Chapter 1158: Red Sun

The large tiger, shifting between black and white, carried Mo Hua on its back and plunged into the night.

Inside the Great Wilderness Gate's camp.

Young Master Tuoba lay on the ground, his chest covered in blood.

The Golden Core elders nearby quickly took out pills and spiritual liquid to stop the bleeding and treat Young Master Tuoba's injuries. At the same time, they were terrified, realizing how fierce this tiger demon was. Had it not been for the protective heart mirror gifted by the sect leader, Young Master Tuoba would truly have been crippled this time.

A moment later, the bleeding on Young Master Tuoba's chest stopped, leaving his wound stinging and burning.

Yet, the pain from his wound was nothing compared to the jealousy, rage, hatred, and anguish in his heart.

As a royal of the Great Wilderness, he had painstakingly, and by all means, trained, suppressed, and tormented this royal beast tiger demon for so long, yet he could never truly tame it. Now, before his very eyes, it had willingly bowed its kingly head, submitted to another, and voluntarily become someone else's mount.

This was, quite simply, more unbearable than death itself.

"This profound hatred is irreconcilable!" Young Master Tuoba gnashed his teeth. "Quick! Go! Issue orders for the entire Great Wilderness Gate to seal off the area! Kill that boy named Mo and bring that royal beast back to me!"

"Yes, Young Master!"

The Golden Core elders all cupped their hands in agreement.

They also knew in their hearts that this matter was no small feat.

The black and white demonic energy was rarely seen in the world; this black and white fierce tiger was definitely a rarity among tigers, a true treasure among royal beasts.

Only a royal beast of this caliber was worthy of the Young Master's status.

Furthermore, this demon possessed mighty presence and astonishing strength. Currently at the Second Grade, it was already so fierce; once it advanced to the Third Grade and formed a true demon core, its strength would undoubtedly skyrocket, making it even harder to tame.

And that young man—who exactly was he?

His cultivation was unremarkable, and his lineage did not seem particularly noble, so why could he make such a fierce royal beast willingly submit?

There were no chains, no saddles, no formations, and no other forms of suppression or restraint.

A tiger demon submitting voluntarily was simply incredible.

Demonic beasts devoured humans, and their ferocity was hard to quell.

Generally speaking, demonic beasts were not truly "tamed."

The taming of a demonic beast was essentially just a forced "suppression" through bloodline and martial prowess, compelling the beast to obey.

Once a demonic beast broke free from its restraints, it would still "devour its master."

Therefore, "taming demons" typically required the use of saddles, demon locks, and demon-binding formations to keep the beasts in check.

Without such restraints, it was impossible to make even an ordinary demonic beast submit, let alone a fierce tiger, which was a king among demons.

Thus, the young man who could make a royal beast willingly bow its head in submission was truly uncanny.

Could it be... he wasn't human after all?

This doubt surfaced in the minds of the Great Wilderness Gate cultivators.

However, at this moment, they couldn't delve deeper; the priority was to intercept the tiger demon.

This young man must die!

And the black and white striped tiger beast must be recovered!

The Golden Core elders of the Great Wilderness Gate then used the Great Wilderness Token to transmit orders to all their cultivators:

"All Great Wilderness Gate disciples on standby are to seal off the front line and encircle a young man riding a black and white tiger demon."

"Deploy the military formations. You must intercept the tiger demon and capture the young man. If he resists, kill him without mercy!"

The orders were relayed, and the Great Wilderness Gate's battle lines shifted.

Most Great Wilderness Gate cultivators were still engaged in chaotic battle with the Daoist Court.

A small portion of cultivators on standby had already turned their attention to encircling and suppressing Mo Hua.

This was a large-scale operation, and even a small portion of their forces amounted to a considerable number of people.

Soon, Mo Hua, riding on the great tiger's back, instantly felt the pressure intensify.

The great tiger's innate ability allowed it to unleash black and white demonic energy, altering its fur color to confuse auras, conceal its murderous intent, and increase its speed. This ability was formidable for sneak attacks, combat, or escape.

Mo Hua was witnessing it for the first time.

However, this ability didn't last long. After leaving the camp and shaking off the Great Wilderness Gate's pursuers, the black and white colors on the great tiger reverted to normal.

It could only continue as usual, carrying Mo Hua, and break through the Great Wilderness Gate's defense line.

In the current situation, breaking through was actually the most difficult task.

This escape route, which Mo Hua had previously traversed alone while invisible, was fraught with danger at every step.

Now, with the great tiger, such a massive target, attempting to break out of the Great Wilderness Gate's positions and return the way they came was naturally even more perilous. The only good news was that the Ascension realm cultivators had not appeared.

The Great Wilderness Gate's Ascension realm cultivators seemed to be tied down by those from the Daoist Court, preventing them from giving chase.

As for Young Master Tuoba, his life was no longer in serious danger.

It was even less likely that the Great Wilderness Gate's Ascension realm cultivators would disregard the bigger picture to target Mo Hua, a "small fry."

With Young Master Tuoba's command, more and more Great Wilderness Gate cultivators began to encircle and suppress Mo Hua.

Among these cultivators, there were scattered Golden Core experts, but most were Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The threat from Golden Core cultivators was manageable because the battlefield was vast and the front line was stretched long. The Great Wilderness Gate's Golden Core experts were dispersed, leading teams in chaotic battles against the Daoist Court.

Thus, after Mo Hua broke out, he didn't encounter many Golden Core cultivators along the way.

Instead, it was the numerous Foundation Establishment disciples of the Great Wilderness Gate, forming battle formations, who were difficult to deal with.

These disciples were originally trained in the "Daoist Soldier" style.

They were originally meant to accompany the Daoist Soldier Division to suppress the rebellion in the Great Wilderness.

Therefore, their armor, spiritual artifacts, formations, marching formations, and combat tactics were all designed according to the requirements for Daoist Soldiers.

Once they formed Daoist Soldier units, these well-trained Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Great Wilderness Gate were actually harder to deal with than Golden Core cultivators.

Mo Hua was constrained by his fate-curse and couldn't kill anyone.

The great tiger, being a single demonic beast, no matter how strong, simply couldn't kill so many opponents.

Therefore, Mo Hua could only direct the great tiger, evading the Great Wilderness Gate disciples' blockade and pursuit.

However, the situation was not optimistic.

Before this, Mo Hua knew the power of the "Daoist Soldier" system, which allowed the weak to overcome the strong.

Even during the previous Sword Discourse, the Grand Void Sect had relied on their well-prepared and strictly disciplined "Prodigy Daoist Soldier" prototype to establish a certain advantage at the outset.

But it was only when the Great Wilderness Gate disciples, employing Daoist Soldier tactics, actually blockaded and pursued him, that Mo Hua truly experienced firsthand the immense power of the cultivators' "military system."

The Great Wilderness Gate disciples, gathered together in formations, forced Mo Hua and the great tiger to flee in all directions, constantly facing peril.

Mo Hua could only temporarily restrain and delay them with spells and formations.

Other than that, they relied entirely on the great tiger charging forward, tearing through defenses with its sharp fangs and claws to escape encirclement.

Fortunately, the great tiger was a peak Second Grade tiger-type demonic beast, a powerhouse among demons. Even without using its strange innate ability, its speed was astonishing when running at full throttle.

Thus, one man and one tiger struggled to survive amidst a rain of blades, spears, and arrows, enduring successive difficult breakthroughs.

Finally, after an unknown duration of fierce fighting, Mo Hua temporarily shook off his pursuers and spotted a canyon.

On the other side of the canyon was a precipice.

Across the precipice lay the encampment of the Daoist Soldier Division.

By crossing the canyon and leaping over the precipice, they could completely escape the Great Wilderness Gate's blockade.

Mo Hua no longer hesitated and patted the great tiger's neck.

The great tiger understood instantly, transforming into a gust of wind as it charged towards the other side of the canyon.

Just as they entered the canyon, a team of ten cultivators suddenly appeared from one side.

These ten individuals wore thick, finely crafted golden-patterned beast armor. Their auras were concentrated and profound, and every single one of them was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm.

At a glance, they were clearly the hand-picked elite disciples of the Great Wilderness Gate.

It was even highly probable that they were the prodigies of this generation from the Great Wilderness Gate.

These ten individuals lined up, blocking the great tiger's path, raising heavy shields to completely seal off the way forward.

The ten prodigies combined forces to encircle and kill, their murderous intent overbearing, like a rainbow piercing the sun.

Mo Hua's expression turned slightly cold.

The great tiger, enraged, bristled its fur against the wind, and black and white demonic energy permeated its entire body.

With a roar, the great tiger began its charge.

The ten prodigies of the Great Wilderness Gate and Mo Hua with his tiger instantly clashed in a fierce struggle.

In just a few breaths, the tiger's claws, carrying a腥 wind, and fierce bites struck the heavy armor and shields, drawing sparks and deep claw marks.

Demonic energy and blood aura surged, neither side holding back, making the battle exceptionally fierce.

But Mo Hua dared not delay; once they were bogged down, the consequences would be unimaginable.

They had to break through as soon as possible!

In a flash, after another hundred rounds of combat.

Mo Hua used the Quicksand spell to trap two heavily armored Great Wilderness Gate prodigies, briefly immobilizing them, and then used various other spells such as Golden Light spell, Fireball spell, and Water Prison spell to restrict the remaining Great Wilderness Gate prodigies.

Then, the great tiger seized the opportunity, pushing off with its hind legs with a powerful thrust that cracked the ground.

The great tiger's body shot out like a cannonball, bursting through a weak point in the Great Wilderness Gate prodigies' encirclement.

The ten Great Wilderness Gate prodigies could only watch helplessly as the tiger demon departed.

But at that very moment, one of the Great Wilderness Gate prodigies, noticeably taller and more muscular, suddenly tensed his muscles, revealing barbaric blood patterns. He violently broke free from Mo Hua's Water Prison spell, then leaped forward, catching up in a few large strides, and blocked the great tiger's path.

This was a tall young man.

His armor was shattered, revealing a body covered in crisscrossing, grotesque scars beneath.

And now, this tall young man stood blocking the great tiger.

The great tiger showed no mercy, lunging with a claw to strike.

Yet, this tall young man neither dodged nor retreated. His muscles, like steel, absorbed the great tiger's claw strike head-on.

The tiger's claw embedded itself in his shoulder, leaving deep wounds.

But ignoring his pain, this tall young man, with astonishing strength, desperately clutched the great tiger's front paw.

Man and demon, relying solely on physical prowess, found themselves in a momentary stalemate.

Although he was certainly no match for the fierce tiger, his ability to withstand it for even a moment demonstrated his formidable savagery.

Mo Hua's heart jolted.

This tall young man possessed incredibly overbearing strength.

But no one could block his path!

Mo Hua's gaze turned cold, and he raised his fingers, intending to cripple the young man blocking his way. But as he looked up, he suddenly froze.

The stark moonlight illuminated the tall young man's face.

A long scar ran from his left cheek down to his right jaw.

This young man's eyes were resolute and steady, yet his face held a brutal ferocity and grimness, entirely devoid of his former cheerfulness and kindness.

Mo Hua felt a pang and murmured:

"Dahu—"

The tall young man, as if struck by lightning, immediately raised his head to look at the boy on the tiger's back and saw a handsome, familiar face.

This was a friend he had once spent day and night with, but had gradually forgotten.

Scenes from the past echoed in his mind.

The ferocity on the tall young man's face faded, replaced by a trace of pain and wistfulness.

Just then, a shout came from nearby:

"Meng Bohu, this is the person the Young Master wants! Stop him at all costs!"

The tall young man's expression turned grim upon hearing this. He took a deep look at Mo Hua, then slowly released his grip, turned sideways, and allowed the great tiger and Mo Hua to leave.

Mo Hua called out, "Dahu!"

But the tall young man lowered his head, unable to look at Mo Hua again.

The great tiger paid no heed to anything else, carrying Mo Hua as it charged through the canyon, then leaped, soaring as if running on flat ground, crossing the precipice, and escaping into the distance.

Mo Hua looked back, but could only see the tall young man's back.

He remained with his back to Mo Hua.

His sturdy silhouette cast a large shadow under the cold moonlight.

He never turned to look at Mo Hua again.

As the great tiger galloped, moving further and further away, this figure, once so familiar yet now so strange, gradually vanished from Mo Hua's sight.

After Mo Hua and the great tiger departed.

The tall young man still stood alone in place.

The other Great Wilderness Gate prodigies arrived, no longer seeing any trace of Mo Hua or the great tiger, and questioned the tall young man:

"Meng Bohu, why did you let go?"

"Even if it cost you your life, you should have obeyed the Young Master's command."

"Just now, even if you had to die, you should have kept that tiger and killed that damned boy on its back."

The tall young man, addressed as "Meng Bohu," had slightly reddened eyes, which he then forcefully suppressed.

But the other prodigies continued to nag incessantly.

"You are of lowly birth. It was the Young Master's appreciation that gave you opportunities."

"The name 'Meng Bohu' was also bestowed by the Young Master."

"For such great kindness, you should have willingly sacrificed yourself, deeming death not enough."

"But what did you just do? Are you afraid of death?"

"Speak up! Why aren't you speaking?"

"Are you mute?"

"Indeed, a mere rogue cultivator of lowly bloodline. No matter how much the Young Master elevates you, you're still a vulgar, uncouth—"

A dull thud echoed, accompanied by splattering blood.

The Great Wilderness Gate prodigy who had been speaking looked down in shock, finding his chest pierced by an iron-like fist.

He looked up and saw Meng Bohu's scar-ridden, grimacing face and blood-red eyes.

Overbearing force, transmitted through the fist, vibrated and crushed his internal organs.

The Great Wilderness Gate prodigy cried out in pain and tried to resist, but just as he looked up, Meng Bohu's left hand twisted his neck, killing him instantly.

At this, the entire area was gripped by alarm.

"Meng Bohu, are you insane?!"

"You dared to kill a prodigy from the Hu family? What crime is this?!"

Among the ten prodigies, another disciple from the Hu family immediately drew a golden saber and coldly rebuked:

"Someone of low birth truly is an untamable mongrel! Today, I will tear you into ten thousand pieces to make you pay for my cousin's life!"

He immediately brandished his golden saber and engaged Meng Bohu in battle.

But he didn't know until they fought; upon clashing, he was horrified to discover that he was no match for Meng Bohu, a person of lowly birth, with an extremely poor reputation in the sect, and as ruthless as a jackal or hyena.

In less than a hundred exchanges, Meng Bohu twisted off his head.

The remaining individuals, both shocked and terrified, swiftly drew their spiritual artifacts or embryonic magic treasures, shouting, "Let's join forces and kill this fiend!"

Having killed two people in succession, Meng Bohu's ferocity had been ignited. His eyes were blood-red, full of brutality.

A brutal force surged within him, causing his muscles to twist and bulge irregularly.

He didn't know what cultivation method he had practiced, but the power within him was terrifyingly overbearing.

Fighting one against three, he showed no signs of being at a disadvantage.

In fact, the more he fought, the fiercer, stronger, and more brutal he became. He seemed oblivious to the blades, swords, fists, and kicks raining down on him, appearing utterly deranged. Yet, every move he made was vicious, aiming to kill.

The remaining Great Wilderness Gate prodigies were momentarily stunned by this reckless and brutal fighting style, and fear began to well up in their hearts.

Once fear arose, their weaknesses were completely exposed.

Before long, they were one by one disemboweled, decapitated, and had their skulls shattered, dying at Meng Bohu's hands.

As a result, out of the ten Great Wilderness Gate prodigies, only four remained besides Meng Bohu.

Covered in blood, Meng Bohu turned his head to look at the four remaining individuals.

The four immediately turned pale with fright and quickly said, "Senior Brother Meng, we—we are not your enemies."

The overbearing force still circulated within him.

Meng Bohu's face was twisted as he slowly said, "Tonight's events—"

One of the Great Wilderness Gate prodigies quickly said, "We don't know anything—"

The blood-red in Meng Bohu's eyes gradually receded. He pointed at them, then at the corpses on the ground:

"Each of you, stab one of these corpses with your blade, and then swear a Heavenly Dao Poison Oath that you will say nothing about what happened tonight."

Intimidated by Meng Bohu's ruthless brutality, the remaining four Great Wilderness Gate prodigies could only draw their blades and each stab one of their deceased fellow disciples.

This way, even if they tried to report it, they wouldn't be able to explain away these stab wounds.

After all this was done, Meng Bohu instructed the remaining individuals to throw the bodies of the four prodigies off the precipice, then ordered:

"Forget everything that happened here, and return to report."

"Say that we got separated, encountered Daoist Soldiers, and fought for a while."

"As for that tiger, we didn't encounter it, and we don't know the whereabouts of these fellow disciples."

The other four, their faces pale, cupped their hands and said, "Yes, Senior Brother Meng."

Meng Bohu nodded. "Go."

The others departed one by one.

Meng Bohu was the last to leave. Before departing, he couldn't help but turn back, looking in the direction Mo Hua had gone.

On his brutal face, a fleeting moment of nostalgia and sadness appeared, before gradually fading into indifference, as if he had lost all emotion.

Meanwhile, Mo Hua was still fleeing.

The matter with Dahu weighed on his mind, but he had no time to ponder it deeply, as he had to deal with an even trickier situation.

He was still being pursued.

Before, he had been hunted within the Great Wilderness Gate's positions.

After escaping the Great Wilderness Gate's encirclement and entering the Daoist Court's main forces, he wasn't safe; he was still being chased.

His previous concerns had indeed come true.

The Great Wilderness Gate's pursuit was to kill him and capture the tiger.

The Daoist Soldiers of the Daoist Court, however, wanted to kill the great tiger.

The tiger demon was the royal beast of the Great Wilderness. With the Great Wilderness Gate's military coup and the ongoing war, if a tiger demon appeared, the Daoist Soldier Division certainly wouldn't show mercy.

Mo Hua was naturally caught in a dilemma.

If things continued this way, the great tiger would likely still be unable to escape death.

Just as Mo Hua's expression turned grave, a tremor shook the distant ground, accompanied by deafening battle cries. Vast hordes of barbarian soldiers surged forward, and among them, there were even banners of the Great Wilderness royalty.

"Are those barbarian soldiers?!"

Mo Hua's expression jolted, and he instantly realized that the Great Wilderness Gate's military coup was merely a prelude.

No matter how strong the Great Wilderness Gate was, it couldn't surpass the Daoist Court. The reason for the coup was merely to disrupt the rear of the Daoist Court's army, using it as a diversion.

Then, while the Daoist Soldiers were entangled in chaotic battle and preoccupied, the barbarian soldiers of the Great Wilderness, who had been ambushed for a long time, would charge in, forming a pincer attack to inflict heavy losses on the Daoist Court's army.

Such a situation was truly perilous.

But Mo Hua could no longer worry about such things.

The Great Wilderness Gate and the Daoist Court army were already in a chaotic battle, and he and the great tiger were already overwhelmed. Now, with the barbarian soldiers of the Great Wilderness charging in again, a three-way clash erupted, with blood and flesh flying, and the situation devolved into utter chaos.

For Mo Hua to escape with the great tiger was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

He could only do his best to survive with the great tiger amidst the three-way battle.

However, as the chaos continued, Mo Hua discovered something unexpected.

The Great Wilderness Gate wanted to kill him and capture the great tiger. The Daoist Soldier Division wanted to kill the great tiger.

But only the barbarian soldiers of the Great Wilderness dared not show the slightest disrespect towards the great tiger.

Mo Hua instantly understood.

The tiger was the "royal beast" of the Great Wilderness, a symbol of the royal family.

This meant that for the great tiger, the "barbarian soldier" territory was actually the safest.

This was also the great tiger's only hope for escape.

Mo Hua was overjoyed.

He immediately tugged at the great tiger's mane on its neck, making it change direction and charge towards the barbarian soldiers' formation.

The barbarian soldiers were charging north from the south, attacking the Daoist Court's soldiers.

He, on the other hand, was leading the great tiger to escape from north to south.

Of course, he dared not approach from the front.

Although the tiger demon was the royal beast of the Great Wilderness, the man riding on its back was a "fake," not a member of the Great Wilderness royal family at all.

If he were to approach directly and encounter a Great Wilderness royal, his deception would surely be exposed.

Moreover, Mo Hua had caught a glimpse earlier, noticing some giant-like royal cavalry among the barbarian army.

These were the powerful marquises of the Great Wilderness tribe.

Mo Hua dared even less to provoke them.

He could only find a way to bypass the main barbarian forces, fleeing south from the southwestern edge.

Ordinary barbarian soldiers, deeply reverent of the royal beast, dared not question it, let alone intercept it.

Therefore, Mo Hua, hugging the southwestern edge and using the barbarian soldiers as cover, actually managed to escape the slaughterhouse-like battle with the great tiger.

They broke free.

Behind them, terrifying magical duels raged, with Ascension realm cultivators flying through the sky and burrowing into the earth.

It was a desperate fight centered around Golden Core cultivators.

It was a slaughterhouse where Foundation Establishment cultivators constantly lost their lives.

Warfare, spells, blood and flesh, blades and swords, Daoist Soldiers, barbarian soldiers, and sect cultivators intertwined into a bloody, cruel, yet magnificent tableau of purgatory.

All of this was gradually left behind by Mo Hua.

The scent of blood around him grew fainter, cultivators became fewer, and the landscape grew emptier, until there was no one left in sight.

Looking around, the world was vast and desolate, with nothing in sight.

Only then did Mo Hua let out a deep sigh of relief.

He had finally escaped from this immense slaughter.

But the great tiger was still carrying him, running ceaselessly forward.

Mo Hua thought for a moment and patted the great tiger's back, wanting it to stop.

Now that the great tiger was safe, he still needed to find a way back to join the main Daoist Soldier forces and the Yang family disciples to suppress the Great Wilderness rebellion and make a name for himself.

But the great tiger paid no attention.

It had been restrained for too long and fought too much. Now, having finally gained freedom, it simply carried Mo Hua on its back, stretching its four legs, and ran forward relentlessly, without stopping.

As it ran, it also happily roared, "Mrow!"

No matter how Mo Hua tugged at its mane, it wouldn't listen.

At this moment, the night faded, and the red sun rose over the Great Wilderness.

Across the vast land, a black and white great tiger, carrying a young boy, ran ceaselessly under the red sun, through the sprawling Gobi Desert, heading towards an endless, vast world.