This aura of a formation was…
"…A high-grade Spirit Pivot Absolute Formation?"
Mo Hua's pupils instantly turned golden, black and white swirling at their depths, his divine sense surging like a flood as he peered into the body of Venerable Green Face, at the cyan-yellow formation threads like puppet strings that allowed him to "revive from death."
Venerable Green Face was still reviving, and the speed of his revival grew faster and faster.
Mysterious patterns like silk threads, as if "woven and painted," reshaped flesh and bone, mending Venerable Green Face's injuries.
Before long, Venerable Green Face's physical body was once again intact.
Those writhing thread-like formation patterns seemed to have completed their mission. Like long nematodes, they burrowed into Venerable Green Face's flesh and blood, no longer leaking the slightest trace of aura.
This thing did not resemble a formation at all.
None of the cultivators present would have thought these "threads" were formation patterns.
But based on experience, Mo Hua could assert that this was certainly some kind of more advanced formation method, surpassing his previous understanding of formations.
It was just a pity that although Mo Hua's perception of formations was already extremely keen and his reactions fast, instantly activating Heavenly Calculation to decipher the formation's structure and pivot, he was still too slow.
The threads within Venerable Green Face's body completed the stitching and mending of flesh and blood, and the reshaping of the body's vitality, in an extremely short time.
Afterward, they burrowed into flesh and blood and went dormant.
That brief moment was not enough for Mo Hua to carry out any deeper calculation.
Moreover, this kind of "thread-shaped" formation pattern possessed complexities and mysteries beyond common reason.
Mo Hua's Heavenly Calculation had barely begun, had just found some direction, and before it could go deeper, he had to stop.
The black and white at the depths of Mo Hua's eyes receded. He looked at Venerable Green Face, his brows slightly furrowed, yet beneat his gaze was a barely concealed greed, "This Venerable Green Face… has some interesting things about him…"
On the opposite side, Venerable Green Face, who had "revived from death," or rather, could not be killed, slowly stood up again. Though his aura had weakened somewhat, his temper had grown even more violent, his whole person like an enraged demonic beast.
Apart from Mo Hua, the expressions of all the Dao Court Department cultivators changed.
Gu Changhuai's pupils also trembled, finding it somewhat hard to believe.
As for the other Green-faced minions, seeing their leader revived, they did not rejoice but grew even more terrified, fleeing desperately in all directions.
In the next instant, a massive cyan bloody shadow flickered.
Venerable Green Face had already flashed forward, approaching several fleeing Green-faced minions. In a few swift moves he tore them apart and "devoured" them.
Having received the supplement of flesh and blood, the injuries within his body instantly improved considerably.
Seeing this, everyone's expressions turned incomparably grave.
Gu Changhuai's face was pale. He coughed softly, blood appearing at the corner of his mouth. He ordered, "Everyone, be careful."
The remaining Dao Court cultivators gathered together and formed a defensive formation, facing Venerable Green Face in a standoff.
The Qingzhou minions looked terrified, but none dared to flee again, fearing they would be the next to die.
Everyone was cautious, not even daring to breathe loudly.
In this oppressive atmosphere, within the dense forest, the cyan shadow moved and suddenly vanished again.
When it reappeared, it was already behind Mo Hua.
Venerable Green Face, eyes bloodshot, blood at the corner of his mouth, stared fixedly at Mo Hua. Then his two great hands, like those of an evil ghost, suddenly tore viciously, ripping Mo Hua into shreds.
Everyone was greatly alarmed at the sight.
Gu Changhuai's face also unconsciously paled. Then his brows furrowed, and he slowly let out a breath of relief.
Sure enough, in the next breath, water mist appeared three zhang away, and the black shadow recondensed into form.
Such a transformation was truly like that of a ghost.
An early Golden Core stage cultivator evading a sudden assassination by a late Golden Core stage cultivator: if one said he was not a ghost, no one would believe it.
Venerable Green Face, having missed his strike, grew even more furious. His body like a demonic specter, his claws full of bloody wind, he charged at Mo Hua to kill.
Of all the people present, if one asked whom Venerable Green Face most wanted to kill, it would naturally be Gu Changhuai, that Dao Court running dog who had repeatedly opposed him and formed no small amount of enmity.
But that was before.
Now, the one Venerable Green Face most wanted to kill was Mo Hua, this "black-robed Venerable Master."
Venerable Green Face was cunning by nature, and the cunning most detest being schemed against.
Especially when the despicable villain who schemed against him, this treacherous wretch, dared to impersonate a "Venerable Master," deceiving him, making him repeatedly plead, and then at the most critical moment turned on him and ambushed him, causing him to die once more. This was truly hateful and detestable to the extreme.
Without hacking him into ten thousand pieces, the hatred in his heart could not be appeased.
Venerable Green Face's eyes were blood-red, his attacks growing ever more vicious.
His massive body split mountains and shattered stone. The bloody wind at his claws, if an ordinary cultivator so much as grazed it, would mean death or injury.
Yet Mo Hua's figure was like a butterfly in the wind, a fish-dragon in water. Each time he brushed past Venerable Green Face's killing moves, the situation was dangerous, yet he always escaped peril, leaving Venerable Green Face unable to touch him in the slightest.
This kind of movement technique left the cultivators watching with their hearts in their throats, yet also full of admiration.
Venerable Green Face attacked repeatedly without success, growing ever more furious.
But the more furious he became, the more violent, the more disordered his moves, the less able he was to touch Mo Hua at all.
In the distance, Gu Changhuai watched with anxiety. Though he knew Mo Hua's movement technique was profound, he also knew Mo Hua's physical body was extremely fragile.
This kind of contest and slaughter in movement technique looked exquisite, but in truth it was walking a tightrope.
Venerable Green Face could make countless mistakes, but Mo Hua could not make a single one.
One mistake, caught by a late Golden Core stage Venerable Green Face, and he would inevitably end up blood splattered on the spot, bones and corpse left without a trace.
Gu Changhuai wanted to save Mo Hua, but he had just taken the Gu family's Spirit Explosion Pill and used an upper-grade Dao technique. His spiritual power was utterly exhausted, his meridians stabbing with pain like needles, and he could not help at all in a short time.
Moreover, though his spells were powerful, they were only large in scale and strong in might. He lacked Mo Hua's precision, that变态-level locking and control.
If he struck inaccurately, he might instead hinder Mo Hua.
Gu Changhuai watched Mo Hua maneuver against Venerable Green Face, forcing down his anxiety, forcibly calming his heart-spirit, taking pills and meditating to regulate his breath, wanting to recover as much spiritual power as possible as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Venerable Green Face was still pursuing and killing Mo Hua.
But that black-robed figure truly was like a ghost. The more he wanted to kill, the less he could.
Not to mention killing, he could not even touch a corner of his clothes.
After another hundred or so exchanges of pursuit, still without the slightest achievement, Venerable Green Face's rage shot to his brain. He was utterly over his head, heedless of everything around him, even unaware of heaven and earth, his eyes only on that damned black figure.
At this moment, his single obsession was to kill this black-robed cultivator.
Even if killing this black-robed cultivator meant he himself would die on the spot, he did not care.
Mo Hua's "hatred-drawing" constitution was to such a degree.
But heaven did not grant wishes. Venerable Green Face pursued and killed for who knew how long, still with no progress, to the point that the blood vigor in his body began to fade.
As the blood vigor faded and the hot blood cooled, Venerable Green Face gradually calmed down.
He pondered for a moment, and his heart suddenly gave a start. He said:
"No, this black-robed traitor, why is his spiritual power so abundant?"
He, the honorable Venerable Green Face, a late Golden Core stage body cultivator, under such high-intensity pursuit, had spent so long, yet had not exhausted his spiritual power?
Could this be an early Golden Core stage cultivator?
Venerable Green Face felt something was wrong. Growing calmer, he sensed the situation, and immediately abandoned Mo Hua, turning to kill Gu Changhuai.
Since this black-robed traitor had an eerie movement technique and could not be killed, then he would kill Gu Changhuai and settle the old grudge.
Venerable Green Face transformed into a gust of bloody wind, pouncing to kill Gu Changhuai.
Seeing him about to flee, Mo Hua immediately reached out with his bare hand. Six Water Prison Techniques descended from nowhere, binding Venerable Green Face firmly.
Again this disgustingly sticky spell!
It seemed to trigger unpleasant memories from just before.
Venerable Green Face was furious, nearly pouncing again to slaughter Mo Hua, but he ultimately held back.
In this situation, one had to distinguish the important from the urgent.
Venerable Green Face struggled with all his strength, breaking free of the Water Prison Technique.
This Water Prison Technique could only trap people at critical junctures; its control in ordinary times was not strong, especially against high-tier late Golden Core stage cultivators.
Breaking free of the Water Prison Technique, Venerable Green Face again charged to kill Gu Changhuai.
At this moment, Mo Hua again cast the Water Prison Technique. His casting speed was astonishingly fast. Venerable Green Face could not dodge in time and was bound in place again.
Venerable Green Face strained his arms and broke free of the Water Prison Technique again.
Mo Hua cast the Water Prison Technique a third time, binding Venerable Green Face.
Within the Water Prison Technique, Venerable Green Face was nearly sickened to vomit. The discomfort in his heart was truly difficult to describe in words.
But he still endured it, continuing to break free of the Water Prison Technique, wanting to turn his fire on Gu Changhuai.
Mo Hua also realized that always doing this to Venerable Green Face, binding him again and again, was not a solution.
So his fair palm flipped, turning palm into finger, and the technique instantly shifted from water to fire, condensing into deep red fireballs that shot toward Venerable Green Face.
Venerable Green Face felt his back burning, then successive explosions rang out, a scorching pain assailing him.
One after another, like target practice.
The fireballs, though strong, were after all only early Golden Core stage spells, not fatal.
But even if not fatal, they hurt quite a bit when they struck, and more eerily, though they were fireballs, they carried a trace of coldness.
Exploding on his body, besides the scorching pain, there was also a trace of sinister chill, like a little snake crawling into his body.
Venerable Green Face immediately urged his body to dodge this eerie fireball technique.
Even more eerie, these fireball techniques seemed to have eyes. No matter how Venerable Green Face dodged, it was useless.
An invisible yet bizarre divine sense was firmly wrapped around Venerable Green Face.
This was the divine sense lock from Mo Hua. Even though Venerable Green Face was a late Golden Core stage great cultivator, he could not shake off this lock at all.
Then Mo Hua continued to point.
One fireball technique after another, following the precise divine sense lock, smashed into Venerable Green Face's back and the back of his head, bursting into clusters of sparks.
Venerable Green Face mentally recalled every person he had ever wanted to kill in his life.
None of them came close to Mo Hua.
In his entire life, he had never been so disgusted by anyone's spells, and with the lowest-tier fireball technique at that.
Being used as a spell target by Mo Hua like this, even Venerable Green Face truly could not bear it.
If he insisted on killing Gu Changhuai and exposed his back to Mo Hua, who knew how many fireballs Mo Hua would shoot into his back.
Venerable Green Face was so angry his heart ached. He had no choice but to turn his head, eyes bloodshot, and pounce to kill Mo Hua.
Seeing Venerable Green Face approach, Mo Hua stopped his spells and used the Flowing Water Step and Water Shadow Phantom Body, once again maneuvering against him.
After another long stalemate, Venerable Green Face still could not do anything to Mo Hua. His heart stirred, and finding an opportunity, he again abandoned Mo Hua and turned to kill Gu Changhuai.
Seeing this, Mo Hua first used the Water Prison Technique, binding Venerable Green Face three times to suppress his speed, then used fireball techniques to snipe one by one, using Venerable Green Face for target practice.
Venerable Green Face had no choice but to turn back again and kill Mo Hua.
Thus, if he closed in, Mo Hua would maneuver against him; if he dared to open distance, Mo Hua would shoot him with spells.
Moreover, Mo Hua seemed to have a weak aura and poor spiritual roots, yet his spiritual power in actual combat seemed inexhaustible.
The ferocious and powerful Venerable Green Face now seemed like a trapped beast, dashing left and right, helpless.
This method of fighting the strong with the weak, with myriad variations, left all the Dao Court Department cultivators shaken.
They had never seen anyone apply spells to such a degree.
At this moment, Gu Changhuai's qi sea had also recovered somewhat.
After so long, the aftereffects of using an upper-grade Dao technique had finally eased.
Gu Changhuai's aura also gradually strengthened.
Venerable Green Face, in his fury, sensed Gu Changhuai's aura and immediately felt a chill in his heart, realizing things were not good.
Once Gu Changhuai's strength recovered and he joined hands with this black-robed traitor before him, then no matter how many lives he had, he would probably have to leave them here.
Hesitation brings disaster.
"No, I must retreat…"
But to retreat just like this, Venerable Green Face was truly unwilling. Fleeing so miserably was more unbearable than death.
Venerable Green Face thought briefly, then his heart suddenly stirred. He abruptly turned his head.
This time, he did not kill toward Gu Changhuai, but toward the Dao Court Department cultivators in the distance.
Mo Hua could not be killed, and Gu Changhuai was uncertain. He seemed to settle for second best, wanting to kill a few people at random to vent his rage.
Mo Hua also seemed to have anticipated Venerable Green Face's intention in advance. He immediately stopped his movement technique, switched techniques, and used the Water Prison Technique to seal Venerable Green Face's movements.
But at the very instant Mo Hua switched techniques, a blood light flashed in Venerable Green Face's eyes. The patterns on his cyan skin lit up, and with an even faster movement technique, he suddenly turned his spear around and charged straight at Mo Hua.
This time, Venerable Green Face seemed to use all his strength, even overdrafting part of his heart's power. His speed was astonishingly fast.
Mo Hua was in the midst of switching techniques. In that tiny instant of surprise, Venerable Green Face had already seized the opportunity and closed in beside him.
In the distance, Gu Changhuai's expression changed dramatically.
Mo Hua seemed somewhat caught off guard. His figure stalled, and he could only try his utmost to dodge.
Fortunately, his Flowing Water Step was extremely exquisite. Even at the critical juncture, he still dodged past Venerable Green Face's killing move.
Even so, he was still a hair too slow. Venerable Green Face "touched" him.
Venerable Green Face's misshapen yet sharp fingertips, carrying bloody wind, grazed past Mo Hua's cheek.
This move was extremely dangerous, a hair's breadth.
He did not tear Mo Hua's face, but the residual bloody wind tore a large gash in Mo Hua's cloak, and even tore off a strand of Mo Hua's hair.
Just a little more… and he could have torn Mo Hua's face in two.
Venerable Green Face secretly hated it, feeling extremely regretful. But this tear had also ripped open the cloak, letting him see half of Mo Hua's face.
That half face was fair as the moon, warm as jade, brows like stars, unspeakably young and handsome.
Even Venerable Green Face was stunned for a moment, somewhat disbelieving.
He had thought that such a despicable, treacherous, disgusting, filthy villain must be an "old schemer," with a sinister and venomous appearance.
He had not expected him to have such an incredible face, and to be so young it was infuriating.
Venerable Green Face grew even more furious.
On the other side, Gu Changhuai, seeing that Mo Hua had nearly fallen to Venerable Green Face's hand, darkened his expression. Ignoring his unhealed injuries, he rose and began condensing spells to kill Venerable Green Face, his eyes full of killing intent.
Venerable Green Face was startled, knowing he could not delay. His goal had been achieved anyway.
Venerable Green Face's gaze flickered. He quickly grabbed a strand of Mo Hua's hair in his hand, then looked at Mo Hua with venomous eyes, as if looking at a dead man, and transformed into a gust of bloody wind, fleeing. He no longer tangled with Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai.
Gu Changhuai's wind blades struck Venerable Green Face, but could not keep him.
Mo Hua seemed to have been frightened. He stood in place, motionless.
Watching the most troublesome, most notorious, and the chief culprit of the Qingzhou Prefecture chaos flee, Gu Changhuai thought it a pity, then felt a trace of relief.
After all, if Venerable Green Face had not fled and had stayed to fight to the death, it was truly hard to say who would live and who would die…
Gu Changhuai's hidden injuries surged within him, his throat tasting of blood, but he endured the pain and walked to Mo Hua's side. Looking at Mo Hua's torn cloak and the half face revealed, still shaken, he asked in a low voice:
"Did that beast harm you?"
Mo Hua shook his head. "No."
Gu Changhuai examined Mo Hua carefully for a moment. Seeing that apart from the torn cloak and a bit of hair missing at his temple, there were no other injuries, he finally felt relieved.
Then Gu Changhuai sighed, somewhat self-reproachful: "I failed to kill this Qing-faced brute and let him escape…"
Mo Hua consoled him: "This beast is indeed a bit hard to kill. Uncle Gu, do not take it to heart…"
Gu Changhuai wanted to say more, but Mo Hua said: "This old forest is strange. This is no place to talk. Let us leave first…"
Gu Changhuai thought for a moment, nodded, then looked toward the direction Venerable Green Face had fled.
That was deeper into the Myriad Spider Ancient Forest, gloomy as a sea. Who knew what lurked there, making one uneasy.
Gu Changhuai's brows furrowed tightly. He sighed deeply: "This time we let this beast escape. Next time we want to kill him, who knows when that will be…"
"Behind this beast, there are probably other, more terrifying existences…"
"Yes…"
Mo Hua nodded, but his gaze flickered slightly, and at the corner of his mouth floated a faint, elusive smile of amusement, carrying a hint of eeriness.