The Quest for Immortality Chapter 2268: Recruitment (part 3)

Gradually, the crisis escalated into a profoundly dire state.

Upon Mo Hua and his companions arriving at the Blood Swamp, over twenty Heavenly Pride Disciples of the Vajra Sect were already embroiled in savage fratricide, clashing endlessly against one another.

The berserk disciples massacred their brethren without mercy.

The remaining clear-headed Vajra Sect disciples reluctantly stepped in to halt the deranged ones, only to plunge into a fresh round of bloodshed.

While the killing raged on, even more evil spirits seeped deeper into their Sea of Consciousness.

Standing out boldly in the midst of the turmoil was Shi Tiangang.

The Big Senior Brother of the Vajra Sect watched helplessly as his fellow disciples turned on each other, his heart torn with grief, powerless to act. He himself faced encirclement by six or seven demonized comrades from the Vajra Sect.

True to his status as Big Senior Brother, his advanced command of the Vajra Unbreakable Skill enveloped his form in radiant golden light, enabling him to endure the onslaught from six or seven fellow Heavenly Pride disciples.

Mo Hua was astonished to observe that despite Shi Tiangang's immersion in the Blood Swamp, the evil spirits had not gripped him severely.

Maybe as a body refining cultivator, his frame had undergone endless forging, rendering his will unyielding like forged steel.

Perhaps this Vajra Sect Big Senior Brother possessed a vast heart and an unshakable Taoist Heart of his own...

A spark of admiration welled up unbidden in Mo Hua's heart.

As Shi Tiangang neared exhaustion, Mo Hua's eyes flashed with golden brilliance, sweeping his gaze across the scene.

Instantly, the frenzied Vajra Sect disciples who met Mo Hua's stare quailed under the Divine Sense pressure and crumpled to the ground.

At the same time, Linghu Xiao, Cheng Mo, and Situ Jian sprang into motion, driving back additional Vajra Sect disciples and pulling Shi Tiangang to safety.

Shi Tiangang's face drained of color; he was on the verge of voicing thanks when he recognized his saviors as the 'foe' Mo Hua and Taixu Gate members, twisting his features into a mask of conflicted emotions.

Mo Hua cut straight to the chase without preamble:

"If we join forces with other sects, we can get out."

A flicker of bitterness crossed Shi Tiangang's stern visage. His eyes turned toward his kin still locked in fratricide, wrenching his soul, and he let out a pained sigh:

"Alas, I am the Big Senior Brother of the Vajra Sect, and not taking care of my fellow disciples is my dereliction of duty."

"In this situation, how could I possibly abandon my fellow brothers and escape alone..."

Mo Hua paused in surprise, his gaze warming with greater respect as he nodded and declared, "I can help you save them."

Shi Tiangang's eyes widened in shock as he stared at Mo Hua in utter disbelief:

"You..."

"I cannot save them all, but more than half can still be saved," Mo Hua explained. "But after I rescue them, you all have to follow my orders — at least while we are within this Evil Formation, what I say goes..."

Shi Tiangang drew a heavy breath, clenched his jaw, and responded:

"Alright!"

Resentment and fury toward Mo Hua simmered within him.

Yet when weighed against his fellow disciples' survival, such grudges paled into irrelevance.

Mo Hua acknowledged with a nod and promptly set to work.

He first rallied the Vajra Sect disciples who retained their wits to his position.

Then, from afar, he unleashed Fireball Techniques to draw the aggro of the demonized Vajra Sect disciples, enticing them away from the Blood Swamp.

Following that, with Divine Sense Control Ink, he inscribed a formation on the ground, erecting an earthen and wooden cage to trap these rampaging disciples.

Subsequently, he deployed the Soul-Shocking Sword beyond his body, stabbing into their eyes to stun them momentarily.

Cheng Mo and the other cultivators advanced to restrain them, securing the bonds with various locking spiritual artifacts.

Mo Hua then cycled through his methods anew: igniting incense for mental clarity, wielding spells against malevolence, directing the Sword Bone to invade the Sea of Consciousness of the Vajra Sect disciples and purge the evil spirits...

This sequence of maneuvers left the disciples from the Sever Gold Sect and Gui Water Sect utterly baffled, yet profoundly awed.

To them, Mo Hua resembled less a conventional "Formation Master" and more a mysterious "Wizard," radiating an arcane and inscrutable aura.

Deepening wariness toward Mo Hua stirred in their hearts, prompting a shift to greater deference, unwilling to brush off his directives lightly.

In the end, out of more than twenty Vajra Sect disciples, eighteen endured.

Those with fragile Taoist Hearts, excessive killing intent, or severe evil spirit corruption perished.

This result far exceeded expectations.

Gratitude toward Mo Hua flickered to life in Shi Tiangang's heart as well.

Admittedly, this gratitude intertwined with lingering irritation and bitterness from before.

Shi Tiangang grappled with a storm of tangled feelings.

The group paused briefly to recover, after which Mo Hua laid down three strict rules.

The eighteen surviving Vajra Sect Heavenly Pride Disciples, under Big Senior Brother Shi Tiangang's lead, surrendered their formation media and spiritual ink, arrayed in the Divine Formation to shield Mo Hua temporarily and obey his lead.

Clutching a Copper Coin, Mo Hua divined karma's threads, guiding the assembled force onward. A formidable procession advanced through the Evil Path Great Formation, radiating formidable presence.

Before long, they stumbled upon Heavenly Pride Disciples of yet another sect nestled in a valley.

The Carefree Sect's Feng Zichen.

Feng Zichen gaped in shock at Mo Hua's entourage, frozen for what felt like ages, brain refusing to process.

For a heartbeat, he questioned if his vision had failed him.

If not his eyes, then evil thoughts must have clouded his mind, spawning illusions.

What spectacle unfolded before him?

Mo Hua commanded the center, flanked upfront by Shi Tiangang and eighteen Vajra Sect Heavenly Pride;

To the left, Song Jian directed the Sever Gold Sect's Sword Cultivators;

To the right, Qin Cangliu marshaled the Gui Water Sect elites;

Taixu Gate's Heavenly Pride Disciples formed the core guard around Mo Hua.

Feng Zichen sensed his entire worldview shattering.

Mortal foes who once battled to the death now united in alliance?

A rat serving as the cat's attendant?

No logic could account for this bizarre tableau.

In truth, Feng Zichen even pondered if Mo Hua was a reincarnated "Ancient Demon," master of heart manipulation, deploying demonic arts to enslave Shi Tiangang, Qin Cangliu, and Song Jian into mindless puppets...

Terror began to grip Feng Zichen.

At this juncture, with stars encircling the moon, Mo Hua fixed his limpid gaze on Feng Zichen and inquired:

"Do you want to join us?"

Feng Zichen trembled, then nodded submissively:

"Mhm."