The Quest for Immortality Chapter 2374: Religious Con Men (3)

A minion utterly devoted to the Evil God reacts instinctively to a divine presence.

Matters concerning the deity need only be executed with unwavering loyalty, strictly following the Divine Lord's will.

Should the deity remain silent, one should not inquire, nor even dare to ponder such a thing.

However, Mr. Tu was no common retainer.

Furthermore, having existed for an immense span of time, his mind was a labyrinth of suspicion and complexity. In mere moments, he perceived an anomaly, his gaze fixing warily upon Mo Hua.

Mo Hua discerned Mr. Tu's scrutiny, a jolt running through him as he surmised his suspicion might have been aroused.

If Mr. Tu's true doubts were ignited, managing him would prove to be a significant hurdle.

Subsequently, the unfolding of events might also diverge drastically from his carefully laid plans.

Mo Hua's countenance maintained its serene facade, his eyes betraying a subtle flicker, gradually intensifying as he fixated on Mr. Tu, as if attempting to pierce his very soul.

"The Master of the Great Wilderness selected this child as the Divine Fetus; how could I possibly be unaware?"

"Back then, to circumvent karmic entanglement, you permitted the insignificant Bos Jiang to abscond with the Divine Fetus. Yet, a mishap occurred, and the Divine Fetus was rescued by a fleeting, unremarkable low-level cultivator..."

"Surely, you don't presume these events transpired as mere coincidence?"

"Can you hazard a guess as to the identity of the one who saved this Divine Fetus?"

Mr. Tu's eyes narrowed infinitesimally as he regarded Mo Hua.

"You ought to be able to deduce it..." Mo Hua's gaze, alight with playful amusement, met Mr. Tu's, "Indeed, it was I, personally intervening to secure the Divine Fetus."

"Following that, I infiltrated the Taixu Gate..."

"The Shangguan family entrusted the Divine Fetus to Taixu Gate for safekeeping, shielding it from nightmarish disturbances, and it so happened... it was placed directly under my watch."

"In essence, for these past nearly ten years, your 'Divine Lord' matured right beside me."

"He heeded my counsel, received my solicitude, shared sustenance and lodging with me, his nightmares were quelled by my efforts, demonic beasts were vanquished by me, and even remnants of the Evil God were personally dispatched by my blade..."

"Beyond that, the Bi Mountain Demon Cavern, the Valley of Ten Thousand Demons, Bloody Fishing Village, the Rouge Boat, Dragon King Temple... all bore the imprint of my clandestine operations."

"I leveraged the authority vested in your Divine Lord to permit countless demonic entities to invade the dreams of the Divine Fetus. When the Divine Fetus was tormented by the dreamscape, existing in a state of perilous extremity, feeling utterly alone and helpless, I emerged to vanquish these phantoms and malevolent spirits, one by one..."

"From inception to conclusion, all this karmic linkage, every single incident, unfolded precisely within the ambit of my machinations."

"This Divine Fetus perceives me as the most intimate individual in his existence."

"Now, your Divine Lord's true essence has integrated with this Divine Fetus; He and the Divine Fetus are now one. Consequently, He too will regard me as 'family.' While He might currently be unacquainted with me, the Divine Fetus's innate instincts persist, the karmic ties remain; so long as I meticulously guide and nurture, one day He will inevitably fall under my dominion..."

"And once your Divine Lord places his complete trust in me, succumbing to my control..."

Mo Hua offered a faint smile, leaving the remainder of his assertion unvoiced.

A chilling sensation instantly permeated Mr. Tu.

Within his consciousness, clarity descended abruptly, unraveling every prior enigma.

All of this, every facet, was the meticulous conspiracy orchestrated by this 'Vicious God'!

From the very genesis, all had been encompassed within His calculations; the ultimate mastermind was none other than Him.

And the vessel chosen for the Vicious God was this unassuming, low-level Foundation Establishment cultivator standing before him.

It was no wonder...

No wonder that, irrespective of his investigations or calculations, the outcome always appeared as indistinct mist, devoid of any tangible clue.

He had been attempting to scheme against a deity, a fact that naturally instilled profound terror, rendering him incapable of initiating any effective action.

Conversely, the target of his scrutiny was merely an insignificant Foundation Establishment individual, thus easily overlooked.

No matter the extent of his meticulousness, nor the intensity of his contemplation, he could never have fathown associating a divine entity with an insignificant Foundation Establishment disciple, let alone linking these two disparate identities.

And this humble Foundation Establishment cultivator... nay, this Tai Xu Vicious God, had foreseen every contingency, shamelessly involving His divine form in the stratagem, drawing ever closer to the 'Divine Fetus' destined for the Divine Lord’s reincarnation. His intellect was sharp, his schemes possessed unparalleled depth, making him truly terrifying to the highest degree.

Everything presently unfolding was entirely under the complete dominion of this 'Vicious God.'

A profound dread gripped Mr. Tu's heart; he was seized by an overwhelming fear.

Mo Hua observed Mr. Tu's feigned 'astonishment' and his genuine acceptance of his words, secretly exhaling a breath of relief.

Many events within the Qian Learning State Boundary were merely a result of his following tangential leads, incorporating a few fortuitous chances, and proceeding with blind deception, accidentally advancing step by step to this current state of affairs. How could he have possibly calculated such intricate details?

Had the ability to calculate with such precision, to lay out schemes so profoundly, this Desolate Heaven Blood Sacrifice Formation would have been dismantled by him long before its inception. This Mr. Tu would have already been 'calculated' to death by him.

Yet, concerning matters of Heavenly Mechanism Causality, sometimes, merely possessing a silver tongue, the capacity to articulate convincingly, and to justify oneself, is remarkable in itself. At the very least, Mr. Tu seemed to be convinced.

Not only was he convinced, but the gaze he directed at Mo Hua now held a discernible trace of 'fear.' It was as if he dreaded Mo Hua's foresight, his knowledge of the current predicament having been anticipated, with even a 'dead end' prepared for him.

When one's cultivation falls short, even in death, at least understanding the cause of demise is possible. However, when one's computational prowess in Heavenly Mechanism Causality is inferior, sometimes, even in death, the reason for one's end remains unknown.

Mr. Tu experienced a sense of dread towards Mo Hua, this perceived 'deity.' Seeing that the moment was ripe and Mr. Tu's mental defenses had weakened, Mo Hua's heart quickened. He immediately adopted a solemn and dignified demeanor, speaking like a 'religious charlatan':

"Submit to me and kneel, and I shall spare your life."

Moreover, within these words, Mo Hua subtly incorporated a touch of the 'Planting Devil in Taoist Heart' technique. Mr. Tu's brows furrowed deeply, his thoughts oscillating between the options of 'killing Mo Hua' and 'kneeling to Mo Hua.' His faith was subjected to an unprecedented, severe trial.

Alas, the disparity in their realms was too immense. This sliver of 'Planting Devil in Taoist Heart' possessed only a minor capacity for seduction. Even when instilled amidst fear and faith, it could not sway Mr. Tu's fundamental resolve.

Just as Mr. Tu wavered, conflicted and indecisive, his mind a constant flux of uncertainty regarding the choice to make, a sudden disturbance erupted from outside the grand hall. This was followed by the ingress of several potent cultivation auras.

Feather Transformation!

Mo Hua's expression shifted slightly, a sense of 'this is bad' forming inwardly. Furthermore, disturbed by these formidable cultivation presences, Mr. Tu also snapped back to his senses, awakening from Mo Hua's faint 'Planting Devil in Taoist Heart' influence.

Soon, the auras drew progressively nearer. The doors of the great hall were violently forced open by an immense power, and a procession of cultivators strode in. Leading this contingent were three individuals at the Feather Transformation stage. A traitor from the Shangguan family, Shangguan Wang. The Featherization Old Demon from Yin Corpse Valley. And the Feather Transformation Sword Slave from the Demon Sword Sect. Together with Mr. Tu, who was also at the Feather Transformation Realm, the four most powerful demon path cultivators at the Feather Transformation stage on the Evil God's side were now all congregated within this very hall.

A chill crept into Mo Hua's heart.