Chapter 1157: Saving the Tiger

In Windwave Ridge, the mountains were eerie, and the biting night wind carried a strong scent of blood.

Daoist soldiers of the Dao Court and cultivators of the Great Wilderness Sect fought desperately against each other, their feet trampling the ground in chaos, weapons clashing, spells and brute techniques colliding. Fluctuations of spiritual energy and vital qi intertwined in the air.

Ethereal Immortals also fought in mid-air, their spiritual energy erupting like an avalanche.

Almost every moment, someone died.

Blood soaked the desert, and malevolent energy streamed towards the sky.

Amidst this chaos, Mo Hua transformed into a streak of water light, weaving through the clashing weapons and fleeing into the distance.

Behind him, three Golden Core cultivators from the Great Wilderness Sect pursued relentlessly.

While the Golden Core cultivators' escape techniques were faster, they couldn't unleash their full speed in such a chaotic battlefield, where fighting raged everywhere.

In contrast, Mo Hua's Fleeting Water Steps were exquisitely agile; he weaved through the battlefield with increasing ease.

After pursuing for a while, the three Golden Core cultivators from the Great Wilderness Sect realized something was wrong:

"Damn it, we can't catch him? What kind of movement technique does this kid possess?"

"Is this kid intentionally leading us away to rescue the Yang family's Daoist soldiers?"

"If only we had known, we should have killed all the Yang family members first, then come after this kid. We wouldn't have wasted time on either."

"That's easy to say, but who the hell would have thought that the three of us, personally pursuing him for so long, still couldn't get hold of this brat."

"The battlefield is too chaotic, too many obstacles. We're at a significant disadvantage with our movement techniques."

"What do we do now? Should we go back first and kill those Yang family Daoist soldiers?"

The three discussed as they chased, naturally slowing their pace slightly.

Mo Hua noticed this and slowed down as well, turning his head to scoff at the three of them:

"You three wastes, cowards, good-for-nothings, scumbags! Are the Golden Cores in your bodies refined from sheep dung?"

"Three Golden Cores can't catch one Foundation Establishment cultivator?"

"They're useless anyway, so why not crush your Golden Cores, along with your balls, and go back and be eunuchs!"

He had learned all these insults from the "quotations" book Elder Yu had given him.

Now they were certainly coming in handy.

And the power of Elder Yu's insults was indeed extraordinary.

As soon as Mo Hua finished cursing, the three Golden Core cultivators from the Great Wilderness Sect felt a vile rage surge to their heads, and veins bulged on their foreheads.

They were Golden Core Elders!

Moreover, they were not ordinary Golden Core Elders.

In the Great Wilderness clan, they were royal guards and highly respected.

Within the Great Wilderness Sect, they were also esteemed guest elders, treated with great courtesy.

When had the three of them ever been cursed so directly to their faces?

Furthermore, the insults were so crude yet ingeniously crafted, so original, as if a pot of meticulously prepared dog excrement had been splashed directly in their faces.

What was even more infuriating was that the one cursing them was just a damned Foundation Establishment cultivator!

The leader, a Golden Core cultivator from the Great Wilderness Sect who wielded a ghost-head saber, had an ashen face:

"This child must die!"

"I will flay his skin alive and slice his flesh inch by inch!"

"Kill!"

The three Golden Core cultivators, enraged, no longer held back in the slightest. Their movement techniques surged, and they charged towards Mo Hua to kill him.

Mo Hua's heart tightened; he dared not be careless any longer. With his divine sense highly focused, he pushed his Fleeting Water Steps to the extreme. In the chaotic battlefield, filled with clashing swords, flying spells, and piled bodies, he darted left and right, constantly moving forward, evading the pursuit of the three Golden Core cultivators.

And so, with him chasing and Mo Hua fleeing, about half an hour passed.

Mo Hua estimated that he was already very far from Commander Yang and the others, so he decided to disengage and retreat.

In such a chaotic and dangerous battle, he couldn't risk using his spiritual sense to form a sword and kill another Golden Core cultivator.

And a Golden Core cultivator's killing moves were not to be trifled with.

Given the strength of his physical body, if he were hit or even grazed by a Golden Core cultivator's magic treasure, he would certainly be dead or severely injured.

Prolonging it further would only increase the risk, which was not good.

And these Golden Core cultivators from the Great Wilderness Sect likely didn't possess the ability of Elder Xu from Yin Corpse Valley, who could raise a Ksitigarbha Corpse to bypass appearances and karma and track him down.

So, after a few more rounds, Mo Hua's figure suddenly flickered, transforming into a mist of water, and "vanished into thin air" directly in front of the three Golden Core cultivators from the Great Wilderness Sect.

The three Golden Core cultivators from the Great Wilderness Sect stood rooted to the spot, releasing their divine sense and probing everywhere, but could find no trace of Mo Hua.

Furthermore, on the battlefield, morale and vital qi intertwined, creating utter chaos that greatly affected the perception of divine sense.

Once Mo Hua concealed himself and fled, he naturally vanished without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea.

And they indeed did not possess Elder Xu's method of raising exotic creatures for tracking.

"Gone? Fled?"

"Cursed in vain?"

The three Golden Core cultivators from the Great Wilderness Sect felt a surge of anger and bitter hatred assail their hearts, but they were helpless.

They couldn't even see Mo Hua's shadow, so they could only strike the nearby ground with their magic treasures, venting their hatred and roaring in impotent rage.

Cursing in their hearts, they vowed that the next time they saw Mo Hua, they would surely tear him to pieces.

At this moment, ten li away, Mo Hua, having escaped the Golden Core cultivators from the Great Wilderness Sect, quietly emerged.

This area was filled with Daoist soldier units, making it relatively safer.

Mo Hua took a breath, about to return the way he came to find Yang Jishan and the others.

His current status was merely that of a minor Daoist soldier in the Dao Soldier Division, without power or influence. If he wanted to fish in troubled waters, achieve military merits, establish himself, develop, and form a Golden Core, he naturally had to stick with familiar people and rely on the power of the Yang family in the Dao Soldier Division.

He could achieve both military merits and cultivation breakthroughs without delay.

But upon looking around at the chaos and constant slaughter, Mo Hua couldn't help but worry about the big tiger.

In such a brutal melee, if the big tiger were implicated, it would likely be difficult for it to escape death.

"How about saving the big tiger first, then rejoining Commander Yang and the others?"

Mo Hua thought to himself.

The Great Wilderness Sect's mutiny, though dangerous, also meant the situation had become chaotic.

Both Ethereal Immortals and Golden Cores on both sides were engaged in fierce combat.

This might also be his only chance to seize the opportunity and rescue the big tiger.

Mo Hua nodded, gradually making up his mind.

He released his divine sense, identified the direction, and his figure gradually faded, disappearing from the Daoist soldier camp.

After concealing himself, Mo Hua did the opposite, fleeing towards the Great Wilderness Sect's camp.

However, this path was in the opposite direction and even more perilous.

Swords and blades were merciless, and spells flew wildly.

Among the killing moves of various Daoist techniques, the spiritual energy of Golden Core and Ethereal Immortal cultivators was also mixed.

Ordinary cultivators would be injured if merely grazed and killed if struck; it was extremely easy to lose one's life. This was also the most cruel and ruthless aspect of cultivation wars.

Even Mo Hua was constantly on edge along the way.

Fortunately, his divine sense was strong, his perception keen, and he understood a part of the Dao of Karma.

Through his divine sense perception, he actively avoided all the swords, blades, and spells that could be dodged.

Even for sudden "ghostly peek" killing moves beyond the reach of his divine sense, he instinctively sensed the murderous intent from the karmic qi, predicting a fatal strike, and thus miraculously avoided them.

If not for this, an ordinary cultivator walking this path would have died countless times from both overt and covert techniques.

And so, Mo Hua passed through the main battlefield, crossed the scattered minor battlefields, and then passed through the main cultivator forces of the Great Wilderness Sect, entering their camp from the opposite direction.

The camp was only a temporary military encampment.

With the mutiny erupting and the war commencing, most of the Great Wilderness Sect's camps were empty.

There weren't many cultivators' auras, and they were relatively scattered.

The big tiger's enclosure happened to be among them.

The enclosure was bordered with steel and bound by iron chains, with a few burly Great Wilderness Sect Foundation Establishment peak cultivators guarding the perimeter.

Time was pressing, so Mo Hua didn't stand on ceremony.

He took advantage of these burly men patrolling in shifts and separating from each other. One by one, he used the Drowning Art to seal their mouths and noses, the Water Prison Art to bind their bodies, and then the Fireball Art to shatter the meridian nodes in their limbs and burn their throats.

This set of spells seemed complex.

But in Mo Hua's hands, they were clean, precise, and fast, taking only a dozen breaths of time.

The burly Foundation Establishment cultivators guarding the gate were all taken down by Mo Hua.

Mo Hua approached the tent; with a flick of his finger, an ink trace flashed, and he deftly unfastened a corner of the tent.

Inside the tent, the big tiger was still lying on the ground.

Mo Hua, concealed, quietly entered the tent.

The big tiger seemed to sense something; its furry ears twitched, and its large head immediately perked up. Its large, bell-like eyes stared blankly, flashing with a mix of confusion and surprise.

Mo Hua slowly approached the big tiger.

The big tiger's bright eyes stared in Mo Hua's direction.

In the dark night, nothing could be seen, but it instinctively sensed a faint, almost imperceptible, yet very familiar aura drawing closer, and it couldn't help but let out a low rumble.

Mo Hua's footsteps drew closer, but just as he was about to reach the big tiger,

the ground suddenly trembled, and dazzling formation lights flared up.

Dust fell from the sky, clinging to Mo Hua's body.

Blue formation patterns on the ground transformed into stream-like spiritual energy, wrapping around Mo Hua's body and breaking his concealment.

At the same time, golden light formed into multiple cages, trapping Mo Hua and the big tiger together within them.

Manifesting Dust, Concealment-Breaking Array, and the Great Wilderness Golden Prison Array.

This was a trap.

A cold laugh rang out.

Figures flashed all around as armored cultivators from the Great Wilderness Sect, carrying halberds, formed battle formations, completely surrounding Mo Hua.

From the crowd, a tall, handsome young master slowly walked forward.

This person was none other than Young Master Tuoba.

And behind him were two more Golden Core cultivators from the Great Wilderness Sect.

Young Master Tuoba glanced at Mo Hua, who was covered in manifesting dust, forced out of concealment by the Concealment-Breaking Array, and trapped by the Golden Prison Array, a sneer on his face:

"I guessed correctly; it really is you."

Mo Hua's face was calm. "What are you talking about?"

Young Master Tuoba sneered, "Still pretending to be foolish, don't think I can't tell. The servant in the Beast Fighting Arena was you in disguise."

He stared at Mo Hua again. "You are one of Yang Jishan's subordinates, lurking in the Beast Fighting Arena. Were you acting under the Yang family's orders?"

Mo Hua remained silent.

If it were other families, he would certainly have conveniently shifted the blame.

But he still had some connection with the Yang family and felt awkward letting them take the blame.

Seeing that Mo Hua didn't answer him, Young Master Tuoba showed displeasure and then sneered:

"I thought you were someone important, but it turns out you're just a pawn risking your life. No wonder you willingly debased yourself to disguise yourself as a servant."

Mo Hua, however, shook his head. "Things like status and face are for others to see. Whether one is base or not is not determined by status."

"Some people with status might actually be baser."

Young Master Tuoba felt rage in his heart and sneered, "You've got a sharp tongue, quite a mouth on you."

Just at this moment, the big tiger beside Mo Hua, its limbs locked by the Golden Prison Array, struggled for a bit but couldn't break free. It couldn't help but let out a low rumble towards Mo Hua, its appearance looking very familiar and showing a hint of intimacy.

Young Master Tuoba's heart tightened, his face instantly turned extremely ugly, and he questioned Mo Hua:

"What is your relationship with this King Beast of mine?"

Mo Hua said indifferently, "This big tiger is mine."

Young Master Tuoba gritted his teeth in anger, pondered for a moment, then sneered:

"You can't even protect yourself now, yet you still boast with your tongue?"

Young Master Tuoba pointed at the majestic big tiger and said, "This is a tiger demon, a king among demons, and an anomaly among kings. Its talent is extraordinary. Without someone of the Great Wilderness royal bloodline, its fierce nature cannot be suppressed, nor can it be made to submit."

"Your body has weak vital qi, no trace of bloodline power; it's clear you're of humble origins. The blood flowing in your veins is poor blood, base blood. How dare you compare yourself to my royal clan?"

Mo Hua was speechless. "Whether a person is base or not is not determined by bloodline."

"Furthermore, isn't your royal clan also descended from mongrels? In that case, it's quite base too."

As soon as these words were uttered, all the Great Wilderness Sect members' faces changed.

Young Master Tuoba's face turned pale, and his lips trembled.

The two Golden Core guardian elders trembled inwardly, and one of them immediately spoke:

"Young Master, this child is base and unworthy to speak with you. We shall seize him now, gouge out his eyes and rip out his tongue, for you to deal with as you please."

Fearing Mo Hua would "speak impertinently" again, infuriating Young Master Tuoba and causing him displeasure.

Without waiting for Young Master Tuoba to speak, the two Great Wilderness Sect Golden Core elders, along with several other Great Wilderness Sect Foundation Establishment cultivators, all made their move, intending to capture Mo Hua first.

They hadn't paid much attention to Mo Hua initially; he was just a Foundation Establishment cultivator who knew a bit of concealment art and did some sneaky, clandestine things. Now that he was trapped by the formation, with everyone attacking together, how could they possibly not capture him?

However, as they made their move, none of them noticed the faint curve of Mo Hua's lips.

All the Great Wilderness Sect members moved simultaneously, with the two Golden Core elders bearing the brunt.

Just as everyone stepped into the Golden Prison Array,

the light of the Golden Prison Array suddenly changed.

The underlying array core began to reverse, the formation patterns began to twist, and then one by one they collapsed and disintegrated.

Pitch-black light of annihilation replaced the golden light of the Golden Prison Array,

A chilling aura spread, and even sound itself was annihilated for a moment.

The pupils of the two Great Wilderness Sect Golden Core elders constricted; they instinctively retreated but were still a fraction of a second too slow.

The pitch-black power of disintegration touched their legs and feet.

One Golden Core elder's right foot was instantly disintegrated by the black inverse power.

The other Golden Core elder's knee was cut by the disintegration power, instantly decomposing, and his thigh and calf were thus severed into two pieces.

The other Great Wilderness Sect Foundation Establishment cultivators were also precisely controlled by Mo Hua's divine sense calculations, cut by the array's disintegration power, and left with missing limbs.

When the array finished disintegrating, the power of annihilation dissipated, and sounds returned to the surroundings.

Horrific wails of agony instantly echoed throughout the entire tent.

These events happened in a flash, in just a few blinks of an eye.

The Concealment-Breaking Array, Golden Prison Array, and other formations were all disintegrated, and the Golden Core elders were crippled.

Young Master Tuoba's pupils constricted, enraged and terrified in his heart.

He simply didn't understand why the formations set by his Great Wilderness Sect not only failed to trap Mo Hua but instead became Mo Hua's "tool" to abuse them.

The other two Golden Core elders also looked bewildered, their foreheads covered in cold sweat.

Mo Hua simply looked calmly at Young Master Tuoba, his gaze indifferent, like looking at a pig or sheep that could be slaughtered at will.

The fear in Young Master Tuoba's heart receded, turning into anger.

No one had ever dared to look at him with such a gaze.

Young Master Tuoba crushed a jade talisman, looking menacingly at Mo Hua:

"You must die here today!"

Before his words fell, the jade talisman shattered, activating many Great Wilderness Orders. More and more Great Wilderness Sect cultivators noticed the anomaly and gathered around.

Streaks of aura rushed towards the tent from afar; there were three Golden Core cultivators alone.

There were twenty or thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators.

And in the distance, even more divine senses swept towards this place.

Mo Hua could even vaguely sense an even stronger, more ferocious, and irresistible aura also locking onto him.

It was an Ethereal Immortal!

Not good!

Mo Hua's heart sank.

If he didn't rescue the big tiger quickly, he'd be finished.

But it was already too late; more and more Great Wilderness Sect cultivators gathered around.

Dozens of Great Wilderness Sect cultivators had already entered the tent, protecting Young Master Tuoba and pointing their blades and swords at Mo Hua.

Young Master Tuoba took a step back, and surrounded by the crowd, he looked down from a commanding position, his face full of disdain as he couldn't suppress a cold sneer.

He was the direct son of the Great Wilderness Sect Master, and the blood of the Great Wilderness royal clan flowed within him.

All cultivators of the Great Wilderness Sect obeyed his commands.

He also had a place in the future as the Great Wilderness King.

How could he allow Mo Hua, a person of humble origins, to disgrace him?

The situation was somewhat critical; Mo Hua frowned, his gaze solemn.

Just at this moment, the big tiger beside Mo Hua let out a low growl towards Mo Hua.

Mo Hua looked at the big tiger, somewhat puzzled.

The big tiger also looked at Mo Hua, hesitating for a moment.

Then this untamed fierce beast astonishingly, in front of everyone, lowered its head, which bore the majestic character "King," towards Mo Hua.

Its massive body also prostrated at his feet.

Mo Hua's expression froze.

The Great Wilderness Sect cultivators who had gathered saw this, and their faces all changed drastically.

Young Master Tuoba's eyes were bloodshot, as if a thousand sharp knives were stabbing his heart, making him bleed profusely and leaving him breathless with pain.

Mo Hua understood. He patted the big tiger's head, then lightly leaped onto its back, riding this fierce tiger demon, which symbolized the Great Wilderness royal clan's majesty.

At that instant, all the Great Wilderness Sect cultivators were shocked and in an uproar.

Young Master Tuoba felt as if his heart had split open, his features twisted, and he shrieked:

"Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!!"

"Everyone—kill him for me!!!"

This hysterical roar made everyone pause, and then Great Wilderness Sect cultivators obeyed, all attacking Mo Hua. Blades, spears, and arrows flew out together, not even sparing the big tiger.

Mo Hua's gaze darkened.

At this moment, the big tiger, however, raised its head, and a bloody sharpness emerged in its originally docile gaze.

The character "King" on its forehead also displayed a captivating domineering aura.

Astonishing surging demonic power circulated within its body.

Its black and white fur, stimulated by demonic power, emitted slight fluctuations and even flickered with an unusual light: the black became darker, like a malevolent spirit, and the white became purer, sacred and holy.

The black and white colors intertwined, creating an extraordinary mystery.

Then the big tiger let out a roar towards the sky, and powerful demonic energy completely exploded, black and white demonic energy permeating the entire tent.

As the demonic energy spread, the big tiger's massive body also merged into it.

Several experienced Great Wilderness Sect Golden Core elders all changed their expressions and exclaimed:

"Black and white demonic energy—"

"This isn't the tiger demon's innate ability, what is this?! Where did this beast go?"

Just at this moment, a Great Wilderness Sect Golden Core elder was suddenly startled and shouted:

"Young Master, be careful!"

As Young Master Tuoba was momentarily distracted, a white light suddenly flashed before his eyes. He saw absolutely nothing, but his chest instantly ached, bleeding profusely.

He looked down and saw that his chest armor had been torn to shreds.

A vicious claw mark appeared on his chest.

"Save the Young Master!"

"Kill that beast!"

"Where is it?"

"The demonic energy is too thick; I can't see anything."

Amidst the clamor, ink traces suddenly spread across the ground, forming a self-made array. Then an explosion rang out, and ground fire surged, destroying a small portion of the entire tent.

Before anyone could react, a powerful white light swiftly darted out from the opening in the tent.

Outside the tent lay the deep night.

As soon as this white light entered the night, it instantly reversed, its entire body's white light transforming into deep, ink-like black. Its figure merged with the darkness, speeding away like a surging desert wind, vanishing in a few blinks of an eye.

Only in the night, a single majestic roar of the king of all beasts was left behind.