Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2174 Chapter 1019: I'm Done Playing_3
Previously on Immortality Through Array Formations...
"On the verge of death..."
"Who do you think will ultimately deliver the fatal blow to this kid?"
The speculation extended beyond mere spectators.
A few genius disciples from various sects clutched their "Tumo Orders" firmly, their minds swirling with thrill and a touch of sorrow.
Thrilled at the prospect of Mo Hua's impending demise.
Sorrowful that they couldn't deliver it themselves.
As the crowd buzzed with eager expectation.
Mo Hua sensed the perfect moment, touched his forehead, crushed his own Dao Discussion Jade, and in a burst of azure light... disappeared.
He chose to bow out.
He stepped off the arena...
The Heavenly Sword Sect disciple, sword in hand and spiritual power drained from Mo Hua, had been poised to end him with a single slash, but now stood frozen in shock.
Fellow Heavenly Sword Sect members appeared equally taken aback.
Even Xiao Wuchen's face stiffened briefly.
Beyond the Taoist Field, cultivators who had been grinning with high hopes suddenly turned rigid, their faces like carved stone, utterly dazed.
After a long pause, one person muttered in disbelief:
"Did that kid just..."
"Break his own Dao Discussion Jade?"
"Does that mean he got killed?"
"If he ends his own life, how does that count as getting killed?" "Hiss---"
Gasps of shock rippled through the assembly.
At the same time, an uncontrollable blaze of fury ignited in every heart.
"Is this actually happening?"
"I'm truly... floored by this sneaky kid..."
"Why can't he just perish decently for once?"
"I can't take it anymore; my head's pounding with rage..."
Taixu Gate faced near-certain loss, and Mo Hua seemed doomed to fall.
The eagerly awaited peak moment was right on the horizon.
Yet this kid boldly smashed his own Dao Discussion Jade and pulled himself out.
He couldn't even manage to get "slain" in a fitting way.
The furious crowd roared:
"I've never witnessed such brazenness!"
"Smashing his own Dao Discussion Jade—he'd stoop to that?"
"This is a sword discussion, not a real fight to the death; with Dao Mountain's grand formation safeguarding everyone, can't he battle till the end?"
"Cowards are worse than outright failures!"
"If he had any shred of honor, he wouldn't pull this off; even contemplating it is a grave offense!"
"He's a Taixu Gate genius and the Qianxue Formation Path Leader's disciple—how will his fellow students view him? How about the elders? The Sect Leader? The ancestors?"
"Shouldn't he be drowning in shame?"
"In all of Taixu Gate, no, across the whole Qianxue state boundary, does he care for no one?"
The masses seethed with moral outrage, launching a torrent of insults at Mo Hua.
From the throng, Gu Changhuai let out a quiet sigh, reflecting that Mo Hua—that cunning youth—truly knew how to cleverly provoke others into near-madness from an unexpected direction...
Naturally, Mo Hua had no inkling of this.
For him, breaking his own Dao Discussion Jade was trivial.
Besides, he preferred to hold "life and death" firmly in his control.
Even in defeat, he aimed to leave on his own accord.
Allowing another to strike with a blade always carried a hint of risk in his mind.
What if Dao Mountain's fifth-grade grand formation faltered—wouldn't that strike claim his life?
Though it's a fifth-grade setup and a mighty one, failure odds are tiny, virtually nonexistent.
Yet as a Formation Master, Mo Hua relied solely on his own arrays.
Others' formations, no matter their might, remained untrustworthy to him.
He avoided blind worship or blind faith.
This discipline defined a top Formation Master.
Thus, self-elimination via Dao Discussion Jade proved far safer than awaiting a "death" blow.
As for others' views or even the sect's judgment, Mo Hua dismissed them entirely.
Normally, the formation's shield ensured no true deaths in the sword discussion gathering, so most participants defaulted to:
"Battle until the finish."
Plus, countless sect elders, seniors, and peers observed.
Show fierce determination, pour out your effort, and even loss draws no criticism.
But voluntarily shattering a Dao Discussion Jade to flee mid-fight spelled trouble.
A talent lacking bravery earns scorn from equals and rejection from elders and sect veterans.
Yet such typical views left Mo Hua unmoved.
His position stood apart.
Among Taixu Gate's younger crowd, he commanded real "prestige," no matter his actions; to his peers, he remained the "inspiring and exceptional" junior.
Taixu Gate elders often weighed Mo Hua's feelings in decisions, aiming to please him.
The Taixu Gate Sect Leader showed Mo Hua great indulgence, seeing him as a "cherished child."
Taixu Gate ancestors showered Mo Hua with affection, viewing him as a "direct grandson."
No one in Taixu Gate could rein in Mo Hua.
Crushing a Dao Discussion Jade was minor; it wasn't as if he'd demolished Taixu Mountain's entrance—hardly a catastrophe.
And with that, the sword discussion wrapped up.
Mo Hua's loss only fueled greater ire.
The spectators nursed deep resentment, hurling curses and oaths, yearning to haul Mo Hua back for a thrashing.
Not all harbored anger toward Mo Hua, though.
Scattered in the audience were those who truly rooted for Mo Hua, yearning for his triumph.
Zhang Lan, seated behind the Chief Elder, kept a blank expression but inwardly heaved a heavy sigh, gripped by profound disappointment:
"In the end, defeat still came..."
He had hoped to witness Mo Hua unveiling more of his skill, unleashing his spirit once more at the sword discussion event.
Now, it appeared his hopes had been too naive.
The Qianxue Sword Discussion Conference stood as Qian State's premier spectacle, its geniuses each surpassing the last, proving skies held deeper blues...
Even Mo Hua met defeat.
Zhang Lan exhaled deeply.
Meanwhile, atop the Shangguan family's observation stand.
The once-bright-eyed Yu Er now bore a trace of dejection on her young features,
murmuring:
"Brother Mo lost..."
Wenren Wan's eyes softened with a hint of shadow, yet she managed a smile while stroking Yu Er's head:
"Wins and losses are part of the warrior's way; even Brother Mo can't claim victory every time..."
Yu Er nodded, though unhappiness lingered. Wenren Wan smiled and comforted her: "One setback changes nothing; plenty more bouts await, and Brother Mo will reclaim his wins step by step..."
At these words, Yu Er's gaze sparkled with renewed hope, nodding earnestly:
"Mm!"
Wenren Wan softly caressed Yu Er's cheek, her look full of warmth.
Yet a subtle veil of concern clouded her forehead.
She clearly perceived the vast chasm between Taixu Gate and Heavenly Sword Sect.
Xiao Wuchen's power loomed overwhelmingly.
And Heavenly Sword Sect ranked as just one of the Four Great Sects.
At least three more talents matching Xiao Wuchen's level lurked in Heavenly Sword Sect.
Future clashes promised escalating peril. Facing such elite geniuses to claim wins and points from the Four Great Sects felt... like scaling the heavens.
Wenren Wan couldn't suppress a sigh.
Two days on, in the subsequent Earth-level Sword Discussion, Mo Hua's fortune proved equally grim.
He faced Ao Zhan, Longding Sect's premier disciple and a Four Great Sect standout, also among Qianxue Sword Discussion's elite talents.
The Ao lineage traced back to ancestors with Karma Dragon blood.
In his cohort, Ao Zhan shone brightest, his heritage nearest to those forebears.
He had honed his Dragon Cauldron Body Refining Skill to remarkable heights.
With an immortal frame forged in Dragon Blood, Longding Sect's Ao Zhan rivaled Heavenly Sword Sect's peak genius, Xiao Wuchen.
This sword discussion round brought Mo Hua another defeat.