Chapter 1027: Hidden Truth 

The relationship between Wanxiao (Boundless Sky) Sect and Taixu (Great Void) Sect was merely that of ordinary sects.

The disciples of both sides rarely interacted, with no particular "grievances or grudges" between them.

Today was simply a swordsmanship debate.

Encountering each other at the entrance was not unusual.

At most, it was just that Duanmu Qing's beauty and temperament made people momentarily lose focus.

Duanmu Qing's expression was as calm as still water.

She had long grown accustomed to the astonished, admiring, or even awestruck gazes of men in this world, and her heart remained unshaken.

Her snow-white neck was slightly raised, and her cold, indifferent gaze was fixed forward. Walking with an elegant and dignified posture, she led a few other outstanding disciples of Wanxiao Sect straight into the inner mountain.

She wore a five-colored, exquisitely beautiful robe, her appearance transcendent and her figure graceful. Yet, she carried an aura as unapproachable as a snow-capped mountain, making people hesitate to speak to her.

And so, the disciples of both sects merely passed by each other.

From beginning to end, no one said a word.

However, as they passed, Duanmu Qing's gaze—perhaps intentionally, perhaps unintentionally—fell upon Mo Hua for a brief moment.

One reason was that Mo Hua's facial features were as delicate as a painting, his appearance and temperament equally outstanding.

Another was that Mo Hua was relatively short, standing out conspicuously among the group of talented cultivators.

Lastly, despite his poor reputation and the many controversies surrounding him, Mo Hua was incredibly well-known.

Not to mention the grudges he had formed in the Sword Debate Tournament, the "humiliations" he had inflicted on various prodigies...

Simply holding the title of "Array Dao Champion" was already legendary.

He was, without a doubt, the number one array master in Qianxue.

And he had claimed that title while still in the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, an achievement bordering on the unimaginable.

Even someone as aloof and otherworldly as Duanmu Qing could not possibly have never heard his name.

Of course, that was all.

Duanmu Qing merely glanced at Mo Hua out of the corner of her eye before walking past him.

Yet, that brief glance was captured by Mo Hua's vision.

He pondered over it, slightly startled, and couldn't help but mutter:

"Did my Dao heart... get tainted?"

His voice was very soft, almost a subconscious murmur.

Even Linghu Xiao and the others beside him didn't catch what he said.

However, Duanmu Qing—who had already passed him—suddenly stopped in her tracks.

She slowly turned her head, her gaze as cold as a sword, locking onto Mo Hua.

Mo Hua looked back at her.

His eyes were clear and pure, as if they could reflect Duanmu Qing's entire image.

Yet, they also carried a profound and penetrating depth.

For a brief moment, Duanmu Qing felt as though her heart had been completely seen through—an inexplicable sense of shame and inferiority welling up inside her.

Immediately following that was a deep, suppressed fury and humiliation.

Her originally cold and stunning face was instantly covered in frost.

The chilling intent to kill almost materialized, her glassy-clear eyes brimming with an overwhelming sense of disgust as she stared at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua was stunned.

What was this about?

Before he could react, an astonishing spiritual pressure erupted from Duanmu Qing's body.

The radiant power of the five elements—gold, wood, water, fire, and earth—blazed like divine light from the heavens, making her appear almost godlike.

Her gaze was sharp beyond measure, and her entire presence exuded both beauty and terrifying murderous intent.

A powerful Five Elements Dao technique locked onto Mo Hua with immense force.

Mo Hua was truly shocked now.

High-grade Wanxiao techniques?!

"Wait... This woman... she actually wants to kill me?"

"But this isn't the Sword Debate arena..."

"Has she gone mad?"

Instinctively, Mo Hua tapped the ground with his foot, executing his Waterflow Step technique to retreat several meters.

His junior disciples were equally stunned but immediately positioned themselves protectively around him.

Cheng Mo took the lead, standing in front of Mo Hua.

Linghu Xiao gathered energy for the Void Slash Sword Art.

Situ Jian and Ouyang Xuan also began channeling their sword energy.

As spiritual power interwove, the tension became razor-sharp.

Duanmu Qing sneered coldly and raised two fingers, ready to unleash a technique and obliterate Mo Hua.

At that moment, an elderly yet powerful voice rang out:

"Enough!"

A crystalline, feather-like spiritual energy descended, carrying an overwhelming presence of a true Daoist expert.

It instantly locked down Duanmu Qing, as well as Linghu Xiao and the others, severing the flow of their spiritual power and sword techniques.

Everyone's expressions changed.

Yet, Duanmu Qing's eyes still burned with killing intent, as if she wanted to force her technique through sheer willpower.

From within the inner mountain, an elderly elder emerged, his voice stern as he reprimanded:

"This is the sacred ground of the Dao Discussion Summit. No disorder shall be tolerated!"

"As a sect prodigy, what kind of conduct is this?"

"If you dare cause trouble again and break the rules, I will declare you the loser on the spot!"

Duanmu Qing remained silent for a moment, biting her silver teeth before finally retracting her killing intent and spiritual power.

She clasped her hands in a respectful salute and said,

"Forgive me, Elder."

Her voice was as crisp as a shattered silver bell.

The elder's murky gaze landed on her, his expression unreadable.

However, deep down, he was puzzled—Duanmu Qing was known for her icy detachment, unbothered by worldly affairs. Why was she so furious today?

The Dao Discussion Summit elder glanced at Mo Hua, who had retreated far away, feeling even more curious.

"Could it be… that this rascal Mo Hua harassed her?"

"No, that doesn't make sense…"

"With Mo Hua's stature, if he really did harass her, wouldn't that be… kind of even?"

The elder muttered inwardly but maintained a serious expression as he sternly warned:

"There shall be no disorder in the Dao Discussion Summit."

"If you want to fight, do it in the Sword Debate Arena. Otherwise, don't blame me for showing no mercy."

Duanmu Qing saluted again.

Mo Hua and his companions also bowed and said, "Understood, Elder."

Only then did the elder nod slightly and slowly withdraw.

Silence gradually returned to the scene.

Duanmu Qing turned her head, giving Mo Hua a cold glare.

Her autumn-water-like eyes still carried an unmistakable killing intent.

Mo Hua was startled again, thinking she was about to attack once more.

But the elder's words still carried some weight.

The Dao Discussion Summit had strict rules.

Outside the Sword Debate Arena, disciples were strictly forbidden from engaging in private fights.

If another incident broke out, no matter how prestigious the Four Great Sects and Eight Great Clans were, the elders of the summit would not show leniency.

Duanmu Qing took a slow breath, staring at Mo Hua as she murmured his name under her breath:

"Mo Hua… I will remember you."

Then, without another word, she turned and left, leaving only the sight of her graceful departing figure.

The other disciples of Wanxiao Sect followed suit.

Once Duanmu Qing had gone far enough, Mo Hua finally exhaled in relief.

Linghu Xiao and the others also felt like a weight had been lifted.

Then, all of them turned to look at Mo Hua.

Cheng Mo studied Mo Hua curiously and asked, "Senior Brother, do you know this… Duanmu Fairy?"

Mo Hua shook his head.

"You had no past grievances?"

"None."

"Then… she really wanted to kill you just now?"

Mo Hua nodded. "Seems like it."

Cheng Mo was baffled.

First meeting, and she wanted to kill Senior Brother?

Situ Jian, being more perceptive, asked, "Senior Brother, did you say something to her just now?"

Mo Hua didn't deny it and nodded. "I noticed a flaw in her cultivation and kindly pointed it out."

Cheng Mo asked curiously, "And what did you say?"

"I—"

Before he could answer, Situ Jian quickly interrupted, "Don't say it, Senior Brother. None of us should know."

A single sentence from Senior Brother had nearly made Wanxiao Sect's top prodigy want to kill him on the spot.

If they heard it too, they might all get dragged into this grudge.

Better not know.

At the same time, Situ Jian sighed inwardly:

"Senior Brother truly lives up to his title—the Holy Physique of Taunting."

"One sentence, and he made an icy fairy want to kill him."

Cheng Mo also sighed, though with more admiration:

"Senior Brother truly is incredible—one sentence, and he made Qianxue's top fairy never forget him…"

Mo Hua looked utterly exasperated.

Situ Jian pondered for a moment and added, "Senior Brother, be careful in the upcoming Sword Debate. Duanmu Qing probably won't let you off."

Linghu Xiao also looked worried.

Cheng Mo too, though his concern had a trace of envy.

Mo Hua frowned. "It shouldn't come to that…"

This was a formal competition, after all. As a sect prodigy, she wouldn't just "settle personal grudges" here, right...?

…

The official Sword Debate Tournament began.

Duanmu Qing spent the entire match relentlessly attacking Mo Hua.

She unleashed all kinds of secret techniques from the Wanxiao Sect, from mid-tier to high-tier spells, hurling them at Mo Hua as if they were worthless.

She wished she could tear Mo Hua to pieces.

Mountains and rocks were sliced apart by golden light.

Forests and trees were scorched by fire.

Swamps were swallowed by quicksand.

The entire dueling arena was being reshaped by the overwhelming "spell bombardment" of Duanmu Qing, the top-tier spell prodigy of the Wanxiao Sect.

Even Mo Hua could only rely on his movement techniques to flee in a pathetic manner.

For the first time, he truly experienced the power of the strongest cultivators.

Previously, he had believed that his senior sister, Murong Caiyun's Taixu Glimmer Spell, was already strong enough.

But Duanmu Qing's mastery of spell techniques was clearly on another level.

Duanmu Qing came from a noble lineage—the direct descendant of the fifth-grade Duanmu family, possessing an upper-upper-grade spiritual root and cultivating an upper-upper-grade cultivation method.

Her cultivation technique had nearly reached perfection, and her spiritual energy was as vast as the sea.

Furthermore, her spiritual root was the supreme "Great Five Elements Spiritual Root."

Though it looked like only a single word separated it from Mo Hua's "Lesser Five Elements Spiritual Root," the difference between them was like night and day.

The Great Five Elements Spiritual Root had higher quality, greater spiritual energy capacity, and a naturally superior affinity for the Five Elements due to its balanced cycle of generation and suppression.

Cultivators with this spiritual root had an innate higher comprehension of the laws of the Five Elements.

They learned Five Elements spells faster, and their spells were more powerful.

In comparison, Mo Hua's Lesser Five Elements Spiritual Root was extremely crude.

Its only advantage was that it allowed him to learn Five Elements spells.

Other than that, it was nothing more than a "bare-bones" spiritual root—completely lacking in other benefits.

Comparing the two, Duanmu Qing's Great Five Elements Spiritual Root was like a luxurious immortal cave, while Mo Hua's was nothing more than a run-down, unfinished shack.

Duanmu Qing's spell lineage was also quite similar to Mo Hua's.

Being from the Wanxiao Sect, she cultivated the sect's "Wanxiao Dao Techniques," which had some similarities to Mo Hua's "All Techniques Are One" approach.

Of course, Duanmu Qing's spellcasting speed was not as fast as Mo Hua's.

Her elemental transitions were also not as natural as his.

However, the spells she cultivated were of a much higher grade, had a wider range, and were significantly more powerful.

With her superior spiritual root, top-tier cultivation technique, and the immense spiritual energy provided by her nearly perfected cultivation cycles, she unleashed her full strength—turning the entire mountaintop into a "flowing river" of spells.

Within the dueling arena, magical radiance filled the air.

Explosions resounded one after another.

Mo Hua was forced to flee in a miserable state.

Outside the arena, the audience clapped and cheered, feeling deeply satisfied!

"Good! As expected of Fairy Duanmu!"

"Use his own methods against him—blast that brat Mo Hua to death with spells!"

"That kid is always so arrogant, despicable, and cunning. Now he's finally getting what he deserves!"

Someone exclaimed in admiration, "Fairy Duanmu's spells are truly unparalleled in the world…"

Another sighed longingly, "She is not only strong, but also beautiful."

"A beauty with an ethereal, otherworldly aura."

"If only Fairy Duanmu would glance at me just once… Just one look…"

"Have some dignity, will you?"

"Seriously…"

Some ambitious young talents couldn't help but remark:

"I only wish that in this lifetime, I could stand against Fairy Duanmu in a sword debate, display my skills before her, and challenge her in battle. Even if I were to die at her hands, I would have no regrets…"

Their words carried a sense of deep emotion and even a touch of tragic heroism.

The many disciples watching imagined themselves dueling with this lofty, untouchable fairy—

Imagining their techniques clashing,

Imagining their final moments, dying at her hands in a scene both tragic and beautiful.

They even felt a hint of envy and longing.

But soon, someone spoke the harsh truth:

"Your wish… seems to have already been granted to that brat Mo Hua."

It was like a bucket of cold water dumped over their heads—everyone's expressions darkened instantly.

Mo Hua, as a sect genius, was currently dueling with Fairy Duanmu.

He was even trading spells with her.

And now, he was indeed about to die at her hands.

The very "wish" they yearned for, Mo Hua had almost completely fulfilled—he was only one step away from "dying at Duanmu Qing's hands."

Some of the young talents suddenly felt as if they had swallowed a fly. Their hearts grew inexplicably bitter.

Some even began silently praying in their hearts:

"That brat Mo Hua… he can die at anyone's hands, just not at Fairy Duanmu's. Otherwise, it would be too much of a blessing for him…!"

…

Inside the dueling arena.

Mo Hua, fully focused on the duel, had no idea that the spectators were entertaining so many dramatic thoughts in their heads.

But he was truly speechless.

Wasn't she supposed to be a "cold and aloof" fairy?

Why was she acting like a "crazy woman," relentlessly chasing him down to kill him?

All he did was mutter four words under his breath—was that really enough to warrant this?

Could those four words really have such a lethal effect?

But Duanmu Qing didn't care in the slightest. She continued mercilessly bombarding the area where Mo Hua stood with large-scale spell attacks, as if "cleansing" it with destruction.

Linghu Xiao wanted to assist Mo Hua.

However, the colder a person's temperament, the more impossible they were to stop once enraged. Not even nine oxen could pull them back.

Linghu Xiao's sword aura couldn't suppress Duanmu Qing's spells at all.

In fact, he ended up being targeted as well.

Now seen as Mo Hua's accomplice, he was dragged into the range of Wanxiao's magical bombardment, completely suppressed and unable to fight back.

At that moment, Linghu Xiao truly experienced just how terrifying an enraged woman could be.

Meanwhile, Cheng Mo and the others weren't faring any better. They too were being bombarded by the spells of other Wanxiao Sect disciples, leaving them no chance to intervene.

And so, the entire Taixu Sect was completely overpowered throughout the match.

During this time, Mo Hua tried several times to shift the battlefield, using either spells or formations.

But the moment he made any move, Duanmu Qing would instantly become "further enraged," unleashing even more intense and large-scale magical retaliation.

As one of the four sects' top prodigies, Duanmu Qing was already strong enough.

Not to mention, this was the "enraged" version of Duanmu Qing.

Mo Hua gave up. He decided to surrender himself to fate.

As time passed, one by one, the disciples of Taixu Sect exhausted their strength and were eliminated from the battlefield.

Before being "killed," Linghu Xiao gave Mo Hua one last look—a helpless expression that said, I'd like to help, but I really can't.

In the end, only Mo Hua remained.

Still, Mo Hua refused to surrender.

Seeing that he had no chance of victory, he simply pressed a finger to his forehead, shattering his Debate Jade, admitting defeat, and leaving the battlefield.

Duanmu Qing tried to stop him with a spell.

A massive Wanxiao Five Elements spell erupted, engulfing Mo Hua entirely.

But in the end, her casting speed was still a bit slower than Mo Hua's reaction.

Just before it could land, a flash of blue light flickered around Mo Hua, and his figure faded away—he had already left the arena.

Duanmu Qing stared coldly at the spot where Mo Hua had vanished, her voice low and icy:

"Next time, I will kill you..."

"Mo Hua..."

...

The duel had ended.

Wanxiao Sect had won a resounding victory.

The spectators had also enjoyed a thrilling and satisfying match.

The only flaw in this otherwise perfect scene was that the insidious and despicable Mo Hua still hadn't died.

But when they thought about it—Mo Hua, that insignificant nobody, wasn't even worthy of dying at Fairy Duanmu's hands—most people felt at ease again.

Taixu Sect had lost.

The sect's disciples felt some regret, but not much disappointment.

After all, going up against a top-tier genius like Duanmu Qing, their chances of winning had always been slim. Losing was inevitable.

They could only blame their bad luck.

Blame the damn Dao Debate Instrument for dealing them such a terrible hand.

Looking back, the Four Prodigies of Qianxue—Taixu Sect had already encountered three of them.

These three matches were practically guaranteed losses.

In other words, they had essentially given away three rounds for free.

Normally, their luck wouldn't be this bad.

But sometimes, fate was cruel. When luck turned sour, even drinking cold water could get you choked.

It wasn't like they could go complain to the Dao Debate Instrument.

Yet, for Mo Hua, this duel wasn't what was truly on his mind.

Taixu Sect.

Nightfall. Disciples' Quarters.

Mo Hua lay in bed, still thinking about Duanmu Qing.

Scenes from the day replayed in his mind.

Especially that first moment—when he brushed past Duanmu Qing and caught a glimpse of her eyes.

Duanmu Qing was beautiful. Her eyes were beautiful.

But beneath the icy clarity of her gaze, deep within, there was a murky darkness—an "obscure shadow."

That shadow felt cloudy, as if it were imprinted onto her very soul.

Mo Hua had been startled in that instant, which was why he had instinctively warned her—your Dao Heart is tainted.

But her reaction had been far too extreme.

Those four words seemed to have pierced through her defenses.

As if they had exposed some deep, hidden secret within her heart.

She had immediately wanted to kill him…

It was bizarre.

"That murky shadow in her eyes… what exactly is it?"

In the dead of night, as he lay there, Mo Hua carefully recalled the moment while his divine sense started deducing the threads of fate.

Time passed.

Then, all of a sudden, his heart thumped violently.

He sat up straight, his expression grave.

A realization had struck him—

The Rouge Boat!

Duanmu Qing's shadowed eyes…

That darkness bore an uncanny resemblance to the aura of the Rouge Boat—

Especially the sinister energy of the altar in the Dragon King Temple.

Mo Hua's heart trembled.

"Could it be that… Duanmu Qing has also been on the Rouge Boat?"

"Is she connected to the Heretic God as well?"

Such a pure, otherworldly fairy…

Mo Hua frowned. "Impossible…"

And yet, cause and effect were clear.

No matter how unlikely something seemed on the surface, if the threads of fate existed, it had to be acknowledged.

And this wasn't even the worst of it.

Mo Hua delved deeper into thought. "Duanmu Qing is one of the Four Prodigies of Qianxue, the top talents across the four great sects…"

"If she has been on the Rouge Boat… what about the other three?"

"Shen Linshu. Xiao Wuchen. Ao Zhan. Have they… also been there?"

"And that 'Young Master' frequently mentioned by the Heretic God's minions in Myriad Demon Valley—who is he?"

"The one I saw that night, by the Misty River—bound in those poppy-red chains of karma—who was he?"

"One of these four?"

"Was it… Shen Linshu?"

The more he thought about it, the more suspicious Shen Linshu seemed.

Especially since he was part of the Shen Clan and had ties to Qiandao Sect.

As for the other three…

Duanmu Qing likely had some connection to the Rouge Boat.

Xiao Wuchen and Ao Zhan—odds were, they weren't uninvolved either…

But then…

A new question surfaced in Mo Hua's mind.

"Why didn't I notice this before?"

During the Dao Duel Tournament, he had already fought three of them.

He had even encountered Shen Linshu back in Qingzhou City.

If these four were truly connected to the Rouge Boat, the Dragon King Temple, and the Heretic Fetus, they should have been tainted by the aura of the Heretic God.

Given his "connection" to the Desolate Heretic God…

He should have sensed something.

Yet only now, through a stroke of luck, had he caught this one clue from Duanmu Qing.

"Why?"

The Heretic God… no, perhaps that Mr. Tu—

"What method did he use to conceal their aura so completely?"

"So thoroughly that even I—who devoured the Heretic Fetus and stand at the threshold of godhood—couldn't detect a single trace?"

Mo Hua's frown deepened.

(End of this Chapter)