Chapter 1154: Marching

Over the next few days, Mo Hua, accompanied by Yang Jiyong, familiarized himself with Dao Soldier combat and common military formations used during campaigns. Yang Jiyong also leveraged his family connections to specially secure a set of Dao Soldier attire and a Dao Soldier token for Mo Hua.

On the back of the Dao Soldier token, a small inscription read:

Lizhou, Daheishan Prefecture, Mo Hua.

This was Mo Hua's exclusive Dao Soldier token.

From that point on, his name and origin were officially registered with the Dao Soldier Bureau, making him a Dao Soldier affiliated with the Dao Court.

This marked yet another identity for Mo Hua.

His identities included: a rogue cultivator from Tongxian City, an unregistered cultivator for the Dao Court Bureau, a junior senior brother of the Taixu Sect, the chief array master of Qianxue Prefecture, a second-rank array master of Tianshu Pavilion, the "crown prince" of the Taixu Sect, Mr. Zhuang's junior disciple, and Guidao Ren's junior grand-nephew.

While it was quite a few identities, being adaptable and having multiple options was always beneficial when traveling.

More identities meant more avenues.

Subsequently, preparations to suppress the Great Wilderness rebellion continued intensely.

Dao Soldier deployments were frequent in the military camp. Amidst the clamor, an undercurrent of tension and gravity suggested an impending storm.

Mo Hua wasn't nervous about the march or the battle; his only concern was for the big tiger.

He wondered how the big tiger had fared during his absence from the underground demon-fighting arena, and if it had been bullied or tortured again.

Mo Hua wanted to rescue the big tiger, but he was currently bound by too many constraints to act.

He could only bide his time and wait for an opportunity.

Mo Hua had considered and calculated for a long time, estimating that this opportunity would arise when the Dao Court army set off.

When the Dao Court army departed to suppress the rebellious barbarian soldiers in the Great Wilderness, the Great Wilderness Sect, as a directly affiliated sect, would also need to deploy a large number of cultivators to assist in the battle.

This would inevitably weaken Desert City's garrison, leaving Young Master Tuoba, who ran the demon-fighting arena, with fewer resources to rely on.

He could seize this moment to destroy the demon-fighting arena and release the big tiger, which would significantly increase his chances of success.

After rescuing the big tiger, he would hide in the military camp, travel south with the Yang family's Dao Soldiers to suppress the rebellion, seize opportunities to accumulate military merits, and secure his future.

At the same time, most importantly, he aimed to leverage the Dao Court's power to infiltrate the Great Wilderness royal court.

From the Great Wilderness royal court's heritage, he would seek clues left by the Grand Shaman, hoping to comprehend the Twelve Meridians Gluttonous Spirit Skeleton Ultimate Array, forge his innate array formation, and then attempt to form his core.

According to Mo Hua's previous estimations, the Great Wilderness imperial family's heritage and the ultimate array left by the Grand Shaman were undoubtedly top secrets of the Great Wilderness.

These secrets would be sealed within the Great Wilderness royal court, or even within the imperial forbidden grounds.

However, the rebellious forces of the Great Wilderness were formidable.

Without leveraging the Dao Soldier Bureau, Mo Hua, acting alone, would have no way to infiltrate the Great Wilderness royal court's forbidden grounds and steal these inheritances.

Only by using the Dao Court's "knife" to defeat the Great Wilderness royal court could he fish in troubled waters.

Of course, before all that, if he could find an opportunity to consume some evil entities to nourish his spiritual sense, that would be ideal.

This plan was currently the most feasible option.

The only problem, however, was that he couldn't bring the big tiger with him.

After rescuing the big tiger, he would have to let it go its own way.

After all, the big tiger was a "man-eating" demonic beast, an extremely fierce tiger demon, and a symbol of the Great Wilderness royal family, which the Dao Soldier Bureau would never tolerate.

The Dao Soldier Bureau would certainly detain, or even kill, the big tiger.

If he were to fight with the army while bringing a royal beast from the Great Wilderness, he would attract attention, suspicion, and doubt.

Therefore, the big tiger could only be released.

Once he rescued the big tiger, it would be the day they parted ways.

At this point, it was the only way forward.

However, the Great Wilderness was a vast and sparsely populated area suitable for demonic beasts, so the big tiger should be able to survive on its own.

"Let's hope so," Mo Hua thought, sighing softly.

All subsequent planning proceeded as usual.

Soon, the Dao Soldiers would set off, but before that, there was a banquet.

This was a campaign banquet specially arranged by the Feathered Ascendant Sect Master of the Great Wilderness Sect to entertain the various commanders of the Dao Soldier Bureau.

This campaign banquet was not open to ordinary Dao Soldiers.

Yang Jishan and Yang Jiyong, both mid- to low-ranking commanders and members of the Yang family, were naturally among the invited guests.

Mo Hua, however, was not qualified.

Although he was a second-rank array master, he had no family background or significant achievements. He would need to fight a battle or two and earn some merits to be promoted.

The system emphasized practical combat and military merits.

This also served to prevent powerful aristocratic families from arbitrarily "inserting" their people into the Dao Soldier Bureau to collect salaries without fighting, thereby corroding the bureau's military strength.

An "array master" like Mo Hua, as long as he participated in battles, would be promoted quickly.

But if he didn't go to battle, there wouldn't be much difference between him and an ordinary Dao Soldier or common soldier.

Thus, Mo Hua, with no official rank or position, was originally not qualified to attend the campaign banquet.

However, given his special status as a guest of the Yang family, Yang Jishan specifically arranged for him to attend as a "retainer."

Only then was Mo Hua qualified to visit the Great Wilderness Sect's outpost and partake in the campaign banquet.

In Desert City, on a vast square, lamb and beef were being cooked, wine was served, and meat was roasted, filling the air with the steaming aroma of food and drink.

Ordinary Dao Soldiers and common soldiers were also given wine and meat, though not as lavishly as the commanders.

Mo Hua followed behind Yang Jishan and Yang Jiyong, eating with great relish.

As he ate and drank, Mo Hua also took the opportunity to look around.

This was an outpost of the Great Wilderness Sect within Desert City.

The Great Wilderness Sect was directly affiliated with the Dao Court and governed the Great Wilderness. This meant that the Great Wilderness Sect's structure differed from sects within the Nine Prefectures.

The main sect's mountain gate of the Great Wilderness Sect was located in the center of the Great Wilderness, in a small fifth-rank prefecture.

Additionally, throughout the Great Wilderness, the Great Wilderness Sect had outposts in various immortal cities, large and small, and in slightly larger barbarian settlements. Its influence was immense, and its jurisdiction exceptionally wide.

One could even say that the Great Wilderness Sect was a "mini Dao Court" established in the Great Wilderness.

However, this mini Dao Court was a "shrunken" version, not high-ranked.

Among these outposts, the Fourth-Rank Desert City was the Great Wilderness Sect's largest stronghold after its main sect's mountain gate. It occupied a vast area and had a magnificent presence.

The campaign banquet itself was exceptionally grand.

The cultivators attending also held very high statuses.

At the head table of the campaign banquet sat several high-level Feathered Ascendants.

The one wearing a half-golden beast-patterned Daoist robe was the Feathered Ascendant Sect Master of the Great Wilderness Sect.

Beside him sat a low-profile Grand Elder with an ordinary appearance, who was also a Feathered Ascendant.

The others, who sat on par with them but possessed a superior aura, were the Feathered Ascendant Grand Commanders from the Dao Court responsible for suppressing the rebellion.

The Yang family's Feathered Ascendant Grand Commander was among them.

With Hole Void realm cultivators not appearing in public, Feathered Ascendant true masters represented the peak combat strength active in the world.

And these true masters were no ordinary Feathered Ascendants; they were either sect masters who dominated a region or Grand Elders holding high status and power.

Or they were Dao Soldier Bureau Grand Commanders who commanded thousands of Dao Soldiers and shook the land.

Simply sitting together, they exuded an awe-inspiring majesty that was difficult to confront directly.

Mo Hua, however, was unfazed, as he was accustomed to "grand occasions."

At the Taixu Sect, his array formations were taught by Old Mr. Xun, a Hole Void realm cultivator, and his sword techniques by Old Ancestor Dugu, a peak expert among Hole Void realm cultivators.

In the Blood Sacrifice Great Array, those he had interacted with included Mr. Tu, Shangguan Wang, and the Feathered Ascendant old demons from Yin Corpse Valley and Demonic Sword Sect.

Therefore, despite the grandeur of the current scene, Mo Hua was not intimidated. He ate and drank at ease, his expression calm and composed.

Yang Jishan watched from the side and nodded silently.

Neither arrogant nor impatient when handling small matters, neither humble nor overbearing when facing grand occasions.

Such a magnanimous demeanor was indeed impressive; he was a promising talent.

"But... such a young and handsome talent, if I had truly met him before, had any interaction, I should have an impression. It's impossible I would have forgotten," Yang Jishan mused, frowning as he fell into deep thought.

Mo Hua, however, paid no mind to this, taking bite after bite of meat, focused only on eating his fill.

As he ate, Mo Hua's thoughts also drifted to the big tiger.

He worried if it was getting enough to eat in the demon-fighting arena, or if it was going hungry.

As he pondered, a sudden clamor of voices drew his attention. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of people approaching from the other side.

The one leading them was a young man, tall and imposing, clad in golden beast-patterned armor. He had a majestic demeanor and an overpowering noble aura.

Mo Hua's gaze darkened slightly.

"Young Master Tuoba—"

The newcomer was indeed Young Master Tuoba from the demon-fighting arena.

Surrounded by people, Young Master Tuoba walked onto the high platform and respectfully saluted the Great Wilderness Sect Master, the Grand Elder, and the several Dao Soldier Grand Commanders.

The Great Wilderness Sect Master nodded and then spoke to the Grand Commanders.

From a distance, and with a soundproofing spell blocking the sound, Mo Hua couldn't hear what they were saying. He could only roughly guess that the Great Wilderness Sect Master was introducing his son, Young Master Tuoba, to the Dao Soldier Bureau's Grand Commanders.

Young Master Tuoba wore a respectful expression; tall and imposing, he was indeed a fine figure of a man.

All the Feathered Ascendant Grand Commanders praised him highly.

Afterwards, the Great Wilderness Sect Master instructed Young Master Tuoba.

Young Master Tuoba acknowledged with a "Yes" and then descended from the high platform. He proceeded to toast each of the mid- to lower-ranking Dao Soldier commanders, speaking warmly and showing thorough, gentle, and refined etiquette. He bore no resemblance to his arrogant, domineering self, who regarded human lives as weeds, from his time at the demon-fighting arena.

After a round of toasts, he naturally came to Mo Hua.

Young Master Tuoba smiled and offered polite pleasantries like, "Commanders, you've all worked hard," "We must unite to pacify the Great Wilderness rebellion," and "United in purpose, peace under heaven." Then he raised his cup and drank it all with the commanders.

Yang Jishan and Yang Jiyong, seeing that Young Master Tuoba, as the Sect Master's son, possessed extraordinary talent and appearance, and could still be so gracious and approachable, looked at him with considerable admiration and also emptied their cups.

Blending into the crowd, Mo Hua silently finished the wine in his cup.

As a mere "retainer," he naturally remained very low-key.

Young Master Tuoba also treated him "equally," or rather, didn't pay him any particular mind.

His gaze merely swept over Mo Hua before moving on, as he prepared to head to the next table.

But for some reason, Young Master Tuoba suddenly froze, couldn't help but turn his head, and stared at Mo Hua again. The longer he looked, the more his brow furrowed.

Yang Jishan, seeing this, found it strange. "Young Master Tuoba?"

Young Master Tuoba started, then snapped out of it, cupping his hands. "Commander Yang."

Yang Jishan asked, "Is there something else you wish to say, Young Master?"

Young Master Tuoba's eyes flickered as he looked at Mo Hua and asked, "This young man is a bit 'unfamiliar,' is he—"

Mo Hua offered a gentle and refined faint smile but said nothing.

Yang Jishan, being someone who cherished talent, was quite willing to introduce Mo Hua to Young Master Tuoba. He said:

"This young man's surname is Mo, and his given name is Hua. He is an array master of extraordinary talent—"

"An array master?" Young Master Tuoba was startled, thinking, *Did I mistake him for someone else?* He then asked, "Surname Mo... he's not from the Yang family?"

Yang Jishan replied, "He is not a member of the Yang family, but he is a friend of ours, and quite close with our younger generation."

"A friend of the Yang family..."

Young Master Tuoba's gaze darkened slightly. He smiled and asked again, "May I ask when Brother Mo arrived in Desert City?"

"He—" Yang Jishan paused suddenly, deliberated for a moment, then smiled and said, "He just arrived recently, at my invitation. That's why he came to Desert City."

Young Master Tuoba nodded, then cast a deep glance at Mo Hua, praising him:

"Truly worthy of Commander Yang's discerning eye. He is indeed handsome, elegant, and possesses an extraordinary temperament."

Mo Hua cupped his hands in salute and said, "You flatter me, Young Master Tuoba."

Young Master Tuoba nodded slightly, raised his wine cup, and with a neutral expression, said, "Young Master Mo, would you care for a drink together?"

Mo Hua's eyes flickered. He nodded and said, "It would be my honor."

The two drank a cup.

Young Master Tuoba said nothing more, replacing his expression with a calm and considerate smile, and continued to toast the other commanders.

Mo Hua savored the taste of the wine, but in his heart, he muttered:

"Did this Young Master Tuoba recognize me?"

"Or is he confused himself, unsure of who I really am?"

Regardless, it didn't matter to Mo Hua whether he was recognized or not.

He was just a young master of a powerful family at the peak of Foundation Establishment.

In terms of personal talent and strength alone, Young Master Tuoba was far inferior to Shen Linshu and the other four top bloodline prodigies of Qianxue.

Even compared to first-tier disciples of the Four Great Sects like Shen Zangfeng, Ao Zheng, and Xiao Ruohan, he was noticeably inferior.

Mo Hua refrained from acting against him purely for the sake of the Great Wilderness Sect.

If Young Master Tuoba didn't have the Great Wilderness Sect as a backer, and wasn't even the Sect Master's son, Mo Hua would have a hundred ways to toy with him.

"The Great Wilderness Sect—"

Mo Hua looked up at the high platform, his gaze darkening.

Both the Sect Master and the Grand Elder of the Great Wilderness Sect were Feathered Ascendants.

In Qianxue Prefecture, this was the configuration of a fifth-rank major sect.

This meant that, restricted by the prefecture's limits and assuming Hole Void realm cultivators did not act, the Great Wilderness Sect's hard power had already reached the fifth-rank standard.

It was just that the Great Wilderness Sect itself was located in the remote Great Wilderness, and its sect's positioning was sensitive, easily incurring the Dao Court's displeasure. Therefore, it had always avoided outward ostentation.

Mo Hua's gaze shifted slightly to the Grand Elder of the Great Wilderness Sect sitting nearby. Suddenly, his heart trembled slightly, and an eerie feeling arose within him.

This Grand Elder of the Great Wilderness Sect was low-key and taciturn, having barely spoken a few words from beginning to end.

Yet Mo Hua couldn't shake the feeling that the Grand Elder's aura felt vaguely familiar.

But Mo Hua was certain that this was his first time seeing the Great Wilderness Sect's Grand Elder.

This Grand Elder was a complete stranger.

"But why... do I feel a little familiar with him?"

Mo Hua frowned slightly.

Just then, the Grand Elder of the Great Wilderness Sect on the high platform seemed to sense a gaze and turned his head in Mo Hua's direction.

Mo Hua was startled. He immediately buried his head, gnawing on a pig's trotter, pretending to be completely focused.

The Great Wilderness Sect's Grand Elder looked around, detected nothing unusual, and silently withdrew his gaze, returning to his profound and taciturn demeanor.

Mo Hua, still gnawing on the trotter, let out a silent sigh of relief.

After the campaign banquet, Mo Hua returned to the military camp, continuing to prepare his belongings and familiarize himself with Dao Soldier marching regulations and tactics.

The plans for suppressing the rebellion were gradually being implemented.

Five days later, all preparations were complete.

The great war for the Dao Court army to suppress the Great Wilderness rebellion officially began.

The Dao Court's main Dao Soldier force formally set off, leaving Desert City and advancing into the heartland of the Great Wilderness.

This expedition aimed to annihilate all resistance along the way, attack into the Great Wilderness royal court, kill the rebellious princes, pacify the Southern Wilderness, and reassert the Dao Court's authority.

At this time, Mo Hua was just an ordinary Dao Soldier in this war to suppress the rebellion.

Wearing the light robe of a Dao Soldier, he left Desert City with the Yang family's Dao Soldiers and marched towards the Great Wilderness.

A day's march covered approximately three hundred li.

Because the Dao Soldiers had just begun their advance, the start was slow, and coordination was needed between the various units, so the first day's march was not particularly fast.

Furthermore, many Dao Soldiers in Yang Jishan's battalion had previously engaged in combat with barbarian soldiers and were still injured.

Therefore, for this march, they were positioned at the rear.

By evening, they temporarily set up camp.

Mo Hua estimated the distance and time, judging it to be about right. He then found Yang Jiyong and said, "Brother Yang, darn it, I forgot something."

Some things needed to be done openly, not always covertly.

Yang Jiyong was puzzled. "What is it?"

Mo Hua said, "The protective jade pendant my parents gave me before I left, I forgot it in Desert City. Can I go back and get it?"

Yang Jiyong looked at Mo Hua suspiciously. "You're not thinking of deserting, are you?"

Mo Hua was slightly amused and a little speechless.

He had guessed that an experienced person like Yang Jiyong would certainly be suspicious if he said he wanted to return to Desert City.

He just hadn't expected the suspicion to be in this particular direction.

Mo Hua silently said, "The battle hasn't even begun, and we haven't seen a shadow of the barbarian soldiers. Why would I desert now?"

Yang Jiyong pondered for a moment, then nodded, agreeing with him.

If someone were to desert, it would be when the battle had begun, the enemy was too strong and brutal, and their life hung by a thread, and only then would they think of deserting amidst the chaos.

Why would anyone desert when the army had just set off, its ranks were neat, and its momentum was like a rainbow?

Moreover, back in Tongxian City, when facing a great demon, Mo Hua, a young array master barely ten years old, hadn't thought of fleeing.

Now, blending into the Dao Court's army to suppress a rebellion, what reason would he have to flee?

Yang Jiyong looked at Mo Hua and confirmed, "You really did leave something in Desert City?"

Mo Hua nodded.

His big tiger was indeed left behind in Desert City.

Seeing Mo Hua's clear eyes, Yang Jiyong didn't doubt him, but after a moment's thought, he still looked a bit troubled:

"This is a bit... not quite in line with regulations."

Mo Hua said, "I'll be back quickly. At most, it'll take four or six hours. If I go now, I can be back before dawn."

"The army is stationed here and won't be moving. With my movement technique, I can definitely catch up."

Yang Jiyong considered for a moment and thought that perhaps it wasn't a major issue.

It was indeed a little out of line with regulations.

But rules were generally for ordinary people.

Mo Hua was a rare array master. As long as he didn't run away and could serve the Dao Soldier Bureau, everything else was negotiable.

Furthermore, the army had just set off and hadn't gone far. It wouldn't delay the march, and the war to suppress the rebellion hadn't even begun, so it wasn't a major issue.

Yang Jiyong still gently advised, "Couldn't you come back for it after the war is over?"

Mo Hua's gaze dimmed. "Blades and swords have no eyes. I'm afraid I might be gone before the war is over. At least, I want to keep what my parents gave me on me." Yang Jiyong's heart trembled, and he had nothing more to say.

Having been with the Dao Soldier Bureau for so many years, he knew better than anyone the merciless cruelty of war.

No matter how high your status or how extraordinary your talent, one axe strike could mean instant death.

Often, decapitation happened in an instant, giving no chance to react.

The Dao Soldier battlefield was a meat grinder, forged by iron and fire.

Achieving merits and establishing a career was real.

And the instantaneity of life and death was no less real.

"Alright, go quickly and come back quickly," Yang Jiyong said. "If anything happens, I'll cover for you."

Mo Hua smiled. "Thank you, Brother Yang."

Without further delay, he openly left the camp, immediately activated his stealth technique, and vanished into the night.

The temporary alert array formations set up around the camp couldn't stop Mo Hua at all.

In fact, some of those formations had been set up by him.

After leaving the camp, Mo Hua took off his Dao Soldier armor, changed into a black robe, and then fully unleashed his Flowing Water Steps, fleeing towards Desert City.

He had to reach Desert City as quickly as possible.

Then, he would seize the window when the Great Wilderness Sect's main force was fighting with the army, Desert City's stationed cultivators were depleted, and Young Master Tuoba had no one to rely on, to destroy the demon-fighting arena.

He would rescue the big tiger and release it in a safe place.

Afterwards, he would return to the military camp and pretend nothing had happened.

This way, even if the Great Wilderness Sect investigated him afterwards, he would have an "alibi."

And the Great Wilderness Sect wouldn't dare to truly act against an array master who was also an official Dao Soldier protected by the Dao Soldier Bureau and the Yang family.

The precondition was that his actions must be covert and swift.

He had to complete all of this before dawn.

Mo Hua's gaze was solemn as he fully unleashed his speed towards Desert City, leaving only a watery shimmer that merged with the darkness of the night.