Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2069 Chapter 986: Grade 3

After stepping into the Refining Demon Mountain, going beyond the mountain gate and heading directly upward, Mo Hua abruptly halted and called out to the forest nearby:

"Elder Xun."

Moments later, Elder Xun gradually stepped out from the dense woods.

Mo Hua reflected inwardly, just as he expected, before offering a bow with a grin:

"Elder Xun, I'm heading up to practice a minor skill, nothing major, so you don't need to trail me."

The Godslaying Sword technique represented an advanced form of channeling Divine Thought into sword True Jue.

The Taixu Mind Transforming Sword True Jue stood as a prohibited sword art from the Taixu Gate.

When Patriarch Dugu passed it on to Mo Hua, he sternly warned him against revealing it to others.

Mo Hua felt uneasy about letting Elder Xun Ziyou witness it either.

Elder Xun Ziyou pondered briefly and grasped the situation right away.

Mo Hua was likely practicing some confidential legacy.

Perhaps a Formation, a Taoist Skill, or maybe a movement technique...

Such legacies had undoubtedly come from the patriarch.

Given the patriarch's affection for Mo Hua and his exceptional abilities, the techniques shared with him were far from commonplace secrets, and truly not for him to intrude upon.

Elder Xun Ziyou's assumption hit the mark.

Yet what he failed to foresee was that the "patriarch" was indeed a patriarch, merely not the one in his thoughts.

Elder Xun Ziyou double-checked, "You're certain there's no issue?"

Mo Hua gave a nod, "Yes, don't worry, I'll handle it myself."

Elder Xun Ziyou mulled it over and consented. Within the sealed tomb of Solitary Mountain City, he had dealt with numerous Late Golden Core Stage Demon Heads, and Mo Hua navigated it smoothly. No doubt, this was under the open sky at the Refining Demon Mountain.

"Very well." Elder Xun Ziyou inclined his head, "I'll stay at the mountain gate sipping tea. If trouble arises, signal me with the Taixu Token."

"Got it, thanks, Elder Xun." Mo Hua clasped his hands in thanks.

Elder Xun Ziyou dismissed it with a wave, "Proceed with your solo cultivation; I won't interfere."

Since Mo Hua preferred solitude, he relished the chance to relax.

After all, stationed right at the mountain gate with his tea, he could dash to Mo Hua's aid instantly if needed.

With those words exchanged, Elder Xun Ziyou spun around and descended the mountain path.

Yet midway, he halted briefly, a question stirring within him:

"How did young Mo Hua spot me concealed in that thicket earlier?"

Was it a hunch?

If so, it fit; the boy had a remarkably sharp intellect, and with his frequent companionship, such a deduction was plausible.

Still, a mere hunch wouldn't pinpoint his exact hiding spot with such precision...

Perhaps... he detected it?

Elder Xun Ziyou's pulse quickened.

As a Late Golden Core Stage expert with vast experience, his "tracking" of Mo Hua was meticulously done, his aura fully masked...

How was it still noticed?

This seemed utterly implausible...

Elder Xun Ziyou's brows furrowed tightly.

...

Meanwhile, Mo Hua had ventured deeper into the Refining Demon Mountain.

He sought a suitable monster beast for "testing the sword."

Monster beasts boasted resilient frames, profound demonic energy, and savage instincts; their might often surpassed a cultivator's by a minor realm.

Thus, an ideal target would be at the mid-phase of Second Grade.

The late-phase of Second Grade might prove tough, yet manageable.

Regarding Third Grade...

Mo Hua set that aside for now.

Third Grade meant a Golden Core Realm monster beast, brimming with dense blood qi that felt almost solid, its demonic power overwhelming—he stood no chance against it.

In truth, Mo Hua had zero desire to clash with a Third Grade monster beast.

There was simply no benefit.

A single lapse in focus, even a grazing blow from a Golden Core monster beast, and he figured his life would end.

Besides, Mo Hua doubted whether his Godslaying Sword technique could inflict real damage on a Third Grade monster beast.

At peak condition, if he could fully deploy the Godslaying Sword—fusing the Five Elements Sword Formation, Tai Xu Sword Intent, and Taishang Emotion Cutting Sword—without depletion, Mo Hua believed he could fell a Third Grade monster beast's sensory awareness.

But currently, treating his eyes as an outlet, guiding with Spirit Power, and piercing the veil between illusion and reality via outward Divine Thought into sword method, the output was merely one-tenth.

That made victory uncertain.

With strength dwindled to a tenth, what success could he expect?

Hence, selecting a mid-level Second Grade beast for sword testing was optimal; even if slaying failed, retreat remained feasible, free of strain.

Mo Hua resolved this and roamed the mountain slopes.

In truth, he hadn't hunted monsters at the Refining Demon Mountain in ages, so the landscape felt familiar yet oddly altered.

But as he roamed, Mo Hua sensed an irregularity.

The monster beasts across Refining Demon Mountain appeared to have dwindled sharply all at once.

The whole mountain exuded an unusual tranquility.

After trekking several li, not a single monster beast's trace appeared.

Mo Hua's brow creased, "Where have all the monster beasts gone?"

"Did someone wipe them out?"

"Who could have done that?"

Mo Hua paused in thought, gradually piecing it together—it seemed like...

His fellow disciples from the Taixu Gate were responsible...

It had to be them, still applying his "Monster Hunting Strategy," deploying the Demon Hunting Formation he outlined, wearing the demon hunting armor he crafted, and using the Spiritual Artifacts Master Gu forged specifically for beast slaying...

Through teamwork and shifting into Taoist Soldiers for hunts, their efficiency soared, accelerating the slaughter pace.

Normally, depletion wouldn't occur so swiftly.

The rapid clearance likely stemmed from the Three Sects Unification.

The Taixu Gate, Tai'a Sect, and Rushing Void Sect had united, swelling their disciple numbers over threefold.

Mo Hua's group of Junior Brothers had grown accordingly.

With the three sects fused as one under a shared banner.

Disciples from the Tai'a Sect and Rushing Void Sect now addressed Mo Hua as "Junior Brother" and adhered to his "Monster Hunting Process."