Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2176 Chapter 1020: Ao Zhan (Part 2)

A intimidating Dragon Roar echoed first, chased by a devastating Dragon Punch.

This strike seemed destined to end it all, but it struck empty air instead.

Ao Zhan drew back his fist slowly, straightened his posture, and gazed at the fractured earth left by his blow, his icy expression slowly twisting into a scowl.

"...Couldn't roar him into submission?"

How was that possible...

At the same time, beyond the Taoist Field.

Watching Mo Hua smash his Dao Discussion Jade once more to flee, the onlookers erupted in a wave of jeers:

"Shameless! He fled again!"

"Backing away right before the fight, total coward!"

"No backbone, completely disgraceful!"

A few voices carried sighs of disappointment:

"Such a shame, Ao Zhan's punch was just slightly off... if it had landed quicker, he would've crushed Mo Hua into pieces..."

"Without that roar, Mo Hua might've been done for..."

"What're you talking about with 'roar'? You don't get it—that's the Dragon Roar Skill from Longding Sect."

"It's a supreme technique and Taoist skill of Longding Sect, full of mystery and incredibly tough to master..."

"Regular disciples pick up the Tiger Roar, but only elite ones grasp the Dragon Roar!"

"In combat, the Tiger Roar or Dragon Roar sound shakes the foe's resolve."

"Once the opponent buckles under the roar, a firm Dragon Ding Punch lands them half-dead or worse."

"Ao Zhan skipped this Taoist skill in earlier sword discussions. Pulling it out against Mo Hua this round shows some respect."

"He likely figured that sneaky brat Mo Hua would bolt when things got rough, so he aimed to pin him with the Dragon Roar Skill before finishing with a punch."

"Too bad, it was still a tad slow..."

"That cursed kid Mo Hua slinks around like a ghost..."

"Even ghosts aren't that slippery..."

While the crowd buzzed with talk outside the field, inside, Ao Zhan glared with frosty rage after missing his kill on Mo Hua, lashed out with a punch to unleash his fury, demolishing a wide swath of trees and boulders, then spun around and barked coldly:

"Take down the Monster Beasts."

"Understood!"

The remaining four geniuses from Longding Sect answered together.

Soon, all five teamed up, relying purely on raw power, traded over a dozen fierce clashes, and butchered a Second Grade High-Rank Bear Demon, hacking off its limbs, ripping its chest wide, and

brutally pulling out its inner core.

With that, the sword discussion wrapped up, and Longding Sect claimed victory.

Mo Hua and his team suffered yet another defeat.

Zhang Lan, Wenren Wan, Gu Changhuai, Murong Caiyun, along with the other cultivators quietly watching and worried for Mo Hua, stayed quiet, their faces showing clear discouragement.

Yu Er bit her lip, her small features tinged with sorrow.

***

Next came the sword discussions for the other sects.

Within the Mount of Tao arena.

Mo Hua, fresh from his loss, gathered the storage bags alongside Linghu Xiao and a handful of others, getting ready to head back to their sect.

Cheng Mo and Situ Jian hung their heads low, not uttering a word.

Ouyang Xuan's look soured even more, laced with reluctance.

Linghu Xiao's face held a chill too.

Though his usual air was detached, this occasion stirred deeper bewilderment, shadow, and weight, as if a dark fog of gloom had settled.

"Xiaoxiao." Mo Hua spoke to him.

Linghu Xiao jolted, lifted his eyes to meet Mo Hua's.

Mo Hua let out a sigh, speaking with some regret, "We dropped this round too."

Linghu Xiao gave a nod, keeping silent.

His defeat cut even deeper.

Facing Xiao Wuchen and Ao Zhan, he scarcely fought back, got pinned down the whole bout, and ended up cut down by their own hands.

The greater the genius, the fiercer the pride, and the harder failure hits.

Particularly here, getting one-on-one slain by fellow prodigies at the Qianxue Sword Debate Conference, with everyone watching...

Linghu Xiao writhed in deep torment within.

Even though Mo Hua had shared earlier that real power builds from setbacks.

Yet the swirling doubt and hurt nearly swallowed his pride and faith in the Sword Dao.

Linghu Xiao paused quietly, then murmured softly:

"Junior Brother, I..."

Mo Hua caught his meaning, extended a hand to clap his shoulder, and said:

"Don't overthink it. No matter the foe's might or the peril, zero in on just one thing—only one..."

Mo Hua hesitated briefly, his gaze sharp and vivid:

"...Trust your blade, pour everything into it, carry out your Sword Dao to the fullest,

and simply let loose the Sword Qi...

"Whether this blow triumphs, fails, fells the enemy, or gets you felled,

let it go from your mind."

"The clearer the heart, the mightier the sword."

"Worrying will only weaken your sword."

When it came to Sword Qi training and Swordsmanship basics, Mo Hua couldn't match Linghu Xiao.

But in grasping and wielding Sword Intent, few in his age could outdo Mo Hua, who had absorbed the Taixu Divine Thought into Sword True Jue and woven in the

Godslaying Sword Forms.

Linghu Xiao froze, his mind churning through ideas, slowly gaining clarity, his eyes lighting up bit by bit.

"Got it, Junior Brother."

Linghu Xiao nodded, a spark of stubborn grit emerging.

Like steel in the forge, the harder the hammering, the sharper it emerges.

Mo Hua nodded back.

To chase grand feats, to pursue the Great Dao, at times "resilience" outweighs raw talent.

No matter the gift, if it shatters at the first blow, it's worthless.

Only resilience forges the unbreakable will.

Once the storage bags were sorted, they made their way to the sect.

At Taixu Gate, they drilled formations a touch longer, analyzed rivals, and as dusk arrived, went their separate paths.

Linghu Xiao, from Mount Chongxu, had to go back to Mount Chongxu.

Ouyang Xuan, of Taia Mountain, also headed to Taia Mountain.

Cheng Mo and Situ Jian, just like Mo Hua, remained on Taixu Mountain.