Wenren Wan didn't know why these thoughts suddenly surfaced.
This was supposed to be the Sword Discussion Conference.
Broad daylight. A sea of people.
The high-ranking elders of both the Shangguan and Wenren families were present.
Why did it feel like an ominous nightmare was looming?
She didn't understand. All she could do was hold tightly onto her precious child, refusing to let anyone take them away...
Amidst the clamor, the Asura Battle finally began.
On the grand Fangtian Painting Projection, colors spread like ink, mountains and rivers took shape, unveiling a massive unfolding scroll.
It depicted a vast and treacherous mountain range—
The final battlefield of the Asura Battle.
The Four Sects, Eight Schools, Twelve Streams, along with a handful of independent cultivators from the Hundred Schools of Qianxue—over a hundred teams in total—would engage in a brutal fight to the death within this perilous arena.
Victory and defeat would be decided.
Life and death would be determined.
Before the vast Fangtian Painting Projection, every cultivator watching held their breath, their eyes locked on the battle. They were witnessing a fight that could decide the fate of numerous sects.
—Inside the Sword Discussion Arena.
Mo Hua led the disciples of Tai Xu Sect into the Asura battlefield.
Looking around, he found the arena was even larger, broader, and more complex than expected.
Endless mountain ranges stretched as far as the eye could see, their terrain intricate, veiled in mist.
Forests, peaks, slopes, canyons, swamps, ancient woods, poisonous herb fields, miasma, ruins...
Countless terrains lay hidden within the mountain fog, obscured and unpredictable.
In the distance, Xuantian Peak stood tall and visible.
Xuantian Peak—where the Heavenly Sword Discussion took place.
The Asura Battle—where the Heavenly Advancement Battle was fought.
The two battlefields stood adjacent. In the past, only those who passed the trials of the Asura Battle were qualified to set foot on Xuantian Peak.
Now, Mo Hua was about to experience the grueling challenge of an Asura Battle himself.
"Senior Brother…" Situ Jian whispered, "Everything is ready."
"Mm."
Mo Hua turned back, his gaze sweeping over Situ Jian and the others—Linghu Xiao, Ouyang Xuan, Cheng Mo, Yang Qianjun, Hao Xuan, the five Ouyang brothers…
Familiar and beloved fellow disciples.
Their expressions were solemn, their eyes filled with unwavering trust.
Mo Hua nodded. "Follow the plan."
"Come with me…"
Expanding his divine sense, he scanned the terrain, found a direction, and led the way into the mountains.
The disciples of Tai Xu Sect followed silently behind him.
One by one, they vanished into the dense fog.
…
At the same time, the prodigious disciples leading each sect gazed at the vast mist before them and issued their commands:
"Go! Ignore the other sects—find Tai Xu Sect first!"
"Forget everyone else—find Mo Hua!"
"Once found, signal with fireworks!"
"We'll surround and kill him!"
"Destroy Tai Xu Sect first!"
"Mo Hua must die!"
"Yes!"
…
Within the vast Asura battlefield, shrouded by mist, disciples from various sects moved swiftly through forests, streams, and swamps, expanding their divine senses in search of Tai Xu Sect—especially Mo Hua.
There was a silent, mutual understanding among them.
Kill Mo Hua. Destroy Tai Xu.
Of course, not every sect shared this "understanding."
In this vast battlefield, skirmishes had already begun. Some disciples fought among themselves, driven by old grudges and sect rivalries.
For them, Tai Xu Sect and Mo Hua were irrelevant. The moment they encountered their sworn enemies, they drew their blades and engaged in battle.
But the overall situation remained highly unfavorable for Mo Hua.
Most cultivators—especially those wielding the Slaughter Mo Order, sworn enemies of Mo Hua— were still adhering to their "alliance."
They spread out like an enormous net, covering the battlefield, searching through the mist for any trace of Mo Hua. Yet, despite searching over and over, they found nothing.
Not only was Mo Hua missing, but not a single Tai Xu disciple had been seen.
It was as if they had vanished into thin air.
Having suffered before at the hands of stealth techniques, the senior brother of Vajra Sect, Shi Tiangang, cursed under his breath:
"Again with this crap?"
"Stealth… again?"
Beside him, Qin Cangliu, the sword genius of Gui Shui Sect, pondered for a moment before shaking his head:
"No… If it were just Mo Hua hiding, that would be one thing. But how could every single disciple of Tai Xu Sect know stealth techniques?"
"Stealth techniques aren't that easy to learn."
"And even if they did learn them, mastering them to the point of avoiding detection is incredibly difficult."
"Stealth artifacts?"
"No, stealth artifacts aren't that effective. At the very least, they wouldn't fool your divine sense or mine."
"Then… could it be a Stealth Formation?"
The Stealth Formation was a Second-Tier, Nineteen-Pattern high-level array—a rare and obscure formation that few formation masters ever studied.
In the history of the Sword Discussion Conference, no one had ever deployed a Stealth Formation before.
But with Mo Hua… this possibility seemed very real.
The mist had yet to dissipate, and the battlefield's treacherous terrain remained a maze of dangers.
If Mo Hua had truly set up a Stealth Formation and hidden Tai Xu Sect in some remote corner, it would be incredibly difficult to find them.
"Group stealth…?"
"That damn Mo Hua, always full of tricks."
"Shameless bastard…"
"So what do we do now?"
"If we can't find Mo Hua, do we just stand around?"
"This is the Sword Discussion Conference! With so many sect leaders and elders watching, wasting time like this would be embarrassing."
"As per our agreement, we clear the field first."
"We clean up the battlefield while continuing to search for Mo Hua."
"Alright."
"Agreed."
…
Thus, the first round of "field cleansing" began.
Field cleansing was a preliminary "screening" process based on the rankings of the Four Sects, Eight Schools, and Twelve Streams.
The Asura Battle was described as a chaotic free-for-all, but it was not without rules.
This so-called "chaos" still had regulations and hierarchy.
The weak were eliminated first.
The lower-ranked sects were the first to be removed.
This was the traditional, unspoken rule of past Asura Battles. And this cleansing followed the "one-sword" principle.
Led by their prodigious disciples, the major sects swept through the battlefield. When encountering weaker disciples from lower-ranked sects, they would strike with a single sword. Only one sword.
If the opponent could withstand the strike, they had the right to stay and continue fighting.
If not, they were immediately eliminated.
This method cleared out the weak,
while also preventing early life-and-death struggles between the strong— avoiding situations where weaker contestants might opportunistically slip through.
To some extent, this reinforced the sect rankings.
By cleansing the battlefield according to the established hierarchy, the tournament's rankings remained relatively stable.
Even the four most powerful sects acknowledged this rule.
This was crucial for the Sect Sword Conference.
Even the Four Great Sects, despite their strength, would not act recklessly and disrupt the order—avoiding unnecessary variables.
Thus, the Asura Battle began to reveal its bloody nature, initiating the first wave of straightforward slaughter.
Within forests, along streams, across swamps— sword light flashed, spells erupted, fists and kicks clashed. Yet every attack was only a brief exchange, probing each other's strength.
When encountering the weak, they were swiftly executed.
When facing the strong, the battle was only a test before both sides withdrew.
Soon, the battlefield was swept clean— all lower-tier sects and their weak disciples were eliminated.
However, some fairly strong individuals were also implicated and removed.
Some disciples who had learned stealth techniques attempted to hide, hoping to survive longer, gain a better ranking, and earn extra points.
In previous tournaments, this tactic had some merit. But not this time. Because Mo Hua was too skilled in stealth.
To ensure Mo Hua's elimination, all the sects had taken stealth techniques extremely seriously.
They had prepared numerous countermeasures to neutralize Mo Hua's concealment.
Mo Hua had sealed off his own escape route— and in doing so, he had blocked the paths of others as well.
Those disciples attempting stealth, whether through concealment techniques or stealth artifacts, were far inferior to Mo Hua.
They couldn't stay hidden for long before their whereabouts were exposed and they were cut down with a single sword strike.
Moreover, stealth techniques carried an immense grudge.
Some sect prodigies had been humiliated by Mo Hua's stealth techniques in the past, and they could not tolerate anyone using similar methods in their presence.
Especially Shi Tiangang.
The moment he saw someone trying to conceal themselves, he flew into a rage.
"Of all people to imitate, you choose Mo Hua?"
During the Asura Battle, he specifically hunted down stealth practitioners.
Similarly, disciples with exceptional movement techniques suffered because of Mo Hua.
Feng Zichen, the prodigy of Xiaoyao Sect, had once performed an intricate sword dance, almost breaking his wrist, yet still failed to cut even a thread of Mo Hua's robe.
Since that day, he could not stand seeing anyone display agility in front of him.
During the battle, weaker sect disciples who faced him head-on for a fair duel were left alone.
But if they tried to flee using movement techniques, it would instantly trigger his grudge.
He would abandon everything else and chase them to the ends of the earth, just to cut them down.
As for Fireball Technique— there was nothing more to say.
At this point, Fireball Technique had become an unspoken "forbidden art" of the Sword Discussion Conference.
Other than Mo Hua, no disciple was allowed to use it.
Especially in the Asura Battle.
Anyone who dared to throw a fireball would instantly become the common enemy, swarmed and hacked to death by a horde of furious cultivators.
And as they struck, they would curse:
"This is what you get for using Fireball Technique!"
"You think you're special?"
"I've always hated Fireball Technique!"
…
Mo Hua did not appear during the first round of cleansing. Yet, it felt as if his presence lingered everywhere.
After an hour of rapid slaughter and "screening," the first round of eliminations was complete.
Those who lacked strength, as well as those who bore any resemblance to Mo Hua, were all removed.
The disciples of Qianxue Academy were nearly wiped out.
Many of the weaker disciples from the Twelve Streams were eliminated.
The Eight Schools lost only a handful of members.
The Four Great Sects remained completely intact.
At this point, a new dilemma arose: Should they continue searching for Mo Hua? Or should they proceed with the battle as usual?
The prodigies leading each sect silently weighed their options.
Then, Ye Qingfeng of the Da Luo Sect spoke up:
"I suggest that all sects temporarily cease fighting and focus entirely on killing Mo Hua."
"Once Mo Hua is dead, we can settle our scores among ourselves."
"Don't forget—Mo Hua is a huge threat."
"His cultivation may not be remarkable, but his stealth abilities are unparalleled. In such a vast battlefield, he moves like a fish in water. If we don't join forces to eliminate him now, and he somehow 'survives' until the final stage, we won't be able to deal with him at all."
The Da Luo Sect had two prodigies.
One was Ye Zhiyuan, who had mastered the Da Luo Flying Sword Art but was slain by Mo Hua with a single strike— his reputation plummeting overnight. He was once the top sword prodigy of Qianxue Academy.
The other was Ye Qingfeng, who practiced the Da Luo Unity Sword Art.
Ye Qingfeng was tall, refined in appearance, and possessed profound cultivation. However, because the Unity Sword Art focused on internalizing one's aura, he was not particularly eye-catching.
Yet those in the know understood—Ye Qingfeng's strength was immense. He was arguably the strongest fighter beneath the Four Prodigies.
Like Ye Zhiyuan, he was considered a "seeded prodigy" of the Da Luo Sect, personally chosen by the Da Luo Ancestor and marked with a Lifespan Talisman.
Unlike many others, Ye Qingfeng had never fought Mo Hua and bore no personal grudge against him.
His decision to target Mo Hua was not driven by hatred, but by the undeniable fact that Mo Hua's bizarre survival skills were an unpredictable and dangerous variable.
In an Asura Battle like this, failing to deal with Mo Hua early on could very well lead to the absurd outcome of him "surviving" until the end.
As a top prodigy of the Eight Schools, Ye Qingfeng's words carried weight.
His considerable strength also gave him the qualifications to negotiate with the Four Great Sects.
Thus, his proposal quickly gained widespread approval.
"Kill Mo Hua first!"
"At the very least, we need to find the Tai Xu Sect's people…"
"Agreed!"
…
The prodigies of each sect once again split up, crisscrossing the battlefield like a giant sieve, meticulously combing through every blade of grass, every valley, every mountain, and every ravine in this Asura Battleground.
Their divine senses swept back and forth.
Their sharp eyes pierced through every shadow.
Even artifacts designed to detect hidden presences were deployed. And yet, to their frustration, Mo Hua was nowhere to be found. Nor was there any trace of the Tai Xu Sect.
Cursing under their breath, they pressed on with the search.
Frustration began to fester in their hearts.
The prolonged stalemate wore on their patience.
"Damn it, where the hell is Mo Hua hiding?"
"He's like a ghost…"
"How long are we supposed to keep this up?"
"..."
This was an Asura Battle—one that would determine their personal futures and the interests of their sects. A stalemate like this was bound to leave some unwilling to accept the delay.
They certainly wanted to kill Mo Hua. But if they couldn't find him, the situation changed.
They hadn't forgotten that this was a sword duel tournament, and every disciple from another sect was an enemy.
They couldn't let the matter of "Mo Hua" interfere with their sects' grand plans.
The so-called alliance to hunt down Mo Hua was, at best, a verbal agreement—no one truly took it to heart.
Especially when it came to real sect interests. Gradually, doubts and ulterior motives arose.
Between Mo Hua's life and their sects' standing, they knew which was more important.
Besides, not everyone in the Four Great Sects, Eight Schools, and Twelve Streams harbored such deep hatred for Mo Hua.
And among them, there were even "traitors" secretly aligned with him.
...
Within the Duan Jin Sect's ranks.
Song Jian turned to the leading disciple of the Duan Jin Sect and said, "Song Kui, let's start killing."
Song Kui was taken aback.
As the strongest disciple of the Duan Jin Sect in this generation and their team leader, he commanded authority. However, Song Jian came from an influential background and had gained recognition from the elders after his stellar performance in the tournament.
Thus, he couldn't easily ignore Song Jian's opinion.
But…
Start killing?
Who were they supposed to kill?
As Song Kui pondered, he gradually understood Song Jian's intent and frowned. "This… isn't a good idea."
Song Jian replied, "This is an Asura Battle. At critical moments, we must be ruthless and unyielding."
"But what about Mo Hua—"
"There are plenty of others hunting Mo Hua. Duan Jin Sect doesn't need to bother."
Song Kui was still hesitant.
Song Jian continued, "Don't forget, our Duan Jin Sect ranks dead last among the Eight Schools."
"The sects ahead of us won't give up their positions."
"Even if we kill Mo Hua and drag the Tai Xu Sect down with him, it won't change our situation."
"Our real targets should be the sects ranked just above us."
"We need to crush them first—only then can we climb higher…"
"Once we've secured our place, we can think about dealing with the Tai Xu Sect and Mo Hua. If we don't climb up, everything else is meaningless…"
Song Kui was also a pragmatic man. Hearing this, his eyes gleamed sharply as he nodded.
"Alright. Kill!"
Song Kui led the charge, while Song Jian gripped his spirit sword. The disciples of Duan Jin Sect moved stealthily, pretending to continue searching for Mo Hua's whereabouts.
Before long, they encountered the Zi Xia Sect.
Song Kui stepped forward, exchanged a few pleasantries— And at the moment the Zi Xia Sect disciples let their guard down, Song Jian suddenly drew his sword.
A golden radiance burst forth as he struck at a Zi Xia disciple.
The rest of the Duan Jin Sect disciples followed suit, launching a sudden assault.
The Zi Xia Sect disciples were caught completely off guard. Two were instantly killed, three severely wounded, and another seven or eight suffered minor injuries.
Their leading prodigy roared in fury:
"Duan Jin Sect! What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Song Jian sneered, "What else? It's a sword tournament."
Brandishing his sword, he led his fellow disciples into battle against the Zi Xia Sect.
Two more from the Zi Xia Sect fell.
But the Zi Xia Sect, being one of the Eight Schools, quickly steadied their formation and fought back against the Duan Jin Sect.
The battle became a stalemate.
Realizing that they wouldn't gain any further advantage, Song Jian didn't linger. He decisively ordered, "Retreat!"
The Duan Jin Sect disciples swiftly withdrew alongside him.
The Zi Xia Sect disciples were furious, but having lost members in the ambush, they dared not pursue. They could only watch helplessly as the Duan Jin Sect retreated.
...
Outside the battlefield.
The elders of the Zi Xia Sect cursed the Duan Jin Sect's shamelessness.
But the elders of the Duan Jin Sect nodded approvingly, praising:
"This Song Jian… I didn't misjudge him—he truly has a sharp mind."
"He isn't blinded by hatred, remains calm, understands the bigger picture, seizes opportunities, and acts ruthlessly without hesitation. He has great potential."
"This kind of mindset is more valuable than spiritual roots."
"The Duan Jin Sect is fortunate to have him."
…
Meanwhile, within the Sword Debate Arena of Asura Battlefield.
The ambush of Zixia Sect by Broken Gold Sect caused quite a commotion and naturally caught the attention of other sects.
Qin Cangliu of Water Dao Sect observed everything before him, furrowing his brows as he sank into deep thought.
At that moment, a disciple of Water Dao Sect stepped forward and whispered, "Brother Qin, Broken Gold Sect has started killing. Why don't we…"
He made a horizontal cutting gesture with his hand.
Qin Cangliu looked at this seemingly ordinary disciple and recalled his name— Wang Chen.
This Wang Chen wasn't particularly talented, but he was well-connected within Water Dao Sect and had a wide network.
It seemed that after the sect's internal restructuring due to the Yanzhi Boat incident, Wang Chen used his connections with the Dao Tribunal to gain favors, gradually establishing a foothold within the sect and making a name for himself.
Using this influence, Wang Chen formed a team and managed to enter the Earth-Tier Sword Debate.
Of course, Earth-Tier battles were difficult. Wang Chen's team hadn't won many matches, and if not for the Asura Battle, he wouldn't have had a chance to show up.
Qin Cangliu didn't think highly of people like Wang Chen. But he wasn't foolish enough to offend him either.
As the saying goes, "It's easy to deal with the King of Hell, but little devils are troublesome."
Wang Chen was exactly that kind of troublesome "little devil."
He had many connections, hidden relationships, and unseen influence.
One could never truly know who these seemingly insignificant people were secretly in league with.
Offending them could easily lead to sabotage and setbacks. However, Qin Cangliu was not one to trust Wang Chen's words easily.
He remained silent, lost in thought.
Seeing this, Wang Chen's eyes flickered slightly before he continued, "Brother Qin, Mo Hua is a worthless target… but given the current situation, Water Dao Sect isn't much better off than Broken Gold Sect."
"If Broken Gold Sect rises, Water Dao Sect will fall to the bottom."
"If we don't act now, even if Mo Hua dies, our sect won't gain anything from it."
"Besides…"
Wang Chen subtly pointed upwards and lowered his voice, "There are many distinguished figures watching this Sword Debate, especially the Dao Tribunal and the Dao Tribunal Division."
"I've heard some inside information— Mo Hua has connections with the Gu family of the Dao Tribunal and even with the supervising lord sent by the Dao Tribunal."
"This is a Sword Debate. If Brother Qin truly kills Mo Hua, it would be fine—the big figures wouldn't say much."
"But if we waste valuable opportunities chasing Mo Hua, causing Water Dao Sect to end up at the bottom of the Eight Great Sects, then…"
Wang Chen left his words unfinished. But Qin Cangliu naturally understood the consequences.
He pondered for a moment before his gaze turned cold, looking sharply at Wang Chen.
"What exactly is your intent?"
Wang Chen cupped his hands and humbly replied, "Brother Qin, a person must know their own worth. My talent is lacking, so I can only expand my network and maintain good relationships with others."
"I mentioned all this merely to earn some goodwill and make myself known."
"Moreover, we are both disciples of Water Dao Sect. Our fortunes rise and fall together. Naturally, I must consider what's best for our sect."
Qin Cangliu's eyes sharpened as he stared at Wang Chen.
Wang Chen maintained a humble smile and met his gaze calmly.
After a brief silence, Qin Cangliu nodded slightly.
"Alright, let's begin the slaughter as well..."
(End of this Chapter)