The Quest for Immortality Chapter 2271: Boss Leader (3)

In a burst of sudden insight, Ye Zhiyuan quickly sided with Mo Hua.

From that moment forward, Mo Hua had effectively "unified" the Eight Great Gates.

Beyond the Eight Great Gates lay the Four Great Sects.

Guiding the Eight Great Gates' disciples through the Evil Path Great Formation, Mo Hua moved freely, steadily drawing in stray disciples from different sects while saving those whose corruption wasn't too deep and who could still be redeemed.

For individuals who had fully succumbed because of a shaky Taoist Heart and outer influences, death was their only option.

During the journey, Mo Hua also picked up some wandering disciples from the Twelve Streams.

With the Eight Great Gates now together, the Twelve Streams naturally wouldn't lag behind, all rushing to trail after Mo Hua.

In this way, Mo Hua kept assembling more and more gifted cultivators.

When they finally encountered the Four Great Sects' disciples, Mo Hua's group had swelled to over two hundred, forming a vast, intimidating horde.

Ever since getting ensnared in the Evil Formation, they had detected something wrong and started rallying their people, bringing together the Four Great Sects' disciples.

Those accepted into the Four Great Sects were all exceptionally talented and inherently arrogant.

Shen Cangfeng and his companions weren't supreme geniuses with Bloodline Power like Shen Linsu; though their strength was formidable, they lacked the true authority to inspire obedience.

Consequently, they had only rallied about fifty elites from the Four Great Sects.

Against Mo Hua's massive force of over two hundred, these fifty seemed rather "paltry."

Especially since they faced Mo Hua in person.

In the prior sword exchange, Mo Hua had single-handedly crushed all fifty of their Four Great Sects prodigies.

Mo Hua by himself was enough to fill them with caution.

Now, with two hundred followers at his back, the threat loomed even larger.

Shen Cangfeng and his allies had faces as somber as stagnant water, chills gripping their hearts as they eyed Mo Hua warily.

"Mo Hua, are you planning to fight?" Ao Zheng demanded, eyes piercing.

Mo Hua shook his head, "No fight."

At Mo Hua's words, the Four Great Sects prodigies all exhaled in relief.

The aura radiating from Mo Hua was overwhelmingly oppressive.

Xiao Ruohan said steadily, "If so, then we each go our own way and mind our business."

But Mo Hua shook his head once more, "No."

Xiao Ruohan and the others sensed rising discomfort, "What do you mean?"

Mo Hua replied bluntly, "We can team up."

Xiao Ruohan and his group were taken aback, then Ao Zheng scoffed, "What sort of team-up? You want us to obey your commands and do your bidding...?"

Mo Hua nodded, "If that's how you see it, that's acceptable too."

Ao Zheng exploded in anger, "In your dreams!"

Shen Cangfeng sneered as well, "Mo Hua, your formation skills are outstanding, your techniques deep and unfathomable, but do you really believe that alone will make the Four Great Sects disciples bend to your will? That's wishful thinking."

Xiao Ruohan revealed his own sharpness, "You're from the Eight Great Gates, we're from the Four Great Sects—do you think you can reach beyond your station to lead the Four Great Sects?"

Mo Hua let out a soft sigh, shaking his head, "I don't wish to dominate you all either, but we're all stuck in this Evil Path Great Formation, tied together like grasshoppers on a single thread."

"If I don't take charge now, once you get corrupted, lose your minds, or transform into Fallen Demons, you'll become a threat to me, forcing me to eliminate you."

"Worse, you'll turn on and slaughter each other..."

Glancing at the bloodstains marring Shen Cangfeng and the others' Taoist Robes, Mo Hua remarked coolly, "You've already tasted the bitterness of fellow disciples turning on one another, right?"

These words struck deep; Shen Cangfeng and his peers showed sorrowful faces, masking their inner torment.

Not long before, amid the ghostly Yanluo Mountain, they had seen their own sect brothers abruptly descend into madness, becoming Fallen Demons.

In brutal clashes, though heartsick, they were compelled to strike down those twisted former comrades.

Mo Hua had foreseen this very scenario.

Disciples from the Four Great Sects, with their superior backgrounds and talents, harbored intense ambitions for glory and gain, leaving their Taoist Hearts vulnerable.

In normal times, it might not matter, but within this formation brimming with Evil Thoughts, fragile Taoist Hearts fell prey to dark urges, dragging them inexorably toward insanity.

Even Shen Cangfeng, Ao Zheng, and Xiao Ruohan's conditions were off-kilter now.

Without intervention, they could soon tumble into depravity, serving as tools or offerings for the Evil God.

Yet the greater the prodigy's pride, the fiercer their ego.

Though they knew aligning with Mo Hua was wisest, that unyielding pride kept Ao Zheng and the rest from yielding to him.

"Our survival is our affair, not yours. Expecting us to bow to you is out of the question."

Ao Zheng sneered.

"Very well," Mo Hua nodded, then questioned them, "Do you bear the special Eternal Life Rune?"

Ao Zheng and the others furrowed their brows, "What are you getting at?"

"If the Eternal Life Rune is on you, fine; if not..." Mo Hua's gaze hardened, "I might move, and you'll all perish."

"The Eternal Life Rune or your lives—either way, they'll break the same."

His tone was detached yet utterly commanding.

Ao Zheng and his companions burned with fury, but locking eyes with Mo Hua sparked boundless dread.

Mo Hua truly possessed that power.

Lately, he had destroyed five special Eternal Life Runes belonging to the top prodigies of their Four Great Sects and Daluo Sect.

Fear restored clarity.

Ao Zheng and the rest gradually composed themselves.

They grasped that Mo Hua wasn't bluffing; defying him could mean total annihilation.

Shen Cangfeng sighed and turned to Mo Hua:

"Can you truly... guide us out?"

Mo Hua answered with equal composure:

"Remember, I'm the Formation Leader. With my formation mastery, not only you few—even if Shen Linsu or Xiao Wuchen appeared, they'd have to heed my lead."

Formation Leader...

In the earlier sword discussion, this Formation Leader had crushed him outright.

And crushed him twice...

Shen Cangfeng's face grew grave as he nodded, "Alright, I'll follow you."

With Shen Cangfeng's assent, the others ceased their opposition.

Xiao Ruohan and Ao Zheng grudgingly nodded too.

Mo Hua nodded approvingly.

In this way, the Four Great Sects, Eight Great Gates, and select Twelve Streams disciples were all "unified" under him.

Now, he stood as the undisputed "leader" of the Four Sects, Eight Gates, and Twelve Streams.