Chapter 1020: Battle with Ao Zhan

The sword competition with Ao Zhan from the Longding Sect was essentially a demon hunt.

Disciples from both sides competed against each other by hunting high-grade Rank-2 demonic beasts.

Whoever killed the demonic beast and retrieved its inner core would be declared the winner.

During the sword competition, cultivators not only had to hunt demons but also defend themselves.

They could use the demonic beasts to weaken their opponents.

Conversely, they could also be trapped by their opponents and fall prey to the beasts' deadly attacks.

The battle for the beasts unfolded with countless tactical changes, making the battlefield unpredictable and the outcome uncertain.

However, the disciples of Longding Sect chose a more direct approach.

Instead of hunting beasts, they hunted people.

Led by Ao Zhan, they ignored the demonic beasts and directly attacked the five members of the Taixu Sect, intending to eliminate them first before dealing with the monsters.

This was an extremely aggressive strategy.

It implied that they were confident enough to crush their opponents in a short time before moving on to the actual hunt.

It was evident that they did not take Mo Hua and his team seriously at all.

In fact, their actions carried an air of humiliation toward their opponents.

And the truth proved that they indeed had the strength and qualifications to act this way.

As soon as the battle began, the five members of Longding Sect unleashed their overwhelming strength. Their power surged like a roaring dragon, charging at Mo Hua's group like fierce tigers pouncing on their prey.

Mo Hua had previously fought against some second-tier disciples of the Longding Sect and had experienced the might of the Dragon-Tiger Body Refinement Technique.

However, those disciples were nothing compared to the five before him—especially Ao Zhan, their leader.

Ao Zhan, at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm, exuded a domineering aura, his presence alone intimidating.

A phantom of a cyan dragon coiled around him, and as his blood energy surged, faint dragon roars echoed.

For a brief moment, he even bore a resemblance to that once-mighty Demon Sect commander, Shen Tu'ao, who had perished in the Solitary Mountain Divine Hall while wielding the Four Symbols Azure Dragon Formation.

When the two sides clashed, the strongest fought first.

Ao Zhan let out a furious roar, his fists moving like dragons, engaging in close combat with Linghu Xiao.

Xiao Wuchen was the number one genius of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Ao Zhan, likewise, was the strongest of the Longding Sect. Their fame and strength were evenly matched.

However, unlike Xiao Wuchen, who specialized in swordsmanship, Ao Zhan was a formidable body cultivator, possessing immense vitality and an indomitable dragon force.

Once he got close, his punches and kicks carried devastating momentum, making it extremely difficult to defend against.

In this regard, he was an even greater threat to a long-range sword cultivator like Linghu Xiao than Xiao Wuchen.

Ao Zhan relentlessly pressed forward, his attacks fast, brutal, and precise.

With each move, his dragon-infused strikes shattered rocks and shook the battlefield.

Linghu Xiao was completely suppressed, unable to even draw his sword, forced into a continuous retreat.

Compared to his battle with Xiao Wuchen, this was an even more one-sided defeat—he had no chance to resist at all.

The spectating cultivators shook their heads in dismay.

The elders of Chongxu Mountain wore grave expressions, sighing in disappointment.

Meanwhile, the other members of the Taixu Sect were struggling to hold their ground.

Not only were they unable to assist Linghu Xiao, but they could barely survive the relentless assaults from the Longding Sect disciples.

Mo Hua was nowhere to be seen.

A powerful Longding Sect disciple was relentlessly chasing him down.

Mo Hua relied on his movement technique to evade, trying to hold out as long as possible.

His opponent, however, couldn't break through his Flowing Water Steps to kill him.

At the same time, Mo Hua also lacked the means to counterattack effectively.

This was his second battle in the Word-Sword Competition.

Unlike the first match, the rules and opponents were different.

But the outcome of the battle was no different.

Soon, Linghu Xiao, exhausted, was struck down by Ao Zhan's powerful punch, meeting his demise.

With his fall, the situation rapidly deteriorated.

Situ Jian, Ouyang Xuan, and Cheng Mo were successively defeated.

Only Mo Hua remained, struggling to hold his ground with his movement techniques.

Five against one.

This time, the five disciples of Longding Sect showed no courtesy to the Sword Sect disciples.

The five fighters showed no martial ethics, attacking Mo Hua together—two engaged in direct combat, relentlessly pursuing him, while the other two blocked his escape.

Ao Zhan, his eyes sharp, locked onto Mo Hua. His fists radiated a blood-like aura resembling a dragon, preparing for a deadly strike.

Xiao Wuchen, though feigning aloofness, was not one to spare an enemy.

He was no hypocrite.

Even a lion uses full strength to hunt a rabbit.

He intended to personally kill Mo Hua!

The five prodigies of Longding Sect surrounded him, murderous intent locked in.

Mo Hua's heart trembled, and he thought, "This is bad."

If he didn't escape now, he might truly "die" at Ao Zhan's hands.

Mo Hua immediately used "Flowing Water Step" to create distance. He raised a finger to his forehead, intending to use an old trick—shattering his Debate Jade to flee.

Ao Zhan sneered coldly, as if he had anticipated this. He channeled energy into his dantian, causing his chest to resonate, then opened his mouth wide and roared.

This roar mimicked the cry of a dragon.

Like splitting stone and piercing the sky, a white sonic wave, infused with dragon might, surged directly into Mo Hua's eardrums.

The dragon's roar pierced his eardrums, penetrating straight into his consciousness, shaking his divine sense.

However, nothing happened...

Mo Hua's divine sense was like a golden body without cracks, unmoving like a mountain.

The terrifying dragon roar, which would normally shake one's soul and fill them with dread, entered Mo Hua's ears like a gentle breeze, carrying no intimidation.

He had devoured a dragon's soul.

Why would he fear such a roar?

This dragon's roar could not affect him in the slightest.

Mo Hua only blinked once before, without any hesitation, he channeled spiritual energy into his fingertips, shattering the Debate Jade. His figure vanished.

At the very moment he disappeared, a powerful Dragon Shadow Fist came roaring in, smashing the ground where he had stood, shattering it along with the surrounding rocks into dust.

The force spread outward, covering the entire stone platform in a web of cracks.

A dragon's roar to intimidate, followed by a dragon punch to kill.

This was meant to be a sure-kill strike, but it hit nothing but air.

Ao Zhan slowly withdrew his fist, straightened his posture, and stared at the shattered stone below him. His expression grew cold, and his brows furrowed.

"…Didn't catch him?"

How could this be…?

Meanwhile, outside the debate arena—

Seeing Mo Hua shatter the Debate Jade and escape, the audience erupted in boos from all sides:

"Coward! He ran away!"

"Retreating in battle—he's nothing but a weakling!"

"No backbone! Utter disgrace!"

Some sighed in regret:

"What a pity… Ao Zhan's punch was just a little too slow… If only he had been faster, Mo Hua would have been smashed to pieces…"

"If only he hadn't shouted first, Mo Hua might already be dead…"

"What do you mean 'shouted'? Do you even understand? That was Longding Sect's Tiger Roar and Dragon Cry technique."

"This is a supreme martial art of Longding Sect, incredibly profound and extremely difficult to master."

"Ordinary disciples can only produce a tiger's roar, while only the top talents can unleash a true dragon's cry."

"During battle, combining a tiger's roar or dragon's cry can intimidate the enemy."

"If someone gets stunned by the roar and then takes a direct hit from a Longding Sect heavy punch, they'd either die or be crippled."

"This technique is something Ao Zhan rarely uses in the sword debates. The fact that he used it on Mo Hua is already giving him enough face."

"He probably predicted that Mo Hua, that cunning rat, would try to flee. So he used Dragon Cry to lock him in place before finishing him off with a punch."

"But unfortunately… he was still a step too slow…"

"That brat Mo Hua is as slippery as a ghost!"

"Even a ghost isn't as cunning as him…"

As the crowd discussed, Ao Zhan, having failed to kill Mo Hua, stared coldly ahead. His face showed traces of anger. With a single punch to vent his frustration, he shattered an entire stretch of forest and rocks before turning around and ordering coldly:

"Kill the demonic beast."

"Yes!"

The four remaining prodigies of Longding Sect responded in unison.

Then, five of them joined forces, relying solely on their physical strength to face off against a high-tier Rank Two Bear Demon in a head-on battle.

In less than a hundred exchanges, they killed it—severing its limbs, splitting open its chest, and digging out its bloody inner core.

With this, the debate concluded—Longding Sect won.

As for Mo Hua and his group, they had lost.

Zhang Lan, Wen Qingwan, Gu Changhuai, and Murong Caiyun, all of whom had been silently watching and concerned for Mo Hua, remained speechless, their expressions showing disappointment.

Yu'er pursed her lips, her small face somewhat troubled.

Next was the sword debate of another sect.

In the debate arena—

The defeated Mo Hua, along with Linghu Xiao and a few others, were packing their storage bags, preparing to return to their sect.

Cheng Mo and Situ Jian looked dejected, not saying a word.

Ouyang Xuan's face was even uglier, filled with unwillingness.

Linghu Xiao's expression remained cold.

Although he had always been indifferent, this time, there was a deeper layer to his coldness—mixed with confusion, heaviness, and an air of gloom.

"Xiao Xiao," Mo Hua called out to him.

Linghu Xiao was momentarily stunned before lifting his head to look at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua sighed, a hint of regret in his tone: "This match is lost."

Linghu Xiao nodded slightly, without saying a word.

He had lost even more thoroughly.

Against Xiao Wuchen and Ao Zhan, he barely had any room to fight back. He was completely suppressed throughout the battle, and in the end, he was personally slain.

The prouder a person is, the more arrogant their temperament, and the less they can tolerate failure.

Especially in a situation like this—on the grand stage of the Dao Sword Debate, under the watchful eyes of all—being defeated and killed by another prodigy...

Linghu Xiao's heart was filled with an unbearable agony.

Despite this, Mo Hua had once told him that true strength is forged through failure.

Yet, the confusion and pain in his heart nearly consumed his entire self-respect and faith in the Dao of the Sword.

After a moment of silence, Linghu Xiao spoke softly:

"Senior Brother Mo, I…"

Mo Hua understood his thoughts. He reached out and patted Linghu Xiao's shoulder, saying:

"Don't think too much. No matter how strong the enemy is, no matter how difficult the circumstances, you only need to focus on one thing, just one thing…"

Mo Hua paused slightly, his gaze clear and bright:

"…Believe in your own sword, give it your all, uphold your entire sword path, and let your sword energy cleave through all obstacles."

"At that moment, whether this sword wins or loses, whether it slays the opponent or is shattered in return, is irrelevant."

"The purer your thoughts, the stronger your sword."

"Hesitation will only weaken your sword."

In terms of sword energy cultivation and sword technique fundamentals, Mo Hua was far inferior to Linghu Xiao.

But in terms of his unwavering commitment to the sword and his comprehension of the Sword Dao, few of his generation could compare.

Having cultivated the Grand Void Divine Mind Sword Technique and integrating it with the God-Slaying Sword Style, Mo Hua stood at the pinnacle of understanding the way of the sword.

Linghu Xiao was stunned. His thoughts cycled through layers of contemplation before gradually clearing, and his gaze became sharper.

"Yes, Senior Brother."

He nodded, his entire presence now exuding a resilience that refused to be broken.

Like steel tempered a hundred times, the more it is forged, the stronger it becomes.

Mo Hua nodded in approval.

To accomplish great things and pursue great paths, sometimes resilience is even more important than talent.

No matter how great one's talent, if they shatter upon the first setback, it is meaningless.

Only those who possess resilience can remain unyielding through countless trials.

Afterward, the group packed up their storage bags and returned to their sect.

At the Grand Void Sect, the disciples trained their battle techniques, analyzed their strategies, and prepared for the upcoming fights late into the night before parting ways.

Linghu Xiao, a disciple of Chongxu Mountain, returned to his peak.

Ouyang Xuan, a disciple of Tai'a Mountain, returned to his as well.

Cheng Mo and Situ Jian, on the other hand, stayed with Mo Hua at Grand Void Mountain, residing in the disciples' quarters.

After the three finished dinner, the night was already deep, and they planned to return to their rooms.

Before parting, Mo Hua reminded them to rest well, then turned to leave.

Situ Jian, who had been holding back for a long time, finally spoke hesitantly:

"Senior Brother Mo…"

Mo Hua turned back to look at him.

Situ Jian hesitated for a moment, sighed, and finally voiced his concern:

"Senior Brother Mo, do we… still have a chance to win?"

Cheng Mo also silently looked at Mo Hua, showing some doubt in his eyes.

Situ Jian and Cheng Mo were different from Linghu Xiao and Ouyang Xuan.

They were not the kind of peerless prodigies who stood above all others. They lacked that supreme confidence and pride.

Against the top disciples of Heavenly Sword Sect and Dragon Cauldron Sect, they had been utterly defeated.

Though they were unwilling to accept it, they had no way to change the outcome.

The Qianzhou Realm was vast, filled with countless prodigies, many of whom were stronger than them.

They had known this for a long time.

But as disciples of the Grand Void Sect, their fates were closely tied to their sect.

They wanted to win.

Even if they weren't the ones in the spotlight, even if they were merely cannon fodder, they were still willing to give everything for victory in the Dao Sword Debate.

Moreover, they were on the same team as Mo Hua.

Their victory was his victory, and his defeat was theirs.

The problem was, they were beginning to lose sight of hope for victory.

This was just the Tian Character Stage (the highest tier) of the tournament.

Only two rounds in, and they already felt a growing sense of despair.

The spectators were merely watching from the sidelines.

But they—the ones truly competing—understood the terrifying strength of the Four Great Sects.

Even more so, they felt the overwhelming, near-unreachable power of top prodigies like Xiao Wuchen of Heavenly Sword Sect and Ao Zhan of Dragon Cauldron Sect.

They trusted Mo Hua.

But at this moment, deep inside, they couldn't help but feel a mix of confusion and torment.

They hadn't wanted to ask.

But they couldn't hold it in.

Mo Hua gazed at Situ Jian and Cheng Mo in silence for a moment, then suddenly smiled gently.

"We can win," he said. "It depends on the situation."

"Situation?"

Situ Jian was taken aback, and Cheng Mo was even more confused.

Mo Hua nodded and explained:

"Don't be intimidated. The Tian Character Stage of the tournament isn't filled only with prodigies like Xiao Wuchen and Ao Zhan."

"Apart from them, there are also many disciples in the Four Great Sects who are merely at the standard elite level. There are many such teams."

"Running into Xiao Wuchen and Ao Zhan back-to-back was just bad luck."

"But against other teams, we can still fight. It's not like we have no chance of winning."

"It all depends on the matchups, the format of the tournament, and our strategic planning…"

"Of course, we'll also need some luck…"

The Tian Character Stage was different from the Xuan Character Stage (the mid-tier level).

In the Xuan Character Stage, all the matchups were predetermined from the beginning by the Dao Calculation Formation.

But in the Tian Character Stage, things were different.

The battles were held one at a time.

After each match concluded, the Dao Calculation Formation would then determine the next set of opponents.

At any moment, no one knew who they would face next.

This tested the adaptability of the participants.

It also added an element of suspense for spectators.

More importantly, it prevented scheming cultivators from using prior knowledge of matchups to arrange hidden manipulations behind the scenes.

The Tian Character Stage carried greater significance, gathered more prodigies, and was held with even greater formality to eliminate any external interference.

Thus, throughout the tournament, no one knew who they would face next.

Mo Hua's gaze, too, was shrouded in uncertainty.

He had no way of predicting the full sequence of battles.

He could only adapt to the situation, take things one step at a time…

Who they would face next depended on the Dao Calculation Formation's decision.

Only then could he plan accordingly.

Who to fight against, and how to strategize in the "Heavenly Ritual of Sword Debate," was something he could only determine now.

Thus, it required both precise timing and a bit of luck.

The Heavenly Ritual of Sword Debate emphasized cause and effect.

Luck wouldn't always be bad.

Mo Hua smiled, "Relax, we will win."

Situ Jian pondered for a moment, then nodded.

Although Cheng Mo didn't fully understand, he was influenced by Mo Hua's confident demeanor and also nodded.

The two of them had spent nine years in the same sect as Mo Hua and were very familiar with him.

Many times, they might not even trust themselves, but they almost instinctively believed in Mo Hua, their "Second Senior Brother."

Even in perilous situations, as long as they followed their Second Senior Brother, their hearts would feel somewhat at ease.

Situ Jian's gaze was warm as he respectfully said, "Second Senior Brother, rest early."

Cheng Mo also clasped his hands in salute.

Mo Hua smiled again, "Rest early."

Meanwhile, amid the intense preparations and tense atmosphere, the sword debate continued.

Mo Hua wasn't the only participant from the Tai Xu Sect; other disciples had also fallen one after another.

The situation was worsening.

Unease spread throughout the Tai Xu Sect disciples.

Under these circumstances, every single victory became extremely precious.

Yet, Mo Hua remained quietly waiting for the "Heavenly Ritual of Sword Debate's" assigned opponent.

Waiting for that right moment and that bit of "luck."

Two rounds later, Mo Hua's third team duel was decided.

His opponent was—

Wan Xiao Sect.

Mo Hua had slightly better luck this time. The opponent he was matched against was not the strongest disciple of Wan Xiao Sect nor their top-tier team.

It was merely one of Wan Xiao Sect's first-tier teams, slightly weaker than their elite squads.

Many believed this was finally a real chance for Tai Xu Sect to win a match.

Yet in this battle, Mo Hua and his team still lost.

More than that, Mo Hua completely exposed his "weaknesses" in this match.

His spiritual power was low, making it difficult to endure prolonged combat.

Although his movement techniques were excellent, they had no real utility.

His low-tier spells could only slightly annoy his opponents.

His offensive power was severely lacking.

If his teammates couldn't hold their ground, he would become completely useless.

Faced with the spell bombardment of Wan Xiao Sect's five elite spiritual cultivators, Mo Hua had no means of countering at all.

What initially seemed like a winnable match ultimately ended in defeat.

Many people's hearts turned completely cold.

Especially those who once had high hopes for Tai Xu Sect—they felt stifled, lamented the lack of strength, and grew frustrated at their inability to fight back.

"If it were only the top heavenly prodigies winning, that would be understandable, but losing to a first-tier team from the Four Great Sects?"

"Is the gap between the Eight Noble Clans and the Four Great Sects really this huge?"

"With Mo Hua on the team, what are they supposed to do?"

"Honestly, he's just dead weight. In a true contest between top talents, he's completely useless…"

"His movement techniques are good, but if he can't kill anyone, what's the point?"

"Ultimately, he's just a low-level spiritual cultivator."

"No matter how refined a low-tier spell is, it's still just a low-tier spell."

"And besides, his spiritual power is too weak..."

"That little bit of trickery he has was only 'opportunistic' at best, and it has already been thoroughly studied in the previous battles. He has no tricks left, he's completely useless now…"

"At this rate, his team won't last much longer."

"Not just his team, even Tai Xu Sect won't last much longer…"

Outside the Sword Debate Arena, many cultivators were voicing their criticism.

And after this round, the situation truly worsened.

Tai Xu Sect kept losing, their ranking plummeted from fourth to fifth.

They had already fallen out of the ranks of the "Four Great Sects."

Looking at the current standings, it seemed they had completely lost the qualification to compete for a place among the Four Great Sects…

Within the sect, morale was low, and spirits were crushed.

The elders sighed in regret.

Even the sect master and several grand elders couldn't help but sigh.

To most sects in Qian Yuan Prefecture, being part of the "Four Great Sects" was like an unattainable dream.

Tai Xu Sect had once had that dream.

But now, that dream had been shattered without a trace.

By this point, everyone in Tai Xu Sect had gradually come to accept reality—they no longer harbored any hopes of reclaiming a place among the Four Great Sects.

Now, they only hoped to at least maintain their current ranking and not fall any further.

Or at least, to win a few matches.

But even that hope now rested on the strongest team of Tai Xu Sect—Linghu Xiao and Mo Hua's squad.

They desperately hoped that Mo Hua's team could win.

Even just one match.

Even if it couldn't stop the bleeding or save Tai Xu Sect's ranking, at least it could boost morale a little.

Within Tai Xu Sect, every disciple held a mix of anticipation and anxiety.

They even wished for a "weaker" opponent so Mo Hua's team could secure a win and earn some much-needed points.

Amid this tense atmosphere, the fourth team duel for Mo Hua's squad was once again determined by the Heavenly Ritual of Sword Debate.

When everyone saw the result, their hearts sank even further.

It was still one of the Four Great Sects, and even worse— Heavenly Sword Sect.

It was still one of the Four Major Sects, and moreover, it was an "old friend":

Heavenly Sword Sect.

Not an easy opponent.

Although it wasn't the strongest team led by Xiao Wuchen, it was still a team from the Heavenly Sword Sect, second only to the team led by the prodigy Xiao Wuchen.

It was an extremely strong first-tier sword-fighting team.

Even stronger than the Wanxiao Sect team that had defeated Mo Hua and his team in the previous match.

But that wasn't the worst part.

The real challenge lay in the format of the competition:

This was a Siege Defense Match.

Heavenly Sword Sect would attack, while Taixu Sect would defend.

Five prodigies from the Heavenly Sword Sect, whose sword qi was terrifyingly powerful and whose attacks were unparalleled, would launch an assault. Taixu Sect could only defend.

Anyone who had ever watched a sword competition would understand—

This was practically a death match.

There was not a sliver of hope for victory.

In some ways, the situation was even worse than the match against Xiao Wuchen's team.

Among the Four Major Sects, Eight Great Sects, and all the other numerous cultivators watching the prestigious sword competition, a single glance was enough for them to shake their heads and silently pity Taixu Sect's misfortune.

For the disciples of Taixu Sect, this time, their morale had truly hit rock bottom.

Only Mo Hua, as he looked at the competition roster, had eyes that grew brighter and brighter—

At the corner of his lips, an imperceptible smile began to form…

(End Of this Chapter)