Mo Wuji began to regret his actions. He had forgotten one crucial detail: someone was orchestrating this situation, and he didn’t need to be the one to step forward. If he had waited a moment, someone else would surely have taken the lead to rally the group. Now, by stepping up first, he had inadvertently played into the hands of those manipulating him, and it left him frustrated.
He was certain that someone in the crowd was watching him, perhaps enjoying the spectacle. This person might even be the one leading the way to the Great Derivation Realm.
Should he test it to find out who was watching? But Mo Wuji quickly realised he didn’t need to. The first person to echo his words was almost certainly the one he was looking for. Blocking someone’s Great Dao naturally warranted retaliation, but no one would dare step forward first unless pushed to the brink. Given Mengmu Great Derivation’s power, which ordinary cultivator would risk being the first to support him?
Yet, just after Mo Wuji spoke a few words, someone had boldly stepped up to back him. If this person wasn’t the mastermind or their lackey, Mo Wuji wouldn’t believe it.
Mo Wuji’s divine sense focused on the cultivator who first supported him. He appeared to be an unremarkable middle-aged man, with ordinary features and a common flying treasure. But Mo Wuji soon confirmed that this man was undoubtedly a Creation Sage.
The fluctuations of his Dao charm couldn’t escape Mo Wuji’s perception. In terms of strength, he was likely no weaker than Qian He, the Green-Robed Enforcer they had encountered before. Moreover, his aura was thick with killing intent, suggesting he had recently slain many.
With someone taking the lead, more cultivators gathered, and in a short time, hundreds stood in opposition to Mengmu Great Derivation’s enforcers. The numbers kept growing, soon nearing a thousand.
The lead Green-Robed Enforcer’s expression darkened. Though their group consisted of Creation Sages, Mo Wuji’s side had far more, outnumbering them by over double. In terms of combat strength, they were stronger, not weaker.
“Have you all forgotten Mengmu Great Derivation’s existence after we’ve been absent for so long? How dare you confront our enforcers like this?” the lead Green-Robed Enforcer’s voice turned icy.
Though the opposing group was stronger, Mengmu Great Derivation’s enforcers were united, while Mo Wuji’s side was a scattered mob, unlikely to fight with full commitment. Additionally, Mo Wuji’s group included many Creation Realm cultivators, who would serve as cannon fodder in a fight.
Moreover, they represented Mengmu Great Derivation’s reputation. If they backed down today without doing anything, Mengmu Great Derivation’s deterrence would plummet.
“Heh, no need to remind us. Didn’t your Yellow-Robed and Green-Robed Enforcers fall in the Chaos River not long ago? We’re actually helping you by teaming up to catch the culprits,” a voice called out from the crowd.
These words were clearly meant to provoke, hoping to escalate the conflict.
The speaker used a divine ability to mask their voice, making it impossible to pinpoint them. But Lan Xiaobu’s divine sense had already identified the speaker—a woman, surprisingly. Even more astonishing, her team included an old acquaintance: the female cultivator who had invited Lan Xiaobu to team up in the Chaos River Void Market.
Mo Wuji inwardly cheered at the words, fearing that Mengmu Great Derivation’s enforcers might back down. If they retreated, it wouldn’t bode well for him. Lan Xiaobu’s hope was for a fight to break out, ideally leaving Mengmu Great Derivation’s enforcers heavily battered.
“Enforcer Chun, we can’t fight. If we do, Mengmu Great Derivation will suffer a huge loss today…” a Yellow-Robed Enforcer whispered to the Green-Robed Enforcer via transmission.
The Green-Robed Enforcer didn’t respond. How could he not know fighting was a bad idea? But they had no good way to back down, and they couldn’t let this group pass.
As a Green-Robed Enforcer of Mengmu Great Derivation, though his orders were only to hunt Mo Wuji, Lan Xiaobu, and their group, he knew this direction led to the Great Derivation Realm. He absolutely couldn’t let anyone reach it, so he had to hold them back until a Cyan-Robed Enforcer arrived.
Mo Wuji sneered. His divine sense毫不犹豫地 condensed three divine sense arrows and fired them. His target wasn’t the Green-Robed Enforcer but a Yellow-Robed Enforcer standing nearby.
Having been played once, he wasn’t going to let it slide without returning the favour. Starting a fight was their best move—it would divert Mengmu Great Derivation’s attention away from them.
“Pfft!” The Yellow-Robed Enforcer spat out a blood arrow. His strength was already relatively weak, and he hadn’t expected anyone to dare attack, let alone with silent divine sense arrows. Had it been a normal divine sense arrow, it wouldn’t have harmed him. But these arrows, fired through divine sense, were nearly impossible to defend against, especially while he was transmitting a message, leaving him virtually defenceless.
“You dare attack?” The Yellow-Robed Enforcer pointed at the middle-aged cultivator who first supported Mo Wuji, almost in disbelief.
Though they were in a standoff, actually fighting was another matter. Yet someone had truly attacked, and with such a vicious divine sense arrow.
The middle-aged cultivator instantly realised he’d been set up. Otherwise, the Yellow-Robed Enforcer wouldn’t have pointed at him.
With vast survival experience, he knew the best move wasn’t to explain that he hadn’t attacked. Instead, he should strike again—and not only strike but incite everyone to join in. If he tried to explain, his momentum would falter, and Mengmu Great Derivation would have a target to vent on.
“Haha…” The middle-aged cultivator laughed loudly, summoning a wind spear. “You block my Great Dao, preventing me from advancing—that’s as good as taking my life. Why shouldn’t I act? Fellow Daoists, the Great Derivation Realm’s opening and closing are time-sensitive, and we’re already behind. If we delay further, who knows if we’ll make it in? Once inside, those below Creation can surely step into the Creation Sage Realm, and Creation Sages have a strong chance of reaching the Fourth Step. What are you all hesitating for? Follow me and kill!”
As he spoke, the middle-aged cultivator charged forward, this time truly attacking. His Sage domain locked onto the bloodied Yellow-Robed Enforcer, and his golden spear unleashed billions of killing Dao rays.
Had he not mentioned the Great Derivation Realm’s time limit, the fact that others had already gone ahead, or the chance to achieve the Fourth Step, perhaps no one would have followed his attack. But after those words, some cultivators eager for the Great Derivation Realm began subtly extending their Sage domains.
Where some acted covertly, others did so openly. Mo Wuji extended his domain boldly. Having been the first to speak out, if he acted sneakily now, he’d draw suspicion.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Sage domains clashed, and treasures collided.
With so many Sages, including a group of Creation Sages, fighting here, the rules of this space began to crack.
Divine Dao rules collided, and bodies were torn apart.
Mo Wuji unleashed a frenzy of divine sense arrow intents, their silent sneak attacks felling one Yellow-Robed cultivator after another, even without direct action.
Lan Xiaobu relentlessly used his rule-breaking Dao patterns. Since they were fighting, the more they killed, the better. The only regret was that they couldn’t use primordial treasures or tear apart the enforcers’ worlds here.
Though Mengmu Great Derivation’s enforcers were strong, there were only about a dozen of them, with just three Green-Robed Enforcers. Several on Mo Wuji’s side were stronger than Green-Robed Enforcers, and with Mo Wuji and Lan Xiaobu’s covert assistance, Mengmu Great Derivation lost half their enforcers in no time.
While Mo Wuji used divine sense arrows to sneak attack, he kept an eye on the middle-aged cultivator. The moment he acted, he killed one Green-Robed Enforcer and two Yellow-Robed Enforcers. He was the most ferocious and unrestrained fighter here.
“Retreat!” The lead Green-Robed Enforcer realised that continuing would wipe out their entire group and chose to withdraw.
As Mengmu Great Derivation’s enforcers retreated, no one pursued. They weren’t here to kill enforcers but to reach the Great Derivation Realm. As long as the enforcers stopped blocking, no one would waste their world’s energy chasing them.
Even so, of Mengmu Great Derivation’s seventeen enforcers, thirteen fell in the battle. Only two Green-Robed Enforcers and two Yellow-Robed Enforcers escaped, one Green-Robed Enforcer gravely injured.
“Let’s go to the Great Derivation Realm!” The middle-aged cultivator, having led the charge to repel the enforcers, was now brimming with confidence and surged forward.
Mo Wuji and Lan Xiaobu were even more certain—this man had been leading the way all along.
