Chapter 1176: The Big One
Barbarian general Chì Fēng glanced at Mo Hua, then didn't hesitate. With his bare hands, he twisted off the limbs of the Shugu Tribe's leader.
The Shugu leader endured the pain, glaring viciously at Mo Hua.
"I'll kill you!"
Mo Hua looked at Chi Feng.
Chi Feng was silent for a moment, then gave the leader a heavy slap.
A mid-stage Golden Core barbarian general's strength was no joke.
Five bloody marks appeared on the Shugu leader's face instantly. His face swelled up, and his head buzzed.
He immediately quieted down. Although deep inside, he was furious at this pale pretty boy "relying on backing," he didn't dare speak out again.
Mo Hua asked again, "What's the cave used for?"
The Shugu leader rasped, "It's for offering sacrifices to the Barbarian God."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up—interest piqued. "Which Barbarian God?"
The Shugu leader replied reverently, "The Barbarian God is the Barbarian God. There's only one Barbarian God in this world."
Mo Hua couldn't even with this level of religious "illiteracy."
In most cases, the more fanatical the believer, the less they knew about their deity. Saying idiotic things like "there's only one Barbarian God in this world."
Only one?
Then what, is he supposed to starve?
Mo Hua asked, "You kill, eat people, and dance… all to please your Barbarian God during rituals?"
When speaking of the Barbarian God and offerings, the Shugu leader's eyes grew fanatical:
"People are livestock. We are, too. But we're higher livestock. We, as superior livestock, eating the inferior, pleases the Barbarian God. It's an act of devotion. The Barbarian God will descend personally and witness our loyalty."
Mo Hua frowned slightly.
He knew the barbarians were savage. Among their Barbarian Gods, there were definitely some savage and insane ones.
But this level of cruelty and madness… even he didn't expect it to be this bad.
Not that it mattered—Mo Hua wasn't exactly picky with his food.
Since entering the Vermilion Sparrow Mountain Realm, he hadn't had any meat. Hadn't eaten a single Barbarian God.
In a third-grade peak-level Mountain Realm like this, any tribe capable of sustaining a Barbarian God was a major one, guarded by several Golden Cores.
Unlike the second-grade small realms, where Mo Hua could come and go freely, sneaking into their tribes alone to hunt down their Barbarian Gods, here he couldn't do that anymore.
These larger tribes performed their sacrifices in highly secretive ways.
During offerings, security was incredibly tight.
Stealth was risky—if discovered, he could be hunted to the ends of the earth.
Worse still, when invading a Barbarian God's nightmare realm, his physical body would be left unguarded.
If anything happened to his body, and it got destroyed, even a 'divine being' like him wouldn't recover and would no longer be able to cultivate.
Unless he parasitized another body of flesh and blood, becoming some half-god, half-ghost abomination...
—no different from being 'dead'.
On top of that, he had to stay in the Vermilion Sparrow Tribe, teach Dan Zhu, and manage his cover, so Mo Hua's Barbarian God hunting had to be put on hold for a while.
But now?
The "food" delivered itself.
Mo Hua asked, "Where is your Barbarian God?"
The Shugu leader gave Mo Hua a strange look, then grinned, blood in his mouth, said with a sinister smile:
"I see it now. You're a devious schemer, coveting the Dao legacy of our Barbarian God. You overestimate yourself. You dare harbor blasphemous thoughts of divinity !"
"I'll never tell you where our Barbarian God resides."
Mo Hua's gaze darkened. "Not afraid of death?"
The leader replied calmly:
"Everyone fears death. I'm human too. I fear it. But what I fear more is dying without proving my loyalty to the Barbarian God. Without pleasing Him. Without offering my bones and blood. Without receiving His grace."
Mo Hua nodded. "You're really devoted, huh…"
The Shugu leader sneered angrily:
"Ignorant brat. What do you know? Do you understand the greatness of the Barbarian God? Do you understand divine immortality? You know nothing. No awe. Just arrogance…"
Chi Feng slapped him again—this time on the other cheek, shattering a row of teeth.
The Shugu leader's eyes were full of hatred. He rasped, "The Barbarian God will avenge me… kill all of you…"
Mo Hua smirked and pointed at the cave. "Your Barbarian God… don't tell me he's hiding in that little cave?"
"A space that small can even hold a god? Is your Barbarian God a rat?"
That line deeply provoked the Shugu leader.
His eyes bulged, veins popped, and he glared at Mo Hua.
"How dare you! Ignorant fool! To mock the Barbarian God like this! From this moment on—you're already a dead man! Divine punishment will fall! You're dead! DEAD!"
Dan Zhu, seeing the twisted rage on his face and how convinced he sounded, couldn't help but glance at Mo Hua with some concern. He was worried Mo Hua really had offended a Barbarian God and would bring disaster on himself.
But instead of fear—Mo Hua looked… thrilled.
He wanted the Barbarian God to come after him.
But he also knew—no such luck. Not yet.
He'd have to sniff out the Barbarian God's whereabouts himself.
Mo Hua turned to look at the little cave marked with bloody ritual symbols.
This cave likely housed one of the Shugu Tribe's Barbarian Gods.
But Mo Hua didn't charge in or make any sudden moves. He simply stared silently at it.
Dan Zhu and the others were a little confused.
Elder Ba-Shan seemed slightly impatient.
"It's just a dumb cave. You can see the end from here. What's the point of hesitating? Let's go in and check."
As a Golden Core cultivator, Ba-Shan had already scanned the cave several times with his divine sense. He didn't detect any danger, so he didn't take it seriously.
Elder Ba-Shan strode toward the cave.
But the moment he reached its entrance, he did sense a faint, chilling aura.
It really did feel like something strange was inside.
Ba-Shan halted, uncertain—should he go in, or not?
As he hesitated, a voice came from behind:
"Elder Ba-Shan, don't go in."
Mo Hua, offering a "kind reminder."
But that was a mistake.
Mo Hua's warning only triggered Ba-Shan's rebellious streak.
As Dan Zhu's guardian elder, Ba-Shan had suspected from the start that Mo Hua was a fraud.
He had long resented this so-called "Shaman Master" for bewitching the young lord with pretty words and making him obey.
Now the fraud tells him not to go in?
Then he absolutely would go in.
Ignoring Mo Hua's warning, Elder Ba-Shan entered the cave.
Moments later, he came out again.
The cave really was narrow—one glance to the end, nothing of note.
He took a few steps in, found nothing, and naturally exited.
After emerging, Ba-Shan said, "Young Lord, there's nothing strange inside that cave—"
But Mo Hua's expression turned serious as he stared hard at Elder Ba-Shan for a few moments before speaking coldly:
"Bind Elder Ba-Shan with chains."
Elder Ba-Shan was stunned.
Dan Zhu and the others were stunned. "Master Wu… what's going on…?"
Mo Hua replied solemnly: "Elder Ba-Shan is 'possessed.' In a moment, he'll go mad. We have to restrain him now—or the consequences will be dire."
Elder Ba-Shan flared with anger:
"Shaman Master, you pale-faced brat, what nonsense are you spewing?! Possessed? I would know if I were! You think you can slander me so casually?"
Mo Hua remained calm:
"See? His temper is already flaring."
Dan Zhu sighed helplessly.
"…Then… tie him up for now."
Elder Ba-Shan's mouth fell open—heart nearly shattered.
He had devoted himself to serving the young lord for over thirty years, guarding him since childhood—and now Dan Zhu was ordering him to be chained?
His voice trembled,
"Young Lord! You mustn't listen to his slander! That boy's framing me—he harbors ill intent!"
Dan Zhu looked conflicted and could only repeat,
"Just tie him up for now…"
Barbarian general Chi Feng stepped forward, took out a chain, and restrained Elder Ba-Shan.
Though furious, Ba-Shan didn't resist in front of Chi Feng—he just looked devastated, like a man whose heart had utterly broken.
Chi Feng frowned slightly, puzzled by Mo Hua's motives.
If this was just a petty power play to eliminate a rival—it was far too crude.
But before he could dwell on it, a surge of killing intent struck him. Chi Feng's expression changed as he looked down—
The bound Ba-Shan's eyes had turned blood-red. His face twisted with madness, froth at his lips, like he was ready to devour someone whole.
"Not good!"
Chi Feng was alarmed and immediately pressed down on Ba-Shan's shoulder.
But Ba-Shan, now seemingly overtaken by some madness, displayed enormous strength.
Even mid-stage Golden Core Chi Feng struggled to suppress him.
Ba-Shan opened his mouth wide and tried to bite Chi Feng's hand—like he wanted to tear flesh off and swallow it.
Chi Feng twisted his wrist and locked Ba-Shan's head in place.
But Ba-Shan still didn't stop—his flesh bulged unnaturally, his body thrashing wildly.
Luckily, thanks to Mo Hua's earlier warning, Chi Feng had used chains in advance. Otherwise, there'd have been no restraining him.
If Ba-Shan had gone berserk—biting and eating people—it would've been disastrous.
Chi Feng had no choice but to use force to keep his limbs bound.
But this couldn't continue. No one knew how long Ba-Shan's madness would last.
Dan Zhu and the others all wore grim expressions.
Then Mo Hua suddenly spoke:
"Hang him upside-down—feet off the ground, head toward the earth. Tie him to a tree. That way the evil energy won't rush to his brain."
Chi Feng hesitated. It sounded ridiculous, but still, he nodded and obeyed.
Ba-Shan was chained and hung from a nearby tree, head down like a giant bear, still struggling.
Mo Hua added,
"Whip him. Let some blood out. Bleed the evil out."
Chi Feng pulled out an iron whip and lashed Ba-Shan again and again.
Fellow elder Ba Chuan couldn't bear it—yet Ba-Shan's current condition was so unnatural and bizarre, he didn't dare object.
He could only hope that Shaman Master's method would save Ba-Shan.
After dozens of lashes, Ba-Shan's madness began to fade.
He was in intense pain, bleeding all over. As his mind cleared, he realized he was being whipped while hanging from a tree.
He was shocked. Dazed. In agony.
"Lord Chi Feng… why…"
Chi Feng frowned and asked cautiously,
"Do you remember what you just did?"
Ba-Shan tried to recall—and suddenly, he remembered the overwhelming urge to eat someone just before losing consciousness.
His face turned pale.
"I…"
He was shaken and confused, speechless.
Chi Feng held the whip, expression solemn.
Dan Zhu looked equally anxious. After all, Ba-Shan had been his personal guard since childhood—they had a deep bond.
Dan Zhu turned to look at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua was silent, saying nothing.
Ba Chuan stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and pleaded:
"Please, Shaman Master… think of something. Save Elder Ba-Shan…"
Mo Hua was silent for a moment, about to speak—
When suddenly, a shrill laugh rang out.
Everyone turned. It was the Shugu Tribe leader.
"What are you laughing at?" Ba Chuan frowned.
The man sneered, his face twisted with triumph:
"Save him? With what? That fool—he dared trespass into the Barbarian God's sacred ground. That's a grave sin."
"Now, divine punishment has befallen him. The curse has entered his mind—he's become a man-eating barbaric beast, a living sacrifice to please the Barbarian God!"
"Save him? Impossible. Just wait for him to die!"
Ba-Shan's face was stricken with terror.
Dan Zhu, Chi Feng, and the others all frowned deeply.
Gods were intangible—beyond the physical world.
The divine path wasn't something ordinary cultivators could explore.
Before such invisible and lofty beings, one could only choose to believe… or not. But they couldn't use their eyes—or even divine sense—to discern reality from illusion, or truth from falsehood.
And judging by Ba-Shan's condition, it really did seem like divine punishment had fallen.
If that were true, then his fate was sealed.
Everyone felt a chilling despair.
Ba-Shan's face went ashen.
But Mo Hua… only gave a cold sneer:
"Don't listen to this idiot's crap. Who said he can't be saved?"
Ba-Shan was stunned. He turned to look at Mo Hua—the "Shaman Master" he used to despise.
"Master… I…"
Mo Hua nodded,
"Don't worry. He can be saved."
A flicker of hope appeared in Ba-Shan's eyes. His voice trembled:
"Really…?"
Mo Hua reassured him:
"Really."
"But… it's divine punishment… I went mad… I wanted to eat people… I'm beyond saving, I…"
Mo Hua cut in,
"It's not divine punishment. Just some low-level barbarian evil spirit—nothing more than a ghoul or wraith. And you call that a 'god'? You were just infected with a little evil thought. Nothing serious."
Ba Shan gradually felt hope rising in his heart. "Truly?"
Mo Hua smiled faintly: "Don't forget—Who am I?"
Ba-Shan paused—then suddenly realized something.
"You're…" Ba Shan froze. Only now did he suddenly realize what Mo Hua's seemingly ambiguous identity actually meant...
"You're… the Lord Shaman!"
Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.
Ba Shan glanced at him again, and only now did he truly notice—Mo Hua's aura was pure and refined, fair as jade. This wasn't some pampered pretty face—this was the bearing of a celestial being.
His features were gentle, naturally approachable—not the flattery of a sycophant, but the compassion of one who mourns all suffering.
There was even a soft white glow emanating from Mo Hua, like a saint descending to save the world from suffering.
Someone like this—if not a shaman, who could he possibly be?
And at this moment, Lord Shaman himself had said, with his own mouth, that Ba Shan was fine. That he could still be saved. That the punishment inflicted on him wasn't from the true Divine-Lord at all.
How could such a pronouncement not be authoritative?
Ba Shan was deeply moved.
Never had he wished so strongly as he did now that Mo Hua truly was a Shaman.
"But…" Mo Hua suddenly murmured.
Ba Shan's heart instantly tightened again.
Mo Hua said, "You've still been tainted by some evil thoughts. So you'll have to suffer a bit. A few extra lashes, feel some pain, spill a little blood—to purge the wickedness. For the next month, eat light, and no more meat."
Ba Shan quickly nodded. "Yes, Lord Shaman speaks true. I will follow your words without question."
Just a few lashes to resolve everything? Ba Shan felt immensely grateful.
He even began to feel that being whipped by Mr. Mo was a kind of blessing—he was saving his life.
Mo Hua gave a small nod.
This Elder Ba Shan had been far too annoying on the road—always doubting him.
So he had to be made to suffer a little, to learn who was really the big boss.
He didn't need to trust him—but he had to be obedient.
Otherwise, everything Mo Hua did in the future would be met with suspicion and endless explanations—and Mo Hua didn't have that kind of time to waste.
"Whip him," Mo Hua said.
Chi Feng hesitated briefly, then resumed whipping Ba Shan.
This time, Ba Shan didn't feel pain at all. Instead, he felt like he was profiting from it. He even looked at Mo Hua and sincerely said:
"Thank you, Lord Shaman, for saving my life!"
Elder Ba Chuan, standing nearby, seeing that Ba Shan was no longer under "divine punishment" and his life was no longer in danger, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He bowed to Mo Hua.
"Thank you, Lord Shaman, for your mercy."
Dan Zhu looked at Mo Hua, visibly shocked.
His mind was sharp, and his intuition keen.
Although he didn't know exactly what Mo Hua had done, he could tell—just in the blink of an eye, Ba Shan and Ba Chuan's attitude toward Mo Hua had completely transformed.
Dan Zhu felt deeply shaken. He was growing more and more convinced that Mr. Mo's grasp of the human heart was extraordinary.
He even began to doubt in his heart—
"Could it be… that Mr. Mo really is a 'Lord Shaman'?"
"He's not just borrowing the title to teach me things?"
Only the leader of the Shugu Tribe looked on with a poisonous expression.
"You're a shaman? Impossible… Shamans don't look like you. You're not a real shaman…"
Mo Hua didn't respond to him. He simply ordered someone to gag him.
Then, after a moment's pause, Mo Hua walked toward the small mountain cave.
"Be careful, sir…" Dan Zhu spoke up, worried that Mo Hua would fall victim to the same evil influence as Ba Shan. But Mo Hua simply shook his head. "It's fine."
And with that, he walked straight into the cave.
It was shallow, open, and crude. Inside, there was only a single stone altar.
A faint aura of wickedness lingered in the air—corrupted thoughts subtly seeping through the space.
Mo Hua scanned the cave, sensed the flows of energy within, and, drawing on his divine-path experience, pondered silently for a moment before softly sighing.
He hadn't lied—Ba Shan truly was afflicted.
But the corruption within him wasn't deep. A bit of hanging, some lashes, a little blood and pain, followed by some fear to calm his heart, and a temporary meat-free diet—he'd recover in time.
It would also serve as a lesson.
As for the Shugu Tribe's leader—strictly speaking, he hadn't lied either.
In the tribe's understanding, once a ritual was performed and the Barbarian god descended, then anyone who entered this cave—this sacred forbidden ground—would inevitably suffer "divine punishment" by the Divine-Lord and die in madness.
Which… wasn't exactly false either.
The problem was… the "Barbarian god" worshipped by the Shugu Tribe had not truly descended.
Or rather—it had, but only partially.
Within the cave, there remained only a faint trace of the Barbarian god's aura.
Mo Hua found it a pity.
It was clearly a Grade Three Barbarian god. If he could consume it, it would be a tremendous tonic.
A duck already in his mouth… and somehow it had flown away.
Mo Hua turned to leave—but suddenly, something felt off.
He glanced around the cave, then quickly stepped up onto the altar. His gaze grew sharp and profound as he pinched a strand of lingering aura between his fingers and brought it to his nose.
In an instant, Mo Hua's expression flickered.
He had just caught the faintest trace of a… corrupted, fallen scent.
The Barbarian god of the Shugu Tribe… was an Evil God?!
Mo Hua's heart began to race.
This was a big one!
(End of this Chapter)