The Quest for Immortality

Those who can nurture heavy armored barbarian soldiers are definitely no ordinary people.

The young man in the black cloak felt a slight sense of apprehension in his heart.

After contemplating for a moment, he sneered inwardly: ”Fine, I’ll spare you for now. When I expand my grand plans, unify the entire Vermilion Bird Mountain Realm, conquer all the major tribes, I’ll come back to settle scores, and slowly play with you...”

Closing his eyes slightly to calm his mind, he then spoke coldly:

”Pass down the order, continue the march, cross Hengduan Mountain Range, and attack the various tribes within the Vermilion Bird Realm. Those who follow me will prosper, those who defy me will perish.”

”Yes, Young Master!”

The orders were passed down, and the Witch Cultivators began to dance their war dances, invigorating the soldiers’ killing spirit.

The barbarian horses neighed, the monster riders trembled, and the black vulture monster under the young man’s seat was also eager, exuding fierce Monster Qi.

This battalion of slaughtering soldiers slowly began to move, heading towards the opposite peak...

...

The advance of the barbarian soldiers and the surrounding energies did not escape Mo Hua’s perception.

However, at this moment, Mo Hua paid no mind to these seemingly ruthless killing intents.

He looked up at the sky, calculating the fortunes of the entire Great Wilderness, pondering the changes in heavenly secrets and the alterations in the world’s structure.

He continued to gaze up at the sky, from the sunset at dusk during the day to the arrival of night, then from the starless night sky to the faint red light in the east at dawn.

The gaze of Mo Hua grew increasingly resolute.

After a moment, Dan Zhu approached and said, ”Gentleman, everything is ready.”

Mo Hua nodded lightly and said softly, ”Alright, let’s set off.”

Under Mo Hua’s leadership, the Wutu Tribe, the Danque Tribe led by Dan Zhu, and the allied forces of the Shugu Main Department commanded by Lugu, comprised more than six thousand barbarian soldiers, marched out from their hidden position in the Desolate Mountain.

Under Mo Hua’s guidance as the Shaman, in the name of the ”Divine Lord,” they began marching on the lands of the Great Wilderness.

Half a day later, they encountered the first small tribe called Fushan.

Mo Hua appeared in person to meet with the chieftain of this small tribe.

The majestic Bone Heavy Armor and the imposing presence of six thousand barbarian soldiers was overwhelming.

The chieftain of Fushan Tribe shuddered in fear, unable to lift his head.

Mo Hua asked him, ”Are you willing to submit to the Divine Lord? Are you willing to devote yourselves wholeheartedly to the Divine Lord’s grand cause?”

The chieftain of the Fushan Tribe raised his head and glanced at Mo Hua. With just this one glance, he saw an otherworldly holiness and majesty in Mo Hua’s youthful and handsome visage, and immediately knelt down, trembling all over, saying:

”The Fushan Tribe is... willing.”

Mo Hua nodded indifferently.

The chieftain of the Fushan Tribe hesitated for a moment, ultimately gritting his teeth and said with a shaky voice:

”Just ask Your Excellency... not to make the Fushan Tribe slaves and maids; not to make the men of the Fushan Tribe exterminated and the women sell themselves. Do not let the Fushan Tribe... face extinction...”

Mo Hua’s gaze was stern, ”Those who convert to the Divine Lord are the Divine Lord’s citizens. Those who serve the Divine Lord are treated equally. On the battlefield as comrades, off the battlefield as brothers. As long as you do not betray the Divine Lord, the Divine Lord will never abandon His people...”

The chieftain of the Fushan Tribe was visibly moved, bowing three times with his forehead touching the ground, saying:

”Though the Fushan Tribe has little strength, we are willing to serve the Divine Lord, for Your Excellency, loyally even unto death.”

Mo Hua nodded, ”Good, the Divine Lord has felt your loyalty.”

Having subdued the Fushan Tribe, their tribe was incorporated; the able-bodied Barbarian Cultivators were newly drafted into barbarian soldiers, while others handled logistics, and the entire tribe migrated with Mo Hua’s barbarian army.

Afterwards, Mo Hua continued marching and encountered various small tribes along the way. Without exception, all were subdued and reorganized.

Timid tribes, intimidated by Mo Hua’s heavy armor’s might, the strength of the army, and a host of fearsome Golden Core Commanders, could only bow their heads in submission.

Some chieftains with spirituality saw Mo Hua’s handsome and divine visage, resembling a deity incarnate, and felt reverence, willingly choosing to follow Mo Hua, the Shaman.

There were also some chieftains with bad tempers and stubborn bones unwilling to submit.

Mo Hua assessed the situation.

If the chieftain was merely short-sighted, with a barbaric temperament, but concerned for the tribe, fearing to defy their ancestors.

Then Mo Hua would threaten him, claiming that if he did not submit, he would slaughter his entire tribe, leaving his ancestors without descendants.

Generally, normal chieftains with a bit of conscience and a normal temperament would be ”threatened” by Mo Hua.

They dared not gamble their tribe’s lives and ancestral bloodlines on Mo Hua’s ”kindness.”

If Mo Hua were not kind, they would be wiped out.

Thus, despite their dissatisfaction, despite fear and cursing Mo Hua inwardly, they had no choice but to express ”submission” for survival in chaotic times.

Even so, some still refused to submit.

These small tribe chieftains often did not care about the tribe’s safety, the continuation of bloodlines, only wanting to be chieftains, to wield power, to rise above the tribe, without concerning for the lives of the tribesmen.

To force them to submit was more painful than killing them.

So Mo Hua killed them.

With the arrogant chieftains dead, the rest of the tribe members naturally could only ”yield” to Mo Hua.

Thus, in just seven days, Mo Hua ”subdued” five or six small tribes, expanding the army to nearly ten thousand strong.

From Mo Hua’s perspective, this was ”subduing.”

But in some sense, this was also ”annexation.”

Under normal circumstances, Mo Hua would not use such decisive measures; he might respect the wills of these small tribes.

Those willing to surrender, he would let them follow; those unwilling, he would respect their wishes, allowing them to come to their own ends.

But the current situation was different.

Mo Hua no longer had the privilege to be this ”gentle.”

He even only asked them one question: whether they were willing to submit to the Divine Lord.

Willing to submit, then submit.

Unwilling to submit, then make them submit.

The so-called ”respect, empathy, communication, understanding, tolerance,” and the so-called ”respect for personal fate” were merely pleasantries.

In times of chaos, these were useless and naive nonsense, only leading to everyone’s demise.

Expecting these barbarian tribes to comprehend ”justice, morality, brotherhood, right or wrong, good or evil, racial continuation, the world’s future” was utterly impossible.

Mo Hua had no time to enlighten them now.

Certain matters needed no explanation, and explanation was unnecessary.

Understanding wasn’t needed, nor was it necessary to be understood.

In chaotic times, there’s only might.

Mo Hua simply required these Barbarian Cultivators to obey his orders, do as he commanded them.

Only in this way would there be the slightest chance of survival for everyone.

Only in this way would there be a faint hope condensed upon the heavenly secret...

Mo Hua looked upwards again, gazing at the vast sky of the Great Wilderness.

Heaven and earth were like a chessboard.

Upon the chessboard, all beings were pieces.

Currently, in this game of the Great Wilderness, Uncle was playing, the Hua family was playing, and invisible entities may include other aristocratic family ancestors and Demon Gate forces as well.

And now, I am also engaged in this game.

Since it involves playing chess, naturally one needs ”pieces;” without pieces, one is not qualified to intervene in the game.

Since all beings are pieces, these Barbarian Cultivators of the Great Wilderness are all ”pieces.”

What I need to do is ”capture pieces.”

Compete with Uncle, with aristocratic families, with all who play, to ”capture pieces.”

Seize all pieces that can be captured, holding them in my hand, ensuring these ”pieces” serve me.

Unite all forces that can be united.

Only thus, can I defy fate and reverse the heavenly secret.

Cultivators cultivate the Dao to become Immortal.

When cultivation reaches a certain level, one might have to prove their Dao to glimpse Immortal mystery.

What Uncle is doing in the Great Wilderness may well be ”proving the Dao,” plotting the ”Gui Tao,” leading hearts to degeneration, breeding calamity, nurturing Taoist Demons, causing the world to perish, Gui Tao reaching the heavens.

What the aristocratic families are doing may also be ”proving the Dao.”

The way of man, damaging the deficient to serve the excess.

Whether intentional or unintentional, they all exploit others’ lives, their inheritance, and even all belongings upon this chessboard of the Great Wilderness.

Reaping the world’s benefits for personal gain.

And now, the path before me is also a ”proving the Dao” path.

I must learn from Uncle, learn from the Heaven Void Ancestors of the aristocratic families, to use these myriad beings to prove my ”Dao.”

With lifelong acquired knowledge, strive for a slim chance of life for the beings of the Great Wilderness.

Comprehend heavenly secret and bless all life.

With one thought bring relief to the world, pursue the Dao and long life.