Chapter 732 – Broken Gold Sect
"Little Senior Brother…"
The tall and sturdy Cheng Mo looked at Mo Hua with eyes so clear they even carried a trace of… admiration? It made Mo Hua's skin crawl.
"Can I buy one of those armors? Name your price—I'll pay in spirit stones!"
Cheng Mo was practically drooling.
The others perked up too, all eyes locking eagerly onto Mo Hua.
Especially Situ Jian and Hao Xuan.
They hadn't worn the armor yet, hadn't experienced the power amplification or the enhanced might of their Dao techniques—so their faces were full of curiosity and longing.
Situ Jian was a sword cultivator. He was dying to know just how terrifying his Leaving Fire Sword would become once amplified.
Hao Xuan was currently a staff cultivator, though he used to be a sword cultivator too.
Whatever Mo Hua's identity or where he learned his formations—none of that mattered to him.
Mo Hua sighed helplessly, "…Alright."
Cheng Mo solemnly vowed in return.
Meanwhile, the image of a stern, long-bearded man with sword-like brows flashed across Elder Xun's mind.
He stood in a daze, momentarily lost in thought…
Just then, several auras approached. These cultivators made no effort to hide their presence—they swaggered right out of the forest into full view.
From afar, Elder Xun finally composed himself after a long internal struggle.
Cheng Mo and the others exchanged glances. They could sense trouble.
This was a Grade-2 Mid-tier Boar Demon—fat-headed, thick-skinned, a unique breed. Its materials would surely fetch a nice contribution point reward.
Elder Xun turned, following the aura trail. His brows furrowed slightly.
His thoughts dimmed, his heart sank.
Sure, he liked ambushes and sneak attacks… but who didn't want to try out a powerful sword art at least once?
Mo Hua's group was currently skinning and carving the boar.
"Truly, the next generation is terrifying…"
The matter of the Ancestor was beyond the reach of a mere Jindan-stage great-grandson like him—he neither had the courage nor the capability to intervene.
Looking up and seeing the sky darken, he said, "It's getting late. Let's finish butchering the boar and talk later."
"Got it," Cheng Mo responded, lifting both axes to start hacking the boar's head.
As for everything else—none of it was his business.
Still, a trace of regret lingered among the group.
Cheng Mo suddenly felt something off. He released his divine sense, but found no one nearby.
Before he could dwell on it, several powerful auras surged in from the distance.
Elder Xun nodded slightly, stealing one last glance at Mo Hua's group.
His heart filled with emotion.
Moments later, Mo Hua suddenly paused. His head snapped up, eyes narrowing as he looked toward a mountain path. He said darkly:
"Someone's coming."
Time had passed, the world had changed, the path to the Dao was endless—perhaps they'd never meet again…
"Still… even a Grade-2 Mid-tier boar demon—tough-skinned and brimming with blood—was slain by these kids…"
He reminded himself of the Ancestor's words: Keep this child safe.
The last time Elder Xun had seen a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator lead a team to slay a mid-Foundation beast… that had been Senior Brother Xuan.
Senior Brother Xuan had once been a dazzling prodigy in sword cultivation, descendant of the sword-obsessed Ancestor Dugu, the one who had deified the Great Void Sect itself. The entire sect had pinned its hopes on him.
Heaven is jealous of talent…
He'd once practiced sword together with Xuan—trained together, got punished together—their bond had been deep.
But later, Xuan's life-bound flying sword broke, and from that day on, he fell into obscurity, lost among the crowd.
Now, no one had heard of him in years. No one knew where he went.
The others worked together efficiently.
Cheng Mo, however, was still pestering: "Little Senior Brother, next time you go do something awesome, you have to take me! I won't ask for much—just let me wear that armor. Wherever you point, I'll chop!"
Mo Hua replied, "This armor has a lot of restrictions. The formation inside is complex. If I don't control it with divine sense, it won't amplify spiritual power at all…"
Not long after, several cultivator auras entered their divine sense range.
A group of eight cultivators, all clad in golden Daoist robes, golden swords at their waists—every one of them had a Metal-type spiritual root. Handsome, proud, and full of swagger.
Mo Hua thought to himself: Figures.
It was the Broken Gold Sect…
Among the eight, all faces were unfamiliar. Seven were mid-Foundation Establishment stage. The one leading them?
Late-Foundation Establishment.
It looked like a senior disciple from the Broken Gold Sect was leading a group of juniors on a demon-hunting mission.
That senior—tall and lanky—looked like a golden peacock, head raised high, clearly feeling very important.
To his right, a Broken Gold disciple stepped forward, pointed at Mo Hua's group, and barked:
"You little punks sure have guts—daring to steal a beast that belongs to us Broken Gold Sect?!"
Cheng Mo's eyes turned cold. He replied icily:
"That pig demon? We nearly died killing it. What the hell does it have to do with your Broken Gold Sect?"
The disciple sneered, "You brats are just mid-Foundation cultivators. Smell like milk. No way you could've taken down a Grade-2 mid-tier demon beast!"
"Clearly, we were the ones who killed it!"
"Exactly!" another disciple chimed in. "We were chasing it for ages, had it surrounded and injured—just about to finish it off when you kids cut in and stole the kill…"
"We're all sect disciples from Qianxue Province. Leave the boar here and we'll let this slide."
Cheng Mo grew furious at their shamelessness, "Eat sh*t, you lying dogs!"
The Broken Gold disciples' faces darkened.
"Watch your damn mouth, boy!"
"Or we'll have to teach you some manners… on behalf of your Great Void elders."
Cheng Mo laughed mockingly, "Cowards. Can't win a fight, so you rob others' prey."
The Broken Gold disciple scowled, "Fine—refuse the wine and drink the punishment."
Their senior, the late-Foundation cultivator, was clearly annoyed. He finally spoke:
"Enough with the nonsense."
He pointed at Mo Hua's group.
"Leave the beast. Then get lost."
Cheng Mo was furious, and the others' eyes grew cold.
But Mo Hua's gaze flickered. He quietly said:
"We're leaving."
The group froze, glanced at Mo Hua, and forced down their rage. One by one, they nodded.
They'd just had a brutal battle with the boar demon. Their spiritual power was nearly drained—they couldn't take on the Broken Gold disciples in this state.
Especially not with a late-Foundation sword cultivator among them.
They might scoff at the people of Broken Gold Sect, mock their pettiness and shamelessness—but they did not underestimate the Broken Gold Sword Technique.
That lead disciple, sword at his waist and sword qi swirling around him, was no doubt a formidable opponent.
A late-Foundation sword cultivator was never easy to handle.
Had it been any other day, they might've let their youthful pride take over and thrown down for a proper brawl.
But now, with Little Senior Brother giving the order—they obeyed.
Cheng Mo and the others shot the Broken Gold Sect a venomous glare before slowly retreating.
Mo Hua stayed hidden among them, slipping away unnoticed—not even worth a second glance from the enemy.
Seeing them leave with tails tucked, the Broken Gold disciples didn't stop them.
Instead, they erupted in laughter.
"That'll teach you some manners!"
"Acting all tough, but in the end you scamper off like scared rats!"
"Next time you see the Broken Gold Sect, tuck tail and leave early—save yourself the trouble."
One bootlicker even raised a thumb toward the senior disciple and flattered:
"Senior Brother, you're amazing! One word from you, and those brats didn't even dare fart."
The senior chuckled coldly, "That was nothing…"
He gave Mo Hua's retreating back one last disdainful glance and snorted:
"Just a bunch of nobodies. At least they knew their place. Otherwise, I'd have had to teach them the rules of Demon-Taming Mountain."
"Senior Brother is mighty!"
"This time it's all thanks to Senior Brother. We're basking in your glory!"
"What Eight Great Sects? They still have to bow to our Broken Gold Sect…"
The disciples all started flattering him shamelessly.
Hidden in the bushes, Elder Xun was grinding his teeth in frustration. He really wanted to jump out and give those little bastards from the Broken Gold Sect a lesson, just to stand up for the Great Void Sect.
But after thinking about it, he held back.
This was Demon-Taming Mountain—not their clan grounds or a sect-controlled domain.
Here, disciples fought not only with demon beasts, but also inevitably clashed with disciples of other sects.
These were their problems to solve.
His job was to follow the Ancestor's orders and protect Mo Hua's safety. Nothing else.
A true man knows when to endure and when to strike.
Since Mo Hua had chosen restraint instead of confrontation, Elder Xun had no reason to intervene.
Besides, a few setbacks could be a good thing.
Better to be bullied now and learn a hard lesson than to leave the sect and get killed for being naïvely soft-hearted.
But still…
Mo Hua's calm expression reappeared in Elder Xun's mind.
Even while being ridiculed by those Broken Gold brats, his face had remained placid—still as water, without a ripple.
"Could this child be someone who endures humiliation for the greater good?" Elder Xun wasn't quite sure…
Except… Mo Hua clearly wasn't.
Once they were outside the Broken Gold Sect's divine sense range, Mo Hua crouched down and started rummaging through his storage pouch.
He pulled out some formation materials and spiritual tools.
"I'll set up the formation myself…"
"These spiritual tools—some armor, some swords—I've drawn the Metal-Breaking Array on all of them."
The Metal-Breaking Array, as the name implied, suppressed metal-type spiritual energy. It was part of the Five Elements Countering system.
Mo Hua had learned it long ago.
He had even asked Master Gu to forge some custom weapons with this metal-countering property. He usually kept them tucked away in his storage pouch—ready for situations just like this.
Now, it was finally time to use them.
"Oh, and here's poison from the Cangmu Wolf. Coat the blades with it."
"This is blood from the Skyblue Snake—it's also poisonous. Mix it in."
Cheng Mo and the others were stunned at first, still stewing in frustration—but after a moment, none of them seemed surprised.
Cheng Mo quietly asked:
"Little Senior Brother… are we going to take revenge?"
Mo Hua corrected him:
"Not revenge. We're just going to take back what's ours. And while we're at it, help them grow a spine…"
His gaze chilled.
You dare steal my pig?!
Mo Hua added, "Sit down, take your pills, restore your spiritual power. We're going to crack some heads."
Cheng Mo and the rest straightened up immediately and shouted in unison:
"Got it!"
Mo Hua hadn't fought back earlier for two reasons:
One, they'd just gone through a hard battle. Everyone's spiritual power was drained.
Two, they were outnumbered. Worse still, the other side had a late-Foundation expert.
Fighting head-on would've been pure idiocy.
A wise man waits for the right moment. Revenge doesn't have to be rushed.
First, get away safely.
But now?
Their power was restored. The enemy was out in the open. Mo Hua and his group were hidden in the shadows. They'd had time to plan.
This was a whole new ballgame.
And as for "waiting ten years" for revenge?
These Broken Gold clowns didn't deserve ten years. Hell, they didn't even deserve one night.
Once preparations were complete and spiritual power restored, the group put on their Metal-Breaking armor, gripped their toxin-laced blades, and sprinted through the forest.
They were young and hot-blooded—having been humiliated earlier, they'd been burning inside. Now that payback was within reach, their eyes gleamed coldly.
Elder Xun, watching from afar, was momentarily stunned.
He'd just been praising Mo Hua for knowing how to "endure"…
Now they were gearing up for a stealth ambush, with poisoned weapons no less!
Just who had taught them these underhanded methods…?
He shook his head.
Looked like this was going to escalate after all—he couldn't ignore it anymore.
Still, he made up his mind.
If Mo Hua's group won, he'd just stand back and watch.
If they lost, well, then he'd step in and tilt the odds.
After all, he was an Elder. He had to maintain some elder-like "grace"…
So Elder Xun silently followed behind them.
Mo Hua's team, meanwhile, headed south, tracking the direction the Broken Gold disciples had taken.
With divine sense fully spread, Mo Hua studied the terrain and the lingering traces of the enemy. After half an hour of pursuit, they finally spotted the Broken Gold disciples atop a mountain ridge.
The boar demon had already been stripped for materials.
They'd "scored big" and were now camped out at the base of a slope—drinking and roasting meat around a fire.
What surprised Mo Hua was that it was already dusk. The sky dimmed, the sun sank—night was falling fast.
Yet the Broken Gold disciples weren't leaving the mountain.
"They're camping out here?"
Mo Hua frowned.
Why linger in the forest instead of heading out before dark?
Well—fine by him.
Darkness made it easier to strike.
Mo Hua pulled out several pieces of black cloth and handed them to the group.
"Cover your faces."
Cheng Mo muttered, "Little Senior Brother… even if we cover our faces, they'll probably still recognize us, right?"
Mo Hua shook his head, looking dead serious:
"If you're going to do shady business, do it professionally. Everyone wears masks during ambushes—it's tradition."
Cheng Mo nodded, still not fully getting it, but going along anyway.
Once preparations were done, they waited.
Darkness thickened. Cold winds swept down from the mountain.
The Broken Gold disciples were tipsy now, lounging around the campfire. Only two stood watch on the outskirts.
Mo Hua lowered his voice: "Stick to the plan."
Cheng Mo, not daring to speak, bit down on a twig and nodded solemnly.
Everyone took their positions.
Mo Hua used stealth arts to silently approach the camp perimeter. He stopped just outside, pulled out a vial of Spirit Ink, and began pouring it into the dirt.
The ink seeped into the ground.
Using his divine sense to guide it, and under cover of night, the Spirit Ink slithered outward, gradually forming into a formation.
Even Elder Xun, who was still wondering what Mo Hua was up to, was stunned.
He'd known Mo Hua was going to set up a formation—but how was he planning to do it right under someone's nose?
Now he understood.
Though it was dark, Elder Xun's 28-mark Golden Core divine sense picked up every detail of the array-drawing process.
Divine sense as brush. Earth as canvas. A formation birthed in silence.
Elder Xun quietly sucked in a breath.
He had never studied formations—too scared of the Ancestor's strictness. But he'd been around long enough to know good work when he saw it.
This wasn't something any average array master could pull off.
Had the Ancestor taught this too?
But…
Elder Xun's expression trembled slightly.
"The Ancestor… doesn't even know how to do this himself…"
…
From there, everything began falling perfectly into place.
The Broken Gold Sect disciples were arrogant and overbearing. Though they had cultivation, they lacked experience and vigilance. As they chatted and drank boisterously, their guard dropped lower and lower.
Mo Hua finished drawing the formation—and they didn't suspect a thing.
He shook his head.
He had even prepared several contingency plans, just in case his divine-sense-based formation-drawing was noticed by them… but clearly, he had overthought it.
Then, Mo Hua activated the formation.
It was a Seventeen-Mark, Grade-Two High-Tier Formation. Though only entry-level for its tier, it was more than enough to blow up a bunch of mid-stage Grade-Two disciples.
With a flash, sand and rocks erupted in the darkness, firelight blazing.
Five of the eight Broken Gold disciples were instantly taken down.
Even their Senior Brother was gravely wounded.
Although he was in the late Foundation Establishment stage, he was a sword cultivator—not a body refiner—so his physical resilience was lacking.
Of the three remaining, Hao Xuan knocked one unconscious with a heavy blow, while Yang Qianjun and Cheng Mo each took out one more in a sudden burst of action.
Then, the four of them surrounded the injured Broken Gold Senior Brother.
The same arrogant and cold young man who had looked down on them earlier was now blackened with ash, panic all over his face—like a stray dog.
He clearly hadn't expected anyone to dare ambush them here on Demon-Taming Mountain.
Fortunately, he quickly composed himself and, while unleashing his Broken Gold Sword Qi, shouted:
"Who are you people?! How dare you attack the Broken Gold Sect?!"
Mo Hua didn't bother responding.
Cheng Mo still had a twig in his mouth and couldn't speak anyway.
The others stayed silent, simply unleashing all their attacks at once on the injured senior.
With Metal-Breaking armor for defense, Metal-Breaking spiritual weapons for offense, and even demonic poisons coated on their blades—dealing with a seriously injured Foundation Late Stage wasn't too hard.
But as the fight continued, the senior finally recognized them and cried out in disbelief:
"It's you?! Those five brats from earlier?!"
How could it be…?
How could a few juniors dare—and actually succeed—in ambushing an eight-man demon-hunting squad led by a late Foundation Broken Gold cultivator?
The senior was both furious and stunned. He sneered coldly:
"Fine! Fine! A bunch of brainless little bastards—today I'll—"
Before he could finish, Mo Hua's eyes sharpened.
"He's about to use the Broken Gold Sword Command!"
Yang Qianjun and the others immediately ramped up their assault, suppressing him before the technique could complete.
Frustrated, the Broken Gold senior tried to pull out a talisman.
Mo Hua shouted, "He's using a Golden Body Talisman!"
Yang Qianjun reacted instantly, swinging his spear toward the senior's arm.
The senior was shocked. Who the hell is this kid? How does he know my every move before I even make it?!
He gritted his teeth and took the hit head-on, choosing to trade injury for a chance to activate the talisman.
A golden aura shimmered into place, cloaking him in a protective light.
He quickly retreated several steps, body glowing as he began gathering spiritual energy to unleash his strongest move: the Broken Gold Sword Command.
Golden sword light swirled around him. The aura of his golden spirit sword mirrored it—radiating immense power.
Mo Hua immediately cast Water Prison Technique, but the pale blue glow dissipated as soon as it neared the golden shield.
Golden Body Talismans were immune to ordinary magical control.
In that split-second, Mo Hua barked:
"Full force! Take him down!"
At the same time, Mo Hua activated the Five Element Source Armor.
Cheng Mo immediately understood. His eyes lit up with excitement. Without hesitation, he pushed his spiritual power to the max and unleashed his Mountain-Splitting Axe Art—aiming directly at the senior.
As a body cultivator, Cheng Mo's explosive speed and power were unrivaled.
The senior couldn't dodge. His expression turned grim.
Still, he'd already done the mental math.
This axe strike, though powerful, wasn't enough to stop the completion of his sword technique.
As long as he could finish it, all these dirty little punks would die.
His eyes turned cold.
But as Cheng Mo's axe reached mid-swing, a flash of light surged from his armor—a mysterious force suddenly descended.
Cheng Mo's strength soared in an instant.
His twin axes gleamed with blinding brilliance. The power surged.
The Broken Gold senior's face twisted.
Something's wrong!
The axe's power had suddenly escalated?!
He felt a chill in his heart—but he couldn't do anything. He could only watch as Cheng Mo's axe slammed into his shoulder.
The impact shattered the Golden Body Talisman and shook him violently.
The blade tore through flesh, blood gushing.
And the interruption was just enough to break the casting of the Broken Gold Sword Command mid-channeling.
The backlash struck hard. He spat blood and could no longer fight.
The Broken Gold Sect's late Foundation senior was defeated—pinned down by Cheng Mo's massive axe, and slowly forced to kneel before Mo Hua.
(End of Chapter)