine sense brought a strong sense of oppression. The atmosphere in the hall seemed to grow several degrees colder.

After an unknown period, Feng Zichen finally dared to mutter softly, “If you had said so earlier, wouldn’t that have been it… we didn’t say we wouldn’t save them…”

They were just barbarian slaves. If you had just lost your temper earlier, would we have argued with you for so long? Really…

Ao Zheng also said, “Keeping barbarian slaves and trafficking cultivators already goes against the laws of the Dao Court. Since we are disciples of renowned noble families, we naturally won’t stand by idly.”

Xiao Ruohan also nodded, “This matter indeed goes against chivalry.”

Shi Tiangang said, “Aristocratic families seeking profit should not profit from human lives, even if these people are barbarians from the Great Wilderness.”

“Only barbarians are savage enough to traffic people and keep slaves. How can we, people of Jiuzhou, engage in such despicable acts and be compared to barbarians?”

“This matter cannot be ignored.”

“Indeed, it’s unseemly.”

“If we hadn’t known, it would be one thing, but now that we do, it’s impossible to do nothing…”

“We are acting according to the laws of the Dao Court and the principles of cultivation; we are saving them ourselves, it has nothing to do with you, Mo Hua.”

“Exactly…”

A group of prodigies also echoed their agreement.

Mo Hua reined in his imposing aura and nodded slightly. “Then this matter is settled.”

He raised his wine cup and solemnly said, “I toast to all of you.”

The prodigies reluctantly raised their wine cups, some even with expressions of disdain, but their bodies did not resist as they drank a cup of wine with Mo Hua.

Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction, his tone relaxing a bit. “Nothing else, let’s eat.”

For some reason, the various Qianxue prodigies felt a sense of relief, then sat down and began to eat.

After all, Mo Hua was treating, and while some of the dishes weren’t exquisite delicacies or premium fare, they had a unique flavor when eaten.

After all, Mo Hua was truly insidious and terrifying, and opportunities for them to take “advantage” of him were almost non-existent.

And throughout, Grand Elder Situ Wei, who had been sitting dumbfounded on the side, not daring to utter a single word, couldn’t help but feel inexplicably shocked.

He couldn’t understand, nor did he comprehend.

Why this young man could issue orders to the entire hall of Qianxue prodigies, the geniuses of the Four Sects and Eight Gates, so unceremoniously.

And yet, no one dared to resist, not even daring to speak too loudly.

Was this person named Mo Hua truly so immensely powerful?

Was he merely the junior apprentice-brother of the Taixu Sect?

Or was he the junior apprentice-brother of the Four Great Sects and Eight Great Gates of the Fifth-Rank Qianxue Great Province?

(End of Chapter)