Chapter 1175: Mystic-Flame Feather-Robe
The annihilated small tribe had turned to ashes and blood, a scene of utter tragedy.
The burly Elder Ba-Shan spoke with rage,
"Young Master, we must hurry and pursue them—flay those scum from the Shugu Tribe alive and tear them limb from limb, to comfort the souls of our fallen kin!"
Beside him, the composed Elder Ba-Chuan wore a grave expression and nodded.
"If we don't chase soon, those Shugu-Tribe rats may vanish without a trace."
Dan-Zhu's gaze was sharp as a blade. He nodded. "Agreed."
But an immediate problem surfaced—they had no idea where the Shugu Tribe's attackers had fled. Which direction should they chase?
After all, a whole day had already passed. The enemy must be long gone by now.
If they guessed wrong and went the opposite way, it'd be a wasted effort.
Not only would vengeance be lost, but they'd also become a laughingstock among the other tribes.
Elders Ba-Shan and Ba-Chuan wanted to scour the area for any tracks and confirm the direction before setting out.
But Mo Hua simply pointed westward and said,
"They fled that way."
Ba-Shan was taken aback.
"And how do you know that?"
Mo Hua pointed toward the sky.
"The Divine-Lord told me."
Ba-Shan choked on his words, face darkening.
Dan-Zhu gave Mo Hua a long look, then, after a brief moment of thought, decided decisively:
"Alright. We head west."
"Young Master..." Ba-Shan tried to advise caution again.
After all, if they guessed wrong, they'd waste time and lose the chance to catch up.
But Dan-Zhu didn't give him a chance to object.
"No time to delay. Westward!"
With that, he took the lead in the direction Mo Hua pointed.
Ba-Shan and the others had no choice but to follow.
The hundred barbarian warriors, seeing their young master depart, moved out in formation as well.
Among them, the tall and muscular barbarian general with flaming red hair, Chi-Feng, looked toward Mo Hua's enigmatic figure and furrowed his brow slightly—but said nothing and silently followed.
The group pursued westward, crossing mountains and cliffs, chasing for more than half a day.
But along the way, not a single figure was seen—no sign of the Shugu Tribe at all.
The longer Ba-Shan walked, the more regret he felt. Finally, he spoke to Dan-Zhu,
"Young Master, we've gone the wrong way. Not a soul on this mountain road. The Shugu didn't come this way."
Dan-Zhu clearly realized something was off too, though he hadn't questioned Mo Hua once the whole way.
But now, with Ba-Shan's comment, Dan-Zhu furrowed his brows deeply and turned to look at Mo Hua.
To their surprise, Mo Hua actually nodded and admitted: "That's right. The Shugu Tribe didn't take this road."
Dan-Zhu was stunned.
Ba-Shan and Ba-Chuan were dumbfounded at first, and then angry: "You—!"
Their young master, along with them and a hundred warriors, had all been toyed with by this sly "shaman."
Mo Hua glanced at them coolly and said calmly,
"The Shugu Tribe had a one-day lead. If we followed their path, how could we ever catch up?"
"I brought you through a shortcut."
Ba-Shan and Ba-Chuan froze.
General Chi-Feng's eyes narrowed slightly.
Ba-Shan frowned and challenged him again:
"You call this a shortcut? How do you know where they are? You don't have eyes that see a thousand li!"
Mo Hua pointed at the sky once more.
"I already said—it was the Divine-Lord's revelation. The ignorant simply won't understand."
When in doubt? Divine-Lord's prophecy.
Can't explain something? Divine-Lord's revelation.
Ba-Shan was so stuffed with frustration he couldn't even argue.
"Enough. Let's move," Mo Hua said, calculating something with his fingers.
"Give it another half day. Before dawn, we should catch up."
Dan-Zhu nodded.
The two Golden Core Elders had no way to deal with Mo Hua, this so-called "Shaman Sir" who acted outside the bounds of common sense. They could only watch as he "did whatever he pleased."
Ba-Shan could only sneer inwardly,
"So full of mystical nonsense. If we don't catch up later, I'd like to see how you explain yourself to the young master."
But he said no more.
The group followed Mo Hua's guidance, crossed barren ridges, and continued heading west.
Roughly half a day later, they reached the base of a mountain where the ground suddenly revealed scattered wheel tracks and dense footprints.
The ruts were deep, and the prints chaotic.
There were even marks of people crawling on all fours, as though they'd been dragged.
Elder Ba-Shan knelt down, scooped some dirt from the footprints, and discovered a brownish tinge of blood in the soil. His head jerked up to look at Mo Hua, utterly shocked.
"You... actually guessed right?"
Mo Hua ignored him and simply instructed,
"Be cautious. Step lightly. No noise."
Dan-Zhu nodded and passed the order down.
Following Mo Hua's directions, the group entered a small forest on the mountain's side and began moving uphill in a winding path.
Halfway up the slope, Mo Hua had the barbarian soldiers halt their advance.
He then led Dan-Zhu, Chi-Feng, Elders Ba-Shan and Ba-Chuan, and a small squad of bodyguards on a detour, circling to a low cliff on another side.
Looking across, nestled in the woods along the opposite mountain slope, faint firelight flickered.
The flames were subtle and not easily noticed. But if one looked closely, they'd see a group of odd-looking barbarian cultivators surrounding the fire, dancing bizarre dances—clearly in the middle of some nighttime ritual. And there were quite a few of them.
"It's the Shugu Tribe..." Elder Ba-Chuan whispered.
"But..." He frowned. "What are they doing? This dance... I don't remember the Shugu Tribe having this kind of ritual..."
Mo Hua's gaze turned deep as he spoke slowly: "Get ready. Time to begin the slaughter."
The current group from the Shugu Tribe... was one of their wandering factions—what they called a roving tribe.
Unlike the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe, the Shugu Tribe was a kind of alliance-based tribe, lacking a unified bloodline or inherited tradition.
This meant the tribe's composition was chaotic, and their actions were often uncoordinated and hard to control.
As a result, a large portion of the Shugu Tribe lived in a "detached" state—roving around, looting, killing, and committing atrocities.
There were a few good ones among the roving factions, but the vast majority… were nothing but scum.
And this particular roving faction had committed crimes even more vile than usual.
Dan Zhu immediately began mobilizing troops for the siege.
He was the Young Chieftain of the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe. While he lacked combat experience, he had studied basic battlefield tactics.
With Elders Ba Shan and Ba Chuan offering counsel, and the seasoned frontline barbarian general Chi Feng overseeing things, the plan was solid.
They aimed to trap and annihilate this Shugu roving faction in the forest along the mountainside. The odds were in their favor.
This Shugu faction had roughly eighty to ninety people, with a likely Golden Core cultivator at the helm.
But the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe clearly held the superior strength—and with the advantage of surprise, their edge was undeniable.
Mo Hua glanced at the overall battle plan and found no issues.
Dan Zhu was a prodigy, and Chi Feng was a veteran. Even if Mo Hua were in charge, he wouldn't arrange it any differently.
After a moment of thought, Mo Hua said to Dan Zhu:
"Young Chieftain, you'll lead the charge."
Dan Zhu was more than happy to oblige.
But Elders Ba Shan and Ba Chuan quickly objected:
"Young Chieftain, these Shugu rats aren't worth your personal effort. You must stay behind and oversee the battle."
As his guardians, they were terrified of Dan Zhu suffering even the slightest injury during combat.
Though Dan Zhu was powerful and likely safe in most situations—why risk it? One mishap, and their deaths wouldn't be enough to make up for the failure.
Dan Zhu naturally wanted to charge into the fray himself, but he also understood the elders' worries.
He turned to look at Mo Hua.
The two elders instantly felt bitter—how did their sharp, decisive young lord turn into someone who defers to that scheming pretty boy?
Sure enough, Mo Hua said, "Go ahead and fight. There's no danger this time."
Dan Zhu nodded, "Alright, sir."
Ba Shan and Ba Chuan were both furious.
Elder Ba Shan still tried to persuade him: "Young Chieftain, your safety is paramount, you must not—"
But before he could finish, Dan Zhu, already "bewitched" by Mo Hua, cut him off:
"No need to say more. My mind is made up."
Elder Ba Shan could only sigh deeply.
Dan Zhu then began deploying the troops, dividing the hundred elite barbarian warriors of the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe into three squads.
Elders Ba Shan and Ba Chuan each led over thirty warriors to flank from the sides.
Dan Zhu and Chi Feng led the remainder in a frontal assault.
The plan was to launch a three-pronged attack, surrounding and eliminating the Shugu Wanderers. Capture if possible; kill if not.
As for Mo Hua, being a frail "Shaman" at only Foundation Establishment, he didn't need to lead from the front. Observing from the side was sufficient.
This arrangement had the full support of the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe.
After all, Mo Hua was indeed… fragile.
Once the strategy was in motion, the barbarian warriors split up and moved into position.
In the dead of night, a chilling aura of bloodshed quietly began to spread.
The Shugu tribe members continued their eerie dance around the bonfire, immersed in madness.
After a while, the squads took position, preparing to launch their ambush.
Suddenly, a sharp screech rang out from the Shugu camp—someone had sensed danger.
This confirmed it—there was a Golden Core cultivator among them.
And one with quite keen spiritual senses.
He had sensed the ambush from the Vermilion Sparrow side.
But it was already too late. At the moment the shriek erupted, Dan Zhu was already charging ahead.
A blazing, molten crimson Golden Core force surged through his entire body, radiating immense power.
Crimson feathers like flowing fire surrounded him, making him appear like a divine child of the Vermilion Bird descending upon the world—majestic and awe-inspiring.
Wherever Dan Zhu struck, ordinary Shugu warriors fell instantly, unable to withstand even one exchange. Their meridians burned out by karmic fire—they died shriveled and charred.
This was the first time Dan Zhu had fully unleashed his Golden Core might in battle.
The Vermilion Sparrow warriors watched him with wide eyes—burning with red flame, dazzling like a god. They couldn't help but feel reverent.
This was their Young Chieftain.
Their chieftain was personally leading the charge, burning the tribe's enemies to ash.
In that moment, they felt overwhelming admiration and loyalty toward Dan Zhu. It was as if flames had ignited in their hearts, and their morale soared.
"Kill!"
At the same time, Ba Shan and Ba Chuan's forces closed in from both sides, joining the slaughter.
The barbarian warriors of the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe roared with fury, their battle cries tearing through the darkness, shaking the mountain forest.
The Shugu Wanderers were quickly routed.
But they were savage and deranged to begin with—dancing around the fire in madness, ruled by frenzy.
After the initial panic, they went berserk—screaming and howling like lunatics as they clashed with the Vermilion Sparrow warriors.
Still, they were no match for Dan Zhu.
The tide of battle soon tilted sharply in favor of the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe.
Just then, a swirl of black mist erupted from among the Shugu ranks, revealing a cultivator with a skull-painted face and messy dreadlocks—radiating dark, twisted energy.
This was their Golden Core leader.
His voice shrill and incomprehensible, he uttered some incantation, then raised a bone staff brimming with sinister energy and struck at Dan Zhu.
Dan Zhu responded immediately, activating his own natal artifact—
A fire-red robe woven like flowing flame feathers—the Vermilion Flame-Feather Robe—enveloped his body.
Clad in the garment, Dan Zhu looked even more dazzling and commanding, exuding awe-inspiring might.
The Vermilion Mystic-Flame-Feather Robe.
This was Dan Zhu's natal artifact—said to be a legendary treasure passed down from the era of the Great Wilderness Royal Court.
When activated, the Vermilion feathers transformed into mystical flame, cloaking the user in a divine, blazing robe. Offensively, it burned foes; defensively, the feathers shielded the wearer.
A rare treasure—both powerful and breathtakingly beautiful.
From a distance, Mo Hua watched in silent envy.
Look at that artifact… now look at mine.
From Qianxue to Lizhou, and now stranded in the Great Wilderness, all his efforts had amounted to… a half-finished array diagram he couldn't even master, with no natal artifact, not even a hint of one.
TN: 😂😂
He couldn't help but sigh.
Comparisons really will kill you.
If only he had a Vermilion Flame-Feather Robe like that… glowing with firelight, dazzling and glorious…
Of course, Mo Hua knew it was just a dream.
A luxurious treasure like the Vermilion Flame-Feather Robe must have harsh inheritance conditions and extremely high talent requirements.
Across the entire Vermilion Sparrow Tribe—and perhaps even the entire Great Wilderness—only a peerless genius like Dan Zhu, who formed his Golden Core at the age of twenty, could wield such a treasure.
As for Mo Hua, with his mid-to-low grade spiritual roots… Mo Hua figured he should just forget about it in this lifetime.
Still, he couldn't help but wonder—What will my natal artifact look like…?
According to his current plan, he would use the Wood-White-Gold-Jade Bone-Forging Method to shape the array medium, carve the Twelve Meridian Taotie Spirit-Skeleton Bone Formation onto his own bones, and then integrate the array with his very life essence—making it one with his being.
But if the artifact's patterns were etched onto his bones, wouldn't that mean… it wouldn't emit any light when activated?
Would he really end up forging an artifact so plain, so unflashy, so invisible that others wouldn't even see it?
Sure, being low-key and keeping one's strength hidden was all good and wise.
But still… after all that suffering to forge a natal artifact—if no one could even see it—it would be the ultimate case of "wearing brocade robes while walking at night."
How was anyone supposed to know he was even a Golden Core cultivator?!
Mo Hua glanced at Dan Zhu again, cloaked in flowing fire, radiant with Vermilion feathers, glowing brilliantly in the darkness like a divine being of Mystic Flame. A sense of injustice rose in his heart.
"…Forget it."
Mo Hua sighed.
Haven't earned a coin, already thinking about how to spend it…
Haven't formed a Golden Core, already stressing about how it should look…
Clearly, he was getting ahead of himself.
If he could just forge his natal artifact and successfully form his Golden Core—that would already be a massive win.
As for whether the final artifact looked good or not… given his current conditions, what right did he have to be picky?
Mo Hua calmed himself and returned his focus to watching the battle from afar.
As expected, there were no surprises in the fight.
Dan Zhu's natal artifact was just too exceptional, too powerful—utterly overwhelming in every aspect.
The Shugu leader, with his skull-painted face and sinister aura, may have looked creepy—but against such absolute power, he couldn't even make waves.
In no time at all, he was being crushed under the weight of Dan Zhu's Mystic Flame.
Watching from a distance, even Mo Hua couldn't help but sigh. Dan Zhu really was too strong—his talent was truly heaven-defying.
Mo Hua was more determined than ever: he had to guide this boy properly. Dan Zhu would undoubtedly accomplish great things one day.
From that point on, the rest was cleanup.
The Shugu leader did struggle fiercely, and his bone staff artifact even split open with blood, summoning some vile, crimson sludge—meant to corrupt opposing treasures.
Contamination of an artifact was incredibly dangerous.
Even a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator could suffer heavy losses if caught off guard.
But Dan Zhu's natal artifact was simply too "top-tier."
The moment the bloody sludge touched his Vermilion Flame-Feather Robe, it was instantly vaporized by the Mystic Flame.
When an artifact's grade is too high, it simply overrides all techniques.
The Shugu leader, having exhausted all options without even scratching Dan Zhu's defense, sank into despair.
Even Mo Hua found it a bit hard to watch…
Top-tier natal artifacts… really are just cheating.
Before long, the Shugu leader ran out of tricks and was thoroughly subdued by Dan Zhu.
The rest of the Shugu remnants were either slaughtered or captured alive as prisoners.
Mo Hua, seeing the battle nearing its end, and the battlefield mostly settled, finally took slow, measured steps—gliding over with his signature "Flowing Water Step."
As he approached, he noticed something disturbing near the Shugu bonfire—human arms and legs were hanging above it.
These Shugu tribesmen… were roasting human flesh.
Mo Hua felt a churn in his stomach, and his face paled.
Dan Zhu and the others were equally enraged.
During the heat of battle, they hadn't noticed. But now that they had a chance to look closely, they saw the grim truth.
The Shugu Wanderers had been eating people.
And the ones they'd killed and eaten… were all members of the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe.
Someone shouted, seething with fury:
"Young Chieftain, kill these beasts—kill them all!"
"Sever their limbs, skin them alive—let them die by a thousand cuts!"
"These animals...!"
Everyone from the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe was seething with righteous fury.
Dan Zhu himself was also seething with rage—but then he glanced at Mo Hua, and noticed his distant gaze, as if deep in thought. In that moment, Dan Zhu calmed down and asked:
"Sir, is there something wrong?"
Mo Hua scanned the area and said with a thoughtful frown:
"It feels like… something's missing."
"Missing something?" Dan Zhu didn't quite understand.
Mo Hua took another careful look around—then suddenly, his eyes lit up. In a corner not far away, he spotted a small, easily overlooked cave.
In front of the cave, someone had painted symbols using human blood.
But the cave was very shallow. At a glance, it appeared completely empty—nothing inside.
Mo Hua turned to the Shugu leader and asked:
"What's that cave for?"
The Shugu leader, now tightly bound in chains after his defeat, merely sneered coldly and said nothing.
Mo Hua then said:
"Someone—cripple his limbs."
Dan Zhu and the others exchanged uncertain glances.
The Shugu leader was a Golden Core cultivator. Mo Hua, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, obviously wouldn't be able to cripple him—not by strength or status.
This sort of thing needed a fellow Golden Core cultivator to do.
But Ba Shan and Ba Chuan didn't seem inclined to follow Mo Hua's command.
Dan Zhu was about to step in himself—
—but the savage general, Chi Feng, beat him to it.
"Young Lord, allow me."
Chi Feng had barely moved during the previous fight. His role was to act as a last-resort safety net.
The real combat, the real tempering, had been Dan Zhu's responsibility.
But now that the battle was over and Dan Zhu had done well, this small matter was nothing for someone like Chi Feng—a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator.
Besides, if he was going to cripple someone, he could do it faster—and much more ruthlessly.
Seeing the burly, fierce-looking Chi Feng approaching, ready to strike with brutal precision, the Shugu leader's face instantly turned pale. Gritting his teeth, he shouted:
"I'll talk!"
Chi Feng paused for just a moment.
But Mo Hua said calmly:
"Too late… Even if you speak now, your limbs still go."
He wasn't a particularly patient man. His heart was dark, and he never enjoyed bargaining—especially not with villains.
If you ignored his question, then you had to pay the price.
(End of this Chapter)