The one who seemed most out of place was Ouyang Xuan.
He stood alone, face cold, gaze sharp, clearly only a stride away, yet it felt as though a chasm separated him, emphasizing his "aloofness."
Mo Hua didn’t mind his "detachment."
Conflicts among people are natural.
Having only met a few times, it’s naturally impossible to "fit in."
Mo Hua didn’t ask Ouyang Xuan to "fit in," only that he could execute the swordsmanship strategy according to his objectives.
Mo Hua squatted down, drawing a few lines and little figures in the sand with a twig.
Then he began explaining to everyone the basic tactical positions, formations, layouts, variations, and objectives.
Though basic, these are crucial.
At a critical moment, the more solid the basic tactics, the quicker the response.
All advanced tactical changes derive from the most basic cooperation.
After speaking, Mo Hua looked at Ouyang Xuan.
Ouyang Xuan’s expression remained indifferent, still saying nothing.
Mo Hua didn’t know if he understood, so he said, "Let’s practice and see."
Then everyone practiced a few rounds according to the tactical movements planned earlier.
Cheng Mo was the "tank," also handling some offense.
Situ Jian assisted in attack, alleviating pressure from Cheng Mo.
Linghu Xiao was the main attacker; his swordsmanship was the most powerful but required some preparation time and couldn’t be interrupted, needing others to cover him.
Therefore, Linghu Xiao was positioned last.
Mo Hua stood beside him to offer support, observe the situation, coordinate the overall situation, and adapt flexibly.
And Ouyang Xuan...
Mo Hua scanned several times with Divine Sense, roughly discerning his strength.
Ouyang Xuan’s cultivation was profound, with Sword Qi overflowing around him, clearly also a sword cultivator with excellent aptitude and deep Sword Dao attainment.
His Sword Dao was slightly lesser than Xiaoxiao’s clear Sword Heart, but his cultivation was deeper than Xiaoxiao’s.
The Sect Leader was right; this Ouyang Xuan was indeed a "top prodigy" too.
Though not a perfectly flawless "pentagon" prodigy, he was very strong.
Therefore, Mo Hua assigned him as a "single soldier," able to fight alone or assist as needed based on specific scenarios.
If he performed well, he could significantly impact with his strength alone.
If he did not perform well, it wouldn’t affect the overall situation.
Everyone meshed together for a while.
At first, it was fine; Ouyang Xuan was extremely perceptive and quickly grasped the tactics, and combined with his strong strength, cooperated quite well.
But after a few practices, Ouyang Xuan became impatient.
He either stood still like a "stone," acted independently like a "standout," or changed positions according to his will.
This caused Cheng Mo to make frequent mistakes as well.
Cheng Mo, already bad-tempered, got angry immediately, scolding, "What’s your meaning?"
Ouyang Xuan replied coldly, "What is it?"
Cheng Mo angrily said, "We’re practicing tactical formations. Why aren’t you staying in your position and running around?" .
"What formation?" Ouyang Xuan sneered, "Back and forth, it’s just those few positions, can be seen through at a glance, what’s there to practice?"
He glanced sharply at Cheng Mo, "Practicing such low-level tactics so many times, really dense aptitude, I truly don’t understand why the Sect Leader insists on placing me in a squad with a mediocrity like you..."
His words were somewhat insinuating, and while speaking, his sidelong glance was on Mo Hua.
This truly angered Cheng Mo.
His face turned thoroughly cold, gripping two large axes and said in a low voice, "What, want to fight?"
"Fight?" Ouyang Xuan mocked, "Do you deserve it?"
Seeing Ouyang Xuan’s infuriating demeanor, Cheng Mo nearly swung his axe but held back in the end.
Cheng Mo only appears rash, not truly a reckless person.
The sect rules forbid disciples from fighting; if he swung his axe, he would violate the rules and face punishment.
Moreover, Cheng Mo knew this was Junior Brother’s team; only Junior Brother’s words counted.
If Junior Brother ordered him to cut down Ouyang Xuan, even if it meant breaking the rules, he would do it without hesitation.
But since Junior Brother hadn’t spoken, he’s angry but refrained from acting rashly.
Linghu Xiao and Situ Jian, on the side, also had hostile expressions.
Mo Hua, on the contrary, remained calm, showing thoughtful expression.
If it were usual, no matter how bad Ouyang Xuan’s temper or attitude was, he wouldn’t bother.
But now it’s different.
This is a swordsmanship squad, concerning the interests of Taixu Gate and his master’s cause and effect.
What he needed was an "obedient" teammate, someone who could execute the strategy firmly as he wished.
He didn’t need a "genius" who appeared talented but harbored other intentions and would cause turmoil.
The swordsmanship tournament was imminent, and time was precious.
Mo Hua didn’t want to waste too much time on Ouyang Xuan.
Sometimes, actions need to be a little ruthless.
Mo Hua glanced at Ouyang Xuan, saying indifferently, "Follow me."
After speaking, Mo Hua turned and walked towards a small grove nearby.
Ouyang Xuan frowned, slightly annoyed. He didn’t like being "ordered around" like this.
Yet seeing Mo Hua walk farther, Ouyang Xuan thought for a moment and sneered coldly, "I want to see, what can you do to me?"
Then he took steps, walking towards Mo Hua.
The two disappeared into the grove just like that.
The dense trees obscured their figures.
Linghu Xiao, Cheng Mo, and Situ Jian looked at each other in disbelief.