The Five Brothers of Mount Tai'a.
Ouyang Fu, Lu, Shou, Xi, and Cai.
These five brothers were originally unknown figures in Mount Tai'a, but under Mo Hua's guidance in formations, spiritual weapons, and battle tactics, they formed the "Cleaver Squad." With an indomitable spirit, they gradually made a name for themselves in the Sword Conference.
Mo Hua, having obtained the Three Mountain Legacy, further refined their cultivation techniques and swordsmanship. At the same time, he equipped them with high-quality armor and greatswords.
With this, the five brothers were like tigers given wings. And in return, they were deeply grateful to Mo Hua. They remembered the kindness of their little senior brother.
Without him granting them opportunities, equipping them with spiritual weapons, formations, and tactics, and instilling in them a burning determination, they would never have been able to shine in the Sword Conference and earn the sect's recognition.
And now, their little senior brother was stationed behind them.
Before them, the geniuses of the Four Sects and Seven Clans sought to break through their defenses and kill their little senior brother.
That was absolutely unacceptable.
The Five Brothers of Tai'a were furious, their eyes burning red, their killing intent intensifying.
"Anyone who wants to kill our little senior brother—must die!"
At this moment, the five of them shared a single will.
Under normal circumstances, they would have used hit-and-run tactics to deal with these powerful enemies.
But this was a battle of offense and defense. The narrow terrain of One-Line Sky meant that anyone wishing to break through had to pass beneath their greatswords.
Five massive swords, like executioner's blades from the depths of purgatory, fell with overwhelming force, sharp and ruthless, reaping lives without hesitation.
The spectators outside the battlefield were stunned.
Even the disciples of the Four Sects and Seven Clans frowned.
Only now did they recall that the Taixu Sect was not just Mo Hua alone—its other disciples were also formidable.
Individually, they might be manageable, but now that they were gathered around Mo Hua and operating under his command— Defeating them had just become significantly harder.
"Keep pushing forward!" someone gritted their teeth and ordered.
"Body cultivators, hold the line! The others, charge in!"
Several disciples from the Vajra Sect stepped forward. Their bodies were as tough as gold and stone, while a few more body cultivators raised their large shields to withstand the cleaver-like swings of the Five Brothers' greatswords.
The greatswords struck the Vajra Sect disciples' golden bodies, carving deep gouges into them. When they landed on the large shields, they left visible cracks.
The terrifying power of the Five Brothers' greatswords sent chills down spines. But, at last, the momentum of the swords was momentarily stalled.
Taking advantage of this brief opening, several others rushed into the valley. However, the moment they entered, they were met with an azure sword aura— serene like the moon, yet sharp as a blade.
This sword aura was devastatingly powerful. In an instant, it shredded all the intruding disciples, including the Vajra Sect cultivators who had just held the line.
Their golden bodies were broken.
The Five Brothers of Tai'a swung their massive swords again, mercilessly hacking apart the fallen foes and sending them on their way.
The valley entrance was cleared once more. Then, three more disciples from the Broken Gold Sect rushed in.
And once again, they were annihilated by the combined might of the Five Brothers and Linghu Xiao's sword aura.
The remaining disciples, now fearing the ruthless killing power of the Taixu Sect, hesitated to move forward and had no choice but to retreat.
As soon as they backed away— Hao Xuan and his team, following Mo Hua's command, immediately began reconstructing the formation at the valley entrance.
The destroyed formations were restored. The detestable glow of the formation lights reappeared at the valley's entrance.
"Damn it. ??"
"We did all that for nothing..."
The disciples of the Four Sects and Seven Clans cursed inwardly.
But regardless of their frustrations, the Taixu Sect had barely managed to hold the first wave of assault.
Outside the valley, Qin Cangliu's gaze flickered as he asked the group:
"What do we do now?"
He already had a plan in mind, but he did not voice it.
Too many powerful figures were present. Though he had an impressive background, with family ties to Daozhou and ancestors serving in the Dao Court, even enjoying the favor of a patriarch— The others here were no less influential.
Among the true prodigies of Qian Academy, who didn't have an ancestor watching over them?
It wasn't his place to make the first move.
The geniuses of the Four Sects and Seven Clans also remained silent. After a moment of contemplation, Ye Qingfeng of the Great Luo Sect stepped forward.
In a situation like this, only he could speak. The Great Luo Sect was the strongest among the eight major sects— aside from the Taixu Sect. And he was the one acknowledged as the strongest beneath the Four Great Prodigies of Qian Academy.
Shen Linshu, Xiao Wuchen, Ao Zhan, and Duanmu Qing—these four peerless geniuses were on another level.
They stood above the fray, bearing the mission of securing first place in the Sword Conference for their respective sects.
They counterbalanced each other, making it impossible for any of them to act rashly.
In fact, as members of the Four Great Sects, they were more than happy to see the Seven Clans and Taixu Sect fight each other to the death.
Once Taixu Sect was eradicated, the real battle of the Shura Battlefield would begin. Only then would the Four Great Prodigies truly fight. But at this moment, the Taixu Sect had to be removed.
But given the current situation, the Tai Xu Sect had to be eliminated.
Especially since Mo Hua occupied advantageous terrain, reinforced by array formations, and alongside powerful warriors like Linghu Xiao and the five brothers of Tai'a—each of whom possessed a heavy killing intent—the strength of the Tai Xu Sect had already become the undisputed number one among the Eight Great Sects.
The Four Great Clans might not take the Tai Xu Sect seriously. However, for the other seven sects, if they wished to rise, they had to work together to eliminate this formidable opponent.
This matter had to be led by him, and if there were unpleasant words to be spoken, only he could say them.
Ye Qingfeng said, "The biggest problem at the moment is Mo Hua's formations."
"With the formations blocking us, the Tai Xu Sect can simply wait for us to exhaust ourselves. Even if we manage to break through the formations and enter the valley, we will still face interception from Linghu Xiao."
"And once we retreat, Mo Hua will simply set up formations again."
"But…" Ye Qingfeng's gaze sharpened. "Within the Tai Xu Sect's camp, Mo Hua is the only high-level array master. He alone is responsible for setting up all high-level formations."
"And drawing high-level formations is extremely time-consuming and exhausting."
"As long as we keep up a relentless offensive and force Mo Hua to run around tirelessly, sooner or later, we will wear him down."
"If his spiritual consciousness is depleted, or if he slows down and fails to set up formations in time—"
"Then the Tai Xu Sect will lose its greatest defensive asset."
"Without formations, no matter how strong Linghu Xiao and the Tai'a brothers are, they won't be able to stop us."
"At that point, the complete destruction of the Tai Xu Sect will only be a matter of time."
Some disciples present had already realized this logic in their hearts. But many others only now had an epiphany.
They had been too afraid of Mo Hua's title as the 'Foremost in Array Dao' and had developed a mental shadow, almost forgetting that this was the Sword Conference.
The Sword Conference limited formations to the second-tier intermediate level.
Every high-level formation Mo Hua had used had been drawn on the spot by him alone. In the chaos of battle, time was limited, and so was a person's spiritual consciousness.
No matter how skilled he was, how many formations could he possibly draw by himself?
No matter how fast he drew, could it be faster than the collective force breaking them?
Understanding this logic was one thing—actually implementing it was another.
To apply constant pressure on the Tai Xu Sect's defensive line was not an easy task.
Those five enormous swords wielded by the Tai'a brothers were not to be underestimated. Not to mention, there was still Linghu Xiao behind them. This was a tough nut to crack.
To truly put pressure on them, sacrifices had to be made.
In other words, lives had to be thrown at it, continuously. This was an unpleasant truth.
And this method carried the suspicion of 'betraying one's fellow disciples' and treating them as cannon fodder. But someone had to play the villain.
Ye Qingfeng said solemnly, "This is a necessary sacrifice for the benefit of our sect and the annihilation of the Tai Xu Sect."
The atmosphere turned heavy.
At that moment, a disciple from the Da Luo Sect stepped forward and said, "Brother Ye, I'll go."
Among the many geniuses, his cultivation was unremarkable, and he was largely unknown.
Given his strength, even if he survived, he would never make it to the final rounds. Instead of being eliminated later, it was better to take the initiative now and serve as 'cannon fodder' to help his fellow disciples gain an advantage.
At least this way, he could leave a 'loyal' impression on the sect elders.
Seeing him take the lead, several other ordinary geniuses from the Da Luo Sect immediately cupped their fists and said, "For the sect, we will charge forward without hesitation." With the Da Luo Sect leading, disciples from the other seven sects also responded.
They understood their own strength—they stood no chance of competing with the true prodigies. Since that was the case, it was better to 'sacrifice' themselves for the sect and earn favor in front of the elders, proving their worth.
This was just a competition, not a real battle to the death.
If they weren't willing to 'lay down their lives' for the sect even in this situation, they could forget about earning the elders' recognition.
Thus, the seven sects agreed to take turns sending people to storm the mountain.
Even the Four Great Clans contributed some manpower.
After all, they couldn't just sit back and watch while the Tai Xu Sect was being attacked. And among the Four Great Clans, there were plenty who held grudges against Mo Hua. And so, just as the situation had begun to stabilize, the battle erupted once more.
The Four Great Clans and Seven Sects sent their ordinary geniuses forward to launch a fierce assault on the valley entrance where the Tai Xu Sect was hiding.
For a time, the air was filled with battle cries. Formation lights flashed, and blades, swords, and spells clashed violently.
The five Tai'a brothers guarded the valley entrance. Their five colossal swords were like guillotines—anyone who dared to show themselves was immediately cut down.
Mo Hua's formations acted like barriers, sealing off the valley entrance and slowing the momentum of the assault from the Four Great Clans and Seven Sects.
They let the attackers enter one by one, only for them to be slaughtered by the Tai'a brothers.
The battlefield gradually took on a hellish intensity.
One by one, Mo Hua's formations shattered. The defending disciples of the Tai Xu Sect were also gradually being worn down.
Meanwhile, the disciples of the Four Great Clans and Seven Sects were being slaughtered one after another.
The narrow valley entrance had become an execution ground.
The Tai Xu Sect was trading 'formations' for lives.
Outside the Sword Conference battlefield, in the spectator stands— The elders of the Myriad Formation Sect nodded in satisfaction.
"In the chaos of large-scale battles, using terrain for cover, reinforced by formations, and with absolute unity among disciples to resist a powerful enemy—"
"This is precisely the role of array masters in cultivator warfare!"
"What we are losing are formations, while others are losing lives."
"Those disciples from the Four Great Clans and Eight Great Sects are short-sighted and ungrateful…"
"See now? They're suffering because of the formations, aren't they?"
Clearly, they still held a grudge against those sects for using and then discarding their Myriad Formation Sect disciples.
Now that Mo Hua was turning the tables and using formations to harvest the lives of those very sect disciples, the elders couldn't help but feel gratified.
One of the Myriad Formation Sect elders pointed at the projection of Mo Hua, who was sitting cross-legged and resting, and said to the younger disciples behind him— "This is Mo Hua, the foremost figure in Dryscholar Formation Dao."
"There was a time when he was just one step away from becoming a disciple of our Myriad Formation Sect. He could have been your senior brother."
"Alas, our sect lacked the fortune and missed out on this opportunity."
"Today, watch closely and learn well—this is the example you should strive to follow in the future…"
"Since we have this opportunity today, you must all watch carefully and learn well. This is the role model you should aspire to become in the future..."
Most of the disciples nodded.
However, one of them, who had a good memory, hesitated and asked in confusion:
"Elder, didn't you say before that Mo Hua is the target of everyone's ire, and that we should add to his troubles as well?"
The elder of the Myriad Formations Sect's face darkened. "That was then, this is now. Do not mention this again."
"Oh..." The disciple responded weakly.
"However..."
Another elder sighed. "Formations require foresight and preparation. Drawing them on the battlefield is far too rushed..."
"Mo Hua is just one person. No matter how skilled he is, the formations drawn by a single person cannot withstand the attacks of so many disciples from the Four Great Sects and Seven Major Schools."
A group of formation elders shared the same sentiment, showing some regret.
Many cultivators watching the battle had already realized this. The formations protecting the Taixu Sect were about to be exhausted.
After all, up until now, Mo Hua had already set up numerous formations. The relentless assaults from the Four Sects and Seven Schools had almost completely depleted them.
The remaining formations would not last much longer.
…
Inside the Sword Competition Arena, Mo Hua was well aware of this.
Outside the valley, spells clashed and formations trembled, their explosions echoing continuously.
Meanwhile, Mo Hua sat calmly inside the valley, perched atop a large rock.
The rock itself was ordinary, but ever since he had entered the valley, he had remained seated there without moving an inch. And from the moment he stepped into the valley, he had been drawing formations.
Using illusionary formations and concealment formations to buy time, he had intermittently drawn a total of twenty high-level formations.
Most of them had already been exhausted in the earlier attacks.
Now, only three or four remained. And even those were being worn down, unable to hold for much longer.
The formations were on the verge of depletion, and the situation was growing dire.
"Since that's the case, there's no need to hold back anymore..."
Mo Hua calmly took out his brush and ink, laid out the formation medium, and began drawing.
This time, he did not cover himself with a small blanket. He did not bother to hide.
He would go all out, drawing formations at his fastest speed.
His gaze deepened, his focus sharpened, and his divine sense poured out. The movement of his brush was so swift that afterimages appeared.
One by one, intricate formation patterns flowed onto the jade stone and formation paper like running water, forming flawless, delicate, and breathtakingly precise formations.
The speed was utterly astonishing. Outside the battlefield, cultivators who had been watching Mo Hua intently erupted in uproar.
"This..."
"Is it even possible to draw formations this fast?"
"His speed is at least twice as fast as before!"
"In other words, when he covered himself with that small blanket earlier, he wasn't putting on an act— he was actually holding back!"
"I can't comprehend it... How can someone draw so quickly?"
"And not make a single mistake despite the speed? Just how familiar is he with these formations?"
The more they thought about it, the more shocked they became.
The entire Myriad Formations Sect was equally stunned.
A disciple whispered, "Elder, how do we even learn something like this?"
The elders of the Myriad Formations Sect were at a loss for words.
Within the Taixu Sect, spirits lifted.
Especially those who were close to Mo Hua— hope glowed in their eyes.
They knew that their little senior brother was done pretending.
He was finally revealing his true strength.
…
Inside the Dao Discourse Valley.
Mo Hua was fully focused, silent, and solely devoted to drawing formations.
One after another, high-tier formations with nineteen patterns of the second grade took shape under his brush, inscribed onto the formation mediums.
He was like a cold and unfeeling "formation machine."
The formations he created were taken by Hao Xuan and a few agile disciples to be set up at the valley entrance.
Outside, lives were being sacrificed in the attack.
Inside, Mo Hua was drawing formations for defense.
Gradually, everyone realized something astonishing— the rate at which the Four Great Sects and Seven Major Schools were consuming formations in their assault could not keep up with the speed at which Mo Hua was creating them.
And he was just one person. Despite the narrow terrain of Yixiantian, its small range, and the deterrence of the Five Brothers of Tai'a, this was still an unbelievable feat.
Exclamations of astonishment erupted from the audience.
None of them had imagined that someone could draw formations at such an impossible speed.
Even elders from sects and aristocratic families specializing in formations found it unfathomable.
At this rate, unless the top-tier geniuses intervened, the Four Great Sects and Seven Major Schools could throw away every life they had and still fail to exhaust Mo Hua's formations.
"So this is... the weight of being the leading figure in Qianxue's Formation Dao..."
Every prodigious disciple who had devoted their life to formations felt an unbearable pressure weighing down on them, making it hard to breathe.
Meanwhile, within the Myriad Formations Sect. After their initial shock, some elders furrowed their brows and sighed.
"The Taixu Sect... won't be able to hold out much longer."
A disciple asked in confusion, "But haven't they held on?"
Mo Hua's speed in drawing formations was astonishing, and the Taixu Sect's defenses remained tight.
The Myriad Formations Sect elders shook their heads with regret.
"He draws formations quickly, yes, but formation mediums are limited. Even the most skilled artisan cannot cook without rice. Once his formation mediums are depleted, what use is his speed?"
Mo Hua had been dismantling formation mediums to redraw formations.
However, the Sword Tournament had a limit on formations, which meant that Mo Hua's formation mediums were also finite.
The Taixu Sect had its own formations, plus some captured formation mediums. In total, they had just over thirty sets.
Earlier, nearly twenty had been used for defense in the valley.
Now, at best, fewer than ten remained.
No matter how abundant Mo Hua's divine sense was or how fast he could draw, there were only a few formation mediums left for him to use.
In other words, the valley's defensive line wouldn't hold for much longer.
The formation elders of the Myriad Formations Sect had experience, so they noticed this detail early.
The other cultivators, too shocked by Mo Hua's drawing speed, hadn't thought about it.
But as the battle unfolded, they gradually understood.
"The Taixu Sect... is finished."
No matter how fast Mo Hua drew, it wouldn't matter.
As the battle of attrition continued, the disciples of the Four Sects and Seven Schools sacrificed their lives to wear down the defenses. Eventually, Mo Hua's formation mediums ran out.
With no formation mediums, he could no longer draw formations.
Mo Hua remained calm, neither anxious nor dejected. He simply sat down, closed his eyes, and entered meditation to restore his divine sense.
As if everything happening around him had nothing to do with him.
Whether the valley entrance could be defended or not, he did not seem to care.
Linghu Xiao, the Five Brothers of Tai'a, continued to hold on as best they could, but the situation was deteriorating beyond control.
Eventually, Linghu Xiao and the Five Brothers of Tai'a withdrew, allowing Yang Qianjun, Ouyang Xuan, and others to take over.
Like Mo Hua, Linghu Xiao and his group sat down to meditate and recover their spiritual power.
They seemed to understand as well—the valley entrance was lost. They had to conserve their strength for the final battle.
Less than half an hour later, the valley entrance dimmed.
The last formation set by the Taixu Sect was finally broken.
At that moment, Ye Qingfeng's gaze turned icy. "Mo Hua has no formations left to draw—kill him!"
The disciples of the Four Great Sects and Seven Major Schools unsheathed their blades and coldly shouted in unison.
"Kill!"
Just as the Myriad Formations Sect elders had said, in this battle of attrition, Mo Hua had expended "formations," while they had lost "lives."
For disciples of prestigious sects, this was a humiliation.
A fire burned in everyone's heart.
"Exterminate the Taixu Sect!"
"Tear Mo Hua to pieces!"
"Kill!"
A disciple from the Free Spirit Sect, relying on his Windstride technique, flashed past Yixiantian and charged into the valley.
In the next instant, he was intercepted by Yang Qianjun's spear, struck back by Ouyang Xuan's sword energy, and then split in half by Cheng Mo's twin axes. But more and more disciples of the Four Sects and Seven Schools found gaps to slip through, rushing into the valley.
Sensing the worsening situation, the Five Brothers of Tai'a, having briefly recovered, once again swung their giant swords and continued their slaughter.
Two more attackers were immediately cut down. But without formation support, the valley entrance had become vulnerable.
Even as they fought bravely, the Five Brothers of Tai'a could no longer hold the pass. They could only do their best to intercept the enemies.
At this moment, Shitian Gang of the Vajra Sect led the charge, clashing head-on with the Five Brothers of Tai'a. Their giant swords struck his indestructible body, but only sparks flew—he remained completely unharmed.
Shitian Gang's mastery of body refinement was unparalleled in all of Qianxue Province.
The Five Brothers of Tai'a could not break his defense in a single exchange. And the time Shitian Gang bought allowed more top-tier geniuses of the Four Sects and Seven Schools to flood into the valley.
Linghu Xiao attempted to draw his sword and attack Shitian Gang. But in a flash of white light, Feng Zichen of the Free Spirit Sect stepped forward with Windstride and thrust his swift sword at Linghu Xiao's face.
Linghu Xiao was forced to withdraw his attack to defend himself.
Behind Feng Zichen, Qin Cangliu of the Water Dao Sect, Song Kui of the Broken Gold Sect, along with top talents from the Lingxiao Sect and the Purple Mist Sect, charged in one after another.
These were not mere cannon fodder.
They were the true elites of their sects.
The cannon fodder had served their purpose—to deplete the enemy's resources.
Now, the real killing was about to begin.
These people were not mere cannon fodder—they were the true prodigies of the great sects.
The cannon fodder was meant to wear down the enemy, while the prodigies were responsible for the slaughter.
Behind them, Da Luo Sect's Ye Zhiyao and Ye Qingfeng, along with the Four Great Sects' top talents—Long Ding Sect's Ao Zheng, Qian Dao Sect's Shen Cangfeng, and Tian Jian Sect's Xiao Ruohan—were all wielding their swords as they advanced toward the valley.
They carried personal grudges against Mo Hua and sought to kill him while annihilating the Tai Xu Sect.
The disciples of the Four Sects and Seven Schools surged forward like a tidal wave.
Outside the battlefield, the spectators felt their hearts sink.
"Tai Xu Sect... is finished."
This was a force of terrifying strength.
If they all managed to enter the valley, the disciples of Tai Xu Sect would be slaughtered to the last man—none would survive.
The elders of Tai Xu Sect felt a chill in their hearts.
"We can't hold out any longer..."
But at this moment, they were powerless. They could only watch as the prodigies of the Four Sects and Seven Schools surged into the valley like an unstoppable flood, raising their blades against the disciples of Tai Xu Sect.
Inside the valley, more and more enemies poured in…
The situation was on the verge of complete collapse.
At that moment— Mo Hua, who had been sitting motionless with his eyes closed, slowly opened them.
He swept his divine sense across the valley, counting the number of intruders.
"Almost there..." he murmured.
Before him were dozens of bottles of spiritual ink.
Mo Hua's gaze narrowed slightly, hiding the eerie black light flashing in his eyes.
Then, he raised both hands into the air, pushing his divine sense to its limit, and guided the spiritual ink.
The ink seemed to respond to Mo Hua's "summoning," resonating with his divine sense, merging into one.
Then, it began to boil, rising into the air and swirling in flight.
"Go."
With a soft command from Mo Hua— Dozens, then hundreds, of ink strands instantly danced forward, weaving across the ground.
They twisted and flowed at an unbelievable speed, forming even denser formations in just a few breaths' time—completely sealing off the valley entrance.
Light flashed once more as the formations activated.
These formations were stronger—more numerous, formed in an instant—seamlessly blending with the earth and mountains.
The advancing flood of the Four Sects and Seven Schools was suddenly cut off.
At the Sword Tournament Arena, a wave of shock rippled through the crowd.
Those who had already been stunned by Mo Hua's speed at drawing formations were now utterly mind-blown—their minds frozen in disbelief.
The elders of Ten Thousand Formations Sect all stood up in shock, their eyes trembling as they exclaimed in utter disbelief:
"Divine Sense Controlling Ink!"
"He's forming formations with his divine sense?!!"
(End of this Chapter)