After confirming this thought, Mo Hua’s killing intent in his heart only slightly receded.

After the killing intent receded, Mo Hua suddenly reacted:

“I’m only in the Foundation Establishment stage, how can I wipe out a Demonic Sect that has dozens of third-grade Golden Core demonic cultivators?”

The determination he had just made was a moment of impulse; now that he had come to his senses, he felt somewhat arrogant.

But the killing intent in his heart was still restless and uneasy.

The thought of “slaying demons and eliminating evil” was surging and eager, as if this Demonic Sect were not exterminated, as if blood did not flow like rivers, as if there were no heavy casualties, it would be difficult to suppress the hunger and thirst in his heart.

But he really didn’t have that ability.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, took out the *Ni Ling Zhen Tu* (Reverse Spirit Array Diagram), and considered, “Should I find a way to set up the *Ni Ling Zhen* (Reverse Spirit Array), collapse the second-grade array, and use that to cover the extermination of the entire Demonic Sect?”

It seemed that if he truly wanted to slaughter demonic cultivators on a large scale, this was the only method.

Under the collapse of a great array, all things are equal.

Even Dao Tribulations are annihilated, let alone flesh-and-blood mortal demonic cultivators?

“But there might not be a great array built within the Demonic Sect… The collapse power of ordinary second-grade arrays might not be that great either.”

Mo Hua looked at the *Ni Ling Zhen Tu* again and sighed.

“Moreover, I can’t even learn this *Ni Ling Zhen* right now…”

The *Ni Ling Zhen* is a second-grade twenty-mark array, requiring twenty-mark divine sense to master.

He could indeed try to learn it now and practice, but to truly learn it and personally set up the *Ni Ling Zhen* to collapse arrays, his divine sense would have to reach the Golden Core realm.

Foundation Establishment cultivation, Golden Core divine sense.

His divine sense completely surpassed a major realm.

In the common understanding of cultivators, this was almost an impossible feat.

But Mo Hua was different; he had to follow this path.

Mo Hua had a premonition in his heart that although his current divine sense was only a sliver away from forming a core, this gap would not be easy to cross in the short term.

After all, this was forming a core.

It was already not easy to form a core in cultivation, let alone advancing his divine sense to form a core.

“Since that’s the case, how can I exterminate the demonic cultivators?”

Mo Hua thought back and forth and felt that he still needed to “borrow a knife to kill.”

A gentleman’s nature is not different from others; he is good at borrowing from things. If he cannot do something himself, then he can use connections and planning to push events in the desired direction.

He could not exterminate the demonic cultivators himself, but someone else could.

Anyway, in the end, as long as these demonic cultivators were all dead, who did the killing was not important; the “killing intent” in his heart should also be able to subside.

Mo Hua pondered for a moment and gradually made a firm decision.

If the Demonic Sect was not exterminated, who knew how many innocent cultivators would suffer cruel hands, how many rogue cultivators would become their blood slaves?

Mo Hua no longer hesitated and immediately sent a message to Gu Changhuai.

Several days later, during the ten-day rest period.

In a secret chamber of the fifth-grade Dao Court Office in Qian Xue State.

Even the usually aloof Gu Changhuai couldn’t help but whisper to Mo Hua in a hushed voice:

“You must be extremely careful, don’t make any noise, and don’t let anyone know.”

Gu Changhuai warned again, “This is the secret chamber of the Dao Court Office, and all outsiders are forbidden to enter. I secretly let you in, which is already against the rules. If others find out, my position as chief officer will likely come to an end.”

“Does Senior Sister Xia know?” Mo Hua asked in a low voice.

“Nonsense,” Gu Changhuai said, “The key is in her hand. If she didn’t open the door, how could I bring you in?”

“Oh…” Mo Hua’s expression was somewhat subtle.

Gu Changhuai frowned, “What you want to investigate, investigate quickly, don’t waste time.”

“Mm mm.” Mo Hua nodded.

Although the Dao Court Office was bloated, although its personnel were numerous and mixed, although it was corrupt and embezzling, although people were idle… Although it had all sorts of drawbacks, it did not mean that the Dao Court Office was truly useless.

On the contrary, the intelligence system of the Dao Court Office, deeply rooted, was always very powerful.

Previously, Mo Hua had stolen secrets from within the Demonic Sect through the *Yuan Ci Ni Zhuan Zhen* (Primordial Magnetic Reversal Array) and designed to execute the Demonic Sect’s Golden Cores.

But he wouldn’t think that only he could steal intelligence.

After all, large-scale, targeted encirclements of the Demonic Sect were always carried out by the chief officers and executive officers of the Dao Court Office.

There must also be channels within the Dao Court Office to obtain intelligence.

Listen to both sides to be clear.

Mo Hua needed to integrate this intelligence, combine it with the secrets he had stolen from within the Demonic Sect, find the Demonic Sect’s location, understand their foundations, and thus “treat both the symptoms and the root cause,” finding a way to exterminate this Demonic Sect.

This was also the reason why Gu Changhuai, including Chief Officer Xia, were willing to let him into the secret chamber against the rules.

They also didn’t want this battle between righteousness and demons to continue, to avoid the expansion of casualties and causing more innocent cultivators to die tragically.

The intelligence in the secret chamber was very numerous and miscellaneous, including dossiers, registers, jade slips, and some portraits.

Mo Hua’s fair fingers lightly flipped through them, like a startled swan skimming the water’s surface, passing over all the dossiers and jade slips one by one.

Because his divine sense was powerful and his thoughts were sharp, all the information was almost photographic memory.

Also because he often eavesdropped, he had a deep understanding of this Demonic Sect.

So this motley, mixed intelligence was yet clear in his eyes with distinct levels.

Problems unnoticed by the Dao Court Office, he could notice.

Clues undetected by the Dao Court Office, he could detect.

Messages that the Dao Court Office considered ordinary, Mo Hua could yet know the specific meanings hidden within…

Mo Hua’s expression was focused and serious, his fingers flying, all intelligence could not escape his control.

Gu Changhuai watched somewhat dazed, and in his heart he couldn’t help but think:

“This child, if he can enter the Dao Court Office in the future, will surely achieve great things…”

After flipping for a while, Mo Hua found a jade slip, copied some information, handed it to Gu Changhuai, and circled several locations on the map:

“Yan Luo Mountain!”

“If I’m not mistaken, the Demonic Sect’s lair is in the depths of Yan Luo Mountain, in the place where the Yan Luo River flows through, and it is connected in all directions, with blood pools stored.”

“These three places are the most suspicious. But whether they are or not, I dare not guarantee; the Dao Court Office can only send people to verify.”

Gu Changhuai nodded, “I will take care of this matter. It is hard on you.”

“It’s not hard,” Mo Hua was silent for a moment, then asked: “Uncle Gu, are you really planning to encircle the Demonic Sect?”

Gu Changhuai was somewhat surprised, “You want to kill them?”

Mo Hua nodded, “Evil demons and heretics, everyone has the right to punish them.”

Gu Changhuai frowned slightly, then sighed, “We checked, and the Demonic Sect now should still have more than ten Golden Cores, besides the resident ones, there are some guest elders.”

“Many of the resident elders were killed based on the intelligence you provided before, but the true leaders are all still there…”

“The remaining guest elders are Golden Cores who temporarily joined the demonic path; their strength and methods are mostly unknown.”

“Furthermore, the Demonic Sect’s Foundation Establishment disciples are probably four to five hundred strong—if we count the transmission disciples, if we calculate ordinary disciples, and those who joined the Demonic Sect’s blood slaves, there are probably two to three thousand.”

Mo Hua didn’t understand, “Will blood slaves also fight for the Demonic Sect?”

“The key to blood slaves lies in the word ‘slave.’ Slaves are pitiful, pitiable, but also hateful. Once they become blood slaves, they dare not disobey their ‘master.'” Gu Changhuai said.

Mo Hua’s mood was somewhat complex.

Gu Changhuai continued: “The problem now is that this Demonic Sect’s forces are still too large. They are entrenched in third-grade and below second-grade state boundaries. With the strength of the Dao Court Office, defeating them is not difficult, but completely encircling and exterminating them is almost impossible.”

“If the encirclement is not thorough, once the Demonic Sect is defeated, large numbers of demonic cultivators will scatter and flee, running wild and killing indiscriminately, which will necessarily cause greater casualties.”

Mo Hua frowned slightly, then pondered for a moment, and then asked: “How about… I invite the sect elders to help?”

Gu Changhuai was startled, “Can your sect elders listen to your words?”

“How is that possible.” Mo Hua shook his head, “I’ll just go back and ask, to see if I can invite some Golden Core elders to help.”

Gu Changhuai’s heart moved.

The Golden Core elders of Tai Xu Gate…

This was indeed a powerful assistance.

But this matter was significant, and he was somewhat undecided for a moment.

Mo Hua asked: “Previously, when the Dao Court Office acted, did they invite people from the sects to help?”

Gu Changhuai thought for a moment and shook his head, “Rarely…”

“Such large-scale encirclements involving demonic cultivators at the Golden Core realm are very few; you might encounter one every one or two hundred years.”

“And among the sects, there are many disciples from aristocratic families, and their composition is complex. Inviting them to act easily leads to extraneous problems.”

“Furthermore, clearing demonic cultivators is the duty of the Dao Court Office. Most sects have their own matters and are not obligated to help the Dao Court Office.”

Mo Hua nodded, indicating understanding.

“Then like this, Uncle Gu, you and Senior Sister Xia discuss and decide whether to target the Demonic Sect for a large-scale encirclement. If you are short of manpower, then tell me.”

“I’ll leave the Tai Xu Gate side to me; I’ll communicate with the elders in advance.”

“If both sides have no problem, then we will work together to completely exterminate this evil Demonic Sect!” Mo Hua said deeply.

Gu Changhuai only pondered for a moment, then immediately nodded: “Good!”

It seemed that at present, this was indeed the best method.

Tai Xu Gate was still trustworthy.

And suppose Mo Hua could persuade Tai Xu Gate’s elders to act, then the chances of winning this time against the Demonic Sect were very high.

The two finished their discussion and immediately left the secret chamber.

After all, they couldn’t stay in this confidential place for long; if they were discovered by people, it would be hard to explain.

Gu Changhuai checked the documents and jade slips in the secret chamber once, confirming there were no omissions, and then searched Mo Hua’s body again, confirming he hadn’t taken anything out, and then he was relieved.

After that, Gu Changhuai quietly led Mo Hua away from the secret chamber.

Leaving the secret chamber, the two no longer needed to sneak around and openly walked along the corridor of the Dao Court Office.

Gu Changhuai suddenly thought of something and said to Mo Hua: “Right, that Li San… I had people strictly torture him once.”

“Did you get anything out?”

“No, he said nothing.”

“So stubborn?”

“Not stubborn,” Gu Changhuai’s expression was subtle, “but a bit like… He has lost all love for life, so he’d rather die than say anything.”

Mo Hua was startled for a moment, “Lost all love for life?”

“Mm.”

Mo Hua also frowned, pondered for a moment, then his gaze condensed, “Uncle Gu, give him his token back.”

Gu Changhuai shook his head, “This is not according to the rules.”

“You secretly give it to him; there won’t be any problems.”

Gu Changhuai frowned.

Mo Hua then said: “I have a very important matter.”

Gu Changhuai was silent for a moment, then sighed: “Alright.”

“Then I’ll return to the sect first, Uncle Gu, I’ll entrust this matter to you.”

“Mm.”

After that, Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai bid farewell, and Mo Hua returned to Tai Xu Gate.

Gu Changhuai also remembered the matter Mo Hua had mentioned and didn’t delay for too long. He then called an executive officer of the Gu family and quietly instructed him a few sentences.

That executive officer of the Gu family was startled for a moment, nodded, and then went directly to the Dao Prison located underground in the Dao Court Office, used to imprison criminal cultivators.

The Dao Prison was gloomy, damp, dark, and filled with a foul and rotten smell.

In one of the cells, Li San, covered in blood marks after experiencing strict torture, lay on the icy cold ground, his gaze empty, his expression indifferent, and his whole person lifeless.

“Elder You… He deceived me, he betrayed me…”

“All of this is a deception.”

“What loyalty, what elder position, it’s all fake.”

“He wants to harm me to death…”

“All fake…”

Li San, with blood on his teeth, revealed a neurotic smile.

Just at this moment, footsteps sounded, and an executive officer walked over, saying coldly: “Mealtime.”

He placed a crude wooden meal tray on the ground and pushed it into the cell.

On the meal tray was a porcelain bowl containing some hard-to-swallow porridge of unknown origin.

After placing the meal, the executive officer glanced at Li San, turned, and left.

Li San lay sprawled on the ground, not moving, as if waiting for the arrival of death in the darkness.

For a demonic cultivator like him, entering the Dao Prison meant only death.

At the moment his heart was like dead ashes, an extremely subtle but familiar vibration sound entered his ears.

“This is… A sect token?”

A trace of spirit appeared in Li San’s empty pupils, somewhat unbelievably.

He struggled, crawling on the ground, his broken body inching little by little towards the darkness, towards the source of that sound.

Finally, he crawled to the front of the meal tray and felt a token under the porcelain bowl.

He was extremely familiar with this token; it was the Demonic Sect token that had accompanied him since he joined the sect.

When he was thrown into the Dao Prison by that damn chief officer surnamed Gu from the Dao Court Office, this Demonic Sect token was also confiscated.

But now, someone… sent it back to his hand?

Li San’s heart trembled, and with his remaining weak divine sense, he perceived the words on the token:

“All sufferings are your trials.”

“As long as you are loyal enough, you will not die.”

“Hereafter, the winds and clouds will change in Qian Xue State. You must lurk in the Dao Prison and work for me. When the time is right, I will give you enlightenment.”

“This is a heavy task, and only those with a resolute heart and proven loyalty can undertake it…”

Li San’s pupils gradually widened, his body trembled, and endless power suddenly surged in his heart. After a moment, his expression changed again, and he muttered:

“No, no…”

“He is deceiving me, he has already deceived me once, he is still deceiving me now…”

“No,” Li San turned his thoughts, “No, he didn’t deceive me.”

“Because I didn’t die…”

“I should have died, but Gu Changhuai didn’t kill me, the Dao Court Office didn’t kill me. I was thrown into the Dao Prison, but no one killed me. Moreover, someone secretly gave me the Demonic Sect token…”

“All sufferings are trials.”

“As long as you are loyal, you will not die.”

“I didn’t die, so Elder You didn’t deceive me; he is testing me. Sending me into the Dao Prison is also a part of the ‘trial’.”

“And the reason for letting me enter the Dao Prison…”

“It must be because Elder You has other grand schemes, schemes that are profound and immeasurable, far beyond my ability to speculate.”

“Yes, Elder You didn’t deceive me!”

In an instant, Li San’s gaze became paranoid and loyal. With a trembling hand, he grasped the Demonic Sect token and sent a message:

“Disciple Li San, I must go through fire and water for the elder, until death!”

Then he lay on the ground, gazing at the prison ceiling, a fire ignited in his eyes again.

Tai Xu Gate.

Mo Hua saw this line of words from Li San and nodded slightly.

This Li San was a demonic cultivator. Mo Hua originally thought he would be of no further use after being utilized and then would let the Dao Court Office side kill him.

But as soon as this thought arose, it unknowingly dissipated.

It seemed that this demonic cultivator’s “fate” was somewhat special, and he would still be of great use in the future; it was not yet time for him to die.

This was just a vague feeling.

Mo Hua couldn’t explain it clearly, he didn’t even know what “fate” truly was.

But in an instant, the heavenly secrets and causes passed to his premonition just like this.

“Li San… Fate…”

“Since his fate should not end, then keep him for now…”

As for whether he lived or died, or whether he could endure in the Dao Prison, that depended on his own fortune.

Mo Hua put away the guest elder token and sorted out the Demonic Sect matters again.

The next day, he went to visit Elder Xun early in the morning.

Some matters required Elder Xun’s approval.

“Exterminate the Demonic Sect?” Elder Xun said in surprise.

Mo Hua nodded, “The intelligence has all been gathered, and the Dao Court Office side also has plans, but there is not enough manpower, so we need some reinforcements.”

Elder Xun said: “Did you discuss this matter with the Dao Court Office side?”

“Yes,” Mo Hua did not conceal it and frankly said, “I discussed it with Uncle Gu from the Gu family and Senior Sister Xia from the Xia family before deciding.”

“Other matters?”

“Everything has been arranged,” Mo Hua said, “Relevant intelligence is being verified by the Dao Court Office side, manpower is also being secretly mobilized, and other preparatory work is also being done…”

“But without the support of Tai Xu Gate, the plan to encircle the Demonic Sect will not be easy to implement. If we cannot exterminate the Demonic Sect with swift and decisive means, causing the demonic cultivators to scatter, the consequences will be very serious…”

Mo Hua narrated in detail, unhurriedly.

Elder Xun raised an eyebrow and looked deeply at Mo Hua.

“Unknowingly, this child Mo Hua has also grown up, and his aura is also different. He even faintly possesses some strategic planning, plotting layouts, and a calm and steady demeanor…”

Elder Xun was delighted in his heart and nodded: “Good.”

He pondered for a moment, then said directly: “Go find Zi You and tell him it’s my order. Let him dispatch some elders to follow you to exterminate the Demonic Sect.”

“Specific matters will be led by you and discussed with the Dao Court Office.”

“If you have anything you don’t understand, you can also ask Zi You and those elders…”

Mo Hua had roughly guessed that Elder Xun would not refuse such a matter of slaying demons and eliminating evil, but he also didn’t expect that his elder would agree so readily.

Mo Hua smiled: “Thank you, Elder!”

Elder Xun nodded slightly and warned: “You yourself pay attention to safety.”

“Good!”

After that, with Mo Hua as the “intermediary,” he bridged the connection and promoted the joint encirclement of the Demonic Sect by the Dao Court Office and Tai Xu Gate.

The Dao Court Office side agreed.

Many elders on the Tai Xu Gate side also gladly agreed.

Exterminating the Demonic Sect was the duty of righteous cultivators, and they could also gain merits by undertaking this trip.

The biggest characteristic of Tai Xu Gate now, due to the merger of the three sects, was the large number of people.

Not only were there many disciples, but there were also quite a few elders.

The sect’s merits were limited, and when there were many people and the competition was intense, the allocation of merits became very tight.

Elders also needed to spend merits to live.

They were Golden Cores, and the spirit stones, spiritual objects, techniques, and Dao law inheritances needed for cultivation were all more expensive than the last.

Therefore, when merits were tight, life was definitely not easy.

Now, Mo Hua was promoting the joint encirclement of demonic cultivators by Tai Xu Gate and the Dao Court Office, which was equivalent to getting a big order. All participating elders would receive a sum of merits.

Therefore, a crowd of Tai Xu Gate elders, including those from the former Tai A Gate and Chong Xu Gate, looked at Mo Hua more and more favorably.

And Mo Hua had also finished what he needed to do.

In the following days, the surface was still calm and peaceful, but in secret, the plan to hunt demonic cultivators was being prepared with great momentum.

Soon, all preparations were ready, and three days later was the day of the formal encirclement of the Demonic Sect.

Mo Hua also planned to go in person for this action.

Because on the body of the Demonic Sect leader, it was very likely that the *Si Xiang Qing Long Zhen Tu* (Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array Diagram) was hidden, and this array diagram possessing the power of a divine beast was his “predestined” life treasure.

He was ultimately not at ease if he did not go and see it in person.

At the same time, suppose that array diagram really appeared at that time, with so many Tai Xu Gate elders on the scene as backing, it would also be convenient for him to secretly swallow this array diagram.

This was also one of his intentions in wanting to call the sect elders to jointly encircle the Demonic Sect.

After all, when there were many “own people,” things were easier to handle.

Now, seeing that the plan to encircle the Demonic Sect was about to begin, Mo Hua just wanted to make the final preparations.

That was, to prepare some means to deal with Golden Cores.

As a behind-the-scenes operator, without showing his face, there was no need to consider so much.

But now that he wanted to personally attend the front line of the Demonic Sect encirclement, he had to have some moves that could contend with Golden Core demonic cultivators.

Theoretically speaking, with the protection of the sect elders, the Golden Core demonic cultivators should not be able to harm him.

But it’s better to be safe than sorry.

One cannot put hope on others; risks must be firmly controlled by oneself.

The *Ni Ling Zhen* still couldn’t be learned, and even if it could, the preparation was troublesome, and the response effect was poor.

“Besides, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, what other means do I have to contend with Golden Core demonic cultivators, without being killed instantly…”

Mo Hua frowned slightly.

“Techniques? No…”

Even the *Xiao Liu Xing Jin Ji* (Small Meteorite Forbidden Technique) might not be able to cause significant damage to Golden Core demonic cultivators. The most important thing was that casting the *Xiao Liu Xing Shu* (Small Meteorite Technique) consumed more time, and facing a Golden Core demonic cultivator, he would not have that reaction space.

“Physical body… Even less so.”

With his body refining level, if he truly let Golden Core demonic cultivators get close and take their hits, one punch would be enough to kill him.

“Then only divine sense…”

*Jing Shen Jian* (Startle God Sword) seemed possible.

Even if it couldn’t cause too much injury to a Golden Core, at a critical moment, deterring a bit, interfering a bit, and protecting his life should be no problem.

“If *Jing Shen Jian* can work, then… *Zhan Shen Jian* (Sever God Sword)?”

Mo Hua silently pondered.

“*Zhan Shen Jian*… I seem to only be able to cast it in my sea of consciousness; I still can’t externalize it…”

“But suppose I can externalize it?”

Mo Hua followed this line of thought, thinking and thinking, and suddenly was startled.

He had used the *Zhan Shen Jian* style to sever the evil fetus and the third-grade divine remains…

It was hard to say about the evil fetus, but the divine remains of a third-grade evil god were definitely far stronger than the divine sense of Golden Core cultivators.

In other words, suppose his *Zhan Shen Jian* could be externalized, could be released externally, didn’t that mean that even without borrowing the *Ni Ling Zhen*, relying solely on the *Zhan Shen* style of divine thought turning into a sword, he could directly…

Sever and kill Golden Cores?

That is to say, he, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, could really rely on divine sense to sever and kill Golden Cores?!!

This was the true… divine sense proving Dao?!!

Mo Hua’s breathing was stifled, and for a moment, even he himself found it somewhat hard to believe.