“You… will teach me?”

The barbarian youth felt disoriented for a moment, looking at Mo Hua’s handsome and benevolent face.

Mo Hua nodded gently.

The barbarian youth stared blankly for a long time, then suddenly snapped back to reality, his gaze turning cold and wary.

“You… why do you want to teach me? You are an evil person; do you want to harm me?”

“If I wanted to harm you, would I need to discuss it with you?” Mo Hua said calmly.

The barbarian youth was startled. He thought of the powerful spell from earlier and the incredible divine power that could defeat the Barbarian God’s blessing with just a glance, and a sense of defeat and despair welled up in him.

Yes, a grown-up like this “demon” would not need to waste words if he wished to humiliate, torture, or kill him.

It would only take a few blinks of an eye.

“But…” The barbarian youth still didn’t understand. He looked at Mo Hua with stubborn eyes. “Why exactly do you want to teach me?”

Mo Hua slowly said, “You are a favored one by the gods. The fact that your tribe’s Barbarian God can reside in your Sea of Consciousness indicates that your talent is excellent, your spiritual sense is strong, and you bear a… greater mission.”

“Mission…” The barbarian youth murmured, stunned.

Mo Hua pointed a finger and slowly said, “Look down from here.”

The barbarian youth looked where Mo Hua pointed and saw the vast land, with all living beings enslaved.

“Under the chaos of war, the Great Wilderness is in turmoil. Your tribe is gone, your people are enslaved, displaced.”

“Tribes like yours, in the Great Wilderness today, probably number in the hundreds of thousands. They all suffer misfortune like you, but they are different. They are just ordinary people, flesh and blood. They have no talent, no divine favor, no power to resist, and can only be trampled by fate, dying like weeds…”

Mo Hua’s expression was calm, his tone imbued with compassion.

The barbarian youth’s face was sorrowful, then his gaze became firm.

“We are the people of the Royal Court; the Royal Court will save us. The Dragon Emperor and Dragon Lords of the Great Wilderness, with their immense powers, will lead the demon cavalry of the Great Wilderness to kill the Dao Court’s running dogs and save the people of the Great Wilderness from suffering…”

Mo Hua, however, said calmly and cruelly, “No one can save you. Not the Royal Court, not the Dragon Lords, not even your Barbarian God… If they truly could save you, you wouldn’t be like this now, treated as slaves, as pigs and dogs, slaughtered at will, worse than maggots…”

The barbarian youth clenched his fists tightly, his eyes red, and tears of blood again streamed from their corners.

Mo Hua’s gaze deepened slightly as he slowly said, “In this world, no one can save you, except… yourselves.”

The barbarian youth was momentarily stunned. “We… ourselves?”

Mo Hua opened the booklet in his hand, revealing the “simplifying the complex” yet profound patterns within:

“This is a formation book, containing the ultimate principles of heaven and earth, manifested as the patterns of the Four Symbols, the functions of the Five Elements, and the structure of the Eight Trigrams. This is the manifestation of the Dao, the manifestation of truth, the root of cultivation power.”

“Cultivators cultivate to comprehend the Dao of Heaven and benefit all living beings.”

“And what you must do is to comprehend the formations within this book, master the profound uses of the Great Dao, and benefit those Great Wilderness people who live on the same land as you, share the same origin, but suffer misfortune and live hand-to-mouth…”

“You must continuously cultivate, continuously grow stronger, unite the people of the Great Wilderness, bring them together, and work hand in hand to forge a path to survival, to change your own destiny.”

“Remember, only you can save yourselves.”

“This is the mission you were born with, possessing extraordinary talent.”

The barbarian youth stood stunned, feeling a flame igniting in his chest, burning his heart. A grand ambition he had never imagined filled his entire body, making his slender frame tremble slightly.

But soon, the fervor cooled, and the barbarian youth’s gaze dimmed.

“I… but I’m just… I’m just a slave from a small tribe, I… I’m not worthy, I…”

Mo Hua slowly rose and walked to the youth, placing his hand on his shoulder.

The barbarian youth felt a warm aura and looked up at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua’s gaze was gentle as he said, “It is precisely because you are weak that you know to become strong. It is precisely because of your humble birth that you understand the suffering of the common people. Heroes are not judged by birth; the Great Dao is hidden even in weeds. Everything depends on whether you possess this Dao Heart, whether you have the ambition to save the Great Wilderness…”

The barbarian youth’s mind trembled, and he nodded involuntarily.

Mo Hua placed the thin booklet into the barbarian youth’s hand. “The path to defying fate and changing destiny is within this. You must learn formations, learn to hold your destiny in your own hands. The destiny of the Great Wilderness can only be fought for and striven for by you and the people of the Great Wilderness yourselves.”

The barbarian youth gripped the booklet tightly, feeling as if he held his own heart, fiery and burning.

Tears welled up in his eyes.

Mo Hua extended a finger and touched the barbarian youth’s brow.

His deep eyes pierced directly into the youth’s Sea of Consciousness, looking straight at the Huai Shen residing within, and he said with his mind:

“Protect this child well, otherwise, I will ensure your divine path crumbles, leaving you nowhere to be buried…”

The Huai Shen was greatly alarmed and immediately prostrated himself, bowing deeply, saying, “Yes, yes, this humble god obeys.”

Mo Hua withdrew his divine sense and used his fingertip to wipe away the bloodstains on the youth’s face and the tears from the corners of his eyes.

“Alright,” Mo Hua said softly, “you may go. From now on, you are no longer anyone’s slave. You are your own person. You bear the mission of the Great Wilderness; go and do what you must…”

The barbarian youth was stunned, as if he hadn’t expected Mo Hua to truly let him go.

But Mo Hua truly placed no more restraints on him and genuinely let this barbarian slave leave.

The youth was dazed for a long time, looking at Mo Hua with complicated feelings. Finally, he couldn’t help but slowly ask, “You… who exactly are you?”

Mo Hua was silent for a moment, then said, “If you can lead your people to survive the chaos of the Great Wilderness, one day, you will know.”

The youth remained silent.

“Go,” Mo Hua said.

The youth, clutching the thin formation book, turned to leave, but his steps were still full of hesitation. As he was about to reach the door, he turned back and looked at Mo Hua. “Then…”

The youth mustered his courage and solemnly asked, “How should I… address you?”

Mo Hua thought for a moment and whispered, “You can call me… Mister.”

“Mister…”

A glimmer of bright light gradually appeared in the youth’s eyes. He nodded, tucked the formation book Mo Hua had given him into his bosom, and walked down the tall building alone, his slender figure gradually blending into the throngs of barbarian slaves below.

Mo Hua sat upstairs, watching the youth’s figure disappear among the barbarian slaves. After a long time, he sighed softly.

The fate of the Great Wilderness remained unknown.

Even if these barbarian slaves were temporarily rescued and gathered together, their lives were still like small boats in raging waves, liable to capsize at any moment.

The aristocratic families of Kyushu would not oppress them for now, but they would also not care about their lives. Letting them “fend for themselves” was already the best treatment they could hope for.

And what Mo Hua could do had almost reached its limit.

Ultimately, people can only save themselves.

He had given them a chance at life, chosen a spark. Whether these people from the Royal Domain could survive the upcoming situation would depend solely on the will of the child named “Huai Nu” and the collective strength of these barbarian slaves from the Royal Domain themselves.

Their life or death could only be determined by their own fate.

Thinking of this, Mo Hua habitually looked up at the sky again.

Heaven moves with vigor; cultivators should strive for self-improvement.

Cultivators should emulate heaven and earth, following the Dao of nature.

And above the Dao of Heaven, the life and death karma of all beings converge, though ordinary mortals cannot see it.

What Mo Hua saw in his eyes was that the heavenly secrets of the Great Wilderness were still shrouded in a murky gray, with a trend of continuous deterioration.

He only knew that this signified chaotic calamity.

But the specific situation and karmic changes, with so many dark forces stirring up trouble, he couldn’t distinguish them at all.

Mo Hua also didn’t know how this war between the Dao Court and the Great Wilderness would further develop.

In time, once the Royal Court of the Great Wilderness was breached, what fate would befall the races of the Great Wilderness?

And how would everything ultimately conclude?

The matter of the barbarian slaves temporarily came to an end.

In the Royal Domain, Mo Hua had given the barbarian tribe some hope and left a spark.

As for the four sects and eight gates of the Qianxue Province, those arrogant talents who had once contended with Mo Hua at the Sword Discourse, both as rivals and friends, were now led by Mo Hua to broaden their horizons and break free from their old “views of the cultivation world.”

Furthermore, they personally ordered the rescue of some barbarian slaves.

This benevolent act of “saving the common people” permeated their hearts, and their Dao Heart was subtly deepened.

At the same time, a trace of compassion arose within them.

“In this world, there are truly people who live in a state worse than human…”

Feng Zichen took a sip of wine and sighed bitterly.

This was at a banquet at the Situ family.

Because the barbarian slave issue had been temporarily resolved, Mo Hua hosted another dinner for these Qianxue prodigies to thank everyone.

Of course, this time the spirit stones were paid by Grand Elder Situ Wei.

Grand Elder Situ Wei personally approached Mo Hua, grabbed his hand, and spoke earnestly, almost begging Mo Hua to please allow him to pay for the spirit stones and arrange this banquet to entertain the chosen talents from the various aristocratic families and sects of the Qianxue Province.

Unable to refuse such genuine hospitality, Mo Hua nodded in agreement.

Consequently, the scale of the banquet surpassed the previous one, and the dishes were even more extravagant.

But as the group of prodigies ate, the food tasted like chewing wax.

It wasn’t that these delicacies weren’t delicious. It was that after seeing those barbarian slaves, old and weak, and children, who had nothing to eat and had to subsist on dirt, wood, and rotten meat, looking at these luxurious dishes before them created a strong sense of disconnect and discomfort.

Eating these extravagant things filled them with a deep, inexpressible “sense of guilt.”

Mo Hua nodded.

This was because they were still young, and their consciences were still intact.

If they stayed in an aristocratic family for a few hundred years, their hearts would become numb, their morality would vanish, and then perhaps even if they were made to “eat people” alive, they wouldn’t feel the slightest discomfort. Instead, they might even feel a sense of class superiority.

In the large living room, due to what they had seen and heard earlier, all the prodigies looked somewhat downcast.

Confusion, pain, and a mix of other emotions filled their hearts.

None of them had much appetite.

At the same time, many people really started to believe that what Mo Hua said was probably true.

If the aristocratic families’ exploitation caused such a great distortion of the world, with people living like ghosts, then it was no wonder that no one had become an immortal for so many years.

If anyone could become an immortal in such circumstances, it would truly be a ghost sighting…

Feng Zichen was deeply shaken. He distractedly put food into his mouth, chewing it without taste, his mind wandering, thinking about things.

Suddenly, he heard someone say:

“Pass me the pork hock.”

Feng Zichen subconsciously passed the pork hock in front of him. He glanced over and saw a cold-faced young man in white clothes, wearing chains, sitting beside him, gnawing on the hock. He didn’t pay much attention and turned back to his own thoughts.

But after thinking for a while, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

This person… why was he wearing chains? And he looked… strangely familiar?

Feng Zichen turned back for another look. For a moment, his breathing hitched, and he jumped up like a monkey, screaming:

“Bai Zisheng?!!”

His scream instantly drew everyone’s attention.

All eyes turned to him, and then the entire hall erupted in an uproar.

“Bai Zisheng?!”

“No… how is he here?!”

“He… didn’t he escape? He…”

“Quick, draw your swords!”

The prodigies in the hall were all greatly alarmed. Some drew their knives, others unsheathed their swords, some summoned their spiritual artifacts, and others held talismans, ready to detonate them.

Bai Zisheng, however, continued to gnaw on his pork hock, ignoring everyone.

Mo Hua sighed helplessly, waved his hand, and said, “Alright, everyone, put away your swords and knives. What’s all this fuss about? It’s just Bai Zisheng; he can’t cause any trouble.”

All the prodigies looked incredulous, not understanding what nonsense Mo Hua was spouting.

Bai Zisheng couldn’t cause trouble? Then who could?

Back then, so many aristocratic family prodigies, using relay tactics, still couldn’t take down this monster who was in three stages.

It was clear that this person was truly an anomaly.

But the prodigies soon realized that the person speaking was Mo Hua.

Although Mo Hua didn’t look strong, he was actually unfathomably powerful.

Moreover, this Bai Zisheng was only focused on eating and indeed seemed to be no different; he even had chains on him…

Ao Zheng frowned, looked at Mo Hua, and asked, “What exactly is going on? How is Bai Zisheng here?”

Feng Zichen also said, “That day, when the Great Wilderness attacked the camp, causing chaos, didn’t this Bai Zisheng escape? I saw it with my own eyes…”

Mo Hua took a sip of wine and calmly said, “He escaped; can’t I go catch him?”

Ao Zheng was stunned. “You, alone, captured Bai Zisheng?”

“What’s wrong?” Mo Hua said as a matter of course. “If I could catch him once, can’t I catch him a second time? It’s just Bai Zisheng; can he escape from the palm of my hand?”

Everyone was speechless for a moment.

If anyone else said that, it would be bragging. But if Mo Hua said it, he truly had the ability.

Xiao Ruohan’s expression, however, was somewhat grave, and he was even more disbelieving. “So you just… brought Bai Zisheng with you?”

That day on Xiao Xuanwu Mountain, he was defeated by Bai Zisheng and knew full well how terrifying Bai Zisheng was.

Mo Hua nodded. “No harm. I’ve already subdued this fellow Bai Zisheng with our Tai Xu Sect’s supreme treasure, the Tai Xu Five Elements Qian Kun Lock. He can’t break free, so he can’t cause trouble…”

“Tai Xu Five Elements Qian Kun Lock…”

Hearing this, everyone felt a chill. The name alone suggested it was no ordinary item.

Situ Jian, however, was stunned. He had cultivated in the Tai Xu Sect for so many years; when had he ever heard of such a supreme treasure in the Tai Xu Sect?

What was this?

Situ Jian couldn’t help but quietly ask, “Little Martial Brother, does our Tai Xu Sect have…”

“Yes!” Mo Hua said with firm conviction and certainty.

Situ Jian had nothing more to say.

Little Martial Brother was so familiar with the Old Ancestor; if Little Martial Brother said it existed, then it definitely did.

Others who were not disciples of the Tai Xu Sect were even less inclined to question it. After all, with Mo Hua’s status as the “Crown Prince” of the Tai Xu Sect, carrying a few supreme treasures with him wouldn’t be excessive.

—Although this “supreme treasure” being able to subdue Bai Zisheng seemed somewhat incredible to them.

But since it came from Mo Hua, then anything was possible.

Feng Zichen realized something, his heart jumped, and he asked again, “Then this Bai Zisheng… has he been imprisoned in the Situ family all this time?”

Mo Hua nodded. “Yes.”

Feng Zichen took a deep breath, feeling completely unsafe. “Then why have you released him now?”

Mo Hua quietly said, “You have to let him eat, right…”

Food is essential; even Bai Zisheng needs to eat.

This reason seemed quite logical.

Everyone fell silent.

Mo Hua also took this opportunity to let his Little Martial Brother eat something good to replenish his body, and at the same time, let his Little Martial Brother meet everyone.

After all, keeping his Little Martial Brother hidden forever wasn’t a solution; he would be exposed sooner or later. Since that was the case, it was better to let his Little Martial Brother meet everyone early so they could adapt.

“Alright, alright,” Mo Hua waved his hand. “Everyone, sit down and eat. Don’t worry, with me here, a mere Bai Zisheng wouldn’t dare do anything to you…”

Hearing Mo Hua say this, the Qianxue prodigies, with strange expressions, sat down again.

And Bai Zisheng, obeying Mo Hua’s instructions, ignored everything else and just gnawed on the pork hock.

A group of very mismatched people sat together to eat.

But because Mo Hua was sitting at the head of the table, it didn’t seem so mismatched after all…

(End of this chapter)